Why I Stopped Going to Church

A little over a year ago my husband and I made the decision to leave the church we were attending to find another one. It was a hard decision especially since we really didnt know why we were leaving. We didnt have an issue with music, the preaching or no problems with other members. We were just not feeling it. We dreaded going. We didnt want to sleep in. We actually still get up at 6am on the weekend like we do through the week,  We even tried to find another church and didnt hate any of the many that we visited. So whats wrong with us?

Absolutely nothing! I feel we have decided that since our issue was never really with our church it must be with the church as a whole, like whole wide world sort of thing. Do I still read my bible? Do I still pray? Do I feel that my leaving the church has made me any less closer to God. Yes, yes and no. When we finally decided that we were going to just stop looking for a church it took a huge burden off. Just writing this is taken even more of one off. I feel like I am not longer keeping a dirty little secret.

In the most simplest way possible to describe what a christian is I would say its believing Jesus and who the Bible says he is. Its trying to live my life like him and hoping others see His light in me. Its loving everybody and not just those most like me or in agreement with me. Thats what I am not seeing in other christians these days. Everyone has their opinions and arent afraid to just throw them out there without any regard as to who they hurt. You can disagree with me on this I just wont argue back.

I recently was at a public picnic. We were sitting at a line of picnic tables. Across from us was an older couple who did not speak english. Their daughter and grandchild did. There was a single mom and her son. There was a single dad and his daughter. There was a young couple with two children, there were homeless people and someone who came as we were about to leave who really stuck with me. They approached very slowly and unsure, they were wearing a dress which was a little odd for this outing. They were carrying a purse which seemed strange in a park and they had facial stubble like my hubby gets at the end of the day. They asked me if the table was taken and I said no and motioned for them to sit down. I smiled big and really wanted to talk to them. They never looked up from their plate. A few days later I was thinking about this situation again and it made me cry. I cried that I could feel how worried that person was to be accepted at the table. What if I had said no you cant sit here, I honestly think they would have walked away. Thats when it hit me. Thats what I am missing. I want to sit in a church with someone who can be wearing a dress even if they were obviously male and they not be turned away. Oh you can say "I would never turn someone away'. You probably never would actually say anything mean to them but our eyes and our actions speak volumes. Since the picnic was in my neighborhood I have been praying very hard to run into that person again. I have been praying for opportunities to chat it up with those who dont fit molds we like for them to. They dont have to worry about me inviting them to church because I dont have one.

I do not intend to never belong to a church again. I miss lots of things about church. I also know I can have fellowship without a church. For this time in my life right now this is right.

Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug

Learning something new

My husband was recently watching a lecture by Neil deGrasse Tyson and we was talking about all the teachers that one has from the start of school to the finish and how that only 1-2 really influence you and lots of times their influence shapes you into what you do when you grow up. My 25 year old daughter has a degree in English. At an early age she loved to write stories and was fortunate enough to have a few teachers who really encouraged her. My 20 year old is a chemistry major and minoring in French. Once again there were a few teachers in her life that encouraged and helped that grow. My 18 year old son loves History and computers and his major will definitely have something to do with those areas. i would think that their father and I had something t do with their smart little brains and I think we did a good job and encouraging them to do what ever challenges them and brings them joy.

When I think back on all the teachers I had I do feel as if I had some really nice teachers but honestly I am dont think any of them made me passionate about any real subjects. I am not blaming them either. My husband and  I got married really early, he was sent off to the Gulf War shortly after, he came back, got out of the army, we had a child and he went to a trade school. That was sort of the end of our education process and thats how lots of people are and there is nothing wrong with that. But we wanted our children to feel that the world was their oyster. Thats really a strange saying since oysters are actually gross but you get my point. But i guess the meaning of the saying is that you have to crack open the icky oyster to find your pearl? I have no idea.

So in the process of encouraging our children and basically growing up with them I think we found our passions as well and so everything works out. My hubby can build just about anything and he did take woodworking in high school so maybe he did have a teacher. I am always showing him things on Pinterest or texting him something and saying "make this happen".

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a house of readers. My mom, dad, and granny were always reading. I remember walking to our downtown library with my mom and granny to get new books each week. I loved how the stairs squeaked as you walked up them to the childrens section. I can still smell that library. They have since closed that one down and built a few more libraries but my middle daughter tutors once a week there now.

I just recently realized that I love history. We are always watching documentaries and I am always reading books about how to do things like they use to before we had walmart. My husband and I are always looking for something new to try and so we are always learning new things. I have recently gotten into herbal home remedies but I also wanted to learn more about plants and their names. So I have gotten into flower pressing as well and of course my husband made me a flower press. Here are a few of our adventures this past Sunday and what we have learned.

Starting with the top left pic that is as most of you already know Showy Goldenrod. Its our state flower hear in Kentucky and you can use its flowers to make a tincture thats suppose to help with seasonal allergies. Since I had a gallon ziplock bag of it in the kitchen and my allergy prone son got pretty stuffed up I think I will ask his doctor before I try it out on him. I learned that my son like one of my friends is allergice to Goldenrod.

The top right is Giant Ironweed. I love the purple flowers. I have yet to find out a lot about this flower except the bees love it and well I love the bees.

Bottom left is Orange Jewelweed. This one is very interesting. You usually find it growing near poison ivy and it helps with relieving itching from poison ivy. I plan on heading to my secret location of this plant to forage more and make anti itch salve.

The last picture is of Jerusalem Artichoke. Which really isnt an artichoke at all but is edible. I did read that you shouldnt eat too much at at time and you should boil it like crazy. I did not realize you could eat the roots so I just clipped a few of the flowers to press.

If you do not have flower press you can use a big book. I used unbleached coffee filters to  lay my flowers on. This is much cheaper and easier than the special paper they sell online for flower pressing.

Something else I learned this weekend was how to do the pearl stitch when using a loom. I found a great youtube video and I will soon be cranking out knitted mittens on my loom like a boss.

Have a great day and learn something new. You knew know when it will come in handy. Did you notice my pun there from the mittens. I crack me up!


Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug

Clutter

The past week my mind has been all over the place. I feel like I am being pulled in a million directions. This morning I was sipping my tea and sun was shining through the back door and the birds were chirping I knew I had to go outside. Some people call it grounding, some praying and some meditation. I consider it sort of all three,  I find the perfect spot with the sun shining down on my face and I stand there. The dew is still on the ground and my feet are cool and wet. I put my arms out to the side and just soak it all in. I slowly breath in and out just listening to nature around me and the sound of my own breathing. I replay my week and think about the week ahead. I realize I am repeating something in my head. " Declutter your mind, declutter your body and declutter your home". All three of these things need to be done to live a simpler life. Notice I didnt say easier.

Lots of research has been done on what clutter in your home does to your life. It holds you hostage. You dont want to have anyone over. You can find things. You could trip and fall. You can actually trip and fall if you have pets too. I can not tell you how to declutter your home. I have no idea what your home looks like. I can tell you to walk around look at areas that you try to avoid and start there. I like to cook and I cook a lot. I have a very tiny kitchen. I get things out and do not put them back up, then my kitchen is cluttered and I have no room to work in there. I also like glass jars and I either need to use them or toss them.

I had a great week actually. I had a few interesting conversations with strangers. I snagged some great deals and I had some great adventures with my hubby. When decluttering my mind I need to learn when to stop over thinking. I need to be more mindful of where my thoughts are going, like when I start worrying about things and put a stop to it immediately. I need to take more time in the mornings to do what I did today, pray and meditate.

Decluttering your body for me means being more mindful of what I put in it and to move more. This does not have to be over complicated either. I can get my exercise from haniging laundry, weeding the garden, planting the winter garden, taking the dogs for walks and even walking in my nature with my hubby while foraging. I have a goldenrod tincture I will tell you about later. Simple meals with few ingredents is they way to go with eating. This morning we had chopped up strawberries with yogurt, granola and honey. It was easy and tasty. Everyone is having some sort of leftover for lunch today and dinner will be stir fry.

The best decluttering you can do is think about your time. I love blogging, I love reading others blogs, I love my Facebook and Instgram, messaging my friends but these things can take up time that keeps me from doing other things I need to do. Make time to step away from screens. Learn something new, read something different that you usually do. talk to your neighbors. When I finished with my meditating this morning I looked up and seen my neighbors had someone in their driveway who was looking at me and probably wondered what I was doing. I smiled and waved and said good morning. I am definitely sure I am the weird lady on the street. I am okay with that too.

If you will excuse me I have some counters to clean off and some clutter that needs to be out of this house.


Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug

Weekend Adventures

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I found mine to be quite enjoyable and will be looking forward to doing it again in 5 days. I am amazed at how many times I hear people say they would like to do something fun but they dont have any money. There are so many things that you can do that dont cost much if anything at all if you just look. Here are a few of our weekend adventures that were free or just about.

STARGAZING . Okay this is sort of expensive if you dont have a telescope. I learned where are few stars were in the sky a few months ago and I have become very interested in constellations. We went to a free sky gazing monthly meeting in our area and there were 5 people there with pretty nice telescopes who would let you look through them and point out things in the sky for you. My husband had to have a telescope. We researched and watched a million youtube videos and went with one that was around $180. But if you think of it as how much does it cost each evening we go out and look at the stars instead of heading to a coffee house it doesnt take long to  see that you could save up for a telescope if thats what you wanted to do. I have found out that with astigmatism which has something to do with how my eyes see light especially at night looking at a telescope at a bright object isnt really all the clear to me. We did get to see Saturn Friday evening and you could see a ring around it. It was very cool even if it looked like a bunch of beams shooting out of it thanks to  my eyes. If you are interested in constellations like I am you dont need a telepscope. Just need a great place to see the stars. Learn where a few of them are and you can go from there locating the constellations and its free!

READING OR LISTENING TO BOOKS There are websites that will tell you what books they are making into movies. I found one that tells you about movies coming out in 2018. I thought this was the perfect time to start reading ones that I would want to see. I am working on reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I fell in love with this book instantly.  Its written as letters back and forth from a young woman to a group of locals on Guernsey Island who survived Nazi occupation. I am a little over half way through and I really dont want to finish because I am going to miss the characters so much. Its historical fiction and I have stopped reading so many times to google something to see if it really happened. I am learning lots of things reading this lovely book. They had it my library so its a free read. I am also listening to Murder on the Orient Express which will also be a movie next year.

Game night. Saturday evening we all met at my daughter and son in laws and played Mario Uno. It was lots of fun. I think I see a Game of Thrones Clue game being bought in our future.

I found this dvd at the library. Its called Victorian Slum House. A group of people move into a Slum House set in the 1860's and they have to live like the people did them. Its very interesting and eye opening and each episode explains a different decade and you learn a lot of things. It was free at the  library as well.

A few weeks ago I encouraged you to talk to strangers. I was recently at a local coffee shop and saw a flyer hanging on the wall for a tea club. You follow them on instagram and they tell you where to meet. I looked them up and this Sunday was the first time I was available to attend. I was actually nervous about going not because I was afraid of people but more of what they would think of me. In the few pictures shared on their page I was old enough to be their mothers. They  may not want an old lady there or what on earth would we have to talk about.I even messaged them and said if you have an age range in mind and I am way over the limit I will not be offended in the least bit. I decided to not think so much and just go and I am glad I did. There were 4 of us total and it was just nice to sit outside and sip green teas and talk tea with them. It goes to show you that if you try you can find something you have in common with anyone. One was a high school senior, one was a college freshman and one was a single mom of a 10 month old. We are all at different stages but all enjoyed talking about our favorite teas and tea shops. I also brought some honey from my bees and made homemade shortbread cookies just to help me be able to stay. Who can say no to homemade cookies?

Easy Shortbread Cookie Recipe

1 cup of softened butter at room temp
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together, use teaspoon to measure and roll into into balls, smash balls with bottom of a glass and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Maybe I will get brave enough to attend a Stitch and Bitch group, thats seriosuly what they are called, they meet and crochet or knit. My stitching is not very good I am very basic but I am sure I can do the other part just fine.

Have a great week, go on adventures and talk to strangers.

Stop to smell the flowers

Yesterday the hubby and I went to a park to walk. This park use to be a farm and they have just mowed paths in a field and you stay on the paths and then are surrounded by natural over growth.  Rabbits sometimes hop out along the path and birds that like to stay on the ground. You see lots of butterflies as well. If you have severe allergies I would not recommend this park. By the time we got home my sweeties eyes were itching him something fierce.

We are walking along the path and my hubby sees a white flower. He said he wondered what it was and I said it looked like a morning glory but on further inspection it wasnt on a vine. it was on a stem. We still have no idea what the flower was but when we looked inside and there was a little green bee.

It has been my experience lately to see people walking and even jogging and looking at their phones. Sometimes they are even walking their dogs or with their children while looking down at their phones. I was walking my dog once and my husband was calling me and just trying to answer the phone I fell down and skinned both my knees. In falling I got wrapped on the dogs leash and someone actually thought my own dog was attacking me and of course this had to happen on a pretty busy street so I had lots of spectators.

I am not one of those cell phone haters. I actually love my phone and find it super handy. Its not just our phones that distract us. It could be a bad mood or busyness that keeps us from noticing the wonder that is all around us.

When I am walking my german shepherd in our neighborhood he normally is pretty focused on walking and looking at other pedestrians like "dont touch my mom and I wont bite your arm off". But on ocassion he will want to stop and let someone pet him. Most of the time its someone who has a story on how he looks like a dog they had when they were young. Once there were three city workers putting in a new stop sign.  Atlas, thats my dogs name, wanted this one man to pet him who was terrified of dogs. His coworkers pet him but he wanted nothing to do with Atlas. I finally said could you just please touch him so he will continue on. A quick tap on the head and we were on our way. Atlas doesnt care to stop and smell the flowers he likes to stop and get petted. He usually just wants to tinkle on the flowers anyway.

Stop and smell the flowers yourself, look inside for little creatures, only take your phone out to snap a pic to identify the flower or creature later, talk to passersby  and experience the wonder that is all around you just like when you were a little kid. We have a checklist of different things we like to keep up with. There is an app you can keep track of birds you identify. Map my walk lets you add pictures of things to remember your walk. We have a checklist of viewing the different parts of the moon, you know those dark spots you see on it when its full? Those things have names! I want to start snapping pictures of different constellations. We will probably start documenting bee sightings too. Get out and enjoy the day and hopefully the cooler weather.

Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug

Homemade shampoo, warming muscle rub and chicken soup

I have been looking for a homemade shampoo recipe for like ever. Unfortunately I will continue to look. The one I a made though may be really great for dry damaged hair so I thought I would share it. Since I made a bottle of it I am going to continue to use it once a week as a conditioner.

Shampoo
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 castile soap ( I like Dr Bonners and any scent will due)
a few drops of your favorite essential oil ( I used rosemary)

Put in a container and shake with each use. Use the same amount as you normally do.

I will probably give this another try and use the light coconut milk instead of the full fat.


I could eat soup every day. This cooler weather has me wanting to make every soup  I see on Pinterest. Last night we had the simplest chicken noodles soup ever and it was cheap! I made a small batch. It would server 4 people but three of us ate it and just had bigger bowls. You know its a hit when your hubby asks if there was any leftovers to take in his lunch.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 cup of cooked chopped chicken
32oz of chicken stock or broth
2 cups of mixed veggies or you could just use peas and or carrots.
3 oz of vermicelli pasta broken in to 2 inch pieces.
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons flour or seasoned flour

Place your soup pan on the burner and turn on med high heat. Add butter and once it starts getting soft add the flour making sure you get it all mixed in well. Start adding about a cup of the stock and whisk to make sure there are no lumps. Add remaining stock and throw in the rest of the ingredients and simmer until pasta is done. Usually in about 10-15 minutes.

When I calculated the cost of this meal with my ingredients I had gotten on sale it was less than $5 to feed us and that includes the addition of crackers. I will make more for my hubby to take in his lunch. I think eating a home cooked lunch for a little over a dollar is much better than running through a drive thru.

A few months ago I pulled a muscle in my neck. Its was crazy. I had to turn my whole body to see things. After a week of that and lots of neck yoga it got better. Who knew sleeping could be so dangerous?  Monday morning when I woke up with a stiff neck again I decided that maybe neck yoga needed to be an every day practice and that I should make up a muscle rub. You can find some neck yoga exercises on youtube. You can find the muscle rub recipe below.

Muscle Rub

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon beeswax
20 drops of each of these essential oils peppermint, eucalyptus, clove, ginger and black pepper. If you have a hard time finding the ginger or the pepper you can add 1/4 teaspoon of ground. I had those oils so I can not say if the ground is as good or better,

Place a jar that will at least hold 1/2 cup in a pan with water around it. put coconut, olive oil and beeswax in the jar and heat water until they are melted. Then add the essential oils and let cool, You could probably use a microwave to do this but I dont have one.

Sorry there are no pics with this post. Things are not cooperating this morning. Have a great day and dont let the little things get to you.


Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug

Being Thank Full

I feel like letting my religious freak flag fly (try saying that 5 times fast) a little this morning. As I was eating breakfast a bible verse came to mind.

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24


I am sure this is one of the many verses I memorized in Sunday School as a child. I also remember singing a song with the words during worship service. One of my favorite memories of this verse was when I was just learning to cross stitch and I made a gift with this verse on it. It was a window with flowers sitting on a table and this verse stitched on it. I even put it in a frame. I gave it to my great grandmother and she placed it  in front of a window where she sat in her rocking chair and where she read her bible and wrote letters. She told me it was one of her favorite verse and I believe her because she lived it every day.

 She had gotten sick and was not able to safely live on her own so she lived with us. Even on the days that she felt her worst she never complained. In her long  life she was always helping people and putting others first even when it cost her her health. She was a special person.

If you are a christian there are so many verses that tell us we should be thankful. If you arent a christian there are so many studies that that show that being thankful and being happy where you are can be very beneficial to your health.

This morning as I ate my breakfast in the picture above I thought about what it really means to me. Every single ingredient came from my backyard. The eggs, chives, red onion, tomatoes, dried peppermint tea and even the honey to sweeten it. My goal is to grow as much as my own food as possible. We have been gardening for about 5 years. We are not there yet. I could easily get down and ask whats taking so long or I can be thankful for how far we have come.

There are many other things we take for granted or forget to be thankful for. I could look at my bank account and wish there was more there or be thankful that I have a bank account. I could wish my house was bigger or be thankful for a roof over my head. What would happen if everyone was thankful for what they had or where they were at right now. You would not have things like envy and jealousy.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with setting goals and having plans to be more successful in anything you do. Just dont forget to enjoy where you are at right now. Dont forget to help others out who are where you once may have been.

Every day is a new day with new possibilities and adventures all its own. Dont be so busy wishing for what tomorrow may bring you dont enjoy what you have and those in front of you today.


Lots of Love

Mrs Ladybug