I wait all year for a new February.
In February I find myself better able to plan sensibly for the week,
month or year ahead because I'm finally rested in spirit, thought, heart
and body after the close of last year and a busy start to this new one.
In February I breathe deeply, despite the intense heat and humidity of a tropical summer, and set my thoughts to what truly matters and whether there are changes I can make to simplify life a little more.
I choose to stroll around the house and not rush from room to room or task to task.
I'm more intentional about what I do each day so I can enjoy the fullness of a chore or project rather than trying to juggle too many things at once, and I even allow the inner delight of satisfaction a moment to boast within my heart because it reminds me how good it feels when I stay on track and see something through to completion.
Another joy for February is the return of the birds just outside the dining room window.
Kookaburras are my favourite of all God's feathered sky fliers and usually they signal rain is on the way, which proved correct after this fellow's visit yesterday...
Last night it rained like it hasn't rained in three years and we were
able to open wide the windows, turn off the air conditioning, and
slumber in cool breezes that rushed through our home from one side to
the other with the constant pelt of water from the sky as our lullaby.
February is also my most contemplative month of the year.
Perhaps because it's my birthday soon and there's a sense of looking back in order to see forward?
Even though sorrows and trials have left a wrecking yard of evidence behind me, a deep well of gratefulness nourishes the soil of my soul because there has also been so much good, so much life, and so much love stamped over the story of my life - and climbing the mountain of gratefulness is far more wonderful and mood-enhancing than dwelling in the valley of sorrows.
In February I tend to watch movies that stir my contemplative thoughts.
In 'How to Make an American Quilt' I'm deeply moved by the stories of each character, of the life choices they made and the ramifications over the course of their lives and how they reflect those emotions into a quilt.
I've watched this movie about twenty times and always come away learning something new about myself, or discovering an attitude that needs to change in my own character...
Sophia resonates with me more than any other, and it's from her story I first discovered that discontent can rob you of joy, and of the need to delight in what you have right 'now'.
After all this time I finally decided to purchase the book and read the author's version, and you know what I discovered? After each chapter of the story there is a small 'instructions' chapter on quilting...
I think I'll enjoy this novel as my February read - after I watch the movie one more time...
Do you have a month that you look forward to?
What does it bring to your life?
There's a good deal of food preparation going on in our home this month, and yesterday I shared the recipe for these on my other blog...
The recipe is in the blog post HERE and there's also a link for you to download and print it up for your own recipe folder.
May you enjoy a fine and fruitful February,
hugs
