Sparkles in the Clouds

Why I Let 88 People Know I'm Leaving Instagram

I get a little annoyed when people let the world know they're getting off social media or having a fast for a month or so. "Hey, guys, so I just wanted to let you know that I am so righteous, and I have self-control, so I'm getting off social media." That's pretty much what it sounds like to me.

So, why did I let the 88 people who follow me on Instagram know that I am about to get off? Honestly, I didn't really want to tell them because of how it can sound, and it's my business anyway. However, I knew that there could be a possibility that someone would actually wonder what happened to me, especially since Instagram is how I communicate with several people. I basically wanted to give people the chance of keeping up with me through another method.

I gave the chance, and tomorrow I'll be deleting the account, Lord willing.

It's been fun having Instagram, but it's time to move on, just like I moved on from Google +. Haha!

Life in Light of That Glory

I cry here for a spell

But think of what that glory will be?

I mourn here a while

But what shall I then see?

I've had a life of good and bad

I've seen a thing or two

But the end shall be ever so great

For I shall see You.

I walk alone sometimes

Though You are here

I've walked in the dark

But You were always near.

As the shadows fall again

And the sun hastens to its place

And leaves change colors

I'll keep running this race.

And when the sun rises again

Over that distant hill

I'll keep going onward

'Til You take me at Your will. 

First Time Back at the Farm

OK, folks, today (now, yesterday) I walked about 2 miles round trip to and from the farm. It was sooooo nice to be really out and about. That was my first walk to the farm since before my surgery in November. It was literally so much fun. The weather actually reminded me a lot of the last time I took pictures there.

Anyway, so I took pictures. Have fun.

Disclaimer: I took a bunch of pictures of myself. : [

Wow! Looking so stoic.

OK, I was having some fun out there, as you can see. 

The clouds and sky and farm land all made for a lovely view. 

Shadows

Some people only see gray in the winter, but I see blue and silver.

Dandie-lions are blooming like there's no tomorrow. 

So green

After a big rain dump the night before, the field was pretty wet.

Yay!

Have a good day!

A Slow Farewell to Instagram

My Instagram page after I deleted most of my pictures. 

I have for a while considered getting off Instagram. I first created myself an account my first semester of college. I thought it would be a fun way to keep up with friends from back home. I never posted because I didn't have the app on my computer, but I finally got the app almost a year later and started posting.

I enjoyed being able to keep up on some sort of level with people I am not with. I enjoy the pictures and things they write. However, it wasn't too long before I started seeing the website as a distraction for me. I search people and look up things. I spend sometimes over an hour at a time scrolling through pictures of people's lives.

Sometimes I have taken a break for a month or week from Instagram, but over the past year probably, I have thought about deleting it all together. But then I don't because I enjoy it too much. How will I know what's up with my friend's if I don't see them on Instagram?

Well, to the close of last year and as the new year unfolds, I have had a deeper desire to have real friendships and relationships with people. I often feel like the Instagram life is making me unreal, or at least the world around me feels less real. I love writing letters as I have for years, and in the last month or so I have decided that I prefer that method of communication over pictures of people showing off their lives.

And I'm one of those people.

I feel like our lives are less private than they used to be. The older I get, the more I love the old-fashioned. I want to be a part of real life and not live the rest of my life trying to show off to people who I am.

Not everyone uses Instagram that way, and I never intended to be a show off or act like my life is perfect. In fact, I have tried to give God glory and point others to Him besides just showing day to day life. Nothing fancy. There is seriously nothing glamorous about my life on Instagram.

However, I do find that I think too much about what others are thinking about me, and I want a break. Maybe some years later I'll be able to come back to it and be able to handle it better, but it's time to leave.

This blog will remain. I love it, and I think I use it more for how I want it to be used. I don't think I have many followers, but I really don't care. It's kind of just my little writing nook, and I like it that way.

That's it! Have a good one.

Me with a bunch of sweet people, real people, in my life about 2 1/2 years ago. 

Freedom Returned

Since yesterday, I have been free of the medical shoe, and I am very happy. I feel like I am free again. My foot is still stiff and it will be a little while before I am running again, but it feels so good to be free of those encumbrances.

I went around the path almost 3 times, but my foot began to feel sore, so I took a nap on the hammock. I have to just keep building up strength so that I can walk those streets of Minneapolis like any woman ever did before me. Whatever that means.

Anyway, just wanted to share the joys!

Letters

I have been thinking about letter-writing quite a bit lately. One reason is because I have been trying to write to people more myself. Another reason is that Mom has been reading a book about different famous people and their marriages. I've noticed just how much is learned about a person because of the letters they wrote. So much communication used to be done by thoughtful letters. Finally, we have been watching "Pride and Prejudice," and once again I noted how much people wrote intentionally to one another.

Intentionally.

That is a key word in my thinking. You see, I have for many years been a strong advocate of old-fashioned letter-writing to friends and family. However, it has come to my attention that in the past many of my letters have been simple facts. I thought if nothing interesting was going on in my life than I had little to say. Lately, though, I have found that there is more to say and write than what is going on around me. There is encouragement and thoughts that can be interesting as well. Sometimes, dare I say, more interesting if you live a more dull life.

So, in conclusion, I can say that as one of my goals for this year, I plan to write more letters and to write more intentionally. I want to encourage people and develop real conversations through the mail.

To the pen!

More Than Full of Life

Fully Alive

More Than Alive

Full of life.

Favorite Pictures From 2019

I've compiled a group of pictures from last year. I had to choose my favorite from each month. That was actually a really difficult job because I tend to like my photography (shsh...don't tell the photographers, they would cringe). Anyway, I did the best I could. My goal was to find the most artistically pleasing pictures, not just pictures of people that I like or moments I want to remember. I also tried as much as I could to find pictures that went well with the month.

OK, have fun. I'm going to try to let the pictures speak for themselves, but I might have to interject at points.

January

February

March

You'll notice that all three of these were very dark. That's what winter was like this year, dark and snowy. 

April

So bright and cheery.

May

This picture is just too much cuteness. 

June

OK, so I'm interjecting more than you thought I might, but I have to say June was really hard because I liked a bunch of pictures. This one was the winner because it's bright and green and full of life. 

July

Also, a hard month, but for the opposite reason as June: I didn't like many of the pictures. 

August

September

October

This picture made me so happy because you know how much I love butterflies. There were so many butterflies, and I really wanted to capture them, but it was so hard because they're so fast. Then I snapped this, and I was very pleased.

November

December

So, which one is your favorite?

Christmas in Staley

OK, so Christmas was a couple of weeks ago, but I am only now posting about it. Hey, what can I say? Nothing, so here goes. . .

Christmas in Staley!

Blury on purpose because I thought it looked cool. 

We really didn't need a fire. It was soooo hot!

I was pretty sure I was going to burn up, so I had to cool off outside. 

Bethany sampling some of her chocolate. Several of us had the bright idea to give each other Moser Roth chocolate from Aldi, so there was a lot of chocolate going around. 

I'm excited to read this book. 

Good food. The sweet potato casserole was probably my favorite. 

The funnest part of the day was going to downtown Staley.

The sun was getting ready to set. 

Bethany likes getting on trains, and as much as I would have liked to join in, I decided to stay on ground level. 

Staley, NC, home of nothing really. 

There's something nostalgic about this. 

Trees and bright hazy sun make for interesting photos. 

The traffic was crazy that day. 

I think I see a little wink there.

Train track picture time. 

And then the colors began to shine. 

And shine, they did. 

What a good way to end Christmas day!