Do Life with DELIGHT (WOTY 2024)

Happy 2024!

Let’s leap into the New Year! Day 1 of 366.

 I have so many things/themes I want to touch on with this post! Recap last year’s WOTY aka Word Of The Year, proclaim this year’s WOTY, announce my fruit of the year, spell out my slogan/resolution of the year, reaffirm my signature color, say that I’m still searching for my signature scent, and that I’ve added even more: a Bible verse of the year! Help. My headstone could accurately read: 

Here lies

• Sharnjean•

She loved a good theme.

#humor

Anyway, speaking of HUMOR, it was my favourite WOTY yet! It brought lightness and laughter into my life, and was a respite from other heavier words I had previously chosen. 2023 wasn’t all giggles, but it had more than it would have had, had I not kept this wise word forefront. 

In keeping with this lighthearted vein, I’m delving into DELIGHT in 2024! Like this following quote pic by Angela Gwinner that I designed for my Lock Screen, I want to look for little details of delight all day long.

 

This delightful quote also inspired me! I chose it for my phone Home Screen. 

Everyday life is worth paying attention to; the whimsy is there if we just stop to notice the magic that is always happening. 

Moving along to Mr. AVOCADO! He is stepping in to take the place of the Fruit of the Year as Miss Grapefruit is stepping out. 

My Slogan/Resolution is 

Nest More in 2024!

Which simply means that I want to enjoy more planned times of conscious rest & relaxation instead of guiltily perching on the edge of the nest, aka my cozy chair, when I should be up flying around. 

I’m still most settled on my Signature Colour. 

(British spellings are always the best)

Live Long, EMERALD!

The search continues for my Signature Scent. 

Try a pheromone perfume is on my 24 for 2024 list though. So only the nose knows if this will be the year I find it. 

I usually choose a Bible Verse every year on my birthday, but this time I was inspired to choose it now based on my WOTY after seeing a friend posting her verse for 2024. With so many “delightful” verses to choose from, it was a bit difficult to decide. But I am not regretting my choice of Psalm 94:19.

Happy 2024 to each and every one of you! 

Here’s to a delightful, emerald avocado year! 

Also, I would be delighted to know if you chose a WOTY! Please post in the comments below and type your name in if it doesn’t let you comment with your Google account. 

This Year (2024)

Tiffany posted this challenge on our family chat the other day, and of course I was enthused to fill it out! Please send me yours once you decide what your 2024 aims are! Let me know if you want the original pic sent to you personally. I’ll post it on my status as well. I used the PicCollage app to add my answers. 

Denied December

December is the time for getting things, not giving things up, right? But ever since one of my friends mentioned “Denied December” in conversation, I’ve been pondering about consciously denying myself this month. Self-denial sounds unpleasant, but in practice it’s actually like giving yourself (and others) little presents! How fitting for this Christmas Season! Deny yourself 5 minutes of squandered scrolling to instead unload the dishwasher, and Poof! You’ve given yourself 15 additional minutes of family time after supper because you were able to load the dirty dishes as you were cooking. If I can convince myself to give up going back to bed because it’s still dark when hubs leaves for work early, I’ve gifted myself 20 minutes to relax with coffee and Jesus under my heated blanket in my chair “nest” before the school routine starts! I’m trying to learn that self denial is in the little things. I don’t have to forgo all the yummy holiday treats in an extreme attempt to change myself, but I can savor 2 peppermint Hershey Kisses instead of 12! I can squeeze in 18 counter pushups here and there throughout my day instead of feeling like I should be getting up at the crack of dawn to run 8 miles. Small good decisions day after day do make a difference! I can purpose do my best to be effective before 2:45 pm, so the bulk of my day’s work won’t still be weighing me down and hindering after-school peppermint bark production with Danielle. Instead of wallowing in overwhelm, I can make myself sit down and brain dump everything I need to do and think I need to do. Then I can attempt to cut out the extras and give the gift of a Less-Hassle Holiday to myself and my family. Or, like Mary, I might need to deny myself the luxury of even being able to have a plan! She didn’t have an online reservation email to easily pull up and recheck the details of the Airbnb “Stable Experience” Joseph had booked months in advance. Instead, she had to submit to ongoing discomfort while getting closer to utter unknown with each plodding step of her little donkey. Even though I’m sure she was a normal woman who was tempted to complain and to feel like her life was so unfair, I think Mary consciously chose to accept her situation as it was. I believe she made the choice to deny the desire for an easy path, a “normal” family; subconsciously giving Joseph the gift of feeling like a good husband who truly was doing his best to make his wife happy, and as comfortable as possible. This Christmas, I want to be like Mary and have a Denied December; giving those in my little world the best gift that I can give - my self, denied. 

Home-Tripping

The mesmerizing whisper of the windshield wipers clearing the endless raindrops away as we inch our way home. Home; the call of Chubby Chick, my own little house and overstacked desk, the work he was happy to walk away from but really is ready to be doing again. My thoughts drift as much as the semis swaying beside us, contemplating life, which somehow seems more real, more vivid when you’ve been pulled out of your normal ruts. More sweet memories and moments committed to the past. Nebraska will forever and always be dear to us. Life feels fragile; a wreck narrowly avoided as a little Fiat fiats about a little too friskily. The best conversations come to pass as the miles go by, side by side but no need for eye contact. The fact that no one can escape makes it ideal. My thick book beckons whenever my navigation skills are not called upon. Or my magazines or drawing supplies. Always, more activities than I can possibly complete lie at my crowded feet. Sonic sandwich wrappers waft about the truck. Piles of stuff erupting here and there like mini Mt. Vesuvius(s). I do a trash dump at the gas stations every now and then, but otherwise I choose to surrender cleanliness in favor of comfortable chaos. Roadtripping always calls for snackitty snacks. Mini unwrapped Reese’s with salty pretzels…mmmmm. We all love them. A trailer is following us since Lepanto, AR, so I don’t even bother to offer to pilot this big rig anymore. Princess Passenger is my sole role. Vital Farm Eggs on my lap, cradled with care. Thanks, Audge! Darkness is falling; we are weary. But the lights of home are pulling us along, mile by open road mile. The pull of my very own pillow; my favorite people so close to me hour after hour. My heart is happy.  

Working at Waffle House

(This story was mostly written on the day it took place which was 10.25.23. I’m finally getting it edited and posted while I’m waiting for a deer in the tree stand.)

For a long time now, I’ve wanted to work at Waffle House. Not “work” as in wait tables and pour coffee, but “work” as in “take my office work” to Waffle House.  I figured that the change of scenery would inspire a boost in productivity, plus I had a $25 Waffle House gift card! So today was the day to do this I decided! Armed with my laptop, charging cord, unopened mail, letter opener, and appetite, I arrived at last at our Atmore Waffle House, which is a bit of drive as it’s located near Interstate 65. A corner booth was open, so I snagged that and proceeded to order my standing favorite breakfast at this establishment. Pecan Waffle with a side of Bacon and Endless Black Coffee. A very grumbly older woman took my order whilst complaining about her co-workers. “No worries,” I thought. “I can cheer her up and I’ll leave her a generous tip!” She plunked my food down and muttered away. It was just as good if not better than I remembered. You do need to salt the waffle after adding the syrup though. Trust me. You won’t regret it. I asked who I assumed was the manager if they had WiFi. “No? Oh OK, thanks.” Hmmmm… do they even like people to work at their Waffle House? I started to watch how long other patrons were staying and whether or not there were open tables. Meanwhile, my plan to cheer up my whiny waitress was miserably failing because she never came back to my table. A couple other happier humans refilled my cup with coffee as they passed by. I finished my food and continued to peck away at the document that I was making decent headway on. A table over, sat a beautiful elderly black woman, who looked so familiar to me! I couldn’t help myself and stepped over to ask her if she used to work at Atmore Hospital! Sure enough, it was Ms. Rosa and she remembered me too from the days of volunteering there with Kristi years ago! Seeing her was a huge perk of working at Waffle House! Back at my “desk,” I worked a little more before deciding it was time to depart. I went to pay with my gift card, but alas, it declined. And then declined again even though I knew it should still have the full $25 balance! Flustered, I said to forget it, and paid with a different card. Next was a quick stop to use the loo before heading on my way. I noticed that it didn’t look as if the commode had flushed properly, but thought it was no biggie. I did a flush that confirmed things were not flushing according to manufacturer’s expectations. Now what?! Surely one more good solid holding down of the handle will solve the issue! But it DID NOT!! Rather, it caused an instant and extreme overflowing situation!!! Everyone woman’s worst bathroom nightmare! Even though I had not caused the initial plugging, I knew the right thing to do was to TELL SOMEONE. But every Waffle House worker was busy, and I felt so kerflummoxed that I just walked out the door, feeling like I would never again be able to set foot inside this particular Waffle House. Why had I wanted to work at Waffle House?! My own little home office is so cozy and inviting with a private restroom that boasts a wonderfully fast-flushing toilet just down the hall. Oh well, what is life if not an adventure?? And since I called the number on the back of the gift card and was told that I do indeed have $25 yet to spend, I know that one day soon or not so soon, I will once again attempt to work at Waffle House. I just might pop into Popeyes once I’m done though, instead of risking the Waffle House water closet. 

Cotton Candy Queen

Cotton fields… Unharvested. 

White as a bride admired by all, waiting like a Queen for her cotton-picker King. 

Cotton fields… Harvested.

Barren and brown except for the giant cotton bale marshmallows dipped in vibrant yellow and blue candy-colored wraps. 

An Ode to the Comfort of Coffee

☕️ 

Hot Coffee on a chilly Autumn morn… the steam kissing my cheeks, the caffeine nudging my brain to wake up and seize the day. 

Coffee… 

Warm in my hands and Warm in my heart.

♥️