Edie Wadsworth

The Spirit of the Lord and the Magic of Being Loved

September 15, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 119 Comments

tolove

I got an email this weekend that brought me to my knees.

A woman whose life looks perfect to everyone around her but is burning to the ground as she watches in disbelief. And it doesn’t look like help is coming. It doesn’t appear to be one of the stories with a tidy, happy ending. I read stories like hers in my inbox every week. Sometimes, the story is mine. This is where we are. This is the truth about us all, at one time or another in our lives. I’ve been there more times than I can count.

When our literal house burned to the ground, there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. The firefighters came and worked in the freezing cold as hard as they could to no avail. Sometimes things just burn. But as I sat on the frozen ground and watched flames reach up toward the night sky, I noticed the blanket that my neighbor had wrapped around me, the warm cup of coffee someone brought, the arms of my family, that comforted me when even words were too painful. For a few hours, no one even worried about the whats and the whys. They just showed up and sat with us and brought us the comfort of not being alone. [Read more…] about The Spirit of the Lord and the Magic of Being Loved

The 10 Books That Changed Everything

September 12, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 47 Comments

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ~C. Eliot

Everywhere you turn in my house, there’s a stack of books. I TRY to keep them put away but no matter how much I hope to reform myself, I’m forever getting books off the shelves and re-reading passages, looking for quotes, and in general wanting to NOT FORGET the words of the authors that have changed my life. My nightstand is loaded down like a pack mule. I have 3-4 books in my car, one in my purse, and a teetering stack on my desk. I was tagged on Facebook and decided to post my answers here since I know how much y’all love books, too. [Read more…] about The 10 Books That Changed Everything

How to Set Up a Baking Center

September 10, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 26 Comments

I’ve never quite had a baking center like this but it was a priority when we rebuilt our house. I’ve had various versions of one for a long time and here’s the truth of the matter—-if your supplies are easily accessible and organized, you’ll bake more. (You might also like a full tour of the kitchen and a list of my 10 favorite kitchen tools!)

The flour and sugar that are sitting on my counter are practically begging me to bake something. AND, I never run out of stuff because I always know when I need it. So, besides chicken stock, apparently I hoard baking supplies too. But, let’s look on the bright side, there’s always flour.

So, it’s worth the effort to think through your spaces and see where you could incorporate and organize your supplies. Here’s my advice. [Read more…] about How to Set Up a Baking Center

The Most Important Thing to Remember About Parenting

September 8, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 47 Comments

The sun was pouring into the east sky, scattering orange like a blanket over everything. She was sitting in the front seat, unable or unwilling to look at me, her head turned decidedly away and her body clinging to her side of the car sending its message loud and clear. Was there a tear in the corner of her eye? I don’t know because I was too angry to ask. We were on our way to a rare social gathering and I just needed her to get over herself already. What I was really thinking is that I wanted her to show my friends how well homeschooling was working out, how smart and well adjusted she was, how pleasant and kind to be around—all of which would translate into some imaginary points for me. What I didn’t want was for her to sulk through the whole thing and make me look bad.

And we were running out of time, because we were almost there and neither of us seemed capable of moving toward reconciliation. [Read more…] about The Most Important Thing to Remember About Parenting

The Best Decorating Trick in the Book

September 5, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 53 Comments

(pillow to match my logo from my dear friend, Darlene, from this shop)

I get antsy every year about this time. I want to repaint all the walls and win the lottery so I can buy bolts of dreamy fabric and stacks of throw pillows. Since I don’t buy lottery tickets, I’m probably not gonna win the lottery and so I’ve learned to freshen up my spaces on the fly with zero money and just a little bit of time and effort.

If you follow me on Instagram, (and you SHOULD!) then you know I’ve been redecorranging. What is re-decorranging you ask?

redecorrange:: to redecorate your house by rearranging the stuff you already have

Fall is slowly creeping in and I was craving some change around the house that 1) was free, 2) could be done by a non-professional like myself, and 3) could be done in less time than it takes to run to T.J. Maxx and back. And really, this has been my favorite trick for years. Nothing is sacred around here. Just because I bought something with the bedroom in mind doesn’t mean it has to live there FOREVER. This is not a prison for my things. I want my things to bring me joy and sometimes if they sit in the same place for too long, they feel stifled and sad. I don’t even see them anymore. They long for greener pastures. So, I listen to them. (What? Don’t your things talk to you, too?!)

When I move them around, I see them and enjoy them again. [Read more…] about The Best Decorating Trick in the Book

The One Quality of Great and Generous Minds

September 4, 2014 by Edie Wadsworth 41 Comments

The boys were home this past weekend and so we lingered a while around the table, talking about their first couple weeks in classes and all the myriad of adjustments to be made when you begin a new season of life. One thing that can be hard is all the new people that begin to populate your life. But that part can also be overwhelming. I confessed to them how hard that can be even at my stage of life, even though I’m an extrovert and love meeting people. We were at a social gathering recently and I wasn’t feeling that well and wasn’t really in the curious and generous mood. I wanted to enjoy my expensive dinner and read the book I had stowed away in my purse and pretend I was eating alone. I have enough friends, I told myself. And this woman is 20 years my senior and she’s not talkative, so this is going to be a monumental effort to make genuine conversation.

But then I remembered what I always tell my kids. Teach yourself to be interested in people, to want to hear their stories. And if you’re not interested, confess that as a flaw in yourself and pretend to be interested until your stubborn mind catches up.

I think we’re not that curious about other people because we have to stop thinking and talking about ourselves long enough to let them talk. It takes humility—which Lewis says is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. And we are nothing if not hopelessly self-centered, so this humility and curiosity doesn’t come natural to any of us, least of all, me.

So, despite my own selfish thoughts, I started asking her questions. Twenty minutes later I was sure she was one of the most fascinating women I had ever met. I’m so glad I didn’t miss that opportunity, but it makes me wonder how many people I’ve let slip through my fingers because I was too self-absorbed to care.

I told the boys and I keep reminding myself to stay curious—to cultivate the discipline of being interested in people. Even if you’re not. Even if you already have enough friends. Even when it’s inconvenient. Soon it will become more like habit and years later, you’ll find that what you’ve cultivated is a generous heart.

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I’d be so curious to know when the last time you felt like someone did this for you? Isn’t it wonderful when someone takes an interest in your life and wants to hear your story?