Category Making Opportunities

I Made It Myself!

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I Made It Myself!

I made it myself watercolor

Recently my amazing friend Sonya hosted a painting party for a group of our friends from school. She created a simple, landscape watercolor scene and then guided us through the steps of painting our own landscape.

Because the painting was a watercolor the lines were not finite and bled into one another. For some of us the lack of clear delineation between background and foreground and water and land was disturbing. Sonya assured us that the watercolor was really a “loose landscape,” to which we came up with some interesting interpretations.

It was a very cool experience.

We ate and drank and talked and painted. We took photos and shared our thoughts on the process. We celebrated the differences in each artist’s work and surprisingly the emotions we each felt were as diverse as the results of our work.

Some found the experience to be fun and relaxing, while others found it nerve-racking and stressful, they were just there for conversation and painted to be a part of the experience. I am pretty sure a few came just to see if they could test Sonya’s patience. ( Seriously, who puts orange in a cool toned sky line?) 😉 In the end we were all excited to be finished with our paintings because it meant, while we worked together, Continue reading “I Made It Myself!” →

Pretty Ugly Words – Wise Words Wendesday

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Pretty Ugly Words – Wise Words Wednesday

Pretty Ugly Words

“Hey, those ugly words don’t match that pretty face,” I said to my daughter after she spoke meanly to her brother.

Her unkind treatment of her brother led me to be less than kind to her. Was this the parenting solution for a future Mom of the Year?

Probably not.

I stopped myself before adding another harsh comment and hugged both my kiddos and told them I loved them and it hurt me to see them being mean to one another. But do I do this every time they fight? No. I am human.

Too often I find myself thinking hurtful or vengeful thoughts when someone acts in a way that I don’t appreciate. This is not the answer. If I want my heart and face to be that of someone who is “pretty,” I need to work on a kinder thought process.

I think a lot of us could use a reminder of what it is to be “pretty.” Pretty kind. Pretty generous. Pretty compassionate. Pretty flexible. Pretty patient. Pretty reliable. Pretty fair.

Give your intent a pretty purpose and the energy you generate will be a beautiful thing.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Batter Up! – First (Make change happen)

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Batter Up! – First (Make change happen)

Lead Off Hitter.jpg

So excited to lead off, my son beat everyone onto the field.

 

The first batter of a team is called the lead-off hitter. At a recent game my son was awarded the honor of being the lead-off hitter. He was so excited; he beat EVERYONE onto the field.

This is a key position in the batting line-up because your team is counting on you to hit your way on base and get the game going on a good note.Being the lead-off hitter is a lot of pressure. You don’t want to start the game with an out.

In life we are offered chances to be the first to take on a task or start a movement. Do you embrace those opportunities, do you shy away from the chance, or are you empowered by the ability to start things off with change?

If you are not presented the lead-off spot, do you cheer on your teammates or those who step up to the plate before you? Are you ready to give them support for their efforts and rally them in losing situations?

Today my wish for everyone is that they would feel the same excitement and enthusiasm my son felt.

I hope that each person finds it in their hearts and minds to step up to the plate for a cause or opportunity that leads to positive change in our world. Be the lead-off player who brings it home for the underdogs or who bolsters your team with a hit to the heart of an unkind adversary. Take the lead. Make change.

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

Get a Towel

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Get a Towel

Get a Towel (6).JPG

Monday morning as I was writing, my children were eating their breakfast and watching Sports Center (as all “normal” American children do). My son came running into the office to tell me that he spilled his cereal.

My response was, “Get a towel and I will be right there.” His response was to stand there and stare at me.

I hit “Save” and headed to the kitchen. I found a nicely splattered, milk mess. Again I told him, “Get a towel.”

He just looked at me.

I grabbed a dry towel and a wet wash cloth. Handing the dry towel to my son, I said, “If you will wipe up the spilled milk, I will wash off the sticky stuff.” He started wiping up the milk (as I took this photo, of course).

When I asked him why he didn’t get a towel before coming to get me, he said, “I didn’t know what to do. I thought you were going to be mad at me.” Continue reading “Get a Towel” →

Catchin’ Crawdads

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Catchin’ Crawdads

Catching Crawdads.jpg

One of the coolest parts of playing in the creek is catching crawdads. On our last creek excursion my husband, daughter, and son caught two crawdads, and you would have thought we discovered a new species. Well, I guess the crawdads were a new species to my kiddos, because they had never had one in their possession before.

As a kid I caught a few of the snappy, creek dwellers and I now harbor fond memories of trying to keep them alive in a big jar with water and rocks.

Crawdads are simple creatures. They hang out under rocks and wait for their food to float by. When something big enough is caught to share, they feed off one another’s catch.

They know all the good hiding places and forage for the simple floating foods.

When you catch a crawdad, they wriggle and try to pinch you with their claws and seek to return to their home of rocks and water. They probably do want to hurt you, but not because they are mean, but because they just don’t feel safe.

We are a lot like crawdads. Continue reading “Catchin’ Crawdads” →

PJ’s in the creek = Mom of the Year for me

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PJ’s in the creek = Mom of the Year for me

pj's in the creek.jpg

Yes, that is my son in his Paw Patrol jammies playing in the creek. Doesn’t he look so happy?

On an impromptu visit the creek, my kids found their way into the water. Slowly they “accidentally” got their toes wet. As Daddy and I were discussing the fence line, oops, their ankles got wet. Before you knew it, my oldest was up to her waist because a frog “scared” her into the water. 🙂

As the kids started splashing and finding tadpoles, crawdads, and seas shells, my husband and I enjoyed their laughter and listening to the remarks made about their nature discoveries.

It was as much fun for us to watch as it was for them to play.

Now to address my son’s pj’s.

It was a stay-at-home day and it had started out cloudy and rainy. Continue reading “PJ’s in the creek = Mom of the Year for me” →

Love your decisions – Wise Words Wednesday

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Love your decisions – Wise Words Wednesday

Love your decisions.png

I can be the world’s worst when it comes to being happy with my own decisions. I second guess myself sometimes. I guess that is human nature.

It is my intention for this post to encourage others to resist feelings of self-doubt.

If the adventure you are on is fueled by a dream or a belief that you are passionate about, don’t let it go (especially not because of what others think). Love what you are doing because you love yourself.

With energy and passion guiding you on your journey there is no real room for self-doubt. Fill your actions with positive purpose and dedicated intent and there is no stopping you or the love you are generating.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Box Turtle

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Box Turtle

Box Turtles.jpg

Our racing turtles Elsa (bottom corner) and Fasty Big Guy (top) in their box with lots of strawberry stems, grass, tomato, and tree bark (for decoration).

Each spring our daycare celebrates the letter T by holding turtle races. My children are obsessed with these races. They nearly run me off the road every time a turtle is spied along the roadside with their desperate cries of, “Stop, Mommy, we need that turtle. He looks fast.”

We capture multiple turtles each spring. (We “lose” at least 1 each year because someone forgets to put it back in the box or the decorations added to the turtle’s environment provide a perfect escape route.) Our turtles are always returned to the wild after the races are complete, and I like to think they don’t bear too many emotional scars from the affections of my children.

Capturing and caring for the turtles for a day or so before the race offers plenty of lessons in kindness, compassion, and responsibility for my kiddos. They also have a chance to learn about nature and how our choices impact the environments of animals like the turtles. They are very aware and show tremendous consideration for how the turtles feel and towards their return to their natural environment.

Often I feel like one of those box turtles. My surroundings are commandeered  by something bigger than myself and I have little or no control of what is going on in my world. Sometimes the box seems way too small for me and other times I am not sure which way is up.

I really, really wish I could have a shell to hide in sometimes too.

Here is the happy part of my box turtle metaphor. I am controlled by someone bigger than myself. Someone who has an infinite understanding of what I am going through and a clear vision of what I am meant to do with my life. He knows what is best for me and will guide me to the ultimate finish line. If I continue to plod along, doing the best I can, I will get where I need to be and accomplish what I am meant to do. My world has been designed with a greater good in mind and provides me with limitless possibilities to live up to my potential.

So my message for all my fellow turtles out there is keep going. Don’t let the smallness of a situation hold you back. Look for those decorative escape routes (like the tree bark in the photo above 🙂 ) or remain steadfast for opportunities that are coming your way. Don’t spend too much time in your shell, you might miss all the world has to offer.

It’s a big box out there, little turtle!

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

 

 

“I understand” – Powerful!

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“I understand” – Powerful!

I understand

Hearing the words “I understand” from my child’s principal was so comforting to me. She has no clue how much power she shared in those two words.

After being nominated to serve on next year’s school board, I had to call her and graciously say, “Thank you, but not at this time.” I simply could not in good conscience accept the position.

I am suffering from a major case of too-much-to-do on top of a sever lack of I-don’t-know-what-is-coming-next, and taking on this new duty would not be fair to the school or me.

Volunteering is something I am good at and enjoy very much, but I just had to say no to someone who I really admire and don’t want to let down.

Her empathy was the cure to the ailing guilt that had been plaguing me. As a teacher, mother, and wife, she related to where I was coming from and assured me that she understood. Continue reading ““I understand” – Powerful!” →

Blogger Recognition Award

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Blogger Recognition Award

Blogger Regcognition Award.png

Thank you to Chloe, the Quirky Victorian at (Over) Analysing Literature for nominating me. Your writing is amazing and I am honored that you considered me worthy of this recognition!

Rules:

  • Write a post to show your award
  • Give a brief story of how your blog started
  • Give two advice to new bloggers
  • Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
  • Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to
  1. Why I started Intentergy
    I had toyed with the idea of blogging for quite some time.
    I am always writing down ideas and am frequently asked by my colleagues and students to write down the things that come out of my mouth. I had gone so far as to play with blog templates and kept a journal of ideas for “someday,” when my cousin said to me one day, “You know what you should do? Write a blog. A blog about inspiration. I could just get up and get on my smartphone every morning and there would be a positive quote or story from you. That should be your job.” So I played with the idea a little bit more and in my musings I accidentally hit “Publish” instead of “Preview” and the rest as they say is history. I am not one to back down from a challenge, so I took to sharing on the blogosphere daily.
  2. First Advice for New Bloggers
    Do your homework. I read a number of books including, Born to Blog by Mark W. Schaefer and Stanford A. Smith and The Weblog Handbook by Rebecca Blood. These books provided tremendous insight into the world of blogging and introduced me to things I never would have thought of because I had never blogged before. Books were a great tool but reading and commenting on other blogs has been the best help. The more blogs you see and the more advice you get from experienced bloggers the better off you will be.
  3. Second Advice for New Bloggers
    Don’t be afraid to talk about your blog. Tell everyone you can about your writing and your site. This kind of publicity shows enthusiasm for your work and will spark interest from those who care about you or share the same interests as you. Interact with other bloggers. Invite them to see your blog and give feedback in their discussions. This will generate more traffic for your blog and help you find followers and others who are vocal about what you are sharing.
  4. Thank you so much QuirkyVictorian! I always enjoy your blog and am excited that you like mine as well! Check out her blog, people!!!
  5. 15 Bloggers that should also be recognized
    1. https://beingmommie.com/
    2. https://thepossibilityblogdotcom.wordpress.com/
    3. https://aneneslife.wordpress.com/
    4. https://purelysimplewords.com/
    5. https://weirdweekendsblog.wordpress.com/
    6. https://energytrails.wordpress.com/
    7. https://fictionisfood.wordpress.com/
    8. https://samngigeblog.wordpress.com/
    9. https://theworldisnotagainstme.wordpress.com/
    10. https://creativityamongdigitalchaos.wordpress.com/
    11. http://www.marilynwrites.org/
    12. https://philosophicalepiphany.wordpress.com/
    13. https://thelearnify.wordpress.com/
    14. http://www.asoneoncesaid.com/
    15. http://theroadwereon.com/

By: Melanie A. Peters