Comfort can take many forms, be in what makes you comfortable {my gown and comfy robe} and what is comforting {nature, writing, drawing, coffee, tea, cookies, my boys, homeschooling, family, home}.

Nothing helps me through my days like my faith in God.

Through Him, all things are possible.

Though just having faith that there’s something bigger than myself, than my life, is such a comfort. That’s when I draw my comfort from being in nature:

Big Leaf Maple, Autumn 2018

Comfort is hiking with my children in the woods. Taking the dogs for walks, gardening, being in nature, listening to the trees. We enjoy picking up leaves and exploring.

 

Can you hear the trees? Autumn 2018

In our urban forests, we’re so fortunate to have the stillness of being far away in the mountains or mature native forests, but this one is just down the street from our house and we walk in it daily.

Working in my garden does give me joy, but working with my hands and literally making a difference in the landscape is also comforting.

My Garden.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t feel like there was much I could control in my life. I had to give up my youth, my ovaries, my future health – and yes, it ultimately was the best thing that ever happened to me, but it was also life changing.

Dealing with all the changes, I needed to work with my hands and change something slowly, methodically, and work in the soil. It grounded me with a comfort I cannot even fully comprehend, but I so very much appreciate.

Photography is so comforting to me. I forget many of the beautiful experiences we have together and I love to look back at our family – how we’ve grown, changed, and seen so much of the world. How we’ve spent these years together loving, learning, and growing.

Of course, homeschooling my boys has been a big part of our lives and family. It’s the way we’ve always learned, co-habitated, and been with one another. I’ve loved incorporating hygge into our lives.

From the start: I’d wanted to homeschool my children. I love them so much – and they’re so much fun to be with – I couldn’t image sending them off for hours a day for someone else to read to and enjoy.

Now, we recreate our eclectic unschooly experience at home….

Poetry Tea Time, Autumn 2018

One of our favorite activities is Poetry Tea Time – though the boys are still searching for a better name! It’s the practice of setting intention of sharing poetry together. We make the ordinary a little more special my adding cookies, candles, a tablecloth {when I feel like taking a picture!}, and cut flowers from the garden.

If you notice, I have my cell phone in a bowl. The bowl acts as a natural amplifier for the sound – and I do love vintage bowls! We were listening to an audiobook and drawing on this day, but we often take turns reading poetry aloud.

If you’ve been following me on my Instagram Accounts, you’ll know we’ve been able to travel a lot in the last couple of years. Even though the travel is fun, it does push us outside of our comfort zone. Finding comfort away from home is bringing all the books, the sleepers; it’s pouring the hot tea, drinking loads of water, and having all my favorite pens to write – and my laptop to type.

And of course, the camera to capture it all!

This image is when I was writing while we were in Bellingham, Washington for a quick weekend away. Today I’m writing you from Paris, France where I’m working on my NaNoWriMo novel, as well as taking in the sites for the first time!

Any must-see things we can’t miss? Drop them into the comments! We’re going to the Eiffel Tower, purchasing a Museum Pass, and heading out for a day trip to Versailles!

Could we just stay in Hawaii? April 2018

Of course, one of the things I love about traveling is going to water. I simply love the ocean. On our trip to Hawaii earlier this year, we saw so many beautiful sunsets, walked in nature barefoot, and hugged a lot of trees.

Literally.

We went to the Kona Cloud Forest and literally hugged the trees – it was pretty amazing!

What comforts me about the water? I’m not sure. It’s serene, it’s tranquil, it’s life-giving…but it’s really so much more. It’s not having allergies, it’s always having a breeze, it’s the freedom of the ocean, the animals, and in Hawaii, the magnificent Sea Turtles!

And fires, of the cooking variety!

It is so comfy to bundle up around the fire and tell stories or cook marshmallows together. Being outside in nature, camping, or around the firepit in our backyard, it is so comforting to have the relaxation of building a fire, constructing it well, and enjoying it with family.

Fire pits are awesome, 2018

But what would comfort be without home. Of course home with my boys:

Freewriting with my Boys Autumn 2018

Home is where we can just be. We can be ourselves, we can try on new attitudes, voices, writing, dinners, and this is where our sanctity lies. It lies within the four walls where we reside together.

It matters not if we’re at our house or on the road, it’s our home – our family – which gives me the greatest comfort of all. These boys, my husband, these are the people who care for me, feed my heart and soul, and love me regardless of it all.

Where do you find comfort?

​​Thanks to Frank for hosting Tuesday Photo Challenge!

This week’s challenge: Comfort

Franks Guidelines?

The full rules of this challenge are in TPC Guidelines, but here’s the dl:

• Write a post with an image for this week’s topic
• Please tag your post with fpj-photo-challenge (if you’re not sure about how tags work, please check out this WordPress article about tagging posts)
• Create a pingback link to this post, so that I can create a post showing all of the submissions over the week (note: pingbacks may not appear immediately, as my site is set up to require approval for linking to it; helps against previous bad experiences with spamming)
• Have fun creating something new (or sharing something old)!!