I Am Still a Simple Woman

The other day, Sonny asked if I was wearing a Fruit Loop necklace. Naturally I quickly responded that it was Turquoise and Coral and that I had made it. So yesterday, Chris asks if I like my "Fruit Loop" necklace, and answers my quizzical look with, "well, I've noticed that you wear it a lot." Ok?... but then he expounds and points out that it's one of the reasons that he loves me and that I am his Pioneer Woman. He has been reading the Little House on the Prairie series with Isabelle and Abigail, and shares a story about the father coming home with some beads that he got from a traveler or something, and how the wife stays up and proudly strings them together to make herself a necklace. And Chris points out that this, among other things is why I'm his pioneer woman. I'm not wearing my string of pearls or my diamond pendant, I wear my bead necklace that I made with my Dad. Since, I've frequently thought about why (or why not) I am a simple woman, this caught my attention.

I like to tease Chris when he points out a beautiful woman, that they would be too high maintenance for him, and that he is lucky to have me. Sure, I like to feel pretty, and every once in awhile I even make an effort, but here is the dish. I am a jeans and t-shirt (winter- comfy sweater) girl all the way. I never have the latest trend and can rarely even tell you what the latest trends are! It's been recommended to get my hair cut every six weeks, I'm lucky if it's every six months! I do my own mani-pedi's, and usually with Express Nail polish that dries in a minute (yes, Jodi, I know they are not good for your nails). My newest fashion purchases are always off the Clearance racks, and I can't remember ever paying retail (Thanks Mom and Dad for that curse and blessing!). Almost all of my cute shoes have been given to me by my parents, and since Chris thinks I have a lot of shoes, he has obviously never seen another woman's closet! I put on makeup probably once, maybe twice a week. I know I should wash my face at night, but frankly, I'm just too lazy... But for all my lack of fashion sense- there are a couple rules I know and follow- 1. Absolutely NO Mom jeans for me! And a good fitting pair of jeans can work wonders 2. A good Bra goes a long way, always support the girls! And that's about it, I'm out.

And while I'm thinking about how not high maintenance I am... I love to tell Chris how lucky he is, in that he couldn't handle a normal woman ;) I try to tell him that normal women have hormones, and cry, and are irrational - well, at least a lot more often than I am. He really doesn't know what is coming his way with a house full of girls though- hahaha!

While I may have a healthy collection of well, everything in my kitchen (but anyone that has eaten at my house knows, that I make good use of it all ;). I would consider myself to be rather practical when it comes to money and budgeting, and how and where to spend my money- which is a handy skill in this economy. Eating out for example, my reason for enjoying a meal out is usually that I didn't have to make it, and more importantly that I didn't have to clean it up. But having said that, more and more, lately especially, I find that when we eat out I'm usually disappointed- I can cook most anything we would order (and sometimes better). And by the time you pay $10 for a hamburger and fries, or a TexMex salad, it just doesn't seem worth it.

My sister is shaking her head and saying, No, Heidi likes nice things. My take is that I'm trying more and more to only buy and keep the things that I love and that I need, and sometimes things that just make me smile (that's important too). I'm getting to the point where I would rather spend a little more on that thing that I really love, and will use, and will last than throwing my money (and time and talents, etc.) on lesser things that take up space and energy or will easily be consumed and wasted. I'm trying to put a more conscious effort into how I spend the valuable resources in my life- time, money, energy, space, love, creativity, etc.. Sometimes more successfully than others, but at least I'm trying.

And one more funny, random thought. I found out this week that two of my friends fear that I hate them. I guess the reason that is comical to me is that I honestly can't think of one person in my life that I truly hated! And more than that, there aren't even very many people in my life that I dislike all that much- there are some I want to be around more than others, but I try to see the good in people more than the bad, so, even when I don't want to make them my personal best friend, I can see why someone else would, if that makes sense. And even though Chris thinks I'm a wimp that can't say "No", the truth is that I would rather be a person that is not afraid to say "Yes" when I can. If I can help make another person's life easier, than why shouldn't I say "Yes?" And I don't think it's a bad quality to not want to hurt someone else's feelings. AND.... I tease that they are going to have to try harder to offend me, or get me to hate them. They must not know me that well. Some people are simple, they say they hate everybody equally. I'm simple, I try to look for the best in people, and TRY to ignore the little flaws, everyone has them! If I can't look past the little flaws in people around me, how can I expect them to look past mine?

So I will choose to acknowledge my own flaws, analyze them once in awhile- so that I can try to make adjustments, and hopefully I will get a little better and do a little better each day. That's all I can ask (even though as many of you know, I expect a lot more) That's my real hope, that I'm getting better and wiser and more valuable to those around me that really matter. So I will keep trying, some days more successfully than others, to get closer to reaching a little higher and being a little more to the people around me that I love. And, I will keep wearing my "Fruit Loop" necklace simply because it makes me smile.