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a post for thoughts and questions

Malinda Just

Dec 06, 2023

a series of blurbs about things I’m thinking and/or questions I’m asking

Write Ideas book on brown wooden board — Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

12.6.2023

Where I live in central Kansas got a significant snow storm over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It brought 10+ inches to my county and I loved every second of it. I was raised in a home where “Think Snow” was the motto — my Dad worked in the office side of a salt mine and snow was important for business, and my Mom got excited for every snow storm that I can remember. I’m like her in that. Snow brings a beautiful whimsy to my life. I love how the white makes a clean palette out of my window, how large flakes make me imagine I’m living in a snow globe. I enjoy shoveling the walks, filling my lungs with cold air that’s sharp as ice. The sledding. The snowmen. The crunch/squeak of walking through piles, forging a new path. And let’s not forget about the glory of snow days … which my family will continue to wish for until spring.
I’m trying out a modified Pinterest idea for my Christmas décor this year. I have large built-ins in my living room that have some open shelving. In years past, I’ve left almost all of my regular styling in place, just adding bottlebrush trees for some holiday cheer. This year I used 40+ books as a backdrop for lyrics from Silent Night, which are made from paper my mom cut with her Cricut machine. I’m not going to ruin my books. (what. did you think I was crazy?) I quickly realized I would need to adjust from the idea in my head or buy more bottlebrush trees. (Reader, I bought more bottlebrush trees. I needed yarn so it was only right to look while I was at Hobby Lobby.) I didn’t expect the project to also include buying a package of 14 additional bookends, but here we are. When they arrived, I opened the box with a huge smile. I’m such a librarian :) (really, I am! HA!)
My pastor quoted William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well, during church a couple weeks ago and was gracious enough to send me a photo of the quote, but also went a step further to give me extra context. (Thanks Tom, appreciate it!) Since I’m a writer, the quote intrigued me: “Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it.” This is something I think about often as a writer…who am I to say this, or teach this? Should I? Do I have legs to stand on? I don’t necessarily love the idea of my work being an “act of ego,” but the mere fact that I write for consumption means I believe what I write has value…so I might as well admit it.
Because sports were good for me in my youth, I’ve always considered them a gift. But lately I’ve realized that just as sports were good for my mental/emotional health, helping me from being fully absorbed into a deep, dark place in high school, they can also be a source of absolute crushing for kids, too. This knowledge breaks my heart. But just because I wish it wasn’t reality, doesn’t mean it’s not. I’ve always desired to coach with compassion and care, and now this adds additional weight. I’m grateful to see another angle — it’s good for me to understand — but how do I approach it now that I know? It’s something I’m going to continue processing, especially as track season approaches.
My friend Brittany Allen wrote about some of her observations about winter trees this month, and I’m still thinking about it. I’m one who likes winter (see also, No. 1 on this list), and her post got my wheels rolling. Getting a view of what’s IN our branches in a spiritual sense is important, and losing leaves is a way to look inside. Read her thoughts here:
Treasuring Christ
November Recs | The Bible and Anxiety + What's on My Christmas List
Hey friend, You’re probably recovering from the food and festivities of Thanksgiving (if you’re in America) so I’ll keep this short. The other morning I was freezing my thighs off during my morning walk and fighting against numb lips to send a Voxer message to a friend when I was stopped in my tracks. Ahead of me, in the very same tree I’d been walking b…
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3 years ago · 6 likes · 6 comments · Brittany Allen

What are your thoughts?

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And Finally…

I thought you might like to see a photo of my in-progress bookshelves. I have another arrangement tugging on my mind, so I might try it. The new idea would potentially give me better space for my Willow Tree nativity set (not yet on display), which is appealing. Anyone else trying new holiday decor this year?