While taking (what is starting to become a ritual again, abandoned after a year of living with my Mother-In-Law) my nightly hot bath and reading some sort of women's magazine that , by the way always manages to inspire in me a need to make wildly exotic meals and organize my pantie drawer and make me feel inadequate all at once, i went over my to-do list for the weekend in my head and it went a little bit like this.
1. Laundry
2.grocery shop
3. purchase pumpkins
4. purchase apples
5.do some more laundry
6.clean the floors
7.clean the cars out
8.put some laundry away
i can honestly say that just thinking of this weekends errands and chores exhausts me and writing them down actually brings tears to my eyes.
so, in an effort to garner some enthusiasm instead this weekend i will
1. admire all the great clothes we have, all the while lovingly cleaning them with a great smelling detg..
2. Take in the sights at the local stop and shop, admire the gorgeous colors of fall in the produce section and lovingly make up meals in my head as i purchase for the week ahead.
3. Enjoy the local pumpkin farm with 4 adorable kids. Pick out 4 of the best and have a blast carving them for this weekends annual pumpkin festival.
4. Enjoy one of the last weekends of the season to pick my own apples. And give thanks that kids that pick apples eat a lot of apples.
5. Dry and fold all the warm wonderful clothes we have and be grateful that its cold enough to finally bring out a few sweaters.
6. Wash my BEAUTIFUL wood floors that i have waited years for. Buff them, shine them and slide around in white socks for the remainder of the weekend.
7. eh......no getting around this one. Even Sam's friend, whom we had over for dinner, remarked upon the bad smell.
8. Hang and sort and put away stacks of clean fresh clothes, with a smile that my kids will be clean and warm and cute for at least another week!
Wow! I even manged to fool myself ;)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
more thoughts on simplicity.........
fall as i see it.
vibrant and warm
fleeting is the soft rustle of leaves
before they rust and crinkle under rakes
soft piles form and the grass sprouts green again
after a long summer drought.
Its harvest time again and the days grow short.
Darkness moves in early now and sleep comes easy.
The air is clean and fresh and holds the promise of a long winters nap.
As usual, my last link didnt work.
what a surprise. Instead of wowing even myself with another attempt, i'll just provide the http of the original list, so that credit is given where credit is due!
http://zenhabits.net/2007/09/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/
moving on to the next 5.....(ftr, there are 72)
Learn to say no.
Like most women this is a difficult concept for me.
Need me to stay late at work? No problem... Need me to watch your 3 kids for 5 hours on a Sat night? SURE!
Need me to stay up late and wash the clothes you forgot you needed, but remembered at 10 pm? Who needs sleep!
But this is something that i realize i need to do so that i can say yes to the things that really matter.
Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast.
what a surprise. Instead of wowing even myself with another attempt, i'll just provide the http of the original list, so that credit is given where credit is due!
http://zenhabits.net/2007/09/simple-living-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simplify-your-life/
moving on to the next 5.....(ftr, there are 72)
Learn to say no.
Like most women this is a difficult concept for me.
Need me to stay late at work? No problem... Need me to watch your 3 kids for 5 hours on a Sat night? SURE!
Need me to stay up late and wash the clothes you forgot you needed, but remembered at 10 pm? Who needs sleep!
But this is something that i realize i need to do so that i can say yes to the things that really matter.
Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast.
Okay, this one is easy for me....I don't own a cell and i have one buddy on my list.
Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Here’s my guide on decluttering. Here’s a post on starting small.
I just joined freecycle this past week and next weekend i plan on doing just this.
Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way.
On Thursady we are going to carmax to sell our third car. Seriously....who needs 3 cars in a house with only two drivers?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The simple things.....
Its always one of my biggest goals to simplify life so that i might possibly have more time to enjoy all the simple things that life has to offer.
I read a post http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8378370156140700010 that really resonated, so i am going to try and answer the questions myself and put the answers into action.
Here are 5......
Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
1.My health
2.Health of my children
3. Ouality time w/ the kiddos
4. My home.....a place of warmth, creativity and laughter and love
Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. Article here.
I absolutely spend too much time trying to be and do what others expect. I am always late walking out the door from work, the last to take a break...i volunteer for things that i know i won't have the energy for and end up being really resentful.
Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
Reality-work,clean,make meals, drive around like a crazy lady, yell,errands,laundry, online time
Dream- read, write, cook healthy meals, walks, create, share
Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest.
Read more.
um, no comment? nuff said?!
Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
I read a post http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8378370156140700010 that really resonated, so i am going to try and answer the questions myself and put the answers into action.
Here are 5......
Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
1.My health
2.Health of my children
3. Ouality time w/ the kiddos
4. My home.....a place of warmth, creativity and laughter and love
Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. Article here.
I absolutely spend too much time trying to be and do what others expect. I am always late walking out the door from work, the last to take a break...i volunteer for things that i know i won't have the energy for and end up being really resentful.
Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
Reality-work,clean,make meals, drive around like a crazy lady, yell,errands,laundry, online time
Dream- read, write, cook healthy meals, walks, create, share
Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest.
Read more.
um, no comment? nuff said?!
Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
Monday, September 24, 2007
my best shots Monday
@ a fundraiser for next years relay....
i couldn't pick just one, and since i have not played in awhile i picked a few.....
Sunday, September 23, 2007
happy fall, I've fallen behind.......
Today is the kind of Glorious day sent straight from God. Its clear and crisp and bright. The leaves are tinged with red and gold but still flutter green in the breeze. Today marks the fall equinox, a day of equality for both the sun and the moon!
I sit here with a strong cup of Komodo Dragon, sort of melancholy and morose.....for i am so far behind. Still playing catch up for the hellish month of August.
I have little time, zero patience. little money and lots of needs. 10 mouths to feed in all, hands reaching out for their take. I am stretched thin. paper thin.
I have never been depressed before. Not even when Sam was in the throes in chemotherapy. That required too much strength. But now i find it hurts to wake up. And mindful that waking up at 3 am might play a part i shrug off my feelings of exhaustion for too long. So long now that i find myself as tense and taut as the rubber band i hold everything together with. And i know, if i try to add one more thing to the bundle, the band and myself are going to snap.
I feel tremendous guilt.
Last year we went apple picking and on long hikes. We picked vibrant leaves and brought them home to press. This year i am hard pressed to get the laundry done. Oh the laundry. It towers above me, a virtual mountain of what feels like my life. Something i need to climb, for when i get there is sure to be the most beautiful view.
Because i know, the harder the climb, the uglier the storm; the better the view.
I have sheltered much worse storms, climbed much higher mountains and i have faith this this too shall pass.
Until then i will be more forgiving of myself, more trusting in God that our harvest is coming. I will remember that nothing stays the same forever and i will hold those i love much closer and treat them with more respect.
I will start with the dirty piles of clothes and hopefully with each garment washed clean, so will a piece of my soul and i will fall back, anew with the promise of a better tomorrow.
I sit here with a strong cup of Komodo Dragon, sort of melancholy and morose.....for i am so far behind. Still playing catch up for the hellish month of August.
I have little time, zero patience. little money and lots of needs. 10 mouths to feed in all, hands reaching out for their take. I am stretched thin. paper thin.
I have never been depressed before. Not even when Sam was in the throes in chemotherapy. That required too much strength. But now i find it hurts to wake up. And mindful that waking up at 3 am might play a part i shrug off my feelings of exhaustion for too long. So long now that i find myself as tense and taut as the rubber band i hold everything together with. And i know, if i try to add one more thing to the bundle, the band and myself are going to snap.
I feel tremendous guilt.
Last year we went apple picking and on long hikes. We picked vibrant leaves and brought them home to press. This year i am hard pressed to get the laundry done. Oh the laundry. It towers above me, a virtual mountain of what feels like my life. Something i need to climb, for when i get there is sure to be the most beautiful view.
Because i know, the harder the climb, the uglier the storm; the better the view.
I have sheltered much worse storms, climbed much higher mountains and i have faith this this too shall pass.
Until then i will be more forgiving of myself, more trusting in God that our harvest is coming. I will remember that nothing stays the same forever and i will hold those i love much closer and treat them with more respect.
I will start with the dirty piles of clothes and hopefully with each garment washed clean, so will a piece of my soul and i will fall back, anew with the promise of a better tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
