Days...

Apparently, today was National Coffee Month. I'm a little miffed at myself for not figuring it out. This morning on the radio there was a competition to call in and guess what holiday it was. The hint was that some store, was giving it away to customers and that you could probably get it at KrispieKreme. I knew donuts was too obvious. But, coffee? Of course!

Coffee is really an incredible thing. It seems as though people either love it, or hate it. I didn't exactly grow-up with coffee drinkers, my 70-year-old father still doesn't touch the stuff. But, I have developed a taste for it. As well as an appreciation for it's amazing powers. I'm not dependant, however, I have noticed that days with coffee are better. It hasn't failed me yet.

Waiting...

I am spending an entire day at home. This is a rare and wonderful treat. So, how should one use this valuable time: clean, organize, put laundry away, make invitations for her father's surprise birthday party, get a jump on work?

Yep, you guessed it... I'm putting pictures on Facebook. That is the #1 thing on my list, right before 'make cards.' Prioritizing is important.

While I wait for the photos to load, I thought I would blog. Not on the list, but I'm going to add it, just so I get to cross it off : )

I feel like we all spend a lot of time waiting. I wait for days when I get to do things at home, waiting is a valuable like skill. The top "wait" in life seems to be figuring out what to do with it. I'm waiting for God to show me my path... actually, I'm fairly certain I'm on that path, just waiting for what comes next.

I'm inspired by the people who use their wait time efficiently. I have become one of those people who always has a book with her, and I want to start carrying projects (i.e. dish cloth to knit, towel to embroider) so that I'm not wasting any time. But, the truth is, that those quiet times when not much is going on, are some of the best times. I need to get better at enjoying those times. I keep telling myself, I don't have to be doing something, I can just enjoy the company of whoever I'm with, and God's amazing creation.

Now, I'm waiting for the photos to load and wondering... is Facebook one of God's wonderful creations? I like to think so.

I should probably use the load time to do some of those other things on the list. Today is going to be a day of enjoyment on my way to task accomplishment... why wait?

Motivation, To-do lists, and laziness; oh my!

Here's my dilemma... As always, I have lots to do--An ever growing list, piles sitting right in front of me, and a little bit of outside pressure to get something done. But, here I sit. Blogging.

If you keep track of my blog you know that my posts are few and far between, which I really am trying to work on. So, if I am actually writing a blog post, I must really be putting off everything else I have to do.

The truth is, today is the kind of day I wait months for. In just a few minutes my brother will head to work and I will be left in the house, ALONE! Whenever that happens, it's like the clouds part, heaven opens up, and the angels sing beautiful alleluias. I don't work well with other people around me, just watching. Which is kind of a constant issue here. So, I wait for alone time to get things done. But then, the alone time is so great that I just want to basque in it. And not do anything, just listen to the quiet.

Overcoming this lazy urge is my goal for today... here's my current list of things I should do: some are fun, and some not as much.
dishes
put things away
put clean clothes away
embroider (I have dishtowel deadlines)
read (today is the finish date for the current book I'm reading)
find seeds (June 13 is a little late to be planting flowers)

If all of these things happen, I would consider this my most productive day in months. The 4th and 5th items on the list are, of course, the most appealing. I'll get to those two items for sure, the others are sort of up in the air.

So, I have to wonder... do all of my days have to be productive? Am I hurting anyone else by only doing things I enjoy. All the rest will still be there waiting for me tomorrow. Maybe the real pressure I feel is from myself. In the depths of my brain, I know that if I work harder at getting things clean and in order, life will be easier and I'll feel better. So, why can't I just do it?

That, my friends, is because of my number one skill--procrastination! Is it possible to be medicated for that, because it is a serious debilitating condition? I'll have to look into it. Maybe when I'm done reading and embroidering.

Here it is... the long awaited continuation of the blog.

My feeling of having nothing to say keeps me from writing. I look at the link and go I should really post something and quickly follow with I have nothing interesting to write about.

Today is no different, but I simply cannot put it off any longer.

Summer is here, perhaps not according to the calendar, but every kid who's done with school, that goes for substitute teachers too, knows that summer is in full swing.

The "summer" mode was especially apparent when I rolled out of bed, looked at the clock and it said 10:35. I kind of hate that I do this to myself. I feel like I should train myself to be productive, get up early, not waste precious daylight. But, alas, I am a naturally born night owl. And when one stays at a friend's bonfire until 1am, how could she possibly be expected to rise at a decent hour?

Summer not only brings a new sleep schedule, but a whole list of "to-dos." My lists, written on paper and somewhere in brain brain just behind my forehead, grow everyday. At the top--"get organized." I am finally at a place where getting rid of things, even if they may be useful, or I may want to make something out of them, or they might fit again, is okay. I need to decrease my quantity and focus more on quality. That's one of the few reasons I have been dreading summer. It's a daunting task!

I do look forward to warm weather, reading, hanging out with my friends at play rehearsal, and spending more time with all the people I seem to be too busy for otherwise. Efforts need to be made, and laziness must be overcome. How's that for a summer goal?

Blog Block

I am fascinated by blogging and it's power. I don't actually read many blogs--confession time: the only blog I subscribe to I haven't actually read since Christmas time. I haven't done much of anything non-work related since Christmas time--and I am always intrigued when I hear people talk about the blogs which they follow. Some people seem to really have fun things to share.

I am at a block. I have barely gotten started and already have a block... I just plain don't know about what I should write. I have plenty going on and plenty of topics from which to choose. I think my problem is that I am not a decision maker and therefore, do not want to pick any one topic.

So, I have a new idea... I will cover a few highlights of the day and the topic that I had the most expression while discussing.

Here's the expression portion: I have a dear friend who has a taste in movies that does not appeal to me. She likes comedy, animation and other things I'm not crazy about. Though we did enjoy both Camp Rock movies and the Wizards of Waverly Place movie together, now she wants to see Gnomio and Juliet--in the theatre. I will not pay to see an animated movie of lawn gnomes acting out a version of Shakespeare's classic. Though I minored in literature in college, I am definitely not a lit snob. But I can not justify spending money and hours of my life watching that. Perhaps when it hits DVD, I'll give it a shot. And maybe I'll even enjoy it. In no way am I prepared to see this when I have to be quiet and don't have the option of turning it off.

Now the highlights: I am fairly certain the dog was having a bad dream this morning. I was in the bathroom and heard some noise. I looked in the living room where I am fairly certain the dog had just fallen off the couch in his sleep. He was stretched out on the floor, on his side, still asleep. He looked like he was trying to run, but it was more of a wiggly twitch and he made soft grunting noises. That kind of thing makes me wonder what goes on in animal minds.

I worked this morning and had the afternoon off. I made the most of it by quilting and watching an SVU marathon. Those are the activities of which winter days are made. I felt a bit guilty about being inside when the weather outside is so nice, but I can't get anywhere without getting muddy, wet and walking on ice. Yuck! Tomorrow I don't have to work until evening, as of right now anyway, and I need to clean. Badly! It has become very apparent that I am not organized and I am not a great housekeeper. I need to get back on track. I haven't done much cleaning or laundry since Christmas time either.

Another highlight... I wrote a blog post.

I hope tomorrow is good in all the same ways as today.