Outside my window - The sun is shining - the forecast says 90s again. There are the beginnings of a deck rail!!! Repairing the deck has been a nightmare in so many ways. It would have been easier to pay someone to do it, but the cost of doing so was just unfathomable to us. Saving here will allow us to do more somewhere else. That being said, the deck may or may not be complete by the end of the year LOL. The trees may be starting to change color a little. Our tree in the front yard needs to be cut down. A strong wind caused a large limb to fall from it last year and despite our best hopes that it would even out and grow straight, my concern grows for our neighbor’s car when it’s parked in his driveway :-0
Listening to - Podcasts… so many podcasts!! And learning so much. I have been trying to use Podbean more while I’m driving to listen and I have gotten better about it. In the que right now is The Jennifer Allwood Show, The Next Right Thing with Emily P Freeman, The Complicated Heart with Sarah Mae, and For the Love with Jen Hatmaker. I know there are more to come. I also remembered to charge up my speaker this morning and stream Joy Fm - my favorite local Christian radio station.
I don’t know if it counts as listening so much as watching, but I also have been watching/listening to Bill DeWees and Daree Allen to learn more about voice over, and most recently Kindra Hall - recommended by my daughter. More to this story later...
Clothing myself in - I cannot lie, I am still basically in my pajamas (at 9:53 AM). I got up at 4:30 AM and threw on my comfy pants and a tank and that’s what I’m forcing myself to wear until I complete three things on my morning list. These three things that are important to me will never get done if I don’t force myself to sit down and do them. 1) check and purge my e-mail 2) respond to a COMMENT on my blog post!!! I received a comment on a post from someone who is not a family member or close friend!!! I know that this happened because I was brave and put myself out there by posting a link on the Hope Writer’s Facebook Friday Share. It might not seem like much, but it took so much courage on my part to post that link. I want this so much, but fear still rules the day entirely too often. Keeping house - that’s what I’m about to do as soon as I hit publish on this post, because the other two things mentioned above are completed. I normally would have hit the floor running this morning getting the house back in order after the weekend, but I am trying to put into practice the things I am learning about getting the hard things done. I cannot continue to put the writing/blogging and other endeavors on the back burner behind everything else. Yes, there are people and things that come before that work on the list of priorities, but like so many others, I keep nudging it down the list of priorities making it no priority at all. And that won’t work if I want to move forward with my hopes and dreams. So yes, housekeeping will happen, God willing, for a good portion of the day it seems. LOL Thankfully, I am in a place where I am so very grateful that I have such a wonderful home to care for - keeping house is really just part of my love language.
Keeping it simple - a strange and foreign thought occurred to me this past week. Not my normal “keeping it simple” trail at all. Thinking about this new adventure I want to pursue, working for a paycheck so that my husband can make some much desired changes to his own work, I imagined what it would feel like making the first $100. I think I saw that somewhere on a feed - “How to make $100 with your blog this week” or something to that effect. And it felt pretty cool. I haven’t worked for a paycheck since I was 24. I’m 54 - do the math. It’s crazy to think that I might be able to do this by doing something I LOVE! How does that translate to keeping it simple? Rather than imagining some BIG paycheck - just start with $100. That’s pretty simple, don’t you agree?
To be fit and healthy - hahahahahahhahahahahahha. Oh, you were serious. Walking is one of the things on the short list of first loves I am trying to get back to. And being able to remember what it felt like without this tummy… yeah, that might be the motivation I need to do the hard things. It’s not like I have to lose 50-60 pounds to get there. It’s not a far reach to see that happen again. I have said it before and I’ll repeat it here - just a mere three years ago I was at a healthy weight that although was not “ideal” according to the powers that be (whoever that is) it was a very good weight for me. I remember thinking to myself, I could be content here even if I never lose another pound - as long as I don’t gain another pound. But I did, and I am not content. It is an encouragement to me that it’s not so hard to see myself achieving this goal. Just 30 pounds. :-) Strength and flexibility are JUST AS IMPORTANT. Just do it! Pondering - the continuing process of refinement that I am convinced God is working in me in this new season. It takes special people to hang with me while I navigate the rabbit trails and mazes of my growing interests and desires. I have good people in my life, I’m lucky.
Grayceful Journey - new category for the daybook! I am ten months past the last time I had my hair colored. My gray is growing out nicely - it's more salt and pepper than I expected. I really only get compliments and don't recall a single negative comment since the journey began. My family even likes it.
Watching - The Good Witch series.
Reading - That pile of books waiting for me to STOP watching and START reading is growing. I think we’re about there. One more season to watch and then I am forcing myself to get back to the books. I read a lot all the time, of course, but the fun reading is my jam these days!!
Loving the moments - when something I hear or see or read clicks - when the puzzle pieces seem to be coming together so well. Also, being reminded just how much this family means to me.
Words worth sharing - Our stories matter. That refining process is helping me see that all these things that I have been thinking about, learning, leaning into - they are all pointing me to my true north in reference to what I want to do - and it was right there when I had to come up with someway to describe myself for a business card I had made for a conference. Storyteller. Yes, I am a writer, blogger, speaker, teacher… all by way of being a storyteller. I can’t love this enough.
Giving thanks for life.
Planning for the week ahead - Grandparents’ breakfasts with my oldest two granddaughters - Tuesday and Wednesday because the school had to do them in shifts according to grades. Eye appointments, bunco if we get enough players, preparing for our trip next week!!!