While reading a post in one of my yahoo groups, I was reminded of a winter experience. I had spent the week in the UP [Upper Peninsula of Michigan; definitely snow country] with a school-affiliated work trip [I'll have to blog about this trip sometime, definitely a cool experience]. Since we had worked all week [during "spring" break in March with many feet of snow still on the ground], we got to spend late Friday afternoon through Saturday at a 'resort' sort of place, owned by Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monahan, on small Drummond Island .
After dinner, we were out toboganning, playing on the ice rink, etc before heading out to the outdoor hot tub to relax. Someone had mentioned how some people, in other northern winter climates, sit in hot tubs or saunas for awhile before making a dive into the snow. Of course, someone dared us to do likewise. So of course, I took the bait [and have a photo to prove it]. Of course, I didn't stay in the snow bank for long but I remember the 'tingling' sensation after climbing back into the tub. It was definitely something that everyone should try at least once. :-) Just don't go daring me to go polar swimming; that is one dare that I will definitely pass on.
I recall another hot tubbing evening... It was later in the evening on New Year's Eve. There were maybe 6-7 of us sitting in the outdoor tub [with our drinks], watching the steam rising into the dark sky while the big wet snowflakes were drifting down. I guess I do have some fond cold winter memories. :-)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Just Do It
My Mantra for this week has been: Just Do It. Like Nike, I really need to run with this. Not outside yet, though I do need to get out and get some exercise and fresh air. It's this decluttering and reorganizing. I hate the mess but I've never been good at keeping my things [or my life] in an orderly fashion [my clothing fashion is currently not in vogue right now, either].
I'm also a procrastinator. Why do today what I can save for tomorrow? or next month? And it's not *just* procrastination, I really don't WANT to let my clutter pile up into a moutain. I know I need to do some work every single day. But many days, I just *can't*. There are enough days where just doing the basics to get by for the day is enough and nothing more than that.
However, as I'm seeing this stuff not organizing itself, at least not to my liking, I need to finally try [again and again] to take some action. Hence, the "Just Do It" this week. And its working, so far. Even if its just one thing a day, it counts [like several days ago, I was realllly dragging but I did take out a bag of trash to the trash can in the garage. And I did about 45 minutes worth of stuff yesterday and altogether, more than an hour today.
I don't know how long I'll follow the directions of "just do it" and though my rooms still have mountains in them, they're organized mountains and mole hills.
Will I ever see the day where I'm comfortable with my home surroundings? I really don't know but I'll tell you if and when it happens!
I'm also a procrastinator. Why do today what I can save for tomorrow? or next month? And it's not *just* procrastination, I really don't WANT to let my clutter pile up into a moutain. I know I need to do some work every single day. But many days, I just *can't*. There are enough days where just doing the basics to get by for the day is enough and nothing more than that.
However, as I'm seeing this stuff not organizing itself, at least not to my liking, I need to finally try [again and again] to take some action. Hence, the "Just Do It" this week. And its working, so far. Even if its just one thing a day, it counts [like several days ago, I was realllly dragging but I did take out a bag of trash to the trash can in the garage. And I did about 45 minutes worth of stuff yesterday and altogether, more than an hour today.
I don't know how long I'll follow the directions of "just do it" and though my rooms still have mountains in them, they're organized mountains and mole hills.
Will I ever see the day where I'm comfortable with my home surroundings? I really don't know but I'll tell you if and when it happens!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A Confession
Ok, it's confession time. In my post I just entered a few minutes ago, I mentioned that I hope to get to this coloring book within the next few days... It's not because I'm so disciplined and can space out the fun things I want to do. It's for other reasons.
My space here at home is a bit of a mess [an understatement, if there ever was one]. And I won't be able to really spread out and enjoy what I'm working on with these other "things" piled up all over the place.
During the holiday season through later in January, I had participated in a number of ATC [artist trading card] swaps and thus, the remains of some of those projects still need to be taken care of. As does some of my more recent scrapbooking projects. The other day, I did start sorting through some of my stuff but I didn't get too far [yet]. Right now, this room looks worse than it did before I started!
So I've made a half-hearted promise to myself that I would get more 'work' done before I do much in the playing world. I'm going to TRY and bring out that 'mature adult' in me that is so hard to find and to have some follow-through with. [That's soooo hard for me to do; keeping things in order; always has been, always will.]
I did get some work done in my other room a couple days ago; I can actually SEE some progress. But right now, I'm feeling that I need to get a start on this other room of mine--I'm really tired of the way its looking and how badly its making me feel. I know I'll get the stuff done in the bedroom soon, with that job, I just need to keep from backsliding toooo much.
I do wish I could say that my life is all fun and games [don't we all?] but it isn't even close to that, in spite of my ramblings about art, books, and creativity. Like everyone, I suppose, I do have my issues, problems, and the dark side. I think I'm using some of this newfound or rekindled sense of creativity to gloss over some of the other stuff. To expose it or bury it, only time will tell.
There ARE some yahoo groups out there that I'm participating in, not just for the art and trading cards but to get support for this mess and decluttering that I'm trying to work on fixing. If anyone that reads this would like more information, do let me know. I can tell more here [which I might do later on anyway] or we can get in touch off the blogsite.
My space here at home is a bit of a mess [an understatement, if there ever was one]. And I won't be able to really spread out and enjoy what I'm working on with these other "things" piled up all over the place.
During the holiday season through later in January, I had participated in a number of ATC [artist trading card] swaps and thus, the remains of some of those projects still need to be taken care of. As does some of my more recent scrapbooking projects. The other day, I did start sorting through some of my stuff but I didn't get too far [yet]. Right now, this room looks worse than it did before I started!
So I've made a half-hearted promise to myself that I would get more 'work' done before I do much in the playing world. I'm going to TRY and bring out that 'mature adult' in me that is so hard to find and to have some follow-through with. [That's soooo hard for me to do; keeping things in order; always has been, always will.]
I did get some work done in my other room a couple days ago; I can actually SEE some progress. But right now, I'm feeling that I need to get a start on this other room of mine--I'm really tired of the way its looking and how badly its making me feel. I know I'll get the stuff done in the bedroom soon, with that job, I just need to keep from backsliding toooo much.
I do wish I could say that my life is all fun and games [don't we all?] but it isn't even close to that, in spite of my ramblings about art, books, and creativity. Like everyone, I suppose, I do have my issues, problems, and the dark side. I think I'm using some of this newfound or rekindled sense of creativity to gloss over some of the other stuff. To expose it or bury it, only time will tell.
There ARE some yahoo groups out there that I'm participating in, not just for the art and trading cards but to get support for this mess and decluttering that I'm trying to work on fixing. If anyone that reads this would like more information, do let me know. I can tell more here [which I might do later on anyway] or we can get in touch off the blogsite.
My productive trip to the bookstore
I went to Border's today. There's a quarterly art journal type magazine that was due out on 2/1 so I *had* to go to see if they had it out yet. [I like the other bookstores in the area, too, but Borders has the best selection of the magazines that I enjoy reading. Plus, the very first and original Border's bookstore started here in Ann Arbor!]. Anyway, the journal IS available and a copy is now here at home with me, I'll be signing off here shortly to start browsing. It's produced by a company called Stampington who puts out all kinds of artsy and creative magazines [not just crafts but creating things to wear, home stuff, all kinds of things]. This one is is about Artful Blogging; I still enjoy the first edition, so I know this next one will be fun, too. And I hope to learn from it so that, though I can't post pictures right now, I do want to improve my blogging experiences...
I also went over to the children's area and found the coloring books. And I was pleased there were a few that are geared more towards the... Hmm, I kind of want to say 'the mature' at heart, but that doesn't feel quite what I'm looking forward. After all, I don't think that I'm necessarily a very mature person, even though I am into the adult and supposedly responsible years. So I guess I should say that these few books are for those "adults" that are still kids at heart. :-) Anyway, I do hope to get started in this book within the next few days. :-)
I also went over to the children's area and found the coloring books. And I was pleased there were a few that are geared more towards the... Hmm, I kind of want to say 'the mature' at heart, but that doesn't feel quite what I'm looking forward. After all, I don't think that I'm necessarily a very mature person, even though I am into the adult and supposedly responsible years. So I guess I should say that these few books are for those "adults" that are still kids at heart. :-) Anyway, I do hope to get started in this book within the next few days. :-)
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