Creativity Class Part 2

Today is the moment of truth, Grainiacs.  Today we find out if I wear my new creation or if it gets dropped off at the nearest Goodwill!  As many of you know by now I'm an all or nothing type of strawberry.  If I start a project, be it sewing a skirt or crocheting a scarf or even opening a bag of chips, I HAVE TO FINISH IT!!!!!  Many times, the skirt got dumped in the trash or the scarf wound up being a cat toy or the chips, well, we all know they went straight to my hips.  I watched a sewing show one day and the host said she works 15 minutes every day on a project.  That way she didn't get tired or her sewing projects didn't take up a whole day.  And let's face, most of us don't have a whole day to sew.  15 minutes a day on any project is a good idea.  Think cleaning, reading (if you can stop after 15 minutes!), watching TV--this is a biggie for me (turn off that damn TV and get productive), exercising.  If we take our baby steps when it comes to projects...unless we are procrastinating grainiacs, and then, well....stop that!..we could conquer any project/ plan/ idea that comes our way.  I should talk.  I have an adult Sunday school lesson to teach and a sermon to preach on Sunday.  It is Thursday.  Do I have a topic?  Do I have any idea what my SS lesson will be?  My sermon?  Heck no. 

But it's off to the creativity class.  Maybe an idea will hit me while I'm concentrating on something else.  That happens a lot to me.  :)

I need some coffee first. 

Look who is trying to steal the first sip.

She is such a diva cat; always helping herself to MY water (I really think that cat can tell it is bottled water) and now wanting a cup from the Keurig!  Next thing you know she'll want cream with that coffee.

Look who greeted me yesterday.  Such a happy picture, wouldn't you say?

Happy Thursday, Grainiacs.

A Colorful Post

Boy is a little smug (again) and has every right to be, in his mother's humble opinion.  I gave him a project and boy, did Boy tackle it....

I am so proud.  He even read the directions.

Success!!!!!

Yesterday I had a blast at my creativity class.

Happy Strawberry creating a.....masterpiece????

 I've got the creativity bug real bad, Grainiacs.  Yesterday the family went to Wal-Mart for a few items.  I was looking for a non-metal thimble.  Hubby remarked to Boy:  Only your momma would go in for a thimble and come out with a ......

 Sewing Machine!!!!!  Look at all the different stitches I can make.  Remember that straightened house I was talking about.  Well now I have machines and fabric and all sorts of wonderful supplies all over the kitchen!

Last night while re-piecing my project, I pulled out the iron.  Yes, it is truly I, Strawberry, typing.  I needed to iron out some creases in the fabric and well, Ollie knows how much I despise ironing.  He wanted to help.

Who wants to iron when you can rub my belly?

Kitzilla wanted to be helpful too.

What's that rooster looking at?

Today is homework day.  If I can keep the cat off the fabric and the other cat off the ironing board, I get to baste all those colorful pieces of fabric together!  Whoo hoo.  My rooster is asking "And where did you get your inspiration for this masterpiece????"  I confess: I LOVE color!!! (and exclamation marks).

Hey!  Where have I seen those colors before?

Can we say Mexican train wreck?

Last night I took this train wreck apart and repositioned the pieces.  I'm hoping it will look pretty.  Tomorrow will tell.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Sew What?

Today I'm heading to the beach....not to go swimming or heaven forbid fry in the sun, but to connect with my creative side.  So what? you ask!  I'm sew so excited.  A friend is teaching the class and back when I lived in Rural, USA I always wanted to take one of her artsy/ creative/ right-brained classes.  Now I can.  Whoo hoo.  So today's post will be short and to the point.  I can't wait to go get creative.  I really need to continue organizing the house and unpacking boxes.  We still have boxes stacked up in the garage.  We still have junk.  We still need to de-clutter.  But let's face it: taking a quilting class is sew, I mean, so much more fun!!!

I'll try to remember to take pictures and show you how I'm doing.  Who knows?  Maybe you're creative side will spark too!

Such Excitement!

Friday Hubby and I hosted an appreciation dinner for the pastor nominating committee (hey, we appreciate that they called Hubby!) and we just wanted to party!  How can you tell if you are out of shape?  Throw a party and do all the cleaning and cooking and hosting and then cleaning again after the party...all on the same day.  If you can't walk upright by the end of the night, you are out of shape!!!!  Believe me; I know.

Sunday we entertained again!  But this time all of the preliminary work had been done-- house cleaned, food made- just needing to be reheated. It was so stress-free and so enjoyable.  We love seeing our friends from back home!

Boy and I had some excitement last Wednesday.  It was dark and I had just picked him up from Scouts.  We were sitting at a red light waiting for the light to turn green and then from the opposite side of the intersection a car with flashing lights drove to the middle of the intersection and stopped right in front of me....with headlights and flashing lights blaring right at us.  It was a police car!

I told Boy: Drats! They found us!  ;) 

Next thing we saw was a huge CSI truck pass by us.  We knew it was a CSI truck because the truck had huge letters with "CSI" on it for all the world to see.  That truck was followed by 4 (really, I counted!) more police trucks.  Then the flashing/ headlight in my eyes police car turned and passed by me and then all was right in the intersection again.  I can't tell you how much I wanted to u-turn in that intersection and follow them!!!  Yep, I'm nosy.  It comes naturally.  I want to be "in the know."  That was A LOT of excitement for a week.  Wouldn't you agree?

Yesterday, I was watching an episode of Border Wars on the National Geographic Channel.  I don't think I'll watch it again.  The places they showcase are just too close for comfort.  I'd like to continue living in my sweet little bubble of a strawberry patch and not wonder if the house down the street is harboring 100 illegal immigrants or 1000 pounds of some illegal substance!  Besides, I had my fill of living on the edge last Wednesday night.  Can you believe the news didn't even pick up that story??!!!  I still don't know what was going on and it is driving me crazy.  Maybe I'll see it on Nat Geo Channel sometime.

Wanted to share a photo of our party.  I was having too much fun and forgot to take more pictures!

aren't they cute?

Buddy Up

Everyone needs a buddy!  Yesterday I went to lunch with a wonderful group of ladies.  We were talking about "where we were when Kennedy was shot"-- get the general idea of the ages of these ladies?  My generation talks about "do you remember where you were when John Lennon was shot" or when the Challenger blew up or 9-11. I think we all had an "Aha" moment when I responded that I graduated the same year as one of the members' sons.  I could see in her eyes that before she knew that bit of info we were on the same playing field.  After that proclamation she kept referring to him as "the one who is your age."  I just thought that was interesting.  What do you think?

Either way I had a great time and so did they.  We finished lunch and went to the art league museum to view their watercolor display.  I think I love watercolors the best.  I appreciate all works of art (except maybe the poo on the Madonna-- do you remember that?  Or am I aging myself?) but I wouldn't be able to pick out a certain artists unknown work by simply looking at it.  I admire art critics who can tell a forgery from the master.  I think I might be able to distinguish a Picasso from a Van Gogh but that's the limit of my expertise...which isn't so impressive, now is it???  I did make an "A" in Mr. Erickson's English V class but it wasn't because of my art knowledge!

I have another buddy in my dieting world......Boy!  Yes, Boy wants to lose a little weight. He is not fat nor overweight but he has a little (and I mean little ) love handle.  He said he wants to diet and exercise and see what happens!  I love it.  I know exactly why I want to diet and exercise-- to look good.  So Boy and I made a pact yesterday that no more going to happy hour at our nearest drive-in.  He usually gets a Coke and I get a diet limeade.  I bet he loses 5 pounds by tomorrow just by cutting out the Coke.

Happy Thursday, Grainiacs. And for a smile.....here's a photo I found on FB.

Behind the Times

I must admit: I'm usually a day late and a dollar short.  I never did keep up with the latest fashion styles (which was a boon to my parents; once I got on board with the current fashion it was usually on sale.  You're welcome, Mom!).  Several semesters ago, all my colleagues at seminary were reading "The Hunger Games" and thinking up great and wonderful activities for their youth groups.  I was struggling just reading the assigned books...not looking for more to read!  A semester or two later they were talking about "50 shades of gray."  I was just getting around to buying "The Hunger Games" book.  At that point I was reading "Water for Elephants."  Man, that book had some steamy scenes and I know I was creating my own little hot pocket that day on the plane.  I had my little personal a/c blowing on me and was ready to turn my neighbor's on me too!!!  I can only imagine "50 shades of gray" would give me a heart attack.  But the fact is: I don't get with the program right away.

That being said, no one should be surprised that I just found "spotify" free (or you can pay for it) on my computer.  Boy helped me set it up (it's not that hard; he just likes to help his momma and make her feel ancient!!!).  I'm listening to Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said good-bye" so I'm having a hard time concentrating.  Back in high school I used to be able to listen to music  AND study.  Mom would tell me to turn off the music so I could concentrate but the fact was the silence was deafening and I really couldn't concentrate.  Now it's the opposite....4 kids/ 4 animals might have something to do with "the change."  I crave silence!!!!!  LOL  But with one kid still at home and closer to college than to high school, I think I'll enjoy the chaos and the noise for now.  Soon, I'll have my silence and I'll be listening to crazy songs on spotify like "They're coming to take me away....ha ha."

Speaking of crazy....(Rat Mom, don't read this part!)...the other day Boy was cleaning out the rat house.  He takes good care of his little rat niece.  As he was coming back inside and down the hall, who was standing in the middle of the hall but Trevor!  She must have shimmied under the door and started running to where the people (and yes, other animals) were.  She stopped dead in her tracks when Boy turned the corner to the hall.  Busted, Rat!  Back in the rat house for you and safe from harm (although truth be told, I think Trevor could whip all of our pansy animals!).

Such is life in the strawberry patch.  I had a good dieting day yesterday....except for one minor (okay major) indulgence.  But I'm back on track today...except that a church member invited me to lunch at Chili's.  I will behave-- I promise, Grainiacs.  I will not get behind this time; I refuse to let my behind get any bigger!

Happy Hump Day!

Trash Talkin'

I found this excerpt on my desktop.  See! I did think about y'all while I was away.  Unfortunately I never posted it.  This is the topic I wanted to talk about today, though, so I thought I would continue on.  But first here is my original ramblings.....

Greetings, Grainiacs!
I am on the beautiful seminary campus. My class is wonderful and I'm learning lots and I also have time to “be still.”  I haven’t exactly kept up with my walking 15 minutes every day.  Let’s face it; it’s me we’re talking about!  I have walked, though.  Hooray!  I am enjoying catching up with old friends and I’m excited that I’m meeting new friends.  This is good because so many of my friends are graduating from this program while I have taken the slow boat.  But no trash talking here.  It is what it is.  Life happens.

I have once again found out something new about myself.  I am going through withdrawals here.  Let me back up!  Every time I’ve come to seminary I go to the store and buy WAY TOO much food….even when I’ve calculated it all out ....and well, we all know the drill. Excess!!! This looks good and oh, that looks good and gosh, yummy yummy to THAT!   Sound familiar?  Stores have a marketing plan and I buy into it each and every time.

This time I bought a loaf of bread, a small jar of peanut butter and sugar-free grape jelly,  frozen blueberries, oatmeal, cheese sticks, baby carrots, celery, a bag of apples, and the individual Ranch dressing dips.  Every morning I have oatmeal with blueberries. For lunch I’ll either have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or the carrots and celery and toast. For dinner, the same.  Just recently someone brought over yogurt for us so now I might have blueberries and yogurt.  When I get the munchies, I munch on celery or carrots or cheese.  I have been fine until today!  The seminary treated us to lunch.  I decided not to take huge portions.  I didn’t want my tummy to expect that kind of cuisine.  My tummy wasn’t listening.  My class is from 1:30 – 4:30 and tummy wanted to talk, er rather growl somewhere around 3:00!  So every day at break, I would grab a bag of baby carrots and celery and an individual ranch dip.

Back to the present.  I'm home.  I can get to the grocery store.  I can walk to the Subway's and order a sandwich lickety split.  I am returning to not so good habits.  So I started thinking I'm going to return to my former days of dieting.  Yep, here we go again.....and again.  I want to get off this damn merry-go-round and I'm just finding it too hard.  Don't get me wrong.  I am VERY happy with my life and on most days- myself, but I would like to get some (okay....ALL) of this excess weight off.  But I don't work at it.  There is just too many other juicy things to do (and taste).  But it is mindless eating.  Right now my tummy is telling me to quit typing and get something to eat.  Am I hungry?  Or just thinking too much about food?  Or bored?  Is it just too much work and that makes me want to eat because this is an emotional game?

Recently I have heard about too many people falling.... and two of them have led to death.  One person was 62 years old or there about and the other was 54!  Their fall led to other complications which resulted in death, but I have heard of others who just fell and have recovered but it slowed them down.  Our organist fell and broke 2 fingers-- not a good thing but especially to a musician who relies on her hands for income.  Hillary Clinton fell.  A certain Grainiac was thrown from her bike while out exercising (I've warned her that exercising is hazardous to our health), but in reality, she probably mended faster because she DOES exercise.  So as much as I hate to exercise or diet, I'm going to do it and this is the year that it happens.  Who's with me?  Is the day today?  Let's get stronger as we get smaller.  There's probably a catchier way to say it, but you get my drift!  Grainiacs!  Unite!!! No more trash talkin'-- we can do this!

Are you listening to me?

Did you hear what I just said?

Can you hear me now????

Communication only happens when one speaks and at least one other is listening.

Houston, we have a problem.

Communication is a real problem in the strawberry patch right now.  No one seems to be listening.  There is a lot of talking but no one is on the other side of the tin can and string.  And it's not just the humans either!  Animals make it very clear that they are not listening to you.  Like a certain blonde four-legged creature who although is let outside and told to go potty, still walks into your bathroom where you are in a frenzy getting ready for 8:30 a.m. early service (now why again did I want to sing in the choir????) and proceeds to squat on the newly laundered floor mat and pee! 

 Did you hear what I just said?????? NOOOOOOO

Or the blank look Hubby gives you when he asks you again something you previously answered or told him!  Can you hear me now?  Maybe it's time for hearing aids!  What???  What'dja just say, Ethel???  Yeah, laugh now, Buddy, but for your next birthday I'm giving you an appointment to an otologist complete with a 20% coupon for a hearing aid!

This morning my body was talking to me saying "I don't bend that way" when I tried to resume my A.M. Yoga.  Cosmos, on the other hand, was talking to me "whatcha doing? whatcha doing?" by sniffing my face while I was on my back trying to surrender my body to the ground.  I still say serious practitioners of yoga do not have pets!

I also realize I have not communicated with you in a while, dear Graianiacs.  I had every good intention to blog while I was at seminary, but that didn't work out quite like I planned.  I didn't walk, I didn't blog.  I DID get all my assignments done.  I DID watch what I ate.  I'll blog about that tomorrow!  I did walk to the library several times and walk up and down the stairs.  Only once did I take an elevator somewhere (my knees were communicating that they were getting ready to go out on me!  Not a good feeling!).  So all in all, I had a great week.

Hubby, on the other hand, was ready for me to come home.  It's nice to be missed.

Oh, speaking of animal communicating, this morning Oliver was outside in "the cage" and a mockingbird swooped down to tease the cat.  In one nanosecond, Oliver reached up through the cage and grabbed that bird!  It was hilarious. Lucky for the bird, Ollie was in the cage, otherwise teeth would have been involved too!  I called Hubby to relate the details of Ollie and the Mockingbird and before we got off the phone, he said "Remember, you are preaching on Feb. 3rd."

WHAT?????  (Yes, I did offer over a week ago and he said they probably had someone else in mind so I totally wrote it off).  I'm wondering how long he has been sitting on that info and has just forgotten to tell me!!!!!

Yep, we are still getting this communication thing down.  After all, we've only been married 27 years!

And the winner is.....

Boy and I had our own Golden Globe moment yesterday.  But before I tell you about that, I'll tell you about that morning.  I set the alarm on my cell phone for 5:30 a.m.  At 6:30 a.m. Hubby asked 

"What time do you want to get up?" 

 "Uh, 5:30 a.m. What the heck happened to my cell phone alarm?"  I jumped frantically out of bed and rushed to the shower yelling

 "Wake up, Boy!" 

Poor kid, he was taking a standardized test that morning and this is NOT what he needed to keep him calm before the test.  I don't know about you but nothing says get the adrenalin moving like waking an hour later when you have to be somewhere!

I have no idea why my alarm didn't go off.  Everything still showed "go" for the alarm.  I can only think that since it was connected to a power cord that had something to do with it.  Arrrggggg

Fortunately we arrived 30 minutes early and Boy and I sat in the car and talked.  Both our heart rates slowed and he went into the test calm.  I went shopping so my heart rate was a happy camper!

As I sat in the car watching Boy come out of the building, I couldn't help but think "That kid has a rather smug look on his face!"  Sure enough, he scored WAY above the college requirements in English, Math, and Writing.  Writing!?!  I might have to challenge their scoring system on that one, but I guess I'm a little harder than most because I know he can do better.  He must have done better!!! LOL

Later while we were enjoying a What-a-burger celebratory lunch, he mentioned "I am a little 'smug' (I promise he used THAT word!) about my scores."  I confessed to him that I thought the same thing watching him come out of the testing site.  He proudly confessed "I do feel smug."  I said "Great! Let's go get a flu shot!"  Nothing says "smug" like a flu shot.

P.S. I'm feeling a little smug too.  I received a final grade for one of my seminary courses.  A rock solid "A."  

P.S.S. So much for smugness: I just pushed a blankety blank button and deleted this whole post.  Thankfully I had opened it up in a second screen to preview it so I was able to copy and paste.  Otherwise you would not be reading a post today!!!  So much for smugness.  I am humbly posting now before I delete it again.

And the Golden Globe goes to....

Okay, I'll admit it.  I get so wrapped up in my show/ team/ _______ fill in the blank not winning that you'd think I had lost.  I really grieved when my UT team continually lost to competitors.  I got all misty-eyed last night when Jodie Foster got up to receive her Lifetime award at the Golden Globes and why? Just because she is my age?  Because I've basically grown up with JF and so I'm somehow invested in her?  We humans are funny that way.  I recall an incident I heard when we first moved to Oklahoma six years ago and this story has stuck with me; it is humans gone awry in the worst sense!  Maybe I've shared it before; I can't remember.... I AM J.F.'s age and she just received a "lifetime" award!!!  Doesn't that imply she has lived a lifetime? And if she has at the ripe old age of 50 (yes, I'm older than 50 but not much older than 50!) lived a lifetime and is awarded for it; where does that leave me?????  LOL  I love the t-shirt I bought my youngest daughter: IT IS ALL ABOUT ME!!!!!  Rat Mom didn't find it all that funny.  I howled when I saw it and immediately thought of her.

So back to my OK story. Two men were in a bar. One a UT fan, one an ou fan (yes, I meant little "o" little "u."). They were arguing about sports specifically their teams....who was better, etc. etc.  Tempers escalated and well, one of the men grabbed the other man's testicles and squeezed so hard that medical damage was done. Really??!!  I might be able to relate if we were talking 2 football players from opposite teams but we are talking two idiots who hadn't even gone to either of those universities let alone a university at all!  Not that that makes any difference, mind you.  I just thought it was an interesting fact.

In a small sense I can relate, but don't worry your ovaries are safe.  I'm not coming after you if you are celebrating Homeland's sweeping wins.  I happen to like Downton Abbey so I am pleased that Maggie Smith won best supporting actor.  Whoo hoo, Violet!!).

But it brings me back to my wonderings (just made that word up, thank you very much!).  I wonder why we attach ourselves to TV characters?  I wonder why we attach ourselves to the actors?  Is something missing in our own lives that we have to live vicariously through them?  It is one thing to attach ourselves to others based on what they believe or don't believe, but to get so wrapped up in them that we would shoot a president to impress an actor; think Hinkley.  Okay, so maybe you are young and don't know what I'm talking about.  Hinkley tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to impress Jody Foster.  When we get so wrapped up in them, that we'd shoot at a United States President or take one of their lives (think "My Sister Sam" actress, Rebecca Schaeffer....look it up on Wikipedia if you don't know what I'm talking about.  I really am old!). That kind of attachment is deadly in so many senses of the word.

For today, I am going to reflect on my own life.  If the Golden Globes? Academy Awards? A Memorial Service? were to flash my lifetime achievement life upon a screen, what would be shown?  I wonder.

Obsession!

In my quest to be a new strawberry, I sat down and wrote out a list of things I wanted to get done.  Here is a sample of my list:

• set up a home walking track and remove all obstacles
• start packing for seminary
• organize my closet
• write out routines
• spend time with college kids before they leave back to college
• plan meals for one week

Next I went through and marked them "A" for those things most important and "B" for those things that could wait.  You remember this exercise from any self-help organizational book, right?  Daytimer/ Franklin Covey to name two.

Listed in my A group were

• set up track
• write out routines
• time with kids
• meal planning

These are not listed in any particular order so don't call me telling me my kids were listed third on the list!!!  Yes, I did set up my walking track first but I didn't want to trip over anything in the morning while I was walking and break my leg and thus NOT have time to spend with my kids.  ;+)

The great thing about lists and marking them A and B is you can always cross off something on the B list even if you haven't completed all the A's.  Thus was the case yesterday!
 
I got moving yesterday and decided to organize my closet.  I divided up the closet between winter/ summer/ can wear/ can't wear.  Then I went back and lumped together like colors and fabrics.  The pants went on one side, the dresses, skirts on another and the shirts (depending upon summer or winter) on another. Although I can't state this with absolute certainty, I do believe there is a fine line between disorganization and obsession or in my case obsessive compulsive disorder!

Here are the clothes 1/2 to 1 size too snug

Here's when I got all OCD on my closet and divided into like colors!

 

Here's my meager winter side; after all I'm living in South Texas.

 Why would I need a huge winter side???


I was getting a little worried about myself (I bet you were too! Who is this strawberry?!?)  But then I went to take the picture to show you all and let's face it; I'm all about reality. If I were truly OCD, the hangers would be spaced evenly apart and not jumbled on one side and bare space on the other.

and here are my "able to get into" pants + my Mexican dresses. Just love those!

  and well......

I better add a "clean up hangers off the floor" to my list, otherwise no telling how long they'll stay there!

Baby-steps!!! LOL

P.S.  Day 5 of walking every morning for 15 minutes.  I am on my way to making this a habit.

No Title Thursday

My creativity is waning today.  I've been reading a book for seminary that has zapped all creativity right out of my being.  Interestingly the book title is The Body of God.  I do not recommend this book for persons newly interested in ecotheology.  I am sloshing (aka my tears) through words such as "Cartesian" or "epistemological" or reading sentences such as "The first rule is the Second Law of Thermodynamics"-- and I'm only on page 57!!!! It is taking too long to get through this book and I lose my place when I have to stop and look up a word or a hundred AND rifle through old science books refreshing myself to THE SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS!!!!! ARRRGGGGG

Moving on.....

How was your yesterday, Grainiacs?  Did you pick a routine (resolution) and only one????  Now don't overwhelm yourself this early in the game.  My resolution/ routine is walking for 15 minutes around a track in my house.  For the past 4 days I have set the microwave timer and away I go.  Today I walked in my pjs!  Next week I'll be on-campus at seminary.  I plan to blog about my "new routine" of walking around the campus.  Life happens and gets in the way.  The forming of my 21 day habit will be interrupted.  I will not let this stop me from picking it back up once I get home.  If I walk on-campus and keep going with the 15 minute walk (which might turn in to a longer one), I will most likely come home and pick right back up walking around my home track.  Baby-steps, but realistic baby-steps.  Yes life happens and interrupts the best of intentions but to make excuses about when to start or getting off track and not getting back on track will not sway me on this journey.

Yesterday I tracked everything I ate.  I made a huge pot of zero calorie WW garden vegetable soup.  Each time I felt the need to snack, I spooned out a cup of soup.  My soup has cabbage (hee hee, sorry family!), green beans, zucchini, carrots, onions, and diced tomatoes.  I am getting my veggies while re-training my body to crave healthy snacks versus other things I won't mention so I won't tempt you!  I am not claiming this as a resolution or routine because I don't want to burden myself with too many things to remember.  But if by chance this action of eating soup when I get hungry sticks, well then, all the better.  In going against my grain, I seem to trick my brain too!

Today is a new day!  If you didn't get started yesterday with a routine or it backfired on you-- begin again with me.  We can do this...one baby-step at a time.  I'd love to hear from you.  What is your routine? How is it going? 

I feel perfect....

Oh so perfect.  I feel perfect so I can't get anything done!  It doesn't exactly fit "perfectly" with the West Side Story score but in my case, it is true.  Most of the time I am so overwhelmed and paralyzed by my perfectionism that I don't get anything done.  Does this sound off?  I know I am a closet perfectionist.  I have a mental picture of how I want my house to look or how I should look.  I stare at it/ myself and see that it/I doesn't/don't look anywhere near how I want it to look and I get caught up in what to do first and consequently I don't get it done.  As far as the house is concerned, moving has helped a tad with this.  My front area and living room and dining room are remaining clutter-free but the pictures on the wall aren't exactly how I want them and so the living room remains the same and I am not satisfied with it.  I don't have the money to change it out and really the rest of the house needs loads of work and I'm getting ready to leave for my on-campus time in VA so let's face it: why start a project I won't be able to finish for a while.

Isn't that a vicious cycle I have worked up in my head?  Truth be told, I have worked the same dialogue out with just about everything.  Does that make me lazy?  No, I've got plenty to do.  My head is crammed pack with ideas and thoughts.  I seem to keep busy and walk and walk and do and do but I'm not getting anywhere of any substance or contentment. 

So this is where the perfectionism ceases to exist.  Today.  No more excuses.  No more thoughts of giving up.  No more defeatism.  Yes, I have lots of weight to lose.  Yes, I need to de-clutter the house and my belly.  But it will take baby-steps and routines.

Part of my problem is I pile too much on myself.  Years and years and years ago, I told a male co-worker that my new year's resolution was to exercise more, quit smoking, and lose 20 pounds.  He said you are setting yourself up for failure.  I'll never forget that.  I had too many huge resolutions on my list.  Losing 20 pounds when I was about a whole 140 pounds to begin with was not attainable.  I had never weighed 120 pounds for any amount of time...even in high school so I couldn't expect to get to 120 five years after high school.  I worked with smokers and we were allowed to smoke in the drive-through bank where I worked so that resolution was going to take some willpower and probably a transfer in the bank.  Let's face it...ex-smokers are the worst when it comes to secondhand smoke, right?  Or at least I am all militant about it!  The exercise resolution would have been a good one, but this strawberry is still to today struggling to get out and move my bones.  So you see, it is easy to set resolutions but to truly want to work on and keep them, I have to resolve to do one....not three....or possibly not two.  I need just one resolution to work on.  That is a baby-step.  Once that resolution becomes permanent and second nature, then and only then can I add a second resolution.

Does this hit a nerve with you?  Can you push aside your perfectionism (even if you don't think you are a perfectionist) and join me?

Take this little quiz from the Sink Reflection book: (her quiz has to do with clutter and cleaning up the house, but I think it can apply to dieting too and so I'll tweak it some):

• Do you find yourself not knowing what to do first or where to begin with the dieting?  Should I do Atkins or WW or South Beach?
• Are you constantly starting over?  Losing that tracker?  Sabotaging the diet and vowing to start over tomorrow?
• Do you feel overwhelmed/ tired/ helpless?
• Have you always struggled with weight?
• Do you think you are the only person to suffer through this?

You are not alone.  Please don't take the attitude of "What's the use?"  One doable/ achievable resolution can be the ticket to getting out of this vicious cycle (I'm banking on it!).  Baby-step.  One baby-step at a time.  Many psychologists say it takes 21 days to establish a habit.  Today is January 2, 2013.  In 21 days it will be January 23, 2013.  Can we promise to establish a healthy routine based on that one resolution and do it? 

A few of you have written saying you are starting (back) on WW?  WW now has a link on their e-tools page that includes routines.  Don't worry if you aren't on WW.  This will work with anybody struggling to lose a few or a lot.  Their definition of routines is:  "simple, easy tasks that help you take the guesswork out of healthy choices."  Anything you do without thinking about it is a routine.  For example Hubby eating the same breakfast every morning!  Here is a few examples from WW: 

• walk at least 5 minutes each hour
• eat breakfast every day
• eat all your meals at the table
• drink a large glass of water before eating
• eat veggies or fruit with every snack
• eat 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night

I am walking for 15 minutes around my house every morning.  I have set a track and for the past 3 days I have walked.  I can do this in my pjs or fully clothed.  The good news is I'm moving my bones.  It is a baby-step and I can't think of any excuse NOT to do it.  It is convenient; I'm already at home; I don't have to get dressed; no one will see me (I wish I didn't have this complex!) and most important it is a baby-step to my exercise goal.  All it takes is that first step.  What is a routine you could claim for the next 21 days?  Send them to me and lets overcome this paralyzing  perfectionism one baby-step at a time.

P.S.  My sink was shiny clean this morning and yes it did put me in a good mood. 

Oh the routine of it all

Years ago I purchased a book and started reading it and then put it down and then picked it back up again and probably got to the same part of it I read before and put it down again.  I haven't finished that book AND I have no idea where it is since the move!  In all honesty, I have several "books" I handle that way.

Exercise, for instance, is a "book" I pick up and put down and pick up and put down.  Wouldn't you call that a routine????  Dieting is another "book" that I can't quite get to the end of the chapter.  Would that be a routine?

Back in 2007 or '08 I applied to seminary to work on (and complete???) my masters in Christian education (MACE).  As part of the application process you are asked to write an essay about a book and how it has impacted you.  I didn't think I would "wow" them with all the murder mysteries I was reading so I looked at my "Christian" bookshelf.  I picked a book and started reading and was able to write an essay (I admitted in my essay that I was reading this book at the moment and hadn't finished it yet.) and that was the end of that.  I wrote my essay but I didn't finish the book.

What do you call someone who starts projects and doesn't finish them?  Strawberry???  "Oh, she's just being a.....strawberry!!!"

For one of my classes this semester I was asked to choose a book or devotional and blog about it; yes, I have another blog!  My book choice was that same book I chose back in 2007 (or '08) for the application essay.  I am pleased to report I am approaching the end of the book.  I can't tell you the feeling of accomplishment I possess.  I started something and I'm about to finish it and I WILL finish it.  I have a habit (routine?) of writing the date in the books that I read.  Each chapter holds the month/ day/ year.  Some books have several start dates in the first few chapters.  It is a reminder that I've started that book (several times) and haven't finished it.  I don't know why I am this way--  Life gets in the way....I didn't get into that book at the time....I've taken the book somewhere and can't find it (have I mentioned my organizational skills???  LOL).  That last thing happens more times than I care to admit!

Y-e-a-r-s ago, I attended a MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group.  One area of MOPS is a creative offering.  Each week, the women work on a project that will be completed by the end of the MOPS gathering.  The thought behind this is mothers with pre-schoolers never have that feeling of accomplishment-- there will always be diapers to change, laundry to do, dishes to wash, etc, etc.  This is one time when they can work on something and take home a finished project.  It's a marvelous thought.  We are creatures who like to complete a project and mark it "done."  In my case it is only a theory.  The other day, Hubby went in to work on his day off.  I imagine that is a common problem with those living right next door to your work or even people who work out of their homes.  He said he just needed to finish up some things.  My devotion book for Advent is called "Sabbath."  So I told him he needed time off (a Sabbath) and that his work would never get finished....there would always be something else cropping up.  I wasn't trying to be negative, but that's the way he heard it.  Poor guy....nag, nag, nag!

In actuality, our work is never done.  Even after losing weight, I will have to continue to work at it, otherwise the weight will come back and in most cases with a vengeance!.  There really isn't an end to this "book."  Does that sound negative?  Realistic?  Like a lot of work?  Yes!!!!  Some things can be completed, like my book.  Others will not.  Just like the dishes I wash and put away, those same dishes will find their way back into the sink.  I can look at it negatively or realize that some things cannot be totally "done" and I will need some sort of routine to help me along the way.

Which brings me back to that book I can't find.  Although, it is a book to help with de-cluttering and getting a handle on all your stuff, the author stresses the importance of routines.  I find this book very helpful (when I can find it!).  The title is "Sink Reflections" and it all begins with having a clean, shiny sink.  Keeping the sink clean and shiny is one of the routines.  My goal for today will be to make sure my sink is clean and shiny before bedtime.  Such a small insignificant routine, but one small step to help me take charge of my life and consequently my eating habits.  When my sink starts out being a mess, my day will follow suit.  Just take a look.  This morning I was greeted with a bunch of crap in the sink.  What a way to start the day!  First thing in the morning I'm reminded how out of control I am.

Could this be the source of my bad morning mood?????  LOL

Wouldn't it be better to start the day this way???

 

And speaking of finishing a project AND a clean shiny sink....looky at what Hubby accomplished!

Before.....

During....

And ......Ta Da.....

Hubby installed an instant hot water dispenser and then changed out the faucet to match the hot water dispenser.  Ain't it beautiful??  This project has been crossed off the list.  Whew.

Happy New Year, Grainiacs.  May we continue to travel down this road together and glean insight to ourselves and others as we welcome 2013 with all its blessings.