Today I was a busy little bee. I started by taking storage boxes that were cluttering up the guest room out to the shed and reorganized the shed to fit these new boxes. I also put away the Christmas decorations, which is a huge improvement over last year as some of the decorations were still in the house (in the guest room in boxes). Then I rearranged the DVD/Wii area in my bedroom. I did four loads of laundry, ran the dishwasher, vacuumed the living/dining room, bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, and my car. I shampooed the carpets in the living/dining room and bedroom. I emptied the dishwasher and made my lunch for tomorrow. I walked on the treadmill for thirty minutes, scrubbed the shower and toilet in my bathroom, wiped down the counter and sink, and took a shower. I am tired, but feel extremely accomplished.
While I was working away, I kept reminding myself that I was not participating in a race. I did not need to hurry. My usual method is to work through things as fast as I can, so I can BE. DONE. But today I just kept repeating my mantra . . . . Slow Down. Take a breath. Pay attention to what you are doing. Enjoy yourself. And you know what? I did actually enjoy it. And I got SO MUCH done. More than I usually do (hmmmm, is there a lesson there??). It was nice and refreshing to be in the moment rather than striving to be done as quickly as possible so I could move on to the next thing (usually a book or a nap).
I took my time in the shed rearranging things, looking in boxes, finding things I'd forgotten we had. I took lots of things completely out of the shed and placed them next to the new boxes. Then I surveyed the shed and my pile of boxes and thought about setup before I started putting things back in. And all of it fit, it looks nice, and I didn't hurt myself like I usually do (except for hitting my head on the doorway like a doofus). I tossed out some things that we no longer need and made a pile of things to ask Ed about. I even found my hammer!! Yay!!
Vacuuming and shampooing the carpets is such a satisfying task to me, because there is usually such a noticeable improvement. If nothing else, I get to see all the dirt that is no longer in my carpet every time I empty the shampooer. I got some spots out and the carpet looks and feels so nice and fluffy. It makes me want to walk around barefoot just so I can feel the softness on the bottoms of my feet.
I'm a freak of nature I know, but I love doing laundry. I love the fresh, clean smell of laundry soap and the homey smell of dryer sheets. Everything comes out so clean and soft and ready to be folded and put away. I even got to do blankets and a comforter today. Those come out of the dryer just begging me to wrap up in them. I love to bury my face in the warmth and the softness and the smell of clean linens.
I am proud of myself for doing my thirty minutes on the treadmill. I could have probably passed today with all the other activity I did. And I already did four days this week (my New Year's Resolution minimum). But I was feeling good and wanted, yes WANTED, to do it. So I plugged in my iPod and blasted some Rihanna to get my blood flowing. I even did no hands for 28.5 minutes!! Probably no one but Colette knows what this means, but I am excited. It means I will soon be ready to use hand weights while I am walking. Yay Me!!
Then on to the bathroom. I scrubbed the shower stall and it felt so good to have texture again under my feet. It was pretty slippery in there, definitely time to clean. It's one of those things like the carpet that is very satisfying because there is such a noticeable improvement, at least in how it feels on my feet. I scrubbed the toilet, cleaned off and wiped down the counter. Then I showered which felt heavenly because I was filthy and sweaty and feeling oh-so-not-feminine. I even did a full shave on my legs just because. Man it felt so good to be clean and put on fuzzy, warm sweats.
After dealing with my hang-dry clothes, I sat down in my favorite chair and started mending some clothes. They had been sitting on my desk waiting to be sewed for weeks. I felt so domestic, curled up in my chair with my needle and thread. I also felt so relieved to be sitting down. I am tired, but I feel good. Ed and I talked and I worked on my sewing and it felt very . . . . comfortable and nice.
I feel like today was a good start on me working towards living in the moment. I tried to keep in mind that there was no need to hurry. I tried to slow down and focus on what I was doing rather than keep thinking ahead to what was next, wishing I would be done so I could relax. Instead of seeing the work as a chore, I decided to try enjoying each moment and that in itself was a sort of relaxation. And now I can face Monday feeling like the weekend was productive. I did have to keep reminding myself to take a deep breath, slow down, and be present. But if I keep working at it, eventually that will be my normal way of doing everything. I can't enjoy life much if I keep rushing through everything. Each task has it's own special gift to give, and if I am constantly focusing on being done, I will miss the gift. And what fun is that?
While I was working away, I kept reminding myself that I was not participating in a race. I did not need to hurry. My usual method is to work through things as fast as I can, so I can BE. DONE. But today I just kept repeating my mantra . . . . Slow Down. Take a breath. Pay attention to what you are doing. Enjoy yourself. And you know what? I did actually enjoy it. And I got SO MUCH done. More than I usually do (hmmmm, is there a lesson there??). It was nice and refreshing to be in the moment rather than striving to be done as quickly as possible so I could move on to the next thing (usually a book or a nap).
I took my time in the shed rearranging things, looking in boxes, finding things I'd forgotten we had. I took lots of things completely out of the shed and placed them next to the new boxes. Then I surveyed the shed and my pile of boxes and thought about setup before I started putting things back in. And all of it fit, it looks nice, and I didn't hurt myself like I usually do (except for hitting my head on the doorway like a doofus). I tossed out some things that we no longer need and made a pile of things to ask Ed about. I even found my hammer!! Yay!!
Vacuuming and shampooing the carpets is such a satisfying task to me, because there is usually such a noticeable improvement. If nothing else, I get to see all the dirt that is no longer in my carpet every time I empty the shampooer. I got some spots out and the carpet looks and feels so nice and fluffy. It makes me want to walk around barefoot just so I can feel the softness on the bottoms of my feet.
I'm a freak of nature I know, but I love doing laundry. I love the fresh, clean smell of laundry soap and the homey smell of dryer sheets. Everything comes out so clean and soft and ready to be folded and put away. I even got to do blankets and a comforter today. Those come out of the dryer just begging me to wrap up in them. I love to bury my face in the warmth and the softness and the smell of clean linens.
I am proud of myself for doing my thirty minutes on the treadmill. I could have probably passed today with all the other activity I did. And I already did four days this week (my New Year's Resolution minimum). But I was feeling good and wanted, yes WANTED, to do it. So I plugged in my iPod and blasted some Rihanna to get my blood flowing. I even did no hands for 28.5 minutes!! Probably no one but Colette knows what this means, but I am excited. It means I will soon be ready to use hand weights while I am walking. Yay Me!!
Then on to the bathroom. I scrubbed the shower stall and it felt so good to have texture again under my feet. It was pretty slippery in there, definitely time to clean. It's one of those things like the carpet that is very satisfying because there is such a noticeable improvement, at least in how it feels on my feet. I scrubbed the toilet, cleaned off and wiped down the counter. Then I showered which felt heavenly because I was filthy and sweaty and feeling oh-so-not-feminine. I even did a full shave on my legs just because. Man it felt so good to be clean and put on fuzzy, warm sweats.
After dealing with my hang-dry clothes, I sat down in my favorite chair and started mending some clothes. They had been sitting on my desk waiting to be sewed for weeks. I felt so domestic, curled up in my chair with my needle and thread. I also felt so relieved to be sitting down. I am tired, but I feel good. Ed and I talked and I worked on my sewing and it felt very . . . . comfortable and nice.
I feel like today was a good start on me working towards living in the moment. I tried to keep in mind that there was no need to hurry. I tried to slow down and focus on what I was doing rather than keep thinking ahead to what was next, wishing I would be done so I could relax. Instead of seeing the work as a chore, I decided to try enjoying each moment and that in itself was a sort of relaxation. And now I can face Monday feeling like the weekend was productive. I did have to keep reminding myself to take a deep breath, slow down, and be present. But if I keep working at it, eventually that will be my normal way of doing everything. I can't enjoy life much if I keep rushing through everything. Each task has it's own special gift to give, and if I am constantly focusing on being done, I will miss the gift. And what fun is that?
PS: Yesterday I took my car to a new mechanic and I LOVE HIM. He did an oil change and checked everything out for me. He fixed my middle taillights/license plate lights that have been non-functional for probably eighteen months. Yay!! Now I won't get pulled over for that license plate light being out. He also told me that the only thing it needs right now is tires (which I knew) and a battery (which doesn't surprise me). I am so relieved there is nothing wrong with my car.
I LOVE MY HONDA!!!
I LOVE MY HONDA!!!
Many thanks to my BFF Keri for helping me drop off the car and spending the time with me yesterday morning. I had a blast.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KERI!! ♥ I ♥ Love ♥ You ♥ My ♥ Beautiful ♥ Friend ♥
PPS: Many thanks to my dad who just told me he'll be getting me the tires. Whew!! What a relief as it's supposed to rain again soon. Now I can just focus on the battery. I can't thank you enough for all that you do for me. I have the best dad in the world. I Love You!!
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