So now to update this old friend

When my life gets busy, it seems that I put on blinders. For some reason, I can only look forward and not side to side to be distracted. Maybe that is a good thing so that I can concentrate on what needs to be done that is in my path. Maybe that is not so good because then those people who are not in my line of sight don't get the attention they need. That includes this blog. It's not right there in front of me screaming for attention, therefore it doesn't get updated.

I know that I need to get better about this. I need to see the important things all around because if I don't, I probably miss out on a lot of things. I remember one year, I was teaching and going to school at night. I was dealing the the kids, the house, the pets, and just the most important things. I would go to work the same way and home the same way. Finally it was winter vacation or something and I went on this route that was not foreign to me. I used to take that way a lot. Then when things got really busy, I just never went that way. Well I happened to go down that route one day and was amazed how much it had changed just in that amount of time I hadn't gone that way. It had probably been 2 or 3 months, but that right there was an "eye opening moment." It showed me that I do put those blinders on and try to only navigate down the road of most importance. I tend to put my head down and trudge forward taking care of what is put out in front of me.

I tend to believe that is why I feel I've lost a lot of creative spark lately. I know creativity has its ebbs and flows, but this feels more like somehow I've had a creative juices leak and it's all gone without me even knowing it.

I know over the long and difficult school year I've finished a few creative projects that I never seemed to finish. I also finished knitting a vest that I started. I also knitted a baby kimono and booties for a friend. I am in the midst of a sweater that I started last year, but haven't picked it up in over 2 weeks. It's just sitting there. I also have about 3 sweaters that need to be deconstructed, unraveled and wound into balls. It is great wool in great colors and I'd like to find some fun projects to do with that stash.

I think (or hope) that after I start to decompress from the school year that some of my creative juices will start to return. I do have a lot of things on my radar that I would love to start working on, but just don't have the creativity or desire to start on them.

I am going to try to remove the blinders, if at least for only the summer. I want to enjoy this summer to the fullest, so I know you can't see and do everything with those blinders on. So as of today, I've thrown them off. It would be nice if I could get my life in a balance of work and play when school starts again so that I can figure out a way to keep them off.

Yikes I feel like a blind chipmunk on a hamster wheel

LOL, that is totally a private joke. But really at a nature museum/zoo type of park we go to, they have rescued wild animals that cannot be released back into nature. Inside the facility, they seriously do have a blind chipmunk. Blind chipmunk is seriously running and running on a hamster wheel all the time. He burns way too many calories.

But really my life does feel quite crazy, like that little blind chipmunk who runs and runs on the wheel.

I can only hope that sometime soon, many of the things I need to do begin to fall into place and things start to slow down so I can sit and relax.

Not so good with updating 2 blogs

This is like the step-child. It gets so much less attention. I know this is the one I should be focusing on, the one that can help me find some inner peace and tranquility. So tonight I've decided to come and post.

Things I'm thankful for from this weekend

The rain stopped.

I got 6 scrapbook pages finished in my Christmas journal

I paid bills. Yes I'm thankful to have had the money to do that!

I got my first paycheck from the college.

The humidity is so much better.

That I went to have a good time with my girlfriend.
It was her birthday and we spent time together scrapbooking.

That she compilmented me on the fact that it looks like I'm losing weight.

I have great internet friends.

I made a good dinner of chicken parmesean.

I got all my laundry finished.

Doug came home! (How ever could I forget that. I love seeing that boy when he comes home!)

He got his eyes examined and new lenses for $50.00

Well I know there is more. I'm just really, really tired. Way past my bedtime.
What were you grateful today?

It just doesn't slow down

so I've determined and I seem to be trying to give it all to God and roll with the punches. Today has been a knock down kind of day but I have continued to get up and go for the next round. God's given me the ability to punch back today. Thanks God!

So here is my Gratitude to God for what I was able to accomplish today.

Thanks that I was able to get up and take care of my body, see, walk, talk, and pray.

Thanks that my car had gas that I could go take care of some business I had to.
Thanks that I could pay my water bill and still have a tiny bit of money left.
That tiny bit of money allowed me to buy the few things I needed from the store.

Thanks to Aldi that they had dog food, and quite reasonable I considered and that my dogs ate it without getting sick, yet....still waiting for it to process through the whole intestinal system.

Thanks that one of the ministers at church was in his office so that when I called to ask a simple question he heard concern in my voice and asked if he could pray with me right then and there over the phone.

I was able to feel remorse for the way I continually fight with Brian. Remorse doesn't help on his end, I know it. But I know that feeling remorse and trying to do better is part of the Christian I need to become.

Also that I was able to make some progress on student loan issues.

Thanks God that you can work in big ways with just small prayers.

Life hasn't slowed down

and I let this be part of what I cut out. It should be one of the top priorities of my online time because it is also a place where I can sit, reflect, and thank God for the wonderful things he does for me each day.

I'm going to try to be better. Not promising but going to try to reorganize things to make this a priority.

So for a few things I'm happy for from the last week.

The bomb threat at NIU was just a hoax, nothing was found.

Doug got home safe for the weekend.

Don has been much happier lately.

Don and I got to spend time together a few times this week for walks and other things.

Last night's dinner of garlic fish and vegetables was DELICIOUS and filling.

The weather has been really beautiful and springlike.

The daffodills are blooming and they are beautiful.

The grass is green.

Don still has a job.

I've walked for 100 minutes this week.

I lost a slight amount of weight at weigh-in last Monday.

My dad invited us to pick some concerts at Ravinia and we got Beach Boy tickets. Unfortunately the James Taylor tickets were sold out.

Milk chocolate is good, dark chocolate is even better.

We are finding ways to cut out extra expenses from our budget. We found how to cut $40 each month and are working on more.

My car should be paid off in September!

Don and I were talking about vehicle emmissions tesing on Wednesday and got the form on Friday. Yikes, weird, and deja vu, but the car passed with flying colors and we got it done on the first day we got the paper and before the local emmissions testing center closed on May 1st.

Ok so I bet there is so much more, but I'm tapped out right now.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Gratitude 1/6/07

* The weather was unseasonably warm and all the snow has melted.

* Don and I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood.

* I got all my laundry finished.

* I got Don to organize and clean out his drawers so we can take clothes to donate.

* I got almost all my papers graded and progress reports are finished. My goal is to keep up and be ahead for report cards.

* I'm grateful I got caught up on my Simple Abundance book today and it was an interesting read. It made sense what I read and that if things are not in order it's difficult to be able to look inward. It's more than just that but I'm not doing the entry justice but it made sense to me.

* I really think that I'm ready to go back to work.

1/5/08 gratitude

* Brian being home all day and not one complaint.

* Good friends who we can go out with and have fun with although some of us have moved away from the old neighborhood.

* 15 years of friendship with these people.

* Don who accepts the fact that I enjoy letting my hair down and didn't appear to mind that I had 11 martinis!

* The weather is warm for January in Chicagoland and almost all the snow melted.