Spring break stream of consciousness
Hello there!
Sometimes when I write blog posts, I feel like I'm writing a letter to a friend....or just typing a little email to you all. 🙂
I am old enough to remember writing letters to friends and family who lived out of state, actually. How else were we going to communicate? Long-distance telephone bills were prohibitively expensive, so snail mail it was.
You know, I was just remembering that when, as a teen, I'd been writing to my piano teacher who moved out of state, one of the things she said is, "Your letters sound just like the way you talk."
That memory made me smile because I've had that repeated experience with my blog; when someone who knows me in real life starts reading my blog, they say my blog "sounds" exactly like me.
I've been typing the way I talk for many, many years, I guess. 🙂
The List
If you follow me on Instagram, some of what I'm gonna type here will probably be a repeat.
I'm on spring break this week, and because I am A WHOLE PARTY, I thought, "Ooh, what a good chance to get caught up on a bunch of niggling tasks that have been bothering me."
So, I did a big ol' brain dump onto a piece of paper and made a list.
Unfortunately, this is basically the most un-fun to-do list ever because it is comprised almost entirely of things that I have been putting off all semester.
And...not gonna lie, some of these things are holdovers from the to-do list I made for winter break. Ha.
I have 16 things on the list, plus four school-related assignments I need to do.
My list has things like, "scrub the boiler room floor" because it was covered in soot from that explosion that happened right before the semester started, and I never did get around to scrubbing all of the black soot off the floor.
So far, I have done 8/16 on the main list, and gotten halfway done on two more. And I have done ¼ of the school assignments.
The "break" part of spring break
Since the stuff on my List of Distasteful Tasks has been weighing on me, I do feel like it's a gift to myself to devote some time to getting those things done.
That way, when I go back to school and clinicals next week, I will feel a little lighter.
But also.....
I've been taking my mornings a little slower than usual.
I've been walking on trails I have to drive to (something I typically don't have time for during school).
I've been doing some non-school reading.
I bought myself an extra-large latte yesterday after running an errand I'd been putting off. 😉
And hopefully if I get my tasks done in the next few days, I will have a lovely empty weekend to do some fun things.
Last minute: not for me
One of my school assignments is due on Monday; I have to write 20 test questions about various immunology disorders that we had a lecture on, covering pathology and also the drugs we use to treat these disorders.
It's not due until Monday night, but...I have clinical until 8:30 pm on Monday. And I know from past assignments that the process of writing test questions is way harder than you'd think.
Soooo, I'm gonna try to knock out this assignment today. That feels a million times better than trying to do it after clinical on Monday night.
Last minute = stressful!
The Winery
Last night, I went to a winery, which makes me sound 100% more bougie than I am.
It was an event put on by PEO, an organization that has awarded me one of my scholarships, basically to have me and the other scholarship recipient meet and greet the local PEO chapter members.
Well, when I got there, I realized that the other recipient was a classmate of mine from developmental psychology! We hadn't seen each other in over a year, so that was a delightful surprise.
(Did we squeal when we saw each other? Yes, yes, we did.)
PEO is an organization of women, devoted to supporting other women in their educational pursuits, and I love that so much. 🙂 Everyone I met was just so sweet and kind, and I felt so supported.
YouTube is not for me
My microbiology professor from fall 2022 asked me if I'd make a video encouraging students to knock out their microbio credit prior to nursing school, rather than trying to fit it in during the RN program.
So, I worked on that yesterday. Please enjoy all these awkward screen grabs of me.
Every time I make a video, I am reminded of how much easier it is to type than to film. I always have to record clips multiple times to get a good take, and then even after filming, I have to edit them all together into a single video.
I know I could get faster at making videos if I practiced, but blogging is definitely more my thing!
Alrighty. That's probably enough words, so I'm gonna go get started on my distasteful tasks for today. 😉
Love,
Kristen
(just to keep the whole letter feel going!)
I'm grateful for the way you write. Your blog is something I look forward to reading every day. It is always inspiring.
I'm such a list maker, and this resonates. I carry forward tasks that I haven't completed from the day before, and yesterday finally remembered to call and get a receipt I needed. The woman was lovely, she got me what I needed quickly, and I have no idea why I put it off for so long. I'm not much of a phone chat person. I suppose I'll eventually need to call Lufthansa again (3rd time), to get a fee back that they've twice previously promised me, and never credited me. I'm super annoyed about it, and now will die on this hill, because their customer service is not truthful.
As for today, I'm 1) going to a workout class 2) meeting with a career coach 3) working in the yard. I should probably also clean the house, but...ugh. I know, it needs to be done, and I'll make it happen. At least I don't have to do it on the weekends right now, while I'm not working, so that's a gift for sure.
I also need to call my mom & talk about plans for our hiking trip to Sedona. That should be fun. That will probably rise to the top of the to do list 😉
The best bloggers are the best because they have their own voice and their personality comes through in their writing. That's one reason I like blogs so much (and am sad there's not many of them anymore that are worth reading).
Let's see what's in my head . . .
Track is starting, and I have a trackster again this year. Track season in NM is Strong Sun Season, which means I will be covering up with my linen button-up shirt and dorky Mom hat. But! Our new track coach--who is significantly younger than our previous coach--finally bought a canopy to set up for the team at meets. So I can actually get in the shade, which is much appreciated.
I'm Church Lady this month, which means Easter and all the decoration for it are my responsibility. I had been trying to figure out what to do, and then I got an e-mail from a lady in the other church in our parish asking if we wanted some of the Easter lilies they ordered. Yes! I'll probably still get some more, but it's nice to have those lilies to start with.
I have never read the Bible all the way through, so I'm doing that this year. It's fun because I know the names and stories, so it's sort of like re-discovering an old friend or something.
I also joined the Lenten Bible study at our church this year. I've never done a Bible study before (I feel like they are less common in Catholic churches, for some reason), and I really only said I would go because I didn't think there would be enough participants if I didn't. I have actually really been enjoying it, though, and I think it's because I don't have a lot of opportunity to do something completely non-child related, and have an adult conversation that is not about children. Appreciated in my life of four kids and working at a school. 🙂
And last, I just had to put my t-shirt size in a Google docs for the staff field day Color Run t-shirts, and I was very proud that I could put Medium for the first time in many years.
@kristin @ going country,
Does your church call it Altar Guild?
Easter is a BIG TIME to be in charge of decorating the church. I know you'll get it done, though!
@kristin @ going country, I know a handful of people who are listening to the podcast Bible Recap as they read through. The last time I read through, I used The Message, which made everything sound fresh and different. . . I actually laughed aloud at some of the wording!
Congratulations on the smaller size. . . that is a thrill and an accomplishment!
@JD, It used to be El Sociedad del Altar (this is New Mexico, after all 🙂 when there were more people, but now it's just whoever is mayordomo (another New Mexico term--basically the person in charge of caring for the church and making sure Mass goes smoothly) that month does it. There are only 3 of us who take turns being mayordomo. It's a very small church, so we don't have guilds or committees for anything, just a person who takes care of things.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, I considered doing some sort of guided program, but in the end I decided to just read through it on my own as I can. Less like work that way. 🙂 Luckily, I'm a very fast reader.
@kristin @ going country, when I taught at a Catholic high school, the religion teachers joked that they told the Protestant kids in their classes to go home and read the Bible and the Catholic kids to go home and find it.
@Leslie, thank you for the laugh!
@kristin @ going country, used to be Catholic but now at a Protestant church, 35years now. We have a Sunday night church group and 10 years ago we started studying the bible. It is fascinating. We go around and pick random books but we are getting to the point we have done most.
I admire people who can read the Bible because I needed these 10 years of study to understand the Bible esp. how the old testament and new testament are intertwined.
@karen,I find the connections between old and new testament fascinating. I have a pretty good understand of that just from so many years of the old and new testament readings together at Mass, but I like reading it myself, too, just because I'm a reader.
@Leslie, I went to a Catholic high school. I feel this.
@kristin @ going country, I used the One Year Bible published by (?Zondervan?) during the Pandemic. It is a great organized selection every day of a reading from the Gospels, the Epistles, the History and Wisdom books of the Bible. I enjoyed a Bible commentary along with the readings to help explain the obscure references. Although it takes some discipline, it is a wonderful experience for all of us church people to understand better what these books say (66 of them!). Good for you!
@kristin @ going country, I typed something a short while ago and before I could post, it disappeared. So I hope this doesn’t post twice.
I hope you enjoy reading through the Bible. I know some folks say they read through the Bible in a year but it takes me closer to 2 years to get all the way through. But for the past 50 years, I’ve been practicing reading my Bible every morning and I’m always learning something new about God. The scriptures also inform my prayer life.
Happy Easter to all the readers here who celebrate the Resurrection.
@kristin @ going country, Hooray for a size medium shirt for you!!! I did that last week for the first time in I don't know how long and it was blissful!
@kristin @ going country, I'm picking up palms at the florist for Sunday, but I haven't thought about Easter.
@kristin @ going country, I'm a little envious of my son because he's taking Greek this year and next, and next year he begins learning Hebrew. I think it must be neat-o to be able to read the Bible in those language. But maybe not neat enough for me to put forth the effort to learn those languages.
@kristin @ going country, sorry, all that keeps going thru my mind is "well, isn't THAT special" re: Church Lady.
@Angie, Yay for us medium-sized people!
@Selena,
Lol! That's what came to my mind, too!
Clearing out my freezer and gifting some frozen meats to a young family, as my husband and I are embarking on a whole foods plant based diet. I am working out at home on my treadmill,getting in my exercise minutes, no gym fees for me! Enjoying free books on my kindle from the LIBBY app at library.LOVE MY LIBRARY.Husband and I planned our next week’s dates: One afternoon at a local lake,packing a picnic lunch. One day a “library and lunch” date. I joined a free art group which meet on Fridays in someone’s neighborhood clubhouse to do paper crafts,collage art, journalling,scrapbooking.We bring our own snacks and drinks and enjoy a few hours together! AND I volunteered at local Hospice thrift store..should get news today on what day I will go in for orientation.I hope to work a 4 hour shift every Thursday.
Dear Kristin followers: Today I am doing a weird but kind thing. I have an ex-partner who is still a friend, and he is experiencing mild decline physically and mentally as he approaches the age of 80. At Thanksgiving I had traveled and boarded my dog and two cats with him. When I got home he wanted to borrow the cats for a while as they're good cats, they amused him and kept him company. I've been purchasing all the food and litter since then, either through Chewy or from Waldomart, and delivering it to his house when he needs it. Yesterday he had a litter crisis -- I dropped in to his home with prepared food for him for a couple of days, but without a box of the litter that is only conveniently purchased on Chewy. Why didn't I bring litter? Did I forget? Grizzle grizzle grizzle. Of course he hadn't mentioned it. Then he called last night to grouchily ask me to come get the cats. I was secretly furious -- why didn't you let me know? I'm not your servant! I'm too old for this! I was trying to be kind by sharing my problem-free pets! So today I'm gonna have to go and get them, but I'm going to have food and litter in the trunk of the care just in case he's decided to keep them for another week or two.
Kristin, this is way harder than it seems. Stream-of-consciousness needs editing!!!
@Jean, I marvel at your kindness to your ex-partner. Dealing with this sort of thing was hard enough when DH still lived at home--and he was my then-current partner.
@A. Marie, thank you. It’s easier now that we don’t live together. I can always always go home!
"And the Oscar for Best Microbiology Short Documentary Goes to .... The Frugal Girl!"
I sometimes cheat and make a "done" list after tackling chores I've been avoiding. Then you get to cross everything off immediately after you list them. Take that, "To Do's"!
And someday soon you'll be a valued member of PEO reviewing other aspiring nurses' applications....
@JDinNM, oh no! Is that cheating?? I thought it was just admiring one's accomplishments. Sigh.
@JDinNM, I agree about Kristen's future as a valued member of PEO. I'm sure that the PEO folks were as delighted with Kristen and her friend as she was with them.
JDinNM, Wholeheartedly agree with you: Kristen and PEO are a perfect fit. What a fabulous org to learn about.
@JDinNM, I liked that Kristin draws little boxes for her later check marks!
@JDinNM,
I think that's a genius way to approach a "to do" list!
@Liz B., Instant gratification!
Your disease list looks like "Which of these has Rose NOT got?" Heh.
I am so anxious about Rescue Pup. He's so adorable and I'm falling more in love every day and every time I mention that to someone people say, "He already has a home: yours" and I've asked them not to because guilt and they still do. And the rescue lady I work with has been weirdly unresponsive. She wants a video. I take one. No, longer than that. No, he needs to be calm, not playing etc etc. I can't have four dogs, including two puppies, and work outside the house. Anxious about jobs too.
Every day around 10:30 I feel like crying and I don't know why. And of course my doctor will get annoyed with me for not getting a therapist because I don't want one and I don't think talk therapy helps with depression.
Battra92 helped me this week by writing "Also resisting the urge to get take out is not easy when you aren’t feeling so well." I thought about it and then thought, why buy so much food in an effort to eat at home when events have proven that you may well be too sick to cook anything? Then you feel bad for wasting food and you feel bad for getting takeout. Lose-lose! Why not just assume there's gonna be 2-3 days of takeout every week and buy less food?" See, I don't need a therapist; I just need random comments from Internet strangers.
And while the nutrition thing is valid for some illnesses, it's completely bogus for fibromyalgia. In fact, kind of annoyed and offended really.
Tip: sour cherry juice for gout.
@Rose, I read a blog recently about dealing with depression and anxiety. The ways to deal with it that showed up most often:
exercise
meditation
sleep
being outside
doing something for someone else
journaling
Being outside was the biggest Feel Better to most people.
My guess is that you already know far more about this and have tried everything because you seem to know more about the most subjects of anyone I've ever encountered! (But I put the list here in case someone else can be helped by "random comments from Internet strangers".)
And maybe you should just go ahead and cry at 10:30 (unless you are in a grocery store or at a job interview or some other place that would just be too awkward).
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, Thanks. I do need to get outside more often, definitely. In fact I thought of taking the dogs to the dog park today but forgot my son needs the car all day. Sigh. Oh well, it's spring. I bought a new beach chair with a higher seat (easier for me to get in and out of) and a motorized beach wagon to haul my beach stuff. Which is minimal, but every little bit of weight makes things worse.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana,
I've read and heard those same things about dealing with depression and anxiety. I have both - and those things do help me, to a certain extent. I think different things work for different people, and frankly, sometimes none of those things helps, unfortunately. Medication and talk therapy can help, too, but not always. They are both challenging things to live with.
@Rose, Wow it sure is fun to check the blog comments 5x a day and wish I could interact with people. But no, I have to be on the naughty step.
@Rose,
100% agree. Nutrition can only do so much. Not sure there's much nutrition help to be offered for osteoarthritis, either, other than lose weight if you're overweight. (I have OA, and I've tried the supplements, etc etc. Losing some weight helped, a little, but I still needed a total knee replacement).
I like to think of the joy the pioneers got when they would go to town for the first time in months and find a letter waiting for them. (Laura Ingalls wrote about this). All those letters, waiting patiently for their recipients, with news from their old homes.
Writing test questions is an excellent way to study. You have to sort of out-think the test and thus remember the material better. Can you use story problems?
Mary has Rheumatoid Arthritis. Should she: A. Give in to her sugar cravings for short energy boosts. B. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber. C. Take fish oil for the Omega 3's. D. Both B and C. E. All of the above. F. None of the above.
@Heidi Louise, F none of the above because they don't make a bit of difference.
@Heidi Louise, I went to boarding school and we would gather around the nun putting out the mail, praying for a letter. If all the chores were not done, the mail would be delayed until the group prevailed upon the miscreant to finish her chores. I still love getting mail and, thankfully, have friends who left Alaska and know this so mail letters instead of sending emails.
@Rose,
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Kristen, I know we are different #s on the Enneagram, but sometimes I feel as if we are sisters from separate mothers. I often hear that I write just like I talk, so my handful of blog readers (most of whom I know in person) can hear my voice when reading my posts. It is far easier for me to type than to record. I have always been a letter writer and live by lists. Most of my friends consider these things "special" or "weird", so when I read posts like today's, I have a sense of belonging rather than being a dork. Thank you!
I am also working on my list of distasteful things to do. Primarily, I am working on completing my tax paperwork to pass on to my accountant. Yuck!! Obviously, I’ve been putting it off. My accountant knows me well and schedules me for the end of March. However, I must say scrubbing the broiler room floor sounds much worse. At least you can listen to a podcast or book while working.
The Mid-Atlantic does have some lovely boutique vineyards. I love that you went to a PEO event at one. Thank you for telling people about this wonderful organization. As you know, this is close to my heart. The first woman that I ever recommended for a PEO scholarship is now a doctor and is commissioned in the USN. So much good is done!
When I get done with this wretched tax paperwork, DH and I will be packing our suitcases to go visit our son for his birthday. I miss him and haven’t seen him since Christmas. However, he calls nearly every Wednesday and Sunday to check in. Some calls are long and some are short, but I am so glad he does this.
Wishing everyone peace, good health, and prosperity.
@Bee, I have to scrub out colitis bathroom. I'd rather scrub the boiler room floor.
@Bee, ugh, our accountant appointment is Monday, and even though things are practically all done, "practically all" isn't good enough, and my case of the don't-wannas is going to do me in, probably.
I love your stream of consciousness!
I think you should film more, and you’ll get more comfortable. I’ve been using the Marco Polo app to connect with friends instead of relying on Instagram stories (actually off IG for the season, possibly forever). I’ve seen how my friends who weren’t comfortable on video when we started in the fall really blossom and gain confidence.
I make lists like that, and it is so, so satisfying to mark items off. I add the tasks I didn't finish onto a new list, too.
To Kristin@goingcountry: I've read the Bible through 2 times, and felt it was really worth it. In fact, I've started again, but it's going very, very slowly this time, since my work days are so long now. I will stick it out, though. I read the Bible without the Apocrypha, but I have a copy of just the Apocrypha that I've read through once so far.
I love writing letters, and wish more people still did, but here we are, all typing on computers. I still send handwritten letters at times, and one of my non-frugal indulgences is engraved stationery. I bought my own little engraving plate and write my letters with my fountain pen using prim blue-black ink.
I would expect that writing test questions is quite hard. I immediately noticed the topics of osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, because my dad had both. I was about 20-21 when he was diagnosed. All I remember about his medications was that they tried something with magnesium and he turned out to be sensitive to it, so they dropped that. I remember that, and that he had both hips replaced. I'm sure Kristen has learned much more than I remember about it!
When I have a few days off, I use it for projects that need to be done, too. I'm just another party animal.
@JD, I like to write by hand but most often I type my letters on the Mac and print them. That way I can remember what I last wrote, to whom, and when. Besides, if my handwriting tries to keep pace with my thoughts, it gets almost illegible!
Nagging and wiggling - niggling. That little thought in your head that won’t go away.
You are inspirational! I seldom comment but I have to say you put yourself out there in the most kind and helpful way. Thank you for being you! What an amazing nurse you will be!!
Another list-maker here. If it's written down, it gets done. Sometimes I write down routine things (like take a shower, walk the dog, etc.) to jumpstart my day, and then when I knock out those easy things, I am motivated to finish the rest of the to-dos and bask in the glow of accomplishment. Which reminds me... when I managed projects at work, the last task I put on the project plan was always "Bask in the glow of a successful project." I hadn't thought about that in 4.5 years since retirement.
And since stream of consciousness is today's theme... I also remember working on something that I could just not figure out, so to clear the logjam in my head I looked around my house (I was working from home) for any teeny tiny ridiculous thing to do. I remember four of them: sharpened pencils, tested out all my pens, cleaned out crumbs from the cutlery drawer, and culled through some old photos and tossed out the duplicates, the ones where people's eyes were red, etc. What happened next? I sat back down at my desk and knocked out that task like a champ.
Stream of Consciousness, Hot Thrifting Streak Edition:
I'm still riding a dopamine high from what have now been three great days of thrifting. At one of our Thrifty Shopper stores on Tuesday (senior discount day), I found, among other things, an old Revere Ware 8-quart stockpot with specialized handles at top and one side for easy pouring of liquids. Considering the amount of soup stock I make, this one was a no-brainer at $3 (after discount).
I stopped back at the Salvation Army just now, after running other errands on the Boulevard, to look for a lid for the stockpot. (Revere lids aren't that hard to find around here, since there used to be a Revere factory in nearby Rome, NY.) No luck on that yet, but I did find a 1.5-quart blue cornflower Corning Ware with lid in pristine condition for $5. Another no-brainer.
And, yes, I've spent more money than usual on thrifting this week. But (a) I'm coming off a long lonely winter and a good bit of recent worry about my next-door neighbor; and (b) all of this stuff will get used by me, used by friends, or sold to my friend with the secondhand-housewares shop. So laissez les bons temps rouler! And I've learned from experience that when I'm on a hot streak, I should ride it as far as it'll go.
I'm home from my errands just in time, as we now have a special weather statement warning us that snow squalls are rolling in. So I plan to spend the afternoon building a fire in the woodburner, sorting out and cleaning up (as necessary) my houseware finds, and then relaxing with one of my recent book finds. (Paging Alan Rickman...)
@A. Marie, "laissez les bons temps rouler"
A friend of mine I haven't seen in a while asked me to go to NOLA with her. (Sorry if I'm stream of consciousnessing too much.) IDK. I probably should and put BFF's ghost to rest.
@Rose,
Yes, you should, if for no other reason. Though I can think of lots of other reasons that would make the trip worthwhile (time with a friend, fabulous food and drink, incredible architecture, to name a few).
I just went outside to set up the garden hose and water the granular fertilizer into the ground under my orange tree before the landscape guy blows it all away. I tripped over the hose and fell into the concrete patio, scraping my right knee, hurting my right arm right below the elbow, and hitting the side of my face, bending my glasses. When I finally got up, I put the hose away and came inside. I've iced my face and arm, cleaned the wounds, and took a dose of arnica. I hope I won't need to go to the doctor. I think I will take it easy the rest of the day.
Good luck with your test questions. You're right, it's way harder than you'd think!
@Dee in AZ, ouch! I've done that sort of thing often enough that I can truly sympathize. Take care, and I too hope you can avoid a doctor visit.
Me too and in fact, did so today. Fortunately onto carpet not concrete.
@Dee in AZ, Gardening can be hazardous to your health! Just finished an hour of pruning and clean up and stopped because my lower back was screaming at me. Always a lot of tripping hazards lying around. It's a jungle out there!
@JDinNM, you know how some people say time slows down when an accident is happening? A few months ago I tripped backward and told myself very clearly that I was going to fall into and through a d#$%^ rose bush. And that it was gonna hurt.
I did, and it did. I kind of had to laugh about it.
Thanks for the replies. My knee and face aren’t bothering me, but my arm is still sore. I downloaded a library book and started it (The Curator), watched several hours of Struggle Meals, ordered and picked up some bandaids, comfort foods, and other necessities from Fry’s, paid a few bills, and napped. Finished off the corned beef and veggies. Not a bad day all in all.
Since I suffer from many immunology disorders I have found that if I keep my weight down and avoid all artificial sweeteners it helps with the fibromyalgia. I also take magnesium and coQ-10 and it helps with the arthritis. So you can put diet and supplements into your questions.
Aww, thank you!
My distasteful list has been scheduling a lot of medical appointments for myself. Once I get through spring, things should be good. I hate driving all over Creation to appointments!
Kristen, your prof is cleverly using that assignment to build up his or her test bank. 😀 But not as blatantly as my former departmental supervisor, who called a Zoom staff meeting and had everyone go into small group break-out rooms and come back with program proposals that just seemed odd. Once we were all in there staring at each other, I remembered the supervisor had recently entered a doctoral program. Being a slightly cynical old broad, I mock-cheerily said, "So we're doing DS's homework for her today! All right!" 😀
@Ruby, I'm hoping your DS didn't mock-cheerily write you a bad performance review after that! But since she seems to have been sort of dense, let's hope she never caught on.
@A. Marie, she never caught on. She was utterly tone deaf at dealing with the staff and foisted interactions off on her underling, who was just great and fiercely devoted to us.
I enjoy lists, too. I have a "home" list and a "work list". Yesterday I crossed 2 really persnickety items off my work list and it felt great!!!
Sitting here, trying not to eat too many jelly beans, when I realize, "Yes, these are actually fruit flavored." Just tasted like sugar earlier this week. Yea! My taste is returning! The crud is leaving!
Used my mini-chain saw yesterday and after about six things cut, chain came loose. It is easy to fix, but very much of that and I'll readily go back to the reciprocal saw with the pruning blade. The safety switch is a little easier to use on the rs than the cs anyway. I have small hands. Did make short work of things I've been putting off. Still have more to do.
Reading the Doug Tallamy book, "Nature's Best Hope," about how each of us can do a little in our yards no matter how big or small to return the balance to our natural world. Anyone interested can check out "Home Grown National Park." https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ I have already been doing this and receive so much joy from seeing the bee, bug, butterfly, moth, caterpillar varieties and what they thrive on the most is beautiful, too. In turn, the bird variety is greater, and I even have occasional varmints that are welcome.
I enjoyed letter writing at an earlier age, too. This weekend, I received a handwritten thank you card from my hundred year old resident. Resident rooms are far from spacious and this Sweetie liked to leave her stationary supplies on her overbed table. I purchased a caddy in the colors of her decor (her family put a lot of primitive things on her wall, go figure) to keep her items together and not take up too much space. So much more elegant than the two wash basins someone brought her at the start. Her hand writing was barely legible, but I could read the cursive and tell that she once had a fine hand. Such a treasure!
@Chrissy, She probably learned to write in the old Palmer Method of teaching handwriting. My poor sister is left-handed and had a hell of a time with that system, but I loved how orderly it all was. When I am listening to a boring presenter, I still find myself making the continuous circles. I love that the method was considered to be useful in building character and reforming delinquents. (Not kidding, that was one of the selling points. It did not reform me, but the time I tried to be a 15-year-old Jesse James and wrote a stick up note at the Safeway store, my note was very legible. My friend and I were still detained, despite how polite and lovely my note was.)
@Lindsey, you have lived an interesting life.
I looooove lists!!!
You go girl….
@Stephanie, lists rule. Plenty of opportunity to create new lists from yet to-do from prior list plus any new items. Sad to say, lists are perpetual, I'll likely have one not finished when I leave this side of dirt.
I also keep specific lists - maintenance/appliance replacement, non-perishables, financial, when I'm dead etc. Lists rule.
Love this post! I too am a lister. I think maybe it is something that anxiety folk like a ridiculous amount because it allows us to dump out allll of the things that we are terrified of forgetting to do or not doing or... or... and making a list where each thing is there in black and white makes it feel doable and like you won't forget it.
Once those things are done, or mostly done, you WILL feel so, so much freer and motivated generally. I always do, about the most basic tasks!
I too am old enough to remember letters and it breaks my heart a little bit because of Reasons and how it was a totally different time and a lot of the people I wrote to/from (older gen family) are not here with us anymore. I'm not crying, you're crying!
I write up a "to do" list every week. Some things get carried over and some things get crossed off. It's always nice when a lot of things get crossed off!
I am a traditionalist, tho, and do better with a list written on a piece of paper than on my phone. So much easier for me to cross things off when done. Or add more things! And if I have specific things for my husband to do, I make sure to write them on a separate list so he can cross them off his list.
@Maureen, Right now I'm working on the "Carry Forward From 2023" list. ;-{
The only way I can motivate myself to get stuff done is to write a list (and it has to be pen and paper) and to have a podcast on in the background. I seriously need to do some cleaning this week.
I love getting letters. For a while my friend and I would write actual letters to each other because we both agreed how lovely it was, but we have got out of habit. We should start again!
Still photos and words only ... I'm such an uncomfortable dork in front of a camera and/or microphone. It's almost physically painful. So good job saying "yes" to that.
I accidentally started a newspaper (of sorts) yesterday. By that I mean: I made a mockup, and it was accurate and my local co-conspirator liked it, so we distributed it, and I guess I'm doing it next week and going forward? I guess. So that's interesting.
Once upon a time earlier in my freelance career I was hired to write the rationale part of answers to standardized test prep questions. Unbelievably, paralyzingly, difficult-ly dull work. I hope my career never takes that turn again!
Kristen!! My mom and grandma have been PEO members for my whole life and it makes me so happy to know the organization is supporting you. You are the poster child for whom their scholarships are intended, and it makes me so proud to have their volunteering (albeit indirectly) benefiting one of my “friends.” 🙂
I’m the same with time off, Kristen. I can’t relax until the majority of my “to do’s” are done. I guess I’m just a wild and crazy girl!
I was scheduled off work today. Did all the annoying things you cannot do while working, like call to figure out new insurance coverage, have an every 6 month phone chat with my financial advisor, pick up prescriptions from CVS. I also had a nice chat with my neighbor when she stopped by to get some rice pudding I made (using leftover rice and milk thst was not so fresh). I mean, how could I not turn these to things into rice pudding! It was a different method- baked, not cooked on the stove top. Less time consuming. She asked me for the recipe, but I tweaked it here and there and cannot remember what I did! It turned out well, though- but not as creamy as stove top cooked.
I am a compulsive list maker but I always say it's genetic. After my father passed away we found hundreds of lists in his chair-side cabinet. Shopping lists, lists of movies and TV shows he liked, things he wanted for his garden, restaurant menu items, lists of homemade dishes he liked or wanted to make, inventories of what was in the pantry or camp box. Oddly enough I don't remember coming across to-do lists.
I loved writing letters when that was a thing. And I still send the occasional note or letter to certain people who I know appreciate them. I don't know if they keep them, but I like the idea of sending off a little piece of myself to my friends in the mail. (And getting little pieces of my friends in return!)
Hmm. That sounds gruesome when taken out of context. Haha.
@Lorraine, I think of writing to someone as sort of like praying for them. I am thinking about them, hoping they are doing well, concerned if they are not...and I am not a prayer at all, but this makes writing to someone very satisfactory for me. Not emails, but real letters that they can hold and perhaps reread if I fell upon saying something that means something to them.
It was a big breakthrough when I realized my To Do list was aspirational rather than pragmatic. Knowing that it's too long to get done in a day or sometimes even a week is very helpful.
I am working down my To-Do list and mostly I'm down to the niggly, unpleasant, disproportionately aggravating items. Like being on hold for an hour, trying to find out why AAA never got back to me about a problem last October (I was disconnected the first time, hopefully by accident.)[1]
I have one last paper hunt in order to get my paperwork in shape to send to my accountant. Then I need to figure out how to scan all the paper without spending a fortune at Staples. The public library has a 20p/day limit, nor do I want my personal information on the hard drive of their copier/scanners.
I will never have Inbox Zero but at this rate, maybe someday I'll have Desk Zero.
[1] As part of my ongoing campaign to be nice to people who haven't done anything wrong, in situations like this I tell the customer service rep that I've had a negative experience so far and why, and that I'm going to try to keep it out of my voice, and apologize in advance if it seeps through. Not only is this the humane thing to do, it also is functional. People want to help you more when you give them a reason to want to, in this case by not being a jerk. The bar is so low when dealing with CSRs that it's easy to stand out as a mensch.
@WilliamB, THANK YOU! I, too, write aspirational lists, although I did not know to call them that until I read your comment.
@WilliamB and @Lindsey, I too have a few "aspirational" items on my rolling to-do list that have been there for far too long. I think I'm going to give myself permission not to do them.
@A. Marie, @WilliamB, and @Lindsey,
Mind blown! Same, mine is an aspirational list. I had "see about getting camera fixed" on mine for more than a year. I finally took it in to a camera shop, only to find out the camera is not worth the cost of the repair. Next task: sell camera as-is. (It has a cracked photo viewing window, otherwise, it works just fine).
@WilliamB, what an excellent piece of wisdom when dealing with customer "service" reps. Thank you!
@WilliamB, yes, being cut off when you are already half enraged over the problem. You have to then work your way through the phone tree again.
I do something similar with customer service reps, because their job is so awful. I often start with, "I'm not mad at YOU, but please pass this up the managerial line. This product/policy is really bad because.......". I do want them to pass on my complaint, and then I thank them effusively.
I was never a CSR, but I was a medical assistant in clinics and patients almost never complained to doctors, but took out their frustrations on the staff.
@WilliamB, thanks for your thoughts on CSRs. I’ll try your method of advance warning. I’ve also found that when I’m nice I get better results, but a warning wouldn’t go amiss in instances when niceness is more difficult.
@Anne, Agreed. I always say "[company] made a mistake" rather than "you made a mistake." If I say "you" by accident, I correct myself to "your company."
That is, unless the person I'm talking with made this mistake or responsible for those who did.
Letters are vintage nowadays and I love that about them. Letters or notes are the ONE and ONLY thing I miss about high school. I have always had a fondness for lined paper crinkled by the use of pen ink and I love the quirkiness of people's penmanship. It really is a dying art. This reminds me...I should start journaling again.
On my mind this week....I am also a creature of lists, pen and paper ones to be more specific. In my mind chances are that a task will never be completed if it does not get put onto a physical list. Given the fact that I am managing almost a whole home renovation due to January's flood, I have a very thorough & long list in front of me right now. Some of the tasks are fun...selecting the materials that we install into our home has a fun & fresh feel to it. Like a new beginning. Actually doling not the cash is not as fun. And there are lots of unpleasant tasks like follow-up with the adjuster, coordinate next payment from mortgage company, and constant budgeting to make sure that repairs can continue and that we have the materials needed to complete the repairs. My aim is to have us back in our home by the second week of April. Once we are back in our home a new list will be started and I expect it to be much longer than the construction version I am working on now 🙂
Easter is coming up and I will have to purchase an Easter bag for my little guy because his basket is packed away. Boo. I never expected that we would still be out of our home by this time.
I am aware of all the many blessings that we have been given during this time. This week my husband was rear ended. He has whiplash and some back pain but no damage to his vehicle. Unexpected funds arrived in our mailbox and our bank account. I told my husband I feel that with each setback it seems that God gives us another blessing and that soothes my sometimes weary soul.
It is the middle of the week - I love that!
When I made the switch from full-time academia to retired, planning my days and weeks were one of the hardest things for me to do. I still needed the structure of keeping track, but there was less to do and my schedule changed drastically! I had been using a bullet journal so I could merge personal and professional tasks as a means of organization and not having separate lists. The majority of tasks were professional with some personal. Now, the reverse is true. It took awhile, but I finally pared it down to this … I still keep a digital/electronic calendar with some shared options with my husband so he and I know what we’re doing separately (when important) and together. Once a week I create a PDF of the weekly view of this calendar. Then I annotate it on the computer and add a few visual effects (color coded boxes for time frames by category (e.g., church, personal). I “white out” my husband’s tasks that were important FYIs for me, but I don’t want on my calendar. Within each day I create tasks ala “bullet journal.” As I complete the tasks, I mark them or move them around. I will often come back and write tasks down after they’re done so I can look back and remember that I’d done something. Tasks that need to be done, but don’t have a timeline go in a separate notebook … it’s really my brain dump. I have a note dedicated to tasks, etc. that I keep on my phone so that when I’m not near the weekly paper calendar, I can write them down and not forget! When the week is over, I paperhole punch the printed version and put it in a 3 ring binder. It’s sounds a bit busy, but actually takes me less than 20 minutes all total and really helps me process what’s happening in the week ahead and when to plan on doing things. I will also make note of things that happened or thoughts I had that day. In a sense, that’s probably the gratitude part.
A former student and I did come up with a set of three lists: the to-do list, which is a checklist of things that need to be done; the ta-done list, which is writing down what got done and is important to see as being productive but weren’t originally thought of; and the ta-dah! list, which are the things accomplished and need to be celebrated.
For me, the most important part of the weekly calendar, etc. is to be reflective about what’s working, time involved, and levels of productivity as well as what gets in the way. All in all it satisfies my need/brain to function more personally with an ode to my professional life, which was/is such a part of my identity.
Thanks for inviting the stream of consciousness!
@Casey, I love all of this. Your to-do, ta-done and ta-dah! lists are wonderful!
It's been a week. My body hasn't been cooperating with me; I'm not enjoying vertigo. But the sun is shining, even if it's too chilly for me to enjoy the outdoors. And "Country Roads" is playing, and I can look out the window and see WV. I'm thankful my kids can help me with meals and other household chores. We enjoyed a tea party this afternoon after our read-aloud time (the 2nd Luck Ugly book is our current read) because I was craving cookies. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to do anything but read books I like out loud to my kids all day long--- with only tea and cookies to interrupt. The wind is strong today, but so far out electricity is still on. Another good thing. Did anybody else listen to the Grand Ole Opry this weekend? Good times.
When I first saw the winery pictures I instantly thought, I bet those are tables from Marketplace and she painted them!!! haha
Long rough week here, but a good day today at least. 🙂
A "Kristen painted this" assumption is quite reasonable. lol
All I can say is I'd have a hard pass on any and all things "video". Talk to the group/small group/individual like say IN REAL LIFE, you betcha. Ack.. I hope someone does not AI you.
Spring break - I like your plan. Always told the kiddos that if you can afford to go somewhere on spring break, you can afford to help pay for your college costs. To be blunt - you spend money having a vacay on spring break, I'm not paying that cost plus my annoyance fee towards your education. Same went for overseas studies. I'll pitch in a reasonable cost for food/hygiene/my definition of necessities but no more. You are on your own dime. Both complied which went a long way to neither of them still living in my house when pushing 40 years of age. There also was a one way time limit on college choice as well as my "I will not pay a penny for you to attend X college". By the time both were ready to make a college choice, all of the X colleges were not even on the radar.
Heh, well, the videos I post on Instagram are WAY more public than this video ever will be. This one will just be used in the biology department at my school. 😉
Love it! I’ve been a reader for years ❤️
I was scrolling through my email looking for you and voila! There was your post! I do love the way you write and am glad you can see silver linings these days. Your hiking is a reminder to me that I must spend more time in nature-the woods vs just walking the neighborhood with our puppy. You're doing great in school and I am so proud of you!
<3