Day 40 Prioritizing Priorities

Day 40

It was a splendid Saturday.

So much I wanted to accomplish,

fun things around the house.

The weather agreed--it was gray and gloomy;

perfect for what I had planned...

painting my entire bathroom!!

Here were my priorities:

#1 Paint my bathroom (I was to be hosting prayer meeting next week)

#2 Buy some cute decor for my new place

#3 Get some yummy fall-scented candles

#4 Reward myself with a night at the movies ("Love Happens")
#5 Fall asleep satisfied with all I had accomplished, mainly Goal #1

But then I found out one of my friends had been putting off painting,

had a 2nd coat to do on her kitchen, but too much work for one

She didn't ask for help,

didn't even know I was painting that day.

I hesitated, thinking of the big project I wanted to accomplish. The priority, though, was easy.

We finished her project rather quickly.

It felt great to help her out!

As for my list of priorities?

#1-#3 were checked off by that night.

Movie time got pushed back a day,

but I was so tired anyway.

Fell asleep in the contenment of Priority #5.

Lesson: people are more important.

Day 38 & Day 39 Bedtime, Really? Gravity

Day 38

Long work day!
School from 8-3:15.
Taught private music lessons until 6pm.
Drove back to school for Open House (6:30-8pm).
Yes, a long work day!

What to claim on such a day?
I just needed "me" time.
Relaxation.
Something to feel like the night was longer.
Did something I haven't done in a long time.
Decided to fall asleep on my couch.
Grabbed my pillows and comforter,
got into my pj's,
curled up on the couch,
and watched a bunch of "Friends" episodes.
Put my alarm on for midnight.
When it went off,
woke up and migrated to my bed.
It worked!
I felt like I had enough hours after work before having to crawl into bed.
It sounds silly, doesn't it?
Somehow, though,
it worked.

Lesson: it can be depressing going right to bed after work.

Day 39

No paper in the copy machine!
It was fate.
A reminder, really.
What am I doing trying to accomplish a to-do list,
after hours mind you,
on a Friday?
The copy room was like a gravitational pull.
I should be going HOME,
starting my weekend.
It was 3:30,
15 minutes after school got out,
and there I was...
thinking a few school days ahead,
trying to get prepared.
Now, we all know being prepared is good.
As well as being productive and responsible.
I must slightly digress.
See, I have a confession to make...
I have the tendency to....
um....
overachieve.
be quite organized.
work towards perfection...
So, don't take my claims as support of laziness,
lack of productivity (is this a word?!)
or not being responsible when it comes to our jobs.
I'm just trying to find the balance for ME.

So, thanks to the copier having no resources,
I was jarred back into remembering my claims,
grabbed my purse,
and was out the door.

...FREEDOM! ...FRIDAY!

Lesson: Fridays are great days to "just go home"

Day 37 Two, Not one, Please

Day 37

When I was in high school I struggled with anorexia.
I remember one day my health teacher pulled me into the hall after class.
She called me on it, and then said,
"What's wrong with having a little ice cream every day?
...You can put some fruit on it to make it a little healthier!"
At the time it sounded so..... terrible. And, delightful... all at the same time.

I think of that conversation from time to time.
Usually when I'm enjoying a big bowl of ice cream.
You see, I have been living a life completely healed of anorexia for a long time,
all because of a wonderful Savior.
And let me tell you, I LOOOOOOOVE ICE CREAM!!!!
I will admit: fruit rarely gets sprinkled on top.

Today I came home from work and enjoyed a yummy bowl of it.
A couple of hours later I wanted some more.
I thought, "Hey, I'm just gonna do it."
Totally worth it, and totally delightful.

Lesson: what's wrong with a bowl (or two) of ice cream?!

Day 35 & Day 36 Asian Cuisine & Strictly Swing

Day 35

I must admit, this entry is way past due!

Maybe I need to make one of my claims be to write more often?!

I will work on it.

Promise.

This day was a fun one.

I discovered this absolutely fabulous Chinese restaurant.

Don't you love finding a diamond in the rough?

From the outside this place looked pretty dumpy.

But there was a bus (and crowd of like 20 Asians) in the parking lot.

That had to be a good sign, I thought.

Assumptive, I know.

Well, my friend insisted that the chef that he met over the weekend highly recommended it.

I have three words for you:

"Lao Sze Chaun."

You have to try this place!

Classy & upscale.

White linen table cloths on round tables.

Great service &

fantastic food!

Please try the crab rangoon--

it was the best I've ever had!

This pic is of their Sesame Chicken.

Excellent!

After dinner, more smiles filled my night...
went and played with the puppies at the pet store.

I haven't done this in years!
They are the cutest, most adorable creatures!

How could I forget the excitement and adoration

that comes with holding a puppy?

One kept licking my face all over.

I felt like a little girl all over again.

Lesson: take time to be a kid.

Day 36

The search continues.

How hard is it to find ONE dance class?

Harder than I thought!

I live in a suburb,

so taking classes in Chicago isn't an option right now.

Too crazy with my work week.

I've looked into every option I know of--

nothing comes up.

Either:

The class full,

or the class is for ballroom dancing

(learning several dances instead of focussing on just swing),

or, my least favorite reason: they are for

"COUPLES ONLY" (very uncool)...

What's the deal?

Today's goal: call the local community college and get this going!

Called. 6 classes offered.

Researched more online.

One for strictly swing!

My hopes rose! Until...

I saw it. The irony--

it's on Tuesday nights only (that's the night of the women's Bible study I go to every week)

The search is still on!

Lesson: don't give up.

Day 34 Freezing Time--Possible?

Freezing time. What a concept.
Have you ever wished you could do just that?
I am sure we all have,
plenty of times.
That's what I wanted on Day 34.
It was a Sunday.
Sundays=Rarely lazy days for me.
Get up to an alarm,
go to church, usually do some errands,
and then my mind wonders...
to what I need to prepare for Mondays.
Try to relax, but we all know that doesn't always happen!
My goal this school year has been:
don't take work home!
I can honestly say I have not done any school work,
including grading papers,
lesson planning,
etc, at home.
There was one day where I had to print a transparency,
but that's it.
This may seem like a small accomplishment to you,
but the teachers out there know what a challenge this is!
Let me tell you---
having this boundary has been, well,
absolutely,
wonderfully,
...life changing.
I actually enjoy life.
And it's so much easier to go back to work each day!
So--back to day 34.
Sunday. Decided:
No thinking about work.
No being overly productive.
Goal: absolute relaxation and leisure,
with allowing myself one attempt to actually do SOMETHING.
My attempt: made a little list (yes, "little")
of things to go buy for my apt.
Such as, new candles, picture frames,
cushions for my bar stools.
You know--things to make my new place a home.
Thought this would be fun.
Went to one store, my favorite--
TARGET.
Bought a few candles but decided there was TOO MANY PEOPLE.
Too many BUSY people,
hustling,
bustling,
zipping along with their carts.
Not what I wanted for my Sunday.
Put the to-do list of going to Kohl's and World Market away,
and drove home.
As I got closer.
the mood of their hectic lives faded away...
I was home, free of time, and requirements on my time.

Put on some comfy clothes,
watched a movie,
relaxed....
Ate two freeze pops....
relaxed some more....
What a great day!

Lesson: take a break from "time"

Day 32 & 33 Extra time

Day 32

End of the work week.
Needed some time for ME.
My mood?
Lounge around in sweats and my favorite t-shirt,
eat pizza,
watch a movie...
do some organizing if so inspired.

A friend called and invited me to a church service...
45 min away.
I just couldn't do it.
I'd traveled the last two weekends (as you know)
and just needed to chill.
(Saturday was going to be more traveling,
to a wedding)

It's rare that I turn down an invite on a Friday pm,
but I remembered the goal of this year.
Find myself.
Live.
Take time.

Called her back and declined,
but offered for her to join me.
What a relaxing night!
Had two hours for myself,
then we watched Duplicity
(entertaining w/an unexpected ending)
and ate pizza.
...and ice cream.
And talked about guys,
God,
singleness...
And she spent the night!
Remember the days of slumber parties?

I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing night.

Lesson: don't be afraid to take time for myself.

Day 33

The theme of "time for me" continued...
Had a wedding to play piano and sing at,
my sister offered for me to ride with them
(them=her and her husband)
Usually I do.
Why travel alone when you can travel together?
I like togetherness.
And saving gas money.
And doing the logical thing in such situations.

But then I realized I'd have to leave over an hour earlier.
See, they have this dog.
He obviously couldn't travel to a wedding!
They needed to bring him to,
can you believe it,
"Doggy Daycare." Lol.
This added time to the trip.
It's actually a good invention I've surprisingly realized.

So, go with them, out of the way and earlier?
Meaning, be responsible,
save money,
and be social?
Or, sleep in an hour and go alone?

...The extra time in dreamland was,
well,
FABULOUS.
Had a relaxing morning,
felt refreshed,
enjoyed eating breakfast while watching the birds at my birdfeeder,
and had a sunny, safe 45-min drive to the wedding.

Lesson: weekends are for relaxing. do it!

Day 30 & 31 Legs

Day 30

Goal: Accomplish a task.
Task: putting new headboard together and mounting it to my bed.
Now ladies, we must face reality:
sometimes things are going to be more difficult for us!
Let's face it, we don't have the biceps that guys do.
However, six years of living alone have taught me this:
Determination goes a long way.
So, when I can,
I try to handle things on my own.
This, however, is not always possible:
my towel bars and still not up
(I moved 2 1/2 months ago)
I wonder how much it costs to hire a husband for a few hours?? ;)

Okay, so back to my task:
Mounting a headboard.
According to directions,
it's just 3 steps.
3 steps. That's it.
So I thought, "How hard can this be?"
I laugh about it now.
It shouldn't have been hard...
Except for the fact that I'm 120 lbs and not a muscle man!
I was huffing and puffing trying to get the leg extensions attached.
All you do is push them into the headboard.
Riiiiiight... "all you do..."
Would have been simple if the fit wasn't so snug.
I found myself sitting on it,
pushing and pulling with all of my weight!
Finally, I got one in. Yay!
Then came leg extension #2.
Man was I getting a workout!
Plenty of times I wanted to just give up,
and face the fact that I'd have to wait until a male relative could help.
But, then I'd get the determination to keep going.
Just in time to leave for Bible study, I got it!

Unfortunately, I had no time to attach it to the frame.
I knew what tomorrow's goal would be!

Lesson: find a way.


Day 31

Goal: Complete yesterday's task.
Thought--
If I could do the hard part yesterday,
I could surely finish the task!

Set to work...
lining it up to bedframe,
inserting the screws...
At first this was quite tricky with one person,
as the headboard was balancing on the frame.
Somehow, I figured it out.
Had a moment where I thought,
"How lucky for all those girls who have a husband to do this for them."
I was about to rest on that thought,
felt a twinge of discouragement setting in,
and brushed past it to something else.

That night I went to bed with a smile--
I did it! And wow, did it look great!

Lesson: God helps us, even in the small things

Day 28 & Day 29 Whispers & Artichoke

Day 28

Monday. Definitely not a fun day!
...That's my rhyme.
Does it count?

The bell rang at the end of school,
lots to do.
Desk piled high with papers to grade,
detentions to process,
does it ever stop?
No.

One of my biggest goals this school year:
leave work at work.
I was tired, hot,
and just wanted to go home.
The piles tempted me, a little whisper:
"Take us home--it's okay. Just one day...
Take us home.

The teachers in the rooms by me had already left for the day.
Sigh.
Give in?
NO.
Left work an hour and a half later,
carrying only my purse and cell phone.
What a great feeling!

Lesson: don't let work cross its boundary

Day 29

Now, I like artichokes as in
artichoke spinage dip,
but I did not like this!
Went to Panera Bread with some girl friends.
Claim? Order something I haven't tried before.
Definitely not an easy thing for me--
I like getting "the usual" when I go out.
You know how it is...
Saves one from disappoint.

Well, my regular is:
The You Pick 2,
and I do a combo of two of these 3:
Sierra Turkey sandwich, Greek salad, Broccoli Cheddar soup

Went on a limb:
replaced the sandwich:
Artichoke Turkey on foccacia bread
Result? A scrunched nose.
Regret? No way--I tried it!

Lesson: keep trying new foods--eventually one will be a positive discovery!

Day 26 & Day 27 Just do it!

I needed to get away.
Away from my "world."
From busy traffic,
to-do lists,
drama, and stress.

Visited a dear friend,
and awesome woman of God,
in Fond du Lac, WI.
Just what I needed:
laughter, encouragement,
simplicity, refreshing conversation,
insight, prayer.

Spent sunny Saturday sightseeing
and munching and shopping at the local Fondue Fest.
My moment of seizing came later that day.
We drove to Lake Winnebago,
beauty all around.
And then I saw it:
a light house.

How I wanted to climb to the top!
My friend didn't want to--
she'd grown up coming to it;
the thrill for her was gone.
I decided I could just view it from the car--
it'd take less energy that way too!

Then I remembered, and said,
"Actually..."

She took pictures of me at the top.
The view of the lake and marina was,
well, gorgeous.

Lesson: make the effort--it's worth it!

Day 27

Mmmm...
Now I've only had peach pie one time.
I was like 19 or 20.
Within a few bites I quickly decided
it was my new favorite!

At the Fondue Fest there was an Amish couple,
selling homemade pies.
I saw a delightful peach pie and couldn't help it.
We bought it,
and vanilla custard.
A wonderful dessert Saturday night.
I decided to have it for breakfast the next day.
Why not?
We only live once.

Woke up Sunday morning,
as soon as I remembered my claim I broke into a smile.
Enjoyed it, heated and with custard,
while I sat on the patio and soaked in the sun.
It was heavenly!

Lesson: dessert can be the meal, once in a while

Day 25 Spend less, Get More?

Friday night.

What a wonderful thing!

Came home wanting to organize and clean up my apt.

This is relaxing and therapeutic for me.

(yes, i'm crazy.)

But then the Friday blues set in...
the feeling of wasting my Friday night.

The day only comes once a week after all!

What to do?

Looked up movies. Debated. Called a friend.

We contemplated--rent one, go to one?

She was on the mood for a Jane Austen romance.

I wanted to get out of the house.

Then I thought of funds.

Why not save a little?

We rented Pride and Prejudice, the one in modern times.

Doesn't compare to the one with Keira Knightley.

(rent the real one ladies! it's so romantic!)

Quite cheezy, yet we were entertained,

and of course had great girl talk.

And, since I saved myself an hour on driving,

I got the gift of TIME!

Cleaned, organized, ready for hosting.

Spent less, gained:

time, accomplishment,

great conversation, comfort level

(my couch vs. theater seats)

Lesson: find ways to have fun for free!

Day 24 Chase the Sun/Son

Sun-smiley weather all day.
Couldn't be inside.
Home from work, went for a stroll.
Got home and dug out my pink lawn chair.
Claim: soak in the sun with some down time!
Grabbed a book,
a Bible, a notebook, and an apple.
I couldn't help closing my eyes,
feeling sunbeams warm my face.
Now THIS is what I'd call RELAXING.
Soon, the sun tried to hide...
behind a tree.
Moved lawn chair.
Not much later, it ran away again...
behind my apartment.
I found it! And snuggled in for a good read.
Proverbs Ch.3-11.
Wonderful!
I've been in Ch. 3 and 4 for a while now.
Precious gems of wisdom--
I don't want to forget!

Proverbs Ch 3:17 says,
"She (wisdom) will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying."

My new favorite is:
Proverbs Ch 9:6, which says,
"Leave your foolish ways behind, and begin to live; learn how to be wise."

Lesson: begin to LIVE.

Day 23 At the Coffee Shop

Wednesdays=Bible study night.
The coffee shop has new drinks for the Fall!
Order: Hot, pumpkin with carmel,
shavings on top.
It was a first,
quite different from "the usual":
strawberry smoothie with whipped creme on top.
Conclusion?
Disappointment.
Regret?
Mmm, no--
I tried something new.

Lesson: you won't know 'til you try.

Day 21 & 22 Think Again

Day 21

Another manic Monday? No.
Felt like a Sunday...
Sunny weather, free time,
VACATION!
Made the six-hour trip home from Door County,
the feeling of "home" welcomed me.

Priorities. More laundry?
...The dusting I didn't get to?
What about those piles of papers, clothes to fold?
The empty apartment was too quiet.
Being productive lost its charm.

An invitation for sand volleyball drew me.
Summer evening weather,
barefeet in the sand,
friends and laughter.
The decision was simple.

Lesson: choose life

Day 22
Back to work after three days off.
Amazing how a shorter week can feel like forever.
New curriculum to develop for school,
felt like I was racing against the clock.
Tuesdays: set aside for my girl friends--
unwinding, eating out, and uplifting one another.
The crunch for time grew heavy.
Cancel? Almost.
Then this quest came to mind.
How could I?
The soup and salad hit the spot.
Encouraging convo left me with hope.

Lesson: don't cancel out on the small stuff--it makes the BIG difference

Day 18, 19, & 20 From Popcorn to Glitter Days

Labor Day weekend took me to Door County, WI, where I enjoyed a beachside hotel room and the serenity of no television, computer, or cell phone. Back again, ready to fill you in.

Day 18
Friday nights. How slowly they come, how quickly they pass by.
I was low-energy on this particular one,
but no one likes wasting a precious Friday night.
This made it a perfect night to go to a movie and munch on popcorn.
Made phone calls.
No one could go.
It was opening night for a movie I wanted to see.
Dilemma. Go alone? Stay home?
Go.
I decided to still be happy even though I was going alone on a Friday pm.
Just when I got to this decision, a happy sound:
My phone was ringing!
One of my friends was free to go. :)
The theme of the movie was: "It's not what you do with your life but who you do it with."
My night started out with a claim to be happy going alone,
it ended with the reminder that life is about being together.

Lesson: two are better than one

Day 19
Sometimes seizing a day is in prioritizing one's time.
That was today.
My to-do list got quickly smaller as the morning progressed,
leaving me stress-free and feeling productive.
By the afternoon I was off for a fun weekend without a burden of procrastination
or a messy house weighing on my shoulders.

Lesson: balance work with play

Day 20
Glitter eyeshadow.
Remember the fun colors in the kids' makeup?
I was strolling with my family from shop to shop in Door County...
soaking in the warm sunshine...
when my sister pointed out a young girl selling lemonade.
50 cents a cup,
personally poured into a little paper cup by the girl herself.
As I handed her my quarters, I noticed her bright pink glittery eyeshadow.
I couldn't help but smile.
The simplicity of being a little girl.
The joy of a little glitter.
The excitement of selling one cup of lemonade.
The freedom of summer days.
I watched the bright pink lemonade flow into the cup.
I smiled as a picture of my sister and me came into my mind;
Two little girls, pouring lemonade.

Lesson: don't lose the simplicity of childhood

Day 16 & Day 17 Saying No, or is it Yes?

Day 16

It was the end of the work day,
a pile of books and paperwork waited for me on my desk.
Temptation set in--
"just take it home and do it there."
I paused.
I remembered my claims,
and then chose, "No."
A weight lifted as I left work empty-handed.
The night was all MINE--
I had finally said "Yes" to ME.

Lesson: remember what's truly important

Day 17

A beautiful, sunny day!
So beautiful, in fact,
that I was fooled into thinking it was a Friday...
No work the next day, no worries...
So I decided, why not?
Why not go out to dinner, walk around the shops,
and enjoy this day?
Well, there were plenty of reasons:
a counter covered with dishes,
dust on the bathroom floor,
clothes that needed folding...
We all have our lists.
But we won't always have this summer weather!
...the deep dish pizza at dinner was scrumptious,
the stroll afterward, refreshing.

Lesson: "Fridays" don't have to be saved for Friday

Day 14 & Day 15 Phone Calls & Bedtime Stories

Day 14

The dance search continues.
Remember my adventure going to my first private dance lesson?
My excitement after that lesson turned to disappointment when I found out...
the price.
Get this: $564 for four 45-minute lessons.
That's pure insanity! So my desire to be swinging all over the dance floor has been put on hold...
Where art thou, swing dancers??
My claim for today was to find time to do some research on other dance studios...
and call one.
Task accomplished, but not the mission.

I found out the studio did not offer a swing dance class.
I was told: a Monday night salsa class (of all "energetic, fun singles") is starting in 2 weeks.
TWO weeks! Maybe??
Salsa is Dance #2 on my list.

Lesson: don't give up the search!

Day 15

Remember bedtime stories when you were a little kid?
All snuggled under the covers next to mom or dad?
And then those junior high nights laying in bed reading books like Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, and those tear-jerkers by Lurlene McDaniels?

My claim today was to take time to READ before turning off the light.
Believe it or not, I still use a night light. (I'm 28)
Maybe I do need a husband to protect me?!
Back on track:
Reading brought back the peace and calmness of childhood.
I fell asleep so easily!

Lesson: even "grown ups" need bedtime stories!