7 Quick Takes
I haven't posted in almost 5 months! Where has the time gone? In an effort to cover a lot of ground quickly, I am going to try out this "7 Quick Takes" approach!
1. Dreadlings. They are a little dread-full. I won’t
lie. I knew I was getting in a little over my head (oh the puns) when I put
them in. I had an idea that these suckers would require some attention, and I
knew I was about to have a newborn and a toddler maxing out my time. I have to
admit that I nearly cut them off. It has only been 6 months since I put the
last ones in, and I KNOW it takes a solid year to really start to see them as
dreads and not just a bunch of tangles. I almost didn’t have the staying power
- and that was always my fear when I put them in - that I would be all, “yeah! Cool!”
when I started followed quickly by, “I give up.” But at Christmas, some of the
girls I am getting to know in my town were so enthusiastic about them that I
had some renewed hope. And when I finally did sit down and put some effort into
them, I got encouraging results. I still have a huge matted chunk or two on the
back of my head. Conga dreads to the MAX. But if I take the time to snip them
apart, and work them into themselves with my little crochet hook and wrap the
bases of the ones I have completed with some elastics to try to keep things separate
then I really like the way things are going! So I am going to persevere. It seems
silly when I write it out. Who puts so much work into tangling their hair? Don’t
I have something better to do with my life? Maybe I do. Maybe that’s why they
are such a mess right now.
2. Lent. I
wrote a big paragraph just now about what I was giving up and my strategy and
my excuses for sucking so hard last year. Deleted. I was reminded the sacrifices God wants are
not the ones I boast about on my blog. Thanks H.S. for catching me before I put
a huge foot in my mouth. Dear Lord, help
me to seek you this season, and every time I feel the twinge of my cravings be
reminded of what real sacrifice is and then go live that.
3.
MY BOOK!!!! So I mentioned before that I havebeen writing with a group called “Family Secrets” and we are self-publishing a
book!!!! And we are having a Gala Book Launch on March 7, 7-9 pm at the
Kootenai Brown Museum in Pincher Creek. Come. There will be wine. And so many
good stories to share. The book is officially titled, Family Secrets 27
Mostly True Stories by Southern Alberta Authors. I can’t believe I am going
to have a legitimate publication. (Self published - but published nonetheless!)
4.
King Sized Bed. If you have a family -
especially with little people, it is my opinion that you need a king sized bed.
It is like having an office. Almost all of life can take place in this
location. Right now, in my “office” I am working on my blog, hanging out with a
three month old, folding laundry, changing diapers, working on my dreads,
communicating via social networks, and reading. Ok. I am not doing all of those
things this very second, but all of the elements for these activities surround
me and I have done all of these things in this location in the past hour or
two. MUST HAVE.
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| just a small view from the "office" |
5.
New Year Goals. I have 5 goals this New Year -
and not all of them have definitive end results, so I guess maybe they technically
aren’t goals, but I hate the word “resolutions” so I am going with goals. Here
they are and very briefly how I plan to accomplish them:
a.
Lose 30 pounds. It is kind of nerve racking for
me to put that out there - but I DO need to lose some weight. Thirty pounds isn’t
a crazy amount. But it isn’t a little amount either. I am cutting refined sugar
from my diet and I have been exercising three times a week plus trying to go for
daily walks. #losehatenotweight #loseweighttoo
 |
| I've been working on this goal since a few months after my first babe was born. Time to get it wrapped up! |
b.
Write more. I am motivated to write more because
of the Family secrets compilation, so I am going to continue to follow this
dream. I am going to try to journal five days a week, using writing posts sometimes,
as well as try to post to my blog at least monthly - but hopefully more.
c.
Read more. I’d like to read 12 books this year. One
a month. It shouldn’t be too challenging if I can learn to limit my social
media time. Also reading improves writing. I’ll let you know what books I have
finished. Another strategy will be to try to keep some reading material near
where I do most of my nursing. Like here, in my “office.”
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| An old anthology of Grey Owl's writing. First published 1938. |
d.
Simplify life. This basically means purge things
out of my house/life. I’ve been through my clothes. I have a big closet that is
next and a buffet/hutch to clean out and ship out. And toys. How could these
two tiny people already have acquired so much STUFF? I constantly have a box on
the go where I chuck stuff to go to the thrift store down the street.
e.
Get my dreads under control. See quick take #1.
6.
I feel like I have said enough. So consider this
early dismissal. You may go outside and play now.
Peace.
