God bless The Frog.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
How To Do It All
I got home from my day job today and I have barely had the energy to do half the dishes, triage my emails, and do a couple of writerly things, including resuming my blog.
Then there is my friend Wendy. She's a Mom, a writer, and an award winning doll sculptor. She's active in her church, at least a dozen other activities, and she's a literary agent. As if that were not enough, Wendy and her literary agency, Books & Such, just launched their blog.
If you want to know how she does it all, stop by the blog. Lately, Wendy has been focused on the topic of organization. All the contributors share information that's helpful in all areas of life, not just writing or work. I'm excited about adding this blog to my list of regular reads and I hope you will check it out.
Then there is my friend Wendy. She's a Mom, a writer, and an award winning doll sculptor. She's active in her church, at least a dozen other activities, and she's a literary agent. As if that were not enough, Wendy and her literary agency, Books & Such, just launched their blog.
If you want to know how she does it all, stop by the blog. Lately, Wendy has been focused on the topic of organization. All the contributors share information that's helpful in all areas of life, not just writing or work. I'm excited about adding this blog to my list of regular reads and I hope you will check it out.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Fun In The Cold
As far as I know, this video was not taken here in Chicago. But it could have been. I'd heard that when temperatures get below -10 degrees, soap bubbles will freeze. I'd also heard that they will shatter. That part turned out not to be true. I'm glad I did find this video to demonstrate the effects because I was not about to go outside and try to accomplish it myself.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Goals and Resolutions
I was going to take a vacation from the blog this week so I can attend to some other responsibilities. Then I got a lovely compliment on the blog from a friend. So I couldn't very well leave it now.
I wanted to take a break to work on my previously mentioned Etsy site. I also want to dig deep into a couple of Bible Studies I'm working through. I'm reading the book of Job. If you aren't struggling right now, anything I say about it will sound cliche. If you are having perhaps a harder time than you've ever had in your life you will understand about finding insights where they had previously been undiscovered. You will know what it means to have Job as your friend and to struggle to stay on top of the dirt that continues to fall on you by the wheelbarrow full.
It was as I was thinking about Job and his daily effort to remain faithful to God when I realized something about New Year's Resolutions. We seem to think all is lost if we've failed in our goals by this time of year. But God doesn't work like that. Every single day, every single minute of every day is a chance to start over, a chance to grow, a chance to change. So I finally decided what to do about my goals for this year.
Rather than being about content or outcome, my goals at the moment are focused on process. If I lose focus, I acknowledge that and come back to my relationship with God, which is at the center of everything. I'm not starting the year with an organized life and a perfectly tailored health plan. I'm just checking in with God every day to see what He wants me to accomplish, fix, or change in my life.
New Year's Resolutions, one day at a time.
I wanted to take a break to work on my previously mentioned Etsy site. I also want to dig deep into a couple of Bible Studies I'm working through. I'm reading the book of Job. If you aren't struggling right now, anything I say about it will sound cliche. If you are having perhaps a harder time than you've ever had in your life you will understand about finding insights where they had previously been undiscovered. You will know what it means to have Job as your friend and to struggle to stay on top of the dirt that continues to fall on you by the wheelbarrow full.
It was as I was thinking about Job and his daily effort to remain faithful to God when I realized something about New Year's Resolutions. We seem to think all is lost if we've failed in our goals by this time of year. But God doesn't work like that. Every single day, every single minute of every day is a chance to start over, a chance to grow, a chance to change. So I finally decided what to do about my goals for this year.
Rather than being about content or outcome, my goals at the moment are focused on process. If I lose focus, I acknowledge that and come back to my relationship with God, which is at the center of everything. I'm not starting the year with an organized life and a perfectly tailored health plan. I'm just checking in with God every day to see what He wants me to accomplish, fix, or change in my life.
New Year's Resolutions, one day at a time.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Organizing 101
My friend Dianne is organizing her craft space and blogging about it. I'm very much inspired by her motivation and her space. I love organization even when I am not very good at it. So now I am looking at systems to inventory and organize all my craft stuff.
The main problem is that I live in a one bedroom condo. My kitchen table serves as my main craft space. Secondary storage is in a small hall closet on the other side of my home. I am trying to triage my supplies. However, I'm going to have to get some mailing supplies and develop a system for them once I get my Etsy site up and running. Of course, that will require more space.
So that's what I've been mulling over for the last few days and it's a large part of what I'm experimenting with on this particular Happy Fun Night. If I get brave enough I might post some pictures. Maybe.
The main problem is that I live in a one bedroom condo. My kitchen table serves as my main craft space. Secondary storage is in a small hall closet on the other side of my home. I am trying to triage my supplies. However, I'm going to have to get some mailing supplies and develop a system for them once I get my Etsy site up and running. Of course, that will require more space.
So that's what I've been mulling over for the last few days and it's a large part of what I'm experimenting with on this particular Happy Fun Night. If I get brave enough I might post some pictures. Maybe.
Monday, January 05, 2009
And About Hibernation...
The other day I suggested we radically alter our calendar to spread out "the holidays" more or less evenly every four months or so. I'm going to further question the wisdom and sophistication of evolving away from hibernation. I think we really need to reconsider the concept of nesting away in the long dark days of winter.
Who said hibernation was such a bad thing anyway? Many of our local cities can't afford the amount of salt and snow plowing it takes to keep running all winter. Then there's SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Not to mention the general craving for increased carbohydrates and extra sleep, with the lack of sunlight and all. See, aren't we wired to want to hibernate during this time of year?
I'm not saying we all ought to go into a coma for three months. I'm just wondering what it would be like if everything radically slowed down for two to four weeks some time after the New Year. Maybe some people would still need to go into work, but it'd be skeleton crews at reduced hours. Otherwise, we'd get to sleep in and take naps, not all day, but more than usual. Since we wouldn't be sleeping 24/7 during the hibernation period, there would be an emphasis on family time, or quiet time. We'd read, catch up on all our craft and household projects. We'd write letters to each other, cook and have meals together.
Even you extroverts have to admit it's a better idea than shoveling snow.
Who said hibernation was such a bad thing anyway? Many of our local cities can't afford the amount of salt and snow plowing it takes to keep running all winter. Then there's SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Not to mention the general craving for increased carbohydrates and extra sleep, with the lack of sunlight and all. See, aren't we wired to want to hibernate during this time of year?
I'm not saying we all ought to go into a coma for three months. I'm just wondering what it would be like if everything radically slowed down for two to four weeks some time after the New Year. Maybe some people would still need to go into work, but it'd be skeleton crews at reduced hours. Otherwise, we'd get to sleep in and take naps, not all day, but more than usual. Since we wouldn't be sleeping 24/7 during the hibernation period, there would be an emphasis on family time, or quiet time. We'd read, catch up on all our craft and household projects. We'd write letters to each other, cook and have meals together.
Even you extroverts have to admit it's a better idea than shoveling snow.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Happy New Year
A few weeks ago the members of my creative writing group were lamenting the excessive, well, excessiveness of the holidays. Christmas is promoted before Halloween, let alone Thanksgiving. Then there's the weekend traveling and cooking for Thanksgiving, on top of which we are expected to make time for Christmas shopping. That is, if you are one of the "lazy" folks who isn't "already" done with your Christmas shopping.
And woe unto you if you have not already made your plans for ringing in the New Year. All the cool restaurants, hotels, and people have been booked for weeks. Perhaps all this explains why I was actually glad when my plans for the New Year's celebration fell through. I was downright exhausted! That balance I talked about a few posts ago? Somehow it escaped me in the chaos of the holidays. As much as I thought I'd want to be social for New Year's this year, I needed the time to restore my own sense of balance.
Which brings me to the brilliant idea one of my group members had. He thought we ought to redistribute the holidays to roughly 4 months apart or so. New Year's would probably have to stay put for the sake of time management. But really, nothing much fun is going on in August. It could use a holiday. And I know moving Christmas would pose problems with the liturgical calendar, but historians agree Jesus was not likely born in December anyway. I'm sure we could figure it out.
Anyone know how to officially propose an idea such as this?
And woe unto you if you have not already made your plans for ringing in the New Year. All the cool restaurants, hotels, and people have been booked for weeks. Perhaps all this explains why I was actually glad when my plans for the New Year's celebration fell through. I was downright exhausted! That balance I talked about a few posts ago? Somehow it escaped me in the chaos of the holidays. As much as I thought I'd want to be social for New Year's this year, I needed the time to restore my own sense of balance.
Which brings me to the brilliant idea one of my group members had. He thought we ought to redistribute the holidays to roughly 4 months apart or so. New Year's would probably have to stay put for the sake of time management. But really, nothing much fun is going on in August. It could use a holiday. And I know moving Christmas would pose problems with the liturgical calendar, but historians agree Jesus was not likely born in December anyway. I'm sure we could figure it out.
Anyone know how to officially propose an idea such as this?
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