Jumping In

A day turns into a week, a week turns into a month, and so on.

I've said it before. I can't seem to get all my ducks on a row at the same time. Sure, when I stay focused, I'm really productive, but there's always something left behind.  People often liken a busy life to having a full plate. The thing is, we all have different sized plates.  While some may be able to physically and mentally manage a dinner plate, others have salad plates, chargers, platters or maybe even a teacup saucer. 

I think I'm in the salad plate category with a dinner plate of stuff, and right now, there's not anything that can really change about that. So, as things are piled on the plate, the stuff at the bottom is left undone.  Sometimes the items shift, but there's always something left at the bottom. (sheesh, if I could only grasp the idea of really eating this way!)
     
I was really focused on staying ahead of the game through the holidays, and I did.  It was probably the smoothest year yet. That said, many things were left undone. And I got sick.  Not just a cold but really sick. (I'm pretty sure it was pneumonia, but honestly, I didn't go the the doctor. I looked it up online
-shut up- and 1. had all the symptoms of viral pneumonia and 2. set a deadline to go in if I wasn't getting better.) Keep in mind, I self diagnosed my gall bladder a couple years ago. :)

I'll even go on a tangent here. I was so out of it starting a few days before Christmas, that I lost (or rather threw away) a couple of gifts.  I ended up buying replacements, only to find 2/3 of the originals. Also, and this is the kicker, one of the gift cards I bought my brother-in-law (of 15 years), who is deathly allergic to chicken...was for Chick-fil-A. This was my thought process: Their marketing is all about pictures of cows, so...lots of beef. In my (lame) defense,  I've never eaten there before. (I did later replace the awful mistake with a Wendy's card, knowing he likes Frosty's.) But really, come on.  

Anyhow...all of this long-windedness to say, my blog was on the bottom of the pile. Back in September, I really felt God telling me to finally start publishing it. I'm still trying to figure out what that all looks like.

So for now, I figured the best way to jump back in was to jump back in. Really, sometimes it's hard to come up with 5 & 5. Often I find 7 & 2, so this is a good exercise for me to really count my blessings. (OOH! G#6 - I got to see White Christmas on the BIG screen this year. It was fantastic!!)

Laments:

1. Feeling like I'm dropping the balls everywhere.

2. I've had a LOT of headaches lately. ick

3. Um...regarding #3 below, I told Dale we were going to the wrong camp. We couldn't figure out when we arrived, where everyone was. (Everyone was very gracious when we did arrive.)

4. Lame drivers still get the best of me. That's both a lament at their lameness and that I let them get to me.

5. I have to go to Costco today.

Gratitudes:

1. I've been super productive with some major things. I have and am continuing to majorly de-clutter my home.  I'm pretty good at this and thought there wouldn't be a lot, but it seems there always is more. Kathi Lipp's new book, Clutter Free had been the current impetus for this.  

2. The other productive thing is I am 95% finished with out tax prep.  The last few years I have been an April girl.

3. I'm so thankful for our Yukon.  After years with a van that broke down about every other month, having a reliable means of transportation is a gift. Also, because there are a lot of seats, we were able to offer rides from the High School Winter Camp back home. 

4. the Bullet Journal system.  It really has revolutionized my life. What I love it that everyone uses a similar bases system, but then tweaks it to their own personal use.  Plus, in a time where I don't really have any artistic outlet anymore, this is a small way to get it in. 

5. That we have money to buy groceries at Costco. (silver lining, right?)