Today, I'm sharing "Day Two" of my "31 Things" project. As you can see, I've decided to forego the scrapbooking element . . . replacing it with a song from the Soundtrack of My Life instead. At some point, I plan to post all 31 entries as a separate "pages" feature to this blog. For the time being, I'll just share a post now and again.
DAY TWO: MORNING
Soundrack: I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin)
My morning routine. . . is very routine. While the time I wake up – and the intensity of the getting-up-and-out activity level – varies depending on what my day holds, it is, essentially, the same routine each day. (I can get completely ready to leave the house in less than a half hour if I need to, but I usually stretch things out for longer than that.)
(The view from my bed when I first wake up. We live high on a hill, so I never bother with the blinds. I like to wake up to the sunshine.)
What do I do. . . every morning?
I wake with my alarm (which sounds much like the warning system at a nuclear facility, I’m afraid. . . it’s the only thing that works to get me going!); I don't mind the being up . . . but I have a hard time with the getting up.
After a “snooze bar” (or two), I get up an immediately brush my teeth (because I really hate the way my mouth tastes when I wake up).
I let Jenny out and feed her (unless Tom is up before me, and then he takes care of that one).
Coffee! Two cups. . . with a dollop of cream.
Then I hit the shower,
dry my hair; do my make-up, and get dressed.
I make my bed every day, without fail. I really hate having an unmade bed.
Eat breakfast . . . same old cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds) every single day. . . with a handful of dried cherries and a sliced banana. (I share the banana with Jenny.)
And then. . . I’m off! For whatever the day brings!
Today, I'm sharing "Day One" of my "31 Things" project. As you can see, I've decided to forego the scrapbooking element . . . replacing it with a song from the Soundtrack of My Life instead. At some point, I plan to post all 31 entries as a separate "pages" feature to this blog. For the time being, I'll just share a post now and again.
DAY ONE: JEWELRY
Soundrack: Peaceful Easy Feeling (The Eagles)
I love jewelry. I always have. Some of my earliest memories . . . are of my mom’s jewelry. Clip-on earrings. Shiny brooches. Matching necklace-and-bracelet sets. I used to love it when she would let me “play” with her jewelry box. . . when she would show me different pieces and tell me their stories.
I had my own jewelry box as a girl. It was one of those little boxes with a music-box ballerina that turned and played a little song when you opened it. I loved it. I thought it was so special. I remember being intrigued with just when that ballerina would “shut off.” I used to try to close the box very, very slowly while peeking inside to see if I could see just when she stopped. Then I would open it really, really quickly to see if I could trick her into a slow start. I kept my own special jewelry in there. I had a monogram “K” pin made of Genuine Redwood. And a Santa Claus Pin with a light-up red nose. A few little-girl lockets and bracelets. A charm bracelet. And a few other oddments that I had picked up here and there. I loved all of my jewelry!
As I got older – probably fifth grade or so – girls around me started to get their ears pierced. I so wanted pierced ears! There was a girl in my fifth grade class. . . her name was Linda, and she was very quiet. We weren’t really friends, but her desk was near mine. I remember that she had very, very blond hair – and pierced ears. It all seemed so exotic to me, then! Pierced ears! Linda wore these little mouse earrings with blue jewel eyes. I coveted those mice! I wanted them! I begged to have my ears pierced.
But my parents said NO.
As I grew a bit older, my desire for pierced ears grew stronger. By seventh grade, EVERYone had pierced ears. Absolutely EVERYone. (Really!) I was obsessed! I wanted to wear big hoops and dangling, filigree earrings that would hang down to my shoulders! (Gone were the days of cute little mice earrings.) Whenever I shopped, I spent all my time admiring the earrings. All of my friends exchanged earrings for birthday and Christmas gifts. I was so left out! I begged.
But my parents said NO.
I was too chicken to pierce my ears myself, and my friends weren’t daring enough to do it for me, either. So you know what I did? I pretended to have pierced ears! I collected . . . pairs of things. Buttons. Beads. Pieces of wire. And I glued them to my ears!!!!! One of my friends even gave me broken earrings from her collection to help me with my ruse! Every morning before school (in secret, of course), I used Elmer’s Glue to glue junk on my ear lobes! It was tedious. It was ridiculous. But I achieved the look I wanted!
Ultimately, my mom caught me. She was irritated with me. . . and she thought I was silly. . but she took pity on me. She decided that I must really, really want my ears pierced if I was desperate enough to glue crap on my ears every morning. She relented, and I got my ears pierced for my 14th birthday.
Finally!
All these years later, I still love jewelry. I have a great big stand-on-the-floor jewelry box (sadly, no ballerina!) full of all kinds of jewelry-treasures. (Although I don’t have my monogram “K” made from Genuine Redwood any more, or the light-up Santa Claus pin, I do still have several pieces of jewelry from my old ballerina jewelry box still lurking about!)
Every day, I wear my wedding ring . . . and 2 pairs of earrings (because I love my pierced ears so much I got them double-pierced in college). I often wear a bracelet (or two or three), and sometimes a necklace. Nothing special, really. But things I love!
(And, just for the record, I let my own daughter get her ears pierced the first time she asked – when she was about 10 or 11!)
When I was young, it seems I was always waiting for . . . something. The Next Big Event or Special Day or Turning Point that would mark my life and make it "special." I was totally bored by the ho-hum, everyday cadence of my life. I wanted Big Things.
As I grew older, I started to get it. I began to get a glimpse of what was actually behind all those "life-is-a-journey-not-a-destination" quotes and inspirational posters. That Special Days . . . were special, sure. But they weren't . . . everything.
And then I got cancer.
All I wanted, then, was Everyday-ness.
I craved the ordinary, "normal" pace and cadence of life. I wanted to feel a breeze and drink some wine on my patio and pet my dog and see movies with my husband. I wanted to talk to my mom on the phone and send cards to my sister and hug my kids and cook a plain, old, ordinary dinner. I wanted to meet my friends for coffee and sit through committee meetings and sort the mail and pull weeds. I wanted to put gas in my car and run errands and vacuum my floor and watch tv.
Yes. That kind of excitement.
Sometimes, you have to have the absolute wonder of Everyday-ness threatened. . . to completely appreciate its value and loveliness. Or . . . that's how it worked for me.
31 Things . . . is a class designed to to celebrate the everyday-ness, right now, right here . . . through 31 daily writing and photography prompts. It's a class designed to help document, understand, and celebrate the routine, daily stuff of life.
When I read about the class, it seemed like a perfect fit for me! Not only did I find the content and the structure appealing, but the timing actually works perfectly -- tucked neatly between the end of a very busy work time and my upcoming travels. I signed up right away!
Day One started yesterday.
So now. . . I'm immersed in 31 Things. I'm still figuring out how I'll share the process on my blog. I know I will. I'm just not sure in what format*.
Stay tuned!
==========
*There is also a scrapbooking component to the class. One thing I know for sure . . . I am not a scrapbook kind of gal! Although I'm often inspired by the scrapbook journals other people put together, I have found that the scrapbook format does not work for me. Rather than becoming an extension of expression, scrapbooking becomes a barrier for me! So, I will NOT be participating in the scrapbooking element of 31 Things. Just sayin'.
When it comes to keeping track of things. . . I'm a pin-up girl! I love bulletin boards, and I make good use of them all over my house. Not only do they help me keep track of little bits of things . . . the flotsam and jetsam of my life. . . but they also serve to inspire with visual reminders of Things I Like.
This week for Ten on Tuesday we're talking about what's pinned on our bulletin boards. Here are things you'll find on the boards scattered about my house:
Photos - old and new, but all of them cherished
Cards - with images and phrases I like to keep where I can see them
Schedules and Calendars - spinning classes, exercise classes, curling league schedules, hockey games; if there's a schedle, I keep it on a bulletin board
Business cards -- especially those that I need currently or don't want to lose track of in the short term
Take-out restaurant menus - you never know when you'll need a quick bite!
Memories - a £5 pound note, a Paris Métro ticket, a business card for a restaurant in Paris
Safety pins - when I find them, I generally stick them in a nearby bulletin board
Goofy little things I want to keep track of -- packets of buttons from a new shirt, a list, a doodle that's worth saving, a plastic baggie containing loose pieces of this or that
Paint chips or fabric swatches -- just so I can get a visual picture in my head
Buttons and decorative pins -- things I would never really wear. . . but that I like the look of (or that make me smile)
As many of you will remember, last April my sister and I took a little trip to Paris.
I had wanted to visit Paris since junior high . . . when I started taking French in school. I was always so intrigued by everything Paris, and dreamed of seeing the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, la Tour Eiffel. I wanted to sip a café crème on the Champs-Élysées.
Actually being in Paris was fabulours. All the sights were wonderful -- just what I'd always dreamed they'd be.
But what I really loved most . . . was the Eiffel Tower!
I was absolutely enchanted from the very first glimpse . . . out our hotel window, over the rooftops and between two chimneys! It simply . . . delighted me!
And now, nearly a year later, I am still charmed. In fact, it's kind of like the Close Encounters of the Third Kind . . . only instead of "seeing" the Devil's Tower monument, I'm "seeing" the Eiffel Tower. Everywhere.
I find myself strangely attraced to the Eiffel Tower. And I'm surrounding myself with its image. I carry it with me on my keychain.
(You can even see its image on the calendar page on the wall. . .)
My current journal features the Eiffel.
The opening screen on both my phone and iPad are photos I took of the Eiffel on our trip.
I keep images of the Eiffel Tower in my "inspiration areas" . . . the bulletin board near my desk.
A table in my sewing room.
On the shelves in my library, where I can see it from my "knitting spot."
For me, the Eiffel Tower is a visual reminder of a wonderful trip I shared with my sister. We send each other little Eiffel mementos now. (She is having a similar "close encounter" experience.) It's easy to find cards and books. . .
coasters. . .
magnets. . .
notepads. . .
even nail files!
I'm surrounded by images of the Eiffel Tower . . .
When the new year kicked in, I made some New Year's Resolutions . . . and shared them through a Ten on Tuesday blog post. The resolutions I wrote are not so much about doing things; they are much more about living my life.
My challenge, now, is . . . how to keep those resolutions!
This year, I want to be intentional and thoughtful about how I live my life. I understand that life really is limited; that I'm getting older; that time waits for no one. I know how easy it is to get caught up in the "sturm und drang" of everyday life. And I know that my life is really, really good . . . just as it is.
I know I have enough.
But, still. I feel this need to tweak my life. Not to change it, mind you. But to heighten my awareness of - and appreciation for - what's already there.
I picked up The Happiness Project, a book by writer Gretchen Rubin that chronicles her year-long adventure of inviting more happiness into her life. As I began reading in January, Gretchen's voice reached out and grabbed me. . .
"I didn't want to reject my life. I wanted to change my life withough changing my life, by finding more happiness in my own kitchen. I knew I wouldn't discover happiness in a faraway place or in unusual circumstances; it was right here, right now." (page 12; hardback edition)
I decided to launch my own Happiness Project during 2012. It fits nicely with my One Little Word project, actually, and it's a great way for me to keep connected to my earlier resolutions. I like the challenge of thinking about happiness in the context of my everyday life, and creating the space to invite more happiness into that same everyday life.
When Gretchen Rubin began her own Happiness Project, she first developed her own "overarching principles" (she called them her "Twelve Commandments") and "life lessons learned" (her "Secrets of Adulthood") to provide a framework for her year's work.
I already do this for myself in my journaling -- slightly different thought process, but very similar concept. So I enjoyed spending a couple of weeks in January developing my own lists; my own framework for my project ahead.
As I launch my own Happiness Project, allow me to share my own "overarching principles" and "life lessons learned":
My "Everyday Mantras" (words to live by, everyday):
Love is all you need.
I have enough.
Pack lightly.
Celebrate the ordinary.
Just start.
Let it be.
Dance through life.
Take delight.
Practice kindness.
Stretch.
Make it work.
Color outside the lines.
My "Secrets of the Universe" (things I've learned to be true):
There is no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.
Take time to smell the roses.
Eat an elephant one bite at a time.
Tomorrow is another day.
Apologize when you need to - and sometimes, even when you don't need to.
Take responsibility for your actions; own your words.
Not everyone thinks like you, and that's fine.
Some people ARE jerks.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Generally, it's not rocket science.
Garbage in, garbage out.
If you didn't wear it this year, you'll likely not wear it next year.
Always verify your sources.
Keep your head up.
You'll never know what worse luck your bad luck saved you from.
Good manners count.
Flossing really does make a difference.
There are many paths to the top of the mountain.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't do fuck-all if he wants to piss in it.
It was really interesting to spend some time thinking about these two lists -- a very grounding exercise that will serve me well as I strive to keep my resolutions.
What about you? I challenge you to think about your own "personal framework." What are your "overarching principles" for life? What life lessons have you learned over the years?
It's February. . . a month filled with thoughts of love . . .
(and chocolate!)
I thought that it might be fun to share some of the things I especially . . . love. . . during the month of February.
I'm not talking about the things you already know I . . . love. . . like knitting and gardening and reading and my family and Jenny. No, this month, I thought I'd share some of the things I . . . love. . . that you probably don't know about me.
Like. . . I'll bet you'll be surprised to find out that I'm strangely drawn to . . . and love . . . GRIDS!
Grids?
Yeah.
For some reason, I find things arranged in grid patterns Most Pleasing!
I have these lovely ceramic pieces hanging on my living room walls.
I adore them!
Everywhere you look in my house, there are grids.
On the walls. Propped up on shelves.
When things are arranged in grid patterns, I'm drawn like a magnet!
(I even have a Pinterest board called "Grids" . . . where I collect images of grid patterns I especially like.)
My attraction is not just to straight-line grids, either. I like circle grids.
This week, Carole has us thinking about Ten Things We Want To Do in the New Year. I've been having fun thinking about this all day! Here's what I want to do:
Keep Doing What Works -- keep my good habits going strong into the new year. . . a commitment to fitness, healthy eating, getting enough rest, leaving room for a little excitement now and then
Take Time to Reflect -- about myself and who I am -- and find outlets for expression . . . journaling, blogging, writing, One Little Word, exploring creative outlets
Use Bold Strokes -- color with all the crayons in the box. . . create, explore color, and texture, and mix things up a bit; let my craft reflect my self . . . with fiber, fabric, flowers, photos, and art materials
Expand My Personal Toolbox-- learn new things and take time to experiment . . . finish the Master Composter program, broaden my skills with PhotoShop, find a new camera, travel to new places, try new recipes and restaurants, knit gloves
Practice Kindness -- what can I do to lift someone's load. . . smile more, say something, lend a hand, reach out -- it's the little things that make a difference
Celebrate the Ordinary -- after all, the Ordinary is ExtraOrdinary. . . keep my priorities straight, acknowledge and celebrate the every-day-ness, and use the Good China (for Pete's sake)
Simplify -- get rid of the baggage. . . organize, prioritize, shed
Do a Good Job -- if I take it on, I need to give it my all . . . so choose my work carefully - and then. . . do it well
Maintain Balance -- pay attention to the yin and yang . . . consider consequences to personal balance when choosing to add new activities and commitments
Take Delight -- enjoy life. . . laugh, smile, see the lighter side. . . because if there is One Thing I Know For Sure, it's that life can change in a heartbeat. So enjoy it while you can, and take delight in what is around you -- every day!
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