Productivity

I love a good productive Saturday— perhaps even more exciting than usual because it has nothing to do with cooking or baking or doing anything for Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love that stuff, but it is nice when there are no more presents to wrap (or make) and I can catch up on some house stuff that has been on the list for a long time. So yeah productivity… house stuff… day at home… and somehow I still hate plumbing. I think every single plumbing project I do takes twice or three times as long as I think it should. Today was no different. I needed to clean out the trap in the downstairs bathroom. It has been draining slowly for a while and I know it just needs the hair cleaned out. I got it taken apart and the hair cleaned out in decent time and then the marathon of putting it back together started. After an hour and a half and a new gasket and new ring later (both in my plumbing repairs bin!), it was finally back together and done. Whew. I hate plumbing.

I also managed to do a bunch of random small projects that were bugging me:

• Replace switch at the bottom of the stairs
• Put all the hall switch plates back on (I only painted 2 months ago, right?)
• Repaint spot at the bottom of the stairs where a recent move dinged up the freshly painted wall
• Move closet door so I could finish painting that one spot that you can see when the doors are open
• Take apart and de-gunk the dishwasher screen (totally disgusting)
• Clean dishwasher by running it with lemon kool-aid (not sure it really worked, but hey, I saw it on pinterest)
• Clean washing machine by soaking hot water and vinegar for an hour or two and then running it
• Hang Booth photo in the hall
• Frame and hang family picture that’s just been sitting there waiting
• Clean out the front closet
• Build shoe shelves into the front closet
• Drink doses of Emergen C (yeah, I have that faint tickle at the back of my throat… after 3 months of avoiding getting sick, this could be the moment…)

There’s a lot I didn’t get done, but I’m calling it a day and saying I feel pretty good about what I did get done (this is big for me). 

Thankful

I know, it’s so cliché but it seems appropriate somehow. In the past year or two, I have made a conscious effort to be more thankful daily. To recognize the little things and be grateful for them. And I have to say, it is life changing. It has sunk deeper into my consciousness and now I don’t have to TRY so hard to find things to be thankful- I just notice them more.

Nonetheless, this is the time of year where we once again thank God for his many abundant blessings. So here’s my thankful list for right now (which just means the things at the top of my mind- not a comprehensive list):

- Faith. This is probably the hardest one to put into words. I am thankful for the gift of Faith. I’m thankful for a community of faith that I am blessed to be part of. For the Catholic Church who dispenses the great Deposit of Faith to us. For the Sacraments. The priests who bring us Jesus daily. Such a gift!

- Family. For amazing parents. For terrific brothers and sisters, in laws, adorable and funny nieces and nephews, near and far. For the challenge of loving one another- in good times and in bad. For the grace to love with a love so much deeper than my own limited heart. For the rolling on the floor laughing moments and the moments we cry our eyes out together and for all the moments in between. I am so thankful for my family. 

- Home. The Homestead continues to be my safe haven, my endless palate for learning home repair skills, for crafty inspiration, for a project never finished. For the people that share my home now, for the many people I’ve shared it with in the past, for the pups that keep it hairy and real. For giving me a dim glimpse of how amazing our Real Home is and making me yearn for that.

- Friends. I am probably one of the most blessed people I know and I have to say (in my humble opinion) I have the best friends in the whole world. I have no idea why God has seen fit to bless me so abundantly but He has and I certainly never want to take it for granted. For the near by friends, the far away friends, for all the friends in between. The ones I see regularly, the ones I see rarely, the ones I almost never see… for the phone calls, the facebook chats, the craft nights, book club, sounding boards, the ones who tell you that you’re not crazy, the ones who remind you that you are crazy and they love you anyway… I am so thankful for the gift of friendship.

- Munchkins. Maybe they should be right at the top of the list. I have SO many awesome munchkins in my life- and so many friends and family willing to let me be part of their amazing and funny lives. I am blessed.

- Grandparents. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my mom’s parents since Gram broke her hip and Grandpa needs more company while she’s in rehab. Grandpa struggles to remember these days, he repeats the same stories over and over again, minutes apart, but he constantly says “I was so blessed to be a dentist. I was so blessed to survive World War 2 and come home. I was so blessed to live in that house. God really blessed me with a beautiful family…” It goes on and on. He doesn’t remember a lot of the details anymore, but it continues to inspire me that he has hung on to the fact that God has blessed him so consistently throughout his life. What a witness! I am also incredibly grateful to have my Grandpa Bob still with us, getting softer and sweeter all the time. My life has been so enriched being surrounded by amazing grandparents. I will miss them when they are gone (and already miss Grandma and Oma) but for today, I am incredibly grateful to have them in my life.

There are so many more things I could say, but it is bedtime and I will leave it at that for right now. God is so good to me. I am so very thankful. 

Ten Minutes on Tuesday

I’m not sure choosing the last waking 10 minutes is really going to get you good reading material, but here goes. It is Tuesday. Mid November. The election has come and gone. I wasn’t thrilled with the big name outcome – and yet, I can’t help but get frustrated at all the doomsday predictions. God is still God, He is still on the throne. We have work to do as His Church, but presidents come and go, and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I’m sticking with that. And there ends my political thoughts for the time being.

Change is a funny thing. It is inevitable. The only thing you can depend on is that life will continue to change. And change stretches and challenges me. Maggie is reacting to the change in our house (her favorite roomie getting married and moving out) by stealing food and peeing in the house. Awesome. We’ve been having a lot of serious discussions about whether or not she’d like to spend the rest of her life in a cage. And I’ve gotten the mousetraps back out. Change. And somehow Maggie’s absolute resistance to change reminds me to learn to deal more gracefully with change in my own life. My impulses aren’t much different- I hate change, and though I still pee in the appropriate locations, I loathe it, fear it, and generally take a long time adjusting to it. Sometimes having your dog mirror your own behavior is a good reminder to shape up… (think metaphor here).

The weather has changed. Sunday it was nearly 70 degrees and BEAUTIFUL and today there was ice on my morning walk. Brrr. I had to get out the winter coat at last and I am slowly resigning myself to the fact that spring is over, summer is over, and fall is very nearly over.

I have been sewing up a storm lately!! After that quilt top in a month (and no, I have gotten no further), I had to do something… so I just finished 13 Pajama Eaters (pattern here) which are for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. They were a fun project for me, a good creative outlet, and here I am in mid November with a bunch of my shopping done! Not to mention that it was mostly a stash busting project—I had to buy some stuff to make them, but mostly I got the fabric out of my stash anyway. And I seriously don’t know how I’ve managed to make 13 of them in just 5 weeks! Especially with everything else going on.

Part of the everything else is that I’ve been in Monroe once or twice a week visiting my grandma in rehab and spending time with Grandpa. I love those people. And it’s been fun seeing aunts, uncles, cousins, and other characters during my visits. Family is such a gift!

I am also teaching 2^nd grade religious ed at my parish. I have wanted to teach for a few years, but with the job as it was, it just wasn’t possible. I’m enjoying my class, preparation for first reconciliation and first Eucharist—but they are definitely a squirrely bunch and keep me on my toes.

And with that, I’m off to bed. Happy Tuesday!

February Wrap Up

• Get a haircut – Yes
• Go ice skating – Nope
• Host a February party – Yes! The ‘Wine & Cheese to make February Suck Less’ was a lot of fun and I believe it lived up to its name.  
• Have a game night – Nope  
• Indulge in Catan obsession at the Homestead (a fabulous diversion with the Homies) – only once or twice, but still I did it
• Walking the dogs a lot (for good behavior and personal well being) – I’m giving myself 50% on this. I did it more- but not a lot. And their behavior wasn’t stellar and my personal well being isn’t stellar. 
• Sew bathroom curtains – Done and hung!
• Send birthday cards – Uh. Oops. I sent one…
• Clean and organize laundry room – started
• Spend time with my friends – done!
• Have kiddo overnight – done!
• Work less – epic fail!
• Work on special Project – yes, lots of time on special project. With lots more in my future. 
• Get a massage – nope… this will get transferred to my March list. 

Overall I’m pretty satisfied. And now we are on to a new month!

The February List

• Get a haircut (done)
• Go ice skating
• Host a February party 
• Have a game night 
• Indulge in Catan obsession at the Homestead (a fabulous diversion with the Homies)
• Walking the dogs a lot (for good behavior and personal well being)
• Sew bathroom curtains
• Send birthday cards
• Clean and organize laundry room
• Spend time with my friends
• Have kiddo overnight
• Work less
• Work on special Project
• Get a massage

Resolutions

My niece Lucy recently told my mom, in her very matter-of-fact way, “I am the kind of person who needs a project.” I can relate. Lately I have been in survival mode (let’s be honest, most of 2011 felt like survival mode) and I recently told myself (outloud even) “Reenie, what you need are goals.”  Like Lucy, I am a person that needs a project. Goals. So here are my resolutions so far:

1. Fit work into my life, and not vice versa. I will not continue to sacrifice for a job that just sucks the life out of me. I will not continue to investing overtime hours I am not paid for. I cannot save the situation and the best way to survive it is to set healthy boundaries and walk out the door. (Much easier said than done). Call me on this when I’m not following this though--- I’m going to need some help! 

2. Add a weekly Adoration hour back into my life. Just make it happen.

3. Lose weight.

4. Simplify.

5. Say NO (Hello NO-freaking-12)

6. Make time for creative outlets.

7. Finish the 90% done projects: the kitchen trim, paint the last cabinet door, touch up cabinets, etc. So many projects I just stop at 90% and never finish. I want to finish a bunch of those before starting new ones.

8. Branch out.

9. Survive the winter blues by making lists of fun things to do during the winter and then doing them!

Now I need to turn my resolutions or goals into an actual plan… stay tuned

Lessons I keep re-learning

1. Caffeinated coffee is STILL a bad idea after dinner…. even at a large family party. Duh.  I was still up at 2 am the other night a little wired. Oops. 

2.  The dogs are still better behaved when they see enough of me and I wear them out often enough.

3. Going to bed at a reasonable hour when you wake up at the buttcrack of dawn is just a good plan. 

4. Mass makes any and every day better. Get there.

In more optimistic news...

Although my job is killing me lately, I've got a lot of wonderful things and wonderful people in my life to be thankful for. Things I'm loving right now:

- Advent -- everything about Advent!

- The new Mass translation-- there's a lot of talk out there about if it is or isn't a good thing. But I really love it. The prayers have added depth, and though my response is typically "And also... with your spirit" I am beginning to catch on.

- Decorating for Christmas -- it's mostly there, but I've got a couple things I still need to find in the depths of the Christmas boxes. It's starting to look pretty, although the chaos of empty boxes and shipping boxes may be detracting from the overall look.

- Friends... I am blessed with so many incredible friends! And I am blessed by them in too many ways to even recount here.

- Friday night I had dinner with a friend and went to a perfectly awful Christmas play at the local high school. Though the play was truly awful, but it was great to hang out and catch up with one of my good friends who I rarely see.

- My grandparents -- I love those people!! It's been longer than usual since I've been out to have dinner with my mom's parents, so I called and talked to Gram the other night. She's such a gem. I will be heading out for dinner with them next week. And my dad's dad called me out of the blue the other day. He had a great idea for the family calendar that I always make and pictures he wanted me to scan and get in there (this is definitely a first!) So I went out to Northville and scanned some photos with him and then sat down and listened as he told stories. I love that! He also agreed to come live with me if I get my farm :D

- Christmas cards -- though I am not together enough to get started on my own, I am LOVING all the ones coming in the mail. Especially because all of my friends have such cute munchkins. There's nothing like opening a cute munchkin card after a long day to put a smile on my face.

- Suzie (Maggie is off the list over the bathroom garbage at present)-- I do love my pups, even in their current needy state (my fault entirely). They are good company, good listeners, and Suzie is quite the snuggler.

- Weekends!! Yesterday I had a day at home which was marvelous. And then toward the end of the day I opted to go to Sat. evening Mass which was great and leaves today as another home day. Lovely and just what the doctor ordered. So here I am sitting in my sweatpants and three wolf moon sweatshirt boring you with my thankful list :)

- My cordless drill-- haven't used it enough lately but yesterday I had to pull her out to do some repairs and boy I love the old cordless drill -- and the newly repaired baby gate going to the basement.

- My neices and nephews, who I think are 10 of the greatest kids alive (totally unbiased opinion, obviously). It's hard having so many of them far away, but those kids hold such a special place in my heart and in my life. And this week I went to Geno and Lucy's school songfest, which was pretty entertaining. Geno was in the choir. There he was, eyes huge, stiff as a board, collar rumpled, shirt half untucked and looking rather nervous, but obviously the cutest kid up there. He sang beautifully in spite of the nervousness. The kid next to him had us in stitches. Every few seconds she would twitch and move and then scratch either her crotch or her butt, smiling sweetly the entire time. Kids are so entertaining. Then Lucy came out with her class as Tinkerbell. For her part she danced around with Peter Pan and then at the very end, the kids each had a line about the importance of reading- some so faint you couldn't hear them, and Lu had the big finish, loud, clear and concise. That's my girl.

- Christmas projects - yesterday I finished the family calendar. A week before Christmas!!! I also did a couple little sewing projects and have a couple more I hope to finish. I also had a brilliant idea that didn't work at all in practice- so I'm starting over on that one.

Top Ten for today

Things I'm loving lately:

1. Sunday Softball: I truly love it. So much fun to be out in the sun, playing games with my friends. And this year is the most evenly competetive it's been in years, just all around good times. Not to mention the ADORABLE fans we have, the awesome umpire... okay, I'm really enjoying it-- 'nuff said.

2. The gardens... the roses are blooming, the rose of sharon is blooming, the tiger lilies are blooming, the tomatoes are ripening... love it!

3. My friends: I am so blessed with amazing friends in my life. This week I was overly social-- meaning plans with friends every single night. And yes, this week my introverted self may need an evening at home alone with the lights off... and yet, I am so profoundly grateful for the amazing people I share my life with. I am blessed!!

4. Daily Mass. This is far from being #4 on my list in order of importance. It was a good week and I actually made it to Mass every single day and as always, my week is better when I start it the right way each day. I am thankful for the many priests and parishes surrounding me that makes it possible. I am blessed!!

5. I love every single thing about summer. Every. Single. Thing.

6. My godchildren-- some of the coolest munchkins I know. And I've gotten to see the three local ones in the last 2 weeks, which always manages to just make me more mush over them... and it makes me miss my long distance ones more too.

7. Homegrown tomatoes.

8. Air conditioning.

9. My car. I just like it. A lot.

10. Weekends. I do love weekends.

Life is good.

Some great stuff about today...

1. Mass
2. It is Friday
3. One of my coworkers who is just amazing
4. It is Friday
5. The sun is shining
6. It's breezy and beautiful
7. baby birds
8. A bike ride all over town with Suzie in search of my nephew's baseball game. I left Maggie home b/c yesterday's 4 mile ride was really too much for her. So in spite of the howling as we rode down the block, it was just me and the Suze... which ended up being really good since we rode much further than anticipated to find said game.
9. My munchkin buddies at the game-- so stinking cute. Only I felt bad because one of them is afraid of Suzie apparently, so I didn't get to visit with her. But the others were fine and I was a big hit for bringing water.
10. My adult friends at the game too :)
11. Home sweet home
12. Fun plans for tomorrow
13. That I am home and not out because I couldn't say no again (another story for another time)
14. Did I mention that I love weekends?
15. I'm off to do some more cabinet door painting-- the last coat for most of the doors (only a few need another one after this. Can't wait to be done!)

Drum roll please...

Good news after a really shoddy week...

1. One of my brothers who has been job hunting for awhile just got a job! Hurray! God is good!

2. I am heading down on retreat this weekend to the Abbey of Gethsemani for my annual silent retreat. I am soooooo ready. So. Ready. Yay!

3. Have I ever mentioned how my silent weekend retreat annually is one of the highlights of my life? Well, it is. Wonderful. So ready...

4. Some far away friends are coming to visit soon- already getting excited for the visiti.

5. I made some small progress this week on the kitchen- finished the undercabinet lighting, painted the shelf I got back from my brother who made alterations for me and installed it, touched up some paint, generally worked on it. Good to make progress, even small progress.

Happy Thursday!

Today needs to be the day...

I'm getting a late start after a late night with the fam last night, but it's my first real Saturday in a long, long time. And I need it to be a productive one... so I'm sharing it here to motivate me to actually get stuff done- sorry for using you like this, but sometimes it helps.

- laundry, personal and house laundry (as in rugs, dog blankets, towels, etc)
- final coat of paint on the trim in the kitchen
- wash the kitchen floor
- deep clean the kitchen
- deep clean 2 bathrooms
- put away all the toys (out from the kiddos visiting last night)
- undecorate the Christmas tree
- take tree to the curb
- shovel the sidewalk again

There's plenty more to do... but this sounds like a good start, wish me luck!