Life with Dee

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My Word of the Year is a Song

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For several years I’ve chosen a “Word of the Year” to give myself focus and direction for the year ahead. Last year I selected the word “Simplicity”. I wanted to strip away some excess in several areas of my life. I made a bit of progress in that area and it’s an ongoing quest.

I began thinking about what word I would choose for 2019 several weeks ago. I knew I wanted to focus on health and wellness but neither of those words felt right. Maybe it’s because I was a nurse but those words feel rather clinical to me and I wanted something that spoke to my soul. Then I listened to a podcast by The Productive Woman (I did an interview with her a couple of years ago) and she was talking about choosing a word of the year. She said that it could be a single word, a phrase or even a song. A song!

I immediately knew what mine would be.

Word of the Year

You see, part of the driving force behind my decision to focus on health and wellness stems from witnessing my parents’ declining health in recent years. It’s been sad and sobering to see what poor health has done to them in terms of life satisfaction. For one thing, they used to love to travel but are no longer able to do so. I still have so many places I want to explore and I don’t want my health to be a limiting factor.

But there’s more to it than simply being physically healthy. And that’s why the words health or wellness didn’t adequately express my focus for this year (and beyond!). I want to stay healthy and vibrant in my mind and soul, as well. That’s why I’ve chosen Bob Dylan’s song, Forever Young, as my Word/Song of the Year.

 

Forever Young 

by Bob Dylan
May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
 
May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
 
May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

 

I actually wrote about this song back in 2007 when I claimed it as my life philosophy. I still remember the first time I heard the song. It touched me deeply then and still does. I love the idea of using a song as my focus because I can make a point of listening to it every day as a reminder.
If you choose a word (or phrase…or song) of the year, leave me a comment. I’d love to hear what you chose!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.
If you love Dylan and The Band I can’t say enough about how wonderful this recording is. I have it on vinyl and it is sheer perfection.
The Last Waltz
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Word of the Year

Ocean yearnings…

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It has hit me again. That deep longing for the sea. Do you know what I mean? For you it might be the mountains or a bustling city. It doesn’t matter where it is…just that place that is calling to your soul.

Ocean Yearnings

 

 

 

Dana Point boatsSea Fever

by John Masefield
I must go down to the seas again, to the
lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer
her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and
the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey
dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call
of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be
denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white
clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and
the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the
vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where
the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing
fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the
long trick’s over.

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

sea poetry and prose
My grandfather was quite fond of this poem which makes sense since he lived much of his life on the beaches of Southern California. He was amongst the first amateur scuba divers and most weekends were spent practicing this sport and catching various forms of sea life which he then prepared for his family. My mom recalls actually complaining about having to eat lobster “agaaainnn!”.

 

I, on the other hand, grew up in the high desert of California and while our family did go to the ocean occasionally, I was never one to enjoy baking on a hot beach with huge crowds of people. So perhaps it will seem odd that this has been one of my favorite poems ever since I first read it in junior high.  Most people, when they think of Southern California beaches, envision bright sunshine, beach towels, suntan lotion and children squealing and jumping the waves at the water’s edge. While I admit that picture has a certain charm (assuming you have a little melanin in your skin and don’t look like a boiled lobster after the first 15 minutes in bright sunshine), my perfect vision of the beach is a little different.

 

I most enjoy the ocean as the sun is setting or perhaps on a slightly cool and cloudy day. I don’t mind sharing the beach with a few others. But just a few. I like to walk along the water’s edge barefooted, zigzagging back and forth as the waves roll in. I like to stand with my toes dug into the wet sand and gaze out across the ocean as the sun sets. I like to sit on a beach towel a little way from the water and run my fingers through the cooling sand in silent meditation. I love the damp air, the sound of the crashing waves and most of all, the salty fragrance of the sea air. If only someone could bottle that smell.

 

It’s been quite awhile since I spent much time at the beach. I’m not entirely sure why I’ve been feeling this longing for the sea lately. Perhaps it’s because it’s been so hot here in Oklahoma and cool ocean breezes sound appealing. I think it’s more than that, though. I haven’t figured it all out yet but I think it has something to do with a deep craving for quiet and peace. Our lives have been rather hectic lately and while we are having a lot of fun times with friends, I think my deepest being is in need of mental, physical and emotional rest.

 

ocean painting

I don’t foresee a trip to the ocean anytime soon but I’m brainstorming ideas to bring a little of the sea to my daily life. Our family room is decorated in a nautical theme, although I currently have some of the decorative items stowed away. Maybe it’s time to pull out the seashells and the jar of sand I collected on one of our trips to Dana Point several years ago. And I’m thinking about getting one of those white noise machines that sounds like the ocean. But more importantly, I think I need to set aside some time each day to simply be quiet and meditate.

 

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. 

The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”
~Kate Chopin~
 
sound machine


 

Ocean Yearnings

Tea With Dee ~ February 2018

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Welcome to the February edition of Tea With Dee. I hope you are having a lovely afternoon. And I sincerely hope your weather is better than ours. It’s wet and dreary here. But that’s perfect weather for a cup of tea and a cozy conversation. Pour yourself a cup and let’s chat.

 

Tea With Dee

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

TEA WITH DEE

February 2018

 

 

LIFE ON APPLE TREE FARM 

February weather in Oklahoma is certainly not boring. We’ve had ice storms, thunderstorms, burn bans and flood warnings. Our temperatures have ranged from the single digits to the 70s.

The first signs of spring are a little late this year but the daffodils are finally starting to bloom. That always gives me hope that winter will soon be in the rearview mirror.

 

daffodils

 

READING

Remodeling a cottage in the French countryside? Yes, please. This book is right up my alley. So far I’m just reading and keeping my plans a secret. I’m sure there will be some eye-rolling when I spring it on David.

 

A Small House in France

 

WATCHING

David and I have been watching the new season of Grace and Frankie.  The writing is excellent. Just when it could easily cross the line and become a bit maudlin, there will be a laugh-out-loud line. 

 

I’m not generally a big fan of action movies but since David is such a good sport about chick flicks, I decided we should go see Black Panther. Wow! I was absolutely blown away by it. The storyline, characterization, costuming, special effects, cinematography and casting were simply superb. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

 

LISTENING

We started a new ritual. David and I have a nice stereo system and have been collecting vinyl the past few years. Our son, Chris, has been doing so much longer and has quite a collection. We decided to pick one evening a week to listen to albums together. We each pick one album so we listen to a total of three. It’s a lovely way to spend an evening.

For our first listening experience we chose albums by Donald Fagen (Chris), Lyle Lovett (David), and Leonard Cohen (me): 

 

Podcast: Tea and Tattle 

Weekly discussions on culture, books, wellbeing and more, as well as interviews with inspiring women. It’s a charming podcast worth the listen if only to hear the adorable British accents. 

Tea and Tattle

 

INSPIRATION

Be Inspired to Enjoy Your Mealtimes…Italian Style!

Creating a Cozy Sanctuary: My Master Bedroom

Your Own French Potager (Kitchen Garden)

 

TEATIME

It’s no secret that Earl Grey is my favorite tea. However, since giving up sugar in my tea for Lent, I’ve been more inclined to branch out and enjoy other flavors of tea. Here is one I’ve been enjoying:

Paris Tea

ON THE BLOG ~ FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS

Debi’s Cajun Style Jambalaya

Bringing Back the House Dress ~ Winter Version

The Best (and the Worst) of The FlyLady

 

COMING UP IN MARCH

Spring cleaning, organizing, my mom’s potato salad recipe, the 1940s…

~~~~~

 

Are you subscribed to my newsletter? If not, here is the link. It is similar in tone to these Tea With Dee posts but contains different, exclusive content. My goal is to send it out every Saturday but you know how those things go.

 

 

Tea With Dee

Back to Basics on Apple Tree Farm

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“The business of procuring the necessities of life has been shifted from the wood lot, the garden, the kitchen and the family to the factory and the large-scale enterprise. In our case, we moved our center back to the land.”
~Helen Nearing

 

Back To Basics on Apple Tree Farm

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

When I was perhaps 9 or 10 years old my grandmother spent two weeks with me, my cousin/best friend, and my two brothers in my family’s cabin in Big Bear, California. I have no idea how this came about because Grandma almost never left home. As I recall, it was originally supposed to be for a week but we were all enjoying it and extended the time.

It was summertime, my favorite time in the mountains. Our cabin was not far from a little park and the park was a couple of blocks from a little general store. Most days we would all walk to the park to play, then to the store and finally back to the cabin.

My dad had built the cabin. It had a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs. There was also a large, open loft area. Grandma had one bedroom, my cousin, Sue and I shared the other, and the boys slept upstairs. It was a comfortable place but pretty simple. There was no telephone and no television. It was on a small lot shaded by pine trees.

My family often spent weekends there. My dad insisted on the “no telephone” thing because as a business owner who spent hours every day on the phone, this was his respite. Occasionally we’d bring a little portable black and white television but without cable there wasn’t much to watch.

If this sounds like a terribly boring place for four kids to spend a couple of weeks you’d be mistaken. We kids were the ones who begged to stay longer. Sue and I had brought our baby dolls and played happily by the hour. I don’t much recall what the boys did but they probably played outdoors much of the time. I don’t remember any fussing but then, Grandma had a way of making it clear she wouldn’t put up with such nonsense.

I spent a lot of time sitting on the back stoop with a handful of nuts crooning to the backyard squirrels. Toward the end of our visit my patience was rewarded when a squirrel came up to me, placed his wee little paws on my outstretched fingertips and took a nut from my hand.

Yes, those were simpler times in many ways but they didn’t compare to the stories Grandma told us about her childhood. I would curl up next to her and listen attentively as she described a childhood in rural Oklahoma which not only didn’t include telephones and televisions like we were without for a couple of weeks, but also was devoid of indoor plumbing and so much that we took for granted.

I have vivid memories of Grandma describing her mother’s Home Comfort stove. From the way she described it, I think it must have been similar to this one:

homecomfort

She told us about a compartment on the side which they would fill with water carried indoors, one bucketful at a time. As the the stove was being used the water would heat up and they used that for washing dishes and bathing.

Throughout my childhood Grandma would occasionally tell us about her early life and I always enjoyed these tales. In her later years I began asking questions and begging to her to tell me more. Sometimes she would say, “Oh, honey, you don’t want to hear all that old stuff, do you?” But she seemed pleased when I assured her I did.

While Grandma seemed to enjoy talking about those earlier times, she didn’t romanticize her experiences. In fact, she would have been the first to tell you that she was grateful for modern conveniences. She honestly didn’t understand why people might choose to do without them. I once asked her how people coped during hot Oklahoma summers with no air conditioning. Her reply? “It made me sick to my stomach.” She was very happy to have central air conditioning in her home. And despite the fact she still called it an icebox, she was appreciative of modern refrigerators.

Yet, there was still a hint of what my kids called “olden times” at Grandma’s house. For instance, she preferred to wash dishes by hand. I remember when my dad and his siblings went together to buy her a dishwasher. I’m sure she thanked them for it but she then continued to wash dishes by hand after every meal. The portable machine did provide additional workspace in her tiny kitchen, though.

In later years she used a clothes dryer, largely because her knees were bad and it was difficult for her to go up and down the steps into the backyard. But during my childhood living next door, most of her laundry was hung on a clothesline. Her bath towels were a little scratchy but the fragrance of line dried sheets on the guest bed I often slept in will forever be etched in my olfactory memories.

We lived in the California desert where anything one planted had to be watered every day without fail. This is probably why Grandma didn’t grow a vegetable garden. She focused instead on growing roses, pansies, Bird of Paradise, and my favorite – lilacs. I’m sure I get my love of flowers from her. Even though she didn’t grow food herself, every year we’d drive to some farm stands and buy flats of strawberries which she’d “put up” for the winter. I don’t remember her doing any canning but she froze a lot of produce purchased in bulk from farm stands.

Grandma taught me how to make grape jelly, how to iron (my mom doesn’t iron – she ranks permanent press right up there with sliced bread), and even set out to teach me how to do embroidery one winter but for some reason we didn’t get much past a basic stitch or two and French knots.

As I look back on these experiences I realize that even though Grandma was not a homesteader-type, she still passed on an appreciation for certain old fashioned skills. I also grew up watching The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie which no doubt fueled my interests even further.

I’m lucky to live in a time period where I can choose to bake bread from scratch because it’s healthier and tastes better, not because it’s my only option. I can grow tomatoes because one of summer’s greatest pleasures is the taste of a just-picked, vine-ripened tomato still warm from the sun, and not because we would go hungry without a vegetable garden. I can hang sheets on the line because they smell fabulous and put towels in the dryer so they will be soft. I can raise chickens for fresh eggs and because they are funny creatures which I enjoy, but don’t have to wring any necks in order to have a chicken dinner.

Back to Basics - Apple Tree Farm

No, I’m not a “real” homesteader. Being totally self-sufficient is an admirable goal which many are working toward these days but it’s not my goal. I suppose I’m like Grandma in many ways. I adore air conditioning during our hot Oklahoma summers. I’m glad we have running water, indoor plumbing, automatic washer and dryer, and a stove which doesn’t require chopping wood. And, sorry Grandma, but I like my dishwasher, too.

Still, there are elements of a previous era which do appeal to me. That’s why I’m trying to get back into the habit of baking our bread. That’s why I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of seed catalogs and seriously considering raising chickens again. I may even dig out my embroidery hoop and see how much I recall – or find a good YouTube video.

Back to Basics on Apple Tree Farm

There’s a certain pride that comes from working with one’s hands to provide for one’s home and family. A sense of accomplishment that can’t be duplicated in a grocery store. I’ve done some of these things in the past and I’m ready to do them again. I’m a homebody anyway so I might as well make good use of my time here on “Apple Tree Farm”.

I have a rather extensive collection of resources on this whole “back to basics” thing:

Homestead Books

 

 

The Good Life

The Waltons

Little House On the Prairie

 

This post was originally published January 22, 2016. Updated and republished January 16, 2017, and again on January 17, 2018. 

My 2018 Goals and Resolutions

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Here we are…well into 2018…and I’m just getting my goals finalized for the year. Please tell me I’m not the only one who didn’t have them all figured out by January 1st. But a year is a long time so I really don’t think it matters much if it took me almost half of January to finalize my 2018 goals and resolutions. Right? 

2018 Goals and Resolutions

At least I had my word of the year chosen earlier:

MY WORD OF THE YEAR

Simplicity, which you can read about here.


A Simple Year

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

MY 2018 GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS

To determine my goals and resolutions each year, I came up with ten categories or life areas. I then create goals for each. I like to do it this way because it helps me be sure that I’m addressing all areas of my life.

Last year I was overly ambitious in setting goals but not so great with the follow-through. This year I have limited myself to three goals in each area and have tried to make them more realistic.

 

HEALTH

  1. Get seven hours of sleep each night. This is a biggie for me. Way too often I’m getting only 5 hours and occasionally even less.
  2. Lose 20 pounds. I need to lose more than that but I’m setting a reasonable goal for the year.
  3. Exercise 3-5 times a week.

RELATIONSHIPS

  1. Get back into a regular date night habit.
  2. Host at least quarterly game nights with our kids.
  3. Take my mom to her favorite Indian restaurant in Norman at least twice.

BLOG

  1. Create at least one product – a course, eBook, or something similar.
  2. Update at least 20 of my old posts (better photos, updated information, etc.).
  3. Introduce a new feature. This is coming soon. Hint: It’s tea-related.

HMA FOUNDATION

  1. Move the “Timely Tunes” feature to our nonprofit’s website.
  2. Send out quarterly email newsletters.
  3. Plan a “Blues and Barbecue” festival.

SPIRITUAL

  1. Read a passage in my grandmother’s Bible each day.
  2. Meditate daily.
  3. Read Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ronald J. Sider

HOME

  1. Complete the 14-week Home Organization Challenge by A Bowl Full of Lemons.
  2. Get a small flock of chickens this Spring.
  3. Bake bread regularly.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT/LEARNING

  1. Read 50 books.
  2. Complete Crystal Paine’s “4 Weeks to a More Productive Life”.
  3. Do one Rosetta Stone French lesson per week.

GREEN GOALS

  1. Get David to put up a clothesline for me outdoors, plus a pull-down laundry rack in our laundry room so I can hang most of our laundry.
  2. Compost consistently.
  3. Read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.

FINANCIAL

  1. Set up bank account for my blog.
  2. Set up PayPal for my blog.
  3. Create an LLC for my blog.

PERSONAL/FUN

  1. Paint at least three oil paintings.
  2. Purchase annual pass for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and visit at least six times.
  3. Watch six French films.

 

It’s all well and good to select goals and make resolutions but without a plan, it’s unlikely that I’ll be very successful in the implementation. That’s why I’m trying something a little different this year.

At the beginning of each month as I’m filling in the monthly calendar in my Happy Planner, I’m choosing a few things to focus on or accomplish and writing them in the notes section of that month’s page. Some things may be there every month such as “Read 4 books” which will be necessary to meet my goal for the year. Other things which are one-time events or actions can be spread out over the year.

I think by breaking my list down and focusing on just a few things at a time, I’ll be more likely to complete my goals.

The other thing I’ve done is find an accountability partner for my weight loss goal. One of my readers emailed me in response to one of my newsletters and shared her goals for the year. Our weight loss goal is similar so we decided to team up and check in with one another once a week. I think that’s going to be very helpful.

Do you set annual goals or select a “Word of the Year”? If so I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment. And if you’d like to but haven’t gotten around to it yet, there’s still time. Here are a few resources that might help:

 

New Year’s Resolutions: Planning For a Year of Achievement

12 Life Goal Categories

Free Goal Setting Worksheets

SMART Goals: How to Make Your Goals Achievable 

10 BIGGEST MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE IN SETTING GOALS (AND HOW TO FIX THEM) – podcast by Michael Hyatt

How To Change Your Life By Setting Goals by Crystal Paine

Top 100 Goal Setting Books 

Daily Goals – A simple habit tracker (this is the one I use on my phone)

A Step-By-Step Process for Setting Goals – podcast by The Productive Woman

2018

Related Life With Dee posts:

Setting and Achieving Your Goals: A Challenge

Setting Goals for 2016

Mid-Year Review

Resource List For Goal Setting

Dee’s New Planner: Getting Organized in 2016

My Word For 2018

Tying Up Loose Ends and Preparing For the New Year

A Weekly Planning Session

 

 

 

 

2018 Goals and Resolutions

 

My Word For 2018

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Last year I chose the word “Release” for my Word of the Year.  There were things I’d held on to far too long and needed to let them go. I was not successful in all the areas I had in mind when I chose the word but for the one situation which had nearly destroyed my peace of mind for several years, I can honestly say I finally found the release I sought. Nothing about the situation actually changed, just my acceptance of it. And truly, that’s all I have control over.

 

My Word for 2018

 

I hadn’t given much serious thought to my word for 2018 until I listened to a Productive Woman podcast early in December:

 

Voluntary Simplicity, with Courtney Carver

 

And then I immediately knew what my word would be – Simplicity.

 

I looked at several definitions for “Simplicity”.

Merriam-Webster defines it as: the state of being simple, uncomplicated, or uncompounded.

Some other resources define it as the quality of “plainness”, “clearness”, “not fancy”, “natural”, “easy to understand”, “freedom from affectation” or “freedom from pretentious style”… among other synonyms.

 

For my purposes, “simple” and “uncomplicated” come closest to what I have in mind.

 

A Simple Year

 

When I think of simplicity and simple living, my grandmother immediately comes to mind. I’ve talked about her here on the blog before:

The Wisdom of Grandma

Grandma’s Bible

Memories of Grandma

Back to Basics on Apple Tree Farm

 

Grandma lived a simple life of daily routines and quiet contentment. While I’m not prepared to give up all my interests beyond home-keeping, and I have no intentions of giving up my car (Grandma didn’t drive), I do want to emulate her calm, unhurried, simple approach to daily life. Or at least make some definite strides in that direction.

 

For some, simplicity may bring up thoughts of minimalism. I’ve shared here before that I’m in no way a minimalist and really don’t have any desire for that lifestyle. However, I certainly have much I could delete from our home and that’s definitely on my to-do list for the year.

I know that Marie Kondo, the author of “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, recommends asking whether each item in our home “sparks joy” but that doesn’t really resonate with me. I can’t say that my vacuum cleaner sparks joy but that doesn’t mean getting rid of it makes sense. Instead, I plan to evaluate each area of my home in terms of whether it fits my lifestyle comfortably or makes it more complicated. For instance, the cupboard where I store lidded plastic containers and mixing bowls is too full. Removing a large mixing bowl from the back of the cabinet often results in other items falling on the floor. This is not “simplicity”; this is annoyance. So I will be getting rid of enough that I can easily remove the item I want without causing a plastic avalanche.

 

My daily routines and our family calendar are additional areas I’ll be addressing with a goal of simplifying. By the end of the year I hope to have banished the phrase “too busy” from my vocabulary. Okay, that may be a bit unrealistic but I can certainly scale back considerably.

I want…no, I NEED…some margin in my life. I want time to play the piano, learn to crochet, do some oil painting on the new easel David bought me for Christmas, and read. I did read more in 2017 than I had in the previous couple of years but I’d like to increase my reading time even more. I also want to bake bread regularly, plant a garden and get chickens this spring.

Perhaps that list sounds like the very opposite of simplifying my life but those are things I enjoy and can totally lose myself in.

Obviously I’ll need to give up or at least reduce the time spent on other things. I’ve been taking a hard look at the time I spend on social media. This is a challenging area for me because I use social media for our non-profit, as well as this blog. It’s not like I can just give it up entirely. So this year will be time of learning to manage my use of social media wisely.

 

Now, it’s all well and good to choose a word for the year but without a plan, it’s likely to be forgotten by the end of January. Ask me how I know this. So here are some of the actions I will be taking in order to live out my intention to focus on simplicity this year:

1. Decluttering

Little by little I will sort through my house, getting rid of the excess. I have a large, lidded plastic container and my goal is to fill it at least once a week and then drop off the items at our local Re-Use Center.

2. Say “no” to some activities and events

Our schedule has been WAY too busy the past few years. We run a nonprofit foundation which supports music and the arts in our community, as well as serving on various local boards and committees with similar missions. We love what we are doing and are proud of what we’ve accomplished in our small community. However, it’s time to start delegating a bit. David and I are also going to take time this winter while things are slower to go ahead and schedule bands and musicians for our events during spring, summer and fall.

3. Simplify meals

I do love to cook and wouldn’t want to give up this expression of creativity. However there are several things I can do to simplify things in the kitchen. For one thing, I’m standardizing my weekday breakfasts and lunches. My cold-weather breakfast will consist of oatmeal, fruit or orange juice, and hot tea. I can make a large batch of oatmeal on Monday mornings and just reheat the rest of the week. I don’t want the exact same lunch every day but I can simplify the decision making process by choosing a protein, fruit and/or vegetable, and some type of whole grain or legume.

I do already plan my menu for the week and will, of course, continue to do so. If this is something you could use help with, be sure to check out the time-sensitive offer at the bottom of this post.

4. Create simpler morning, afternoon and evening routines

I’ve written about routines here on the blog several times. My own routines have changed many times. I’m forever trying to fine-tune them and get the most out of them. But that’s part of the problem. I tend to make them too long and too complicated. Then I feel discouraged when I can’t maintain them. I’m going to start from scratch and choose just three things for each of my daily routines – morning, afternoon and evening. Then I’m going to practice them faithfully for a month before adding more.

If you need help creating daily routines, be sure to join my Facebook group – Make Over Your Life With Dee.  It’s a private group where, together, we can figure this all out and hold one another accountable.

5. Evaluate my blog and nonprofit-related work

It’s all too easy to simply continue to do things a certain way (or even do them at all) because it’s become a habit. I’m going to do some careful evaluation of all the work tasks I do and decide whether or not each of them is necessary and if so, if there’s a simpler or more efficient way to accomplish them.

6. Schedule time off

When you work from home it’s all too easy to find yourself working at all hours. Now that I have a dedicated home office I’m trying to keep somewhat regular hours. I still have room for improvement in this area, however. I also want to set aside one afternoon a week just for myself. There are so many things I want to do – brush up on my French, read, watch movies, paint, learn to crochet, play the piano – but if I don’t create time for those pursuits they just don’t happen. In addition to an afternoon a week I’m also going to schedule a full day off once a month. I think I might purchase an annual pass to the museum in the city like I did last year and make a point of going once a month.

 

I’m pretty excited about my word choice this year and look forward to the changes it will bring to my life.

 

Do you select a word of the year? If so, I would love to hear what you’ve chosen for 2018 and why.

 

Simplify

 

 

My Word for 2018

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

 

 


You Deserve Some Time Off

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Do you remember that old McDonald’s jingle, “You deserve a break today”? I kept humming that to myself yesterday as a reminder that it really IS okay to take some time off once in awhile. 

 

You deserve some time off

Time Off

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Our lives are often ridiculously busy, especially during the warmer months. We host a monthly music and food truck event, weekly Music in the Park, a big music festival in August (with around 13,000 in attendance), plus a number of other events. David and I put a lot of time in on these so by this time of the year I am utterly exhausted.

We had an event Tuesday night and then David left early Wednesday morning on a business trip. I decided this was my opportunity for some time off.

There were a few things I actually would have liked to attend on Wednesday and Thursday. A live performance of Romeo and Juliet at the local university, a special movie, and church choir rehearsal – all of these I would have loved to attend. But I decided that what I truly needed was some downtime.

I did a few hours of my usual computer work for the blog and our foundation on Wednesday, as well as some laundry and basic household tasks. I also planned ahead to give myself Thursday “off”. For the most part, anyway.

 

I knew I didn’t want to just fritter the day away so I planned a few things:

  • lunch alfresco
  • Netflix
  • stargazing

 

Lunch

Originally I thought about packing a lunch and driving to the Kullihoma Grounds Chickasaw Tribal Reserve. It’s just a few miles from us and there are picnic tables and a little creek running through it. Then I decided to just go sit by our pond instead. However, as I started to carry a chair and folding table down there I realized how high the grass was near the pond. David has simply been too busy to get all the mowing done (we have a LOT of area to mow) and I lost mowing privileges years ago when David came home just in time to see me zipping along, occasionally losing contact with the ground. He said something about the mower not being a go-cart. Whatever.

Anyway…I ended up eating my lunch on the porch which was really quite lovely. It was a gorgeous day and I enjoyed my lunch plus a bit of time reading.

 

Netflix

We still get the Netflix DVDs because our internet isn’t all that great for streaming and because there are some things available on DVD that aren’t on streaming (namely, a lot of foreign films). We probably should let that go, however, because we just don’t seem to have the time to watch and the DVDs sit here for weeks, or even months.

Yesterday I made myself a cup of tea and watched the first episode of Home Fires. Have you seen it? It tells the story of some rather inspirational women in England during WWII. I loved it and am eager to watch the rest.

 

Stargazing

As you know, this is a favorite activity of mine. And yet I haven’t made much time for it the past several months. Soon it will be too cold so I want to make this a priority while it’s still warm.

Last night I poured myself a glass of whiskey, put on a light sweater and grabbed a light blanket, then headed out back to our sky watching spot. I put on one of my Spotify playlists and just sat there enjoying the starry sky. I even saw a shooting star!

Chris (our son) had gone to have dinner with Lisa and Justin (my daughter and son-in-law in case you’re new here) and when he returned around 10 p.m. he joined me for a little while. I also talked to David on the phone for a bit. But mostly I just enjoyed a quiet, relaxed time by myself.

 

Today, I’m back at my usual routine at home, a meeting in town and picking up cat food on my way home. David returned while I was in town and now we are packed and heading out for a Steely Dan concert late tonight. Tomorrow we are attending a dinner for the volunteer fire department David serves on and then going to a Halloween party. Yep, our busy schedule resumes! But at least I feel a bit rejuvenated after some downtime.

 

I’m going to be discussing the topic of self-care here on the blog in the weeks to come because I have come to believe it is so important. In fact, I am now putting personal time on my calendar as if it were an appointment. I have a day scheduled later this month when David is out of town again and I’m already plotting what to do with my time.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you make adequate time for yourself? If so, how do you make sure you get that time? If not, why not? Let’s discuss.

~~~~~


A Giant Grocery Haul For Texas

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If you’ve been reading Life With Dee for any length of time you’ve likely seen one or more of my monthly Grocery Haul posts. My daughter and I usually shop together once a month in the city and make a day of it. You can see my last Grocery Haul post here. Well, have I got a grocery haul to tell you about!

Last Wednesday afternoon, David rushed into the house unexpectedly and said he had been asked to load up a couple of trailers worth of supplies and drive them down to the Houston area. The company he works for has locations in Channelview, Beaumont and Port Arthur and the company owners wanted to get supplies to their employees as soon as possible.

I decided to go with him. He and his assistant spent several hours purchasing groceries and other supplies. A couple of friends showed up to help, too. They loaded 43 carts at Walmart! David finally got home for dinner around 9 p.m.

We quickly packed, finished up some things around home and finally got to bed around midnight. It would have been a little earlier if our ancient dryer hadn’t chosen that night to die. Fortunately I was still up and smelled it before it caught fire. Of course the clothes weren’t quite dry so I had to put them on the wooden drying rack I have in our guest room. Which reminds me…they are still there. Yes, we are living in chaos lately.

Anyway, we got up at 4 a.m., left by 4:30 and headed to Walmart to pick up milk and eggs before heading out. Now, if you know me very well, you likely know I don’t shop at Walmart. In fact, I hadn’t been in our local Walmart for close to 10 years. However, I was willing to make an exception for this, especially since Walmart had refunded the sales tax on the purchases David made the night before. We know one of the managers there and she also recruited cart pushers to help load all those supplies into the trailers. I may not be a fan of the Walmart corporation but I definitely want to give credit where credit is due.

Giant Grocery Haul for Texas

I stayed with the trucks and trailers after we brought out all the milk and the guys went back for the eggs. It was a little eerie sitting in a darkened Walmart parking lot with coyotes howling nearby. It felt a bit like a David Lynch movie.

Grocery Haul for Texas

We then filled up gas cans with 36 gallons worth of gasoline and headed out of town. We had heard that gas might be hard to come by so we topped off our tanks several times on the way down just to be sure we would have enough to get back without having to use any that we were bringing with us.

We brought close to $8000 worth of supplies with us and two other company locations brought pickup trucks full as well. We unloaded as quickly as we could and it still took a couple of hours. I tried to organize the supplies as best I could but it was a LOT of stuff!

 

Grocery Haul for Texas

 

Grocery Haul for Texas

 

Grocery Haul for Texas

 

As soon as we got everything unloaded we headed back toward home. We were all three exhausted so we stopped about an hour South of Dallas, checked into a hotel, went out for dinner and then crashed for the night. We got back to town mid-afternoon Friday, stopped at Sears to buy a new dryer and then headed home where David installed the new dryer right away. Since it was Labor Day weekend we were able to get a great deal on the dryer.

I am beyond grateful that David works for a company that cares so much for its employees. They gave him no limit on what he could spend on supplies. They have already sent some emergency funds to the 16 employees who suffered home damage/flooding. They have also set up an employee donation fund and are matching it dollar for dollar.

I also want to give a shout-out to David’s assistant, Dan, who spent several hours helping him buy the supplies and then drove one of the trucks and trailers to Houston with us. He then worked all weekend afterwards.

We continue to hold the people affected by Hurricane Harvey in our thoughts and prayers and are now watching and praying for those in the path of Hurricane Irma.

 

~~~~~

 

Here’s How You Can Help People Affected by Harvey

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

United Methodist Committee on Relief

 

Making a Quick Trip to Texas

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Hello friends. David’s boss in Houston asked him and his assistant to each bring a trailer full of food and other supplies to their company location in Channel View, Texas. Fortunately their employees in that location are okay but they have no access to food or other needed supplies because everything is shut down or sold out.

I offered to go with him. It’s about a 6 1/2 hour drive each way under normal circumstances and could be double that with the traffic. If nothing else, I can keep him company. I’ve never driven a pickup hauling a trailer but this might be my opportunity if he needs a break.

I’m telling you all this because it means I’ll be even further behind in my planned posts than I already am. There’s a slight chance I’ll get my grocery haul post done tonight but I wouldn’t count on it. (*Update: I finished it and have scheduled it to post tomorrow morning.)

Please continue to keep the people who have been affected by this terrible disaster in your thoughts and prayers. And if you can donate to one of the many organizations providing assistance, I encourage you to do so.

 

 

Like Opening a Time Capsule

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There are apparently people who immediately get rid of every scrap of paper as soon as it is no longer needed. They clean out purses and briefcases every week. If they are no longer using said purse or briefcase…out it goes. It’s all terribly impressive.

 

But there’s a downside to being so organized and minimalistic. These folks never have the pleasure of opening a time capsule in their very own house.

 

 

This past weekend we put on a music event for a car dealership in Tulsa. David and I set up the sound system for the band (well, David did it with a little help from me because he actually knows what he’s doing and I don’t). While loading up all the equipment afterwards, David decided he should organize it all better, including getting a special case for the expensive microphones.

Then Sunday evening he comes into my office with a (very dusty) briefcase that he found in the closet under our stairs and said he was going to get a piece of foam to put inside to fit the microphones. He thought it was his old briefcase but when we opened it we discovered it was mine.

Opening a Time Capsule

 

The next morning I dusted it off and decided to look through the contents. Oh, my. It was a veritable time capsule from the mid-90s.

 

Opening a Time Capsule

 

The interesting thing was the time period it covered. I worked as charge nurse and then assistant manager of the rehab unit at our local hospital from 1992 to 1994. I was then offered and accepted a job as case manager for a hospice agency. I worked there from 1994 to 1996 and then, due to serious health issues, I quit and began homeschooling our kids. In the fall of 1996 I was so desperately ill with asthma that an E.R. doctor actually told me I might need to move somewhere else. My aunt and uncle graciously offered me the use of their beach house in California for a month. I took 10 year old Lisa with me, while Chris stayed with David because he was in the middle of soccer season.

This briefcase contained items which spanned that whole period:

  • a pay slip from the hospital
  • a nursing assessment sheet from hospice
  • a couple of packages of topical wound dressing
  • a homeschooling catalog
  • letter that Lisa wrote to David and Chris when we were in California
  • various miscellaneous items (including a sucker, of all things!)
  • several Earl Grey tea bags
  • a to-do list from July 8, 1996

This is what I found most interesting:

Time Capsule

No wonder my health suffered during that time period. I was working full-time as a hospice nurse, keeping a spotless house, providing home-cooked meals, and had two young children. The stress of providing compassionate care for dying people and their families every day would have been plenty on its own. One of these days I’ll share some of the lessons I learned from that time in my life but suffice it to say that it wasn’t a healthy way to live.

 

As I looked through all the items in the briefcase I was flooded with memories and emotions. For the most part they were good memories but thinking back on my short career as a R.N. is a little bittersweet. I especially loved my time as a hospice nurse. It wasn’t a job…it was a calling. I will always be grateful for the experience but I’m also glad I had the opportunity to homeschool my kids.

 

Life is a series of experiences but we don’t often get to see several major episodes in such a clear snapshot as I did when I opened that briefcase. And that is why I’m glad I am not as organized as I probably should be.