Well, I did not get up at my usual time. I did not sleep well last night and so I stayed in bed until Kim's alarm went off. Still spent the day tired. We did get our blood drawn. So not too bad.
Work was okay. Needed to discuss some issues with the supervisors. I talked with one today and will have to talk with the other tomorrow. No major issues. A few meetings but it was after 5:30 when I left. So the work life balance thing slipped a little bit.
I started out really good on the whole diet thing but it fell apart at the end of the day. I am craving sweets like no one's business. I need to get a handle on this. Because I am backsliding big time on my weight.
I just need to get back on track. Starting with my schedule. Then add meal planning. That is where the biggest issue is. I'm tired and don't want to cook. Easy things have starches. If I will plan a head I can get the dinner started in a crock pot before work. I just need to make myself do it.
How do you get back on track with your health goals?
My husband is home for a couple of weeks. That is going to play havoc with my routines. After years of the whole family getting up at 5:30am, he no longer needs to do that. So he wants to sleep until 7:30am. I have to be at work at 8:00am so I can't sleep in that late even if I give up my morning routine.
The main problem is that he is a light sleeper and noise wakes him up. So my morning routine can not involve using the sewing machine or playing conference talks. Which means I will be doing hand sewing, cutting fabric or pressing fabric in the morning. Hopefully my EPP supplies come on tomorrow.
I can still listen to conference talks but I will need to use my headphones. So I am making sure they are charged up and ready to go in the morning. I will have to get used to putting them on but at least they are blue tooth and I won't have to carry the phone with me while I pack lunches and make breakfast.
We both need to get blood drawn in the morning and he thinks we will both be sleeping in. I plan on getting up at my normal time and trying to get back on track. I do best on a bit of a schedule. Especially sticking to my diet. So I am going to try and not let him being home mess that up.
How do you keep a routine going?
Today went fairly well. I woke up around 6:00 am and folded and put away the 2 loads of laundry that I washed earlier this week. I then washed, dried, folded, and put away 2 more loads. I then picked up some in my bedroom.
I also added some highlights to the crib head board and added another layer of glow in the dark paint to the moon and all the stars. After which I cleaned the brushes and put all the paint and brushes up.
I pressed the long seam on the quilt that I'm working on. I am getting ready to stitch the last seam on the top. Then I need to measure and cut the borders. Before I cut the borders I am going to cut and make the binding for the last quilt I made.
We had 3 of the 4 grandkids with us today. They played really well together and didn't destroy anything. I was able to do some of the cleaning I planned. But my mind was distracted and I didn't get as much done as I wanted to.
My husband came home today, we picked him up at the airport and then went to the Tallahassee flea market. Unfortunately there weren't any old sewing machines there today. Killian said he saw one at the flea market in Cairo but we didn't have time to stop today. We took the kids to lunch and then went to Lowes to get a new stove. Ours finally gave up the ghost this week. It was over 10 years old and the front part of the door kept falling off.
The stove is installed. The grandkids have been picked up. The house is settling down for the night. I am at peace. Peace is a wonderful thing.
How are you today?
It is finally Friday and I am exhausted. I am blaming the cold spell we are having for my lack of energy. But I am on week 3 of no caffeine. That should be out of my system by now. I don't seem to be bouncing back like I think I should. Plus I am craving all sorts of bad for me things. I will be going back to my endocrinologist having gained weight instead of losing it. But I am trying to get back on track.
It would help if I could get back on my normal routine at work. several time this week I didn't make it to lunch until almost 2:00 pm. I left after 6:30pm 3 days and after 5:00pm the other two. I'm supposed to work 8:00am to 4:00pm. It doesn't feel like it's going to be that way anytime soon. Too many projects going on. To much needing dealt with. I haven't made a dent in my "goals" for work. But I am still making efforts.
New operations manager started the Monday before last. New maintenance manager will be starting in 2 weeks. There have been a lot of changes at work and there are more coming. It sure has been hectic for the past month.
I am just hoping to take it easy this weekend. Hopefully get some cleaning done and be able to get the borders cut for a couple of quilts. I need to make the back for a couple as well. That is after I make the binding for the quilt I took off the machine 2 weeks ago. I need to get that one done soon.
Of course all of that is going to be after I get some rest. Sleeping in sounds really good.
How are you spending your weekend?
It's only Thursday. My mind keeps trying to make it Friday. In fact, it was Tuesday that I started trying to jump ahead a day. I don't know why. I guess for some reason I want it to be the weekend. Maybe it's because my husband is coming home this weekend. It has been 2 weeks since he was home so that may just be it.
It's not like it's been a bad week. Just hectic. It's not been stressful either. It has been a week of long days though and I have been busy non-stop.
I've also been really tired lately. I am sure it's due in part to the gloomy weather. I am always tired when the skies are gray. It hasn't been too bad since we moved to the south. Up north it was really bad. But down here, the sun shines most of the time. Of course leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark are probably not helping matters. I don't get outside much these days. Even less when I work long hours.
I need more sleep and more color. Maybe I should start a new quilt. Sewing something bright usually helps. I do need a new quilt for my bed. But do I need another quilt in progress? Of course that doesn't usually stop me.
What do you do when the skies turn gloomy and gray?
Change is a good thing. It challenges us and makes us stronger. I am not opposed to change. I generally don't mind change at all. Transitions however are harder. Transitions are the process of change.
In our home right now we are in a bit of a transition. The issue is that we don't really know how or what we are transitioning to. We just know that a change is coming. We know that the change is needed. We just don't know what to do to prepare. The unknow aspect is what is so hard.
Last night I had a dream about being in transition. Things were not happening the way I wanted them to and there was a lot of frustration. In the dream, there was a move from one house to another as part of the transition. But not any particular house or town. In fact I was struggling with why we were moving at that point anyway. In the dream, the kids went from being small to being adults. Things were being destroyed and purchases were being made but all without an end point in sight. Everything was very random. At one point in the dream, I had hit my limit. In tears I told my husband that I was going home and walked out. By going home, I meant home to my parents (who have been gone for several years now so not an option in real life). Fortunately in my dream my husband came after me and calmed me down. He's good at that in real life too.
This dream haunted me this morning and I found myself on the verge of tears for no reason. Then the power went out. I ate breakfast by candle light. I couldn't sew or blog. It just didn't help at all.
Finally while driving to work, I called my husband and woke him up (He's working out of town) I just needed to talk to him. I told him about the dream and well everything. By the time I got to work, I was feeling much better. Like I said he is real good a calming me down.
But Transitions suck.
The professors couldn't explain why her work brought them joy, only that it did. This started her on a journey to understand joy and happiness.
In this book she breaks down joy into 10 aesthetics.
1. Energy - vibrant color and light
2. Abundance - lushness, multiplicity, and variety
3. Freedom - nature, wildness, and open space
4. Harmony - balance, symmetry, and flow
5. Play - circles, spheres, and bubbly forms
6. Surprise - contrast and whimsy
7. Transcendence - elevation and lightness
8. Magic - invisible forces and illusions
9. Celebration - synchrony, sparkle, and bursting shapes
10. Renewal - blossoming, expansion, and curves
I have only finished the chapter on Energy. There wasn't a whole lot of new information there for me. I learned long ago that color affects people's moods. I am convinced that is why I craft as much as I do. Crafting involves colors. At least mine do. My quilting hobby keeps me constantly surrounded with color.
As for the light component, I lived in Vancouver Washington, where it rains all of the time. I discovered that I need light to function. The gloomy skies really had a negative affect on me. Our electric bill was outrageous. The author did point out that not all light is created equal. That the incandescent bulbs that are now outlawed were warmer than the fluorescent bulbs.The LED bulbs have a different tone as well.
I am into the Abundance chapter now and I have to say I am looking forward to learning more. After all who couldn't use more JOY in their life.
What are you reading?
It was definitely a Monday. I was working and working and I honestly don't know what I got done today. It was a day full of interruptions and questions. I was busy, but it sure didn't feel productive. Which is really a little surprising. I usually knock things out on Mondays. There is always paperwork to review and releases to be done. Monday is usually more structured. It is always a full day but with some sense of accomplishment at the end. Not today though.
I did get some very basic stuff done but a lot of different task popped up that had priority. I don't usually leave work feeling like I left everything undone. Today I did. At least my supervisor will be able to pick up the slack tonight.
On the bright side, I left on time. I am even getting better about delegating. I may figure out this work life balance yet.
How was your day?
At the end of 2022, I decided I needed to work harder on my spirituality. I wanted a closer relationship with my Savior. So I decided to try a challenge that our prophet suggested a few years ago. Using the topical guide in our scriptures (By scriptures I mean the Standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. which include the King James Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) I would study scriptures directly pertaining to Christ and his life and ministry. At first I was just going to focus on his many names, but I find that I feel the need to read all the scriptures by topic. I am currently doing Atone. I am feeling a little overwhelmed.
I am enjoying reading scriptures that are familiar and well known. I enjoy reading scriptures that I am not so familiar with. I marvel that having read the scriptures, there are verses I don't recall at all. I also enjoy the feelings I get while reading them. But I do find that I am tired afterwards. It seems that my mortal body is not used to the increased presence of the spirit.
What I was not expecting was the rather constant promptings that I have been experiencing. For example the talk I gave last Sunday was being added to as I was giving it. The discussion I led yesterday was changed and refined right up until it was over. There was Fireside tonight, I had no intention of going as I have to get up early, yet by the end of the day yesterday, I knew I needed to go and to bring refreshments.
I jokingly told my husband that being more spiritual was taking up all of my time. I am thankful to give of my time and talents to serve the lord. I guess I just didn't understand how much I am needed. I can only hope that the Lord gives me the strength and energy to do all he requires.
The Journey Continues. Where are you on yours?
Today was our Relief Society activity. Relief Society is the Woman's organization of my church. I am the activity coordinator for our congregation. It is a role that I love and take seriously. Mostly I want to provide an atmosphere where the woman can get together and learn from each other.
Today's activity was a long time in coming. Clear back in October, I came across a great deal on journal type notebooks, nice ones. I am a bit of a note book junkie. I like having a bound book to take notes in. While not a journal writer, I am a note taker. I decided to get a few of them for myself. But as I was getting ready to order them I felt a need to get enough for the Relief Society sisters. I had no clue as to why at that point.
Shortly thereafter, I was thinking about the January activity. I thought, well I have these notebooks coming, maybe it should be about keeping a journal. Again, I am not a journal keeper, at least not at this point in my life. So really, it wasn't much of a surprise when that idea just didn't take form. Then after a visit with a sister in the branch, I thought maybe it should be about writing our life stories and including using writing prompts. That one wouldn't come together either. Then I saw a quote that hit home. The quote was titled "I Choose" by Miranda Marrot. It talks about positive choices. Basically its says to choose to be yourself and live your best life. this quote would not let me go. So I decided to use it as a basis for the activity. At first I thought it was about setting and accomplishing goals. I was going to call it "Achieving More". I got a good start on it with quotes and everything. But it still wasn't quite right.
This week came and I started putting together a power point of quotes that spoke to me and I had titled it "Choices". It still wasn't feeling right and I didn't know what I was going to do with these quotes. Thursday night I felt impressed to change the title to The Journey. It was then that I realized I was suppose to talk about my journey of the past year and a half. The low that I had reached and how I sought answers both spiritual and physical. I was supposed to share how I found the peace and happiness that I have been enjoying in my life lately.
I interspersed the quotes I had collected with stories and real life examples. Thankfully, the sisters engaged with their experiences. It was a great meeting full of support and sisterhood. I left feeling blessed. I am hoping others did as well.
I am finding that new habits and spiritual growth are becoming the true key to my happiness and lasting Joy. I hope that today, I helped others on their Journey.
Where is your journey taking you?
It was a good day. I spent a few minutes getting to know the new operations manager. I am really excited to be working with him. I think he will be good for our plant.
I got to talk with one of my techs and learn more about her and we connected on a personal level that I enjoy so much. She is a really awesome person.
I finished the task I wanted to getdone and took care of some other things as well. There was one little hiccup at the end of the day but I dealt with it.
Then before coming home I spent about an hour with my best friend. We don't get to see each other often enough. We needed our brief little visit.
It was a good day.
How was your Friday?
I was listening to an old podcast that was talking about setting goals. This was recorded at the begining of 2021. The two hosts were setting 3 goals in 3 areas. Quilting, business, and personal. One of the hosts on the podcast had chosen 4 words and based her goals on that. I found her apprach to goal setting interesting. Even more interesting were the words she chose after a year if lock down.
First word was Gratitude. she wanted to exhibit more gratitude for her many blessings. After all the stress and uncertainty of 2020, counting your blessings made sense.
The second word was Contentment. She wanted to find more ways to be content. She also wanted to learn to be content with herself and her life. Contentment is a tricky thing in our commercialized world. We are constantly being bombarded with messages telling us we need more and better. Or that we are not good enough. Finding contentment is a worthy pursuit.
The third word was Intentional. She wanted to be more intentional in her life. Such as doing things with a purpose and not just coasting along. For me that also implies a bit more focus on whatever we are doing. Setting up systems to help us reach the goal, setting up routines. This word intrigued me very much.
The last word was probably the most important. It was Grace. She wanted to give herself more grace. Basically quit being so hard on herself. Allow herself to make mistakes and learn from them without beating herself up. Also allow herself to change up the goals to be more realistic while still working on them. To me this is something we all need to work on. Giving ourselves a break when we aren't perfect.
I really liked her words. They have given me some food for thought.
I had been stating that this year will be a year of Optimism for me. I am going to look at things in a positive way. I am going to quit looking for the other shoe to drop and enjoy the moment. Instead of dreading what is around the corner, I am going to enjoy the journey.
I think I might add Intentional to my words for the year. I will work towards doing things with purpose. I am already finding routines/systems to help me reach goals that I have set. So I think Intentional is a good word for the year as well.
Since optimism has me feeling very content and helping me to recognize and be grateful for the blessings I have, I think I will add Grace to my words for the year. I tend to be a little hard on myself sometimes. Plus I think I will work on showing grace to those around me.
Do you have a word for the year?
My company is big on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I actually am on the steering committee for the woman's employee resource group. It is a great bunch of women, who are trying to help each other progress. In today's corporate event, there was a statement that struck home.
It was "Wellness is progression, not perfection" I loved that statement. It is a great reminder that no one is perfect and while we can strive for perfection, we need to recognize how far we have come. It is so easy for us to get caught up on not reaching our goal that we forget how much progress we've actually made.
Another quote I really like is "Comparison is the Thief of Joy" Sometimes we compare ourselves to others and don't really know the whole story. Our perception is not always accurate.
I was in a situation once where, a woman at church was fairly distant towards me. I didn't let that bother me and was always cordial to her. She was one of the women at church that everyone wanted to be friends with. She was fairly well off, had good taste, and a nice home and car. She was a crafter as well.
Anyways, she had a daughter that was just a year older than mine. The girls went went to the same school. My daughter passed out in P.E. that day. After I was assured that my daughter was alright, I went to the women's activity at church. The woman who was always distant with me, came up and asked about my daughter, and wondered why I was at the activity. I filled her in on the facts and said I needed time with my sisters.
After that night, she and I got to be a lot more friendly. It turns out that she was intimidated by me. I was shocked. Why on earth would she be intimidated by me. I was a stay at home mom with 8 kids. Money was tight and we were struggling. Apparently, It was because from her point of view, I did everything and I did it well. I laughed at this, I didn't do anything that exceptionally well. While I did have a lot of skills I wouldn't have ever claimed to be an expert in anything. What I did do well is exude confidence that I could do anything.
I am glad we had the opportunity to get to know each other better before we moved away. But had she not been concerned about my daughter, we may have never gotten to know each other better. All because she was comparing herself to her image of me.
I am not someone who gets intimidated by other people's accomplishments. I must have gotten that from my parents. I was fortunate enough to know early on that doing my very best was good enough. I have also learned to not judge my accomplishments based on what others have done. That all leads to wellness.
Do you compare yourself to others unfairly? Or do you accept that your very best is good enough?
I was talking with a friend today. She informed me that she had pulled out her crocheting yesterday. She hadn't touched it in years. She felt that she was spending too much time on her phone, especially on social media. She feels it is affecting her mindset. She also commented on the fact that both her son's therapist and doctor encouraged him to limit his time on social media.
A young lady I know decided to get off facebook for awhile because she felt it was affecting her mental health. She posted a "so long for now" picture of her with a pair of Clydesdales, because who doesn't like Clydesdales.
A podcaster that I listen too mentioned that she hadn't been on Instagram because of a big project that she was working on. Her podcast partner then stated that an instagram fast is not a bad idea now and then.
I read an article somewhere about therapists encouraging clients to limit their screen time to help improve their outlook. As a society, we encourage parents to limit their kids screen time so their brains develop more fully. I wonder why it's taken so long for us to recognize that as adults we need to limit our screen time as well.
I know I spend way too much time playing stupid games on my phone. And don't get me started on the facebook rabbit hole of mindless revenge stories, Karen encounters, and HOA nightmares. I am trying very hard to stay away from the rabbit holes. I am trying to limit my social media time to advancing my blog, my crafting and keeping in touch with my family. But it is so easy to get sucked in.
I think the issue is 2 part for me. One is that I am wasting time that I could be putting toward more productive endeavors, like decluttering my home, crafting, or finishing quilts. (All of which put me in a positive frame of mind) The other is the negativity that is so often prevalent on social media. Some memes are just mean. Political satire turns ugly very quickly. Social commentaries are often just attacks that are meant to be divisive. It all leads to a very negative outlook and a depressed mindset.
I know a retired couple who don't watch the news. They get a newspaper to keep track of current events. It is easier to just turn the page when something turns nasty. Neither of them do facebook even though their children and grandchildren live a quite aways away. I think they are wise and probably ahead of their time.
Since I am trying very hard to be more Christ like, many of the things on social media are not in keeping with the frame of mind I want to have. It is past time for me to set a screen limit on myself. And not just limiting social media but the games I play on my phone as well. I just haven't figured out how long, how often and/or when I will do it yet. I may start by uninstalling the games on my phone.
Do you spend too much time on social media? What about games on your phone?
Well, I missed a day posting. Really, this blogging everyday for 31 days is harder than you would think. I find that if I am on my daily routine, it isn't too bad. I post before bed and scripture study. But yesterday was not routine.
First, We had spent Friday night in Eufaula, AL. for our anniversary. Then we slept in, or rather we didn't get up at our usual time. (I'm not sure getting up at 7:00am constitutes sleeping in) After breakfast, we met up with our daughter,Tatianna, at the residence where her baby shower was to take place. Tatianna is not into a lot of social traditions and was nervous about this shower for a variety of reasons. It turned out well. Everyone behaved and she was showered with love and acceptance by friends, family and church members. The baby will be well dressed and Tatianna is set up for a successful start to motherhood.
My husband in the meantime, checked out a couple of gun shops and otherwise kept himself occupied until I texted him to meet us at Tatianna's house. We spent just a short time with her before heading home. I would have liked to have spent a little more time with her but we had a 2+ hour drive and were going to lose an hour with the time change. Also she was tired. Growing a whole new person is work. So we got back on the road to home.
Google routed us through Dothan and well about that time we were ready for a break. We stopped at Rural King, which is a farm supply store. Rural King will be opening up a store in Bainbridge soon and we decided to check it out. What we discovered is that Rural King could very well be a dangerous store to have too close by. With it being in Bainbridge, I can stop and get things after work but it is too far for a quick run on the weekends. I failed to check out the feed prices so we could compare them to Tractor Supply which is the farm supply store currently closest to us. Tatianna swears Rural King is cheaper, so I will be taking a closer look at it when they finally open.
We got back to Cairo but had to stop and get a birthday gift before heading home. When we finally got home and unloaded the car, we were able to sit and catch out breath for a minute or two before heading to our other daughter's for the baby's first birthday party. It was a small simple gathering and the baby showed off a little bit. It was cute to watch her pick up her "smash" cake and start eating it, frosting first. She even offered her brother some. She enjoyed the teddy bear that Santapa picked out. Her parents got her a new car seat. and her siblings gave her a slap bracelet stuffed toy. She was a little overwhelmed by the time we left.
By the time we got home, Kim and I were both quite tired but finished watching a movie. I then had to work on my talk for Sunday. I struggled with this one. I don't usually have that problem and to be honest, right up until I started giving the talk, I wasn't sure what I was going to say. In fact just before the meeting, I felt the need to look up a scripture which I ended up using in the closing part of my talk.
I was so worn out and off schedule that I got in bed without taking my meds. I was settled in when I realized that I hadn't blogged or done my scripture study. (though I suppose preparing for the talk could have been considered scripture study). I did get up and take my meds but the rest was not happening that night.
This week is going to be prep for our Relief Society activity on Saturday. As well as finish up the head board for Tatianna's baby's crib. But next saturday is going to be another off schedule day for me. Maybe I won't be so distracted as to miss out on my routines next week. But as Kim will be home, there is a good chance I will be.
How do you keep on track when your schedule is thrown off?
Wow! it's been 34 years since Kim and I got married. Hard to believe that it's been that long. We haven't always had it easy, ok, we never really had it easy. But it has been a satisfying journey and I believe we are happy.
We were married on Friday the 13th in January 1989. It felt like the universe was conspiring against us. First, my car was not ready when it was supposed to be. Then 2 days before the wedding, I sprained my ankle at the top of the Hill Cumorah. My wedding dress was not ready until the morning we were to leave for the temple. We were driving down to the Washington DC temple from Syracuse NY. That morning there was an ice storm delaying the departure. Then in Pennsylvania, we were stopped for over an hour due to fog.
We finally made it down to the Temple in once piece. We were one of three couples scheduled to be sealed that day. The other two couples canceled so we were the only couple sealed that day. There was a little error with my husband's address on one of the documents but the temple workers got that fixed. I had misplaced my purse in one of the temple's offices. Which had me in a bit of a panic as we would be leaving Sunday to drive Utah and I would need my license. But the Temple workers were able to locate it quickly.
But once we left the temple as man and wife things settled down. We stopped by Gettysburg on the way back to Syracuse. Then we dropped by my parent's house before heading to the hotel. It was a memorable day. One I am happy to remember.
Some might say that our troubles on our wedding day were of our making for choosing to be married on Friday the 13th. But we understood that Friday the 13th was considered unlucky because the Templars were betrayed on Friday the 13th. We don't believe that Friday the 13th is unlucky and in fact we celebrate our anniversary on every Friday the 13th, not just January 13th.
Silly I know, but we love each other and celebrating our love when every we can keeps it alive.
My husband is an engineer and project manager. He travels constantly for his job. I am fine with it because it's his job. I can handle things when he's not here and we are a team. so we back each other up.
Kim feels that when he has a project actively going, such as a shut down to put in new equipment, that he needs to be on sight. Not being a project manager or an engineer, I have always accepted this as fact.
This week we've had a shut down going on at my job. It has been a boondoggle of miscommunication and misunderstandings. We were not set up for everything that was being done. The contractors were not informed of things that needed to happen. It has been a nightmare for all involved. Especially for those of us who were not readin and didn't realize we that we even needed to be involved.
I was relating the situation to my husband and he asked who the project manager was. I didn't know. Today, I asked who the project manager was and no one knows. In fact it has been determined that there really isn't one.
So as contractors are not fulfilling their contract, there was no one to hold them accountable. We were calling HQ several times a day. As we are running out of supplies, there wasn't someone making sure we had what we needed. Department managers are all running around trying to keep things on track without understanding what the project fully entails.
After this week, I have a new appreciation for what my husband does. I totally get why he has to be on site. I am glad that I never complained about his job taking him away from home. He has it rough enough.
I am also glad that I am not going to be at work the rest of the week. I just can't stand the frustration and chaos everyone is feeling. Here's to a better week next week.
I thought things were crazy at work for me. I'm just constantly busy and struggling to get things done. But as I was walking out at 6:30pm, I noticed a friend was still at it. She had taken a couple of her vacation days Monday and Tuesday because she is over the limit. She said it wasn't worth taking the time off, because she came back to such a mess. It was worse than it ever was before.
Then I saw the office manager still at her desk. I chided her about still being there. She said "I don't know what it is with this week" I agreed with her. She described it as being a hamster on a wheel that is going so fast that the hamsters is just rolling around in the spinning wheel.
I walked down a little farther and see the scheduler, a corporate improvement guy and the production manager huddle around a phone discussing a major issue that has come up. They were going to be there late.
I know the sanitation manager was having a horrible week and the shipping manager took vacation so that department is crazy as well.
All I can figure is it's something in the air. How is your week going?
Today was a long one for me. It actually should have been longer than it was. Today started out with 2 people calling in sick. Fortunately due to new installs and repairs, it didn't create a coverage problem.
Then the lab called about the sponges we sent them last Friday. The sponges which were supposed to be delivered by 10:30 am Saturday were delivered at 10:00 am today. They were no longer viable. So that was a waste of time and money. It also puts us behind in our environmental sampling quota.
Top all of that off with Sanitation cleaning the peanut butter roaster, The fumes from this process always triggers an asthma issue for me. Sometimes it is worse than others times. I try to move up front to the training room or conference room to avoid the fumes. But the training room was being used and so was the conference room. I started the day trying to tough it out.
Not an hour in, I lost my voice. That is always the first symptom for me and usually the longest lasting. Then I noticed I was wheezing. This was not going to be a mild issue if I stayed put. I used my inhaler and started making phone calls. I had to either find a place up front to work or I had to leave. Fortunately the training that was going on when I came had just ended and the room was free until 6pm. I moved my laptop and paperwork up there. Here it is 9 hours later, my voice is still a little hoarse and my lungs are irritated. I will be using my nebulizer tonight.
One good thing about being in the training room, I was able to start my Six Sigma training. Unfortunately I discovered that I was trying to start a level higher than I was supposed to. That was a waste of an hour and half. My afternoon consisted of meetings, one after the other. So that was fun, not. I was supposed to meet with the second group of techs today but with half of them being, out it just didn't make sense. I postponed it until tomorrow.
I am just happy to be home and getting started on my project for the newest grandbaby's crib. I need a creative endeavor to reenergize me.
Mondays are always my busiest days at work. Since my department's supervisors don't work the weekends, there is all the weekend paperwork to be reviewed, The raw peanuts that are still in testing need held so they don't get used. Results of finished product testing need reviewed and confirmed.Then that product need to to be released so it can ship. Add to that any personnel issues, Coordinating with other departments and mangers, and my bi weekly staff meetings with the techs. Which makes for a very long day.
I am grateful that I was so busy because it did cause the day to go by very fast. It also left me tired. I was so ready to be home tonight.
My project this week is to get the inset to my future granddaughter's crib painted. I haven't done any serious decorative painting is in about 15 years, so this is going to be interesting. I went against my better judgement and tried to base coat it without gesso or sanding. Big mistake, The paint is just rubbing off. I will have to go to the store tomorrow and get some gesso. I will scrap the rest of the paint of the surface and redo the base coat. Then I will only be 1 day behind.
What can I say other than It's Monday.
I woke up this morning at my usual 5:30am. I decided not to fight to sleep in and started perusing social media. I am finding that social media is one of my biggest Time busters. I am trying to just look at my feed and then the groups that I post in. But occasionally I get drawn into those story/vengence posts.
It is so easy to get drawn into those posts about horrible neighbors or weird medical cases or customer service nightmares. It is rare that the teaser story is even in there or is actually what was teased. I am really trying to stay away from those articles. The thing with those stories is that they never leave you feeling good about stuff. If you are trying to boost your mood and outlook, those are not the things you need to be reading. They definitely don't help you improve your life or outlook.
When my husband and I were first married, I used to read everything he read. My husband likes just about every genre and at one point he was reading about serial killers. I was reading them right behind him. Then in one of the books there was a murder describe in rather gruesome detail. I recognized that murder victim as someone I had grown up with. It became very real and was rather disturbing. I stopped reading those books then and there. I didn't even finish that book.
Over the years, I have learned to shy away from dark subject matter in both reading and other forms of entertainment (movies, tv, etc) I like light and happy. I still watch mystery shows but not ones that go into depth and gore. I stay away from CSI and Criminal Minds, because I found they affected my sleep. Bones wasn't too bad and I love British shows. Father Brown mysteries or Laurel and Thyme are great and Death in Paradise is a family favorite. But they don't get dark and the bad guy gets caught.
All that to say, if you want to be more optimistic or positive then you have to be careful what you put into your mind. We are what we ingest. Just as eating junk food can mess up your physical health, reading/watching dark negative content can mess with you metal health.
I'm not saying don't face reality. I'm saying be careful what you take in. I am trying to limit social media to the groups I've joined and stay away from the mindless blather. You don't need to surround yourself with other's negativity.
What are you feeding your mind?
Today was a day of getting little things done. It doesn't seem like much was accomplished but we were busy all day.
The day started with me printing out quilt pictures to add to my quilt scrap book. That applies to the archive task in the declutter challenge. I quilted a quilt that has been on the long arm for weeks. That applies to the declutter challenge as well as the Queen of UFOs group. I folded some fabric and got it ready to so into storage bins, (I need a couple more bins) also the declutter challenge. Killian and I went to town and ran some errands. I paid some bills.
The kids cleaned out the freezers and we took some meat to a couple of people who can really use it. We have been truly blessed this year. What a wonderful feeling to need to share with others because you don't have enough storage space.
I also did my scripture study. Which is really stirring up some feelings. I am going to try an keep this change going. I think I will be so much happier if I do.
Tonight I am going to try and give my newest vintage machine an oil bath. Well the first dosing of oil at least. Killian thinks we can free it up with a lot of oil and a little patience. We bought some pig pads to set it on for the oil bath. I am hoping to find an old messed up cookie sheet to use. I want to protect my work surface, especially because it's my dining room table.
That is it for today. Lots of little things that didn't seem like much. But they were all forward progress. Were you able to accomplish your tasks today?
Today I got a gift from a sweet friend and coworker. Angela gifted me an old singer sewing machine. She thought I could put it on a shelf for decoration, if nothing else. I believe it was her mother in law's old machine.She knows I love old Singers.
This one is a model 201 and was built in 1948 at the Elizabethport, NJ factory. It's been sitting in a shed for years. It's in rough shape. The wheel doesn't turn freely when the drive is engaged. The needle bar and thread lever are definitely frozen. I may not be able to make it work again. But even if it just sits on a shelf in my studio, it will be worth the effort I put into it. Angela was so sweet to think of me
This brings my total of old electric Singers to 5; 2 from the 40's; 2 from the 50's and 1 from the 70's. I also have 2 Singer treadle machines and 1 New Home Treadle. All of which I need to give a little attention to.
This year I am planning on taking a course in sewing machine repair. At the end of the course, I would be certified in sewing machine repair. Both modern and vintage machines. I am getting my son, Killian, to take it with me. We think it might be a good side hustle. Especially since there aren't any places around here to get your machine repaired.
In the meantime, I will watch some you-tube videos on machine restoration and contemplate getting started on one of these babies.
What is you distraction?
Today was an interesting day. I have been weaning myself back off caffeine for the past 2 days. As in I have had less that 10oz of diet coke over the past 2 days. No bad headache, yet, but the 3rd day is usually the worse. But despite being tired and having a bit of brain fog, I have been in a good mood. I attribute this partly to my daily zen and partly to getting things accomplished.
I think I might be starting to get on my co-workers nerves a little bit. Everytime pessimism starts to trickle into discussions, I try to turn it to optimism. I have been telling everyone that the word for this year is optimism. I don't know why but I can't help but look at the bright side of things lately. I am learning to not to borrow trouble. I also know that worry doesn't solve anything. So I am trying to look at things in a positive light.
It hasn't been hard to do. It may simply be because I am happy. It may be because I am letting go of things I can't control. I may just be that I am trusting in the Lord more. It could be all of the above.
Any way you look at it, a positive outlook makes for a better day.
How is your outlook?
Today started out pretty good. There were a few small problems at work but I was able to take care of those pretty quickly. Still I felt like I was running all day long. It could be because the printer/copier in the lab (my office) is malfunctioning big time. It is literally faster for me to print at the printer in the front office, walk up there, get the documents, and walk back to the lab than it is to fight the lab printer.
We had the repair guy in over a month ago. You see this seems to be a problem with this model of printer. And well, what they did last time didn't solve the problem, so they were going to have to figure something else out. Except what they did last time did solve the problem for 3 months. Then the printer started acting up again. This time we called for service before the issue got really bad. Now that they have been out (and done nothing) the problem has become eggerious. It is frustrating for all of us in the back as the lab printer is the only one in the back offices that copies and scans as well as prints.
I guess I should be thankful for the exercise. That would be the optimistic viewpoint. But I was still very tired today and really didn't want the workout. I just wanted to go in and do my work.
Still I left my desk clear and I left close to on time. If I keep this up, I might actually find that work life balance. I'll take the small win.
How did your day go?
I knew today would be busy at work. After all we had a 3 day weekend and lots of paperwork needed reviewed. Unfortunately I didn't even get to the paperwork.
A lot of my day was getting things done that should have been done over the course of a week, but done a couple of weeks ago. But "no" people couldn't do what was needed until the big bosses jumped down their throats. So I spent the majority of today doing what I begged them to help me with the past 2 weeks. It was frustrating to say the least. I was pulled in different directions and couldn't do what I had planned. Still I did get a lot of it done, which is progress. I am hoping that one of the department supervisors can finish off the first task tonight. If not, I will finish it off in the morning. Then it's back to nagging so we can work on the next several tasks.
I did have a positive meeting with the manager of another department. The two departments are supposed to work closely together. He understands that. We are seeing improvement and it feels good. I enjoy working with that manager. I do feel good about where he is taking his department.
I had not slept well last night so I was and still am extremely tired. I just want to go to bed. But I am going to work on my declutter challenge first and then do my scripture study. Maybe eat something other than chocolate for dinner. Then a hot bath and bed to erase the frustration of the day.
Still all in all I am feeling pretty good. Not really stressed just frustrated with others. Tomorrow should go better. Of course, my boss' boss will be there tomorrow so we'll see how things go. I'm not stressing over it though. The big boss and I get along and there is no reason for me to be concerned about my job.
I know that the Lord has a plan and I am just doing what I know to do until he tells me something different. Going on faith is getting easier the older I get. Probably because I can see where the Lord had a my back all those years.
Hope you day went well.
Clutter is widely considered to contribute to depression and anxiety. It is also counter productive. When one is hung up on the clutter in their space, they can't focus and move forward.
I have joined in on a Declutter challenge for the 3rd year in a row. This challenge is for my sewing/quilting space. I have done pretty good at not letting things get too out of hand during the year so it's not as bad as it could be. Each year I grow a little and am more willing to let go of things. I am also getting better at organization. Or maybe just hiding things, I"m not really sure at this point.
The Challenge started yesterday but I did day one and two today. Because I followed the superstition about cleaning on New Years day. Basically what you do on New Years day is what you will do all year. You shouldn't sweep because you will sweep the good luck out the door. You shouldn't do laundry because you'll wash away the good luck. So I decided that since I was off work today, I would do both days today.
I had no problem with getting the garbage out of the studio. I swept and picked up the floor and I was done. It helps that I keep a small waste basket on my work table. I keep a kitchen sized trash can in there as well. They both get emptied regularly. Garbage was day one.
Day two is moving out things that don't belong in the studio. That wasn't too bad either. I only had a few things that didn't belong in there. But I have been trying to not let it become a dumping ground and I do clean up at least quarterly. At least I do for the studio proper. The dining room, which is where I cut fabric and store other supplies, needs some help so I have started in there as well. I've still got a lot to do in there but I am limited by the fact that we still need the meat packing stuff out. I will work on it after doing the challenge in the studio.
Since the principles of the declutter challenge are universal, I will try applying them to other rooms through out the year. But for now I need my sewing/quilting space clear and ready to go so I can do my morning zen. I want to maintain this calm I am experiencing. It is definitely adding to my overall wellness.
Do you need to declutter?
This past year and a half has been a year of changes for me. Exhaustion and stress forced me to do something to improve my life. I started with my health and moved onto metal and spiritual health. The thing is I have made changes that have been lasting and I have discovered that I am happier and less stressed. It took me by surprise when I had the Epiphany that I was actually just happy for no reason. That was about 6 weeks ago and the happiness has continued.
I have tried to make changes before and have not succeeded. What was different this time? I believe that this time, it was a whole life approach. I am not just trying to lose weight because I should. I am doing it to get off the meds and be around for the long haul with my grandkids. (family and health) I am taking time to craft daily, mostly sewing/quilting, and I feel more creative and productive. (self worth) I listen to Conference talks and get fed spiritually daily. (spiritual growth) All of these have led to a happier and less stressed life. A whole health approach.
What was different this time. I committed to the change and when I failed at it, I just started over. My best example is the blogging challenge I started in December. It was supposed to be 31 days straight of blogging. It could be just a couple of sentences, just as long as you blogged. I didn't blog everyday. Some days I blogged twice trying to catch up. In the end I blogged a total of 28 times but only on 23 days. Technically this is my 29th post and 24th day. But I decided to try again starting over in the new year. Today is Day 1 Post 1.
The awesome support of my family and friends is also helping. Co workers are cheering me on and comment on the positive changes.
Committing to new things is the only way to succeed at them. But if it's not something you believe in or something you really want to change, it won't happen. You have to really want it to keep starting over when you fall short.
My commitments to change this year are mostly to keep trying and start over when I fall short.
What am I realistically going to work on?
1. Weight and Health - I have lost 80 pounds in the last 20 months. I have at least 40 more to lose. Just like everyone else I have back slid over the holidays. Starting on 1/3. I am going to restrict my starches and drink more water. I am going to figure out how to be more physically active. More on that later.
2. Quilting /crafting: Quilting - I am going to stitch every day. I have been doing it in the morning before work and that seems to make for a better day. For my long arm skills, I am going to try and finish a quilt a month. I would like to say each week but I am not sure I will be able to do that right now. So at least one a month.
3. Training/education: Work - one of my work goals is to learn more about six sigma and there are some training programs I can do on line. I will set aside the time at work to do this.
For my personal life: I am going to learn more about using my long arm. I will start with the videos and try to put what I learn into practice. I hope to save enough money this year to take some in person lessons on using quilt path. If that can't happen then maybe do a virtual class.
I am also going to take sewing machine repair course with my son. Then hopefully we can restore my machines. We would be certified so we could do sewing machine repair as a side hustle.
4. Spiritual: I will continue with listening to conference talks. I would also like to start a challenge that President Nelson issues a few years ago. It is learning more about Christ. I would like to make this my evening ritual. I will use a journal and the topical guide to reference/read scriptures that describe the attributes of Christ.
5. Social Media - I am going to try and blog on my wellness blog daily. I am committing to blogging on my quilting blog weekly. I hope to start posting to instagram on a weekly basis as well, I still haven't quite worked out, how, what and when.
Those are my main commitments this year. There will be side commitments that supplement them, Like the Declutter Challenge, or Queen of UFO's or even the WIPS Be Gone challenge. I am sure I will find more to help me.
What are your commitments?
