Studio Before (Dec 2009)

The Year Ahead

Based upon the last post ~ I decided that I really want 2009 to be the year I keep in touch. Send Birthday Cards, send Thank You Cards, send Thinking Of You Cards, Anniversary Cards, and if I don't get a card in the mail to call or email or facebook...!

And then the usual:

Lose Weight
Save Money
Do house work for 15 minutes a day (minimum)
Sing every day
Learn all my music
exercise 15 minutes every day (i.e., walk the dog)
Seriously exercise an hour 3 to 4 times a week
Go to bed before 10pm
Get up between 5 and 5:30 am
Spend less time watching television (need to be more specific... how about - watch my shows on Sunday afternoons when I'm home)
Limit my time spent online
Plan for Christmas every month (making cards & gifts)
Do it whether I feel like it or not!
Have a meal plan (to save money on the grocery bill)
grow 3 herbs in pots AND keep them alive (mint, basil, rosemary)
Stick to the Plan (keep focused whether I feel like it or not!)
Read my bible every day
Keep my prayer list and use it every day
Be grateful. Every. Single. Day.
Write in my journal (sorry blog world, some things I do keep private ;-) weekly

To me most of these are LIFE changes, not new year resolutions -- so, more of a "New Life Resolution" rather than new and/or temporary. This past year I got the exercise trainer, and just need to get back into the habit... which means getting to work early to leave on time... which means going to bed at a reasonable hour so I can get the unpleasant things out of the way (exercise & housework) in the early morning and still have time to do the things I enjoy (bible study, journaling, blogging, emails, keeping in touch) so that after the exercise in the afternoon I have the energy and time to craft (make cards & scrapbook), work on what my goals are for the yard, work on the music and goals with quartet & chorus, cook an evening meal and still spend some time with my amazing hubby.

Making a Living Without a Job

~ By Barbara J. Winter
(Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love)

A book I bought over 10 years ago... to create a job around something you love doing is basically the premise of the book. It has lists of personality traits that make doing this kind of thing easier, and what to work on if those traits do not come naturally.

It has been my goal since forever (my mid to late 20's) to start and run my own business -- the flexibility that can come with it, the ability to work whatever hours suit me (usually from 6pm until 2 or 3am is my best creative time) and make lots of fun creative decisions (name of business, logo, how will I market and advertise, websites... communication --not to mention the actual business product, etc...), the sense of real accomplishment... that truly all the experience(s) I've had will have led to this soul-satisfying, constantly-recharged and re-charging of my creative sensibilities yet is a solid, real and "IT MATTERS" way to spend my energy.

So my friend T mentioned kinda casually - but with all seriousness - that we should put together a book of the crafts that we have been doing for the seniors. Crafts for the seasons ~ 14 ~ A Crafter's Dozen (because more is always better for those times when you don't have enough ;-).

Well, I started a binder for my crafts classes - the intent of which is/was to put together by month the supplies I used, do a write up on the level of success of the project by my audience (indpendent seniors), and have photos of the 'demo' of the project, as well as pictures with the class members and their creations.

Trader Joe's

We have TJ's here in Arizona (all the California transplants probably demanded it, and I'm very thankful!)... so tonight I went in and shopped for dinner, knowing I wanted to make homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and knowing I needed chicken and noodles and more chicken broth, and the rest could be improvised once I looked up my favorite recipe site: www.allrecipes.com .

I tend not to call TJ's my 'regular' store -- it is small, with too many carts it is a pain to get around in, but it isn't that expensive and they have extremely cool stuff. This is where I get marscapone cheese and I think they have the best cinnamon graham crackers around -- a little marscapone on a TJ's cinnamon graham and it is like a wee slice of cheesecake. Yum.

I was happy tonight with what I found and the prices I paid, so definitely will be going more often on my way home from work. :-) And the Chicken Noodle Soup was awesome!!

Found this quote that just flew at me and stuck today:

"One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must g i v e u p before you get it." ~ Author Unknown.

I've been thinking about my quartet and how much I miss singing harmony, but how much I'm enjoying not having to be responsible for it. I've been thinking about how changing our lifestyle and eating habits is going to take me giving up sitting on the couch vegging out watching the boob tube for 3 or 4 hours a night after eating frozen crap for dinner. And as much as I don't want to give up music right now - my health (our health) needs to be the priority, and it is hard to make changes.

Sacrifice.

Self-denial.

It isn't just about making right eating choices, it is all-encompassing. What do I want and what am I really and truly willing to give up in order to get it. Do I want it enough... whatever "it" is.

Start with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey says.... what do I want people to say about me at my funeral? How do I want to be remembered? "It" isn't all about me... what positive energy/vibe/influence do I have? How am I going to live my life once I know what my end result should be?

Tricky.

All the messages we get from advertising, media etc... is that we can have it all -- we shouldn't have to give anything up. I don't agree. Giving something up makes us stronger. And I am so weak. So very weak.

I haven't formed any conclusions. I am not sure where I'm headed in this self-discovery. I'm not even sure that I haven't thought it before now... and I'm just being reminded.

What am I willing to give up? In order for me to reach goals I have, I need to give up time, and time is so precious. hmmmmmmmmmm.

hrmph

Went to bed at 10:30 -- almost asleep when himself came in at 11:30 -- could NOT go back to sleep -- got up and watched M*A*S*H reruns until 2:00 am.

So much for the grand "go to bed early and get up and be productive" plans!

Yeah Yeah.... make plans and God Laughs.

"Not Funny" as I used to say to my mom when she'd laugh at my 4 or 5 year old tribulations!

New Year's Eve Day 2008

Goals (not resolutions!) for 2008 (and beyond):

Stick with a routine of the following:

[1] Spend 15 minutes a day cleaning the kitchen

[2] Spend 15 minutes a day (6 days a week) on other house cleaning projects (i.e., bathrooms, floors, picking up the public areas)

[3] Do one load of laundry every day (5 days a week)

[4] Go to the gym 5 days a week. Note I'm not saying what I have to do there, or the time limit... but to appear and do something physical for at least 20 minutes would be the start of this goal)

[5] Really start bulk cooking (so reliance on fast convenience food is reduced) and hide vegetables in the recipes (I bought Jerry Seinfeld's wife's online 'hide vegetables in foods your kids will eat' cookbook, so will try to incorporate that in the recipes I try!) so himself's eating will be healthier despite himself.

[6] Aim for bedtime to be 10pm so I can get up between 5:30 and 6am -- get the housework/laundry done, and take 30 minutes for Bible Study, prayer, meditation and a cuppa.

[7] Do something 5 days a week toward scrapping for others (my client, my sister, my friend's 40th b/day album which will be a year late by Feb 9th, my mom's mother's day album of pictures of her & her brothers and sisters when she was really little)

[8] Do something every day toward scrapping my own stuff -- espeically the Life Goals/All About Me album -- as a reminder to what I'm aspiring to, to remind myself of what I have accomplished during my down times.

[9] Get my Handcrafted Card stash back up so I have a card that I've done ready for any occasion; I imagine this means stamping once a week at least.

[10] In order to get 7,8 & 9 accomplished, I have to keep my studio somewhat neat and organized. So this goal is to spend 15 minutes putting things away every day; putting elements of projects away after I'm done with them, and spending an additional few minutes labelling & generally organizing things in my room.

Starting January 3rd - after I go back to work.

and [11] - try to work on Christmas projects all year round, this season was so not festive... not organized... hmmmmm... wonder why in the world things were so unorganized and topsy-turvy ?!?! :-P

Before I die...

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Here's just a beginning of the list:
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Write a book (published would just be a bonus, really)
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Record a music CD (of my own music, of other people's music... not picky)
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Be an expert (or just really really knowledgeable) about one thing, or one person (or both...?)
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Be an barbershop arranger