Removing - Catching-up

The past weekend has left me more than a little behind on my goals so here's the summary:

On Friday, having received the gift of a nursery photograph of my niece La, I was once again reminded of all the frames we had yet to hang up around our house and promptly piled our dining table high. We had frames ready to hang, unfilled frames, ones that need painted or need mounting as well as pictures needing frames.

So Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, all saw my Hubby desperately trying to soothe his much nettled (hormonal much?) wife as we found homes for many frames. We added our niece, a postcard of a relative's artwork and a photograph of the penguins at Phillip Island to our kitchen. An art-card of Florence Court (a National Trust house) went up in our dining room. The hallway saw the most additions with a wood splice flower picture (from my Granda's house, see below), an art-card of Bath, a cork splice seascape, my son's framed handprints, an Egyptian papyrus work (from our honeymoon), a collage of James' baptism and a line drawing of Mount Stewart (another NT property) all finding spots.

There are pencil markings for a peacock and a funny photo of us (also in the hall) as well as for a photograph my Hubs took of Benone Beach (in our bedroom). Once we have the peacock and an art-card of the Australian masterpiece "The Pioneers" mounted and framed (thank you FIL), they'll be hung up by the ever patient Russ (thank you sweetheart). I also want to add to the nursery: I need to get a cheap frame for a cute little kookaburra card I bought in Oz; I want to whitewash the frames of two Winnie-the-Pooh pencil drawings; and fill the cute little frames that we have on the windowsill with family photos.

There are four photos needed for already hung frames in the kitchen. The living room will see the addition of a three/four multi-frame and a single frame, both in a beachy style and both of which need filled. Additionally there are two more multi-frames that need to find spots on the (getting very full) walls; one I hope to fill with a picture from each of our siblings' weddings. There's also an artwork to hang in our barn space, a charcoal drawing to find a home for and many others I know I'm forgetting about (at least two large frames and one piece of poster-art). Phew!

Saturday, I spent much of the day sorting through boxes, with my Mama, from my Granda's home (he recently went into a nursing home). We unearthed some treasures (a couple of cute mini-carved-wooden animals, the flower artwork mentioned above), horrors (school photos of me as a child), surprises (the original series of "V" on DVD and a copy of the "Chant" CD which was on my Amazon music wishlist and which we're thoroughly enjoying) and memorabilia (lots of millitaria). The above sentences should read - on Saturday I didn't clear any clutter from my house, in fact I added to it - oops.

Sunday was definitely a down day for me, not that any of the weekend had been particularly up, and although I began on my eyebrows (much more to do), I didn't get to my hair at all. Monday (today) brings a new start though and as the leaf turns I'll set about my grooming and decluttering and putting away the frames that I'm not ready to hang and generally restoring order. Alongside my daily habit building and a shopping errand (returns and finding a tie for Hubs for next week's wedding) all this catching-up will keep me plenty busy.

Today I will catch-up, tidy up and continue to build new habits.

Removing - Grooming

Following the *big* task to let go of the electronic distractions throughout the day and the visual distractions of clutter, today is a slightly more frivolous, if painful chore.

Today I will be removing and grooming my hair (a trim) and eyebrows - a painful and unending task that I have largely ignored since before James came along. There were very good reasons for the neglect, initially, as carpal tunnel during the last six weeks of pregnancy and first three months of James' life left me with numbness in my hands and pain and therefore an inability to operate tweezers.

Since that time to now I have had sporadic bouts of pain in my wrists and hands, many days there is no issue but there can be weeks when I have limited use of my hands/wrists or pained use only. The worst so far was my literally crying in agony as I wrote my Mama's mother's day card this year (the UK Mothering Sunday falls in March). I have yet to bite the bullet and return to the doctor about this issue as I'm sure it will prove as fruitless as my last visit (an incorrect and lazy diagnosis of continuing carpal tunnel with no real advice or help as to managing pain or improving my situation). I suspect my issue is arthritis but that the treatment is not suitable while breastfeeding or whilst still being in the years of potential pregnancy (we have chosen God family planning, i.e. no birth control, NFP or intervention with our fertility). My excess weight is certainly not helpful in this scenario either.

So frivolous or not, as continued preparation for Mimi's wedding, my eyebrows are up for the chop (figuratively) and my hair too (literally).

Removing - Aesthetics

Yesterday I removed the visual and mental distractions of electronics, helping make my days more productive and keep my focus on my vocations of parenting and homemakinng and off of screens.

Today I will attempt to improve the aesthetics of our space (home) by removing the clutter build-up in our bedroom (already partly tackled earlier in the week), the nursery (a veritable disaster) and bathroom (clothing, shoes, bath toys and toiletries - not quite put away).

By removing the visual "noise," our private rooms should be more relaxing for us, aiding sleep and promoting rest (something this insomniac most certainly needs). Not to make mention of the fact that such decluttering will put a great big smile on my beloved's face!

7QT - The Genres List

I love to read, it's just that sometimes I forget to make time for reading, beyond blogs and emails that is. This year I want to revisit this passion, without the obsessive nature of my personality burying me in books, while the house, my family and the feeding and clothing of said family fall apart around me. So without further ado here are my genres to explore through the power of the written word:

1. Blogs - they definitely count as their own subset as I learn about everything from K-dramas (not a fan), to organising (my bliss), to different denominations (Messianic to Roman Catholic), to homeschooling (hoping to), to every craft imaginable. You can browse my "blog roll" and go through the rabbit hole links on my sidebar, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

2. Dystopia - Utopia (from the Greek meaning "no place" as in imaginary) sets out the ideal scenario for life and living while dystopia is "an imaginary society in which social or technological trends have culminated in a greatly diminished quality of life or degradation of values" (thank you Webster's College Dictionary 2010). Think Hunger Games (excellent), Brave New World (sanitised), 1984 (monitored), the terrifying duo "The Planner" and "The Chosen" by Swann (must reads about a seemingly all too realistic America of the near future/present day, read these and any political apathy you may feel will instantly melt away). I'm currently reading the Colony Z series set in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

3. Classic children's/teenage/young adult literature - my preferred genre, Enid Blyton (Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers), Susan Coolidge (Katy Did books), Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) etcetera. I've been indulging in this genre again since Christmas (Malory Towers) and taking my two year old son along for the ride, What Katy Did is next on the list.

4. Self-improvement - everything from time management to decluttering to menu planning and from "how to paint a wall" to "painting a nursery mural," from weight-loss to beating insomnia, and from "attachment parenting" to disciplining or discipling your child. Mayim Bialik's parenting book has made the list as well the 100 LB Loser by Jessica Heights.

5. Autobiographies - Katie Davis' book about the founding of Amazima (which I bought upon its release and which has accumulated a good layer of dust since) and the epic conversion story of *some woman* named Jennifer Fulwiler which I've been awaiting since she first made mention of it on her *little known* blog Conversion Diary. Buy Something Other Than God here, after all I want that banana suit... well actually the money (even in dollars) would probably be more useful, especially as my Hubby is the ultimate leprechaun!
[#SOTG link is to the Kindle edition on the UK Amazon site as although I pre-ordered the hardback it's no longer available direct from Amazon (boo) but instead shipped from the States! Alas in picking the hardback I'll have to wait until the end of May for my copy to arrive. What about a prize for the longest shipping time Jen? though I suspect I'd be beaten.]

6. Christian - yes obviously #SOTG could have been listed here but frankly Katie's book would've been lonely in the last take and this genre has plenty of "to read" options including Shepherding a Child's Heart (which also fits self-improvement) and many many faith based novels including the excellent (so far) Aggie's Inheritance series by Chautona Havig. Last but definitely not least...

7. Bible - I think the ultimate library needs its own genre as I seek to study more of my Father, His heart for me and how He would love to see me live for Him. I only pray as I make baby steps toward a bright new future that I might always remember to keep God at the centre of it.

Head on back to Jen's house for more quick takes about bananas and Something Other Than God.

#123

Removing - Electronics

With my thirst being continuously quenched I shall now look at all those things I need to remove from my life, one by one. The bad habits, bad attitudes, excess hair (eyebrows!), clutter, distractions etc.

Today I will begin by removing the electronics from most of my day: the distractions of iPad, email, the phone that is ever-present and the TV. Nope I don't intend to quit all these time-wasters wondeful tools but to make me mistress of them and not the other way around!

The Electronic Ground Rules

• Music can be played first thing (no video viewing though).
• Emails, games, internet, kindle, iplayer are all off limits until James is enjoying his breakfast. 
• If Russ is on breakfast Daddy-duty then Mama has until the end of breakfast for electronics but only once dressed (unless I'm sleeping of course).
• If Mama's on breakfasts then we (James and I) can watch ten minutes of TV but only at the tail-end of breakfast, after prayers/clearing up/any dinner prep/dishwasher-emptying or filling has been done.
• No electronics until James is settled for nap then aside from texts to Russ.
• Post-nap another ten minutes of TV is allowed before dinner preparations get underway.
• No more electronics use (except texting) is allowed (for Mama) before storytime (if Russ is reading), or James' bedtime if Mama's handling it.
• Electronics must be set aside by twelve for at least an hour to allow for sleep.
• Exceptions made for sickness, necessity or James-free hours only, NOT tiredness.

The Book List - May 2014

I don't know what it is about sunshine that makes me want to read dystopian works but hopefully I've chosen a good balance of down, up and reality for this month.

• Colony Z: The Albion Tribe (Book 2/4, e-book, Luke Shephard)

Depending on the length of this volume (and how engrossed I become in it) I may just continue through the rest of the series, we shall see. Zombie outbreak aftermath here we come.

• Daughter of Joy (Brides of Culdee Creek, Book One, free e-book, Kathleen Morgan)

A story of firm faith in the face of tribulations, grief and a haunting past set against the backdrop of an isolated ranch way out West (America) in days of yore. A good read but I've yet to really get stuck in and I've been picking it up and putting it down again for many months, time to finish it already.

• The Nursing Mother's Guide to Weaning (PB, Kathleen Higgins and Linda Ziedrich)

This MUST be read by the fourteenth so I can return it to my La Leche League group as I've borrowed it for entirely too long; not to mention that we will begin gentle weaning on the twenty-first as James reaches thirty months (two-and-a-half).

• Mothering Your Nursing Toddler (PB, Norma Jane Bumgarner)

Same deadline as the previous title and as with it I will only be reading some sections, mostly due to James' current age.

Speaking of James, he and I will continue our way through this first title below (the final book of the "Malory Towers" series) before moving on to the second (the first of the "Katy Did" books):

• Goodbye Malory Towers (Book Twelve of Malory Towers Boxset, PB, Pamela Cox)

I shall be sad to finish this series with J as his enthusiasm for it has been so astounding. This will be one final term of building character, overcoming adversity, working and playing hard and jolly good fun.

• What Katy Did (Book One of Five, free e-book, Susan Coolidge)

The beginning of our foray into the classic adventures of Katy and her family, beginning as I recall with a rather exasperating Katy, who leads her siblings astray and misbehaves for her aunt.

If I have time for further titles my next priorities are:

• For Keeps: Aggie's Inheritance Series (Book 2/3, e-book, Chautona Havig) and

Following the story of young twenty-something Aggie and her inherited nieces and nephews (all seven of them), set against a backdrop of faith and reliance on God.

• Something Other Than God (HB, Jennifer Fulwiler)

This should arrive around the 27th and is much anticipated as I've been reading the author's blog for many years and have followed the story of her epic conversion memoir from its inception. I've been trying to gather up a couple of others to join me in reading it so we can have a "book club" discussion of it.

Thirst - Completion

I never finish anythi ;)

In the spirit of quashing that terrible flaw I will seek to complete all my daily habits in their entirety - drinking two litres of water, reading in Ephesians, moisturising (face, neck and hands), listening to worship music first thing and praying constantly.

Completing this theme of thirst and completing each individual element is important not just for today but tomorrow and everyday thereafter. Completing that which I have started and remembering that most chores are not 'once and done' but daily repetition, building the habit and never breaking from it.

Today I will finish all my daily tasks, to do them again to completion tomorrow...