Stuff

Ok, Zan...I'll write something already! But I'm afraid it won't be anything very profound this cloudy-brained evening:op So, stream-of-consciousness post it is.

I just switched over the beta-blogger, so now have to try to figure out how the post labels (categories) work. I'm hoping I'll be able to go back and retroactively label my old posts! But then again...we're talking about 1 1/2 yrs' worth of posts, and some of them aren't exactly worthy of being more easily accessible. We'll see.

Today I'm celebrating because for the first time EVER in my entire life, I've almost entirely finished Christmas shopping AND wrapping with eight days to spare! If you want my secret, here it is: harness the power of internet commerce:o) This was the first year that I bought a large portion of my gifts online. I spent a matter of hours ordering everything, and then these nice people came and just left it all on my front porch. I tried to wrap things as they arrived. No malls (except by choice, because malls happen to be the only place to walk when it's raining outside) and no staying up 'till 4am on Christmas eve trying to affix red plastic "jewels" onto gift tags with a hot-glue gun (half of which, incidentally, fall off without provocation by the time you get them under the tree). Ahem...that was 2004. If I remember correctly, 2005's gifts didn't feature gift tags at all. This year's gift recipients will get to enjoy finely-crafted squares of white cardstock with sensible and easy-to-read writing in black ink.

Though we still bought some gifts and gift supplies at actual brick and mortar stores this year, they were specific items that we went out planning to purchase. I certainly haven't missed the shopping method of years past: Go desperately from store to store searching for something to that "will work" for so-and-so whilst staying within budget. (and of course, finding absolutely NOTHING within budget so resorting to gift-cards...again!) I'm still not domestically perfect enough to hand-make all my gifts, but at least I know improvement is possible;o)

We've seen improvement in another area this week, as well. Micah and I are on a new "schedule" (though quite loose as schedules go) designed to help us stay more focused on some of our priorities. All my previous attempts at more detailed schedules had failed, probably mostly because I tend to be far too one-track-minded. Detailed schedules make me overwhelmed, so that I crash and burn before the day even gets started. So here's the new schedule (my part of it, anyway:o):

8:00 am- wake up. We may make this earlier in the future, but right now this 8:00 am wake-up time is enough of an "improvement!" Have I mentioned I'm not a morning person? So far over the past week we've managed to move our go-to-bed time back from about 2-3am to somewhere in the range of 12-1am.

Morning- shower, dress, house. Right now I'm not even naming specific days to do specific house tasks. I'm just starting with the kitchen every morning, and then moving on to whatever else needs the most attention. I'm also trying to get meals for the day underway (including dinner) before lunchtime. The main rules I've set for myself is that it has to be homemaking/cleaning work (no computer time, because that's too much of a temptation to get side-tracked and waste time:op), and that I have to keep moving. "Just do the next thing" as Elisabeth Elliot says. It's working wonderfully so far! The kitchen's staying (mostly) clean, we have clean laundry, the dog's bathed for the first time in almost a month, the mail is staying sorted, and I even roasted my chickens the day after I bought them instead of letting them go bad and having to throw them away! (I won't mention HOW MANY times I've done this in the past few months!:op)

Afternoon: Business work. Micah and I are recently recommitted and remotivated to expanding and refining our business endeavors. So my responsibility is to sit down after lunch and give it a few good focused hours. Late afternoon, we've been going out for a walk/talk time, and then we come back and get dinner on.

That's it! After a good week, I'm loving it, because it allows for spontoneity within a basic structure (necessary to keep priorities straight). I'm feeling more efficient than I have in a long time.

Well, I'll call it a post for this evening. My apologies to the three readers who are anxiously awaiting a continuation of the series on abortion. I do have one more post on that topic in my head, I just can't find it right now:o) Have a wonderful Monday, all of you!