Monday, Monday

Tonight is my book club and because of the rain and just the hassle of getting across town, I have punted and decided to stay home. Roy just got in and it is nearly 7:30. This is always a tough week because all my evenings are taken up with good things, but never the less, things. So many nights that means I am getting home around 9:00 and have just about an hour to get ready for the next day before bed. To me that was so much fun when I was younger and now... I am looking for moments, for solitude, and for quiet. It has taken a long time for me to learn and accept the need for some quiet time. For much too long, I have not disengaged myself from the activities that make up life lived out in the world. I am not talking about worldly, I am talking about being productive...living intentionally and on demand. To remain sane, or whatever sanity I possess, times of quiet is now RDA, recommended daily activity. I was reading in The Atlantic Monthly that we are wiring our brains for too much multi tasking and in the long term of brain usage, it is not a good thing. Several months ago when I was speaking on a subject near and dear to my heart, Vital Friendship, I learned that we are all programed and made by God to have a musical theme to our lives. An article I read for reserarch was, what type of Muzak do you live by. We each have a natural cadence and beat to our actions and activities. I believe I am wired for Kirk Franklin and CeCe Winnans when I need a beat and instrumental and classical tunes for when I need to bring it down a little. Really, we are too dependant on noise and activity to make us feel useful and purposeful. We are used to controlling our world around us and we get anxious if we are not moving all the time. Well, I have certainly taken up a lot of space just to say, take some time, sometimes it is as little as 20 minutes. Putting margin in our lives is important. Thomas Merton says " It is deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love [others]. The more solitary I am, the more affection I have for them. It is pure affection and filled with reverence for the solitude of others."

One of the exercises that I have been working through with Cheryl is milestone moments in my life and whether or not the decisions I have made from those milestones have been helpful or detrimental in my journey. I will probably blog about this a little later down the line, but this exercise has been so helpful in seeing how I have come to different conclusions whether they have been right or wrong. I don't call them defining moments, because there are a lot of moments in my life that I did not let define me. We all know people who have continued living but not growing from moments they let themselves be defined by. I see people everyday who have settled for sadness and they feel guilty for any fun times they allow themselves to have.

OK, I will stop waxing (not one of my favorite words) serious. Sometime on Sunday afternoons I go lurking on blogs that are done by artsy fartsy people. Oh man, I wish I could be like them. They see everyday stuff and turn that stuff into art or create something so useful out of so very little. They are so organized ( at least by the pictures they post) and everything has a place. I believe that it is not anything that you come by naturally, but it looks to be that if you live in the Northwest part of the country it comes naturally to you. OK, I know that is not true, but I kind of believe it like I believe I will be somebody different on trips and actually use the lounging pajamas I buy, pack and never unpack for those hours between daytime touring and nighttime dinner and dancing. OK, no dancing because Roy doesn't know how to, but you know...out on the town type stuff.

While continuing my quest for decluttering my life, this weekend I realized I have an annoying hobby that I didn't even realize I had, I collect buttons and sometimes shoulder pads. I have extra buttons that come with every blouse, jacket or pants I have ever bought. Oh, the clothes are long gone, but I have all the buttons in the plastic bags. Not only do I have tons of buttons, but I found shoulder pads from blouses I owned in the 80's that have long gone to other good homes or in a rag pile and I have kept the stupid shoulder pads. So, I am trying to think creatively about making something artful or useful out of these components. You are probably thinking, hmm...you have had too much solitude and quiet time if you are contemplating such an odd thing. Maybe so, but if I do create something, I will take a picture and post it to the blog.

Now another reference to the Bunko night...I danced in the Fellowship Center in a Baptist Church and I am still alive. You have to bust a move when Lisa P is singing Kirk Franklin's, "Looking for You." Actually there were several of us busting our moves, I just happen to lead one of the Conga lines.

So far I love 'The Year of Living Biblically'. He is finding it very hard, but hey that's what is supposed to happen. We can't follow the rules in our flesh.

I had ordered Sweet Potato Quesadas as appetizers for book club, but instead it was our delicious dinner.

For all of you who are bosses, Happy Boss Day tomorrow!!!!