In the last few days, I....

1. Cleaned out my attic. That was an unintended undertaking. I went up there to put Christmas things away and make a space for the items Jonathan left behind when he departed for Egypt. I ended up spending an hour and a half moving, decluttering, reorganizing. At one point, I was just chucking things out the attic door. I should have been shouting, "Look out below." I did get Joel or Matthew, can't remember which one, with an empty box or something at one point. In spite of the danger, they were a huge help. I couldn't have done it without them.

I learned that a) since my husband and sons are much worse packrats than me, I should adopt a "don't ask, don't tell" policy next time I encounter items that have been stored for 7 years and not missed once. How is it they suddenly acquire such precious status? We did fill the back of the van with items for Goodwill, and the trash can with junk. It is such an organized and spacious attic now. A friend suggested that maybe I start having my quiet time up there. Hmmm....

I also learned that b) I should wear a helmet next time I clean the attic. How many times did I bonk my head on the rafters? I lost count. Ouch! But, it was worth it.

2. Gave two haircuts. And one of them was major. You will, perhaps, not recognize the young man who was shorn today. (I would have added a picture to this post but I accidentally deleted the before and after shots...you'll have to be content with an "after" next time I pull out the camera). He looks very different, very handsome, older, and taller. Go figure! But we've decided we really liked his longer hair so I probably won't be giving him a haircut again for a very long time. The other haircut was less drastic but the young man in question is no less handsome after his barbering!

3. Made a really, really delicious butternut squash/sweet potato soup and sweet potato biscuits. Check over at Good Food, maybe tomorrow, for recipes. I just made these up as I went along so I'll have to see if I can write recipes that accurately detail what I did. They were sooo good. Amber got one of the biscuits and said it's what her grandpa would call a "cat head" biscuit. Big and round and flat...but light, I might add.

4. Got a new mattress. At long last. Hooray for craig's list. My back and hip and neck are happy!

5. Finished a book. The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry.

6. Hung out a lot of laundry. Our dryer quit drying. It's a simple repair...just a new heating element needed but we're in the market for a newer, more energy efficient model. So, I'm hanging clothes while I wait. That presents a problem on a day like today when it rains most of the day. But I am undaunted. Racks on the screen porch, coat hangers on the bar above the washer, and my shower curtain will do just fine, thank you. But I am glad the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow.

7. Walked a lot. A couple of times a day some days. Today was wonderful. Two 45 minute brisk walks with different friends before 10 AM. I had lots of energy today as a result.


I've felt a lot of happiness in small things these last few days. I've been more deliberate in some personal routines and slowed down. Time always seems to stretch when I do that. The slower I go, the more time I seem to have. Or maybe, I'm just not caught in the illusion that busy-ness equals productivity. I linger and enjoy each activity and somehow it seems like I still get more accomplished.

I've also been enjoy the fruits of non-procrastination. The attic is a case in point. I wasn't really eager to clean it out the other day, but once I got started, it was easy to press on. The result is very gratifying and really, it didn't take me that long. You can get a lot done if you will just start doing it.

And now, it is time to stop writing and go to bed...on my new mattress : )