Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Write your Love Story!
Last night I made love to my husband. Too much information, you say? Seriously? You didn't know we did that?? (May I direct you to the daughter we had a year and a half ago?) Anyway, not that I am trying to give you too much information here, but I'm not just talking about your everyday, run-of-the-mill, "roll in the hay." I mean, I truly made LOVE to him. Yes, for any of you guys that are reading this, I'm getting in to the emotional aspect of things, of course. You gals... well, you know what I am talking about!
I read a story yesterday a woman wrote about falling in love with her now husband. I could not stop reading it!! I neglected almost all my wifely/motherly duties yesterday in order to finish reading her blog about the courtship between her and her hubby. I couldn't stop reading it because it reminded me so much of my own story about my own husband. While I read her words, I relived our story in my mind - and in my heart. For the whole day I had all these emotions flooding back to me that reminded me exactly what it was that made me fall in love with my husband.
I love him more now than I did before we married. I truly do. We have been through so much together in our short 3+ years since our wedding. And, although there have been times when it seemed that life was trying to rip us apart, we came through it closer than before. (Although, sadly, that is not always the case with couples.) However, somewhere along the way, that deep fiery passion that I felt when we were dating has been extinguished some due to all the stress of everyday life. Laying down every night, enveloped in his arms is just the norm now. It is not some new, exhilarating feeling. It is warm, familiar and comforting.
But, in his arms is where I fell in love! I fell in love with the warm, strong, gentle, protective, comforted feeling I got when his big, muscular arms were around me. I fell in love with the fact that I knew he could literally squeeze the life out of me if he wanted to, but he was so tender and gentle when I was in his arms. Gently caressing my back or twirling my hair. I remember the exact moment that I thought, "I could stay here forever." And, I remember 100 emotions hurling at me as I realized the fear of that thought was not quite as big as the fear of NOT staying there forever. How could I have ever gotten complacent about those arms around me?? I love them more now than I did then. I have watched them comfort my first two children, discipline them, and wrestle and tickle them. I watched them hold our tiny newborn daughter more timidly and delicately than those arms had ever done anything. I've watched them build fence, fix little girl hair, work cows, change light bulbs, chop wood and tuck in my children at night. How could I curl up in them every night and take for granted the deep, immense emotion that those beautiful, strong arms are capable of evoking in me???
It's just life! We just get so tired. We get complacent and we take for granted the most important things to us. After reading the story yesterday I remembered not only my deep love for my husband, but I remember the unadulterated passion I have for him. I entertained the thought of how fragile life is and how very easily my life could have ended up so different from how it is now. I thought of how very easily he could have never been a part of my life at all. But, God, in all his intricate, delicate planning, put my beloved in my life - just for me! He spent years molding and forming us so that we would fit so very perfectly together. How incredulous it is that I would take that for granted!
I think maybe, just maybe, if we all wrote our love stories out; if we sat for a day or so, recalling all the beautiful, passionate moments that culminated the love we now have, then just maybe we wouldn't take so much for granted and maybe the odds of making it for the long haul would be better than they are! Maybe if we re-read our love stories from time to time it would give us back the passion and urgency that brought us together in the first place - the fiery passion that the mundane and the trials of life seem to drown out over time. Maybe, more often, we would truly make LOVE to one another and not go looking elsewhere for things we really already have. Just maybe...
I read a story yesterday a woman wrote about falling in love with her now husband. I could not stop reading it!! I neglected almost all my wifely/motherly duties yesterday in order to finish reading her blog about the courtship between her and her hubby. I couldn't stop reading it because it reminded me so much of my own story about my own husband. While I read her words, I relived our story in my mind - and in my heart. For the whole day I had all these emotions flooding back to me that reminded me exactly what it was that made me fall in love with my husband.
I love him more now than I did before we married. I truly do. We have been through so much together in our short 3+ years since our wedding. And, although there have been times when it seemed that life was trying to rip us apart, we came through it closer than before. (Although, sadly, that is not always the case with couples.) However, somewhere along the way, that deep fiery passion that I felt when we were dating has been extinguished some due to all the stress of everyday life. Laying down every night, enveloped in his arms is just the norm now. It is not some new, exhilarating feeling. It is warm, familiar and comforting.
But, in his arms is where I fell in love! I fell in love with the warm, strong, gentle, protective, comforted feeling I got when his big, muscular arms were around me. I fell in love with the fact that I knew he could literally squeeze the life out of me if he wanted to, but he was so tender and gentle when I was in his arms. Gently caressing my back or twirling my hair. I remember the exact moment that I thought, "I could stay here forever." And, I remember 100 emotions hurling at me as I realized the fear of that thought was not quite as big as the fear of NOT staying there forever. How could I have ever gotten complacent about those arms around me?? I love them more now than I did then. I have watched them comfort my first two children, discipline them, and wrestle and tickle them. I watched them hold our tiny newborn daughter more timidly and delicately than those arms had ever done anything. I've watched them build fence, fix little girl hair, work cows, change light bulbs, chop wood and tuck in my children at night. How could I curl up in them every night and take for granted the deep, immense emotion that those beautiful, strong arms are capable of evoking in me???
It's just life! We just get so tired. We get complacent and we take for granted the most important things to us. After reading the story yesterday I remembered not only my deep love for my husband, but I remember the unadulterated passion I have for him. I entertained the thought of how fragile life is and how very easily my life could have ended up so different from how it is now. I thought of how very easily he could have never been a part of my life at all. But, God, in all his intricate, delicate planning, put my beloved in my life - just for me! He spent years molding and forming us so that we would fit so very perfectly together. How incredulous it is that I would take that for granted!
I think maybe, just maybe, if we all wrote our love stories out; if we sat for a day or so, recalling all the beautiful, passionate moments that culminated the love we now have, then just maybe we wouldn't take so much for granted and maybe the odds of making it for the long haul would be better than they are! Maybe if we re-read our love stories from time to time it would give us back the passion and urgency that brought us together in the first place - the fiery passion that the mundane and the trials of life seem to drown out over time. Maybe, more often, we would truly make LOVE to one another and not go looking elsewhere for things we really already have. Just maybe...
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Mascara!!
Ok... so this is NOT a paid advertisement! I consider myself a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to mascara. It is the one cosmetic item that I just can't live without! My lashes aren't the longest, but aren't super short, either. They are decently thick. BUT, just like my hair, they are STRAIGHT. So, no matter how much mascara I put on, they don't look a lot different because they grow straight forward. Even when I curl them, they just fall back flat in no time. I recently came across my favorite mascara to date! Rimmell Lash Maxxx. It comes in a black tube with a hot pink top. It has kind of a funny applicator, but it is great! One coat makes my lashes look fuller, way longer, and it holds them in place! If you have the same issues I do with your lashes, try this out!!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
This is NOT my home.
I have spent my entire life trying to conform to this world. Much of my life consisted of someone trying (out of love) to convince me to change who I am. "Sis, you are going to HAVE to stand up for yourself." "You are SO sensitive." "I can't believe you would still be friends with them after they did that to you." And, on and on and on...
I am grateful to God for the way he made me... now. I realize that my faith has come very easy to me because I have never felt like I truly belong here on Earth. I cannot boast about my gentle spirit, patience or slow anger. Those are all gifts to me from God and I, myself, had no control over the personality traits and spiritual gifts He bestowed on me before I was ever even born. But, I used to really dislike the way I am. I remember being young and figuring out our spiritual gifts in Sunday School. Mine, of course, was mercy. And, I so often I felt like that was a double edged sword. While I relished in the fact that God gave me certain gifts because He had special plans for using me to glorify His kingdom, mercy is not always fun. It is hard to explain to people why you would still carry on with someone who has hurt you greatly. It is hard to explain that you see beyond that to the hurt they are feeling inside themselves and you just want to "fix" it. God sometimes gives me the ability to truly feel someone else's pain even though I've not been in their situation. How do you make someone believe that you "know how they feel?" And, sometimes you want to shut off that ability because you just don't want to feel that! Over the years, I learned to quit watching the news, to look the other way from homeless people on the side of the road, to turn the TV when the St. Jude's Telethon comes on. Maybe that sounds awful, but if you knew the times I sat and bawled for an hour after hearing or reading something, with the knowledge that there is nothing I can do!!!
It cracks me up when people refer to me as "laid back." I am... on the surface. And, it is true that I don't anger quickly or yell or get outwardly excited about things. But, on the inside I am anything but laid back. On the inside I am in knots constantly and anxious all the time. I think this is because I feel so out of place here on Earth. It is so hard for me to comprehend the evil that surrounds us all the time and the behaviors of some people are just beyond my understanding. And, if I had to name my biggest struggle in my walk with God, that is it! Worry. Instead of trusting Him to take care of everything, I worry and fret over everything. (In example: checking the door locks several times each night!!) When what I should be clinging to is this:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7
All my life I have been told to stand up for myself. But, God says: "Blessed are the gentle[Or humble, meek ], for they shall inherit the earth." -Matthew 5:5 I've been mocked for wearing my heart on my sleeve and being so quick to tears, but God says to me: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." -Matthew 5:4. The world shakes it's head at me for those I have forgiven "too easily." But, God's word says: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you." -Colossians 12-13
The more time goes by, the more thankful I am that God made it so easy on me. I hear people say they are not ready to go to Heaven. They feel like they will be missing out on something this world has to offer. And, while there are many beautiful, joyous things here, I cannot wait to meet my maker! God made it so that I would never be totally comfortable here and that makes it so much easier to long for Him and His ways! I have experienced the peace of the Holy Spirit and the thought of living with that constantly is very appealing to me! But, I know that while I spend my time here on Earth, my eyes must be on Jesus. This time here is short, although that is hard for us to fathom. Those of us who have chosen so, will spend an unimagineable eternity in Heaven. The trials of this world will pass along with the money, bills, posessions, housework, etc... What will matter is HOW we chose to live while we were here and how we treated the people around us. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure from this Earth, he said this to them: (it is my favorite verse) "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Therefore, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Don't get too comfortable here! One way or the other, we won't be here long. But, I know I can have great peace while I'm here. I wish you the same, friends.
I am grateful to God for the way he made me... now. I realize that my faith has come very easy to me because I have never felt like I truly belong here on Earth. I cannot boast about my gentle spirit, patience or slow anger. Those are all gifts to me from God and I, myself, had no control over the personality traits and spiritual gifts He bestowed on me before I was ever even born. But, I used to really dislike the way I am. I remember being young and figuring out our spiritual gifts in Sunday School. Mine, of course, was mercy. And, I so often I felt like that was a double edged sword. While I relished in the fact that God gave me certain gifts because He had special plans for using me to glorify His kingdom, mercy is not always fun. It is hard to explain to people why you would still carry on with someone who has hurt you greatly. It is hard to explain that you see beyond that to the hurt they are feeling inside themselves and you just want to "fix" it. God sometimes gives me the ability to truly feel someone else's pain even though I've not been in their situation. How do you make someone believe that you "know how they feel?" And, sometimes you want to shut off that ability because you just don't want to feel that! Over the years, I learned to quit watching the news, to look the other way from homeless people on the side of the road, to turn the TV when the St. Jude's Telethon comes on. Maybe that sounds awful, but if you knew the times I sat and bawled for an hour after hearing or reading something, with the knowledge that there is nothing I can do!!!
It cracks me up when people refer to me as "laid back." I am... on the surface. And, it is true that I don't anger quickly or yell or get outwardly excited about things. But, on the inside I am anything but laid back. On the inside I am in knots constantly and anxious all the time. I think this is because I feel so out of place here on Earth. It is so hard for me to comprehend the evil that surrounds us all the time and the behaviors of some people are just beyond my understanding. And, if I had to name my biggest struggle in my walk with God, that is it! Worry. Instead of trusting Him to take care of everything, I worry and fret over everything. (In example: checking the door locks several times each night!!) When what I should be clinging to is this:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7
All my life I have been told to stand up for myself. But, God says: "Blessed are the gentle[Or humble, meek ], for they shall inherit the earth." -Matthew 5:5 I've been mocked for wearing my heart on my sleeve and being so quick to tears, but God says to me: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." -Matthew 5:4. The world shakes it's head at me for those I have forgiven "too easily." But, God's word says: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you." -Colossians 12-13
The more time goes by, the more thankful I am that God made it so easy on me. I hear people say they are not ready to go to Heaven. They feel like they will be missing out on something this world has to offer. And, while there are many beautiful, joyous things here, I cannot wait to meet my maker! God made it so that I would never be totally comfortable here and that makes it so much easier to long for Him and His ways! I have experienced the peace of the Holy Spirit and the thought of living with that constantly is very appealing to me! But, I know that while I spend my time here on Earth, my eyes must be on Jesus. This time here is short, although that is hard for us to fathom. Those of us who have chosen so, will spend an unimagineable eternity in Heaven. The trials of this world will pass along with the money, bills, posessions, housework, etc... What will matter is HOW we chose to live while we were here and how we treated the people around us. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure from this Earth, he said this to them: (it is my favorite verse) "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Therefore, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Don't get too comfortable here! One way or the other, we won't be here long. But, I know I can have great peace while I'm here. I wish you the same, friends.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What's on the top of your list???
So many of us have that imaginary list of priorities in our mind. In my mind it is a picture of a piece of notebook paper with a neatly typed, (don't ask me why it is TYPED on notebook paper....) and numbered list. It is an idealistic thing in my mind. Of course, God is #1, then my family, then.... But, this last couple of weeks I've taken a good, hard, painful look at what my list REALLY says - in real life. Because in my head, things are always ideal (I.E. the picture of ME in my head is of a slim 18 year old I used to know!) I've come to realize that God is nowhere near the top of my list. And, really, neither is my family. Sure, I love them the most, but do I show them that the most? I mean, if I'm real with myself, my computer and housework has been coming before my family and God. Sure, the housework I do is for my family, in part, but how many times a day to I tell my children, "Just a minute." And, do I ever truly go back and take that minute to be truly present with them? Not nearly enough. It makes me choke up just thinking about it. I've come to realize that even my bestie comes before God, truly. If I have a complaint, a worry, a praise, a joyous thought, a funny notion - I call or text her. I don't go talk to God about it first. I don't take the quiet moments often enough to listen to what His spirit is telling me.
This morning I went and laid in my almost 10 year old daughter's bed as she was waking up. I held her in my arms and it took everything I had in me not to just start bawling my eyes out. When did she quit crawling in to my bed at night and my lap to be rocked and read to. When did that happen??? I missed it. Truly, life is just busy and there is no way around the fact that I have to do laundry and cook and clean. But, I know in my heart, my idealistic list of priorities needs to be made more than just an ideal...
This morning I went and laid in my almost 10 year old daughter's bed as she was waking up. I held her in my arms and it took everything I had in me not to just start bawling my eyes out. When did she quit crawling in to my bed at night and my lap to be rocked and read to. When did that happen??? I missed it. Truly, life is just busy and there is no way around the fact that I have to do laundry and cook and clean. But, I know in my heart, my idealistic list of priorities needs to be made more than just an ideal...
Friday, May 14, 2010
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!
Many people dread turning 30. Today I am doing just that, and I am excited! I am welcoming and embracing my 30's! My last 10 years have been amazing. A roller coaster of ups and downs. Probably most of the great momentous events of my life have happened in the last 10 years....
I was married in 2000 and had my first child. By 2003 I was divorced with two children, a bankruptcy, broke and barely a leg to stand on! I worked myself up to a vocational certification in Child Care, to a good job with benefits, to a supervisory position in that job, to owning my own business, and in 7 months I will have obtained my Bachelors degree, all the while raising a family, being a wife and keeping up with a household. I sent my little brother off to boot camp, then to war, and feel the pangs of grief that he is so far away from us, and the swelling of pride for how far he has come and the great sacrifices he makes for our nation. I married my husband in 2007, blended our family (not always easy!) and had my precious red head in 2008. I've been a single mom and I've swallowed pride and fear to hand over half the reins of child rearing to someone else. I broke down thick walls of protection over my heart to love another man and share my life with him. I watched by baby sister get married and held my mother's hand as she dealt with the pain of her last child leaving her home. (And, that has made me appreciate this time in my life all the more!) We buried 3 of my grandparents - my two grandmothers within 3 months of each other and had a baby in between them. (When was there time to grieve??) I've watched my two oldest children's hearts break, often over my own shortcomings, and had no way to "make it better." I've watched their resilient little hearts recover and seen the amazing affects of our new found stability. I was right there as each of them gave their hearts to Jesus and felt the all consuming comfort of knowing we'll all be together in the great beyond!!
There are moments in my 20's that I will NEVER forget! How do you erase the first flutter of a child growing in your womb? How do you ever forget looking in to the love of your life's eyes, and promising yourself to them? The sorrows, pain and hardships are all just part of life. I look back to 10 years ago. I see a scared, pregnant 20 year old, growing up too soon. Mothers Day was on my birthday that year. The person I am now has been shaped by all the things that have happened between then and now. God has put me through the fire, he has shaped me and molded me and sometimes it has hurt!!! He has taught me things I will never forget, the most important of which is that the only way is His way and I have learned to rely on Him for my every need. This is not to say that my trials are over! No, I am not that naive!
We bought a house last year. That was my 9 time to move in 10 years. I sit back now, and look at my life and it feels so stable. It feels so good to know that, more than likely, where I am at is where I'll be for some time. I feel like for the first time in so long, I can sit back, take a deep breath, and truly enjoy my life! And, when the curve balls come - as they are sure to from time to time - I am so much more ready than I used to be... So, as I consider the next 10 years, I say to life:
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!! (Let the good times roll!!!)
"Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'" -Nehemiah 8:10
"He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." -Psalm 91:15-16
I was married in 2000 and had my first child. By 2003 I was divorced with two children, a bankruptcy, broke and barely a leg to stand on! I worked myself up to a vocational certification in Child Care, to a good job with benefits, to a supervisory position in that job, to owning my own business, and in 7 months I will have obtained my Bachelors degree, all the while raising a family, being a wife and keeping up with a household. I sent my little brother off to boot camp, then to war, and feel the pangs of grief that he is so far away from us, and the swelling of pride for how far he has come and the great sacrifices he makes for our nation. I married my husband in 2007, blended our family (not always easy!) and had my precious red head in 2008. I've been a single mom and I've swallowed pride and fear to hand over half the reins of child rearing to someone else. I broke down thick walls of protection over my heart to love another man and share my life with him. I watched by baby sister get married and held my mother's hand as she dealt with the pain of her last child leaving her home. (And, that has made me appreciate this time in my life all the more!) We buried 3 of my grandparents - my two grandmothers within 3 months of each other and had a baby in between them. (When was there time to grieve??) I've watched my two oldest children's hearts break, often over my own shortcomings, and had no way to "make it better." I've watched their resilient little hearts recover and seen the amazing affects of our new found stability. I was right there as each of them gave their hearts to Jesus and felt the all consuming comfort of knowing we'll all be together in the great beyond!!
There are moments in my 20's that I will NEVER forget! How do you erase the first flutter of a child growing in your womb? How do you ever forget looking in to the love of your life's eyes, and promising yourself to them? The sorrows, pain and hardships are all just part of life. I look back to 10 years ago. I see a scared, pregnant 20 year old, growing up too soon. Mothers Day was on my birthday that year. The person I am now has been shaped by all the things that have happened between then and now. God has put me through the fire, he has shaped me and molded me and sometimes it has hurt!!! He has taught me things I will never forget, the most important of which is that the only way is His way and I have learned to rely on Him for my every need. This is not to say that my trials are over! No, I am not that naive!
We bought a house last year. That was my 9 time to move in 10 years. I sit back now, and look at my life and it feels so stable. It feels so good to know that, more than likely, where I am at is where I'll be for some time. I feel like for the first time in so long, I can sit back, take a deep breath, and truly enjoy my life! And, when the curve balls come - as they are sure to from time to time - I am so much more ready than I used to be... So, as I consider the next 10 years, I say to life:
Laissez les bons temps rouler!!! (Let the good times roll!!!)
"Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'" -Nehemiah 8:10
"He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." -Psalm 91:15-16
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
My "Incompetent Housekeeper" Binder!
So... here in the land of Southern Hospitality, Sweet Iced Tea and good old fashioned values... housekeeping is everything! A woman will forever be judged, at least in these parts, based upon the way she keeps house. And, yes, I said SHE. Because no matter how far we've "progressed" and despite the fact that women are in the work force, working every bit as much as their husbands, no one around here walks in a messy house and thinks, "THEY are bad housekeepers." It is "SHE is a bad housekeeper." I have been married twice now, and both times I married men who's mothers have immaculate houses. My ex mother-in-law's house looks like something right out of a Southern Living Magazine - all the time - no matter when you walk in it. And, she decorates it all herself. No one does hospitality like her. You walk in, feel right at home and she always has something to eat and drink and time to sit and chat. My husbands mother is right there with her. I open her freezer and feel immediate shame! If any part of my life was as organized as just her freezer is, I'd be doing good!! So, how on earth did these men end up with me???
My house is always a mess. If it happens to not be a mess for 5 minutes, no one will see it. The odds are against me that anyone will stop by and see it spotless. Contrary to what many people might think, I am not lazy! I am merely distracted. I come from a long line of distraction. It's all I know. Distraction mixed with procrastination. My mom has been known (on most Saturdays, actually) to spend an entire day "in the kitchen" cleaning. You can talk to her in the evening and she'll say, "I've been in this kitchen cleaning ALL DAY LONG." Now, I know my mom. She has not been in the kitchen all day long. She probably started in the kitchen, then somewhere along the way decided to water all her plants which led her to prune them as well and probably feed them. There may have been one that needed to be repotted. She probably ended up reorganizing a few drawers when she went to put something away... and countless other things that really needed to be done - not in the kitchen, but all the while, still cleaning the kitchen, too. I am not the perfectionist that my mom is. I don't care if my cabinets are organized, as long as I can shut the doors and not see the disarray! (She tends to organize them for me when she's here because it drives her nuts!!)
I am definitely not lazy. The truth is, I try to do too much. Instead of doing one load of laundry a day, I try to do as much as I can, end up not having time to finish it, and voila: laundry baskets with unfolded clothes all over the house. Instead of focusing on one room, I decide to clean ALL the windows in the house or wash ALL the curtains or clean ALL the baseboards... and these things are usually started in the middle of another project. So... I end up with several different parts of my house in the process of being cleaned. Meanwhile, other things go by the wayside with the promise to myself of: "I'll do that in a minute." Before I know it, I have piles of "Do it in a minutes" sitting on my kitchen counter, dresser, vanity, etc...
The only thing that has ever worked for me is a program I found on a website. I have a binder full of schedules and do lists with regards to the running of my home. I have been pretty reluctant to use it, though, even though it works for me, because I want to be the type of person who is naturally organized and neat and tidy. But... bottom line: I'm not that type of person.. I thrive on lists & calendars!! So, why is it crazy that I would use them for the running of my home?? It's really not a crazy notion!
So, if any of you find yourself in my predicament... try this out: Fly Lady
My house is always a mess. If it happens to not be a mess for 5 minutes, no one will see it. The odds are against me that anyone will stop by and see it spotless. Contrary to what many people might think, I am not lazy! I am merely distracted. I come from a long line of distraction. It's all I know. Distraction mixed with procrastination. My mom has been known (on most Saturdays, actually) to spend an entire day "in the kitchen" cleaning. You can talk to her in the evening and she'll say, "I've been in this kitchen cleaning ALL DAY LONG." Now, I know my mom. She has not been in the kitchen all day long. She probably started in the kitchen, then somewhere along the way decided to water all her plants which led her to prune them as well and probably feed them. There may have been one that needed to be repotted. She probably ended up reorganizing a few drawers when she went to put something away... and countless other things that really needed to be done - not in the kitchen, but all the while, still cleaning the kitchen, too. I am not the perfectionist that my mom is. I don't care if my cabinets are organized, as long as I can shut the doors and not see the disarray! (She tends to organize them for me when she's here because it drives her nuts!!)
I am definitely not lazy. The truth is, I try to do too much. Instead of doing one load of laundry a day, I try to do as much as I can, end up not having time to finish it, and voila: laundry baskets with unfolded clothes all over the house. Instead of focusing on one room, I decide to clean ALL the windows in the house or wash ALL the curtains or clean ALL the baseboards... and these things are usually started in the middle of another project. So... I end up with several different parts of my house in the process of being cleaned. Meanwhile, other things go by the wayside with the promise to myself of: "I'll do that in a minute." Before I know it, I have piles of "Do it in a minutes" sitting on my kitchen counter, dresser, vanity, etc...
The only thing that has ever worked for me is a program I found on a website. I have a binder full of schedules and do lists with regards to the running of my home. I have been pretty reluctant to use it, though, even though it works for me, because I want to be the type of person who is naturally organized and neat and tidy. But... bottom line: I'm not that type of person.. I thrive on lists & calendars!! So, why is it crazy that I would use them for the running of my home?? It's really not a crazy notion!
So, if any of you find yourself in my predicament... try this out: Fly Lady
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