february goals

This month I set four small goals on the sidebar of the blog. I was tempted to set more, but I knew I needed to start with something reasonable and attainable. Now that were in the last few days of February, here's an update on my progress:

Blog Twice A Week
Thanks to Scripture Sundays, this has totally worked out. I'm hoping to continue this pattern with an extra post here and there. I didn't realize how much I missed blogging until I got back into it!

Finish One Knitting Project
I finished my cowl! As long as finished means I did the bind off... I still need to block it and weave in the ends, but I'm planning to do that on Friday. The goal was to get something off the needles so I could focus on my other 4 projects. Mission Accomplished!

Drink More Water
Not sure I set a real tangible to way for myself to track this goal but I do have a better system for making sure I'm equipped to drink water. I have a variety of glass water bottles that go straight from the dishwasher into the fridge with filtered water and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Anytime I need water at home or to go, I reach for these. They are chilled and refreshing. Once I'm done, back into the dishwasher they go. A pretty good system, though I'm sure I could still use a bit more H2O to fuel me throughout the day.

Make Time for Pleasure Reading
I have discovered so many books I want to read! While that isn't really what the goal was about, I have carved out some time for reading. Here's what's currently on my nightstand:

The Bible - Matthew
I'm reading through the Gospel with Margaret Feinberg's #lentenchallenge I'm using the packet she put together which uses a variety of translations. It is really interesting to read straight through the different chapters and see all the miracles and interactions of Jesus. Next week we'll move into Mark and then work our way through Luke and John. It is a nice way to slow down and recenter each day.

Delancey - Molly Wizenberg
I tried to listen to this as an audiobook first. #fail The reader did not make me excited. By chance I had also put the hardback edition on hold at the library. When it arrived I decided to give it another go. I love reading Molly's blog and am so happy that I gave it another chance. It is fun to read about the ups and downs of their journey toward opening a pizzeria. I have even read a bit aloud to my husband. the way she writes is lyrical and makes me want to set the book down and head straight for the kitchen!





Here what I want to put on my nightstand next:

Make It Happen - Lara Casey
I've seen this one around the internet and on a few blogs lately. I love the concept of purposeful living and finding a way to view life as more than checking things off a list. I'm interested to see what she says about her path to enjoy the journey of life.

Fringe Hours - Jessica Turner
This book seems like the next step in my quest for time management. Not the kind of time management that makes me efficient at work (I've got that pretty well covered right now) but how to make time for the things that I love and am inspired by. I one time overheard a piano student tell his teacher, "I didn't have time to practice this week," and the teacher very sincerely and gently said, "We all have the same time each and every day. Only you get to choose how you spend it." I'm not sure how much the student took this to heart, but I certainly did! I have been working lately to find a balance between efficiency and enjoyment and this books seems interesting to me as I explore the way I spend my minutes each day.

Coffee Helper - Lent day 2

"Coffee break. That's what I need," I thought to myself. I gathered my mug, coffee grounds and filter and headed to the other building. Upon entering I realized a student was upset and talking with another staff member in the health room. Definitely one of mine. "Do I sneak by and let them handle it? Should I check in and see if I'm needed?" Had it been another student, I might have kept walking, but instead I walked in and stood quietly to the side. It was evident she was in no shape to head to recess so I invited her to come with me. We went to the conference room and chatted about coffee. "My mom has a latte maker," she told me. I let her push the buttons and pull the levers. We spoke slowly and quietly to one another and she watched with great patience as the water level went down and the coffee filled my cup. We "snuck out the back" and into the classroom and as she got her snack out and waited for the other students I realized that she was the one who needed the coffee break. A break from the noise and chaos of passionate first graders. A break from working and thinking hard, and following directions. Even though never got to drink my coffee, it was the most important decision I made all day.

Volume - Lent day 1

The volume knob on my radio is getting old. When you turn it counter-clockwise, it rarely decreases the volume. In fact, it often turns the volume up skipping from 3 to 7 then down to 4 and up to 10. The only sure way to adjust the volume is to turn it off. But the next time you turn it on, you're back where you began.

In my head the speed and care with which I turn the knob influences the results, despite  my lack of evidence.  And yet each time I adjust the volume, I work with great effort to will it one way or the other, hoping that maybe this time it will work, this time I will have control. It doesn't work, it likely won't, and in the end I wear myself out and give up the idea of control.

Last night my mind was a buzz with the noise of life. My thoughts flooded with lists of things to do, spoken and unspoken conversations, looming deadlines and concerns. I tried to adjust the volume, to push life's noise down and out, to make It fall away so I could embrace the stillness and silence. I wanted to focus and immerse myself in the moment. When I realized I couldn't make it happen, I let the thoughts and feelings and lists fly through my head, again and again and again. Eventually they stopped and faded into silence.

Perhaps sometimes the things we want to silence are the things we need to hear, the things that need our attention. No matter the effort I put into carefully adjusting the knob, I don't control the volume. But when I choose to embrace the noise and address the chaos, the volume suddenly shifts. The chaos turns to song and the struggle to achieve the perfect volume fades away...