What Is Wrong With Being Idle?

Hello friends, how are you and how has your weekend been? I have had a really good one. It has been both relaxing and busy. You know what I mean? I had to work yesterday and that is a bit different. I usually am off on the weekends but I may have mentioned before that one of my mangers has been having some health issues and has been in the hospital and that leaves us a bit short handed.

Anyway, I worked yesterday, Saturday, I was off for a half day on Friday so I did my grocery shopping and errand running then in anticipation of having my Sunday free to do whatever I wanted.

I talked to my sister a couple nights ago and she said the same thing. ” On Sunday I am not going to do anything work related, I am going to do some things for me, YAY!!!!! I haven’t talked to her so I am not sure how that went for her.

For some reason I always feel a little guilty when I don’t do anything. Are you like that? I feel like I have to be doing “something” productive all the time. WHAT??? who can do that???

I wonder why we feel like we are only productive when we are busy? Taking time for us is just as important and productive. Working on things that may have no end or is just something we love to do is good!!! Right??

So today I didn’t get up until 7:00 AM which is really unusual for me. I watched some TV and snuggled with my Scruffy. (See the photo below) I knitted, I did laundry and I mopped the kitchen. I also made sure I had some more extra time for me. That is what a day of rest should be. Doing something that you like to do. Sometimes being idle is my best way of recharging and getting ready for the week ahead.

Poor Scruffy needs a haircut and he is getting one tomorrow. Can’t wait!!! He loves being snuggled in mommy’s arms. He looks at me so adoringly!!! I just love him.

My Kitty Kitty. Just watching her brings me peace and calm.

I made homemade biscuits and put some fresh strawberries on them. What a wonderful treat.

I think I had a wonderfully productive, restful day and I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!!!

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!

Weekends

What a wonderful quiet weekend, just what I needed after a busy work week. I did some knitting and reading. I watched the Elton John movie, Rocket Man. I liked it pretty well. But Bohemian Rhapsody is still my favorite right now. If you haven’t seen, Bohemian Rhapsody you must watch it.

It is hot hot hot!! in East Tennessee with the temps in the high 80″s and of course the humidity is through the roof. My hair can attest to that.

I know I sound like a broken record when I say what a busy week I had and how crazy work was but it was and it was. That is all I will say about work. On Saturday I did the regular grocery shopping and then delivered some supplies to my mother in law at the assisted living village. We still haven’t been able to visit her and I know how hard it is for her not to see anyone other than the other residents.

I had big plans on Saturday to paint a couple of rocking chairs that I have. My friend Lorie got them for me for my Birthday last year and I haven’t gotten them painted. I want to paint them black to match the railing on my deck. They are currently stowed away in the basement. I am getting them out this week and I will paint them this weekend. I saw some adorable patriotic cushions at Walmart that will be perfect for them.

So that is about all that my weekend was about. How about you what did you do over the weekend? Have a wonderful week.

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Hello friends and Happy Mother’s Day!!! I hope you have had a wonderful day with your family and loved ones. It has been a beautiful day here in the south. It has been really really cool. I told you last week we were in Blackberry Winter so the mornings here have been almost cold. If you missed my post about the different winters in the south check it out here This morning it was only 36 Degrees F. A lot of people have covered up their outside plants to keep them safe.

The roses are blooming. This one was at my father in law’s house.

A full weekend. I did the Saturday morning grocery run yesterday. Things are still somewhat tense at the grocery store. It’s like if you get near anyone you jump back like they’re on fire or something. Still very uncomfortable.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I decided to wear my Dog Mom cap to the grocery store yesterday. Please excuse the no make up look.

My little mother in law lives in an Assisted Living Center in Sweetwater. Because of the quarantine we haven’t been able to visit her in over two months. She has been dealing really well with it. We call her every day. For Mother’s Day I have been taking photos all around the house of us and the babies and the flowers and things. Walgreens had a special on 4×6 photos, .10 per copy if you printed over 100. I did, no problem. I got a photo album for her and put all the photos in it. I also took her some of her other favorite things and some flowers. We took all of the things over to the Center yesterday so that she could have them today. She called me and told me how much she liked the photo album. She said “Do I get to keep it here with me”? I laughed, of course you do, I said. It is so funny how happy you can make someone with a small gesture since she can’t see us she can at least look at the pictures. We also took flowers to the cemetery for my mother’s grave and Mark’s grandmother’s grave.

So today was Mother’s Day and usually it is a hard time for me. I did a post a couple of years ago called I survived Mother’s Day. You can read it here. I don’t have human children and Mother’s Day has always been sort of a hard time for me. But you know what? This year it wasn’t at all. I am trying to figure out exactly what is different. Of course dealing with COVID-19 this year has put a lot of things in perspective for everyone. I also think that as I get older and more comfortable in my skin I am happy with me just the way I am. Instead of thinking about surviving I rejoiced in the day. I am happy with the way my life is. I had a wonderful day. I cooked a rack of baby back ribs in the crock pot, they were amazing!!! I will share the recipe for the rub I used soon. I worked on some cross stitch and some knitting. I read. I spent time outside, I spent time with my precious sweet family and it was just awesome!!!

This is the heart cross stitch I have been working on for quite a while. I had hoped to have it done by Valentine’s Day. But it will probably be next Valentine’s Day, maybe, HA!!

Me, my sister Carolyn, My Mom, my sister Sandy, My sister Pat. This picture was taken a few years before my sister Carolyn and my mom passed away. We were on one of our famous “Sister Trips”. These women have played such a role in my life. I can’t begin to tell you how they have guided me and made me the person I am today. They were and are amazing mothers!! They mean everything to me.

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!

Work And Life-How Do You Balance?

Well it is Sunday and May!!! how can we be that far into the year already?

I am back at work full time. Last week was my first week back every day all day and let me tell you it sort of kicked by butt!! We are still not open to the public but we have a lot to do to get ready for opening. Looking at the bright side, and I do try to do that every chance I get, it is a luxury to be able to work on our gift shops and paint and clean without our guests in the middle of everything. It does make it easier to get things done in a more orderly fashion.

For three weeks I worked mostly from home and only went in to work a couple of times a week for a few hours. I loved not having to get out of the house at a certain time every day, not having to worry about what I would wear to work, when I would do laundry, etc. I am very fortunate that my job allowed me to do that. There are so many people without a job and having to rely on unemployment benefits to get them through this tough time.

Last Monday I put on real work clothes, packed my lunch, loaded my bag with my laptop, grabbed my favorite to go coffee mug full of coffee and headed out. Scruffy looked at me like I was leaving him forever. And let me say right now if he was ever attached to me before it’s even worse now. He will not let me out of his sight once I get home. I’m thinking of getting one of those Moby baby carriers and strapping him onto me. It would make things easier and keep me from tripping over him every step I take.

It felt really good being out and getting to see a few of my co-workers. I am a people person and I like being out and about and around people. But I have to admit those weeks of quiet and solitude were actually really nice too. I didn’t like the reason we had to stay in but I did enjoy the down time.

During my three week “sabbatical” I noticed that my stress level had gone down so much. I was nicer, laughed more, had more energy. I was talking to my niece on the phone and we were laughing and talking about a million different things and she said “Wow quarantine really agrees with you”. I guess there is a lot to be said and read into that statement.

I promised myself right then that I would not let stress get to me to the point that it made me not me. There has to be a work life balance and I have never been good at getting to that point. I think three weeks of taking it easy made me realize just how much I need that balance.

Over the weekend I took it easy and watched some things on TV I had been waiting to see. One was, My Darling Vivian, a documentary about Vivian Liberto, the first wife of Johnny Cash. It is on Amazon Prime and I highly recommend it. It is quite a story told by their four daughters, She also wrote a book called I Walked The Line, My Life With Johnny Cash. As soon as I finished the show I ordered the book. I can’t wait to read it. Scruffy and I took a lot of walks, and I did a little cooking and reading and knitting and just enjoyed my time at home. For me I think this is the best way to recharge and regenerate for my work week. Work is a huge part of my life but I must not make it all of my life. See? there’s that balance thing again.

The weather today was just perfect

The Rhododendron are blooming!!!!

Scruffy in full running mode!!

Kitty Kitty loves to lay in the patches of sun coming in. She also loves my spinning wheel. She thinks it’s a big toy.

Molly always goes on our walks with us. She sometimes gets tired and goes back to the house before we do. She’s an old lady so that is fine.

So I have decided that when the world gets in the way. I will find my quiet spot and my loved ones and enjoy my own little world. How about you? What do you do to balance your work and your life?

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!