Week 13 of 52 - Out of Focus

As I reflect on this week, there were days where I missed my focus completely…


A few days where I focused on the debris instead of the beauty…

Not sure what was going on. I could always blame the pollen clouds fogging my head. (or I could blame the lazy folks who leave their carts in the middle of the parking lot, but that would REALLY be a stretch).

I could blame uncertainty or busyness @ work.
Or perhaps it’s the clutter that invades my home often before the sun comes up. (yes, I fully expect I will miss this plastic-filled space in years to come).

Or my personality that can drive off a cliff researching the details of trivial things. But if I go there, I’ll be surfing products on Amazon into the wee hours of the morning and forget to finish writing this blog completely.

So my goals for this week are to be a little more focused, a little more in the moment, and find a few more opportunities to notice the beauty around me.



And if I don’t? It’s the pollen.

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As an aside, my grandmother gave me two photos this week of me at age 3 to show me how she thinks George favors me at this age. Hope you enjoy this seventies flashback - don't be hating on my pants suit!



 

Week 12 of 52 - Few of my favorite things

Not much to say today - just sharing a few little things that made me smile this week.  In chronological order...
1.  Paying off our smaller debt
2.  The avoidance of a government shutdown
3.  32 boxes of free pasta 
4.  The dry cleaner still having my suits 16 months later
5.  Laughter with friends
6.  Winning a camera bag (yes, I found another contest and yes, I really did win - thanks BB!!).
7.  Visiting family
8.  Watching G chug his first root beer (or "woot be-wa" as he says) until it dripped off the bottom of his shirt.
9.  Spending time photographing my beautiful niece.  I love you!







10.  Coming back home safe and sound to start another week.

Week 11 of 52 - Sleepless Nights and Wasted Days

We have the best of intentions, we plan to take our boys places, we really do.  Then through a tiring chain of events, we usually end up staying at home.  It goes down something like this:

10:15 pm (shortly before turning out the lights):  “It’s supposed to be in the seventies tomorrow, we should take the boys somewhere.”  Both agree.

12:29 am:  Cries of teething infant, both get out of bed, one makes bottle and other rocks infant back to sleep.

1:37am:  Strange beeping noise, both out of bed, stumbling over pillow shams, throwing neatly-folded clothes off dressers, seeking source as if on a blindfolded Easter egg hunt.  Finally discover cordless phone has a beeping low-battery indicator.  Nice feature...

2:26 am:  Infant crying again, pajamas and sheet are soaked.  Both out of bed – one changes and rocks baby, other changes sheet and makes bottle.

4:00 am:  Toddler wakes up screaming.  Mom out of bed, silently berates self for buying Toy Story 3 DVD and introducing toddler to the wild-eyed cymbal-clanging stuffed monkey which now haunts his dreams, sleepily brings toddler to bed (for the first time ever, he is usually the rock star sleeper).

4:something am:  Toddler is laughing hysterically in his sleep, both close eyes, thankful no intervention is needed.

5:44 am:  Toddler sits upright in bed to avoid falling back asleep, begins chattering, and the day begins.

In the six o’clock hour is usually when we cast aside our plans for something that requires less exertion.  Except this day, we slurp down our coffee, pack a picnic, and go somewhere anyway.


We laugh along the way that the destination which was fondly recalled as a 5 minute drive on our first date is now a 33-minute excursion in which each looong minute is punctuated by “Tie my shoe, tie my shoe, tie my shoe, alternated by I wanna go to the park, I wanna go to the park, I wanna go to the park.”


I had fun photographing the bridge.  No family pics though, G asked me to put up my camera, so I happily obliged him.


It was a busy and fun weekend so I decided to use a coupon clipping service instead of buying the Sunday papers and clipping my own coupons.  I recommend The Coupon Clippers.  You buy only the coupons you want and they arrive on your doorstep 2-3 days later all clipped and sorted.  I paid about $3 more than I do for the papers and for the time I saved, it was a bargain. 

Week 10 of 52 - Marketing, Materialism, and What Truly Matters



Earlier in this 2011 challenge, I read this article from Jon Acuff and his words gave me pause (not to mention an occasional pinch!).

Besides making me question why I was really buying half the crap I buy, the article made me wonder about the marketing in my environment. I decided to save all the mailed and emailed marketing attempts I received for an entire month. I was surprised at the results.  I thought we received more mailed marketing than this.

I was even more surprised at how many emails I received - over 350 emails in the 30 days to entice me to spend money.  This does not count the 360 ads that went to my spam email.  Obviously these numbers do not include all the billboards, radio announcements, internet/facebook ads, television commercials, and things that others own/do which can influence buying decisions.  Wow.  One article estimated that adults living in the city see over 5000 ads each day!1

Let me be clear, I enjoy advertising and I admire well-done commercials.  Also, this is not to say, “No wonder I am a spender, I’m just bombarded by buying opportunities! It’s hopeless, hand me that catalog before the 25% off coupon expires!”  


Rather, the intention is to recognize the lures that distract me from visualizing the victory of achieving not only our financial goals but more importantly - dare I say – our God-given purposes. 

After all, these savvy marketers are just doing their job – and doing it very well I might add - to sell me on why I need their product!  It’s our job to make sure we give first to our church, fund our emergency savings, and prepare for our children’s education (this is a choice of ours, not a mandate for anyone else).

It’s up to me to pray I will act maturely with the money I am given as well as yearn for the things of true value in this world in the brief time I am here.  

After all, isn’t that what living intentionally is all about?

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:1

For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grace.  The grass withers and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.  1 Peter 1:24-25


As for the rest of our weekend, we spent much time inside, eating and playing with Legos while we watched the rain.






1http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/media/15everywhere.html