Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it.
Fermin to Daniel, in Shadow of the Wind
isn't life interesting?
Showing posts with label BOOKS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BOOKS. Show all posts
The Art of Spending Time Alone
I am home alone. All evening. So when I walked in the door from work, I spent the first 15 minutes thinking: I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT! ANYTHING AT ALL! WHAT SHALL I DO?
Things I considered:
1. Write the 5th paragraph of the novel I started 18 months ago.
2. Make the handmade greeting cards I bought the supplies for last summer.
3. Knit.
4. Read.
5. Read, on the pretty screen porch along the back of my house.
6. Read, on the pretty screen porch along the back of my house, with a cold cocktail.
7. Get a good start on that pile of laundry that has been piling for more than two weeks.
8. Read at least one of the seven magazines I subscribe to (and never read).
9. Work on my daughter's high school scrapbook. (Admission: I haven't actually started this, and she graduated last weekend.)
10. Work on the blog I plan to launch next month.
11. Actually write the blog post I was supposed to post today on R-blog.
12. Sit quietly, alone, with my own thoughts and no TV.
13. Watch all the TV I want as late as I want and on exactly the channels I want to watch without discussing it with anyone.
14. Call my husband, who is on the road.
15. Facebook.
16. Work on the four iphoto books I've started and abandoned in the last three years.
17. Call my Mother.
18. Bleach my whites. (Many of them need it. Seriously.)
19. Iron.
20. Surf for the very best girl movie I can find.
21. Go to the movies. Alone.
22. Take the dog for a walk.
23. Take myself for a walk.
24. Look at that book that is going to show me how to "lean into" extreme health.
25. Get a plan for cutting out sugar. Or carbs. Or one entire diet category that takes planning.
26. Clean out the fish tank.
27. Clean out the hermit crab tank.
29. Clean out one of the 36 wardrobe boxes I brought from my Mother's attic when we emptied her house.
30. Tool around Etsy.
31. Organize my jewelry drawer.
32. Catch up on TIVO.
33. Research interesting things to do on vacation in two weeks.
34. Book something interesting to do on vacation in two weeks.
35. Wrap the 14 graduation presents on my kitchen table.
36. Write sweet notes to go with them.
37. Delve into the insurance company's denial of my dental and my daughter's dermatologist claims.
38. Surprise my daughter by cleaning out her closet.
39. Mail the graduation photos.
40. Mail the graduation presents I haven't mailed.
41. Buy the graduation presents I haven't bought.
42. Call Julie about plans for travel on Sunday.
43. Drink a big glass of water. With lemon.
44. Or a cup of hot tea.
45. Finally organize my yarn, patterns and knitting needles.
46. Climb into bed early, and read.
47. Climb into bed early, and sleep.
48. Catch up on that long list of emails I didn't deal with because they required some sort of decision.
49. Watch a movie on the big screen TV in the den, holding the remote myself.
50. Sketch in my sketchbook.
51. Paint with watercolors.
52. Paint with oils.
53. Put away the CDs that are in a pile to the left of the CD player.
54. Organize them.
55. Hootsuite my tweets for the next week.
56. Search for some more bird apps for my Dad's ipad, for Father's Day.
57. Download a journaling app to my ipad.
58. Write in the journal I already have.
59. Meditate.
60. Pray.
61. Make a list of things I could do.
Things I considered:
1. Write the 5th paragraph of the novel I started 18 months ago.2. Make the handmade greeting cards I bought the supplies for last summer.
3. Knit.
4. Read.
5. Read, on the pretty screen porch along the back of my house.
6. Read, on the pretty screen porch along the back of my house, with a cold cocktail.
7. Get a good start on that pile of laundry that has been piling for more than two weeks.
8. Read at least one of the seven magazines I subscribe to (and never read).
9. Work on my daughter's high school scrapbook. (Admission: I haven't actually started this, and she graduated last weekend.)
10. Work on the blog I plan to launch next month.
11. Actually write the blog post I was supposed to post today on R-blog.
12. Sit quietly, alone, with my own thoughts and no TV.
13. Watch all the TV I want as late as I want and on exactly the channels I want to watch without discussing it with anyone.
14. Call my husband, who is on the road.
15. Facebook.
16. Work on the four iphoto books I've started and abandoned in the last three years.
17. Call my Mother.
18. Bleach my whites. (Many of them need it. Seriously.)
19. Iron.
20. Surf for the very best girl movie I can find.
21. Go to the movies. Alone.
22. Take the dog for a walk.
23. Take myself for a walk.
24. Look at that book that is going to show me how to "lean into" extreme health.
25. Get a plan for cutting out sugar. Or carbs. Or one entire diet category that takes planning.
26. Clean out the fish tank.
27. Clean out the hermit crab tank.
29. Clean out one of the 36 wardrobe boxes I brought from my Mother's attic when we emptied her house.
30. Tool around Etsy.
31. Organize my jewelry drawer.
32. Catch up on TIVO.
33. Research interesting things to do on vacation in two weeks.
34. Book something interesting to do on vacation in two weeks.
35. Wrap the 14 graduation presents on my kitchen table.
36. Write sweet notes to go with them.
37. Delve into the insurance company's denial of my dental and my daughter's dermatologist claims.
38. Surprise my daughter by cleaning out her closet.
39. Mail the graduation photos.
40. Mail the graduation presents I haven't mailed.
41. Buy the graduation presents I haven't bought.
42. Call Julie about plans for travel on Sunday.
43. Drink a big glass of water. With lemon.
44. Or a cup of hot tea.
45. Finally organize my yarn, patterns and knitting needles.
46. Climb into bed early, and read.
47. Climb into bed early, and sleep.
48. Catch up on that long list of emails I didn't deal with because they required some sort of decision.
49. Watch a movie on the big screen TV in the den, holding the remote myself.
50. Sketch in my sketchbook.
51. Paint with watercolors.
52. Paint with oils.
53. Put away the CDs that are in a pile to the left of the CD player.
54. Organize them.
55. Hootsuite my tweets for the next week.
56. Search for some more bird apps for my Dad's ipad, for Father's Day.
57. Download a journaling app to my ipad.
58. Write in the journal I already have.
59. Meditate.
60. Pray.
61. Make a list of things I could do.
Fantastic Read
The best book I've read this year: The Help
The Help by Kathryn StockettMy rating: 5 of 5 stars From the opening paragraph of this book, I decided to reserve a space on my Top Ten, or at least my Top Fifteen, list. It is added. An important story with interesting characters, beautifully written. Kudos to Kathryn Stockett. (I tried to find a way to email her, I loved it so much.) I did not want this book to end. View all my reviews >>
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