Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Can you relate?

we are near the end the first month of the new year. Can you believe it?

My mantra for this year is USE IT. Use my supplies, use my ideas, use my time in a great way, use my skills, use my eyes to see and ears to hear. Read my books, play my instruments, use communication skills to reach out to others. Enjoy my magazines, write my stories, watch BBC shows that I love. Try techniques and patterns I've owned for a long time. Put into motion some ideas.

It is so overwhelming I sit down and watch TV.

(I would be mindlessly playing games on the IPAD if my eye condition were better)
You never know what you have til you lose it. I whined about my spine issues til my eye condition showed up.

In life, there are always obligations, maintenance, daily chores to do.  I'm not even discussing those today.

Since retirement, I am lucky to have time to explore my creative side. Even fun stuff can be overwhelming! Can you relate?

Some of what I want to do:
1. Read the books checked out from the library before they're due. Fiction, non fiction, quilting, knitting, beading, creativity exercises.
some are mine, some are library!
 2. Do the creativity exercises
3. Write a story every day, or at least once a week
4. Set last year's BOM's into quilt tops
5. at least organize my UFO's  if I can't seem to finish any. Know where they are.
This is a young UFO, just needs binding sewn down!

6. update my finished quilt list which means find the quilts not yet listed, which brings me to...
7. organize the pile of finished quilts so I can find them and are ready to show in the next lecture
not all of the 200+ quilts to organize
 8. Pull out a stash book and use it somehow, at least one a month

9. Let go of some supplies I will never use, such as clay, because of the smells while cooking
10. Paint and draw more often...Check!

11. keep in contact with friends
12. look through my stacks of magazines, and for pete's sake, recycle them!!!

13. wash the new fabric
14. re wash the old batiks three times so I can finally use them
15. use my cool fabrics in something. No Really. USE THEM
waiting to find a home in the stash!

16. watch more  bbc shows
17. play my ukelele again, this time with a shoulder strap
18. listen to more books on disc
19. use up that knitting yarn  KNIT SOMETHING EASY
20. start a link party here at Not Afraid of Color
21. Read fun blogs, do BOM from them, and write this one!

Just a few of the fun things I would like to do. That's not even counting lose 50 lbs, clean out the basement, find a different house, love my husband and poodle, and drink more water.

you might also like on-keeping-lists.




34 comments:

PaintedThread said...

A good list. Lot's to do! Don't let it overwhelm you.

Turid said...

Just as if I wrote it myself, except from the BBC shows and the knitting. A linky party would have been super. I'm in.

Seam Ripper Joe and his Sewing Machine said...

Wow, you have quite the ta-do list. Good Luck!

Mari said...

I'm exhausted just reading it! :)

Mary in Boulder said...

Well, that was exhausting to read! But I get you. Too much to do, whether it's fun or not, is still overwhelming and too much! Maybe you need a snow day. Oh, that's right, you just had four of them!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

This list makes me want to hit the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ha ha HA! :)

MissPat said...

That's quite the list. When I retired two years ago, I was going to get so much done. More quilting, rehab my gardens, start some overdue house maintenance, etc. Well, I have done more quilting, the gardens are still a disaster (but the deer eat everything anyway, so why bother), and the house is still waiting. Maybe if I spent less time reading terrific blogs (and getting more ideas than I'll ever have time for) I'd accomplish more. But, hey, I'm retired. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.
So condense that list and do what makes you happy.

Julierose said...

Now, that is a LIFE list...after making that no wonder you had to "put your little feet up" and rest--and give Cole some hugs,,,julierose

Mystic Quilter said...

Oh boy can I relate to this superb post!! I think I might follow your lead and sit myself down and think out what I feel like doing for the remainder of the year - time seems to march on so quickly these days. Thanks for this post!

Maria said...

I can relate. Thank you for writing this, now I don't feel so bad!

Daytona Damsel said...

I can defnately relate. My post is the same as yours. Over did it on the goals planning and get discouraged so watch TV or surf the net. How did we get so much done when we were younger? Here is hoping you can whittle it down to a manageable few. Debbie

sonja said...

i can relate.. i am thinking that my list needs paring down, yours was somewhat exhausting for my pea brain so i had to pause and get another coffee.....
My take is this, as time left is finite
and eyes are precious so
i am being more selective and siting and breathing in air, sky,ocean,flowers, critters, counts as time well spent. you get more done before noon than some get in a decade i thought to my self. i am almost ready for my word of the year to be present and..... here's to shorter lists and daydreaming!
Sonja

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

I'm in.....I need to have an identical list.....and I need to start it with CLEAN MY QUILT ROOM UP......pardon me, while I go try to find the glue sticks I just had my hand on.......

DeAnna said...

I understand too! Read your goals when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night and take one day at a time and take joy in that day. You will eventually get it all done!

Stephie said...

Hahaha!!!! OMG - how did you get in my head Leanna!!!! A few years ago I was asked by a health worker to write a list of things I had to do. It came to about 8 sides of A4. She practically fell over and said, "no I meant 3 little things" - not even 3 pages?!?!?! Whaaaat?!! And that was just the things I HAD to do, hadn't even given a thought to what I wanted to do - and nothing's bloody changed :D I reckon we should tear our lists up into individual bits, stick them in a bowl and swish them around then just pull one out and go for it! (Actually, I might really do that!!!) x

Stephie said...

Only a pint Deb?!?!?!

Tails Around the Ranch said...

Speaking from experience, I find, lists or not, it's just best to 'eat that elephant...one bite at a time.' Oh and have a blast doing all the cool things that drive you! ღ

Ann said...

It took two years but I finished or gave away my UFO tops. There are still some block sets but that's another story. Good for you winnowing out the books and supplies you won't use. Best is loving your husband and dog!

Joanne said...

That's a list with so many beautiful choices!
So many opporunities for fun stuff!
Lots of the list you can combine!
Enjoy the moments !

Joanne said...

That's a list with so many beautiful choices!
So many opporunities for fun stuff!
Lots of the list you can combine!
Enjoy the moments !

Ruth said...

It can be so overwhelming - and sometimes I just need a break to do nothing too and that takes time as well!

Lisa said...

omigosh that is quite a list!!! that's a lot to bite off and chew... eat sloooooowly!

gayle said...

I agree with Stephie about tearing the list into little bits and picking one per day. And then you can turn the other little bits into papier mache...

Unknown said...

Unfortunately, I can totally relate. My list, if I could bring myself to write it down, would be as long as your list...and as overwhelming...so, I don't write it down now. Instead I just make weekly goals, small goals, and try to get some of them done so I don't have to write 'see last week' too often. I'm trying to just make my peace with the fact that I'm SO SLOW these days, not helped at all by having brought home a new puppy this last summer while also taking care of my very old Old English Sheepdogs...

claudia said...

Have you been in my head lately??? It seems like it, because I have had all those same thoughts! I have so much time on my hands, I retired as well, and it seems overwhelming, so I go on the computer!!! UGH! I need someone here with a cattle prod to get me engaged! I think I am glad I am not alone!

claudia said...

OMG! I will start to do a project and go to pick up an item I just saw the day before to do the project with and it's not there! Then I spend the rest of my time looking for it or getting sidetracked by something else I find while looking for it!!!

Deb said...

Great list wonderful post, my lists has many of the things on your list, I am learning one day at a time and I am slowly making progress on all the things I want to do and use, especially that special fabric/yarn/paper I just had to have and its sits in a bin.

Kaja said...

I too am wondering where January went, and I haven't even started reviving my French or learning to do more with my camera. I love a good list, like yours, but right now I'm making little weekly ones; not so much progress on big targets but at least I can get to cross something off once in a while!

Ginny said...

LeeAnna,
Loved your to-do list. I have a similar one in my head, but the top three things I need to do are:
1- organize my sewing room so that I can actually walk around and through it!
2 - get rid of fabric I will never use (What?)
3- finish all my unfinished quilts roughly 6-8 big quilts - especially my son's wedding quilt. The top was finished the year he was married. He's been married now for 6 years!
:-O
I retired in 2014 so there is NO excuse now for not having enough time. :-)
Ginny
(From CT)

Jackie Bouchard said...

I can relate. I've been spring cleaning my house like crazy (well, winter cleaning, I guess) and found a lot of old crafting stuff and painting supplies. Seems I never have time for those things since writing takes up so much time. Guess I need to write less! Don't remember the last time I painted something!

Amy Art Quilter & Fyber Cafe said...

I am looking forward to being retired, soon, very soon, I HOPE. I bought a can of paint to paint the bathroom 3 years ago, every summer and every spring break I put it on my list, but I am a massive procrastinator. Lists help, especially the great feeling you get when you cross something off!

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Love your list! Some of your resolutions are the same as mine. Maybe we can finish our lists together!

Zenia Rene said...

Even fun stuff can be overwhelming! Yes, I can relate! Good providence w/your goals Leeanna.

Val's Quilting Studio said...

Isn't life wonderful!! I too wish there wre more hours in the day....I'm already dreaming about spring break!!