New thing today, dealt with someone trying to claim community service as a volunteer, for something that they weren't registered for and didn't really do. I'm not going into the details, but it's some weird shady stuff.
Anyway as head of some volunteers on my off-time for our parish, today I had to deal with weirdness, dishonesty and overall laziness of some people. Sometimes I get a super high from helping the community, and sometimes it's just frustrating to see people who don't try or who have given up in trying to do the right things.
So anyway, going to pray and stay positive, and hope the light we give in this world outshines the dark that is out there. Happy Monday?!
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Minimalism - Buying Advice - The Power of a Purchase Pause
New thing today, I read a new blog post that I found enlightening and wanted to share it with you.
I've been researching minimalism and minimalist living. Once upon a time I read a book called Enough - Breaking free from the world of more by John Naish which I loved and really spoke to me. It is one of my favorites, and a book that really changed how I see the world.
Anyway so I've got life things to manage, and with the successful weight loss from Weight Watchers, I'm looking to trim the fat and downsize other parts of my life that are weighing me down and keeping me heavy. So, the minimalist lifestyle and philosophy is appealing and I'm researching and learning to live it. It looks like a shift in philosophy and maintenance in how you manage stuff, but it's also about growing and learning and continuing to improve and streamline what you have.
There's a phrase that really got to me in my research "Everything That Remains" by this group The Minimalists and it got me thinking. It makes me want to keep and cherish and value what remains, and get rid of everything else. It's also part of my love of the movie Fight Club - one of the quotes being, "No Fear. No Distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide" - Chuck Palahniuk. I am drawn to simplicity. My English teacher once said "It's harder to write something short, than it is to write something long". I'll keep that in mind in my blogs, but possibly not. You may still hear me ramble.
So anyway I've added a few minimalist blogs to my feed (a few) and this one post from today really got to me and I'm going to use it when considering buying things.
I'm also keeping up with the blogs as a way to LEARN to be simple. It doesn't come naturally. We have hoarding and collecting tendencies in my family, and I've seen the kind of addiction and crutch it can become, so I want to be free from that and from the emotional attachment to stuff. I also moved around a lot as a kid, and so I really know what it's like to carry, move and have all that stuff with you. So I'm just trying to evolve. As one of my Fight Club movie quotes says "Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may."
So anyway that's my minimalist spiel. Also new thing today, I learned how to spell spiel.
Ok so enjoy the article - here it is REPOSTED - but credit the original author as they did a fabulous job!
From the Be More With Less blog - The Power of a Purchase Pause by Courtney Carver
----
The Power of a Purchase Pause
// Be More with Less
I left my sweatshirt on a plane while traveling in March. I wore it frequently, and it was a staple of my tiny wardrobe. I called the airline, searched lost and found, and when I couldn't find it, I wanted to replace it immediately.
Instead, I decided to implement a purchase pause. Even though I really wanted an alternative for my lost item, I knew I didn't need it. Fast forward almost a month, and while there have been a few times that I wanted to wear a sweatshirt, I didn't think about it much. It didn't prevent me from enjoying life or doing the things I normally do.
I always had what sounded like a reasonable excuse to buy. I also had a pile of debt, a garage and shed full of stuff that I didn't use, and all of the side effects that come with that including discontent and stress.
Shopping never fixed anything.
1. Fake the purchase. Before you buy one more thing, imagine buying it. For example, if you want to buy a new pair of roller blades because you saw some people at the park having fun on skates, fake the purchase. Go through each step of the process. Imagine walking into the store, handing over cash or card, and bringing your new roller blades home. Are you so excited that you put them on and take them for a spin, or do you have to go back to work or clean your house first? Maybe you wait to try them until the weekend. Then it rains on Saturday, so you have to put your outing off a week. When you do get out, do you love roller blading and start using them every day or once a week, or after time do they work their way to the back of the closet while you look for something else?
When you finally give up on the roller blades, are you still paying for them? Roller blades might not be your thing, but whatever the item, fake your next purchase and think through the first 30-60 days with your new purchase. Still interested?
2. Buy it on paper. Declare a shopping fast for the next 30 days. Instead of buying it with paper or plastic, buy it on paper. Write down everything you think about buying along with the price. Keep track of the items you want and the money you would have spent buying them.
At the end of 30 days, look at the total amount of money you saved and ask yourself if you want to spend it on the items you listed or use it for something else. It's easier to justify one purchase at a time, but when you total your expenses and realize how much you are spending each month, the individual purchases may seem less important. If your monthly total is $800, would you go out and buy everything on the list or use the $800 differently?
3. Define need vs. want. Get honest with yourself about your purchases. What percentage of your purchases are needs versus wants? Buying something you want isn't a bad thing, but call it what it is.
4. Know what matters most. Use what matters the most to leverage your shopping decisions. If you don't know what matters, buying things may be your way of searching for meaning.
Instead, identify a few things that really mean something to you. It will be different for everyone, but some examples might include:
5. Make rules. Challenge yourself to stick with a few shopping rules so you can fully embrace the power of a purchase pause. Before purchasing, wait 30 days for anything less than $100 and 60 days for everything that costs more than $100.
You don't have to be a shopaholic to benefit from a purchase pause. Most of us have purchased things we don't need or want and later regret the decision to buy. With a small time out, we can fully consider our purchases and make informed decisions about what really makes us happy.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and join me on Facebook. Check out courtneycarver.com for simple ideas for your life and business.
I've been researching minimalism and minimalist living. Once upon a time I read a book called Enough - Breaking free from the world of more by John Naish which I loved and really spoke to me. It is one of my favorites, and a book that really changed how I see the world.
Anyway so I've got life things to manage, and with the successful weight loss from Weight Watchers, I'm looking to trim the fat and downsize other parts of my life that are weighing me down and keeping me heavy. So, the minimalist lifestyle and philosophy is appealing and I'm researching and learning to live it. It looks like a shift in philosophy and maintenance in how you manage stuff, but it's also about growing and learning and continuing to improve and streamline what you have.
There's a phrase that really got to me in my research "Everything That Remains" by this group The Minimalists and it got me thinking. It makes me want to keep and cherish and value what remains, and get rid of everything else. It's also part of my love of the movie Fight Club - one of the quotes being, "No Fear. No Distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide" - Chuck Palahniuk. I am drawn to simplicity. My English teacher once said "It's harder to write something short, than it is to write something long". I'll keep that in mind in my blogs, but possibly not. You may still hear me ramble.
So anyway I've added a few minimalist blogs to my feed (a few) and this one post from today really got to me and I'm going to use it when considering buying things.
I'm also keeping up with the blogs as a way to LEARN to be simple. It doesn't come naturally. We have hoarding and collecting tendencies in my family, and I've seen the kind of addiction and crutch it can become, so I want to be free from that and from the emotional attachment to stuff. I also moved around a lot as a kid, and so I really know what it's like to carry, move and have all that stuff with you. So I'm just trying to evolve. As one of my Fight Club movie quotes says "Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may."
So anyway that's my minimalist spiel. Also new thing today, I learned how to spell spiel.
Ok so enjoy the article - here it is REPOSTED - but credit the original author as they did a fabulous job!
From the Be More With Less blog - The Power of a Purchase Pause by Courtney Carver
----
The Power of a Purchase Pause
// Be More with Less
I left my sweatshirt on a plane while traveling in March. I wore it frequently, and it was a staple of my tiny wardrobe. I called the airline, searched lost and found, and when I couldn't find it, I wanted to replace it immediately.
Instead, I decided to implement a purchase pause. Even though I really wanted an alternative for my lost item, I knew I didn't need it. Fast forward almost a month, and while there have been a few times that I wanted to wear a sweatshirt, I didn't think about it much. It didn't prevent me from enjoying life or doing the things I normally do.
The power of a purchase pause allows you to …
- save money
- limit impulse buying
- consider your purchases
- avoid buyer's remorse
- bypass emotional shopping
- create time (once you declare a purchase pause, you can stop searching sales and spend less time in the dressing room)
- gracefully bow out of trips to the mall (sorry, can't make it … I'm in the middle of a purchase pause)
I always had what sounded like a reasonable excuse to buy. I also had a pile of debt, a garage and shed full of stuff that I didn't use, and all of the side effects that come with that including discontent and stress.
Shopping never fixed anything.
When you finally give up on the roller blades, are you still paying for them? Roller blades might not be your thing, but whatever the item, fake your next purchase and think through the first 30-60 days with your new purchase. Still interested?
2. Buy it on paper. Declare a shopping fast for the next 30 days. Instead of buying it with paper or plastic, buy it on paper. Write down everything you think about buying along with the price. Keep track of the items you want and the money you would have spent buying them.
At the end of 30 days, look at the total amount of money you saved and ask yourself if you want to spend it on the items you listed or use it for something else. It's easier to justify one purchase at a time, but when you total your expenses and realize how much you are spending each month, the individual purchases may seem less important. If your monthly total is $800, would you go out and buy everything on the list or use the $800 differently?
3. Define need vs. want. Get honest with yourself about your purchases. What percentage of your purchases are needs versus wants? Buying something you want isn't a bad thing, but call it what it is.
4. Know what matters most. Use what matters the most to leverage your shopping decisions. If you don't know what matters, buying things may be your way of searching for meaning.
Instead, identify a few things that really mean something to you. It will be different for everyone, but some examples might include:
- school tuition
- paying off debt
- travel
- quitting your job
- donating money to a cause you care about
5. Make rules. Challenge yourself to stick with a few shopping rules so you can fully embrace the power of a purchase pause. Before purchasing, wait 30 days for anything less than $100 and 60 days for everything that costs more than $100.
You don't have to be a shopaholic to benefit from a purchase pause. Most of us have purchased things we don't need or want and later regret the decision to buy. With a small time out, we can fully consider our purchases and make informed decisions about what really makes us happy.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Be More with Less and join me on Facebook. Check out courtneycarver.com for simple ideas for your life and business.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Cove Bar Lunch - California Adventure
I got the special Strawberry Iced Tea (alcoholic) pictured in front, and my sister got the Strawberry Pina Colada (non-alcoholic) pictured in back. The Pina Colada was so much tastier and yummier than my drink. It was sweet and flavorful. My Iced Tea was "eh", good enough, and it gave me a wonderful buzz to enjoy the food and scenery. The Pina Colada though was much tastier.
We decided to try 3 menu items as well. The wings were #1 fantastic! We will be getting these again sometime soon hopefully.
We also got sliders. #2 and these were super tasty and I loved the fried onion shreds that came with the sandwich. Good enough to snack on.
#3 and least flavorful were the lobster nachos, which ironically was the reason we went to the Cove Bar because my sister mentioned them and they sounded intriguing. Overall they were bland and I wasn't super impressed with it, but it filled us up which was nice.
Oh and another first, which I'm pretty proud of. I wasn't obsessed with the food or having something "super delicious". My focus for lunch wasn't on the food, but on the ambiance, scenery, drinks and overall experience of eating outside by the Disney California Adventure lake. I suppose it's good because of the whole Weight Watchers - taking focus away from food mentality. I was really proud of myself and I was more concerned about having a good time with the family and drinking in the scenery and overall experience, rather than just what went down my gullet. A cool first, and I may be posting more about the overall experience of a restaurant or an outing, rather than focusing on just the food or flavor of a dish. I'm learning to appreciate other things.
Here is to new firsts and new experiences!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
LA Times Festival of Books 2011
New thing of the day, went to the LA Times Festival of Books!
Been dying to go since I heard about this, although every single year it's on a weekend that we're busy or unavailable. This year I'm studying for finals, plus we helped a friend move and had a birthday party, so I wasn't sure we'd make it. I was very good in studying yesterday Saturday, so felt confident we could spare half a day on Sunday to go to the Festival. Also as another excuse, as a library student, I felt it was part of my duty to go to book events.
It was a lot of fun and 10am-2pm was the perfect amount of time to spend there. We wanted to get there early at opening, so drove down through traffic to get to USC by 10am. Then wandered around the multiple stalls, booths, author signings and other venues.
Highlights
Free Stuff
Free ice cream from Ben and Jerry's, along with free iced coffee sponsored by McDonalds. Such a great way to start the morning. Although we didn't get ice cream, my mom and sister got in line two or three times for the good stuff. We also got free tote bags, laundry detergent, poetry books, frisbees and other goodies.
We got a copy of Make magazine. It's a neat book on DIY projects that are incredibly creative. Our issue cover shows how to create a cigar box into an electric guitar. It's a bit techy and hip, and we'll have to see what other articles they have but the website and issue look really interesting.
Another great freebie was from the LA Museum organization. I got a flyer listing all the free days at the local LA museums. We also got some coupons for the Skirball Cultural Center's Houdini & Magician Exhibit which is on the list of things to do this summer.
Celebrities, authors and illustrators
Our morning started out pretty awesome. As we were walking the husband was "Hey there's Patton Oswalt". In case you didn't know him, he's the voice of Remy in Ratatouille, but also a more famous comedian and actor. I was like "Oh what stage is he on?" and the husband was like "No he's right there". Standing in front of us less than 5 feet away was Patton. He looked a bit lost and was making a phone call. The husband is big into comedy and I was like "Want a photo?", but he didn't want to bug Patton. Then a few other people recognized him, asked for his photo, and he was obliging. So the husband and I went over and I snapped a photo of the two of them. Patton was super nice about it all. We also watched a bit of him on stage promoting his new book. Funny guy :)
We saw R.L. Stine of Goosebumps signing autographs. The line wasn't too long so if we were fans we could have waited 20 minutes, but decided not to. We also saw one of the creators of the Archie comic signing stuff. There were a lot of lesser known authors giving away free copies of their books for recognition, as well as signing and promoting their work.
Books
My favorite free book copy, and I think the greatest treasure was a copy of the Al-Qur'an below. We saw an interfaith Islam society booth with a sign saying "Free Qurans". My sister and I were curious and interested. The guy handing out the books told us a bit about the Quran itself and it's place in the religion and the teachings it presents. He also gave us a CD of the recitation of the Quran. One of them explained that the book was meant to be heard, to be read out loud. He said that it's kind of an oral tradition and if it's always heard, it's ok, but if only the book survives and no one reads it out loud, they're at a loss. So he read a line or two, and it's very musical and melodic. The guys in the booth were really cool. There was a sense of peace about them, and a sense of wanting to share. It was very much an interfaith and peace mission by the group. There was absolutely no tone of trying to convert or degrade other religions. It wasn't a scientology attempt to join or take the book literally. It was almost like this is our holy book and our culture and we want to share the goodness of it. Islamic faith needs the PR in America unfortunately, so we enjoyed the chat and the book. The booth was hosted by the Why Islam group. Sister and I are both into studying world religions, so we found it interesting and I am curious about what it has to say. It can go along with my reading of Arabian Nights :)
My absolute favorite booth though, was the Philippine Expressions Bookshop. It took up two booth spaces and was all books on Filipino stuff. They had kids books, language study, culture and history, fiction, and lots of other good stuff. They had a book I'd read years ago, When Elephants Dance. It's a fiction book based on the experiences of the Filipinos during WWII. The beginning quote from the book was "When elephants dance, the chickens must be careful" (Tess Uriza Holthe). I was hooked and the book had some vivid and striking images about what happened to Filipinos and Manila during that time. I forgot about it and was pleasantly reminded of it. I'll need to dig it out and make sure I don't give that one away. Perhaps re-read it.
I really wanted to get a Filipino cookbook but wasn't sure which one. This one book caught my eye and I had to have it. Filipino Ghost Stories! I totally wanted to support the store and give over more of my money, but decided to be prudent. Plus carrying around a lot of books during the festival got pretty tiring.
In conclusion, we really enjoyed our half day at the festival. It was sunny and I'm sure I have a sunburn. I got tired in the end and should get and wear some better walking sandals. Overall though it was lovely watching people passionate about reading, sharing books and ideas. We'll be going as many times as we get the chance.
Map of USC Festival of Books 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Chili Spaghetti, an Evite and Cracked Pots
New thing of the day (3) - had spaghetti noodles with chili, sent out our first Evite, and made a New Year's Resolution.
First off, the New Year's resolution. I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions because I think you should make resolutions all year, not just New Year's, but I suppose a New Year is a good place to start. Anyway - in reflecting, I realize I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I often do NOT try or do things, for fear of failure. This seems weird, but it's true. I don't like to try new recipes until I've seen someone do it and feel I could do it deliciously. I'm very hard on myself in general things and don't want to try if I don't think I can do it awesomely. I resist things, because I'm afraid of not being amazing at them.
Anyway - so I sorta made a resolution, to be imperfect. My goal in 2011, which won't be difficult, is to fail over and over again. To be imperfect. To embrace the flaws and in a spiritual sense, give up perfection. I think my husband told me of some architect or artist, who purposefully creates flaws in their work, because they believe only God is perfect and to create flaws to honor that. I sorta like the fable of the cracked pot - get it? :) At the bottom of the blog is one version of the story. Anyway, I just think I really need to try harder to be imperfect. To fail, to try, to go, to fail and maybe get it right once in awhile. Don't know. I'll let you know how this imperfection style goes.
Another new thing, decided to finally host a house party. First one. ACK! We've delayed having one because I didn't feel the house was ready, but also, because I'm shy about hosting one. Truthfully it's a little terrifying. I have very high expectations of what a great party should be, and I want my house and party to be great. Unfortunately we don't have a great house, we have a good one, and I'm hoping we all have enough room and people have fun. Truthfully most house parties we've gone to - it wasn't the house that made it awesome, but the people. So I'm hoping that's what works at our place. Plus the food, music, guests, etc. I don't know. I'm very nervous, but I hope we do OK. We scheduled it later in the month since we'll be busy with travels, family and school. Oddly enough, I dreaded scheduling or setting a date for a party, but once I did, I was looking forward to hosting and getting ready for it. I hope it's big enough or nice enough for people. I'm not really sure if it is, but we'll take the chance. If it bombs, well, here's to imperfection!
Anyway - here's that story :) Cheers :) And Happy New Year!
The Cracked Pot -- a Chinese Fable
A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream:
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Moral: We're a bunch of cracked pots. Each of us has our own unique flaws. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
First off, the New Year's resolution. I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions because I think you should make resolutions all year, not just New Year's, but I suppose a New Year is a good place to start. Anyway - in reflecting, I realize I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I often do NOT try or do things, for fear of failure. This seems weird, but it's true. I don't like to try new recipes until I've seen someone do it and feel I could do it deliciously. I'm very hard on myself in general things and don't want to try if I don't think I can do it awesomely. I resist things, because I'm afraid of not being amazing at them.
Anyway - so I sorta made a resolution, to be imperfect. My goal in 2011, which won't be difficult, is to fail over and over again. To be imperfect. To embrace the flaws and in a spiritual sense, give up perfection. I think my husband told me of some architect or artist, who purposefully creates flaws in their work, because they believe only God is perfect and to create flaws to honor that. I sorta like the fable of the cracked pot - get it? :) At the bottom of the blog is one version of the story. Anyway, I just think I really need to try harder to be imperfect. To fail, to try, to go, to fail and maybe get it right once in awhile. Don't know. I'll let you know how this imperfection style goes.
Ok so next new thing - had some leftover chili. An Italian coworker gave me some pasta noodles from his house and as he said "he was sick of pasta". So decided to combine the two into chili spaghetti. It's not such a stretch since chili is somewhat tomato based. Turned out DELISH! Yum Yum :) The spaghetti was the perfect texture al dente too - so I just heat the chili and added the cold spaghetti. Yum! :)
Anyway - here's that story :) Cheers :) And Happy New Year!
A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream:
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Moral: We're a bunch of cracked pots. Each of us has our own unique flaws. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas Hiatus
New thing of the day, I think I'm quitting.
Well, I'm quitting the daily blog anyway. Christmas was tons of fun! Lots of presents, family, driving and cool stuff. I have lots of new things I could blog about, but I think it's not worth it to do it every day. Life is for living, not for blogging about it. So I think I'll change the tone of this blog to be more about the quality of the new thing I've tried, rather than the quantity. The daily blog has become rather burdensome rather than inspiring. So I will now blog when I have something interesting or new I've tried. Goal will be to do more creative things, rather than just finding something to blog about every day.
On the long drive home I got to thinking. I spent way too much money on gifts this year. I have an artist cousin who inspired me. She gave me a photo print of one of her drawings. I love a lot of gifts my aunts make because they're home made blankets, ornaments, cards or paintings. My favorite gifts are always the creative self-made ones. So I'd like to start planning and trying for next year, to be more creative and make all my gifts.
In addition to saving money, I get to do something creative with myself in anticipation of gifts. I have a lot of creativity and undiscovered talents that I believe in - so I'd like to explore those. Not sure if this blog helped me break out of the "afraid to try new things" thing, but maybe it did. I saw my aunt cook Filipino food and it made it feel easy and accessible. I've seen relatives give home-made gifts and I want to do that too. I'm tired of thinking about new things to try, and I just want to do it. Take chances. As my Oatmeal Cake disaster showed me, I mess up, but all the more motivation to do it well.
We got a blender and a crock pot for Christmas and I can't wait to try them and to try new recipes. It seems like scarves and socks were a cozy hit at Christmas so I want to learn to crochet and make them for next year's gifts. Also, we finally put up some bookshelves and I have my own corner for creative cards, paintings and such. I think I'll start painting/drawing again and posting them here. I can finally start scrap booking and printing out the many photos I store up but never really share or do much with. So many fun creative and non-TV projects I want to try. I want to do more essential important things.
Plus with my Master's degree and school - time will most likely be more strained. Eating out is costing too so gotta start doing stuff at home. Anyway - it's a New Year's resolution I suppose even though I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, only once a year. I think you should always seeking to improve yourself.
So New thing of the day - today, I got crocheting hook, yarn and booklet on my own. Last time I tried crocheting, my grandma was around to help me learn. I was much younger then and forgot most of it. Then I tried learning with a friend long ago. We did a bit in the car on a road trip but I didn't stick with it. Now I am self-inspired after Christmas but also to make beautiful pieces like my grandmother does. I think I want to learn crocheting, then sewing, then making clothes and quilting - a passion I've always had. Not sure how long I can stick to crocheting, but if I know their end goal - Christmas 2011, it'll be easier to make.
So anyway, first steps. Went to Joann's after work. My is it intimidating. All those yarns and hooks to choose from. I chose a small pretty book for patterns I like and could follow. I chose a variety of plastic crochet hook sizes. I also chose a nice yarn color that I wouldn't mind making into something. Project is to make a scarf for husband and/or friends/family. Socks and scarves for now. One step at a time. I've got to remember that.
Anyway - did a few practice runs and was able to make something semi-descent start to a scarf. I kept doing a few rows then taking them out again. Trying to get good practice before actually starting a scarf. A single stitch crochet for now. I'll start at the beginning and not try to be overambitious or zealous about getting good fast. That's the trouble I think. We always seek to be great fast. I'm taking the Japanese approach. Always working to perfection and seeking to improve. I've also been reading some eastern buddhist religion texts so that's inspiring as well.
OK so, new goal. Do new things, but not every day, and do more creative new things. I thought about quitting the whole blog altogether, but I think it's been a good exercise. It's just one I can't keep up daily, and that's ok. Will keep trucking.
Well, happy holidays y'all!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
POWER!
New thing of the day, being in charge of my department at work.
It felt like a life test. For some weird reason, my boss has been turning to me a lot lately to be his second. He thinks highly of me and trusts me to take care of things when he's not around. I'm being "groomed". It's good, but also scary, because I am not the most senior person in the department and there are a lot of office politics to deal with.
Anyway, my boss was out today and specifically put me in charge of the place while he was gone. We had another senior member of the department out, so short staffed and in charge, I think I managed rather well. Better actually because I didn't have to call rank with someone more senior. Luckily I have a good/great relationship with the remaining members of my department, so things went pretty smoothly.
One thing came up in the afternoon needing some leadership and a decision. It's something that sort of affects the company at many levels. I think I handled it well, and will continue to handle it tomorrow and as the "project" rolls out. I'm a little nervous because I have to talk to everyone in the company tomorrow about this new plan, in place of my boss. I talked to him and he's cool with it but nervous about the roll-out just like I am. Our styles differ, but we appreciate the differences and aren't in conflict. I know my place and I try to play my hands evenly.
Anyway, it was overall I think a successful day. Tomorrow and other days will probably be harder, as I'll probably have to manage and eventually pull rank and decisions over people more senior than me in the department. We'll have to roll out this project with my leadership. I'll be the person people ask for the decision after awhile. It's awkward at times, and well, I dread being a bad leader, which perhaps is why I would be a good one? I think I have a level head and a cooperative attitude, which is probably my biggest advantage.
It's just surprising, but a nice surprise, that a boss thinks I'm good enough to take over after him. It's amazing and a nice confidence builder, even though I'm not confident. It's an interesting test, with him being gone. I'm truly honored but also afraid of disappointing or acting like an ass. I don't want to make any mistakes. I guess the best way to make sure is to cover bases, ask lots of questions and talk to lots of departments to make sure that we're getting it right. Communicate when need be.
Anyway it's not always the easiest thing being in charge and having the decisions of the department in your hands. I may be over dramatizing, but it's how it feels. Everything is new from this vantage point. Here's to crossing my fingers and hope I step carefully. Gotta be smart and lucky to make this work. Eeek!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The First Lines
New thing of the day, wrote the first few paragraphs of my first graduate paper.
The dread, oh the dread of writing a paper. The usual procrastination and writer's block, along with the non-motivation to start. Now, with under 2 weeks to go, I decided to suck it up, do the research I needed and start the paper. The only way I could possibly do it, was to go to the library, away from all home and fun distractions.
The library was fantastic. It was just the space and quiet I needed to focus. I logged on to our school library's database and accessed the research articles I needed. Despite the dread and the bore of the class, the topic I chose had a lot of interesting and heated debate and arguments, so it was a good research read. I read a few choice and interesting articles, and it got my brain warmed up and humming.
Then I hit my zone. The part where your mind and ideas start to flow - so open Microsoft Word. I got down a rough outline, some concepts and a full page of paragraphs and a blueprint for my paper. Then the library was closing, so we packed up, came home. I was more productive in that 1.5 hours at the library, then I was a week at home "trying" to work on my paper. Again the library is where I can focus, my happy place.
The research, the topics, all that forced reading and thinking, the process of writing was really good for me. It was a healthy brain exercise. I've been very soft lately. The job isn't exactly creative or challenging. My personal pursuits are a bit juvenile. So grad school is a needed dose of exercise for the mind.
It was really good and I need to spend more hours studying and writing in the library. It was fantastic to start researching, thinking and writing intelligently again. I suppose, the journey of a thousand words begins with the first letter.
The dread, oh the dread of writing a paper. The usual procrastination and writer's block, along with the non-motivation to start. Now, with under 2 weeks to go, I decided to suck it up, do the research I needed and start the paper. The only way I could possibly do it, was to go to the library, away from all home and fun distractions.
The library was fantastic. It was just the space and quiet I needed to focus. I logged on to our school library's database and accessed the research articles I needed. Despite the dread and the bore of the class, the topic I chose had a lot of interesting and heated debate and arguments, so it was a good research read. I read a few choice and interesting articles, and it got my brain warmed up and humming.
Then I hit my zone. The part where your mind and ideas start to flow - so open Microsoft Word. I got down a rough outline, some concepts and a full page of paragraphs and a blueprint for my paper. Then the library was closing, so we packed up, came home. I was more productive in that 1.5 hours at the library, then I was a week at home "trying" to work on my paper. Again the library is where I can focus, my happy place.
The research, the topics, all that forced reading and thinking, the process of writing was really good for me. It was a healthy brain exercise. I've been very soft lately. The job isn't exactly creative or challenging. My personal pursuits are a bit juvenile. So grad school is a needed dose of exercise for the mind.
It was really good and I need to spend more hours studying and writing in the library. It was fantastic to start researching, thinking and writing intelligently again. I suppose, the journey of a thousand words begins with the first letter.
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