Curiosity

Curiosity. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I have actually found it to be a very positive experience. I've always been curious. I've always asked questions. In fact, I'm sure I've crossed the line into annoying. I'm never just satisfied to know what, I need to know why. I've asked embarrassing questions resulting in a nice shade of crimson. Fortunately for me, my love of reading has contributed nicely to my thirst for answers. As a young child the encyclopedia Britannica seemed to call my name. I loved doing reports, copying word for word, and illustrating with my less than stellar drawing ability. As an adult the ease of the internet has opened the world through the tap of a screen. Anything and everything you want to know can be learned through Google. Even my choice of profession turned out to fit hand in glove with my inner curiosities. I thrived on the excitement of young learners, books to be read, and new knowledge to impart. I hope never to lose my curious nature. 

Something New

Trying something new. Why am I so reluctant to try something new? Yesterday I was getting ready to buy my favorite English muffins. You know, the same brand and kind I have been buying for years. Thus, my favorite. But, in my ever faithful quest of eating more "real" food, I noticed that there was a multigrain version. I contemplated for several minutes, checking out ingredients trying to decide what to do. Actually, this idea of sticking with what we already know is hard wired. It's called the familiarity heuristic. Our brain defaults to the known and familiar as being better. However, I did decide to take a chance in the name of better health on the multi-grain muffins. Guess what? They were delicious! They even looked yummier embedded with all the different grains. It is an old adage, but it really does ring true. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Bon appetit!

Neutral

Neutral. I seem to live a lot of my life in neutral. Following the KonMari method of tidying I placed all my shoes on the bed. It was a sea of brown and black with a few splotches of pink coming up for air. According to Kondo I needed to pick up each shoe and ask if it sparked joy?  To be honest the whole lot seemed a little sad. Over the years I have been drawn to the practicality of neutral. You know the safety of always having a shoe that would match no matter what. In my home my walls are white , my couch is brown and my carpet cream. Now for resale purposes that might be okay. But where in the world is the color? Did I really plan on living such a beige life? Now I'm not running to the nearest shoe store to stock up on a new collection of shoes. However, I've pared or should I say "paired" down to about half, and I can guarantee you the next time I'm looking for shoes they are going to be much more exciting. I hope you are not spending your life in "neutral."

Ideas

Ideas. Today I read a really wonderful children's book entitled What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobe Yamada.  Ideas are interesting things. Often times you'll have a really good one, but for whatever reason you will never bring it to fruition. You might second guess yourself, or think that it might be too hard.You might think it to be silly or frivolous.You might worry about criticism or judgement. How many great ideas have you let just flitter away?  Two things I miss about teaching; children's books and ideas. Kids are always having ideas, and the great thing about their ideas is that they don't even know yet that maybe they should think twice about them. They just plunge in head first without a worry or care about whether it is good enough or how it will turn out. We could learn a thing or two from these little lives. The next time I have an  idea I'm not going to be so quick to discount it , rather I'm going to consider it as a possibility.

Eat That Frog

Eat that frog. Author Brian Tracy teaches this technique as a way of accomplishing unpleasant tasks.  He states that you should tackle your hardest to-do list item very first thing in the morning. I still have a crate full of files that need to be filed from my parent's move. It is one of the last things I need to do, but I find myself procrastinating day after day. I had full intentions of doing this Friday morning. I even reminded myself before I went to bed that I would get up a little earlier to ensure my success. In an effort to bring levity to the task, I even placed a couple of really cute stuffed frogs on the files to inspire me to rise early and get the job done. Did it actually happen? Well, no. But I have passed by the crate a few times and smiled at the cute frogs. Well there is always Monday morning. As Scarlet O'Hara liked to say, "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Chanel No 5

Chanel No 5. My mother's favorite perfume. After my Mom  passed away I didn't have many of her possessions to remember her. I was lucky, though, to get her bottle of Chanel No 5. My mother was not a perfume every day kind of gal. No, she saved the perfume for special occasions. I can remember many a Saturday evening watching her get ready for her weekly date with Dad. I loved it when she applied her bright blue cream eye shadow. That too, was reserved for special occasions. We would talk while she was getting ready. Oh, how I loved to listen to her stories about what it was like when she was growing up. It was a special time between us, because I didn't have to share her. At that moment she was all mine.  The last thing she would do was apply a dab of Chanel No  5 behind each earlobe and on her wrists. It has been close to forty years since she passed away, but I still have that same bottle of perfume. Each time I open it up and inhale its wonderful scent, I am taken back to those special times we spent together in front of that dressing room mirror. They say that scent activates memories more deeply than pictures. I have found this to be true and feel blessed to have had this memory.

The Mundane

Doing the things you really don't like doing. Doing the everyday mundane tasks of life. Gretchen Rubin says, "You can choose what you do, but you can't choose what you like to do." This is so true. I find that I sometimes have to dig deep to  have the self-discipline to accomplish all the daily "have to" tasks. But in reality they are not something I like to do. I'd much rather be reading, having lunch with a friend, or catching up on my favorite tv show. I've found that having a to-do list helps because I do get a sense of accomplishment at checking things off the list. I've also found that I seem to be more productive in the morning. It is easier to stay motivated when something is exciting and creative. Staying motivated through the mundane is more challenging. Taking Gretchen's advice I'll use what I like to do to accomplish what I don't. I'll open the windows to let in some fresh spring air, I'll tune in to my favorite podcast, and I'll fix myself a glass of iced tea. The reality is that there are many mundane parts of our life and there is no getting around that fact. However, I do have a choice as to how I will approach them.

Inspiration

Where does inspiration come from?  An article in the paper, a word or two from an obituary, a feeling, an experience? Be open to inspiration. Jot down those words that speak to you. Be aware as your heart fills up or breaks. Take a moment from the business of your days and look around you. Allow yourself to really feel and be inspired. Look for ways that inspiration can spill forth into others lives. Look for ways to encourage and compliment and love. Always be on the look out for that next great inspiration in your life.

Tidying

Tidying. The act of bringing to order or arranging neatly. I have just begun reading the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. The title had me at the word tidy. It seemed so innocent, so innocuous. " Pardon me while I go tidy up for a few seconds," as opposed to "Don't look for me until spring as I have some cleaning to do." Kondo has deviced  a method of evaluating your possessions to determine which will remain a part of your life. She asks the question, "Which things do you own that spark joy?" Those are the things to keep, to treasure, to enjoy. This sounded easy enough until I realized how many possessions I actually owned. She says the reason we can't let go of something is based only on two things: attachment to the past and fear of the future. I definitely see my attachment to the past as I am very sentimental. These are the hardest possessions to part with. As far as fear of the future, I do find myself holding on to things thinking that someday I might need them. I suppose in some ways it might be easier to not even worry about tidy up right now. However, I know managing possessions can become a full time job. I am basically a tidy person by nature, but I know when the time comes to downsize and move to a smaller home it will be much easier if I've already tidied up. As I continue on my quest of paring down I'll look to keep those possessions which spark extra joy.

Life Long Learner

Life long learner. Are you one? I hope so. One of the things I enjoyed most about being an elementary school teacher was the opportunity to be always learning something new. My classroom was full of books inviting new knowledge at every turn. Now that I am no longer in the classroom, I challenge myself to continue learning. My i pad is my constant companion for quick referencing. I read the paper each morning, listen to podcasts, visit the library regularly, watch You Tube videos, and even take free college courses on iTunes U. I find that there is an abundance of new things to learn and do made easily available to us if only we embrace these opportunities. If you are looking for new adventures you might find them through the vehicle of being a life long learner. 

Cooper and the Dining Room

Cooper and the dining room. Cooper has decided that the dining room is his room, his favorite place in the house. From day one when he refused to eat his kibbles in the kitchen with the other dogs, he made it known that he prefered a carpeted area to dine in. His toy box is in the den and his toys begin there, but usually end up in the dining room. I've even found his tiny "Lambchop" sheep slung up onto the table itself. Don't ask me how this happens, but it has happened twice so far. One thing for sure, this little guy loves his toys, loves to play and prefers his food soften before he dines in the dining room. Spoiled? I fear so!

Adventure

Adventure. Do you have a sense of adventure? I find myself as an adult reluctant to take on adventure. I seem more content to stay in the comfort of my own home. I wonder why that is? As a child I woke up each morning ready to tackle the next adventure. My mind was quick to embrace imagination and possibilities. I remember mixing spices in a Dixie cup after checking a book out of the library on Chemistry. I hoped to invent the next great thing. One summer I caught and housed toads in an old Lance jar from our neighbor's gas station. My best friend and I created our own Bat Cave in her storage area including high tech devices made from cardboard boxes and knobs. I was quick to take on the task of director  and writer of the neighborhood play, Hansel and Gretel. As I continue on my journey of life I want to be reminded of those younger years when I always seemed to be looking for something new to embrace. I want to keep in mind the words of Helen Keller. "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

Common Sense

Common sense. What has happened to good old common sense? Where did it go? Every day I read the news I can't believe what is happening in this world. When I was growing up there were rules, improprieties, expectations of behavior. Those boundaries kept us in check. Never for one moment did we think we could do whatever we wanted just because we wanted to. There was also moderation in ideas. Today everyone seems to have such extreme ideas and there is no common ground. If you disagree you are vilified. I miss those days of respect, manners and basic common sense.

Crossword Puzzles

Crossword puzzles. I have just started doing them in an attempt to exercise my brain, and I'm finding them to be actually quite fun, perhaps even a little relaxing. I'm definitely a word person as opposed to numbers. I like games like Scrabble where I work with letters and words. I guess that really does go hand-in-hand with writing. Crafting sentences and then paragraphs seems to bring me fulfillment. My grandmother used to enjoy crossword puzzles. She was actually quite good at them and I was in awe of her vocabulary. She stayed quite sharp into her older years, although, her advice to me was to never grow old. I may have little control over that destiny, but I've found a new way to enjoy my time.

Rolling Bandages

Rolling bandages. I've been watching an excellent tv show entitled  Call the Midwife. It is the story of a group of midwives serving a poor town in England in the late 1950's. One of the characters is an older nun named Sister Monica Joan. She is in the throes of dimentia and struggling to find her place amongst the other midwives. Her purpose in life is no longer clearly defined and she is struggling both mentally and emotionally. Her aha moment comes when she realizes that she could still roll bandages as a way of contributing. Her face lights up when she announces her decision. Unfortunately, in the  late 1950's bandages come already rolled. In a sweet act of kindness the other nurses are seen unrolling each prerolled bandage and Sister Monica Joan is shown sitting in the sun rolling bandages to her heart's content. It is easy in our youth to dream about purpose, in our early and middle adult years to be overwhelmed by purpose, but in our later years to struggle to find that purpose again. I hope to continue to find my "rolling bandages" moments as I continue on life's journey.

Treats

Treats. I'm really not very good at treating myself. I wonder why? In Gretchen Rubin's new book, Better Than Before, she talks about the value of treats in habit formation. Treats don't necessarily have to be something fattening or expensive. They are just small indulgences along the way of life. Treat yourself today.