Spending Time

Photo: Brooklynn & Asher McCully October 2008

Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you.~Annie Dillard

Today was spent fabulously. I made it to the gym and got showered while Brooklynn was at preschool--something I plan to accomplish on a regular basis. It's nice when those things are checked off the list BEFORE noon! It didn't use to happen this way.

During naps, I worked on a piece of writing that came to me during my workout and said WRITE ME!! and so I brought the majority of it to fruition this afternoon. I'll share soon. I smile thinking about it. The giveaway will be linked to that post--I have not forgotten the giveaway!

When Husband (I need a new witty name for him) came home from work, he woke the kiddos with his boisterous phone calls so I told him he owed me. He immediately and happily obliged by setting me free to take my writing to the coffee shop. Once there, I continued to write, delete and edit. I am happy with my days progress. It is such a relief to have topics and ideas come to me that I can write freely about. So many times I have tried to spell out something specific in words and it ends up looking like a forced mess. The worst case-scenario for a writer.

Before I knew it, I was home and it was time for the kiddos to get to bed. I wasn't really watching the clock all that close, so I was astonished to see that I was actually back downstairs before 8:30pm. Thus, the very inspiration behind me writing this post this evening. Usually I am tuckered at this time and only feel like reading in bed, catching up on my blogroll for the day or watching trashy reality shows. Well, not the trashy-trashy ones, but you know, I really do have better things to do.

Speaking of things to do. I've began making a list of things to do before the year is over. Have you checked everything off on your list of to-do's for 2009? I am not sure that I had one of those for this last year (I think mine was only to survive grad school while raising babies, which lasted only one semester) but I know that I can come up with a few things to complete before 2010. Wow! We have a BIG year ahead of ourselves!! Here is what I'd like to accomplish before next year:

1. Get my long distance running back in the neighborhood to be able to run another half-marathon.


2. Incorporate flaxseed into my daily diet.


3. Buy a juicer already--cleanse??


4. Do a couple layouts for Asher's poor baby album.


5. Get Family pictures taken by Jenn
   
6. Visit my Alma Mater.


7. Make an Advent Calendar for Christmas like my cute sis-in-law Brittany

Any plans for you?

5 things to do before summer is over

I am loving the new blogs that I've come across in the last few days. One of them is an inspirational blog called Oh, Mishka. Today, she features another blogger's post on 5 things to do before summer is over. Here's what I came up with:

1. Do some major berry picking and make my first batch of jam.

2. Get my hair done!--It has been far too long! A little more light or should I revamp with an all-over brilliant-brown for the upcoming Fall? Did I mention that I am secretly excited for the Fall?

3. Make a trip to the beach. It's only an hour and a half or so away, and the kiddos still have yet to dig their toes in the sand this year...

4. Complete the books on my nightstand. I am obsessed with books, so often, I find myself wanting to hoard new ones and crack them open before I've finished the other three.

5. Enjoy a patio/sunset dinner with Husband. I know BEACHES knows how to do this right with the river, sailboats, and boardwalk-sunset-views. AND they make a heavenly Key Lime Pie.

What about you? What's on your list of must-do's?

photo courtesy of veer.com