I know myself well enough to know that attempting a complete life overhaul would be exhausting and pointless, since I'd give it up in about 3 hours. 4, if I was lucky. So - baby steps. Like knitting a sock - enjoy the process, and just look at one bit at a time. MUCH more manageable that way! And a lot less intimidating.
My goal for the weekend has been to stop multi-tasking while I'm eating and drinking. That's all. No checking email or making shopping lists while I eat breakfast, no sipping coffee or tea while I get dressed or do chores - or even knit. When it's time to eat, or have another cup of tea, I have to STOP, sit down, and do nothing else (except maybe listen to the CD in the stereo - another way of slowing down, anyway! Egad, but I love the new Paul Simon album!)
The first couple of times it was really hard. I was so fidgety, list-making in my mind at top speed. The hardest one was actually when we went out yesterday morning. We were going to Coquitlam to hit Value Village (and a yarn store...!) and we decided to stop for coffee on the way. Usually, I would bring our coffee mugs, and we would get it to go and drink it on the way out. Once I have my mind made up to do something, I just want to DO it. Not stop-start-stop-start!
But yesterday, we went inside and sat down and drank our coffees out of real mugs and watched the activity inside the cafe. It nearly drove me nuts...we could be halfway there by now! Somebody might be buying my yarn! Ack! So when I actually managed to SIT for 20 minutes without losing my mind, it felt like rather an accomplishment! And the yarn I didn't know I wanted but that I loved instantly was still there when we got to the shop.
By the end of the day, the stop-and-sit was lovely. It felt decadent and luxurious to take a quarter-hour out of doing housework and just sit. We had real conversations that were about more than "what do you want to do for dinner?" and "whose turn is it to clean the litterbox?" At the end of the evening, Mr.Q read to me while I knitted. He used to read to me a lot...but with the busification of life, that hasn't happened in a long time. It was really, really good. (The book was an autobiography of Lemmy from Motorhead which I was NOT expecting to enjoy - but it was actually quite funny.)
This morning I took my coffee (with some Bailey's, for medicinal purposes!) into the Magic Room and sat and sipped and watched and listened to the rain...and before I knew it, I'd been in there for more than half-an-hour! The rain can actually be rather romantic in a Bronte-esque sort of way, if one is in a reasonably balanced state of mind to begin with. This was my view as I sat and vegged:
Of course, I've been taking notes from the experts in the house:
I might have to go practice some more, just to keep my form.
3 comments:
Those dudes sure know how to nap. And I didn't know Lemmy had written an autobiography (or even that he could write). Does it smell funny?
I may have to treat myself to a copy once the fiscals are back in order (very shortly).
I'm going to try to find your email but I don't know if I can unless it's here on your blog somewhere, 'cause I've lost everything (temporarily) off the old hard drive. Drop me a line a bunniegirl at shaw dot ca, willya?
so refreshing it looks. i like your idea..to just be at one place at one time..being all there.hmm...
It sounds lovely to just sit and enjoy a cup of tea...so relaxing. I usually knit or read as I am drinking my tea - sort of all over relax. It is really hard to just sit and not feel guilty about it, or bored. I am trying more to do what I want, and what helps me to get things done, than just what consumes my time. Looking forward to the rich and tall post - if it works, I will try it myself! (I always wanted to be 5'10")
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