Every time I shrink away from writing a "this is what I did today" post, one of the things I tell myself is that the only people who follow this thing are my friends. If we were looking at each other face-to-face, I would tell any one of my friends everything that I feel compelled to write about what I've done, so in reality, such a post is all good, yes? Yes. So, although I don't want this site to decay into nothing more than a depository of Emily Lynn Harmon's current events (...and now, there she goes to the mailbox...), for this friendly reason and for another I will soon explain, I will now talk about a few things that recently happened in my life.
This week, it has been a challenge to engage my right brain. I've wanted to write more, and not just more but better, but that hasn't happened. So here I am writing something just for the sake of writing something.
Every day this week, I have awakened and soon devoted my thoughts to cookies. "Today, before this day is over, I'm going to make some," I've told myself. Then, I get started on the things I "need" to do and/or following through with plans that I've made. If you're intimately familiar with the state my surroundings, you'll know that "things I need to do" truly means the "things I can't possibly put off or my world will feel like it's tumbling out of control." My life isn't that organized and perfect. It's more like a regular battle against chaos. One of those things that I've "needed" to do, something that directly relates to the cookies, is clean the kitchen. We don't have much room in the kitchen to begin with, but when dirty dishes are added, the surface space fades to nary a square foot. With no dish washer and no hot water in the pipes, washing dishes, for five people no less, is a bit of a challenge. But it's a challenge I didn't want to leave undone before I made cookies. I can function with messes in certain situations, but in a kitchen, especially a cramped one, I find it to be nearly mentally and emotionally impossible to overcome.
Thus, several days this week, I have valiantly begun attacking the kitchen mess, aiming to finish quickly so that the cookie-baking can begin.
I still haven't done it. Those dishes never disappear. It looks like I'll have to get over my kitchen-mess-ophobia if I ever want to make cookies. That, or the Harmon house will likely be homemade cookie-less until we get either hot water or a dishwasher.
I've also been continuing my efforts to shop wisely and thriftily. Every store ad that comes in this house gets scoped out for the best deals, and I diligently search through my coupon depository to find coupons for sale items. When something's on sale and you have a coupon for it, chances are it can be obtained for a pretty low price.
My mom and I went to two drugstores today. While I don't know the exact numbers, I do know that we saved over 50% on everything we bought. The thing I'm most excited about is that we made $2 on some Vitamin D. No joke. We also managed to pick up some free toothpaste. And tomorrow, I believe we are going to acquire a free light bulb. I'm kind of a rookie at this bargain hunting thing, but it seems to be working out pretty well.
As cool as all that is, I'm fighting a battle that all people incur, creative types especially, I think; how should I balance my priorities? The typical responsibilities never leave, and while I am in the middle of a glorious opportunity to learn to not be so duty-bound by them, I have not yet become so untrained that I no longer care about them. I do care about them. Tending to them does good things for my family and me.
But I want to write more. I want to read more. I want to sing more. I want to become a better musician. I want to make things. I want to be a better German speaker. I want to become more learned in Latin. I want to make cookies. And share them with my friends.
Every good writer I've heard address this subject says to forget the laundry overflowing the hamper, look at the dirt laying on the floor, and move on. If what you want to do is write more, then leave it all alone and write. And when you can't leave it alone enough, feel no guilt in trading sleep for playing with words. I know they're right. And I do that sometimes. Regularly, even. But not regularly enough to feel like I ever accomplish much.
What to do, what to do....
This week, it has been a challenge to engage my right brain. I've wanted to write more, and not just more but better, but that hasn't happened. So here I am writing something just for the sake of writing something.
Every day this week, I have awakened and soon devoted my thoughts to cookies. "Today, before this day is over, I'm going to make some," I've told myself. Then, I get started on the things I "need" to do and/or following through with plans that I've made. If you're intimately familiar with the state my surroundings, you'll know that "things I need to do" truly means the "things I can't possibly put off or my world will feel like it's tumbling out of control." My life isn't that organized and perfect. It's more like a regular battle against chaos. One of those things that I've "needed" to do, something that directly relates to the cookies, is clean the kitchen. We don't have much room in the kitchen to begin with, but when dirty dishes are added, the surface space fades to nary a square foot. With no dish washer and no hot water in the pipes, washing dishes, for five people no less, is a bit of a challenge. But it's a challenge I didn't want to leave undone before I made cookies. I can function with messes in certain situations, but in a kitchen, especially a cramped one, I find it to be nearly mentally and emotionally impossible to overcome.
Thus, several days this week, I have valiantly begun attacking the kitchen mess, aiming to finish quickly so that the cookie-baking can begin.
I still haven't done it. Those dishes never disappear. It looks like I'll have to get over my kitchen-mess-ophobia if I ever want to make cookies. That, or the Harmon house will likely be homemade cookie-less until we get either hot water or a dishwasher.
I've also been continuing my efforts to shop wisely and thriftily. Every store ad that comes in this house gets scoped out for the best deals, and I diligently search through my coupon depository to find coupons for sale items. When something's on sale and you have a coupon for it, chances are it can be obtained for a pretty low price.
My mom and I went to two drugstores today. While I don't know the exact numbers, I do know that we saved over 50% on everything we bought. The thing I'm most excited about is that we made $2 on some Vitamin D. No joke. We also managed to pick up some free toothpaste. And tomorrow, I believe we are going to acquire a free light bulb. I'm kind of a rookie at this bargain hunting thing, but it seems to be working out pretty well.
As cool as all that is, I'm fighting a battle that all people incur, creative types especially, I think; how should I balance my priorities? The typical responsibilities never leave, and while I am in the middle of a glorious opportunity to learn to not be so duty-bound by them, I have not yet become so untrained that I no longer care about them. I do care about them. Tending to them does good things for my family and me.
But I want to write more. I want to read more. I want to sing more. I want to become a better musician. I want to make things. I want to be a better German speaker. I want to become more learned in Latin. I want to make cookies. And share them with my friends.
Every good writer I've heard address this subject says to forget the laundry overflowing the hamper, look at the dirt laying on the floor, and move on. If what you want to do is write more, then leave it all alone and write. And when you can't leave it alone enough, feel no guilt in trading sleep for playing with words. I know they're right. And I do that sometimes. Regularly, even. But not regularly enough to feel like I ever accomplish much.
What to do, what to do....
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I like conversation. Your comments promote conversation. You know what to do. Vielen Dank.