Do you remember this post? The other day it occurred to me that it was nearly the end of July, and I hadn't really stepped back and taken stock of how/if I was remembering to be kind - well, to remember to try to be kinder, really. So I decided that there was no time like the present to do so.
So, as former NYC mayor Ed Koch used to say, "How'm I doin'?"
Well, I have to first admit that I have not - for the most part - been consciously remembering to try to be kinder. In that, I don't get up every morning and ask myself how I will be kinder on any given day. Actually, I get up every weekday morning and take Dug for a walk, which does give me a chance to think of what might be ahead. And I have taken the advice from nearly every magazine article I've read about sleep, and I now get up when the alarm goes off, and do not ever hit the snooze button. Actually, I set the alarm for 15 minutes earlier, so that I can wake up, hear a weather report on the radio, and take my time getting up. So maybe I'm being kinder to myself, you know?
Overall, I would say I'm doing OK. I am learning to keep my mouth shut more instead of saying something unkind. I am resisting the urge to tell other people to shut up, and instead finding ways to either remove myself from the situation or think happy thoughts (i.e., the kitties and Dug). I am trying more seriously to see God in other people (this one is the absolute hardest thing of all, if you ask me).
I have decided that I have definitely been making progress, even if in increments of baby steps. I will never change how I am hard-wired, but learning to control myself and deal with my immediate feelings about someone/something is definitely doable.
Oh - and I decided that it was time to treat myself to another "prize" and bought myself this necklace. I think it is doubly appropriate because of the reminder about my word, but also because of the bee - since I work with a lot of entomologists!
Finally, I have been truly tested lately with the Penn State situation and the shootings in Aurora, Colorado. I cannot bear it when people decide that they have taken the moral imperative, and will not even consider other opinions. It annoys me when others pass judgement even though they are not immediately involved. Case in point: all of the people in an uproar because young children were at the "Batman" movie, and stating that those parents are terrible parents. I think that absolutely NO ONE has the right to criticize anyone else's parenting. If someone asks your opinion, or if you are counseling someone, than go ahead and say what you think. But otherwise, just decide that you won't do whatever it is with your children, and move on with your life. I posted on Facebook that I thought it must be getting pretty crowded on the high ground these days. And that is something I just cannot stand.
Regardless of the situation, I think everyone would do well to remember that but for the grace of God, it could be any or all of us facing these horrible situations.
So yeah - no kindness there, I'm afraid. I'm pretty sure that perfection is not slated for me in this lifetime ... and I'm just fine with that.
Showing posts with label 2012-goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012-goals. Show all posts
24 July 2012
16 February 2012
Will Power (not)
At the beginning of the year, as I was thinking of all the wonderful and magnificent ways I would become a better, more organized, kinder, and all around more wonderful person, I said to myself, "Well, Self, you really do have plenty of yarn here. So why not decide to not buy more yarn unless you TRULY need a type of yarn you don't have for some special project?" Self replied, "Oh Self, I think that's such a good idea. I shall try it." Myself was then quite pleased with itself.
Then I got an e-mail about the Rockin' Sock Club. I had no desire to sign up (been there, done that, enjoyed it), and even if it had been my fondest wish, could not afford the price anyway. But then I thought, "Well, I wonder what else it out there. It's fun to get packages in the mail, and try new yarns." So I Googled around, and came across the Mad About Tosh Club, from Twisted in Portland, Oregon. I have limited experience with Madelinetosh yarns, but I know that they are pretty, soft, and have colors that appeal to me (even the ones I don't really like I think are beautiful). It was an every-other-month deal, and for what it was, the cost was reasonable (meaning I had some money left after buying Christmas gifts), so I decided that I would join. My reasoning was that a) I could afford it, b) the package in the mail every other month would be nice, since I wasn't buying other yarn, c) I would only have six more skeins by the end of the year, and d) I am weak.
The first package arrived in the mail last week, and I was more than pleased with installment one:
Now you have to admit that it's mighty pretty! (Even my questionable photography skills don't make it look bad ...) It was accompanied by a pattern for a really lovely shawlette that just looked like springtime to me. I hope to get it started before too long, because it would be nice to have it once Spring arrives. I was determined to finish the one remaining Christmas gift that I was knitting before I started, though, and I finished that last night. (But that will be a whole 'nother post.) So maybe this weekend - which is a three-day weekend, as the library is closed on Monday for Presidents' Day - I can start! Granted, a glance at the pattern shows some Wrap & Turn stitches (my nemesis), but I'm gonna try and get it figured out as best I can.
So to review:
Maybe my will power leaves something to be desired, but at least I have self-awareness ...
Then I got an e-mail about the Rockin' Sock Club. I had no desire to sign up (been there, done that, enjoyed it), and even if it had been my fondest wish, could not afford the price anyway. But then I thought, "Well, I wonder what else it out there. It's fun to get packages in the mail, and try new yarns." So I Googled around, and came across the Mad About Tosh Club, from Twisted in Portland, Oregon. I have limited experience with Madelinetosh yarns, but I know that they are pretty, soft, and have colors that appeal to me (even the ones I don't really like I think are beautiful). It was an every-other-month deal, and for what it was, the cost was reasonable (meaning I had some money left after buying Christmas gifts), so I decided that I would join. My reasoning was that a) I could afford it, b) the package in the mail every other month would be nice, since I wasn't buying other yarn, c) I would only have six more skeins by the end of the year, and d) I am weak.
The first package arrived in the mail last week, and I was more than pleased with installment one:
Now you have to admit that it's mighty pretty! (Even my questionable photography skills don't make it look bad ...) It was accompanied by a pattern for a really lovely shawlette that just looked like springtime to me. I hope to get it started before too long, because it would be nice to have it once Spring arrives. I was determined to finish the one remaining Christmas gift that I was knitting before I started, though, and I finished that last night. (But that will be a whole 'nother post.) So maybe this weekend - which is a three-day weekend, as the library is closed on Monday for Presidents' Day - I can start! Granted, a glance at the pattern shows some Wrap & Turn stitches (my nemesis), but I'm gonna try and get it figured out as best I can.
So to review:
- I talk to and respond to myself a lot;
- I make lots of grand plans;
- I have no actual follow-through when/if something new and shiny shows up;
- I hate W&T;
- I finished knitting the last gift for Christmas 2011;
- I have an upcoming three-day weekend.
Maybe my will power leaves something to be desired, but at least I have self-awareness ...
05 February 2012
50 Things
Well, I didn't mean to go so long between posts - I was going to post a couple of times last week, but I was just so incredibly tired after getting home from work, I'd go to bed early. I mean *early* - as in 8:00 p.m.! I'm not sure I went to bed that early when I was in grade school ...
Shortly after New Year's, when I was reading about various ways to get your life organized, or how others were trying to free themselves of "stuff," I read an article in the Huffington Post about getting rid of fifty things. The person writing the article was trying to let people know that if they want to get their lives together, it doesn't have to be a major undertaking. As an example, there was the idea of cleaning out your medicine/bathroom cabinets, or your junk drawer. The writer was saying that by the time you got rid of expired prescriptions, or recycled menus from take-out places you never call, you could easily get yourself to fifty items. Making that much progress would give you the incentive to keep going.
I like this idea. Starting small is - at least for me - often just the right thing to inspire me to keep going. Today I wasn't at Rosie's, and I had hoped to get going on my fifty things. But, I was SO behind on everything, that I never got started. Though I did manage to find three household items to put in the bag for charity/Goodwill. So that made me think there was hope for me. :-)
Next to lists, getting organized is one of my favorite things. And I have made it one of my goals for 2012. So stay tuned, as some of my "getting organized" could lead to offering some things here on the blog to interested parties.
That's it for now. But since you've slogged through this to get this far, here's something that should make you smile ... a picture of Dug!
Shortly after New Year's, when I was reading about various ways to get your life organized, or how others were trying to free themselves of "stuff," I read an article in the Huffington Post about getting rid of fifty things. The person writing the article was trying to let people know that if they want to get their lives together, it doesn't have to be a major undertaking. As an example, there was the idea of cleaning out your medicine/bathroom cabinets, or your junk drawer. The writer was saying that by the time you got rid of expired prescriptions, or recycled menus from take-out places you never call, you could easily get yourself to fifty items. Making that much progress would give you the incentive to keep going.
I like this idea. Starting small is - at least for me - often just the right thing to inspire me to keep going. Today I wasn't at Rosie's, and I had hoped to get going on my fifty things. But, I was SO behind on everything, that I never got started. Though I did manage to find three household items to put in the bag for charity/Goodwill. So that made me think there was hope for me. :-)
Next to lists, getting organized is one of my favorite things. And I have made it one of my goals for 2012. So stay tuned, as some of my "getting organized" could lead to offering some things here on the blog to interested parties.
That's it for now. But since you've slogged through this to get this far, here's something that should make you smile ... a picture of Dug!
21 January 2012
Goals, Resolutions, and a Fresh Start
It's a snowy Saturday here in Philadelphia, which would be nice except that it is topped off with freezing rain. Which of course ruins the effect of the snowy Saturday. Not that I had plans to be outside, other than to take Dug for a walk, which already happened this morning, and which he really enjoyed. (Though he was anxious to be dried off when we got home!)
Anyway, as I am still recovering from this stupid pneumonia, I'm just as glad to have a reason to stay inside. You may remember that I said before that I had been giving some thoughts to what I wanted the coming year to be for myself. I'm not really too great at New Year's Resolutions, in that - at least in the past - I've been completely unrealistic, and also felt that I *had* to succeed, and the combination was conducive to failure, as you may have guessed. I've gotten a little bit better about that, and realized that resolutions can also be goals. (Maybe they should be anyway?)
When my niece Amanda and her husband were here over the holidays for a visit, we were discussing New Year's Resolutions. I said that rather than saying I MUST do _____, I wanted to try in the coming year to "do everything better." Meaning that I wanted to try and be more mindful, try harder, and improve myself more, but not so drastically that it would be unpleasant, impossible, or just plain ridiculous. Things can be "better" without having to be the BEST all at once.
With this in mind, I read a lot of articles, blog posts, and other things about setting realistic goals, and I came across something I decided to try. One of the blogs I read had this post, where she talked about something she tried last year called One Little Word. She chose the word "Joy" and the post talked about how she kept herself on track over twelve months. I remembered reading her post about choosing "Joy" last year, and was glad that she followed up - and then decided to try again this year, choosing the word "Create." The site for One Little Word is here, and apparently you can sign up for a one-year workshop type of thing. Which is fine, but I decided to try and do this on my own.
So how does this work? Well, according to Pam:
The premise of it is that you choose a word. One word. Then you focus on that word for a year. No resolutions. No this-and-that. One word.
I've chosen "kindness" for my word. I want to see if I can be a kinder person. It's easy for me to be kind to animals, and to others who are nice and kind to me, but I want to see if I can make kindness something I just DO. Because it's suggested that you have prompts for yourself, I bought myself this necklace to wear, and this poster to put over my desk. (I often have the hardest time with kindness at work.) I don't expect to become Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (nor do I want to do that!), but perhaps I can become a person who, though cynical, can still have kindness be an important part of my life. Did I NEED the necklace or the poster? Well, I'm sure I could survive without them, but I wanted to give myself some serious prompts, and spending money made me think about how much I'm going to try and commit to this whole idea.
So here I go, and we'll see how I do.
What about you? Any plans, goals, or resolutions that you are trying this year?
Anyway, as I am still recovering from this stupid pneumonia, I'm just as glad to have a reason to stay inside. You may remember that I said before that I had been giving some thoughts to what I wanted the coming year to be for myself. I'm not really too great at New Year's Resolutions, in that - at least in the past - I've been completely unrealistic, and also felt that I *had* to succeed, and the combination was conducive to failure, as you may have guessed. I've gotten a little bit better about that, and realized that resolutions can also be goals. (Maybe they should be anyway?)
When my niece Amanda and her husband were here over the holidays for a visit, we were discussing New Year's Resolutions. I said that rather than saying I MUST do _____, I wanted to try in the coming year to "do everything better." Meaning that I wanted to try and be more mindful, try harder, and improve myself more, but not so drastically that it would be unpleasant, impossible, or just plain ridiculous. Things can be "better" without having to be the BEST all at once.
With this in mind, I read a lot of articles, blog posts, and other things about setting realistic goals, and I came across something I decided to try. One of the blogs I read had this post, where she talked about something she tried last year called One Little Word. She chose the word "Joy" and the post talked about how she kept herself on track over twelve months. I remembered reading her post about choosing "Joy" last year, and was glad that she followed up - and then decided to try again this year, choosing the word "Create." The site for One Little Word is here, and apparently you can sign up for a one-year workshop type of thing. Which is fine, but I decided to try and do this on my own.
So how does this work? Well, according to Pam:
The premise of it is that you choose a word. One word. Then you focus on that word for a year. No resolutions. No this-and-that. One word.
I've chosen "kindness" for my word. I want to see if I can be a kinder person. It's easy for me to be kind to animals, and to others who are nice and kind to me, but I want to see if I can make kindness something I just DO. Because it's suggested that you have prompts for yourself, I bought myself this necklace to wear, and this poster to put over my desk. (I often have the hardest time with kindness at work.) I don't expect to become Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (nor do I want to do that!), but perhaps I can become a person who, though cynical, can still have kindness be an important part of my life. Did I NEED the necklace or the poster? Well, I'm sure I could survive without them, but I wanted to give myself some serious prompts, and spending money made me think about how much I'm going to try and commit to this whole idea.
So here I go, and we'll see how I do.
What about you? Any plans, goals, or resolutions that you are trying this year?
04 January 2012
Getting All Philosophical on Myself
Here we are, four days into 2012. I'm getting over a killer cold, adjusting to having to actually go to work on a regular basis again, and trying to decide what's what. I've spent the last week or so doing a lot of thinking about things I've been reading, and listening to, and have some ideas for the what/why/how/where of myself for the coming year.
Over the New Year's weekend, my niece Amanda and her husband Patrick came up from Baltimore for a visit. We had a nice time, and as we were walking Dug the Dog on New Year's Eve, we were discussing New Year's Resolutions. I said that after a long time, I've realized that resolutions need to be realistic, and it had really changed the way I decided what I wanted to try and do for any given year. This year, I decided I "wanted to do better at everything." Meaning that I want to be mindful of what I am doing, and how I can be better at it, while not making myself thinking that I need to be the BEST at everything. There are some things I do very well, thank you very much, but there is always room for improvement, no matter how small.
Since then, I've been reading what others have to say about resolutions/goals/ideas - whatever you want to call them, and though some of it is the same old crapola, I did come across some things that resonated with me. And those things seem to be sticking with me, so in the coming posts, I'll be sharing the things I want to try this year that I'm feeling excited about.
I shall try not to get preachy, or sound superior, or bore you to death with my philosophical musings and decisions. But I thought you at least deserved a warning that they would be coming along, so you can plan your blog reading - or not - accordingly!
Over the New Year's weekend, my niece Amanda and her husband Patrick came up from Baltimore for a visit. We had a nice time, and as we were walking Dug the Dog on New Year's Eve, we were discussing New Year's Resolutions. I said that after a long time, I've realized that resolutions need to be realistic, and it had really changed the way I decided what I wanted to try and do for any given year. This year, I decided I "wanted to do better at everything." Meaning that I want to be mindful of what I am doing, and how I can be better at it, while not making myself thinking that I need to be the BEST at everything. There are some things I do very well, thank you very much, but there is always room for improvement, no matter how small.
Since then, I've been reading what others have to say about resolutions/goals/ideas - whatever you want to call them, and though some of it is the same old crapola, I did come across some things that resonated with me. And those things seem to be sticking with me, so in the coming posts, I'll be sharing the things I want to try this year that I'm feeling excited about.
I shall try not to get preachy, or sound superior, or bore you to death with my philosophical musings and decisions. But I thought you at least deserved a warning that they would be coming along, so you can plan your blog reading - or not - accordingly!
**********************************
In knitting news, I have a 2011 round-up to get ready, but I can show you four birthday gifts I knitted for four of my nieces' birthdays in November and December. Now that they have been gifted, apparently appreciated, and worn, I feel it's safe to let you see them in all of their glory:
Yep, they are varying yarns and colors, but they are all the Fetching pattern. Kinda sorta last-minute, I decided that I wanted to make fingerless gloves for each of these nieces. At first, I decided that I'd use four different patterns. Then I thought about it, and realized that it might be better to give them all the same pattern, just different colors/yarns. That way, it would not seem that so-and-so got a nicer pair. The other thing was, I had to have enough yarn already in my stash - no new yarn would be bought. I checked, and realized that I had some really nice stash yarns that would be enough for four pairs, and I was off!
I sorta became a Fetching knitting machine - as a matter of fact, by the time I reached Pair #4, I had the pattern memorized! But because they are quick, and interesting, and each one used a different color and/or brand of yarn, I wanted to see how they turned out, which definitely kept me knitting.
If you are interested in details, the information is all on Ravelry.
From left to right:
There are two more gifts I'm still finishing - a cowl for my friend/temporary boss, Clare, which is really more of a Thank You Gift than a Christmas gift, and the second Dashing for The Tim, originally meant to be for Christmas, but not thought of and/or started in a reasonable amount of time (at least not for the way I knit!). I guess those will have to be the first FOs of 2012. Sigh. So close and yet so far. But it's not a contest, and I want to do things better, remember? So it will be all in time, and it will be fine.
What are YOU up to for 2012??
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