Mid week update ...

The week before vacation ... always such a busy week, but I'm getting it all done. Yesterday I spent most of the day, between dropping off kiddos and picking them back up, running errands. I got a lot of things checked off my "To Do" list.

Today's agenda:

7:30 - Drop Austin at Summer School (Done)
8:00 - Clean out back frig.
           Daily House Chores
10:00 - Appt. for Back to School Supplies
11:00 - Pick up Austin
12:00 - Lunch for kiddos
12:30 - Leave for knitting lesson (Yep, I got a wild hair that I want to learn to knit so I will)

4:00 - Start dinner
6:30 - Leave for Church (Young Women's, Young Men's & Scouts)

So yea, I have kind of been wanting to learn to knit for awhile. With a 10 hour drive ahead of me next week as we travel to our vacation destination, I figured this is a perfect thing to do to pass the time (along with some books and magazines I have set aside for the trip). Yesterday I went to JoAnn Crafts and bought a beginner knitting book and some needles and yarn. I was planning on just teaching myself with the help of the book and YouTube (I'm sorta like that ... when I want something I want it NOW so I tend to just do it. Patience is not one of my virtues sadly).

After the fact I thought that maybe sitting with someone who can SHOW me (I'm a visual learner) might be beneficial, so I called one of the Sister Missionaries from church to ask her if she knew how to knit. Of course she did, so I will be seeing her this afternoon for that. Hoping I can learn enough in one day to actually be able to do something with it. I can learn more when I return from vacation if need be.

Last week I went to the Library to check out a couple books to take on our trip as well. I love to read and don't nearly have the time I would like to at home, so I am looking forward to the time in the car to do just that (along with the knitting). I checked out several books.

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen, A visit to Highbury ~ Another View of Emma - Joan Austen - Leigh & 2 books on CD by Debbie Macomber

I don't read much fiction to tell the truth, as much as I would love to have the "escape" of fiction, I just don't have the luxury of it as a homeschool mom. As of late I have had the urge to read it though so I have chosen some wonderful 1800's classics that are just my style. I'm NOT a 50 Shades of Grey sorta gal - Yuck

I had been wanting to read the Debbie Macomber books for a long time. The covers always intrigued me, looking so quaint and welcoming with their brightly colored art on the covers, but not being much for fiction, I always passed. I decided to give the books on CD a try and this past week I have been listening to them in my car or here at my computer. What a wonderful thing this is. I have finished one and am just beginning the second. The second one has intrigued me a bit and actually has given me an idea that I am implementing. The title is Twenty Wishes. Basically its a group of widows that make a list of 20 things that they want to do in their lives so they are not spending all their time doing not much of anything. The concept isn't a new one, but one that got me thinking.  I liked the idea and I have decided to do just the same thing.

I am compiling a list. I am writing it down in my journal. My journal is not the typical journal really, it's more of a daily running account of my life. Some entries are more in depth and personal, but I have found that if I wait for those "profound" moments or thoughts to come, my journal sits untouched for much of the time. I decided for this year to use my journal more as a daily agenda in a way. So I do write those occasion "deep" thoughts, but mostly it consists of ... Wow, was it hot today. Up to 93 degrees and we had our usual afternoon storms, which were welcome. For dinner I think homemade Pizza sounds good. Haven't made that in awhile. Boys are enjoying their summer break and I got a lot of errands run today in preparation for our trip next week.... Sorta like that. Just more of a random daily update. Sometimes I note my schedule, sometimes I make a list, etc. I enjoy looking back on it and seeing our day to day lives noted, instead of just an occasional thought provoking monthly entry. To me this is more interactive and personal and will be more of an insight into who I am as a mother, wife, women for those that will read these pages once I am gone. Having two boys, I doubt that my journals will mean all that much to them when they are grown, but possibly to their wives or my grandchildren? I want them to know who I am. What I like to do and how I lived day to day. I want them to really know me.

So anyway, back to the list. I have decided to make my own list of things that I want to do in my life. As my children get older, although they still require much of my time, I find that I do have more time on my hands and I know that in a few short years there will be even more. I want to make the most of life and not just let it pass by me and I look back one day in the future and think .... I wish I had done this, or I wish I had done that. So in my journal/agenda (which I carry with me pretty much at all times) I have started my list of things I want to do. So far there isn't much on there, but I will add to it as I think of things. Some are small little things that I want to change about my day to day and some are things that I may want to learn how to do or places that I want to go. This is how it looks so far ...

I'll add things as I think of them, write about how I went about accomplishing them and cross them off as I achieve them.  When it's all said and done I can look back and say ..... I DID somethings that I wanted to do in life. I'm sure some of the things I add will be extremely extreme (like Storm Chasing), but after all it's my To Do Wish List and there is nothing wrong with that right?

And with that, I must consider #2 on my list and spend more time being diligent going about my day to day tasks. I have a refrigerator (actually two) that need to be cleaned out today.

Be Blessed ~ Roberta