Routine and Organization

Where, in heaven's name do I begin on THIS topic? It's FRIDAY, and my DOW Friday picture didn't upload! Shucks! Oh, Hi! ..and thanks for stopping by!

As you can see from my dishtowel/curtain decor, I need a bit of help in order to get my daily act together. Who doesn't? That must be why I love Day-Of-The-Week (aka: DOW) dishtowels! Not only do you remeber to change your dishtowel every day, but you get a hint at something practical to do WITH your day! For example, if my Friday dishtowel picture had uploaded properly, I would have known what to do today. I do remember that I'm attempting to write.
Daily. In this blog. To establish a habit. A routine.

I never realized what a creature of habit I was, until I had a Golden Retriever named Fred. Apparantly, I always opened the curtains in my house in the very same sequence daily. I didn't know that until the one day I did it backward. Fred, who normally followed me around the house, kept turning around that day...until I realized he was trying to lead me around the house in the OTHER direction!

Now, these buddies have different routines. They get thrown off a bit when we go to bed too late, or don't get their scheduled play time in the field. Bailey, on the left, stares at Tom until he HAS to take her out. Her routine involves tennis balls, running, tug-of-war, and, if there's a body of water near, swimming. Luigi, on the other hand, is primarily here to be coddled. He's about the food, the petting, the sleeping and the following. They make a great team of "siblings".
But, they like a schedule. For example, I took that picture yesterday at about this same time. Guess where they are now!

The "real" job that I'm fortunate to have, is dependent on scheduling. Yet, because of that job, my time off is very unscheduled. Hence, my need to establish routine. I keep trying...I have calendars and lists throughout the house and my purse. I try to start my day with devotions and prayers, but often wind up with coffee and lists instead. How do you begin YOUR day? In an organized fashion, or haphazardly, like me? "Always organizing, never organized."....that's a symptom of Attention Deficit Disorder. It applies to many of us, diagnosed or not. So, how do we either rectify or embrace our sloppily scheduled days?

May I suggest that you take the part of your day, when you're "at your best", to use as "productive" time - whether actually producing something, making calls, writing, or whatever is most important on your schedule. I tend to lose productivity after 3pm...which then becomes "brainless task time"....laundry, baking, cleaning....a good time to accomplish things that require no brain, but keep you physically moving. (like the DOW curtain suggestions!) And, "Forcryingoutloud"! When you actually have a day off, give yourself permission to take that day off!

This blog is my attempt to establish the routine of writing daily. I wrote daily for YEARS, and yet, the habit died. Is it true that it takes 21 days to establish a habit? If so, I've still got a couple of weeks to go. How about you? What good habits are you trying to establish? Maybe we can encourage each other to stick with it! Then.....at the end of the day.........we can REST.
(After a long, hot, soak!)




P.S. Clean on Friday. Bake on Saturday. When to blog?

Have a great weekend! Good-Lord-willin', and the creek don't rise, I'll be back tomorrow!

Encouragement, Working Hard, and Networking

Come on in! It's another beautiful day at Camp Liz, and there's so much to be thankful for!

No need to wait for a holiday to give thanks! (Bear with me, as I learn to blog...font and color will change frequently here!) I'm a big believer in encouragement, both giving and receiving of it. So here's to giving credit where it's due!

CasaTini was recently graced with the presence of one of my favorite encouragers. I see my sister-in-law once a year, and she never fails to gently push me forward toward unrealized goals. As someone who picks up a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute every few years, I'm perpetually attempting to determine what I want to be when I grow up. Some days the quest is fun....and other days, I just go to my "real job" and forget the quest. So, Thanks, Janet, for your encouragement!

Sometimes, friends encourage without even knowing it. As "actions speak louder than words", we've all got friends who inspire, by being themselves! One friend inspires with regard to WORK, where we all need it, in PURPOSED worKING Thanks, Rusty, for believing in hard work, responsibility in leadership, and a relationship between faith and work life! Another friend inspires with her observations of everyday life, by writing regurlarly in her blog called Wonders Never Cease Thanks, Becky, for peaking my interest in writing again!


Spouses encourage one another, too, and mine is no exception. Where I tend to delay, procrastinate and "hold myself back" when I could "move forward", he will try anything, head into it full force, and has a "can do" attitude. Here's an example of his latest creation - hand hewn logs from barns, cabins and a mill, became a 2000 square foot cabin. Whoa! But, wait! There's more! Not only can he fly jets, build log homes, add really large numbers in his head and get our dog to come inside the house, but he also grows fraser fir Christmas trees, and can make the wreaths, too! Thanks, Tom, for showing me that a range of talents are meant to be explored, not hidden.

So, where does the networking come in to play? I'm a believer, that when God puts people in our lives, He does so for His purposes, not necessarily ours. He shows Himself through each of us, and we're to pass on our observations of Him, through our "network" of friends, family, and acquaintances. You never know, when YOU will be someone else's encouragement. Thank YOU, for visiting!