006:: Focus

My talented and insightful cousin-sister challenged me with her blog to come up with one word for 2014. She chose the word "reconciliation", which is an important one for sure. It got me thinking about what word would I chose that would serve as a goal or resolution for this year.

The things that bother her about social media are the same things I take exception to as well. We have discussed it before, and she said it so much better than I ever could, so I won't bother going there when you could so easily read what she has to say and understand us both.

For me, though, I am thinking the word I will choose will be: FOCUS.

I am so prone to losing my focus in so many ways... finishing a craft project, cleaning my house... sure, it's funny to joke about Adult ADD, but it's not funny to live there. I think part of my problem is lack of focus.

When we had the seemingly unsurmountable project of finishing remodeling our house to sell and move to Africa in 2000, I needed a really short leash to keep me on task. I'm thinking if I took the rest of my life as seriously as I did that dagger hanging over my head, I would get so much more accomplished that is meaningful, and the unimportant things that seem to suck the life out of my life would just fall along the wayside.

And I'm not just talking about doing things, but the thought the FOCUS has a lot to do with finding a purpose. Taking aim. Having a goal worth working toward.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to get some perspective. That is what my family is handy for.

005:: Out of focus

Isn't it odd how we look at other people's lives and we see what we see... but we don't see it all.

It makes me wonder what people see when they look at me. I am not an extraordinary person, unless you ask my husband. Yes, maybe I'm a little weirder than some, but I'm sure there are others who look at me and see "conservative", "old", "boring", "judgmental" - yet I am none of those. Well, ok... maybe a little old.

Things aren't always what they seem. And neither are people.

I am struck by the thought that we often give a negative spin to the things in our own lives while painting a rosy, unrealistic picture of what we see in others. The thought occurs to me that I need to stop that.

001:: Life is Just a Walk in the Park

It was kind of a let down, having a day off in the middle of the week. All that really means is that I don't get Friday off, so not much of a trade-off.

I was bound and determined not to waste it in my recliner frittering my life away online, so after spending the better part of the morning cleaning the kitchen and the Black Hole of Calcutta, we took off to Upper Park for a good dose of Vitamin D.

We were not the only bright folks with that bright idea. All of the parking lots were full, including the equestrian center. Nevertheless, my ankle was very cooperative, there was little breeze, meaning I was not obliged to don my jacket even once.

The only thing we could complain about was seeing the lake so low. Just one little honker family and a few coots in the reeds.

What a marvelous start to a marvelous year!

Awesome granary tree