tapioca and strawberry puree in a pink cup
Well yesterday was a bit like a day off. It seemed I had been working solidly for many days on a rather tight series of deadlines. I do have another two projects assigned from customer No. Uno but these two have a little breathing room. It was a day that I had planned to get caught up with some housework, had a few errands to run, and wanted to organize my project files and generally tidy up my life ... even a little bit.
Well in the wee hours of the night as I lie awake as per usual and reflected back on my day, it felt like I had wasted a perfectly great free day doing what seems very natural for me. Puttering - doing a tiny bit of this, and a tiny bit of that, flitting from this and that, and not making enough of a difference in the this and the that to even know or see that I had been there. Sigh.
And then I decided to cook. My always default when avoiding things that should and need to be done, and, as if that wasn't enough unnecessary activity, to top it off I decided that the items that I had just prepared were so absolutely beautiful they definitely needed to be photographed. So fuss and putter and style my creations and dirty a few more dishes. Sigh.
It seems a big ol' catch 22
I dream of a life where I won't ever feel guilty about puttering around, flitting from half baked project to half baked project and just living in the glory of those seemingly purposeless moments - because there is no question I am enjoying those moments.
I also dream of a much more productive life, a happy concoction of rolling all the shoulds, needs, wants and desires into one lovely ball of contentment - to lie awake in the middle of the night and feel that warm glow of satisfaction.
I am grateful for a brand new month, a brand new day.
31 lovely brand new days.
fried rice with lots of veggies, cilantro and red chopsticks
it seems that you know how to live well and happy...
ReplyDeleteI love the cat and dog portraits ! Are so great!
Did you enjoy the Oprah webcast this week? I haven't talked to my friend Linda about it yet. Your photos are lovely...that rice, particularly, makes my mouth water. How do you make it fried rice? Do you cook the rice normally then saute it?
ReplyDeleteI love to putter too, and invaribly when I'm doing something I THINK is more important, serious housework and chores, I blink an hour later and I'm doing some pleasant puttering thing and am in the "zone": clear mind, soft
heart, engaged in the moment. The original job lies before me undone! These days, though, I've come to accept that it is just my nature to get side tracked. So What! If I waited till I got my life and surroundings in order, I'd never enjoy the lovely little moments of life.
Could you email me your phone number, Susan. Amazon won't let me put you in my address book without it...in case the delivery person can't find you, I guess.
Have a great day...It is beautiful, warm and crystal clear up here in the high Colorado mountains today. One of those delicious spring days sandwiched in between snow storms. (more of those to come as March is our snowiest month)
Yummy.... looks great....I only6 cook or bake something pretty simple when I am having a down moment as anything complicated never makes sense then. But... my default is cleaning and moving things...and scouring.... look out! If you stand still too long when I am like that...you will end up moved and I may never find you again!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day Susan (and the regulars too)...... just a quick not in passing...I am off to the Home and Garden show.... there is supposed to be a demo on Paverpol... and it is something I want to try next with dollmaking...so a must see ! hahah.... boy, they better be there and have something interesting to see! I hate crowds of milling people and wouldn't be going unless it was important to see something in particular.
I agree with Anya. Why do we always feel we need to fill our lives with "meaningful" moments and then feel guilty about doing anything less? We put so much pressure on ourselves. I think that guilt-free, pleasurable puttering is an important part of a healthy life. As long as you pay your bills, obey the law, call your mother regularly and give a little to charity, you're good to go with all the meaningless and/or self-focused activity you want. Enjoy it and don't feel guilty.
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