Friday, March 13, 2009

Five Discoveries

1. Maybe I just needed to *say* I was taking a break to feel better. Because now, I feel better.

2. I can only write so many blogs. Like, one. Maybe I just need to give this one a little facelift to feel like it can encompass all the stuff I want to write about. I just don't have the capacity to do more than one! So, the other blog is going away and will be absorbed here. I have an idea for revising this one that may or may not happen. But it will just be one. With no ads. :)

3. I can only take in so much information. I like Twitter, but I can't handle all the tweets some people make. People! How much time DO you have on your hands?? And blogs. I LOVE reading blogs, but after awhile my eyes start to glaze over. I can only read so many. I have been really selective so far and I just have to remain super-selective otherwise I will just have to stop (and I don't want to stop).

4. I really, really need to keep things simple. I was wondering why I was SO TIRED this week and I realized that, duh! In the past four months I have moved (under less-than-ideal circumstances), set up house, bought all new furniture, gone through the holidays, done more petsitting than humanly possible, started a small freelance design business, started babysitting, started putting serious effort into menu-planning and smart grocery shopping, started a new blog, started doing more art, spent way too much time worrying about the future... hello? All that takes ENERGY. Getting a massive spider bite and infection, and having jury duty -- just put me right over the edge. I like to think I am SuperWoman, but alas, clearly I am not. So. Back to the basics and keeping things simple.

5. I would really rather spend my time going out in the world with Terri when she has the energy, than doing ANY of the the above. So I need to make sure that I have plenty of room for that in my life. Spending time with Terri, reading, doing art, cooking -- all those simple things that sustain me -- are so much more important than keeping up with anything else. This week was a good reminder of this.

So. The leg is slowly healing, and once it's all better, it's back to eating healthy and living simply. Spring's here and I do NOT want to feel like I did this week. Too many of those and it becomes a habit. A bad habit. No thank you!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

im glad you're feeling better. i agree with so many of your discoveries. sometimes it's all just too much.

i subscribe to soooo many blogs but i really only regularly read a handful of them. i love them all, i just have to be selective or i get overwhelmed.

i love number 4. i feel the same way sometimes. at the end of the day i sit down and im tired, but i dont really feel like i "did" anything. then i stop and list all the things i did (laundry, taking care of the kids and the six cats and the two dogs, write my blog, practice my sewing, and so on and so forth) and i realize it's a lot. i think sometimes we underestimate our daily accomplishments because we do them regularly....but as you said---it takes energy.

Carl V. Anderson said...

Wow, how similar in theme is this post to my recent one? Seems we are all feeling the same stresses. Might be slightly different circumstances, but we all need a break.

I would certainly encourage you to follow your plans that you laid down here. I cannot imagine trying to handle more than one blog. Better to make one that you really love that encompasses all that you want to say rather than having several of them. They only exception to that rule, and this is in my opinion only, is for people who are selling art or something who may want a blog that focuses on what they are creating, etc. And even that isn't entirely necessary in my opinion.

I too have to limit whose blogs I visit regularly. It can get to be overwhelming. I try to have days every so often where I can go and visit a bunch of the blogs that I don't get to frequent and so can maintain some kind of touch with folks. Beyond that there are only so many that I can check out two or three times a week. And here lately that hasn't even been happening.

To me blogging should be an enhancement to the rest of one's life. Something one does with some free time instead of killing brain cells with the next tv show. It shouldn't be something that takes the place of actually spending time with the people in your life or that takes away from creative pursuits, unless the blog is your creative pursuit.

I hope your leg heals very very quickly and here's to a better week for all of us next week!

Susan said...

HI Miss D: I had to a while ago decide that I would try to visit two or three blogs a day, or else whole evenings would go by, and all I'd do is blog. Which I really enjoy, but I wouldn't get anything else done. Not good! I really want to read more, so I go to other blogs a little less, write posts for mine, and spend, as you and Carl say, plenty of quality time with my family. I'm sorry it's taken a spider bite to reveal how busy your life has been. Ugh, i still am having creeps over that bite! *shiver*

I haven't even tried Twitter, I'd be too afraid. I barely go on Facebook anymore, because I'd rather work on my blog and write about books, which is above all my passion.

I love your art, and your pictures, so I hope your owls continue to talk to you :-) and really, if you ever put any up for sale, let me know!

take care, get well soon.

Daphne said...

Wow, everyone, thank you for such sweet and insightful comments.

Tammie: it totally takes energy! We all do so much in one day just to keep the ball moving... we need to take credit for that, and take care of ourselves.

Carl: yes, I thought our posts were remarkably similiar! I love blogs and blogging, but I need to focus on making my real life feel a little less stressful and just be more centered.

Susan: you are so sweet! Actually, I am going to put them up for sale, I just have to figure out what printer and paper to use. I'll keep you posted! Thanks so much for the interest!

Anonymous said...

So good that you were able to take a step back and gain some perspective. The spider bite and medication probably took a lot out of you too. Be good to yourself.