Hello! This was my late lunch. Hot chocolate, cheese, bikkies with a dollop of sweet chilli sauce on top!
It was a fiddly kind of day. The weather wasn’t much – not inspiring to work outside. But I did have to go into town and fix up several bank-like tasks – depositing car money, ordering US dollars, cancelling car insurance, dropping off the car disposal notice… blah blah… shopping… That kind of thing.
I discovered something about myself today – why every now and again I get totally titchy about running a house/yard etc. Its the little things. Not hard jobs, just seemingly mountains of five minute jobs that have to be attended to that stops me from spending all day or even half a day being able to concentrate on a single project.
They are just so pesty to my mind! Some I enjoy, some not so much, but all of them are small tasks that pull you from here to there and by the end of the day it really doesn’t look like you have done much at all! Does anyone else get that or does no-one actually have any idea what I am rabbiting on about?? haha
One of my unfinished projects – compiling a little housekeeping book with recipes and budget ideas for the Texan Bride to Be.
I finally spent a couple of hours yesterday making a start on it – and grabbed a few more minutes today to add a couple more recipes.
I guess its all the other jobs that seem to eat my day away run along the lines of – Washing up, water the hothouse, feed & water the chickens, put the bread on, clean the kitty litter, empty the compost, find scraps and return to chickens, washing up, top up firewood, put shopping away, and a heap of other non-noteworthy five minute tasks that never seem to end!
It doesn’t help I am NOT naturally organised and tidy – but I would rather get my teeth into one big all-day project than all these (essential) small tasks. (Really – how do people with CHILDREN survive????) 🙂
Oh well… its a first-world problem isn’t it? I need to work on more strategies to keep the house and those tasks under control rather than stringing them out all through the day with no time left to work on the fun stuff.
I did gather some change that was floating about the house to donate to Connie’s Big Heart Project Love Your Sister is an amazing family who are throwing themselves into raising money for cancer research. Cancer seems to effect all of us in some way or another – no family seems immune these days.
Hopefully tomorrow I will get to spend a little time in my much neglected garden – just have to wait and see what the weather decides!
Cheers
No Lisa, you’re definitely not alone. The minutia can eat up every second of every day if I let it. Some days I feel like I’ve been going, going, going but at the end of the day I have no idea what I accomplished… You’re not alone!
This makes me feel better – thanks for sharing your view on this! I suspect its why I have been enjoying my day hikes so much – its one ‘task’ that goes for a number of hours – and whatever other tasks might still be out there, you can’t leave the ‘job’ at hand to go and do them! I think there will be a lot more ‘little jobs’ left to get done before leaving Tassie tho 🙂 Enjoy your day!!
Isn’t it funny how the little jobs can seem more overwhelming than big ones. Looks like Pip is taking it pretty easy lol! He is such a beautiful kitty.
Yes!! I think you are spot on! Right now I feel like I am paddling in a sea of little ‘to do’ jobs!!
Hmmmm – Pip has perfected the art of taking it easy I reckon! He moved camp and now he is asleep on my lap – about to be evicted into his bed 🙂
Have a lovely day!!
I certainly do understand about all the little things that take over our lives. My hubby and I have a bit of age on us and were getting along very well until a problem with him cropped up and an upcoming surgery will put him totally out of commission for well over a month. I will be pulling the load around the “farm” as well as the house. On a happier note, I have harvested lettuce, strawberries and some carrots from last falls’ planting. My seeds are planted in the garden and are coming up this year. The flowers have been beautiful – out-blooming themselves from any year I can remember. We have had a few really hot – 80 degree days – already which is unusual but are coming up on some more seasonal days this week. Love that cat of yours. Our sweet Sissie cat died several weeks ago and other than a shop cat we are now without. Thanks for the posts, I thoroughly enjoy every one.
I feel your sorrow. I am so sad for your loss. Losing an animal friend can be very difficult. It makes me cry for all I have lost.
Oh Beverly – I am so sad to hear about the loss of your Sissie. Animals leave such an empty space in our lives when they go. I’ve always said the only bad part about having a pet is that their life expectancy is simply not long enough. I miss all mine so much!
I hope your husband has a smooth stay in hospital and a speedy recovery too! Don’t let him start doing things too early either!! Fully recovered first! (That would be advice from both of my nurses, Ruby and Jeff 🙂 )
You will have your hands full won’t you?
How lovely you are picking fresh things already! Such a great time of year up there to be starting again! To have excessively blooming flowers sounds divine!! xx
I used to think I was busy until I had kids. That was nothing compared to now. My life had changed so much. There is very little time for me anymore.
I am late commenting but, yes, there is no time for me anymore either with kids. I feel like some days I am just doing well to get the important body parts washed and I have to catch the rest another time.
Thanks for the comment! I have enjoyed reading peoples thoughts on this!! I really don’t know how the Mums do it and stay sane! I have watched things get a little easier when my friends children reach a point where some of the major household tasks can be delegated to them – but it seems a long wait before they are cooking you dinner! 😀
One day my husband came home and found my to-do list. He didn’t understand why it was in two columns. My answer: one was things I could do when the kids were awake and the other list was those things that could only be done when the kids were napping!
Haha – from what I understand from my sisters and friends with kids, there are some very definite no-no jobs (or impossible) when the kids are awake!!!
Lisa,
I can tell you are a very creative soul. Your photography is taken withan artistic eye. They are always lovely! You love gardening, which is very creative and beautiful ! You love crocheting and making things with your hands. You like to make pretties for others. You make a pretty picture of everything you do! Your veggies your baking even your donations. I know because i am one also. We don’t fit into the normal cubby. We are drawn to beauty! The mundane drives us crazy!! Now thats not saying that we don’t have to put up with “The Little Things.” But we are happier when we can make it beautiful!!!! Nothin wrong with you sweetie!! You have a gift!
Oh Pat – thats lovely! And I really love your take on it (rather than my take which is ‘I suck at housework, lol)
Thank-you so much! You really made me smile! I do enjoy capturing on my camera the things around me – even if they are a little mundane. Even better if I am out and about in this beautiful world! xx
Great post Lisa! I agree about the little things that can eat up a day. I have to write detailed lists in order to keep on track as I am often distracted, both by children and a short attention span (I’d rather read a book, LOL). I find that at the end of the day if I review all that I did by task (my husband asks how my day was) I discover that I really did get a lot accomplished, even if there is no visible evidence.
Beverly- I hope that your husband’s surgery goes well and that you have friends and family that are able to help you out on the farm. We have friends who when the husband was laid up with heart and hip operations their neighbours would show up and help with the chores sometimes, I hope that happens for you as well.
E in NY- Great idea with the two columns!
Thanks Amy! Its so good to hear that other people recognise those little things too!
Nothing like curling up with a good book hey? I pretty much only do that when I get to bed – can’t turn the light out before having a nice read first. Day time reading is impossible – too much to do really.
I have to re write my lists – rethink what I need to get done again in the next three weeks! Hopefully it will be shorter this time! haha
I can only imagine how valuable those lists are when you have kids! 🙂
Thanks for your thoughts!!