Less Hustle More Coffee

What would I do if I Had More Time:

Sometimes it is fulfilling to just make a note of what I would do if I DID have more time. Of course my to do list would get done much faster. When you are frustrated and really feel you need the day off just to organize your mind and your time and take a breather – I’ve found it a good exercise to just say “if I was off today what would I do?”

The mind sometimes doesn’t know your thinking from reality so it has calmed me some to do this exercise and recently I took it a little further. I did not limit it to one day but a period of time. These are simply how I thought of them and not in any order of significance.

• Cook more. I would love to be able to plan and cook more meals during the week. I get frustrated to cook when I’m in a hurry or feel I need to be doing something else. But to be relaxed and cook with a loving heart is something I enjoy and a rare thing b/c we are always in a rush it seems.
• Clean more. I used to get to the nth degree of my house and be frustrated about what didn’t get cleaned. Now I’m lucky to get ANYTHING done other than laundry. I seriously have to schedule housework. Or just dismiss it altogether until I get a whole day at home.
• Organize more. I get a kick out of organizing things. It’s a big trait of mine to make order out of chaos. But I’ve had to let things go. The pantry has always been fun, the dishes have not been as fun but if I get into it, I get into it! I certainly get frustrated when there is too many dishes in one spot or it looks unsightly. When the Tupperware bowls take over and spill onto my everyday dishes – grrr. Or when they fall out on you when you open the cabinet door. Or when the glasses cabinet gets all out of sorts which is all the time now as I finally gave up. George won’t part with the mix matched glasses so if I buy new ones there is simply just competition of space and I end up further frustrated. But if I had more time, we’d have to compromise b/c that drink cabinet would be neat again. And I hate having to bang pans around trying to get the one you need. We’d be changing that.
• Read. I really miss reading. I miss filling my mind with interesting things other than my own crazy life. I think reading is good for you and for your imagination and it provides a resting of the mind and also an ignition of ideas and thoughts. It truly takes you away to other worlds while you sit at home in your chair. It’s the cheapest form of travel there is. I would also finally start being able to read others blogs more.
• Work puzzles. Sometimes the mind needs to relax but still be worked in other ways. I love working a puzzle. It gives a little thrill (good to have feel good hormones) when you find the piece that goes somewhere. You feel special – like you say to yourself “good job – you got it” – lol.
• Spend more time with friends and family. If I had time to burn, I’d love to have more time to spend doing things with friends and family instead of on the hamster wheel trying not to get behind any further than we already are.
• More volunteer work and church work and church activities. If I had more time I could donate to all the little extras that they need people for. I was “suggested” by someone to go ahead and take over the “card sending” in our Sunday school class and the person that suggested it was surprised to see that I had not jumped upon her suggestion. She thought I was doing it. I had never agreed and was surprised that she thought I was doing it. I had to chuckle. People are so confident in their assignments to you without even asking, lol. It’s all innocent and no big deal but if I had more time I could actually be successful at this. Right now I don’t know many people in the church, nor do I have anyone’s address, nor do I have time to do this successfully. It would drive me nuts to try and keep up with it but if I had more time off I’d love doing that. I love to encourage and write to people. I would also love to be able to join a life group but it’s very difficult for us to work these in. It is so stressful because we do not get much time to be at home and always have errands and now Mom and her errands. And of course Dexter, because we want it ALL. lol
• More Bible Study. I would spend more critical time in the word and would actually enjoy teaching a class if called to do so in temporary spells. I’m not one to be ladened down permanently as it would stress me out but I would love to share a class or do periodic teachings or sharing. Or even some writings.
• More Travel. Oh gosh. Don’t you know I’d be spending a month at a time in TEXAS. Ok at least a couple of weeks. I could go and take care of River some and cook some while the kids worked. I could run their errands and do their laundry and watch the sunsets. Let them go out on some dates, visit their church, and would do this quite often. If they don’t come home, I’m gonna move there. Well I don’t know – scorpions and stronger tornadoes and hotter weather – maybe not.
• Exercise More. This has been the hardest things to work into the schedule. I tried it in the mornings but it got squashed out for several reasons – I was rushing to get it in but it wasn’t successful b/c the dog was needing me and the dishes needed me and then my knees began hurting. So now I’m back where I started just trying to figure out a time to work it in. Until I retire, I just don’t see how I can faithfully fit it in without giving up something critical.
• Write More/Blog more. I would probably blog daily instead of every 2 to 3 days. You’d get more juicy stuff too b/c I’d have time to get into the nitty gritty thoughts. You are getting this post late b/c I actually made this list about two weeks ago. I only bullet pointed it, and writing the details now, but a lot of the daily stuff you all just don’t get now because I freaking don’t have time to go into lots of detail anymore. I’ve always wanted to write a book. I know I could write a successful novel if given the time to do so. I’m so detailed with things and I know what makes a good book. I’ve always wanted to do it and I know if I’d had the time and money (rich enough) I could have made it as a writer as a profession but I didn’t want to starve til I broke through (lol).
• Vlog More. I’d finally have time to dive into some fabulous creations and training and learn some new skills and be consistent and I know I could increase my volume and improve enough to be able to allow ads to run and do affiliate marketing. I really don’t even have to be paid but it is a hobby that costs a bit and I’d like to have some ROI out of it. But it takes time to be consistent with it and to be able to focus and do this in a more professional manner.
• Photography. I’d plan more photo shoots too. I love landscapes and nature and also love taking pics of household things, decorating and so forth.
• Thrifting/shopping. I would love to shop more out there – looking for sales and deals.
• Watch more TV. I’m sure I’d get into TV more.
• Play more computer games. This would be fun again.
• Misc. I’m dumping everything else here in this category that I forgot about. I am sure I would get into more crafts. And probably develop some new hobbies. I would find a craft and develop skills and maybe even sell some of them. Like glass etching. I would love to do that. I’d love to learn to sew and knit. I would love to learn to sew things to wear and even to sell, but that period of time is more likely over for me. Am I too old for Etsy? I guess Ebay is a thing of the past? I’d love to be able to buy and sell on a site again like Ebay. That was a fun time in our lives. We loved that and made some profits.

I’m realizing that when I finally DO retire, I’m going to have a blast and my schedule and to do list with thrive even more as long as I’m still healthy to enjoy it and do things. My body sometimes feels like it is going down so I really need to strengthen my legs and try to eat right and get exercise and movement when I can.

How’s the Mood these Days? And what’s going on?

I’m doing ok. I’m trying to stay on top of the busy season that is arriving upon us.

Work. As of right now it is Month End and Quarter End as I just closed the last payroll for September – dated Fri 9/30. Work will be busy and may require my schedule to flex a bit, but that is ok. I’m tracking my hours and keeping up with the longer hours so I can pull from them with doc appts. Just trying to be fair and making sure I pull my weight. And an prove myself if needed. Just going to work stresses me out because I feel the need to be home or pulled elsewhere in so many directions. But we need for me to work until I retire.

Retirement. George is really wanting me to retire at 67.5 instead of 62.5 (when medicare starts) because of the insurance purposes. I really feel like I’ll die working if I do that and will never get to experience retirement. I really feel like I need to retire at 62. My mind and body are wearing out trying to keep up with work and home and Mom and everything else. The past couple of years have really taken a toll on my physical and mental health. I feel like I’ll stroke out before getting to 67.5 from stress. I have never handled stress well and life is most certainly NOT balanced so I feel like it’s in my best interest to go ahead at 62.5 and then just take a high deductible plan so it wouldn’t devastate us if something happened and be able to go ahead and chill. I’ve worked since I was 15 and I’m ready to find some peace in my life. We will save on gas, clothes, food, and budget better so I think we can swing it. Especially if we plan for it. I wouldn’t be opposed to taking on some temporary work or PT work here and there to supplement if need be. Maybe even consulting work but who knows maybe the vlog on YT will take off, lol. I just have to pray over this one.

The Holidays. Ok so our thoughts, shopping, lists and timelines are starting to come together. I made some deadlines for myself while looking at the calendar laid out. I really want to enjoy the last two weeks before Christmas and not be running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to spend time with family while we finish up shopping and wrapping and stockings and trying to work and end up staying up late and then I end up sick by Christmas Day. So if we can meet these deadlines it will make things easier. It might mean doing somethings backwards, like wrapping before the Christmas tree goes up. Wondering how Dexter will do with the tree and packages though? Kinda like really worried about that one. We’ll have to keep the living room shut off and threaten him with who knows what if even looks at the tree. I’ve picked my Wish List out on Amazon and shared it with George. Did you know you could do that?

We’ve already started shopping and ideas coming together.

October. We have this Saturday off. Thank the Good Lord. We have been gone every day for the last 21 days or so by the time we get to this Sat? that’s three work weeks and two in b/w weekends and next to NO time at home other than crashing at night with a meal, maybe a load of laundry and sleep. We have a fund raiser dinner this week. And Dexter has his “fix” coming up – snip snip and I have a PTO day for that. My eye doc is this Friday – an annual visit to check my eyes and also make sure I don’t get what Mom has. I have a GYN appt this month too – I keep forgetting OCT is a quarter end month I guess. Fancy has a trim coming and Mom and I are getting Pedi’s in a week and half. Mom started going back to church with us for now so Sunday’s we are gone out longer as we take her out to eat and go grocery shopping and any odd projects she needs so it’s 2 or 3 before we get home. So during the holidays we may have to divide and conquer again (take turns) or something if we can’t get important things done. We will be trying to do some shopping here and there at the local shops if we can get some time to sneak out. I told him not this Saturday as I really need time to get some things done here since we’ve been gone. He agreed but then he’ll sneak in “let’s just run here and then it turns into 4 or 5 places and my productive time will be gone”. So I’ll have to be a hard nose on this weekend.

Future. I have been working on some new challenges for myself and also my motto for 2023. I’ve not been working very hard on it, lol. It’s just coming to my mind. I might even do a challenge soon. I ordered my 2023 calendar as we already have appointments made for 2023. I have in my mind next year to try some things I’ve not done before and see how they impact my health. For example: one month w/o chewing gum, one month without alcohol, one month with only a certain gram amount of sugar per day, and one month of being gluten free. I think this will be extremely interesting. And hard. Some of my goals are coming together for next year. Some will have to roll over into the next year. Like the basement clean out and weight loss, lol.

And that is all I really have for today. It’s enough. I’ll be working on finishing up the video – not much left, doing the thumbnail and plan to have it up by Saturday at 7:00 a.m. I’m sooo looking forward to the weekend. I just cannot tell you how much it means to have a day at home! Oh and I have chigger. Dang it! I guess when I took Dexter walking around the yard. ugh.

OK off to do the video finish. Take care everyone. Let me hear from you. Are you having a good week? Excited about fall? Impacted by the hurricane? Looking forward to the holidays? Muah! Love you guys.