Less Hustle More Coffee

The weekend was pretty awesome, not having to be anywhere on Saturday and only half the day Sunday. Having a day at home is the KEY to my psyche being in a good place. And sadly, it doesn’t happen very often. On a day at home, I feel I can be me, be free. I love to clean and organize our house, do our laundry, and enjoy the simple routines. If I had more days at home, I would enjoy planning and fixing meals and being more crafty, organizing and cleaning more, and having time to be more thrifty. So Saturday my heart was at peace. It was actually at peace all week last week knowing the day was coming. I don’t think I get another day like that until November. And that is where I start to feel panicky and overwhelmed.

We always manage to get the most important things done, but it leaves little time for you to be able to have down time to recharge, refix things, and reboot. I had to say very strong prayer last night that I would not “lose it” during the next couple of months. Even Saturday I had a melt down which surprised even myself. I had bought some thing for River and Katy to take on our trip and we’ve been moving so fast, I could not remember what it was, where it was, and couldn’t find it. George kept asking me questions and talking so fast and my mind could not keep up and I was frustrated for not remembering. We do so much so fast and have shopped so many stores and bought so many things and stuck them so many places, it’s just overwhelming so I was surprised that I was so quickly reduced to tears. I still don’t understand what happened other than I was simply overwhelmed and George was asking so many questions so fast, so I just shut down. He realized what was happening and gave me a hug (bless him) and said “so down, it’s ok”. Which is what I needed. Normally he would have been irritated at me for being frustrated. But in those moments I just need to be told that. And then immediately I figured out what it was and where it was.

The day was gloomy with lots of wind and a bit of rain on Saturday. Maybe not as much rain as we needed but we’ll take it. I was happy with a day of wind and rain. But we had to bring George’s plants in and the cushions.

So I had brought out all the things we bought (prior to my little meltdown), and started laundry, and kitchen cleaning, and all that.

I was able to get started in the afternoon on the next video and can you believe actually finished it yesterday and it’s uploading today to be scheduled for YouTube. The editing is getting easier and faster. This week I will work on the Thumbnail for YouTube. It’s finally here, Dexter’s adoption video. So that will go up Saturday at 7:00 a.m. (maybe even 6:00) because I’ll have to be driving to Mom’s at 7:00 as it’s Fancy trim day and I need to have time to promote it on here and on FB and Insta.

So that means that I will be working on the Intro this week. That gives me some time each day. I will work on the graphic in Canva and then find some short video clips of George, Me, Dexter and Little Bit and maybe even Momma. They will be quick though. I want this intro to be very quick. I would love to not include videos of us but maybe even a slide with just our photos but I’ve not totally decided. I know what the graphic will look like. And I have the song intro which will be my theme. Anyway, just glad to have some editing time and I enjoyed myself and got ahead a bit. I’m never ahead! If you saw my to do list though you would know I’m bluffing on that point.

I saw this and it let me know that I’m not the only one struggling with growing a channel. I know my issues though and time can help but it not on my side, so I keep having to just be happy with what it is until I can throw more at it. So much more opportunity to improve. And honestly the journey is fun and that is what I enjoy most when I’m not frustrated over not having the time I need. Anyway, thank you TubeBuddy for your message to all of us creators and wannabes who just wanna be liked and subscribed and growing. What is the meaning of success? I think the bar increases at each step. Right now I’d be delighted to have 100 subscribers, lol. But I’m enjoying taking it slow, because if it were to take off, I think I’d be overwhelmed for a period of time. I don’t think I’ll have that problem though until I get a little better with the content, learning analytics, and learn to promote myself in some different ways. I’ve really just been learning the software, the camera, and have so much more to learn. And there’s been little time to learn. It’s a very slow process because I only have time to create and keep that going with all of life’s responsibilities. But I’m a tough cookie.

Saturday We took Dexter out to play in the leaves. He loved chasing them. I took some photos and video’d. And Dexter and I shared some pop corn. He loves it and I’m glad he let me have some. lol

George fixed lamb for dinner. We had to eat in the sun room though because the table in the kitchen is full and also the dining room is filled with presents. We have very little horizontal space in the house as we have kept everything up and away from the dog.

George started wrapping the presents, while I did laundry, changed both our sheets, vacuumed, mopped, ironed, restocked, etc. The wrapped presents are on the floor in my office and we’re having to watch him. He is curious but when told no, he is beginning to respond by just walking away. He is minding better this week. And he is more calm this week.

But, in 30 seconds he had done this to the carpet in my bedroom this morning while I was doing this blog. <insert crying here>. The new carpet is ruined.

This makes me think it wasn’t made very well. Dexter threw up in the night. He does this sometimes with those big hard dog biscuits. I told George we should not give him anymore as he can’t digest them. And I cleaned it up with rug cleaner and while it was wet he went in there and started sniffing and scratching. I heard him scratching and went to see what it was and he had done this in 30 seconds! I’m so discouraged. You all know how long it took me to get George to agree to new flooring? In every house I’ve had to battle to get flooring. And now he had gone and torn it up. I’m sorry but this has to be replaced. I cannot live with the floor looking like that. I will not battle. It is simply going to be done if I have to eat rice for breakfast lunch and dinner for months.

So yesterday (Sunday) we went to church and then had a catered buffet afterward. It was so incredibly good. It’s kinda like “having Thanksgiving with our church family”. We met some folks and really enjoyed it. The food was awesome too.

The sermon was powerful, given by Walt Leaver, I think was his name. I’ve heard of him and wonder if he was at Lipscomb in my younger days, but anyway, he reminded us of the following:

• You can live supernaturally and do supernatural things. (If you are a believer and follower of Christ/God you have a God that will send you a Spirit to help you and also have a God that says He will help you simply by asking Him to do so. (John 14) We do the natural and He does the Supernatural.
• Lean not on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3)
• If we tithe, He will fill our own lives with so many blessings we have a hard time receiving it/storing it. (Malachi 3)
• We simply need to seek first His kingdom and so many things will be added to us. (Matthew 6)
• Faith works patience, and letting patience have its perfect work, makes us perfect and whole and lacking for nothing. (James 1)

I needed those reminders. As I prayed last night I asked him to send me strength.

After church we got Mom’s groceries. George wanted me to take the weekend off of caregiving responsibilities as we’ll be spending a lot of time with Mom next weekend and the week after, but I told him I just had to make sure she has what she needs for the week. He agreed to go to the store with me. (See yesterday’s post about trying to do the order online and pick up.) I knew she would have items she needed. She had forgotten it was the social Sunday and she didn’t want to go to that so I am glad I called or she would have gotten ready for church and then we would not have shown since she said she wasn’t going. She thought it was next week but next week (Sunday) is our Thanksgiving with her at her house. Saturday is Fancy’s grooming and Mom’s shopping day at Lowe’s, Penny’s, and to get more shoes. Sadly I don’t even get time to do our laundry next week unless I skip church and I may have to do church on-line so I can do some things at home. I have to get laundry done so we can go to TEXAS!

After we got the groceries done and delivered and put up at Mom’s and got her mail and was on the way home, I got a call from Mom. Calls from Mom are usually not good calls. She either needs something or we forgot something. So when it’s her ring I go “oh no what’d we do now”, lol.

Well dang it, she had sent me a separate text adding fried chicken (hot and ready to eat) to the list. I forgot to get it, which was to be her lunch. I told George I can never be perfect enough to be her caregiver. She needs to have a daughter that is a better person, a better rememberer. As detailed as I try to be, I always FAIL. I told George that she really needs a diety to care for her because I am never going to be good enough to get the job done adequately for her desires. I felt so bad, but she said “Did they not have the fried chicken that’s ready to eat?” “Mom I am sorry, I thought I had your list but forgot you added that later in a different part of my text”. She said “that’s ok that was going to be my lunch but I’ll find something around here to eat”. I’m sure she was hoping we’d turn around and go through a drive through, but be sure and know she wasn’t going to let us get by with forgetting. It’s not like we would have run off with her fried chicken. She wanted to know where it was. I felt bad but no we were not turning around. George was ready to be home and so was I. It was already about 2 p.m. at that point. I was upset that I’d forgotten the chicken. George told me to blow it off and not let it ruin my afternoon. So I did.

I went to bed early last night due to the time change and woke up early. lol. It’ll all adjust itself but it was nice having an extra hour yesterday. It pleased me making up the bed yesterday. I’m using Mom’s old bedspread quilt that she had slated for Good Will. I was going to use it as a quilt for the dog or to just be under while watching TV. A lot in my house is green. But until I get my new quilt bedspread in when I open my Christmas gift from George, this one will do on the bed with the dog coming and going on it. (My nice comforter is put up.) And honestly I was not enjoying the bulkiness of it. I really enjoy a quilt and a sheet and that’s it. I like the flatness of the quilt and not all the fluffiness of the comforter anymore. Not sure why but I do.

So I worked on a project that has been on my list and was driving me crazy. It’s been on my to do list all year long. The jewelry project.

I had been wanting to fix up my earrings where they are easy to locate and not all jumbled together. I also got rid of a bunch of stuff! I don’t mind sharing as mot of this is costume jewelry. I don’t wear expensive things and don’t even have expensive things. I have a gold chain and a silver chain and some silver charms or pieces to put on them. I have silver plated and gold plated things. A couple of diamonds (mostly worn). That is about the extent of it.

I hardly wear bracelets anymore because I am on the computer typing and it bothers me while at the desks. I don’t have pictured the side cabinets that open where my long necklaces hang. I love my long necklaces. I forgot to go through that part. I’ll need to go back and do that. There are a couple I’ve decided not to keep. I also hardly ever where the pins and broaches. The don’t seem to be in style around here although the Queen wore them, lol. But I love these. I wore them all when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s. I guess I quit when Katy was a baby. But one day I’ll wear them again. So holding onto them. If nothing else I like looking at them.

And here’s some silver pieces that need polishing. They look worse in person. I had to save that for another day and honestly it’ll probably be February, lol.

Well I need to leave and get out of here. Long Monday today. I have a doc appt at 9 but have to drop Dexter off for boarding. I have to train someone to do time sheets this morning which will make my day longer. George has agreed to pick up Dexter so I can work later and then we are going out to eat and Christmas shop some tonight to finish what we didn’t have time to do last Mon night.

I’ll be back mid week. Take care.