Just Filling Time

Breaks are always guilt-ridden times for me. I sit in my house thinking about all the things I should be doing, and I tend to fall into a pattern of self-defeat because I see all the things that need to be done, but I don't do them. Maybe a better way of doing all that I want to get done is to list the things that I have actually done during the first four days of this break.

1. I went through all my fiction books and took out the books that I no longer want. Some of these are silly romance novels, some are science fiction/fantasy that are just parts of entire series, some are the duplicates that my Mom has collected and shared with me, and many of them are silly books from the Dollar Tree that I picked up because I can't seem to walk past a book shelf without getting something...
2. The dishes are almost finished. I have about a quarter of a dishwasher load left to go. This has freed up much of my counter space, so I've done some work on my kitchen surfaces.
3. I've started attacking the rings on the shower. I do this a bit at a time since I can't really kneel well anymore.
4. I started the laundry. Enough said?
5. I am reorganizing my craft desk by consolidating my instruments into the front closet and then using the space to put my crafting stuff into a structure that I like.
6. I have cleared the floors of my bedroom of various and sundry items. It is almost ready to vacuum and steam clean.
7. I've covered my mini notebook with a collage of stickers. This is something that I've wanted to do for a long time, and I just did it yesterday. The new cover should last a bit longer than the original cover, and it looks just the way I envisioned!
8. I've spent hours ruffling the cat's fur and then smoothing it down again. She seems to enjoy having me home at the moment. We will get to a point where she is ready for her own space, but we aren't there yet. If I make a lap, she's there! 
9. I contacted the pet sitter to see if I can organize a meeting for a new sitter. I have a vacation coming up, and my cat does better with visits than with boarding.

Here is a list of the next steps... 

1. Take the books to the church rummage sale this afternoon. I also have some plates and I think I can find some clothing to go as well.
2. Clean out the car so I can fit the rummage and take it to the church.
3. Take out the recycling and trash.
4. Take all the clothes out of the closets and start the process of clearing out.
5. Donate clothing to various thrift shops. 
6. Rest.

I have tasks that I need to work on as well as tasks that I want to work on. I am trying to find ways to balance these things, and my strategies seem to work (when I do them). I just have to find things that motivate me a bit more than napping does - I really like naps!

Today, I will go through the first four steps on the list. Number three has to happen first, then number two, then number one, and then number four. That's the practical order of things. I will do some cleaning and then some of my computer chores and then some more cleaning. I will also spend some time sitting and resting and thinking...always thinking.

What a nice way to fill time.