...And The Snow Keeps Falling

Today is Saturday, the one day where I choose what I want to do with my time and energy rather than having to do what others structure for me...well, in one sense of the word. I do not go to work for someone else on Saturdays - I get to spend time in my home without having to leave unless I want to! I try to keep my Saturdays reserved for rest and relaxation because I work the other days of the week.

Today, though, is an exception. Once per month (or about that often), I meet with the other Board of Directors of the Online Conference for Music Therapy, Inc. We talk about the conferences that we run on a regular basis and we plan for what we have to do to get an online conference going and ready for other music therapists from around the world. It is a wonderful bunch of people, so I do not regret the time spent with these folks on my Saturdays. I enjoy our conversations and our problem solving.

The rest of the day will consist of me walking around my house, looking at the boxes that are sitting there waiting for me to address them, and then getting overwhelmed and taking a nap rather than doing anything at all. Actually, I do have a goal today. I bought a new, really small CD player for upstairs, and it is time to set that up so I can listen to music while I clean my kitchen and unpack boxes in the living room. I can hook my record player into the CD player, so I can get all sorts of music going in there. I may also be able to stream the music into the bedroom via Bluetooth (if I can get it to work). That is my goal. 

I am going old school with my music listening in my new house.

I think I will start my exploration of my CD collection the way that I almost always start - with Broadway and soundtracks. I am a fan of soundtracks. I love the variety of music and the programmatic nature of music used with visual narratives that are part of listening to these CDs. I have a big book of soundtrack CDs that I will flip through and blast as much as I think is appropriate. I will not be placing my music anyplace near my shared wall with my neighbor, so I can crank up that volume a bit more than I ever felt comfortable doing when I shared three walls with neighbors. I will spend time putting the speakers in the places that I want them (I have extra speakers to use - I just need to find the wire) and then listening to music while I wash dishes.

So, my day of "rest" will not be entirely restful. 

That's fine. For me to take advantage of what this Saturday can offer to me, I have to be the one making the decisions about I will do to fill my time. This is one of my self-care foundations - choice. If I don't get to choose what I do, then I don't often feel very rested or settled. This is one of my foundational issues with planned self-care activities run by others. I am not a fan of spa days or bowling with the team. I want some time to sit on my new chair, cover up with a blankie, and read a book just for fun. Those are the best self-care choices for me!

What are your self-care choices? Are you the type of person who likes spa days? Great! I am glad that you have identified what works for you!!

Take care of yourself when you can.

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