Memorial Day

 Today, we remember...

Sunday Inspiration: Fix Your Thoughts

 

Thankful Thursday: May 25, 2023

I Am Thankful For:

Kisses

A quiet day

The last piece of cheesecake

A new pillow

Cute little baby shoes

Yearly medical exams are over

My husband home from work trip sooner than expected

Peonies in bloom

Sunday mornings

Making travel plans

New notebooks

Phone calls from my daughter

Periwinkle nail polish

Sunday Inspiration: If You Want to be Happy

 

Thankful Thursday: May 18, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Sunrise

Streaming TV services

Family

Naps

Rain

Allergy medicine

Watching my husband with our grandsons

Spending time with my daughter

Cheesecake

The gift of books

A relaxing day

A pretty tea set

Big wide doggy smiles

A beautiful morning

Seeing a project come together

My husband coming home early

Focus

If you've read my One Word for 2023 post, you know that this year I decided that I will also have a word for each month.  (if you haven't read that post yet - go ahead and do it now. I'll be right here when you're done)

My word for May is FOCUS.

You might recall from my May post that I had been feeling a little overwhelmed, scatter-brained, and out of sorts recently. I had a lot of trouble staying on task and accomplishing goals. It has been a real challenge for me.

Which is exactly why FOCUS made so much sense as my next Word of the month!

In April, (and even before that, if I am being honest) I struggled to find my focus. There have been so many different things calling out for my time and attention. As I spent time in the Quiet, I realized that much of the time I should be able to choose what is important to me and where I want to focus my time, attention, and efforts. 

I need to narrow things down. I can't truly give my best to anything if my focus is constantly being divided between dozens of activities, projects, or goals. What is most important? Or, at the very least, what is most important at this given moment? Stay focused on that until it is complete, or until it's time has past.

I am choosing to focus on myself and my health - physical, emotional, and spiritual. Focus on my marriage. Focus on my "children" - they may be grown, but that doesn't mean they don't occasionally still need my attention, help, or support. Focus on my grandchildren. Focus on things that bring me joy. Focus on things that get me closer to who, what, and where I want to be.

Focusing on what is most important isn't easy. It's not as if all the shiny things vying for my attention have just disappeared.  There will always be distractions. But I am slowly beginning to learn how to focus and tune out some of them. 

Where do you focus your time, attention, and effort?

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing the very happiest of Mother's Day to my mom, my daughter, my sisters, my mother in law, my friends, and to each and every one of you!  

 

Thankful Thursday: May 11, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Baby smiles

When my order arrives sooner than expected

Pretty nail polish

Visiting with my mom

A new sewing cabinet

Texting GIFs with my sister

Changing the subject

Making a day of watching the coronation

Playing a new game with the family

Staying up late

Afternoon snacks

Thunderstorms at sunset

Good test results

A goal completed

Almond butter

Quiet evenings

Sunday Inspiration: Focus

 

Thankful Thursday: May 4, 2023

 

I Am Thankful For:

Lunch with my daughter's family

Watermelon

Holding my grandson

A good cry

Weekend plans

Taking a day trip with my husband

Learning new things

Walking in nature

Mountain laurel in bloom

An over-the-top dessert

Rainy Sundays

May

Deep breaths

Moments of silence

Cereal

May 2023

 May Day! May Day!

That works both ways for me today.  

Obviously, it's  the first day of May - aka May Day (or Beltane).  

But it is also a distress signal.  And since I've been feeling a little overwhelmed, scatter-brained, and out of sorts for the past couple of weeks and didn't get far on most of my April goals I could probably use a little help!

Hopefully May will be a little slower paced and more relaxed than April was.  it wasn't necessarily busy in a bad way. There was just a lot going on.  And (like I mentioned before), I had a lot of trouble staying on task and accomplishing goals. 

So far, it's looking good. There's not a lot on the calendar this month. We'll be celebrating Mother's Day weekend.  And our son turns 25 at the end of the month.  (25!? How in the world did that happen?)

I'm hoping to get in one or two weekend day trips with the Man of the House. Last weekend we spent Saturday exploring a couple of nearby Revolutionary War battle fields. We learned a few things about local history and got in some fresh air and exercise!

The "cleaning out and reorganizing my home office" saga continues.  I'm still making progress.  Slow, slow progress.  But progress, nonetheless.

The one thing I did manage to rock in April was my reading list.  I completed the entire April to list along with a couple of extras. My May reading list is short and sweet:  Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz, How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.

My goals for May are:

• Finish clearing out and organizing main area of office
• Declutter and organize shoes
• Journal everyday
• Meditate 3 times per week
• Exercise of some sort each day

What are your plans for May?