Zoom...

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Flying by, but too busy to stop for a post.  Shane is working out of town this week, I have lots of gardening and kitchen tasks staring me in the face, and I'm getting everything ready (from plans to clean laundry) for our trip that starts July 4.  I'll try to write a real post if I can this week. 

Good news is that I just found out we will have wi-fi at our campground, so I might be able to post some vacation photos next week as they happen.

Making Decisions In A Controversial World

Source

I will think...about what truly matters to me and what kind of end result I want.  I will ignore what others, from the media to big business to my next door neighbor, tell me to think.

I will read...as much as I can get my eyes on.  Until I'm sick of reading and confused by the contradictions.

I will think...again.  Have my thoughts changed because of my research, or am I still clear about my ideas and ideals?

I will decide...on my own -- which food is most nutritious for my family, and which candidates' views most closely match my own.  I will decide how I spend my money and my free time, and how I will teach my child..   If I bandwagon, it will be because I'm truly convicted, not just because I want to fit in.

I will do all of these things with my head, and then...

I will act...with my heart.

**********

These thoughts were just rattling around my brain and needed a place to land.  They aren't in regard to specific events or decisions I am facing; this is just what happens in my head when I'm doing housework and tending the garden.

Now, Who Didn't See This Coming?

I need a blog break.  I promise it will be short, as I have plenty to say when I come back.  I just have some pressing things to take care of here at home.  Everybody and everything around here thinks they need to be fed, cleaned, clothed, petted or otherwise cared for.  Unreasonable, if you ask me.

BRB.
I promise.

Self-Control and the Struggle to Stay Productive

What's your Internet Achilles' heal?  For some it's Pinterest.  For others, it's on-line games.  For someone else, it might be eBay.

I don't have a problem clicking away from any of those, but I can't seem to stay away from Facebook.  It can suck the hours right out of my day.  I don't know why I have such a weakness for it.  While I do "get something out of it", especially on my Haphazard Homestead page, I don't think what I get out of it is commensurate with the time I can find myself putting into it.

Worse is that I can't seem to leave it alone on my own.  I'm not normally one who has trouble exercising willpower, but staying away from Facebook is harder for me than cutting back on sugar was last month, or giving up cigarettes cold turkey was ten years ago.  I did give FB up cold turkey a couple of years ago (really, that long ago?) and did fine, but I don't want to give it up entirely now; I think it's a usefully tool for bloggers.

What I have found that works for me is LeechBlock.  LeechBlock is a free Mozilla Add-On for those who use the Firefox browser.  I can choose what sites to block and either block them entirely, for specified periods of time each day, or specified amounts of time within a time period (for example, I can block a site for 45 minutes out of each hour), or I can set up one-time blocking as needed.  There are also tracking tools to show you what sites you spend the most time viewing and other nifty tools.

I've tried a few different scenarios.  Blocking Facebook from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. was a little too stringent, but allowing myself 10 minutes each of those hours was still too lax.  I'm currently allowing myself a half-hour in the early morning, an hour at lunchtime and a half-hour in the afternoon, plus unlimited time in the late evening and on weekends.  That gives me several large blocks of time during the day to get other things done without the Facebook distraction.

I'm sure there are other similar tools on-line for folks who don't use Firefox.  I did a very quick search of "website blocker" and came up with a few.  LeechBlock is free, and others may be as well, but I have seen some that charge a fee for the service.

I think these tools work psychologically as much as they do practically.  In addition to my laptop, we have two other computers in the house that are not blocked.  I could easily hop onto one of them to see FB while mine blocks it, but I don't.   I could also get on Internet Explorer and access it that way, but I won't do that, either.  I guess I just need a small reminder to turn away and stay on-task with other things.

I don't block any other sites at this time, but if one becomes a time-suck for me, I will add it to my list.

What about you?  Do you have a lack of will-power when it comes to certain websites, or the internet in general?  What tools do you use to make your day more productive?


Disclaimer:  I was not compensated in any way for this post.  This is simply a tool that works for me and I thought I'd share it with my readers.

Ah...The Great Outdoors!

Or maybe I should say, AAGHH!!!

We've still got our hands full with this door project, but at least it doesn't look like this anymore.  They got the new door in just before dark last night.

I'll post again when I get a chance.

February Sewing/Crafting - "That Afghan" Is Finally Done

The afghan I started more than two and a half years ago as a wedding gift for my daughter and SIL is finally done!    And I have to say, "What a relief!"

Now don't get me wrong.  I like the afghan and I think it's very pretty.  It wasn't that difficult to do, but it was really beyond the scope of my patience.  All those color changes, then working the ends in was te-di-ous!  I also realize, looking back, that I should have got my new eyeglasses long before I did.  Switching from lined bi-focals to transitional multi-focals really improved my staying power as I finished up this month.

My best guess for this project is 120 to 150 actual clock hours of stitching.  So, yeah, it could have been -- and should have been -- done a long time ago.

Below is a pic from the original pattern, done in Caron.com Country yarn.

My daughter asked for to have the Claret (red) replaced with a deep plum and the Peacock (blue) replaced with a teal.  I think her choices were good ones, but they necessitated a yarn change. The final product was worked up in Red Heart Soft yarn.  The original pattern measured 50" x 64", but I added rows so that the one I made measures approximately 72' x 90".

My daughter hasn't seen the finished product yet, but I think she'll be pleased.  If nothing else, she'll be glad to finally get it.  :) 

I bought myself a large knitting loom a couple of years ago and still haven't used it because I was waiting to get this done.  Now that it's finished, I can get started on something for myself with the loom.  I'm not sure what yet, but I can guarantee it will be just one color!

That will probably be my April project.  For March, I'll be sewing a couple of things for Kat; I don't want to put them off any longer; I'm afraid she might outgrow them before I get them done!

To Begin...Begin

"To begin, begin."
                            --William Wordsworth


This is what my kitchen looked like most of the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve.  It's looked this way since then, too. Truth be told, it looks this way about once a week. 

Some days there are just so many things to do around here that it's hard to know where to begin . On days like this, I don't even try to prioritize.  I just pick something and do it.

I might not get as much done as I would with a properly ordered to do list, but I'll get something done.

Some days, I think that's the best you can hope for.