Today’s story falls into a category that I like to call “Things I Shouldn’t Tell On Myself.”
Yet, here we are.
A few weeks ago, I found an empty snail shell in the woods. I’m a gatherer, a person who collects things from nature. Pretty rocks, seashells and leaves are commonly examined and sometimes come home with me. So it wasn’t at all odd that this snail shell ended up in my pocket.
When I came home, I dropped the shell on the kitchen table so that I could clean it before placing it on the shelf.
The next day, I realized it was gone. It occurred to me that it may have been thrown away with some junk mail that I had sorted at the table. After all, Scout isn’t allowed on the table so it’s unlikely he absconded with it.
And then I forgot all about it.
Yesterday, I was putting away some things that from the store. When I moved a grocery sack, something dropped onto my mid century kitchen dinette table and there was the shell – complete with a real life snail inside.
Meet Sheldon the Snail.
It seems he has been living on my kitchen table all this time, likely hiding in the fruit bowl and dodging me.
So I helped Sheldon up onto a piece of cardboard and carried him to a wooded area similar to the place where I found him. And now I can’t disinfect the table enough.
I often say you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors in other people’s homes. Turns out, sometimes you don’t know what’s going on in your own home!!
This message is painted in a stairwell at McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio. Their mascot is the Tiger. I got a kick out of it.
Most species bare their teeth as a threat, as a display of aggression, of leadership. Think of that the next time I smile.
I found it when I visited the school for a tour during their alumni activities a few weeks ago. That was a fun experience which you can read about here.
Barbie was a constant presence and friend during my childhood. I had a bunch of Barbies and a handful of Ken dolls along with her townhouse, a car, an RV and a decent selection of clothes.
Taking care of my dolls was important to me so I never abused them, cut their hair or even permanently separated them from the clothes they came in. Each doll was put away wearing her shoes too.
I liked Barbie because she had so many different careers, talents and adventures. She could be a business woman, a scientist and even President. She could be a teacher or a NASCAR driver. How exciting to think that any girl could grow up to be anything she wanted!
Yet, a lot of people criticize this doll for setting unrealistic expectations for physical beauty and life accomplishments. I have never agreed with the complaints. After all, who wants to play with a frumpy doll? What’s wrong with a pretty doll? What’s wrong with girls being told they can be anything they want to be?
Of course, then I grew up and realized the world doesn’t really work that way and that few women are able to achieve positions of leadership and power. Still, Barbie holds such a special place in my heart that I continued collecting them for several years as a teenager and college student. The dolls are still in their boxes on shelves in my craft room.
I was thrilled last year to hear there was a movie coming, one geared toward grown ups.
This week, a friend and I checked it out at the theater, happily becoming absorbed in the bright, happy shades of pink and all kinds of flamboyant costumes. It’s eye candy with a kick because there’s some truly smart dialog and slightly exaggerated but all too realistic scenarios.
In Barbie Land, the Barbies are in charge and the Kens are more or less accessories. In other words, they don’t do much or get a lot of respect. But Barbie has to leave this idyllic land to visit reality. Here she learns that all her accomplishments in Barbie Land are not a reflection of what’s happening in the real world.
There’s a lot more to the story but I don’t want to ruin it for you. If you like Barbie, this is a great movie for you. If you hate Barbie, I think you’ll still like it because there’s some degree of poking fun at Mattel’s missteps and at the doll in general.
I suspect a lot of men will feel uncomfortable or may even hate it. Most women I know who have seen the movie have found it both reassuring and empowering. Some people I know, who haven’t seen it, are complaining because it’s about a toy but isn’t a kids movie. Interestingly, it seems no worse than a lot of stuff you see on tv and the internet these days and things that go on in American households.
Sadly, they are missing the point.
Barbie isn’t just for little girls. Sometimes the big girls need her too and she certainly made me feel better. Everything in this world doesn’t need to be accessible to kids. It’s ok to stretch the boundaries of the toy we all played with decades ago and to catch up with her as adults.
This isn’t the best movie I have ever seen. However, it is a great movie because it’s fun and sad, thought provoking and empowering. I like a fresh perspective and a reason to think. You’ll be thinking about this movie long after you leave the theater.
About a month ago I committed to doing one small thing a day. I started by writing a list of about three dozen things that can be done in fifteen minutes or less. Then I set to work making sure at least one thing from the list is checked off every day. The list has been added to and a few listed projects have been completed as well.
It isn’t really about the list. It’s about what it stands for.
One day my small thing was researching the kind of screw needed to fix the oven door and then ordering it. A week later, the project was using that screw to secure the oven door. Another day I tidied the bathroom drawers and another time I cleaned out the fridge. Last night I finally replaced the screen protector on my phone. The old one got scratched one day earlier this year because I carried my phone in the same pocket as a couple of rocks. This is so me, by the way – both the rocks and the living with it.
Procrastination – thou art my enemy.
Except I don’t think I’m really a procrastinator. Sometimes I’m paralyzed with indecision. Sometimes I get taken down by good old fashioned complacency. The oven door comes to mind.
However, I notice my life sometimes taking the turn toward the busy. It seems like I’m always busy but am not always productive.
Read that again.
Busy and productive are not the same things.
I know people who are busy running every which way, busy sitting in meetings, busy moving things from one place to another and busy dealing with an avalanche of emails but they have nothing to show for their efforts. It’s like rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking ship.
It’s exhausting too.
If I said I was going to choose a day to clean out all the storage in my bathroom and give everything a good scrub, I would never tackle that project. It sounds like too much. By breaking it down into bite sized pieces, I’m able to point to something and say “I did that.”
One day it was the drawers, another day it was under the sink, someday soon it will be the linen closet. Before you know it, everything will be done.
Productivity feels awfully good.
It feels good enough that I would like to employ a similar system at work after I move through a handful of projects in the next three weeks. I could use a lot more productivity and far less busyness in my days.
Want to read more about my One Small Thing project? Click here!
In the category I like to call “Easily Pleased,” I bought a new piece of luggage last week. My closet is cluttered with suitcases and bags that never quite are exactly what I need. Since I am flying soon, I was particularly susceptible to the aggressive and extremely effective marketing techniques of Biaggi.
They’ve been on my radar for a while because the bags are made with no wasted space, are often adjustable in size and fold down into a small container that requires little shelf space.
They’re also kind of expensive but Biaggi had a sale that put them squarely at the top of my price range. Lots of friends happily use their products so it seemed worth the investment.
A lot of luggage is bulky or the wheel/handle assembly eats up a lot of space. This bag has wheels but uses a strap instead of a pull-up handle. It can expand from an underseat bag to a carry on size with the simple pull of a zipper. It comes with a spacious packing cube to help contain everything too.
I am a reformed over packer and try hard to fly with only a carry on and a personal item. Checking a bag can be costly, time consuming and stressful. I never quite trust the airline to get me and my bag to the same location at the same time.
Last year, I spent 35 minutes standing at a dormant baggage carousel in Columbus, Ohio sometime after midnight. By the time it whirled to life and Southwest began dropping an endless train of bags, I was contemplating simply abandoning my possessions.
Southwest checks the first two bags for free but I’m determined to avoid that this trip which is where the new bag comes in to play.
It holds everything I need as an underseat bag. The only thing that doesn’t fit is a pair of hiking shoes I really want to take. They fit with room to spare when the bag is extended into the carry on size.
That’s pretty impressive, if you ask me. It’s almost like magic!
The order confirmation came with a coupon code which I used to purchase a backpack from their clearance sale. It is set to arrive next week and I’m excited to do a dry run with it too.
These are the two bags that I will carry to Colorado next month, providing some extra space for souvenirs. I hope they will replace most of the luggage in my closet. I could use the extra storage space.
The Trinity Episcopal Church was built in 1882 and has been a treasured landmark in my hometown ever since. The stained glass, red doors, handmade bricks, sandstone foundation and bell tower are my favorite features.
Here’s another view, this one showing the funeral home across the street.
