Today I’m thankful for this soldiers’ memorial in the Gallipolis City Park. The memorial is well done and lit at night but they thankfully don’t decorate it as part of the holiday lights display. They do decorate the trees in the area, making this beautiful and almost surreal scene.
I’m grateful for the individuals who have served our nation so bravely and for the folks in Gallia County for remembering them. We are a better country because of the brave sacrifices made by the men and women of our U.S. Armed Forces.
There’s nothing more magical than standing beneath a canopy of Christmas lights. That’s why I always look forward to the beautiful lights in the Gallipolis city park.
Festive characters, thousands of twinkling lights, and holiday music are a perfect setting to get into the holiday spirit.
It worked for me anyway.
Want to go? The address to use is 300 Second Street, Gallipolis, Ohio. It’s free and the lights will be on through January 1. After you walk through the park, be sure to walk or drive down to the riverfront parking lot to see more trees.
I have been building my priorities around monthly themes for the last few months. You can read all about it here. Last month’s theme related to saying NO to things that don’t matter for No-vember.
I’m taking a similar nod from De-cember by building my task list around decluttering, destressing and detoxing. I’m off to a late start because of circumstances beyond my control but that’s ok. I’m not reaching for perfection but am simply looking for improvement and some sense of accomplishment.
These tasks will also be carried into January as part of my annual No Spend Challenge. I find it’s easier to not spend money when you see how much extra stuff you own, when you’re not feeling stressed, and when you’re actively detoxing from things like screen time and junk food.
I badly need to work on all of these things. I have been too stressed lately and am aware that my priorities need realigning. I also need to calibrate how I deal with people and situations where others are making demands of my time and energy.
Theme months may sound silly but they are actually quite helpful in accomplishing a few goals every month and staying focused on what actually matters.
Have you ever tried a theme month for your to do list? I would love to hear how it works for you!
As I write this, Scout is curled up asleep next to me. He’s in a ball with his tail shielding his eyes and snoring loudly. He’s had a long, hard day of doing nothing.
It’s Sunday night and I too had a long day of doing nothing.
Actually, that’s not true. I did some laundry, cooked dinner, cleaned up the kitchen and started working on Christmas cards. These things didn’t take much time so I was free for much of the day.
I also sat on the couch reading, listening to music, watching movies and staring at Christmas trees today. I even slept in but never managed to take that nap I hoped for this afternoon.
These acts of relaxation are classified by many as a waste of time but I would prefer to shift my mindset back into a place where rest and relaxation are an act of doing something important.
Washing dishes wasn’t a better use of time than reading my book. The dishes needed done, yes. However, my body and mind needed to slow down even if just for the day.
It’s not a waste of time to rest when you’re tired or to curl up with a book when you need a break.
When did our society shift toward this mindset that you must be producing something constantly?
While I was relaxing today I encountered this graphic on Pinterest.
It’s about mastering your time and shows several ways to structure your day for maximum results. While I am a self help junkie who digs this kind of thing, it occurred to me that I don’t see a lot of graphics dedicated to just enjoying life or to letting our minds and bodies rest when we are tired.
Who’s with me? Who wants to start a new trend? Ready to step off the hamster wheel and a perform the radical act of just allowing yourself some downtime? Winter is the ideal time to start!
“The future is always a blank slate, waiting for us to write our stories upon it. What lies beyond the bend is not for us to know, but for us to discover with courage.”
Edith Wharton – The Age of Innocence
This was a busy week and yesterday was long. I intend to spend much of this day unconscious and for my waking moments to be quiet. I’m hoping to rest up today so that Monday can be a better blank slate for writing some stories.
Our Philadelphia hotel earlier this year had a fabulous reading room. It’s a dark and moody space that called my name every time I passed by.
It seemed like the perfect spot to curl up with a book but I never once saw anyone sitting there. I didn’t sit there either because we had a delightfully full schedule. The time we did spend at the hotel, we chose to spend it in pajamas with air conditioning blasting and our feet kicked up.
Now I wish I had bothered to run a comb through my hair and go downstairs to sit in this dreamy room. I’m not sure why I am still thinking about it but I still dream of it. If I ever go back, maybe I can plan for some quiet time in this relaxing space.
