simplicity and management...

New things are happening, new changes, beginning of things and an ending of some things as well. It seems right for January, the first month of a new year. It also feels good to purge and sort out, to become right with convictions and less burdened by focusing more on what matters. This is not to say that I have mastered the art of simplifying but you have to begin somewhere. And if you are like me, you tend to begin over and over.

I've started with small things and am working my way through others. It has not stopped with me, of course, and as a family we are working on things as well. Natalie's last Brownies meeting was on manners and on responsibilities such as chores. Last year I made her a chore list that was more or less successful until it's eventual decline due to busyness, neglect and so forth. Since it was issued at her meeting about taking up a responsibility in the home that she and she alone must do, I took the opportunity  to make another list. Here's the scan I did of her chore list yesterday. Not the greatest scan but you get the idea. You can see I added several verses here and there on the list as I want us to remember that Christ lives in every facet of our lives. Even in working, especially in working. The best part of making this list was the owl shaped head (which she drew in the face) and the Consider The Ants illustrations at the bottom. She loved each ant was doing something productive like homework, making it's bed and vacuuming which are all responsibilities of hers.

I too, am trying to organizing and simplify areas in my life. I bought an amazing planner for this year (the Wizard of Oz one I was eying during the holidays!) & have begun to write out things to do. Each day I am trying to give myself different things I need to get done for the house and also for my creative side. Beginning to list goals by setting apart different days of doing creative endeavors. Hopefully I will continue this way and establish this in my life. 

I am editing and cutting out things as well. One thing is making my blog reader list a lot smaller. There are so many great blogs out there but it can be overwhelming. Of course in my effort to cut down, I always seem to find new ones of interest! I justify some of them by things I am working on personally in my life like cooking. There are some great food blogs out there with great recipes. It reminds me of another life resolution of providing my family with good food and how important that is. Rick gave me the best (cook)book for Christmas and I am loving it! I have already made some great food because of these recipes that I think every woman, mother and wife should know.

I also need to get back to some serious drawing and illustrating soon. The holidays brought a lot of things on hold and now I am ready to move forward again. I think as I begin to manage my time and efforts better, I'll get to it with good results.

It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.
Benjamin Franklin  

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.
Pablo Picasso  

Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough. 

Author Unknown

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!  I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.  
Henry David Thoreau