Processing ... On Paper.

 

Does your life ever feel like the photo above?
It was an accidental photo, I didn't even know I had taken it until the other day.
But my life totally feels like that sometimes.
Like I'm just hanging on for dear life so I don't go flying off this spinning planet!!

There are a few things I find helpful when it does start to feel like this.
Or even ... before this, but to keep me from getting to this.
That is where I am now.  Feeling like if I don't get
things under control, it will all start to spin!

I'm am external processor.
I need to talk to process.  But sometimes
I can't.  I don't have a large group of people I feel
comfortable 'processing' with.  In fact, it's quite a small, very
select group containing less than a handful of people.

Sure, there are levels of processing. And if we're talking about what I'm going to cook for dinner,
I'm probably happy to chat to a stranger in the supermarket.

I have found, over the years, though, that with lots of things, I can 'process' my
thoughts on paper just as well as in a conversation.  It's almost like I need
to hear (or see) my thoughts to before I can decide if they make
sense.   If you are an external processor, you may know
what I'm talking about.  

Here's what one of my "processing" lists looks like.
It's simple.  Nothing complicated.
But so helpful. 

My next step is to put those thoughts on to a schedule.
I don't want to "fit" these things into my day, I want them to be priority. 
Having that in my mind helps as I go about looking at what other things take up my
time and thinking about if they should be cut back on or eliminated all together.

day 115 {biblioteca} 365 & WFMW

we are frequent borrowers at our local library, the librarian teases us about it ...
if there were frequent flyer miles for library books checked out, we'd be world travelers !
we like to get on our computer at home, reserve books and then once a week we pick them up
from the library van that parks not far from the kids school ... it's wonderfully convenient !!

because we have so many borrowed books, we needed a dedicated shelf for them
this one in our living room is perfect



the bottom shelf is home to all of our library books
here's what it looks like after today's visit



i hang a bag off the side of the shelf
this is where books go when we're finished, ready to be taken back



here's alia's section of the shelf
she loves that she can read now ... and she does lots of it



and jono's
he is a voracious reader



rory's books are all audio these days
perfect for his hour long (each way!) commute to work



and mine ...
mostly cookbooks, a bit of photography and creativity
true stories and a bit of jodi picoult



and with that ... i'm off to read

**

It's been a while since I've posted a Works For Me Wednesday but I thought this might be a helpful little hint for some. I know I used to be frustrated with lost library books ... not anymore ! The books have a home, and I know where they are ! AND ... when the kids (or we) finish a book, it goes into the return bag ... easy ... I just grab the full bag on a Wednesday morning, throw it in the back of the car, all ready for that afternoon's trip to the library.

Check out other things that WORK for other people ... you might find something helpful !

{systems -n- junk} {and Corner View too !!}

I have to share my latest successful system with you. I love systems. I love when I find systems that work. I go through a lot that don't to get to ones that do ...

This one ... totally works ! Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to spend time in the tub ! Serious amounts of time. Like, the water goes cold and needs to be topped up (multiple times) sort of time !! I love to read in the tub. But ... I also like to do other stuff. Like ... menu plan or read catalogs or journal or draw or you get the picture ...

Well ... those things can be tricky when surrounded by water. I always look at those 'bath buddy' things in the stores but they are so small and impractical and EXPENSIVE !! The other night, I wanted to read the Ikea catalog and do a bit of 'life planning' in the bath. I was racking my brain when I remembered that we had these shelves from an old entertainment unit out in the garage. I thought it might be the perfect size and it so was !!! Ahhhhh ... a new system ! And I love it !

I might even be able to knit in the tub now ...

WARNING : ABRUPT CHANGE OF SUBJECT TAKING PLACE NOW ...

After my little post about google reader, I decided to take your advice and try the 'next' button. Oh my goodness !!!! I.LOVE.IT ! Seriously. It makes blog reading so easy and it's perfect because you get to see the posts in the actual blogs which is heaps better than just seeing them in google reader !! The funniest thing happened though ... The way it works is that you just hit next and it takes you to the next blog in your subscriptions, until you either quick clicking next or get to the end. I was clicking away, enjoying all of your blogs when this message came up ...

And when I clicked on End of the Internet, I got this message ....

Totally cracked me up !!

If you'd like to try the next button you can do it by going into your google reader, clicking the 'Settings' tab at the top right of your page and then going into 'Goodies' ... you'll see an option for the next button ...

There is also a subscribe button that I've been using for ages now ... I'd recommend it too !

I will leave you with this ... Funky Lime Pizza. We had it for dinner Monday night and it was freaking delicious ! It was a bit of a risk. I mean, seriously, who would have thought that squeezing lime on top of a pizza would be good ?! I don't know ... but I'm glad they did !! YUM ! Alia wasn't totally sold on this ... but she ate it. Jono on the other hand asked if I could make another one in the morning to send in his lunch ! Lucky for him I'd made two so there was plenty for his lunch ... and mine, and Rory's ! And it was just as good cold as it was hot !!

PS ... if you haven't left a comment in my JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY POST yet, would you ? I'm at 35 comments ... only 75 to go !! ha ha

PPS ... I just remembered that today is Wednesday (yes, Jane it happens to me too !) and time for Corner View ... I think I've shared a few secrets here in this post ... Seriously, that Lime Pizza is a pretty well kept secret that needs to be shared !! So .... pop on over to my cooking blog and discover it !! This is the last Corner View til September ... I'll miss my weekly trips around the world ... see you all in a month !!