Monday, April 26, 2010

A Week Later - The Plan

It's been a week from writing the Plan.  How are you doing with your Plan?  Committed it to paper yet?  My Plan continues to grow as I unload from my brain and get it to paper. 

I've scored big in the way of my "studio".  The studio / 2nd bedroom is my lost child of my home.  While I haven't yet lived here two years, I walk by it at least twice a day. Other than some overnight guests, it's not working for me. 

It's a great room with two large windows that streams in lots of light.  Has the some electrical outlets, though I'd like a few more, has cable, has two large closets, and is quite generous in size - some 15' by 11'.  So over the weekend inbetween work, the Sheep and Wool show, Friends of Library stuff, I took time to measure out the room and begin to look at what I want it to be. 

What first came to mind, is that in my last home, my 'studio' was generally packed away into cabinets and closets throughout the house.  It was terribly efficient in that it was all put away, though inefficient when putting it all together.  Now I have this space and I'm not sure what I'd like to do.

I measured the room and looked around my current furnishings and what I found is that two bookcases from the office could really work well in the studio.  Actually the matching third bookcase is in the studio right now.  That means the ricky old shelving unit could be reworked into some needed shelving in one of the closets.  I know, that leaves some books in the office possibly without a shelf.

Now that I started this project, time to break it down into smaller tasks or it will become overwhelming and nothing will get done.  So first - organize the unfinished projects! 

I began to gather up and set out my unfinished projects.  Anyone that enjoys the creative process generally has more than one project on hand. LOL!!!  I'll admit to that!  I found and agreed to some 21 crochet projects that are in the midst of almost done!  I get started because I like the design, or it poses a different stitch I'd like to learn, or it is just different.  Often times these projects get put aside as an event will come up and I choose to make an item for that event. You can watch the progress at my Creative Sources blog.

By organizing these projects, I feel somewhat accomplished.  I'll be leaving for retreat in a few days and I'm packing some of my projects to take with me so they will be completed when I return.

During our demonstration of lace making at the Sheep and Wool festival, I took one of my projects and just about completed it.  Later on in the weekend I added the balance of the edging and the tassels.  KC wasn't really excited about it (she doesn't like change) though by this morning, she was enjoying her little blanket!

I encourage you, take some moments for yourself and set up your Plan!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day 2010

Yes it is - EARTH DAY - once again. Though each day is Earth Day, hopefully we all take a moment to rejuvenate our awareness of how each day we live on our planet will affect our planet. So to begin with - see this video,,,,,
Where were you 40 years ago when we first celebrated Earth Day?  I was in high school and we helped pick up litter in the parks. Since then, I've done my best at being a greener inhabitant of Mother Earth. I've taken part in work crews to clean up roadways, clean up parks, and other types of events to encourage awareness that our planet is a place we need to take care of.

What makes me a bit discouraged at times, is why are those spaces not still clean? Don't we get it? Are we not aware of how to keep our space clean?

So many questions - So here are some answers.

First and foremost - YOU make the difference in your environment.

Let's talkTrash - if each household in the US (approximately 115 million households as projected by the US Census) could eliminate one bag of trash a month either by recyclying it or by not buying products with so much waste, that would calculate to be  inexcess of 1.3 million tons of trash not going to the land fills or being recycled into other products.

Recycling - Our town will be changing from the blue buckets to in-line recycling. There is a chance the people of the town could increase recycling and reduce trash. Just one ton less trash would save the taxpayers over $71. Not big enough $$s for you? When there is hundreds of thousands of tons a year - the $$s really add up.

Lights - turn them off and try those Energy Savers CFLs. Lowering your electric usaged not only saves you $$s it saves resources for all of us.  At first I didn't like them as I didn't feel they were bright enough. So for places that I need better/brighter light, like over my desk or my lace pillow, I have one bright light instead of the whole room.  Open your shades, wash the screens over the windows, it is amazing how much more light can enter an room.

There are hundreds of ideas you can do if you sit back and determine how YOU will impact our Earth.  YOU can make the difference.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Celebrating New Year - The Plan

It is about time for twenty-ten to begin for me.  While most folks enjoyed January 1st as their New Year's Day, mine is set on May 1st. 

For most of my adult life, I've spent the first four months of the year in tax season leaving me with eight months of what I call My Year.  I've enjoyed every moment of it, all though, occassionally it makes for tough scheduling.

So I find myself over the last couple of days making my Plan.  My Plan also includes writting out reflections of what was the good, the bad, and the ugly has been for the last four months.  It is a chance to unload all the to-do's and like to-do's out of my head.  It is a chance to critique my personal performance so I can make my performance better.  It is a chance to see where I can improve, deligate, and see that the Plan is taking form.

I use a spiral bound notebook, make a page for each area, like errands, house stuff, volunteer activities I'm involved in, and business items.  Easy to use, easy to carry along with me.  Mind you, this is a living notebook.  It gets added to it and subtracted from it and becomes a best friend as I make each day count.  This is where I find my bonus to-do's.  I find that I have a bit more time than I thought, and wow here's an item I can take care of and voila it's done.  One hour of planning will actually save you three hours of busy non-productive time.  To me, that's like getting an afternoon off!

When is the last time you sat down with yourself with pencil and paper and your yearly calendar in hand and written out your Plan?  It could be a just a list or could be more formal.  Why don't you take a moment or two - treat yourself to a planning session.  You will be pleasantly surprised at the amount of momentum that you will gain in this small exercise.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Great Book Discussion

During my 'season', I often can schedule an hour to get out to clear my head.  It gives me a chance to get resettled so I may do a great job.

Lucky for me, I saw the author talk on his book on the life of Andrei Sakharov.  It didn't hurt that the author is my next door neighbor.  Jay Bergman is a professor at Central Connecticut State University specializing in Russian history.  He has worked long and hard and has accomplished a comprehensive account of Sakharov's life.

Born in 1921 in Moscow, Sakharov was a man so ahead of his time.  Not only was he a world reknown physicist, he was also the moral conscience for the Soviet Union and its people.

Need a great read - then I suggest getting this book.  Meeting the Demands of Reason: The Life and Thought of Andrei Sakharov  will enlighten what was going on during this turbulent time in history.

And to my friend and professor, Jay great job!

Monday, April 19, 2010

2 Cents makes a difference

YES !  Yippie!  Thank Goodness!  and Thanks to all the Friends and supporters that came out to support the Budget Process here in town.  This is how it works.  As pointed out in the local paper, more that 20 people spoke out against the Library cuts, and NOT ONE person spoke for the cuts.

At the special meeting of the Town Council, and unamiously, the Town Council voted to have the $28,722 put back into the budget!

That restoration of money to the Lucy Robbins Welles Library's budget means the library will be open on Saturdays during July & August 2010, and all regularly scheduled Sunday hours 2010-2011 are back in.

I was with clients that evening and finally got to turn on the local station to watch the meeting that was already in progress.  It was meant to be,  just as I switched it on - some two hours into it, the Town Council was adding the $$'s back into the budget.  About two hours later, I hopped into the car and drove down to the meeting at town hall.  Sometime by 11:15pm I was able to get up and thank the Town Council for their thoughtfulness and for recognizing the amazing resource that our Library is to our residents.

So once again - thank you to Everyone!