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Bits and Pieces of drivelling randomness

Bits and pieces of this and that

Random thoughts rolling thru my head today:
~ I’m thinking the next time we make the sour cream blueberry pancakes we will double the batter. I, who normally, will only eat 2 pancakes ate 4 last night. Sassafras ate at least 6. I don’t know about the others but the light fluffy oh-so-sweet taste of these pancakes makes you hungry for more and more and more.
~ It’s June 11^th and we still have not put in the air conditioners. My electric bill looks much more marvelous than usual (under $30) and my pocketbook is extremely happy.
~ I think that my efforts to hang all laundry on the line is contributing to the lower electric bill too. Plus it gives me a bit of countrified living in my little town.
~ I’m really loving this cooler start to summer. The kids however, are wishing for warmer weather so we’ll say “yes” to swimming.
~ Our health insurance costs are going up again July 1^st. Our co-pay and prescription costs too- quite a jump this time. Mr. Steady informed me of the jump this morning- so I hurry-scurried to make annual check-ups for all 3 kiddos before the 1^st. This has turned into three 8 am appointments the last full week of June. I am not a morning person. Neither are my children. I’m toying with the idea of them sleeping in their clothes and packing the car with juice and muffins the night before.
~ Note to self: would not have had to do this if I hadn’t procrastinated on making the necessary appointments . . . . . Sigh.
~ This leads me to being very thankful that the doctor had room enough for all 3 before the end of the month.
~ This also leads me to being thankful that as a rule we are a very healthy family and don’t normally make more than the annual check-up trek to the doctors.
Ah, I do believe we’re going to squeeze in a quick trip to the library while the rains settle down to a drizzle . . . . .

Photo: Mr. Conductor’s drawing of him and Momma (me).

Regular Priority Check-ups

I’ve learned a few things these past many months thru the “things” that I have gone through. . . . . like learning to evaluate myself.
For so long, I felt like I was a plate-spinner in a 3 Ring Circus—that I had added so many plates at all different levels that I could no longer keep them all spinning and my “act” was beginning to falter. I was simply loosing my effectiveness in so many areas of my life.
I learned the need to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate the “stuff” in my life. I learned the value of a having frequent Priority Checks.
How am I doing? Have I allowed too much stuff to creep back into my schedule? Am I functioning effectively in my roles?
A great way to do this (for me at least) is with a notebook- to track myself. I write down a list of my current “jobs”, then I look it over thinking of how I spend my time and also by what I believe is most important. This lets me know if I am spending too much time in areas that I don’t deem very important and not much or enough time on the areas that are very important (like being a wife and a mom). I can also notice areas that I am doing pretty good on- which makes me feel good about myself and helps with that feeling that I’m never doing enough. I note the areas that need changing and jot a few ideas of how those changes can occur.
While I’d like it if I’d do this Priority Check weekly- I find most often that it’s more like monthly.
Jotting down ideas on how to change is the beginning of the next step- actually putting forth the ideas and dreams that help me to live according to my priorities.
This isn't the end of this line of thought- I'll add more when time permits.