Tag: Habit/s

Attention!

Published on by Honoré5 Comments

… Catching my own is more than a notion. A lot vies for mine, as evidenced by the “plethora” – a favorite Norman word – of notes, both sticky and un – that I write, on whatever’s available, usually with a pen. And, as I am prone to handwrite, know that I avail myself liberally. Quite.

I believe Habit was my word for 2019. A chosen word for any given year – and I’ve been choosing one since 2009, easily – doesn’t just disappear when the clock strikes 12:00 AM of the new year. The words become and stay a part of one, forming a “dictionary,” so to speak.

I began writing this post during Writers’ Hour last week – I had only typed 92+ words. Note to Self: remember I have Apple Notes on all my devices and can not only type but also write with the Apple pen and my voice, i.e., the microphone, which comes in handy when walking, too!

I think I want to embrace the “technology” just so I will a) break the habit of writing on assorted pieces of paper and b) have more time to spend exercising my creativity vs shuffling through random notes and thoughts and ideas and, and, and…

Doing so will, I am 100% certain, result in my being:

… less, disorganized, frazzled, overwhelmed, scatterbrained;

…more creative, experimental, fulfilled!

… Happier!

What’s one small thing you might do to make your life happier?

Cheers~

*Dostadning: https://www.dostadning.com/home

PS.
Photo taken on a walk earlier in the month of a left-over Holiday yard display.

an idea… maybe

Published on by Honoré13 Comments

 

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  1. Several years ago, well to be exact, in 2015, I bought a small table loom and yarn with the idea of practicing weaving. It has become a bucket list item…
  2. Last week, 2019, I treated myself to a tin of FineTec pearlescent colours. These watercolors, when painted on black watercolor stock, are brilliant…
  3. Today, 1.2.2020, I had an idea related to documenting my 2020 habit journey: I will weave  – Rumplestiltskin anyone? – and paint  – Monet? – habit trackers to document my OLW journey, one or more months…

Joining Carole for Three on Thursdays…

Cheers~

my word, continues …

Published on by Honoré16 Comments

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Over the course of the past month, I’ve been considering candidates for my 2020 word. Last week, I thought I’d settled on the word CULTIVATE – one of many candidates. Others in contention: create/creative; finish; focus; garden; grow; Yes to No!, etc. The list of candidates grew longer and yet, nothing just quite grabbed me.

Saturday, I started reading Wendy Wood’s  Good Habits, Bad Habits, a book that’s been in my TBR stack easily a month, six weeks. The  book has received favorable reviews; the more I read, the more convinced and comfortable I became that YES! Habit was going to continue to be my word in 2020.

Habit permeates all aspects of life:

  • complicates yet eliminates decision making;
  • fascinates yet eludes;
  • helps and hinders;
  • liberates and traps;
  • confounds and explains
  • etc; etc; etc.

I am really looking forwad to continuing my journey with Habit. 2019 was a year of flirtation; I just didn’t really get very involved. I plan (hope?) 2020 to be an entrely different story.

In 2019, Juliann of Chasing Stories invited us to join her, the last Tuesday of the month and share an update on our experience with our words. She isn’t going to continue hosting our sharing;  I volunteered to keep the practice going in 2020.

I hope you will share your 2020 word and join the monthly updating the last Tuesday of each month. For this month, December 2019, please leave the link to your post in the comments. The January, 28, 2020 post will  have the inLinkz (link up) active.

I look forward to our 2020 One Little Word journey.

Happy New Year!

PS. You can read  about Juliann’s 2020 word here

 

unraveled wednesday | 11.20.19 …

Published on by Honoré13 Comments

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Nearly twelve hours ago, 7:00 am, I settled in my favorite spot, the dining table in the Great Room (aka as the kitchen/dining area) and proceeded with MSQT – morning solitude and quiet time. I opened my journal and began to write: I am on a quest to create a new habit by eliminating an old one: writing on whatever’s within reach.” The consequences of my current habit: a myriad of notes on a myriad pieces of paper… My goal is to contain random thoughts and reflections, miscellaneous ideas, to do items, forget-me-nots, brain explosions, and lapses, etc in one-to-two spaces/places …only!

Thus, I have spent the entire day – still at it as I pen this post at 5:50 pm – sifting through a few months’ accumulation of random sheets of papers  and transferring thoughts, quotes, ideas, lists, forget-me-nots, etc onto/into one common journal. All of this against the background of today’s Congressional impeachment inquiry hearing, still in process.

In the above photo, a hat I’m knitting – started last winter – to donate; a delightful book on forest bathing that friend Laura introduced at our beach weekend – I love trees, and that’s a topic for another post – and a pretty cool 3-D birthday card…

My stomach’s beginning to growl and the second hearing’s begun so I shall sign off…joining Kat and friends for this week’s unraveled wednesday.

Cheers~

 

 

unraveled wednesday| 10.30.2019 …

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Honorehat

~me, 2009~

I made the witch’s hat in 2009 for Kayla, who was then 9.  Fun to see my  then state-of-the-art smart phone. Obviously, I hadn’t (and still haven’t) perfected taking  state-of-the-art selfies…

So, here we are at the end of October…just 62 days left in this year! Where does the time go? How did 303 days unravel so fast in what seems like the blink of an eye? I know this month has almost whizzed by, partly because the last LOAD layout a day challenge for 2019 ends tomorrow. The prompts, based on Tom Hanks’ movies and career, have been not only fun but also informative. I have learned as well as enjoyed the stimulation. Over this calendar year, thanks to LOAD challenges in February, May, August and July, I’ve made a minimum of 97 scrapbook pages: stories of me, people (family & friends), places and things. I am not necessarily (at least I don’t think I am) moved by time-bound challenges: our layouts have to be posted by 3 AM, Pacific Standard Time (I’ve never been up at that hour) to qualify. I generally finish and post by 7 pm EST…however, I do think the accountability metric helps move me to completion. I wonder how I might translate that into other areas of my life?

The next 62 days are going to be busy, busy with birthdays: Norman’s is Friday, mine two weeks after that, two weeks later, Elias will be two, and then two weeks into December, my sister’s! That doesn’t even take into account Thanksgiving and Christmas preparation and celebrations! Nor the 1001 other activities: eye/dental and medical appointments, concerts and events, dates due, general life items, and projects on my calendar/planner.

Clearly, if ever, the time is here for me to call upon my better habits and say out LOUD: YES to NO! No, I won’t add a single solitary bright shiny new activity or project to an already packed list…and to that effect, I am not undertaking NABLOPOMO (even tho’ I don’t think it’s still in existence, I did post daily last November);  I am going to make a gratitude journal but it won’t be time bound, i.e, required to be completed within a 24 hour period! Saying YES to NO! will be a huge contribution to days filled with those activities that light my life and fill me up.

I’m continuing to practice the Continental knit stitch; am reading Just Mercy  and Stillness is the Key; started The Water Dancer and have several books on my phone that accompany me on my walks. I just remembered I (still ) have a Christmas stocking with a few/some rows to finish; guess I’ll resurrect and get movin’ on it again.

Joining Kat and friends for Unraveled Wednesday and Juliann for One Little Word monthly update.

Happy Halloween, y’all!

Cheers~

 

unraveled wednesday | 7.31.19 …

Published on by Honoré7 Comments

 

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I have quite a library of books about journaling – no surprise. Last week I bought Be A Blessing, a journal created  and written by Debbie Macomber, the author. It’s colorful, fun and she uses a gardening metaphor. I think I’ll buy copies for my nieces’ Christmas presents.

I finished the journal! And soon it will be wending its way to my friend in FL. I opted for the elastic band; she also weighed in and said she liked that option. Wish granted. Thanks for your suggestions and votes.

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My next quilting project is to assemble approximately 75 of  the above squares – each different and made by members of my quilting association as a gift/thank you at the end of my presidency, 2015. Obviously, I didn’t rush into completing this quilt; it has literally taken me this long to find a fabric I liked that complimented the variety of the blocks. All very colorful. I think the fabric works.

And that’s the way it is on this, the last day of July 2019. My, how time flies! Feel that way to you, also?

Joining Kat and friends for another Unraveled Wednesday.

Cheers~

PS. Several readers commented on yesterday’s post about habits and the “need/desire” to make a few adjustments to their own mornings. Check out this link on the process of using a tiny habit to create a new one.

olw: habit| 7.30.19 …

Published on by Honoré9 Comments

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Last month I wrote that I was working on the habit of dressing in “street clothes” before I went downstairs in the mornings for MSQT (morning solitude and quiet time). I did  most mornings – primarily motivated by my aim to walk before the temperature climbed above 90°F, which, unfortunately, happened at least 21 days this month!

Several side benefits of my morning walks:

  • a few more mornings at Zeke’s (coffee shop) …
  • chance to enjoy more of the season’s colors displayed by the flowers …
  • more audible books read…
  • several when I get roun tuit items on my “to do” lists are now “ta da done!”

I think this habit is a good one to continue. Joining Juliann and friends for this month’s One Little Word share.

Cheers~

 

 

unraveled wednesday | 4.3.19 …

Published on by Honoré9 Comments

As one can see, my main task today is TAXES! Fun – not… but I do have two new additions to MSQT: Austin Kleon’s Keep Going, released just yesterday and a new iPad mini, added to my collection of iToys, er iTools!

“Why the new mini?” inquiring minds want to know…several reasons:

  1. I had a previous mini, 3rd generation, I think; I gave it up for the iPadPro two years ago, primarily for the Apple Pencil feature: I can actually write using my own handwriting, always a plus in my column…
  2. I like the Pro (larger screen) well enough and also have a keyboard cover…problem is, it’s too big and doesn’t “port” easily enough…
  3. I read a review about a 10 days ago that gave the new mini not only highest remarks but also casually mentioned the Apple Pencil worked with it! SOLD! And so last Friday, when I went to pick up the new microwave oven I also got the new iPad mini, 5th generation!

I started Austin Kleon’s new book this morning; the subtitle is “10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad,” essentially establishing different habits! Austin, a writer, also draws and creates redacted poetry from newspaper articles.

Stitching continues on the quilts for the Quilt Show, just a month away. I’m stitching – by hand – the binding on the big quilt. That will pretty much wrap everything all up and I can focus more attention on making a few novelty items to sell – we have over a 1,000 ! – plus the quilting supplies, books, etc that no longer spark joy! At least, not for me!

The forecast today offers sunshine! Hope it’s yours too! Joining Kat and friends .

Cheers~

my word| 3.26.19 …

Published on by Honoré10 Comments

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T’is the last Tuesday of the month – joining Juliann and others for  a “My Word” update.

In the overall scheme of things, I’m trying to establish some new, different habits and break familiar, sooo comfortable old ones. On some fronts, I’ve been right on track, making progress, implementing small yet steady changes and others, I fall into the “try a little harder” camp. On a scale of 1 – 10, I’ll give myself an overall 6.9 of 10 score…

Specifically, I am focusing on these areas:

  • Blog: I’ve decided that I’m going for a M, W, and F  – 3 times a week publication schedule, fitting in other days as an occasion or topic warrants, e.g; the last Tuesday of the month is update on my 2019 word… I think this best schedule, providing  flexibility in not only writing posts but also replying to comments in a more timely  manner. Since I moved to WordPress I’ve been “reply challenged,” trying to get the hang of a different and more timely system. I think I know what I need to do…and I shall give it a try; staying on top of communicating on a more timely basic with the wonderful blog community. Thanks everyone for being here and encouraging me and one another on!
  • Life: We all have daily to do items, places to go, people to see, things to buy and /or make, household chores, etc. These can easily mushroom and so I’m trying to cultivate the habit of  the “Power Hour” ~ a daily/weekly time to attend to : @ the computer; chores: calls; cleaning; döstädning; errands; etc. It’s so easy to let these things slide and then there’s a big build up, especially in the @computer/tally on-going-expenses areas…Some things I aim to do daily and others, weekly – or X-# times in a week as with blog posts. Perhaps these categories are not HABITS as much as they are FOCUS ACTION  areas ~ things that grab my attention at least once a week…
  • Creating/Creativity: My list expands and contracts, sometimes, oft times because of a deadline that suddenly looms large ’cause I am easily, inspired, wooed. Thus, I find myself having to give my undivided attention to the deadline…The habit I am changing is that of saying NO to brighter, shinier objects so I can and do, indeed say YES! to engaging in, exploring, experiencing my own creativity…and most importantly to stop writing a thousand notes on a thousand random pieces of paper. When I master that, I know I will  have arrived!

So, there t’is: a brief snapshot of my thinking and evaluation of month 3 living with my word: habit!  Do visit Juliann to see how she and others are fairing with their words. How is yours thriving in your life?

Cheers~