Busy calendars are not so bad really

A lot is happening in our family life recently – so much so that I find myself having to sit at the table more often than usually in order to plan. And this planning is no longer only for a week or two and no longer for work only – I am trying to organise our next three months. A few travels before us, some family events, some house maintenance to do, deadlines to meet, projects to complete, routines to carry out and ideas to capture. So I am sitting in front of our calendar today and am making lists of all those things to do and the things to remember about and I am feeling slightly overwhelmed by our commitments. But I am hopeful and positive as most of the things and events are of positive nature and I think that ultimately it will give us a lot of joy to attend to them.

So many of the events and commitments in our lives are of such character… they are supposed to enrich and fulfil us in some manner… bring us joy, pleasure, satisfaction, happiness, dignity… there’s always a bigger and brighter purpose behind things… behind things even as ordinary as ironing… because it’s not about the chore really… but about carrying your human self with dignity, respect and grace… Isn’t it?

And so I’m thinking today that I don’t want to complain about too many things to do anymore… because actually there is something bigger than me and bigger than my tired body and busy mind behind most of them… there are family ties behind them, there’s health and well-being of my husband and son, there is a community of determined and caring people, and there is love and knowledge and growth of me and many. There is a strong purpose behind most things in my calendar and I am very happy that I can make these plans and hopefully carry them out in the coming months.

Calendars are those funny things that are not really what they appear to be… they make a pretense of being packed with duties but in fact they chock-full of strong and serious meanings…

No wonder we like to fill them up so much…

Walking with ideas

When the weather is as beautiful as it is right now, being outside is the only option. It’s so easy to think outside. To plan, to analyse and to be imaginative. The best thing about thinking when walking is that somehow the weak or silly ideas just leave you in peace… they go to play in the grass or hide in the bushes… it’s just the good ones that hold on to your shoe laces, walk the mile with you and only jump off your shoes when you get home. They run to your desk and dance around your keyboard… until you are ready to sit in your swivel chair and feel the rhythm yourself… and they are nice and kind and patient ideas… they do wait for you to eat your dinner, wash the dishes and put your child to bed, they don’t mind that you read a book and sing a lullaby to him. When you turn up, they just greet you with a smile excited that you have found a minute to pick them up and engage with them… they have a nice character those ideas… they are… good ideas. Are any of them on your shoe laces today?

A story that motivates

We all have them, don’t we? Those motivational stories that keep us going when we struggle, when it’s tough. I’ve got a story like that too… a story that I’ve heard being repeated many times by different people in different media and in various places. You might know it too. This video tells the tale better than I can so here it is: A tale of two frogs.

What’s the story that motivates you? Do you want to share?

Not sure if I can give this one up…

The nothing new challenge which I embraced this year is asking for a sacrifice… a healthy one though… I will need to stretch…. and I am being literal here… because I need to start exercising more as otherwise I may end up not having anything to wear when the weather gets warmer and when I travel to the beautiful and warm island of Cyprus at the end of this month to visit my friend’s family. This is not going to be easy as I am one of those people who is more inclined to choose a book over a stretch. So quite a change is required from me in this department. And… there is this other weakness… cakes… I just really like baking them… and eating them too, of course. :) Do I really need to give them up? Is it not possible to lose weight and have a slice or two (or three ;)) of cake on Sunday? Sunday cakes – oh, this is something so ingrained in my Polish culture. This is what my family gathers for around 4 o’clock in the afternoon every Sunday – the 3C’s: cake, coffee, conversation. Giving up cakes is like giving up childhood for me… unimaginable. Is it the same for you? Is it easy for you to resist sugar?

This week I’ll be posting a recipe for a very easy poppy seed cake. Watch the space if you are a fan of baking. Sorry if you’ve just decided to give up sugar for Lent, you see, it’s time for you to learn that temptations are everywhere even in blogosphere ;)

Below is a photo of my first attempt at making cheesecake. It was nice but even for such a cake lover as me a bit too rich.