I keep a little spiral notebook handy for jotting down things. In it, is a long list of things I want to do, started on January 9th, 2008. I've added to it over the past year (I want to do everything in the world that's not scary or evil, so my list is quite long).

1. Streak*: A 28-day (Sundays off) of strength exercises each morning
2. Spin on a drop spindle
3. Weave on a loom
4. Design a rug hooked piece
5. Complete the rug hooked piece I designed
6. Learn Photoshop actions
7. Plan menu for 30 days
8. Create recipe notebook of healthy options
9. Streak: 14 days of moving every day (heart-pumping exercise, Sundays off)
10. Plant a fall garden
11. Schedule goat & cat vaccine and worming care
12. Streak: Carry a snack bag wherever we go for 14 days
13. Get new Nikon lens and learn it
14. Learn f-stops and other buttons on camera
15. Knit an intermediate project
16. Write an ebook
17. Learn how to create Adobe .pdf documents
18. Streak: Read to children for 10 days straight
19. Create school schedule for rest of year
20. Design a softie
21. Write a tutorial on that designed softie
22. Read all of the Old Testament (Bible) to kids
23. Streak: Go to the riverbank for 14 mornings in a row
24. Print 50 photos
25. Write a letter
26. Write a thank you note
27. Write a letter again
28. Teach kids a new sport (note: my man totally needed to help out here!)
29. Streak: 7 days of being only positive to my man
30. Start FreelyEducate.com
31. Visit North Carolina
32. Schedule time for my learning (use this time for learning new things)
33. Schedule time for creativity
34. Give away 20 books for nothing in return
35. Knit scarf for our big fella
36. Make salve
37. Streak: Tea Time at 4pm for 4 days in a row
38. Attend a symphony
39. Attend an opera
40. Learn to hand quilt
41. Finish a hand quilted piece
42. Identify five birds
43. Learn to needle felt the goat's mohair
44. Learn to smock
45. Put photos into at least 2 frames
46. Make our little gal a softie or soft doll while she's still little
47. Make a chore chart for the kids
48. Make a chore chart for me
49. Plant a spring garden
50. Design a punch needle embroidery (photo above)

There is an update in the middle of my lists that says, "On May 5, 2008, I had a big setback, tearing ligaments in my left ankle. It is now September 5th and it's still painful and swells but finally I'm up to working on this list again." It makes me sad that I missed so much time due to a silly injury, but, ah, well. While laying around, waiting for it to heal, I accomplished the things I could and dreamed about the things I couldn't.

I'm still working on that list. The problem is, it grows more quickly than I can complete it.

What would you add?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Streak means all in a row. For example, "Streak: 14 days of moving every day," would mean I need to move for 14 days straight in order to check it off. Streaks, I hope, will help me kick-start something so that it becomes a habit.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

I received an e-newsletter on New Year's Eve that caught my attention. In it, the writer wrote:

Dear Readers,

I've been told it takes four to six weeks for any action to
become a habit. So, keeping that in mind, one way I'm
going to insure my success at keeping my New Year's
resolutions this year is by working on only one new habit
at a time each month. Then, every time I turn to a new
calendar page, I'll work on developing a different good habit.

At the end of the year, I could easily have twelve new positive
habits in my life. Once something's become a habit, it's
simply a part of my life and not something I'll even have to
think about anymore.

What's the area of life you're most concerned about? Exercise?
Weight loss? Healthy eating? Getting organized? Saving money?
Spending more time with your kids? Break your goal down into
simple steps that you can easily manage, and then start working
your way to your goal, one small step -- or small habit -- at a time.
As the old cliche' says: "How do you eat an elephant? ... One bite
at a time."

By making small and consistent changes, it's possible to change
your health, your body, and your life. For more information on the
power of habits, see Catherine Levison's article later in this issue
of The Charlotte Mason Monthly.

Happy New Year!

Simply Yours,

Debi
(Deborah Taylor-Hough)
http://charlottemasoneducation.wordpress.com/
http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

What a great idea! Instead of goals or resolutions, which I often find hard to meet (primarily because I forget what they were), I will write down some habits to form for each month.

I began my list last night:

* Daily exercise
* Homeschooling tweeked and routines scheduled
* Fruits & Veggies daily
* Nature time, including beach days scheduled
* Storytelling and Reading Aloud
* Guitar learning
* Work hours schedule (I work online, from home)
* Journaling & God time

I don't have 12 things for 12 months yet, but I may not do so quite yet. I'm still thinking over my list, trying to remember my priorities in order of God - Husband - Children - Home - me - Work/Others, and deciding which things are most important.

Remind me to keep you posted on how it goes. Meanwhile, I'd love to read your list!

~ Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

A friend wrote a "help!" note to an email group that I'm in with three other high school buddies. Her husband recently found out that he will be laid off on January 1st. Jobless. Like thousands of others, including my husband, who was laid off in November. Below is my response to my friend's call for help...

I'm so sorry, Neiser. That is such tough news. The unknown is always the scariest.

Things are so crazy right now, aren't they? It's insane the number of people who are losing jobs, companies closing, you name it! Good gravy.

You might find some comfort in the verses I cling to in these times -- the ones about how much more important are we than the flowers God clothes and the birds He feeds. There are so many marked up in my Bible! But sometimes I get doubtful and wonder where that leaves the people who are starving in the world or aren't clothed, and then I remind myself to let go of those doubts and just believe it because God said it. Jesus said it. (Matthew 6:25-34)

The last verse is the one that says, "Don't worry about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own." And that's where you are. You're in today. Mike hasn't lost his job today; there is income today; you're all clothed and fed today. I remind myself of that often, too. It's so easy to worry instead of remembering that we're find today.

This time, even though it seems I should be worried, I'm not very often worried. That's because we've been through the really really ugly --- thousands in credit, the house on the brink of foreclosure, and our little garden center went belly-up. I cried so hard through all that, that I ran out of tears! I thought I'd go in the loo-loo bin, I'm not kidding. To make everything "worse," I got unexpectedly pregnant (#3) and he was a footling breech, so I had to have a c-section, with no insurance!

Now, of course, I can see the sunshine above those clouds. We learned to keep out of credit and got it all paid off, we saved the house from foreclosure, we focused our garden center on internet sales, the hospital let us write it all off except for $2000, and of course the baby turned out to be the very thing I needed...He was absolutely a gift straight from God for a time when I needed that baby.

I just want to say that it really is true -- it has been absolutely true in my experience -- that God will clothe us and feed us. He'll take care of us. I use to worry myself sick but when I look back on it, not a lot that I worried about ever happened. Or, if it did happen, like losing our brick-and-mortar storefront, it wasn't the horrible experience that I imagined it would be. I lost a lot of sleep over that! He may not take care of things how we think He should -- we may lose a house or a car -- but in the end, we'll see that that is okay, we're okay, we are able to make it without that anyway. He'll make sure we're okay.

Please let us know if we can help you in any way. Feel free to call or email to vent! I'm so right there with you, Sister!

Love you tons! ~ Lori

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Dionna, who also blogs here at Precious Moms, asked me today, through my Just Pure Lovely blog, if I stopped blogging here at Precious Moms!

Oops! I totally forgot about it!

Pardon me for my absence, go to Just Pure Lovely for an update of what I've been doing, and then come back here this week for a new post that I really will get done for you. So sorry for that!

~ Lori Seaborg

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

I'm not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I have not learned to be content in every situation. But I have learned so much.

I've realized that there is always going to be a house bigger and better than my own. Even a mansion owner could find a better, bigger mansion. I've learned that God tells us to offer hospitality even while knowing that our house may not be yet perfect.

I've learned that God doesn't care a fig about money. He cares about my heart. Money is just another "thing" to Him; it is not eternal.

When I am not content, I am in the way of God's work. Being discontent keeps me in the present, obsessing. Being content allows God to move me forward. Hoping. Trusting.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Edited: 08/26/2008 at 06:47 PM by lori.seaborg

Have you read this verse?

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things."

I'm a fixer. A fixer upper. Unfinished projects bug me. Unsettled matters unsettle me. So when a friend of the past few years sent an email full of accusations on Christmas Eve (of all the unperfect timing), I wanted to fix it. Instead, the email accusations continued over the entire month of January, and as much as I tried to take it and forgive and forget it, the whole ordeal really got to me.

I'm obsessive. Obsessive over things I cannot fix. I was so absorbed in wishing I could get my friend to ask questions, to assume the best before the worst, that I had the hardest time letting go of the matter once I realized that it was not something I could not fix. It affected everything - the house (a mess! I was staring at my email inbox too often), the children (I couldn't hear them over the loud thoughts in my head) and my marriage ("please forget about it," he said, referring to "the problem," but I couldn't).

For about five weeks this went on, until, nearly beserk, a childhood memory of Philippians 4:8 came to mind and along with that, I remembered that I'd heard that every action begins with a thought, and every thought can be changed. So I decided - a mind-focusing, conscious decision - that every time I'd think of the injustice of my friend's accusations, I'd change the thought to something "true" or "noble" or "just" or "pure" or "lovely."

The first day, I had to change my thoughts, oh, probably 2,300 times. Each day, though, my thoughts wandered less to the negative and more to the positive. (During this time, I heard of Corrie ten Boom who said that thinking of an injustice done to her was like "gonging a bell," each gong only serving to keep her mind on the accusations. When she learned to stop gonging the bell - choosing to stop thinking about it and think of something else instead - the gonging eventually lessened, until she could hear the bell no more).

Part of my self-prescribed thought therapy included starting a new blog, Just Pure Lovely, where I'd be me. I'd focus on the, well, just pure lovely things in my life. It seems that there is no point in trying to be someone else, so I may as well be me as best I can. I started posting photos that I'd never posted on my former blog because I don't really know what I'm doing with a camera, sharing crafty things that I'd never posted because I'm really not great at any of them, and - although this one is still tough for me; transparency is scary - I'd share thoughts I have about life and kids and marriage and whatever else.

Today, another new friend tossed me an accusation-assumption email, unrelated to the other one, but still accompanied by a loss-of-breath-from-the-blow effect.

My first thought was that email really stinks for telling friends what you think of them. My second thought was that assuming anything about anyone if you're not willing to ask even a single question is really not fair. My third thought was more of a deep, sudden desire to move to 200 acres, plop myself in the middle of them, and lose all contact with every soul on the face of the earth. I logged onto UnitedCountry.com to find such a place (it exists).

Before more than a few hours went past, I remembered that old Bible verse again, and decided to change my thoughts to things more pleasant, more just pure lovely.

Since I'd recently seen old childhood pals on our vacation up North, my "just pure lovely" thoughts went to them. These are friends who I hadn't seen in many years, but with whom I share such a deep connection (sharing a childhood at a boarding school does that) that I know I could call any of them at any time of day or night and they'd be there for me.

These friends are a few of the many Just Pure Lovely things in my life, and a good place to start thinking when days like today happen.

So, anyway, that's why I tend to post about the fuzzy, sweet, pretty things in life. I'm not always so peppy, but I think the world would be so much more happy if we did at least try to think on the just, the pure, and the lovely things more often than not.

Especially about each other.

Lori Seaborg

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

I've had some awesomely thought-provoking email conversations with a couple of gals lately. We've been discussing education, and the how and why of it.

A few years ago, I was introduced to a new way of thinking about education that shook me up and left me feeling dizzy with glee: Instead of teaching the children everything we think they need to know by a certain age, why not teach them to love learning? If they love learning, and know how to learn, then they can continue their education far beyond K-12 and even college.

Children are born loving to learn, don't you agree?

Unfortunately, much of modern academia strips children of this gift, leaving them disillusioned, listless, frustrated, and bored. They can't wait to put down those school books at 18 and never pick one up again. Or they leave college frustrated that they wasted all that time and money on a career they've realized they dislike, but don't think they can do anything else. This is not just "regular school" specific, of course. Many homeschoolers leave their home school and never look back at books or learning again, too.

Why? Because the learning process, as they knew it, was absolutely boring.

Letting go of the textbooks and the "shoulds," we can instead notice education as it shows up in real life as well as through great literature, well-written music, inspiring art, and through many other mediums. By offering up an interesting education, learning becomes fun and the child keeps his gift from God: a love of learning.

I was going to add a bit more, telling you how our family implements this into our days, but I'd first like to get your thoughts.

~ Lori

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Ugh, the doldrums, those days when you just feel blah, glum, not-so-well. Why not a cozy bath to boost your spirit?

To make your own bath soak, grind oats in a blender or a coffee grinder.

Add powdered milk to the ground oats (a ratio of 1:1)

Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender to relax
you, peppermint to help with your sinuses, or whatever is your
choice!)...

AND/OR grind some herbs (I recommend your choice of lavender,
peppermint, orange peel, bay leaves, rosemary, eucalyptus, rose
petals) and add the ground herbs to the milk-oat mixture.

Place the above milk-oat-herbal mixture in a pretty jar with a lid to
keep in your bathroom. When you take a bath, put about 1/4 cup of
the mixture scattered around the hot water.

Here's the fun part. On a glum day give yourself the gift of a
bath. It is often hard to admit that you really can make the time
for something as luxurious as a bath, but you really do have the
time! You will find that when you take time out for yourself, you'll
be more productive (or a nicer person to be around!) afterwards.

MAKE the time for this getaway. Schedule the time into your
calendar, if necessary. Tell your dh (dear husband) that you have to
be somewhere at precisely 7pm until 8pm and ask him to take over the babies and the house for that hour.

When you arrive at 7pm, go promptly to the bathroom with a steaming
mug of cocoa or herbal tea. Bring something inspirational to read.
Bring a radio or CD player. You'll also need your cozy bathrobe and
some lingerie that makes you feel beautiful for when you're done. Don't forget the
candles! Spend the whole hour in relaxation while your milk-oat-
herbal bath mixture softens your skin.

I'm going to guess that after this bath hour you will go back to your
family in a more loving spirit.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

The dentist that we saw yesterday at a routine exam said he could, "fix that chip, fill it up, even it out. It's cosmetic," he said, "Not necessary. But it will improve his smile."

He had just examined our 8 year old son, and noticed that a front tooth was chipped, the result of an accidental kick in the face when his cousin visited months ago.

I'm a weak, unassertive, nonconfrontational thing when with certain personalities and especially in public. (My poor husband probably thought that was what he was marrying. Surprise!) So, yeah, I signed the procedure papers and scheduled the appointment - a filling of the chip and a numbing shot - for today.

After we left, I thought to ask our little guy his opinion. "So," I said casually, "You know that chipped tooth you have? The dentist says he can fill it in. Do you want that, or do you like it like it is?"

"Oh," he says, "I like it like this. Cuz then I can put my tongue in there und veel eet." ("...and feel it," I think he said.)

Remember, our little guy is only eight. His teeth are wonky anyway: some are falling out, some are coming in, some are crookedly making their ways to the right spots.....it's all rather silly-looking, but that's part of what makes an 8 year old so very cute.

Really, I thought to myself, why would I put this kid into the trembles over a drill and a shot just for pure vanity's sake? What kind of message does that send him and his siblings?

Our little guy likes his smile like it is, so that's the way it will stay. I like his smile, too, but even more I love his innocence. Life will eventually introduce him to our overly-vain, this-is-what-we-think-looks-perfect, we-must-look-perfect mentality.

For now, let him be 8.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Our first school day, 7 years ago or so, was textbooks out, flag out, students (ages 6 and 4) sitting perfectly still at their desks, baby ....... ah, yes, the baby interrupted and I realized (slowly, because I'm slow at realizing) our homeschool can't be exactly like a "real" school.

Our school day yesterday (about 7 years after that first) started after a morning of chores and waking slowly. The 5yo was taught how to fry her own egg, baby animals (ducklings, chicks, bunnies) were visited and fed, 12yo dictated to the 10yo, a little was done on math worksheets, 8yo read to 10yo, music played in the background, and at one point (for nearly an hour because we just couldn't stop) we all gathered around the table for a read-aloud of Anne of Green Gables.

Homeschooling has been so much easier and our days have been much less frustrating ever since we started learning from life and good books more than from what I THOUGHT school HAD to be.

-------------------------
Lori Seaborg
http://loriseaborg.com

Edited: 04/02/2008 at 06:48 AM by lori.seaborg