Field Notes vol. 5: Procrastination, IKEA, & New Sewing Project

Something Ironic: Procrastination Leads to...

Being in the right place at the right time? 

Last week, I put off two errands I needed to run, figuring that I could do them later. Then the errands both turned into an opportunity to do something helpful for a friend.  I was able to take a load of donations to Goodwill for some friends who were moving, along with my items, saving them a trip when they were crunched for time. And when I finally ventured to Walmart to buy paper towels and a few other cleaning supplies, I was also able to pick up a back brace for a friend whose back was hurting. So that was cool. God used my procrastination to benefit others. How ironic is that?

Something New: IKEA

A friend and I went into IKEA for the first time ever this Saturday, but since we were unfamiliar with the layout of the store, we ended up going around it backwards. 

If you aren't familiar with IKEA, everyone is supposed to enter through the same door and follow the arrows on the floor through the entire store, until you get to the checkout line. Well, we skipped the actual store and went to the "self-serve furniture" area first. That's the warehouse section where you pick up your box of self-assemble furniture after you've already seen it on display. Yep. 

Eventually, my friend and I found our way to the display area of the store, which we enjoyed, but we were the rebels going against the flow the whole time. No marketing traps for us!

The trip ended up being quite productive, since my friend has been planning to upgrade a few things in her living room for a little while. We found some awesome coordinating pillows, lamps, and a cube shelf within her budget!

My Next Sewing Project: Coral Linen Dress

Here's a sneak peek at my next sewing project, a coral dress that I've been thinking about making for at least a year and a half. Now I have the fabric, a medium weigh Irish linen. Next step, wash and pre-shrink the fabric!

My goal is to finish this project by mid-September so that I can wear it to a wedding. That might be a bit ambitious, depending on how picky I decide to get about fit. We'll see.

A Great Piece of Advice

"God's plan included you, so make sure your plan includes God." Words of wisdom from a friend's dad. Amen to that.

Field Notes Vol. 4: Realizations

Something I've Realized: I'm Too Polite

This past week I attended a young adult event in Pittsburgh. There were about 50-75 people there and, after a short talk, there was ample time to mingle, buy drinks and snacks, and hang out. Well, someone I already knew started talking to me and, instead of politely moving on when the conversation turned one-sided, I stood there and pretended to keep listening. I kept thinking I should walk away from that group, but I wasn't sure how to do that. I wasn't assertive enough to do that. 

So it was a good reminder that I need to work on my mingling skills, particularly the art of gracefully exiting a conversation I no longer want to be part of. Here's to being polite, but not too polite!

Something I'm Thinking About: Holiness Is Ordinary

Speaking of that young adult event, the talk was about Pope Francis' most recent apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, which I read a few months ago. The talk was a good refresher and gave me some food for thought this week, specifically this idea: that holiness is found in doing our ordinary tasks more perfectly.

It is hard sometimes to be attentive to the ordinary things, so this definitely presents a challenge. For example, I need to focus more on my real work instead of being distracted by checking email. I need to take the time to prepare a good meal for myself instead of rushing to do more activities. I need to be present to God during my prayer time instead of letting my thoughts chatter endlessly.

Yet, I also find a lot of hope in this idea. It means I am already on the right path. I don't have to grasp at something more or different. No, I simply have to do what I am already doing with God and for God. And that's great! I can do that.

Something I'm Trying NOT to Do: Cram Too Much In

Almost every second of every day, I am making a list. I have to-do lists, to-buy lists, to-plan lists, to-schedule lists, to-tell-people lists, parties-to-host lists, books-to-read lists, and the list goes on... 

Can anyone relate to this? Seriously, it feels like my mind is a never-ending whirlpool of things I need, should, could, want, dream, plan to do. Most of the time, I can effectively channel this energy, but every once in a while I try to cram too much in, to get too much done in one day, or to schedule too much in a single week. And that's not good, because then my calendar becomes my to-do list and it's harder to be present, because after this, I'm on to the next thing...

So I am trying to pace myself. Am I doing a good job at that? Well, I did decide today to procrastinate on taking the recycling out and dropping some donations at Goodwill. I guess that counts as pacing myself.