COP and What I Did...

Hello all.  I had plans yesterday...I had a heavy duty sort of day planned.  I started well and was just about to wind things up and walk out of the door when my plans were suddenly cancelled. That's the COP part of the title.  Change of Plan.  I wasn't upset about the cancellation.  The truth is, I saw it as a gift.

A few weeks ago, our music leader pastored for the day.  He gave a rousing good sermon about sacrifices and what we're willing to give God and what we aren't.  I was convicted twice already in telling others that I really needed alone time and so I generally stayed home on the Sundays John was at work.  The people with whom I shared this didn't say a word, nor even look at me hard.  It was a conviction I felt deep down in my spirit that something was wrong with that statement.  And then I heard Pastor Jason's sermon.  It wasn't that he stepped on my toes...but he surely opened up my heart and revealed to me why I had been wrong.



So right there in that service I vowed to God I'd give up those Sundays alone and trust him to provide for my alone time.

Then I realized that John's new schedule change meant I was only going to have one Sunday a month alone.  Except for that, he will be home every weekend, albeit coming in or going out on a shift most weeks, but he'll be home.  This is nice, but it  sort of clipped the alone time a little closer.  With the old schedule there were two Sundays, back to back that he worked and I'd sort of counted on the afternoons after church as alone time.  I didn't realize until this week that the schedule change brought us nearer that much longed for 'real weekend' and meant I'd have to change, too. Life, right?

This week I found myself with days planned full and not a single bit of alone time among any of them.  Now I  want to carry out my plans for later in the week when John is gone and I was willing to give up today for the sake of another but I could feel the pressure of stretching myself to be sociable for more days than is the norm for me.  Anybody else here an introvert who needs/craves/MUST have some time alone?

So after gathering my thoughts and determining how to rearrange my day, I got busy.  I went outdoors and potted up the tomatoes though I didn't have nearly enough soil.  Still they are all in separate pots and not all crammed into one small pot together.  It's got to be a help to them.  I sorted them out in the little back step garden where I've got my herbs.  I'd sort of envisioned a portable garden there or herbs and tomatoes and perhaps peas or beans and squash.  I just hadn't managed to get that accomplished but it feels nice to have tomatoes and herbs there.  I don't mind in the least having some  of a dream come true until it can all come true.

I wandered about the yard picking up limbs that had blown from the trees during the past week's thunderstorms that pushed through.  I went into the shed and looked and looked for things I might use in the flower beds  and came up empty.  And looked and looked for things to use in my desk area, and came up empty.  And then I looked and looked for a small cooler that I thought I had still but apparently don't.  I was going to use it to incubate yogurt.

At that point I was sweating profusely, my clothing was wringing wet and I was panting for breath.  The temperatures might have been low but the humidity was ridiculous.   So much for thinking I'd work at digging up those plants about the Faith Tree!  I came indoors and sank gratefully into a chair with a fan blowing full upon me and a tall glass of water.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to spend the day sitting in the chair with fan blowing upon me though it was mighty pleasant.  Instead, I did housework and a little later in the afternoon I did a second bout because somehow the house burped or something and things were all out of sorts all over again.   I set up enough outfits to do me two or three weeks when I go out.  I planned out Sunday coming up, what I shall do after church that I'd meant to do today.  I had lunch.  I watched two episodes of The Kitchen on FoodTV and one episode of The Pioneer Woman while I replied to emails.  And then I jumped up from the chair to do that second round of housework...You know after the house burped.

But I felt restless as could be.  I mean genuinely restless, like I hadn't already done a day and half of work.  I wanted to do something more.  I stepped outdoors to get the mail from the mail lady and realized that my thought that I'd work outdoors this afternoon was beyond ridiculous.  No way!  Warmer and just as humid as this morning.

So  I decided if goal work outside was out then goal work inside would have to do.  Despite having little to work with, I wanted to do something more towards making my desk workable for me.  I felt it needed to be a little more pulled together.  Even if I didn't have a thing to use.

Here's what I'd planned.  I want a smaller desk/table, preferably with some sort of storage like drawers or bookshelves, etc.  I want a shelf upon which I can set a creamer filled with pens and pencils and my pushpins and a little clock and some flowers.  I want pictures and the area to be pretty.  And I haven't a thing to use except whatever I can find here in the house.  So I did...find things here in the house and it wasn't much but boy what a difference it made!  It's rather nice if I do say so.  Cost me $0 so far...And I like it rather well.  Want to see?

I'll start with what I did first:

Aside from just plain cleaning everything off the desk except the bill box and check register, I borrowed some things.  The lamp was over at the baking center.  I seldom used the additional light and it took up much needed counter space.  I actually moved the lamp to the desk on Friday and all weekend long marveled at how just adding the lamp made the desk look as though it had more presence somehow.

You can't see here but I borrowed faux flowers in a blue Ball glass jar (a genuine antique Granny gave me marked 1908).  I don't want faux flowers on the desk but I haven't any pretty fresh ones at the moment...or really pretty faux ones either for that matter.  But they do lend a bit of a feminine air to the space.  

The big change however was painting the bulletin board.  I started by painting the cork with leftovers in a sample pot of gray paint, the same paint I used to paint the record cabinet in the living room.  Then I used a bit of aqua chalk paint to paint the trim around the bulletin board.  I'd bought the paint to paint the laundry area lamp, which I went ahead and painted today, as well.  Two birds.  I figure as attracted as paint is to me, I might as well all get done with all of the jobs.

This is a more of a full view.  I'm pretty happy with it really.  I plan to look for the artwork that speaks to my heart and a shelf.  I've got the measurements written out for the future desk.  I'd like to find some more toile to make a new cover for the desk chair as this has gotten fairly ragged but all in all it's a neat place to work and I'm really liking it.  Goal - Improving Steadily.  

 I painted the lamp for the laundry area and I've been meaning for weeks to share that space with you though it's not really done, just improved.

Our dryer rusted right away after we got it and I covered it with shelf liner years ago.  I refreshed that with the same liner I've used on the bill box and check register.  I think I'm ready to donate what's left of the roll, lol.  I've had it for years and keep using it and it doesn't ever seem to be near an end.

I recovered the lint box in that space, too.

Back in the Spring, I hung some old fashion pages from a vintage magazine that was falling apart (some pattern illustrations, some not) and absolutely love them.   I'd love to share all three with you but I've been trying for months to get them to load and blogger just won't cooperate.  However you can get an idea from this photo of what I mean.  They are vibrant with color and absolutely lovely in the laundry area.



And then I sat down to write this post.  I'm bushed!  But I feel like I accomplished a good bit today despite my plans being all tossed in the air.