Beginnings…

Yesterday, I started a bit of my holiday decorating. For those of you who are thinking its too soon, I get it. But, well… it’s not that I don’t care but I love the holidays more. And when I can begin in earnest to cozy up the house for the season, my self-control goes haywire. If I have a saving grace, it’s that I’m a bit careful about my approach. For now, Christmas stays in a closet; this is just winter and warmth. That means lots of soft lights, heavy, warm fabrics, and pillows. Lots and lots of pillows.

Now, pillows are just a thing with me and my sisters. It started with our mom. None of us were really into pillows before my mom started buying pillows like penny stocks. Pretty soon, she influenced all of us. There are now pillows everywhere in my house. I’m like that Geico commercial where the homeowner wants to clutter up the couch with pillows because she’s turning into her parents. Yep, that’s me. Right now, the pillows are greens, blues, oranges and creams… the perfect winter transition. Soon, the oranges melt into cranberry and it’s Christmas. But for now, this little family has the greens and blues.

This week is an intense one for my hubby and my sisters workwise, leaving my largely on my own. I’m not motivated enough to work yet but I am getting a titch bored. Still, I have a whole house that could use more love in the form of cleaning and picking up (the areas where I decorated are clean) and the cats are always content with a little more attention. Mostly, though, I need to get up off the couch and back into life. Whew. I said it. Now, I have to do it.

The thing with a sabbatical, I’ve found, is it’s more fun if you have someone to do things with. On a weekly basis, thanks to my family’s work, I’m largely on my own during the week. For awhile that was great. Who wouldn’t want some time alone? But now it’s getting old. On one hand, I haven’t settled into reading a book or doing a puzzle because it seems like a waste of time when everyone around me is grinding away. On the other hand, there’s only so much cleaning, organizing and homemaking I can do until I get bored. (And I can do a lot.) Plus, I have just enough work that it’s not like I can ever really unplug and just be work-free.

Yep, it’s time to get myself together. Just as I’m beginning to decorate, I’m beginning to unravel.

Right now, I have a little over four hours before my 2 p.m. call. In that time, I can easily clean up my house – including cleaning my bathrooms, clean up myself, get something out for dinner and take on one of my “extra projects” such as cleaning out the fridge. What’s stopping me? You would not believe the gravitational pull of this couch. Man, it’s hard to escape.

But ever so slowly, motivation is creeping in. It’s finally snowing outside – those big fluffy “movie” snow flakes and I really want to clean my bathrooms. Plus I have an awesome dinner planned – moose burgers and oven fries from our own potatoes. All I have to do is unstick my backside from this couch.

It’s time. Just as I was beginning to become an awful couch potato, one foot has slowly hit the floor. Ima ‘bout to hit “end” on this post. Let’s get this show on the road!