The Friday List (nice things you’ve done for yourself this week)
You know how sometimes my office looks like this?
Yeah, well I wish. Lately it’s been about three times as bad, if you can imagine that. (Notice the dead plant out the window, by the way. I’m that good with green things.)
So my incredibly kind thing to myself this week was first asking myself the question, “What would it take to relieve some of your stress, little darling?” To which I answered, “Please, please, please can we get rid of some of this clutter? It makes me so nervous coming into my office, and it makes me cranky and discombobulated–”
Her wish is my command.
It’s taken me a day and a half already, and I’m still not quite done. But I’ve filed and purged and organized, and found all sorts of random e-mails I’d printed out and forgotten about–always a weird surprise, because it shows you what you were thinking about six months ago, and have already forgotten. I guess that’s a good reminder that all things pass, and today’s stresses will be tomorrow’s forgotten e-mails.
Today begins a period of travel and book promotion that will have me away from home almost every single Friday until the middle of November. That’s a little odd to think about. Sort of plays havoc with our newly-instituted, Barbara Kingsolver-inspired Friday Homemade Pizza Nights, but I guess Thursdays or Saturdays will have to do whenever those are available.
So anyway, post away, but I may not get to read these until later tonight. Busy, busy, busy, but a good busy since it involves meeting nice people (including author Jordan Sonnenblick! Whoo-hoo!) and having a book signing of my own tonight.
So there’s my deal. And you? What nice things did you go out of your way to give or do for yourself this week?
Technorati Tags: The Friday List, Self-Care, Self-Pampering, Kindness, Self-Sweetness, Writing, Publishing, Jordan Sonnenblick, Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Vegetable Miracle
September 7th, 2007 at 5:41 am
Have fun at your book signing! Doesn’t it make all your hard work, worth it?
Love your office. My house looks really messy compared to your office, right about now. Nothing like coming back home from vacation…bags, laundry, and mail piled everywhere… waiting, waiting for someone to take pity and put things away.
My good things this week are: sushi, tiramisu, kids started school, a new haircut, a new book idea!
September 7th, 2007 at 6:24 am
It’s my husband’s birthday today, and it’s the week we were going to go to the ocean before a big ‘ol unexpected fixer-upper reared its head in our home, but he still had the week off and we filled it with fun stuff every day. Fun, but I’m so tired, ’cause this on the week I declared Picture Book Week at our blog (WHY did I do that??). But that was fun, too, I suppose.
I also bought him that Kingsolver book for his b’day today, Robin, and I can hardly wait to crack it open myself.
Have fun with that book signing, and congrats on de-cluttering. Boy, do we need to do that. It really does give me a headache to not be organized.
September 7th, 2007 at 6:50 am
What your desk looked like is what my inbox/RSS feeds/life in general look like! I was nice to myself by reading a lot and buying some books, as well as trying very hard to enforce some order into my universe now that I’m on hiatus.
Unfortunately, you know what they say about the best laid plans… so I’ll probably be at the vet all day with Winston, who is ailed by some mysterious something.
September 7th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Your office is hilarious! Isn’t paper one of the worst pieces of clutter? There’s paper for bills and records we need to keep, paper that tries to solicit our business and needs to be shredded, paper that contains ideas or important notes, paper my 2-year-old has torn and scattered all over the house…. Maybe my nice thing should be cleaning too, as I’m currently overwhelmed by the sheer number of toys lying around.
But I don’t think I’ll get around to it. So my nice thing was handing BOTH kids to my husband after dinner the other night and claiming 20 minutes just to myself. I enjoyed a frozen treat and read blogs. Fun!
Be safe on your travels, Robin. Sounds so glamorous!
September 7th, 2007 at 8:01 am
Hey, Robin…you’ll never guess what I found a few moments ago…
Your interview with Shannon Hale!
September 7th, 2007 at 8:19 am
I bought your book for myself this week! And got our air conditioner fixed. That was pretty sweet.
Tonight we are going out for dinner, just because it has been a long week. I think that also counts. And tomorrow we’ll be visiting the local Farmer’s Market, because I also read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and had my world rocked.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:55 am
A few months ago, all of my girlfriends decided to post pictures of their workspaces onto our MSN board. It was awesome! I’m one of the messiest, but not by a lot (this made me feel good!).
This week I ended my engagement to my fiancé. It sucks so bad, but the relationship was becoming way too drama-rific and I know that I am making the best choice for me.
Sooo… to ease my pain I have a list of wonderful things I will be doing over the next month and a half. This list includes (but is not limited to) taking more pole dancing classes, yoga classes with some girlfriends, a Harry Potter book club meeting this upcoming Tuesday, followed by a “Hump Day Hoorah” with my girlies the next day. September 26th a group of us will be going to The Melting Pot for Philly’s Restaurant Week. Finally, I will also be flying the trapeze in NYC in October! =)
I know how to do it up right!
September 7th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Enjoy the book signing!!
Last night I spent several hours catching up on blog posts from the week or so that I missed - so nice to be back.
Today I’m planning to tackle my pile of paper, too. I try to live as paperless a life as possible, which means that I have to periodically scan and shred a big pile of stuff. But it always feels great when it’s finished.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:31 am
On Monday we bought and planted a tree! And we didn’t go skimpy either. Oh, no. It’s not one of those twigs-in-the-ground kind of trees.
I’ve missed our old tree since it came down years ago, but it always seemed like such effort to get rid of the stump and plant something new. But working together, Bill and I took care of both parts of the process. I love looking at the new tree - Japanese cherry tree - cross your fingers for its good health.
September 7th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Have fun at your book signing Robin! Well usually I don’t read anything for fun durring the week because of time management and the million other thing I’ve got to do, but last night I actually read some moreof your book so I feel very happy this morning! And I stayed up late drawing which got me in trouble this morning, BUT now I have a picture I like and am very well rested!
September 7th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I love your desk, Robin. I understand when enough is enough,though. I cleaned out my closet on Tuesday and re-organized for school.
My nice things: going to bed early, ordered your book, and getting some new school clothes.
Have fun at the book signing.
September 7th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Rock on with the organization, Robin! I keep telling my cats to organize my desk, but they refuse.
My car broke down twice this week (the kind of breakdown where the car won’t work anymore and one has to have it towed), so the nicest thing I did for myself was let myself slack off on my chores for a few days while I dealt with the car. And now the car and I are on speaking terms again, which is good.
September 7th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
i use an e-collar on my cat. it’s very effective. i just leave him a list in the morning and come about 5:30pm the house is spic and span, and a nice marinara sauce simmering on the stove. he looks so cute in his william-sonoma apron pushing that little vacuum. (you’ve got to start them young, no free kibble in my house, no siree).
September 7th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
My cat has an iCollar, which is somewhat unfortunate that he is now internet enabled, because he keeps buying things from Amazon.com.
He’s a little upset that my can-opener is only bluetooth enabled and his collar is only internet. He wants to upgrade the can opener.
September 7th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
patrick once he discovers on-line poker you are doomed!
September 7th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I was thankful when our government froze all neteller.com accounts so he couldn’t gamble any more…
September 8th, 2007 at 2:24 am
It’s after 2:00 in the morning, and why I’m still up–let alone checking the blog–is kind of a mystery considering my normal bedtime of 9:00. But after the booksigning there was this card game . . .
So I’m exhausted, but I just had to see what you’re all up to, and all I have time and strength to comment on right now is–
Christen! I’m so sorry! But better now than after the deed if you were feeling like it wasn’t right. But I’m sure it was still an awful experience to call it off. So yes, please do all those nice things you mentioned. These are the times when we need our girl buds.
Everyone else, good luck on the organization, the cat-training (electronic collar, Annette? Boy, you’re harsh), the catching up on sleep, the reconciling with your car (Adrienne, what a drag car trouble is–sorry), the sleeping, the drawing, the reading, the shopping, the planting, the cooking, the eating–I love to know you’re all in good hands because you’re taking the time to treat yourselves right.
Ahhh. Now I can rest easy. Night-night.
P.S. Thanks, Kari, for ordering my book! And thanks, Dylan, for reading it! And Jules, let me know what you think of A,V, M. Did you see what Kari wrote? It rocked her world, too.
Seriously, good night.
September 8th, 2007 at 2:28 am
I started on the long trek back to the kidlitosphere, and now have only 662 unread posts in Bloglines. Woo hoo.
Also think I sorted out my order for your book on Amazon.de, with my non-existent German, rather useless translation widgit on my Desktop and a Lot of Hope. If you hear of dramatic sales in Germany, you’ll know I’ll have many copies to give friends and family.
And I found, read, loved and LJed at some length about Forever Rose , Hilary McKay’s final Casson family book. So good.
Finally, started reading Mindful Knitting by Tara Jon Manning and The Knitting Sutra by Susan Gordon Lydon. Very different, but both wonderful, and helpful in a lot of ways.
Oh right - serendipitously, I made homemade pizza for the first time in ages! Thursday night, rather than Friday, but I like your idea of making it a regular scheduled event.
September 8th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Christen, I’m so glad you found the courage to end your engagement. I’m sending good, chocolate-scented thoughts your way.
Robin, yesterday I said, “I’m going to declutter the whole kitchen!” And hey, I got the hutch next to the kitchen done. I broke a wee trinket Bede had given me (that was bad) but I found the vinyl record behind the hutch that a friend of mine is going to copy onto a cd (that was good).
Okay, this may be a bit TMI for some folks, but one good thing I’ve done for myself lately is use really effective waxing strips for my upper-lip. (I use Parissa, for those who are interested.) Those who can relate to dealing with unwanted hair on their upper lips will understand what a splendid thing it is to find effective hair-removal systems.
Sheesh, I wonder if this is going to show up to haunt me someday: FAMOUS STORYTELLER REVEALS LIFELONG SAGA OF HAIRY UPPER LIP.
September 8th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Alkelda - http://www.idealimage.com/services/facial_hair.php
September 8th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I do not like to think what my cats would do with Internet access.
September 8th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Thanks, Patrick! And now the question arises: should I get laser hair removal or save for my daughter’s education? O, the quandries, the quandries.;)
September 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Robin and Alkelda!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Everyone has been making me feel like the strongest woman alive this past week. =) I keep telling people that my head knows what I’m doing is right… I’m just waiting for my heart to catch up. But I think it will soon! And I looooove my girlfriends! They make everything so much fun!
So, I’m hoping to have some awesome activities to add to the Friday List from here on out!
September 9th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I hope your book signing went well, Robin!
This week, I allowed myself to have FUN. I let myself to connect with people. I celebrated my birthday - which I thought I’d be alone for, no need to feel pity here, I’m just being truthful - because my castmates insisted upon it. I stopped apologizing. Okay, I didn’t stop, but I tried not to do it as much. I looked at the sky and smiled.
September 10th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Lady S, I can relate to your “slow trek back to the kidlitosphere.” I, too, have been so absent lately I have tons of catching up to do. Glad to know you’re already on the road to recovery. And thank you so much for ordering my book! I’ll definitely watch for my European sales and think kind thoughts of you when I see them/it.
Alkelda, you know we’re all about the TMI here, so don’t you worry a bit about sharing your hairy lip story. We embrace you and your mustache.
Christen, I know you’ll do fine. You have one of the more exciting lives out there, Ms. Heelies, Ms. Pole-Dancer, Ms. Pink Hair.
Little Willow, how sweet to give yourself permission to have FUN! Yay! And happy belated birthday!!