Thursday, August 29, 2013

Who am I?

2 posts in one month! Woo-hoo! We're making progress, slowly but surely. It's certainly been awhile since that has happened. And it ties nicely with what I've been working on personally lately; goals.

The Scarecrow and I get up anywhere between 7 and 8am. He's out the door around 8:20 or 8:30am. I then try and fill my day. Some days more successfully than others. This is EXTREMELY frustrating for someone who has consistently held a job since they were 14 and thrives on completing tasks. And while I do consider folding the laundry and cleaning the kitchen important tasks, I have yet to find them enough to satisfy my need to be productive. Hence, The List.

I've always loved writing. I remember filling notebooks with song lyrics (don't ask), poems, short stories, and even a novella. Combine this with my love of being productive and it'll come as no surprise that I love making lists. There are the typical "To-do" lists, lists of potential character names, places I want to visit, books I want/need to read along with a host of others. It is completely cathartic to try an idea, go somewhere, or do something necessitating taking a big black pen and striking it out on a crisp page. Awww, sweet bliss. Beat that, chocolate.

I have realized that part of my problem in filling my day was that I no longer had any real direction. There are things that I need to do, but I haven't focused on those things that fill me and give me real purpose. I haven't even been doing the "must do's" with any real drive or conviction. It's a scary, empty feeling. And frankly I'm sick of it.

I decided to create the ultimate list, the one to top all others. I listed myself. I went back to 6th grade English class and I completely Venn diagrammed who I am. I broke myself into all of the components I could think of and my life into all of the pieces that do/I want to have make it up.



But I didn't stop there. Oh no, my friends, I then outlined each of those components, focusing on the things I want to achieve in each of those aspects of myself. Before you all start (OK, continue) to think I'm a little crazy and compulsive, let me clarify a couple of things. 1) I am a VERY fast writer. Plus I am an experienced list maker as previously discussed. This really hasn't taken me long to do. 2) I don't plan on focusing on EVERYTHING on The List, not all at once. Despite the amount of free time I currently have I also don't want to completely ruin any chance of productivity by trying to be productive in more aspects than I have hands to juggle. I am going to focus on 2 or 3 specific GOALS, not total ASPECTS of my life. Come on people, be serious.

What are your goals? What is that thing that gets you up and out in the world every morning? Sharing goals with someone else can help us to stay on target. Let's all take a deeper look at ourselves and strive to be more. Not for anyone else, just for ourselves. 

Oh, your Irish tidbit for the day is to watch this video and fall in love with the Irish language.  Who says Irish is dead?


Monday, August 26, 2013

Summer Lovin'

The Scarecrow has been reminding me that I have almost managed to blog at least once a month since I started and that the end of August is fast approaching. I have A LOT that I've needed to post and, as usual, I have more pictures than anything else. That's mostly what you people want anyway. But I am hoping to amp things up around here and have more posts on my DIY endeavors (a tricky thing around here), and various other pursuits.

So consider this post the catch up, summer in review post. In the next day or so I have plans for talking about goals, back to school madness, and crafting in a country that is not conducive for it.

Girls Camp fun! Top of the hike.

Sligo fun with friends








4th of July in the People's Park


Happy 1st Anniversary to us at Dromoland Castle!
Movie date night with Toto & Co.
Cannonball Run free car show. 98 million euro worth of cars!
Happy boy with a REAL NYPD car! Only one real cop though.


Childhood dream fulfilled

Yep, that's true love

Keep coming back over the next week for a format update and new blogging adventures!