Not an insipid post, Mary! As for what I put off, oddly it's always the most fun things. I get a lot of satisfaction from knocking those unpleasant tasks off my list!
I am putting off trying to figure out how to post on Substack. Dipped my toes in last week and almost as quickly pulled them right back out. I’m not sure insipid is the right word to describe the things you write about, Mary, which seem to flow from an endless well of curiosity and wonder. YOU, Mary, are never insipid; writing like that and posting like that (week after week) is harder than it looks. Also, I prefer the seemingly inconsequential thread of conversation because it often contains gold nuggets. 😉❤️
Marilyn, sweet Marilyn, I was stymied by Substack at first too, but found that the more I did it, the easier it got. "...an endless well of curiosity and wonder." Could I love that description any more?!!!
I know! How did I acquire and how do I decide, "Nope, done with this" and then actually get it somewhere where someone else could/would use "it?" I am finding, along with my sisters, that as we clean out Mom and Dad's house/65 years of belongs, that we are getting better at this.
Mary, you just reminded me of a conversation my sister and I often have with one another regarding this very subject matter. My sister loves dogs and never has had any less than two in their family. At one point they were up to four and she, her husband and children all loved them. You would never know that she has so many dogs when you enter her home as there isn't dog hair to be found anywhere in it. I asked her about this one day and she told me she vacuums 3 times a day to stay on top of the dog hair. I looked at her and asked her how she could stand vacuuming 3 times a day? She said it didn't bother her at all, as she loves their dogs. I am afraid of dogs, for reasons still unbeknownst to me and everyone who knows me well, so dogs have never even been a consideration in our home. But I told her I would never vacuum 3 times a day. Laundry though? My sisters detests doing it. She told me that she does it because we all have to, but that she is elated when it is finished. Me? I love doing laundry. And foldling and putting the clothes away are the most relaxing and rewarding part of it for me. My sister used to laugh when she would stop over at my home and find me folding piles of laundry. She said I looked so peaceful doing it. A person whom I was becoming friends with called me one day, asking if I had time to talk. I told her that yes, I did, as I was just folding laundry. But the end of our conversation, Kathy asked me if folding laundry relaxed me, as she said she could hear it in my voice while we were speaking on the phone. I am a very high energy person, so whenever I am relaxed as in simple peaceful relaxation, people notice! ;-) A friend of mine from high school recently posted a joke about who in the world does the laundry, fold it and then put it away all in order in one day? I commented to him that I do. What do I put off doing myself? If packages arrive, I don't always open them immediately. I put them in a neat pile and then think to myself, I will get to them when I get to them. (Unless I ordered something that I needed asap.) My husband cannot stand to see packages not opened, even if they are in a neat pile, and he will ask me if I "plan on opening them" more than twice a day when I don't. I always love your newsletters, Mary.
Susan, my mom loved, I mean, loved doing laundry too! She said, like you, that it relaxed her. Of course, she also liked to iron, a chore I haven't done in at least 30 years. Packages...the boxes, I could break the boxes down right away, but...I don't. They pile up until they topple over. It's ridiculous. It means so much that you enjoy my newsletters, Susan! I do so love when people comment because I adore the stories of others!
I truly do enjoy your newsletters, Mary! I love that your mom said doing the laundry relaxed her. When Brent & I moved into our townhouse together after I downsized from the house I raised my children in, we split the tasks the day after our move. He enjoys cleaning and I like unpacking. We got about 16 inches of snow that Saturday and we had college football on the television and a fire going, as he happily cleaned our furniture, dishes, etc. from the move and I unpacked all of our boxes. We both look back on that day with happy memories.
I love that you all split the tasks!! What a beautiful image, of the roaring fire, football in the background, working together...sigh. Truly wonderful.
Mary, when my husband just came in the door, I asked him what I put off doing? Your question obviously stuck in my mind! He looked at me and said, "That's a hard one. I can't think of anything." ;-)
Yes, the cabin in the woods thing, food delivered by elves, clothes that never get dirty or wear out, charming animal visitors, cozy weather ... I would miss my wifi connection to the world's stored info and wisdom, however. Who would answer all my questions? Would I just make them up ... is that why he was so wise?
Oh, oh, food delivered by elves!! And the charming animal visitors, I mean, now we're talking!! Uh, oh...no wifi...perhaps we would have to make up our own answers. Was he as content as his writing led us to believe? Damn, more questions. And, it's almost dinner time, and as far as I know, no elves have come yet to help me out. Sigh
From what I've read, he actually had elves ... or at least his mom and other caring women. All he had to do is walk about and contemplate life. I think there's an underlying pattern to why the majority of great thinkers are men.
I put off loads of things, and prioritise things that I enjoy. At home I love to cook, order the groceries, organise the larder and the freezer and do the washing - sorting, washing, hanging up, ironing, putting away - but I don't enjoy cleaning, making or receiving phone calls or cutting the grass. Those things get left until I have no choice!
I don't put things away as I go - instead, every so often I will shove the latest pile of denial into a heap in the bottom of the filing cabinet. I'd love to stop procrastinating on sorting THAT lot out! 🤣
"The Pile of Denial." Oh my stars, I love that so much!!!
I do love to cook, but the cleaning up...where are the elves when I need them! Cleaning is just so frustrating because it's like the myth of Sisyphus, with cleaning being the rock-it just keeps falling down on me and it's time to do it again. I love that you have an organized kitchen. Wouldn't it be lovely to share a cup of tea together there?
Ah yes, the cleaning up afterwards! Never fun - but I guess I’m on autopilot for that kind of cleaning. I have Mum to thank for that - as children we cooked and baked a lot, but the rule was that if you’re going to make something you have to clear up afterwards rather than leave it for someone else to do! I’ve always figured that if I’ve earned the treat of preparing food (I’m passionate about it) then I get to do the work side of it, too!
And you’d be welcome in my kitchen for a cup of tea any time! (And I won’t even make you clear up, I promise!) 😁
Yes, my mom had the same rule. Somehow, when it was a "choice" and not a "chore" it wasn't drudgery to me. I will enjoy for now, my virtual cup of tea with you. Many thanks.
Not an insipid post, Mary! As for what I put off, oddly it's always the most fun things. I get a lot of satisfaction from knocking those unpleasant tasks off my list!
How wonderful, Wendy that you find the satisfaction in the doing of those drudgeries and then being able to take them off your list.
I am putting off trying to figure out how to post on Substack. Dipped my toes in last week and almost as quickly pulled them right back out. I’m not sure insipid is the right word to describe the things you write about, Mary, which seem to flow from an endless well of curiosity and wonder. YOU, Mary, are never insipid; writing like that and posting like that (week after week) is harder than it looks. Also, I prefer the seemingly inconsequential thread of conversation because it often contains gold nuggets. 😉❤️
Marilyn, sweet Marilyn, I was stymied by Substack at first too, but found that the more I did it, the easier it got. "...an endless well of curiosity and wonder." Could I love that description any more?!!!
A good word to describe you might be intrepid.
I love that!! You know so, so much about me, so I will take that description with pride.
That’s my experience of you, and you share your experience with such generosity.
Also, you do seem to be getting the comments now and the chat something that just took time I guess.
Getting rid of stuff I don't need!
I know! How did I acquire and how do I decide, "Nope, done with this" and then actually get it somewhere where someone else could/would use "it?" I am finding, along with my sisters, that as we clean out Mom and Dad's house/65 years of belongs, that we are getting better at this.
Mary, you just reminded me of a conversation my sister and I often have with one another regarding this very subject matter. My sister loves dogs and never has had any less than two in their family. At one point they were up to four and she, her husband and children all loved them. You would never know that she has so many dogs when you enter her home as there isn't dog hair to be found anywhere in it. I asked her about this one day and she told me she vacuums 3 times a day to stay on top of the dog hair. I looked at her and asked her how she could stand vacuuming 3 times a day? She said it didn't bother her at all, as she loves their dogs. I am afraid of dogs, for reasons still unbeknownst to me and everyone who knows me well, so dogs have never even been a consideration in our home. But I told her I would never vacuum 3 times a day. Laundry though? My sisters detests doing it. She told me that she does it because we all have to, but that she is elated when it is finished. Me? I love doing laundry. And foldling and putting the clothes away are the most relaxing and rewarding part of it for me. My sister used to laugh when she would stop over at my home and find me folding piles of laundry. She said I looked so peaceful doing it. A person whom I was becoming friends with called me one day, asking if I had time to talk. I told her that yes, I did, as I was just folding laundry. But the end of our conversation, Kathy asked me if folding laundry relaxed me, as she said she could hear it in my voice while we were speaking on the phone. I am a very high energy person, so whenever I am relaxed as in simple peaceful relaxation, people notice! ;-) A friend of mine from high school recently posted a joke about who in the world does the laundry, fold it and then put it away all in order in one day? I commented to him that I do. What do I put off doing myself? If packages arrive, I don't always open them immediately. I put them in a neat pile and then think to myself, I will get to them when I get to them. (Unless I ordered something that I needed asap.) My husband cannot stand to see packages not opened, even if they are in a neat pile, and he will ask me if I "plan on opening them" more than twice a day when I don't. I always love your newsletters, Mary.
Susan, my mom loved, I mean, loved doing laundry too! She said, like you, that it relaxed her. Of course, she also liked to iron, a chore I haven't done in at least 30 years. Packages...the boxes, I could break the boxes down right away, but...I don't. They pile up until they topple over. It's ridiculous. It means so much that you enjoy my newsletters, Susan! I do so love when people comment because I adore the stories of others!
I truly do enjoy your newsletters, Mary! I love that your mom said doing the laundry relaxed her. When Brent & I moved into our townhouse together after I downsized from the house I raised my children in, we split the tasks the day after our move. He enjoys cleaning and I like unpacking. We got about 16 inches of snow that Saturday and we had college football on the television and a fire going, as he happily cleaned our furniture, dishes, etc. from the move and I unpacked all of our boxes. We both look back on that day with happy memories.
I love that you all split the tasks!! What a beautiful image, of the roaring fire, football in the background, working together...sigh. Truly wonderful.
Mary, when my husband just came in the door, I asked him what I put off doing? Your question obviously stuck in my mind! He looked at me and said, "That's a hard one. I can't think of anything." ;-)
Smart man!!
😉
Yes, the cabin in the woods thing, food delivered by elves, clothes that never get dirty or wear out, charming animal visitors, cozy weather ... I would miss my wifi connection to the world's stored info and wisdom, however. Who would answer all my questions? Would I just make them up ... is that why he was so wise?
Oh, oh, food delivered by elves!! And the charming animal visitors, I mean, now we're talking!! Uh, oh...no wifi...perhaps we would have to make up our own answers. Was he as content as his writing led us to believe? Damn, more questions. And, it's almost dinner time, and as far as I know, no elves have come yet to help me out. Sigh
From what I've read, he actually had elves ... or at least his mom and other caring women. All he had to do is walk about and contemplate life. I think there's an underlying pattern to why the majority of great thinkers are men.
Great post, Mary!
I put off loads of things, and prioritise things that I enjoy. At home I love to cook, order the groceries, organise the larder and the freezer and do the washing - sorting, washing, hanging up, ironing, putting away - but I don't enjoy cleaning, making or receiving phone calls or cutting the grass. Those things get left until I have no choice!
I don't put things away as I go - instead, every so often I will shove the latest pile of denial into a heap in the bottom of the filing cabinet. I'd love to stop procrastinating on sorting THAT lot out! 🤣
"The Pile of Denial." Oh my stars, I love that so much!!!
I do love to cook, but the cleaning up...where are the elves when I need them! Cleaning is just so frustrating because it's like the myth of Sisyphus, with cleaning being the rock-it just keeps falling down on me and it's time to do it again. I love that you have an organized kitchen. Wouldn't it be lovely to share a cup of tea together there?
Ah yes, the cleaning up afterwards! Never fun - but I guess I’m on autopilot for that kind of cleaning. I have Mum to thank for that - as children we cooked and baked a lot, but the rule was that if you’re going to make something you have to clear up afterwards rather than leave it for someone else to do! I’ve always figured that if I’ve earned the treat of preparing food (I’m passionate about it) then I get to do the work side of it, too!
And you’d be welcome in my kitchen for a cup of tea any time! (And I won’t even make you clear up, I promise!) 😁
Yes, my mom had the same rule. Somehow, when it was a "choice" and not a "chore" it wasn't drudgery to me. I will enjoy for now, my virtual cup of tea with you. Many thanks.
😁 We have lots in common, Mary! Cheers! ☕️🫖