Work on One Thing

I subscribe to The Happiness Project.  Gretchen Rubin always has something for me to ponder and utilize in my life.  In this moment.  Today I checked out her blog on Commandments.  This is a good one for me.  The eleven commandments are more for writing, but I think they can be used in other ways too, as does Ms. Rubin.  

Here's my variation on the 11 commandments:

1.  This is the same... Work on one thing at a time until finished.  This means my den/hobby area.

2. Start no more new projects, add nothing new to the mess I already have.  (This one will prove challenging for me.. I'm forever delving into something new.. I wonder if it's an unintentional way to avoid what needs to be done?)

3. Keep this one the same.... Don't be nervous, etc.

4. Work for a certain amount of time without getting distracted and stop only when it's time to.

5.  I can't create until I've worked on organizing my space.

6. Tweek the creative space every day until it's just the way I like it.

7. Take breaks and listen to something profoundly inspiring.

8. I'll keep focused on the end result which will bring me happiness.  I'm positive. I am.

9. Keep it the same.

10. Forget the other projects you wish to do, focus on the one thing that is current and that's the creative space you wish to have.

11. Organize first!!  All other endeavors will be that much sweeter after the work is done.

❧

Henry Miller's Commandments, from Henry Miller on Writing:

1. Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2. Start no more new books, add no more new material to “Black Spring.”
3. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
4. Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5. When you can’t create you can work.
6. Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilizers.
7. Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
8. Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
9. Discard the Program when you feel like it–but go back to it the next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
10. Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
11. Write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

My Creative Space 

Before

It's been the "catch-all" for all things without a home.

I've been working all day (and starving) with finding homes for

all the homeless accumulations!

I've lit a candle--a Jo Malone Orange Blossom Candle--in the room and put on some

music such as Bublé and songs from the Big Band era.

Currently I am updating this day of organizing with a blog post and sipping a cup

of hot lemonade tea.

Now, back to the Creative Space.....Stay tuned for the finalé.

Less is More

This is quite an interesting idea and if nothing else, it's interesting viewing.

To briefly sum it up, it asks the question:  if you were to edit your life, what would you leave out?

As a blogger, I am obsessively writing and editing my words and pictures, and the idea of going further and editing my life is intriguing to me.  This leaves me to wonder if I can start with editing one room at a time and perhaps weave this editing throughout my entire life.  

It would be unrealistic for me to live in a dwelling under 500 square feet, but seriously wouldn't it be cozy and sweet?  Wouldn't it be lovely to have a personal space edited just the way you like it?

I have a bit of editing to do, today.

I ought to get started!

Have a fantastic and productive day.

One Minute Rule

I'm not one to make resolutions.  Really, I'm not.  

But, this blog post is 

going to sound an awful lot like a resolution.

The non-resolution is prefaced with a confession.

I

am

a 

"but I might need this one day, so I should hang onto it for awhile"

kind of person.

These objects of safe keeping are piling up and I can't find the one thing I might need on that one day I was saving it for.

I've mentioned the Happiness Project in past posts and I signed up for the 
2012 Happiness Challenge.

I hesitated before hitting send on the registration, because here is one more

thing I have to keep track of, but I'm hoping it will help me

in getting rid of my too many cows. 

Clutter overwhelms me to the point of being paralyzing.
In the book, The Happiness Project,
author, Gretchen Rubin suggests the "one -minute rule" of
Do anything that presents itself right away, as long as it can be done in one minute.
I can do this.  
Sitting here on the sofa sipping a cup of tea,
 I see a blanket I could fold and put away.   
A pile of folded clothes (yep, I did fold them- because I dislike ironing)  on the coffee table 
to be put away.


I'll be right back..in one minute.

I am feeling the satisfaction of de-cluttering a few things, already!
(A personal realization:  Without messiness, neatness can't exist).


I can do this!
The thing is, once I started picking up things.... it lead me to putting away something else...then another thing.. 
and before I knew it I had cleared away the clutter of an entire messy room...
but I guess this is not following the rule of 
"Do anything that presents itself right away, as long as it can be done in one minute".

I have some more ideas to share in future posts..

Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year!!

Welcome new readers and old!

I'm happy you stopped by.

There are so many hundreds of thousands of blogs

out there 

and

the fact that you stopped here,

means an 

awful lot to me.

This year 

will be prove to be

amazing in so many ways.

I can just feel it.

I believe we will see things we've never seen before,

do things we never dreamed of doing

and 

be ever so surprised

at the conclusion

of

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.” - Joey Adams

Peace and Love to All

‎"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." - Norman Vincent Peale

 Oh, the magic of Santa Claus and the North Pole... in the eyes of a three year old.

We, Darling Granddaughter, Oldest Son and Dear Daughter-in-law, Dear Daughter-in-law's Family and Hubby and I

went to the North Pole.

We rode on an old train that was built in 1923.

No, it wasn't this train.

But, it was this train--below.

Dear Daugher-in-law, Darling Granddaughter and Oldest Son

Wooden Soldier stood guard near the entrance.

Mr. Conductor took our tickets.

After traveling through time, indulging in a Snickerdoodle and sipping hot cocoa

 we arrived at the North Pole.

I do believe the beautiful and quite raucous 

singing of 

Christmas Carols

led Santa to our train car.

The Jolly Man had a beautiful Golden Bell for each Youngster...

Pink Christmas Tree and Holiday Village

There are certain perks to being grandparents.  We can bestow upon our Sweet Granddaughter the wishes she wishes for.  And the current wish was for a Pink Christmas Tree.  Isn't this,            Cotton-Candy-Sweet?                                             I think so.                                                        She has it in her bedroom and the glow of pink lulls her to sleep.

Victorian Village

I have a collection of Christmas Villages and so I look forward to setting up my little winter scene.

I love life in miniature.  Don't you?

I'll have more to post tomorrow--we are going for a ride

on the 

Polar Express!

Have a lovely day.