The fire flickers and sputters as I sip my morning brew, and faithful Missy yawns
and stretches as she snuggles in her bed nearby. The deep, rich sounds of my back
porch chimes come sporadically with each gust of wind, and the dryer hums along.
Soon the various activities of the day will add their own notes to this melody of life.
Soft, quiet sounds of a new day awakening bring peace to my heart. In this place
of rest before the busyness begins I hear the gentle whispers of the Savior. The
words I have hidden in my heart through the years come in these quiet moments
preparing me for today.
I think of all the things on my list to accomplish, and I’m so glad that I got a jump-
start yesterday. In younger life I often filled my plate a little too full and had to rush
to get things done. I still have a lot going on, but I have learned a few tricks to
manage my time over the years.
Procrastination is something I try to avoid these days, and that helps so much
with time management. To get things gone early is not my natural tendency so I
consider it a win when I am able to do this. Adding margin to my day makes
everything flow so much better.
I have tried various things to make sure that I avoid a rush, but for me it’s best to
plan to be early. When I think I have enough time to do one more thing before
leaving for an appointment I’m usually wrong. When I try to compensate by leaving
early I usually arrive right on time so that’s my strategy for a really busy day like
today.
The weeks whiz by so quickly, and our family vacation is right around the corner.
My grandchildren don’t get to spend much time together since they live several
states away so a week at a mountain cabin will be fun for all of us. Who knows? We
may even see a little snow.
In the spirit of getting things done early I’ve been trying to come up with fun
family games to play. I have purchased several and have been looking online for
ideas. At first, I thought of planning the evening meals in advance. Then I wondered
if it might be best to allow for spontaneity on that front, but in the end I decided to
plan at least a few meals and take those supplies to the cabin. In case of a winter
storm I want us to be able to relax and enjoy without worries of running out for
extra supplies.
There is still plenty to do to prepare so I’d better get hopping! I am so looking
forward to spending a few uninterrupted days with my favorite people. The way I’m
talking you would think we are on our way to Antarctica instead of Tennessee, but
it’s always good to be prepared!