15 Minute Focus

Day 1 of being on my own is done. Not trying to brag but I cleaned my room today. My siblings were sending polos and talking about bedroom arrangements when we were younger, and how my mom put Camilla and Patrice together, cause they were both neat and tidy, and she put me and Jersh together, cause we were both messy. I looked thorough my childhood scrapbook and found photos to prove the truthfulness of our messy room. Then I looked around my current room and thought "Looks like things haven't changed..." so THEN I said "I'm going to clean my room, I'll be back in 30 min" and then I did. I remember doing that a few years ago when I was doing an online challenge with Holly. Something along the lines of everyone go and focus for fifteen minutes then come back and report. So I self imposed that on myself today and it was great! And I was thinking, if I could be focused and intentional for lots of 15-20 minute windows everyday, then I'd have a really incredibly productive day overall. Even just repeating that 15 min focus once every hour would lead to a LOT getting done. Especially because once I get started, I see what needs to be done and I'm in the groove and I keep going. Years ago I remember making a list of chores for the kids to do when they got home from school, and then I would look at the list and think "Well, I could do that real quick and then give them a harder chore" and before I knew it I had done half of the stuff on their original lists. Just telling myself to focus for 15 minutes and it snowballs from there. I thought today's quote on my desk calendar went along with that perfectly. 

If I can keep making the most of each "present moment" I'll find myself very happy and content and at peach with all I have done. So I'm going to do that again tomorrow. And I'll try to keep my room locked so the progress I made today doesn't get undone! I locked my door tonight when I left for "date night". I went on a hike. I collected a lot of leaves and made this collage. I like how some of the leaes seemed to not be able to decide which color they wanted to be - a red yellow and green one at the top, or a tiny half read half yellow/brown one in the middle. Pretty little leaves.

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower" -Albert Camus

I walked up to the ruins for my hike. The creek is still high after we continued to get more rain this week. It was coming over the top of the log I usually cross. 

And spilling over the north side of my sitting rock too!

I layed down and looked at the sky. 

3rd bridge - beautiful. 

I want to get the basement clean while Corey is gone and maybe I'll be able to start painting again this winter. That would be a good use of the present moment. I was thinking, making art really is a great use of time, cause of the three paintings I've done so far (one, two and three) I not only had joy as I created them, but they continue to give me joy every time I see them! So art is a gift that keeps giving. I will make it a priority.

Corey and Sophi have arrived safely in Korea. I'll need them to give the detail after they get back of where they went and what happened where, but from what I can tell from these photos, Corey's friend from MBA school and his wife came and picked them up from the airport. I think they arrived at like 2am?

No wait, Korea is 15 hours ahead, so when they left Thursday at 10am, at that time in Korea it was Friday at 1am, then add a 12-13 hour flight to that, so they must have arrived at like 10pm our time, which is 2 or 3pm in Korea, so that is daytime, but then why is it dark outside? Hmm, I don't know. 

Does it get dark early there too? Do they have a winter sunset at 5:30 pm like us? Maybe they did arrive at 3, then they took a long time eating or driving? I guess Corey and Sophi will need to send me details. Walking down a street and taking pics. 

Then going out to eat dinner, or breakfast? That doesn't look like a breakfast. Well actually, I have no idea what Korean breakfast foods are, so I shall wait for Corey and Sophi to give details. Maybe I'll have Sophi sit down next to me and we'll go back and edit this post after they come home next week. 

I'm sure they'll have fun.