So, Whatcha Want?

Yesterday afternoon I wandered onto my porch to water my little "garden." As I watered my precious petunias and peppers, I listened to the thunder of an incoming storm and pondered my self-imposed to-do list when it occurred to me: I didn't want to do any of those things on my list. What I wanted to do was lie on my porch, stare up at the sky, and watch the storm roll in. And if a nap happened...well, that was okay, too. So, ignoring my dog's confused stare (he was doped up on Benadryl anyway...that's a story for another day) and the vague nagging sensation that a neighbor may misinterpret this as a "fallen and can't get up" situation, I snuggled down into the jute rug, threw my arms behind my head, and stared at the clouds.

Now, why am I telling you this? Because it brought something into sharp focus for me: I don't know what I want. I don't know what I want to do with my day tomorrow, where I want my life to go, what I want to be when I grow up... I have spent so long doing what I'm "supposed" to and what's "expected" that I have lost track of what I want. I know exactly what I don't want, but when I shed that, what do I want to be left? I'm like an escaped prisoner who stops, looks around, and says, "Okay, now what?" So, given that, I've decided to focus on where I want this path to take me. I do know that watching the clouds roll in while surrounded by my plants and my slightly stoned dog fits firmly in the "what I want" column in life.

So, what do you want?

Join Me, Won't You?

At some point in the past year, I decided that my life was just too complicated. Too many things going on, too many things to do, too many things to buy...things, things, things. Shortly after that point, I decided to do something about it...to simplify my life and focus on contentment. I don't mean a "let's hide in a cabin in the woods and wrestle grizzly bears" kind of simplicity - a simplicity that can be achieved without removing myself from society totally. After making the choice to simplify, I began to research my options. I read books and blogs about simple living and found that some of the information was very useful, but most, in one way or another, just didn't apply to my life. And this brought me to this decision: take some advice from those with experience, add some common sense concepts that work for me, and share it all with you. My step-daughter and I have a phrase for this sort of idea (yes, it happens often enough for us that we need a phrase) - a fabulous disaster. Fabulous disasters are sketchy, hair-brained ideas that we just know are going to turn out perfectly, but if they fail the perfection mark, at least fun was had by all. :) So, join me, won't you, while I make a fantastic mess of my life?