I’ve set some goals as alluded to in my previous post. One is very simple: Exercise for 15 minutes a day. That may sound so piddly, however I know it is easily achievable and realistic given my other competing aspirations. I’ve also realized that 15 minutes can easily turn into 30 minutes. So far so good and it feels rewarding to be doing something physically. To that end, I’m grateful for the treadmill Daria asked and received for her birthday, as well as the free weight set and bench bestowed on Dylan at a garage sale “clearance.” Everytime I see that weight bench (and use it) I think of my thoughtful siblings. Back in grade 11 they all chipped in and bought me a weight bench with a bar and weights. I’m still quietly overwhelmed at their thoughtfulness and generosity, and feel their love and adoration then and now like only younger siblings can give. What a privilege to be their older brother.
Category Archives: Memories
Pondering Progress
I have a thing about clutter. If there is clutter I often feel like I cannot do anything else but organize. Occasionally I can bury this neurosis and relax, but usually I choose not to relax until I restore some order to my surroundings. I’ve made some headway these past few weeks and feel like I can finally think again. I was leafing through my missionary day planner this week, a 7-habits weekly planner I bought in 1998, and came across some notes from a meeting with Elder Richard G. Scott. It was a wonderful day. One thing he said struck me again today, “A lack of pondering hinders the ability of tremendous growth.” I’ve felt lately a little awash lately. I’ve certainly been doing a lot of thinking but of late it has felt confined to the immediate, the ho-hum or pressing stresses of life. My return to blogging signifies a little bit more pondering time, a more organized household and a strong yearning to have meaningful progress in our home. We have had some trial in our life lately shrink-wrapped around a lot of change. It’s time to take stock of where we are headed and how the trials and change has influenced everyone in our home. Just writing about it brings a measure of peace.
Memory
Remember that fun game from childhood called Memory? I’ve been concerned about my memory for years-I feel like it fails me in too many situations. I’m sure there are multiple reasons for this-not enough repetition, slash and burning by my brain to keep up with the constant flood it takes in each day, or worse some physiological/genetic problem.
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Synonym Spectacles
I love watching my kid’s ideas and vocabulary develop. They can be so creative with their small, but exploding vocabulary to get across their meaning. Take this morning, for instance, as I lay in bed while the kids each came into the room and I attempted to stay asleep. Joshy came over to my bedside and all of a sudden I felt two pointy objects piercing my closed eyeballs. Just as I was wondering what the object could possibly be (and unable to open my eyes to check) Joshy exclaims, “Daddy put on his Hard Eyes!” An immediate smirk crossed my face as I realized my glasses were being placed on my head. Very creative Josh, very creative.
I love Neil Diamond
I can no longer celebrate the Christmas season without Neil Diamond’s The Christmas Album. There is something about his zany, over the top singing of Christmas favourites-White Christmas has never brought so much glee. My friends and I used to frequently gather at Colin’s house. His was the house with no siblings or parents to get in our way. We could play Nintendo as long as we wanted, watch videos as loud as possible, film our scripted and unscripted films and generally carry on as our mood’s saw fit. One of the four schmucks, as we called ourselves, Mike, would occasionally sneak a Neil Diamond disc of Colin’s parents into the 5-disc changer. We would scream in protest and frantically run to the stereo to put our ears out of misery. Since that time I’ve discovered such classics as Forever in Blue Jeans and realize that Mike was ahead of (or behind) his time.
Other favourite Christmas tunes include Harry Connick Jr.’s Christmas Albums and Kenny Rogers. How bout you? What songs do you yearn to hear?
Today I got some Christmas shopping done and boy was it fun! I’m officially in the giving spirit. I also helped someone move today and I truly appreciate an organized packer-good job Liza.
