Doing Nothing

Oh my. It MUST be February. All I want to do is curl up, watch pointless TV, and eat chocolate. Yes, I get this way about this time every year. Yes, you’d think I’d remember and try to prevent it. *Sigh.* But I don’t and it seems to sneak up on me an steal my mojo.

Last night I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner. Thank you freezer cooking. It was easy to pull off a yummy domestic meal without effort. And then after dinner Jared bathed the kids so I could ”get out.” I had been talking to a friend earlier in the day and she commented that sometimes you just need to “extract yourself” from your current surroundings and allow your mind to wander. I needed to take a moment to myself, to clear my head.

Have I mentioned before that I live in a tiny town? No Target, no craft store, not much open past 8pm. That kind of town. So when hubs asked where I was going to go, and I didn’t have a clue.

For a minute I just drove. Cranked up the music, loud. And drove.

Then I went to the flea market. A trip there always inspires creativity for me. It’s weird, something inspiring about fingering vintage paintings and china dishes, stretching my mind to come up with a modern use for them. I browsed for an hour or so then headed home in time to tuck the kids in bed, watch TV, and eat angel food cake and blueberries with Jared.

This morning went as usual. We got up early, read scriptures as a family, ate breakfast, did our morning chores, and hugged and kissed daddy on his way to work. Then Ryan collapsed in our big yellow chair and sighed, “There’s nothing better than just sitting down and doing nothing.”

Before my grandpa got really sick I watched him spend a lot of time outside on the patio, just sitting. He’d built birdfeeders in his yard and he loved to sit and feel the breeze and watch the birds, usually while sipping a Diet Coke. I always worried that he was lonely, but he seemed perfectly content to hang with his thoughts.

The nugget of wisdom from my 5-year-old was just was I needed this morning. Because sometimes, most of the time, I get so busy in my various roles and responsibilities that I don’t take time to just sit, and do nothing except spend time with my thoughts.

I think I’ll do that today.

I’m in love with this Etsy find, The Lazy Octopus. Especially after reading the product description: “This octopus has a busy schedule today: first, some floating, then some laziness. Finally, a bit more floating and a nap! Hope he doesn’t get too tired from having so many things planned!” Sounds nice, yeah?