LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

Ok, so I realized I need to introduce myself.  How very rude of me to leave that out.  Which is kinda weird, because I am such a communicator and a people person and I am always talking…telling stories, laughing, talking to strangers in public…so here goes…

I am a creative kind of person.  I like so many different and fun things.  Some related and some not.  For one thing, I am a worship leader, so I SING and lead worship in churches, conferences in the U.S. and internationally - like in Africa, London, Bolivia and Trinidad & Tobago…  I speak sometimes to women, and churches and children…I train worship teams and decorate churches...

I am a Texas girl.  I am conservative.  I grew up in Dallas, but lived in a tiny town for 20 years where we didn't lock our houses or cars.  I am patriotic and I love my country.  I believe in personal responsibility and old-fashioned manners and chivalry.

I love old books & other old things - antiques, vintage, collectibles.  I love to shop at flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, your junk closet…

And I am a decorator.  I have decorated lots of people's houses and I have helped a lot of people clean out their junk and organize their houses, etc.  I have decorated my own homes in styles from Almost-Empty Apartment to Shabby Chic to Victorian to Traditional…I love used book stores, and junk and thrift stores…I sometimes sell things on Ebay…and now - Etsy.

I am a procrastinator.  I also start lots of things that I never finish.  I always have good intentions.

I love God - He is my best friend so I talk to Him a lot.  I've known him practically all my life!  I love PEOPLE!  I hardly know a stranger - well, unless someone is mean - then I clam up.  I am always into SOMETHING.  Either I am starting a business, having a garage sale, flying to a foreign country, playing on the floor with grandkids, scrubbing grout, tearing off someone's wallpaper, helping plan a women's conference, making something out of paper, making a LIST (!), reorganizing my house, writing a song, redecorating in my mind, praying in my closet, singing, baking, cooking something new, entering a contest, walking, sitting at the computer (a lot!), organizing my bazillion family pictures, editing photos on my Mac, planning a party, having friends over for the weekend…

I have had a pet raccoon, skunk, dogs, and cats.  I have owned chickens, ducks, pigs, lizards, and guinea pigs.

I love blogs - other people's - I haven't been able to last longer than 3 days on my past blog tryouts :)  Bear with me.  We will see how this goes...

I love to write, although I don't do it enough.  I love sweet little babies, and children of all kinds!  I love old people - I visited in nursing homes for years while I raised my children (in a country town of 1800 people) and sang and read the Bible to the elderly.  I have home schooled for 15 years (and still am!)  I love lap booking and crafts and field trips.  And the smell of school supplies!  Which reminds me.  I love romantic comedies, my favorite being You've Got Mail.

I love making something out of nothing.  I love using my resources - whatever I have in my hand to make something wonderful.  I love budgeting and finances and planning...

I play the violin (classical and fiddle).  I try to play the piano.  I used to play the clarinet.  I CAN NOT dance.

I love to dress up and feel beautiful.  I love to go to formal events and experience the finer things in life.  Parts of my life were very hard.  There are things I won't ever be able to share on here.  Parts of my life were very, very ugly.  And shameful.  But my story has changed for the better.  When I have shared some of the not-so-great things about my life, most people find it hard to believe.  That is because I've been changed by God's power.  His redeeming, never-ending, precious and beautiful blood washed over all of my past.  I am so grateful.

I have painted a lot.  Everything from walls in houses to small pieces of paper.  I love EPHEMERA - I have so much of my VERY OWN ephemera, but I only recently found out that is what it is!  I love books (I have thousands of them; started collecting in high school), and handmade books, and decorating weddings, jewelry, clothes, and scrapbooking - and photos, and the history and genealogy of my family.  Oh, yes, my family...

I am married to a wonderful (& quiet) man; I am a mother of 4, I birthed 3 of them, non-medicated style; the 4th one I raised during their turbulent teen years; one still lives at home; I am a grandmother of 6 beautiful babies, ages 8 down to a few months.  My father died of AIDS, my mother remarried - my dad's brother - so my uncle is my dad now :)  You may have to read that part again.  I have 3 brothers; one is mentally challenged; I have friends that I have known since junior high school (!!!) and I am still making new ones.

Now you have it - about 35% of who I am…I hope you lasted to the end :)  Thank you for listening… :D  Now, tell me about YOU!

Sherry

P.S.  I really need some help making my blog look like I want it to.

MY GOOD LIFE LIST

As I sit here this morning, all cozy under a blanket on my couch and ready to face the day - coffee by my side - I am inspired to write a list of --- resolutions.

I hesitate to use that term, because it is overused and sometimes scoffed at.  Probably because most everyone has made them, and then failed at them.  It's because we are not perfect.

But that's ok.

I choose to look at it another way.

The reality is that it is a GOOD THING to take a specific starting date or time period and reevaluate our lives (or anything that we are involved in) and make adjustments.  The beauty of it is that we are inspired to start over at what we are already failing at, or falling short of, or whatever.  At least it's a temporary improvement!  We need a Disciplined Life.  It brings peace, and order, and smiles.

I went a step farther in making my list by allocating a targeting minimum amount of time for each item.  I realize that, as a stay-at-home mom, I have unaccounted-for hours in my day.  They run together like water.  I want to separate them - I want to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16).  And just because something is on my list, does not mean I am not doing it now.  It's just my new, updated, expanded, beginning of the year priorities, my Good Life List.

Here is my list (albiet imperfect):

1. 60 min - Worship time/prayer/bible reading/exercise
2. 15 min - Day-planning (each day, so they don't run together like water).
3. 60 min - Social time (this would include phone calls with friends and Facebook)
4. 60 min - Time alone with my husband
5. 60 min - Time alone with my son
6. 90 min - Writing time
7. 45 min - Practice violin and piano
8. 15 min - Random Acts of Kindness time
9. 60 min - General housekeeping

Obviously, I do a lot more in my day than what is on this list.  But these things tend to get squeezed out, pulled at, forgotten.  The hours run together and I look back at the end of the day, and some of them haven't been accomplished...sometimes for days or weeks on end.  A couple of them fall on the other end of the spectrum - I have to limit them.

When I read the list, I have to fight a fear that I have left off important priorities, or no-brainers.  I fear that someone will point out something I've left off that makes me look ridiculous.  I'm facing my fear.  I've finished it - no more editing.

I'm trying to maintain order and balance.  And I'm not spending any money either.  Today is Day 5 of our family's 31 Days of (Almost) No Spending.  You don't see any time allocated on here for shopping.

That alone gives me an hour or two every day.  :)

Blessings!
Sherry

DAY 1: 31 DAYS OF (ALMOST) NO SPENDING

MY FIRST POST (I'm so excited!!!)

I have 1004 ideas I want to start with.  At least.

This is what I'm going to do first (while trying to figure out how to make this blog more beautiful): I will share with you our family's 1st attempt at 31 days of (almost) no spending.  I had this inspiration out of necessity.  We are trying to pay off some debt and are trying to be as creative as possible.  I'm sure you've heard the old getting-out-of-debt adage: if you want to get out of debt, you must make more money and/or spend less than you make.  Well, I'm choosing to control how much I spend this month and my family is coming along with me...somewhat willingly.  

I want to inspire you to join me!

I've done this no-spending before.  Not 31 days!  I done this for a week before, but I didn't TELL anyone about it.  I just didn't know it was something OTHER people did :)  I guess some of my crazy frugal ways are going to be showing.  Oops.

We actually started on January 1st.  The problem was that I didn't have a blog yet, so I spent the last 3 days researching blog names, blog hosts, and everything else related to starting a blog.  Really.  I naively got on my laptop on January 1, prepared to start blogging.  Hahaha-haha.  Hmmm, so I started a blog without planning ahead.  

Now I am starting this without planning ahead.  At least not specifically for this endeavor.  I haven't stocked up my pantry or fridge.  I primarily shop deals, with some couponing.  That means that I have already stocked up my fridge because of my natural shopping habits.

I am going to allow $25 this month for items such as milk and fresh fruits as necessary.  Shoot, we usually spend more than that just on milk!  And there are only 3 three of us living here.

In the meantime, I must go cook some frozen Christmas leftovers.  Then, I'm going to spiffy up the blog.  This will never cut it.