Pondering

How I Found My Passions in 15 Minutes

/ Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

If you could do anything, what would you do?

This was today’s reflection question on Dynamic Catholic’s Best Lent Ever.  I immediately thought, I can’t think of anything.  I had just woken up.  I texted my sister about it and she didn’t think she’d come up with anything either. I told her that because I don’t have much free time, I don’t really know what I love to do. I’m just trying to keep up with what I think I have to do.

So a little later, I got out my journal and I wrote reading and writing. I know I like those.  To dig a little deeper, I imagined I was single and I didn’t have to work. What would I do if I had plenty of money and no responsibilities to other people? I assumed I would have a tidy, minimalist home and just hours in the day to fill up with whatever I wanted. I set a timer for 15 minutes. Ideas began to come.  It seems I would like to:

Read, Study or Learn

  • languages, maybe French, Spanish, Italian, Latin
  • certain historical subjects, like Church history, or Colonial America
  • the Bible
  • about the saints
  • spiritual classics
  • my family geneology

Go Visit Places

  • pilgrimages, such as famous Marian shrines, or back to the Holy Land
  • Europe, especially Italy and Paris
  • Private beaches, maybe even live on or near one

Do a Few Activities

  • hiking with other people (don’t want to be alone in the woods)
  • go to Broadway plays, especially musicals
  • take walks on the beach and watch the ocean
  • a 30 day Spiritual Exercises retreat (and other retreats)
  • write and illustrate children’s books

I also had a couple of more personal answers that I don’t want to blog about today. It was only 15 minutes, but this was a good start. I was happy to learn that I do have some interests, and some I could pursue in the near future or even now.

The motivation for simplifying my life (Operation Joyful Space, capsule wardrobes, streamlining home management, reducing distractions …) is so that I can spend more time on things that are important to me. I have been taking care of my family and home for many years. More recently, I have been doing the meditation, eating better and exercising. These things are very important, but that doesn’t mean I always enjoy them.  I plan to share these ideas with Bobby, pray about them, and see what happens. Some of these ideas would seem like work to me at this season in my life, so I would need to choose wisely.

 

 

Planning the Spring Capsule Wardrobe

/ Cheryl Wilcox / Leave a comment

I recently wrote about my Winter Capsule Wardrobe and that I was eagerly awaiting The Stay at Home Mom Capsule Wardrobe ebook on the blog, Classy Yet Trendy. It turned out that I wasn’t attracted to it. I don’t care for the colors blush and coral, which I could have substituted with other colors, but I also don’t like to wear leggings. I really liked the French Minimalist Spring Capsule Wardrobe. So I bought the ebook!

This is a whole new style for me. Last spring, I mostly wore boot cut jeans or old tan cargo-style capri pants, along with T-shirts that Bobby brought home for me from foreign countries. And everyday I wore black Teva athletic sandals. When I was cleaning or mowing the lawn, I wore my Yoda T-shirt. (I’ll probably still do that.)

So I planned my Winter Capsule Wardrobe without an ebook. I had loads of winter clothes, and I only purchased a few items. This spring one is the opposite. I only have a few items, and I needed to purchase loads of them. So that’s what I’ve been doing this week. I bought some online and I did a shopping marathon yesterday. I didn’t even eat or use a restroom for about six hours! Crazy!

I’ll be interested to see if these items will last for a long time. In fact, I have beaucoup (That’s French for many.) questions:

Will I not need to buy anything next spring?

Will some of these items be used in the summer capsule wardrobe?

Should I buy the black handbag and beige tote? They look cool, but if I get them, what would I put in them besides my money belt? What does a French minimalist carry?

Can I pass on the other accessories? Necklaces and bandana scarves might be too over the top for me. I feel like I’m going to be high maintenance enough with ballet flats.

Will anyone notice a difference in my appearance? Going from boot cut to skinny jeans seems drastic to me. And I haven’t worn a denim jacket since 1989.

Will I actually use the outfit guide to create all those combinations? Or will I wear the same few favorites over and over and realize that I only needed half of what I purchased?

Will this be simple? Setting it up is taking me more time than I expected. Some things didn’t fit well. I needed to look for a substitute shoe because Bobby didn’t like the loafers.  I’m waiting for some expensive white pants to go on sale…

Will I actually go out in public with the substitute shoes I chose? (See below.)

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These are some things to ponder on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I’m sure my questions will all be answered during the coming months. But for now, there are still several more weeks of winter.