8 Things I Learned in September

During the survey I did recently on my blog, one of the categories you all said you enjoyed was my “What I Learned” monthly wrap-up posts.  I’m glad you do, because I enjoy these as well.  They help me to pay closer attention to what’s happening in my life and the significant, simple, and interesting things I learn throughout my days.

In no particular order, here are 8 things I learned in September:

I am a task-shifter and it makes getting things accomplished difficult.  I will get on the computer to write an email, but then I check Facebook and find something interesting to read, and then another idea pops into my head and I chase that for awhile, and then, Oh, dinner!  So I jump up and chop some food really fast so dinner can get started before the kids get home from school.  And then before I know it I never wrote that email.  This has given me reason to pause, evaluate, and put some systems into place.  I’m a work in progress, but I’m seeing improvement as I try to tackle one thing at a time.  

Loneliness is a real struggle for me, even at 34, and the lies I believe about myself and my relationships can bring me down if I’m not careful.

There is a word count feature in Google Docs.  I had been copying and pasting from my documents into a blog post where it automatically counts the words for me.  I figured there must be an easier way.  So, one google search and I discover this:

Open document —> Tools —>Word count.

Oh, google, what would I do without you?

 A lot can be learned from the leaflet cover of a book.  While at the library I picked up a book on Amelia Earheart, which I thought would be a biography or something.  As Bradley and I were talking about my day, I shared with him this new book I had found and how I was looking forward to learning about such an interesting woman.  He began to tell me something about her life, but I told him not to spoil the story.  Then, I read the words on the cover:  she disappeared.  What?!  How did I not know this?  Bradley says I shouldn’t even admit that publicly.  There are many things I don’t know and probably should.  

Gifts can be found in unexpected places.  This little nook in our master bathroom is strange.  There is a space of carpet behind the tub and then a built-in desk with a granite countertop.  There isn’t an outlet, so I was never quite sure the intent.  However, as I was trying to figure out where to spend my afternoon writing times, I remembered this spot.  After clearing off the changing pad, random books, diapers, and baby lotion, I was left with a quiet place to work.  And there is a window.  I sit here almost every afternoon for about an hour writing and brainstorming.  It’s perfect.

The #lazygeniusprep is a lifesaver and has made meal planning efficient and enjoyable.  

Successfully surprising someone is a lot of fun.  My Mom turned 60 last week, so my sisters and I schemed a weekend with all of us together at my parents’ house.  We showed up on Thursday night and my Mom had no idea we were coming.  Three days together was a wonderful way to celebrate her life.  I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for the gift that God has given me in a Mom who loves–both the Lord and others–so incredibly well.  

#Write31days is not for me this year.  For the past five years I’ve done a series on my blog during the month of October, joining up with thousands of other bloggers to write every day for 31 days.  This year, I’m not doing it.  And it feels so freeing!  I have enjoyed this in the past and it was through writing my series in 2012 that I realized I wanted to make a shift in my writing.  Since I’m not participating this year, here are all of my past series:

31 Days of Fall from the Kitchen

31 Days of a Truth Driven Heart

31 Days to Thrive

31 Days: Made to Pour: Living a Life of Blessing

31 Days:  Lessons for My Daughters

What did you learn in September?