Day 17 - Technology

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life. You can learn more about the class here: 31 Days For the fun of it, I'm posting on my blog what I wrote for the previous day's assignment.

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It all started in November, 2009 when Doug bought me my own little MacBook. It was small. It was easily transported. It was all mine. However, nobody else in the house knew much about a Mac, I was pretty much on my own with this.


So I learned. I tried things and if they worked I was glad. If they failed, I tried something new. It all started coming more easily to me. I wasn't as skittish about getting more involved in the technology of the day. Now I'm comfortable navigating my way around. I know how to try to figure things out. I know how to find answers. I find myself relying on personal technology more and more.


Since that November I've acquired an iPad, an iPhone, and I convinced Doug that the new family computer should be an iMac.


I think technology has become "too much" in my life. But I also acknowledge that technology isn't going away. My challenge is to find the right balance of using my technology-goofing around with my technology-putting away my technology.


I remember sometime after I'd graduated college-1982-and before I got married-1984-hearing an interview on NPR. This is the only thing I can remember from that interview: "Someday every home will have a computer in it." WHAT??!? I repeated that statement to somebody (don't remember who) and then said, "Why would people need a computer in their house?"


ha-ha-ha-ho-ho-hee-hee-hee! Silly me! Why, indeed? Hummm...rough count. Our family has 11 working computers in our home, in one shape or another. ELEVEN.


So, let me think about this. I basically carry a computer in my pocket all day. It is supposed to be a phone, and it does that, too. Here's a funny thing: I have always said that "I am not a phone person." That has always meant that I don't like to talk on the phone, I'd rather talk face-to-face with people. Now I talk to people via Facebook or emails or texts, all of which I can do on my phone. "I'm not a phone person" has also meant that if the phone rings and I don't feel like talking to anybody then I won't answer if. Now my phone beeps or vibrates when I get a text or a FB update or who-knows-why-it-is-actually-beeping, and I check it!


I admit that I love my phone. Not because it's a phone but because it's a computer that fits in my pocket. My life is sort of on my phone. No longer do I have a bulky Franklin-Covey planner. It's all on my phone. Rarely do I lug around my Canon DSLR. I have a great camera - and video recorder - on my phone. Books? On my phone. Games? Flashlight? Music? Clock functions? Yellow or white pages? Shopping lists? OMP.


And sometimes I even use it to make calls.

Day 18 - 9:15 AM

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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It is 9:15 on Monday morning. After the weekend. After getting home on Saturday. After a week at Snowbird. That means there is so much work to do.

I wanted to have one of those summer mornings when I lay in bed and read for as long as I want. But I did that at Snowbird, only the bed wasn't very comfortable, so that didn't ever last too long.

On this Monday morning at 9:15 I find myself going through the house to get the garbage out. It is garbage day today and it can be so unpredictable when the garbage truck will actually come along.

I had wanted to go out on my walk early today because it's going to be a hot day, around 99º. Hot and dry. Instead of going walking I stayed in bed and did some reading.

Now I'm in the midst of my big task of the morning: cleaning up the kitchen and cleaning out the fridge. I have to beat the garbage truck on this one. Too many weeks have gone by without a fridge purge and wash down (pre-surgery 8+ weeks ago). I have the laundry going. I've had my healthy little breakfast and taken my vitamins. I checked some emails and quickly looked to see what's going on in face-book-land (A friend's post made me laugh out loud. She posted: 35 years ago today I became a child bride... Thanks for the laugh, Julie!)

Okay, okay! Now I really have to get back to the fridge before the garbage truck gets here.

I have such interesting Monday mornings...

Day 17 - Think

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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( I went to Barnes and Noble today)

It's interesting to think about what I think about. It sometimes comes as a bit of a shock to me when I realize other people don't think the way I do. ha! That's such a funny thing to say! I don't actually think about that very often, only when my friends tell me that I think deeper or differently than other people, or some such thing. That causes me to pause and think, "Really? So what's it like to think the way you do? How DO you think?"

I'll tell you what I've been thinking about a lot lately. I've spent a lot of time thinking about my One Little Word for this year -Mindful- and what that means. This word was given to my mind on New Year's Day, after a couple of months of trying to be open to what it should be. It was such a relief to finally know my word for 2012. And now this year is almost half over and I'm still trying to understand what my word means to me and for me.

I also think that I may be a little hesitant to really understand my word. I think there is some effort involved and I don't know if I have the mental, emotional and physical energy I'll need to REALLY understand Mindfulness on a deeper and more meaningful level.

When I doubt my courage for such a journey I feel myself go into a somewhat unconscious state of life. If I'm half asleep then I don't have to do the hard work.

But then I think about who I used to be and I miss that person and I want to invite her back to the 2nd half of our life. That will require some of that bravery and strength that my mountain gives to me.

And so I choose to spend the second half of this year on a more serious and focused journey of being mindful. I'm not sure where this will take me, but I believe it will be a good place, once I get through the hard work.

So...that's some of what I've been thinking about lately :)

Day 16 - View

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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I hesitated using this prompt for today since I'm at Snowbird and the view I have this week is vastly different from the view of life I usually have. But I decided to go ahead and write about this view because it has a long history.


I love coming to Snowbird. My parents bought a timeshare here in 1980, when timeshares in the U.S. were kind of a new thing (the Iron Blosam Lodge was only 6 years old). My parents then left for Portugal for 3 years. I was at BYU going to school and so I was the lucky one who also got to come to Snowbird every year. I came with a variety of friends, and sometimes alone. It was great. When my parents moved back to California they took their Snowbird week back and we'd come up and stay with them on occasion. I was married by then and started the tradition of coming with Doug and our children. My Mom doesn't come here anymore, so my brother and I take turns using her timeshare every year.


To me, the great thing about my parent's week is that it is always the same week and it is always the same room, ninth floor. That means for 32 years, off and on, I have been coming to this same room and sitting on this same balcony and looking at this same view for a week. The view of my mountain.


I call it "my" mountain because one summer, I think it was 1981, I was here alone for a few days before some friends were to come up, and I had the idea to hike to the top that mountain. And so I put on my swimming suit and jogging shorts (the better to tan with as I hiked) and my running shoes and off I went. On so many levels that was dumb to do. But you know, I'm also kind of proud of myself for doing that hike without any of today's fancy hiking gear. I didn't even have a water bottle, or canteen, as we used back then.


It took me pretty much all day to get to the top and then figure out how to get down. There was a moment of concern, at the top, when I really couldn't figure out a way to start down because of all the loose rock. That's when I realized  that nobody even knew I was up there! After a few panicky moments (are there wild animals up here??) (why yes, actually) I got my senses back and found a way down on the other side and then hiked around to the front and came down.


Every year at Snowbird I look at this mountain and I remember. I remember my courage. I remember my bravery. I remember my strength. I remember that I can climb the mountains of life. I remember how this mountain lives in me. And when I come down from these mountains and go back to my life, I carry this view back with me in my heart.

Day 15 - Write

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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I love to write. I love the process of putting pen to paper. I love stream of consciousness writing. I love the pauses when I write, when I think about where I want to go next.                  

                                                                                                                   When I first started writing in my journals, when I was 14, I had a #1 Rule: I would try to write as honestly as I could in that moment. My #2 Rule? I would never feel stupid when I read back on what I wrote because I knew those would be honest feelings at that time. And above everything else, I wanted my words to be an honest reflection of how I felt.

I suppose all those journals could be a great tool for blackmail!

Here's another thought: if you've been in my life in a significant way there's a good chance you're in one of my journals, in one way or another. Thank about that one!

When I was in my twenties I had the picture in my mind of living in a cottage on the coast of Maine, wearing bulky Fisherman's sweaters, walking along the beach with my dog, thinking and being inspired before returning to the fire in my cottage to write some more. Yep. That's what I wanted to do.

I still write, just not like I used to. I think that I write more safely nowadays. I think there are a lot of reasons for that. Sometimes I write in code. Sometimes instead of using words to get my feelings out I do collage and art journaling. That fills a need to get thoughts and feelings out of me but in a way that only I understand. I kind of like doing that.

I've always found writing to be extremely therapeutic. Sometimes I find the answers to my life questions when I write. Sometimes I feel more free to move on once I get the thoughts out of my head and onto the paper. Sometimes my writing is a little journey of discovery for me.

When I do my heart & mind writing I always do it with pen and paper. Never electronically to begin. I love the feeling of paper under my hand. I love the smooth flow of a good pen. I like seeing my sloppy, scratchy handwriting. I like the freedom to go anywhere and pull out my book and begin writing. Even with all the portable technology I have, I'll still do my deeper writing with pen and paper, because it is more intimate.

Day 14 - Drink

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life.

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My drink of necessity is water. In the fall of 2004 I experienced my first kidney stone. I've never known such pain. I would much rather birth my 9 1/2 + pound babies than deal with kidney stones. My original stone had to be blasted (lithotripsy) 3 times before it broke up enough to get on down and out. And I had another one or two stones after that. So since that time I have been a crazy water drinker. I always have my water bottle close by.

My drink of choice with spaghetti is milk. And with certain homemade cookies. And with a PB&J.

My required drink with pizza is root beer. Man, I love root beer! I don't drink it a lot because of the supposed connection between soda and kidney stones. My Grandma Odetta used to make root beer. It was very yeasty. When our family would come to Utah to visit relatives, Grandma often had some homemade root beer for the occasion. As she got older she started forgetting how long she had been "brewing" her root beer and it would start to ferment. That was some root beer Grandma made! She eventually stopped.

My drink of necessity when I have to do a late-night drive through the mountains and canyons and around the reservoirs and through more canyons, to or from home, is Pepsi. That's what can keep me going (and alert for deer). I have to be careful with this because I do like a cold Pepsi when my energy is flagging (and not just for the driving). I could get kind of hooked. 

I'm happy to report that I haven't had a kidney stone since 2005 or 2006. I can't remember now. I'll just happily keep drinking that water.

I hope I haven't jinxed anything...

Day 13 - Chores

I'm taking an online class to help me with my writing. Every morning I get an email prompt about the topic for the day and I write what I can/want, with the intent to go deeper than just the basics and to capture the details of my life. You can learn more about the class here: 31 Days For the fun of it, I'm posting on my blog what I wrote for the previous day's assignment.

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We're at Snowbird this week. It is a week of change. A change in routine. A change in scenery. A change in expectations. A change in the rhythm of life.

There are still chores that need to be done, but in all the years we've been coming to Snowbird I find that I never really mind doing the daily chores here.

And this is why: Life is much simpler for this week. There are no excess clothes to pick up-put away-decide to wear- wash. There are no excess dishes to deal with, we have 8 plates-bowls-saucers, so the dishes get easily washed out of necessity. The kitchen is small, it takes less than 10 minutes to clean it up after a meal. There is one bathroom to keep tidy. There is minimal furniture and space. It is so much simpler here.

It always makes me wonder why I have so much stuff in my everyday life? Do I need another thing to have to deal with? All those additional things add to the time it takes me to do my chores. Do I really like doing chores that much?

The reality is that I do have a house full of stuff and, right now, people. And everyone is busy with their responsibilities of life. And life is messy. And so...we have chores.

Here are some thoughts about my chores:

*I love to vacuum. I love clean floors.

* Getting our HE washer and dryer years ago changed my life. Every young couple with small children needs to have an HE washer and dryer. Except they are expensive and probably can't afford them.

*I love to iron. But not necessarily pants.

*I don't love to make my bed, but I love to climb into a made bed at night. I tell Abbie that "making my bed is a gift I give to myself." It doesn't seem to matter to Doug whether the bed gets made or not.

*I love line-dried white cotton sheets.

*I love coming downstairs in the morning to a clean kitchen.

*I've tried to have different cleaning schedules through the years but haven't really stuck to any of them.

*We live in a windy place and so my house is always dusty and it drives me nuts. I don't really like to dust.

*Just thinking about all this stuff has made me feel weary. I'm on vacation and don't want to feel weary.

*I need to get rid of more stuff so that I can spend more time doing things other than chores.