History has a way of repeating itself. Having just returned from our trip to Wisconsin, (Miss you so much Little Lady!) and with our 20th Annual Pumpkin Carving Party fast approaching, I felt like I woke up this morning running. As I was trying to finish up a project I wanted to share on Wee Folk Art tomorrow, I realized I was deriving no pleasure from the experience. As a matter of fact, my back was killing me, but I was pushing myself to get it done. Then I remembered writing a post about this very same thing, just 2 years ago. So, I closed up my bucket of paint, cleaned my paint brushes, and decided to attack the project in the morning when I could enjoy the process. I then dug out this article, first posted October 16, 2008, and marveled at the similarities. I needed to reread this. I hope it speaks to you, too. Wishing everyone an “Unhurried” day! 

I love to bake. As a matter of fact I like cooking in general. Whenever I hear someone say they find the task of making dinner an unsavory experience, I get this idiotic look on my face, my brow wrinkles, I turn my head sideways like our dog Scully when she’s trying to process “STAY”. To me cooking and baking is anything but mundane. It’s creative…it’s rejuvenating…why, it’s downright fun.

So, today, when I burnt a batch of Oatmeal Scotchies, I knew that something was amiss in my day. I’ve got a million things going on right now. The parent situation has calmed down, but in its wake are all the neglected tasks that normally get done weekly. So I’m trying to catch up, but at the same time, ready my house for next week’s 18TH ANNUAL PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY and the weekend visitors that come with it. I’ve got the party down to a science, but it still involves plenty of time. So, here I am, trying to get some cookies made before the grandbabies show up for lunch, finishing up a craft project for Wee Folk Art, doing a couple loads of laundry, and slowly piling party necessities.

Normal multi-tasking, right? The thing is, I was allowing myself to stress. Running from room to room, picking up, sorting, baking, folding, and all the while not enjoying a single thing I was doing! Life’s too short not to enjoy what you’re doing. Restating…I love to bake. Instead of taking a few minutes, to truly relish the experience, to drink in the sites and smells, the task got heaped into my pile of “to dos”. WRONG!!! How much time would I have lost from my day, if I chose to sit while my cookies baked? 10 minutes? Let’s say I decided to make 2 batches…what…half an hour? If I had savored the experience, and sat at the dining room table, waiting for the cookies to bake, while guilt free flipping through one of the new crafting books I got this week and still haven’t been able to crack open, the world as I know it would not have ended, and my disposition for the rest of the day could have been enhanced instead of frazzled!

So, I feed my garbage disposal the inedible confection…btw…not even my dogs would eat them…scooped up a new batch…and picked up one of the books. True, there were a few things I could have accomplished during that time, but the time was not wasted. When the perfect batch of cookies was taken from the oven, and put on cooling racks to, well, cool, I felt good, even revitalized. I am now ready to move on to the next task, which turned out to be writing this blog, but I managed to UNHURRY my day. UNHURRYING your days is about embracing everything you do and giving it attention and appreciation. It is a choice, and given the emotional well being it provides, well worth putting it at the top of your “to do” list!