Just turning the calendar page apparently does not mean that we have learned all we are supposed to learn. Last year was The Year of Humility - a lesson I needed to learn and was forced to face by leading a retreat on the topic. Apparently, I still need some lessons...
Yesterday I received my annual performance appraisal, and was blind-sided by the report that staff members find me to be negative. To say I was stunned and hurt is an understatement. My perception of me (and my wholehearted desire) is of being supportive, encouraging, and appreciative. I love to tell people how well they are doing, and encourage them to pursue what gives them joy. One of my mantras is "if that makes your job easier".
Another lesson in humility - another area I did not explore last year - is that how I see myself is not how others see me. And added to that is that what I think others want from me may not be accurate at all. My perceptions and filters are all clouded by ... selfishness? Pride? and unwillingness to change?
So thus begins a period of re-examining what I do for others and how, and how I can be a better servant leader. Of being quiet and listening more closely.
Any ideas? Have you experienced this?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
peace and quiet and time to write
It's 9:30 am here, and I have been enjoying a morning of peace and quiet and time to write. Craig is off to work, and other humans (and the dogs) are still sleeping. The bunnies have had breakfast and are happily playing in their yard - I can hear them leaping and tossing toys around as bunnies do.
Outside the window I see a constant stream of cars, a few walkers, and a couple of cyclists. The sun is shining and it looks delightful - which is deceiving because the weather app advises that the actual temperature is not yet up to freezing and the wind chill is in the teens.
So here I sit in the warmth of my dining room, having enjoyed a bowl of the delicious granola gifted by a friend and about to enjoy a hot cup of cocoa complete with whipped cream. Yes, it is Saturday, a Saturday without specific commitments, and therefore a morning of peace and quiet and time to write.
Now that the cleaning out of my father's house has been completed, I am cherishing these opportunities. As much as I dislike winter for its cold, I do like the chance to sit indoors like this without feeling the tug to complete outdoor chores. Once we hit March and new growth begins, mornings will be pressed into service with weeding and cleaning out and preparing for the new season.
Here however we are still in the season of rest - winter is a season for dormancy and renewal. So often we see it as dead and unproductive. But beneath the surface, all of those seeds and soil are resting, gathering nutrients and strength for another growing season.
I am beginning to see winter as that opportunity for me too - a time to spend Saturday mornings in my bathrobe at the diningroom table enjoying a cup of cocoa, thepeace and quiet and time to write.
Which just ended with the sound of puppy paws racing toward the door followed by the removal of the leash from its hook. Oh well... Next Saturday ....
Outside the window I see a constant stream of cars, a few walkers, and a couple of cyclists. The sun is shining and it looks delightful - which is deceiving because the weather app advises that the actual temperature is not yet up to freezing and the wind chill is in the teens.
So here I sit in the warmth of my dining room, having enjoyed a bowl of the delicious granola gifted by a friend and about to enjoy a hot cup of cocoa complete with whipped cream. Yes, it is Saturday, a Saturday without specific commitments, and therefore a morning of peace and quiet and time to write.
Now that the cleaning out of my father's house has been completed, I am cherishing these opportunities. As much as I dislike winter for its cold, I do like the chance to sit indoors like this without feeling the tug to complete outdoor chores. Once we hit March and new growth begins, mornings will be pressed into service with weeding and cleaning out and preparing for the new season.
Here however we are still in the season of rest - winter is a season for dormancy and renewal. So often we see it as dead and unproductive. But beneath the surface, all of those seeds and soil are resting, gathering nutrients and strength for another growing season.
I am beginning to see winter as that opportunity for me too - a time to spend Saturday mornings in my bathrobe at the diningroom table enjoying a cup of cocoa, thepeace and quiet and time to write.
Which just ended with the sound of puppy paws racing toward the door followed by the removal of the leash from its hook. Oh well... Next Saturday ....
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Getting Back to Basics
A few weeks ago, I decided to start something "new" by going back to using witch hazel as a toner for my face. That was the first "beauty product" I used as a teenager. Dampen a cotton ball with the witch hazel and wipe it over your face as a toner/astringent. When you have acne, it stings a little, but it is gentle enough for the dry skin of a more mature face.
A few minutes ago I was doing dishes and reached for one of the other basics - baking soda - as a scouring agent for the pot I was scrubbing. Baking soda is a perfect scouring powder, it works great as a drain cleaner when paired with vinegar, and can be added to laundry as a detergent booster. For starters.
And that white vinegar? In addition to pairing well with baking soda as a drain cleaner, it is a great antibacterial agent, so you can spritz it on counters, wash cutting boards, and pour a few tablespoons in the laundry. It works well to clean windows and spraying it on those little "accidents" the puppy leaves deters the offender from returning to the same spot. For starters.
Why do I bring up all these simple things? Companies are being urged to remove chemicals and non-natural items from products, but we are still dependent on so many chemicals and additives. Every week another new "natural" product appears on the grocery shelf, but it's still important to read those labels. Instead, let's get back to the basics.
Another place this is being seen: glass vs. plastic. Companies who make leftover dishes are putting out glass versions. We are being cautioned not to reheat our leftovers in plastic bowls. The latest trend? Mason jars. Wide-mouthed Mason jars. We get them free when buying such staples as spaghetti sauce, or we can get them at the store for about a dollar each. There are fancy ones, but the basics are still the best. Online you can find suggestions for using these jars to make layered salads and breakfasts. And of course it's simple to put your soup or other leftovers in one and warm them right in the jar (take off that metal lid!) or dump a serving onto a plate.
So get back to basics. Save money and save the environment. Look to the old ways... go online when you have a few minutes and search for uses for vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, and other basics.
And then share them with the rest of us!
A few minutes ago I was doing dishes and reached for one of the other basics - baking soda - as a scouring agent for the pot I was scrubbing. Baking soda is a perfect scouring powder, it works great as a drain cleaner when paired with vinegar, and can be added to laundry as a detergent booster. For starters.
And that white vinegar? In addition to pairing well with baking soda as a drain cleaner, it is a great antibacterial agent, so you can spritz it on counters, wash cutting boards, and pour a few tablespoons in the laundry. It works well to clean windows and spraying it on those little "accidents" the puppy leaves deters the offender from returning to the same spot. For starters.
Why do I bring up all these simple things? Companies are being urged to remove chemicals and non-natural items from products, but we are still dependent on so many chemicals and additives. Every week another new "natural" product appears on the grocery shelf, but it's still important to read those labels. Instead, let's get back to the basics.
Another place this is being seen: glass vs. plastic. Companies who make leftover dishes are putting out glass versions. We are being cautioned not to reheat our leftovers in plastic bowls. The latest trend? Mason jars. Wide-mouthed Mason jars. We get them free when buying such staples as spaghetti sauce, or we can get them at the store for about a dollar each. There are fancy ones, but the basics are still the best. Online you can find suggestions for using these jars to make layered salads and breakfasts. And of course it's simple to put your soup or other leftovers in one and warm them right in the jar (take off that metal lid!) or dump a serving onto a plate.
So get back to basics. Save money and save the environment. Look to the old ways... go online when you have a few minutes and search for uses for vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, and other basics.
And then share them with the rest of us!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Dishcloths
Okay blog fans - raise your hands if you love your dishcloth.
I realize that many of you hardly "do" dishes - you have a dishwasher so you rinse most of the debris off the dishes, arrange them and set the dial. Those of you who have this "standard appliance" probably have very little opinion about dishcloths because you have very little use for them.
However, there are still those of us who are living in the past - we have no dishwasher and therefore "do dishes" by hand. And we have very strong opinions about the dishcloths and scrubbers we use to accomplish the task.
For years I have been a proponent of the little net scrubbers - I would scavenge as many as possible on the dollar days sale at my local grocery, getting six to a package for a dollar. They lasted a few weeks before unraveling, but truth be told I preferred them that way - almost like a cloth but "scrubbier". I also liked them because they were plastic and therefore did not need to be laundered. As long as they were rinsed thoroughly with hot water and allowed to dry they never smelled mildewed, and they rarely picked up any of the stains etc that cloths seemed to attract.
So I have happily used these little scrubbers. When one got a little too worn it was relegated to pot duty and a new one would be pulled from the bag for dishes. For about five dollars I had enough for the year.
In the recent past however it has been more difficult to find the scrubbers, and I have also been convicted of the waste in buying them and disposing of them. It would be wonderful, I thought, if there were wash cloths that I could wash and keep for long periods, but that also had a scrubby quality. Even better if they were the result of recycling.
A-HA!
How many of you have heard of PLARN?
Plarn is the result of cutting plastic bags (the ones you get at the market) into strips, then spinning them into yarn. My industrious and creative daughter makes this stuff. She is also the fastest crocheter around.
I wondered out loud about the possibility of such a wash cloth, and one evening she whipped up a few - each has a slightly different stitch pattern, rendering each slightly different in "scrubbiness".
They are wonderful! Not quite as scratchy to the hands (think of keeping your manicure for a few more days) and yet they are wonderful for dishes as well as pots and pans. After each use they are hung from a clip that allows them to air dry. From time to time they get thrown into the washer, but they must be removed and hung or laid flat - the dryer would be a disaster.
Looking for a wonderful new dishcloth? Find some plarn and then someone who crochets - if you can accomplish both yourself then you are further ahead!
Comments?
I realize that many of you hardly "do" dishes - you have a dishwasher so you rinse most of the debris off the dishes, arrange them and set the dial. Those of you who have this "standard appliance" probably have very little opinion about dishcloths because you have very little use for them.
However, there are still those of us who are living in the past - we have no dishwasher and therefore "do dishes" by hand. And we have very strong opinions about the dishcloths and scrubbers we use to accomplish the task.
For years I have been a proponent of the little net scrubbers - I would scavenge as many as possible on the dollar days sale at my local grocery, getting six to a package for a dollar. They lasted a few weeks before unraveling, but truth be told I preferred them that way - almost like a cloth but "scrubbier". I also liked them because they were plastic and therefore did not need to be laundered. As long as they were rinsed thoroughly with hot water and allowed to dry they never smelled mildewed, and they rarely picked up any of the stains etc that cloths seemed to attract.
So I have happily used these little scrubbers. When one got a little too worn it was relegated to pot duty and a new one would be pulled from the bag for dishes. For about five dollars I had enough for the year.
In the recent past however it has been more difficult to find the scrubbers, and I have also been convicted of the waste in buying them and disposing of them. It would be wonderful, I thought, if there were wash cloths that I could wash and keep for long periods, but that also had a scrubby quality. Even better if they were the result of recycling.
A-HA!
How many of you have heard of PLARN?
Plarn is the result of cutting plastic bags (the ones you get at the market) into strips, then spinning them into yarn. My industrious and creative daughter makes this stuff. She is also the fastest crocheter around.
I wondered out loud about the possibility of such a wash cloth, and one evening she whipped up a few - each has a slightly different stitch pattern, rendering each slightly different in "scrubbiness".
They are wonderful! Not quite as scratchy to the hands (think of keeping your manicure for a few more days) and yet they are wonderful for dishes as well as pots and pans. After each use they are hung from a clip that allows them to air dry. From time to time they get thrown into the washer, but they must be removed and hung or laid flat - the dryer would be a disaster.
Looking for a wonderful new dishcloth? Find some plarn and then someone who crochets - if you can accomplish both yourself then you are further ahead!
Comments?
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