tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35384270523567272992024-03-18T21:03:47.728-06:00Random Chaos and ClutterDo you ever wish that you could be a character in a novel you have read? I wish I could be Professor Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series (up until the sixth book, anyway!). Why? Because he has his wonderful Pensieve, into which he can deposit all the random chaos and clutter of his mind, swirl it around, and make some sense of it all. We mere mortals must settle for technology, and the blog. So, here's to Random Chaos and Clutter ...Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-20002578084264462302013-05-31T12:51:00.000-06:002013-05-31T12:51:27.211-06:00Hello Friends, I've moved!Yes, we have physically moved. But I've also moved to a new blog. It seems that the time for Random Chaos and Clutter came to an end, and the time for new beginnings has finally arrived. Join me over at Walk.Think.Breathe. for more thoughts. They will be as random, I assure you, but possibly a little less chaotic and cluttered.
Hope to see you there.
Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-29904519615554069792010-07-15T10:11:00.000-06:002010-07-15T10:11:25.093-06:00Wonderful Blog Post on CHANGEI just read a wonderful post on zenhabits on CHANGE. Take a look. I especially like his final thoughts about freedom from the fear of failure ... and this quote
‘Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ ~Samuel Beckett
Happy Reading!Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-58790349281633438792010-07-11T16:23:00.000-06:002010-07-11T16:23:50.959-06:00BreatheThe word of the day.
When it has been too much ... when sleep evades ... when the people are everywhere and solitude absent ... when I just need to stop for a few moments ... but when life continues on in its demanding way ...
I try to remember to just BREATHE.
Peaceful moments to you today.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-73158078500281905492010-07-09T14:43:00.000-06:002010-07-09T14:43:50.990-06:00Kicking the Q-Tip HabitAs I've been thinking about simplification, consumerism, consumption and green living, I've realized that there is a very small single-use item that I use everyday ... the Q-Tip. Using Q-Tips is not going to fill the world's landfills. It isn't going to break the bank. I won't go thru withdrawal without them, or suffer physical harm if I use them or I don't (unless I'm the kind of wax Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-35424334162647490532010-06-25T12:15:00.000-06:002010-06-25T12:15:41.121-06:00"You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die."I think it was my granny who used to say this ... "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die." I always thought it was metaphorical, but maybe it has a literal application as well. However, it is a bit hard to swallow in today's hyper-clean, germ phobic, civilized world. But what if our phobias about dirt and germs have robbed our children of developing a basic love for the stuff Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-17951428420247120632010-06-22T21:17:00.000-06:002010-06-22T21:17:12.684-06:00The Dreaded SHOULD List
I would like all of us to live as fully as we can. The only time I really feel awful is when people have not lived a life that expressed themselves. They lived with all their "shoulds" and "oughts" and their blaming and placating and all the rest of it, and I think, "How sad.
Virginia Satir (1916 - 1988) I came across this quote this evening, and thought ... yes, how sad. Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-67203121221522244122010-06-16T16:34:00.000-06:002010-06-16T16:34:49.278-06:00Good Advice ... No Workaholics Here!I ... am a workaholic. There. I've said it.
No, I'm not a workaholic where my paid job is concerned. I can draw boundaries there. But I'm an "at home" workaholic. I can't ever sit still and relax without forcing myself to do it. I ... am a human doing, not a human being! Today, I came across a new article about 11 Creative Ways to Avoid Becoming a Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-51246647677406216652010-06-14T13:56:00.000-06:002010-06-14T13:56:57.965-06:00A Wish ListInteresting fact about me … if you ask me what I would like to have, I can never think of anything. I’m rarely interested in stuff, and usually pretty content with what I have. Lately, however, I’ve realized that I do have a wish list. Problem is, the list contains things that are expensive. That’s why I never share the list when someone asks what I would like.
So here goes … my wish list. MaybePaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-35672301694602767132010-05-20T22:56:00.005-06:002010-06-13T13:02:34.235-06:00SimplifyWebsters has this to say about the word SIMPLIFY
To make simple or simpler: as
a: to reduce to basic essentials
b: to diminish in scope or complixity
and of SIMPLE
1: free from guile: INNOCENT
2a: free from vanity: MODEST
2b: free from ostentation or display
...
6: free from elaboration
... or eLABORation (my thoughts)
We all seek a simpler life. Do you know anyone who has ever said, "Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-17186048530636298482010-05-20T22:34:00.002-06:002010-05-20T22:54:18.977-06:00Firsts and LastsI've been reflecting a lot lately on my teenage boys. I guess every mom goes thru this time of reflection as she comes to grips with the inevitable ... they will grow up and leave you. Bitter/sweet. During this time, I'm discovering once again the little boys they used to be.As our kids are growing up, we are so consumed with the current state of things. We're driving them places, making sure Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-86285406490711471502010-05-20T22:10:00.004-06:002010-06-13T13:06:17.314-06:00I feel the winds of change blowing …
"I feel the winds of change blowing". I've said that many times in my life. And each time, it was true ... change was coming. Was it coming and I felt it, or did I want it so I made it. Who knows. But I feel the winds of change blowing.
We are at an interesting juncture in life, that place where you are racing toward the "empty nest." Many have been there. You know it is a road traveledPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-28507791561289212332010-05-20T22:05:00.002-06:002010-05-20T22:10:18.717-06:00It has been a whileI've seen that phrase on blogs so many times. We let our lives get so busy that we neglect the things that bring us joy, that de-stress our minds, and that allow us to share a bit of ourselves with our world. So ... it has been a while.Motivated by some conversations today, and by a constant nagging in my mind to dump some of the random chaos and clutter that bogs me down, I'm back to blogging.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-26105499985645728502009-03-30T14:58:00.003-06:002009-03-30T15:24:14.018-06:00Some Thoughts as Holy Week ApproachesThe contents of this blog entry are not my own original thoughts coming solely out of my own research. I've heard much of it from several sources, and have attempted to make some sense of it here. For those of you who have researched the topic yourselves, feel free to comment on anything that doesn't seem accurate. I just think that tradition sometimes blocks the path to truth ... and although Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-8211163928299004472009-02-24T10:52:00.004-07:002009-02-24T11:21:54.793-07:00Cinderella SyndromeCinderella ... a beautiful, sweet girl ... mistreated until someone notices her true worth, then raised to the status of princess to live "happily ever after". Snow White ... a beautiful, sweet girl ... mistreated until someone notices her true worth, then raised to the status of princess to live "happily ever after". Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Belle from Beauty and the Beast ... the list Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-88031544452884808702009-02-02T11:14:00.003-07:002009-02-02T11:33:18.543-07:00FreedomI am a reader ... I read nearly everything I can get my hands on. I often have several books going at one time, many times multiple fiction books. Alongside those, there is the Bible (which I should have listed first because it is the only one that arouses a huge degree of "hunger" to know more). Often I have one or two non-fiction publications going as well. Crazy sometimes, but I love to learn Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-32708623903182657622009-01-21T14:13:00.003-07:002009-01-21T14:31:10.380-07:00What are they waiting for?I went to Walmart today. It is really one of my least favorite places to go, but the prices are best on so many items, therefore I find myself there on a regular basis. Today's visit was a little different. After doing a little research, and keeping up with the current news, I decided to return a jar of Jiffy peanut butter that I had gotten recently. It was unopened, but with all the recalls Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-80059830591111853832009-01-16T14:26:00.004-07:002009-01-16T14:42:54.272-07:00Reduce/Reuse/RecycleIn our family, we try to follow the Reduce/Reuse/Recycle slogan in everything. It is an attempt to try to be less of a consumer, and show more care for this world God has given us. I look around sometimes and am so saddened by all the waste that I see in our society. How could we feel so privileged that we think it is not our responsibility to take care of our resources? Less privileged societiesPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-84611919331794829912009-01-14T11:14:00.006-07:002009-01-14T11:24:41.317-07:00"Sometimes More is Just More"Over the past few days, I've become aware of a documentary called "Simply Raw - Reversing Diabetes in 30 days". I've been hearing some remarkable things about the "experiment" to try and take 6 insulin-dependent diabetics off their meds and to a new level of health in 30 days by changing their diet to include only raw foods. I watched the trailer this morning, and felt such sadness (tears runningPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-18459964767900179852009-01-12T13:44:00.003-07:002009-01-12T13:56:52.245-07:00CraftingAnyone who knows anything about me knows that I like to craft things. I'm not an artist but a crafter. Nothing I do takes a serious level of skill or sight, but I'm good with my hands, and like to create things. What types of things? ANYTHING. It can be made of wood, wire, paper, beading, beeswax, leather, yarn, fabric ... doesn't matter to me as long as there is a little variety and it can't be Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-33443872717198290532009-01-12T13:29:00.002-07:002009-01-12T13:42:57.075-07:00PlayAs I delve into "Life Is Not A Stress Rehearsal" once again, I'm confronted with the concept of play. The old addage "All work and no play makes Paula a very dull girl" rings loud and clear. I have become that "all work" person ... and I sure do wish I remembered how to play.I used to laugh a lot. I used not to have these "frown lines" between my eyebrows. I used to have a sense of humor Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-20228166910653931262009-01-12T13:12:00.003-07:002009-02-18T13:35:18.408-07:00So Much To Do ... So Little Time ...It seems that every day brings more for the "to do" list than was checked off yesterday. Does anyone ever catch up? Maybe it is one of the perils of being such an over-achiever, A-type, perfectionist kind of person that makes this phenomenon occur. It is just so hard sometimes to just let things go.I think about the story of Mary and Martha in the Bible, when Jesus came to visit. I enter the samePaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-85826368204641267852009-01-11T15:41:00.002-07:002009-01-11T15:48:36.452-07:00BreathingFor years now, I've been a yoga wannabe. You know, one of those people who has all the props to go with a lot of head knowledge, but doesn't seem to make practice a priority. I think there are a lot of golfers out there who would understand. But there is one interesting part of yoga that requires a different type of practice ... breathing. About a year ago I discovered that I hadn't taken a Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-69557397162376097782009-01-11T15:14:00.003-07:002009-01-11T15:39:10.580-07:00Stress-a-holicI'm a stress-a-holic. Whew! I really needed to get that out there. Crazy to thrive on stress, but I do. I'm not sure I know how to function without placing myself under all kinds of crazy stress. I make up things to stress about when all is calm, not external things, but internal. Guilt seems to be the greatest source of stress for me. If you read the "Raw Vegan" blog, you'll understand that I'm Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-75633012771625541392009-01-11T14:57:00.003-07:002009-01-11T15:14:13.020-07:00Raw VeganI've been doing a lot of food research lately. There is a movement called "Raw Vegan" that is gaining speed all over. I've been a vegetarian for about a year, and have found that my body responds much better to my meatless existence. Vegetarian for me is completely without meat ... no beef, pork, chicken, fish, or any other animal you might think of eating. With the lack of meat, however, comes Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538427052356727299.post-87707061193212539352009-01-11T14:38:00.004-07:002009-01-11T14:57:20.218-07:00Where did all the human beings go?What a crazy world we live in ... I've said it a million times. Lately, I've been trying to understand just what makes it so crazy. I think it can all be boiled down to a lack of humanness. We see celebs and the rich and famous going all out for "humanitarian efforts", but I don't even know the names of my neighbors. It makes me sad when I walk into the grocery, pass someone, and they won't Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04224737249428799057noreply@blogger.com2