A Few More Minutes, Please!


I love this photo! Not sure how mom will feel about it since this is a picture of her running through the kids' sprinkler. But summer makes us all do crazy things, especially if we have some free time on our hands.

I find myself saying that more and more these days, to my kids, to my family, to myself: "A few more minutes, please." I’m pretty good at making a space for me, like getting a sitter for this morning to get a few hours of me time. Or jotting down a few lines while waiting for my car a Jiffy Lube. If opportunities arise, I take them. But to read a book or clean the basement—if I have a few moments, which is really the best use of time?

Today, I got an acceptance from Babel Fruit (thanks Ren), which sent me down the path of what else should I be doing. Sad to say, I’ve been neglecting the blog. I’m finding that when I don’t post something regularly it hard to get back into it. And writing poems—well, I’m happy to say that I’m working on three poems that are not ready to be posted. Yet sometimes it's fun to veg, do something mindless and unexpected.

So, how about you? When you get a few moments, do you take time for yourself? Do you read a few chapters of your summer novel or clean the house? Or, if you’re like my mom, do you run through the backyard sprinkler? (Hee! Hee! Hee!)

Comments

Anonymous said…
i think my problem is i may have too many few moments, 50% of which i spend on the internet. who am i kidding? definitely more than 50%! ;P

re: cleaning vs. reading, let's just say that my closet is looking like a tornado zone lately...so reading for sure! i also try to squeeze in watching dvds from netflix, walking around, and staring into space (a lot).
January said…
Odessa, so true! There are days where I'm completely wired. And when I'm blogging, I consider that downtime.

I have completely let go of Netflix, down to one movie at a time. And all I seem to read now are poetry books.

But I think warm weather will motivate us to get a few things done so we can play.
GREAT photo of your mom! I love it, too! Summer is for EVERYBODY!!!
POWER DOWN!
January said…
Joyce, wish I could power down. I'm responding to you from my iPhone!
Goodnight, Mom said…
I LOVE this pic of your mom! It just shows her pure joy!

LOVE LOVE it and her!
kj said…
i stop by your blog every so often--a poet and writer myself, i am.

have you heard of the colrain poetry manuscript conference? i think you would love it....and it's in western mass.

best of luck and success.

:)
January said…
Thanks for stopping by, KJ. I haven't heard of the conference (at least I don't think I have), so I'll check it out.

Take care.
Ananda said…
i am glad you are spending time with yourself. the photo of your mom is what i call liberation. i went to two writing workshops and a yoga film over the past three weeks. they have helped me get into writing my poetic memoir which is due to my editor at the end of august. i am headed to atlanta in a few weeks. i am gonna read two juicy fiction books for fun and one juicy self help book i just ordered. the writing will continue. keep flowing.

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