Saturday, August 8, 2009

A Typical Day

alarm clock, bought from IKEAImage via Wikipedia

I'm not sure why I am writing this particular blog, but perhaps I'm thinking of my children reading it one day. (*smile*) I don't know that anyone is interested in what a typical day consists of in anyone's life except their own. But, here goes! And, for all my many followers (*another smile*) you don't have to read any further if you do not care too. Now that I've gotten your attention, I bet you all will read with "baited breathe."

I have always been a "morning person" and a believer in "the early bird gets the worm." So, you say, who wants "the worm?" Well, guess I do! Before I had children I would get up just in time to get ready for work and be out the door. Not long after Brandon was born I soon figured out that if I were ever to enjoy some "me time" then it was likely going to have to be in the early morning hours. And, the Lord had really convicted me of my lack of time with Him and the Word. I always had good intentions of fitting a "quiet time" in but most days it just did not happen. And, I knew if I was to be the Mom that the Lord would have me be, then I HAD to have my time with Him. At that time I began sitting my alarm clock for about an hour earlier than I thought Tommy or Brandon's day would start. It proved to be a good decision for me and the benefits far outweighed any extra sleep that I might have gotten.

brush drawing on blue primed paperImage via Wikipedia

Now, do know that I have certainly missed
my quiet time many times since making that decision some 32 years ago. But, when I miss, I feel very "out of touch" the entire day and it reminds me of how important that time is to me each day.

When the kids began school, it meant I needed to get up even earlier, so I set my clock for 5:00 AM during those years. I keep that as my "wake up call" until about a year ago and I decided that I no longer had to get up quite so early. Of course, my body had to readjust itself, but it did and now my clock goes off at 5:40AM. I know, that's an odd time, but I want to be out of bed at 5:45, so that gives me 5 minutes to lay there and think about it. :)

Tommy is usually up about an hour later, so that gives me an hour to enjoy that first cup of coffee and converse with the Lord and read His Word in total quietness. The thing that I have to be careful of, is the routine. Often, routines loose their significance and it just becomes something we do without a lot of thought or meaning. I have to be mindful of that daily! I have "my time" upstairs in a big overstuffed chair, covered with an afgan and a dimly lite lamp burning.

{{Potd/2006-08-30 (en)}}Image via Wikipedia


After "my time" I'm ready to begin my day. I usually head straight to the shower and may put a load of clothes on to wash as I breeze by the coffee pot for that second cup. Then it's on to the necessary job of makeup and hair. Have never been able to skip that, not even if I'm just going to "hang out" at the house all day. I know, it's crazy, but it sure helps my feelings if I happen to look at the mirror during the day. :)
I have always been a person that likes to get any errands that I may have to do, done in the morning. Guess I don't like to have to think about doing them all day long. So, I generally do whatever running around I have to do early. I may not have but a couple of things to do outside the house, so that likely means that I will be home by mid to late morning and may or may not leave again that day. I use my afternoons for various things, going for coffee with Dad, visiting a friend, catching up on the ironing, playing on the computer, organizing a closet or drawer or doing "bulk cooking," and stashing some of it away in the freezer. And, from time to time there are other things that need to be done during that time. My afternoons are not nearly as scheduled as my mornings.

Tommy and I have always eaten between 5:30 and 6:00 and I would be lying if I told you that I cook every night. Not hardly! But, I take "spurts" and we eat at home a lot and then it seems some weeks we eat out more times than not. We've decided that we do it more for having something to do than just eating out. We enjoy the "social aspect" of eating out. That may sound crazy to many of you. We really feel that way when the days are short and it's dark by 5:15. I do enjoy cooking and especially when there is not a lot going on and I enjoy entertaining folks in our home too.

After cleaning up from dinner we usually find ourselves in our recliners, settled in for the evening. Again, this is really true in the winter. In the spring and summer we may not settle in until later. We enjoy that time each night. We may talk, we may not. We may watch TV, we may not. Sometimes I'm on my laptop and Tommy is reading. But, whatever we are doing, we enjoy it. We are not late night folks and by 10:30, we are usually snug in our bed.

On the week-end my schedule changes. If I do not have anything planned for a Sat. I do not set my clock, I just wake up (usually around 7:00) and I'm ashamed to admit, but I generally do not go upstairs for my quiet time. Why? I have no excuse. It's certainly not because I don't think I need it on the week-end. There's not a day that I don't need it. I've been saying I was going to change that habit, but I'm still working on it. I certainly talk to Him throughout each and every day and that never changes, but there's nothing quite like a special time with Him that is uninterrupted.

Of course, Sundays are different too. The clock is set for 6:30 and I begin my routine of getting ready for church. Sunday afternoons are generally very laid back and something that I look forward too.

I'm sure that I have shared way too much and as I said, don't know that a soul is one bit interested in this area of my life. But, perhaps my children will find it interesting one day. I'm sure they will read it and with a smile, say, "that was our Momma, but we loved her anyway." :)
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Lea @ CiCis Corner
Lea @ CiCis Corner

Hi there! My name is Lea. I've been wife to the best Hubby for 44 years....Mom to a son and daughter....CiCi to 4 precious Grans....lover of family and friends....enjoy laughter and a good time....shopper....picture taking maniac....maker of delicious fudge....organizational enthusiast....memory maker....Southern Belle...and most importantly.....a Child of the King! Welcome to my little corner!

4 comments:

  1. Isn't it strange how much we like to look into the lives of other people! I get up EARLY, too! I am not really a morning person but I am a person who NEEDS some alone time in the morning so I try to get up by 5:00a.m. sometimes it is 5:30, but even that 30 minutes seems to put me in a rush the rest of the day! I LOVE having my quiet time in total peace and quiet, often I go outside and just enjoy the cool morning! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was one of my favorite posts of yours! Thank you for being so open and honest. I was surprised to learn you set your alarm early so you can lay there a few minutes and "think" about getting up!

    I definitely need to work on getting up before everyone else and having uninterrupted time with the Lord.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mrs. Lea, I have so often admired your organized and purposeful life. I am *trying* to incorporate more organization into my own life, as God did not grant me that gift. The getting up early is key, but not something I have mastered yet. :) Thank you for this encouraging post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I must admit, I've always imagined you hitting the ground running every morning, perfectly primped and prepared for your day... not really stopping to think WHEN you would do hair & make-up in your sleep, but hey, that was my ideal. Thank you for setting the record straight and giving us a glimpse into your daily dose of life!

    ReplyDelete

So glad you stopped by and hope you enjoyed your visit. I love your comments and read each and every one of them and I always try to reply to them. Blessings to you this day!