What Are You Working On This Monday?

~ humoringthegoddess

Okay. It’s Monday. Weekend over. Playtime suspended until you get home from work. Unless home IS work. And even if you’re retired, you’ve got things to do. Places to go. Responsibilities to carry out.

I believe keeping busy with mundane, practical, necessary tasks is important, even if you are retired. You still need to feel that need to “escape” the drudgery, even if that drudgery is filling the dishwasher or fixing a broken table. 

My work days are broken up into chunks. A chunk of computer checks and coffee, a chunk of folding laundry and cooking meals, a chunk of working outside. It beats sitting behind a desk, of course, but I often wonder how I got anything done when I worked 9-5. (Hint: I didn’t.)

This morning I tried to get back into writing. I still am holding on to this Senior-Goes-To-Paris-And-Sees-Hemingway kind of thing, and failing miserably. There is just too much research to do. I change my story line every other day. My locations every day. 

Nothing seems to “click”.

Do you have days and weeks where you find you’re trying to push that car-sized boulder up the hill? Do you have ideas for a creative endeavor that sound really cool on paper but are just overwhelming in one way or another?

I suppose that’s why I blog. To vent, to speculate. To take a break from the reality of getting my writing $hit together and do something that’s actually easy for me.

I used to sail into writing books and short stories and poetry. That was when I didn’t have time to spare. Now that the time gap has widened, I’m having a hard time settling down. I can’t tell if I have too much creativity waiting to explode or not enough that’s worth the effort.

Maybe it’s the “senior” version of the Monday Blues. You’re feeling good, the day is starting out good, but you wonder when your energy burst will come. So you busy yourself with little projects hoping your subconscious will work out that glitch in your graphic design or help you figure out the right shape for your sculpture or help you find a word that rhymes with “justice.”  

Or maybe you will give up rhyming all together. 

So as I go to make myself a sandwich and change the music station to something more “poppy”, tell me — what are you working on today?

 

 

 

Published by humoringthegoddess

I am a writer of fantasy fiction that often surrounds middle-aged women. I am a married mother of two and granny to three, a BoHo Chic kinda gal. I am recently retired and busier than when I worked 9-5. But writing and blogging is my main game.

31 thoughts on “What Are You Working On This Monday?”

  3. Thank you for your “wonderful” reply. Yes, I feel very blessed to be surrounded by so creative a cloud of artists… true witnesses to the talent God has given them!

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  4. Dare I admit you are soooo right? I adore them. Would do anything for them. Spoil them. Teach them. Let them take run of the place. But there is also that sweet moment when all have gone back to the open arms of their parents and I can sit in the silent peace and quiet of my corner spot on the sofa and go..”aaahhhhh……””

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  5. I also have tried making at least one new recipe a week, too, to bring a little creativity into the kitchen workplace. I was flipping through a Julia Child’s cookbook the other day, and realized how much I DON”T know about the world of food and cooking. Another world of art to explore!

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  6. This was a wonderful blog! What wonderful art! (I have to find another word to use besides wonderful… I overuse it all the time…) I love art fairs. The people are so talented. SO talented. I could fill a mansion with all the inspiring pieces I come across and still never have enough room. Wish I lived closer to Montana! Thank you for sharing the work of such creative people.

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  7. You love them to bits, but when they are finally gone you know the meaning of “peace and quiet” again lol !

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  8. Yes, everyone I know gets in a rut from time to time. For me the best cure is to take in a new experience. Sometimes as exciting as visiting a museum, sometimes as mundane as changing the route of your daily walk.

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  9. Ennis Arts “stuff” is related to rewriting scholarship guidelines and the application form for potential scholarship applicants and gathering/forwarding to appropriate people the applications for booth space at our Ennis Arts Festival (that is held each summer). I’m the EAA president this year. I blogged about it last summer.= https://janbeek.blog/2019/08/10/love-our-ennis-arts-festival/ I love hearing about your time with grandkids. Lucky you!! ❤

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  11. I love this! I am almost a week late in responding because I, too, had the grandkids for an extended weekend, and all bets of doing anything “personal” are off when they are around. We played video games with the 9 and 4 year old, and pushed Elsa and Anna from Frozen around in a stroller for a day while we watch Frozen every day. After a weekend of riding on top of the world, I find I can write better, research better, and just create better. Just sayin.

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  12. Thank you for your kind words. And you are so right. I’m done whining and plan on starting tomorrow. Of course, it will be kicked off with a blog about it — haha. Do you sometimes find it hard to get your mojo going too? Once I get going it feels great. I suppose whining about it at the beginning feels good too….

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  13. Holy Moley! That’s it? You certainly pack a lot into one day! Once in a while I do pack too much in a day, and am very grateful for it, for I get so many things done I need to do. Love that you are guest blogging! That is quite an honor. And editing takes twice as long as you think it will. Am proud that you make time to write. That’s so important. I think I’ve gotten the fuzz out of my head and will try and start tomorrow as well.

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  14. I know this is almost a week later, but I had grandkid projects most of the week. And yes, there are tasks that are just as important as writing and creating. I suppose that’s why I get so pretzel — clean a little, write a little, repair a little, wander the Internet a little …. get distracted a little, then get frustrated I didn’t stay to task in the first place!

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  15. Maybe I should read your Paris book first! I know what you mean about getting a stretch of uninterrupted “me” writing time. I always think I should be throwing in a load of laundry between sentences or something. I am doing just what what you suggest and doing a lot of research. But I have also decided that I’m about done researching and just going to go for the gusto. The story will come when I get there. Research each step as it comes. Like you, I can’t wait to get started!

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  17. I know it’s almost Monday again, but I love your answer! I had my grandkids for an extended weekend, and rest assured I got nothing of my own done — and I wouldn’t have it any other way! What is Ennis Arts Assoc. stuff? Love to hear about these things!

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  18. You are a kindred spirit and so kind with your words. I know exactly what you mean about finding excitement in what others think of the simplest (and sometimes boring) things. We have a feeder on our front deck. And I love the cardinals and blue jays and even this gorgeous woodpecker that come and eat breakfast. Once we finish cleaning our the family house and selling it, I can really fill my day up with “My” sorts of things. I am glad to hear you are doing the same. Just wait to see what we can experience!

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  21. I have the grandkids this week as they have a whole week off school, so I don’t even have time to do much, my granddaughter (10) loves shopping so we go shopping, she doesn’t care where we go as long as we go to”a shop” lol. My grandson (8) is already a “real” man, he hates shopping so he stays with my husband at home.

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  22. I hope that you get your mojo flowing soon. For what it’s worth, nothing that is really good is easy. Your tactic shifting to small tasks to let your subconscious work is worth a try.

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  23. Monday is the day I get house stuff done. I’m making soup for dinner and I made some cookies. Wrote my blog and I’m guest blogging so I wrote that blog as well. Took the dog on a longish walk. Took a picture for my insta challenge. Went to yoga. Changed the cat litter. Laundry. Changed sheets. I’m going to edit a chapter of my book. I think that’s it

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  24. Today I’m working on the projects which come with ease and grace — and not telling myself they’re any less important and valuable than the ones which seem like I should expect myself to do them but really drain my energy and frustrate me instead — those get kicked to the curb! 😌

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  25. I hear you my friend. I actually got more done when I worked full time. It took me about a year of retirement to get into a writing routine. I had to convince everyone around me, and myself, that I needed some blocks of uninterrupted writing time. I think your book idea is great and I’m sure it will come together. What I do is read a lot about the locations. There are some great books set in Paris, like The Paris Wife. Funny enough, my next Amanda adventure will be set in Paris!

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  27. I’m sure the “poppy” music will help. I’m working on Ennis Arts Assoc. stuff. Just finished my blog on honey & wisdom and then had a hearty tavo soup from our Soup Exchange for lunch. Never a dull moment … And yes, a lot of choices. Ain’t it grand?

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  28. From one retiree to another, the bigger chunks of time just GO! Who knew life could be this exhilarating doing what others would consider essentially nothing? Watching the birds (jays, sparrows, robins, starlings) in the garden from my ‘office’ window, researching material for a blog, and sharing morning coffee in the sun room with the man of my dreams (hubby). Why do we always want more, to accomplish to do when just to ‘be’ is so amazing?
    I love your blogs, your honesty, THANK YOU.

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  30. I just finished reading ..The War of Art…. Breaking through the Blocks and win your Inner Creative Battles ….

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