I've been doing a lot of thinking, lately. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the extremely productive kind of thinking. Generally, my 'a lot of thinking' revolves around worrying about things which are completely out of my control. Luckily, this time my 'a lot of thinking' isn't ulcer-inducing. But, like I said, it's not exactly productive either...
I've been giving a lot of thought in the past few months about all the things that I want to finally be able to accomplish after this next year and I am no longer trying to balance a job, a family, and school. After graduation in December, I am going to finally know what it feels like to have some real free time. Of course, there is going to be that whole looking for a job thing. And, I'll still have the whole working while I can thing. And obviously the whole family thing...
But, once I finally have that teaching job that I've been chasing for so long now, I've been formulating what I am going to try to do with those 15 weeks annual paid 'vacation' time. =) See, not really productive. But, I guess it's nice to have some positive thoughts going on in this head of mine once and a while.
So, I've been keeping a kind of running mental list that I thought I may as well put down in writing. It will continue to be a running list, I'm sure, as I come up with and across new and exciting things to occupy my 'free time' with, since it's been about 10 years since I really had any true free time. Usually, if I'm doing something in my 'free time,' it's actually just wasted or borrowed time from when I should be doing something else. (Like, right now, I should be sleeping...or at least folding the mountain of laundry on the couch or doing the dishes from last night's dinner...)
Here are some of the things I have come up with so far:
1. Finish Z's baby book
(I started during my ninth month of pregnancy and had the intentions of spending the week I took early for maternity leave to work on it and get it all set up for just plugging pictures in to. Of course, he decided that if Mommy wasn't working anymore, he may as well make his debut now, and I went into labor with him my first day off. I tried to keep up with it after he was born, but I underestimated the amounts of 'free time' I would be able to find. His book, as it stands, goes from my pregnancy pictures to the nursery pictures to the story of his birth...and that's where it ends.)
2. Start P's and my wedding album
(Yeah, that's right. As of September 2011 we will have been married for 8 years, and I haven't even so much as purchased the album or papers or anything. I have all the photos in prints...I think. And there are actually still some disposable cameras, possibly, that need to be developed from the reception that were finished off on the honeymoon.)
3. Paint the living room
(P and I picked out the colors we want to paint about a year and a half ago, when we redecorated the living room. We just never 'got to it' though. So, if I have a three-day weekend, a week-long break, or whatever...I still have the samples and I could just knock it out.)
4. Be more crafty
(I know that this one is kind of generic, but I always come across all these ideas that I merely wish that I had the time to take up. When buying fabric for a project for school, I came across lots of sewing projects that I think would be neat to give a shot {{I used to be pretty handy with a sewing machine in school!}}. And, I follow a few cute, crafty blogs here that always have such great ideas and I'm always wanting to give a try. One of my most recent favorites are these necklaces and rings that I stumbled upon. And this blogger always has some cutsie little things that she does for her husband that I would like to be able to whip up and try with my own hubby. Not to mention that I've been trying to get into stamping and card making. I just want to have time to be more crafty and let my creative outlet just go once and a while.)
5. Be a better "point-and-shoot" photographer
(Again, a little vague, I suppose. But what I'd really like to do is take one of those non-traditional classes that are offered at both the community college and even the major university in town that teach people how to get the most out of their simple 'point-and-shoot' cameras. I tinker, and I've learned a lot on how to use some of the functions to the best of my ability, but I'd really like to learn how to use lighting, manual settings, white balance, and all that jazz...)
6. Take cake decorating classes
(**I remembered this one later this morning, and decided to add it in rather than start a new post**
I have always wanted to be able to decorate cakes! I used to have a dream of retiring and owning my own bakery, doing wedding cakes and big, expensive, fondant cakes for swanky occasions. =) I love to bake...more than just cake from a box and cookies from a tube! lol I have about 8 friends on Facebook that 'do' cakes, and they post pictures of them all the time. It really only fuels my desires. Perhaps I'll even take a baking class that can help me learn to be more creative in my cake baking! Perhaps, one day, my dream can be realized and I can have my own little place to sell my wares...or even get a TV show like 'Ace of Cakes' or 'Cake Boss'?? hehe Who said dreams have to be small?!)
Well...that's all my sleep-deprived brain can remember for the time being. At least now I have a written list that I can continue to add to, and then come back to when I actually have this 'free time.' =)
Til next time!
Peace, love, and wishful thinking!
♥ S.
