Under Pressure

Today's prompt for the May Challenge is to write about something we're good at or know a lot about. I couldn’t figure out what to write, so I kept putting it off.  That’s when it dawned on me that I’m really good at procrastinating!  It takes some skill to do what I do with procrastinating. I hit my deadlines and get everything  done, but man can I put things off until the last minute (take this post for example). So why not write about that?  My favorite way to procrastinate is to make a list of what I need to do.  For example: my general to do list for the week is as follows  [notice it’s Thursday night and only 3 got checked off ] -

·     Organize paperwork
·       Figure out bank accounts before Friday
·       Hem Black and Brown Pants
·       Create Corey’s graduation invites (5/5)
·       Update Resume
·       Update Linked In
·       Plan tea garden
·       Call Bobby Jo to make lunch plans
·       Call Tru Strength to set up an appointment (5/4)
·       Call Nick to catch up
·       Call Jasmine
·       Get summer clothes out of the barn
·       Pay Dental Bill (4/29)

On top of my lists, here’s how I manage to achieve optimum procrastination levels

This was Brandy's Christmas gift - I made the skirt
and sent it to her in March...
just a bit late

1. Always have multiple things that need to get done, especially a few that don't have deadlines. 

By having a few that don’t have deadlines, I can always start working on an item that doesn’t have to be done.  That means the task that needs to be done tomorrow can wait until one in the morning.  Take packing luggage for example.  That never happens early.

This was Brandy and my belongings when we switched cabins at camp...
Campers showed up an hour after this picture. 
We got it clean, believe it or not.

2. Rationalize putting things off with prioritization.

By prioritizing my list, I can come up with reasons as to why it’s okay for something to get put off for another week, despite it being an easy task.  For example, I have enough pants to last me.  I don’t need to hem my pants yet, I’ll just pull my summer clothes out.  Solution: summer clothes beats hemming pants. Unfortunately, my pants have needed hemmed for weeks and they are  only partially done.  But those summer clothes are now sitting in a box, not quite sorted and brought out, but they’re in the house!!!

My room looked like the picture on the left for over a month...

3.   Netflix

In college, Netflix and I became best buds.  There went my studying hours, I discovered a new TV show.  First it was Grey’s Anatomy, followed by many others.  My current unhealthy obsession: How I Met your Mother.  Thank you bub for that suggestion.  I can always justify another 22 minute episode over paperwork.

This is a stack of t-shirts all ready to be made into a quilt... from 3 years ago... Never started it.

4. Busy-ness

Best way to procrastinate, get involved in something and be busy.  Pack every activity you can into your schedule – coffee with a friend, a ride at the barn, shopping, the library, reading a book, anything to keep you from your task.  [[P.S. Busy-ness will be a topic some other day.  God’s really been working in my life on that one]]

This was the quilt I made for the Varga's...
Pretty sure I spent three hours the day of the wedding in the
laundry mat washing it to finish it :D

And last but not least

5. “I work better under pressure”

My best results come from when I’m under pressure.  If I want my best, it just makes sense to wait until the last minute!!! There’s nothing wrong with being grumpy because you’re stressed, right? [Honestly though, I do work well under pressure, but my attitude stinks during it]

Disclaimer: While I may work well under pressure, and I do meet my deadlines, procrastination is not something I support.  I may be good at it, but it’s definitely a struggle of my life.  I try to be organized and that helps, but waiting until the last moment is something I’m trying to work on.

Now is right on time

 I've been rather absent here over the past year.  I am really good at doing super long recaps, but I'm not going to do that here, despite all the awesomeness that's been going on here.  I did however stumble across a beautiful challenge to write every day in May over at Story of My Life.  Each day has a different prompt.  Click on the image on the right to see what it's all about.  

Maybe this will get me back into this, because truth is, I miss it!  For May 1st, I get to write my life story in 250 words or less... here you go!

Well –

I was born in raised in Amish country - hence my need to yell buggy whenever I see one.  I grew up a dancer, starting at the young age of 2.  I went to a little hick town school in the middle of nowhere.  I was the smart kid, the kind who read books at recess [don’t hate, I love my books!!] I started competing with my dance team/family when I was 8: we had a pretty rocking ballet team :)

Music entered my life and I made the decision to be a band director, throwing myself into practicing my bassoon.  I was all set to go to college for bassoon when I had a few amazing teachers tell me other options.

I ended up a math major my freshman year.  I got my first real job as an RA in the towers at BG.  For 10 weeks one summer, I got to love on some kids as a camp counselor at Marmon Valley Farm, which added the horse obsession to my life.  It also reignited my faith in God and Changed. My. Life.  After that summer, I knew without a doubt that youth ministry would be a part of my life.

I eventually graduated college, moved back to Amish country (I love it here), became an application developer (oh yeah, computers came into my life too), and now I’m working on what life looks like post-college. I’m excited for what God’s got planned for me here!

1 - My coach's horse Lily and I doing a photo shoot. 2 - Camp staff making an movie for Saving Private Smiley. 3 - RA Staff Offenhauer Towers! 4 - Practicing Bassoon 5 - Graduating from college! 6 - My lovely youth girls.  I love them! We were studying Ruth that year. 7 - My crazy cabin. 8 - Our first ballet competition

Life Changing

Practice makes perfect... a saying I heard a lot between being a dancer and a musician.  And while perfection is not attainable, practice does get you closer than if you didn't.  

I'm currently going through the book One Thousand Gifts, which is about being thankful for the gifts that God has given us.  The dare is to list 1000 things that we love that God has given us.  

Tonight we were talking about how cool it would be to live by always looking for God's gifts in the situation. But also how we are going to have to learn how to do that, and by starting our own lists, we can start to live like that.  

It got me thinking...

I talk about Marmon a lot.  My life changed there.  God changed me.  And life has never been the same.  At camp, everything was about Him.  E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. 

Waking up, walking to the barn, grooming a horse, a tree on a trail ride, lunch time, archery, rope making, feeding the bunnies, dinner, launching eggs from a tall ladder, wrestling an inflatable crocodile in the 'Amazon,' campfires, laying in bed with the lights out.  Wherever you were, you were supposed to find God in that moment.  As a counselor, how can you show these kids God's love in every moment of every day of their life?  Starting with camp.  

It. was. life. changing.

One week of that would have been amazing.  Try 10 weeks of it in a row and then we're really talking. I learned to see God in everything that I do, see, and experience. It turned my life around.  And I'm forever grateful for it. 

Thus, I'm really excited to start this book study and make looking for the gifts God gave me a part of my life.  It will be life changing.  I can already feel it.  

Thank you Lord for all you've given me, for the opportunities to see Your love.  For the experience at camp that changed my life.  For this new study that I pray will continue to open my eyes up to Your grace in this life.  

Pecan Pie

My favorite pie would have to be Pecan Pie.  I don't know why, but it is.  I like coconut cream or peanut butter pie, occasionally I'll enjoy apple, but pecan pie wins any day. 

And like I discussed with Marco last night, it looks like its a super hard pie to make!!!  Definitely. Not. True.  

Yay for pie!  And great aprons :)

I joined a cookbook club (and as Marco would say, took one step closer to my 'granny' image along with my knitting and sewing) and we had to pick something to make from the selected cookbook.  I love making desserts, so I thought I'd try something different and go with an appetizer, only to be brought back to the dessert section. 

Complete with a secret ingredient of bourbon along with a cheater pie crust... I'd say it turned out well!

I've never made a pie on my own before, so this was my first attempt.  It was so easy!  And it tastes great.  

I'm looking forward to my next attempt, but for now thought I'd share with you a bit of what goes on in the kitchen :)

Things to think on...

I don't want to be stuck.

The awesome-ness of the past 2 months

Like I said earlier, it's been a whirlwind here for a few months.  But so cool at the same time.

For instance, we made a ton of hard tack this year after Thanksgiving!  I love this tradition and am so blessed to hang out with these guys every year (not to mention we make some pretty awesome stuff here!)

We made 58 3/4 lbs of hard tack this year!

Doesn't the hard tack look amazing!

Oh, and I bought a truck.  Petey is officially gone.  He lived a good life and we had a lot of fun and a plethora of adventures.  But now I get my little truck (a baby truck, as Corey calls it).  I don't care what he says, I love it and it's mine :)

No more Petey, but we did have fun together

My new truck, he doesn't have a name yet, but I love him! (sorry for the awful  phone picture!)

I made a bunch of Christmas presents thanks to the amazing tutelage of Mary.  She has taught me so much and I'm so proud of what I've made!  Pictures will come, eventually.

This is what I came into the day before my birthday!  I love my job!

My coworkers surprised me for my birthday.  So did my brother, Dave.  He showed up while I was at work and when I got home, he was hiding under my covers!

[[ Sad note, I did blow another tire, that wasn't so fun, but Bub was there to help and support me! ]]

What are big brothers for?  Changing tires of course, haha

I had an amazing Christmas with my family.  I got to spend an evening with a bunch of my cousins that I don't see all that often. What a crazy bunch!  So much fun to be around!

I love my family.  None of the pictures have us all looking or smiling,
but they are so fun!  I especially love Kenzie's crazy face in the bottom left!

My godson is now 3 and is totally into Christmas and 'Ho-Ho.'  Greatest. Thing. Ever. watching him open and play with gifts... And someday, he'll do more than throw and destroy houses (complete with sound effects, mind you) built out of the Lincoln logs I got him... haha.  

Isn't he adorable?!?!?

I have also started to acquire a collection of board games.  I really want to do game night someday if anyone is interested.  And if you haven't learned of the game Fluxx, you should.  It's pretty much amazing!

And the last of my vacation coolness... I got to spend New Years with none other than Miss Ashley!  I love her!  And haven't seen her since September! Add in a phone call with the third in our trio and the day was completely made. I finally played Risk for the first time (and dominated once I took over Asia)! We watched the ball drop and then sat in bed talking until 2!  And then she took me shopping! Finish New Years off with dinner with Anthony's family, and let's just say it was a perfect two days! 

I learned to play this on New Years... Notice the green in Asia and Australia?  Yeah that's me!!!

Basically I had an awesome couple months, just with a few minor set backs and changes. Gotta love life!

You've got to be kidding me...

It has been quite the whirlwind around here for the past two months.  A total roller coaster ride.  It's kind of surreal now that I'm on the other end of it.

It was pretty much a 'You've got to be kidding me' kind of month... make that 2 months.  But here I am, still kicking, still having fun, and definitely still learning.

My blog should probably be name the recap blog since that's all I seem to be good at doing here, but here's another recap for people who haven't been quite in the loop.

Around Thanksgiving, I had the blessing of getting shingles.  Not a terrible case of it, well it was pretty bad looking back when it was super active, but totally manageable (thank you dance training for pain tolerance, haha).  I was under doctors orders to lay in bed and watch movies.  To sleep a lot and relax.  Not the worst orders in the world, haha.  While I was recovering, I ran into some lovely cramps, only to be topped off by a bad case of the flu cold (it wasn't the flu).  I don't get sick.  I'm the healthy one.  My brothers were the ones who had to go to doctors.  Not me. Thus, it was a little bit new for me.

So yeah, whatever, it was kind of bad.  But I have a pretty sweet family and some wicked awesome friends that helped me.  And spent time with me.  And my co-workers pretty much rock and took care of me.  God's blessed me with amazing people and I think I kinda forgot about that. And I'm super grateful for it.

I also got something else out of my illness.... I now have a brilliant built-in excuse to not stress and to go to bed since the shingles vaccine hasn't been approved for people under 50... and once you've had it, you are at a higher risk to get it again.  Yay for no stress (or the excuse to let go of it)!

All this talk reminds me of a shingle mill...
Which obviously makes wooden shingles (duh!) 
It was the second thing that I 
ever ran the steam engine solo on...
Kind of a cool fact - one I'm proud of :)

There's a bunch more to talk about, but this one was getting pretty long.

'Til next time...