Week 14: Warm Winter Weekend
The first full weekend in 2019 was unseasonably warm and we took advantage. Fifty-six degrees in January is unheard of in Iowa. We can usually count on hot sun and thunderstorms in the summer, and cold temperatures with snow in the winter. Iowa weather is notoriously unpredictable however. After a morning of basketball we planned to spend some time clearing out more of the junk we have accumulated over the past eleven years in our house.
I have a tendency to start projects and not be able to stop. I grew up in a house where you play when the work is done. I think this is a good work ethic to have, but when you are the type of person who can always find something to work on, play never comes. I’ve had to learn to set aside time to do the things I enjoy. It becomes difficult for me when an unexpectedly beautiful day pops up and I have tasks planned. I am torn between guilt of procrastination and remembering to fully be in the good moments of life. Jeff’s solution is to set a timer at the outset of our task. We work until our time is up and luckily Jeff can tear me away from work. He’s always been good at that. At beginning of our friendship before we were dating: I pick up the phone to hear Jeff’s voice, “What are you doing?” “Homework” “Good, we’re going out.” “No, I have homework.” “Put it away. We’re going downtown.” “No, I have homework.” “Good, I’ll pick you up in five minutes.” Somehow, I ended up in his car and spent a night out with friends talking and laughing. I’m fairly sure I passed my classes. So this weekend, we set a timer, worked for a while, and spent the rest of the weekend outdoors. We went for walks, played basketball in the driveway, biked, and I tried out my new rollerskates around the cul-de-sac. Yes they work great, no I didn’t fall, I’m positive I looked hilarious trying to keep my balance, and yes I was sore after using them. It was so wonderful getting an unexpected and strangely timed warm day in the middle of winter. I’m trying not to think about what this means for the environment (I fret about that more often than not) and just enjoy the moment for what it is: a gift of a day spent with my family outside. Now that the snow is here, I appreciate that brief respite from the cold even more.
