TIME TO PLATE IT

Happy to say, mission accomplished (from my post last night).

Clothes I promised to fold were folded. Organized my surroundings. Cooked a wonderful dinner with the kiddos. But most importantly, at least to me, I got my dining room back. It's not ideal, due to limited space. I have a huge and very heavy table in a small, confined space. But we can now each dinner sitting together. At a table. As we had been doing until Christmas-time decorating forced me to change things around.

I got such a sense of relief making this change that I decided to start on another goal of mine.

I've always wanted a large baker's rack to hold a variety of white plates. Non-matching, white plates. Like a country kitchen might possess. A "Come in! Grab a plate, cup of coffee and have a seat so we can catch-up" kind of area. What a blissful thought. For one thing, having time to just sit and talk with a friend with nothing else demanding my attention. And another...having friends who also have the time to just drop on by and have a cup of coffee. Wisteria Line type stuff, no?

::::Add 'make more time for just sitting with friends' to my ever-growing 2012 goal list.::::

Back to my plates...

While they all match now ...they won't soon. I saw some at a resale shop last weekend and I just knew I should have grabbed when I had the chance. Thick. Smooth, curved edges. Faded white, because I imagine their owners used them as much as I look forward to doing.

The baker's rack I currently have now houses my beginner white plates, placemats and napkins so the kids can easily reach them and fulfill their duties of taking turns setting the table each night for dinner.

My 'Country Kitchen' To-Be

Cozy. Warm. Imperfect. As I look at it now, maybe it's more ideal than I first imagined.

But these...these I can't wait to add to. The new adoptees must be old. Off some dusty, resale shop shelf. Definitely not from a box. They will be warmly welcomed. I can't wait to pick them out.

Awaiting the 'old' additions to arrive.

The last few days I've had the feeling that I somehow got a little off track. Not too much, but enough that I felt the shift. It was a familiar and uncomfortable sensation I was eager to shake off.

I'll admit, I have a definite need to be in control of certain things. But thankfully, there are many things I have learned to release.

I now understand I have absolutely zero control over certain situations. All I can do is my part, be honest, try my very best to 'do under others as I'd have them do unto me' (and as we all know, that's never easy because you can't please everyone all the time) and then it's off my plate.

This was such an odd thing for me to learn to do...let go. I'm not a 'quitter'.

But I realized sometimes the hardest thing to do...and the best thing to do...can actually be one in the same.

Like many people, I have a ton of plates in the air. I've learned my limit...the hard way. If I start taking on more...if I dare say "Yeah, throw one more in here! I can do it!" I would surely drop one of the ones I've carefully managed to toss in the air when I need to, then stack carefully back down when it's time to relax.

So for now, I prefer a limited number of plates and for the most part...I'm keeping as many as I can stacked.

Or sitting on the couch, as the case may be. :)

Keeper plates.