Day cramming

 

I day cram. I try and pack as much as I can into the hours I'm given.

There is the natural limit of 24 hours with each hour offering 60 minutes.

Time is needed for sleeping, chores, etc. 

In many ways I'm lucky. My husband believes work should be shared and often he takes the lion share. It is lovely to share cooking or deciding to "cook" at a local restaurant.

What goes into my day cramming?

Reading: Most years I read at least 30,000 pages in books. I don't count magazines, newspapers and what I find on the Internet. Mostly I read fiction. It lets me get into the lives of so many interesting people. I can revisit places I've been or learn about those places I'd like to or not like to see in person. I also read to learn from biographies, historical and political books. Sometimes I even read economics (yuck) when I feel there's something that I need to know.

Writing: As a writer I am always working on a book, article, blog or short story. The words need to move from my head to my laptop.

Eating: Food is a wonderful thing. I look forward to planned meals be they be at my own table or a restaurant. Rick laughed at me because I was planning what to eat at a favorite restaurant when we visited my daughter in Boston. The planning started the week before.

Socializing: We have some wonderful and interesting friends and acquaintances. Many do not live near us so when we are close geographically, I want to spend time with them. And when we are in our French village, by just walking down the street we see people we know and like and the invitation to have a coffee will add to the richness of my day. Even buying veggies at the green grocer can result in a long conversation that eats up more of  those hours.

Exploring: There are places to visit. It could be a neighborhood walk or another village, city, country. So many things to see, do, smell, feel, discover.

Computer: Internet, news, Youtube, Facebook, games, email.

TV: News, movies, shows

So each morning I wake with a whole bunch of hours to fill and a long list of things I want to do. I didn't mention above how important it is to spend time with my husband and my dog and to have time to just be and experience being alive.

Before I know it, it is mid afternoon and then evening and it is time to go to bed. As I fall asleep I transfer the items on my to-do list that weren't done to the next day.