The art of puttering

I love to putter. In fact, I'm really good at it.

"What did you do today?" my friends will ask.
"Oh, nothing much, but I was sooo busy," I'll say. And it's true. I was busy.

How is this possible, you might wonder. Well, it's because I like to putter. Since I'm on spring break this week, my daily schedule is way more relaxed than usual. Here's what a day of puttering looks like in my world.

Today was a good example. I slept in a little bit because it felt good. I'm on vacation and I love lounging in bed. My normal day puts me awake at 6:30 and out of the house by 8:00; today, I didn't get out of bed until a li'l after 9:00. I have friends who would be horrified by my lying abed so late. Whatever. It felt amazing.

After I got up, I checked email and graded online work. I didn't eat breakfast. I didn't make the bed. I didn't get dressed. Looking pretty up in here, people, trust me. (Really pretty scary...)  I played a few moves in Words with Friends and answered a few texts. I watched an episode of Justified on Amazon streaming. I checked my blog and other social media. I picked up sticks in the front yard and carried them to the curb for half an hour. I briefly considered starting changing out my closets for spring but decided against it. And it was noon.

I heated up some leftovers for lunch then held a phone conference with one of my online students. I went outside and read an issue of Artful Blogging while listening to iTunes and soaking up some sunshine. I started feeling guilty about yardwork, so I spent half an hour cleaning off the deck with the leaf blower. By then I was dirty, so I headed in to take a shower and get "dressed" for the day. After twigging up my wet hair in a clip, I went into my office and played a bit. I turned on Mr. Selfridge episodes and worked on a couple of 2013 PL layouts that I'm still tweaking. I played around with my craft memory planner that I'm keeping for this year. I made a list of photos I need to have printed for the planner and for last year's PL. I looked at some of my new supplies. I considered my next projects. Totally fun couple of hours. I answered a couple more texts, played more moves in WwF, checked social media, and headed out with my camera. (I did brush my hair first but went out sans makeup or primping.) After shooting a few things around the yard, I drove downtown and snapped a few shots. I talked with Tracie on the phone in the car for about an hour as I drove and snapped. Traffic started getting bad, so I headed back home with more shots in mind for next time around.

By this time, it was 5:30 pm. I watched the world news then headed back outside to read and rock and enjoy a glass of wine. I tried taking selfies with my big camera and totally cracked myself up. Any neighbors checking me out in the backyard got an eyeful of me acting silly. Does anybody else crack up when you're alone? Yeah, I entertain myself.  No one will ever see those pics. I. Am. Scary. Sometimes. As it began to get dark, I headed inside to heat up more leftovers for dinner (same as lunch, lol) and to watch some tv -Big Bang Theory this time. I talked to my daughter on the phone for 20 minutes, fed the dogs, washed the dishes from the past few days, and listened to American Idol as I worked.

It's a little after 9:00 pm now. For the rest of the evening, I will likely peruse Pinterest and check up on several blogs that I follow. I might read some - there's an Ellen Hildebrand book on my nightstand gathering dust + I have an older issue of Where Women Create to enjoy. I'd like to brainstorm some upcoming crafty projects and plan some blog posts, so you might find me in bed with my handy dandy notebook a bit later. I might chat with the fella later, or we might just text. I'm sure the tv will be on, but it's unlikely I'll be giving it my full attention. I do love to multitask when it comes to my entertainment. I'll fall asleep around midnight or a little bit later and plan to spend tomorrow doing much the same thing, albeit adding dinner plans with the fella to the mix.

There's an entire day spent puttering. And it was lovely. Did I really accomplish anything? Did I really finish anything? Is my to-do list shrinking? No. Was my day enjoyable? Was it a simple day filled with simple moments? Did it reflect who I am and what I like? Yes.

I make no apologies; my life is full, even if it is spent perfecting the art of puttering.