8 Week Hospitality Journey: Recap Days 3&4

This is going to be pretty short and sweet because it's past 11:00 pm I'm just now sitting down while some savory pumpkin bread dough is rising to sell at the Washington Farmer's Market in the morning.

So, yesterday I was here in Washington baking all day.  Today, I spent most of the day in Augusta making deliveries and running errands.

It was really nice starting off the day yesterday with a clean floor and a list of all the things running around my mind, but I didn't get all my baking done so I had to wait until after we had put the kids to bed to get back in the kitchen.  Another late night (like tonight).

I think the main thing I've noticed when I've tried really hard the past few days to focus on carving out some time to just "be still and know" is that I am "on" from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed.  There isn't time to just breathe and let my mind and body go for a little while built into my day-not in the beginning, not at the end-pretty much never.  Because of this, it's really hard for me to take things as they come and enjoy them for what they are.

One of the Facebook comments yesterday mentioned dishes as being a form of therapy for him.  That reminded me of a physician I knew in Columbus who didn't own a dishwasher.  He said that washing dishes with his children and now his grandchildren was a way for him to get to know them.

I liked both of these ideas a lot.  The first being totally present during even rote tasks like washing dishes or folding laundry (rather than your body going through the motions but your mind on the next ten things you have to get done).  The second the idea of doing tasks together with someone in order to nurture a particular relationship.  Clearly, this man could afford to buy a dishwasher, and he could have also done dishes alone or let his children do the dishes alone.  But by doing them together, he nurtured their relationship.  (I think the child rearing experts call this including your children in daily life).

Anyway, so here we are going in to day 5 tomorrow:
1.) A crazy busy life is no way to live.
2.) Make a straight path-keep my floors clean and my list on paper rather than my head where to-do collisions happen.
3.) Be more present at the task and at the person at hand. (Instead of body in one place and mind in another).
4.) Do tasks with my husband, children, and don't refuse help with dishes when I have company over!

Looking forward to the market in the morning!

Love,
Kathryn