All posts by vica

A braided day

June 1, 2015Contemplations, Discoveriesvica

Multitasking was “in” several years ago. And since it didn’t work for many, concentrating on one task or uni-tasking is more and more appreciated and emphasized today.

I must admit that I sometimes confuse uni-tasking for doing one thing the whole day or at least for the biggest part of it. This misconception does lead me into upsets and being annoyed on all kind of interruptions including from inside, like hunger, thirst etc.

Today was one of the days when I became aware of this behaviour on my part. So I started a game with myself naming all the jobs and/or activities I was practicing today. Here are some of them (please, don’t take them too seriously or literally):

Day-care provider for my six-month-old daughter,
Entertainer for my children,
Santa-Claus on the International Children’s Day,
Cook for my family,
Cleaning personnel,
Moving specialist (unpacker) with inner design skills (applicable probably only to our home),
Writer,
Editor of technical content,
Job searcher,
Home owner showing the building company specialist, which small quirks in our house are to be corrected,
Travel manager assistant (within family),
Laundry master,
Knowledge manager (in our new home, where to find what 😉 ),
Etc.

Some of the activities were done and finished. But most of them were started, interrupted by another one, mainly by the very first one in the list above, and then done again.

If I smiled at this “chaos”, then it became productive; if I complained, the space around me darkened, in spite of the bright shiny day today.

Fortunately, the complaints were often exchanged with wonder at all the surprises the life had for me in tow and how my plans for several hours up front were always overthrown.

So, during one of the washing/cleaning activities, I think it was while drying Emma’s bottles, I tried to imagine a pattern for my day it could symbolize. Braids came immediately to mind. I considered the alternative of mosaic but realized that some of the activities were not granular but continued after being interrupted, and if I took care of and time for them then the “hair” inside was smooth and “obedient” and braided nicely into a clean arc.

You might ask, what this kind of symbol is good for. Well, it helped me to visualize my day and seeing it as a braid made it pretty, not an ugly and miserable experience of chaos as I often had in the past.

Then, in the past, I often considered only one activity as worthy and important, so that I consequently and subsequently thought: “I didn’t manage anything today!” But when I made the list above today, the only thing I had to say was “Wow. Not bad at all!”

I am sure most of us juggle tens of activities in job, family and many other areas. And we complain that we don’t make any progress in what is supposedly our preferred occupation.

But isn’t one step forward fun in itself?! Because it brings us further. Every step is a step forward, because we can learn from any of our experiences, even when being tired and irritated. But only if we take a step back, disengage from those feelings and consider them in a nonjudgmental way.

Then we are free to choose the next step without any pressure of achievement or fear what others would say.

Picture: I must say that I am in awe again and again that our house, the way it is today, was built upon the design decisions and adjustments by my husband and me. That we were who made it possible. Here you can see how it looked from outside about a week ago. Now the garden and terraces are taking shape. All of this was and is done one step at a time. In a very braided manner. Also when not done by us.

Trial and error

May 26, 2015A mother's diary, Contemplations, Favorite quotesvica

Unpacking into a new home can be quite revealing. Seconds after I think a cupboard or a case is readily filled in and in order I find more things to put into it and things to be sorted out. No end of possibilities to change the arrangements, although my brain tries to find the final arrangement for all times.

The quotes below made me smile and reminded that experimenting is definitely worth it and never wrong.

From blog post by Elizabeth Gilbert on September 25, 2014 (said by her mother and quoted by Liz in her blog) :
“You can only make the best choice possible, based on what you know RIGHT NOW. Later, you may know more. Then you may be tempted to judge yourself harshly for the decision you made today. But decide right now to forgive yourself in advance for what you did not know — and could not know — today. So make your decision, and move on.”

From “Don’t Squat With Yer Spurs On! A Cowboy’s Guide To Life” by Texas Bix Bender, p. 29
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”

Pictures: (1) Trial and error can be so sweet. One of the Emma’s first attempts to turn from her back to belly ended up with her being rolled up into a Niklas’s old play blanket. (2) One of the first arrangements on my new desk. I am curious to see how it will evolve with time. I suspect only one constant. A coffee cup will always be present.

Post number 102 – Now what?

May 14, 2015Crazy ideas, Discoveriesvica

Two years ago I had this idea to write a novel based on the first 101 posts.

I also suggested that I might write a “sane” novel in-between.

Now, my first novel is published. It is sane to some extent and risky as I was told in respect to the chosen topic.

I must admit that I started thinking about this crazy 101 idea long before I wrote 50 blog posts and published my first novel. The attempt to connect various blog posts into a novel led me gradually to the idea for the second book I am writing currently, which will be actually a series. I will post a short description of the first book in the series soon.

But the most important lesson I learned that you can’t bend a story without making it stale and unnaturally sounding. It simply has to flow in its own pace and direction. So, I might not use all 101 first posts for my second work in progress. But I do use details from various blog-posts, from my memories and imaginations and put them together as mosaic.

Do I have plans, dreams where I want to see myself after the next 101 posts? I do. To publish more books. I guess this wish will stay for quite some time, also after the third, the fourth, and further times 101 posts in a row.

Picture: This is how the kitchen in our new house looks like. The bar in the middle was my personal wish and I am sure, I will write many a page at it with a cup of Espresso by the side of my computer.

Faults, wrinkles and limits: four quotes showing these in a different light

May 11, 2015Contemplations, Favorite quotesvica

Moving houses means also going through great amounts of things one gathered over the years. One of my favourite treasures I found while packing our home are multiple tiny, medium and big notebooks full of notes and quotes.

Many of the quotes, I captured and saved, made me laugh as I rediscovered them. Especially those from inspirational and mood-uplifting calendars and books, often by an unknown author. Here are four of these in German and Danish with my interpretation in English:

“Ich habe keine Macken, das sind special Effects.”
Interpretation: “I have no faults. These are special effects.”

“Wenn du morgens zerknitter aufwachst, kannst du dich tagsüber wunderbar entfalten!”
Interpretation: “When you wake up all in a bad and wrinkled-crinkled mood, you have a great possibility to unfold during the day.”

“Alles sagten: ‘Das geht nicht’. Dann kam einer, der wusste das nicht und hat’s einfach gemacht.”
Interpreation: “All said, ‘This won’t work’. Then someone came who didn’t know this and simply did it.”

“Ham, der ved alt … har em masse at lære.”
Interpretation: “The one who knows everything, has a lot to learn.”

Picture: When flowers unfold, they bloom.

P.S. Wishing all readers of this post a happily unfolding day full of discoveries, re-discoveries and light-bulb moments.

Learning persistence from my infant daughter

May 3, 2015A mother's diary, Favorite quotesvica

One of my all time favourite quotes is by Richard Bach:

“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.
You may have to work for it, however.”

My little Emma is the perfect example of persistence. She tries every day to stand up and run. Right after her brother Niklas. At the beginning she could hardly raise her head from her bed or rocking chair. Now, mere five months old, she is almost jumping off her chair. I am sure that in a few months time she will be crawling behind Niklas. 🙂

Pictures: (1 and 2) my persistent baby attempting a jump off her chair and not understanding why it does not work and (3) managing to the other end of her bed to reach for toys, and all this by constant practicing.