Last month I made a declaration: to make September quiet. A month to REST my mind.
Want to know what happened? Sicktember! Or Injurytember. We spent way too much time in doctor’s offices & resting on the sick couch more this month than the entire year of 2012!
Everyone is doing fine now but resting isn’t easy when you’re made to rest.
Our injuries & sicknesses required us to take it easy. How is it when you make a decision to slow down your body always seems to kick it into low gear and you get sick? Maybe that’s only me.
What did I learn during Quietember?
- When I’m not constantly checking my phone for Instagram or social media updates, I read more books! Reading is something I love to do, but usually one book a month is what I can manage. During Quietember I finished 2 more Kate Morton books! The Forgotten Garden {loved it!} & The Distant Hours {honestly, I had to push through to finish but I still found a few truth nuggets here & there}. I’m pretty sure Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors now. I also finished Graceful & 7 {if you haven’t read these books, do it now ~ sooo good}.
- It’s fun to meal plan with Greg. On Saturday or Sunday afternoon we plan our meals for the week. We look at our calendar & the weather & plan our meals around that – if the weather is nice, he’s grilling!
- Writing letters – I sent a few out during the month. Writing letters rests my mind.
- Our family can survive without sweets for one month {unless we go camping & you have to enjoy s’mores. Oh, if a child breaks their arm, ice cream is a true healer}
- Exercise continues to be struggle & I’m tired of making excuses of why it doesn’t happen BUT I’m not going to make myself feel guilty about it.
- I have a question for those of you that read blogs…how many do you read each day? How many are in your RSS feed or you’re subscribed to? My total is 25. I think that’s a good number for me. Rarely do they all post on the same day {except during 31 days!}
When life is LOUD {and it will be} you need to find a way to be QUIET & REST.
During Quietember, I found some ways that work for me.
What works for you?
~ Caroline
{This is a series of posts for 31 Days of Rest & Risk. To read the other posts, click here.}
Sonika says
I get a lot of reading (books/the 15 blogs on my radar) and letter-writing done when I’m resting, too.
Music is a huge part of how I “settle into” rest-time. Here’s one song that almost never fails – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ALmQZ_NiA&feature=player_embedded#!. Enjoy 🙂
Sonika recently posted..Kerry, Part II: the quaintest little town…and some more churches
caroline says
Sonika – Thank you for sharing that hymn. I haven’t heard it before & it’s beautiful. And to read that he wrote it weeks before he died of tuberculosis.
reeve says
I have HUNDREDS of blogs on my blogreader. It’s bad. But honestly, I only really read about 20. But I can’t seem to get rid of the others.
Love hearing your Quietember results:)
reeve recently posted..31 Days : day ten
caroline says
how cool is it that i get to see you in 15 days??
Gwen says
ENJOYING R & R WITH WAYNE LIBBY BOB AT OUR VILLA ON THE BEACH. THREE DAYS NO SUN (so we have enjoyed [sleeping in] our pajama party lingers till mid afternoon):) WE ARE MOST COMFORTABLE IN OUR OWN RELAXED SKIN. (HOUSE CLEANING NOT A PRIORITY [who cares if the skillet is on the cordenza or if there are four or more coffee cups anywhere but the kitcken sink] ?
HOWEVER TODAY THE SUN GLISTENS ON THE OCEAN AND THE WARMTH REACHES OUR VERANDA. IT’S OUR PLAN TO EASE OUT OF OUR PJ’s,LEAVE THE JACKETS IN THE ROOM and FIND WARM SPOT TO REST AND RELAX OUTSIDE. CAROLINE THANKS FOR ENCOURAGING WORDS(resting is relaxing). AS THEY SAY DOWN SOUTH••Wish you were here to kick back with us•••SEE YOU HERE IN JUNE 2013•••
Amanda says
Thank you for this! I know rest is so important, and yet it’s so easy to get caught up in everything that I can forget. Yet, its when I make time to read, and paint, do a devo…and just rest, that time slows times (at least sometimes) and ideas emerge, and inspiration comes to me. SO so important. Anyways, love this!
caroline says
You’re right, so much creativity can come out of rest but we are often so busy we miss it.
Jerimi says
Is it bad that I smiled at “Sicktember”? 😉
Quiet and the intrusion of technology is something that’s been on my mind. I used to go water the garden in the quiet, and enjoy the sounds of the morning. Now I listen to a podcast. Ditto doing the dishes, and pretty much everything else. I don’t think I’m really happier or even more entertained by doing this. I think it’s a way to avoid my own thoughts.
Time to turn off the noise.
Thank you for sharing!
Jerimi recently posted..37 Years, 37 Letters: Part 3/4
caroline says
We’re smiling now at Sicktember! When we were living it we didn’t think it was funny but now we do. What a crazy month!