When I first moved to the new digs and was commuting and "working from home" I would come down to the local downtown coffee shop to take advantage of their wifi and get some work done. It got to be pretty expensive, not to mention fattening, considering that they frown on you just walking in the door and not buying something.
I came for quite a while though because the latte boy behind the counter is adorable, (I still don't know his name) and it gave me the opportunity to practice what Mama Gena calls "bitte chat" or basically flirting.
A few months ago, however, we purchased a wifi router for our house and I've been contentedly working at home in my own emf producing work cloud. As part of my Fall back to a regular pleasure schedule though, I think I'm going to make Fridays at the coffee shop a regular thing. I need to keep practicing my flirting skills and I want to establish a comfy away-from-home place to work on a writing project that's been ruminating in the back of my mind for quite some time.
I'm realizing though that this adorable place with the red walls and brown suede couches is run by some lovely Christian people - who may or may not be related to latte boy. A guy who is here every time I've come in is a pastor at a local church and comes here to work on his sermons. At first notice I thought this would make me uncomfortable, but the truth is its kind of fun to sit here surrounded by all the traditional morality and feel juicy on the inside. I wonder what they would think if they knew what kind of stories I'm sitting here writing in my little red journal......I think I'm getting turned on by the mere thought of it.
Well, I need to get to that little red journal - I mainly wanted to post a list of some of the yummy things I'm going to be pouring into my pleasure schedule over the next few days/weeks/months/years. It's been helpful to actually write all the fun things down in one place and then pick and choose whatever calls to me when I'm scheduling.
Here goes:
Massages - more than once a year
Regular Hair Cuts - I found a hair Deva here, I just forget to visit her until I'm desperate
Portland Rose Garden - gotta do this before the blooms are gone for the season
Portland Museum of Art - can't believe I've been here almost 10 months and haven't done this yet
Portland Japanese Garden
Portland Chinese Garden - been here once with the fam - need to go back, have tea and stay awhile
My coffee shop - check! At least once a week
The Tea Shop - adorable tea and scones place in downtown - haven't been there yet
Movies - why do we go to the movies with other people anyway? It's not like you sit there and talk
More art/craft shows/fairs - loved Cracked Pots - must find more
Flower festivals - in the spring I spose - went to Tulips, but missed irises, daffodils, rhodies and azaleas, lavendar, dahlias and probably more blossoms that warrant their own festivals around the area
Working in the garden - I have some huge projects going on that always get put on the back burner
Scrapbooking - when we moved on I was in the middle of 2007. Haven't gotten any further in 9 months
Art projects for friends and myself - I am truly in my element when I am "arting around"
Water coloring - I am truly bad at this but love to practice
My special writing project - only one other human being knows about and I'm not ready to share yet - but its juicy!
The beach - Its a crime to live a smidge more than an hour from the beach and not go there regularly
Farmers Markets - almost out of season for this too - I think there's one nearby this afternoon....
Dancing - I have plans for this.....at home and in the classroom.....
Exercising - this may not always seem like a "pleasure" but it makes me feel look and act more beautiful
Listening to uplifting podcasts - I have quite a collection of podcasts by inspirational women - I always seem to pick the right one at the right time, but honestly I could listen to 10 a day for a month and not get through my stash.
Seasonal rituals - these are fun, you can make them however witchy woo woo you want, or simply note the date on the calendar, but it feels good to mark the seasons, new and full moons, etc. I particularly like the Celtic holidays too which mark the transitions from season to season
Hikes/walks - my family is not very outdoorsy - gotta do this on my own
Singing - my boys are rock band geeks - they love it when I sing with them and have to say I love it too but tend to not do it because it feels stupid.
Practicing guitar - I use to do this - I could play "Red River Valley" "You Are My Sunshine" and "Starfish and Coffee" - my 13 year old offered to give me some lessons and I think I'll take him up on it.
Painting walls - my house is still mostly white on the inside with ugly brown wood cupboards and cabinets - totally unacceptable
Finding friends - joinging GirlfriendCircle.com today and also just heard from someone in a new LifeMakeOver group!
Reading - my to-read shelf is overflowing....
Typing up all those quotes! Hah! I have a stack of old daily calendar pages from my planner that I refuse to throw away because they have these great inspirational quotes on them.
Flowers every week - bought some on Wednesday - maybe Wednesdays will be flower day like Fridays are coffee day....
Make your own Pleasure list - and use it! It's your personal power tool to having the Reddest Day Ever!
In Grace,
Kell
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