Life Rules, again

If you come here often you know that I am a big fan of Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project.

Of all the thought-provoking and helpful things I've learned from her is this rule: It's so simple and obvious that it shouldn't be a big revelation to me. Yet it has been so helpful.

The rule is Identify The Problem. I used it yesterday morning when I started to write my Christmas cards. Other years I can't keep my materials together. Pen, stamps, return address labels, cards, Christmas letters from the printer, lap desk, (yadda-yadda-yadda.)

So this year I gathered everything together in on box (pretty simple solution, no?) and stashed it in the room where I'll do this task along with my address book. I have a deadline on my Christmas stuff calendar, so I have to keep at it to keep up.

Beth Ann had an excellent post about Advent this morning. It is all about hope and expectation, and I will hold that positive thought in this season of preparation. (If I were a good person, who wasn't in a hurry, I'd have a link to Beth Ann Chiles blog. Maybe later I can come back and do right by her.) Try this.

I am getting a rare opportunity to cook, while GG recovers and the good smell of beef stew and fresh bread are in the air. I had to bake potato bread in the bread maker this afternoon because I had a failure the last time I tried. I have had so many successful loaves in a row, I was drunk with power. I couldn't fail. What do the Proverbs say about pride? So I was humble in success when I got a beautiful loaf out of my efforts today.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.