I almost didn't write this post.  You see, tomorrow I go to the cardiologist where I pray he tells me that my initial symptoms were viral related which sent me to my chair and then when the virus had passed through my system I was so weakened by just sitting around all day for three and some odd weeks, my body kept fighting to get me normal.  I further expect (or hope anyway) him to say that I am to go home, slowly begin exercise, and resume my normal life.  I really want to hear him say that I need to try, at least for a week, to move as much as possible, rest until my heart/lungs resume normal and then get right back upon that hor- um, off of that chair!  This is my dream, my prayer, my hope- Ok, ok, I admit... this is my WHINE.

So, I wasn't going to write this.  After all, if I am going to be out of the chair as of tomorrow afternoon, I don't need to think about the topic of this blog.  Oh, I didn't mention the topic now did I?  Ok, the subtitle for this blog is...

How to fill your time productively and serve your family lovingly from the confines of a recliner.

Yep.  That's the topic of this blog.  I am writing, in order to remind myself that my life can't sit on hold indefinitely, a list of things that one can do when one can hardly move around the house.  I am writing this list tonight so that tomorrow, if for some horrible reason God doesn't answer my prayer in the affirmative, I  have no excuse to sit around and mope any longer. 

So... I posted on Hearth Keepers today and asked for ideas.  I was really hoping to get some amazing ideas that I hadn't thought of yet  but alas, most were things that I had.  This isn't due to any amazing brilliance on my part, you understand.  Whereas these industrious ladies have spent the last three weeks going about their normal routines, I've sat around the house waiting for a chance to do that.  What a waste of three weeks of my life!  No more!  I shall conquer this in one form or another.  If I am to be resigned to this chair for an undetermined period of time, I want it to be meaningful, productive, interesting, or at least less than soporific.

Activities for a Rich Life as an Arm Chair Critic Resident

Computer Activities

• Edit the numerous novels awaiting my inexorable editing muse.
• Finish one or more of the several novels awaiting their riviting conclusion.
• Organize the thousands of digital pictures tossed in the "shoebox" of our various computers.
• Create digital scrapbook pages for aforementioned pictoral evidence of our lives.
• Finish creating Braelyn's Photography website.
• Organize this blog by sorting posts in a more detailed fashion.  (Less "Daily Ramblings")
• Update the story Diaretic on my writer's blog.
• Finish my latest Blogelle post... maybe write more?
• Complete the cookbook and home school pages for Hearth Keepers
• Write childhood memory book.
• Learn more about photo editing.

Family Activities

• Plan children's fall wardrobes and buy/plan for them to make.
• Teach Jenna and Kaylene to sew.
• Finish Christmas Shopping
• Plan stockings.
• Read aloud to the children.
• Let Braelyn drive me around to get her driving hours in.
• Plan Morgann's 18th birthday party.
• Plan Morgann's graduation.
• Create a family newsletter with the kids for the Christmas cards
• ADDRESS CARDS NOW!

Household Activities

• Oversee deep cleaning of living room.
• Oversee Nolan sanding the dark spots from living room floor.
• Decorate for fall/oversee decoration
• Teach each child a different level of cooking.
• Sort through all totes with the goal of reducing by 50%
• Keep menus going and shopping regular.
• Oversee Nolan's Bathroom project to completion.
• Sell off all the eBay stuff!

School Activities

• Teach Ethan to read.
• Teach Lorna her colors.
• Make drills a daily goal.
• Finish Science early.
• Plan history for after Christmas
• Assess each child's school portfolio and plan for adjustments, improvements, and long range goals.

Hobbies

• Smock
• Hand quilt one of the many quilts waiting to be quilted.
• Crochet afghan.  (finish anyway)
• Make cool baby hat.
• Make gifts for HK moderators.
• Take up beading if necessary.

Personal Improvement

• Continue with improvement course.
• Blog about improvement course.
• Redirect my sleeping patterns.
• Create the habit of taking supplements on a regular basis.
• Create and develop a new more fulfilling routine.
• Reread every encouraging book I own.
• Learn to use a calendar and a "to-do" list effectively.

Giving

• Write notes of encouragement to everyone who needs to hear how they've blessed you.
• Plan ways to make blessing others regular as well as spontanteous.
• Get over your hatred of the phone and call those you love and tell them so.
• Remeber to bless Kevin.  He deserves more than he gets.

And of course, enjoy that grandbaby of mine when Jr. Muffin finally arrives!

I'll add to this as I think of things.  I'll try to post pictures of any progress.   Who needs to get out of the chair?  I have more than enough to keep me busy. 

I'll end with Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak from want, for I ave learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have lerned the scret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

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