Off plan
Yesterday, I did something that I don’t do very often and I ditched the to-do list. Sometimes, when the list starts to get longer than an elephant’s trunk and even if I had 72 hours in the day instead of 24 then I’d never get everything finished, the best thing for me to do is to ignore it all.
I may not have ticked much off my planned list …
but I did get to see my friend at the yoga class I’d been planning to cancel. We had lunch afterwards (that’s the best bit!) and chatted about this and that; her new rescue cat, what our girls thought of the new school year, the doughnut birthday stack she was going to make for her son …
I cut an overgrown hedge, got lots of hawthorn bits in my hair and scratched my arms so much that I looked like I’d been trying to rescue Sleeping Beauty from her thorny castle.
I got to see a sunset that otherwise I might have missed.
I took the dog for a late walk and we saw a young hedgehog. I haven’t seen a hedgehog close up for such a long time, and it made me so happy. We left it a piece of sausage (I never leave home without bribes treats for the dog) just in case it fancied something different on the menu and walked home.
I sat up far too late watching TV with my husband.
And I had the nicest day.
The quiet unplanned moments are so often the best of times. Have a lovely weekend.
Do you know, it really was! It was so good for me, I was raring to go again on Friday! I hope you have a lovely weekend too xx
Ditching the list occasionally can be quite liberating and freeing can't it? I do it sometimes and I love it but get a bit twitchy after a few days. It looks like you had a wonderful 'off plan' day that you thoroughly enjoyed and deserved. xx Susan
I didn't plan to ditch it for any more than the one day – it's Yarndale next weekend so I've got plenty to be getting on with! – but I thoroughly appreciated the break 🙂 xx
Sounds like a lovely day. Xx
It really was! xx
It sounds like your "non-to-do-list day" was just what you needed! Chy
And more than I ever imagined! Sometimes we just have to do these things, don't we? 🙂 xx
Sometimes I think we need to step away from the hamster wheel of to-do lists and just be. This afternoon I'm sitting in the park, enjoying the sunshine as who knows how many chances we are going to get this autumn
Oh that sounds lovely! Yes, a hamster wheel is a good description for it – and we never get to the end of the list either, so stepping off it every now and again has to be a good thing! xx
What a lovely post, such a great way to spend a day. I love doing this too.
I need to remember to do it more often, I think – although then nothing would ever get done! 🙂 xx
Ripping up the list and having a nice day sounds great. Lists are really useful until they turn into a monster! I am having to get very organised now that my OU course is starting again. A planner was much needed. Not enough hours in the day…. Xx
Oh good luck with your course! Both my degrees are with the OU, I am huge fan of the university and the way that it can fit around your life. It's much easier now that you don't have to get up at 6am to set the video, though 😉 xx
Your day sounded perfect! It was my birthday yesterday and I too had a day "off" – my husband was at the golf at Wentworth so I didn't have to cook, had my favourite lunch of poached eggs on sourdough with avocado and I saw some lovely friends who dropped by with birthday wishes – got some housework done and really enjoyed pottering around!
Oh happy birthday to you! It sounds like you had the best kind of birthday day – and here's to many more! xx
What a relaxing day!
It really was! 🙂 xx
How wonderful! My day didn't go to plan yesterday, we're decorating the spare bedroom and I had a to do list for this of sorts, anyway,plans changed and I ended up spending a couple of hours with my daughter which was lovely as she works full time and managed to get the afternoon off, it was lovely catching up in person rather than on the phone! Enjoy your weekend.x😁
That sounds perfect! It's good to spend time with your girls 🙂 xx
These moments are what life is all about 😊✨
Luisa x
I didn't realise until the next day just how much I appreciated it! xx
I love those sort of days, we had one yesterday. The garden didn't get it's promised tidy, but we did see the daughters, the grand baby and a very excited puppy. Plus we had a lovely long walk with lots of talking about everything and nothing. Have a good Sunday x
Oh that sounds lovely! I'm sure the garden won't mind waiting 🙂 xx
Hello – completely off topic, but I know you have knitted socks in many different yarn types… have you ever had superwash wool felt in the machine??!! I knitted a pair in King Cole Zig Zag, quite a new colourway, supposedly superwash wool. I washed them in the machine as I do all superwash socks, 30deg, and they have felted!!! Any clues/tips/experience?! have a great day
Oh no, that's a shame! I've not had that happen to me with superwash wool, although I did manage to do some substantial damage to a superwash cashmere blend once!
I think that it can be the spin cycle that causes the problems rather than always the temperature of the water itself which obviously won't help you now, but is the reason that I use the handwash cycle of my washing machine for my handknit socks now. The best advice I can offer to try to regain some shape into yours is to soak them in cool water with some white (distilled) vinegar and then try to gently pull them back into shape. They'll never be quite the same again but you might at least get them to a size you can wear. Hope that helps! xx
Thank you, sock genius – I did not know the vinegar trick, which I will try, they're not felted beyond recognition but need a fair bit of tugging to regain their almost size/shape. I shall try the vinegar, and now separate all the handknit socks for a handwash cycle. thank you ever so much 🙂
I hope it works! 🙂 xx