Someday Syndrome

That's it.  I've been diagnosed.

I have 'Someday Syndrome' .... 

a chronic case of it, in fact.

Verbal Symptoms:

One of these days, I'm gonna ....

I will get around to it.

Soon, I'm gonna ...

Starting to sound familiar?  

Kind of like a Scarlet O'Hara I'll think about it tomorrow moment.

I've always been a fan of the to-do list, but I also keep a mental list attached to that pile of stuff in the corner.  You know you have one of those piles!  You know you do!  Fess up!  A couple of weeks ago while being encouraged forced by a dear friend, one box at a time, to clutter bust my garage, I discovered several such piles, boxes, bags and buckets of things I am saving for 'some day' projects.  Mind you, most of them are project specific.  My friend was very sweet about it all, though I probably should have laid only one ground rule: Never tell an artist they need to go thru a box and eliminate at least half of what's in there!  I know! I know!  Who would have known a five gallon bucket of bottle caps were part of a future art project?  Or, that a box of rusty found objects were part of a vision?

 I ♥ you Colleen!!  I know you are proud of 

what we accomplished.  I am too!  I can see the 

garage floor and the surface of my studio worktable!!!  

You rock, girlfriend! We eliminated over 200 books 

and seven .. SEVEN coffee mugs!  Filled my car with 

stacks and stacks of Amazon cardboard boxes for the 

recycle bin!!  Gone are two ice-cream makers, framed 

mirrors, artwork, clothing, shoes and lots of chotzke!  

Several carloads in fact! Thanks Audrey for your help too!

Okay! Back to the boxes!  I know exactly what I wanna do with the contents.  Problem is: I have this thing about needing the work space to be clean and orderly before I can tackle a particular project.  Please, tell me I'm not alone!  No! Really.  Before I jump into that recipe I've been hanging onto for years (that stack of recipes, actually), I feel the need to spit shine the kitchen .. yeah, even mop the floors .. although the process would take place on the counter, not the floor.  Before I pull out the watercolors and other paraphernalia to attempt that piece that has been bouncing around in my mind for-EVAH, I put it off until everything within visual site is in order ... hmmmm, fear of distraction?  You bet!  The chance I'd jump up from my worktable and bounce off to another project that caught my eye .... very high.  I went to my bedroom to sit down with a book yesterday.  Less than a chapter into it, I looked up.  Something caught my eye.  Before I knew it, I was on my feet, making my bed and taking laundry to the other end of the house, starting the washer, stopping by Facebook, talking on the phone and getting a greeting card in the mail.  Oy vey!   Note to Self:  Make the bed when you get out of it!  I do that often.  That's one of my fave tips from  The Happiness Project .... Make your bed!!


I have continued hauling stuff out!  Getting it done.  Eating that Frog one bite at a time!  Believe it or not (I have witnesses).  This time last year I could park my car in the garage!  Since that time, various items have needed a place to land.  Art show equipment and supplies (yeah! the canning projects took over an entire wall in my studio, requiring relocating a lot of art stuff).  We downsized our condo to make it available for rental (we had accumulated a lot of things in that second home).  Granbaby Girl's large toys and all the equipment my husband brought home to make my broken foot recovery easier also ended up out there.  Needless to say, no room for the car!  When I finally finish (when, not if), I will post the before/after pictures!  Not a second before!
  

Call it procrastination.  Call it perfection.  Call it lazy.  Call it busy.  Call it distraction.  Call it what you want.  Just get-r-done!  I won't even begin talking about all the Pinterest projects!  

I said all that to say this:  Don't wait til tomorrow.  

Do whatever your heart desires.  

Whatever piques your interest.  

Make time.  Clear a spot and go at it!  

Life is short.  Stuff  is the clutter of life. 

Find the time to minimize the clutter.

Then you'll have the time to maximize the joy!

Follow me on Facebook at

 Healthy, Wealthy, Wise & Other Junque!

I'm not all there, but I am in pursuit!!

Cantaloupe Jam

CANTALOUPE JAM!

Yes!  I said cantaloupe!

Heck no!  I didn't pay $1.99 each for them!

They were on the slightly bruised table for $.79

Score!

My newest favorite canning book!!

Food in Jars!

If you could only smell it!

A bubbly caldron of sweet cantaloupe and vanilla beans!

Cantaloupe Jam!

Who knew?!!

I recently shared the Food in Jars recipe for Tomato Jam!  

It is awesome!!  That particular recipe is on her website! 

She did give me permission to share a recipe from the book.

This one isn't on the website!

You MUST get Marisa's Food in Jars canning recipe book!

I have more pages dog-eared in that book

than any other cookbook in my collection!!

~

Cantaloupe Jam

2.5 cups chopped, peeled cantaloupe

1.5 cups granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Zest of one lemon

1Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 (3oz) packet liquid pectin

~

Prepare jars, lids and rings for canning.

Combine cantaloupe, sugar and vanilla bean/pod in a

nonreactive pot.  Bring to boil over high heat and cook

for 8-10 minutes.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice and

the packet of liquid pectin.  Return to a vigorous boil.

Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the bubbles look

thick.  Remove vanilla bean pod and discard.  Remove 

the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared

jars.  Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings, and process

in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Make 3 half pints!

Order the book!!!