Webster’s dictionary defines “spinning” as:
3 to revolve rapidly : gyrate b: to feel as if in a whirl : reel

Can you relate?
As you finish up the last minute details from your dog days of summer, and prepare for your fall programming, are you feeling that whirlwind effect?
I addressed it in an earlier post – Finding Margin in the Rat Race of Life
and yet here I am again.
My head is spinning.
I have so many things to finish up,
and school must get started….
someday, someday, someday.
BUT I have to clean out the school/dining room.
Now I am going to show you what is awaiting me.
It is a bedlam moment for sure, or multiple bedlam moments if we’re talking literally.
But this also comes with a WARNING!
If you are a TYPE A, “everything in its place” type of person,
you may want to leave the room immediately.
Get away from the computer and run for the hills.
I am not kidding.
I have explained the situation to one of my blissfully organized best friends…the kind of friend that can’t go to bed until EVERYTHING is in its place.
I can’t quite remember what her exact wording was, but it vaguely resembled
“I’d go insane, coronary, heart attack.”
You get the picture.
I SO completely understand. I am there…living it…setting a bad example for my children, and I would go screaming for the hills myself, if I could.
You see I decided to tackle my dining room, which is now really more like my school room. Instead of tackling it bit by bit like intelligent people do,
I decided to just pull it apart all at once.
Big mistake. I know myself better than that.
With every book that I pulled off the shelf, I had to hold it and smell it and love on it.
I heart books.
Books to me is like fabric to most of you designer types.
I see my mistake now, but its a little late to go back.
I should have remembered the hall closet fiasco…learn from your mistakes, Jen…LEARN!
So without further ado, this is what is I am fleeing from, and this is only a small portion of the book shelves…seriously.
So instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing, which is organizing my school room, I am pretending that it doesn’t exist, and I am doing this…..sigh…and this…bigger sigh. I heart to read!
(my kiddos keep taking pictures without my knowledge. Thought I would use them…they had just finished building a fort by the coach. At least that IS now picked up 🙂

And then (seriously, I am not exaggerating this AT ALL…that’s the scary thing), my daughter begged me to cut her hair again…short. I asked if we could do it tomorrow, and she said, “No.” Note to self, never ask a question if you intend for it to be rhetorical.
So instead of attacking my disarray with orderliness and diligence, I nervously cut her hair, and
you can see it here, since no one read my blog way back then..in July…hee hee.
It’s just shorter…AHHH! Then as a much needed stress relief,
remember this…
I spray painted the ugly gold brass pineapple, destined for Good Will, into something I now proudly display on my new buffet….as of this afternoon.

And then, I spray painted this ugly yard sale find from Saturday. Can you imagine a white 80’s style sponge painting job? Oh, makes me shiver just remembering it.
I couldn’t even bring myself to take a picture.
(Total lie…I forgot…such a bummer)
It makes me HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY just pondering its loveliness. I think I even twirled around in circles when I was done.
Total cost…including simply fabulous flowers and spray paint – $4.
Anything to keep my mind off the devilish details at hand.
THIS..AGAIN!!! I did make a bit of progress on this side of the floor.
Are you proud of me yet?
And my last bit of distraction was making this yummy granola. I was hungry and the kids were asking for a snack. I flippantly through out, “let’s make home made granola.” Well, you can’t make a statement without falling through on it. Especially when it comes to making a vow to your children, and keeping it.
We must model for them dependability, right?
So we did it, and it was YUMMY, and SO EASY!
And in less than an hour, we had this….well, we had lots more than what’s being shown, but the 5 kiddos ate it. And the great thing I have learned is that this recipe will be my very next post.
Why?
Because I am learning that I must shorten my blog posts, and it would be entirely too long if I added the recipe. (Chuckling to myself at the irony there).
So again I ask “WHY?”
Because anyone can make it. Even your preschooler. It’s easy, cheap, and SO VERY HEALTHY ….but they’ll never know it (unless they’re picky…hee hee)

Oh so now I have no more distractions. No more excuses. The kids are all outside.
The Beast of Bedlam…meet her here and dogs are behaving. My post is finally finished
(of which my teen age son assured me that no one is going to read a post this long, so thank you if you are still with me:).
I must descend…down my stairs to the dangerous dungeon, and pray that I make it out alive.
Because It’s ALIVE, I tell you, and it’s calling me, calling me, calling me.