On My Mind Mondays: There's Always Something

Sure, Monday is winding down, but I've still got a little over six hours left.  Frankly, I'm just tired today, but of course, there are some things occupying the grey matter.

1. Injury:  First and foremost, I'm hoping that the MCL sprain I sustained in my hockey game yesterday heals quickly.  I've never had a knee injury before, and I don't need to start having issues now.  I've been working on upping my activity, and I'm not the most patient person when it comes to injuries; however, I also know that I'll only make it worse by rushing it.  Nonetheless, my physiotherapist didn't rule out me playing hockey on Sunday.
2. Why people do or don't read my blog:  Sure, I was going to say "Why people do or don't read blogs" to make it less personal, but who do we think I'm talking about?  This came up when the ladyfriend's mother, whom she recently visited, chastised her for not following my blog.  After reading a number of my posts (going all the way back to September...really?), she said, "You learn a lot more about you from your blog than you might in person" (says the woman I've been with for over 20 years).  I suppose I (kind of) understand why the ladyfriend doesn't keep up with my posts, but it is interesting to ponder what makes people, and my friends, stop by and either continue to read or not, and what they might be missing by not reading (sometimes pointed remarks directed at them - hah!).  I'm thinking about writing a piece called, "Why You Should Read Your Friend's Blog."
3. The ongoing refinement of my wardrobe:  I pulled one of my favourite books, Cheap Chic, off the shelf this weekend and fell in love with it again.  I had listened to Marketplace before that and they'd had a brief interview with Sarah Lazarovic whose recent book A Bunch of Pretty Things I Didn't Buy has just come out.  She was talking about what it meant to take a break from shopping even if one wasn't a classic shopaholic.  There were things that rang true for me, such as trawling eBay or Shopgoodwill for funky necklaces or vintage hats or whatever (definitely something I'm guilty of - ask my parents, where all my packages go).  But what I realized in both listening to her interview and reviewing Cheap Chic is that I'm not necessarily interested in whittling down my wardrobe to the bare essentials but in making the things I own work together happily and idiosyncratically.  I will probably always have a lot of shoes.  That's just the way it is.  I like shoes.  I like clothes, but what I don't like is mindless buying because it's a new season or I'm bored or I have money burning a hole in my pocket.  I'm into refinement, and the refinement continues.
    
4. Commuting on my bike:  I just read a review of a waxed canvas suit bag that made me think it might answer some of my wardrobe transport needs.  While I'm sure I could jerry-rig something (and I have), sometimes I just want something to take care of business in one fell swoop.  I also like that it's made in Canada - huzzah!  We've been having some mild weather here, but the cold is returning.  My studded tires have been delayed another week, and frankly, with the MCL issue, I'm not riding at the moment.  But I'm continuing to get my cold-weather gear together.  I've been invited to write a guest post on stylish winter commuting for Bike Pretty, and I'm really excited about it.  Look for it in January.
5. The holidays:  Yes, it's now December, and I'm thinking about how I'm going to keep from having one of those crazed holiday seasons that are over before you've finished tying off the last knot or binding the final stitch.  When I worked on Wall Street (yes, it's true), I was super organized because in those kinds of jobs (where it's about time served and not work done), one can get their work done pretty quickly and then have hours of time.  I used to make elaborate calendars scheduling when I was making fruitcake, sending out holiday cards, and decorating (yes, Martha Stewart was an influence).  I'm ready to make another such calendar (especially since it'll give me another reason not to get to my grading).  I've also signed up for a free 28-day challenge that starts tomorrow called From Hectic to Harmonious.  I will readily admit that I'm a little concerned that it'll be a bit "too too" (too heteronormative, too new agey, too something) at times, but it's worth a try.  We're not traveling for the holidays this year, and I want to make it last.  I want to be inspired, reinvigorated, and restored this holiday season and not frazzled, anxious, and broke.