On Time

My husband, Tim, suggested a few weeks back that I start a blog, so here we go.

I keep starting and re-starting this post. That's not a good sign, is it?

And I'm starting it much later than I'd intended to. My goal -- because I have to set goals and deadlines if this blog is ever going to live beyond this opening post -- was to write a short introduction by 9 p.m. tonight.

It's 10:07, and I've spent the past two hours organizing the upstairs closet. I don't normally dig housework so much, but I figure I'd better clean when the mood strikes, because it's always worth it. The closet doors shut now, my older son has a place for his art supplies and puzzles, there are three big boxes of things to give away sitting in the basement, and I found a Christmas guitar book and three Frisbees that Tim has been searching for. Pretty good stuff.

While I cleaned I thought about my missed deadline, then thought some more about how I spend my time.

Tim's suggestion for this blog came during a conversation about how we should be spending our time -- in particular how I should spend my time now that I've decided to put my master's degree on hold and stay home with our two sons. The boys take up the majority of my time and energy, sure, but I've got plenty left over.

I want to use my time being part of things -- communities, conversations, movements, projects. Things that require my effort and intelligence. Things that require me to give my time for the good of others and the purpose of God.

Things that will make me feel connected, active, and engaged in the way I've always feared I'd lose if I wasn't always "doing something" -- work, school, whatever.

Tim thought a blog would play well into this, especially for the hours the boys are asleep and I am alone and I tend to get sucked into hours of Facebook and TV and looking at funny pictures online -- which fun as they are don't really fit the bill for good uses of time.

I don't know yet what this blog will contain. Leave ideas in the comments, if you want. But I picked the name "Tarababble" (as suggested by an old friend) because it had a nice tone of self-deprecating silliness to take the edge off my bigger purposes.

And it's because I ramble. I'm totally rambling right now. I hope you stick around to ramble with me ...