When I started journaling daily last year, I’d sit and stare at the paper and often write nothing. I think I was getting hung up on things like “What’s it going to look like on the page?” “Will it make sense to someone else?” “Am I writing about the right things?” “How’s my handwriting?” “What’s important enough to write about?”

A common thing I do is overthink things. Well, I was overthinking keeping a daily journal. Part of the problem was I’d gotten a pretty little journal and it had the effect of making me feel like my pages needed to look perfect. No scribbling out words, no sloppy handwriting. So instead, I bought a large, plain spiral-bound notebook. The kind I used in grad school for taking notes. Those classroom notes were never neat and pretty. Suddenly, when I had a plain, ordinary notebook to journal in, I felt the freedom to be messy. That was a huge step for me.

I discovered that I needed to make the decision that my journal was for my eyes only. Although I still struggled with judging what and how I was writing, it helped to know that nobody else was going to come along and try to make sense of my writing or judge my handwriting.

As for topics to write about, I follow some instructions I’d found in a book a while back. Just write what’s in front of you. Look out the window. “The sun’s shining.” There. First sentence. Then write whatever comes to mind next. Could just be a word. Or a sentence fragment. Essentially stream-of-consciousness writing. Some days it’s choppy and nonsensical. Other days it flows and makes sense.

I guess some of it depends on the purpose of the journaling. Something to leave to future generations is going to be completely different than something to just get the writing juices flowing for the day.

As I scribble down my stream-of-consciousness thoughts, I find my mind starts making interesting connections. I learn things about myself. I get ideas. It’s sort of an aid for thinking.

I’ve been writing this on breaks at work (I work Saturdays). I may have more to add as the day goes by. As usual, take what’s helpful. Leave the rest. Just my random thoughts for what they’re worth. 🙂

Last year I successfully kept a little journal. I’d write for about half a page, and share three little gratitudes. Kept it simple. Super do-able.

Fast forward to this year. At the first of the year, I started working through a book that has the reader keep three pages of handwritten journaling. Since I was already doing this daily handwritten thing, I figured it would be no big deal to add a couple more pages.

Then I started reading a little inspirational book by a poet and I was really liking the book, so I decided to take his advice to heart: keep a daily logbook of your daily activities and a monthly calendar of writing activities.

Suddenly I found myself hitting Journal Overload. I went from doing my happy little daily journal to trying to juggle about seven different journaling techniques. Probably don’t need to tell you it all came crashing down in no time flat.

I took a deep breath and told myself to keep it simple. So I’m going back to my original journaling method on days when I work full-time, and on my days off I’ll do the three-page method since I’ll have more time. All the other calendars and logbooks and diet journals and whatever else tried to invade my life will just need to wait for another day (or never).

As in so many areas of life, keep it simple.

I think I’m over-thinking my journaling.

I was just going to write for ten minutes each day, but then after I read something, I decided to go for three pages every morning. Then I started questioning what time frame constitutes “morning”? Do I need to get up earlier to make it the first thing I do? Can I do it during lunch? Is it too late to do it after I get off work?

My journaling today ended up being writing about this very topic. Writing about it helped me make some sense out of it.

For now, I’m going to try to keep from being too legalistic about it all. So my tentative plan is to write three pages if there’s time. Just ten minutes if there’s a time crunch. Morning hours if it’s a day off. Whatever works around my schedule on work days.

I can over-think myself right into inactivity.

I was reading today and a thing I read reminded me of something from a while back.

When I was trying to decide whether or not to go to Graduate school, I kept thinking how old I’d be when I finished, and it just sort of seemed ridiculous. Then I had the thought that I was going to be the same age at that later point in my life whether or not I went back to school. It was like a lightbulb went off. Either way, I’d be the same age, but by choosing school, I’d be that age with a Masters degree. Suddenly my choice became clear.

I have some choices I’ve been facing lately. I’m not going to put them off based on age anymore.

I stopped for coffee this morning and my barista asked if I had any New Year’s resolutions this year. I suddenly realized that I did. I’ve started keeping a journal, but I have trouble making it an every day activity. I journal more days than I don’t but I still want it to be a daily habit.

My barista told me she’s been journaling for several years and the things she found to be most helpful are 1) use a beautiful notebook, 2) use pens that flow nicely and fit well in the hand, and 3) set an alarm every day that means, “Write for ten minutes.”

I’ve been using a simple spiral notebook because I’ve learned over the years that I have trouble using a beautiful one. I feel like I’m messing it up when I write in it. But maybe things have changed? It’s been a long time since I tried journaling in a lovely notebook. My barista said our local Barnes and Noble has some particularly nice ones. Maybe I’ll run over and check it out.

I have pens that I like how they write and how they feel in my hand, so I think I’m good on pens.

I hadn’t thought of having a time limit on journaling. Ten minutes is short enough that it can fit into even the busiest day, but long enough that I can get into some substance.

Funny how my barista had some wisdom and thoughts to impart to me today on the very topic I’d been pondering.

I’ve been looking into starting a new email newsletter (essentially sort of a Simple Times 2.0). I published Simple Times for many  years, and stopped when I faced some crises.

There are so many options for email newsletters out there. I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Then I realized when exploring my blog’s settings today that the option to follow the blog can be used for subscribing to a newsletter! If I can set it up properly, it looks like I already have a free email newsletter option that comes with my blog.

Still not sure if I’m going to start a new blog or not. Might be nice to just have a clean slate and start fresh. I’ll keep you all informed here if I do something new.

“Simplicity does not mean making do with less, but appreciating the important things more. It means making deliberate decisions to surround yourself only with objects that inspire, comfort, soothe, and serve you. Paring down to those essentials is more than just cleaning, organizing, or rearranging. Clearing away the clutter is a spiritual endeavor made up of choices, not chores, the process itself can be as satisfying and empowering as the results. With every decision, you are creating a calm, clear space for yourself. You are making room for wonderful new gifts to come into your life.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach, The Simple Abundance Companion

the immortal sea
spread like snow
white caps of salt
and seaweed
walking the carpet
of a white beach
dreaming of flying
imagine the white
endlessness
the clean swatch
of infinity
waves of salt
returning the white
water to the white
sands, the ocean’s
immortality

DL Taylor

There was an on-going argument in our family as to who first introduced this recipe to our family. My mom, Joan, baked it for me on my birthday one year, and that same year my Great-Grandmother Myrtle baked it for a Fourth of July family gathering. Some people in the family called it Joan’s cake. Other’s called it Myrtle’s cake. I just thought of it as our traditional family birthday cake.

So in honor of both of the lovely ladies who introduced this cake to our family, I’m naming it after both of them. But to confuse matters a little bit more, I found this recipe just now in my Grandma Madeline’s recipe box, written out in her handwriting. The plot thickens.

If you like strawberries and whip cream served on Angel food cake, you’re going to LOVE this cake.  It’s my all-time favorite.

Myrtle and Joan’s Strawberry Angel Food Cake

• Bake (or buy) 1 10-inch angel food cake
• 1 package (10-oz) frozen strawberries
• 1 package unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups whipping cream

Thaw berries and drain off juice into a bowl.

Sprinkle gelatin over juice and allow to stand until gelatin is softened. Set dish in larger bowl of hot water until gelatin dissolves.

Combine gelatin mixture with strawberries. Do not allow to congeal.

Whip cream until stiff and sweeten to taste with sugar.

Fold berries and juice into cream carefully.

Cut cake into 2 layers. Spread half of whipped cream frosting on bottom layer and around sides, then top with second layer and use remaining whipped cream to finish frosting the entire cake.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight.