Saturday Special: Keep or Toss?

Last night, I had my post for today ready to go -- that was the first part of the plan. The second part was that I'd get up, type up my blog and post it.

Photo: Ladyheart via Morguefile

In reality, Mother Nature dumped two feet of snow (and still counting) on us. As I lay in bed this morning, contemplating the day ahead, I decided that today was the day to tackle my student files. I figured I'd sort through everything, purge what I could (anything more than a year old) and get on with my day. Logical, really, as the office re-organization I undertook over break now meant I had specific homes for lots of previously homeless, drifting papers.

More than three hours, a full trash bag of shredding and a 6" stack of recyclable paper later, I'm finally sitting at my laptop, writing this -- entirely different -- blog.

For me, having the guideline of what to keep and what to toss was the motivation for undertaking a project that left me feeling not only accomplished, but also lighter (as a result of everything I got rid of). There's room in my file drawers, and I have a system that means I can safely drop things in the file folders and run onto the next thing, in keeping with my default organizational style.

Funny, actually, since file cabinets are rarely my choice of container. In this case, however, they're the perfect tool, despite my I need to see it personal style, because I'm using them for archived information. I don't need to access these papers often, if at all, but I can't yet get rid of them, so  a file cabinet with color-coded, labeled files is the perfect place for them. When it comes to day-to-day paperwork, however, file cabinets remain a disaster waiting to happen -- for me, anyway.

Looking to lighten your own files, but have no idea what to keep and what to toss? If you're confused, you're not alone. According to Consumer Reports, about half of us have no idea what to keep and for how long.

If you, like me, are motivated by guidelines that allow you to lighten your load in a guilt-free fashion, check out the IRS guidelines for tax-related paperwork here and other paperwork keep or toss guidelines from Consumer Reports here.

Whether you're shoveling snow or papers this weekend, stay warm and safe.

Friday Freebie: Antibiotics

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With winter comes illness...unfortunately. And, while we're always anxious to feel better, sometimes the answer isn't what we think it is. Often, what's at the root of an illness is a virus -- something that has to run its course, in its own, often painfully slow, time. While we can take over-the-counter remedies to ease symptoms and hopefully feel at least a little better, that's all we should be taking when it comes to viruses.

Doctors know this, and I suspect that many of you do, too. But, when we feel awful, we want quick solutions and so we hope for that magic prescription that will make it all better. Unfortunately, in the long run, the rush to antibiotics not only doesn't make things better, it actually makes things worse.

Old news? Then spread the word. Much better than spreading germs. 

And, may you have no need of this information this cold and flu season.

5 Questions from the Porch Swing for Cate Masters

Today, I'd like to welcome my friend Cate Masters to my porch swing. Hi, Cate!

Hi, Lisa! Thanks so much for having me on your cozy porch swing. I love how relaxing it is here.

What have you written? Writing's a constant evolution for me. I began writing poetry, as a girl, and then fell in love with journalism. Then short stories, then novels. I concentrate on the story, not what label a publisher might need it to fit under. My contemporaries might have a bit of fantasy, my historicals (especially lately) have some fantasy or steampunk, my paranormals might dance along the line of fantasy, or mix the two. I've always loved fairy tales, too, so elements of those show up in various stories. Same thing for mythology. One story I'm finishing up is futuristic and the other, well, I have no idea what a publisher might call it. The most important thing to me is the heart of it, and of the characters.

What do you read? You've probably already guessed that I'm an eclectic reader. From Ray Bradbury, to Tolkien, to Michael Chabon, Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, Neil Gaiman, T. C. Boyle, Dean Koontz -- I want to be all of them rolled into one, LOL. My latest obsession is steampunk.


Why do you write? I just always have, and I always will.

Fun writing factoid (not technically a question, I know): Starting in about third grade, my friends and I all wrote poetry and songs together. It was the best childhood, and we're all still friends.

One more thing: I write under another pen name for mainstream stories -- C. A. Masterson. I'm probably going to write under two other pen names for steampunk and futuristic stories.

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A Day for Dreamers

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"I have a dream...."

I'm embarrassed to admit that, until today, I'd never read the full text of the "Speech by the Rev. Martin Luther King At the 'March on Washington.'" I knew its gist, and its significance and I even explored the Smithsonian exhibit dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington when we were in DC three summers ago, drinking in things that happened in my lifetime, but beyond my comprehension in 1963. I've seen video clips of the speech, heard discussions about it, and talked about it with my daughter the history buff, but until today, I'd never read it.

It's a beautiful speech, and this holds true whether you're looking at it from an historical perspective, a writing perspective or simply a human perspective. And it holds value for all of us, regardless of the color of our skin or our political affiliations, if for no other reason than because we all are dreamers.

At its core, this speech is a blueprint for following a dream. It reminds us that dreamers "...refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity." We dreamers put stock in "the fierce urgency of now," and should pursue our dreams "...on the high plane of dignity and discipline." We recognize the role of faith in this pursuit, whether it's faith in ourselves, faith in a higher power or both. We understand that our dreams, big or small, are pursued in a context much larger than simply our own hearts and desires, and are instead part of the landscape of our lives and therefore the lives of those around us.

Compared to Dr. King's dreams, my dreams are small, probably even insignificant, but that doesn't mean I should abandon them. Quite the contrary. One way to honor Dr. King's legacy is to never take my own dreams for granted. When we take steps toward realizing our own dreams, we might even inspire those around us to do the same.

If you haven't read Dr. King's speech yet, today's a great day to do so. It will take less than fifteen minutes, and it just might fuel your dream, even if it's not as big or inspiring as Dr. King's.

And when you've finished reading the speech, one question remains. What step will you take today toward realizing your own dreams? 

Saturday Special: Planners to Purchase

This planner, from the Denise Albright Studio, is one of
many planners on Etsy. 

If you're looking for a planner, you can always check the usual places: Wal-Mart, Target and other similar stores that sell a little bit of everything. If you're on a budget, you can check dollar bins or dollar stores; if you're looking for something businesslike, there's always the office supply circuit -- Staples, Office Max, Office Depot and online retailers like Penny Wise. And, if you want something that's a cross between a planner and a journal, you might like the Passion Planner, which I've written about before.

But what if you're looking for something different? Something artsy, perhaps, something that doesn't look like every other planner on the block.

Well, you might want to check out Etsy. Lots of planners, lots of layouts, lots of styles, all in a place where uniqueness and creativity is celebrated.

Happy shopping. If you find something cool, be sure to share it with us here.

Friday Freebie: Organizing Our Thoughts

In honor of the new year, I've been writing a lot about calendars and planners over at Organizing By STYLE. Whether your preference is the traditional paper planner or a high-tech electronic version, a planner is one of the simplest memory joggers there is.

I've reached the age where I'm in favor of pretty much anything that improves my memory -- whether it's writing things down or any of the other memory tricks in this article from Prevention.

I have to admit, though, that my favorite tip in this piece is the first one: take a break. What's yours?

(Photo created with Canva)