“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” Bo Bennett

Definition of Motivation:

1. the act or an instance of motivating

2. desire to do; interest or drive

3. incentive or inducement

4. (Psychology) Psychol the process that arouses, sustains and regulates human and animal behaviour
(I liked this part, made me think PSYCHO which seemed apropos!)

Ok, so I thought I was simply lacking motivation but according to Bo Bennett I am also lacking enthusiasm. I have lots to do and space to do it, nevertheless I lack the desire. I thought I should look up the definition of motivation to encourage myself to focus. I am here though, blogging, instead of doing what needs to be done. I suspect this will stimulate me since I know you shall all await with baited breath to see if I do overcome my lack of motivation?

I suppose the upside of typing and blogging is the decreased likeliness of developing alzheimer's or dementia from lack of using my brain. I do believe that my brain is well exercised. I write daily, I read daily, I stay up to date on news as well as I can without a TV. The downside is that my body will deteriorate and atrophy and I will have to be pushed around the house in my rolling office chair still wearing my house pants and trying not to spill my coffee.

What are house pants you say? My! You are not up to date then! See this is why you are here! Back in the 60's and 70's my mom and friends wore house dresses to get their daily work done. The dress was generally white and getting close to threadbare. I don't suppose it started out white, but the wringer washer, bleach and sun drying certainly did a number on the original fabric. They had curlers on the top of their head and pin curls to the side of their face. This was topped off with a nice big rayon scarf. They wore no makeup (except perhaps some bright red lipstick) and had no compunction about standing at the fence, coffee in hand, jabbering with the neighbours.

This brings me back to house pants. It is now the year 2010, it is almost 45 years later and house dresses are passe! Today I wear my pink plaid flannel waist tied pajama bottoms. They are ever so comfy, allow me room to breathe as I clean, bake, type, eat, drink cuddle and catch up with the neighbour over the phone or Facebook. I imagine the bottoms are starting to wear and if I bent over too far prodding wood into the stove I may hear a split at some point. Today they are fine! Recently I reminded my husband that these were NOT pajama's! In fact, how dare he even imply they were? They ARE pajama's when topped with a nightie or pj top and NO bra. Should I remove the pj top, put on my bra and a shirt or sweater, I am now actually dressed. What about this is difficult to understand? (Being of an older generation he disagrees.)

I must say that it was an incredibly busy summer. I presume you are up to date with the hauling and stacking wood, canning, picking fruit, swimming, walking, etc. Now it is winter. I choose to be more sedentary. Yes there are days I could be out walking and not slip or fall. There are days when the snow drifts are not above my knee and the road has been plowed and I could stroll along. I just don't feel motivated! There we are! Back to that word! Without the desire, excitement and motivation I can't seem to haul my fat ass up the hill, or over to the free exercise classes at the community centre, or even out to do much sledding, which I do find fun. I do not ever exercise because it is fun or for that great endorphin feeling afterward. I only exercise to reduce the number of chins I may be wearing that week. Currently I am down to two chins which I am ok with. Three or more chins and my ass wobbles it way out there, but not happily!

I presume with anticipation that when spring starts to arrive and we have to till the garden, plant seed, hoe each row, weed, start wood piles for next year, build a chicken coop and chase chickens  that I will start to shed my winter weight. I am a mama bear and I am ready for the season of contentment and winter warmth. A little blubber keeps animals and whales warm, why not me?

Now, please don't think I am down on myself. I am at peace. Of course thin is great! I have been there, but frankly counting every morsel I put in my mouth, calculating the amount of fat in a saltine and determining that I must walk an extra 20 minutes tonight at a rapid pace to wear that extra half cup of milk off, is not fun! Plus, I was always cold! SORRY! I accept that I am a warm and cuddly mom. So long as I can breathe comfortably, do an appropriate amount of work and talk without gasping for breath, I am good! (I do applaud you who do all those things! Just not into that anymore.) ... I do like walking out here, just not so much in the winter.

Motivation, desire, enthusiasm ... not happening for me. However the part about inspiration and creativity is rocking off the map right now! I wake up at night with poetry streaming through my brain, I get up in the morning and have thoughts I need to get out... I shall change my house pants soon, (I have to go clean house tomorrow), I will stop with the coffee by my side, (on my last Keurig tablet for the machine) and I shall begin to work on my business plan, yet again (I present it on Tuesday!) 

Meanwhile, I look at the fabric and sewing machine for my new blinds in my house and expect that I will sew them starting next weekend. I consider the scrap booking supplies and boxes of loose photos and know that I will sort them soon. If any of you recall my wedding, I made my wedding dress the morning of the wedding, so ... I DO accomplish my tasks... eventually!

What WOULD I like to do? Get in the truck, fill it with diesel, pull out an empty ready to go credit card and maybe drive to Moncton, fill up on supplies, head on over to Oxford, NS and visit Janice and the family, visit for a day or two and then make our way back. What WILL I do? Go through the laundry in the machine, brush my teeth, kick my teen out of bed, put some flour in the breadmaker and pull something out to thaw for dinner... Oh ya! AND start on my business plan ... again!

Credit to LIFE magazine
and love to all the mom's in the 60's and 70's 
especially MY MOMMY!