"Free" Time

1. What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

Lately I  haven't had a ton of free time. I'm nannying for two different families, teaching 7 piano students, working for the high school, taking online classes, going through a nasty divorce, all on top of being the mom of a toddler. I do, however, have a few things I enjoy if I have a minute or two to myself.

- Sudoku. I have always loved doing Sudoku, but recently I've been doing it even more. My 5th grade teacher introduced it to us, and I would attempt the daily newspaper Sudoku. The last month or so I've been trying to do it a little every day, and it's been very calming. My counselor said a while ago that minds that are struggling with anxiety thrive on comparisons and numbers, logical things. Observing things like, "That lamp is taller than the fireplace. There are four red apples and two green ones", and so on. My guess is that Sudoku does that for my brain and gives me a little breather every day.

- Playing instruments. It's been just piano lately, but if I ever have a spare moment and access to a marimba/piano/guitar/organ/etc, chances are I will be playing. I've been playing books I played from in High School the last few months, but I need to branch out and get some new books sometime. Maybe when I have extra money, haha.

- Blogging. Surprise, surprise.

- Reading!!! My goal this New Year's was to read more. I really didn't read anything at all in 2015, so reading anything at all would have been more than I read before. I used to read two or three books a month, maybe more, but being an adult I don't have as much free time as before. But I've read a few really great books this year: a few novels, A Man's Search for Meaning, and a really awesome book about the Salem Witch Trials. I've read a few pages every night before bed, and I take it to the Blake's when I nanny for them Tuesdays and Fridays; when Malcolm and Jasmine sleep, I read! (Or nap with them).