Good Intentions

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I think we’ve all heard the saying: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. (I always thought the saying was good intentions pave the path to hell, but apparently, I was wrong. Gasp.) Curious about the saying, I found this: According to The Phrase Finder (phrases.org.uk), the expression is often attributed to the Cistercian abbot Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153), but that provenance is suspect given that the earliest reference to Saint Bernard saying this is in a work written almost 500 years later.

This month we’re talking about intentions. Wickeds, what do you have good intentions to accomplish this summer?

Edith/Maddie: I intend to (try to) relax more! I love sitting on my deck with a good book and a cool drink. It’s also relaxing to cook with summer produce, putter in my garden, or walk on the beach in the early morning or late afternoon, and of course to grab visits with my grandgirl when I can. I do have a book to write, but it isn’t due until December.

Sherry: That sounds fabulous, Edith! I intend to clean out the store room in my basement, but I’ve been saying that for fourteen years. I go down with good intentions, get overwhelmed, and leave again. Last summer, I did get six bins of stuff down to three so fingers crossed I can do more of that this year.

Liz: I always have WAY too many intentions, and this summer is no different. I’m working on two books, one contracted and one not yet. I have some business goals to accomplish as well, but like Edith, I also plan to prioritize rest. That doesn’t come easily to me, but it’s a goal.

Barb: Like most folks who retire, I have a list of things I’ve wanted to accomplish for a long time. So far, nada. Unlike Liz and Edith, I am VERY good at rest and relaxation.

Sherry: Barb, I’m also very good at rest and relaxation plus a lot of procrastination!

Julie: I apsire to be better at relaxation and rest. My intentions this summer are to get some things fixed in my condo and to work on a deep edit of a book that isn’t working, but has legs. Also to rest and relax, LOL.

Readers: What plans do you have?

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Published by Sherry Harris

Sherry Harris is the author of the Agatha Award nominated Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Mystery series.

24 Thoughts

  1. Now that my body-clock is finally back to Ontario time, I am usually awake before 5:00 am (an early bird by choice). Despite being retired for 8 years, I still find it difficult to sit still, relax and rest. I am most productive in the morning & early afternoon.

    After going on several long-distance trips in April/May (Seattle-Vancouver-Singapore-Vancouver) and a fun getaway to the inaugural Montreal mystery festival in late May, my 2024 travel fund is mostly depleted. So this summer will mostly be a stay-cation in Ottawa. Protecting my edible balcony garden from my nemesis SATAN & his new brood of kids will be a constant battle!

    I only read 5 books in April, and 4 books in May while travelling. Surprisingly, I did not read at all on any of my long-haul flights! So….I need to start tackling the TBR pile from Seattle Left Coast Crime & a backlog of Netgalley ARCs.

    P.S. I did book my cheap flight to go to Nashville Bouchercon in late August/early September, but still need to find more affordable accommodation for my extended stay.

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  2. LOL Barb. I heard that once you retire, the things on your list, disappears. My intentions are to have two robotic knees that work so I can resume my love of walking. In the meantime, between work and other stuff, I will rest and relax.

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  3. My intentions are to slow down and spend less of my summer sitting at my computer and more of it enjoying the outdoors. But I still have a book or two to write, so we’ll see how that goes!

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  4. I have no plans other than to get my head above water with bills. It’s not very sexy but I’ve become accustomed to having a roof over my head so…Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to work I go…so I can pay bills…life continues to screw me over. LOL

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  5. We are hoping to mark more of the major places to go “before we can’t” off our dream list. Then while at home to stop to smell the roses (literally and figuratively) and to enjoy our time sitting on the porch whether it be watching our daily critter visitors or deeply into reading a book. Basically, to enjoy life by stepping over the pitfalls that try to derail a person or end up taking up too much of our time. This year I want to have tunnel vision of doing the things we have had planned for years.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  6. Lots and lots of yard work on top of the usual stuff. The trees along the south side of the property need to be pruned back and the flower beds are in desperate need of weeding.
    We’ll see how much I actually get done.

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  7. I just downsized so my goal is to get used to not owning a house anymore. Letting go of the past and embracing the new life. No garden to take care of is difficult because it’s been my hobby for decades. Yet I am physically unable to do much gardening. So I made the choice while the choice was still mine to make.

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  8. Apart from making progress on writing one book and editing another, I need to invite at least four couples to dinner this summer. I like cooking for company, but I’ll have to time the invitations, so the hosting doesn’t become a chore. Luckily, my husband always helps.

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  9. I love our long Maine days. I intend to keep plucking away at my computer (and figuring out how to write faster), but I’m also looking forward to cookouts, hiking, playing with the dog, and gardening. There’s time to do so much in the summer – all of it fun.

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  10. Like Sherry said, I have become very good at relaxation and procrastination, but I plan to rebuild my physical stamina (a/k/a walking and exercise) and clean closets and cabinets that I intended to clean and organize upon retirement almost 3 years ago. In my defense, several health issues arose during that time hindering progress, but hopefully this is the Summer I get it done or at least make some progress. (Oh, I also want to take a trip. Maybe Hampton Beach?)

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  11. I need to get on that rest and relax train. And I’m hoping to get back out there and enjoy paddle boarding again this summer.

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