Some days—okay, maybe quite a few days—this past winter stretched out before me like rich, perfect bolts of silk. They were pristine and pure except for the tiny, nubby blemishes inherent in any natural fibre. Just as every day begins with promise and opportunity.

The usual encroachments to this chunk of time are built-in responsibilities like food prep, eating, and sleeping. Depending on your age and stage of life it may also include earning a living, child or elder care, and commitments to others. If you are un- or underemployed, a good part of each day may be devoted to hustling some work and/or worrying.

It would be nice to report that I embraced those empty days as precious gifts. Or that I wrung all the opportunity out of them by tackling neglected projects or beginning new ones in a blaze of activity. It would be nice but it wouldn’t be true or the whole story. Time is a slippery little thing that drips through our clenched fingers. Experts advise us to organize it and manage it and whip it into submission because that will make us productive and efficient and whole. Easier said than done, in my experience.

And now the craziness has begun. I’ve taken on a part-time job as event coordinator for the fifth annual Doors Open event in our county. I’ve spent more time on the phone in the last week than in the previous month. With documents to revise and update, calls and emails to send and receive, promotional and organizational devices to design, I’m one busy girl.

Add to that the planning and execution of Roy’s upcoming milestone birthday on the first Saturday in May. We’ve booked a country hall, invited friends and relatives, and are fine-tuning the shopping list and menu with Ukrainian favourites.

The following weekend I’m going to Winnipeg for training to become a certified funeral celebrant. In the meantime, I’m reading about death and grief and designing the brochure, press release, and other materials to launch this new service. It should mesh nicely with my role as a marriage commissioner. Yesterday I booked two more ceremonies as wedding season approaches. Every booking means a planning meeting with the couple and the creation of a personalized ceremony.

I’ve also committed to taking part in a family garage sale over two separate weekends. The fact I love the process doesn’t make it any less work.

And did I mention my regular shift at the public library and a special board meeting with a representative from the Libraries’ Branch? Plus writing my weekly column for you, dear reader. And don’t get me started on spring seeding and garden cleanup. Or the fact I’m on a committee to distribute grant money to deserving community proposals. The fun continues into June with a week in Edmonton at the Women’s Words writing program and another week unwinding at a resort in Canmore.

Staying in pyjamas with an afghan, a good book, and silence isn’t in the cards anytime soon, from where I sit.