Reflecting, and Starting the New Year

This is my 6th blog post today!!!  Really, there were a million other things that I should have been doing, including taking down the Christmas tree but since this is the time that I have a quiet house and there were hundreds of pictures to sort through, I worried that if I didn't catch up now, I might not be able to.

So, here goes...

I didn't give much "thought" to New Year's and the decade change over.  I reflected on welcoming Brighton at the start of the last decade.  I thought about some "bad habits" that I have gotten into, mostly because of being in the busy season of life - not meal planing and not having balanced meals, using the computer and social media for brain breaks and reality check outs, watching tv in bed to fall asleep, not exercising (specifically working on stretching and icing my plantar so I can get better and be able to exercise without pain), not doing Bible study because I am lying in bed and checking emails or instagram instead of getting up.  So....basically, the bad habits are self care physically, mentally, spiritually that have subtly slipped into my life...those 5-45 minute chunks out of my day that I fill with things that give me reprieve instead of things that give purpose.  Oh, how I do want to change those...but I feel a bit helpless to do anything about it.  I don't feel particularly strong in willpower when life is overwhelming and busy.  When I should power through and do the things that might make me feel better in the long run, instead I do things that make me feel better right this second.  We have had a very crazy and very busy 3 years.  Three Christmases ago, we packed up most of our house to "showcase" it for sale.  We bought the farm, we moved, Phil took on a new job...twice, and we started homeschooling a high schooler.  I have not gotten my feet underneath me since.  I have not been able to find the new rhythm of life and adjust.  Hence, the bad habits slipping in to give me a "life" break.  I am not sure how to go about changing anything.  Just implementing "self care" would require a vastly different lifestyle.  I thought that perhaps I could do one thing.  Maybe instead of watching tv at night, I could read a book.  Not sure this will work.  I am a sit down, read and entire book at once, kind of person.  Could I control myself?  Not sure!

Phil and the children went up to Seattle Friday mid morning to visit his family and are currently making their way home (Sunday afternoon).  I stayed home.  It was weird!!!  I have never stayed in my home overnight alone.  It was a necessity.  We had farm chores that needed attending to and I felt like I couldn't ask anyone to step in since they watched children and drove them out here to do chores last weekend.  This time gave me a chance to work on homeschool stuff.  I spent about 24 hours cleaning the playroom, doing last semester's grading and updating the gradebook, making a new lesson plan book, making copies, and making plans for the next month.  I am a little baffled that it took me so long.  Truthfully, I could use another 2 days!  One for a big house clean and one for a day to clean up my art studio and make a felt painting (if I still remember how, ha ha).


I did ponder how it is possible that I live in world where a bag of Easter paraphernalia including a bag of carrots decomposing for 9 months can can sit in the back of a closet in my room.  Sigh...how did I get to a point where I can't organize my life to avoid rotting vegetables?

I spent an entire day earlier in the week working on bags and boxes and messes that made their way into the master bedroom - the catch all room for all things that I don't have time to deal with.

So, on my first night alone at home...ever...a fierce windstorm blew through pelting the side of the house with branches from the tree block and knocking out the power.  That upped the creepy factor substantially.

Grading...

Updating the Grade book...

Getting a little "punch drunk" after working 12 hours straight, for the second day in a row.

DONE!  Chore list, clean room, copies, plans!

The last blog post is done, the pictures are organized, I am ready to start school tomorrow.  The family is about 2 hours out, and the house is a mess.  Time to take down the tree and say goodby to Christmas decorations until next year, Lord willing.  Time to start back to normal life, to start back to the second half of the school year.  Reentry after a 2 week "break", ready to do this...because there really no other options!

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