Categories: uncategorized
Date: 14 February 2005 11:48:12
.. but I'm in the middle of sorting through my bedroom. I know I'm only half way through doing the lounge (if that) but I have a full day with no kids and no father and a whole heap of motivation and I'm determined to complete the room in one fell sweep. OK, so maybe not quite that quickly. I have a lot of stuff to sort. But I am determined to make serious inroads into it all.
Shame the tumble drier's dead, really. At the moment I have clothes-horses-ful of clothes drying in front of the fire. Seems a bit wasteful seeing as it's probably the first day we've had in ages when it's warm enough not to put the central heating on during the day, but at least it means I can use my washing machine for a mammoth wash without worrying too much about how on earth I'm going to dry them and without spending ages pegging them to a rotary drier outside where they'll spin round and get nice and chilly and damp.
The boys are out having fun. Not that they deserve to be. For once I have reneged on a punishment and allowed them to go out despite them not doing as they were told yesterday, but it is with a clear message that they're only going so that I can have a day without them! They are suitably repentant!
Still, that's my cup of coffee finished. No sugar - I'm doing really well on that one and even found myself quite happy (happy?) to continue my fast through Sunday instead of having a feast day. I was really surprised in church to discover, when the minister asked, that I was the only person who had resolved to give something up during Lent and the only person who had resolved to do something extra too! His point was that it was better to take up something good rather than give up something like chocolate, but in many ways I disagree. I think it's important to do both. I know that in some ways Lent is a good time to go on a diet and I do want to lose weight, but that isn't why I am doing it. Nor is it to make myself miserable. It is to give my will-power some exercise. I used to be really quite strong at the self-control bit and once I set my mind to something I'd see it through. These days I am far too lax with that and it has a ripple-effect on all my life. This Lent, by giving up chocolate and biscuits and cakes and by giving myself opportunities to do positive things for God and for others, I can feel the impact of this affecting my self control and attitude in other things. Doing jobs right away instead of procrastinating and letting them be forgotten, taking pride in what I do, showing increased patience, becoming more aware of my relationship with God and my responsibilities to Him.... If there is any benefit to my weight, it will be only as a bonus - and to that effect I decided not to weigh myself or focus on weight loss at all. Probably just as well as I have just sent three pairs of trousers to the charity shop which I can't believe I ever fit into at all!!!!
Onwards and upwards......