Being at home is a bit more challenging than I thought it would be.
My schedule no longer runs my life; my life runs my schedule. It's as loose or as hard as I want it to be, and that's part of the problem.
I prefer my time to be firmly scheduled. But it's been loose as a goose lately.
Image by Here and now, unfortunately, ends my journey on Pixabay from Pixabay
I'm lazy at heart. I like to get things done at my speed. I want that speed to be fast, but it isn't, and I know it. Then I get frustrated with trying to do too much and wind up sitting on the couch streaming Meerkat Manor.
This is why hard schedules don't always work. I try to do too much in one day, then I'm too tired to move two days afterward.
This week I decided not to give myself time restrictions but to make a list instead, doing three must-do's and three should-do's. It was working!
And then the weekend happened. Unfortunately, I forgot to make a list for Saturday and Sunday, and since my husband was away for a four-day Christian men's retreat until Sunday night, I was smack in the middle of Loosey-Gooseyville.
I've learned that giving myself free rein is a bad idea. For example, I got take-out because I wanted to treat myself. As a result, I ate more than I should have. Instead of cleaning out the entire living room of clutter, I did one section, decided I needed a break, and allowed that break to last for the rest of the day.
Saturday, I had to take my daughter to work because her bus wasn't running (someone forgot the busses run differently on the weekends), and I realized I hadn't been out of the house almost the entire week! So I filled up my water bottle, grabbed a book, and decided I needed to go for a walk in the park.
I needed to walk. Housework wasn't doing enough for me physically. I also have some coy food for the park pond dwellers. I knew they recently stocked the pond with carp, and I loved feeding them.
But wait, I hear you ask. Why the book and the fish food? Aren't you supposed to be walking?
Yep. I sure am.
I also know I've not been walking as much as I did when working, and my back and legs are misbehaving again. Back spasms aren't fun, so taking a book with me allows me to walk farther if I get to rest on the benches and read a little. I can end the walk by feeding the fish.
I didn't need to read as much as I thought, and by the time the walk was over, it was starting to get hot. I got the fish food from the van and walked over to the pond. A family of geese was there, sitting on the opposite end. These geese never usually approach humans, so I tossed a handful of food in the water, waiting for the fish to nibble at the food.
The geese decided they wanted to meet me. Well, meet my food.
I was surprised- these were wild geese, and for the last few years, they wanted nothing to do with people. But they waddled right up to me like I was their new best friend.
They knew me from the times I sat by the pond. But this time, I had food. So I tossed some to them. They didn't seem very interested at first but ate enough that they wanted more. I got bold and decided to try hand-feeding them.
The leader hissed but nipped me a bit as he ate, the second wanted me to toss it, and their third was a sweetie and a bit shy as he ate daintily from my hand.
They wouldn't let me feed the fish.
By this time, my back was hurting a lot, and it was time to go. I rested my back as I drove home, and when I walked in the door, I was ready to tackle a few chores. Being outside and going for a walk definitely helped- in every way!
I keep telling myself I'll get up when my husband does, but I wind up staying in bed hours longer than I need to, just to avoid going downstairs and be tempted to eat sooner. Down days are getting harder. When working, I waited until I got home- usually around 3:30pm. But being in the house makes me want to eat sooner, and I find myself eating closer to 2pm.
Walking in the early mornings would be a good habit for me. I just wonder if I'll actually do it. Maybe mid-early mornings after some light chores, like washing dishes or laundry and straightening up the bedroom? Sounds like a plan for tomorrow. As for now, I don't even have my six-item list together yet!
Time for me to get moving!
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