Seeking Growth

Today was a very productive day. Today was one of those days where I can see concrete change in front of me. It may not be world-changing, but it felt good---I cleaned the garage. We're getting ready to do some remodeling, so I knew that I needed to purge some stuff. In addition, we've lived in our house long enough now to have accumulated a basement storage room full of a random assortment of things we do not use. I rallied a bunch of my neighbors about a month ago and suggested this weekend for a neighborhood garage sale. I knew that if I had other people committed to this plan, I would be more motivated to do all the work. They were all thrilled that someone else had planned it, so they signed right up! The process of sorting through one's belongings can be tough. The kids suddenly HAVE to keep the toys that haven't been played with in years. I still hold on to the odd clothes that I may have the "perfect occasion" for, when in truth the haven't left th...

It's that time again...........spring cleaning time! I've rallied my neighbors and we're having a neighborhood garage sale in two weeks. Now, I need to do the work to prepare. I've been feeling for months that I needed to do this. We've lived in our current home for 6 years, just long enough to have really accumulated too much stuff. I began this process back in January. I purged years of files in my desk, filing cabinet, and boxes in the basement. Then, I wanted to move on to closets, storage areas, etc., but dared not begin. At time time, I had nowhere to go with the mounds of "stuff". The weather has finally warmed up, somewhat, so I'm kicking my husband's car out of the garage and I'm going to begin the big sort this week. One of the most difficult aspects of this is the children. Just as I'm pulling out toys that have been under the bed or buried in the closet for eons, they decide that it is most valued and could not possibly be donat...

I'm sometimes amazed at the diversity of my interests and experience. Sometimes it leaves me feeling very "in the middle". Spirituality and Religion are very interesting areas of study for me. I identify myself not only as a "Liberal Christian", but also as someone who believes in the metaphysical world and energy healing. So 2 weeks ago, within the space of 6 days, I attended study groups at my church (Sunday), another at a more conservative christian church that some friends attend (Wednesday) and finally another at a New Age group--the Association for Research and Enlightenment (Saturday). The Wednesday group is a Women's Bible Study. I don't attend the weekly meetings, but once a month they have outside speakers on various topics. The topic this month was "Mom Guilt"--the feeling that you're never doing enough. The speaker was very entertaining and had a good sense of humor. I attended this group as much for the socializing with women ...

Wow, was the last post really March 12th?! It's hard to get back to reality after vacation. I think my whole body slows down and I relax and then it's hard to get the engines back to full throttle when I return. My suitcase typically sits, unemptied, on the bedroom floor for a week or so before I get motivated to fully empty it. Before I left for vacation, I'd decided that when I return, I was going to try the Fat Flush Plan . I'd seen the book at a friend's home about a month ago and she said the doctor whom we both see had recommended it to her. In essence, it's like the Atkins diet with a liver detox program added. This means no alcohol, caffeine, sugar, artificial sweeteners, grain or dairy and only low-carb fruits and vegetables. So, I rallied the necessary vitamins and supplements and lots of meat and vegetables and began. Day one: I felt fine. I thought, "this is no big deal, I can do this". Day two and three: hit by the caffeine truck. I would ...