I hesitated when logging in to post. What's my password, again?
Yes, it has been that long.
All my kids were up, out of bed and fully clothed, by 4:49 this morning*. The thing is, my clock said it was 7:06am. Once I realized my mistake, I quickly shooed them back into bed and shut off all the lights and hoped they would be able to get back to sleep. It had certainly been quite an effort to wake them all up and pull them out from under the covers, but sometimes Thursdays were like that so I didn't think much of it.
I don't know what it says about my current lifestyle that I also didn't think much of my own overly sleepy state. I felt more or less as I usually do when I woke up (at about 4:20, though I believed it was 6:40). The night before, I had gone to bed after a long and busy day, anticipating that I would wake up feeling less than rested, so if I was dragging a bit it wasn't really a surprise.
Poor kids. They were headed for an 8-hour school day but my agenda held a coffee shop visit for some blogging time and an afternoon swim with a friend.
Recently,Steve wrote a post inspired by the one word of a Compline
prayer (found at the very end of the post). The line has been running
through my mind ever since.
O Lord our God, unwearied is your love for us.
Which is good to know because some of us around here get pretty wearied sometimes.
-------
Several of my friends and one cousin have recently announced pregnancies. One local friend attempted to draw me in to a conversation about labor and delivery, about which I know very little. She was interested in my so-called "expertise." Problem is, I have never been the kind to research and prep and come out on the other end with strong feelings about natural vs. medicated childbirth or the benefits of Bradley vs. Lamaze. So many variables, so many different body types and personalities and risks and etc. I try not to weigh in during these conversations when they happen around me, if at all possible.
It wasn’t possible for me this time. Physical fitness as security against having to undergo a caesarean section, are you joking?! It’s not like you can exercise your birth canal into being broad enough for your baby’s extra-wide head or something (among the many reasons why surgery is sometimes necessary for a healthy mom and baby). Also, most women are not physically fit in the sense of our 21st centuryU.S.
So yeah, I guess there are some strong feelings in there after all.
Speaking of fitness. I injured myself back in September and can't seem to run any distance at all. That has been rough; I like my outdoor alone time. I have tried to replace trail running with trail riding, but I am just not so good at mountain biking. In town, we have hills everywhere and road biking on a (heavy, hybrid) mountain bike is no picnic, either. But after a little while of doing almost no exercise, I felt that for my winter-wellbeing, I need to get serious again.
My first resolution was to find a way to exercise in some way, each day. Walk, bike, head to the recumbent in our basement--whatever. Netflix documentaries help for the basement workout. I can talk myself into doing them more often if I know I will be learning something interesting.
Some recommendations from my netflix-workouts: We Shall Remain. A six-part PBS series on US History from the perspective of Native Americans. They highlight some of the big "moments" of clash or conflict: the arrival of the Mayflower passengers and the subsequent arrangements/treaties; Tecumseh's resistance movement (and his extreme awesomeness); the Trail of Tears; the controversial Geronimo; the standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973. I learned a lot.
Also under PBS' "American Experience" categor: The Great Famine, about the role of US humanitarian efforts during the 1921 Soviet famine; one on the role of whaling in the birth of the US economy called Into The Deep which was just fascinating; Daughter from Danang which held an unexpected twist more than midway through. And some more that I really don't recommend (because they were not well-made, or whatever).
I also watched some on surfing and marathoning, just to switch it up, and those were not profound but a fun diversion while I sit there pedaling.
Okay, confession time. I have not acually watched all of those documentaries while working out. Some of them I had on in the background while cutting, pinning and stitching the fabric that finally became my new couch covers. This project was one I completed about a month ago, and it was exceedingly tedious and I am not even proud of the final result, but what the heck. I finally made piped, removable covers for the new foam cushions that are now on the woodframe couch I bought for pennies a mere four years ago! Yay me.
Pennies: my son's outfit to my daughter's First Holy Communion was a brand-spanking-new vest, shirt, slacks and a pin-on tie. For a grand total $0.25.
It was a great find and the only downside is that I am not likely to encounter a bargain like this ever again, in my whole entire lifetime.
My eldest made her First Communion last week (for whatever reason, in our parish they do these in the Fall and not the Spring). It was a beautiful Mass and she said she felt ready and only a little nervous. About 50 people came over for a pot-luck afterwards and she said she loved all the attention.
We had been preparing for this event for so long and had so many talks but until I was there in the pew, I had not realized that she was entering into full communion with the Catholic Church exactly one decade after me.
But I didn't get to wear one of those lovely white gowns.
*this actually happened a few weeks ago, but I did not got around to publishing this post until now.
Yes, it has been that long.
--------
All my kids were up, out of bed and fully clothed, by 4:49 this morning*. The thing is, my clock said it was 7:06am. Once I realized my mistake, I quickly shooed them back into bed and shut off all the lights and hoped they would be able to get back to sleep. It had certainly been quite an effort to wake them all up and pull them out from under the covers, but sometimes Thursdays were like that so I didn't think much of it.
I don't know what it says about my current lifestyle that I also didn't think much of my own overly sleepy state. I felt more or less as I usually do when I woke up (at about 4:20, though I believed it was 6:40). The night before, I had gone to bed after a long and busy day, anticipating that I would wake up feeling less than rested, so if I was dragging a bit it wasn't really a surprise.
Poor kids. They were headed for an 8-hour school day but my agenda held a coffee shop visit for some blogging time and an afternoon swim with a friend.
-------
The great thing about having all three kids at school all day and no day job is that you get to go through an early mid-life identity crisis, yay! The only good thing about this is that once I come out on the other end of this thing...I will be on the other end of it.
I suppose it is also good that the husband and I are not simultaneously enduring this because I can only imagine how rough that would be.
-------
O Lord our God, unwearied is your love for us.
Which is good to know because some of us around here get pretty wearied sometimes.
Several of my friends and one cousin have recently announced pregnancies. One local friend attempted to draw me in to a conversation about labor and delivery, about which I know very little. She was interested in my so-called "expertise." Problem is, I have never been the kind to research and prep and come out on the other end with strong feelings about natural vs. medicated childbirth or the benefits of Bradley vs. Lamaze. So many variables, so many different body types and personalities and risks and etc. I try not to weigh in during these conversations when they happen around me, if at all possible.
It wasn’t possible for me this time. Physical fitness as security against having to undergo a caesarean section, are you joking?! It’s not like you can exercise your birth canal into being broad enough for your baby’s extra-wide head or something (among the many reasons why surgery is sometimes necessary for a healthy mom and baby). Also, most women are not physically fit in the sense of our 21st century
So yeah, I guess there are some strong feelings in there after all.
-------
Speaking of fitness. I injured myself back in September and can't seem to run any distance at all. That has been rough; I like my outdoor alone time. I have tried to replace trail running with trail riding, but I am just not so good at mountain biking. In town, we have hills everywhere and road biking on a (heavy, hybrid) mountain bike is no picnic, either. But after a little while of doing almost no exercise, I felt that for my winter-wellbeing, I need to get serious again.
My first resolution was to find a way to exercise in some way, each day. Walk, bike, head to the recumbent in our basement--whatever. Netflix documentaries help for the basement workout. I can talk myself into doing them more often if I know I will be learning something interesting.
-------
Some recommendations from my netflix-workouts: We Shall Remain. A six-part PBS series on US History from the perspective of Native Americans. They highlight some of the big "moments" of clash or conflict: the arrival of the Mayflower passengers and the subsequent arrangements/treaties; Tecumseh's resistance movement (and his extreme awesomeness); the Trail of Tears; the controversial Geronimo; the standoff at Wounded Knee in 1973. I learned a lot.
I also watched some on surfing and marathoning, just to switch it up, and those were not profound but a fun diversion while I sit there pedaling.
-------
Okay, confession time. I have not acually watched all of those documentaries while working out. Some of them I had on in the background while cutting, pinning and stitching the fabric that finally became my new couch covers. This project was one I completed about a month ago, and it was exceedingly tedious and I am not even proud of the final result, but what the heck. I finally made piped, removable covers for the new foam cushions that are now on the woodframe couch I bought for pennies a mere four years ago! Yay me.
------
Pennies: my son's outfit to my daughter's First Holy Communion was a brand-spanking-new vest, shirt, slacks and a pin-on tie. For a grand total $0.25.
It was a great find and the only downside is that I am not likely to encounter a bargain like this ever again, in my whole entire lifetime.
------
My eldest made her First Communion last week (for whatever reason, in our parish they do these in the Fall and not the Spring). It was a beautiful Mass and she said she felt ready and only a little nervous. About 50 people came over for a pot-luck afterwards and she said she loved all the attention.
We had been preparing for this event for so long and had so many talks but until I was there in the pew, I had not realized that she was entering into full communion with the Catholic Church exactly one decade after me.
But I didn't get to wear one of those lovely white gowns.
*this actually happened a few weeks ago, but I did not got around to publishing this post until now.
And this is precisely why you should blog more. After years of this you will be far too tired to remember that there were times when you were so pulled together that you had everyone ready for the day before 5:00am!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally stealing your netflix-workout strategy. I tried listening to a Catholic podcast for today's workout and ::yawn::
Here's to ten years!