{Thoughts}

{pictures are un-related, and of a recent, beautifully frosty morning...it rather makes one believe in fairies, yes?}

I recently noticed that I haven't really written much in this space lately...perhaps it's the new camera enthusiasm,  perhaps it's the grogginess that comes with my giant baby's all-night-nursing and a few rounds of nasty colds and viruses and ear infections...and then of course there's this short term single parenting business...that certainly keeps one busy too.

Lately I have been having that feeling, the one where everything just sort of starts to look the same, and it takes a day or two, or perhaps sometimes a week or so, to realize that it's that feeling of too much. Too much laundry, too much clutter...and then instead of thinking too much, I'm thinking it's actually not enough...not that we need more clutter--ooooh no-- but not enough order, not enough simplicity, not enough trips to goodwill with a full trunk. So my brain has been full, in between all of these runny noses and coughs (and there have been many of them).  I realized that this year I am very much looking forward to Lent...which is new for me. I mean, it's not exactly a terribly exciting time, right? But I think this year it is exactly what I have been looking for...a time for simplicity, and making do and doing without. A perfect time for all of those goodwill runs. A bit more thinking later, and I realized that it's also the rhythm of Lent that I'm loving...it is one of those things that comes around every year, like the change of seasons, my birthday, Christmas...always. To put it mildly my life is lacking in rhythm these days...all efforts to instill some sort of order to our day has been half-hearted at best. 

So that's going to be a big part of my Lent this year, and oh will it be a lesson in discipline! I have nearly finished working up a nice (practical) daily schedule, morning, evening routines, a weekly rhythm...next will be menus and some basic cleaning charts. I know the kids will like it love it, and that after I get the hang of it so will I...I know my home certainly will benefit and that can only lead to good things...it might even open up time to finally open that new sewing machine and break her in...get some garden plans sketched out...perhaps I'll even get the beds made (garden beds, but those things we sleep in could use some work too)...