The most frustrating thing about March was my inability to lose any weight even though I felt like I was being a saint. However, the last week of the month I dropped a pound. Now I have a whole new month ahead of me! (Though, again, it's about how I feel. Not what I weigh.)
Other than that, March was possibly the month that I have been the happiest this year. I read once about the Shakers (or is it the Quakers?) who think of every action as a prayer. They think of making the bed as thanking God for a place to sleep. I kind of love this theory. One of the problems with being a woman is that I work full time and it is still expected that I keep a lovely, well maintained, clean house. My lawn should be mowed. I should have a vegetable garden. My floors should be clean enough to eat off of. It's hard enough with three cats and a boyfriend. I can only imagine what it's like with kids!
Sometimes, I am really good with housework. I do the laundry every Sunday and have a rule that it must be folded within 24 hours. I load the dishwasher as I dirty dishes, run it when it's full, and unload it when it's done. Before bed every night I run my tea kettle and while it's on the stove I grind my coffee beans for the morning and clean up the kitchen, even hand washing dishes and wiping down counters. I try to follow the "30 second rule" and do anything that will take less than 30 seconds instantly, such as changing the toilet paper roll. Still, it's the actual cleaning that gets away from me. I start every weekend in the bedroom and work my way room by room. Some weeks I finish the same day. Other weeks I never finish.
I also have a hard time with home because it's an older home (built in 1977) that's changed hands numerous times. (I purchased it in November 2010. The previous sale had been in 2008 to a gentleman who lived there three months while he fixed it up and then rented it out to a girl I went to school with as a rent to own.) It's really not in the best shape and there are cosmetic things about it that drive me batty. It has newer wood laminate flooring and newer kitchen cupboards and the whole house has been painted since I purchased it. I've even put a new roof on. Still, I fantasize about tearing the cheap "tile" out of the shower. But my biggest dream is a sliding glass door and a back porch. I miss out on my back yard just because there isn't a door leading to it.
My goal last month was to ENJOY my house. And I did. I even spent some time sitting silently on the couch, listening to the birds. I opened the windows when it was warm. I did a heavy cleaning for a get together. I cooked at home more. I tried not to get down on myself about the things that I never got around too, even those UFO's I said I would work on. And it was wonderful.
This month I am supposed to focus on family. I figured I would just try to be nicer this month. That's one of my big downfalls. I love my family but they HAVE to love me so I am allowed to be a bitch. I've already started!
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