A Lenten Update

Yes, I am aware that we are approaching the Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time...but I finally finished my Lenten resolutions last weekend.

I had gone through my closet and gotten rid of some things back in January or February.  We had our priest coming over in February to bless the house, and in an effort to tidy up quickly, I tossed the donation bags in my trunk.  They weren't quite ready to be donated because some of the things needed to be tossed, and only some could be donated.  Also, I was sure there was more to add to the pile.

And there they sat, in my trunk, for the last 4+ months.  I couldn't use my trunk to transport groceries, suitcases, or anything else.  I didn't/couldn't find the time to really go through the stuff one more time until last weekend.  And, so....without further ado, my Lent of 2015 was finally accomplished after 40 days of Lent, 50 days of Easter, and 13 or so weeks of Ordinary Time in June.

Better late than never, I guess.  I will try to refrain from some self-judgment and hatred.  There were mitigating factors (a plumbing emergency the week the priest came over, finishing up the final of 5 UTIs at the time, unexpected dental surgery in April, 3 trips for work and personal reasons in April and May, natural disasters in the area in May, and generally being busy all the time), but I digress.  

I will also add that just this week, I was surprised to hear on Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast that clutter is one of the "foundations" of building a happier and more productive life.  The other foundations are getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, and eating well.  I could have guessed the first three, but clutter?!  This is such a great motivation to stay on top of the clutter and banish it forever.

I go through purging phases, which my husband calls my "Franciscan" phases, and they often provide a sense of psychological relief.  There have only been a few regrets in my purging phases.  And, yet, it's time to do it again.  I have way too many books, way too many t-shirts, way too many unpaired socks, etc.  And those little things really do affect the day-to-day negatively.  It's not just me, it's science!

So, once again, in an ongoing effort to simplify, I will be going through my closet, the study, the guest room, etc.  Then, there is all of our CD and sheet music collections.  It's really overwhelming to think of it all, but I know that if I can make some really big progress, I can just maintain after that. There is no "done," it's ongoing, but I'm hoping to make big headway nonetheless.

There's been a lot of buzz about The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, which I have not read.  But, I understand the concept, and I really want to change my life, get some magic, and tidy up.  I already have a pretty strong sense of tidiness, discipline, and rules I follow.  I've read lots of summaries and "hacks" of this method, and I plan to do my best without purchasing another book.  I will keep my progress updated on the blog.

But until then, three cheers for me finally finishing Lent!

Hip hip - hooray! 

Hip hip - hooray! 

Hip hip - hooray!