Monday

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge. 

We are in the yin time of the waning gibbous moon - a time to receive the fruits of our labors, and express gratitude.

Agenda:

1. Read "How to Keep House While Drowning"

2. Giving Each Thing a Home

3. New food habits

1. Gratitude meditation:

Every month after the full moon, in the quiet-energy yin time of the waning moon, I practice a love meditation that progresses from receptivity, to gratitude, to generosity. The most powerful receiving is accompanied with sincere gratitude, so today I will look again at the things I want to receive this month, and how I can better feel (and show) my heart-felt gratitude:

• Equanimity and calm - feel the difference every day;
• Energy and motivation to finish house painting - savor the effort and the results;
• Camp preparedness - notice the ease of the flow;
• Steady writing - tell someone how much I love it.
• Meaningful Earthcare involvement - express my gratitude to everyone involved.
• Continued enjoyment of watercolors - savor my time with paint.

Day 2: Practice a love meditation, and end by feeling and expressing gratitude - send a prayer 

of thanksgiving

 to the universe for all I have in my life.

2. Deep cleaning:

After quite a while of doing "basic" cleaning, I'm starting to be disgusted with some parts of my house (behind the toilet, around the sink, door frames, light switches...). In the next month I expect to be stuck inside quite lots the temperature begins to soar, so now is the time to step it up a bit, little by little, to clean those spots well.

This week: 

• Clean the futon cover.
• Wipe the woodwork in public rooms.
• Vacuum under and behind.
• Clean living room windows

3. Giving Each Thing a Home:

I'm still working to find a zen balance of order that feels good. I have asked myself "Why am I holding on to so much stuff - how can I make letting go super easy? How can I make sorting fun again?"

I've got a 30-minute Simplicity Time before napping: Set visual timer for 15 minutes and choose a starting place, clear 10 things, and finish one clearing task.

This week I plan to:

• Deliver extra toys to Giving Tree
• Clear surfaces
• Sort blankets and give some away
• Clean up my potting shed area
• Studio: Choose some paintings to give away, and bring them into the house.

4. New food habits:

Last week I set my diet as a priority in the next month, with the top row being vegetables, healthy snacks, and N-R-G drinks. Some tasks:

• M: Plan next meals and shop.
• T: Prepare snack servings - hard boiled eggs, carrot sticks, (honey)
• W: Hump day easy meal
• Th: Harvest tomatoes and rhubarb; make bread...
• Th: Find some new good veggie recipes.
• F: Make a weekly snack plan, including healthy baking.