{ Saying goodbye to August }

Living in the country, means there is always someone working on their property.  Seeing tractors across the fields, is almost a daily occurrence, and one that I quite enjoy watching.  One of our neighbors was working on an acre of field that he has.  

 

He slowly made his way around, back and forth on his tractor, while Kaia sat at our front door, watching intently, his every move.  Every once in a while she would let out a whine, or a bark.

Have you ever noticed how outside work tends to become rhythmic?  The repetition of the job, starts becoming almost comforting to watch.  Or maybe it's just me, but I do tend to find joy in the simplest of things.

 

 

As he worked outside, I worked inside, also slowly moving from job to job.  When I was a young wife and mother, I used to think that if I was not rushing back and forth through the house, then I wasn't busy, and there wasn't much to be done, or I wasn't really doing a good job.  What a silly thing to think.

As I've gotten older, and now 24 years into our marriage, I've learned to slow down, pace myself, because things will get done nonetheless, whether I'm panting and out of breath rushing to finish it all, or whether I am taking my time.  

Actually, the slower I go, the more I tend to enjoy my housework.

So that is what I did today......spent the last day of August, cleaning and homemaking.  Carpets were washed, windows were washed, laundry was done and a myriad of other little tasks, here and there, were crossed off the list.

I love productive days.  They're exhausting, but knowing that you are busy doing what you love, and taking care of your home, is everything that is good.

 

 

The weather remained dark and gloomy.  Grey clouds moved back and forth across the sky, sometimes turning a deep purple and looking quite ominous, other times dissipating to a lighter grey, but never leaving completely.

It thundered a bit, the wind kicked up, we got notifications of rain, but it didn't quite materialize.  And that's ok, we've been blessed with rain and anymore we get now, is just an added bonus from God.

I read my devotionals, I read my Bible, I answered emails and picked my newest review books.  I also answered an email for an upcoming review of some great products that will be arriving tomorrow.

I sat down and had lunch, finished off my menu plan, grocery list, and started adding items to the Walmart grocery cart for my pickup on Friday.

I watched a couple videos while doing my housework.  Just popped them on the tv and kept going with my task at hand.  Music, youtube videos, podcasts or even one of the Portuguese live TV channels playing in the background, always make the work seem easier and quicker.

Before making dinner, I managed to squeeze in my daily exercise.  I've been on and off this wagon for so long, and am quite tired of it.  I need to commit and really stick to it.  But the only way to do that, is to pick a small attainable goal, something that won't seem to big and intimidating, because those always surely make me quick.

I have started counting my calories again (even though my gynecologist told me that when it comes to hormonal weight gain, it's not that easy, it's doable but it's not as easy as it used to be when I was younger), and I picked a 7 day challenge from Lucy Wyndham-Read.  Did the first day on Monday and have not skipped a day.  

I will say, I thought about skipping today because I was so busy with the house, but I forced myself to do it, and feel much better for doing so.

After the 7 day challenge is up, I will pick another challenge of some kind, but always sticking with a 7 day or something similar.  If I pick a 30 day, forget it.  By the end of the first week I'll give up.

I am not looking for a quick weight loss plan, I know what I'm facing, I know how hard it is to lose hormonal weight especially related to perimenopause or menopause itself.  I'm willing to try.  I want to lose 20 pounds, even though I've only gained 10 the past 2 years, but still, I figure if I'm going to do this, I may as well shoot for the bigger number.  Trust me, I will be happy with even a 5 pound loss at this point.

And let me just say that real quick, I am not super unhappy with myself or my body.  I accept the changes, I accept that I am nearing 50 and menopause, and I am extremely grateful to be blessed with my life, and having reached this age.

I don't think I look awful, I just feel sluggish, my clothes feel tighter on me, and I would much prefer to lose some weight, but through prayer and time with the Lord, I have come to accept that even if that doesn't happen, I will still rejoice and praise Him for who I am, and what I look like today.

I am after all 48 years old.

So I say goodbye to August, my birth month, with a commitment to myself, to try and do better when it comes to working out, eating right, and staying active.  

Will I succeed?

I sure hope so, but if I don't, that's ok too.