c'est la vie

So it has been Lent for 3 weeks now.  Amongst other things that I have given up, or added on (like going to 6am mass on Fridays - I don't get up early well), I cut back on my coffee.  Substantially.  I feel it every day.  It 'burns" as our Priest says.  I am amazed at how often I get up from my desk to make coffee, only to realise that I can't .... because I try and save that cup for a good time in the day.  If I know I have a meeting ... I save it for a decent coffee shop.  If I know that I am going to a restaurant that serves decent cappuccino .... it waits till then.  Decent cappuccino.  I always battle with this concept.  I have a Nespresso machine.  I can make double shot capp with a ton of foam which is so spectacular it looks like white meringue.  So it completely eludes me as to why this cannot be done at coffee bars, or restaurants with fancy coffee machines .....  Cappuccino with foam means WITH FOAM....

Once upon a time there was a couple  who had two teenagers.  One is now 19 and the other one is 15.  Despite my hubby and I raising 2 highly intelligent, very sporty, very funny, very independent and successful kids, we still know one thing to be true.  Never, ever, seriously ever, try to understand your kids.   With one at a chefs academy and one in high school we are reminded often that we will never know as much as the two of them combined.  We will always somehow manage to regularly say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  We never let them finish speaking without interrupting ..... etc etc.  I love it.  Parenting is all at once exciting, funny, soul destroying, fun, loving, lovable, joyous, annoying, head banging ... the list is endless.  Our daughter is at a top chefs' academy.  In order to churn out top class and highly skilled chefs, they do not namby pamby these kids, or release them when they are tired or go easy. ...

Lent is succeeding in giving me much "pondering" time.  Even though I am still working on the "slow it down" part of my life, I am managing to try and be more "present" in what I am doing.  I read something this week to do with Lent where it said do not do 3 things at a time, be present in the one you are doing.  If you are peeling an onion, peel the onion.  If you are watching a programme, watch the programme.  In my case it seems that I am usually peeling the onion whilst watching the programme, reading bits of my book and eating something.  I also have a conversation with either my hubby or one of my kids and can be found to be on whatsapp and facebook inbetween all this as well.  No wonder my head spins when I lie down.  So I am currently trying to make sure that when I am writing an appeal for something, I concentrate only on that.  When I am doing administrative work, I concentrate only on that.  Same when I am driving, reading...

Sometimes introspection is needed.  Sometimes we decide to do it ourselves. Sometimes God finds a way or messenger to shove us into this introspection.  Lent seems to be a good place to start this study.  In amongst the "giving things up culture" and the "give more" culture, I try to involve myself more deeply in my religion, I try and give up an extra hour or so snuggled in bed in order to make a 6am Mass, I try to be more mindful of my religion, my prayers, my prayers for others.  I try to slow down my life *although my dad said today that has not appeared to have worked in the first 5 days of Lent* ... baby steps, dad, baby steps.  I have a friend who once wrote a blog along the lines of feeling great winds blowing towards him, the grit hitting him.  This weekend I think I felt exactly that which he had described.  I know now what I think he was trying to illustrate so vividly to his readers.  The "wind" that blew came unexpectedly and it cam...

Time.  My biggest friend and my own worst enemy .... All rolled into one.  Each day has 24 hrs ... Mine always has 27 hrs of activity, work, driving, to do lists and other stuff.  Every day .... Even creeping steadily into my weekends. Ash Wednesday, and thus the beginning of Lent has heralded a stop sign, or at least a yield sign for this treadmill for me.  I am giving up rushing.  I am giving up too many appointments in a day.  I am giving up people who add to my daily stress.  I am, for 40 days, going to slow my life down. It takes 21 days to break a habit I am told.  I have 40.   Hopefully I can leave the rush behind Till next time c'est la vie