Slow and Steady

I'm working on getting up earlier in the mornings. I'm setting my alarm a little earlier every few days and trying to snooze just once. This morning I had to hit snooze twice. I was in the middle of a dream I needed to reenter. I wanted more answers. I didn't get them, but now clear-headed and de-cobwebbed I realize that there are none. Sometimes a dream is just a dream.

We're also working on eating dinner earlier. I worked a tad late and came home with zero inclination to get busy in the kitchen last night. I asked Mike if he could cook the recipe I planned and he agreed. Sometimes you just have to ask. It was our first foray into Tieghan Gerard's (my new fave cookbook) Pomegranate Sheet Pan Chicken with Brussel's Sprouts. It was delicious and probably even more so because it was made for me. I have to remember to order my own copy so I can return my sil's. I've had it for months. 

I just got a text from Ted asking if he can make dinner tonight. There's no way I can, or would say no to that. Sometimes you just have to accept.

He's been stepping up around the house too. Making his bed. Cleaning his bathroom. Mike, Ted and I started to tackle the basement Sunday afternoon. We made some noticeable progress, and while we're still bursting at the seams, this is a step in the right direction. A step toward less. 

It is my mission to purge the excess. I took a car load for donation the other day and felt immediate relief. I need much more relief. Slow and steady. Discerning and thorough drawer after drawer and closet after closet.

It's all about balance in every facet of my life. And it's a constant effort to keep the equipoise. It's a labor that requires flexibility and forgiveness because some days, weeks, seasons call for more of one thing over another.

I've been open about how clandestine my life's been recently. I've been an unapologetic homebody. I have to work hard to remind myself that this is okay. It's what I'm craving. It's no secret that leaning into the hygge and comfort is natural in deep winter. It won't last forever, although right now I think I'd be fine with that.

This past weekend was another quiet one, but there was just enough noise. Meryl and Manny came. The whole house slept in Saturday morning and we woke up hungry. Everyone liked my suggestion that we go out for breakfast. What's not to like...it was a good one. There is something so indulgent about a bottomless cup of coffee and breakfast to order. It was a chilly, gray day so we had zero guilt for curling up on couches with cats while we digested. We roused for late afternoon to go and do. While the kids were ice skating, I started a big pot of Lasagna Soup. It used to be a staple in the cold weather rotation at Casa Wags, but it's been ages since I made it. When Ted found out what was on the menu, he confessed that he had just been thinking about it. With a loaf of garlic bread, it was the perfect end to the day. We lingered for a card game before gathering in the family room again for a movie. You're Cordially Invited was light and laughable.

Sunday we were earlier to rise and quick to get going. One shiftless day and one tireless. That's balance as far as I'm concerned. We woke to a dusting of snow, but it didn't last long. M&M had to get back to Madison. Hazel missed her buddy and was looking and calling for him. Gus relaxed into his regular goofy self.