#2867 one thing at a time

I have a sticker that looks a little different from this one, but has the same words. I think it's funny, and I thought I embodied those sentiments, but it turns out, I don't. My cousin Sonia,  well, this could be her life's slogan. While she was here, she would get up, go to the bathroom, and stumble down the stairs looking for coffee. The first day she was here, I was up first and had a pot made, so she could just sit and drink it peacefully. The second morning, I slept a little later, so she was already up when I got downstairs. She looked at me frantically, grabbed my arms, and sort of yelled, "Where is the coffee?!" I introduced her to the magic and speed of the K-cup, and she was okay every morning after that. Truly, she would have to have a coffee before any other thing happened. I kind of admired her dedication to the mantra.

Another thing I noticed about Sonia's breakfast routine was what she ate, when left to her own devices. She would get a coffee, then prepare a slice of toast, sprinkled with a bit of olive oil, and top it with a slice of cheese (we had havarti, the King of Cheese, on hand.) She would also have a glass of orange juice, and a piece of fruit. Sonia sat at the table, her plate filled with the cheese toast and fruit, and she would peacefully eat, always chatting away with me and MT. There were no other distractions. She didn't mess with her phone. She didn't read a book or magazine. She enjoyed her food and drink, took her time, and only when she was finished was she ready to get on with the day. 

Maybe this sounds strange, but I have been thinking about distractions during meals a lot lately. My favorite influencer, Shannon at This French Life, is doing a cool series this month and next that she is calling the Joie de Vivre journey. She began the series three weeks ago, and has a ten-week series planned.  Check it out on Instagram (thisfrench.life). She posts pretty videos on weekdays for the series. She's also doing a series about locations from the book All the Light We Cannot See, a series currently on Netflix based on the book by Anthony Doerr. 

Anyway, Day 2 of the Joie de Vivre journey was about mindful eating. The prompt was about making better food choices, but in my mind, I combined it with the Day 1 prompt about setting boundaries. Wait for it...I'm about to tie it all together.

Friends, I did something this morning that I rarely do: I ate breakfast without an interruption. I know that sounds weird, but usually, while I eat any meal at home, I multi-task. I read. Sometimes I write. I often throw a toy for Stella. I eat and I drink and I do something else.  Today, though, I simply savored my meal. I had a coffee and a slice of gingerbread from Starbucks, along with a glass of oj. I put the bread on a plate, and just sat there while I ate and drank. I steadfastly avoided looking through that pile of mail that was staring at me. I refused to pull my phone out of my purse to continue reading a new book I just started. I ignored Stella when she repeatedly woofed at me and nudged her frisbee in my direction. 

It's not that I shut down my mind. I thought about what I was doing. I enjoyed the flavor and the tenderness of the gingerbread. I noted the warmth and flavors of the latte. The tangy sweetness of the orange juice played off the other two items nicely. I didn't have a piece of fruit; all we have are bananas in the house, and I am not there yet. I thought about what I wanted to accomplish today, and if I would make it through the day without a nap (more on that in a minute.) I looked around my house and made mental notes of what needed to be cleaned up, thrown away, or put away. When the meal was finished, I was totally satisfied and quite full. It was nice. I think I'll keep working on making mealtime a one-activity event a habit.

~~

I haven't been feeling great for the past few days. On Wednesday, I had a flu shot at my doctor appointment. On Thursday, I felt run down and achy. I took the day off from work, and slept off and on most of the day. I went to work on Friday, and that evening, I got a covid shot. When I got up yesterday (Saturday), every one of my joints was aching and I was just tired. I took the big dogs for a walk in the neighborhood, had some coffee, read, and then took a nap. I was cold and unhappy about my condition. I slept. I laid on the couch wrapped up in a blanket. I came upstairs to use the bathroom, then got on my bed and fell asleep some more. My left arm, where the covid vax happened, has a bump and is warm. I was in bed by about 9:00 last night, and slept hard all night long. Today I feel okay. I still think I want to take a nap with my weighted blanket. 

First though, I'm taking time to do an art project that has been really fun. I'm not done with it yet, so I'll share it the next time I write. I also need to do the bookkeeping for all my entities (home, business, family), and I'll probably call that a day's work well done. 

I will share this little art project I did this week. The prompt was to draw some boxes, then fill them with little drawings. I am in a total hygge state of mind right now. You know hygge - a cozy comfiness that is perfect for this time of year when the days get shorter and colder. Here is my art:

I added some stickers, too, because why not? It was fun.

That's all I've got today! I need to go to bougie Harmons to get some coffee and finish today's art project, not to mention pay all those bills. 

Have a beautiful week. Do something fun and take the time to enjoy yourself.

xo