Mike and I were reading some Epictetus this morning and the message was about the need to treat our bodies with care and respect. At the time the Cynics were proliferating a message of denial of the body was closer to holiness. This "doctrine" continued into the early Christian church with St. Augustine and is somewhat rampant today.
There seems to be a marked dichotomy in society of those who obsess over their bodies; plastic surgery, 7 gym visits a week, etc. and those who neglect their bodies; excessive weight gain, lack of hygiene, lack of care over appearance. There must be a balance between the two!
We only have one body while we are in this life, it requires constant care and attention, appropriate food, regular cleaning and care. The trick is to care for out bodies without obsessing, allowing ourselves to age but to age gracefully. For every individual the type of care differs, some dye their hair, while others allow the salt and pepper to slowly appear on its natural schedule. I think you need to be true to how you feel about the standards of appearance you wish to set for yourselves. I have joined a gym but my goal is not to lose every pound I have gained through five pregnancies and many years to get back to my pre-marriage weight. My goal is to be healthy and vital and eat sensibly with the least amount of additives and chemicals as possible.
My motivation for taking care of myself is to have as long a life as possible to share with my husband and family. I guess the decision for everyone is to decide what level of care needs to be kept and strive to maintain our bodies to the best of our ability.
Life and health to all!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
another day
Today is a raining, stay inside and stay warm kinda day in Ottawa/Gatineau. We are staying home and nesting. :)
I have made an Apple Granola loaf which should be ready in an hour or two. Looking forward to having that with a warm cup of coffee later. We are tidying up our bedroom this afternoon, going through the small pockets of stuff and reorganizing the Sanctuary a bit. Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!
Dr. Who awaits us this evening. :)
I have made an Apple Granola loaf which should be ready in an hour or two. Looking forward to having that with a warm cup of coffee later. We are tidying up our bedroom this afternoon, going through the small pockets of stuff and reorganizing the Sanctuary a bit. Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday!
Dr. Who awaits us this evening. :)
Friday, May 7, 2010
Serenity
Mike and I were reading our "Words of the Ancient Wise" this morning and it seems particularly directed at my attitude this morning. Food that I had counted as part of my menu plan for the household was eaten as part of a late night snacking run last night. I discovered this early this morning when I went to make Oatmeal muffins for the family and realized I did not have enough yogurt left. *sigh* I then went into "crap what do I do now" mode. Rather than two batches of muffins with my favourite recipe, I can only make one. I went investigating and discovered the culprit in a bleary sleep induced state. I then made coffee and stewed somewhat.
It them became time for us to read our morning reading... (this can be read here http://wordsoftheancientwise.blogspot.com/ ) in which Marcus Aurelius was giving some sage advice. Here is my interpretation of what I gleaned from the reading this morning...
If we can control how we perceive troubles in our lives, we often find that they are not quite so troublesome. A change of outlook can often act like a virtual room cleansing of our spirit and attitude.
Life is what it is and there are circumstances that are beyond our control to stop but we can change our perception of them and find serenity.
I then realized that this was my motivation for starting this blog... to strive towards simplicity. Here I am again blog...
It them became time for us to read our morning reading... (this can be read here http://wordsoftheancientwise.blogspot.com/ ) in which Marcus Aurelius was giving some sage advice. Here is my interpretation of what I gleaned from the reading this morning...
If we can control how we perceive troubles in our lives, we often find that they are not quite so troublesome. A change of outlook can often act like a virtual room cleansing of our spirit and attitude.
Life is what it is and there are circumstances that are beyond our control to stop but we can change our perception of them and find serenity.
I then realized that this was my motivation for starting this blog... to strive towards simplicity. Here I am again blog...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Mayhem which is my life
Well today is a great day. We have the wonderful blessing of finally meeting our brother-in-law. We have not been able to meet before as they have been living out west. They are now switching coasts of Canada and are headed East. They are stopping by for a visit on the way. :)
I am frantically trying to clean up a few areas that I do not consider "company ready" but have had an interesting morning so far...
My aging dog has had stomach "issues" this morning and I have been cleaning up poop all over the house! ARRRGH.... it is so easy to lose my stoic serenity on these mornings. I have made a list of what needs to get done and what I would like to get done in order of importance... I will just work my way through the list and hopefully be ready to enjoy their company when they arrive. I know that what is truly important is never a spotless house but taking opportunities as they come and stopping to visit and "smell the roses".
Wish me luck! :)
I am frantically trying to clean up a few areas that I do not consider "company ready" but have had an interesting morning so far...
My aging dog has had stomach "issues" this morning and I have been cleaning up poop all over the house! ARRRGH.... it is so easy to lose my stoic serenity on these mornings. I have made a list of what needs to get done and what I would like to get done in order of importance... I will just work my way through the list and hopefully be ready to enjoy their company when they arrive. I know that what is truly important is never a spotless house but taking opportunities as they come and stopping to visit and "smell the roses".
Wish me luck! :)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday... almost Friday
Well my back definitely did flare up! Today is the first day where I have felt able to do anything other than hobble around and lie down...
I have laundry to do, menus to plan, grocery list to sort out and cleaning to do. I am also thinking of starting a new craft project in line with our Homemade Christmas idea this year. Wish me luck! :)
I have laundry to do, menus to plan, grocery list to sort out and cleaning to do. I am also thinking of starting a new craft project in line with our Homemade Christmas idea this year. Wish me luck! :)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Monday Musings
Well the last load of laundry is in the washer, one load is complete and the other is in the dryer. Now I have time to sit at my computer and ponder the day and week ahead of us. This week I am working on our Master Bedroom as part of my cleaning zones... the bed has been stripped and will be fluffed before being remade.
I am having some back issues at the moment so have to make sure not to do too much to flare up my back. I was in a lot of pain yesterday and last night while trying to sleep. :( The back issues come and go and are something that must be lived with.
I am going to also do a quick clean of the upstairs today for the Home Blessing that I do at the beginning of each week.
I am having some back issues at the moment so have to make sure not to do too much to flare up my back. I was in a lot of pain yesterday and last night while trying to sleep. :( The back issues come and go and are something that must be lived with.
I am going to also do a quick clean of the upstairs today for the Home Blessing that I do at the beginning of each week.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
In One Small Little Way...
Today is the first day of the rest of my life...
What will I do today that will make my family's life better, someone in my circle of friends better, someone in my city better, or even in the world better? I am going to start at the inner circle of my family which will in turn change the rest of the world in a small part. Like a pebble rippling out over water the small things that I do each day to make my family better start to effect the world around us. Home made food, reusing and recycling all happen because I am home to do the work that they take. My family is able to resist the pull of consumerism somewhat because I am able to take that extra time each day that mindfulness requires. Although we still have many areas where we can improve, we are making a difference. I am making a difference.
What will I do today that will make my family's life better, someone in my circle of friends better, someone in my city better, or even in the world better? I am going to start at the inner circle of my family which will in turn change the rest of the world in a small part. Like a pebble rippling out over water the small things that I do each day to make my family better start to effect the world around us. Home made food, reusing and recycling all happen because I am home to do the work that they take. My family is able to resist the pull of consumerism somewhat because I am able to take that extra time each day that mindfulness requires. Although we still have many areas where we can improve, we are making a difference. I am making a difference.
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