
During the holidays, it's easy to forget about the importance of quiet time. Already, I'm feeling the affects of not taking a little time for myself to just reflect and be peaceful. And the results of that are showing in my home and on my waistline.
So far, Jim and I have celebrated Thanksgiving twice -- once last Sunday when my mom made her huge announcement and again on Thursday with my Mom, Dad, Uncle Richard and my cousin Rick. Each one was lovely in its own way. The food was delicious. I made a simple spinach salad both times (the second time at my mom's request).
And, we may be celebrating Thanksgiving again tomorrow with Jim's brother and sister. Jim has to work tomorrow, so we're not sure if that will actually happen. If it does, it would be the first time I've spent any real time with Jim's family, and for that reason I'm looking forward to it.
But I'm getting off topic a bit...
Besides all the family celebrations, I've gone back to work, which has been both a blessing and curse. I love having money to pay my bills and buy an occasional treat for myself. (Last Saturday I went shopping all day and bought myself a lot of new clothes, and had a great time doing it because I could afford it.) Going back to work has also gotten me out of the house and given me an opportunity to interact with others. The fact that it might give me some much needed supervisory experience to put on my resume is not bad either.
However...even with all the good stuff that comes with going back to work, I find myself missing the simplicity of the routine Jim and I had developed. I actually enjoyed cleaning the house and having a meal ready for Jim when he got home. For some reason none of that seemed like a chore when it was what I had to do.
Now, cleaning and cooking aren't as enjoyable. When I get home from work, the last thing I want to think about is what to cook for dinner. Before I could take my time. I often started making dinner at 3:00 in the afternoon, and had plenty of time to do the little things that make cooking fun. I can't do that now. Jim and I get home at about the same time, and he's hungry when he gets home. So I find myself rushing to make a nice meal in a short period of time so we're not eating too late... Needless to say, the meals are not as good as they were when I had three hours to prepare.
And I won't even get into how much I hate how cluttered the house is looking because I don't feel like picking it all up every night. It doesn't help that I simply don't know where to put everything that is piling up on the dining table. That is one thing I miss about my apartment, I had a place for everything, and it was easy to keep it looking clean.
But back to my original thought... I am thoroughly enjoying being with Jim. I know I've indulged in a little whining about mundane things, but I love, absolutely love my life with Jim. And I'm really looking forward to the holidays this year. I just know that because we're together that Christmas and New Year are going to extra special!
Still... as I'm sitting here on the sofa, Jim peacefully sleeping in (something I've rarely seen him do), I realize that sitting still in the quiet is something I need to make time for more often. And maybe I need to create a little corner of the house that is just for me to do that...
Yes, I need this quiet time to breathe deeply and just appreciate how wonderful my life truly is.