No.698: September in Review & Goals for October 2022

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. the beginning of birthday season!
2. a thorough decluttering of all of the basement toys
3. feeling the chill in the air during morning chores
4. the living room chair finally delivered after three months of waiting
5. being on the same page as my husband

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. I’m always glad when I go.  Last year, I joined a book club but only made it to a few meetings due to other family commitments.  This year, I’m making it a bigger priority.  I often psyche myself out beforehand because the monthly meeting starts around 7:30 and at that time of day, I’m exhausted and ready for my pajamas!  But even so, I drink that extra cup of coffee and head out anyway.  And I’m always glad that I went.
2. It’s hard to watch someone you love struggle.  My husband dealt with painful health issues and a child’s learning disabilities reared their ugly head too.  I can help alleviate some of the suffering, but I can’t take it away.  So hard.
3. It’s not going to be perfect. My life is a lot like three full time jobs (homemaker, educator, homesteader) and I know it’s unrealistic for me to think that I can do all three of these perfectly.  I tend to throw myself completely at one to the detriment of the other two and…that’s not working so well.  I need to juggle all three simultaneously while remembering that my best effort, while nowhere perfect, is good enough.
4. Homesteading exposes you to a lot of death.  And it never gets easier.
5. “Death by a thousand cuts” is exactly the expression that describes September 2022.  The issues were not that big in and of themselves, but the sheer amount of them was staggering and they came at an alarming pace!  To everything there is a season…I’m praying for a reprieve in October.

FIVE GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER REVIEWED

1. ✔ Go on a date with my husband.  It’s been a crazy year and we needed some time to just be together.
2. Follow a daily skincare routine and see if I can notice any difference.  I faithfully followed all of the steps for four or five days and my skin looked worse and worse!  I’m not sure if it was an allergic reaction or what, but I’ll need to find a new product before trying this goal again.
3. ✔ Send some snail mail.  Not nearly as many as I had hoped, but I did manage to send a baptism gift and a thank you card.
4. ✔ Try a new sourdough recipe once each week.  Considering this one a partial success.  I made a handful of recipes in fits and spurts throughout the month, but it didn’t fit neatly in the “once each week” timeframe.
5. Paint the back doors.  Nope.  I bought the roller and the painter’s tape though!

FIVE GOALS FOR OCTOBER

1. Start Christmas shopping.
2. Stock the winter medicine cabinet.
3. Take our own family pictures.
4. Learn how to water glass eggs.
5. Review my intentions for blogging.  I have terrible writer’s block and am asking all the questions: What am I even doing here?  What do I have to offer?  Is the expense worth it?