Small Successes

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph.  Here's mine:

1.Cleaned the horrible dusty mess off the shelves heading down the cellar stairs, threw out or relocated lots of the tools and miscellaneous junk that were there, Painted the shelves, and replaced the items that it actually made sense to store there. This was several bags' worth of my 40 bags for lent.
2. Made orderly two huge hall bookcases that had also become "storage" for an assortment of winter gloves, dog grooming tools, and flower vases. Filled a bag with books to give away and relocated the non-book items. Dusted bookcases.
3. Created a single place to keep all those computer user names and passwords that I imagine I will remember and never do, or else write on little scraps of paper that get lost. Also went and changed  the passwords I use for online purchasing, something that I read should be done at least yearly. Now that I have a safe place where these are written down, I am no longer afraid to change them and then forget/lose the paper scrap. 

 It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph

1. I overcame the temptation to lie and answer no on a health insurance application where it asked "Have you ever been denied coverage before?" I had a few horrible minutes of rationalizing that this was not their business, since after all I had been scrupulously honest about my health history. I put the application away and said daytime prayer. There was one of those typical daytime  psalms about the joy of Loving God's commands and never speaking falsely...and I knew I couldn't do it.  So I went back to application (online), hit Yes, damn it! I've been denied for coverage! And sent it in. And guess what?  I received an acceptance notice 24 hours later!

2. I made a firm decision to serve meatless meals Monday thru Friday during lent. And today, I followed through, with help from http://www.celestebehe.blogspot.com/ and her wonderful "40 for 12" series. Loved the black bean soup, Celeste!

3. Today when something rather unpleasant and upsetting happened, I had the presence of mind to Offer it Up almost immediately, rather than first wallow in my misery for an hour, and then, later, as an afterthought, join my sufferings to Christ's for the salvation of the world.

Small Sucesses

1. With the help of the competent Celeste Behe  I've figured out how to put the Faith&Family Live  "Small Success" picture on this blog.

2. I've gotten out to weekday mass twice so far this week. (not impressive to most of you, I'm sure, but for me it's big.)

3. Also twice this week, I've packed a school lunch for my youngest, thus shaving some bucks off the school lunch bill. Downside: the roast beef  sandwich came home uneaten. Upside, the peanut butter/fluf sandwich was a success, and only costs about 15 cents to make. Downside: I can't send in peanut butter/fluf every day or the nutrition police might get after me.