check, check, check

Chirstmas - check - (back in the box all but the outdoor lights)
Cardboard Santa - Check - recorded, measured for possible makeover/preservation project, and tucked away
Bills paid - check
Coffee flowing - check
Photo project - check - 2010 uploaded

I love organizing, being organized! I just don't usually have the time to do it!

ORDER - take 2

OK - obviously, order is good and unless you are OCD you should probably have more of it. Ben struggled with it, I struggle with it, and desire it. BUT, as far as trying to acheive it, it seems to me balance is what it's about - having enough time to tend to all the things that are important to you. Yeah, needing to find a better way to maximize my efforts at order for the biggest bang for my buck. This will always be a work in progress sort of virtue. Happily, I will spend the bulk of my time in the next 4 cold winter days with the time to focus on order.

The little gremlins that threaten my productivity need to be beaten back anyway. I find myself in the familiar position of hurry up and wait regarding a job, and getting the rest of my life getting back to routine.

Is that a Christmas decoration I see? Your outta here! Back in the box!

I'm employing the use of a timer - always works well for me. 1 hour here, 1 hour there. Orders kinda like dieting for me - I feel like an expert (unfortunately). Reporting back at the end of the week, when the new virtue will be "Resolve". Perfect, as I will be trying to up the ante with work out schedules, and many many new and old commitments.

Order - week 3

In ORDER to do this right (get it), I think I'll sit this week out. Merry Christmas! Temperance was a success, Silence was too - but I know the results were NOT typical ;)

OK, see your next week - go watch my smilebox Christmas greeting - sheesh.

SILENCE! - week 2

SILENCE – ut oh – I don’t like the sound of this one. “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.” If I can pay attention to this one a full week, it will be a constant battle. As the author of Ben and Me says, the medical term for what I have is A BIG MOUTH. Having said that, this is something that I will definitely learn from and an exercise that if even a fraction of it sticks, will make me a better person! Monday – we’re on Vacation – up skiing with just the 4 of us (I caught a break!) My husband is not one for idle chatter. My cell phone and laptop have been tucked away as we have no internet, we’ve been playing card games, chess, etc. instead of turning on the t.v. – and today we skied all day. I even rode up alone a few times so I actually had 3-5 minute bouts of SILENCE! Wow – give myself a gold sticker! Except, I only did so well because of the odd situation I’m in; where I actually lacked the opportunity to gossip and prattle. By this evening, I’d forgotten all about it and the first opportunity I had (family discussion I STARTED about the late-teen couple at the hot tub), I was funny, I told them what I heard them saying, I made fun of them, and I encouraged my husband and children to carry on in the same way. We all had a good laugh, and I forgot all about it until this moment, when I look back at the day and say oops. Given the chance, I LOVE to gossip. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and let me connect with my family. I would share the amusing things I said here, but then I would have been guilty TWICE today! So I won’t. Not that it was horrible hateful stuff, but it definitely falls into this category.
No, take away the gold star sticker – I only lucked into this one! The moment temptation hits, I dive in! NEEDS WORK

Silence – Speak not but what may benefit others, avoid trifling conversation
M T W T F S S
Temperance
Silence * * * * * * *
Order
Resolution
Frugality
Industry
Sincerity
Justice
Moderation
Cleanliness
Tranquility * * *
Chastity
Humility

Temperance - week 1

Temperance – with the bar obviously set so low, I was sure I would do well. In fact, I find I am all about temperance theses days, if nothing else. Don’t drink don’t smoke don’t gamble, don’t stay up late. . . The only trap I could fall into is binge eating. And the only time I do that is when I’m dieting, so I carefully avoided that activity this week (haha!) and I was fine. (By the looks of him, this is probably something Ben did as well.) 2 times I had the thought oh no, this is SO decadent it MUST be overindulgence (both times drinking hot chocolate). But no, this isn’t about not enjoying food/life, it’s about enjoying it in moderation without overindulgence. So, this temperance week was a great week for me to start on. My goal was to eat more vegetables and less cookies and the only time I almost faltered was when I was tempted to punish myself by limiting something for the soul reason of feeling like this virtue should be harder. Now the others that I’m sort of tracking as I go along are all over the place; so I happily go onto the next, thinking YAY! At least I have a handle on one thing.
Temperance - 12/10/10
Eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation
M T W T F S S
Temperance * * * * *
Silence
Order *
Resolution
Frugality *
Industry
Sincerity *
Justice
Moderation * * *
Cleanliness * *
Tranquility *
Chastity *
Humility

Free ecard made with Smilebox

Ben and Me - week 1 - TEMPERANCE

I've been mulling this over for awhile now and have found a place to start. As a way of honoring and remembering my dad, I decided to occasionally try to be a better person. At the funeral and after, several people made comments that I've summed up as "he made me want to be a better person". And it's true. Dad didn't have a lofty, self important style and yet, he always strove to be do the best he could. In generational comparison, I think that's something I (and my peers) forget to do. Anyway, it's something I've been thinking about alot lately - and as I was looking up Ben Franklin to see what he considered virtues - I stumbled upon this book, "Ben and Me" where the author is doing exactly what I want to do. As Ben said about his self help course - I certainly haven't reached moral perfection, but I am definately a better person for having tried. (Something like that.)Anyhow, I'm loving this book and having company as I take them one at a time.

WEEK 1 - Temperance.
"Don't eat so much you can't move, and if you drink, don't throw up on yourself." - that's not Ben's version that's Cameron Gunn's verson. I'm thinking I've got this one. I love the low bar start. I can eat, I can drink - just try not to go nuts.