Saturday, September 15

It's time for another Smart Habits Saturday.

*Wake up 7:30 - Averaged 8:23 (7:35 to 9:28)
*Prayer and Scripture - 7/7
*Make bed - 7/7
*Get dressed - 7/7
*Eyes/teeth/face - 6/7
*Hair and make-up - 7/7
*Vitamin - 7/7
*Laundry check - 7/7
*Flower check - 7/7
*Eat breakfast - 4/4
*Exercise - 7/7
*15 min to-do - 6/7
*15 min declutter - 7/7
*15 min zone - 6/7
*15 min to-do - 7/7
*Eat lunch - 7/7
*Eat snack - 6/6
*Prepare dinner - 5/7
*Dishes check - 7/7
*Lay out clothes - 7/7
*Eyes/teeth/face - 7/7
*Prayer - 7/7
*Shower under 5 min - Averaged 7 and a half minutes
*Computer off 8:30 - Averaged 7:57 (3:28 to 10:20, with one day of not turning it on at all, averaged in at zero)
*Bed 9:30 - Averaged 10:12 (9:24 to 11:46)
*Lights out 10 - Averaged 10:51 (10:14 to 11:51)
138/143=97%; times: one hour, 53 minutes late (now including turning the computer off).

I've had quite a few disruptions in my schedule this week, but managed to struggle through to have four "perfect-score" days, and only one day on which I didn't allow myself to turn on my computer. I am still working on the best order for the morning, and will flip things around some more this coming week. I am also going to add working on Byzantine chant for 15 minutes a day, but put that after my computer time has been earned for the day.

In other news, I have received a standing invitation to join the regular chanter at the chant stand. I have also discovered that there is nothing more frightening than a kindly priest offering to let you sing the next hymn. Also, handwritten Greek. (Note to self: get information on the adult Greek school class already!) I had fun on Friday's feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, especially since I knew the festal hymn (being the "fight song" of the seminary, and therefore sung often enough, though I don't know it in English, as there are too many translations floating around and I haven't actually sat down and learned one). So for this coming Sunday, I pestered my husband into hunting down the music for the two hymns for which he could find music for the small entrance (these are variable hymns). Then I further pestered hymn by wrestling with them. It is frustrating to learn new things, when I want to hurry up and already *know* them. Then I pestered him by singing them over and over, making sure I could get into each of the different tones. (I was quite elated by my success until I tried to learn a tiny new hymn this afternoon and it was just as hard as the others were at the beginning.)

I am enjoying myself on goodreads, and have added the requisite 50 books and applied for librarianship status. The latter, mostly so that I can add my ancient "Little Colonel" books to the modern editions. It's rather a challenge to only add the books I have just read (and not go back and add everything I've read, which itself would be quite a daunting task, though tempting). Another challenge is to make myself write at least the briefest review. I always hated writing book reports in school, but practicing writing about what I've read seems wholesome, like celery (eating which is likewise not a favorite).

My dear husband has found the time to complete and move in the bookcases which we bought just over a week ago. One is still empty, waiting for me to open the boxes in the closet and the half-empty (or at least opened and searched-through) boxes in the little guestroom. It's rather important that that room get cleared quickly, so that new boxes may be thrust in to the closet when they come, and all the things currently lurking in the office may be thence relegated to make room for, alas, the furniture when it comes. The coming is likely to be in October.

Please pray for my mother who had toe surgery yesterday and is now wheeling herself around the house. She says she is doing disgustingly well, but who couldn't use extra prayers? No, we're not going to talk about the Notre Dame football team. Evidently they decided not to play this week.