The Summer of Rediscovering my Life
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I lost myself for a while there. Or lost track of myself. It's not always easy to tell the difference. Allowed life to become too full. Some things were invited, and some came in without an invitation. Regardless, the results are the same: I have become one unhappy, unhealthy gal. Rachelle Mee Chapman has been writing a series called Do Less. I am rediscovering that there are lots of amazing/interesting/life-giving bits in my life that I've either forgotten about or neglected. By paring away (again) some of the less life-giving activities, I can free myself up for those things I love and value.
I'm declaring this the summer of rediscovering my life.
You're welcome to come along if you'd like. Each Monday I'll post another little bit of life to rediscover. Play along if anything resonates with where you find yourself. Nothing will be too huge or taxing. The point IS NOT to add one more thing to your 'things to do' list. But you might just find that you've lost track of a few things along the way too. Some of you have already joined in. Betcha didn't know that :) I'm making writing to your sponsor child first on the list (and I'll make a running list as we go).
For this week? Molly Balint posted a challenge that I simply couldn't pass up. She suggested a week of no grocery shopping.
You know it's not like my cupboards are bare except for the things I'm putting in each week. They are still stocked with rice and beans and cans of soup and pastas and..... There are the odd cuts of meat and frozen breads in my freezer. I have flour. And sugar. And yeast. And butter.
It's just that I often ignore those things in my pantry for what I feel like making that week.
I'm not using what I have.
So here's my challenge for this week. My own mini no-spend challenge. I'm not going to the grocery store next week. (And I'm not going to stock up this weekend either--no cheating.) I'm going to make do with what I have in my cupboards and freezer. I'm going to get creative. I'm going to do my best to put together some meals with what I have on hand. I'm going to save a little money this week.
I realize that just suggesting this challenge completely reeks of wealth. There are so many people who do not have one day's worth of food on hand, forget about a week's worth. But I too have a cupboard full of food which goes uneaten because it's not what we "feel like eating" in the moment. So this week I'm going to learn a little something about my buying habits. And it looks like I'm going to eat a lot of soup.
The List:
1. Write to my sponsor child.
2. Eat what's already in the cupboards.
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10 comments:
so love this - and so happy you are doing less. if there is a place to do less it is new brunswick (hint, hint) :D miss you bunches, but your words will have to do for now.
mucho love.
isn't Rachelle a legend!?! when I grow up i want to be a magpie girl :)
using what we already have . . .
as you hinted at, it could extend way beyond the pantry for most of us
now we wait with baited breath to see what creative clever meal ideas you come up with from the pantry stock :)
I want to discover myself too! YEAH! I have a husband and children and seem to wear every hat that a wife and mother can wear. I need to do this because I seem to lose myself somewhere in the mix of things.
Okay, I want to take part in the challange. I will do my best to not buy anymore groceries this week. Actually, I don't want to spend money anymore this week.
"we're not here to save the world, but to serve the world that is emerging. That we're not against anything, but for something."
Rev. Michael Beckwith, who is the founder and spiritual director of Agape International Spiritual Center
Heidi... very very grateful for you, friend. Hmmm... I think last time I was out there we picked strawberries, which means it was a long time ago!
Kel... alas, you think too highly of my abilities :) I forgot I'd be out of town a bit this week, but I have been eating a lot of canned soup. Which I don't even like. But for some reason buy. Because I am insane. lol.
Heather... thank you :) Did you end up staying out of the grocery store?? How did it go for you?
Ahhh Patchouli... the Rev. Beckwith is clearly a wise man :) Thank you for that.
: )
I really want to do this too!! lol
It does feel so good when we eat what is in our pantry and not buy. I have done that before and I always feel so thankful in the end.
Hopefully I will do this starting tomorrow.
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