Summer Recap

We're a full week into Lent as of yesterday.  I've taken some photos, and I've done some writing.  I've been relatively consistent about this, but I've also missed a couple days.  I won't make excuses or apologize because this is more for me than anyone else, and I'm okay with it.  I have a lot of other disciplines going on in my life, and missing a couple spots here and there is acceptable.

What other things are going on?  Work and school are probably the biggest deals.  40-some hours geared towards making a livable income certainly takes a chunk out of anyone's week.  Thankfully, I like my job, my employer (most days), my boss and the folks I work with.  School is a mixed bag time-wise.  I have one class on campus, and it's easy-peasy!  If I really want to solidify what we've discussed in class, I retype the lecture notes, but as I currently have 130% in this class, I'm not feeling highly motivated to push very hard.  The other class is an online class, and while I feel like the time/work ratio is pretty generous, I still find myself occasionally scrambling for time.

Add in family time, social time, household maintenance (that catbox doesn't clean itself!)--oh yes, and we can't forget personal time--I sometimes feel like I run out of time.  So we must accept that dropping a ball now and then is going to happen, and it's just not stress-worthy.  I don't have time for stress!

Speaking of stress, I had so much this last summer--and lived to tell about it--that it's almost worth a post by itself.  But I'll tell it now anyway. 

1. It was my first time to take an online class, and it was a math class to boot.  I've had "issues" with math since about the first grade.  Condense sixteen weeks of math class into eight weeks and remove the instructor from the picture for a sufferer of math anxiety.  Yeah, it wasn't the best choice and it wasn't very fun, but I passed the class and took home some valuable experience. 
2. My Amazing Boyfriend and I took our first ever vacation together right after class started, so I spent a lot of our vacation time at the computer trying not to pull my hair out.  We survived the vacation and learned a few things about each other.  (A subsequent vacation went MUCH more smoothly!)
3. I took on a new position at work.  Unfortunately, we didn't have a replacement for my old position for a few months, and while most days were fairly manageable, two or three really big projects thrown in the mix didn't help.  Once we found a replacement, there was lots of training to do along with my new job.
4. My youngest daughter, Miss Boo, was out of the country for five weeks, dealt with a bout of homesickness, and then nearly got stuck in Argentina due to volcanic ash grounding flights in Buenos Aires at the time she was supposed to leave.
5. A beloved uncle passed away while Miss Boo was still in South America.  I was sad she was unable to see him a final time or attend the funeral service.  Fortunately, a memorial service was held after she returned, so she (and I) were able to connect with lots of extended family.  His passing was very peaceful, and we (as a family) did a good job of support and closure for each other.  While it was a sad thing and I still miss him very much, it was also a really beautiful time.
6. I had to move from my home of two years.  This was another blessing/curse situation.  My landlady's daughter wanted to move back home, and as we had no contract in place, I was asked to resituate myself.  Househunting and moving really sucked, but I'm so glad Anj was able to come back home, and it's been a joy to see her.  I ended up moving in with my Amazing Boyfriend, and that has had it's own slightly stressful adjustment period, but overall it's been a Good Thing.

That was my summer.  Good things came out of every stress there was, and as I mentioned, I survived.  But a lot of it was gross and yucky at the time, and I'm glad summers like that don't come along very often.

Now that summer is over and Christmas is wrapped up, we're through Epiphany and got our ashes.  How are you doing so far with your chosen Lenten disclipline(s)?