May 1, 2020.

At the beginning of each week, on Sunday, and the beginning of each month, my favorite planner, Sacred Ordinary Days Liturgical Year, prompts me to reflect on the week and then the month behind and the week and month ahead. How I did and how I want to do. This is Liturgical Year A. If you were raised in the Episcopal faith, as I was, liturgy and the Liturgical Year is familiar to you. If you were not, it is basically the rhythm and flow of the church year. The church year begins on the first Sunday of Advent. December 1, 2019 was the first day of Liturgical Year A. Liturgical Year B begins on November 29, 2020 this year. Liturgical Year C will begin November 28, 2021. In 2022, we begin again with Liturgical Year A. The years are designated by A, B, and C, so that the church as a whole will be celebrating the same church season across the world and reading the same scriptures, found in the The Lectionary. I’ve included links, if you would like to read more.

It is May 1. Today I will, at some point during the day, reflect on April, which for the first time in history lasted approximately 3,428 days, and look ahead to May. What did I do well in April (eat a lot) and not so well (eat a lot of crap) and what I want to do better in May, presumably. The SOD planner specifically breaks down the following categories to reflect and reset: spirit, body, mind, relationships, home, work, and resources (which I call, “learning.”)

I’ve done some reflecting on April already and have come to the following conclusion: April was a wash for me. Toward the end of February, I came down with what I thought at the time was the flu but what we now suspect to be the Coronavirus due to the intensity and longevity of the symptoms. Honestly, I didn’t feel great and didn’t stop wheezing until about two weeks into April. My husband, who has been telecommuting from home for all the days contracted it as well, we suspect, since he was overly exhausted and had a lingering (for two months) cough. We are fine now, but for me, April was a rewakening to feeling normal and wanting to feel even better going forward.

Let’s be honest, a lot of us have been doing a lot of binging: eating, drinking, Netflix, sitting, etc. I know I have. I’ve also packed up the bulk of our home, done deep, deep cleanings, lots of list making, online house hunting, and all the things associated with putting one’s house on the market to sell and move to a new home. May will see that really ramped up as we hope the market will remain strong as the states begin to open up a bit. Our original plan was to put our house on the market in the fall of this year, but we will most likely move that to this summer and figure it out from there.

Some initial thoughts for May that I will be diving deeper into today:

Spirit. I have spent a lot of time in the Psalms (always my go-to) and working on the bible study we just finished up. I will continue both in May. But I am thinking I will read the Gospels in 30 Days this month, as well.
Body. Yep. My body is large and in charge after April. I have already cleaned out the fridge and cupboards and stocked up on healthy protein and veggies and fruit and roped my spousal unit to this ship moving forward. And for the love of God, Susan, get off the sofa!
Mind. For me, lots of carbs and wine directly results in a foggy brain. Unable to concentrate; headaches; extra sleep. The bad carbs and wine are out of the house and I can already feel the difference.
Relationships. I confess I have been less patient than normal with my housemate/co-worker/spouse. And I’m not the most patient in the best of times. He, on the other hand, has been over-the-top patient with me because he knows I am an introvert at heart and need some space and some quiet. I try to remember he is an extrovert and uses all. the. words.
Home. My home is rocking. The basement is currently being built back up from the studs and cement. There is no clutter. Cupboards and drawers in the remaining furniture have been cleaned out, purged, and organized multiple times. May will see the dreaded office finally cleaned out and painted. My daughters helped me begin that project in April. It’s a nightmare soon to be conquered.
Work. This has been a tough one for me. Since I’m no longer a paid worker (as of April 15, 2019), my work is supposed to be writing. I haven’t quite gotten into it yet. But I am working on it. (get it?)
Resources. How am I utilizing the resources God has given me to include finances, learning, property, etc. I tend to focus on learning in this particular category. I’ve been taking a couple masterclasses, including my favorite one so far, a writing class with Leslie Leyland Fields.