Chore Chart, Line 5

From the readings for today, Sunday, September 4, 2011, the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

From the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
"Thus says the Lord: You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me. (33: 7)

From Psalms
"Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
          let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
"Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
          let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
"Come, let us bow down in worship;
          let us kneel before the Lord who made us." (95: 1-2, 6)

From the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans
"Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." (13: 8-10)

From the holy Gospel according to Matthew
"Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (18: 19-20)

Then Father Louis gave a homily that started off asking how would you know if you were an introvert or an extrovert; the answer can be found in how you "recharge your batteries." He pointed out that our spiritual lives are often more introverted than extroverted, but today's readings do call us to be extroverted in our faith as well, by witnessing to others and praying together, to live our lives dynamically & connected in a personal way to "another," both those neighbors we recognize and the neighbors we might encounter once in our lives as strangers to all but the heart of God.

I was pleased to see that my daily blogging would have "Pray Aloud with Someone" to happen on a Sunday, then tickled to know that it would be the same Sunday when I would be the second reader.

I am absolutely awed that today's readings and homily were about this. God puts it forth best; there is nothing I can add, but I can witness and say, "Amen, I'm trying, Lord."

Chore Chart, Line 4

I could start this entry with all sorts of cheesy song lines about sunshine. Tempting.

I should admit that I'm a "night owl" by nature, inclined to go with the idea that "if God had wanted us to see the sunrise, He would have scheduled it later in the day." My alarm clock (and others) have made sure I've arisen & seen the sun, but it's slow going, although I have seen my share of beautiful sunrises. These occur when I'm on vacation/camping or when I would, as an Auburn poetry professor once described it, "approach dawn softly from the other side." (I don't know if Rod T Smith was quoting himself or someone else, but I detect a sympathy with the idea of an all-nighter.)

I also sunburn easily and overheat easily in the direct sun.

Which is why this doesn't say "Get the Daily Recommended Amount of Sunlight for Adequate Vitamin D Production."

I know from news articles & personal experience that a daily dose of some sunshine makes me feel happier & more optimistic... if it's not burning up outside. Fresh air is a good pick-me-up... when it's not pollen season... ... which is almost everyday in the South. (Or mold season or dust season or air too cold to breathe season.)

Which is why I'm more likely to stay inside like an environmentally controlled mushroom. It's safer. There's no bird song or flowers or surprise breezes, but it is predictable. No dressing for it. Don't have to worry about one of the kids getting hurt, either. I'm lazy.

Yet, outside is magical. We discovered all sorts of red caterpillars on the passion flower vine on the back fence. Turns out they are Gulf Fritillary Butterflies, which are a vibrant orange, thin-winged species that feeds exclusively on the passion flower vines. We saw eggs, caterpillars of all sizes, a chrysalis and butterflies. Wow! Our own butterfly habitat! We've found box turtles patrolling the back yard, hummingbirds enjoying the blackberry lilies in the front yard. My kids are as avid of acorn & leaf collectors as any squirrel. My son's inquiry of "what's this" with the display of a "mini watermelon" led me to learn about the "Guadeloupe Cucumber," and it's controversy "yes, it's toxic, because if you eat enough, it's a powerful laxative," versus "no, they taste good, just eat the green ones." (The outside is magic; the Internet is interesting.)

Who am I kidding? I love the out-of-doors! I pick up lizards, chase frogs, want to catch a snake. I know which weeds are more approved as wildflowers. I can "chee" like a cheesed off squirrel. I think picking blackberries in the middle of a bramble is fun. I attract less than my fair-share of blood suckers, and I don't seem to be readily reactive to poison ivy. As I said, I'm just lazy. And worried. Even backyards and walks down the block aren't as safe as they once seemed to be. Just as I am denying myself joy because of my concerns & selfishness, I'm denying my little ones, too. So I'm doing this in little steps, returning to the world. It's missed me.

Chore Chart, Line 3

Exercise should be on everyone's Chore Chart. The benefits are obvious: flexibility, strength, endurance, better circulation, better respiration, increased metabolism, increased endorphins, and on and on.

Not so easy when I was born without an athletic bone in my body. It's not a habit I developed when I was young. I was always chosen last for teams, was the right-fielder's substitute's substitute and was a horrible failure at The President's Physical Fitness Test. So why should I even try?

But. I like to move & be active. I've liked dancing since I was an itty-bitty. Even though I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 8, once I "got it," I don't think I got off of it until I went to college. I can walk nearly 4 mph if I'm "in shape," which isn't bad for someone with flat feet. Then there were the eight years of marching band; high stepping while using all of your good breath for something other breathing is a workout.

When did I get off track? Dropping out of marching band in college to concentrate on partying. Stopping riding my bike in Alabama (it's not a very bike-friendly state like Tennessee & Illinois.) Making more time for more sitting & playing "stupid computer games" instead of walking & enjoying the wonderful world God gave us. Complaining that it's "too" hot/cold/wet instead of adapting. Having sedentary but mentally tiring "desk" jobs, or having physically repetitive but mindless service industry jobs. Claiming tired.... busy.... unprepared.....

I am now fat. And out of shape. If I weren't keeping up with two kids, and genetically inclined to handle extra weight, I'd be a real mess.

I am working towards doing what I enjoy. We only live a half mile from my son's school and less than a mile from our church, so I walk the boy to school in the mornings now. I continue on to the church on the days my daughter goes to MMO. Then I walk back home. When we finally see cooler temps in the next few months, we'll walk home from school & MMO, too. I'd like to add a trip down the greenway to my non-MMO days. We live next to a wonderful greenway that runs behind our house all the way down to the Tennessee River, and Huntsville, Madison & the County are working to make more greenways and designated bike routes. When I get one of my bikes fixed, I'll start biking again, too, if I can coordinate the kids & his future biking with my husband. (The worst part will be getting my bike-butt back.) These are easy & free things I can do. I could also make exercise a more social activity if we were to join the local YMCA; we're still looking at our budget for that one.

Truthfully, I feel better when I get moving. I feel happier. I get the extra pounds off. What it is the shoe company said? "Just Do It."