mental health day

It's been quite a while since I've had a real "mental health day".  But today was such a day.  My youngest had a haircut appointment at 3:00, and this year the only way I can swing hair appointments is to take off of work.  Last time I just took half a day.  Today, I figured it was a good excuse to skip the whole darn day.

I got dressed and made my lunch just like I was going to work.  Is that dishonest?  It was MY mental health day and I wanted to do what I wanted to do.  Alone.  Us introverts recharge by being alone. 

I took the kids to the bus stop as I do every morning.  At 6:10, it is still dark (except for a couple of weeks after the time change).  A few mornings we have gotten there and the bus was waiting.   Not sure if it was waiting or if we just arrived at the same time.  Today from a street over, we saw flashing lights where the bus stop is.  Our buses are pretty flashy in the darkness.  But alas, it was a fire truck. Just stopped in the street.  I waited a minute and then crossed in front of it (trying to get out of the way)  It blew its horn at me!  Sheesh.

I started off my morning with Mass.  There is no better way.  This little church is not too far from my house, and I try to hit daily Mass there once a week...usually on Tuesdays, when my parish doesn't have Mass.  I like this picture that shows the light coming from within this gloomy morning.

After that, I passed by my school.  I had to drop off some lemons and check on paperwork that I had only half-way filled out.  Have I mentioned that we have lemons?

Lots and lots of lemons.  We have "squeezed and freezed" at least 30 cups of lemon juice.  Probably more.

After a brief visit at school (I am NOT here...you never saw me...) I went to the nearby church.  It is open during the day and a wonderful spot for me to spend some time with Jesus.  This is my before-school stop and usually I just visit with Him in the tabernacle, but on Tuesdays they have Adoration.  I spent a good while there - probably close to an hour.  It was nice to be able to take my time and not rush.

I took the pictures "on the down-low", using my zoom and without a flash.  I didn't want to disturb the other "adorers".  It occurred to me that Jesus first had to endure the cross before he could be present to us under the appearance of bread in the monstrance.  One such an ugly reality, and the other so beautiful.  Our lives parallel that in some ways.  We endure...in hopes of that eternal beauty.

After this, I moved on to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill.  Normally, I don't work out on Tuesdays, but I'd left my water bottle there yesterday, and figured that "something was better than nothing" in the world of work-outs.  I really don't enjoy working out all that much, but I do feel better when I do.  I come in, do my time and leave.

It was a dismal fall day.  Misty off-and-on rain.  Gray skies.  Cold.  Wind.

I went across town to deposit a check and to do a little shopping.  I bought 4 advent candles.  Yeah, I know I'm a little late, but I have not been able to find them this year.  I may be the only one in my family who has missed them.

For the first time, I have a house that is decorate-able, so I looked at Christmas decor.  Oh my!  It costs some $$ to look good.  I guess I'll have to work up to decorating very slowly.  Or just appreciate other people's decorating that much more!

All in all it was quite peaceful and enjoyable.

I picked up my younger after school to take him for his hair-cut.  For some reason, his brother rode the bus home.  While I was sitting at the hair place, my phone rang.  He was home, but had lost his key and it was cold.  I told him to jump the fence into the back yard and the dog would probably keep him from freezing to death.  His brother had a complicated solution that involved going through the attic and assumed that a door would be unlocked.

So being a problem solver and a critical thinker, he came up with this.  Step on the chair.  To the top of the government trash can (that just happened to be in the backyard, because they cleaned last weekend).  To the top of the kitty litter bucket (we had filled it with acorns).  A jump to grab hold of the railing.  Pull yourself up.  Step over the railing and into the unlocked balcony door.

He demonstrated.  Ah...to be young and strong again.  Upper body strength and all of that.  Oh well.  Sometimes I'd just settle for being able to walk and cough at the same time.  But I digress....

All in all, a pretty decent day.  I think it went much better than the observation I had yesterday.  I'll have to cover that in another post.