Done for the Week: Home for Christmas

My husband didn't make it back yesterday, as we had anticipated.  Apparently, Europe got more snow than they knew what to do with--literally.  You know it's not good when the first email you see upon waking Sunday morning displays the subject "Bad News," and goes on to detail chaos, long lines, threatening future forecasts, and no solid idea of when/if its author will ever return.


My sons and I put the unwanted additional separation time to good use, getting our tree up and decorated, and finishing a number of household rearrangements, cleaning and repairs.  But we are ready to be done with holding down this crumbling fort without assistance.  


Below is what I can remember accomplishing during this whirlwind week.

Done for the Week:  Dec. 13-19

1. Continued off-season race training; biked three times 
2. Succeeded in getting one son to gym with me once
3. Finished The Deepest Blue:  How Women Face and Overcome Depression, by Lauren Dockett 
4. Continued reading The Zen Path Through Depression, by Philip Martin, and Undoing Perpetual Stress: The Missing Connection Between Depression, Anxiety, and 21st Century Illness, by Richard O'Connor; and continued adding to my library stockpile
5. Took steps to resolve problem with not-for-profit organization, and to limit and focus my ongoing support
6. Worked my two part-time jobs
7. Published 5 blog posts
8. Wrote 7 Gratitude Journal entries
9. Wrote 5 Morning Pages
10. Meditated twice
11. Saw my therapist
12. Attended Solstice celebration, sans snowbound spouse
13. Attended Jobs Rally
14. Attended Community Meeting on Jobs Emergency
15. Attended Transitional Jobs meeting
16. Attended Board meeting
17. Participated in several transcontinental skype calls with absent spouse
18. Arranged for furnace repair, thereby restoring heat to our frigid home
19. Got electrician here for aborted wall oven install; ordered correct size and arranged return of too small model, and of electrician
20. Ordered replacement bathroom mirror and glass for dining room table  
21. Took my son out for (nonalcoholic) Happy Hour
22. Watched our two favorite basketball teams play 4 games, with son 
23. Foraged for food at the grocery store several times
24. Survived fourth week with absent spouse
25. Survived spouse's return Survived spouse's aborted return, when Europe was snowed in
26. Did lots of laundry
27. Gave significant but subtle support to two teenage sons stalled on the "launchpad" 
28. Made a significant dent in Christmas shopping
29. Got my husband's car's muffler repaired--for less than half the original astronomical estimate
30. Paid monthly bills
31. Got our Christmas tree up and decorated

Last week's focus goal was the same as the previous week-- "put first things, if not first, at least earlier in the day. . .  and to figure out what those first things might be, on any given day."  Last week, I determined that these first things (highlighted in green above) are generally blogging, meditating, exercising and keeping to the routine I've established for making progress on my novel.  This past week was a slight improvement over the previous one.  I maintained my Monday through Friday blogging; I exercised three times--one time more than the previous week; and I managed to meditate twice, even though my sangha did not meet for the second straight week because of site conflicts.  My novel-writing time, however,  fell victim to my grandson's cold, which prevented him from attending preschool, and thus me from observing my writing routine.  

This coming week culminates in Christmas, with all that implies for disruption.  My focus goal for this week?  Same as last week.  And again, I hope to continue to improve.  At this rate, I'll be holding my book party in a nursing home.

Last weeks' most important accomplishment, in my view, was resolving the previous week's crisis/dilemma concerning the nonprofit I have been deeply enmeshed with for the past couple of years.  I have high hopes that my future role(s) in this organization I continue to care about will be more limited, and more appropriate.  


This coming week will begin with a delayed reunion.  I imagine the adjustment will take up its share of these last few days before Christmas--as in the day my husband will "be home for."