Lent approaches…
Kasia February 23rd, 2009
Sorry to have been away so long – it’s been difficult finding time and energy to post lately – but I seem to be on an upswing, so I’m making the most of it. 
Canuck and I are settling into married life surprisingly easily. We’re still trying to get the condo to look like a home rather than a storage unit with a bathroom, but we’ve made some significant progress on that too.
Bathroom. Scale. Ugh! I haven’t gotten on the scale since before the wedding; a couple of weeks ahead, I just stopped weighing myself. I figured that if there was bad news, that wasn’t the time for me to find out.
Trouble is, ignorance is really bliss when it comes to that. I was trying to cheer up/give perspective to a friend who (wrongly) thought I was soooo much thinner than she was, so I pulled out a tape measure and said “Let’s go.” The good news is that she felt much better; the bad news is that I found out what my measurements actually are. It’s hard to fully enjoy that luscious brownie sundae when that obnoxious little voice in your brain is whispering your hip and waist measurements to you, you know?
But apart from the obvious Church-prescribed days of fasting and abstinence, I don’t think I’m going to make my Lenten penance be food-related. I am going to start being more careful, and am going to try to eat more fruits and vegetables and drink a lot less pop, but not tied to Lent.
Meanwhile, a dear doctor friend of Canuck’s and mine gave us a really nifty scale for a wedding gift – it’s one of those ones that, in addition to your weight, tells you what percentage of your body weight is fat. (EVIL friend! EVIL! OK, so we registered for it…shut up…) AND it’s got two memory settings. So for the month of March, I’m going to make a point of weighing myself once a day – again, not tied to Lent, just trying to form a new habit. Come late March or early April, maybe I can start building in a little bit of exercise. Nothing intense, just a short walk or somesuch. (SHORT, Big Seester. You and I will not be walking together any time soon, you freaky half-marathon-walker! Love, Leetle Seester.)
As for Lent, I’ve asked my beloved husband to try to come up with my biggest flaws so my penance can hopefully work toward mitigating them. For some inexplicable reason, he seems hesitant. I wonder why?…
It’s hard to fully enjoy that luscious brownie sundae
Sorry ’bout that!
For some inexplicable reason, he seems hesitant. I wonder why?…
“I am so smart. S M R T. I mean, S M A R T!”
No need to apologize, DJ – I could’ve declined!
And really, you could sub almost anything in for “luscious brownie sundae” and it would fit. “Second bowl of Fruity Pebbles this morning” comes to mind… :-p
Yes, you and Canuck are both very wise men…
Canuck doesn’t want to end the honeymoon just yet. Can you blame him?
For now, the stars are still in the eyes, the wedding ring is bright and sparkly and you, my dear, are perfect and flawless. Revel in it. 
Think of it a different way…. Instead of focusing on your flaws (perceived or actual), ask yourself, “In what ways am I weak when it comes to listening to and following God’s plan?” or “How can I grow closer to Him in this season of astounding grace?” For me, one of the things I’m doing (to ruin by blog post for tomorrow…just for your benefit….) is that because I often find it difficult to really listen to what God is saying, I am committing to reading 2 chapters of Scripture each day. i had thought about journaling daily (I have a really hard time with the *daily* stipulation, if you couldn’t tell), but I thought that I don’t really have a problem with talking, but with listening — hence the change; I’m actually going to let Him speak.
Maybe every day, you could make an extra sack lunch for Jesus, and give it to someone who doesn’t have a lunch. Or do a different ‘random act of kindness” each day — to take care of the “least of these.”
In my defense, I thought I was buying a scale for your food……I know, I am a ditz….:-)
No, Nina, you bought a kitchen scale! My friend who’s an ER doc in Tacoma bought us the bathroom scale.
I did observe to Canuck yesterday, somewhat amusedly, that of the four MDs who attended our wedding (two of whom, of course, are you and your husband), three of them got us scales of some sort. (The fourth wanted to get me a subscription to an academic journal until he found out I’m no longer in grad school. So he got us a vase.)
And we appreciate both scales – actually, Canuck reeeeeally loves the kitchen scale. Seriously – he was telling TBS last night how much easier it’s made his life in terms of kitchen work.
I’m a little irked that we haven’t gotten our thank-you notes out yet, but there are reasons for that…it’s not a lack of appreciation though!