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Happy February, Druids. This month there is no full moon, as the Snow moon of February was early and ambitious and showed up at the end of January just in time for a spectacular eclipse, leaving this a month for walking in the dark as I make my way toward balance and harmony, in my life and in my soul. There is no end in sight to the contentiousness that the universe is sending my way, giving me the opportunity to acknowledge and release my own shortcomings, if I'm up to the challenge. I have worked hard to get where I am; the journey has been a difficult one since this time last year, and the year before that. I don't expect the Universe will be done with me any time soon, given that I have a lot of Ranger-ish tendencies, wanting to blast through the high growth with a Machete, taking the hill while singing rousing choruses of TeamFightSong. What's worse, I'm really good at this approach, so finding a still spot within is never my first inclination. At the end of last challenge, I was still working on this, and had just found a profound stillness within myself. This sounds wonderful, but it had its own dangerous element of detachment that becomes the abyss instead of the engaged distance of a balanced perspective. This challenge I'm looking for the path to be revealed. I have a number of elements in that activity to actually do, but this is less about tasks and more about a moment to moment mindset of finding calm in the chaos, of being the still point in the noise. I'm happy to have you along. Let's see what is revealed.

January starts with the Wolf supermoon and ends with the Blue supermoon. The end of the year holiday visiting and playtime have been wonderful, but now, taking a cue from the moons, it's time for some serious reflection. I need to sit quietly and listen, to look behind me at the fractured path that was 2017, to lean into the feelings and find the insights as I prepare to walk forward. I'm glad to have you along.

A final hurrah! for 2017, I'm letting this challenge span from November 19 - December 31 This challenge I'm going to put together some of the best parts of 2017, laying a strong foundation as I head out of this year and into the next. We have two major holidays going on in this challenge, and I'm looking forward to the structure holding me. Also, I have Yet Another Court Case at the end of the challenge, so all structure is good structure; my balance tends to get wobbly with court cases. The daily and weekly structure seems to work best for me, one of the lessons I've learned this year is that when I aim small I miss small, meaning that I can correct the course before I have strayed too far off the mark. This has been a really helpful lesson, not just in the gym or as a challenge element, but as a life tool. So with that in mind: Daily: Sleep Chronic Fatigue makes sleep elusive and fitful. Routine helps, so with that I'm hoping to #Fall back into a routine: Sauna or hot bath Swimming a few times a week, hopefully no less than three times. More is better on this front, so possibly daily. Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on December 1. Reading I have a bunch of reading that has to be done in order to write papers that are due on December 4. I would like to have them done well in advance of that, as I'm getting together with a spiritual formation group to discuss Learning to Walk in the Dark, which I'm really looking forward to reading. The talk is November 30, and I can't really justify spending the time on the book if I haven't finished my classwork. Also, I need to develop the daily reading habit once again. Knitting I am working on three different projects: A dress for me, a sweater for Vivian, a blanket for Vivian. It would be nice to wrap these up and have at least one to put under the tree for her. And of course, I want to wear the dress! Weekly: Therapy works. Legal Notes and Log Updates Court on December 19. Editing The classmates' work will need to have three readings between Dec 1 and Dec 8, with written critiques due Dec. 8. Future Planning I have a few elements that need attention for where I'm heading: Submission Packet to Hollins Scholarship packets to Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop - A and B Scholarship submission to BYM Women's Meeting Mantra: #Acceptance leads to #patience. #Patience leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

#Fall - into routine Daily: Sleep Chronic Fatigue makes sleep elusive and fitful. Routine helps, so with that I'm hoping to #Fall back into a routine: Sauna or hot bath Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on November 1. Knitting It seems to soothe me. Knitting helps me feel as though I'm not a useless slug even when I can barely do anything physically. It's a bonus that Vivian has started knitting with me and we are enjoying planning a blanket for her bed. She's the absolute best, and I am completely blessed to have her in my life. Weekly: Therapy because a week without it would be tragic. Legal Notes and Log Updates The court date isn't until mid-December, but the weirdness has definitely ramped up and there are lots of little things to take care of and note along the way. Editing The classmates' work will need to have three readings between Nov 1 and Nov 8, with written critiques due Nov. 8. Mantra: #Acceptance leads to #patience. #Patience leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

Wow. The end of the last challenge went through my life like a meat grinder. Mediation Workshops, threats of nuclear war, Personal Relationship Crumbling, Charlottesville. Thank goodness I have the NF community and the habits I've built with you guys over the past few years. One of the things that I know is that we will do it together, and we will go farther than we ever could have imagined. #Writing: After attending the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop, I applied for and got accepted into the Queens University MFA in Creative writing. This means that I have to read and write every day. I started a scheduled structure, and stick to it mostly. I need to continue it so that it is a solid habit. First submission due: September 1. I also need to submit a piece to a contest or so, since it would be a wonderful thing to get a cash award, and the validation wouldn't be awful. But the writing is the thing. Feel free to check out my progress in my tracking spreadsheet (two tabs). Also, I have a paper on American Exceptionalism to write that I got an extension on, and that needs to be swept up. #Writers Life #Mediation certification: I took all the required training seminars last challenge, and will spend this challenge getting the required practicums -- observations and co-mediation -- taken care of. Hopefully the court certification will be finalized by the end of this challenge. #FingersCrossed. #Communication with Vivian. My daily calls with my daughter were suspended when we went to court on July 6. This hurts, and she was in tears over it. The appeal hearing was moved to the end of October (two challenges from now, I think, but maybe three -- this is how I measure things). I'm now limited to calling on Monday and Wednesday. I wrote her a Garden Report and included a garden word search along with the pictures I took and mailed it to her, and thus began a habit of mailing her something most days. Harvey mails some days too. It's our way to stay in touch now. I send a puzzle or coloring page or whathaveyou. And then I'm going to write my pen pal, who is in prison. #SnailMailRules #Employment I interview for a position to teach GED classes at the regional jail. This resonates with me in ways that don't really make any sense, but in a very positive, contributory way. Part time. I'm thinking of it as a work-study component to the writing classes. #WishMeLuck #Self-care Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. Daily Sauna or hot bath Meetings A few meetings a week, especially on Wednesday, then therapy on Thursday and then the Friends Meeting every Sunday. Water reestablish the habit. Walking. My steps fell to hell as the office job progressed. I went from a ten mile a day habit to barely a mile, and lost the habit of walking thirty minutes every day as well. I'm hoping to put it back. #FinancialPlanning with the attorney: Financial worry is soul-crushing. Bankruptcy filing in Monday, August 14. #Acceptance leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

I don't have a clue when I last posted -- I know that the #BigHeavyWeight of it all wrapped itself around my shoulders on June 19 and I have been working my way through a bit of hell ever since. Anton Chekhov wrote that "Any idiot can handle a crisis. It's the day to day living that wears you out." And I've had about three weeks of living in that space. The good news is that I am brave enough to say I'm tired, brave enough to quit pretending all is well, brave enough to rest and to begin to heal. Another wonderful man once said "This is not the end, and not even the beginning of the end, but it might be the end of the beginning." #KeepSwimming My employment ended on June 3o, the afternoon after a demonstration by a company that can do everything I do, only from India. I texted my partner that I was pretty certain that I was going to be outsourced, and sure enough, I was shown the door the next day. #MoreTimeToWrite. #Writing: After attending the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop, I've decided to formalize my path as a writer. This is weird and vulnerable and scary for me. I need to keep a log of pieces that I have submitted (a New Thing That Just Happened on Monday) and pieces that need rework. I hope to have a submission, rework and new work every day, along with reading. Stay tuned. Feel free to check out my progress in my tracking spreadsheet (two tabs). #Mediation certification: I will be taking the Domestic Violence and the Family seminar on July 21, and then the Family Mediation Training in Richmond in August (next challenge). I'm still waiting to make progress on the General Court observation, but it will come in due time. The Family Mediation Certification will likely come at the end of August (also next challenge). It feels good to have progress on this. #Communication with Vivian. My daily calls with my daughter were suspended when we went to court on July 6. This hurts, and she was in tears over it. We go back to court in September (two challenges from now, I think, but maybe three -- this is how I measure things). I'm now limited to calling on Monday and Wednesday, which doesn't really make any sense, since the argument they presented was that I was inappropriate on the phone, so why would it be ok to be inappropriate two times a week? #MovingOn. When we were on the phone on Monday, we started talking about the garden and how it's coming along and she got a little sad. I said I could send her pictures, and she brightened up and said she would love that. So there it is, in the midst of the dark, the single star to guide me through. I wrote her a Garden Report and included a garden word search along with the pictures I took and mailed it yesterday. I'm going to write her every day, including a puzzle or coloring page or whathaveyou. And then I'm going to write my pen pal, who is in prison. #SnailMailRules #Self-care Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. Daily Sauna or hot bath Daily Meetings Reason 417 that not having a job is grand for me is that I get to return to my lunchtime meeting. It meets at 12:15 seven days a week, and I'm thinking of adding Saturday to the mix when my partner has overtime or a seminar. It fits perfectly after my writing workshop meeting at 9:30 at the local library, and then the Friends Meeting every Sunday. Water reestablish the habit. Walking. My steps fell to hell as the office job progressed. I went from a ten mile a day habit to barely a mile, and lost the habit of walking thirty minutes every day as well. I'm hoping to put it back. #FinancialPlanning with the attorney: Financial worry is soul-crushing. I recently read a report on the effects of poverty sapping nearly an entire standard deviation from a person's intelligence, and I can completely believe that. The mental peace that will come from financial clarity is huge. I have until July 31 to wrap this up, and am hoping that it will be done much sooner than that. It's only waiting on me at this point, so pester me for updates.

I'm coming into this round a bit worn thin. I don't think that the conflict is going to slow its pace -- last challenge saw the Whirling Dervish of Conflict speed its pace and extend its scope. The only sane response to insanity is more sanity, and in my case that means do less and center more. Elements in bold are the core target, with elements in italics being stretch goals. Love > Fear Stillness > Chaos Mind Writing (this is in bold because it's a focus point for the challenge, a point where when things get into conflict -- and they always do at some point, because that's life for you -- I can touch back to what is central) Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop. I'm taking a retreat to focus on writing my memoir. For real. Week 3 Class -- I'm enrolled in an online class, The Hero's Journey, for Summer term. It begins the week of June 19, so it will only just get included in this challenge.I'm super excited, of course. Bonus is that the classwork is advertised to be mostly readings and watching a film each week, with papers and discussion related to that. I think I can handle this, despite the burnout that threatened to overwhelm me last term. Body Nightly sleep I need to take care of myself by making certain I'm getting enough rest. If I'm worn out and exhausted, I can't be a good student / parent / friend. I need to be in bed no later than 9 p.m. I am hoping the meditation routine will dovetail with this. Nightly Floss Routine - this only takes seconds, so it's not as though it is really hard or anything. I have floss and coconut oil for oil pulling next to the toothpaste now, so it's kind of inevitable. Soul Daily mindfulness Daily quiet time Nightly Meditation and reading of Faith & Practice Weekly meetings & Connections : Women's Meeting Monday Home Group Meeting Tuesday Letters Wednesday Therapy Thursday Sponsor Meeting Friday Home Group Meeting Saturday Friends Meeting Sunday Radio Interview / Essay weekly weekly budget meeting with my partner -- Sunday Bonus: Financial Planning with the attorney: Financial worry is soul-crushing. I recently read a report on the effects of poverty sapping nearly an entire standard deviation from a person's intelligence, and I can completely believe that. The mental peace that will come from financial clarity is huge. I have the documents ready to deliver on May 26, and then we will have a strategy meeting to schedule. Hopefully this will all be complete by the end of the challenge, or shortly thereafter.

| Frost, or Isa, the Rune of Ice Attention to small things gives us real results in large things.This is my Why, and the Tao is my Way. The Rune Isa indicates stillness and reinforcement, a great theme for me this round. I'm going with a 3x5 (+1) for this, three goals with five elements each plus one life goal. Act (daily elements) - keeping in action to sustain the healthy foundation. Improvements are bonus, a happy accident of continued use over time. Morning walk -- 20 minutes Steam room and sauna meditation -- 20 minutes Hydrate -- 2+ litres throughout the day Sleep - 9p.m. to 5 a.m. Journal Connect (daily elements) -- nurture and be nurtured by my community Meetings daily Call Paula daily Call Vivian daily Friends group weekly Monthly newsletter thought of the day Sustain (weekly / monthly elements)- these are the things that keep me centered and whole, no matter what life throws at me. And trust me, life has a wicked curve ball these days. Katrina - weekly therapy Greg - weekly acupuncture Sunday - weekly reset routine Erin - monthly yoga therapy Candy - monthly hair appointment Freedom -- leveling up on financial freedom is a huge deal for a reason. It takes a lot of willpower over time, but it reaps long lasting rewards. Assess the landscape -- so much has changed since October that it needs a thorough reevaluation (Week 0-1) Plan (Week 2-3) Execute (Week 4) Weekly Monthly One-offs Challenge Item TOTAL Week 0 2/05-2/11 Week 1 2/12-2/18 Week 2 2/19-2/25 Week 3 2/26-3/05 Week 4 3/6-3/12 Morning Walk /35 Sauna meditation /35 Shower and dress for the day /35 Hydrate /35 Sleep /35 Journal /35 Sunday reset routine /5 Meeting /35 Paula /35 Vivian /35 Friends /5 Katrina /5 Greg /5 Candy /1 Erin /1

16: Returning to the root Be completely empty. Be perfectly serene. The ten thousand things arise together; in their arising is their return. Now they flower, and flowering sink homeward, returning to the root. The return to the root is peace. Peace: to accept what must be. to know what endures. In that knowledge is wisdom. Without it, ruin, disorder. To know what endures is to be openhearted, magnanimous, regal, blessed, following the Tao, the way that endures forever. The body comes to its ending, but there is nothing to fear.

Ice Heidi’s Yuletide 2016 Challenge The Big Why Attention to small things gives us real results in large things.This is my Why, and the Tao is my Way. Objectives: What I Want A peaceful mind. I value balance in all things, but especially in my heart and mind. Peace of mind vanquishes all. A healthy body. Happy family time. A clean and orderly home. Activities: What I’m Willing to do Attitude Awareness and Adjustment: Read the Tao daily, preferably with my partner, sharing our thoughts on the passage of the day. Go to work with a positive attitude, grateful wherever and whenever possible Sauna meditation daily Take care of the body that I have been given: Physical workout once a week Maintain a restful and restorative sleep schedule 8+ hours, with a gentle buffer for falling asleep and waking up Make time for activities that help Walking Acupuncture Therapy Yoga Therapy Play with Vivian Uphold the house system in place with love and care Clothing set out each week Dinner prepared and dishes washed with love and mindfulness. Challenge Item TOTAL Week 0 11/28 - 12/4 Week 1 12/5 - 12/11 Week 2 12/12- 12/18 Week 3 12/19 - 12/25 Week 4 12/26 - 1/1/2017 Go to work with a good attitude 16/19 M T W R F 5/5 M 1/5 T W T F 4/5 M T W 3/0 W R F 3/4 Meditation /35 M T W R F S 6/7 U 1/7 Meetings / Contacts /35 M T/3+ W/3+ SU Physical Workout / Swimming /35 S Set out clothing 4/5 1/1 U MT U Dinner & Dishes /35 M T W R F S U Sleep 8+ /35 M T W R S U M T W R S U M T W R S U M T Walking /35 M Playtime with Vivian 12/12 R 1/1 RFSU 4/4 RU 2/2 MTWRFSU 7/7 - Acupuncture 1/5 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 - 0/1 T Katrina 4/4 T 1/1 R 1/1 R 1/1 T 1/1 canceled by katrina Erin 1/1 n/a W 1/1

Oct. 24-30 . . . Do you have the patience to wait Till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving Till the right action arises by itself? The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment Not seeking, not expecting, She is present, and can welcome all things. Stephen Mitchell’s Notes: “Mud” stands for concepts, judgments, desires, expectations -- everything that obscures and narrows reality. The Master’s life is pure and placid: Predictable like the seasons Obvious as the moon. When our mind/heart becomes transparent, the light of the Tao shines through. Great acts are made up of small deeds. M T W R F S U Meeting X X X Call Katie X X 3 Calls 3 Numbers 1 3 Prayers X X X X 3 Acts of Service 1 2 3 Gratitudes X X X X X X X 3 Positives X X X Go To Work X X X X X Walk 5k steps X Sauna Meditation X X X X X Journal X X X X X Bedtime X X X X X Water 2L Katina -- housekeeping Weekly Elements Acupuncture X Katrina X Once A Challenge Yoga Therapy Editing Test

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. Lao Tzu I can't believe another challenge cycle has spun around again. The new timeframe seems to be uncannily aligned with my life's rhythms, to boot. Life is frequently like that.Last challenge I learned much - so very very much - about how love is stronger than fear. It was a lesson I understood intellectually, but had no true grasp on, and I delved in to put the principle into practice.It was as hard as it sounds. At times, I could not imagine how to release the fear, let alone find the love, but it was there, the whole time, waiting for me, whenever I was ready to receive.And now, armed with a new understanding, I can move into practice a step further, finding strength in the softness, in the compassion, in the unity. For we are all one; to injure anyone is to injure myself. I have no enemies other than myself. Unity can heal all divides.This challenge I flow forth as water: welcoming, accepting, unifying, undeniable strength through nurturing and softness. My tools along the journey are simplicity, gratitude, stillness. The sauna and the hot tub, the keyboard and printer are my allies. As a river does not flow in a vacuum, I will lean on my supporters and support others in turn. We will do more, together.

Hey. Psst! Yeah, you. Do you want to know a secret? Come, pull up a chair, scooch it close; let me tell you what I know. It won’t take long, because it isn’t much: LOVE IS GREATER THAN FEAR. Let me pour you some tea while you think that over, because that’s it; that’s all I know. I have spent a lifetime looking for answers, thinking I found them, watching them crumble or dissolve or simply disappear. But not love; never love. And it’s possible that the Beatles were right all along, that love really is all you need. Now, I’m not talking about the kind of love when a seventeen year old boy kisses a sixteen year old girl on a summer evening. That’s amazing and all, but that’s not the universe-centering sort of love that I’m on about. I’m talking about the love that comes from the core of your body and radiates into everything, without end, beyond the outer edges of Kuiper belt, still going strong, without taking anything out of you, never depleting, only connecting and lifting you higher. That kind of love softens everything before it, warms everything it touches, breathes life and fresh air all around. And it’s ours, whenever we want it. It is there in the grass, in every argument, no matter how far off track we have gotten. It is there in the wind, in the rain, in cubicle farm. Take a sip of tea. Love is in there too, and if you feel for it, you can feel fear and hurt recede, melt away. This challenge is about living in love, that kind of love, every day, even when I’m angry or hurting. Especially when I’m angry and hurting. Join me, if you care too. It’s simple; it’s free. It’s not exactly easy, but what is that is worthwhile? Either way, enjoy the tea.

Wow. What a wonderful ride it has been over the last few years. I am absolutely impressed with the difference small changes over time have wrought, and I feel as though I am standing on the peak of a mountain, valleys, streams and waterfalls around me, held by the love of the universe. And the way before me shows higher peaks yet, beautiful vistas for the journey, and I face them with strength and serenity. This challenge will encompass summer, with all the strange and delightful and at times surreal energy that comes along with an abundance of sun. Summer classes run from 20 June - the end of July for me, and I’m looking forward to a whole new kind of development. My focus is on the weekly accomplishments: Lead Development 2 books 2 TED talks Create 501c3 paperwork EIN Articles of Incorporation Offices Bank Account Newspaper - possibly next challenge, but lay the framework here Live Hike Acupuncture Yoga therapy Library Day Market Day Love the support of a daily routine In bed at 10 Out of bed at 6 Spend nothing, because you have everything Gym Walking Speak Out Response article Response Paper for Andy Response Paper for Jenny Tweet for Justice Tweet for Community Paper: The Power of Pamphleteers Mental Health Article Financial Freedom Article

Well, I'm not sure how it happened so fast, but here we are, in graduation month. I have had some huge successes so far this year, not the least of which are graduation and quitting smoking. But now it seems as though a lot of weird loose ends are all that remains, and my externally-imposed structures are all melting away. If I have learned anything, it's that I'm no good without structure. This challenge is about saying centered in what works while being available for whatever post-graduation life might hold. I've rediscovered walking, and @T2sarahconnor is helping keep me on track this round: no less than 7,500 a day, starting in Zero Week (May 1). I'm adding in planking every day, because I need to pick up that habit again, and I'm keeping yoga and sauna every week. Hanging out and celebrating in Week 2 with @Teros. Graduation will happen, too. I'm not certain what sort of job or whathaveyou life will bring my way, but it would be nice to have money or a purpose or both. I'll keep you posted, dear read, as ever.

School stuff: Leap week 1 Thesis edits to Advisor March 31 Complete 3/31 Conference Presentation April 2 (Epic Quest Moment) Complete 4/2 Thesis to second reader April 4 Complete 4/4 The Core: Languish weeks 2-5 Meetings 1 3 4 Acupuncture 1 3 4 Gym time 1 3 4 T'ai Chi / Yoga / Pilates 1 3 4 Library weekly 1 2 3 4 Ongoing House ideas: Paint entryway April 1-4 Paint kitchen Keep baking Rebuild entrance cover and pillars And something for my birthday. Complete 4/7

This challenge is about making the most of opportunities as they come up. I have a lovely foundation behind me so far this year, and some ends to wrap up, or items to put in place this round. I would like to make the most of my energy and my choices so that I am flexible and available to make use of opportunities that come my way. I'll be continuing with the near-daily gym visits. More than ever I have seen how beneficial they are to my emotional well being and balance. I have a good rhythm with my partner on this front, and it grounds me. We do T'ai Chi once or twice a week as well, and really like it. Vivian, now 5, has become a bit of a gym rat too, and days when she doesn't get in the pool are a bit gloomy for her. The thesis and conference paper final edits need to be completed and submitted and done and dusted by mid March. I'm looking forward to it, and wondering where the universe will lead me once it's all wrapped up. The onerous task weekly list will always be a part of my life, as will the gratitude and affirmations journal.

In keeping with all things "love" for this month, I'm including a lean on others piece. This month I will actively look for ways to accept the strength and wisdom of others. We are all stronger together. I am not alone. ~Daily Gratitude Journal continues, and will include when I'm grateful for the assistance of others. ~Daily gym will continue, with my partner. It's not as though I am incapable or disallowed to go alone, or anything. But it's a powerfully connected time when we go together. ~Onerous Tasks will continue, as ever, and I will make a note of how and when I am able to have help slaying these pesky kobolds. ~Papers: I have full rough drafts for the thesis and the conference papers due this month.

Focus and routine are the name of the game this month. Challenge: Go to the gym every day. Let's face it: I know what to do once I'm there. As part of a no-excuses approach, I've joined a gym with an indoor pool as well as a weight room and indoor track, and there's kiddie care for up to two hours every day. Life: TheOnerousTaskList Serious work needs to be done on this front. In an effort to simply be accountable, and to recognize progress, I'm inserting the stuff I do, as I do it. 1. Join the gym 2. Move the study downstairs 3. Set up the computer 4. Books and files downstairs 5. Set up daily routine for January 6. Meet with Guardian ad Litem 7. Court with Carol 8. Major tuition payment 9. CV to Rescue Mission 10. Get a new Sponsor 11. Apply to several jobs with the County / City 12. Get accepted to present at the ASPECT Conference 13. Create shared family calendar 14. Tuition balance paid and hold removed. 15. Registration for Spring complete. 16. Applications for financial aid complete. 17. Update of forbearance paperwork for student loans. 18. Update payment plan for ANU. 19. Deliver January payment to ANU. ================ Life Space List 1. Organize beans and grains 2. Shelf space for beans and grains 3. Shelf space in the nook 4. Build closet shelves 5. Unpack Harvey's books in basement 6. Hang cross, mirror and rosary 7. Untrim and remove Christmas tree

Welcome back to the Heidi Show. I'm settling into a new semester, writing my master's thesis and focusing on a life lived in balance on its own terms. Thesis: Work on it and turn something in every week. House: Clean it, organize it, and have less stuff overall. Exercise: Something, somehow. Part One: Do some research. Part two: Choose a schedule. Part Three: Do the schedule, as scheduled. Center: Meetings five times a week Love: every day

I'm late, but I'm here now. Let the Adventure begin

Elements in balance Water: Drink 2l+ daily STA +3 Earth: Sleep - lights out at 11 p.m. every day CON +3 Wood: Meetings Daily CHA +3 Fire: Physical therapy / walking STR +3 Metal: Meditation Daily DEX +3 Life Quest: Thesis work for MALS in Philosophy - this scares and thrills me. WIS +5 Maintain: I'm still working, not drinking, Whole30, not smoking, and keeping a minimalist household, all while dealing with the less-than-supportive and often-onerous-and-irksome legal issues of the exes. This sideline stuff is a full challenge in its own right. I'm not really awarding any points for it yet, but it does deserve to be listed so that I don't lose track of it. Whole 30 Legal stuff continues, but is far less in volume and in stressfulness There is, of course, the ever-present List Of Things To Do, which will be whittled on, again, which is enough to send a sane person shrieking into the distance. I'm using the two week break before the official start date to get some serious work done here. 15/35 complete, and 1 dropped as of official challenge beginning date. Stay tuned, sports fans!

I'm going through a really rough patch, emotionally. I'm cleaning up a bunch of messes, and that's never fun, often overwhelming, and in this case there is plenty of drama too. So I am trying to find focus and balance, a calm within the chaos, peace within the storm. Legal Stuff: There is a list of Horrible Things that I have to do, that simply must be done for my own well being and that of my family. This list was begun last challenge and will likely continue on through this one. STA +5 Filings - not necessary! Complete ​Restraining Order - not necessaryEndangerment - not necessary[*]​Hearings: Restraining Order - 4/22 DismissedRecognizance - 4/28​Custody 4/24 - 5/4: I stopped fighting. Ethan now lives with my mother and I wish them both all the best.Visitation - 5/4 complete. First visitation is scheduled for June Guardian ad litem - complete 4/19Support - 7/22Garnishment (might not happen until after this challenge, but there is work to do in the time leading up to this hearing) preliminary settlement complete. Hearing will be a formality now. 4/17 to sign paperwork. Hearing is in early June.Hearth & Home: I worked my tail off the last few weeks of last challenge to straighten up the home, and it looks pretty good. There are a few things remaining to do, and of course there is always maintenance that is a daily necessity. CHA +5 Vivian's Bunk 4/10/2015 completeMy Office 4/16 complete​Side Table - to storage 4/18 completeSort and store paperwork 5/4Organize current legal filings 4/15, 5/5 completeOrganize work projects - 4/17 - project complete 4/24[*]​House & Stuff ​Donate books - 4/15Return books to PH -- give to my Mom since they are Ethan'sReturn cello to PH -- Ooops! Still here!Clean out Ethan's Room -- DONE! (Thanks Teros!)​LoftBookcasesFootlockerClothing​Reorganize Girls' Room - 5/14 completeClean up Computerremove extraneous programs - 5/15 completeSet up backup drive and program - 4/10 complete[*]​Fruit & Vegetables ​Clean out fridge every Monday or Tuesday before Vegetables come -- totally on track with this! (go me!) Week One - complete Week Two - Complete Week Three - complete Week Four - Complete Week Five - Complete Week Six - Complete Cook good food every day Week One 7/7 Week Two 7/7 Week Three - kinda lost my footing this week 4/7 Week Four 5/7 Week Five 5/7 (the other two days we ate leftovers) Week Six - 7/7 Final Payment for Fruit & Vegetables -- pending for next challengeMind, Body & Soul CON +5 Attend therapy as scheduled by the transition team- complete, as this is now part of Ethan's management file at my mother'sDoctor appointments as scheduled - Great work on this all challenge so far.Annual Exam 4/14MammogramTherapy - 5/13B12 shot monthly (twice during this challenge) -- oops. Missed this once.D3 weekly Week One - complete Week Two - Complete Week Three - Complete Week Four - Complete Week Five - Missed Week Six - CompleteKung Fu when possible Did workouts in weeks two and five, but no kung fu. Steps are up, and food choices are excellent, since I went Whole30 starting week five. Meetings daily Week One: 7/7 Week Two: 7/7 Week Three: 6/7 Week Four:7/7 Week Five:7/7 Week Six:7/7Also, I started a new job as a paralegal, and have finally made a career change. Bonus, I love the firm and the type of law they practice. I need to keep my center enough to be as good an employee as possible. This is kind of pass or fail, as I either find my footing and succeed or flail around and lose their confidence in me. WIS +5 Week One: Not enough progress. Need to focus and find time. Week Two: Delivered project piece on Monday. 85% of project one. Week Three: Delivered Project. Week Four: Delivered several small project pieces. Week Five: Got a beautiful huge assignment and wonderful feedback on the quality of my work!! Week Six: Motivation and time management fail -- need to pull this one up by the bootstraps

Eat, Sleep & Be Merry Completely Reworked Goals on 2/24/2015 Wow. For the last year, I have been really pushing hard. It’s time to stop, regroup, and restore. I’m a hardcore minimalist, and this challenge I’m keeping my goals lean and trim: Eat. Eat well. Last challenge I noticed that I wasn’t eating, not because I was full or because I was mindfully fasting but because I couldn’t be bothered. Wait. What? I love food. But I left it until late in the day, and we all know that 50-75% of our calories should come before dinner. And I know that carbs, especially in the evening, are a real drain on my energy and my health. Sleep. Lights out at 11 p.m. Yes, really. If I’m not rested then there is no way that I can perform, and it’s beyond stupid to expect anything different. The Joy of Quiet time. Every day. Be joyful, and be still. They aren’t as mutually exclusive as we tend to assume.

I did a huge amount of work last year, and just as we left the short, dark days behind us, I felt as though I had truly turned a major corner in my life, heading toward the light personally as well as with the seasons. The accomplishments and insights have been a game-changer personally, and I am ready to begin a new chapter in my life story, and I’m interested to see what this path brings. However much work was already done, work isn’t over and done with; far from it in fact. Instead of doing the same things I had been focused on all last year, and improving with, I will be taking on a new set of tasks and challenges and obstacles this year. While I’m excited, I’m also a little intimidated, since new tasks are easy to fail because of the lack of familiarity and fluency. So, like any good adventuring druid, I’m going to need to check in with the basics as I start out. Mind This challenge will see the last six weeks of my paralegal studies. I have a lot of work in these classes yet to do, and I need to wind it up so I can start something else. Classes every week, with homework and tests and projects and exams along the way. Graduate. WIS +2 I have a new job! This means I will be learning a whole bunch of new stuff on a daily basis. Heaven help me. I’m going to have to focus. I’ll probably end up taking notes. Job 5x/weekWIS +2 Therapy: the family will continue to be in therapy for this challenge (and through to summer). We are getting our legs under us and doing well, but it’s still work and we seem to learn stuff every week, which is good, but takes a lot of reflection and attention. Therapy 4x/week WIS +1 Body: Be good to your Sim every day! Rest: Get to bed on time. Every Day. CON +1 Food: Eat often. I almost always eat well, but the job and routine change will create havoc with my system, so I will need to remember to pack snacks and eat them. Every Day CON +1 Water: The stuff of life. Make sure you get at least 2L since there will be more coffee than ever with the workplace. Every Day CON +1 I like to move it move it! Specifically, I will need to be mindful of walking, since having an office job will definitely put a crimp on my freedom to go hit the greenway. Goal: No less than 6250 steps a day. 7500 would be better. Every Day STA +1 Strive: It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t add in something new. I have contacted some former colleagues to arrange a carpool for going to kung fu three times a week. 3x/week STR +1 Soul Clean up the clutter Every day. STA +2 Find Quiet Time Every day. STA +3 BONUS: Life is expensive, and it has lots of paperworkSet up auto savings Set up direct deposit Make a budget for 2015 File taxes for 2014