Domesticated Lady

In Part 1 of this two-part post, I go into detail about how I manage my newly domesticated life via the P.D.C.A . method. I also explain that this method can be used to help facilitate reaching any type of goal. I only briefly mention what to do if the plan doesn't turn out because I wanted to wait to address completely failed plans in this post. So what if you've made and followed a plan? Then made necessary adjustments? Have been completely committed without falling off or becoming distracted? What if you've allowed enough time? What if you've done your part, but the goal isn't being met? And I mean, NO part of the plan is working! In fact, the more you work it, the further away the goal becomes... It's time for me to pause to say this... I am a Christian. This means I believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three parts that make up the one true, living God who is the author and finisher of everything that is, was or w...

It amazes me how often I'm asked, "But HOW do you manage it ALL?" Saying that I homeschool is enough for most people to think I'm nuts or have some type of super power. But when they learn that I homeschool AND work AND run the budget AND clean the house 99% of the time AND read books for fun & development AND prepare for Sunday School AND cook 95% of ALL of our meals ALL while managing my weight (90 lbs down) AND my lupus, they start to look ill. Or, they simply don't believe me. To be fair, before I grew to this point, I would have felt the same way. I also would have felt inadequate in my own efforts to manage my life. But, I don't like for people to have to dwell in the dark places that had once consumed me. So, I'm going to share my secret. A few years ago I was listening to a CD that changed my life. I don't remember the name of the CD or the man speaking. But, I remember feeling empowered once it was finished. A little bit of bac...

And I'm BACK!!! The month of May was so full, that I needed to take a recovery break. I truly believe in self-care, and that charity begins at home. Furthermore, sticking to my beliefs allowed me to avoid a serious illness that usually brings up the rear of busy periods. See, there was the 1.5 hour road trip and carnival during the first weekend, Mother's Day on weekend number 2, the Walk to End Lupus Now on the third weekend, and we rounded the month off with our fun-filled holiday weekend. Of course, I still had to tend to my domesticated duties and home school responsibilities during this busy season. And there's still my client whose needs must be met 5 days a week. Also, I was captain of my lupus walk team, and that comes with so many extra responsibilities, that I'm still trying to figure out how I survived the month. And if I didn't have enough to deal with, there were the attitudes and lack of follow-through from people who had committed to help, bu...

If being a woman in today's society was a hashtag, it would probably look something like this: #BossLikeAGirl!!!  Personally, I know more women entrepreneurs, professionals, in positions of power, with multiple degrees, with multiple jobs and with multiple lives than ever before. And these are young women. The most recent example of this is a young woman who quit her job on her 27th birthday to go into business for herself. Women are able to adapt at the drop of a hat.  "This week's check was short. Okay. Lemme wait to get... Now carry on." We hold the weight of the stress of having to make suddenly inconvenient changes without sweating or stumbling. You see, sweat ruins our make-up and stumbling scuffs our shoes.  When German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsch first stated " That which does not kill us, only makes us stronger ," I'm almost sure he'd been observing women. Just this week alone, I had to jump back into life as if my child hadn...

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching, and it's a holiday that should fall on a Monday. If anybody needs a three-day weekend, it's definitely moms. My house is one that stops running all together whenever I'm sick. So much so, that I dread the thought of falling ill for even half a day. God forbid I catch the FLU!!! I'm compulsive about keeping up with or ahead of my to-do lists and appointments. Though I tend to meet my own demands, there are times when I fall behind. This past week is the perfect example. Friday evening my daughter came down with a fever of 103.5 F. I didn't sleep well that night, or any other night until it finally broke. That didn't happen until Wednesday at 2 AM. We tried everything. Alternating Tylenol and Advil. Antibiotics. Popsicles. Nothing worked!!! She only got worse. By Monday afternoon she was vomiting all oral medications. True to my millennial nature, I Googled "home remedies for fevers" and came up with a Top...

"Repeat after me", my young pastor instructed from behind the pulpit. "I do NOT belong to myself!" "I do NOT belong to myself", chanted the congregation in stunned obedience. And that's when it hit me, again. I'm simply here to serve so that I can fulfill my earthly purpose . Once I have, it'll be time for me to go live with Jesus. You see, until I fulfill my requirements, I'm going to remain here. Regardless of the lupus I have, the neighborhood I live in and/or the obstacles I face. Therefore, none of those things should take up more time than what's needed to move pass them, so that I can keep moving along. In fact, I am certain that each of those things are distractions meant to keep me from reaching the goal.  Well, not today Satan. I'm fortunate in that, I know what my spiritual gift is. I was made to be a teacher . But not in the traditional way. The funny thing is, I never wanted to be a teacher , but life's...

Last week was one of the hardest weeks of my life. That is, with regards to my health. I had mouth sores that made it impossible to eat. A stomach ache that left my dry heaving. Sores in my scalp that were bloody. Swelling in my joints that caused a pain that left me grounded. And fatigue so severe that I felt confused for most of the week. I'm used to these symptoms. You see, they show up every time I have a LUPUS flare. Sometimes the symptoms are mild and relatively bearable. And then there are times like last week, where I'm certain that death is hovering over my deformed body. And if I'm totally honest, there are days when I know that going with Grim would require much less effort than fighting him off, again.  Flares like this last one leave me terrified of the arrival of the next one. And I promise you, there will be a next one.  Most people have no clue what Lupus is. So I'm going to take a moment to fill you in. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. This m...