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Jun. 20th, 2009 07:09 pmI've been keeping really busy lately, and am feeling better overall. My main project these days: starting in on clearing out the squalor we've let accumulate.
Just recognizing that I do, indeed, have that level of control over my environment these days has boosted my spirits quite a lot! This hasn't always been evident, after growing up with a hoarder--now I'm working through a mire of learned helplessness. I'm trying hard to learn decent strategies for dealing with clutter, since I didn't have much opportunity to pick that up earlier. We deserve to live in pleasant surroundings, not amidst piles which give me panic attacks. ;)
Not too surprisingly, one of the things that inspired me to get serious about "working smarter" was the realization that this is a great example of not being able to help anybody else very much while living in a depressing physical situation. Not that I don't deserve better, anyway, but it's definitely been helping isolate me. There's also the rather self-perpetuating physical clutter relating to mental clutter factor.
Today I took a break from cleaning, and we traipsed off to the market with Max in tow. It was a pleasant outing. Max still isn't sure about crowds, but gradually desensitizing him is helping; he's keeping his tail most of the way up now, instead of shivering like on his first trip down there!
I actually controlled myself around the greengrocers, but still came home with about two lbs. each of peaches and cherries (£2 all told), a huge assorted box of veggies (with a head of pointy cabbage fresh enough to still have a resident slug!) for £1, and some meat from a non-market butcher's. We're getting some braised chuck steak with veggies tonight, along with fresh peas--also from the box--and potatoes. Tomorrow, it's slow cooker rabbit, with most of the rest of the veggie box. :)
We've started getting less meat overall, since I just can't justify buying the not-so-responsibly raised stuff. I haven't gone veggie again, since I've seen how much better I feel eating some meat, but we'll be getting plenty of beans and the like to keep the food budget down. That's all to the good, even if![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vatine might not be looking forward to more seething vats of legumes. *g*
Just recognizing that I do, indeed, have that level of control over my environment these days has boosted my spirits quite a lot! This hasn't always been evident, after growing up with a hoarder--now I'm working through a mire of learned helplessness. I'm trying hard to learn decent strategies for dealing with clutter, since I didn't have much opportunity to pick that up earlier. We deserve to live in pleasant surroundings, not amidst piles which give me panic attacks. ;)
Not too surprisingly, one of the things that inspired me to get serious about "working smarter" was the realization that this is a great example of not being able to help anybody else very much while living in a depressing physical situation. Not that I don't deserve better, anyway, but it's definitely been helping isolate me. There's also the rather self-perpetuating physical clutter relating to mental clutter factor.
Today I took a break from cleaning, and we traipsed off to the market with Max in tow. It was a pleasant outing. Max still isn't sure about crowds, but gradually desensitizing him is helping; he's keeping his tail most of the way up now, instead of shivering like on his first trip down there!
I actually controlled myself around the greengrocers, but still came home with about two lbs. each of peaches and cherries (£2 all told), a huge assorted box of veggies (with a head of pointy cabbage fresh enough to still have a resident slug!) for £1, and some meat from a non-market butcher's. We're getting some braised chuck steak with veggies tonight, along with fresh peas--also from the box--and potatoes. Tomorrow, it's slow cooker rabbit, with most of the rest of the veggie box. :)
We've started getting less meat overall, since I just can't justify buying the not-so-responsibly raised stuff. I haven't gone veggie again, since I've seen how much better I feel eating some meat, but we'll be getting plenty of beans and the like to keep the food budget down. That's all to the good, even if
vatine might not be looking forward to more seething vats of legumes. *g*