Today, I added three pennies to the joy jar. I’m using them as markers to keep track of an agreement of sorts.

And I decided I wanted to make round steak for dinner. But I didn’t have the right pot for it, having split the kitchen with the ex way back then, and not having purchased replacements. I specifically needed a low, wide stockpot. Do you know they don’t sell those separately? At least not in Paula Deen Red. I’ve been wanting this set for a couple of years and could not bring myself to buy it. But I needed it. For Dinner. I used four of those pots tonight. I can’t even remember the last time I had all four stove burners going at once!

Here is something else I thought about this morning. I am greatly distressed by the fact that I cannot get and keep this house clean. Then I recalled that the last time I kept a CLEAN house, 75% of my stuff was in storage, I had only three children at home, I was a stay-at-home mom with an employed husband. The only responsibilities I had were IN that house.

Since then, I have gotten all my stuff out of storage, plus acquired more. I’ve added three more children. And I have gotten a divorce. And gone back to school. I’m beginning to understand that I may be putting unreasonable demands on myself. It may be time to just decide how much time I can afford to allot to the house and accept that it won’t actually be clean for another decade or so.