Inside Out -- makeovers

We are driving back to Calgary today. C.C. and I on the road south by south west. He's promised... really he has... to work on the yard with me this weekend. We're beginning to look like that one house in the neighbourhood that makes all the other houses look bad because of the discord on the yard.

I did finally get the Christmas boughs off the front porch though. And removed the miniature lighted Christmas trees from the walk. But the dead and spindly tree that was to have been picked up by 'the yard guy' has not yet been picked up. After Christmas 'the yard guy' had placed it upright in the snow with the intent of coming back to get it later.

For awhile, it looked rather nice. Tall and proud, branches still green and full. It looked like it was growing there. But then time took its toll. Needles began to fall. Branches to break and, by the time he returned to get it, the trunk was frozen solid into the ground. "I'll be back for it in the spring," he said.

Spring has sprung. The frost has left the ground and the tree toppled over in a windstorm and is now parked in rusty-coloured needleless disarray at the edge of the drive. I'm hoping 'the yard guy' gets there soon.

There's lots to be done. Our house is reaching that age where it needs more than just cosmetics to prop it up.

Like my body. No amount of cosmetic can cover the lines etched into my skin. And while I can't do much with the lines I can do a lot with the sagging skin and aching muscles. I can get working, get going, get doing more to stretch and build and tone and smooth bulging thighs and drooping waistlines.

It's been one of the many gifts of this past week. I've walked every day. Eaten healthily. Slept well and slowed down my hectic pace to a more manageable version of living life in the moment. I've not spent a great deal of time responding to emails or phone calls. I've not been checking into the office every hour -- yeah for me! I've disconnected as far as I can to give myself a chance to renew -- energy, passion, spirit.

And in that renewal is the realization -- I need to give myself medicine in the now. In the moment of living -- not at some distant date.

Like our house. It house is asking for tender loving care. For some attention to its needs in the moment so that it doesn't become shoddy and disheveled looking. so that it doesn't require major work to take care of the things that needed taking care of at the time.

Time to give it a make-over from the inside out. Think I'll join with it in making over my body too! Inside out -- here I come!