What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Friday, March 01, 2013

February in Review


The month of February, in a nutshell.

  • Wrote and mailed 10 letters/packages (not including the donation packages, of course.) 
  • Lost 4 more pounds.  (It took me weeks and upping my calories to finally break my plateau but it happened just in the nick of time to lose something before the month was up.  18 pounds lost so far.  ;-)
  • Overpaid the mortgage, but not as much as I had originally planned.  I have made a big change here to my thinking.  Fact is, I am worried about the economic future and not just a little bit.  After reading/listening to a few reputable economists on the subject, and considering their recommendation to NOT prepay a fixed rate mortgage but to instead save that money, I have prayerfully decided to change my goal for the year in this area.  From now on, my monthly goals will be to overpay the mortgage by $300.00 and set the rest aside for savings.
  • I finished paying off last months' electrical work job.  I had to use this months' car fund money, just like last month- but now it is done and over with and I can focus on getting a car fund started.
  • We didn't have any company over this month.  :-(
  • Thanks to {P,H,F,R}, I am taking pictures every week again!  
  • Matt got $40.00 all to himself.  He has quite a little pile stacked up already.  I wonder what he will do with it?   

  • I didn't FINISH making anything for myself this month- but I am *working on* knitting myself a pair of fingerless gloves.  But since I am a novice, it is taking me...oh, three times so far to get the cuff right. 

Just a few of my goals for the year.

16 comments:

Bonnie said...

I was just wondering when you were going to post your review! Yay for the good things!

Did you find the book?

I'm thinking I might need to re-work my calories, except that I'm not even eating all of those (according to MFP and my goal, I should be eating 1800 a day. However after some re-search before starting MFP, I also need an additional 300-500 to account for nursing). This is so befuddling.

As a lucky letter recipient (um, and incase I forgot to tell you because I've been planning it all out in my head, heck-yes I wanna meet!), I will some day reciprocate in kind. Amy, you too. Like maybe after Z. graduates...

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Regina said...

Good job on the weight loss, Rebecca! I had my biannual visit today as well and had a very good report. Good things! :) My BP is down, my weight is down, my triglycerides are down...now to bring the HDL up! LOL

As for the fingerless mitts, you're ahead of me! I've been saving so many different patterns for fingerless mitts, now I have to try to decide which ones to make. LOL It's a difficult problem to have. :)

I finished another felted bag today, adding pretty wooden buttons. If I sell it, that's great, but if not it's alright. I'll use it for Bibles and choir folders. :)

I'm so glad to hear your updates. It honestly helps me look back on my own month and think that I'm actually making progress, even though we've been so incredibly sick around here.

Terri said...

You did a great job this past month, Rebecca, and it was a short month! I had a very productive one as well. That is always a good feeling! Keep up the good work.

Unknown said...

Wow! 18 lbs!! You are doing AWESOME! :) I ordered the book you recommended in a previous post...the one that was a tear jerker!?! Can't wait to get it!

Bonnie - I would LOVE to meet you both someday! :) You are really a hop, skip, and a jump from me...so we have no excuse...I'm going to actually meet an online friend this month as we are going on a trip to see family in TX!

Leah T. said...

Another great update! What an awesome job on the weight loss!!! WOOHOO!!! :D

I'd love to hear more about the line of thinking that says you should save money (which is consistently decreasing in value) instead of paying off a mortgage. I don't say this to be critical I'm just curious. I mean what happens if the economy does crash and your hard-earned money is now worthless. One of those conversations that would be easier had in person, I'm sure. :)

I've been reading a bit more this last month than usual but not as much as I should or would like to.

Like Regina, I've collected so many pretty patterns for fingerless gloves over the years and have yet to make any! They are definitely on my "To Knit" list for this year. :)

So are you doing any seed ordering or garden planning?! I'd love to hear about it if you are. I'm getting so anxious for spring!

Wendy said...

Rebecca...I am so sorry I haven't got back in touch with you regarding going out! I'm not even sure when you sent it..ack! I am in western pa right now and will get back you! Also...totally forgot about the money gift:-(...I am just on a roll. I will give it to you when I see you next. Talk to you soon.

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Unknown said...

Yoohoo...I was home from church today and read Heaven is Here in ONE day...soooooooo good and soooooooo convicting! Thanks for the recommendation!! I cried also!!

I am thinking about joining PHFR with you too! :)

Abigail said...

#1. EIGHTEEN pounds! Yippee! Wahoo! and all that! You have earned this, sister. Great job on all your hard work and discipline. It must feel good to see some tangible results!

#2. I bought John this t-shirt for his Christmas gift. I highly recommend his essay on cheese. "But cheese has another quality, which is the very soul of song..."

#3. I like your blog in this dreary lull of February's end and March's beginning. The ranunculus at the top makes me happy. (They are one of my favorites; if you ever find bulbs to buy for a reasonable price, let me know, and I'll love you forever.)

Rebecca said...

Bonnie- no. I didn't. It was a dorky little kid book that I could have replaced from Amazon for $3.00 but they wouldn't let me and I instead had to pay $25.00. ouch.

Befuddling? Totally. :-)

Regina- WELL DONE! The most rewarding parts of losing weight are the changes that you DON'T see, things that help prolong your life and make you WELL. It is hard work (and a pain) but well worth it in the end. Your projects sound wonderful. Of course- I think it is ridiculous that I am making fingerless gloves right before spring- but you, no doubt are a fast knitter and can whip them up quick! Smart cookie.

Terri- thank you! And I never thought about it being a short month. That makes it a bit more impressive sounding. :-)

Leah T- I will be happy to expound~ I'll write you a letter soon. As for seed ordering/planting/planning, that is on my TO-DO for THIS WEEK. (Matt has off this week so NO school- which also means I *might* be able to tackle projects I can't ordinarily tackle during a school week. Garden planning and Taxes are the two BIG to-do's.)

Wendy- enjoy your visit and let me know about a girls night. I'd love one! AND SOON. :-)

Amy- oh, DO! That would be fun! Glad you enjoyed the book. Yeah- I cried through the whole thing. Weren't you just amazed at the outpouring of love from her brothers and sisters? That is what struck me most, I think.

Abigail- that is SOME shirt! And ranunculus are some of my favorites too- but silly me, I didn't think you could actually GROW them around here. (Blonde?) I guess I will have to be on the lookout for bulbs. Oh- to see a real, live flower.

Abigail said...

Your hair is blonde; your brain is not.

I actually researched it last March when I was looking for bulbs locally. They're planted in direct soil in the warmer zones, but in our zones, we can still enjoy them if we work for them. Plant indoors three months before l.f.d., take them out in the spring, and then enjoy late spring blooms. One site even made it sound like they could be direct-soil planted here, too, but I can't remember where I read it, so I wouldn't risk it.

Okay. Break time over.

Abigail said...

p.s. The shirt is a riff on the Che Guevara shirts that young, revolutionary-minded rebels wear.

Abigail said...

p.p.s. I'm better than a spam-bot, aren't I? Someone should pay me for this.

I returned because I forgot to tell you exactly what Matt's planning to do with all that cash. Tract. Tor. Every man needs two of them, don't you know?

Full of Grace said...

I don't know HOW you keep up with everything AND update your blog AND MyFitnessPal...You are heading into adding superwoman standard in my perception of you, not just being Martha Stewarts long lost daughter ;) If you ever think you aren't good enough, look back at all you accomplish even in a week! I think you may actually amaze yourself!! :)