day one... I thought I was preapred

Today is the first day of Lent. I have been planning this day for months. 
Mostly not even dreading it. 

At least, I wasn't until last night when I realized that today was the day. 


Day One of no production of trash. Remember that scene in Say Anything when Lloyd meets her dad for the first time and pulls out this beauty: I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.

I love him even more for that now.I am only 16 hours into this day and it has been hard. 

Partially hard because we have worship tonight and I had many last things to do to prepare for it that I wasn't planning on doing. When we are under stress we often cheat--we do things that we shouldn't and normally wouldn't (like sneak a cigarette or a glass of wine) and today it would have been so great to just drive through somewhere and get a fast meal as I took Hannah to her IEP meeting. But I didn't. waxed cups.paper napkins.greasy paper.

Today, I have wiped my hands on my shirt after washing them in the bathroom--thanks no paper towels
I have dried a dish on my scarf--once again no paper towels
I opened a candle and stood and stared it at for 3 minutes trying to decide what to do with the plastic that it was in. (I decided it was recyclable)
I went to store to buy some hand towels so that I could stop drying my hands on my clothes
While there, I looked at the packaging in the deli case trying to find something that packaged in a recyclable container (bc I couldn't plan ahead and pack a lunch this morning). 
I noticed that packaging is like a chastity belt.
I have pulled scrap paper out of the trash and walked it over to work room's recycling bin.

 I have been aware of my footprints today. 
and it makes me fear dinner. 
crap. 
I don't have time to cook a meal tonight. 

This day has been hard. Which I guess makes it a very successful first day of Lent.  

I still have 7.5 hours left in this day. I hope someone brings me a plate of food with just the right amount so that I don't have to start the compost pile tonight, a cloth napkin (which would be so much nicer if our dryer was working) and a glass of cold water. I don't think that will happen. So, I guess I will just have to be mindful of the way that consume all by myself.