Okay (and it was fun!), the timer is set and my soup is cooking on the stove.

As I cut up veggies and poured in the broth, I thought about how cooking also means planning, grocery lists, shopping and putting groceries away. Those will need to be priorities, too. My tummy is in mild knots and my heart center is pretty anxious...it all seems huge, even though it's really not. But, it is for me, because since those are not part of my regular routine, each of them must be established. Okay, since my decision when I first woke up was that today is completely given over to this, then...

Next I get to:

* shower, dress
* choose one of the two recipes on my kitchen table
* turn off stove, let soup cool
* write grocery list for recipe and for salad ingredients and a few staples that are getting low
* go to WF, shop
* bring home, put away
* make myself a big travel mug of tea and recuperate with my feet up :)

It's almost hard to believe how enormous and longstanding this has been for me. It makes me pretty emotional to be this up front about it.

A few minutes later: Yum!! I just took a taste of my soup. I make really good improv soups!

One thing I'm noticing is that ordinarily I would fill a big bowl with a soup I had just made and have it right then and there. Because of the one bowl method I am observing myself struggle which is good. I want that bowl of soup and I want it right now. However, I just had breakfast a couple of hours ago and I am not hungry yet. Or am I? There's a feeling in my stomach, but is it
real hunger or emotional hunger? See? I'm stopping to ask the right questions now. I know it's mostly nervousness and I know I can wait until after I've done my shopping. That's exactly what I'm going to do!

Thinking of that little bowl each time I think of eating is triggering healthy responses.