How am I Doing With Those Virtues?

Glad you asked.

• Temperance -- I'm doing okay with this one. I've actually been trying to conceive since last christmas, so I've had to keep from too much drinking or anything. On the other hand, I have not been eating well. Let's just say it's a bad thing that Costco has jumbo sized bags of chocolate. On the other hand, thanks to Flylady, I also signed up for Saving Dinner, in order to help me make a good, healthy dinner every night. I just started last night. I'm not sure this will last, since some of these recipes are not wowing me. On the other hand, it inspired me to work on the Holy Grail of a perfect computer-based recipe system. In XML.
• Silence -- I'm really not doing well at this, I don't think. It's hard to say. After all, maybe everything I say is of benefit to someone. I really don't gossip much, or talk about things that make no difference. I do chat with my son's teacher sometimes, but that helps us get to know each other better and strengthens the relationship between her and my family, and the stories are charming illustrations of my parenting style. Right?
• Order -- Since moving to our new house, I've been trying to find a place for everything. And heck, that's why I'm currently obsessed with Flylady (are you tired of hearing about her yet?)
• Resolution -- Well, I think you know how bad I am at that.
• Frugality -- I'm also not good at that. Hopefully when I get more organized, I'll be better.
• Industry -- Ugh. I've improved since I became a mom. there simply isn't time to waste all that often. Does playing Age of Empire count here? I mean, everyone needs a little hobby, right? Some way to blow off steam? Hmm.
• Sincerity -- I'm mostly good at this. There are just a few people I can find no way to keep from harboring ill feelings about and ridiculing them mercilessly behind their backs. Generally, I just avoid people I can't stand. In their cases, I cannot, due to obligations of some kind.
• Justice -- This I'd say I'm good at. I don't hurt people, and I do my duty. I'm sure I could improve -- there are times I yell at my son or snark at my husband that are surely not necessary. Hmm. Actually, I'm not that good at this one. I should, uh, "do my duty" to my husband more often, if you know what I mean. And spend more time playing with my son -- I spend a ton of time, but after cleaning, working, cooking, and so forth, his wedge of my time isn't very big. I'd like to give him as much as I can.
• Moderation -- In some things, I'm good. In others, not at all. I mean, look at my blogging! Silent for a month, then 20 posts in a day. I tend to do that a lot.
• Cleanliness -- I clean myself daily. I should shave more. My clothes are always clean, but I should take more time to remove stains and get out wrinkles. My habitation (I adore his word choice) is not that great. It is improving, though. I also recently cleaned my car, with was turning into a mobile trashcan. Thank you Flylady!
• Tranquility -- That is so not me. It should be. I'll work on that one, Ben. (You don't mind if I call you Ben, do you?)
• Chastity -- Er, well, I'm faithful. I swear I only use it for health (heh) and offspring. I could use more of the latter.
• Humilty -- Oh my. I have a huge ego. I can't help it. I suppose I should work on this, too. Though in the past, I keep the ego, but add in heaping scoops of self-hatred. Or at least a complete lack of self-confidence.

I think I should go back to doing one of these a week, like my buddy Franklin did.

My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen; and, as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arrang'd them with that view, as they stand above.

He goes on to say:

I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively. Thus, in the first week, my great guard was to avoid every the least offence against Temperance, leaving the other virtues to their ordinary chance, only marking every evening the faults of the day. Thus, if in the first week I could keep my first line, marked T, clear of spots, I suppos'd the habit of that virtue so much strengthen'd and its opposite weaken'd, that I might venture extending my attention to include the next, and for the following week keep both lines clear of spots. Proceeding thus to the last, I could go thro' a course compleat in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year.

Is there a way to have a permalink in Blogger? Maybe I can leave the week's chart at the top of the page.