Weekend Coffee Share, Upward

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer on her Blog . Today, my beverage is a hot, Tazo green tea with honey. It’s gray outside, so I slept late and feel no need to hurry. Bixby is filling the house with the little pitter patter of dog footsteps as he moves around the house.

He stops now and then to let me pet him or bark at the front window when someone walks their dog on the sidewalk. He always keeps us safe!

I blogged a few days ago about still dealing with sinus issues ( slowly improving) and getting the new-to-me car this week. Sunday is when I traded in for a 2021 Corolla. I’m in debt again. Ugh! Still, I like this car, it’s much safer, and it’s a smooth ride with Bluetooth for phone calls and Spotify playlists! Pretty awesome…

The color is Blueprint blue. “Sure looks good on you!”😊

So, with my birthday coming up, I’ve asked for two car-related gifts. The price for this car was good, considering it’s low mileage. Hence, I was willing to overlook small stains on the seats and get seat covers. That means, I’ve asked for them for my birthday, which is in a few days. 🙂 My boyfriend already got the paint pen for my car’s few scratches, and it has arrived!

The school week was challenging in the sense that some had to finish up work, some students were too amped up and just didn’t work, and I was monitoring all that while selling and distributing yearbooks from my classroom. Thursday afternoon, I took time off to come home and rest my voice which isn’t back to normal yet. There are no regrets!

I went back to work Friday. Several kids were absent, but the morning classes finished work and then played “teacher and students.” I got to play the principal and fired a temporary teacher. Next week, they want to do a court trial on whether that teacher was fairly dismissed. 😊 I just love their creativity! In the afternoon class, I taught some of them how to play Scrabble and we did a few games. It was fun!

Games are really enjoyable when students want to learn something new and are glad to spend time with their teacher and to be respectfully competitive with each other. Three students in my first class made up a competitive card game based on figurative language concepts. Two in a later class made up a game on socio-emotional concepts involving prompts and acting out a scenario. More creativity! They will play the games next week!

Handsome dog!

I’ve got Miles Davis playing, and it sounds like a coffee shop in here! In a while I think I’ll transform it into a yoga studio for one… well, Bixby tries to overtake the mat. Upward dog, anyone?

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Midweek Musings, Too Multi-tasked

Here’s to another day of teaching middle schoolers at the end of the year ( no new content, just encouraging creativity), selling yearbooks, and recovering from an upper respiratory virus. I’m not sure I even can give 100% to any of these things individually at the moment.

Writing and being a writer is in the back burner, but this blog is part of writing. However, today this post feels like a cry out into the winds of chaos….”A break, I said…I just need a break! Please?”

By the way, I did buy that new-to-me car, which ate up a huge chunk of last Sunday, but I feel much safer now, so I don’t regret it! Soon, I’ll have time off to finish vacation planning.

That’s really all I’ve got for the moment. Thanks for hearing my impassioned plea for respite!

Weekend Coffee Share, on the Upswing

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer at Natalie…Blog Home where she shares about many travels and visits. I’m drinking chai tea with honey, on the end of a sinus afflicted week full of popular culture fodder to stave off boredom.

Yes, I had a banner week of doing nothing, allowing myself to rest and get over this bug. It ran it’s course, but my head was hurting most days. I had very sensitive eyes one day, and the next they were watering constantly with runny nose. Yuck! Temperatures were between 99 and 100.7, so I can’t complain too much there. I also had a cough, but it got better with each day.

On Tuesday, my boyfriend had this floral arrangement delivered on a day I felt horrible. As we both love dogs, it’s adorable and perfect! Can you see that bandaid on the flower in front that would ostensibly be his leg? Yes, so cute. It really brightened my day. ☺️ He’s a keeper!

The window in my bedroom really lets light in, so I didn’t sleep enough during the day. I slept alright at night, since my energy was so low. I tried to read, but that didn’t last long due to my tired and pressured eyes. So, I started a book on Audible titled Verity, and it captured my attention. It’s definitely an adult book, but the plot swept me up with deceit, murder, psychosis, and a plot twist. I highly recommend for adults only.

Needing to alternate between phone time and other activities, I subscribed to HBO MAX and watched Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David, creator of Seinfeld. Sometimes I got tired of his bad attitude and sorry luck, other times I found it hilarious. Then, there was the Twitter news of our president and FL governor, pop culture news of which celebrities are miserable in their marriage or were abusers or had addiction troubles. Yeah, I could’ve done without that.

Through all this, I re-discovered a taste for audiobooks; I can close my eyes and picture the story while someone else reads it. It’s great for when my eyes are tired. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still enjoy reading through Kindle while on a bike at the gym.

My son has been kind and ordered dinner in for us one night. He seems to be sick now that I am getting better. It’s hard to stops these things, as he frequently would walk in the kitchen while I was there. He’s a young, hearty twenty -something, so I think he’ll be better soon.

Bixby wants me to throw the ball!

Today, I am welcoming the sunlight through the blinds and feeling much better. I have a pretty dry cough that just sounds like a response to springtime allergens. No problem. I’ve got this!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and a Happy Mother’s day!

Weekend Coffee Share, Ironies

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie at Natalie the Explorer Blog. My coffee share usually is accompanied by chai tea, but today it is green tea with honey. The rules don’t forbid it, and if they did, I’d break that one. 🙂

A quiet, gray morning lets me sleep in late. Yes, I needed that. My plans were to go to the zoo today with my boyfriend. However, today is the day I discover that the headache I had all week was the sign of a cold. I feel it in my throat today. There was one year I caught a stomach bug on the day before Spring Break started. So, I guess it could be worse.

My mom has been out of town and will return Sunday afternoon, so Bixby has been lonely during the day. He has survived, though, and he’s so happy when my son or I get home from work.

Flashback photo: Bixby, protector of the house.

Last night was couch and relaxation time for me and Bixby, and my son put on the movie Us by Jordan Peele. It is mesmerizing, with so many unexpected moments and great acting. Yes, even though I’ve seen it before, it’s still mesmerizing. Lots of Ironies abound in that movie 🍿.

So, I have no pampering appointments today, and my free-to-do-whatever day is probably going to be a napping and resting day, out of necessity. Such is life.

Have a great weekend, and some relaxation, friends, writers, and readers!

Weekend Coffee Share, Don’t Just Survive

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. A cold chai latte with cinnamon sprinkled in top is sponsoring my energy this morning. I slept in, thank goodness! Grab your favorite wake up beverage for a chat!

Lana del Rey is coming through the speakers, and Bixby is enjoying the morning as well, looking pretty contemplative. Work has been way too hectic, so I just won’t think about it today. I got a flat tire last night in my neighborhood as I was almost home from work, so I put that off until today, but I’m not in a hurry.

This is my weekend, after all. I try to avoid committing to much of anything except self-care on my weekends. I work quite hard during the week, I’ve raised a son, and I pay my bills. I believe I deserve down time. My health is a priority. I just need to reduce my Amazon purchasing. 🙂 It’s a goal!

Last night,I revelled in Netflix and sleep. I didn’t make any calls to find out anything about tires. I ordered dinner delivery for myself and my son (another costly habit to reduce). It’s what I needed, and it was tasty! I took time this morning for a full, healthy breakfast. It’s a beautiful morning to enjoy!

My son’s cast-iron plants, a gift that has been part of our family since he was first-born , are finally coming back. Spring is in full-force! Their rejuvenation is quite reassuring and is a much better thing to ponder than discipline at school or a flat tire that happened out of nowhere.

Yes, I’m practicing self-care with reckless abandon, whether in my mindset or my weekend activities. Earlier this week, I went back for Zen acupuncture again. It really helped my stress level on Thursday. I shared photos and a post about it here: Mid-week Mellow Out

That’s all for me. Today is what matters now. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Midweek Meditation?

Ugh, I struggle with meditation. I think I hold anxiety everywhere in my body. I tried to calm my busy mind last night. I turned on some relaxing music which helped my brain, but it is hard to shut my brain off. I had a purpose for meditation, to think about where I hold anxiety in my body, there’s so many places. So many injuries, each with a story of their own. Many mishaps and accidents due to my dorkiness, someone’s inattention, or someone’s bad driving; probably the biggest problem though, is how my brain reacts to these things. I think I need my meditation to focus on nothing.

Of course, that Celsius energy tea I had at lunchtime didn’t help me shut it all down when it was time to go to sleep last night. I tried to ask my aching legs what they’re trying to tell me, then something else chimed in like the back of my neck, and then I remembered my achy shoulder which constantly hurts because I seem to have shoulder impingement 100% of the time since I hurt it in 2020, despite shoulder rehab.

I don’t know if it’s good or bad at this point that I am slightly kinesthetic in my habits and that I can’t thrive being still for too long. I’ve had a lifetime with phases of aerobics, weight training, kick-boxing classes, Zumba, yoga. Now everything is modified, on my own, but I am still moving. There is a time for everything. I need to learn to honor the time to shut it off, to just let my brain take in some mellow music, and let my body rest.

Anyhow, I am not giving up on meditation, but I think meditation on something specific defeats the purpose for me. I need time to shut it all off and let myself just be. It was hard after a conversation with my ex as well last night. I need to stop taking on other people’s drama. I need to just be. That’s my new goal. We’ll see how this goes!

Weekend Coffee Share , a Haiku Kind of Day

With Miles turned up high

A chai latte in my hands,

I greet the sunshine.- (c) 2023

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer and shared by various authors around the globe. It’s a bright, sunny day, so my latte is chilled. The aforementioned music is The Greatest Hits of Miles Davis, lively yet relaxing.

It was another hectic, fast-paced week at school. I put my feet up when I got home Thursday night and relaxed until my boyfriend came to get me for dinner at a barbecue restaurant. The meal was good, and there was lots of venting about our jobs, and also plenty of things we laughed about together. Laughter is the best thing for stress!

Friday brought appointments. I had a thyroid ultrasound, which went well despite the long wait. Then, I went to the chiropractor and asked him for a “gentle” adjustment. When I’d gone two weeks ago, my back was still sore for about two days after the adjustment. I think my nervous system is in stress overdrive with spring frenzy and test season. Stress is bad for our health, but I felt good after this adjustment as he really listened to my comments and self-assessment of my reaction to two weeks ago.

Ah yes, test season. I’ve been teaching compare/contrast writing and assigned an essay for them to write. I have a new student that asked for a lot of help but really got going, and I could see a light in her eyes as she kept getting ideas. That is the joy of my job. Some don’t let me help them, though. I’ll just remember the good points, I guess.

Before yesterday was over, I got online results of my thyroid scan, and all is well. Today, I have nowhere I have to go. Of course, I’ll do my Saturday cardio….when I decide to. I plan to go to church for Easter service tomorrow, which is always beautiful.

A happy Easter to those who celebrate, and have a great weekend, everyone!

Weekend Coffee Share, Spring Crunch

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer . It has been a warm weekend, and my Saturday morning blog ritual is a Sunday brunch post for this week. I have a nice, cold mocha to match this warm weather. How about you?

This past week was a busy one, even though Monday was a planning day. I had to catch up on some online training in the morning on planning day, and had signed up for some training for that afternoon, so most of that day consisted of me sitting at the computer, and responding to things brought up in training. I’m glad to say I completed all of it!

Tuesday and Wednesday morning we had testing of students in their home room. This involves actively monitoring the students and maintaining a calm, quiet environment as well as filling out certain required paperwork. My habit of wearing sneakers almost daily is paying off, I must say, because to truly actively monitor, I must be moving around a lot.

Thursday afternoon, I went to the chiropractor. I like his holistic approach, which is different than the last chiropractor. This one manually adjusts my back, neck, and leg/ hip area (which he helps me stretch first). It’s such a relief after I feel that little crack in my back, and I get sooo relaxed. My back was sore the next day, though.

Testing season is stressful on a teacher as well as the students, so my extra stress may have added to that back pain, and my shoulder pain was acting up again. I haven’t been back for more acupuncture yet, but I’m glancing at my calendar now and planning to do so. Speaking of stress, one of the things that helps me de-stress is my dog, Bixby. This week, we celebrated National Puppy Day. I don’t remember what day it was, but I posted this cute throwback photo of Bixby:

Graduation from PetSmart Dog obedience training at age 7! (Still a puppy) 🙂

Friday night was time to relax and sleep after a healthy Thai dinner. I had appointments for my taxes and to get my hair done Saturday morning. I am happy with the results of both. Last night, Chris and I went out to eat with my son, who will be 27 soon. It blows my mind! We enjoyed ourselves at a seafood restaurant. My son let me try his aviator frames.

Trying to be a cool kid!

We went back home and Chris watched an old movie with us called The Game. Chris left early, having worked Saturday. I slept pretty well knowing I did not have to wake up at a certain time this morning, so I did sleep in and then watch the church service online. Easter is coming soon. Time is flying back. I’m getting along, though. I have a little bit of grading to do today, but perhaps I’ll paint a little as well. Another de-stresser!

Have a great weekend and a great week to follow. Take some time to do something just for you!

Weekend Coffee Share, on Relaxation

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. While it is quite warm, we have some clouds rolling in this morning. Bixby and I are just sitting around as I sip my chai latte and rub his ears now and then.

So, you and I are having a virtual coffee visit in my virtual cafe replete with roaming lap dog. I ask how your week has been. You likely are a blogger, or at least someone who likes to ‘somewhat’ read and possibly, write. What have you been reading? I’ve recently finished “Life is So Good” (on Audible) by a 102 year old African American man, in honor of Black History Month and in rebellion for the fact it was banned in some schools…for it’s honest depiction of how black men were treated in the past.

This last week has been very active and rush rush, at times a challenge with rambunctious middle -schoolers. Add to that the fact that a fellow teacher and friend quit teaching and his last day was Friday, we had an hour long meeting planning changes to teaching methods, and my usual club and personal activities continued (News Club, trivia with friends on Tuesday night, and coordinating yearbook).

I continued my journey into stress and pain relief with a Zen acupuncture appointment Wednesday after work. I didn’t fully know what to expect; the chiropractor had told me that it involves small needles placed in strategic places in order to promote energy flow and relaxation. The one needle in the top of my head was for energy, he told me. I wasn’t expecting that one, but it wasn’t too distracting.

The other needles went in quickly and we’re fairly shallow. One of my eyebrow kind of stung a little, but that’s subsided. There was very relaxing music in the room and a large screen showing several beautiful places in our world, such as fishing villages, oceans, and mountains. That started relaxing me before the needles even went in.

Yeah, I had to see what this looked like!

While this didn’t address my dominant pain areas, it did promote relaxation as I had been told it would do. It was a great experience and I plan to do it again. I sat there for 20 minutes with those needles in, laying back in that comfy chair, and taking in the sights and sounds that seems like a dream. I still think this was a good introduction to acupuncture for a squeamish gal such as I. Like I said, I will do this again, and in time I plan to try the dry needling to address areas like upper back, neck, and bicep pain.

Wow, I feel like such a brave adventurer! Later today, I am going in for a massage. Something about springtime, the pollen, and my allergic reactions kind of ramped up pains and headaches this week, so I believe there is no way I could do too much for my relaxation right now.

The rest of this weekend will bring brunch with some girlfriends tomorrow, and later, some time to plan activities for this coming week for my students that will keep them busy and engaged.

Ah, it has started raining. It’s a great day for massage and self-care! I hope you had a good week. Enjoy your Saturday!

Weekend Coffee Share, February 25th

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I had peach mango V8 with breakfast and now I’m enjoying a chai latte on a sunny morning. I think it’ll be in the 80s again today, much like it has been all of last week.

This week was a short work week, as I prefer! Students are getting a little hyped up as we get closer to Spring Break, though. It gets a little tiring. I’d love to be excited about Spring Break too, but having to tell kids repeatedly not to do things they should know not to do can wear a person down. Don’t get me wrong, I do have some very bright and responsible students, and I enjoy my job overall.

Since we were off Monday, I had a doctor’s appointment. Afterward, I came home for lunch and painted for a while. It’s my new hobby to help destress and an outlet for creativity. It also doesn’t bother my hand or shoulder like writing/typing stories, which I still do, though at a very slow pace lately!

A desert sunset. I’ll get better with time…

On Thursday, I went back to the new chiropractor, and I’ll be getting acupuncture next Wednesday! I’m so excited. I look forward to new avenues that can lead me to pain and stress relief. This chiropractor does manual, hands-on adjustments. I was shocked the first time he quickly turned my neck and got it to crack. Immediately, I felt the tension melt away, though! Similarly, he got my back to make that crack. It felt better; I can’t argue with the results!

Friday night I went home and relaxed. I watched Netflix, read a little, and sat around with my feet up. Bixby enjoyed laying on the back of the couch, as you can see!

Toe beans!

Yeah, maybe my dog is a little spoiled. 🙂 So, now I’m contemplating exercise. My plan was to go to the gym, but I currently have my feet up again, and I’m thinking yoga is what I need. I promise, I will do one of the two options for at least 30 minutes! I’ll just give myself the option of choosing which is best.

There’s still no resolution to the law on books in the classroom, which was worded as openness in curriculum and based on a section referring to legal consequences if a teacher makes a book with pornography available to a student. So, no reading choices are available on my bookshelf. The list that has been made available to me as a teacher only has the reading material that is in our curriculum, which is online. Very limited, if you ask me. This is my own opinion, not that of my employer… you know the drill.

That’s all for now. I’m still contemplating exercise. I hope you all have a happy, healthy weekend!