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!

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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, Sloth-like Saturday: Smiles and Sleep

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Today’s morning beverage is green Tazo tea served warm with a hint of honey. The morning weather is in the high 40s now. The sun is shining, which suits my lazy-late-sleeper attitude today!

Don’t be jealous, though. I certainly don’t usually sleep late enough! The warmth of my bed and my dog, Bixby at my feet helped the cozy atmosphere. I woke once to put the electric heating pad on my bum shoulder; it gets more uncomfortable with cool/ cold weather.

This past week on Thursday afternoon, I had my appointment with my new chiropractor, which is closer to work for me and also offers acupuncture. The office is airy and friendly, and there is lovely music in the reception area which is manned by a long-haired male receptionist. The chiropractor, who also does acupuncture, spoke with me about my needs, goals, and experience with chiropractic medicine. His adjustments are hands-on. There’s a window up high in the consultation room, again, nice and airy

I must say, the thought of someone ‘cracking my back’ was unnerving at first, but I feel the results are positive. The chiropractor seems pretty holistic in his beliefs, which I think is quite a good thing. The office is closer for me , too. He said I should wait and see how my body reacts to the adjustment. I have set another appointment for the acupuncture and will certainly share my experience!

When I got home, I was greeted by a newly shorn Bixby. He is cute as ever! His eyes are kind of squinted here in this morning’s photo because he has his eyes on a treat in my hand!

Friday was a non work day for me, a weather day. I got up and met some of my teacher friends for breakfast. I had a scrumptious egg platter with spinach and goat cheese on it, as well as real coffee! It was nice to catch up and share some gossip!

Last night I was able to catch up with my son a little bit. He wanted to watch Family Guy, then he was in bed early to prepare for a workday. At this point, we have have to be glad for the little moments we get. He likes the absurd humor of that show. It’s not my first choice. 🙂

Here’s to a great weekend with good food, friends, and loved ones!

Weekend Coffee Share, Self-Care

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I was up at 7:30 enjoying my chai tai and cereal with fruit. I’d planned on doing cardio in the morning, before my 10:00 a.m. hair appointment. In all honesty, that didn’t happen.

Perhaps it was lack of ambition or lack of motivation, but I was achy and tired, so I gave myself a pass. Not to worry, I had a healthy lunch and did 25 minutes of yoga before going to my later massage appointment. Self-care Saturday, it is, and I’m worth it!

I got my highlights and lowlights and had my salonist style my hair. There are always good conversations with my hair stylist; she and I are around the same age. She has been my hair stylist for more than ten years!

The massage salon I go to is only about 5 minutes away, so the Saturday traffic couldn’t stress me out. I always go for an hour. It truly relaxes me. Just Google the benefits of massage, and it mentions “reduction of tension in the muscles,” in addition to the relaxation I mentioned. I need that tension reduction. My muscles get sore quite often, randomly it seems inordinate to the amount of stress I currently have, it seems.

Such is why I’ve gone to a specialist. I go back to her in two months. I’ve also made an appointment with a practitioner for acupuncture. Yes, I’m trying something new! I look forward to sharing about it.

Tonight, my boyfriend and I are planning to go get dinner. Thai is our plan. ( It’s one of my favorite foods)! We’ll have to dodge rain first!

A Day in My Life, and #weekendcoffeeshare: Causation. #RRBC

Welcome to my #WeekendCoffeeShare, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and A Day in My Life, Day 27, Jan. 28th.

My morning beverage was Zen green tea with just a dash of caffeine, and chocolate ashwagandha mix sprinkled in, which livens up the taste and supposedly has really good health benefits. My breakfast was the usual.

Now, take the following with a grain of salt, because I don’t always agree with everything this man says, and that is my right. While listening to Dan Bruglio’s “Pain Free You,” this stood out to me: “It feels good to think about (or be involved in) something other than your struggle.” I’ve read something like this before and it rings true in my experience.

This applied greatly to my week this past week. I and several teachers had planned fun activities and challenges for Literacy Week. It was slightly tampered by learning that the district wanted us to empty off our bookshelves the first day of that week! However, we carried on with our activities, and I kept trying to encourage the kids to take part. Many showed their creativity and worked really hard. It was a busy and emotional week. I woke up aching terribly in both shoulders, biceps, and my hand Friday morning after doing the shoulder workout at home Thursday night.

Now, keep in mind, I did the shoulder workout with my physical therapist’s instruction Monday night, and my pain the next morning was nothing like this. He pushes me more than I push myself! So, was the stress and negative emotion of this week getting to me?

I don’t know. I will say, going forward and encouraging kids to creatively produce bulletin board designs and two-sentence stories drove me forward and helped me to keep hope when it seemed like lights were going out on our educational landscape in my state. Kids, teachers, and Admin worked together to have Literacy Week. We have to find creative ways now to encourage literacy in our students.

For lunch today, I took my mom to Avonlea Antiques for their “Full Circle” cafe. The decor is sort of eclectic. I love the cow print booths! My mom ordered tea, and our turkey sandwiches had green apple on them and an herb mayonnaise. It was scrumptious!

So, I pushed onward with shoulder exercises today, not pushing as much as PT would push me, because I know I’ll be back at physical therapy Monday. I felt I shouldn’t push too hard after the pain I was having yesterday. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Thanks for stopping by for a glimpse into my world!

A Day in My Life, Day 4 #RRBC #ADayinMyLife @PamSCanepa1

Day 4 of #ADayinMyLife Jan. 5th

Welcome to day 4 of the blogging challenge! I had a wonderful morning, now that the sunshine is back! I also slept well last night. I enjoyed the walk with my dog this morning. Of course, he enjoyed it too.

Bixby is an important part of my daily life!

I had a good morning overall, with the good sleep and a new strategy to deal with pain. Check out this text to my significant other this morning, regarding his helpful Christmas present:

I’ll certainly share more about him on another day!

At school, my day went well. I shared yesterday that I’m trying to teach students the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, a challenge with 6th graders. With gamified learning, I’m confident at least a few of them got it!

Today was exercise day for me after school. I mostly use bands and some light weights for my arms and shoulders. My frozen shoulder has gotten much better with physical therapy, but I still get pain at varying times. Staying active helps. I attend Planet Fitness for cardio, but will use my Gazelle ( non-electric elliptical type thing) if I need to stay close to home, as I did this evening.

If you’re wondering about frozen shoulder, here’s a breakdown of what I know:

-a shoulder injury or rotator cuff tear can make you more likely to get it, and a tear doesn’t necessarily require surgery. I have a tear, but it’s 40%, which doesn’t necessitate surgery

-someone with diabetes is more likely to get frozen shoulder. I’m not diabetic, but my cholesterol did jack way up over the summer, so maybe it was a warning sign.

-it sounds to me like those with arthritis are more likely to get it, which indicates that those of us beyond 40 are probably more likely

-it can take from 6 to 12 months to resolve even if you’ve done everything right. That’s a tear-jerker for me, because the first time I got it was 2 years ago and it got better within 4 months. This time, I am sitting at six and a half months so far, and though I still do the physical therapy exercises and have good movement, I still get pain.

-diet can make a difference, such as cutting down on sugary foods and or alcohol, so I’m also trying to lower the carb intake. Easier said than done!

-cortisteroid shots do help, and I have had a few. Patience also helps. I really don’t want surgery.

That’s most of what I can tell you about it. I’ll just keep working at staying mobile! I plan to also read a little more tonight. Here is what I’m reading, a Rave Reviews Book Club book, and it’s not exactly what you might think it would be like:

It includes metaphysical, historical, and spiritual aspects and somewhat sci-fi ideas. I find it fascinating and imaginative. I promise to give more details and a full review on another day!

Well, it’s time to relax and decompress. The weekend is almost here!

Weekend Coffee Share, Downtime

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Here is a place where I don’t drink coffee, but you certainly can. My chai latte, however, was pretty satisfying this morning.

I hope you all had a blessed and enjoyable Thanksgiving. My mom went up North to spend time with my brother, his wife, and his in-laws. At my son’s request, I planned a visit to Cracker Barrel for him, myself, and his father, my ex-husband. My boyfriend wasn’t ready for that, so he went to a basketball convention in Orlando. I expected an awkward Thanksgiving, but it was relatively quiet, and we were there and support of our son. It worked.

The wait at Cracker Barrel -shorter than expected!

My son and I had some quality time walking with the dog before the early dinner, and there was no rush. He and I had good leftovers Wednesday night and watched a lot of Blacklist in Netflix. Spader is such an awesome actor! One thing I love about Thanksgiving is time with family. I didn’t have all of my family, but I enjoyed the quality time with my son and my dog, Bixby!

The only shopping I did yesterday was online. I felt good staying out of the stores. My boyfriend got back from Orlando yesterday morning, and he and I had dinner with my son last night, which was nice. I’ve gotten a few hints of ideas for the Ellie manuscript, and my boyfriend Chris has been helping me with that by asking clarifying questions. He really wants to see this come to fruition! So much has gone on and distracted my focus in the last two years. I’m still looking into ways to deal with my arthritis pain.

Today, I’ll have a massage and somehow try to get a 30 minute walk or bike ride. I’m committed to 30 minute cardio three days a week, and I sometimes get more. This is in addition to the work/ therapy on my shoulder, which includes arm exercises.

So there’s my weekend in a nutshell. Lots of relaxation and time with people I love (including Bixby). It can’t get much better! This is what I needed right now. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Gratitude reminder #538

Because sometimes I need reminders, and because it easily flips the switch:

When I’m tired after a workday and my arm and shoulder both hurt, I remember I’m grateful to have a job. I may have to lay down and relax for 15 minutes, but then, I’m grateful that I can get up and exercise through the pain, and for that I shall rejoice.

I am grateful for the sunshine we had after the storm this weekend, and when that happens, I will slow down and greet the sunshine with thankful eyes, giving it time to soak into my skin. I’m grateful I can still travel, and I will give myself time to enjoy the fun and also time to rest and relax.

While I may still be working for much of the remainder of my life, I need not be driven anymore to achieve or to chase after carrots. There is nothing, I repeat nothing in this world that I need to chase after.

I now abolish the rat race from my life and my mind. Everything I need Is right here; I simply need to nourish it, appreciate it, show it love, and take the time to enjoy and surround myself in it.

Signed,

PC

My cuddling and lounging buddy!

Weekend Coffee Share, This Week I…

Spent a lot of time with my dog. I was home from Wednesday on, preparing for a hurricane.

Made it through the wind and rain unscathed. Only my neighbor’s mango tree was struck down, but they revived it and tied it in place securely.

Celebrated my son at One Night Taco Stand with some excellent pork tacos and a skinny margarita during hurricane prep day. He completed orientation for a new job last week and seems to love it!

Started up PT again for my shoulder. I went back to the location by my job, and I’m feeling optimistic about it.

Walked my dog in the wind and rain several times. I got pretty bored, and he had to do his thing, so hey, we both got some exercise too!

Shaking off the rain!

Suffered pain in my arm and hand. The shoulder bugs me at certain times, but today, the hand and arm were constant. I DON’T KNOW WHY. I’m getting tired of tests, x-rays, MRIs. Ice distracts me from the sensation, so there’s that.

Sat in the sun during breakfast this morning, and later in the afternoon. It felt so GOOD after days of just gray skies. My drink this morning was chai tea with almond milk. I do hope you’re having a great weekend, and I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the chat during coffee hour this morning. Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Coffee Share , in Metaphors

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I’m moving like a conversation with a true Southern grandma on a hot porch. So I guess this calls for tea. 🙂 Have whatever you like.

Part of this long conversation on the porch would include long pauses, allowing one to take in the scenery, which is beautiful. It’s not the Mexican Riviera, but it is beautiful nonetheless. If you decide to love your life, it must be an unconditional embrace of the ups and downs and quiet moments of greenery, sunshine, or moonlight. In my humble opinion. 🙂

Chai tea the way I like it on the porch.

Yes, my first week of school went smoothly with the students, but I had a setback with the shoulder that involved more inflammation in my shoulder, arm, and hand. I have to use a computer at work but do so sparingly. I’m asking others for help with carrying heavy things and writing on the board. So, this is still a mystery. I will say that I seem to benefit from the energy of my 6th grade students and younger colleagues, so I’m grateful for that! Humor is an elixir that helps me survive each day.

An appointment in 10 days should give me some answers on the shoulder situation. I was quite teed at my primary doc’s office for never answering the phone this week and headed to a Care spot instead for help with the inflammation.

I feel like the man in the movie who only had 100 words left to speak for the rest of his entire life. He had to make them count. So, that’s my excuse for keeping this short. Honestly, I just woke up and started this on my phone. Half of it is through text to speech. LOL. I guess one benefit of text to speech is that it forces a person to really speak clearly or there will be a lot of ” typos.”

Oh well, I was able to sleep in late today and wake with my dog, my canine sympatico, at the foot of the bed. So I thought I’d keep this short, but it doesn’t seem that short. Such are the best laid plans of mice and men.

How was your week?