Welcome to day 24 of #ADayinMyLife and day 3 of Literacy Week. Today was wear-red-if-you’ve-ever-read-a-good-book day! There were many in red. Some of my yearbook members took pictures around school. I can’t wait to see them!
In conversations with many people, there arose a question of why schools are shutting down their libraries and hiding classroom libraries until further notice. A Facebook group led me to this Florida House bill, on which our state leadership added the requirement of one media specialist vetting all books for the school. It’s lengthy, so scroll down half of the page to get to the pertinent bits:
I went home and exercised on the porch, talked to Chris, then fell asleep early. I didn’t sleep so well the night before. Who could blame me, with all this crap going on. I was so tired or even forgot to post this on the correct day. Good thing I’m not in a contest anymore! Thanks for stopping by and reading about my life, and I will have this day’s post up definitely later on.
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. It’s a Tazo Green Tea day again! I may have a coffee morning tomorrow. We all have our preferences! If we were having coffee ☕, I’d need to relax and have a laugh.
This week I’ve been trying to finish a lot of things with my school yearbook, and it has kept me busy, busy. That’s okay; I’ve made some rounds and talked with many more people, students as well, which is kind of fun! I’ve been at an almost frenetic pace, though. Next week we also start a state writing test.
I’m too busy to stop and stress over it, though. My boyfriend and I have also been planning a cruise vacation for June. Exciting! I’m not sure I want to swim with pigs though. I may have to just observe and laugh at my boyfriend’s antics!
Last weekend, we had a little drive to St. Augustine to visit Castillo de San Marco and have a great dinner. I was slightly distracted by the idea of the floating tiki bar though!
They float on by and raise a ruckus…makes me want to swim over, LOL!
The fort has been here for centuries and is interesting to see. The weather was beautiful! It made for a great walk and dinner date.
My sun hat is being put to good use again!
We are expecting rain today. I had been planning to take my car in today but have gotten mixed up in the things I want to get done. Go, go, go! The challenge of my goals is fueling my energy. When I got home yesterday I was soooo tired that I ordered through Door Dash! It was healthy, though.
One must rest to rejuvenate, though. I slept in late and decided my car could wait till next weekend. I am going to dinner with the boyfriend later and we should be hanging out with another couple, as it’s his friend’s birthday. It should be fun, it always is. 🙂
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali.
I’ve spent months not sleeping well and getting endless e-mails due to webinars you signed up for but never attended. Free yoga/workout videos. Mindfulness webinars. I can read the book, but attending a webinar is just not appealing to me these days. Journaling has been an awesome task to help mindfulness. I personally am tired of sitting at my computer for webinars and ZOOM meetings. I started taking more walks in my neighborhood, in the hot sun, just to move and to sweat, and it also is great for my mind, helping to stop any worry or obsessing.
I’m trying to keep calm amidst COVID fear and worries, as well as the preoccupation with how kids will return to school this August, whether it will be online or in-person, and how we will keep them (and teachers and staff) safe and healthy. This summer started out with me in a bad place due to my shoulder injury and pain, as well as my mind feeling flaky, spaced out, and unfocused. Lately, I have been working on a picture puzzle and have made great progress. I am also occasionally playing a word game on my phone to try and rebuild my focus and intellectual ability. Worry can really eat away at all of these things. I can’t just let me mind settle into a pattern of preoccupation with worry, so much so that I cannot focus on things I enjoy or that are important to me. You know, the fear that surrounds pain, it isn’t so bad anymore. In 2015, with huge family/parenting stresses and the advent of this arm pain, I went around fearing I wouldn’t live too long. I remember getting a will. I don’t feel that way now, and it makes a world of difference!
Pumpkin houses and flying fish, Oh my!
On the subject of COVID, I live in Florida, and we are having a boom in COVID cases. There are still several people I run into in public who do not wear a mask when out. My state now has more than 300,000 cases. I am pretty careful and wear a mask anytime I am in public, but if I’m outside walking alone or with the dog, I don’t wear one. It is awfully hot, you know. My son and I went for a free COVID test last Weds. just to ensure we are still healthy. I wanted to get one before school starts. It will be a few days before results come back.
Earlier, I got my exercise in on the Gazelle on my back porch. It felt so good to come back in and let the air conditioning cool the layer of sweat I had acquired. I’m using some good habits, and I want to keep them up! My shoulder issue is getting better, but my arm and hand hurt often and it slows me down from writing. Still, that is okay; to everything there is a season, and I am not in fear that it will control the rest of my life. Maybe I am just determined not to let it. I am still supposed to see an orthopedic surgeon this week because my doctor wanted an opinion. We will see what happens! Well, it’s time for me to relax, read a book, and maybe even take a nap. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali. If we were having coffee today, I would savor half-caff with cinnamon creamer and honey, because there are some days I don’t even drink coffee anymore, but rather I drink the Green Macha Tea. I know it gives me some energy and is healthy, but it sure isn’t coffee! Even the half-caff gives me noticeable effects these days.
A friend shared with me that today there is a challenge for families to use their chalk art to express that Black Lives Matter. Since I have invested in sidewalk chalk and playdough in my attempts to rest my shoulder from repetitive stress and save the writing for another time, she saw the art I did about a week ago. So, despite the fact that I am not a high class artist, but rather a person who likes to express myself and keep my hands busy, I have participated in #families4blacklives. My mother helped edit my neatness and my son approved of it. 🙂 There is still time for you to express yours if you feel so moved!
Yes, all lives matter, but Jesus told us “Blessed be the poor.” We replied, “Shouldn’t we just bless everyone, Jesus?” To which he just shook his head. African Americans have been subject to slavery, Jim Crow laws, and just plain racism since around 1600. I did not draw what I did to be political, but rather to be supportive. Love is not political, after all.
My dog has been climbing into my bed in the middle of the night a few nights in a row. The excessive sunlight, COVID anxiety, hot flashes, or teacher anticipation stress regarding the approaching school year have been making it hard to get back to sleep after the restroom wake up in the middle of the night lately. Let’s not forget my shoulder, which prevents me entirely from sleeping on the right side and requires me to only sleep on the left. As a result, my left leg feels tense and it seems like sciatica is trying to creep up again. A visit to the chiropractor two days ago seems to have helped the sciatic nerve and leg.
My shoulder has been making great progress. I am still seeing an orthopedic surgeon hoping he can tell me more about my MRI results and what the best or worst case scenarios may be. Physical therapy has helped it immensely and I’m doing the assigned exercises at home. My reach with that shoulder and arm is much better, and I’m happy with the results so far! We’ll see what the surgeon says. In addition to the arm and shoulder soreness, I have an issue with my hand that feels arthritic. Yes, I got a steroid shot, but it seems to have worn off. Ever moving onward, I shall never give up! So much for limiting my writing. My hand is ready for a rest now. It has been good to catch up!
I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend and a great week to follow, whether you are in the house, out at work, busying yourself with art, writing or other creativity or working on whatever you need to do.
Happy 4th of July, and welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share! It has been so hot here in Northeast Florida. Grab your favorite beverage; I’ve got the AC on high!
This week has been relaxing, yet challenging. I started off with a physical therapy appointment, then had a relaxing coffee get together with a writer friend at my house. The physical therapy IS, at times, challenging. More on that later. The coffee was mostly relaxing; we talk about where we are in our current works in progress and what our plans may be. I talk a lot about my shoulder because it has slowed down my writing and my time at the computer. We talked about our loved ones: her grandson and my son. We can talk for hours! I rarely do stuff like this anymore. Don’t worry, we were at a good social distance in my house, and I played some good jazz in the background. 🙂
I am making progress with the shoulder. With the guidance of my physical therapist, I am now able to place my hand on my hip. He encouraged me to move my right hand and arm behind my back, something which I have not done in a very long time and would not have on my own. To think, I used to be able, just 3 or 4 years ago, to reach both hands behind my back in the prayer hands position. Not any more. But I’m gradually working through the pain. I often come back from physical therapy ready for a nap. That is okay! My hard work is paying off! I will get my mobility and capabilities back. I have goals: axe throwing for one. I may or may not be kidding. We shall see! I also plan to be able to do more upper body yoga moves, without having to modify so much. I do have an appt. with an orthopedic surgeon on 7/21. My hope is that I don’t need surgery that badly. I will be working hard on my mobility until then!
Of course, COVID-19 gives me a little anxiety and on days it really bugs me, I feel so obsessive-compulsive. It’s not every day, though. I do still get hot flashes at times, and one day, that led me to take my temperature five times until it finally appeared to be lower. What is going on with me? There were no other symptoms. What doesn’t help, is that our governor is bound and determined that kids will physically be in school to start the year in August. At my least check, we had 166,000 COVID cases in Florida. My city and county evidently had a big rise in cases yesterday. I wish I could go to the beach this weekend, but I probably won’t. I do plan to go Georgia with my boyfriend and see his dad. I plan to be careful and not catch COVID. I don’t think it is prudent or careful to have all these kids in school. Yet, the district has spent money on plastic dividers. I guess they’re not even considering us being online for a while. WHATEVER! I’ll get through it. My friend suggested wearing scrubs, which wash easily, instead of our good clothes. That may be a plan.
I hope all is well with you all. We can survive this. We can even thrive in our own ways. Though I am not writing as much, I am journaling daily to help myself mentally not just deal with, but overcome the pain. I bought sidewalk chalk and drew little pictures outside my front door. I plan to do more of this, as well as making a miniature living room out of playdough. 🙂
Have a great week, and a happy, safe Independence Day! I feel us gradually moving closer to “Justice for all.” May the tides keep turning that way, and may we hold true to our promises as a nation.
Come on real quick, Come on outside, Just sit and breathe with me There’s a beautiful breeze that I hear in the trees Before it rains, come see!
Poem (c) 8/25/19 by Pamela Schloesser Canepa
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali
A week ago, my dog beckoned me to go out in the yard. Now, we prepare for Hurricane Dorian, and I think about all the dogs that get left behind when families must evacuate. Please, check a list for pet-friendly shelters or hotels! They are family. Here is a list for my fellow Floridians:
While I could go on and on about my son’s new job (Hooray)! Or, my job and the fever I had this week due to rampant middle school germs, or the progress with my authorship, I am weighed down with thoughts of preparing for the hurricane and will have to finish out our coffee chat quickly. You see, I live in Northeast Florida, and we may not get the worst of the storm, but it is predicted to be a level 2 when it hits us. I pray for those in South Florida.
My drink today is a V8, trying to stay healthy today, but I’ll still likely need a nap later! At any rate, I should get a chance for writing and more reading if the weather keeps me sequestered this Labor Day weekend. I’m not sure what I will find to watch on Netflix, since I just finished the second season of Mindhunter which has started in me a Forensics/ Behavioral Science interest. When the lights go out, I will read by candlelight! Forge onward! I hope you all have a great weekend, and if you are in the Southeast, I pray that you and your family, including any furbabies, stay safe and calm during the impending hurricane. God bless!
Life is short. Do what you like! My new motto. Last year, Mom arranged for us to go sailing. We got a free upgrade to a catamaran. Luxurious! But she said she enjoyed the monohull we had this year even better. In talking to my mom, I also found out she wants to go skydiving someday. Imagine that! Skydiving has been on my bucket list for years, and to know it’s on hers? Wow!
Here’s the gist of it, though: she’s ready to get to work on that bucket list, and I admire that. I won’t for a moment let it make me sad.
Instead, I’ll applaud her doing things for herself. Maybe I’ll even go skydiving with her! I’ve been putting it off, waiting for a time I thought I could deal with a broken bone.
Fact is, I’ve also been putting off that trip to Europe, waiting for a time I could deal with a long airplane flight. Is my bucket list different now? Trust me, I still plan to see the sunrise in multiple states. I’ll have to think on this. In the meantime, I plan to encourage her to do those things she’s been wanting to do.
I am so thankful that I still have her around and that we can be close. I am also glad I was able to spend time with my son on Mother’s day!
A little ways down US 1, I found another sunrise to add to my bucket list goal! A few months back, I added a bucket list item: to witness the sunrise in 50 cities! I am counting my own city, and I recall leaving Las Vegas at sunrise in a taxi headed to the airport eight years ago, because no one really sleeps there anyway. Now, I can add this past weekend, watching the sun come up in St. Augustine Beach. That makes three cities now! Technically, it is a separate city, so I’ll count it. I am also hoping to witness a sunrise in Georgia this summer. Because this “other city” is so close, I will also consider it part of my neighborhood. Isn’t the term “neighborhood” as small or as large as we consider it? Well, I’m hoping so, as this is my entry in response to Jacqueline Obyikocha’s blog challenge, “Echoes of My Neighborhood.” Check out her blog and entry at http://acookingpotandtwistedtales.com/2016/06/30/night-scenes-of-a-sleepless-city-echoes-of-my-neighbourhood-25/#like-10365
Maybe it’s a stretch to call this a part of my neighborhood, maybe it’s not. Getting there is a forty minute car ride down U.S. 1, when there’s no rush hour traffic, that is. St. Augustine is a nearby gem full of history, beautiful views, and a wonderful beach. It’s an awesome place for a getaway, and the restaurants were not at all crowded this time. I started off with a mini-spa day, then waited and did some writing at a coffee shop, until my significant other could get there to meet me for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Did I mention, the beach was not crowded at all either? It’s far different than our visit to Panama City Beach, Fl last year. I am fortunate to live where I do, with a wonderful city that has a growing arts (and sports) program, and nearby access to beaches and historical sites. I certainly should get to these places more often. I never regret going, and it is worth the small drive. Next time, I plan to share some downtown photos that represent our arts program. Things are fine in my neighborhood!
Pumpkin houses and flying fish, Oh my!
A week ago.
pamelascanepa 