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!
Monday, during my planning time, I had one of my Yearbook/Journalism students stay after the class to translate our week’s club activities into Spanish for our podcast. He wasn’t confident at first, but then he wrote out an outline in Spanish and went ahead.
Needless to say, it sounded great to me! This will represent the diversity of our school and make our News and Podcast more accessible. I’m so proud! It was the first time I used a new recording software all by myself. I love learning learning new things and getting into the 21st century! I love that my students found the confidence! There is one other student who can help with this, although they have to do it during their elective time during the school day. Still, it is a win!
Tuesday, on Valentine’s day, my love surprised me by having a bouquet of flowers delivered to me that included roses, carnations, and tiger lilies, all red. It’s beautiful! He has been busy since he went back to work full time after having been retired for a year, so I had no hints that this would happen this year. What a lovely surprise!
It was another day of weather around 80 degrees and of teaching students to write and to read closely, which went alright. I got a lined journal/notebook I had ordered from Amazon.
Tonight, Chris and I are planning to go to trivia. Of course, as he mentioned, sometimes the trending mood of my day can wipe me out and make me change my mind. He is pretty patient with that, as should be! He has some special nicknames for my moods. Let’s keep in mind, shoulder pain, any pain, lack of sleep, workday stress, any of it can wipe me out. I do have ways I try to deal with it, but there are good days and bad days.
Regarding my nicknames: there’s protective Pam, willing to take down anyone crossing him in his day ( a humorous exaggeration, of course). Then there’s Krampus Pam, who will step on anyone who gets in the way of me and my dinner. She’s concerned with her needs and has disdain for poorly managed restaurants, traffic, and bureaucratic red tape or over-encroaching laws. Rightfully so!
Let us not forget Creme brulee Pam. The weekend that he took me to Savannah last December, we had to wait for dinner but found another restaurant with outdoor seating, and the 65 degree weather felt perfect! We enjoyed our conversation and laughter. The waitress thought we were newlyweds! I wanted to introduce him to creme brulee. I don’t have it very often, so when I do, it’s a special occasion! The restaurant didn’t serve it but provided a great dinner! Afterward, we searched for a dessert spot.
Historic Savannah, Georgia.
Google came to our aid. We had walked to the restaurant, and my feet were complying, so we used Google maps to walk to the dessert restaurant, not without a few wrong turns in the cover of night, down streets he said were not the ‘good side of town.’ Still, we walked arm in arm; I was feeling satiated by dinner and in happy anticipation of creme brulee. The street corners didn’t look so bad. We passed many art galleries and art college extensions. (I want to go back during the day when they’re open)! Finally, we got to our dessert spot.
There was a line, but Chris and I waited together using good conversation and laughter to keep our spirits up. Once we got in and received our creme brulee, there were no seats inside, so we shared it with a fork standing on the street corner, with a kiss and a laugh, oblivious of other tourists. Creme brulee Pam doesn’t let ANYTHING dampen her mood, because she knows something good is on its way. I am capable of being like that. Gratitude helps, having a pleasant goal in mind helps! Well, I was also on vacation with him. You see, being a Gemini, I can own up to having all these different personas!
Ah, I like these memories. On that note, I think I’ll close my post. It is the end of the 30 blogging challenge, and I did it, for myself, despite one post that I actually wrote and finished then fell asleep and had to send it the next day once I remembered. LoL! I wanted to do something different in this post; I hope it held your interest. Have a good evening, everyone!
Welcome to Sunday sit-back-and-relax! I sleep in late, which was so much needed, and spent time with my man last night sharing laughter and a little poetry, which was also much needed!
My side of town was mercilessly busy last night. Chris and I had a hard time getting seating at Chili’s, so we went to a smaller scale place for him to get a burger. I was chilly,so I had soup and a Mediterranean wrap.
After that, we went to his place and started watching The Palest Blue Eye on Netflix. One of the characters is a young Edgar Allan Poe. It is quite intriguing those slow-moving. I believe I fell asleep halfway through, and Chris understood, because sleep is important to both of us!
At any rate, this morning, I’ve been hanging out with my dog, Bixby, listening to Alanis Morrissette’s A Jagged Little Pill. Oh, it brings back memories of the 1990s, of my divorce, of my reintroduction to freedom, and the first time I started dating Chris a year after my divorce. It was not the right time for us back then. Anyhow, it also later got me through lonely times as well, learning to enjoy just spending time with myself.
Internet image of Alanis’ album.
After her album, I went back to listening to Lord Huron, a more relaxing vibe for today. It was mostly a day for errands to prepare for the new work week, but I had time to relax and read. After dinner, my son and I watched the last halt of The Pale Blue Eye. In it, Poe is a young cadet at a military academy where several murders occur and helps in solving them. In reality, Poe did attend the Military Academy in Virginia. The actor has an eerie look as you’d think young Poe would have. All well done!
Have a good night, everyone. I’m amazed that I’ve done 28 days of blogging daily!
Welcome to Day 16, A Day in My Life, Tues. Jan. 17th.
Today I got back to work .
Being around my dad this weekend got me to thinking about when I was a child, and the dream I had of my childhood home. Which reminded me of this post that I found on Facebook one day and just loved:
Dad’s significant other is very youthful and has a great sense of humor! She at times makes a good amount of noise, reminding me of an energetic child. I love her smile and energy. I want to age that way, embracing youthful laughter and behavior.
Patsy is a published poet, as I mentioned yesterday. She has a YouTube channel, and this is one of her videos: https://youtu.be/mZ7TCZgikXo
I’ve ordered one of her poetry books (Cut on the Bias), and she said she is in the process of getting another published, though I can’t recall the title.
I’m feeling tired right now, and it’s not even 8 p.m. The workday presented some challenges in the shape of middle school attitude, so I drew up some new seating charts. The News and Podcast Club met after school, so that was a good end to the day. A few kids were absent, but those who were there, want to be there. We did the podcast in the same room, so I got to observe it. The kids sounded great!
I met Chris for dinner, and of course he made me laugh! He’ll be meeting me, my son, and my dad Thursday evening for dinner at Longhorn, which has something for everyone.
It’s the end of my day, and I’m tired, but it’s a good feeling. I gave it my best today, and that’s the best anyone can do! Have a good evening, everyone.
I can’t believe this is day 10 of the blogging -daily challenge! I also can’t believe
*I’ve been dealing with my frozen shoulder for almost 7 months. It took just 4 months last time. 😦 I did see the orthopedic doc today, and he gave me another corti-steroid shot. It always provides relief, but I need to stop needing it. Time will tell. He also showed me a new stretch I should do to add to my repertoire of exercises.
* the school year is more than half over
*January is more than half over
*How old I am. I intend to continue not looking, or acting, or dressing like my age!
*How old my son is: 26. I met my ex, his dad, at age 23, which tells me it was probably too early. I hadn’t fully been independent yet, and that’s part of the problem. I let him cover me with possessiveness, and I took that to be caring. I grew out of that, though.
*It’s been more than two years since our COVID lockdown. I saw a former student from that year, and he asked for a hug. He was always such a sweet kid! I think those hard, fearful times helped us try harder to build a community, even if online.
*This week is more than half over. It helps that I got to leave after testing to go to my appointment. One more test tomorrow.
That’s all I’ve got for today. I have some shoulder stretches to do. Have a good night, all!
I had some golden turmeric granola on my cereal with fruit this morning. It was scrumptious! I’d ordered it through Amazon. I seem to be one of their rabid fans.
My mother had a bad cold yesterday, and it really worried me. She sounds like she’s getting better, and she took a COVID test. She took several. One was positive, another negative. I’ve been worried about her, but she sounds much better today.
Work brought another day of review, since our test was delayed by a day. I suppose it’s better than the reverse!
After school, we had the club again, and it went quickly. Once all the kids were gone, I went to meet my boyfriend Chris for dinner. I had an awesome burger with garlic green beans. Scrumptious! Chris makes me laugh.
December, 2022.
We get into debates over the pronunciation of “Chipotle,” whether irregardless is an acceptable word to use (obviously it’s not), and whether Salvador Dali and postmodern art should be considered art….at some point, I just start laughing. We both debate these things with half smiles. Honestly, these things are worth debating, are they not?
Not to mention his Southern accent that is sometimes more apparent than others, and my impression of said accent. It’s especially fun when he laughs at it himself. This is more pertinent, since I lived in 3 Northern states and Iceland before we moved to Florida when I was eight. My parents, who influenced my early speaking, are both from the Midwest.Most people say I talk like I’m from the Northeast.
It has to be fair, so I allow him to laugh at my propensity to frequently change my mind and my moods. If I don’t get dinner by a certain time at night, I can get a little cranky. My eating habits bring inquiry too, as we both have very different eating habits. He does say he can’t argue with the results of my habit. Two peas in a pod can have their differences!
At any rate, we laugh at each other good-naturedly and we can both laugh at ourselves, and that goes a long way. I think we bring that out in each other. That’s got to be a good thing. We also listen intently to each other’s woes or concerns, but you may have noticed I mentioned the laughter first, maybe because it lightens the load of all those other things. Laughter is so important!
Have a good night, all. I have to give a test tomorrow.
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. It’s a green macha tea day for me! In a while, I’m heading out to get a massage, and later I have to do my Saturday cardio. *Sigh
I know I said in my Gratitude post of a few days ago, “There is nothing I need to chase after,” and I’m sticking with that, but last night I felt an urge to chase the sunset. My boyfriend and I had just left dinner, and there was the pinkish-orange hue above the tree line. So I convinced him to drive that way, because I wanted to drive to a river landing where I knew we’d see the sunset.
Turns out, that was the last glow of the sun. It was dark within about 5 minutes, so we turned around to head back. When he turned the car around, the moon was so bright and almost full, that I forgot our unreached sunset. The darkness covered the tree tops, and the moon seemed to follow us along as we drove North. I was just as pleased as if we’d have seen the sunset on the water.
I know my boyfriend couldn’t see the full moon as he was driving, but he did smile at me several times. He seemed happy that I was happy. And that, my friends, also makes me happy!
So I’m dwelling more on that thought than on my sleep issues last night, due to my sore shoulder and arm. I do feel, however, that the adhesions are breaking up. I believe I am on the way back.
So, I think the moral of this story is, revel in the joys of any moment that greets you. Don’t waste time regretting what has left you. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, accompanied by the music of Agnes Obel. It’s a good day to invite tranquility in. I’m getting my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine today and following up an eventful, slightly stressful wake packed full with just, well, too much for my liking. Still, I managed.
State testing was the first challenge, though nothing compared to handling the emotions of my son moving out ON THE VERY SAME DAY. However, I focused all day on the positives and paced the aisles as the students whittled away at their thoughts and words for a state writing test. My ex had flown down to help my son move and get all things in order as possible. The students had my attention; I kept the thoughts at bay. I felt happy that my son is stepping into independence, happy that I may have a new sort of freedom now that my son is moving out on his own. All the while acknowledging that I felt relief and a little worry at the same time, but knowing that this is a necessary step.
My son and my mother, circa 1997-98.
I got to see it after work on Wednesday. The place is small, a studio apartment, but the landlords put in a new stove and ceiling fan. There is faux wood flooring which looks very nice. He got his bed and long dresser in there, has to keep his bike inside, and there’s a bookshelf. There is no room for a sofa. Mom and I decided to get him some folding cloth chairs and TV trays.
After seeing the place, my ex-husband took me, my mom, and my son out to eat a steak dinner. My son was so tired, and my ex was talking a lot about details and ways my son could improve his life, get a car, etc. I’ve mentioned before that my son had a bad car accident three years ago. He also has a mood disorder that is mostly kept in check. He gets lost in the details, and it is not wise to throw too many at him at once. He truly needs to take it one day at a time, but I am proud of how he lined up all he needed to do to get this apartment. He does not have a high-paying job but makes enough to pay me rent, so now he’ll see what true independence is.
It is true that my ex-husband can worry a detail down to a fine thread. Sadly, I guess that is one thing we had in common. He is more of a “You’ve got to do this” sort of person. I am more of a “You need to do this, and if you don’t get that done, what is your back-up plan?” gal. Obviously, we did not get along well enough to stay married; it only lasted 5 years, so dating and marriage for us lasted seven years, and my son was only 2 1/2 years old when I had to leave that marriage, after two failed marital counseling attempts. I felt controlled, manipulated, trapped. He would get onto me about who I befriended and talk them down to me, also accusing me of affairs with male co-workers (which did not happen at all). He stressed me out a lot.
In the years we were together, I had some depression, had a rough post-partum year, and his drinking was problematic. Sometimes I wonder if stress during pregnancy led to my son’s emotional state. I have often been very wary of my ex when he’s back around. I sent my son to live with him one summer six years ago, and it did not go well at all; my son was anxious to come back a month later. I have to try to avoid blame, yet I do feel I’ve forgiven him.
There’s a funny thing about forgiveness. It means “to grant pardon” or “cease to feel resentment.” It is healthy for us, they say, and can prevent the toxicity of such feelings to ruin us. Still, I want to point out that forgiveness does not mean letting down boundaries, which exist for a good reason: self-preservation. In my past year of self-improvement and looking inward, I have been re-establishing and exercising boundaries in relationships with family, at work, and with others. You can forgive someone, but still keep the boundary up. I’ve given past relationships a second chance and learned things didn’t work the first time for a reason. It is not a lesson lost.
My mother is impressed in the changes she sees in my ex. Yes, I’ll admit there is some goodness in that man and he seems to have straightened up. He is here when my son really needs him. I am allowing him to do that. He bought a microwave and some other things for my son’s apartment. The two of them may be bounding, and that’s good. So, I sat at dinner and enjoyed it whole-heartedly, telling him what a handsome son we have and how I love my son.
It is notable that, I have been divorced from my ex for twenty-two years. I dated a few other men after, but I have currently been dating the same man, Kenny, for eleven years now. That relationship provides me some freedom to be my own person and has allowed me to determine what I want: to come forward in my writing, to communicate with the world instead of hiding. I relate to others more freely and have found it benefits my teaching by showing I care and have empathy, benefits how I relate to co-workers, and not being afraid of relating to others makes me feel better about myself. I had a past full of secrets kept from my mom, a therapist, friends. Where I learned I shouldn’t tell my husband everything for fear of being judged or having it spun out of context. I have learned I’m imperfect but pretty awesome as I am.
My current boyfriend, Kenny, has boundaries and likes an amount of time to himself. I am finding that, so do I. Therefore, I am happy with all that has come about. I do wish some things had happened differently and had gone better for my son, but I am going to make the best of today and perhaps make it better.
So, I sat across from my ex-husband, with my son to the left of me who looked quite tired from working the usual hours and moving in the afternoon. My mother was to the right of me, raising a glass of wine, wishing for a good transition and new life opportunities, smiling at us all. I smiled and thanked my ex-husband for the dinner. I hugged my son and said “I love you” as they left. Then, I went to Target and happily bought some chairs and TV trays to support my son in his move.
Thursday I had a usual workday with Spring-springy middle schoolers and evening time to myself for exercising. Friday after work, I had dinner and caught up on my sleep. It has also been a wake-up-at-2 a.m. and struggle to sleep again week. I made up for it last night. So, this morning it is coffee and a vaccine shot at 11 a.m. I look forward to more rest later!
Have a good weekend, my friends. I wish you all a reconciliation with your past events and/or decisions, a present that cannot be controlled but only appreciated, and a belief in a hopeful future!
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