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!
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!
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!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer . It’s a gray, rainy day, but I’m still having a chilled chai latte, as I’ll be on the go. Our weather is in the sixties, and the clouds are rolling. It’s fun to watch.
This last week was my Spring Break. Of course, Chris and I attended the St. Augustine Celtic Fest. I’m only a tad Scottish, with a lot of other things, but bagpipes seem to speak to me. We enjoyed the music and atmosphere!
Kilts, bagpipes, drums, and Albannach in the background!I love an outdoor music festival on a Spring day!
There were many restful days, and Tuesday I met with other teacher friends for lunch at the cafe in the Avonlea Antiques store. We enjoyed it and spent probably two hours catching up. It’s interesting walking past some of the memorabilia, to include old black and white photos of long forgotten people. Does anyone print out photos anymore?
Friday,Chris was off and we planned an outing to the Jacksonville zoo. I spent the morning gathering tax documents and creating a series page for Detours in Time, as KDP stated there wasn’t one. Not sure how that happened. I felt a little stressed, since I left that for the last minute. However, the zoo was relaxing and fun. Chris is like a kid at the zoo, always in wonder of what the animals are doing. We now both have a membership, and it is so worth it!
Don’t you just love penguins?
Going to the zoo was a great staycation activity!
Today, I’m running a few errands, getting on the bike at the gym, and getting a massage. Work starts again Monday. We’ll see just how acclimated I might be to Daylight Savings time. What are your thoughts on Daylight Savings? I wrote a post on my thoughts this week, if you’d like to visit: Time Change Drudgery or Satiating Sunshine
Welcome to my weekend coffee share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Cold matcha green tea accompanied my healthy breakfast today. I want to keep my brain relaxed!
I had my shoulder MRI, an open MRI, after work yesterday. I will say that I prefer an Open MRI to the other option, but it was horrible having to keep my arm still, because it also gets pained lately. The pain in my arm was worse after the MRI, maybe from just holding it so still and becoming stiff.
Still, I am just really glad that I now have gotten that done, and I can meet with the orthopedic doctor in about 10 days to hopefully find out what’s going on and what my options are to improve my quality of life. It surely is affecting many areas of my life: my moods, my enthusiasm, my sleep. I still force myself to get my cardio though. It’s not as much as it used to be but it is done regularly, at least three times a week.
This morning, after a much-needed massage,I had 5 minutes of stretch then a mere 15 minute walk and it almost did me in today. Talk about humid!
After a smoothie for lunch, I went to the hair salon to get my hair trimmed and highlighted, a true treat! Lots of girl talk. I was still so relaxed after the massage and almost dozed in the chair. It is a true self-care day. I deserve it!
Not much excitement for the weekend, but that’s okay, since I’m getting relaxation. I’m still living vicariously through my dog, Bixby’s imaginary life! Here’s my latest Canvas creation:
He is part Chihuahua, after all!
Gee, I remember the nights in my 20s hanging out with friends, then heading for the TacoBell drive-thru. I don’t even dare eat their food anymore!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. I just got back from walking the dog, so cold matcha green tea is in order! What are you having?
If we were having coffee on this sunny morning, you’d probably request NOT to sit outside. The temperature is somewhere between 80 and 90°, I am just too lazy to check. Haha. Figuring out what it is is an interesting idea since so much around here depends on the humidity, and there is a nice breeze which I noticed while walking Bixby, but I will say it’s a warm breeze. You will certainly sweat outside today.
I’ve spent a lot of summer time relaxing, napping, and walking outdoors. Bixby sure appreciates that. I dare say, I’m a shade more tan than before. Honestly, that isn’t saying much though. 🙂
My mother’s been out of town, and I took my son out for Mexican food Thursday night. I worked a little on my book, Ellie the Time Traveler yesterday. It isn’t really organized, but rather it is a jumble of thoughts and spur of the moment ideas that came to me, 60 pages now. So, I believe it will come together, and I did organize some of the chapters yesterday. Now, to fill them in!
The chapter outline, a task in itself!
Yesterday, my boyfriend Chris and I went out to eat and then went to see David Spade, the comedian. Chris made reservations for us at Cowfford Chophouse, a five star restaurant! It was an awesome experience. He wore dress pants and a collared shirt. I threw together a nice outfit with a wrap-around blouse.
The atmosphere and the food at Cowford Chophouse were both comfortable and fancy. Some diners at the bar wore jeans and flip flops. We were treated like royalty and were asked if we needed to get to a show. We had a little over an hour for dinner, but they coordinated each course wonderfully. The food was amazing and the staff were courteous! Fun fact: Jacksonville used to be called Cowford about a hundred or so years ago.
Check out my Chilean sea bass! It was a wondrous combination of flavors.Fancy dining at it’s greatest. I’d certainly go back.
Next, we moved on to the David Spade show at the Florida Theater. There was a short wait in the heat, but we managed. I was glad I wore sandals and no hose, something widely accepted in Florida! There were two opening acts, one of them pretty humorous. David Spade came on and was funny as can be. He roasted all the men in front seating who wore shorts, asking if they came right after mowing the lawn. I enjoy this venue and have been here before.
Needless to say, I am taking a lazy restful day today. Hydrating, relaxing after a healthy breakfast, and I’m getting a massage in about an hour. When I tell my friends about my summer, they say, “You deserve it!” They couldn’t be more correct!
Thanks for visiting my Coffee Share! I hope all is well in your world. I’m looking forward to posting a little bit about my upcoming travels soon!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Pull up a chair and your morning beverage of choice!
This morning, I’m having a light breakfast with my green Tazo tea. It has a reasonable amount of caffeine and tastes great without anything added. I have lunch with a friend later, but I woke up late. Therefore, breakfast is a lighter portion of cereal with my usual fruit and turmeric powder on top. I have to undo a week of unhealthy eating.
After dinner at a trivia night, I stress-ate lots of salty fries, then got all full on teacher appreciation treats this week. This includes ice cream floats for the teachers on Thursday. I had dessert before my carb-less pot pie lunch! 😉 Sometimes the most meaningful gifts is a handwritten note. This one was inside of a card that said, “Thank you for being you,” and was so well-written!
The green tea is tasty and energizing me! It’s one of my favorite things, and living with two other adults, I had to eat dinner without my caffeine-free green tea a few nights, as my son drank it all. Things like this happen a lot. It takes a good measure of unconditional love for this to work. 🙂 It helps that he pays rent.
Mother’s day is tomorrow, and I hope to have a beach walk with my son, then lunch with my mom. There’s a Mother’s day market she seems interested in attending, so we’ll do that. My school year’s almost over, and I’m doing some cruise dreaming! Almost there!
Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. After a matcha green tea, I am taking my time this morning. Why? Because I can. 🙂
It is Fire Week in the Soul Coaching book, which involves stepping out of the usual routines. It being summer, I get to step out of my work routine anyway! One new addition to the routine is walking 5 miles on Tuesday evenings with a Meetup group, traipsing through neighborhoods I don’t normally frequent and seeing wonderful new sites. I do know one person in the group, but taking these walks is a new thing for me, and I love it!
Strange angle, but I had to catch that awesome sunset too!
There has also been plenty of time to rest, take my time, and live in the moment. If that is the water part of my life, it is a slow-moving, lazy river. I love those, and they certainly represent living in the moment. It is such an important thing to do, isn’t it? Of course, we may not be able to do it all the time. Still, living with uncertainty with all of the shake-ups and changes in my life recently has made living in the moment necessary at times. I have to maintain the balance.
Bixby does the dance of ‘living in the moment ‘ so well!
Perhaps I will blog more on my journey through the Soul Coaching book, if the spirit moves me. It has become a welcome routine every morning with a long, drawn-out breakfast. When it is done, I’ll be changing up my routines again. I actually worked on writing the Ellie book this week. There will be more of that to follow!
Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by for my coffee share!
But to achieve it, there is still much I must go through.
****Certain parts of this mantra are more positive while I feel others hit the reality head-on. I plan to focus on the positive portions when needed and return to all other stanzas to honor and respect what I may feel.in any given moment.
I had a lot of work this weekend that involved computer time, but I got a little relaxation in, so I’m going to express most of it in photos.
Friday night TV on the recliner at my boyfriend’s house. Seinfeld rules!
I finished this heart-breaking book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Saturday. WW2 Holocaust, #historicalfiction. It has quite a deep message.
I took the time to get my toes pedicured as well.
Saturday I wore my new dress to church. I have to wear it before Lent is over, besides, the weather here will only get hotter. Now I’ll retire it until fall. You can’t beat a black dress, and with polka dots to boot! Now I have to start wearing pastels to celebrate Spring!
Have a great week, my friends and fellow bloggers!
pamelascanepa 