Friday Recap

October 9, 2020 jjtm4Leave a comment

I’m starting the last day of this work week in a reflective mood. A comedic mood. Slightly triumphant.

I started this day with a grumpy 10 year old. This is our 8th full week of in-school education. He’s tired. He’s going to be even grumpier when he finds out that he isn’t going to the farm for Friday night and Saturday. His bag was packed, but my mom called this morning to say she’s down with stomach flu (which is circulating thru adults in our area). Eeek.

However, we did get both kids on the bus with hugs, water bottles, and backpacks. So, I’m considering that a win. Cue the triumphant music!

My morning surprise was walking out to see my large morning glories finally blooming! I’ve waited months. This was my first attempt at planting this flowering vine. I had no idea it would overtake a 8ft x 14ft area. These vines have been a happy place for many insects and creatures this summer. Each bloom is 5-6″ wide. What a startling blue color!

Next, I headed to town to donate blood. This was donation #10. I did a whole line of Oreos yesterday to get my iron high enough to donate. This should have been donation #14, but I’ve been turned down three times for my iron being too low and once for a “timing issue.” Did you know Oreos are iron fortified? Yes. Yes, they are. I’m trying to make healthy choices (and Oreos don’t fit that eating plan), so you better believe I wasn’t going to waste that line of Oreos by not showing up at the donation drive. Boom. My iron was 14.5. After donation, the organizers treated me to a bowl of chili, a sandwich, and a piece of apple pie. A second breakfast at 9:30am? Absolutely.

Have you ever used an automatic car wash and had it shut off on you while you were in it? Strange. That happened this morning. My extremely dirty vehicle (dirt roads, fall harvest, three months of bugs) was due up for a wash. A friend at the auto parts store where I grabbed filters for the shop made fun of how dirty it was. Thus, I headed over for a quick scrub. It went thru the pre-wash/ undercarriage and then everything just turned off! No lights. No movement. I drove forward and backward multiple times thinking maybe I just wasn’t placed quite right. Then I called the phone number. “Yes, it seems we’ve had a complete failure of power at the car wash.” Ok then…. All I could do was marvel at the ridiculousness and laugh. I ended up washing it by hand in a different bay in my nice, new cardigan.

I’ve been back at my desk for a couple of hours doing normal work things. What a full and crazy morning! All you can do on a day like this is giggle. Keep it positive. I feel like I’ve lived an entire day in 6 hours.

On a different train of thought – I realized that as much as I was trying not to, the social media comparison game was getting in my head (thank you therapist!). I deleted the Facebook and Messenger apps off my smart phone. If you are feeling anxious, try doing that. Weight lifted. No nervous pressure to click and see what everyone else is doing. Just be in your moment with your people.

Have a glorious weekend! — Jen

Perspective

Catching Up

September 9, 2020 jjtm4Leave a comment

Autumn came rushing in on the heels of a couple of triple digit days. Currently, the weather outside is 43 degrees F and rainy. By rushing, I shall further describe as when the wind hit the house, I wondered if it would snap a tree or two in the yard. Mother Nature is so temperamental this year. This is the part where we all just shrug our shoulders and say “2020.”

I’ll reintroduce myself as it has been months since I last wrote. I’m Jen. Reading, writing, music, running, and noticing the details in nature are all enjoyable for me. My heart and soul belong to Jesus. My husband still gets best friend status after 20 years of being around me. He put a ring on it 15 years ago. A young boy and girl live at our house and look and act like us. All good stuff!

As for many others, this year has been in absolutely NO WAY as I had planned it in my head or on my beloved planner. Schools closed in March. The kids and I completely locked down for a couple of weeks. At that point, my husband (who I also own an “essential” business with and work with daily) informed me exhaustedly that “this isn’t working.” I went to splitting my days between being in the office (we moved all our customer contact outside) and schooling at home.

Note- I did not say homeschooling. My children attend a school with wonderful teachers. They listen, learn, and enjoy being there. Although I have a BS in Secondary Education, I have no interest in being my children’s main teacher. More power to the mamas and dads that do! Rather, I essentially proctored their education online with their teachers taking the lead via Zoom, Google Classroom, and a host of other educational sites they were assigned. We all survived, but anxiety abounded and many tears were shed by all.

Bring on summer! Kids played baseball and softball. They spent time with friends. We had a couple excursions to the local lake and went to our local pool three times. Both kids had bucket calves (big, spoiled babies!) for 4-H, so although our fair was extremely pared down due to the C-word precautions, we had activities there as well. Following that up, we went on vacation. We tried to take the road less traveled thru Nebraska, Wyoming, a slice of Montana, a corner of Idaho, and finished up in Utah. There was camping, geysers, wildlife, hiking, and as a friend referred to it- a vacation full of the outdoors – as the original social distancing. We traveled and lived this summer.

We are thankful that our mostly rural area has stayed healthy. School is back in session for almost 3 1/2 weeks IN PERSON. My kids are thrilled! (as if their mama!) I am confident that all the possible safety precautions are being taken while still conducting school as normally as possible. Thus far, nothing tied to the school. Hallelujah!

Now, here we are solidly standing in September. The successful start to school and the hope I refuse to surrender to the nay-sayers combine to help me remain optimistic. I refuse to watch the news for more than 10 minutes a day. Who doesn’t have anxiety with that constant noise?

With that, I leave you for a bit. I hope to write again soon. — Jen