Shoes

It was a busy day today.  The students participated in a 'give back' day where they were able to do yard work, wash cars and start preparing to do a mural at the school.  So, basically, a day filled with community service.  From what I could tell they pretty much all had a good time and worked together to complete the tasks they were given.  The best part about work today though is that the paraprofessionals finally got our contracts so I know I can have a job next school year!

After work I visited a couple of friends that are helping me make shoes that will be passable for medieval at SCA events.  We got a few more steps done with the task and I brought them home and will hopefully complete them on my own.  There are some very special people in this barony.  One of them is also working on the new shower for the two week camping event coming up as well as cases for the new thrones.  One of the cases is all done and it looks great.  I wasn't expecting the case to be anywhere near as nice as it came out. 

Super pleased with all the things today.  Happy Friday!

A lilac plant that I hadn't noticed before at school.

Shoe

Throne in a bag.   

A shower 

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Long ramble

This was a short work week because of Memorial Day but for some reason today felt like Friday and now I want to stay up late instead of be responsible.  😉  Tomorrow will be busy at work though so sleep I must get. 

Things are moving ahead with planning for trips this summer.  There is talk of food planning and getting tents and I am going to work on getting my shoes made.  I'm also preparing myself for the worst at work because contracts for the next school year are not out yet.  Mentally I am preparing myself for looking for another job, even though I don't want another job.

After work today I decided to go home instead of fighting practice.  K and I had some planning to do.  Then I went for a walk and got my steps in.  I left knowing that I was going to the store to pick K up something small.  On the way I realized that I could get a few things myself, but I was walking.  My note to self about this is that I should probably bring my backpack if I am going to a store at all so I can get more than one thing if I want.  I did get a six pack of breakfast drinks and carried that home with K's small item.  About half way home I started swinging the bag and using it to work my arm muscles.  I have weights for walking around here somewhere that I should bring on my walks.

Happy things for today include:

• The amount of sleep I got last night was adequate, I was not half asleep all day, yay!
• There were some new buds on a bush I walked by today that might have been roses.
• There is a flowering plant part of our tiny yard.  It comes up every year but I can't think of the name of it.
• When I went for the walk this afternoon the sun was out and it wasn't too hot or too cold.
• Listening to the rain fall outside, hoping it will lull me to sleep soon.

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Just a Happy

Why did my body and legs ache more today, after not getting my step count yesterday, than during the previous fourteen days when I did get my step count?  It may just have been because I was very tired today, but it was incentive to walk this afternoon.  My friend and I pushed ourselves to get outside and walk, neither of us really felt like it.  Getting out there in the fresh air and moving is just what I needed though and is my happy for today.

☮

Rain

Step count didn't happen today but I am very happy with the 14 day streak I had.  Rain, chiropractor and i Sebastiani got in the way of a walk today.  It just means I will need to try harder tomorrow.  If I am reading my health chart online correctly I have hit the 100 mile mark for walking in the month of May. 

My happy things for today include:

• The 14 day streak from above,
• Getting some good news from someone special about something that shall remain a secret for a while longer,
• Laughter with friends,
• Becoming involved with performing again with i Sebastiani,
• Growing plants.

Looking down on my EcoColumn.

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Memorial Day

At some point over the weekend Z and then K started to not feel well.  We canceled our plans for the day because we weren't sure if it is a stomach bug or something one of them ate.  The good news is that they seemed to be feeling a little better as the day progressed.  Since Gideon and I don't seem to have any symptoms yet, we hopefully missed it or it was food related.

During my walk tonight I heard someone yell out the car window as they went by, presumable to me, "I can't see you!"  I think that means the bright yellow/green shirt I was wearing was doing its job.  😉  That is my sleeve with Mr. Winant behind me.

Sunset 

My happy for today is that Gideon came in my room this morning and wanted to snuggle.  It has been quite a while since he has done that.  

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Down Day

Occasionally today I felt like I should have gone back up to the event I was at yesterday.  Instead I did very little and had a down day.  My big accomplishments for today include laundry, a nap and a four mile walk.  I had meant to take my walk in the morning, but ended up falling back to sleep for almost three hours.  When I woke up the temperature outside was around 86 degrees, so the walk waited until around 6:30 when the sun was no longer beating down.  When I sat down after my walk I had 9,999 steps.  I got a drink of water and made my step count.  😉

It is odd as I think back on my day, I don't think I spoke one word today, unless it was to myself.  I'm not sure that has happened in quite some time, except when I had laryngitis, and I still tried to speak.  I did have contact with people through internet chats and such, but not through speech.  Huh.

My friend's cat, Chloe, had to be put down today.  😞  She did not come to me for attention very often. She didn't come to anyone, that I know of, very often for attention.  I'll still miss her.  

Chloe, from March 20, 2019.

My happy for today is that walk.  I took my time and stopped occasionally to take a picture.  The lilacs seem to be at peak and soon I will miss that sweet smell as I walk.  There are many other things blooming or preparing to though as we get closer to summer.

 ☮

Panteria

There was an event this weekend that I decided to just go to today.  I suppose I could go back tomorrow, but I am hoping to either relax, or get stuff done.  Either or both is fine.  Today I spent relaxing SCA style.  I watched a friend's apprenticing.  His Laurel had three gifts; the green belt and sign of an apprentice (made by his Laurel), a tool (made by his Laurel's wife) and a working apron made of leather (made by his wife).  Someday maybe I will start using names, but not today. 

I spent a good part of my day talking with friends that I haven't seen in a while and making plans for next weekend (I hope).  It sounds like the shower that is getting made for Pennsic is coming along nicely.  I strolled around to see some of the different things that were happening.  There were horses, archery, merchants and classes to name a few of the things going on. 

After court, my newly apprenticed friend and I went geocaching.  I know, nothing medieval about that.  There was a cache nearby that he had been wanting to find for a few years now when at this event but hadn't had the time.  After court and before feast seemed as good a time as any.  After walking about a half mile or so we left the road and traipsed through some woodsy area until he found it.  It was a micro-cache, so fairly small and was in a dead log.  We signed the tiny piece of paper and then put the cache back in the hole.

My happy things for today are getting to talk with friends I haven'e seen for a while and geocaching. 

Archery! 

There were some Canada Geese were near the the cache. 

 

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Vulnerability

There was a party after work today that I chose not to go to because, if I am going to be completely honest, I am not all that comfortable with group parties like that.  There would only be a few people that I know.  When I originally got the invite I had been planning to go away for the weekend, leaving this afternoon.  That plan changed for me, but the rest of the family still left this afternoon.  I knew my daughter would appreciate the help getting ready and right after deciding not to go to the party I called her and she was very happy that I was going to be going home, rather than somewhere else after work.  She wanted some help.

When I had pretty much finished helping her pack I sat down to do the sewing that I wanted to have done tonight.  After they left I put on a Ted Talk video with Brené Brown to listen to while I sewed.  It happened to be about vulnerability.  Sometimes the things that pop up for me to watch seem very well timed, this was one of those times.  As I push through my vulnerability and share things in my blog, I realize how I wasn't able to go to the party today, because, vulnerability.  

Being able to be home to help my daughter get ready for the weekend is my happy for today.  Tomorrow I will join them for a little while and it will be good.

☮

 

Almost

It is almost 10 PM and most likely my over 10,000 steps a day streak has ended.  It lasted nine days.  It is possible that I will finish writing this and get up for a mile or so walk, but I doubt it.  Maybe...

My happy for today is fighter practice.  K, Gideon and I went together.  Gideon watched for a bit and then started reading his book. 

Practice

(and the sky outside practice) 

It is now 10:40 and those first few sentences are all I needed to get up and push myself out the door.  Day 10 of making my step count goal is complete!  Had I not taken this walk, I wouldn't have seen the storm start to roll in and I wouldn't have shot this bumpy video while I walked down the street.  Happy for the walk and that I wore my rain coat. 

🌧☮🌩☮🌧☮🗲

Cemetery Day

Every year, the week or two before Memorial Day, some of my family get together to plant flowers on departed family graves.  This year I had to work and Gideon had school so some of the family started without us.  We usually visit six cemeteries but I only got to five and K, Z and Gideon to two of them.  There were nine of us this year that joined up to plant.  We do our best to make a joyful day out of this by eating out, getting ice cream and sharing some family stories.  I tried to multi-task as well by opening up the 'Find a Grave' app on my phone and looking around the areas we were for other's graves.  The amount of joy I find in doing this sometimes seems wrong.  Planting flowers and spending time with family is my happy for today.

This looks old but the person passed away in 2015. 

We left my car at my aunt's house and I rode with her...

Until she went to talk to someone else visiting and I was walking around.

K came by and picked me up.

Too funny! 

Gideon seems to have decided that looking at gravestones

is a great way to find new names for the stories he writes. 

Time for Hodgies! 

They had a new salted caramel flavor today.  Yum!

Pretty Sky.  

This cemetery has the best views behind it.

There was a beaver lodge that I though I took pictures of here. 

💮☮💮

Holes

When I sit and draw a blank about what to write I tend to end up on Facebook or falling down a YouTube hole.  So far, I am being pretty good about not falling too far.  I did find this Winnie the Pooh song, but I decided on that on today's walk.  It was a windy day that seemed almost fall-like instead of spring.  Not sure why but I think because the weather was so warm yesterday and much cooler today.  Anyhow, here are some happy things for today:

• Getting to go outside during school hours and feel the sun on my face.
• Walks with friends.
• Flowers (small hole).
• Good food.
• Sewing.
• Heather the cat.

I saw these pretty flowers and asked the question:

What makes a pretty and edible ground cover?

So now I have ideas. 

I worked on this tunic for a friend.

It needs an iron before I can work on it again.

Hopefully I will finish it Friday. 

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