Five things that made me happy today – 3/31/20

There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful.

Howard Thurman

1. RELEASE

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. I got tickled at the silly flicker who is too big to eat from the bird feeder, but felt the need to act like the woodpecker he really is beating a tatoo on the metal roof of the feeder.

3. I got my Intentions Review for March written and posted.

4. The housekeepers were here today. I have clean sheets on the bed, clean bathrooms, clean kitchen, and clean floors.

5. Grateful that the Wellness Center remains open. It’s still too cool to comfortably walk outside, and doing circles in the living room gets old. I got my 10,000 steps for today on the NuStep.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions for 2020 – Review for March

My Star Word for this year is “Encourage”. The internet says “encourage” means to give support, confidence or hope to someone.

Here are my intentions for 2020.

Needless to say, everything went out the window early in the month. I managed to get my hair cut on the 5th, and went to church on the 8th, but then the bottom fell out. Gazebo Group was cancelled along with all classes, and other group activities on the 9th, including Senior University. Bible Study was cancelled on the 10th. On the 16th all Wellness classes and personal training was cancelled, and residents who eat in any of the dining rooms had to either pick up their meals and go back to their rooms, or have their meals delivered. The Wellness Center remains open, but all of the employees who work there are gone on unemployment.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 4 pounds since 12/31/19.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – I haven’t had a mocha this month. I hope I’ve broken the habit (although, like a recovering alcoholic, the thought is never far from my mind.) I need to send the money saved  to One Great Hour of Sharing.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day. – Check!
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • All personal training cancelled by COVID-19.
  • Work on core strength and balance by myself between times. – Check!
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – no new rashes, bumps, or aches!
• In the light of COVID-19, I’m trying to be much more intentional about washing my hands regularly – ALWAYS after I’ve been out of the house.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – Check
  • Don’t belabor the point. – Check
• Continue to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog.
  • Notice encouragement from other people. – several other people have started posting their own #5Things.
  • Notice encouragement from the Universe. – I’m noticing what’s right in my life now, although it’s harder now.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading. Read 50 books this year (not just “fluff”).
  • The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – finished
  • Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo – finished
  • Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy – finished
  • Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson – finished
  • On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle – finished
  • 142 Ostriches – by April Davila – finished
  • Pretty Girls – by Karen Slaughter – I gave myself permission to quit after 25% of it
  • The Tuscan Child – by Rhys Bowen – reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I’ve subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letter. It’s helping keep me sane.
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Work on my on-going story about my childhood – still waiting for inspiration.
  • Keep writing Midrash poetry when the opportunity presents itself – no new poems
  • All courses cancelled by COVID-19.
• Attend Brain Training when it is offered by Senior University. – Cancelled by COVID-19
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – Cancelled by COVID-19

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study..- Cancelled by COVID-19
• Continue to participate in weekly Worship – no in-person worship. Attending virtually on Facebook Live
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – I talked about Lenten practices at the Christian Lenten Soup Supper on March 3rd. The Community Seder and the Community Iftar were cancelled by COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – scheduled meeting cancelled by COVID-19. Perhaps we will have a ZOOM meeting later, if General Assembly is going to be held, which is looking more and more doubtful.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – No community members are allowed. I see 1-2 people there when I exercise.
  • Gazebo Group – In person meetings cancelled by COVID-19. We have begun weekly ZOOM meetings.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Cancelled by COVID-19
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. No activities because of COVID-19.
  • I attended an Olympia Presbytery ZOOM meeting as a guest.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. – all cancelled by COVID-19
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn. – Check
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice – I sign and send petitions, particularly when requested by the Presbyterian Office of Social Responsibility
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality

 

Five things that made me happy today – 3/30/20

There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful.

Howard Thurman

1. ANSWER

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. I got the car unloaded with the groceries I bought on Friday (they were sitting in the garage waiting through their “quarantine”, and Big Al got it all put away. Probably an excess of caution, but we’re both old enough to be in an extra careful age group.)

3. The Director of Life Enrichment here at FTJ brought me two jigsaw puzzles. Something to do since I’ve run out of Netflix or Prime movies for the time being. (Or at least I’m saving the ones I want to watch for while I’m using the NuStep.)

4. I made pork chops with Stovetop stuffing, and cinnamon applesauce for lunch. Big Al finished off the cauliflower and I had yellow squash. Good dinner.

5. The laundry is all washed, dried, folded, hung-up and put away. (At least mine is, I think Big Al’s is still on his bed, but he’ll get it done before night.)

BONUS: One of the folks in the Gazebo Group set up a ZOOM call for tonight. It will be great to see everybody, even virtually.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/29/20

There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful.

Howard Thurman

1. CELEBRATE

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. Watching and listening to the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra playing Ode to Joy each in their own apartment.

3. There was a big storm in the night, but today is blue sky and puffy white clouds. I love elemental storms in the night while I’m safe and warm in my bed.

4. At church today, the text was from Ezekiel about the dry bones that came to life. “God says to Ezekiel ‘Speak life’, and the bones rise up”. We need to “Speak life, speak love.”

5. We got take out from Moctezumas for dinner today. Big Al had a burrito, and I had a chicken parilla bowl. Al drove down, and enjoyed an “outing”. I think he’s been inside the house for over a week. I go out for a walk or exercise every day, but he’s been cooped in.

BONUS: One of my sisters set up a Zoom meeting for the three of us (plus her daughter and occasionally her grandaughter) this afternoon. I Facetime with them occasionally, but never together. It was fun to have a real conversation. We live in New York, Arkansas, Texas, and Washington state.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/28/20

There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful.

Howard Thurman

1. BELIEVE

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. I slept really well last night, for the first time in several weeks. I guess after getting groceries for at least 4 weeks, and possibly 6, yesterday, I was finally able to quit worrying about going out in public. The demon who wakes me up at 2 am apparently decided to give me a break.

3. I like to watch movies or TV episodes on my iPad while I pedal the NuStep. I’ve fallen into an English country period movie routine. I watched Howard’s End for a couple of days, and today I started on Mansfield Park. I searched for The Remains of the Day but I guess neither Netflix nor Amazon Prime has it available right now.

4. Tuna fish salad sandwiches for lunch. Tasty.

5. It might be misty rain and cold here, but I was able to walk to the Wellness Center and back during a break in the precipitation. I got all my steps in!

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/27/20

Willing to experience aloneness, I discover connection everywhere; turning to face my fear, I meet the warrior who lives within.

Jennifer Wellwood

1. HEARD

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. I scurried down to Joint Base Lewis McChord to do a “big shop”. I realized that the number of people who were positive or soon to be positive for the virus was only going to increase for a while, so I decided to get there while the “gettin’ was good.” I think I’ve got everything we’ll need for the next 6 weeks, particularly if we’re careful. I may need to do a quick Safeway trip for fruits and vegetables after a couple of weeks.

3. When I got home, I decided to leave 90% of the stuff in the car or the garage. It’s still cold enough out there to leave the fruits and vegetables there (50-55 deg.). I sanitized the outside of the frozen goods, and handed them in to Big Al who put them in the freezer. I’ll bring everything in Monday or Tuesday, past the “lives on metal and plastic” time.

4. By the time I finished with all that, I was starving, so Big Al called in a take-out order to Odd Felllas. He got something called cottage pie, and I got a grilled chicken sandwich with avocados, lettuce, and tomato, and onion rings.

5. I’m counting on spring actually being here because I heard the white crowned sparrow with his “see, see, pretty, pretty, me.” Also I heard honking, and looked up and there were two Canada geese on top of the assisted living building.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/26/20

Willing to experience aloneness, I discover connection everywhere; turning to face my fear, I meet the warrior who lives within.

Jennifer Wellwood

1. LIVE

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. If you haven’t seen this video about shopping safely, check it out.

3. Big Al and I had red beans and rice with little smokies sausages for lunch. Good since the weather has turned cold and rainy again.

4. Stayed inside at the Wellness Center because of the cold weather, but I got my 10,000 steps.

5. Spent 2 hours this afternoon at a ZOOM presbytery meeting. I think we got all the necessary stuff done.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/25/20

Life is so hard, how can we be anything but kind?

Sylvia Boorstein

1. GO

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. The oatmeal I ordered from Amazon came today. It was 6 (six) canisters. I promise I didn’t mean to hoard. At least it’s supposed to be good until June 2021 (if we live that long).

3. We had a little steak, red skinned potatoes, and green beans for lunch. Very satisfactory.

4. It was cloudy and rainy all morning long, but during lunch the sun came out and we had blue skies and clouds. I walked over to the Wellness Center, and my trainer and I took a pretty long walk. The rain returned when we were almost back, so I completed my 10,000 steps on the NuStep.

5. My sister and her husband who live in New York City went to their vacation home in upstate New York. I’m so grateful they are out of that petri dish in the city.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/24/20

Let us keep courage and try to be patient and gentle.

Vincent Van Gogh

1. AWAKEN

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. In an effort to stay grounded during this time of extended hibernation, I have expanded my morning routine to include some seated Yoga exercises, meditation, and a little bit of strength (sit-to-stands, and seated planks). And I’ve scheduled it on my calendar.

3. Made a quick trip to Trader Joe’s this morning to get my breakfast sausages (sorry, Safeway, your apple/chicken sausages just don’t cut it.) They were limiting the number of people in the store but one of the ladies in line saw I only had one bag, and offered to let me go first. I thanked her and said I wasn’t shopping, only grabbing the sausages. One of the managers outside heard me, and let me go in the out-door instead of waiting in line. I went straight to the meat section, grabbed my sausages, and there was an empty checker, so I checked out. Got in the car, sanitized my hands, and drove home. When I got here I sanitized the outside of the packages, the inside of the car, and the doorknobs in the house.

4. The head of food services brought Big Al his Chef Salad from the kitchen for lunch today. I had my regular Tuesday egg salad sandwich. I’m trying to keep our routine as normal as possible.

5. More rain was threatened today, but it never materialized (at least not yet). I was able to get a reasonable walk in both on the way to the Wellness Center and on the way back. I would have gone farther, but I didn’t want to get caught out in a downpour so I stayed close to the campus. I still got my 10,000 steps for today.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 3/23/20

Let us keep courage and try to be patient and gentle.

Vincent Van Gogh

1. GLORY

#Photo-a-day #Lenten Discipline

2. We had ham steak, sweet potato, and Big Al had some more of the cauliflower, while I had purple hull peas for lunch.

3. The weather has turned rainy and colder today, but we’ve had a few sun breaks. I was able to get a short walk in during one of them.

4. The laundry is all washed, folded and hung up.

5. I went to the Wellness Center and got all my steps in, even though it was rainy.

How about you? What made you happy today?