30 Days of Thankfulness – 11/8/22

For the month of November, I’m going to continue with my habit of posting things I am thankful for. Thankfulness is different from happiness, and I don’t want to conflate the two.

Today, I’m grateful to be waking up in a country that, at least, pretends to value all people and all points of view. I hope to go to bed feeling the same way.

Intentions for 2020 – Review for December (and basically the whole year)

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.

NOTE: We basically shut down the middle of March, opened up a little in May and in August we closed down again with the rising COVID-19 rates. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only one person at a time and only 30 min. three times a week. They are doing fitness classes on Zoom twice a week. No personal training. Still no dining rooms open, although the Dining Room did deliver Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner to our houses. No Happy Hour because it’s too cold to sit outside. The staff hosted 10 Days of Merriment before Christmas when they provided a treat and a drink. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, although we meet by Zoom. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. Shopping is still of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and I haven’t been to the commissary since the beginning of November – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve managed to maintain the weight I came into 2020 with. Quarantine, difficulty in finding a place and decent weather to exercise have meant that I’ve yoyoed over 5-7 pounds and ended up back where I started.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – Starbucks keeps luring me with specials and “free” stars and I got a plethora of chocolate covered nuts for Christmas. At least I’m not eating MUCH more chocolate.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I cut down on the number of eggs I eat weekly – no more than 4 per week, and I’m keeping the cholesterol under 350 gms on the days I eat eggs, and under 150 gms on the other days.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Still no personal training, and I do very little other than use the NuStep.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor.
  • The biopsies on two places on my face revealed one squamous cell cancer that will be taken care of with a peel, and one basal cell cancer that I’ve scheduled Mohs surgery for towards the end of January.
  • I’m currently suffering through a 6-week peel that has me trying not to scratch my face off.
• My mammogram was completely clear. The bone scan showed that I have a little bit of osteoporosis in my left fibula – 1.7% chance of a broken hip in the next 10 years.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. We carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• A fourth case of the virus was reported by a staff member at Franke Tobey Jones, one in July, one in September, one in October and one in November. We’ve had a total of 17 cases here, all limited to either staff or residents in the Skilled Nursing facility. They have a quarantine wing there, and everyone who was infected is now moved out.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile.
  • Al knows what he should do (he has exercises to do between PT visits) but he is unmotivated to do them. I’m having a hard time NOT nagging him.
• I’m becoming more resigned to this enforced confinement.
• The promise of vaccines is wonderful, but I’m trying not to pin my hopes on that with case counts and deaths rising. We’ve gotten word that the staff and folks in Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, and Memory Care will begin receiving shots 1/10/2021.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading. Read 50 books this year (not just “fluff”). I didn’t make it.
  • 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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – finished
  • When We Believed in Mermaids – by Barbara O’Neal – finished
  • How the South Won the Civil War – by Heather Cox Richardson – finished
  • Caste by Isabel Wilkerson – finished
  • The Lakehouse by Joe Clifford – finished
  • The Sentinel by Lee Child – finished
  • The Wonderboy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg – finished
  • The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – finished
  • Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson – reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • I’ve subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letter. It’s helping keep me sane.
  • I’ve also recently subscribed to WTF Just Happened Today? A daily newsletter that arrives at 3:00 pm.
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones. – Creative Writing is on hiatus until sometime in the new year.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – The new season will start in late January – possibly on Zoom.
• I’m listening to Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook Live on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She answers questions on Tuesday and has started talking about Reconstruction on Thursdays.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live.
• Our new transitional pastor will start with the new year.
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – No meetings because of COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – Nothing happening for a while

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. I subscribe to several Climate Change newsletters.
• Keep up with family.
  • I try to communicate with my sons regularly on Instant Messenger.
  • My younger son lives close enough to come see us, and help if we need him. (His help was invaluable when my husband was in the hospital.)
  • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
  • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn.
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State.

Intentions for 2020 – Review for November

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.

NOTE: We opened up a little and now we’re closed down again with the rising COVID-19 rates. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only one person at a time and only 30 min. three times a week. No fitness classes and no personal training. Still no dining rooms open, no Happy Hour because it’s too cold to sit outside. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, although we meet by Zoom. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. Shopping is still of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and to the commissary about once every six weeks – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 4.4 pounds since 12/31/19. The weight loss in the last month is directly attributable to worry about Big Al.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – I’m trying to limit my consumption to no more than 3 or 4 a week, but Starbucks keeps luring me with specials and “free” stars.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I cut down on the number of eggs I eat weekly – no more than 4 per week, and I’m keeping the cholesterol under 350 gms on the days I eat eggs, and under 150 gms on the other days.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Still no personal training but my trainer worked up a routine for strength and balance that I can do by myself – I managed to do that routine for about a week before they shut us down again, and cut access to the Wellness Center to three times a week. Hopefully, I’ll get a new routine this month.
  • I’m walking outdoors when the weather is decent, although now that it’s turned colder, I have a hard time encouraging myself to go outside. Because of the new schedule I can’t walk the indoor track at the Wellness Center.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – my dermatologist diagnosed rosacea and prescribed a cream. She also froze several places of precancerous actinic keratosis.
• My mammogram was completely clear. The bone scan showed that I have a little bit of osteoporosis in my left fibula – 1.7% chance of a broken hip in the next 10 years.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. We carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• A third case of the virus was reported by a staff member at Franke Tobey Jones, one in July, one in September, and one in October. We’ve had a total of 11 cases here, all limited to either staff or residents in the Skilled Nursing facility. They have a quarantine wing there, and everyone who was infected is now moved out.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile.
  • Al knows what he should do (he has exercises to do between PT visits) but he is unmotivated to do them. I’m having a hard time NOT nagging him.
• I’m becoming more resigned to this enforced confinement. The promise of vaccines is wonderful, but I’m trying not to pin my hopes on that with case counts and deaths rising.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading. Read 50 books this year (not just “fluff”). I don’t think I’m going to make it.
  • 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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – finished
  • When We Believed in Mermaids – by Barbara O’Neal – finished
  • How the South Won the Civil War – by Heather Cox Richardson – finished
  • Caste by Isabel Wilkerson – finished
  • The Lakehouse by Joe Clifford – finished
  • The Sentinel by Lee Child – finished
  • The Wonderboy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg – reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • I’ve subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letter. It’s helping keep me sane.
  • I’ve also recently subscribed to WTF Just Happened Today? A daily newsletter that arrives at 3:00 pm.
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones. – Creative Writing is on hiatus until sometime in the new year.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – The new season will start in January or February.
• I’m listening to Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m excited to learn what she will talk about now that the election seems to done and dusted.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live.
• Our interim pastor’s last Sunday was yesterday. We’ll be fine through Christmas with our parish associates. Our new transitional pastor will start with the new year.
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – No meetings because of COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – Nothing happening for a while

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation.
• Keep up with family.
  • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
  • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn.
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State.

Intentions for 2020 – Review for October

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.

NOTE: We are gradually opening up, a little. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only two people at a time. The staff has a couple of classes a week – but no personal training. Still no dining rooms open, still Happy Hour in our driveway even though it’s getting too cold to comfortably sit outside. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, although we meet by Zoom. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. Shopping is still of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and to the commissary about once every six weeks – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 1.4 pounds since 12/31/19. The weight I lost at the beginning of the pandemic has almost all returned.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – The mochas keep calling me, and, unfortunately, I have very little willpower over them. I TRY to keep the numbers down, but I find I sleep better when I have a mocha in the middle of the afternoon. It keeps me from going to bed hungry, I guess.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I cut down on the number of eggs I eat weekly – no more than 4 per week, and I’m keeping the cholesterol under 350 gms on the days I eat eggs, and under 150 gms on the other days.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Still no personal training but my trainer worked up a routine for strength and balance that I can do by myself – and I try to do it three times a week. It’s a new month and she is going to give me a new routine – Hooray! I was getting bored with the last one.
  • I’m walking outdoors when the weather is decent, although now that it’s turned colder, I have a hard time encouraging myself to go outside. I have a long walk scheduled on my calendar to remind me and I try to walk the indoor track at the Wellness Center if the weather is bad.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – my dermatologist diagnosed rosacea and prescribed a cream. She also froze several places of precancerous actinic keratosis.
• My mammogram was completely clear. The bone scan showed that I have a little bit of osteoporosis in my left fibula – 1.7% chance of a broken hip in the next 10 years.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. We carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• A third case of the virus was reported by a staff member at Franke Tobey Jones, one in July, one in September, and one in October. That staff member was in Skilled Nursing, and apparently infected five residents. One is in the hospital, and four are in the isolation unit here. They are still doing weekly follow-up testing of all the staff and residents in Skilled Nursing.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – I think I’m doing better at this now. Generally, I’m less on edge or easily irritated.
• I’m becoming more resigned to this enforce confinement. Still thinking of it as liminal space with no sign of ending. God puts us in liminal space because we need to learn something, and we can’t get out until we learn it. I just wish I knew what it was that we need to learn, so I could get busy on my homework.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me with my frustration.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – finished
  • When We Believed in Mermaids – by Barbara O’Neal – finished
  • How the South Won the Civil War – by Heather Cox Richardson – finished
  • Caste by Isabel Wilkerson – finished
  • The Lakehouse by Joe Clifford – reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • I’ve subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily letter. It’s helping keep me sane.
  • I’ve also recently subscribed to WTF Just Happened Today? A daily newsletter that arrives at 3:00 pm.
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones. – Creative Writing resumed in September on Zoom. I’m working on refining my essay about Little River Country Club.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – We read and talked Artificial Intelligence on Zoom. Not much that I didn’t know already, but then I have two sons who are big into that kind of thing.
• I’m listening to Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She has spent most of this month trying to bring an historical perspective to the current election cycle and to encourage us not to give up if the election doesn’t go as we wish.
• Senior University here at FTJ hosted a couple of Improv Classes on Zoom that I attended.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live.
• We have an interim pastor through the end of the year or until the Session hires an official transitional pastor who will help us call someone permanent.
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – No meetings because of COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – Nothing happening for a while

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there, usually.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation.
• Keep up with family.
  • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
  • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn.
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State – there have never been any large examples of fraud with our voting.
• Al and I voted as soon as our ballots arrived, and we carried them to the drop box here.

Intentions for 2020 – Review for September

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.

NOTE: We are gradually opening up, a little. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only two people at a time. The staff has a couple of classes a week – but no personal training. Still no dining rooms open, still Happy Hour in our driveway. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, although we meet by Zoom. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. This month I had a dermatology appointment and my mammogram and bone scan – in person. I finally got my second haircut since March. Shopping is still of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and to the commissary about once every six weeks – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 4.4 pounds since 12/31/19. I’ve re-lost the weight I put on at the beginning of the pandemic, but I haven’t lost anything more this month.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – No more than 3 mochas a week, although Starbucks tries its best to lure me into having at least one a day.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I cut down on the number of eggs I eat weekly – no more than 4 per week, and I’m keeping the cholesterol under 350 gms on the days I eat eggs, and under 150 gms on the other days.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Still no personal training but my trainer worked up a routine for strength and balance that I can do by myself – and I try to do it three times a week.
  • I’m walking outdoors when the weather is decent and when there’s no smoke in the air.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – my dermatologist diagnosed rosacea and prescribed a cream. She also froze several places of precancerous actinic keratosis.
• My mammogram was completely clear. The bone scan showed that I have a little bit of osteoporosis in my left fibula – 1.7% chance of a broken hip in the next 10 years.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. We carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• A second case of the virus was reported by a staff member at Franke Tobey Jones, one in July and one in September. No additional cases reported at all, although everyone in Health Care and Assisted Living will be tested every week for the next two weeks..

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – I think I’m doing better at this now. Generally, I’m less on edge or easily irritated.
• Every now and then I get a little down because I can’t see an end to this enforced confinement. I’m trying to stay grounded in this “between time”. The beginning is over, and I can’t see the end yet. Liminal space.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me with my frustration.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – finished
  • When We Believed in Mermaids – by Barbara O’Neal – finished
  • How the South Won the Civil War – by Heather Cox Richardson – finished
  • Caste by Isabel Wilkerson – reading
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • 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. – Creative Writing resumed in September on Zoom. I’m working on an essay about potato farming in Central Washington.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – We read and talked about the Philippines in September on Zoom. Not very interesting.
• I’m listening to Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays she answers our questions, Thursdays she finished the history of the Republican Party. We’ll find out tomorrow what she’s going to talk about now on Thursdays
• I’ve signed up with Senior University here at FTJ to do a couple of Improv Classes, and there are other lectures that I attend.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live.
• We have an interim pastor for the next several weeks until the Session hires an official transitional pastor who will help us call someone permanent.
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – No meetings because of COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – Nothing happening for a while

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there, usually.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. We have been having outdoor, socially distanced Prayer meetings in the garden.
• Keep up with family.
  • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
  • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.
  • I had some computer problems, so my long-suffering #2 son drove over here from Central Washington twice to sort them out. Once he brought his wife and once he brought his daughter – so it was nice to see them even though we couldn’t go out to eat, or have then spend the night with us. I DID pay for his hotel.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn.
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State – there have never been any large examples of fraud with our voting.
• I’m largely focused on the election right now. The first debate was a train wreck.

 

Intentions for 2020 – Review for August

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.

NOTE: We are gradually opening up, a little. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only two people at a time. The staff has a couple of classes a week – but no personal training. Still no dining rooms open, still Happy Hour in our driveway. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, etc. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. In July I went to the dentist for my cleaning that had been put off since March and I finally got my hair cut. In August, I had my Medicare Annual Physical in person in a mask. Shopping is mostly of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and to the commissary about once every six weeks – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 4.4 pounds since 12/31/19. I’ve re-lost the weight I put on at the beginning of the pandemic.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – No more than 3 mochas a week, although Starbucks tries its best to lure me into having at least one a day.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I cut down on the number of eggs I eat weekly – no more than 4 per week, and I’m keeping the cholesterol under 350 gms on the days I eat eggs, and under 150 gms on the other days.
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Personal training has been cancelled, but she sees me when I use the equipment and always has encouraging words to say.
  • My Achilles tendon seems to have recovered so I’m walking more every day – at least one long walk daily. I have bought a new pair of walking shoes that I hope will keep it fine.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – I have scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist to check on the rash/red spots on my face.
• I’ve scheduled a bone density test (ordered by the endocrinologist) and my mammogram for September.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. We carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• One case of the virus reported by a staff member at Franke Tobey Jones in July. No additional cases reported at all.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – I think I’m doing better at this now. Generally, I’m less on edge or easily irritated.
  • I’ve also realized that Big Al and I don’t function with the same motivations. If I have something that needs to be done, I do it right away. He prefers “Never do today what you can put off to tomorrow.” He and I are both mellowing out a little.
  • I hope I’m being more empathetic when he rebels against my “schedule”. And he doesn’t rebel quite as forcefully.
• Every now and then I get a little down because I can’t see an end to this enforced confinement. I’m trying to stay grounded in this “between time”. The beginning is over, and I can’t see the end yet. Liminal space.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me with my frustration.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – finished
  • When We Believed in Mermaids – by Barbara O’Neal – finished
  • How the South Won the Civil War – by Heather Cox Richardson – reading
• Since the weather has gotten warmer, I often spend a couple of hours in the rocking chair on the back porch reading.
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • 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. – Creative Writing will resume in September on Zoom.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – We read and talked about China and Latin America on Zoom. Very interesting and lots of things I didn’t know about.
• I’m listening to Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays she answers our questions, Thursdays she is just finishing the history of the Republican Party. Very informative.
• I’ve signed up with Senior University here at FTJ to do a couple of Improv Classes.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live.
• Our pastor has accepted a call to a church in Virginia and we’re still processing the grief of losing her – although we understand – that’s the way of Presbyterian Churches.
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – No meetings because of COVID-19
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – Nothing happening for a while

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there, usually.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. We have been having outdoor, socially distanced Prayer meetings in the garden.
  • Keep up with family.
    • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
    • I send an IM to my children every morning asking for a “Wellness Check.” Sometimes I even get additional information about their families without asking.
    • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn.
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State – there have never been any large examples of fraud with our voting.

 

Intentions for 2020 – Review for July

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.

NOTE: We are gradually opening up, a little. The Wellness Center is open, but you have to sign up for a time to use the equipment – only two people at a time. The staff has a couple of classes a week – but no personal training. Still no dining rooms open, still Happy Hour in our driveway. Still no gatherings, including Senior University, Gazebo Group, etc. Still no visiting in any of the other buildings. Masks at all times outside the house. Last month I went to the dentist for my cleaning that had been put off since March and I finally got my hair cut this week. Shopping is mostly of the on-line variety. I go to Trader Joe’s about once a month, and to the commissary about once every six weeks – otherwise, I order from Safeway and they bring it out and put it in my trunk – no contact, or from Amazon – again no contact.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 3.8 pounds since 12/31/19. I’ve re-lost the weight I put on at the beginning of the pandemic.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – No more than 3 mochas a week.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day.
  • My cholesterol was a little high when I had my blood tests for my annual physical. I’m cutting down on the number of eggs I eat weekly (I was eating between 9 and 12 every week – easy protein).
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Personal training has been cancelled, but she sees me when I use the equipment and always has encouraging words to say.
  • My Achilles tendon seems to have recovered so I’m walking more every day – at least one long walk daily.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – I’ve noticed some rough patches of skin on my face and a few red spots that I will review with the doctor at the time of my annual checkup in August. Wearing a mask all the time is certainly not helping my complexion. I had one brush with basal-cell carcinoma 15 years ago so I want to be extra careful.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. I also carry hand sanitizer in the car, and use it religiously as soon as I get back in the car when I go on the rare shopping expedition. We also carry Lysol wipes in the car for complete sanitation for our hands.
• I’ve scheduled a bone density test (ordered by the endocrinologist) and my mammogram for September.
• There was one staff member who tested positive for COVID-19, but extensive contact tracing shows there was no spread.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – I think I’m doing better at this now. Generally, I’m less on edge or easily irritated.
  • I’ve also realized that Big Al and I don’t function with the same motivations. If I have something that needs to be done, I do it right away. He prefers “Never do today what you can put off to tomorrow.” He and I are both mellowing out a little.
  • I hope I’m being more empathetic when he rebels against my “schedule”. And he doesn’t rebel quite as forcefully.
• Every now and then I get a little down because I can’t see an end to this enforced confinement. I’m trying to stay grounded in this “between time”. The beginning is over, and I can’t see the end yet. Liminal space.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me with my frustration.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – finished
  • Educated – by Tara Westover – finished
  • Shameless – by Nadia Bolz-Weber – finished
  • All American Boys – by Jason Reynolds – reading
• Since the weather has gotten warmer, I often spend a couple of hours in the rocking chair on the back porch reading.
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • 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. – All in-person courses cancelled by COVID-19.
• Attend Brain Training when it is offered by Senior University. – Cancelled by COVID-19 – and none scheduled for August.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – This month we had a scheduled hiatus. We will resume in August.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – There is a scheduled Interfaith Conversation on Race and Faith on Zoom sponsored by the Islamic Center of Tacoma with a panel of representatives from the Islamic Center, Temple Beth El, Trinity Church, and the local Buddhist Organization.
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – We had a good-bye party virtually on Zoom saying farewell to those folks who were rolling off of the committee after at least 6 years.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there, usually.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. The bees have hatched in the garden, and people are enjoying their summer veggies.
  • Keep up with family.
    • My sisters and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
    • I send an IM to my children every morning asking for a “Wellness Check.” Sometimes I even get additional information about their families without asking.
    • My sisters and I continue to do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. – all cancelled by COVID-19. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn. – Check
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice – I’m heartsick about the Federal troops who are occupying American cities. I’m encouraged by the actions of the ACLU to push back. They are winning most of the times they get to court.
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality
• There’s a primary election next Tuesday. We vote by mail, exclusively, in Washington State. I voted a week ago. Easy decisions. I largely voted for incumbents.

 

Intentions for 2020 – Review for June

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.

I wrote this at the end of March. “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.”

The closures have remained for all of April, May, and June. Wellness staff is still holding “hallway exercises” for 3 or 4 people at a time in the buildings, accompanying individuals on walks around campus, etc. You have to sign up for 1/2 hour slots to use the equipment in the Wellness Center – no more than two people at a time in the area. We have to wear masks inside buildings, and are encouraged to wear them walking around campus. They are exploring having one or two in-person classes in the Wellness Center for those of us in the Duplexes. Senior University is providing Zoom classes on various subjects, and is also pointing us to YouTube videos, etc.

The staff is bringing “Happy Hour” around to us every week. We take our folding chairs out and sit in our driveway, and they drive around with wine, sodas, and snacks. We visit with our next door neighbors and anyone else who wanders by in masks.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 15 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 2 pounds since 12/31/19. I had lost 4 pounds by the beginning of March and I’ve only gained 2 pounds since then, so I guess that’s a plus.
  • Minimize chocolate, including mochas. – I’m not having as many mochas in a week as I was last month, but I get my fingers in the trail mix with M&Ms too often.
  • My endocrinologist wants me to get more calcium (preferably from food or drink) and she told me it’s okay to count the mochas towards my calcium intake.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day. – I’ve gotten some crackers that taste like sawdust but that have 4 gms of fiber in each one with only 20 calories, so I eat them with cheese (adding calcium).
• Continue to work with my personal trainer for strength, balance, and endurance.
  • Personal training has been cancelled, but she sees me when I use the equipment and always has encouraging words to say.
  • My Achilles tendon is still iffy, so I’m relying on the NuStep in the Wellness Center for my step count. I’ve been averaging 10,000 steps a day.
• Notice and report any unexpected physical changes (rashes, bumps, etc.) to my doctor. – I’ve noticed some rough patches of skin on my face that I will review with the doctor at the time of my annual checkup in July. Wearing a mask all the time is certainly not helping my complexion.
• 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. – Wash Your Hands, Don’t Touch Your Face. I also carry hand sanitizer in the car, and use it religiously as soon as I get back in the car when I go on the rare shopping expedition.
• I’ve scheduled a bone density test (ordered by the endocrinologist) and my mammogram for September.
• I got my teeth cleaned this month after putting it off from it’s regularly scheduled time in March (when all dental offices were closed except for emergencies).
• All the staff and the residents in Health Care and Assisted Living have been tested for the virus, and well as 75% (or more) of the Independent residents. There were ZERO positive tests. We sometimes thought the strict measures put in place by the administration were excessive, but they seem to have done the trick.

Emotional Health

• Remember that excessive encouragement can be nagging. – I’m trying to remember.
  • Say it with a smile. – I think I’m doing better at this now. Generally, I’m less on edge or easily irritated.
  • I’ve also realized that Big Al and I don’t function with the same motivations. If I have something that needs to be done, I do it right away. He prefers “Never do today what you can put off to tomorrow.” He and I are both mellowing out a little.
  • I hope I’m being more empathetic when he rebels against my “schedule”. And he doesn’t rebel quite as forcefully.
• Every now and then I get a little down because I can’t see an end to this enforced confinement.
• Continuing to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog helps me with my frustration.
• I’ve returned to my Meditation practice, daily. I’m using the Oak app. It fits my needs, and helps with my mood.

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 – finished
  • The Victory Garden – by Rhys Bowen – finished
  • Carrying Albert Home – by Homer Hickam – finished
  • Clair de Lune – by Jetta Carleton – finished
  • The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – Kim Michelle Richardson – reading
• I’m still having trouble settling down with a book, but I try to read for half an hour or so before I go to sleep, at least.
• Keep up with the national news daily without obsessing over it.
  • Listen to NPR. I’m a member of my local Seattle station, and have started taking advantage of special on-line interviews they offer to members.
  • Watch Rachel Maddow
  • I subscribe to The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and CNN’s 5 Things You Need to Know, and I try to read most of the important news once a day.
  • 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. – All in-person courses cancelled by COVID-19.
• Attend Brain Training when it is offered by Senior University. – Cancelled by COVID-19 – and none scheduled for July.
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones. – This month we had a discussion on Zoom of U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle (aka Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador). Not really a part of the world I care much about. It was depressing to learn how we in the United States have messed in their lives and governments and then abandoned them.

Spiritual Health

• Participate in virtual weekly Bible study on Zoom.
• Participate in virtual weekly Worship on Facebook Live
• Participate in Interfaith Dialogue – The Community Seder and the Community Iftar were cancelled by COVID-19. Nothing yet scheduled for the fall.
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – We finalized the slate for General Assembly during a 4-hour Zoom call in mid-May. Our slate was accepted with no additional nominees at General Assembly last week (held virtually)

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones.
  • Wellness Center – The center remains open, and I use it. No other people there, usually.
  • Gazebo Group – We continue to meet weekly on ZOOM.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
  • Bible Study – Fewer people attend via Zoom than attended in person.
  • Earth Care Congregation – we have been certified as an Earth Care Congregation. The bees have hatched in the garden, and people are enjoying their summer veggies.
  • Keep up with family.
    • My sisters and brother and I have an Instant Messenger group set up and we check in on each other every morning, and through the day.
    • I send an IM to my children every morning asking for a “Wellness Check.” Sometimes I even get additional information about their families without asking.
    • My sisters and I (and sometimes a niece and a cousin and her daughters) do a Zoom call every Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen and talked to them more since the COVID than in years. I hope we continue that even after all this is over.

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials. – all cancelled by COVID-19. I try to participate when there are virtual meetings.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn. – Check
• I have regular donations going to my US Representative, and to the Democratic National Committee.
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues.
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice – I’m hopeful that the killing of George Floyd will be the turning point. I fully support the call to defund the police, particularly since they don’t seem to be able to control the “bad apples” that give them all a bad name. Camden, NJ, seems to have had the right idea in firing everybody and starting over.
  • Health Care Availability – I’m hopeful the Supreme Court will be sensible and not pay attention to the President’s suit to do away with the Affordable Care Act. I can’t think of a worse time to do that than right now in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.
  • Wealth Inequality

 

Intentions Review for 2019

Finish every year and be done with it. For manners and for wise living it is a vice to remember. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. To-morrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely, and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

My Star Word for this year was “Empathy”. The internet defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Merriam-Webster says, “Empathy is similar to sympathy, but empathy usually suggests stronger, more instinctive feeling.”

Here are my intentions for 2019.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 20 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 6.5 lbs this year. Since my colonoscopy, on the recommendation of my gastroenterologist, I am trying to eat a minimum of 25 grams of fiber every day. Since fiber is usually paired with carbs, I’m not losing as quickly as I probably might, but I’m eating real food, not fast food.
• I did well over Christmas. I went a little crazy over some of the cookie and candy exchanges, but all in all, I lost the Thanksgiving weight, and a little more.
• Continue to average 150 miles a month on my Fitbit. – done. This week I’ve dropped my step count target back to 10,000 steps a day. The guilt wasn’t worth the extra steps.
• My personal trainer has scheduled me for 3 days a week and I’ve been trying to walk a little bit, even if it’s only around the grocery store, every morning. Walking outside is not fun, now that we’ve entered “the Big Dark” of cloudy skies and/or fog almost every day.

Emotional Health

• I AM trying to remember “empathy” in my interactions with people I meet.
• I have continued posting Five Things that Made Me Happy Today every day here on this blog. I don’t do it for other people – I do it for myself – to remind me how much I have to be thankful for.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading from fluff mysteries to more substantial novels. – Books read this year.
  1. The Library Book by Susan Orleans – finished
  2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – finished
  3. Becoming by Michelle Obama – finished
  4. Womanish Midrash by Wil Gafney – finished
  5. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – finished
  6. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor – finished
  7. Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine – finished
  8. Silent Night by Danielle Steele – finished
  9. Autumn by Ali Smith – finished
  10. Winter by Ali Smith – finished
  11.  A Good Year by Peter Mayle – finished
  12.  Magnolia Nights by Ashley Farley – finished
  13. The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman – finished
  14.  Wife of Moon by Margaret Coel – finished
  15.  Cleaning the Gold by Karen Slaughter and Lee Child – finished
  16.  Beyond the Garden by Ashley Farley – finished
  17. Everything is F*cked – a Book about Hope by Mark Manson – finished
  18. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd – finished
  19. The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford – finished
  20. There, There by Tommy Orange – finished
  21. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf – finished
  22. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd – finished
  23. Calico Joe by John Grisham – finished
  24. The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead -finished
  25. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green – finished
  26. Kindred by Octavia E Butler – finished
  27. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck – finished
  28. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – finished
  29.  No Winter Lasts Forever by Fran Tilton Sheldon – finished
  30. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates – finished
  31. Blue Moon by Lee Child – finished
  32. A Redbird Christmas by Fanny Flagg – finished
  33. Mood Signs by Helen Haught Fanick – finished
  34. Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman – finished
  35. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood – reading
• Continue to read the Washington Post and the New York Times for reasonably non-biased reporting. – I scan the headlines and read articles that interest me.
• I subscribe to Medium, and read articles of current interest.
• Continue to watch the Rachel Maddow Show to feed my angst and resolve. – Check
• Creative Writing will resume early next year.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship.
• I have encouraged Bethany to become an Earth Care Congregation, and I’ll be writing articles for the newsletter and doing Minutes for Mission regularly to help fulfill our requirements for that designation.
• Try to carve out time daily for intentional prayer and meditation. I’ve subscribed to several email “prompts” that arrive in my inbox every morning. The Upper Room has a couple of short reflections and/or devotionals every morning, and A Network for Gratefulness (the tag at the top of this post is from these folks) also gives me something to think about as I go about my day.
• I’ve missed the last couple of meetings with my Interfaith Group. I’ll try to get back to it next year.
• I post Morning and Evening Prayer on Facebook in Casa – An Experiment in Doing Church On-line on the 23rd of every month.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones. – I still regularly attend the Gazebo Group (the folks who meet on Monday evenings for Happy Hour.)
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church.
• Tend the relationships I have on Social Media. I’m making an effort to avoid posting or reposting political articles. I’ve removed Facebook from my “always open” on my desktop, and moved it out of my homepage on my phone and my iPad. Next year I will continue that.
• It’s nice to have my younger son and his family in the same time zone. Unfortunately they are on the other side of the mountains, so travel there is not easy once the snow starts.

Miscellaneous

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials.
• Attend GA Nominating Committee meetings, both face-to-face and virtually. We are scheduled for a face-to-face in March.
• Support #BlackLiveMatter, #Me,Too, #ThePoorPeople’sCampaign, #ClimateAction, and other social justice movements. – I donate regularly to MoveOn, the ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. I attend rallies and marches if I’m available.

 

Intentions Review for December 2019

My Star Word for this year is “Empathy”. The internet defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Merriam-Webster says, “Empathy is similar to sympathy, but empathy usually suggests stronger, more instinctive feeling.”

Here are my intentions for 2019.

Physical Health

• Continue to eat real food, and, hopefully, lose about 20 more pounds this year. – I’ve lost 6.2 lbs this year so far. Since my colonoscopy, on the recommendation of my gastroenterologist, I am trying to eat a minimum of 25 grams of fiber every day. Since fiber is usually paired with carbs, I’m not losing as quickly as I probably might, but I’m eating real food, not fast food.
• I will admit that over the five days of Thanksgiving vacation, I ate whatever I wanted, and didn’t exercise at all. But I’m crawling back on the fitness wheel tomorrow.
• Continue to average 150 miles a month on my Fitbit. – done. I’ve upped my step count target to 12,000 steps a day and continue to meet that goal..
• My personal trainer has scheduled me for 3 days a week and I’ve been trying to walk a little bit, even if it’s only around the grocery store, every morning. Walking outside is not fun, now that we’ve entered “the Big Dark” of cloudy skies and/or fog almost every day.

Emotional Health

• I AM trying to remember “empathy” in my interactions with people I meet.
• I have continued posting Five Things that Made Me Happy Today every day here on this blog. I don’t do it for other people – I do it for myself – to remind me how much I have to be thankful for.

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading from fluff mysteries to more substantial novels. – Books read this year.
  1. The Library Book by Susan Orleans – finished
  2. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – finished
  3. Becoming by Michelle Obama – finished
  4. Womanish Midrash by Wil Gafney – finished
  5. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – finished
  6. The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor – finished
  7. Entering the Passion of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine – finished
  8. Silent Night by Danielle Steele – finished
  9. Autumn by Ali Smith – finished
  10. Winter by Ali Smith – finished
  11.  A Good Year by Peter Mayle – finished
  12.  Magnolia Nights by Ashley Farley – finished
  13. The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman – finished
  14.  Wife of Moon by Margaret Coel – finished
  15.  Cleaning the Gold by Karen Slaughter and Lee Child – finished
  16.  Beyond the Garden by Ashley Farley – finished
  17. Everything is F*cked – a Book about Hope by Mark Manson – finished
  18. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd – finished
  19. The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford – finished
  20. There, There by Tommy Orange – finished
  21. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf – finished
  22. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd – finished
  23. Calico Joe by John Grisham – finished
  24. The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead -finished
  25. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green – finished
  26. Kindred by Octavia E Butler – finished
  27. The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck – finished
  28. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – finished
  29.  No Winter Lasts Forever by Fran Tilton Sheldon – finished
  30. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates – finished
  31. Blue Moon by Lee Child – finished
  32. A Redbird Christmas by Fanny Flagg – reading
• Continue to read the Washington Post and the New York Times for reasonably non-biased reporting. – I scan the headlines and read articles that interest me.
• I subscribe to Medium, and read articles of current interest.
• Continue to watch the Rachel Maddow Show to feed my angst and resolve. – Check

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship.
• I have encouraged Bethany to become an Earth Care Congregation, and I’ll be writing articles for the newsletter and doing Minutes for Mission regularly to help fulfill our requirements for that designation.
• Try to carve out time daily for intentional prayer and meditation. I’ve subscribed to several email “prompts” that arrive in my inbox every morning. The Upper Room has a couple of short reflections and/or devotionals every morning, and A Network for Gratefulness also gives me something to think about as I go about my day.
• Our Interfaith discussion group with the Muslims, Jews, Lutherans, and Presbyterians will meet again this month.
• I post Morning and Evening Prayer on Facebook in Casa – An Experiment in Doing Church On-line on the 23rd of every month.

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones. – I still regularly attend the Gazebo Group (the folks who meet on Monday evenings for Happy Hour.)
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church. I took the preacher out to lunch, just to reconnect socially. It was a nice chance to visit with her and catch up on her family
• Tend the relationships I have on Social Media. I’m making an effort to avoid posting or reposting political articles, although I do still try to call out blatant racism, sexism, misogyny, etc. when it comes to my page.
• Since my younger son and his family moved to central Washington this summer, we’ve been able to see them more often, and we had Thanksgiving at their house.

Miscellaneous

• Creative Writing will resume early next year.
• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials.
• Attend GA Nominating Committee meetings, both face-to-face and virtually. We did a review and training in early November by ZOOM.
• Support #BlackLiveMatter, #Me,Too, #ThePoorPeople’sCampaign, #ClimateAction, and other social justice movements. – I donate regularly to MoveOn, the ACLU, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. I attend rallies and marches if I’m available.