Right Now-November Recap

 Right Now...

I'm listening to  Adele on Spotify.   I never considered myself a big Adele fan- but earlier this month I caught her interview-concert with Oprah (who I am shamelessly a fan of) and well, I just can't seem to get enough of this crooner.   

Normally I wait until the end of the month to recap-update the blog.  But, it's Sunday morning after having the past week off (Fall Break + Thanksgiving Holiday=all week off), and I figured I'd do a little digital housekeeping before losing my peaceful bliss and returning to work tomorrow morning.

I'm loving...that we had a week off just when I think we needed it most.   In the week leading up to our time off, my district was struggling with 2 school related shooting events.   One occurred at the park near a high school and another occurred in a parking lot on the campus of a high school.   Both schools are about 15 minutes from my location and are the schools where most of my students attended (My "kids" are all older).   Tensions and stress were high- having had our typical fall break shortened as the district experiments with whether a long break at Thanksgiving is "better for the kids" than our mid-October break   I've got my thoughts- but I'm not in charge so we shall see if the powers that be make decisions that align with my thoughts.

Anyways- on a whim- I decided to fulfill a promise made to my cousin- and I flew out last weekend to check in on her.  

Cousin S- in the red dress and me with my little red purse

With the help of her daughter- I pulled a classic "surprise" visit as I walked out of the terminal to my cousin's great delight and true surprise.   

I also was able to spend time with childhood friends- as we spent Sunday together roaming the streets of Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee area.  

Our joy was dampened as we received word during dinner that tragedy had struck our hometown of Waukesha.  

I'd marched in that Holiday parade through my high school years and it has been sad to see my friends now struggle with the "how can that be" sort of sadness that unfortunately Aurora and Colorado has seen one too many times. 

  I don't have the answers...all I can do is lean into the need to surround ourselves with people that bring us joy- knowing that anything is possible...and don't put off those promised visits for you never know what is ahead on this road of life.

I'm feeling rested and ready.   Hubby has been out in search of AZ sunshine and both Things were working the bulk of the week- so Thanksgiving itself was a rather simple affair.   I used this time off to 

play with my Cricut

Accidentally complete a 5k...what can I say- it was a really good audio-book

Start a  little decorating...

With a kitten that is now cat- I suspect this will be 2nd year where I minimize the decorations that actually go onto the tree- lest I spend January searching the corners and crevices of the house for ornaments that Owen decided would make the perfect toy. 

Until Next Time...

 May you practice kindness- because that's the world I think we all want to live in..

Hopefully surrounded by a cuddly friend or two...

Right Now- October recap

 RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to... a google meeting with my colleagues in the nursing department.   It's our twice a month Friday morning coffee chats.   A calming way to start our day- especially after a rough week where we find ourselves dealing with yet another change to the district COVID protocol.  

Speaking of work, I was recently recognized by my state professional organization with the title of School Nurse of the Year.   I have to say- it's a humbling award as I know that all of my colleagues are working just as hard (if not harder) than myself, we all  pour our whole selves into our profession.  So when they name you as  as the best of the best it is indeed a considerable honor.   

On a funny note- when asked to send in a picture of me- it took a fair amount of digging to find one that I was smiling, looked fairly decent and wasn't wearing sunglasses or holding an adult beverage.   What does that say about me?   The biggest grins are when I've got my shades on or am celebrating with a glass of wine or whiskey?   

I'm loving....that this month brought two special occasions to celebrate with friends.

First was a beautiful bridal shower for family friend Allie. 

 When her mom (my dear friend Judy) passed away, Allie really struggled.  That struggle took her down some pretty dark paths, but now, here she is a beautiful, in love and sober young bride.   

What an honor it was to be part of her special celebration- and even more so to be joined by Thing 2- as my plus 1 to the party.  

The 2nd celebration was of course with the BAGS.   This time we gathered to celebrate the youngest in the pack with some home town treats shipped in from Chicago.  Oh my-Portillos for the win.

This time we invited the men folk to join us- because HELLO- we can't be having Chicago style Italian beef without making sure the guys get a sample.   So here is indeed a rare pic of the Mr. socializing with the "coven" as he affectionally calls my crew.  

I'm feeling  ok.   We've been fortunate to have a nice long "Indian summer" with only one short cold snap reminding us that the seasons are about due to change.  

  I won't lie- I REALLY missed our usual week long "Fall Break" that occurs during October.   Our district is trying to sort out the pros and cons of a week long break in mid October or push through and take the full week of Thanksgiving.   Given my role, I can't really say I have a true "dog in the fight".   I like that October weather is predictable enough that Hubby and I can go camping and in years' past we've made excellent use of that time and traveled to nearby states (New Mexico, UT, Northern AZ and South Dakota).   But at the same time, I am looking forward to having some downtime during Thanksgiving- a chance to get my house back in order, some books read and just enjoy a break from the routine of work.  

I'm needing...to wrap up this update.   The morning call has ended, and it's time to greet the students and start our day.   

Until next time...

Right Now-September Recap

 RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to- nothing special.   Seriously- how can that be?     I have nothing queued up in my audiobooks or podcasts.   Must fix that ASAP- my 20 minute commute isn't long-and some mornings I am greeted by this type of beauty as I pull into the lot at work.  However, I find that a good audiobook helps me start the day out right.   As someone just shared "start your day the way you want it to end"...and of course, in the company of a good book is the perfect way to end my day.    Any suggestions for good audiobooks are greatly appreciated.  

I'm loving- 

the arrival of all things pumpkin...

well, not all things, but at least pumpkin flavored coffee

an addition to my collection- 

the sweet little Hummel is from my aunt's collection...

joining the trio of angels that had once belonged to my maternal grandma.

Just the sight of these figurines take me back to my childhood-

Construction Crews that had been hard at work since an August rock slide 

made I70 a challenge to traverse through Glenwood Canyon.

As a result, our trip to Palisades could go on as planned..

with only about 30-40 minutes extra added to the drive. 

Not bad considering the delays were initially slated to be an extra 2-3 hrs!

A Milestone birthday that called for a special location...

Palisades Colorado- where life tastes good all year long..

We toured 5 different vineyards...

sampling products along the way...

we stayed at a charming B&B (Dancing Moon in Clifton, CO)

with the pool still open..

and the views spectacular...

it was as if the place was custom designed just for us!

I'm feeling better.    I'm just now pulling out of an RA flare that seemed to crop up after my weekend away.  Not sure what set it off- too much good eating and drinking, too much windshield time, or just the random cyclic presentation of my chronic disease.   But this one was a rough one- it took all my energy to make it through work, only to totally collapse when I got home.

Owen channeling how I felt...   

Naps on the weekend have been my saving grace..

But with a new month- comes a new attitude (or is that cattitude) to be a little more curious!

Until next time....

Right Now- August Recap

RIGHT NOW...

I'm listening to  the start of the day chatter here at the office.   Doors opening, phones ringing, greetings of Good Morning.   A little more joyous- knowing it is a Friday on a Holiday weekend.

I'm loving the return to normalcy in the work setting.   Sure, it's been a little chaotic at times, and like most years- as we round the corner from August to September-I hit a wall-as I start to question my why-so much front-loading of paperwork and policies- wears me down the older I get.   But slowly my"why" comes drifting back and the year falls into a regular routine.  

Last year was so odd that I really am enjoying seeing our kids back in school, interacting with each other.   Shucks, I even went to a retirement party yesterday afternoon for a colleague- and GASP- we had a pot luck.   Something that was forbidden all last school year over COVID concerns.   

  What else happened this past month?   Well- I saw an opportunity to join my hubby for a quick camping adventure just west of the metro area.  While not the perfect campsite (our exact site backed up to a highway so there was some persistent road noise), the cooler temps and the feeling of "getting away" was a very welcome treat.

I hosted a farewell open house for a neighbor friend who has moved "home" to Texas.  It too felt good to gather with friends that I don't see as often as I did when the Things were younger.   Not to mention- hosting always provides a good motivator to give the house a good cleaning.

My extended family gathered to say goodbye to my aunt.   The timing just wasn't right for me to take off from work- but I was there in spirit.   Phyllis was always so kind in remembering birthdays and staying in touch- it has been sad to see her steady decline in her health.   

We also learned of the sudden and unexpected passing of Uncle Al- a treasured family friend. 

 I will be forever grateful for how helpful he was in my dad's recovery a few years ago- helping craft the "just right" type of lift for my dad's favorite chair so he could be independent while his body healed.  Al was just that handy-kind of guy- tell him what you need, and he got the job done- on time and under budget.  He has left a huge hole in the heart of his partner, Carol and his niece (my cousin) Angela.

And of course, life is not complete without a regular dose of BAGs Shenanigans

 Gotta love these ladies and how they are always finding new and creative ways to celebrate one another.   As I'd been gone most of the summer- they turned my birthday into a "Homecoming" event complete with a very lovely dress, bouquet and wrist corsage.   

I'm feeling at peace.   It was last year at this time that I thought I'd hang up my blogging habits.   And while I no longer feel the stories of the Things are mine to blog about, I do enjoy spending some time at the keyboard- reflecting on what I've done, where I've been and where I want to go next.  Not just literally but figuratively too.  

 For this school year- it is my intention to stay in my lane- not borrow trouble that is not mind to sort through- focus on what makes me happy- the kids...which oh how I wish I could snap their pictures and share their sweet faces.   They really are the light of my professional work day!

Until next time...

Stay curious...

Summer of Fun- Weeks 8 & 9

 SAW-HEARD-DID

Week 8:   7.17-7.23       Week 9:  7.23-7.30

SAW: Like most summers, this last half of my summer just flew by.   Here I sit trying to play catch up, trying to remember what happened when. I got to admit- it is all sort of blur.    Thankfully- between my hubby's more real-time blogging and google-photos sorting my pictures by date- I think I can piece together the final days of our travels.  

HEARD:   Without a doubt, I heard in my heart- loud and clear- how important friendships are to both Dom and I.    For the first half of this great adventure, it was just Dom and I.   Which was of course, lovely and went way better than either of us ever could have imagined.   But these final two weeks would center on time with our dear friends Jane and Larry.   

Both proved to be gracious and generous hosts...

DID: Before we reached our final destination of Williamsburg- Dom and I opted to take a few extra days before re-connecting with the Halls.  Maybe it was just me projecting, but who wants houseguests showing up just as you yourself are returning from a week's vacation.    

Our first stop after leaving the Bourbon Trail was a small national forest campground called Twin Knobs.   While the campground itself was filled (weekend camping, Hello-what does one expect) the sites themselves were rather secluded and the vibe of the campground was very relaxed.  

I found myself settling in with a good book

and savored the solitude of Cave Run Lake

Being road weary- we decided to break the remaining miles up into two more stops-

For a one night stand at Hampton Summer Wind RV park..

Where we found ourselves unwinding with a little moonshine

and catching up on laundry-

My last night of camping would be at Misty Mountain- just outside of Charlottesville Virginia.   A dear friend had just moved from CO back to VA to help her mom out...what a surprise to discover she lived just 10 minutes from our camping location.   

Thanks Tracy for a wonderful dinner-

and a chance to formally wish you good luck on your new adventure! 

We arrived at the Halls on 7.20- which left us with plenty of time to explore the area.

Of course, no trip to Williamsburg is complete without exploring "the Big Three" historical sites of this region.

Jamestown-

Colonial Williamsburg

and Yorktown...

with their new and very well curated museum...

This was not the first for us to visit several of these iconic historical locations, but at every stage in one's life, you look at things through a different lens.   

My first trip to Williamsburg was as a kid, and a lasting memory was  how the re-enactors stayed so true to their characters.   This had not changed- and we enjoyed a lively conversation with the Marquis de Lafayette-

General Washington...

and Mrs. Washington were also out and about on this very humid day

Some memories were a little less vivid- and I found myself wondering- how did I possibly forget the impressive collection of arms inside the Governor's Palace?  

And I had no recall of ever visiting Jamestown- but pictures I found when I got home proved otherwise- as Dom and I had visited there together back in July 1994.   I suppose one can forget things over the course of 27 years...Fortunately- we've never lost the connection we formed with the Halls...

and spending time with them was indeed the highlight of our time in Williamsburg.

We enjoyed some time on their back deck...

Being charmed by Boomer- the best behaved black lab

Savored some tasty meals from brisket 

to smoked ribs..

The guys also checked our Larry's new toy--

with a little adventure to Kitty Hawk, NC

celebrated a birthday

and mostly had a fabulous time..

Until next time...may you find yourself with an opportunity to explore this great country we are so fortunate to call home...

Time to head home...