Memorial Day 2020

🎜Proud to Be an American🎝

American Flag with Lassen in the back ground

Today I took a walk around the neighborhood for an hour. There were a lot of flags flying in the wind and flowers blooming. In May Redding had twice the normal rainfall and the last two storms were very cold, which meant we had snow stick to Lassen and Shasta.

Mt Lassen to the East

Mt Shasta

In my town we have the Trinity mountain range to the west, Lassen to the east and Shasta in the north. On a clear day like this you can see all the mountain ranges and there wont be this much snow again until next winter. The wind had let up and the temperature was a perfect 75 degrees this morning as I hiked around the neighborhood to the north of my apartment. 

This is a great time of year to enjoy the roses. Many houses had colorful displays. These three posies were next to the sidewalk.

Shelter in Place Update

   I am so tired of hearing the phase "Covid-19 update" on the radio. Shasta County only has recorded 34 cases of the virus and only 4 deaths were attributed to the virus in the county. We are opening up this weekend with dine-in restaurants and churches may open their doors next weekend. 

   I did not get to work at either of my jobs during the past two months. There was one day I got to help a teacher clean desks for 5 hours, but other than that I have had no reason to get out of bed at a reasonable hour. Reasonable to whom? Reasonable to a person who is normally at work Monday to Friday at 7:10 a.m.  Molly is the only reason for me to get up before noon.

   It has been like being in High School again. I was thankful my mother rarely expected me out of bed before noon in the Summer months. On reflection, 1978 was when I started working full time and I have been expected to be at work Monday to Friday most of the past 42 years. In my own defense I am usually awake by 9 😊

  These two months of Shelter in Place have been an introvert's day dream. I am a people-pleaser and people exhaust me. I have continued to find ways to make people happy in my little world, but honestly social interaction is not something I missed. The first couple of weeks I missed my jobs and my students plus co-workers. I missed getting to hug people when we meet. I hate the masks. I can't breath with that thing on my face. It steams up my glasses and I find myself breathing through my mouth.

  Molly and I have got our routine and when I felt a need to see the Grand-girls in Yuba County my daughter, Mary was willing to cat-sit. Molly got to stay with Mary for three night. I got to spend one night and two days with my giggle-girls.

Lots of hugs and kisses

   On my way home I was able to get fresh Strawberries and Cherries outside of Chico. Molly was happy to be home as we settled back into our routine.

  Most of my friends have heard that Pier 1 Imports is closing down. We have about four months of work expected to liquidate our store in Redding. By October I hope to have another part time job to supplement my income at the school. The school...that is another subject that I have no answers for and a lot of questions. CDC has given guidelines for schools that are impossible. California has cut school budgeting drastically and I can't conceive what my fall is going to look like from the lack of information I have on my situation. 

 For the past 43 days I have been doing the SWITCH app 21 day brain detox. I just finished my first two cycles and now I have begun my third cycle. This app is helping me to "take every thought captive." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) My mantra for the summer is: Imagine a good outcome. Dr Leaf states that 90% of the bad stuff we worry will happen does not happen. For today I choose not to worry.

  What I did choose to do today was wash laundry, wash dishes, feed and care for my cat and give myself a foot soak and pedicure after a long walk up the hill to the fancy house. 

Nail salons, beauty shops and my apartment pool did not get to open yet. Thankfully, I don't need to have my cat groomed. Today I did see a lady who had her dogs hop out of the vehicle looking like they had just gotten their summer hair cuts. She did not look so well groomed. 

 Yesterday I had two video conference calls and got a visit from a teacher at my school. She was delivering the Classified Appreciation Gifts. Even though we had to set on the bench for this round of play we were appreciated for our work in the school. That is something I can focus on.

Humor is the only way to deal with this crisis, or any crisis. Another meme I saw today said, "Whatever your five year plan was in 2015, I am sure you were wrong." I have two girls who graduated from university May 2015. Their 5 year plan was to be married and have children. They have both succeeded. Their professions are on hold at the moment, but being wives and mothers has been a great goal. I am very proud of all my children and their spouses. 

   2020 has not been what we had expected. Staying home and adopting a cat was not my birthday wish in 2019. Finishing a semester of University study was also not in my plan. Fall 2020 will look different, but I choose to work my hardest at what I can and leave the plan to God.

He has a purpose and a plan.

An A+ to all the home school Moms

From my earliest memory, I wanted to be a mommy. In 1991 I became Mommie. Almost half of my life I have been answering to that title. My young friends with children in their households have gotten to spend the past two months in the world that was my reality for nearly two decades. 

  Homeschooling through public school and limited social interaction because of financial issues. Our interaction with others was due to my resourcefulness. We signed up for a lot of programs and there was no internet meetings. Every two or three weeks we would see the teachers. It  has been nearly a decade since we lived that life, but I didn't feel a need to impart my wisdom to anyone on social media. Being a home school mom is a individual journey. There is plenty of advise on the internet if someone wants to search. Mostly, moms today just want to be told they are doing a good job. I give all the moms I know an A+ in dealing with Shelter in Place.

   Some of my mom friends have embraced a schedule, others have thrown the schedule out the window. Most have drank more alcohol in the past 8 weeks than the previous 16 weeks. Thankfully, grocery stores have a good selection of wine. We have hit the halfway mark on the distance learning program. There will be some state testing done next week and families have been told that they can keep the Chrome Books until school starts in August. That is a great thing for the students to continue with their reading and math through the summer break. 

   I had 26 years of motherhood with only a few breaks for women's retreats. No vacations in 26 years of motherhood. The kids and I did take a couple of trips together to Prineville, but that was not a vacation for mom. Sleepless nights and traveling with four small children on a bus....not a vacation. I could say that my 8 weeks of Shelter in Place has been the personal retreat I always wanted.

  In a women's magazine I read about The Golden Door Spa. For three decades that has been my idea of an imaginary healthy personal retreat. This past few weeks I decided I could make this my own Golden Door experience. I have access to good food, I have a yoga mat and video and SWITCH app on my phone for daily reflection and meditation suggestions. You could say this is a self guided retreat. 

   Some days I don't want to get out of bed.  Molly makes sure I get up. Around week three I had cleaned out the pantry and have only replenished with healthy choices. Yes, 65% chocolate is a healthy choice. I would like more outdoor exercise. It looks like I will have time to work on that aspect of the Personal Retreat in the next 8 weeks. 

  I am thankful that all of my family has stayed healthy. My girls with littles have sent a lot of videos and photos. We have video calls and plan old fashion phone calls. It was great to hear we were at the 1/2 way mark with school. There are only 18 days left of this school year. Amazing! I don't know exactly what 2020/21 school year will look like...my prayer is that I am using this time to make me a better person to face that tomorrow.

Grammie will be waiting for this special Mail

Ellie loves smoothies

Emelia loves Ladybugs

Emelia and Bear making sure the envelope was mailed properly

Judah is getting in on the green smoothly action

So adorable in his Mom's handmade clothes

I got a visit from my personal Forest Firefighter

Princess Emelia met Batman for a social distance play date

Princess Em let Ellie wear the dress
such a nice sister

The big truck moved my little princesses 25 minutes closer to Grammie

My kids in the Sacramento area moved last week to a house that is 25 minutes closer to Grammie. Next week I will be traveling down to see my grandgirls.

   Meanwhile, tomorrow I need to read another book to post for Emelia.