Sounds Like a Plan in Everyday Ramblings

I turned in the big budget project I have been working on and stressing over since the middle of December, midweek. I learned so much on many levels doing this. You can’t say I haven’t challenged myself since retiring. No siree Bob.

There is this lull in the action on this until the third week in May, when I will be presenting the package to the membership for approval in person at our annual meeting. (What to wear then has been on my mind.) Then, I will need to clean up what I have and make a new template for the person doing this next year, which will not be me. Then I transition to my new board level position as of July 1st.

Our League President sent me a heartfelt thank you yesterday, so, unlike the horrid job situation I was previously in, here my work is appreciated. She is on her way to Croatia and a tour of the Balkans today. Running away and taking a break seems a very sensible strategy to me.

I am already doing some things (attending state and national Zoom meetings etc.) for that position so the change will be somewhat gradual. Less stressful, I hope. Next week I also have a board meeting for the other nonprofit board I am actually on as a director at large.

The space bar on my laptop is sticking and this is driving me a bit crazy. I used compressed air and rebooted but still it persists.

A family of local pigeons has found my bird feeder array. This is fascinating Carlo, who is sitting next to me talking trash to them. There is only a finch feeder so the pigeons can’t help themselves to that but early I put out a few peanuts and some sunflower seeds for the jays and towhees and juncos. They get the leftovers.

And there is clean water. The pigeons scrounge. It is only four of them and they give up after checking things out and keeping Carlo entertained is important, so I will let them be.

I am making a commitment to working on stress management in the next month or so to see if I can get a handle on the heart stuff. I am feeling a bit better as the days roll on. The drier warmer days are helping.

During a gorgeous sunrise this morning I walked carrying the lupine and put it in the garden plot. It is so pretty and hasn’t even started to flower. I just like the plant. Tomorrow I am going to get the primula in. The purple and white columbine has open flowers and more on the way. This morning doing some community weeding, the garden felt like my happy place again. Today I am going to start some lobelia and basil seeds.

Another commitment I made to myself is to stop procrastinating by playing little computer games. I am absolutely sure I will continue to procrastinate but there has got to be better ways to do it. Cleaning, coloring, walking around the block and yesterday I downloaded the Calm app for little guided meditations to indulge in instead when I feel tempted by the distraction of a game.

I am perfectly capable of meditating without guidance, but I don’t very often. And besides I get ideas for language to use when I am teaching.

Next month I am going to make a quick trip up to Seattle to visit my niece for the weekend. She is a bit unmoored lately with her daughter across the country working at NYU and possibly going to graduate school in France next year and my niece in the process of finding a new job.

Even this short trip feels a lot for me because of Carlo and all the regular things I am doing but getting away even for a few days is important. Perspective and all that.

In the meantime, I might just take a bath. Sounds like a plan.