Recalibrating

Hello Friend,

I have not posted in a while ~ over a week. I am pretty much back into the swing of working each day. I have not yet established a good system - still feel like I am playing catch up for the two weeks I was out.

That said, I am enjoying the work and even though there is a lot more involved in teaching English rather than PE I feel like A) I made the right choice and B) I will get a system in place that works for me. One that involves being able to do things that I enjoy and are important to me - other than planning lessons and grading papers! My self-imposed deadline to have said system in place? October 1.

In the weeks since my mom died it feels like my life is, on the surface, the same. But if you go deeper it is completely different. The earth beneath my feet has certainly shifted and I don't quite feel like I have my balance yet. I am making small adjustments to make up for it, and I am confident I will end up just as steady as I was before. NO, scratch that, I will be steadier than I was before.

I feel like I am constantly standing in mountain pose - it looks so basic but is in fact so challenging. To the unfamiliar (and even to dedicated practitioners) it doesn't look like a big deal - just stand there, on your own two feet, and don't move. But the reality is much more complicated and there is so much going on in your body at a cellular and muscular level. Tens, if not hundreds, of small adjustments that play off one another so that you can stand there, perfectly still, and make it look effortless.

Or you lose your balance, take a deep breath and start all over again.

In balance,
Jessica

Thankful Thursday

Hello Friends,

Today is Thursday - what do you have to be thankful for? I have a list of little things (and some bigger ones too) that I am thankful for today:
1- a new job that, while hectic and lots-of-work producing, I think I will really enjoy.
2- at least one friend who will go out dancing with me - and drive me there and back.
3- good friends I have known for longer than I haven't.
4- said friends who are willing to be both gentle and honest in their sharing of insight and opinion.
5- understanding folks who let me break down when they ask me about my mom.
6- many friends of my mom who have shared sweet memories of her.
7- the sympathy cards friends and family have sent. I never would have imagined how comforting they really are.
8- that I have actually been able to get up extra early so I can get in a mini yoga and mini meditation session before work. I rock! But I am a sleepy rock!
9- kids who give good, long, strong hugs. The best kind. We do more of them lately.

I'm stopping there - 9 is my lucky number.

Thankfully,
Jessica

6 days down...

So far, so good. It's been almost a week and I have not broken my vow of shop-less-ness yet!

I did manage to break our DVD player, and we now have a new (to us) one - but the beautiful thing is all I had to do was ask if anyone had an old one they didn't need. Lo and behold - a friend had TWO of them he was going to sell at a yard sale. He said he would much rather give one to me so we met downtown for the exchange. Painless and free. Fantastic! He felt good being able to help and I, miraculously, was able to graciously accept the gift. It was very nice.

So, 24 days to go folks. How are you doing on your quest to curb your spending? ;-)

Frugally,
Jessica