Zoom Zoom Zoom

What would I do without Zoom meetings these days? Where would I be? Sometimes it feels as if I am leaving one meeting, only to prepare for the next one! 

When I was working as an online support teacher, I hated Zoom meetings. I would much rather visit a  student in person than over a Zoom call. I even disliked staff meetings. There was something so awkward about everyone's faces up close, staring at screens, while the presenter was talking. 

Fast forward about four years, and my opinion has changed. As frustrating and imperfect as it is at times,  I am honestly  thankful to meet with others online. With so many  hesitant about meeting in each others' homes or in offices, and with limited travel, Zoom has definitely filled a need. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can attend our homegroup where we laugh, discuss a video, and pray together. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can learn how to craft a rule of life, from a Renovare webinar, along with people from all over the world. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can listen to an encouraging discussion on keeping our country strong and free. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can join a small group of writers, reading and listening to each other. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can be a part of a Mighty Network of writers who meet weekly. 

Thanks to Zoom, I can participate in a prayer retreat. 

Thanks to Zoom, I and my siblings can celebrate my mom's 85th birthday 'together'. 

No, Zoom isn't ideal. I am missing my friends, my family, my freedoms (to be honest), and I probably am going to burn out on Zoom at some point. But at this point in time, this month, this week, today... I'm feeling grateful for Zoom! 

How about you? Are you a Zoomer?  

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Book Review: Breaking Busy

Author, speaker, blogger, wife,  mom of five boys, and the executive director of Propel Women,  Alli Worthington probably has something to say about breaking busy--how to find peace & purpose in a world of crazy!

My list of 'how I spend my time' is nothing like hers, but still I figured I could  glean some helpful hints here. Even in my relatively quiet life, I could learn a thing or two about peace and purpose.
Breaking Busy contains practical advice on how to get one's life back under control, how to find out what really gives you purpose, help with decision making, how to determine best ways to communicate with others (there are so many options these days!), how to fight the tyranny of the urgent, and much more.

The section on determining time wasters was one of my favorite parts of this book. Social media alone can sap hours of your day, leaving you asking 'what did I really accomplish? ' Do you really know how many hours of your day are frittered away without you even realizing it? Worthington suggests keeping a time diary. She offers several free downloadable resources at her website. Once you have that information, follow her advice to make some changes, if necessary.

I'm not a huge social media person, but I was a little shocked at how much time I spend looking at my phone or being distracted on my computer. Ouch.

There is really nothing earth shattering here in this book, but it's honest, upbeat, positive, encouraging, and will even make you chuckle. It will encourage you to pursue God's best in a world that sends other messages! And it's a quick read. Recommended to share with someone who might need a little balance and direction in her life.

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

When I'm not working...

Finally! I have finished knitting the pair of socks which took me over a year (they were mostly sitting in my knitting basket, biding their time). Funny how letting things be sometimes is the best idea when one is frustrated. I was able to fix my mistake without pulling my hair out or frogging the entire sock, AND I combined two very thin blue fingering weight yarns to knit matching toes for these socks. Yes, this meant I had to undo the first sock's toe and use the new yarns, but the color combination looks just fine to me.  These are thicker, comfy socks and will be great for cooler days. 

Almost done, but running out of yarn! 

Done and pleased with the results

 And now the knitting bug has been biting again.. small projects are my favorite right now. Something I can pick up easily when I'm watching a program on Netflix or on my CTVgo App. And a welcome change from the fingers tap-tap-tapping on the keyboard.

A new pair of socks forming here (these have cotton in them, so they'll be good for warmer weather). I've given myself plenty of time to finish them! Actually, things are moving along quite quickly. I had this yarn in my stash, so I thought it best to use this up before I buy more.

ONline sock yarn - love the color!

The Prince is not pleased with his new cardigan. He just sits and sulks when I put it on him. Hope he gets over that! When temperatures get even cooler, maybe he will welcome it. But I doubt it. 

Productivity 101

Did you know that taking regular breaks makes one more productive?

Studies have shown that taking a 15 minute break four times during an 8 hour period of work will INCREASE one's output. Essentially, you are getting more done in less time.

And since sitting (and apparently standing in one place) is the new smoking, it probably makes sense to get up, step away from the workstation (or couch), and move.

The Pomodoro method is another way to increase efficiency. Basically, if I am feeling very distracted when I should be focusing, I set my timer for twenty-five minutes. (There's a little more to it than that, but that is the Coles Notes version).  When it rings,  I am allowed five minutes to do whatever I want. Then back to work. It really works! Sounds a little Charlotte Mason-y (for you homeschoolers out there), doesn't it? I've had feedback from a family I work with and it works for her girls, too. :)

And, sometimes when I REALLY can't focus, I change gears completely. Leave the house. Have coffee with a friend. Clean. Get some fresh air. Working from home allows me this freedom, for which I am thankful. :)

What do you do to keep yourself focused on the task at hand?

Settling into a new routine

Now that I'm back home after a job-related road trip, I really AM focused on settling into a new routine... Summer is winding down and Fall is certainly in the air, isn't it?

The air is chilly in the evening. The days may be warm, but certainly not HOT recently, and mornings are... brrrr! How did that happen so fast? Mind you, I am thankful for cool nights. Sleeping is so much more comfortable now!

And, believe it or not, I pulled on my wool socks today! Good bye flip flops, hello closed toed footwear.. hopefully a few more days of summer heat to come, though.

Thoughts move towards a morning routine. I want to make the most of the hours BEFORE noon. This means I have to begin getting up earlier. Last year (or was that the year before?) I was an early riser for quite some time and felt so organized and productive. Then, last year in the dead of winter  I found it harder to drag my body out of bed in the early hours. Dark room, cold floor, furnace barely on. Warm blankets enticed me to stay in bed longer. It's going to be tough to break my habit of 'just a few more minutes of shut eye'. But I know what it's like to be up early when the neighborhood is still mostly quiet and asleep. It's a good feeling. Time for quiet moments to start the day off right and not feeling like I am behind the eight ball when my feet touch the floor.

Are you ready for Fall?

Look at this lovely plant my daughter bought me. If those aren't colors to invite the Autumn season in, I don't know what is. Beautiful!!

ornamental mini pepper plant

The Easy and Comfortable Life

It's at this time of the year that I can feel my stress levels start to inch up just a little, in anticipation of all the commitments coming up in the next few months. The sweet slower paced summer days will soon be over, monthly meetings reconvene, work gets into full gear again, church activities increase, ministry commitments begin, decisions on community classes of interest need to be made.. well, I'm sure you can add to this list.

It feels like the easy, comfortable life is over and REAL life begins again. And I'm not anticipating it, but rather dreading it just a little, to be honest.

This short video reminded me that the 'easy, comfortable' life is really not the goal and if I make it that, I will always be striving towards it and become dissatisfied with the everyday challenges and commitments that make up my one, precious, unique life. Do I really want everyday to be a day without something to stretch and grow me? Do I want to live in my own little selfish bubble where comfort and ease is king?

I was reminded that these challenges and commitments ahead of me, if I keep my attitude in check, are what can make for a fulfilling, passionate life.

It's in the giving that we receive.

My prayer is that I will remember this as I begin to plan and implement my goals and schedule this next season.

What did you think of this little video?

How to Lose Blog Readers for Dummies

Here's how:
1. Don't publish comments
2. Blog very rarely

As I was catching up on emails, tidying up my inbox, I happened to check my email spam folder (who knows why? I usually never do!) and found a comment for my blog, waiting to be published! That means this particular person (who happens to be a faithful reader of mine) might have thought her comment was not worth publishing! How far from the truth! Everyone who comments on my tiny little blog in the corner of this ginormous blogiverse is valued and worth publishing! Unless, of course, you really ARE a spammer. You know what happens to spammers.. I won't go into details!

So, I went directly to my blog and checked the 'comments awaiting moderation' page. Oh. dear. All this time I have been publishing comments from my phone, but it turns out I have missed a LOT. Well, a LOT for me, means about 20. :)
So, my apologies if you have ever commented on my blog and then noticed I never published your responses.

Which reminds me of a blog I had started following several months ago, and commented on. One of her reply comments was found in my 'awaiting moderation' file today! Earlier this year, I read one of her posts about commenting on blogs and comments not being published and how that didn't feel very affirming (I agree!).  Was that my doing? Oh, I know, small potatoes in the world we live in. But it did make me think. We are an insecure group of people, aren't we? Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway, haven't been blogging much. Life, you know. Busyness. And mood. They say that when you journal, the spaces between your entries are as important as what you write. I think it's the same with blogging. Are you a fair weather blogger? I guess I am. I don't go into too much detail about struggles (I do share that with close friends and those I trust) and for me, that just feels right. Everyone blogs differently and that's good. The truth is we all have struggles and we all have times of celebration. We are all unique and we have different reasons to blog. In this season of my life, it's very random (no pressure to write) and usually light hearted. I do love to laugh, and sometimes I have to use my own life as fodder!

Have a great day, all, and remember to check your spam and comments awaiting moderation!

Done

Enjoyed a great few hours this morning with the family over for Saturday brunch and then a lively discussion on which candidates deserved our support. 

Drove up the hill to vote. 

 Done. Won't have to think about that for a few more years, thankfully. 

And now, after several hours of  work, I'm going to make some tea, put my feet up for a bit,  eat a few of these:

grab my knitting needles, flip open my iPad and watch a movie.

Home alone.

And don't mind at all.

Driven to exhaustion

I'm tired today.

 It was one of those days that really wasn't very productive. I got up early. Left the house at 8:15 a.m. Drove for 1.5 hours to a town to meet up with other teachers for a regional staff meeting (which, in my opinion, could have been done over computer chat, but that's just my introverted self speaking). We spent approximately 2 hours together and I drove 1.5 hours home. 3 hours of driving for a 2 hour meeting.  And by the time I got home, I was exhausted from the drive, so I had a nap. Not much work done today. And that is a pity.

But I did get to enjoy the drive. No snow on the road. Bright blue cold November sky. I took the quiet, scenic route.. oh wait, every route around here is scenic. :)

And I listened to podcasts to my heart's content.

At our meeting ,we were encouraged to regularly meet up with other teachers in our area for some face to face encouragement and support. As an incentive, we were all offered a $10 Starbucks or Tim Horton's gift card! Cool school I work for, eh? Guess which card I chose?

Holding onto Fall

Autumn is certainly in full swing, but today winter was threatening to move in. At least it sure felt that way. The wind didn't tickle, it sliced! Not nice.  My girlfriend who lives an hour and a half away told me she saw snowflakes swirling in the air. No.. !! Say it isn't so!! 

I have enjoyed our autumn weather so much, and I think I was in denial that our beautiful Fall weather would actually end. So, in honor of the dwindling autumn season... 

I managed to work through most of this bin. A few pies made, bags of apple slices frozen for later, and containers of homemade applesauce. These apples were so sweet, I didn't even have to add sugar!

Our huge lodgepole pine dropped its nasty needles a few weeks ago. Not a fun job to rake those up. 

picking a pail of painful pinecones

 (step on one of these with bare feet and you'll know what I mean!)

I stepped out to check for mail later in the day and was greeted by a pile of lost, lonely leaves pushing pathetically against the door. I was sure they were begging to be let in, 

away from the cold wind! 

 View from my desk, which I was chained to for most of the day. The sun tempted me to go out, but I could hear the wind's warning whistle.  Wimp that I am, I chose to stay indoors.  I think it's time to bundle up a bit more before heading out! 

Not sure if you noticed or not, but I have been using alliteration in this post.

Couldn't help myself. 

Poetry on the brain, what with planning for this week's lesson. 

I spent an hour writing a 'found poem'. I figured that if I asked my students to write one, I should probably write one, too. It was rather fun, I have to admit. Although it took longer than I expected. Creativity is hard work! 

Less Margin

"Marginless is being asked to carry a load five pounds heavier than you can lift; margin is a friend to carry half the burden.
Marginless is not having time to finish the book you're reading on stress; margin is having time to read it twice."      Richard Swenson

I'm just squeaking in here to get a post in before the day passes by. Not much margin today! How about you? Do you have margin in your life?

It's been busy...

Hi there, faithful readers. I know, this is bad. How can I expect to keep readers if I post so sporadically and have no real focus on this blog? I guess I'm not too worried about it.. otherwise I'd have posted more than I have. Was my last post really March 11??

I've been in one of those set of weeks where I spend so much time on this computer that the last thing I want to do is... spend MORE time on it if I don't have to. Oh, I still compose blog posts in my head, but if they aren't captured and written down.. *POOF* they zip off  to wherever all my midlife thoughts go... usually never to return. And some of them are soooooooo good. Pity.

And to think I considered doing the April Blogging A-Z Challenge this year. I almost committed myself to it.

I think one becomes a better blogger by blogging more often. I should really take that to heart.

I may not be a great blogger, but I AM a great blog reader, so keep on blogging, friends!

I'll be back.  Probably soon.

In Full Swing

Yes, I'm on the ground running, now that September has pulled ahead of August. I was reluctant to engage with this month, but now that Fall activities have begun, I am feeling quite okay with it all.

It's the little things that make days extra special, don't you think? Take this, for instance. My sunflower bloomed!

 It is huge and beautiful and makes me smile when I peek out the back window in the morning. It's already starting to droop (I should've taken the photo a few days earlier!), but it's amazing, nonetheless.

Our home exterior renovations are coming along so nicely. It looks so much better! I don't know how many times I've opened the front door just to have another look at our great new covered area and steps.

 I can't wait to have a flower garden in the Spring. Husband is going to build the planter soon. I'll be buying fall tulip bulbs so something colorful will pop out of the earth to greet me early next Spring! I'll add other perennials and such next year, as well. I have a friend down the street who has the most amazing green thumb, so I'll be asking her for ideas and tips, no doubt about that.

And.. my work as an online support teacher has begun again (it's been a whirlwind this last week!), and I am purposefully not letting myself get overwhelmed with all I have to do. There is SO much to do! As I'm telling everyone (well, mostly myself), I am only ONE person and all I can do is what I can do. One day at a time. One task at a time. And here are a few tips that have helped me stay sane so far..

1. Getting up early - Yes, I've been getting up as early as 6 a.m.!!! I used to get up at 7:55 religiously, and that was because I had to ensure my dear hubby had a lunch to take to work. I now have up to two extra hours in my day... it has made a difference. I'm not always up at 6, but I'm batting a pretty good average right now.

2. Making a list - I keep it simple with 2 columns - Home and Work. As thoughts come to mind, I add to my list, and check them off as they are accomplished.
 
3. Choosing to have a good attitude -  I don't want to be a complainer! The reality is, there are good and not-so-good aspects of my work. I am choosing to focus on the good ones, and to frame the others in a more positive light. Believe me, it's hard.  Being a 'cup half full' person is who I aspire to be, but I'm not there.. yet. I have caught myself wallowing a few times.

I also want to be more organized with meals, etc... but that always seems to be the thing I let go.. I sort of fly by the seat of my pants. Don't enjoy that, but oh well.

Hope your September has more good than bad days so far! What are your tips for staying sane in the back-to-school (or homeschool!), back-to-work, or busy-times-at-work time of the year?