Restorative

This is hanging in our upstairs hall and I need to internalize its message waaaay more often.

Last week was busy and Sunday found me depleted.  It also found Adam being all the kings horses and all the kings men when I had my come apart.  It happens occasionally and unlike poor Humpty Dumpty, Adam is pretty adept at putting me back together again.

My favorite thing was when he emphatically said, "You're a proven success!"

(If you ever need a pep talk, you can borrow Adam.)

(But I'll need him back.)

It helped to talk to Adam.  Of course it did.

Then on Monday I did little tasks around the house that needed doing like change a clock's batteries and deadhead my geraniums.  I'm a homebody at heart and being home and moodling around is good for me.

I talked to Marianne and we caught up since she was gone all last week.

I texted back and forth with Emma intermittently through the day.

Braeden called me; my mom called me.

I got a haircut and I enjoy that because Joelyn, who cuts my hair, and I talk about good books we've been reading.  I told her that sadly I haven't had much time for good reading lately and she told me that she listens to books.  I know that isn't a new thing but it suddenly struck me as a really great idea.  Because I wish I had more time to read.

She said she listens while driving or folding laundry.  Genius!

All of this was restorative.  Sometimes you don't really need a lot to put you back on kilter.

Sometimes you don't really need a lot to throw you back off kilter again....

When I was back home and going about my little to do list, I clicked onto the online course that I have been fighting with lately.  By fighting with, I mean trying to make work.  After many days and phone calls and emails, I was finally able to log in only to find out that all the assignments for the first week were due TODAY!  My stress level went into overdrive and all the restorative power of deadheading geraniums and doing other small household tasks evaporated.

Adam called on his way home from work.  I told him all the things and he (again, always, forever) talked me down.

He always puts things in perspective and is the anchor I need in the storm of more or less my own making.

(Also getting relicensed to teach?  It's the worst!  Perhaps it is one of the reasons for a teacher shortage!)