7. Finalizing my backsplash tile and possibly my flooring choices. My husband and I finally purchased our first home in an amazing neighborhood, but we had to contend with carpet. I'm a researcher and I will continue to research longer than needed. It once took me three years of research before I bought a new car. Time is of the essence and I think we figured out what we want and it is doable.
6. The opportunity to do yearbook. Unfortunately we had a teacher resign this past December. She was the yearbook advisor. In my position of literacy coach, I have had to take over classes. It's become more frequent post-COVID, but I do love the opportunities that I get to teach and build relationships with students. It keeps me nimble. With the yearbook, I have had to stay on longer due to the complexity of the work and the deadlines we have. I love the creation part of this process and the students who are so committed to the work. Need I say the creation of yearbook has gotten easier in the time of tech? No more counting picas, rushing to the one hour photo developing place, no more grease pencils?
5. Playing pickleball. As person who has played sports since 5th grade. The hardest thing about aging is my aching Achilles and my knees. They don't recover like they used to. I have found joy in playing pickleball doubles with my friends and neighbors. It's easier on my joints and allows me to practice in three of the elements of wellbeing, being outside, social and exercise. (These are things I learned from taking Laurie Santos Yale course, The Science of Well-Being).
4. Nail Nights. I've always bitten my nails and until December 2022 had really considered that I would never have nails. I make dinner on Sunday nights and my friend comes over and when we are done with dinner, we do our nails. While we do nails, my husband does dishes. They really bring me joy when I look at them during Monday meetings. It's also become a fun exchange with some of my students they share their nails with me while I am on lunch duty. What is crazy is now a year later, I actually do have nails.
3. Skychasing, a word my students coined during COVID, when we would share pictures of clouds and sunsets is a habit of mine. One of my joys of going to work early is watching the sunrise and I love sunsets. There is nothing more beautiful than an Florida sunset after a thunderstorm. Some days I spy a "Simpson's Sky." The winter afternoon sunsets are an amazing ombre of oranges and yellows and the sunrises pinks and purples.
2. Florida spring weather. It is cool in the morning and in the high seventies or low eighties in the afternoon. I really think we should have our summer break in the spring here. The summer in central Florida is dreadful. Drive to the coast and it will have at least a 10 degree drop. My favorite thing to do after work is come home and sit on my back porch and read or play pickle ball. Either way I get to enjoy the sunset.
1. My daughter coming home from college for Spring Break. Although she hates that her spring break week is the earliest of the Florida colleges, I love it for selfish reasons. It means that she can hang out with her parents and go see both of her grandmoms and still have some friend time at the end of the week.
I loved your post. I can get bogged down in the difficulty of the week so I went to your post for a pick me up. There is so much gold in your post but I am left smiling a the thought of your painted nails.
ReplyDeleteI really like this format for both it's ease of writing and the ability to find multiple good things in the week. I think it would be a great approach to offer older students who are reluctant writers. However, the part of this post that will stick with me is the mani pedi moments on Sunday nights. Such a wonderful tradition.
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