DiForYou

My peaceful workday!, you wouldn’t believe it if you went solely on my metrics from my Oura ring. I remind myself, it is my physiological stress not my psychological stress.

Added another 30 minutes of sleep debt to my tab DANGIT! Since it is currently the future as I write this I know I’m fine haha. Had to have a candid conversation at 6:30am and I think it went over well (again, because it is the future when I write this) and I hope it sticks. Sometimes people change for a little bit and then fall back into old habits, my hope is that this young person can keep it up – I am rooting for them. I got to see so many familiar faces at work, returning guests and people I work with at the yoga studio, VIP MIKE of course. The sun came out and up and shone all day into my peaceful space. After my hard work, I did 15 minutes in the sauna, 2 minutes in the 60 degree cold plunge, and 10 minutes of rest (with one of Anne’s muffins and a cup of tea) in the warming chairs in the community lounge. Listening to the music and the hum of the fans, the tubs, the HVAC… looking at the plants and absorbing it all. I feel very lucky to work here, Anne came in for her shift after mine – we sauna’d together – it is just a nice feeling to be with my friend.

Amelia is feeling a little better, one of my front desk staff starting going downhill and I had to scramble to get a sub for her but one of my stars stepped up to the plate. I’m planning a nice dinner date with her to show her how much I appreciate her. Report back from Shirley on Wednesday was that my dad ate his lunch using his new birthday TV tray table! One of the troubles he has is getting into a chair – the ones at their counter are awkward anyway, especially for tall people, you can’t get close enough to the counter to not spill on yourself and if you do get close to the counter you have to put your knees on either side of the seat cushion. Anyway it’s an ordeal and you add to it someone who you need to give specific directions to and it can quickly become frustrating for all involved. He can do the love seat without direction, he moves his body along the edge until he doesn’t feel the arm anymore and then plops down. Jersey Mike’s night was a blast, and I dozed on and off from 7-8 and Mike told me to go to bed. I fought him on that but he won. Be nice and appreciate the people who get you through the day! Bye for now!

My dad’s birthday is March 18th. Today he turned 82. He really cannot believe it. It must be so strange to not have an awareness for how old you are. I ask him what age he feels and he usually sticks somewhere between 40-55. We video called with Debra and then with Denise – they were both at work and they looked so beautiful, my little sisters. I cannot express with words how much those two people mean to me. Man, I’m going to look like my dad when I’m old LOLOLOLOL I don’t have the wonky eye but I have the crooked nose and smile lines down the sides of my face. Maybe my skin will survive better than his, he never protected his face from the sun. He won’t cop to it now, but he smoked and drank too. Today he said he wanted a cigar. He’s in there alright. Shirley got him a TV Table haha and a new comfy sweater. I told him my presence was his present.

Happy birthday, dad – you are loved more than you know!

Today was my peaceful day, I had a lingering bad feeling after Amelia texted us that she had a fever. I guess that is a remnant of her going into full blown asthma attacks when she was little if she had a cold of any sort. I had a couple of moments of panic when I doubted a couple of things at work (turned out that all was well and I did everything as I was supposed to) so I settled into my drive out to my dad’s house, listening to music and enjoying the drive. I didn’t get as much sleep as I normally do, now I have an hour of sleep debt but I’ll get it paid off. But maybe that is why I let little thoughts impact my peace – I got it back, it was easy. But I can see how in the past I would have let that initial ‘bad feeling’ compound as they say. Be nice, stick up for yourself and be peaceful. Bye for now.

My ‘weekend’ Monday and Tuesday.

3/16: Didn’t do too much today, my work email, couple of records to send, pet stuff, bird stuff, yard stuff. I did finish my book and started a journal of my thoughts that I don’t want to publish to the internet. We had tornado warnings all day, schools closed and lots of businesses closed – we got the squall line at around 8:30 last night – our lights flickered on and off a few times but thankfully we didn’t lose power. (Got a message today from Shirley that their big pine tree went down!!

Messaged with an old co-worker from Jordan, we worked on the PRESTIJ project together. The ministry needed some info (that we gave them) that they couldn’t find. I didn’t have the info either since I’d emailed them from my work email, and that has been deleted since the start of the current administration when they dismantled USAID and the implementing partners all had to fold, too. Before Mike left for yoga he came back inside to say that SIRIUS/XM was making him sign in from his phone, so I went to my Notes app to look up the username and password for him and lo and behold – there was the info that my coworker was asking for!! I am glad to know the ministry is using the solution we built, it took a lot of brainpower, computer power and patience to get this system from our test environment to their production environment.

3/17: tried to figure out if I have my Hep A and Hep B and possibly my Typhoid vaccines since those are good to have especially if travelling to Vietnam which I hope I will be in three weeks! Good thing I save every email LOL because I searched Hepatitis in my hotmail and found an email from the Med in Jordan saying that my blood test results showed I was not immune and I replied that I would set up my appointment and ‘bring my paperwork’ I think that was for when I was hired at the State Department. So I do have the Heps which is good. It looks like I would have gotten vaxxed for Typhoid before going to Jordan but I just don’t have the record. My “paperwork” is somewhere. I met up with my new coworker for coffee and we chatted for 2 hours! She’s my age and recently retired, we have enough in common to talk for 2 hours. She will be working at Element, she is going to love it, I’m excited for her. Got most of my tax documents together to plug into the account’s site. Got some CDs mailed. Lazed around with my guy Uli and then chill time with Mike. No photos taken today either but I had the Bluebird couple at Fierce BirdBuddy so many times. They are so photogenic. I did kind of tear my office apart looking for my medical documentation from Jordan, it’s somewhere. UGH for a knowledge manager I am the worst about organizing MY files. But there were plenty of things I don’t need so it’s time to get rid of that crap like I did before we went to Jordan. Two peaceful days, be nice, bye for now.

Friday the 13th and my procedure day! Finished the last fourth of the drink and made it to the center early. All went amazingly well and even FAST! Doc said everything looked great, he saw the diver’s but nothing troubling! So thankful for the great staff, Dr. T and my doctor and his staff in Jordan. Super lucky to have found this excellent care, and I am doing everything they say – high fiber diet. We had Jersey Mike’s, watched our Bravo shows and chilled.

Saturday the 14th workie workie – did my shift at Dragonfly, interviewed someone for the front desk/spa attendant roles for the Kemps bizzzzzes. Picked up my hellebores that Mary brought up from HER weggies that Bobbi met her at 95/Rt 3 to get and were in her front yard for ME! THANK YOU friends. I hope they like it here, I put them along the sidewalk near the little “S” flag. Once I clean up the gardens, I’ll take a picture to share. Now the Moss Ladies are Moss/Hellebore Ladies haha. Came home and chilled, was surprised with Himalayan Heritage for dinner YUM!!!! More Bravo shows and chilling.

Sunday the 15th really chilling some more, oh my sleep scores have been so great. I even got up at 5 this morning and I still had a full and satisfying night of sleep!!!! The pets and I had a little bit of bed time this morning but I was listening to the end of a book so I got up and tidied the kitchen then went through all the shelves in the laundry room to move the cold weather stuff into the coat closet. There were a lot of ‘a-ha’ moments in this book I read/listened to – I’m going to listen to it again and take notes, just so I have something written down about how the things I learned from this book made me feel. I am a sensitive person with strong emotions who has a need for a connection with people and I have always been this way. That’s little Dianne, too. And tween, and teenager and young adult. Got our VISA applications in for Vietnam, hope we did everything right! Got wordle in 2. Put my Helles in the ground, topped off the bird feeders and bird baths. Picked up sticks.

Fierce bird buddy has been going crazy I’m sharing a blue bird couple who keep coming back and a new bird to me, Pine Siskin! I have some videos of him opening sun flowers seeds with his beak and tongue, it’s so interesting! Sunflower seeds are hard to open!!!

All of these days have been my peaceful days, peace begins with me. Bye for now.

So grateful for the sub for the 5:30am shift this morning, lets just leave it at that LOL! Got to element at 6:30 and had a slow and steady day. When Mike walked Uli this morning it was 71 degrees, he told me to bring rain gear because it was supposed to rain later, so I had my rainboots and my northface jacket. Throughout the day I could see, it was windy, it was sprinkling, it sleeted a little bit, the temperature dropped, then it started snowing around 1. My car was covered by the time I got out there at 2, big wet snow blobs LOL. Filled up my ‘prep’ with water and now it is in the fridge for me to start drinking at 5 UGH it’s 4:22 coming up fast. I had a carton thing of vegetable broth all day, some tea and now I’m drinking some apple juice to have a little flavor in my life today. I am looking forward to 24 hours from now when I’ll have my gummy and Jersey Mikes night haha

Same view as the other day after I was in the yard cleaning up. It is already sunny out and everything is melting. Mother Nature is drunk.
Be peaceful, gosh I hope I am not up all night tonight and everyone be nice to each other. Today is my peaceful day. Bye for now!

Little bit of work, little bit of dad day. Wondered if I’d see my guy downtown this morning since I was there at the same time of day but I didn’t see him. Hope he got what he was hoping for, maybe it is better that I don’t know. Anyone who knows me knows… I can’t handle when someone else is disappointed. It wrenches my heart. Another unseasonably warm day, when I got to my dad’s, Shirley was ready to go – weeding the gardens. I’ve never met anyone who loves to be as busy as her, she said they have lots of appointments on their calendar coming up (and she sounded excited LOL) My dad had a cavity filled yesterday and he did great. He was in a fine mood when I got there, he was up following Shirley around and he gave me a big good morning hug. I was telling them a story about helping my friends at their great aunts house and I saw an old Lady Remington electric shaver in a really fancy pink case and I said “for when husband’s didn’t know their wives had hairy legs and needed a shaver” and my dad laughed, I saw his old regular face at that moment, his eyes. Definitely a chill 4 hours. Then I went to Wegmans to get my liquid diet, vegetable broth, apple juice, sprite and I did get some apple sauce for my dessert tonight. I have to drink 10 oz of something tonight, liquid diet tomorrow and then the big jug tomorrow night and a little more at 5:30am on Friday. Yes I’m writing all of this out because as Mike pointed out, I’m a little psycho about thinking I’ll get something wrong and mess everything up. Amelia was up pretty early and texted us she was brewing beer today as part of Pink Boots RVA, an organization for women in beer that she is a member of. She sent some cute photos one of her co-members took. Since the only photo I took today was of a few plants outside of Wegmans, I asked her if I could use some of hers.

I’m glad she is keeping busy and doing things she enjoys, she is such a supportive and appreciative person. She’ll always be my tiny tooter. Today was my peaceful day… and the start of my ‘prep’ got a last minute sub for my sub tomorrow at dragonfly not realizing my ‘prep’ started a whole day before I drink the ‘stuff’. Be nice, bye for now!

DAY OFF day! I woke up around 5am but made myself go back to sleep because it is my ‘no alarm’ day and I wanted to catch as much shut eye as possible. Not that I had a ton of plans or anything, just wanted to let my mind and body rest. We had two records to mail and Mike wanted to add the post office to his morning errands so I hopped up and packaged ’em up! Got the bird feeders topped off, water refreshed and decided to rake up the little bit of leaves on the lawn. While doing so I was mentally putting an area together for a garden area that we can put two of the red Adirondack chairs in, the spot of the yard where the grass just never really stays each year. So 2 chairs on the deck and 2 chairs in the front yard.

I started to clean some of the leaves out of the gardens but since it is still early March I left them to protect the baby plants that are making their way out of the ground. Lots and lots of Obedient Plant coming up, I’m fine if it takes over the spot where I planted it. It is from Kevin’s farm upstate from when I visited with Caroline and Bobbi in September 2021. I intended to a blog post about that trip back when I took it but never did. It was so much fun, we were farmers! We farm!

After sweating like crazy since it was like 80 degrees, took a nice shower, did my hair and a little makeup and then Mike and I got our VISA photos taken at Walgreens – we need a VISA to travel to Vietnam so this is the first step in the application. After seeing the ingredients on the counter I re-read my colonoscopy prep paperwork and realized I couldn’t have raw veggies so we pivoted for dinner and picked up General Tso’s Tofu after getting our picture took. LOL. Came home and enjoyed a little time in my “treehouse” (our screened in porch) with Uli. Being out there really restores me, I did my NY Times games, listened to all of the different birds – watched a couple of Red-Headed Woodpeckers flying around and doing lots of calls, I wonder if they were marking ‘their’ territories.

I noticed that the Eastern Phoebe couple is back, this would be the third year they reused the next under the screened in porch (if they decide to use it) I saw them flying in and out but didn’t notice any differences, I’ll keep an eye on it!

Once the sun got lower, Uli and I moved to the deck and I sat in my chair and moved his ‘bed’ over to where I was sitting. He looked so comfy and handsome, I asked him if he wanted mama to come lay with him and he said yes, so I did. I lay there with him, rubbing him and telling him what a good boy he is and how handsome he is – Mike captured that sweet moment as he went to pre-heat the oven for dinner! Have to share it since it is something that I have always loved to do, I can remember doing it with Madchen when I was little. I love laying with a dog and watching their eyes – closing as they get sleepy and loving the rubs, eyes opening but not moving their head because they recognize a word or hear something off in the distance. Some of my dogs throughout my life didn’t mind me all up in their business, some of them minded, all of them were loved and I accepted their boundaries haha. I’m happy that Uli doesn’t mind me laying like this with him.

So peaceful, just like my day. Be nice to everything, bye for now.

My (sister’s HAHA) Brooke and Lexi turned 25 today. What a joy it has been in my life to be their aunt for 25 years.

Beautiful weather for early March so after working at Element at 6:30 and then over to Dragonfly at 8:30. I was a little early (meeting Susan so she could take over the shift and I wanted to support her on her first day there) so I walked down the block and sat on some steps so I could get the early morning sun shining on my face (it helps your circadian rhythm stay on track). I guess I was sitting there smiling (not unusual for me) and as people were walking by, I’d say good morning (not unusual for me). I saw a man walking up the sidewalk towards me, he had on a shirt that Mike has and a pair of jeans, a nice haircut and was carrying two notebooks under his arm. I said good morning to him and he said “what a nice greeting with a big smile” and I said “just enjoying a few moments of sunlight before I have to go inside to work, without windows” and he said something like “hope you have a nice day” and continued on. He was half a block down, turned around and called something back to me that I couldn’t understand so I said “I can’t hear you” he walked back over and started to tell me about what HE was doing out that morning. In December he and his wife had an argument “over money” and she kicked him out. He lived with a couple of people since then, utilized Micah Ministries (I volunteer there providing vegetarian meals for the Respite House) and was currently in a tent outside “it’s getting old, I’m not in the Army anymore” I said “man, I am sorry, that really sucks, I have a banana if you want it, it is a little bruised” and he said “So am I, but I’d love it, thank you. I didn’t even have to ask you for anything, thank you so much for offering” and I said “of course, it’s all I have to share this morning but it is yours!” Then he said “I am meeting with Michele at the VA (veteran’s administration) this morning and she said I have a 50/50 chance” (I”m not sure at what but I’m guessing some sort of support to get him back on his feet) he said “My daughter is getting married in October and I want to walk her down the aisle, my wife and I were at her graduation in May and I need this (I’m guessing the positive outcome of the VA Meeting) he quoted the bible (I assume since he said like John 1.1 says…) and I said “I’m not religious but I am sending as much positive energy into the universe that you have a great outcome, that you and your wife can work this out and that you walk your daughter down the aisle” He asked me my name, told me his (I’ve forgotten it) and gave me a fist bump and said “Thank you so much” and was on his way. I asked Mike (came to pick up the yoga studio trash LOL) and Susan to offer up some positive intentions/prayers for him, man, I hope it worked out. 51 years old and he could have been one of the yoga students, you never know what someone is going through and you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

I came home and visited Gracie (there she is doing my favorite pose), chatted with my neighbor, filled up the birdfeeders, charged Bird Buddy (it had been so cloudy the last few days the solar charger couldn’t maintain) I suited up Uli for a walk at the battlefield next door. Since the dog seat was still in the Pathfinder I figured I’d utilize it rather than walk in the neighborhood. One of my favorite walks over there is what we call the Gravel Road. It is a road that goes from the NPS paved road all the way to Brock Rd, it is cut through thicker tree coverage and creeks. I did take Uli down the grassy path that – if the creek wasn’t in the way, or had a bridge – would be a continuation of my favorite walk in the neighborhood that I call “in the woods” I think it is Uli’s favorite too because whenever we walk towards the back of the neighborhood, he always heads that way. When it is early spring its infested with ticks so I try to get back there before that happens. I think it may all be part of an old logging road or something since it crosses over to the farm that is next to our neighborhood and I’ve seen a clearing that seems to match up, next to Mary and Joe’s old house. Anyway, I haven’t ever walked down it on the battlefield side so we did. Until I started seeing signs that said no trespassing, fishing, hunting, etc. Not that I was in the part of the land that the signs were referring to, it just made me uneasy to be there alone. Plus, I was nervous Uli or I would get bitten by a copperhead and we were so far away from the car. Thankfully, nothing bad happened and we got back to the gravel road, went as far as we normally go and turned around. I brought water because it was unseasonably warm and Uli happily drank all of his when we got to the car. Saw lots of little butterflies and heard a ton of birds.

I couldn’t get over how clear and beautiful the sky looked, soon enough all of these trees will be thick with leaves and the sides of the road blooming with ferns. I am so thankful that I live here, when I was in Jordan I would imagine being back in the Park walking the paths and enjoying the foliage. Bird Buddy was hopping all day, I had some bluebirds, goldfinches, nuthatches, finches, and when I was ready to really rest and sat on the deck, I could see cowbirds and cardinals in the backyard trees. I think our ‘under the deck nest’ is going to be used again by the Eastern Phoebe’s – I saw a couple in the trees flitting back and forth, I’m so excited to host another family and look forward to seeing the babies learn to fly. Today was my peaceful day, I hope my smile and chat helped my bro get the outcome he was hoping for. Be nice to people, animals, the planet — bye for now!

Lumping the weekend together again, I may just start doing this since I work kinda long on Saturdays and if I don’t have much going on I may not have much to write about, good thing I am my own reader.

3/7: Saturday I worked at Element for Jesse from 9am-7pm, it wasn’t THAT busy which was good because I was a little nervous the night before. All in all, it was a great day. True to form, my biometrics showed me present and accounted for up in the top tier of physiological stress. I am not sure what I was doing during that dip down (probably folding towels, my favorite thing to do!) but yeah, this all tracks and I am fine with it. I did wake up to “Major Signs” which is something the Oura Ring shares when resting heart rate, respiration rate and body (skin) temperature are elevated overnight to a degree that the ring is alerting the wearer that you may be coming down with something. I did end up with Covid one time I had that so I am always super mindful when I see it. In this case, I was nervous because I was on the train x2, the flower show, and the big market with so many people. But in the end, I got it all back on track on Sunday.

3/8: On Saturday night I got a text from my neighbor that let us know if we wanted to go down to her dad’s and keep Gracie company we were more than welcome to. Well Sunday morning we did – between 3 of us neighbors I think we can keep her from being lonely while her man is getting better. Mike and I walked in, called her name, saw her sleeping on some blankets and then we sat down. She did a meow and walked right over to my chair for so much love, cuddles, rubs and my most favorite thing that she does – lay right on my chest with her head just under my chin. I tried to get lots of photos and videos to send to the girls, this one is me so happy she came right to me. I told Mike that when he was overseas for his two posts (1 year each) that Gracie truly was my emotional support animal, she was communicative and gave me just the right amount of physical contact. In bed she would lay right up against me and when I was sitting in a chair, she was like a weighted blanket on my chest. Something about that feeling is so comforting, like a baby sleeping on me. Iris is not at all like that! Linking to a blog post that has Gracie’s origin story with us here. She is around 15 years old and still plays with her toys like a kitten, drinks her water off of her paw dipped in a bowl and licks you first before she rubs her chin on a part of your body. I love her so much, I love what an excellent companion she is to George and wish I could take her to the hospital so he can feel her love on him. She went into his bedroom to drink and did a big meow/growl/call, I think she wanted to wake George up, sweet girl.

Despite what my ring said, Saturday and Sunday were my peaceful days. I really focused on trying to just chill, my ring said I had 10 hours of inactivity LOL okay. Be peaceful and kind, bye for now!

My day went sideways – I did remember to be peaceful when I woke up had peaceful thoughts, oh the last few days my sleep and all that remained normal! YAY I was concerned that I’d get off my good eating, drinking lots of water, drinking too much caffeine, eating too much cheese, I did none of those things, not that I normally go off the rails when I’m not at home but there haven’t always been good choices haha I did get that grilled cheese yes I know, but if it is once in a while I’m generally okay so I wanted to risk it haha so glad I did. ANYHOO someone didn’t show up for work and that just put a kink in the morning. I was able to do the earlier blogs, feed the birds, take the pups out, meet Evan with Stella and I did end up going out to my dad’s for a quick visit since I missed one on Weds since I was on my trip. He was good, Shirley went for a walk with her neighbor and he and I chatted I asked him what is the secret to a long happy marriage and he said “Yes, Dear” lol like he ever said that (unsarcastically haha). Weird, today is my parents wedding anniversary, they were only married like 18 years I think and my dad and Shirley are coming up on 40. Strange to think how something so huge in my life as my family of 5 time together was such a blip in their individual lives and they had three kids out of it. Mike said he washed some orange rind that was in the pocket of something that made it through the wash and the dryer, I said what was it in? and he said “you always have things in your pockets” and I said “oh my gosh I am just like my dad!!!” Should I say that to my husband hahahaha (my dad did pull a grape out of his pocket today, I didn’t tell Mike that but if he is reading…now you know how honest I was being when I said that! hahahahaha

Here I am doing the grandparent hand off back to the parent

She’s so funny, she is always so leery – we love her so much! Glad they are back from their little trip, it looked amazing. Off to eat my jersey mikes, Mike delayed it for me!!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!! Bye for now! Be at peace.