If you want to read my quick summary of 2010, see here.
If you want to read my quick summary of 2010, see here.
03:39 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Last Friday, I closed on the condo, so I am now the proud owner of TWO homes. I'm working hard to try to make that ONE home, but there's still a lot of work that has to be done.
I did get a setback this month by coming down with a really annoying cold. I was seriously sick for nearly a week, and the darn thing has lingered on for nearly 3 weeks now. So that really put a crimp into my packing because I just didn't have the stamina to do much physical work. And I'm still not feeling totally normal.
So I'm trying to be philosophical about it. I'll get it done when I get it done. I just try to do a little bit every day. I don't want to just throw everything into boxes - I am really going through things and trying to get rid of extraneous stuff that I don't need any more. I'm giving a lot of stuff away and throwing out a lot of excess paper and other junk. So it's a good process - just a lot of work.
Yesterday I mowed my lawn after neglecting it for 3 weeks due to being sick. I went through a gamut of mixed feelings. During the first part, it was hot and humid, and I was thinking about what a pain it was and how happy I'll be after I move and don't have to do that kind of work any more. And then I took a break and went out later when the evening had cooled down a bit and there was a sunset light in the sky, and I started thinking about how this little city plot was actually the first bit of land I've ever owned, and how I've personally touched and gardened every little square inch, and really how sad it is that it won't be mine any more.
I'm basically happy about moving on, and still convinced it's the right thing, but part of me is really going to mourn the loss of the land.
On the plus side, last Saturday Alex and Steven and I went out to a strawberry festival at Verrill Farm - a farm stand just across the Sudbury River from where I'm going to be living. We got grilled burgers and sausage, and then wonderful strawberry shortcakes with local strawberries, fresh-baked shortcake, and real whipped cream. We ate it sitting on a grassy hillside in the middle of fields, listening to a bluegrass band play and watching kids getting pony rides. It was heaven. I'm looking forward to their blueberry pancake breakfast in July. I'm really going to like living in the country. (Or as close as country you can get around here.)
In other news, I continue to work as Healthy Aging Program Coordinator for Springwell. We now have a great group of volunteer leaders trained to teach two different workshops: Healthy Eating for Successful Living in Older Adults and My Life, My Health, the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Most of my job is concentrated the start of a new course, to help set dates, choose leaders, help with the promotion, and get everything set up, and then at the end of a course to pick up the materials and make sure all the paperwork gets turned in to where it needs to go. And then I go to the occasional coordination meeting and keep up with whats going on in the "Healthy Aging" world, and answer any questions that the leaders have as they proceed with the course.
The Healthy Aging world is really getting a lot of support these days, both from the Massachusetts Office of Elder Affairs and the National Council on Aging. They see these workshops as a cost-effective way of improving the health of seniors and are working to encourage a self-sustaining state-wide network of agencies with the capability to offer them.
So it's great work - it doesn't take a lot of my time (I can do a lot of it from home), I work with wonderful, caring people, and I can really feel like I'm making a difference in many people's lives.
Yesterday, I gave an Information session to a group of nine in Watertown, explaining the My Life, My Health course that starts next week and encouraging them to come. Then I went to the last meeting of a class in Wellesley and really enjoyed reading through the satisfaction surveys, which showed that everyone was very happy with the course and with the leaders. Next week we do an Info session for Healthy Eating in Brookline. That will be it, I think, for the summer - the next set of classes will start in the fall, hopefully after I'm back from Australia.
07:46 AM in Diary, Home, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
As part of my work as Healthy Aging Coordinator for Springwell, I've been attending a training course for leaders of a workshop known as "My Life, My Health", a chronic disease self-management workshop developed by Stanford University. I had no idea what it was about before I started and thought it had something to do with actually managing the disease. But, in fact, it is really more about managing the effects of the disease (or chronic condition), effects such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, and other difficult feelings.
The content of the workshop is a wide-ranging toolkit of techniques and habits that the participants can pick and choose from and try out as they choose. Much of the course is discussion and brainstorming, where the participants can share ideas and help each other deal with their challenges. At the end of each meeting, the participants make an action plan for what they will do in the following week, and then report back at the following session. The action plans are totally personal and are whatever that participant feels they want to do and will be able to do.
We covered topics such as how to overcome pain and fatigue, relaxation techniques and deep breathing, good nutrition and exercise, how to communicate better, how to keep track of medications, positive thinking, etc.
The course itself is tightly scripted and the leaders are expected to follow the script exactly. Your organization giving the course must be licensed by Stanford, and the leaders must complete the 4-day training and be approved to teach. In the training, we go through every topic in excruciating detail. First the trainers conduct it as if we were the participants, then they reviewed it and explained why they did what they did, and then the trainees conducted the segment again as part of their practice teaching. So by the end of it we were pretty well indoctrinated.
The leaders themselves are expected to be people that either have a chronic condition themselves or are care-givers for someone with a chronic condition. This is pretty broadly drawn, so that most people of a certain age can probably come up with something they can use to relate to, even if it's just chronic back pain, arthritis, or any other minor ailment that impinges on their daily lives.
I started out a bit skeptical. It seemed that we were dealing with weighty topics and giving a small amount of time to each of them, so I wasn't sure what impact the course would have. Also, being widely read, I was already familiar with many of these ideas. What I need to keep in mind is that many of the people we will be meeting with may not be.
And then there was one little bit of magic that really impressed me. At the end of the training we did a brainstorming. The topic was "What problems does my chronic condition cause me?". So we brainstormed and made a list. Then the leaders re-posted the result of the exact same brainstorming we'd done at the beginning of the first day of the training. And by gosh, you could see the change. The same sorts of items were on both lists, but they were subtly altered. On the second list, they were either worded in a more positive manner, or were more specific and action-oriented. Something definitely happened there, and it was a good thing.
I originally took the course because I was going to manage and coordinate these workshops, but now I have a definite urge to actually teach one.
While I'm here on the blog, I'll mention that my job as coordinator is going well, but has been more work than I bargained for. I'm hoping that a lot of this is start-up effort, and that things will settle down as we move forward. One major time sink is a good thing - we got a very nice response from our call for volunteers. We'd inserted ads in the local papers in our service area (8 towns) and have gotten 16 responses so far. So it's a lot of people to call and interview and get to fill out our forms and so forth.
Also, I'll be teaching a Healthy Eating course with a new partner and at a new site on Monday nights as part of Watertown Adult Education. So that involves a lot of coordination - working things out with my new partner (who is very experienced with the other course, Chronic Disease Self Management, but has just been trained in Healthy Eating), figuring out how do deal with the room limitations, and assembling all the handouts and other paraphernalia we will need. We've got 12 people signed up, which is a perfect number. Although there are two husband and wife pairs, which has sometimes caused problems in the past - we shall see.
So life has been a teeny bit too darn busy, but hopefully it will settle down in a month or so. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm accomplishing something useful.
06:39 AM in Diary, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The garden class celebration yesterday was surprisingly emotional.
As I was getting ready to head over, the lightning lashed and the heavens opened with an insane downpour, so it looked liked the party was going to be spoiled. We set up the refreshment tables and chairs in the hallway near the courtyard entrance (instead of outdoors as we had been hoping to). Parents started coming and we mingled and looked at the photo montage posters the children had put together (using many of my photos plus others contributed by some of the adults, plus the photos the kids themselves had taken down by the river).
But then a little miracle happened - the rain ended and we were able to walk outside. By the end of the party, the sun was out and people were able to get a good look at the garden. The kids were stationed in each of the different areas and as people walked around, they were able to tell the visitors about what they'd done and what types of plants were in each area.
Then we gathered inside again for some short speeches. The administrator of the program described it briefly and thanked all of us who helped. Then each of the kids read a short paragraph about what they learned. Then we all got some gifts and were able to say a few words. We talked about how hard the kids worked, and how we felt like we were all in a team together. I told the story of the kids cheering on Henrietta when she was digging up a donated plant ("Go Henrietta! Go Henrietta!).
Many of the parents approached me and told me how much their child had enjoyed the program - talking about it at home and looking forward to getting to school each day. And the kids all said they wanted to join the garden club and hoped we would all be coming back in the fall.
Each of the volunteers was given a little bag of gifts including a group photo (which is now proudly displayed in my living room), a collection of the students' work, a card with notes from each of the students, and a bookmark made from pressed flowers from the garden. Very sweet.
And then after the visitors left, those of us who worked on it were left to feel really good about how it went, the good friends we had made, and the definite feeling that we had made a difference in those kids' lives. What a great feeling!
07:14 AM in Diary, Gardens, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
So after weeks of rain, and one decent week of not-rain, we are now coping with a week of heat and excessive humidity. But the kids are sticking it out and we have a really nice garden space ready now for our graduation celebration tomorrow. I hope we get a good turnout and can get outside and really enjoy the results of our efforts.
05:12 PM in Diary, Gardens, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Those two relaxing weeks I was anticipating in my last blog post were pretty much rained out. A Boston Globe article last week gave some statistics to show that we were on track to be the least sunny June since 1903! The past few days have been a bit better, but we've just gotten past three solid weeks of unrelenting clouds and rain. Needless to say, this did have a big effect on my energy level - I started feeling my SAD kick in, even though we were right at the summer solstice. So the solstice went by without commemoration - just another cloudy gray depressing day.
11:04 AM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The spring push of volunteer activities is over now, so I'm at the beginning of a 2-week lull before the summer gardening program starts. It's wonderful to not be running around to activities every day, and I'm hoping to be able to catch up on some of the long-deferred items on my to-do list. Especially now that the incessant rain has abated for a bit and I'll be able to get out and work on the garden. Luckily, it's still cool and relatively comfortable to work outside.
08:57 AM in Diary, Gardens, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Alex turned out to have pneumonia and is still recovering, so we did not make any plans for the holiday weekend. It's a pity he's missed so much of the good weather. Alex has always been very susceptible to respiratory infections and always has to be on guard. I've been visiting every few days to bring supplies (mostly liquids, since he had various places nearby that will deliver food), and one night he felt well enough to watch some TV together, but he is definitely not yet up to any excursions.
01:08 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
This is crazy, I woke up at 5:48 because the sun was up. Love these long days, but they make it hard to get enough sleep. At least it wasn't chilly this morning.
06:59 AM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I began the week with two "teaching" experiences that each went very well. I am finally becoming at ease with speaking to small groups, I think - at least when it's on subjects that I know well.
09:17 PM in Diary, Volunteering | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Gosh, I knew it was a while since I'd blogged, but had no idea that it had been so long. Wow.
10:11 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Gosh, this was an exiting marathon. The top 3 women finished within 10 seconds, with the US woman, Kara Goucher, finishing third. Defending champion Dire Tune ran her heart out and lost to Kenya's Kosgei by only 1 second, collapsing in exhaustion at the finish line. And 4-time men's winner Robert Cheruiyot had to drop out and was taken to the hospital also. I'm waiting to hear news - sure hoping they're both okay.
12:56 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
My online presence has been mostly on Twitter lately, because I've just been so busy since I got back from Florida. Between trying to catch up on the stuff that accumulated from before and while I was away, and all the new commitments I have now that spring is here, I haven't had much time to just sit and reflect. Someday I hope to have time to download and post some of my trip photos, but right now other things have higher priority.
12:33 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Strolling around the South End prior to a play, we encountered a movie crew that had taken over several blocks. Trucks, wires, and lights were everywhere, plus patches of fake snow. Rumors of Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones. People sitting on their front steps, drinking wine and watching the activity. No stars on sight though. Photos to follow.
07:57 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
After a fairly quiet winter, suddenly everything is waking up and I feel I've been in a whirlwind of activity for the past few days. To just run through a quick recap...
03:08 PM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Yesterday I printed out and filled in 3 income tax extension forms - for the U.S., Massachusetts, and Connecticut. It's the first time I've ever bothered with an extension, but this year my taxes are just way too complicated, and I'm going away for the first half of April, so I don't want to go crazy trying to get them done in time and possibly messing them up.
09:20 AM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
It's been an intense couple of days dealing with house negotiations, but as of now, we have a purchase agreement for the house with an intended closing by May 1. Knock on wood.
12:02 AM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
At 7:44 EDT this morning the sun crossed the equator and the spring equinox arrived. To the pagans, this was the holiday of Ostara, which has been adapted into the Christian Easter. Ostara is the time of rebirth and renewal, and a time to get back in touch with the earth. From my favorite pagan holiday site:
At Ostara, light and dark come into balance, in what is nearly everywhere a season of storms. It seems as if the Sun must fight for a greater place in the sky. Then the storms subside as April unfolds, and the returning sun warms the land and sky. Buds open. Birds return. The Earth wakes into flower. People, from long before Chaucer's time to our own, have taken any excuse -- definitely including religious devotion -- to get themselves out of doors.
Since our spirituality centers on Mother Earth Herself, this is not an excuse but an imperative: touch the Earth!
During the winter, we were housebound, literally insulated from the Earth. Now, as Spring releases us, our very first priority should be to renew our connection with Nature.
This is a holiday I can celebrate with great enthusiasm. Certainly the children's guide work that I described in my earlier post is totally in tune with the theme. And I've been starting to get out and work in my garden, planting peas, and generally getting things in order. Planting peas is a true "touch the earth" activity, where I press the seeds directly into the soft, dark, compost-enriched topsoil.
So get out there, hug a tree, and rejoice in the increasing sunlight!
11:16 AM in Diary | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)