Tuesday Freewrite

Memorial Day with My Favorite People

Well, now I know why you should not put the picture first. I usually add the picture LAST, but I thought I would add it first, and I could not get back to his part of the blog post that had the text in it. People tell me WordPress is so much easier, but I have been using Blogger for 18 years now, and it is hard to change. I believe they are doing little to update this part of their business these days because Blogger has become quite clunky, but it is my blogger. I mourn the day when they quit updating it or even shut it down altogether.

So, yesterday was lovely. I had all these assignments to grade for my Fitness Walking class, and a part of me did not want to tear myself away, but I am so glad I did. Walking along the beach, driving in the car, and eating at Sorella's at Nye Beach with my favorite people was balm to my soul. I love them with all my heart, and I am so glad that I am simplifying my life by leaving OSU (and having left Timberhill last January). It is just going to make for a simpler and more streamlined life for me. My ministry of spirtual direction is busier than ever, but that is where I will put my time and energy these days. The relationships that I had with my recurring students is not there anymore. They have all graduated and gone, but I am glad I went back to campus this year and especially this term since I didn't have to wear a mask and could really smile and interact with them. It is a good thing.

The fitness walking class has taken me 20 hours of work (plus emails with students that are not recorded on Canvas), and I have been at it for 4 weeks now. I am trying to cut back on my hours because I am only paid for 9.5 hours of administrative work for this class. So I am double that and am trying to do less of the time I spend on campus and during the class (as they walk independently now). I am so glad to be unchained from my computer and able to spend more time out in the sunshine! It will be fun. I hope to have more of a summer of freedom and especially a fall of freedom. That is my motto for the days moving forward. I have freedom and flexibility for the future now that I am not tied to a set time of teaching these classes. I will make my Pilates Praise and Prayer Videos this summer. I have fun goals for the summer in preparation for the fall.

Today was supposed to be a free day, but I went to walk briskly for my Rockport Walk Test for the end of the term of the fitness class, and as I was walking briskly, my back went out! UGH. I had so much fun walking the beach with my boys, but I forgot my shoe lift at home. So, I am paying the price today and am sorry for it! 

I am going to have to rest and hope and pray that Dr. Myers has an opening because it was a pretty bad blow out. Not bad like it used to be, but bad by today's standards. 

Oh well. I am going to let go of something that happened today. Something I need to just forget about. Something that will take me too much time and energy to follow through on for the amount of benefit it will give me. So, I let it go. Just like I let my things go as I enter into  Centering Prayer. I am so excited to explore things more deeply with that. 

The end of the 2nd Half Collaborative was this last weekend, and I think it ended really well. I hope to be able to continue with the same heart I entered into it this last year. I am still amazed that I did it again. I really would prefer to be a spiritual director for it rather than a small group leader, but that is what God gave me, and I think I finished really well! 

Well, today might be a lie on your back and recover day, but I will embrace it as best I can.

I am looking forward to June with friends and family and fun!