Good morning!  Looks like another heat advisory day for us.  Last week we got some much-needed rain, and although it was still hot, it wasn’t horribly hot like it’s been for the majority of our summer.  Only one of my tomato plants, my ferns, and my lemon tree is managing to survive the heat.  I am looking forward to fall and cooler days.

Back To School

The teen started school and seems to be enjoying it so far.  His class has had a couple of get-togethers to welcome in the new school year, so he has attended those.  He and I will be wrapping up the school supply shopping this afternoon to finish getting a few things he still needs.  I actually had most of what he needed because I bought so much extra last year.  I was afraid the schools might shut down again, and supplies would run low.

Adjusting to My New Normal

Last week was pretty rough for me physically and emotionally.  I just couldn’t seem to muster enough energy to get much accomplished around the house.  I was also feeling lost because school had started, and I wasn’t going back to work.  I really didn’t think I would feel sad about it, but I did just a little.  I guess it will take a while to adjust to being home.  Goodness knows there is plenty to do around our home, but finding the energy to do it has been tough.  I start something and then easily tire out and have to rest…go back to it, have to rest…rinse and repeat.

I met with my new cardiologist and mentioned how easily I tire out now.  He ordered an echocardiogram for me, which I had done last Monday.  He said everything looked stable.  I definitely had some muscle damage to my heart after the heart attack, and my heart function just isn’t what it used to be.  I guess that’s what I have a hard time accepting.  I’m quite hard on myself because I like to stay busy and productive.  I will not be able to do as much as easily as I used to.  I honestly don’t know how I made it from December to May at work.

Rockin’ In My New Shoes

I’ve been sporting my new sneakers this past week, and my feet have been thanking me for them ever since.  I have never been one to jump on the bandwagon of wearing expensive sneakers.  There are a couple of brands I like, and since I couldn’t wear them to work, I may have bought sneakers once every three or four years because I just didn’t wear them much.  However, during the last few months of work, I was wearing them daily (with permission) because of the neuropathy in my left foot and the heel spur in my right foot.

One of my coworkers had on a cool pair of Hoka sneakers one day, and I knew they cost more than I ever would want to pay for a pair of shoes, but they looked so comfy.  I asked her if she thought it was worth the money, and she raved about them.  I wasn’t so sure because they have a very thick sole, but I was desperate for relief for my feet, so I just took the plunge and ordered a pair.  The shoes came in, and I sort of just put them in the closet, and they sat there.  I didn’t want to wear them to work and get them messed up because they were way more than I had ever paid for a pair of shoes.  Of course, I know this was ridiculous in hindsight.  I mean, I ordered the shoes for comfort!  Haha!  So, I dug them out last week, and I couldn’t believe the difference!  Super comfortable, they come in wide widths, and I feel like I’m walking on little air mattresses for my feet!  Ha!  I absolutely recommend them for anyone who has foot pain or needs extra support.  They also make these cool slides I’m thinking about getting for wearing around the house.

What Else?

I managed to get a haircut on Thursday.  I think the last one I had was in November of last year.  I was glad to get it trimmed and shaped up.  It had gotten quite long in the back and was just a little unmanageable.  My mom has made a good recovery from her bout with the virus.  Jake is still as rotten as ever.  He has claimed the couch at night here lately until I go upstairs to bed,  which he follows.

I’m off to wait for the appliance repairman.  Our dryer is making a terrible screeching sound.  It’s always something!

I’ve let another month slip by since I last posted.  For over a month, I have had very good intentions of posting more frequently, but then I just sit down and read other blogs.  Ha!  I’m still keeping up with everyone’s blog I normally read but just haven’t been commenting.  I decided I had better sit down today while the motivation hit me and do a life update.  Here’s some bonus footage of Jake to start us out.  He looked so sweet resting in the grass that I couldn’t resist taking his picture.

What’s New?

Well…I have left my job.  I know.  I still can’t quite believe it myself.  However, after having my heart attack back in December, it’s just become more difficult to do everything I was doing and keep up that same pace.  The last couple of years has been tough at work because of adjustments and changes we’ve all been through since the “you know what” happened.  I adapted and adjusted, but I don’t think things will ever be the same in public education again.  Maybe it’s just me, and I’m getting older.  I let my principal know back in February when intent forms were sent out, that this was the decision I had to make to try to preserve what was left of my health.  So, I won’t be returning to my job in August when school starts back.  I hated to do it.  My principal has been amazing to me, and she runs a great school.  I really hated to leave my kids.  There were lots of tears, and reassuring them that the next librarian would be great to them.  I have been with most of these children since they were four years old.

I Quit My Job During a Recession

So what’s next for me?  I’ve decided I’d like to step out of my comfort zone of education and try something different.  I’ve been applying to jobs online, and I am really interested in working remotely from home, even if it’s just part-time.  I had to take on the role of our school’s learning management system administrator and tech support/customer service person, along with doing my regular job of being a librarian, during the time that “you know what” happened.  I figured out that I really kind of liked it and was pretty good at it, so I’ve been looking at jobs that can flex some of those skills.  I’ve applied to over 20 jobs and have received three rejection emails so far.  I just keep plugging along and applying.

Taking Care of Me

I’ve also spent a great deal of June and July just healing.  I’ve been living with neuralgia pain from shingles since last October, uncontrolled blood sugars for over a year, and then a heart attack last December.  Educators also take on a lot of trauma from what some of these kids go through and put us, educators, through.  When I finally slowed down, I figured out that I am a breath holder.  I have literally had to start doing breathing exercises because I have been holding my breath for who knows how long.  I’ve also been suppressing some anxiety as well.

I am finally starting to feel somewhat human again, and not like a robot on autopilot.  I have a new endocrinologist and will be seeing my new cardiologist in a couple of weeks.  I am hopeful the addition of these new healthcare providers to my team will be the change I need in these areas.  I even managed to squeeze in a lunch date with my best friend!

Going Forth

So, I’m healing, looking for a new job, and working on adjusting our budget to one income while our family goes through this process.  This is the worst possible time to leave a job.  Inflation is through the roof, and things in the world just seem so uncertain.  We are going to have to tighten our spending and make some adjustments.  I’m scared, but I’m also hopeful that this is the change that will give me a better quality of life back.  I’m still stunned that I went through with leaving my job at all, but I just felt a great sense of peace when I finally made the decision.  Here’s hoping I made a wise choice!

I promise to pop in here more regularly from now on.

Ahhhh!  It’s the last week of school here and I am so happy to see the finish line.  4 more days and summer begins!  The teen finished up last week and he had a great sophomore year.  Even though he had a turn with the “the illness that shall not be spoken of”, he had a good year and made us proud with his grades.

The past few weeks have been packed and busy.  At work, we were absolutely spoiled rotten for Teacher Appreciation Week.  My students brought me such lovely things, like these beautiful flowers, and so many sweet notes of appreciation.

We were treated to lunches and breakfasts as well by the admin and several community members.  Even though we were in the thick of state testing that week, it was still such a great time.

And then Mother’s Day was absolutely fantastic as well.  I wanted tomato plants and hubby and the teen made it happen.  They got me 4 tomato plants and I’ve been babying them ever since.  My last attempts at gardening from seeds didn’t go the greatest, so I figured maybe we would do better with the already started plants.  We shall see!

Hubby and I also spent a Saturday about town.  I hardly ever, ever, ever go out on the weekends, so I decided I needed a change of scenery and pace.  I wanted to go to our local Tractor Supply and look at baby chicks, so that’s where we started out.  Aren’t they so stinkin’ cute?

They are quite busy little things!  I may have aspirations for growing tomatoes, but I do not have a desire to raise chickens.  I just think they’re cute.

After checking out the chicks we then stopped in at our local outdoor store for something hubby needed.  After that, we headed to our favorite Mexican restaurant where I enjoyed this fajita potato.

These potatoes are absolutely delicious and I can’t wait for school to be out so I can do this more often.  It felt so good to get out and do something different for a change.

Other than that, it’s the usual…keep the laundry going, keep the house clean-ish, and work work work!  Summer will usher in a welcomed slower pace that my body desperately needs at the moment.  It’s been a busy and challenging school year for me, but we are in the home stretch!