Since Spetember I have told my retired friends that I was a little jealous of their days a home, but I never wanted my days at home to be like this. My husband is still working (food industry), so I am home alone from 10:30 – 5:30 each day. It is just me, myself, and my chromebook.

I am busy getting lessons ready to post for online learning, and I am grateful for that because it gives purpose to my days. I still get up early, shower, and get dressed. I need to have some degree of routine. Besides, each morning at 9:00 I am expected at a virtual meeting with my principal and colleagues; I don’t think pjs are business casual.

I am thankful for that meeting because we usually meet each morning as a faculty before morning assembly. It gives us a chance to get highlights of the day and pray as a faculty. (I teach at a Catholic school.) This way it seems business as “usual.”

Tonight I tried recording my first audio to post to my 7th graders. Maybe tomorrow morning I will be brave enough to put the camera on! I never mind being in front of my class; I actually love it, but having to see myself as I speak to them is beyond uncomfortable for me!

I still need practice with the whole video chatting thing, so tomorrow I have a 1:00 appointment with a colleague to discuss our plans for ELA moving forward. Then on Friday, I am having a 12:05 virtual lunch date with the two colleagues I eat lunch with every day.

The point is, being home alone all day can be lonely if you let it. Even with all the work I need to do to continue the curriculum with my students, I am used to talking with other teachers, bouncing ideas off of them, and laughing along the way.

Remember to keep in touch with those who are important in your life. I am Facetiming with my kids and grandkids (who my arms are longing to hug), and trying to check in with my siblings at least once a week. I am texting with friends – sending random emojis and gifs which I hope garner a smile and some levity during this challenging time. So, if you are feeling lonely, reach out to someone, and if you’re not feeling lonely, reach out to someone who just might need an ear. Because like the quote above states – “unless we touch others, we are out of touch with life.”

When I’m worried, and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

Irving Berlin

For the past two mornings my friend, Diane, has been live on Facebook talking about working from home and counting her blessings. It’s a nice little pep talk to get the day started.

Since this morning I have had the song “Counting My Blessings” from the movie White Christmas swirling in my head. This song was written in 1954 by the master song writer, Irving Berlin. Irving wrote this song as a result of a conversation he had with his doctor. Berlin was suffering from insomnia caused by stress; he was complaining to his doctor and feeling a lot of self-pity when his doctor said to him, “speaking of doing something about your insomnia, did you ever try counting your blessings?”

I have included the song below in case you are not familiar with it.

Today, I am counting my blessings.

• Facetime – it gives me the opportunity to see my grandchildren when being physically with them is impossible. Their sweet faces and wonder filled eyes never cease to bring a smile to my face, and warmth to my heart.
• My colleagues – who have been so willing to share their expertise as we move to online learning. They are supportive, helpful, and add just the right touch of humor to the situation.
• My students – they have been patient with me as I post in Google Classroom, and they gently point out my mistakes to help me fix what needs to be fixed.
• My online communities – what a blessing the outpouring of resources, supportive words, and advice have been. I am especially grateful for my SOL community. Writing is helping to ease the stress.

So when my head hits the pillow tonight, and my eyes are wide open thinking about the latest news update, I am going to “count my blessings instead of sheep,” and I hope to “fall asleep counting my blessings.”

Stay well.

Stress happens when you try to take control of your life experiences. Relax and remember the only real control you have is over yourself.

livepurposefullynow.com

Today I decided to take control of my thoughts and actions concerning COVID-19. I am not a psychic or fortune teller; I have no idea what the days ahead will bring, but I do know that sitting with fear and worry is not productive. This is an enlightenment for me because I have always been a worrier.

My husband has us all stocked up with food and water. We will not starve (he does work at a supermarket, so that’s plus). We don’t have plans to be in large groups or expose ourselves to unnecessary places or people. Whatever comes our way in the next few weeks is going to appear whether I worry about it or not.

To that end, I spent today away from TV News and social media. I finished all of my laundry, sat and ate lunch with my hubby, and worked on my plans for online learning which begins tomorrow. After dinner I am going to make a schedule for my day tomorrow and read. These are the things I had control over today. One day at a time. One day at a time.

Below is a video my sister, Connie Eriksson, a pyschotherapist posted on her Facebook page. She offers some great advice for making your way through the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an early edition of her regular Monday “Live at Five” series.

Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.

Jim Rohn

How many things do we put on our ‘to do” lists for the weekend? I know that mine is always too long and overly optimistic. I tend to leisurely do couple of things on Saturday, and then Sunday arrives. I start to panic, and things get kicked into high gear and what absolutely needs to get finished gets finished. Now all of a sudden I am faced with at least two weeks at home, and I am at a loss for where to begin.

I had a conversation with my daughter about this. She is a working mom with two kids, who like everyone else is trying to figure out how she and her husband will deal with working and the kids being home. These were her thoughts, “There’s a sense of seriousness and urgency overall, but now that I will be working form home, and we have tons of food, there is a lack of urgency to attend to the domestic stuff.” It’s strange.

Why is it that we often wish for things (more time at home) and when our wish comes true (albeit not for good reasons) we don’t know what to do with it, or we squander it?

Yesterday, I gave myself the day off. Today, I am tackling a few things around the house. Tomorrow, I will be making a schedule for myself as to how my days will be structured while we are not in school. I know that if I don’t, I will get sucked into every news conference or distraction that comes along.

I guess the saying is correct, “Be careful what you wish for. It could be a blessing or a curse.” It is all a matter of perspective.

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Self-care means giving yourself permission to pause.

Cecilia Tran

Today I gave myself permission to pause. I had a pajama party for one. It didn’t start out that way, but as my morning unfolded, I didn’t feel the need/desire to get out of my pjs.

I spoke with my both of my adult children, had a lovely conversation with a colleague, and watched a Hallmark movie. I took a long nap and didn’t watch the news until late afternoon. It was just what I needed after the stress of this past which was not only caused by Covid-19 but by the normal challenges that life presents.

That was today; tomorrow it is back to my normal morning routine and getting things done. I plan to try create a balance between supporting my students online, completing household tasks, and taking care of my own well being.

It isn’t going to be easy to resist the urge to keep checking news outlets for new information, or to mindlessly scroll social media; neither of which is productive. I will definitely miss watching college basketball as well as other sports.

What I am thinking a great deal about though is how this pandemic is putting so many things into perspective. It makes me think about those who do not have the same advantages that I have each day – access to a good breakfast and lunch, health insurance, or high speed internet. Being home for at least two weeks is definitely a inconvenience, but what about people who are home bound on a daily basis, who won’t be paid if they are not at work, who will be unable to visit their loved ones in hospitals or assisted living facilities? My inconvenience is really a minor blip compared to some others.

Here’s to not dwelling on the negative and looking for the positive in each day. No matter the day there is always something good to be found if we just look hard enough.

Stay well.

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

Joshua J. Marine

I am not finding this current challenge very interesting; I am finding it challenging. Today Governor Wolf closed Montgomery County schools until March 30th. Now, with our county having the most cases in PA, I thought this might happen eventually, but I really didn’t think it would be today. I have been bringing home materials over the last two weeks just in case, so this weekend I will be preparing online activities and assignments to push out on Monday. That is not what I am finding challenging though.

What is taking a toll on me is the constant news coverage, the run on supplies, and the thoughts of someone in my family actually coming down with the corona virus. Anxiety is getting higher, and patience is getting shorter. We are certainly in uncharted waters, and all of a sudden the swells just became higher.

I am not in a panic; I am just feeling drained tonight. I am hoping that life gets back to being ordinary quickly, and that I will be able to look for and find the meaningful in this unprecedented situation.

Be well.

I feel like I am cheating a little tonight, but I wrote this post for the PAWLP (my NWP Chapter) today, and with all the news etc. today, I just don’t have the energy to write another post.

I don’t have to look far to find treasures.  I discover them every time I visit a library.

Michael Embry

I have always loved the library. As a young girl, I spent many summers participating in the Vacation Reading Club at the Northeast Regional Library in Philadelphia.  I also worked as a “page” shelving books in the picture book room. It was heaven!  But oh how libraries have changed.  Back in those days, the library had books and magazines, microfiche, and a card catalog.  Today, you can find just about anything you need or want.

According to a Gallup Poll, “In U.S., library visits outpaced trips to movies in 2019.”  The library is most utilized by young adults, women, and residents of low-income households. “Visitin the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in.”  They average about 10.5 trips a year.  Frankly, I don’t know why even more people aren’t using libraries.

Take my local library, The Horsham Township Library, for instance. I spend a good deal of time tutoring there during the summer. On any given day you will see senior citizens using the computers to check email or watch movies, teenagers gathering to study or to hang out and have coffee, or young children who are happily searching for books or playing in the picture book section.  It is delightful.

Here is just a taste of what my local library offers.

• Book Clubs – fiction & nonfiction
• Summer Reading Incentives
• Museum Passes
• Movies – to borrow & movie viewing events (day & evening times)
• Story Times – preschool (day & evening times) – Stories & STREAM
• Career Readiness – resume writing & polishing
• Watercolor Classes 
• Holiday events

Of course there are many things to borrow besides books.  My library has kits & cake pans, movies, audio files, and e-resources all available for its patrons, and they are adding materials and services often.

I do have quite a nice collection of books in my classroom, but I could never afford to get every picture book title I might want to use with my students.  I simply go online and reserve the titles I want, and I am notified when I can pick them up.  If my local library doesn’t own the title, they import it from another library.  This has been an invaluable service to me over the years.

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.

Vincent van Gogh

I have been feeling a little sluggish since we turned the clocks ahead on Sunday, but over the last couple of days I have found a bright spot. Heading out the door an hour earlier has brought the most glorious sights.

Yesterday the Worm Moon was my companion on the way to school. First it was to my right weaving its way between and behind the the dark brown tree limbs still waiting to bud. Then it was in front of me like a lighthouse beacon leading the way to school. By the time I pulled into the parking lot it was gone, yet the memory lingered with me all day. I admonished myself for not stopping to take a picture.

Today, I was welcomed by a blood-orange sunrise. Again, it was peeking out from behind the trees like a blazing fire without the burn and destruction. I wanted to pull over and take a few pictures, but I had a 7:15 parent meeting and didn’t have much time to spare. This time however I was lucky enough to still see it in the school parking lot. I did snap the above picture on my way into school.

I can’t wait to see what wonderful sights tomorrow morning may bring.

Stillness – the absence of movement or sound.

When was the last time you were “still?” I am really good at stilling my body; sitting in the recliner or taking a little nap are things I can do easily and well. Stilling my mind is a completely different story. My mind is constantly in a state of motion.

I have had a dull headache for several days which is most likely the result of a few different things – my misaligned jaw, the rainy weather, the current political climate, and the threat of COVID-19. I realized tonight that there really is such a thing as information overload. I have found myself checking news outlets several times during the day to get the latest information concerning the virus outbreak, and since it has appeared in my county of PA, my mind continues to make lists of what I might need for an extended stay at home. I am certainly not in panic mode, but obviously my body is telling me that the media overload is definitely taking it’s toll on me.

Tomorrow I am going to invite stillness into my life. I am going to cut back on the news and take a few brain breaks where I give myself time to be free from movement and sounds for even just a few minutes – where the sound of my breathing is the only sound or movement I can hear or feel. Wish me luck.