Music and Musing
Anyone who knows me knows I’m all about my music. As I was doing some research for the trip, I happened upon this band, The National Parks (obviously from their name), and I absolutely love them. Here are some of their songs below. All two of the songs are from their album “Wildflower,” which is fantastic: I can’t stop listening to it. Here’s their website.
Home — THE NATIONAL PARKS (thenationalparksband.com)
I printed out my Triptik today, the trips out and back, and put them in a Tul book. I added a calendar from today to when we get back home. I color-coded it, added info about the trip, and did a countdown on the days. It’s a lot of days before we go, almost four and a half months, so I really need to bank my fires. It is sooooo marvelous to have something to look forward to, but I also have to remember to live in today. I can do things today that will benefit me for the trip: like doing the Triptik and taking a longer walk today than I have been taking. Every couple of days, I’ll take it a little longer. I don’t fool myself that I’ll be fit or anything by the end of summer, but I can be fittER, I guess. Maybe I can surprise myself… prove that voice inside that says I can’t do it wrong.
On my way home from my walk, I stopped at the grocery store to get some berries, and I discovered that Hy-Vee is doing vaccinations! I’d be so glad to get it there. That’s where I get my prescriptions and Flu Vaccines. Boy, I’m going to be on that site like a hawk to grab a vaccine slot. Everyone else in my family is vaccinated, including my son Sam. Sam works in a homeless shelter, so I am so glad he is vaccinated. I guess with my preexisting conditions I expected to have had it by now. I’ve been qualified for a while now. Well, I know I will get it. I need to practice patience.
Speaking of practicing, I have not been practicing mindfulness lately, not for a while. I know that I feel better when I do. Meditation and yoga, and just focusing on the present… are things I need to be disciplined to do.
Can I admit something to you? I am very motivated… by… stickers. Yes, I am a fifty-two-year-old woman who gets a big grin on her face for a gold star, or a cat, or a flower, or a smiley-face or whatever sticker. It’s true. For a while last year I had set up a system in my binder where I gave myself stickers each day if I accomplished a checklist: one sticker if I meditated, one sticker if I exercised, one sticker if I finished my cleaning tasks, and another sticker If I ate well. A four-sticker day was a big deal. My therapist heartily backs my sticker obsession. “Whatever works” I believe were his words. Time to get my system going again. Ooh, and I can add a sticker if I work on my classes. Hot dog.
