Purpose

Now that I am fully vaccinated, I have started back to volunteering at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. I do a couple different things there. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I do maintenance in the Gardener’s Showhouse. That really means I am the cleaning lady. I sweep, clean up dropped blossoms, prune dead leaves from plants, and this morning I started feeding and watering the African Violets. It may not sound that exciting, but I love it! The first thing I do when I get there is walk through the Showhouse to see what has changed and what needs my attention. There is always something new blooming or some new arrangement that the horticulturist has added. I can’t think of a more beautiful work environment.

What really occurred to me this morning, is how much stronger and healthier I am feeling now that I am back to working outside of my home. Having a purpose is so important to both my mental and physical health. I know that I have been blessed during this pandemic. I have stayed healthy. I have a comfortable home. I have food and clothing. I was grateful that I didn’t have to put myself in a dangerous situation by possibly exposing myself to Covid. The isolation, however, was very hard. On March 13, 2020, I left school for spring break. Because of the pandemic, I never went back, other than to pack up my things. After 30 years of teaching and being part of the Phillips Community, everything was changed. At the same time that I was thankful that I was not under the pressure my friends were, I felt lost. It affirmed for me how important it is to have a purpose in life.

I am so grateful to have that back through my work at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and the Enabling Garden in Altoona. Having a purpose means that I am helping others, but I am the one who is really rewarded by being able to contribute to these beautiful places.

Embroidered Cards

 It's a brand new year, and in spite of the pandemic, it is still an opportunity for new goals and new endeavors.  I had expected to be spending a lot of time at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Center.  I haven't been able to do that, but I am still taking classes, learning new things, and volunteering from home.  Right now I am learning how to make embroidered botanical cards.  I used to do quite a bit of embroidery, but always on fabric.  It never occurred to me that you could embroider a card.  This last week I learned how.  I participated in a training with other volunteers to learn how to do this, and it is fun!  Eventually our cards will be sold in the Botanical Garden gift shop.  Here is my very first attempt.

My Gratitude for Today

1. The opportunity to learn new things.

2. Being creative.

3.  My comfortable home.

Finding My Way

Like everyone else, I am trying to find my way during this unprecedented time of an international pandemic.  Here in Des Moines we have been out of school for three weeks now.  We learned last week that we will not be going back to school during this school year.  We will be moving to distance learning, though we don't yet know what that means.

I am retired from the classroom, but I still work at the same school where I taught.  I am now in my thirtieth year.  I work as an AmeriCorps reading tutor.  This was my fourth year on an AmeriCorps contract.   I knew this would be my last year in this position, so I had already been thinking a lot about what I wanted to do with my time in the future.  This wasn't quite the way I had expected this year to unfold. But it definitely is an opportunity to practice and explore a more relaxed version of retirement.

I also volunteer at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.  The Garden is closed as well.  However it is spring and I have been taking time to start seeds, plan my garden, and begin clearing flower beds.  Instead of trying to fit that in with working at two places, I can work at it a little each day, at least when the weather cooperates.

Strawberry plants I ordered arrived, and I planted them in a raised bed.  Unfortunately we went from 60 degrees to 26 in a matter of 2 days, so I covered them with tarps and screens.  Today we are back up to 63 degrees, and hopefully they will flourish.  I have never grown strawberries before.  A lot of my seeds are beginning to sprout and grow, and it does make me happy to see them. I have started tomato, peppers, and zinnia seeds so far.

Usually I live alone with my two little dogs.  My mother and her dog, Abbey, are staying with me right now.  That definitely helps to alleviate the feelings of isolation.  It also cuts down on the worrying I would be doing if she was staying at her own place.  Along with companionship, I am cooking more and eating healthier than I might be doing if I was here alone, 

Yesterday my church streamed the church service online. It was Palm Sunday, so we even had communion.  That is cranberry/cherry juice in that cup, not wine. My son, who lives in Madrid, Spain, watched the service with me.  I just loved seeing the notification that he was watching too.  Afterwards, we used Facebook Messenger Video streaming, so we could talk to and see each other.  It was such an amazing way to start my week, and it is something we had not done before.

I do feel there is good that can come from this time.  I am learning a lot about what makes me happy as I spend time here at home. As I watch the news, I am so grateful that I have a comfortable home, and that I have food and the things I need.

Staying at home, demands that we be creative with solving problems.  I am shopping on line, using things I already have, and being more creative with materials on hand, instead of running to the store to buy more.  This afternoon I picked up my grocery order.  I never thought I would be so excited to get groceries.

Gratitude for Today

• I love my home and my neighborhood.
• I am enjoying spending more time with my dogs.
• I love walks with the dogs, and they sure love it too.
• I am getting excited about growing things in the garden.
• I am communicating more with friends and family.
• I am using things I have instead of buying new.
• Mom and Abbey are here and I do not have to worry about them.
• Technology makes it possible to keep touch with my kids.
• I love the creative music videos that people are creating and posting on line.  

Plot Twist!

When I was a kid I wanted to be a famous actress, a writer, or a teacher.  The problem with the famous actress goal was that I was pretty shy.  I've never earned a living from it, but I have actually always been a writer.  My third grade teacher, Mrs. Otopaul helped me to develop that. I remember she had these folders with pictures from magazines.  Our job was to choose a picture and write a story about it.  Then at some point we would read our story to the class.  From there, I started to write my own books.  No one else ever saw those books, but I remember working on them.  Mrs. Otopaul was my favorite teacher ever, and I know it was her influence and creativity that made me want to be a teacher. The great thing about being a teacher is you do get to be an actor, writer, artist, nurse, counselor and so many other jobs all rolled into one.

As a teacher I have always loved teaching reading and writing.  I stressed with my students the important parts of good story structure.  You need interesting characters, a story setting, and then you develop your plot.  After you have introduced your characters, those characters will encounter problems.  To keep things interesting you will have plot twists that build interest and suspense, until there is a resolution and closing to your story.

Real life tends to be that way too, and recently we have had a lot of unexpected plot twists. Last fall I was struggling with getting back into school routine after working at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden during the summer.  I wanted to keep my hand in at the Botanical Garden by working on weekends there, at the same time as I was doing my AmeriCorps Reading tutoring four days a week.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I told myself that if I continued to feel this way, I gave myself permission to change what I was doing after the beginning of the year.

Plot Twist!  I have been having more problems with my asthma.  I was telling my doctor this when I had my annual physical in October.  She was concerned and referred me to a pulmonologist, who then referred me to a cardiologist.  Lots of lung and heart tests followed. As all this was going on, and the anxiety increased, I had increased breathing problems. I began to wonder if issues with my health were going to determine how I spent my time.  The good news, none of the tests showed heart damage.

Plot Twist!  I did get referred for a sleep study.  It turns out I have sleep apnea, and I am now adjusting to using a CPAP machine.

Things settled back into a routine, and I learned how to better balance my work at Phillips and my work at the botanical garden.  As an AmeriCorp Tutor, I knew this would be my last year.  AmeriCorps operates on a grant, and you are only allowed to have four contracts.  This is my fourth, so now is the time to think about how I want to spend my time in the future.  What things are most important to me?  What makes me happy?  Would I be happy spending all my time at home, as some people do in retirement?

Plot Twist!  The Coronavirus began to make it's way around the world.  After hitting China, Italy, Spain and other countries hard, it made it's way to the United States. Schools are closed, restaurants and stores are closed.  The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is closed.  Instead of enjoying our usual spring break activities, we are practicing social distancing and self quarantine.  In less than a week's time life has changed drastically.

My son lives in Madrid, Spain, which has been hard hit by this pandemic.  This virus is just taking hold in the United States.  Here is where people have to confront and resolve the problems, and hopefully gain some self realization.

We don't yet know what the outcome to this story is.  How many people will become ill?  How many will die?   Could it happen to me or someone I love?  What kind of economic impact will this have?

While we don't know the final outcome to this story, as the main characters, we can decide how we are going to approach these problems.  Do we deny the reality of things that are happening?  Do we let terror and fear take over?  Do we just keep going?  My goal is to learn what I can from this situation. It is a terrible situation, but I want to find the positives where ever I can.

 I am already watching as family and friends are finding creative ways to reach out and connect with each other.  Teachers are finding ways to connect with students and provide instructional opportunities.  Coworkers are working to get food into the hands and stomachs of kids who need it. People are meeting using apps like Zoom,Skype, or Microsoft Teams. It makes me proud to be connected to these people.

I am going to use this as an opportunity to work on things here at home, set priorities, and find constructive ways to use my time. I want to find some joy in each day.  It is an opportunity to practice being more retired.  I get scared, but I don't want to let fear take over.

I'm sure there will be more plot twists, but I am looking for a happy ending and new insights about those things that are most important to us all.

Hope

School is closed for the next 14 days.  We won't go back until March 30th. We were supposed to be out of school for spring break all of this next week.  Even that week feels a whole lot different than what I had anticipated.  Now instead of being out and about, I will either be home or at my Mom's place.

My son lives in Madrid, Spain which has been hard hit by the Coronavirus.  Thousands are sick, schools and businesses are closed, people are confined to their homes.  This is a very serious situation.  I will follow the guidance of others and use social distancing and stay home. By doing so, hopefully we can avoid having this virus spread in the way it has in other countries.

We have certainly never experienced a situation such as this pandemic.  While  I take it seriously, I don't want to be controlled by fear.  I'm trying to view it as an opportunity to practice being more retired.  I enjoy being home, and God knows, I have plenty that needs to be done around here, but between being an AmeriCorps tutor and volunteering at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, I am often on the run.  During this next few weeks I'm going to use this as a time to work on my 20 Goals for 2020, which I wrote about in January.

One of the projects I am working on today is planning for my garden.  I used my little pot maker and paper that my sister gave me, to make more seed starting pots.  Last weekend I planted some coleus seeds and Big Girl Tomatoes. Today I started Jelly Bean Tomatoes, hot peppers, and sweet peppers.

I have nestled my little paper pots inside cups and mugs.  I have a massive collection of cups and mugs I have acquired over the years.  It is one of my favorite souvenirs to buy when I visit new places.  They bring back wonderful memories, but I just have certain ones I really like to drink out of.  Instead of using gardening trays, I went to Goodwill and found some plastic tea trays to hold my cups.  It may not be research based gardening strategies, but I'm having a lot of fun with it.

We are all hearing about all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer that people have been hoarding.  Well, we all have our priorities.  I stocked up on the things that are most important to me.  Earlier this week, I made sure I had a good tea supply, and yesterday I stocked up on dog food.  Now we can stay in as long as we need to.

Planting a seed is full of hope, and that's what we need right now.  Hope, growth, and a sense of humor.  That and kindness will help us get through this difficult time.

Gratitude for Today

• 1. I am thankful for friends who are sharing hopeful and positive information and thoughts.
• 2. Laughter!  
• 3. I am thankful for my son and daughter.  Stay safe and healthy.

One of my other goals for 2020 is to blog more.  I am going to try to do that during this next few weeks.  It is a way to reach out and connect with others, at the same time I am spending time in my own space.  This is a chance to use social networking in a positive way.

Take care of yourselves, friends.  Stay safe and healthy and don't forget to reach out to others.

A Good Night's Sleep

A few weeks ago I had a sleep study.  I have never been much of a sleeper.  I usually go to sleep by nine thirty or ten at night, but I don't stay asleep.  I wake up multiple times during the night, and if I have a lot on my mind, I sometimes cannot go back to sleep.  I rarely sleep until my alarm goes off.  I am usually up by four thirty or five a.m.

I never really thought a lot about it.  I figured this is just the way I am.  I viewed myself as a morning person.  My daughter and my sister thought otherwise, which is what prompted us to discuss my sleep patterns with my cardiologist and pulmonologist.

Turns out I have sleep apnea!  I am now getting used to using a CPAP machine.  It is not an easy adjustment, but I am already sleeping longer than I was.

I have to laugh at myself, because I have several friends who use CPAPs, but never once did I wonder if I had similar sleep issues.  Well, live and learn!  Now I am asking these friends a lot of questions about their experiences.  Oh, and I've had to start setting the alarm clock when I need to be up at a certain time.

My Gratitude for Today

1. I slept 7 1/2 hours last night without waking or getting up once.  I am beginning to adjust to the CPAP machine.
2. Time with friends, and their willingness to share their wisdom and experience with me.
3. I have a wonderful and caring daughter.
4. We are having some nice weather with warmer temperatures and beautiful sunshine.
5. I am getting in the mood to start some seeds for my garden.  
6. My work at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.  It is such a beautiful place to spend time. The pictures above are from the Gardener's Show House.

Mystery Cairns in the Garden

Working at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden is such a nice escape from the doldrums of an Iowa winter.  I was there on Saturday morning doing maintenance in the Gardener's Show House.  As I was wiping down tables, removing dead leaves from plants, and sweeping up, I discovered these cairns that had been built among the succulents.

A cairn is a man-made pile of stones. They are built as a landmark, a memorial, or a trail marker, and they have been used since prehistoric times. The word cairn, comes from Scottish Gaelic:  carn. Cairns are often placed on a hilltop or at the skyline. These cairns were placed on larger rocks placed among the potted plants. I wouldn't even know what a cairn is, if not for my cousins, Rich and Susan Cairn, who adopted that name when they married.  Seeing these cairns definitely made me think of them.

These are actually mini-cairns, because they are made of pebbles and just an inch or two high.  I don't know if they were built by someone who works in the garden, or a visitor who was passing through, but I hope they remain undisturbed for a while. I always discover something new when I spend time in the Gardener's Show House, and that is such a treat. It really makes me smile.

The seed magazines are starting to arrive in my mailbox, and the gardening programs are showing up on QVC, which I watch a lot.  I am getting the urge to set up my greenhouse shelves and start some seeds, though I know I should probably wait another week or two.  I did dig out some of my Iowa gardening books.  It's not too early to start planning.

I like the ideas suggested in Gardening In Iowa and Surrounding Areas by Veronica Lorson Fowler. She says to set up a three ring notebook.  Draw a plan for the yard and garden.  Take photos of your garden.  Use folders to keep empty seed packets, so you know what to order the next year.  This is right up my alley!  Last year I used a website called, Plangarden.com.  I may do that again, but I kind of like the more hands on approach, drawing my plan and taking photos of my garden.  I may do a combination of the two.  It is just so much fun, to know that it is time to start planning and thinking about my garden.

Gratitude for Today

1. I am grateful for the horticulturists at the Botanical Garden, who work so hard to create and maintain this beautiful place. They are so kind and welcoming, and I am learning from them.
2. I am grateful for the courage to try new things.
3. I am thankful for time at home.