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.

Good Friends

Gratitude Day #4

I am very blessed to have good friends in my life.  As we share our stories and time together, my life is made so much richer.  Today was a day that I was really reminded of that. This morning my friend and neighbor, Holly, helped my mom to get her taxes done.

Holly and her husband, Ken, have lived across the street from me for a long time, probably about 17 years.  We didn't really start getting to know each other until about six years ago when I was recovering from foot surgery, after fracturing my ankle and foot.  It was January, and our mailboxes are at the curb. There was no way I could get out there to get my mail.  Holly and Ken brought me my mail, cleared my driveway, and watched out for me.  I will never forget their kindness.  Since that time, we have shared lots of laughter, and become good friends, and we dog sit for each other.  Holly is Chloe and Lola's Fairy Dog Mother.  I am Fairy Dog Mother to their dogs, Frank and Fannie.  I am very very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and neighbors.

I spent the afternoon visiting my good friend, Nadine.  When we meet for lunch or coffee, it usually takes us a minimum of three to four hours.  We refer to them as our therapy sessions.  I have known Nadine since the beginning of my teaching career.  We taught together at Edmunds, and we have stayed good friends, even when we moved on to different schools and jobs.  In the 32 years we have known each other, we have supported each other through great happiness and huge losses.  We have laughed together and we have cried together.  She is more than a friend.  She is family.

1. I am grateful for the kindness of friends.

2. I am grateful and fortunate to have friends who listen to me and support me.

3. Best of all, I am so thankful to have friends to laugh with.  They bring great joy to my life.

Three Hour Lunches

Three hours is the average amount of time that it takes for my friend, Nadine, and I to have lunch or coffee or wherever we get together.  We have spent longer, and occasionally our lunches are shorter.  It doesn't take that long for us to eat, but it does take that long to discuss all the important issues in our lives and analyze and solve the problems of the world.

I met Nadine in my first year of teaching, which was 1987.  We were teaching at Edmunds Academy of Fine Arts.  She was teaching first grade, and I was teaching fourth grade basic skills.  We didn't get to know each other very well that first year. I was in two schools that year, and we were in different grade levels, The next year, however,  I moved to first grade.  Edmunds was an open spaces building in those days, so we team taught.  We have been best friends ever since.

She has been there for me through all these thirty years and I feel truly blessed to know her and to have her in my life.  We have cried together, and we have laughed together.  We mostly laugh together. I can share anything with her, and I am so grateful to have her as my friend.

I have been subbing this week, but mostly working half days, so we were able to meet for coffee this afternoon.  It was short, only 2 1/2 hours. It made for a wonderful afternoon.

Amana Colonies

It is spring break and many people are traveling this week. I know people who are as far away as Hawaii, Mexico, Florida and Texas.  My friend, Kathy, and I decided to take a day trip to the Amana Colonies, which is less than a hundred miles away.  I am very grateful that we scheduled it for today instead of yesterday. It was chilly, there was snow on the ground, but the sun was shining, and it ended up being a beautiful day.

Not everything was open this early in the season, but we had a wonderful time exploring the shops and galleries.  I especially liked the woolen mill and the broom maker.  There are seven Amana Colonies which were settled about 150 years ago.  You can learn more about the colonies by visiting their website:  http://www.amanacolonies.com/.

This is one of the looms from the Amana Mills.  In the woolen mill and the furniture factory, you have an opportunity to watch the craftsman working.  We were able to not only watch, but also to talk with the broom maker, who explained how the straw is processed before being made into brooms.

You will also find a little humor here and there, including this giant rocking chair.

And this sign outside one of the businesses.

It was a wonderful day, and a good reminder that there are beautiful and interesting places to explore all around us.  You just need to take the time to notice them.  The thing I am most grateful for is the opportunity to explore all of this with a very good friend. It was definitely a wonderful spring break trip.

Photo #326/365: Friendship Posters

I write pretty elaborate lesson plans, but I don't necessarily follow them.  In fact some of my best lessons happen when I have a mid-lesson inspiration.  We were doing a simple health lesson about the qualities we look for in a friend.  We put together these posters, which are now hanging outside our door.  Each student wrote a sentence about friendship.  They were a lot more engaged than if I had them do a worksheet.  Sometimes I am amazed by how much my teaching has changed over the years.  That's part of the fun of teaching, you always need to be learning and changing.

Photo #79: Nadine

This is my very dear friend, Nadine. She is my confidant, my moral support, my sounding board, my very best friend. I am so lucky to have her in my life. I met her in my first year of teaching, 23 years ago. We taught in the same building, and for two years we taught the same grade level and shared space in an open spaces building. It was a great way to collaborate, and much of what I know, I learned from Nadine. Even when we were teaching in different buildings and different grade levels, we often collaborated on ideas. She has been an even greater support in my personal life. She is the most caring and generous person I know.

We went out to brunch today at Mimi's Cafe. It usually takes us about three hours for a meal, because we get to talking so much. It was a great outing before heading back to school on Monday.

Photo #63: BFF -- Best Friends Forever

When I started putting on my coat to leave for work this morning, I glanced over to see the dogs nestled together on the couch. Here are Zoe and Bailey preparing for a tough day of napping. They are very different in temperament, but they are great companions, and truly best friends forever.