Day Seventy - Sunset

obsessive SLP

The summer is setting behind me. It has been relaxing, exciting, serene and beautiful. I worked part time, took some great vacations, spent tons of time at the beach, caught up on reading, and finished house projects. I feel rejuvenated, and I am ready to tackle the next phase of my career. I start my Program Head position tomorrow. I have enjoyed this summer immensely, and I look forward to the new school year.

If you have been reading this blog, I thank you for your time. I hope you have enjoyed your summer as well, and I wish you a happy fall season!

A bientot!

Day Sixty-Seven - Score!

dreamstime.com

The call came at noon. My principal and vice principal phoned me, using very formal language (the goofs), to officially offer me the job of Interim Special Education Program Head. I am amazed, scared, excited, terrified, and I said YES! I will work 3.5 days as the Program Head, and 1.5 days as the SLP. A contracted SLP will be hired for the year, so that I can "try it out" and see if the job is a good fit for me.

I am thrilled with this opportunity! Just need to figure out the nuts and bolts, and away I go!

Day ThIrty-Five - Smile

Well, it is hard to believe, but here I am at the half-way point of my summer sojourn.  I have worked a lot, but it is different from school-year school - much more relaxed (although much more humid and steamy). I have been to the Cape for a week. Sunday, we leave for our trip to Florida. I am really looking forward to getting away with DB. We haven't gone on a vacation of any distance in three years. I am going to relax, walk, swim, and chill.

What are my goals for the final four weeks after vacation? Wrap up my week of summer school. PURGE my large collection of clothes and shoes. Paint my dressing room and get some shelving installed. Maintain my dedication to my grain/gluten/wheat-free lifestyle. Ramp up my dedication to strengthening my legs and feet through my physical therapy program (Can't be a runner with weak ankles). Rejoice in the fact that I am returning to my SLP position! Sleep, friends, meditation, gratefulness....

Sniff...

I worked four evenings during the past week at the skilled nursing facility (SNF) near my home, covering for a colleague who was on vacation. I haven't worked at rehab for a number of months, so it was great to be back in that setting. I was able to work with an 80 year old gentleman who wanted his meals upgraded to a more regular consistency. (He was having some swallowing problems previously, and had been eating more of a ground texture.) He was a joy to work with! He was able to demonstrate all his safe swallowing strategies: sit upright, cut food into small pieces, take small bites, and alternate bites of food with swallows of liquid. He tried hard not to talk while he was eating, another strategy. Over the four evenings that I saw him, he was able to have salads, hamburgers, meat, well-cooked vegetables, hard cookies and crunchier fruit without any distress. I upgraded his diet to "regular" at the end of the week. We healthy souls often take for granted the pleasure of eating whatever we want everyday. When this gentleman heard he would be able to have salads again, his face lit up like a child at Christmas! How lucky am I to get to do this work!

Day Sixty-nine - Receptive

It is winding down. One more day. I am grateful for the time. I feel healthier, happy, and more relaxed. Nice lunch with a friend today, then off to the trainer for some warrior moves.

Day Sixty-three - Relieved

I had a lovely lunch with an old friend whom I haven't seen in a number of months. It was great to see each other and catch up on old times. She is a funny person, with some quirky manners. She had made a cake, which she promptly told me was not for us, but for a party she was attending that evening. She asked me to help her write a message. Off she went to a neighbor for some food coloring, and then we mixed up a nice blue color. She then became "The Cake Boss"... As I squeezed the blue frosting through a tiny hole in a ZipLoc bag, and swirled the letters across the cake, she offered critiques..."Please dot that 'i' - Are you going to cross the 't' - I don't think we have enough frosting to edge the whole cake..." She is a dear, and was happy with our results. The cake was a big success at her party.

Another birthday note, my 40 year old cousin gave birth to twin sons today, after a challenging pregnancy and a long labor. Max Kelley and Spencer Christian have arrived, and both Mom and boys are happy and healthy! Congratulations and much love to you, Cousin!

Day Fifty-nine - Refined

Cape Cod Times/Steve Heaslip

Our final day of our beach vacation. The breeze sailed through the trees all day, and the whitecaps churned up as the surf pounded in. I sopped up all the wind and salt air that I could, to keep me going until I can get back here again. Mum is feeling better, and we decided to go out for an early dinner at a lovely, elegant restaurant a few towns over. Turned out it was a surprise, early-birthday dinner for me from my mother, and we had a wonderful time. I had salmon that had been poached in a chipotle pepper sauce, served with an avocado mash on top, and surrounded by a pool of crunchy gazpacho. It was fabulous! Mum arranged for a little cake with a candle for me, and I was delighted! To top it off, DB took us to an elegant inn down the street overlooking the water for an after-dinner drink. Again, I got to soak in the ocean breeze while wrapping my cashmere sweater around my little black dress as we sat on the open veranda watching the sun set. It was a divine evening!

Day Forty-eight - Rugged

I love to box. I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. Punching into the pads is an awesome feeling - I can feel my speed increasing over time, feel the muscles in my core engaging, feel my body shift weight as I jab from side to side. I am filled with power, and feel incredible every time I do it.

Six weeks into training, and I see such incredible differences in my strength, skill and ability. I brought my tough-love trainer to tears today with the changes she sees in my body.  I love this!

Day Forty-five - Riches

Went to a wedding shower for my wonderful stepson and his adorable fiance. Showers are not my favorite things - too much oohing and aahing for me. I am not a party-girl, and small talk does not come easily, but I put my best effort out there! The most stressful part of the whole situation for me was being with The Ex-Wife. Hmmm...narcissistic, opinionated, always-the-victim - her less than satisfactory life is of her own making, but she makes those around her pay for it. She was unhappy that the event was not catered. She thought it was tacky that they would open the gifts at the shower (What?!). She berated her future DiL about an invitation that was not received by a relative, but that she RSVP'd about anyway.... blahblahblah...

DB dropped me off, and told me he would pick me up the second I called - I love him! I did not know a soul there except for the Ex and the bride, who was not there when I arrived. I found a seat, and started to chat with another woman who was there alone, and did not know anyone. We hit it off. I saw the Ex a few tables over; she ignored me. I made sure to say hello. LONG afternoon short - the bride arrived and had a lovely time. The groom arrived in time to help open gifts (and probably to be embarrassed by his mother). The Ex left right after the final gift was opened. She tried to ignore me again, but I was having none of that! I brightly bid her farewell, and told her I looked forward to seeing her at the wedding!

I went home with my Dearly Beloved, so blessed in knowing that I create my own life and my own reality. I also create my own happiness - no one else is responsible for that. I am sad for those that don't get to figure that out in this lifetime; they miss out on so much richness!

Day Forty-three - Rushing

It was a busy day filled with last minute projects - I wanted each student who was working on summer reading books with me to leave summer school with the book finished, and a written summary that they had developed to take with them. There was rushed reading and fast note-taking, but everyone did it! I feel each kid has a good understanding of their book, and a fairly decent understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary. I was quite spent at the end of it all. Got progress reports printed, collated, organized, and sent home.

I was home about 15 minutes when there was a knock on the door - flowers for me!! My dear Sister-in-Law sent me a bouquet to thank me for my support through Mother's passing. Wow! They are beautiful, and so is she!!