My Week In Review...

This was a very strange week. Someone that I have worked closely with has had a positive COVID-19 test, my Dad is now receiving hospice services, and I am not as organized as I would like to be at this point in the week, month, year. I made some good decisions for myself this week, especially about getting more texts about music therapy (Barcelona has a GREAT sale - I took advantage - it only goes until Monday), about making reading an active part of my professional development next year, and about some personal things that I want to do this next year - things like trying to cook different things and continuing to declutter.

I sent gifts to my family members yesterday. This was finished up two days before my self-imposed goal for this task, and I only missed one gift! I think I will wait to send it until a birthday - that gives me until next October, so I've got some time.

I am sitting down this morning with my bullet journal at my computer. I need to update my budget pages to reflect the new bills that I have monthly. I want to plan some tasks for next week. I have already outlined my Monday work goals, so I do not need to focus on that particular task, but I do need to focus on other parts of my other jobs. Now that things are settling into a routine, I have the opportunity to relax a bit about what is going on and can get into some of the things that I have neglected recently.

It is amazing how little it takes to shake me out of my routine.  WAIT!  This is a time to acknowledge what I just said and then reframe it into something that is a bit more forgiving.

It is amazing that something like having to change my way of working with my clients is something that I can navigate. It means that I have to change what I am doing in other parts of my life, but I can do it. I will continue to do it as long as I have to, and I will continue to adapt. I will also acknowledge that this is not an easy thing to do, and I will remember that my feelings are not inherently good or bad. They are, and it is important what I do with those feelings.

It is okay to have down days or weeks or months. It is okay to find happiness wherever you can. It is okay to struggle and ask for help. It is okay to sit in your pajamas all day long, if that is what you need, but be aware of your own patterns. If you feel like engaging in destructive behavior, get help. Call a friend. Seek assistance wherever you can access it. The point is to stay here. You are important.

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhb - the cat is demanding some attention by standing on the keyboard.

I opened up my Christmas boxes from my Mom and my Sister because I needed a big box to ship their gifts in. In it, I found an unwrapped music-themed robe that my Mom made for me. These are wonderful robes. My creative Mom made me one about 20+ years ago that I still wear even though it is disintegrating at all the seams. She took a hoodie pattern and extended it into a full-length robe. I loved my first one and was thrilled to see this one. I am hiding it from the cat because she will take it over if I don't. It is made up of several pieces of black and white and music note fleece. I will be all cozy this winter!! Most of every thing else in the boxes were wrapped, so I have plenty of things to open on Christmas Day.

In all, this was an emotionally charged week, but I am pleased at what I was able to accomplish. I uploaded seven videos of my own, and I started reading in one of my music therapy texts. I had a down day, but I came out of it with some different ways to think about my jobs and how I want to proceed for the rest of this month. I am hoping and praying for the end of COVID at my facility by the start of the next calendar year, but I am not sure it will happen. For the rest of this month, at least, I am sure that we will continue to do what we are doing now - content production. I am finding my way in this new way of interacting, and I decided on a way to think about what I am doing that makes sense to me. I also bought some home curriculum books to help me figure out how to structure and focus my content.

Time to get going on my Sunday routine. First, though, I need to do that budget update...

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