music, therapy, and me

Well, yesterday the universe said "hold my beer" after my rant and crying jag about the flood in my music therapy office and sent the entire education wing into an electrical emergency requiring evacuation, a visit from both the fire department and the power company, and flickering lights, loud buzzing noises, and a fishy smell in the area. Strangely, this actually made me feel better. Shared catastrophe is better than solitary catastrophe. I am also interested to see if these two incidents are related in any way because my leak is about 30 feet along the same roof from the electrical box that went bad yesterday. It seems very coincidental. I was able to move my desk and electronics away from my water-soaked office to the storage room yesterday with a little bit of help from one of our behavior specialists. I still have some file cabinets and a bookcase and bulletin boards to move over. Once the roof is fixed, I want to transform the former office into an instrument room wher...

Last night, I had an insomnia night. This is probably because I went off my allergy medications (I ran out) but these happen every so often even when I am not coming down off my allergy medication side effects. I have learned not to fight these nights. They go much better when I just use my time and don't stress about not sleeping. I will be heading to work with limited sleep, but that's okay. I decided to do a low demand session format. I did not set up my centers. I just did not feel like I could do it this week. I just did not have the interest or the energy after missing two days of work this week and missing a school day last week (the other day I missed last week was an inservice day). To add to the entire situation, I am still having some side effects from my medical procedure last week, and I also have lots of unknowns happening as well as a result of said procedure. So, a full brain, limited sleep, and a low demand session series ahead of me lends itself to an interest...

this picture will make sense - keep reading It is a snow day. My superintendent made the call yesterday afternoon, so I knew that I did not have to go to work today since yesterday, and I am embracing the day away from work. Yep, you read that right. I decided to stay home today. I am trying not to feel guilty about staying here, but it is a difficult reach for me. I feel guilty. So, time to embrace that feeling and then release it into the world. I may try to get out of my driveway tomorrow to get to work, but I might not. (I think we will have another snow day tomorrow, by the way.) Today is already full of chores and things to do for work. I have to make some signs for an upcoming after school event run by the clinicians at my facility for our residents. I like making signs, so I am going to take this time to do this task. I will be Zooming with my intern who is also having to take a snow day at her house. I was able to finish up her busy box of things designed to stimulate her crea...

I have been really using my work bullet journal lots and lots in the past several weeks. I have been setting up my day each morning and then checking things off as they happen. I have been using my ideas journal as a companion to the bullet journal. It has been very satisfying to check things off and see that I have accomplished tasks. My home bullet journal has been another story completely. Let me explain a bit more... I have a work journal and a home journal. I do this because I try my best to separate work from home as much as possible. Work things belong at work - so, work bullet journal. Home things belong at home - you get the idea. I bring my work journal home with me, but the home journal stays at home.  Here are some examples from a long time ago that show you my pages in my home journal. (Don't worry, there is nothing strange or overly personal in these pictures...) I do more decorations in my home journal than in my work journal, and I set up the planning part about thr...

I am sitting here, waiting until it is time to leave my home for the hour-long drive to my place of full-time work. I am not sure how many clients will be present for the sessions that we have scheduled due to another COVID-19 outbreak and the rapid nature of kids who are getting sick. I know that my only individual session will not be happening, and it will be interesting to see who is missing from group sessions today. We had an all-staff meeting on Thursday or Friday - I can't remember right now which day it was - to talk about the fact that we are still at "business as usual" stage right now. My school district has decided that masks are optional. My facility has decided that masks are mandatory. We have to follow school district mandates rather than our facility mandates. I have not stopped wearing my mask because I do not want this virus at all. I asked for some information on when we were going to shift from in-person teaching to some other format. What are the cri...