music, therapy, and me

Break is ending. This is an inevitable part of every single break, and it is always the worst part of break for me. I go back to work on Monday to work for two weeks before going to my one conference this year. After that, I have another week off before the regular school year starts up again. That will be good to have time off after the World Congress and before the return to five day weeks and my church job. As I look around my office/craft space, I can see some progress. I've hung some pictures, moved things around, labeled things, and moved piles of stuff from one place to another several times. It is not finished yet, but there is progress. I moved things around in the music therapy room and in the entertainment room as well. I still have WAY too much stuff, but I know where things are at the moment, which is very nice. Break time leads me into thinking about stuff and ideas and plans for the future. I haven't been as detailed about plans and goals and all that sort of thi...

I am feeling better. This is a statement that I haven't been able to say since my birthday on May 21st when I woke up with a bronchitis taste in my cough and a fever. The fever broke after about a week and a half, but the cough, bronchitis taste, and lack of breathing ability continued. I've had two tests for COVID, influenza, and strep, a round of allergy tests that state that all the things that I am not allergic to any of the things that I thought I was allergic to, four chest x-rays, and two rounds of blood tests. Forty-six days of being sick is not my idea of a good way to start off a new year of my life. I am hoping that I am actually better and not just riding a medication wave. The best thing about feeling better and being able to breathe without coughing is that I have experienced a renewed sense of creativity and energy. Yesterday, I hung two shelves and put up some small canvases that were left after I finished a gift for a friend of mine. I spent some time moving cr...

It is 5:15 am, and I am sitting here, wondering what I am going to write about today. Today is a national holiday which keeps me from going someplace or doing something like a movie - I don't want to reward companies for making their employees work to serve me on days like this - and I am not really in the mood for a celebration of any sort outside in the heat and the humidity, so I guess I will be sitting here at home. This is the sort of day that makes my introverted nature happy. I don't have to actually go anywhere or do anything. I can also refuse any sort of invitations because "I have plans." Of course, my plans involve being here at home, relaxing in the air conditioning, and enjoying my own brand of entertainment, but no one needs to know that. They are my plans. I think I will put up some decor shelves today. I have a bunch of displays for some of the stuff that I have collected over the years, and I have not put them up on the walls yet. It is time to move ...

It is the fourth day of my mid-summer break, and I am pretty happy with what I have accomplished so far. My first day was spent talking about plumbing issues and solutions. I spent some time taking a shower after clearing spaces in my front room. The next day, I just slept. Yesterday, I started getting serious about my music therapy guest room and emptied several boxes and moved things around a bit. Today's adventures will include a trip to the pharmacy to pick up medications. After that errand is finished, I will try to schedule some further plumbing repairs and get a haircut scheduled for later this week as well. My hair has become too long for my comfort, so it is time to chop it all off!  The past three days have provided me with some time and enough energy to get things done. I am breathing better now - it will be interesting to see what happens when I go back to work in a week - will I be better or worse? I am almost finished with my latest round of medication. I go back to t...

I am finally starting to feel better after six weeks of being really sick. I don't know if this is because I am actually getting better or if it is because I am currently at home rather than in a building that is hot, old, and has a history of significant water leaks, but I am grateful that I am feeling better. As a result of my returning energy and the prospect of a week away from work to rest, I am evaluating all sorts of things right now. I was up really late last night. I spent some time making some plans for new communication binders for my music therapy room. When I woke up a bit ago, I found myself contemplating what sorts of things I want to do today for my music therapy business interests. I am welcoming this renewed interest in thinking about more than just what I am going to do in the next ten hours. It is nice to have some interest in things again. This renewal of creative energy coincides with my mid-summer break from work. I have an entire week of resting with nothing...

I have nine days of break ahead of me and a return of my creative sparks happening right now. This is a good thing because I think it means I am starting to feel better. I have some ideas for things to make and release in my TPT store. I also have some supervision things that I need to work up for a fellow music therapist. I actually feel like doing some of these things for the first time in a long time. One of the things that I really enjoy making for my clinical area and for other music therapists is tools. Now, when I use this word to describe what I mean, I have the thought that I want my visual aids to be things that can be used for more than one clinical interaction. I want a collection of pictures to use every time we sing about food. So, a tool for communication will offer as many options as possible for as many songs and opportunities to express our thoughts in as many ways as possible. There should never be a time when you have a visual aid that only works for one song or one...

Okay. This is going to be a strange blog post because I am feeling pretty fragile and not at all happy about things going on in my life. I find that writing about things like this helps me to navigate those feelings and figure out ways to move forward. My Dad used to be the person who helped with that more than anyone else, and his counsel is something I really miss at times like this. So, I am sitting here, waiting for the plumber to call me (30-45 minutes before they arrive) to fix a leaky faucet, and trying to keep myself together. I got the results of my allergy testing yesterday. It showed that I was only allergic to one thing that they tested for - a mold that grows on indoor plants. I don't have any indoor plants. I am not allergic to anything else - according to this test. This doesn't answer the main question in my life right now - why can't I breathe?? At least I can consider getting some kitties now - my blood did not respond to cat dander even though my eyes swe...