Monthly Archives: April 2021

April (Snow) Showers 1

April (Snow) Showers

April in Norfolk, CT, is like experiencing all four seasons in one month. Twice I walked Annie without a coat and twice we’ve had snow showers (watch a short video of our most recent snow shower here).

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We’ve also experienced a hailstorm and for a few hours on a Wednesday afternoon we were under a tornado warning. Thankfully, the tornado never came. And all of these weather events are happening with pops of brilliant springtime colors around us.

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Although I weirdly miss winter already (I say weirdly because it clearly hasn’t gone yet) and the solitude that comes with a quiet snowfall, I’m also ready to fully embrace spring. I want continuous days of sunshine and warmer temperatures. I want the optimism of trees budding and flowers blooming to infuse my soul.

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As I wait for nature to fully catch up to my desires (our last snow shower was just this past Thursday), I continue to seek other ways to get my optimism fix. One easy way that I’m looking forward to tomorrow is donating blood at a local American Red Cross blood drive.

I’ve been donating blood for over twenty years, though not consistently. When I took Xyrem from 2008-2015, a medication prescribed for narcolepsy, one of the other unintended effects of the medicine caused me to lose so much weight I dropped below the 110 lbs. requirement to be an eligible blood donor. As the phlebotomist explained to me, I just didn’t have enough blood to give any away.

During those years, I missed donating. I have excellent veins and needles don’t bother me. I can’t think of any other volunteer activity that quite literally saves lives and requires so little effort on the part of the volunteer. You show up at the donation center, answer a bunch of questions, lie down on a table, feel a needle jab, squeeze a little ball to keep the blood flowing while you listen to some fun music, and then get up from the table to go sit at another table where you are offered all kinds of sweets and treats.

Talk about an easy way to be a hero.

In February, I reached a milestone with the American Red Cross – 24 whole blood donations for a total of 3 gallons!

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Being the minimalist that I am, I opted not to order a pin celebrating the achievement.  But I nevertheless feel a sense of pride, which when I think about it is kind of weird because all I’m doing is giving something away that I have more than enough to share.

So for any of you out there who are longing for brighter days (literally and/or figuratively), I encourage you to give blood if you’re eligible. Not everyone is, and if you’re one of those people, feel free to reach out to me and let me know. I will be happy to give blood at one of my future donations on your behalf.

If you’re in the Norfolk area, the American Red Cross will be at the Church of Christ (UCC), Congregational, 12 Village Green, from 1:00-6:00pm. If you’re not in the Norfolk area, check out the American Red Cross website for a blood donation drive near you.

For anyone who might be hesitant, I’m also happy to answer any questions about the process. I’ve donated twice during the pandemic and there are numerous safety protocols in place. I’m also happy to spiritually hold your hand during your donation time. You just have to let me know.

Happy Sunday everyone!

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Good Thing I'm Not a Hack! 9

Good Thing I’m Not a Hack!

Two weeks came and went, and I stayed true to my word not to write anything these last two weeks. Some days were harder than others to keep my commitment, especially when a new story idea popped into my head and I wanted to get cracking on the outline. Nevertheless, I stuck with my plan to give my writing creativity and imagination the break it needed.

I’m glad I did because I was reminded that I can, in fact, be considered an expert in matters of wellness, including work/life balance and stress management, when I re-read a roundup that I contributed to several weeks ago. Good Thing I'm Not a Hack! 10

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Here was my answer:

Some healthy habits people can adopt to cope with stress during the pandemic are to keep a consistent schedule (the best you can) and schedule playtime. There are a lot of uncertainties during the pandemic, both in our local community and global one.

We keep waiting for “one more shoe to drop,” in what can feel like a never-ending string of negative events. There’s a feeling of helplessness that comes with these uncertainties, and the truth is the only aspect of the pandemic we can control is our response to it.

By keeping a consistent schedule, we are sending our brains a mental signal that we are still in control and this signal can reduce some of our feelings of stress and anxiety. The consistent schedule doesn’t have to be micromanaging your day down to the minute.

It can be as simple as getting up and going to bed at the same time each day, walking your dog in the woods every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 3pm, or sitting down for lunch every day and taking an actual break for 15-20 minutes.

These tiny rituals may not seem like much, but your brain is going to find them quite soothing. Also, because there is so much doom and gloom in our lives, it’s equally important to add planned playtime into your schedule.

Because of the pandemic, a lot of our go-to social activities are no longer available. Having planned playtime gives us something to look forward to, which boosts the amount of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, created in the brain.

So, you do not just get a dopamine boost from the playtime itself, but also the anticipation leading up to it.

Read all the answers in the expert panel here.

After reading my answer again several weeks after writing it, I felt reassured that I do take my own advice. I have no photographic evidence of me going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time, nor do I have evidence of sitting down and taking a few minutes for a lunch break, but I do of course have ample photographic evidence of walking a dog in the woods in the afternoon.

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What? Can’t find Annie in this photo? Here’s a video that may help.

I also have evidence of scheduled play time. It’s always a treat for me to spend time on the farm with my friend Katherine, Abe R. Ham the pig, and the goats. Zorro, who is getting older and suffering from arthritis didn’t come out to see me, but I got plenty of time with the little ones, Frankie and Sheldon.

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Frankie and Me

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Sheldon

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Abe R. Ham

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Zorro in his younger years

In looking at my calendar for the coming week, I realized I don’t have any scheduled play time lined up. Hmmm. The possibilities! Maybe I’ll hula hoop. Maybe I’ll watch the salamanders swim in the pond. Maybe I’ll color. Maybe I’ll sit and stare out the window watching all the cute woodland creatures snack on the birdseed I sprinkle outside in the morning since I can no longer keep a birdfeed up thanks to the bears currently out and about.

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Watch a video of this little squirrel here!

It’s fun thinking of all the possibilities. And if you have any suggestions, let me know!

P.S. – If you didn’t have time to watch the video …

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