Weeknotes - week of May 20, 2024
Right now, keeping weeknotes is one of the few writing projects intriguing me in my unusually low state of mind; probably because I don't have to think too hard to write them.
Busy-ness level: Not as bad as previous weeks, but still more activity than I like. It would be good to have one day a week with NOTHING on the calendar. May, like October, always seems to have more than its share of activities.
Appointment with grief counselor, who is also a work colleague: one of the smartest appointments I have ever made. So glad I scheduled this. Messaged her when I scheduled that I was playing the game, "Is my brain fog coming from grief, or early dementia?" and she messaged back, "LOL no it's grief." LOL, so it is. She had some truly helpful insights.
This week in birds: saw a chimney swift plummet into my neighbor's chimney. They swirl down like maple seeds dropping into a well. I'm hoping they've got nestlings in there. I've seen a hummingbird perch, but I've only ever seen chimney swifts in flight.
This week in organized religion: Each time I lead a family and patient through the liturgy for the Commendation of the Dying, I am struck by how it transforms what are so often awkward moments (few of us feel like we know what to say or do while someone is dying), into moments of clarity, focus, and unity of spirit. Liturgy puts people back together again, for a few moments. It points them toward the soul who is leaving this physical life, and I believe it helps with the grieving process. Such a privilege to be present for these times.
Lessons learned, Dept of Work: I find when I start my daily shut-down routine not the last half hour of the day, but the next to last half hour of the day, that I am able to keep up with all the incoming stuff and also feel comfortable that a) I haven't forgotten anything urgent, and b) that I have a solid plan for the next day. It's not that it takes any longer -- still about 20-30 minutes to check all the messaging channels and admission reports and update everything with our fast-changing census -- but doing this BEFORE the last half hour of the day gives me leeway to respond to the last minute stuff without having to stay later to wrap up the daily routine stuff. Win! I'll take it!
Lessons learned, Dept of Home: If you wash a bunch of salad mix at the beginning of the week, you can then nosh on it for lunch throughout the week. Same with making hard-boiled eggs. I'm trying to get better about not eating food that is highly processed; but highly processed food has the virtue of being FAST. Trying to get away from lunchmeats. Still trying to figure out what I want to eat for lunch during the week that is still fast -- but not highly processed -- on a near-daily basis. Sardines + Dijon mustard + salad greens & vinaigrette seems to work well. But then, I work from home and no one has to smell my sardines (except the cats, who are also fans). And then I eat a highly processed Altoids mint or three before I leave the house. So there's that.