I completed my first full week of the new school year and with it came a couple of surprises. The first surprise was the speed at which the work day passes in my new position. I am busy from the moment I set down my purse in the morning until I pick it back up again in the afternoon. Except for Thursday, I even worked while eating lunch. I attended meetings, reviewed lesson plans, visited classrooms to check environment, instructed teachers on programs new to them, answered loads of questions, and dealt with NJHS business. Several people have asked if I like my new position, and the answer is “yes, so far.” It is considerably different from teaching in the classroom.
The second surprise was on Thursday. I had an upper GI endoscopy procedure done. It had been almost six years since my last one. The main reason for repeating the scope was a result of certain foods appearing to feel stuck (roast, salad, bread) in my esophagus. Unfortunately, some scar tissue had developed in my esophagus due to reflux symptoms. To remedy this, my gastroenterologist dilated and stretched my esophagus. The surprise was being informed by my doctor that my stomach contained multiple gastric polyps. YIKES! I had no idea that polyps could form in your stomach. Biopsies of the three largest ones were taken and in two weeks, I should have results. What can cause these polyps? One cause is using proton-pump inhibitor medicines which I use to control my acid reflux. YIKES! And, my doctor just upped my meds from 20mg to 40mg. While this news is depressing, it is also a wake-up call. No more playing for me. I MUST take my health and wellness more seriously because I am currently overweight. Being overweight and eating poorly are risk factors for acid reflux.
The third surprise was on Friday after school. My hubby bought me beautiful roses to celebrate my first full week in my new position. They were waiting for me when I arrived home from work. It definitely made me happy. What a thoughtful and loving gesture!
Finally, my last surprise was at weigh-in this morning. I lost two pounds! It was probably a result of my doctor removing the three polyps. HA! All kidding aside, I am trying to make a more conscious effort of not mindlessly snacking, especially when feeling overwhelmed. I am lessening my sugar intake, but it is imperative that I make more healthy changes in my diet. I need to return to clean eating and drink lots of water. I continue to walk almost daily. However, I need to also include some strength training and cross training as part of my fitness plan. I will be thrilled when I can say I have a walk/run streak. Clearly, I am not there, yet. It is essential for me to take action right now.
I remain hopeful, dear reader. Prioritizing my time is going to be the key to getting me back on track. I did it once before and lost 26 pounds which allowed me to cut back on my acid reflux meds. I failed at taking care of myself, and this is the consequences. There is a silver lining. I can start over again and strive to be better. Happiness!
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.” ~ Henry Ford
We enjoyed Korean food for her birthday lunch followed by rolled ice cream from Roulé for dessert. Other highlights of July were going to the movies (The Incredibles 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Equalizer 2), a museum visit, a concert, a scrapbooking evening with my BFF Shelly, and a lunch date with my friend Kelly Parker LeGrand. This was the first time Kelly and I had seen each other in over 20 years. We talked for hours. My only regret was that we didn’t take any pictures together. Hopefully, it won’t be another 20 years before we have lunch together again.
While I enjoyed much happiness this month, there was also some sadness. My extended family in Utah said good-bye to my sweet Uncle Charles. I feel blessed to have known him and grateful for plenty of fond memories of times spent with him. I can bet he is well established in heaven telling stories and jokes. Rest in peace, Uncle Charles!
This past Thursday, Andrew and I went shopping for school uniforms for the last time. It was the first of the “lasts” that we will experience in the upcoming school year. Soon, he’ll be taking senior pictures and applying for college. While senior year is an exciting time, it will be bittersweet (for me). Andrew is the baby, so my hubby and I will be empty nesters. Thankfully, Andrew will not be going too far away for college. He has decided to attend Southeastern in Hammond to earn his undergraduate degree in Biology. While he could easily live at home, he wants the “college experience” of living on campus. After talking to parents of college-age children and to college students who live away from home, I can see the benefits for him.
On Tuesday, I ordered a few more scrapbook supplies. I pulled some pictures from Andrew’s trip to Ireland, set up my Scrap’n Easel, assembled a laser die cut, and semi-laid out the page. Now that my room is set up specifically for scrapbooking, I can leave everything out and leisurely work on my pages. After lunch, I met a friend of mine, that I had not seen in a few years, for coffee. It was a nice couple of hours catching up with Angie. Visiting with her made me realize that I want to carve out more time this summer to connect with my friends that I do not get to see on a regular basis. Friendships bring an enormous richness of joy to one’s life; however, they need to be cultivated in order to flourish.
Another tidbit about me, the scrapbooker, is I am as slow as a snail when it comes to scrapbooking. Depending on the project, it takes me some time to think about the layout. If the project has an overwhelming amount of photos, choosing the best ones can slow me down. I act as if I am preparing a layout for a prestigious magazine, and my career depends on the finished product instead of making a memory keepsake for the members of my family. HA! Even though I did not get as many layouts completed as I had hoped, I still had a terrific time with my friends, and I learned some new techniques using supplies (embossing enamel, antique brilliance wax, rust effect paste, and gel pens) to make my scrapbooks more interesting. I have all summer to finish working on this project for Andrew. I will have more time to make decisions about the layouts, the photos, and what I want to say or rather what Andrew wants to say about his recent adventure in Europe.
In addition, my scrapbooking weekend has inspired me to get better organized in my scrapbooking room. Yesterday, I cleared everything not related to scrapbooking out of my room with the exception of a file cabinet. Then, I vacuumed, dusted, and mopped. My goal now is to organize all of my supplies. I bought a new sticker binder, while at the event, to house ALL of my stickers. My old binder can barely zip, and I have stickers in various places. I want them all in one central location divided by category. I also need to reorganize my paper by color/pattern and clear out old page kits of completed layouts. This will allow me to create new page kits with all of the necessary supplies, so the next time I want to attend a crop, I can grab and go. Getting organized will take awhile; however, in the end, the time spent will be well worth it. The organization will create time and space for me to actually scrapbook…hopefully, more than once a year.
Turning off the light and letting the door close behind me on Friday afternoon was bittersweet because it was the last time I was walking out of my 8th grade classroom. Yep! I have officially left my position teaching 8th grade language arts. I will no longer teach grammar, writing, or inspire students to read Poe. That is the bitter part. Even though I have decided to leave the classroom, I will remain at Holy Ghost Catholic School. That is the sweet part.
Yesterday morning, my hubby and I brought Andrew to the airport, so he could embark on his journey to Ireland, Wales, and London. I will not see my baby again until April 7th. It will be an unusual week being home alone with just my fur babies. I guess it will give me a taste of what it will be like when Andrew goes off to college.
I realize that I am probably one of the last humans on the planet that waited so long to watch Stranger Things. In my defense, I do not have much time to watch television, and there are few shows that I watch alone in real time or with Andrew. He is just as busy during the school year as I am, so coordinating our schedules to watch a couple of hours of television together can be difficult. However, we manage to squeeze in some time here and there for our favorite shows. Andrew and I had finished watching Parks and Recreation during Mardi Gras break, so we decided to start watching Stranger Things. Many of my friends, family, acquaintances, and even some of my students encouraged me to watch it since they thought it would be a show that I would really enjoy. Boy, were they right. Stranger Things is SUPER awesome! I’m obsessed with it. I absolutely LOVE that it takes place in the 1980s. The show is basically about a group of geeky kids who meet an unusual girl with special abilities around the same time that one of their friends vanishes into a mysterious place that is home to a disturbing creature. It is like the X-Files meets the Goonies. The seasons are not very long, so we blew through both of them within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the next season does not come out until 2019. Alas, Andrew and I will just have to watch Beyond Stranger Things which delves into the secrets of the Stranger Things universe, specifically Season 2 and re-watch the two seasons prior to Season 3 premiering next year.![MC900432635[1]](https://katloyacano.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/mc9004326351.png?w=500)
Three weeks ago I assigned myself some action steps for improving my health that I wanted to complete by today. Unfortunately, I did not complete them all. I have been working quite a bit at school and helping Andrew get ready for his upcoming trip to Ireland. Instead of admonishing myself, I am praising myself for the steps that I did accomplish (week 1). After all, I do have until the end of the year to complete this goal.
The Kat Files 