Monday, April 04, 2022
I awoke at 6:00 am after a restless night.
The house was cold because our furnace is randomly shutting off, so I lay in bed for a while, scrolling through Instagram and Facebook.
I rose with a worship song in my head. I’ve been building a playlist for months and am finding it really inspiring and energizing as I start each day.
As I listened to the actual music, I started cooking small things for lunch, such as boiled eggs so that they would be ready when my grandson was here for the day.
I took a shower, read my Bible, prayed and dealt with a sinus infection that has been hanging on for weeks. I can’t seem to kick it on my own, so I’ll call the doc.
My 4-year-old grandson arrived at 10:30. We shared a quick hug, and then I played cars with him the rest of the day. We colored for about 10 minutes and ate lunch, but other than that, it was all cars. We set up a track using leftover vinyl flooring planks, and he loved that. I played the soundtrack to “Cars” while we played, and he liked that, too.
He was picked up late afternoon. After he left, I cleaned up toys, felt tired but sad that he was gone.
Once tidying was done, I plopped on the sofa and studied French via the free “Chatterbug” app, which I highly recommend. I’m surprised at how much vocabulary I remember from school. I never fully caught on to conjugations, though. So, I can read French pretty well but not speak sentences. It’s fun to revisit the language, and this learning is good for the middle-aged brain.
I’m also trying to learn basic world geography. I must have been absent the day we learned that in school! I’m joking, but I didn’t retain anything from map-making. Because I tutor students worldwide, I want a better grip on locations, culture and climate. So I’m using the “Where is That?” app to learn. I’ve passed the Middle East and European sections and feel secure about those.
I also use an app called “Been” that lets you tick off countries you’ve visited. I use it to keep track of my students’ countries. So far, I’ve tutored adults and children from Italy, Turkey, China, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Peru, Egypt, and Morocco. I love the job, but it doesn’t pay well.
For dinner, I ate chips and salsa. I’ve got to do better. I registered for the Indy Mini 5k. It’s not as big a deal as a half or full marathon, but I do need to watch the diet a bit.
I went to bed early and listened to podcasts. My current favorite is “The History of Literature,” with Jacke Wilson. I have no idea who he is.
Throughout my days, my mind and my prayers go to Ukraine and my mom, who continues to decline with dementia. I am doing what I can personally for both difficult situations. To say that these situations are heartbreaking is an understatement, but there are no good words to describe. These are hard days. In the words of Toby Mac, “Through all these seasons, in all my grieving, I’m still believing, You’re my promised land.”