The Month Is Not Over Yet and What To Do About Next Month?

The Great Outdoors Month is not over yet. This Friday I will be going horseback riding for the first time. I am very excited. I have set it all up with Wandering Trails (www.wanderingtrails.com) a local horse barn in my area. I am going for a one hour trail ride!

 Next month I am hoping to focus on cycling. I have already chosen the bike I would like to purchase. (see above) It is a Schwinn and it is called the Clear Creek Comfort Bike. I won't know until Friday if January will be biking month because I am still waiting to see if the tutoring hours I turned in today will be added to my end of the month paycheck. It is so difficult not knowing but I have big plans. Bike's happen to be pricey if quality is important. Honestly, the bike I truly want is $450.00 but this one for half of that will have to do.

I want to ride my bike for pleasure and cardiovascular health. The local library is just 2 miles away and a trip to the library is always fun. It would be quite refreshing to ride there and back rather than drive the small distance. Also, the local park is the same distance and riding to the park for an afternoon of reading sounds really pleasurable. I will definitely need a basket!

When I was younger I was riding 25-40 miles a week depending on what was going on in my schedule. You see, my family did not have a car and I was biking everywhere (stores, friend's homes, to run errands, etc.) I do not know if I will get to that level again especially with my busy schedule but a few miles after work around the neighborhood sounds ideal.

Wish me luck.

More Out Of Doors

 

I went to the Environmental Learning Center (http://www.discoverelc.org/) in Vero Beach, Florida this week. I have always wanted to visit and despite living in the same county as the ELC, I never did make it until now. I have always been intrigued with the idea of Sea Camp which now as in Yester-years costs almost $500.00 for a week during the summer. That opportunity is long gone but I did get to experience the rest of the center.

I called the ELC  after talking to a friend and discovering that she was watching 5-6 kids that day and as it turn out, we got a great deal as the ELC is free until January 1st. I was able to walk the nature trails and boardwalk looking for the white ibis though the 5 children certainly scared away any and all wildlife in a 5 miles radius. It was still beautiful.

After the ELC, I decided to give my friend a great birthday present and took all five of the kids to the park down the street from my parent's house. I only had the kiddos for forty-five minutes but we went on the swings, played on the slides, and climbed a tree. I had a blast! Play should be something I do more of.

Camping in the Cold and Wet Outdoors

I just arrived home after camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness in Orlando, Florida. I am not sure how much "camping" went on because the place is so clean it is practically impossible to get dirty. The bathrooms are heated and have multiple showers, stalls, and sinks. Truth be told, the bathrooms were a LOT nicer than mine at home. That is Disney for you.

I arrived at the campsite just before dark and quickly pulled out my tent and set it up lickity-split just as the sun was setting. I spent a bit of time organizing my bedding and clothing. I then went out to meet the other campers.

The weather as cold and wet but so it goes when Mother Nature is involved. A few people packed up and left early due to the rain. The low in Orlando was 44 degrees overnight. I was so cold I couldn't stop shaking and the teeth chattering was keeping everyone awake. One of the other campers loaned me a sleeping bag good for 40 degree weather and it really helped. I was also able to use a smaller felt blanket for my pillows which kept them much warmer. I enjoyed my outing despite the weather.

Soaking Up The Sun

  
I am trying to enjoy the outdoors this month and today was one of the first days I was able to relax. Work has been incredibly busy with exams coming up and the football state championship game looming. Now that reviews are over and the season for football has ended I can breathe.

I slept in this morning and then took my current book selection to the park for a day of sunshine.
How strange is it that Florida' weather is so temperamental? Two days ago the weather was 31 degrees overnight and in the low 60s during the day. Today is full of sun and the temperature is a lovely 77 degrees. I laid out my blanket and began reading and ended up so absorbed in my book that I didn't notice that two young boys (a neighbor's children) with water guns were sneaking up on me. After a minor water battle and foot chase, the water guns were mine and the boys were in a fountain. I wish the park had been busier but it was pretty quiet. Head outdoors people and see what you can do this month.

Enjoying The Great Outdoors

I started my month of outdoor adventures with a Chanukah weenie roast celebration. My guests (15 or so of my nearest and dearest) enjoyed the hickory fire and the skewers full of kosher hotdogs and kosher marshmallows. What a yummy way to enjoy the outdoors.

I managed to start the fire with no trouble and it was blazing gloriously when my first guests arrived.  I was proud of my party planning abilities and had chips, drinks, and buns out in metal tubs that went with the outdoor vibe. One of my guests called to ask if I needed anything else and I asked him to grab a second bag of firewood. Good thing I did. I had a fire burning for a full seven hours.

I was particularly pleased at how many people were as excited to be out of doors as I. My friends came over to my house bundled in jackets and sweatshirts to protect against the 45 degree chill in the air.  We sat as close to the fire as possible in a random collection of camp chairs and lawn furniture.

I am so happy the my friends came to join me and help me to celebrate Chanukah. We ended the night with hot chocolate with a splash of peppermint schnapps which was truly the perfect end to a wonderful evening outside.

End of November Wrap Up and December's Project

 November Observations: I thought that alternative giving month would give me so many opportunities to give and in some ways it has. I have given food, money, donations that were known and unknown, large and small donations at each turn but I have also learned that I am already a giver.
What one earth do I mean? Only 5 or 6 times this month did I give specifically because it was alternative giving month. The other 20-25 times I gave were the same as I normally would. I am still happy that I did it. I am also excited for December.

December's theme is "The Great Outdoors" 

I happened to have grown up in a beautiful town (see above). It is well-known for fishing, surfing, and the outdoors and I did not take much advantage as a child outside of normal play. If it were not for Girl Scouts, I would not have gone camping as much,  nor would I be so comfortable out of doors. 

For the month of December I have decided to go outdoors more. Generally, Florida is very hot but at this time of year the outdoors can be enjoyed in relative comfort. I have planned a bonfire and weenie roast for the weekend to jump stat my great outdoors month. I also have a camping trip set for mid-month followed by horse back riding at the end of the month. Though these activities are set and I am very excited. I will try to find opportunities to be outdoors more often. 

There is nothing like the sun shining on your face.

I Am Thankful

 

 All over the United States of America millions of families are sitting down to a meal. The meal will be delicious, it will be filling, and  it will produce enough leftovers to feed a small third world country. My family is no different. There are just three of us this year making a Thanksgiving meal. While the food is often the highlight of the holiday, my favorite part is pulling out the turkey platter. 

The platter is not attractive, it is not new, and it is not well-made. It is, however, a family tradition. My mother purchased this plastic platter twenty-four years ago at the only grocery store in town (at the time anyway.) It was purchased out of necessity for our first Thanksgiving after moving to Florida in October of that year. 

That first year my job responsibilities included finding the turkey platter and washing it, taking down the china, and clearing the table. As I grew older my job list grew as well. I would be be now responsible for peeling apples, rolling pie crusts, and keeping the dog away from the turkey. Now, my job duties include everything. Making the turkey, preparing desserts, peeling, cutting, and roasting vegetables, clearing the table, and pulling down the china. The last thing I will do this year (before the heavy cleanup) is pull out the turkey platter, wash it off, and get it ready to hold the countless years of memories that belong on its wide back.

Giving

I have continued my alternate giving plan since my last update. I have donated to Publix grocery stores for their food drive campaign. I have given a huge bag of supplies to the Boy Scouts of America's local food drive. I have urged my students (through the "gift" of extra credit) to donate bags of groceries to The Children's Home Society food drive being held at the school and the list goes on and on.

The school food drive was going poorly. Blame it on poor advertising, blame it on hard economic times, blame it on ignorance, blame it on apathy, whatever you like but, I was determined to fix the problem. When I spoke with the head of the food drive he had collected just four bags of groceries in two weeks. I offered 10 points towards the lowest test score of the quarter and wouldn't you know the food came piling in. I had 43 students participate in the food drive bringing in over 65 bags of groceries. The gratitude I received from the director was incredible. He was so happy that he wouldn't have to disappoint the Children's Home Society. It cost me nothing (other than the full bag of quality food I purchased to show as an example) to help fill a food pantry. I often wonder how much more the school could have collected if other teachers were willing to offer a few points to a group of kids. Perhaps there can be some sort of competition next year to get a higher rate of participation. I will speak with the director and find out.

What have you done to give this month? Are you thankful for what you have? Truly?

Paying It Forward or Alternative Giving

A few months ago I was literally sitting at a gas station with no gas in my car. I had five hours until my paycheck cleared and I was 15 miles from home. I was so embarrassed but I had to ask a woman if she would give me $3.00 for a gallon of gas. She gave me a $5.00 bill and refused any attempt for me to pay her at a later time. She just said to Pay It Forward.
The month of November is best known for the holiday of Thanksgiving. What better way to work on my happiness project than by working on Alternative Giving or in Hebrew Tzedakah which means righteousness but is often translated as charity. "In Judaism, giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act; it is simply an act of justice and righteousness, the performance of a duty, giving the poor their due." www.JewFaq.org
The goal of the month is to give as many times as possible. Jewish Sages teach that it is better to give one dollar one hundred times rather than give one hundred dollars away just once. The understanding is that by giving over and over again the soul recognizes the act and becomes accustomed to giving as a part of its inherent nature.
I too will give as many times as I can this month. I have already begun and I will list just a few of the opportunities I have had to give tzedakah since November 1st.  1) I got soup at Panera bread and put $1.00 in their donation box.  2) I purchased chili at Wendy's and put my change into the Dave Thomas Foundation box. 3) I needed a pair of shoes so I bought Tom's. Tom's donates a pair of shoes with every purchase. 4) I spent an extra $30.00 at Publix so I can supply goods to the Boy Scouts food drive next week and a bag for my school's food drive this week.
It was quite easy to give tzedakah so far. I shopped Publix's buy one get one free section for healthy and nutritious foods for the food drive. I was able to purchase peanut butter, whole wheat pasta, tuna, meat soups, etc. for very little money and even less effort.
I wonder how giving as many times I can this month will affect my soul.  I feel as if I am a giving person already but by focusing on every opportunity to give I will be following a commandment to give and elevating my soul through the act. I just wonder if I will be able to feel it in some way.

Travel, Doggy Joy, and Paying It Forward for November

I am sitting on a couch and looking out of the window at the gray drizzle and the rain says, "Welcome to Portland, Oregon." My flight to Oregon from New York was delayed by two hours but the actual flight was comfortable and quick. The plane was half empty and thanks to Gabe's generosity I had a seat with "extra legroom".
I was so happy to land and see my friends after such a long time. We visited local cafe's, coffee shops, and stores. I saw my friend's university campus and have generally enjoyed viewing every changing leaf in the state. I did have an issue where I almost over heated on the streetcar and felt like I was going to faint.  But so far, I am loving the whole city. More on Portland later.
I had a moment of Pure Joy this morning when I was lying on a deflating air mattress on the wooden floor of my friend's apartment. Her dog came tumbling out of the bedroom and just ran to me and licked my face and cuddled with me. I laughed and I realized it was just pure goodness spewing forth.
Next month, Paying it forward. Giving in response to everything I have received.

Leaving This Week

I leave in just five days for New York. I have a very busy week of preparations and events. One of the reasons people dislike travel is because of the work that has to be done before leaving work. I am no exception.

As a teacher, I must make my plans before I leave and make sure it is enough work to fill the entire class period. I also teach seven classes a day with no breaks so I must plan very well because my substitute will have no opportunity for a break until lunch.

I also have more work to do as the quarter is ending this week and my grades must be in on time. I also have club events and as Junior Class Sponsor I must get everything in line for homecoming the week before I go as Homecoming week begins when I get back.

I am incredibly excited to get away especially after all of the work I must do to prepare to leave!

Moving On To Step Three

Though I've certainly not managed to work this happiness project the way I wanted to I think it would be a mistake to avoid my third task. This month I am focused on traveling for pleasure.

Over the summer I traveled for the first time in a few years; for personal reasons anyway. I went to Tennessee to visit a college roommate I had not seen in many years. Since her wedding in Virginia in fact. I also managed to squeeze a long weekend in St. Augustine into my summer. Though I travel frugally I did manage to squeeze in two nights at a Bed and Breakfast. (www.castlegarden.com) I have always had a hard time finding the money for traveling when teaching pays so little. This time, I figured I would just go for it!


I purchased a multi-city ticket on JetBlue (www.jetblue.com) to travel to New York and Oregon. I will be in New York to support my uncle at the unveiling of my aunt's headstone. My aunt passed away a year ago and his transition to widow has not been easy. I know my presence will be beneficial to him. My brother is also attending. I am flying up early on a Friday and spending Shabbat with my uncle. The unveiling is on Sunday and I will see my other uncle (my aunt's brother) at that time. I will be staying until Tuesday to run errands, pick up things, and just be a general help to him.

While I know that most of this portion of the trip will be sad I am excited about one aspect of the trip. I know of a very good Jewish book store in my uncle's area and I was quite upset not to get there last time. I plan on spending a good chunk of time at the bookstore this trip and locating materials that have been on my wish list for some time. I am also hoping to spend some time walking around the neighborhoods enjoying the Long Island architecture and watching Fall do its thing.

My trip to Oregon is all pleasure. I will be flying into Portland and staying with my friend and her husband. She moved out to Portland from Vero Beach three years ago and I miss her terribly. I admit that she has invited me before but for many reasons I was unable to go. Now, with the Jane Austen Annual Meeting going on in the City of Roses I have two great reasons to visit. Christina and Jane are bringing me to Portland!

I purchased an Oregon travel book and I have spoken with a lovely lady named Angela at The Travel Portland Center (www.travelportland.com). Angela is sending me a travel magazine for the city and a map so I can finish my planning. I also have a promise from Christina that I will get to see the Pacific Ocean and the astounding rocky seaside. I can hardly wait to see where she has been living and enjoy her city.

I will be attending a portion of the Jane Austen Annual Convention while I am in Portland. I am most excited by the idea of the vendors. What JA merchandise will they have for sale? Last year, a woman in my local JASNA (www.JASNA.org) chapter purchased a handmade straw bonnet. It is precisely the kind of thing I am looking for. I would also love to find something to decorate my classroom.

I am very excited about the prospects of my travel and I can hardly wait to see what happens on my trips!

Some Prayer, No Singing

I missed services for Yom Kippur. I was feeling very sick and spent most of the day and a half in bed. I am still having guilt issues for missing these services. I did pray at home but it wasn't a formal service. I know there are all of these stories out in the Yid World that talk about men and women who cry true tears of repentance with little or no formal prayer and G-d grants them their heart's desire. However, I still cannot help but feel guilty for not being at a service and pushing through my feeling of exhaustion and stomach upset.
I have not been singing in the shower. I took the speaker I purchased out a while ago and never put it back. I did take the time to update my ipod and add some old cd's onto my new computer. Now, if I could just get my motivation back up for this project then I would be thrilled.
I may have taken on too much at work and I am trying to keep balanced. Better update next time. Promise!

Prayer: Going Better Than The Singing

According to Rebbetzin Leah Kohn's class on Shabbos Candles. http://www.torah.org/learning/women/class20.html# "Our sages set forth three reasons why we light Shabbat candles. First, for peace and harmony in the home; second, to honor Shabbat and third, to create pleasure." My own rebbetzin, Hindel Levitin, says each week that lighting the Shabbos candles is a time for women to connect directly to Hashem and ask for the things we most desire. As such, it is my favorite time to pray. I love bringing in the light and then covering my eyes as I repeat an ancient blessing that ushers in Shabbos. I spend the time talking directly to Hashem about the things closest to my heart such as my mother's health, peace in my family, and my bashert (soul-mate.) I occasionally add prayers for my single friends, or for a couple that is having trouble at home. I sometimes wonder who is praying for me.

Even when my family abandoned most  traditions during a rough patch of my childhood we always lit Shabbos candles (often with my mother using a coffee filter as a head covering.) I had my own candlesticks as a young girl and I lit with her each week. Other than the yearly passover Seder and the High Holidays, my prayer life was fairly limited. I am happy to be focusing on prayer now. 

A Promising Start

Today, I started my day with the shema. I am sick and figured a general affirmation of G-d's wholeness could be a good start to my day. I also started a small conversation with G-d in the car today on the way to the gym. It was very general as these things go. Thoughts towards my families health, my families unity, help for organization and financial blessings. I am going to pray at some point tonight in a more formal prayer structure. Either the mincha or maariv prayers.
In regards to the singing, my throat is on fire and my nose is runny so I avoided singing in the shower. I ended up soaking in a long bath and trying to get my nasal passages opened up. I will do better next time.

At Last And Onward

I took quite a bit of effort on my part to sing in the shower. First of all, I take very short showers in the morning. I rarely spend more than 8 minutes getting washed and that is not conducive to more than two songs sung.

I also learned that I forget to sing as I spend my time bathing occupying my mind with small tasks such as choosing my daily outfit, planning what fruit to add to my protein shake, determining if I am packing lunch, planning on clothing for the gym, etc. It just became too hard each morning to remember to sing.
I finally ended up purchasing a small pink speaker system for my ipod. Each morning, I can go to the bathroom and turn it on and let my songs shuffle away as I lather, rinse, and repeat (as desired).
I was only successful a few times and though I would have liked to sing more and been more prepared I learned that the small victories can be as encouraging as the great ones.
This month, I am going to focus on a happiness skill that takes less specific boundaries. I am going to work on prayer this month. I have my siddur available to me and I also have my bentcher available.   I want to add more blessings before and after eating as well as daily teffilah at least once per day. I am hoping to start with maariv each day.
My hopes are that daily communication with G-d will make me more prepared for the day and keep me in a better frame of mind as I bustle to and fro. Updates, soon. 

Not Yet

How odd, I thought singing in the shower would be the easiest goal to achieve yet it has not happened yet. Two mornings, I completely forgot my goal. One evening I was at the gym and I was just NOT prepared for that kind of singing, and this morning I am not taking a shower because I took one late last night. I will conquer this and make myself happier!

My First Task

I spent two days trying to determine if such a mundane and silly task could go on my list.  In the end, singing in the shower finally won out as my first task. I bet you are wondering why I chose such a silly, easy to fulfill task first aren't you?

I suppose this all relates to my youth when I would sing in the bathtub as I turned into a prune and played in no longer warm bath water. I loved the sound of my voice as it echoed off of the bathroom walls and resonated throughout the house.  I spent my time singing just two songs; I sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and the US National Anthem. Laugh if you will, but those songs sound amazing in the bathroom.

I eventually stopped singing in the shower when I left for college. First of all, I had roommates that needed the bathroom and soaking in a tub until prune-like was no longer fair. Then I thought about how loud I sing and I decided that I could try humming. Finally, I was asked to stop because the bathroom was directly between my room and my suite mates room and it just wasn't fair to sing or hum when everyone could hear you during study time or early int he morning when I awoke.

I later moved on to my first real apartment without roommates but then I had the issue of bothering my neighbors. My entire apartment backed up against the other and our kitchens, bathrooms, washer/dryer set, and bedroom were all back to back. I know that if I could hear her showers running than she would be able to hear me singing my rousing edition of the national anthem completed by a hearty, "play ball" at the end.

I never could get back to singing in the shower. Fear of annoying my neighbors is the main reason but now I am just out of practice and self conscience. I sing in my car when I am alone (and I think I sound great but that clearly stems from my lack of knowledge on the actual lyrics.) I also enjoy going to karaoke but I never sing out loud. This last problem is compacted by my brother being a DJ and Karaoke host with an amazing voice. I can never sing in his presence, he makes me nervous.

To make myself happy I will again start singing in the shower. I will also take a stab at singing karaoke in front of a crowd and report back on my findings.  The task will be easy to achieve and it is something that can be done quickly as the month is ending in just two weeks.

The Reason For Beginning

The Jewish calendar is currently in the month of Elul. The month of Elul is used for introspection and preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The time is supposed to be spent getting closer to G-d and evaluating one's life. It is a time for evaluating one's actions and determining what needs to be changed so one can merit the blessings that are determined at the new year on Rosh Hashana. (For more information on Elul or the High Holy Days please go to Aish.com or Chabad.org)

Coincidentally, I love the process of planning. Nothing makes me feel more useful than pulling out a pen and a moleskin notebook and jotting my ideas down. I have always been an "idea" person. The time has come to turn those ideas into actions and become a "doer".

This year, I am going to work on counting my blessings and creating opportunities for blessings to be appreciated.  I am currently sitting with my moleskin notebook and I am creating a long list of things to work on over the coming year. I will post my 12 ideas (one for each month) as soon as I get my list finalized.