Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Dear September


Dear September,

Were you in a race with other months, September? I felt like you were running at an Olympic pace. I barely remember this month to tell you the truth. You were not fall-ish like you promised. I'm pretty sure I sweated more this month than the actually summer months. 

This month brought a lot of different emotions for me and I struggled some days looking at social media. The fact we are still under emergency orders from the Governor about the pandemic and things are not back to normal as we thought they were going to be, were hard to comprehend. (Happy 6 month anniversary of 2 weeks to flatten the curve)🙄. Coupled with the fact Instagram was taunting me with everyone's winning season, I was sad some days. I tried to keep busy and not fall back into old patterns. I focused on the good in my life and by the end of the month, I am back to my old peppy self. I've realized its okay to have these off days- let yourself feel these emotions, acknowledge them and then let them go. You are bigger than what you are feeling.

One good thing that came from this month was my appointment with my gastroenterologist. I had my first appointment with him since JANUARY. This is the longest I have gone without seeing him. I was so excited for this appointment. He was so happy that I have been doing so well and the medicine seems to actually be working. (ALL THE PRAISE HANDS!!!) He said he doesn't need to see me for another YEAR (unless something is wrong). HALLELUJAH! Needless to say, I was so excited to hear this and so relieved. I have some days where I feel terrible but I don't let it stop me. Now I am eagerly awaiting my blood test to see if in deed the medicine is working. 

My first semester of classes is just about over. Yup, you have been along with me for 7.5 weeks through my classes. Has this been easy? Heck no, but it has made me so so happy. I am constantly doing homework during any free time and I dream about equations and accounting problems. My heart is full, I feel like I have been missing this- learning, new knowledge- for a long time. My trusty  TI-83+  (from early 2000s) has been holding up great and I am surprising myself with remembering how to use it. 

One thing I was sad to say goodbye to was Standup Paddleboarding. SUP truly brought me joy all summer long. I looked forward to each week and especially seeing Adrienne. We have become such great friends over the years, it was a perfect escape for a few hours. Being on the water is calming and it was the perfect stand in for therapy. Each week, I tried new yoga poses and became more comfortable on the board. By the end of the summer,  I started planning on saving up to buy my own board for next year. I loved exploring the creek and lagoons, seeing the swans and turtles and occasional fish. I cannot wait to explore different waterways next year. 

Something new I did this month was overtime. Now in all my jobs I have never had the chance to work overtime. When I got the email, I jumped at the chance (without actually knowing what I would be doing), for overtime. My guess was correct and I had the opportunity to stuff envelopes. I can hear what you are thinkng, why would you want to stuff envelopes? After a long day, this mindless activity is actually very relaxing for me and I've had the chance to finish TWO audiobooks. I have a few more days of it and I am thankful for the opportunity- for both the extra money AND the time to sit and listen to audiobooks. (Check back next week for my review of them). 

Our local library has come up with some pretty great virtual programs lately and I was able to pick up two calming crafts to complete at home. One is a mediation jar and the other is anti stress lavender putty. I am waiting until my classes are over to makes these but I will report back to let you know how it went. I am so happy the library is taking these creative measures to keep the engagement up. When I went to the library to pick up these items, it was the first time I was there since MARCH! It defiently had a different feel but I was happy to be back and the employees were happy to see the public as well. I got to see my favorite security guard too. He was just as happy to see each patron as he always was. Its nice to get back into an old routine again. 

Well September, you sure were different but to be honest, I wouldn't have traded you for anything....well maybe if we could you know take away the global pandemic, that would be great. Thanks for the memories, lessons and the gratitude you have shown me this month. I look forward to see what your friend October brings. 

[[Sometimes you just need a new perspective to see things more clearly]]

-gabrielle

PS. If you are wondering, the mystery of the pink flamingo that was placed by my car back in the beginning of August, still has NOT been solved. I truly have no idea who left it for me. I guess some mysteries are not meant to be solved. 

Monday, September 28, 2020

September Playlist


Hello hello! Its time for another playlist. I am pretty sure, I just made my August playlist but yet here we are again, talking about my September playlist. Lots of new music found through Spotify and The Highway on Sirius XM. I have a lot of songs that are by duos this month and a couple of repeat artists.

WGJ vol. 9

Truck- HARDY
Home Sweet- Russell Dickerson
This Ole Boy- HARDY
Grew Apart- Logan Mize, Donovan Woods
Right Beer, Right Now- Derek Johnson
Hard To Be A Cowboy- Cowboy Shiltz
Long Live- Florida Georgia Line
Here-Mitchell Tenpenny
Country Made- Lenny Cooper, Young Gunner, J Rosevelt
How They Remember You- Rascal Flatts
OK Not To Be Ok- Marshmello, Demi Lovato
Found You- Ludacris, Chance the Rapper
Back Porch- Willie Jones
Rivers Deep- Gabby Barrett
Silverado- Hunter Phelps
Another- Adam Doleac
Holy-Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper

Listen here.

[[He will see you through this- Isaiah 41:10 ]]

-gabrielle

Friday, September 25, 2020

Favorite Friday

Anum Tariq
This print screams FALL to me

Happy Friday! What a quick week this was- maybe it was the fact I was constantly moving and the only time I really sat down was at night? Who knows, but here we are, its Friday and I have a few things from the week to share.

Overtime/// I have never worked overtime in my life and with the Election just around the corner, the clerk needs help stuffing envelopes. I jumped at the opportunity. Nice and easy and I get to meet people from other departments- some departments I didn't even know existed! This has been nice a few days a week. 

Audiobooks/// During my envelope stuffing time, I have been listening to an audiobook. I forgot how good they can be. I've only listened to a handful of them and I truly think the person who is reading it makes all the difference. This one is a mystery that is mixed with a groundhog day type story. I can't wait to get to the end. 

Fall///Happy Fall! I am so happy to see you! This week started out cooler and I was here for the colder mornings. I love dressing for fall and seeing the leaves change. Yes Summer decided to pop back in by the end of the week. Rude. 

Library///Our local library has been opened for awhile and yesterday was the first time I ventured over. I got to see my favorite security guard, Mr. Leonard, he truly loves his job and interacting with customers. My whole reason for going there today was because they had a free "take and make" craft- lavender anti stress putty. I was so excited to make it. When I went over on my lunch I was sad to see that they were all out of it. 😕 The nice librarian upstairs printed out the recipe for me and even said she will bring in extra supplies for me tomorrow so I could make it. I was so touched by her kindness. 

Classes/// I don't know how it happened but I am already in week 5 of my 8 week classes. I am really enjoying these classes and I am a little sad to see them end but I have two more coming up at the end of August. They are a LOT of work and I am getting better at time management with homework, blogging and work. 

okay! I think that is it for this week. Wishing you a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!
Anything fun planned for this weekend? Let me know in the comments below.

Don't forgot to catch up on my latest posts:
Goodbye Summer, Happy Birthday Mom & Wisdom Wednesday

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika this week.

[[head down, eyes up, keep going]]

-gabrielle

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Wisdom Wednesday

Imagine you are sitting down and for the 95th time in the past hour, you open Instagram and you are instantly bombarded with “ WE’RE PREGNANT!” “I SAID YES!” “WE ELOPED!” “I BOUGHT A HOUSE!” "I GOT A PROMOTION" 

It looks like everyone is getting what they wanted and you are sitting here just meh; not winning at life at all. You have these thoughts- "why aren't I winning right now?" "why haven't I bought a house yet?" "Am I good enough?" "All these people are getting so many wins and here you are sitting there, just wanting ONE win. Even a tiny win, you would be happy with it. 

Two weeks ago, I felt like social media was against me. Every time I opened it, there was always someone sharing their good news. I was happy for the person but deep down, I wanted to be able to share the good news too.  I got to a point where I honestly felt that social media was intentionally showing me all these good things that I didn’t have right now and that I want in the future. It was the worst feeling. I was so sad and felt like I was in a slump for a few days. I felt like I was carrying around a boulder. I didn’t tell anyone, because I thought it was silly to be so upset over seeing internet friends having so many wins and there I was not winning but it was bothering me A LOT.  When I finally did open up to a friend, I felt instantly better.  I don’t know why I kept everything bottled up inside for so long without telling anyone else.  You have no idea what they lost when they weren’t in their winning season. 


Over the next week or so, I listened to a podcast (Carly Unfiltered on Bad on Paper), a bunch of instastories especially Kate from Lonestar Southern and Brighton Butler from Brighton the Day and read a few blogs and somehow some way the words “I’m not alone” and "You're not the only one" worked their way into the things I was listening to and reading. I was shocked- it was like someone knew I needed to hear that others were feeling the SAME. EXACT. WAY that I was feeling. It didn't matter that we all are at different points in our lives, we all have the same struggles. It was refreshing, as in the universe was showing me that, Yes Gab, everyone experiences those kind of weeks. Those weeks where it seems like the world is again you and you have no way out.



Well, let me tell you a few things that I learned in the past couple of weeks.
1. You are not alone/ You are not the only one. There are so many other people who feel the same way you are feeling. 
2. If you talk about what you are going through/thinking, really open yourself up to others you trust. Let them into your thoughts and I promise you will feel so much better once you say those things out loud.

3. However those mean thoughts crept into your mind- don't give them the time of day. They are not true.

4. You might not have a win right now but think about how much you do you- family, love, kindness,, gratitude for this life- you have a lot more than you think. 



Your JOY is coming; it is not late, it will be coming in perfect time because your JOY will be made especially for you and it will be even better than you ever could have dreamed of. In these hard moments- do not worry, just simply say, Shush! and pray for understanding and guidance.  You got this, don't ever forget it. 


[[Seek HIM not the anxious thoughts]]


-gabrielle

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Happy Birthday Mom


Happy Birthday Mom! 

You consistently amaze me each day. I remember you were the mom all my friends loved and wanted to be around. You loved your double wave and I could always hear you cheering me on during the halftime performance. You always have unwavering support for me and the best advice. I know I annoy you with a million text messages a day about random things but I think you honestly love them. The fact you know exactly what I am think, when I think it (and sometimes even before I think it) still blows my mind. I am so glad you are my momma. You are truly my best friend. 

For her milestone* birthday today, I decided to ask her a few questions to learn more about her. (*hint: she doesn't look her age. She's got some great genes.)

Enjoy the interview:

Gabrielle: Hi! What is your name and age
Mom: My name is Margaret and I'm young enough to have fun and old enough to get discounts and free stuff....

Well that's a way to start. HA! On to the questions....

G:    Were you named after anyone?
M:     No

G:    What was one of your favorite outfits when you were growing up?
M:     My peach dress. My Godmother, Lottie, bought it for my first day of kindergarten. I wanted to wear that dress all the time. Whenever mom asked me what I wanted to wear, I would say the peach dress. It finally was worn and washed and ironed so many times it got thread barren. I took my first school picture in that dress.


G:    Did you have a nickname?
M:    Peggy ( I will add toots and tooties to this list.)

G:    Tell me about a heirloom that was passed down to you & the meaning it holds.
M:    Mom and Dad's wedding portrait. It is special to me in many ways. It is a daily reminder of how young they were when they married. It also reminds me that even though money was very scare in 1935-when they got married- they thought it was important to have a beautiful portrait done. I always felt that they knew someday it would be passed down to a son/daughter/ In 1975, when they were married 40 years, we had a surprise anniversary party for them and had the photo restored and the frame cleaned and refreshed. All of their kids chipped in. 

M:    Describe your first car.
G:    My first car was a Carmine Red 1978 Oldsmobile. It was purchased shortly after I began my first teaching job. While were dating, Dad had a gold plate engraved for me saying "Carmine."  We adhered it to the center of the dashboard above the radio. When the car was sold in 1987 the name plate was still there. 


G:    What is one piece of advice your parents gave you that has always stuck with you?
M:     Love your family. Work Hard. Save Money. Don't ever give up!! Go down fighting; fight for what is right. and my dad always told me I am representing the family- He would say- LOOK SMART, You are representing!!

G:    Where was the place you loved being the most?
M:    In the safety of my home with my parents and siblings. Now, at home with you and dad. 

G:    What was the best gift you were given and who gave it to you?
M:    You-Gabrielle-was my best gift I ever received.

G:    Did you have any pets growing up?
M:    Yes, many. 
A black cat named Midnight; 
An orangy and white cat named Sandy. Sandy loved water which is unusual for cats. I could bathe her in the tub and she would sit under a hair dryer. 
A greyish cat with white spots named Buttons. At the end of 5th grade, we moved. Buttons went missing for over a year. One day I was going home for lunch in 6th grade and while waiting to cross the street in front of my school, a cat came out of the bushes. She was brushing up against my legs and meowing. I realized it was Buttons and scooped her up and ran home with her in my arms. As I approached my house, I was screaming "Ma! Ma!" My mother was upstairs in our house and heard me screaming and came running down the stairs to the front door. There I was crying, carrying Buttons. 
A dog named Chico that I got when I was a junior in college in 1976. He was small and lived a long time. 

G:    What did you want to be when you grew up?
M:    I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was a little girl, I would play school on the weekends. My dad got us a large blackboard which made our basement feel like a real classroom. I always loved books and learning. 

_____

Mom, You are amazing. You are superwoman. I don't know how you do it all. Thank you for always being my best friend, my supporter, my advocate and most importantly, my mom. You are smart, sassy, strong, feisty, loving, kind, resourceful, humble, and beautiful. My life would have turned out 100% different if I didn't have you as my mom. I love you more. 

[[I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me.]]

Leave a comment below to wish Mom a happy birthday!

-gabrielle

Monday, September 21, 2020

Goodbye Summer...

Dear Summer,

Its your last day for 2020 and I wanted to reminisce about the neat things you gave me this year. For one,  I had not idea what kind of summer you were going to be- I couldn't even fathom it. I made a wish list for this summer with the normal things I like to do but I wasn't sure I was able to actually accomplish all of them (spoiler alert: I didn't but I'm not mad about it.)

You provided me with some beautiful sights in Ocean Gate and those sunsets from the beach were one of my favorite things this year. The colors, the slight changes from minute to minute and the reflection on the water brought me peace and calmness. 

Ocean Gate during the day was equally beautiful- I loved seeing all the houses along the water- they were full of character and charm and oh so many stories. I dreamed about who stayed there and what they did. I often say little snippets of peoples lives who lived there- beach chairs, sandy from a day at the beach, next to the back door; beach towels draped over the railings and water floats drying out on the grass; the smell of BBQ's and suntan lotion through the air. I could keep going on and on about Ocean Gate but my walks there were probably in the top 3 favorite things from the summer. 

Summer, you presented a unique opportunity for me this summer that combine my love for yoga and the water- Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga. Seriously, I know it sounds completely crazy BUT it was awesome. It really made you think about your placement and you became more intentional about your movements. The best part about SUP Yoga, hanging out with Adrienne. We have known each other for 5 years now and she is jus awesome. I loved our adventures down the creek and through the lagoons. I loved the board she had and I am eagerly saving my money for my own, next summer. Apparently, there was a SUP shortage this summer. I am glad I was on point with this. 

Another interesting and new thing I tried this summer was house hunting. Early in June, I decided I wanted to get serious with my dream of buying a house. I contacted a realtor and a mortgage person and really set out looking. I knew going into the house hunting process, the interest rates were really good but it was a sellers market. I went and saw two houses in person- One was the right price but not the right house and the other one was not the right price but I loved the house. Here in New Jersey, the house prices are out-of-control. I always knew Jersey was expensive but I didn't realize HOW expensive.  The inventory is high but the prices are extra high. I decided after a frustrating month, to keep my eye out but not get to attached to anything. Most of the inventory was pending the same day (usually within hours) of being listed. I am hoping for some lower prices once the election passes. The bright side of just looking- saving more money.  


I am super close to my goal I wanted and I have the mindset now- I will keep saving my money and maybe I will be able to afford a house that is better than I have ever imagined. My thoughts on savings and money have changed a bit this summer as well. I am so much more focused on my savings goals than ever. I've always had a good relationship with money but now, its the best its ever been.  I feel more in control of my money and I feel better how I spend my money as well. I would love to save more and create more security but I know that will come in time. I am happy (money wise) where I am right now. 

My outlook on life has been pretty erratic during the pandemic. It started out fearful and then it moved to laughing about it and just going with the flow and now its pretty even, accepting and okay with it all. It took me a long time to get to that point and I feel like I needed to say goodbye to somethings in order to get to the spot I am now. It was hard and painful at times but I realized, if I want to have the life I dreamed of, I need to chase it. I need to do things to align with the vision I have. Saying goodbye to things that did not bring me joy helped;  doing what makes you truly happy really works and not caring about what others think- its YOUR life. Remembering that social media is just everyone's highlight reels really helped with not comparing myself and doing my own thing. 


I took a break from dating back in March when the mess started and I thought I was ready to try again in June. Well, I tried and it was rough. Dating is rough in general ( I think) and dating during a pandemic is even harder. I know there were really cute stories about people falling in love socially distant but that just didn't work out for me. I don't know if I wasn't fully into it or its just not for me. I think as you get older, what you look for and what's important to you changes. I might not be ready to date right now but I know I am falling more in love with who I am becoming each day. Being alone is better than being with someone who doesn't value you.

Being in the midst of a global pandemic during the Summer was not ideal but I think we all learned a lot from this summer. We are all learning to be better people- to be kind and more tolerate to everyone you meet. Everyone is fighting a battle we don't know about. The biggest lesson from this summer- BE KIND. Its easy, its free and it makes all of us better. 



Summer, you were one of a kind this year. I think you brought to light the things that matter most and what you should be focusing on instead of what you are wasting your time on. You were a good teacher this year. Thanks for the memories but I am ready for Fall. 

See you next year!

___________

My favorite posts from the summer:

_______

Did you have a good summer? Did anything happen for you that changed you outlook? Share below.

[[[and all at once summer collapsed into fall- Oscar Wilde]]]

-gabrielle

Friday, September 18, 2020

Funny Friday

 Happy Friday! We made it. I thought we could all use some good laughs- you know those, big belly laughs that leave you gasping of air and full of life. I found some great memes that I have been laughing at all week. I hope you all have great big belly laughs and feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments.














and my personal favorite....

Wishing you a fantastic weekend!

[[You are not lost, you are early in the process.]]

-gabrielle

PS. I am linking up with Andrea and Erika today for Friday Favorites. 

PPS. Did you see Ramblings and Photos  and What's up Wednesday?

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

What's Up Wednesday

 What I'm Eating
Everything. HA! I am soaking up the last weeks of eating fresh Jersey Tomatoes and Jersey Corn. I am looking forward to Stuffing and soups though!

What I'm Reminiscing About
Back to school. I remember always being so excited to go to school. 

 

What I've Been Loving
Reading. The cooler weather. Snuggling up in my bed to read early in the morning or before I go to bed.

 

What I'm Dreading

The dentist on Friday. I think I might have a cavity and I am nervous to hear what he has to say.

 

What I'm Working On

Longer blog posts for the upcoming weeks and homework. 

 

What I'm Excited About

Fall and cooler weather. I am ready to take my summer clothes out and replace them with my fall/winter options.

 

What I'm Reading

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou and Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

 

What I'm Listening To

Random playlists on Spotify

 

What I'm Wearing
starting to wear my transitional items from summer to fall. I am excite to rediscover old favorites.

 

What I'm Doing This Weekend
Working overtime at my job? Homework? Reading? Eating? One of those could happen, or none could happen. We will just have to wait and see.

 

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

The real fall. I am excited to see the leaves change and for more days to be cooler. My Parents birthdays are in the next two weeks and I love celebrating them. 

 

What Else is New

Mini Plant Update: Lulu is loving life right now and she has grown so much in the past few weeks. Firecracker and Sparkle are for sure weeds at this point but I am not giving up on them just yet. Everyone else is loving life; well maybe not the quints (orchids) I might or might not have forgotten to water them for like a month. EEK!


What have you been up to?


[[Just say YIKES and move on.]]


-gabrielle

Monday, September 14, 2020

Ramblings and Photos

These past 30 days, I clearly did not make taking photos a priority but that is okay. Life is funny and sometimes gets in the way. The photos I did take, below, are kind of funny.  I feel like a life not documented is sometimes good- it means you are too busy doing things that you don't want to interrupt getting your phone out. 
I have realized a lot this year that giving yourself grace, is probably the best thing you can do. Life is all about balance; you have to take the good days with the bad days; productive days with the not productive days.
Here I am sitting on Sunday afternoon writing this, thinking back on these photos and overall how life has played out in the last few months and how grateful I am to be right here. Do some things suck and they are hard and I cannot figure out why they are happening? YES!! But when things do work out and things are good, I am thankful and filled with gratitude. Life is what we make it and I am determined even in the midst of a global pandemic to make life as good as it can be. To me, that is saying no to things that don't bring me joy, limiting my time on social media and doing things that do bring me joy. 
My advice to you: do what you love, fcuk the rest. (OOPS! sorry about the language but I felt like its appropriate.) You only have this one life to life and why not live it doing things you truly love. 
My goals for the fall are do to just that: doing what I love and finding joy in the ordinary. 

Phew, I will step off my soapbox and let you see the photos I did take...

I moved him 2 inches to the left and I found
him like this the next day. 🙈

Work Stanley enjoying a muffin wrapper

Grainy bathroom selfie

I am pretty sure I am growing weeds at this point.

Morning Light

I love the natural gradient of blues. 

 Thanks for readings as always. Having this spot on the internet, the last 8 months, has been really awesome. Wishing you a wonderful week filled with exciting possibilities. 

What are you looking forward to this week?

[[Every next level of your life will demand a different you]]

-gabrielle

Friday, September 11, 2020

Faith over Fear Friday


September 11th, 2001. A beautiful sunny day; people got up and went to work as if nothing was going to ruin their day. Little day they know, they would have a front row seat to history.  Their lives changed in an instant. Nothing would be the same. Those people had to decide in an instant- to choose faith over fear; do they put faith in that they will survive or will they let fear consume them. It was literally a choice between life and death.In those moments what did they think?  Did they pray?


In the book The Red Bandanna ,Tom Rindali wrote the following and I thought it perfectly said it


   "They came to the towers that morning with their birthmarks and degrees, allegiances and scars, student loans and night cravings. They came with their loves cherished and lost, fights joined and surrendered, bills paid and put off. They came from different paths, took different chances, practiced different faiths, savored different meals. They came with deals made, lines drawn, ventures failed, disciplines mastered, addictions enabled, orders given, cheers shouted, ideas grasped, fears hidden, reports filed, hours wasted, hearts thrilled, children birthed, time served, hopes lost. Breaths taken. Breaths held."

That day, everyone became honorary New Yorkers and the human spirit shined brightly that day. Race, religion, political affiliation, gender all melted away and we became humans again doing what has been ingrained in ourselves from birth- we helped each other. Whether it was giving a hug to someone who was mourning, we donated blood, we volunteered, we all had the core value of goodness come out in those following days.


Faith over fear isn’t about not seeing how we are scared. It is using our fear to accomplish things with faith.  I cannot imagine the dialogue these people were having with themselves. Everyone did the best they could and did what was best for them and their lives.


The Red Bandanna told a story about a man, Welles Crowther who's signature item was a red bandanna and when the planes hit the Twin Towers, he jumped into action. Welles Crowther did exactly what he loved to do- he was a leader and always wanted to be a firefighter. He was just applying to FDNY when September 11th happened. He jumped into action without thinking and his signature- his red bandanna- because a link for the people he helped and survived to find each other and more importantly, it gave his parents confirmation that he died doing what he always wanted to do- help people. Watch the story here.


This year, the 19th anniversary of September 11th, I ask you to pray. Pray for your loved ones, pray for your friends, co-workers, the country, the world. Pray that we are restored and we act like we did on September 12th- full of hope and prayers and good thoughts.


Every year, I think about where I was when this all happened. Big moments in history, you remember exactly what you were doing and where you were- I was 13 and in my middle school science class. I was so upset when we saw the second plane hit the North Tower. My classmates didn’t understand why I was visibly upset and I didn’t know exactly why either. Something bad happened but I didn’t realize until I got home that my dad wasn’t home. He was a fire captain at the time in a North Jersey City. He left earlier in the day to do exactly what he was trained to do- help people.  His shift started at midnight on September 12th- not even  24 hours after the attacks happened.  We prayed harder than we ever did that night, hoping that he was okay. 


I pray each year for all the lives lost and for the families that lost someone they loved. I think about the acts of heroics that we don’t know about and for all the people who lived because some saved them.

Join me in prayer today…

Dear Lord, as we remember the events that happened in 2001 and the lives taht were lost, we pray for comfort for all who are hurting and in need. We honor the heros who live among us and all who gave their lives to help us. May our world once again find the sense of caring, compassion and love for one another that defined us and united us after the events of the that terrible day. May people fid you to be their source of hope, peace, comfort and  strength. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 

Where were you when the world stopped?


[[When a man becomes a firefighter his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put out a fire and got killed.  -Chief Edward F. Croker]]


-gabrielle

PS. Linking up with Andrea and Erika today!

PPS. Did you miss this weeks posts- August Reads and Thoughts on Quarantine and COVID-19.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Thoughts on Quarantine and COVID


Hello month 6 of Quarantine and COVID-19. Back in April, I wrote a post about the new normal we were living in and my thoughts one month into quarantine. You can read it here.

I have been thinking about everything that has transpired in the past 6 months and I am still in disbelief this happened. Now don't get me wrong, I totally understand what is happening and why we are quarantining and social distancing but it still seems foreign. How in the world did we wake up on March 14th and the whole world changed and what's even weirder, the last normal day for us was March 13th AKA Friday the 13th- the most notorious bad luck day; it makes me laugh a lot. It would be our luck.

I am smart but wrapping my head around all the information is hard. In the beginning I was very overwhelmed and unsure what to think. My emotions were all over the place and I was a mess. I felt like it was taken very seriously by some people and then other people didn't take it seriously. After six months, I still think its a mixed bag of peoples reactions and how they feel about this.

Here in New Jersey, most of the restrictions has been lifted and most places are back open and school started yesterday. I feel as if we are being held under these emergency orders that have been in place since March is a little overkill at this point. We all need to assess the risks for ourselves and do what we think is right. COVID definitely has not gone away but we learned to live around the flu and other virus' that have popped up. We should be able to live around COVID as well. 

[[Can I just make a point how stupid we-The United States- must look that we have to be told to wash our hands? WHAT?!]]

I am all for wearing a mask and keeping others safe. It seems like the simplest way to protect ourselves and others. In March, mask wearing wasn't really a thing yet and I felt since I had to go through security in my building, I should wear a mask. Sometimes there would be one guard, sometimes five. I would put the mask on to get through security and then rip it off once I was away from them. I would almost have a panic attack every time I put the mask on. My heart would start to race and all I could focus on was the thing over my face. We now have to wear a mask if we are in a common area of the building but in our own offices, we can remove them. Now after wearing a mask daily for a few months, my heart still races, not as terrible and I feel more comfortable wearing it. Maybe its because I bought "cute" masks, maybe I am getting used to it, who knows but I will continue to wear the mask because if that will keep me safe and you safe, I am all for it. 

Speaking of keeping safe, I am in the group of "immunocompromised persons" and its scary to think I am relying on others to keep me safe, I have come to realize that I can only control what I am doing.  I choose to limit my interaction with others by going to stores early in the day, and avoiding super crowded places. I have waited until August to set up doctor appointments and get my hair cut. The only consistent place I have gone is work. 

Work has been weird. The public has not been allowed into my building since March 17th and while that has been very nice, it was very strange in the beginning. I work in a busy building that the public frequents all the time. To see no one but (limited) employees in the hallways, is strange. I've gotten used to it and while its nice not to have those interruptions, I wonder how its going to look once the public is allowed back in. 

Another thing that in the beginning, was hard to understand was, working in the office and not from home. I was angry that we were in a building during the height of it. We had a social distancing schedule for a few months where half the office would come in on certain days and the other half would come the other days. I am lucky that I have my own office, this helped the anger I had, coming into the office. Lysol was/is my friend in those early days and keeping my windows open for fresh air made it even better. I employed a lot of different calming techniques during the day when I was overwhelmed- deep breathing, stretch breaks and yoga on my lunch. 

One thing that didn't not slow down was our workload. We were inundated with mail- since that was the only thing we could do without the public. All of our in person processes became mail in processes. It was weird in the beginning trying to explain to people what they had to mail into us but now its old hat. I am thankful in one way that we have been so busy, it kept my mind off of all the unknowns. I heard some of the other offices like mine have been closed since March and I couldn't imagine the amount of mail that has piled up in the past six months. I would cry; looking back at what I have done in six months, the volume is insane.

I relied heavily on my therapist in the beginning of the pandemic. I think one of the sessions in the beginning, I broke down and cried to her via a virtual session. I never had done that in my 5 years of seeing a therapist. It felt like I hit a wall and I was stuck. She listened and validated my feelings and provided me with some things that I could do to keep the overwhelming feelings at bay. 

Exercising really helped with the feelings. I tried virtual yoga classes with a few different instructors; I tired Pure Barre with Andrea Rodgers on Openfit; Country Heat and Cize on Beachbody; long walks around my neighborhood and by the river and Standup Paddleboarding on the creek were my favorites overall. I knew I needed a distraction and exercise totally helped. After the spring, I only really stuck with walks and paddleboarding in the summer. Now its the fall, I am going to try to incorporate one or two virtual classes a week. I know I need to move my body more and I think it would be beneficial in so many ways. 

I stayed in contact with friends sporadically. I know everyone has been having their own challenges with how they are dealing with all of this. I know personally, I become withdrawn from others when things get hard. I am stubborn and tend not to ask for help. Even though, I don't speak to my friends often, I pray for them and their families each day and hope everything is okay. 

Its September and I feel like I have a routine (which is something that I thrive in) and its a newer normal than it was back in March. I feel like we all have somewhat come to terms with this and we are doing our best. I am hoping something changes and I hope people learn from this. I pray that we all make it through this and we are grateful in the end for the small things we have been missing over the past 6 months.

Looking forward, what the next six months brings? I have no idea but hope that things get slowly better. As much as I want things to get back to normal, I don't think normal will look like what we were used to. It will be different and I know one day in the future we will talk about this crazy time but for now, I am not complaining about this new normal- it could always be worse. 

[[Do what makes you feel comfortable ]]

How are you dealing with everything? 

-gabrielle

Monday, September 7, 2020

August Reads

Happy Labor Day! If this year is doing anything, it is surprising me how quickly time is flying by. I'm pretty sure we just celebrated Memorial day 2 weeks ago! LOL I am hoping you are enjoying your day off and the unofficial end of summer.

YES you read that right, I read BOOKS in August. This is a first for me since MARCH! I ended up finishing 6 books. I couldn't stop reading and I love it! All the books I read were really good, in their own ways. The Libby app has really helped me get back into reading and I've already finished one book and working on book two and three for September. 

Here is what I read:

The Testament by John Grisham//// 4 Stars
What a great book; I think this is the first book I read by John Grisham and it did not disappoint. This book talked a lot about Wills and Estates and since that is part of my job, I found it very interesting and engaging. The chapters were long but I never felt they were not relevant. I loved all the detail about South America and what had to be done to get this estate settled.  I read this in a few days thanks to the power outage we had in early August. 

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine//// 4 Stars
This had been on my list for a while but the physical copy of it was never available at the library; thanks to Libby I was able to read it. Our local library had a online book club and this was August's pick and it was really good. Super twisted and I was constantly guessing what was going to happen. 

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth/// 4 Stars
This book was on my list for a while as well. Set in Australia, it bounced between the present and the past and between different characters. I really liked how this book was written from different perspectives- it gave the reader the whole picture. A big twist towards the end which made me love the book even move. 

Open Book by Jessica Simpson//// 4 Stars
I had heard a lot of good things about this book. The beginning for me was slow but I stuck with it and I ending up really liking this book. I thought she came off a lot more relatable and I learned a lot about her life. I used to love her music when it first came out. Long read but its filled with a lot of funny moments. 

Thank You for My Service by Mat Best/// 4 Stars
I found this book originally in Barnes and Noble last November. It looked interesting but I never found it again. When I found it on Libby, I downloaded it immediately; this book talked about his early life, how he got into the military, his life in the military and the life outside of the military, I enjoy these books because I will never know military life and I find it fascinating. While there was a lot of "bro" moments overall its a good read. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher//// 4 Stars
This book was amazing. I went through an array of emotions reading this book. I LOVED how the base story took  place of over one night. It blows my mind what teenagers go through and how its even more complex now with technology.  I am curious now to see how the series on Netflix converted the book to TV.  

Phew! That's a wrap for the books I read in August. It was an eclectic bunch of books this month and I cannot wait to see what September brings for good reads. 

What are you reading currently?

[[A well read woman is a dangerous creature.]]

-gabrielle

PS. this is post ONE HUNDRED of this year! Woah! Thanks for reading along!

Friday, September 4, 2020

Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday!!! This is the first post of my new Friday series. Let me introduce:

Each month, Fridays will be specific topics I will talk about and share articles, photos, and stories related to the specific topics:

1st Friday of the Month: Feel Good Friday
2nd Friday of the Month: Faithful Friday
3rd Friday of the Month: Funny Friday
4th Friday of the Month: Favorite Friday

I am excited to share and  connect with you all during the Friday Feels. 

To kick this off, Feel Good Friday....

These stories gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you see someone you love, something amazing happens and (often) when you see you food come in the restaurant. 

Dog and Boy Playing catch/// How can you not smile and be happy after watching this? A boy on one side of the fence and a dog on the other side playing catch. This is absolutely precious and the dog is so SMART to know to bring the ball back to the other side. 

Dad plays extra hopscotch/// This dad goes all out and make sure he fully attempts his daughters extra special hopscotch. What a cute idea! 

Next Level Street Art/// This artist is incredible with what he has created. I cannot fathom how he figured out how to create all of this and how much time it took to create this . 

Kid Drum Major//// Seeing him so dedicated to his dreams is adorable and the hat (I think its a box?!) and the moves. He is absolutely precious. 

Waving Goodbye/// So. MANY. FEELS. with this photo. Props to the parents for being so darn creative. 

Okay! I am officially have all the 😍. I am pretty sure I am going to stay like that the rest of the day. All the good feels were felt today. I love stories that make me smile.

Share you Feel Good Friday stories below in the comments.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika today!

[[you are enough, just who you are]]

-gabrielle

P.S. Did you miss my posts this week? check out Happy September & Favorite School Supplies