What I Learned in July

I know we have a couple more days left in July, so it's entirely possible I'll learn something else before it's said and done, but I wanted to give you a goal update tomorrow, and then Monday starts August! So today I'll tell you the things I've learned (so far) in July. 

* A group of pandas is called an embarrassment. (Also cupboard or bamboo.)

I actually don't remember now where I ran across this little tidbit of information. (It's also entirely possible that I've learned it before and forgotten it, so this might be a refresher!) I don't know if I saw it on social media or TV, but regardless of the source, I still think it's strange. If you go out to herd sheep, do you go out to embarrass pandas? 

* If you have trouble with a ring sliding off, secure it in place with a thin silicone ring.

It hasn't happened too often, but there have been a handful of instances in my life when my engagement ring has fallen off and gone missing temporarily. (The most recent time was over a year ago at WillowBridge, and I found it in the landscaping! It was a cold day, I had walked outside, and it had slipped off my hand and fallen into the ivy along the sidewalk.) A few years ago, we tried to get a metal piece to attach to it to help it fit better in cold weather, but they were insanely expensive. I have a personal conviction about ever taking off my ring for any reason, so I don't want to take it off even to replace it with a silicone ring when I'm doing outdoor activities, etc. But I saw an idea this month to purchase a very thin silicone ring and slide it up against your ring to keep it in place when your fingers are cold, and your rings are likely to fall off. That idea appealed to me!

(I remember when we were doing the waterfall excursion in the Dominican Republic, and the water was FREEEEEEEEEEZING. I swam with my hand balled into a fist to keep my rings in place!)

* If you don't want a turkey gobbler in a photo, put your tongue on the roof of your mouth when you smile. 

I saw this one on Instagram! You know how it goes when you smile for a picture and then get frustrated by a double chin? If you put your tongue on the roof of your mouth when you smile, it will help eliminate that. I checked, and it really works! Now I just have to learn to do it with my mouth closed so it doesn't look like I'm sticking out my tongue between my teeth mid-smile! 

* It's important to know why you're working out.

One of my goals for the month of July was to return to regular workouts. I'll talk more about this tomorrow, but the short answer was that it did not go well. Rather than ONLY getting irritated by this, I tried to turn it into a learning experience. I read a very helpful article that pushed me to examine a handful of things, and one of those things was why I was working out. Was I doing it to check off goal boxes? To lose weight? To get stronger? 

Early on in the month, I got a pretty ugly hamstring injury, and Ryan advised me to take a break until it was better. I was not happy about it, because at that point, my goal WAS to check off boxes, but I knew he was right about taking a break if I wanted to heal. So, during my break, I found the helpful article and challenged myself to find a better why for working out, Ultimately, I realized I wanted (more than anything else) to become stronger and feel better about myself. And I really want to enjoy whatever it is I do for exercise. 

I also had to remind my Type A self that sometimes a workout is from life and not from a video. The day we reseeded the yard, I planned to still do a workout video, but by night, I couldn't move. I had done a neighborhood walk with Ryan and Lexi that morning. I had walked four miles on the greenway with my friend that afternoon. I had helped scatter straw over the entire yard. I had walked 20,000 steps and lifted/bent/carried...all of it. That is a workout. It's important for me to remind myself that workouts exist at all because in general, we don't move and work like people used to in daily life. If I have a manual-labor-intensive day, that really IS still a workout! 

This whole part of my life is still a work in progress, but I'm learning things that matter for the long haul, and that makes me happy. 

* I need new shorts.

I cannot tell you how many times this month I looked at pictures that popped up in my Facebook memories from 11-12 years ago and said to Ryan, "Hey! I'm wearing those shorts today!" TIME FOR NEW CLOTHES, BEKAH!!!!

I've actually been working on a new wardrobe plan, so new shorts (and other items, too) are on the list. You know, there's something to be said for clothing that has enough quality for longevity, but there's also something to be said for knowing when something needs to retire. These shorts need to retire. ;) 

* Our lives now allow for side work if we desire.

The work we did for the last two years was so all-encompassing that there was absolutely no room for any kind of side anything. Prior to WillowBridge, I did some freelance writing once or twice a year for the Wesleyan Church, but I had to decline the offers to write while we were at WillowBridge, because I didn't have the time to put in the research and writing time. (Devotional writing is a very specific genre that is SO challenging for me, because the word count is minimal. A lot of work goes into whittling down the message enough to fit in the space while still conveying something of value.) I'm grateful that somehow I remained on the list of people to contact for writing assignments, and this month I accepted one! 

In addition to that, we've been considering how we might do some work on the side, both for the fun of it and to supplement our income! To even have the freedom to consider this is something new and delightful. I am thankful for it. Dreaming is one of our favorite things, so this is extra fun. 

* There should be a whole course for people who buy brand new homes, so they know how to advocate for themselves when it comes to yard and landscaping.

I look forward to the day when my writing material does not revolve around yards. We have learned a TON in this yard-growing process, and unfortunately, much of it has been a costly learning experience. Ryan is experienced in yard work, he does lots of research, and we are fairly intelligent people, but we had a lot to learn that would have been nice TO learn before going through what we just went through. 

Maybe someday I'll write a post about it, but this is an area where we definitely wish we could have learned what to ask for, fight for, and advocate for. It would have saved us so much in time and money.