Bekah's Bits

Well, friends, we have made it to Friday. What a day it was here in Indiana yesterday. I knew it was supposed to rain – and maybe even storm – but I had no idea it would be as severe as it was. I’m grateful that I made it home just before the worst of it hit, and I am grateful that Ryan made it home in time as well. Lexi wasn’t a huge fan of the booming thunder but managed to be distracted enough by treats to get through the worst of the storms. We had a lot of wind, some hail, and torrential rain, but we didn’t have any damage. A couple of counties south of us, there was extensive damage, and I am just sick looking at the pictures. ☹

When we have stormy days like this one, and I think about our Friday topic of writing your story a week at a time, I think it’s important to look back weather events that shaped something about your life.

Here in Indiana, the two weather events that shaped many lives were the Palm Sunday tornado (in the 60s) and the blizzard of 78. You hear about them every single year around the anniversaries of their occurrence. Both were before my time, but for many, their understanding of the severity of weather and the lasting effects it can have on life were shaped by one of those two events.

If you are going to write about them, you might mention things like this:

· What was the weather event and how old were you when it took place?

· What was significant about it in comparison to other weather events of your lifetime?

· How did you prepare?

· How did you react?

· What kind of damage did you have?

· Were there injuries?

· How long did it take to recover?

· How did it change the way you look at weather events?

Though the first one I’m going to mention here was not a significant weather event in the grand scheme of life, it did make an impact on me! I was an 8^th grader when we had a really bad ice storm in the spring. We’ve had a decent number of ice storms in my lifetime, but this is one of the worst I can think of. The ice was thick and power outages were widespread.

We had a death in our extended family and the funeral was scheduled to take place about 3 hours from where we lived – right in the middle of that ice storm. (The bad weather hadn’t stretched that far, so everything went on as planned in that town.)

My dad felt like he couldn’t leave our house because of the power outage and the possibility of the basement flooding, and Mom felt like she couldn’t miss the funeral, which was for someone on her side of the family.

So she and I got in the car and drove three hours (which was probably much longer because of the slow speed we had to take) to that funeral. We stayed in a hotel overnight, which was such an adventure! It sticks out to me, because I so hate driving in bad weather, and I can’t believe Mom braved that drive!

I was in college – though home for the summer – when a tornado went through our little town right in the middle of a festival week. Mom and I had gone to the high school to watch a play and planned to stop on the way home to get an elephant ear from the street vendors. (Food trucks weren’t a thing yet. They were still street vendors.) They had all closed up shop because of pending bad weather, so we went home. We put the garage door up right before the power went out, and I think I had time to carry about three armloads of my worldly possessions to the basement before it was too dangerous to come back up for more.

My parents were true Midwesterners – out in the yard watching – and I was the responsible adult in the basement, sobbing over the potential loss of house and home. It went just north of us, and we were spared, but it shaped me and marked the beginning of my true fear of storms.

If you’ve read here many years, you’ll remember the stories of the tornado in my sister’s town years ago. That one really shaped me. Once you see – in person – the incredible destruction that can come from such a powerful storm, you have tremendous new respect for it.

Weather events are pieces of life that we can learn about from news archives, but chronicling personal reactions matters. That’s where the real stories lie. Like the day after the tornado in my sister’s town, I went out to mow the yard – mostly to take a break from the 12+ hour marathon of the Weather Channel I’d been watching to see footage of the destruction. I remember feeling so profoundly guilty for mowing the yard because I had a yard and they didn’t. I had to stop my work and come inside because I couldn’t handle the guilt.

Those are the stories that matter in remembering weather events. Those are the personal sides of life-shaping events.

How about you? Have you been shaped by a major weather event?

Last month I told you about a random Tuesday in our lives. This month, I thought I’d follow along for a Day in the Life of Shafferland again, but on a Wednesday instead!

A Wednesday in March
Ryan is 44, Bekah is 45, Braeya is 17, Lexi is 2
Weather: Partly sunny with a high of 69. I AM READY FOR SPRING!!!!

MORNING:

We’re a few days into the time change, and while I hated the actual day of the change, I’ve noticed this week hasn’t been as extreme of an adjustment as usual. Not hating that! Ryan wakes up a little before I do and is studying the Bible in the quietness of the living room. I make my way to the desk, gripping that important first cup of coffee, and sit down with my Bible study. Today’s reading from Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament draws some beautiful parallels between the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles. I make many notes in my journal and Bible and then move on to my daily reading in our Sunday School calendar. The topic this month is prayer, and today’s reading is about the disciples praying together in the Upper Room after Jesus’ ascension. I conclude my study time by praying specifically over Ryan and his day.

While I work on my study, Ryan heads into the bathroom to get ready, and Lexi emerges for her breakfast. She always crashes out for a post-breakfast nap on our bed after she eats, and that’s where I find her. Ryan puts away the dishes that have finished drying overnight, so we can start the day with a nice, clean kitchen. It’s time for me to write him a love note and pack his lunch.

Ryan eats his standard oatmeal and banana for breakfast and talks to me about the plan for the day while he eats. I don my work shirt and a pair of jeans and set out to make my own breakfast, which is a new recipe for me today. I’m a bit nervous about it, because the main ingredient is a banana, and I actually don’t like eating bananas (unless masked inside something, like a smoothie or bread). This recipe is an air fryer banana split, and while it may not look the prettiest, it really is tastier than I thought it might be. The yogurt and pecans help with the banana texture and flavor. No complaints!

While I eat my breakfast, I check my email, scroll Facebook, and stop by the blog for a quick check to make sure the post for today looks right. Ryan says goodbye and heads to work, and I make my way into the bathroom to do my skin care routine, hair, and makeup. I have a couple of Marco Polo messages waiting for me, so I listen and respond while I work. I’m at the tail end of the hair-day cycle, so it ends up being a headband day. Washing it tonight!

Lexi is curled up in her bed beside my desk, and I warm up my coffee (still on the first cup) and sit down to plan the day. The good/hard of today is that it is my last day of work this week. Two vacation days = delight. Preparing for two vacation days = punishment. You know!!

I start by sorting through emails. I have many committees I’m working with right now that are advancing from one phase to the next, and I am trying to make sure all of them get into all the meetings they need to attend and that we get paperwork moved along in a timely manner. Ryan sends a message that he bought some protein balls in the café at work. He knows I’ll be jealous. We both love those things!

My next order of business is to go through my daily task list for work to see what things must be done today and which ones need to be deferred until Monday when I’m back in the office. It takes a while to go through this list each day, and longer today since I’m taking extra time to make sure all my people are going to be okay in my absence.

I have to send out a mass email…anyone else ever get freaked out to hear all the chirping from the undeliverable addresses after such a sending? My computer sings for a good little while!

I spend two full hours working on emails and task lists, and then it’s time for my first meeting. I warm up my coffee and log on to meet with one of my Steering Committees. (By the way, when I stand to warm up my coffee, I notice my hips and legs are VERY sore from Boot Camp last night. Good sign, right?) My meeting is a super fun one with a committee I’ve been working with for several months. They had a huge step forward in their progress yesterday, so our meeting is designed to celebrate that and prepare them for the next steps. I haven’t seen them for a while, so it’s SO GOOD to see their faces on Zoom and talk with them for a bit.

The meeting ends and I grab a protein bar for a snack and make a note that my breakfast did a much better job of keeping me full than I thought it would! I missed a call from Ryan while I was meeting, so I call him back and hear how his morning is going. He tells me about a birthday party one of the residents threw for herself and tells me it sounds exactly like something I would do. NOT WRONG! I love throwing parties. I also have nine texts (NINE!!!) that have come in during that half hour, so I skim those and respond to the ones that I can reply to quickly.

Lexi is still asleep in her bed, and Braeya hasn’t emerged from hers yet this morning either. I pour the third (and final) morning cup of coffee and sit back down to continue pilfering through the task list and the emails. My inbox is kind of like a sinking boat. I empty it out and it fills right back up!

I’m thrilled that it is GORGEOUS outside today and am so hoping that we can take Lexi on a walk after work! I think it’s supposed to rain the next two days, so we need to take advantage of the sun while it is here.

The trash truck goes by, rousing Lexi from her deep sleep and heavily offending her. She stands at the window and barks at it until it’s out of sight. With that potential intruder sent on its merry way, she slinks back to bed to resume napping.

As I continue my work, I realize our internet is down. I am not sure if it’s us or this area. If it’s the area I will need to drive to Ryan’s work to spend the afternoon there where I can be connected, because I can’t afford to miss time ahead of my days off. Ryan finds a message about it being down until early afternoon and literally in that same moment, it comes back up. Who can figure? I’m just glad it’s back.

I fly through more emails and meeting schedules, and Lexi wakes up and wants her lunch. It’s a little early, but not too bad, so I go ahead and feed her. No one needs a hangry puppy. While she eats, Braeya emerges to take a lap around the dining room and bathroom. She must not find anything interesting, because she makes her way right back to bed.

My goal, which I narrowly meet, is to get through my entire (initial) inbox and the full task list before noon. I have a meeting with my supervisor this afternoon, and I need to be able to accurately answer any questions she might have about any/all programs I’m working with, so getting through all the lists and tasks early means I’ll be prepared to do that. I have a working list of my own to ask her questions about things that are stumping me.

AFTERNOON:

Noon arrives, and my inbox is full again. The first email I find leads me to hand over one of my committees to the next coach in the next step. It’s like graduating a kiddo from high school. I have really enjoyed this committee and am SO excited they are moving on, but I’m sure going to miss them! I send an email to the next coach they’ll work with to let her know they’re ready and leave notes for her about my experience with this group. It’s all good stuff and a complete joy to write. What a great way to start the afternoon!

As soon as I finish that, I find another good news email sitting at the top of my inbox. I can’t think of the last day I had this many good answers roll in during one morning’s time. WHAT IS HAPPENING? Also….YAY!!!!! I’m so excited about this one that I have to text Ryan right away to tell him. This one has been a stressor for me for several weeks. I’m so happy…I should eat lunch!

Lunch today (for both of us) is a homemade protein bagel with turkey, cheese, lettuce (okay, kale. It’s what we have), and tomato. Ryan’s having carrots with his, and I’m finishing a cucumber before it goes bad. I fill up my water tumbler for the second 32 ounces of the day. I have 45 minutes before my meeting with my supervisor, so I work while I eat to make sure I’ve done everything I can to be as informed as possible when that meeting starts.

Ryan calls a few minutes before my meeting starts, so we catch up with each other for a minute and then he goes back to work and so do I. He found another party at work. They know how to do it right! I make a fresh cup of coffee and take a quick social media/personal email break to clear my mind before it’s time to log in to the virtual meeting. I give Lexi a treat in hopes that she will settle down for the duration of the call.

It doesn’t work. She wants to be part of the meeting so much! I eventually give her her afternoon snack and right about the time the meeting ends, she wanders into our bed and plops down for a nap.

My meeting is a good one, though, and I leave with a list that I am determined to conquer before the end of the day.

It takes a full two hours to knock out the rest of the list, and I end up working over a little bit, but I feel good about all I accomplished. It was a computer-heavy day, and I don’t mind those a bit. With much glee, I make a final list of things to do next week and set my out-of-office notification! Time to close that computer! Lexi materializes exactly three minutes past quitting time, because she knows when the work day is supposed to be done. She is never happy when it goes longer.

EVENING

I change into my capsule wardrobe outfit for the day. It’s a full change today – jewelry and headband and the whole bit. I remember that I have clothes hanging on the line dryer from when I did laundry Monday (whoopsie) and hang them up in the closet. While I’m putting away the line dryer, I get a text from Ryan (who is supposed to be home in 15 minutes) letting me know that he will likely have to another run, which means now he’s gone for another hour or more. I’m really sad because it’s 70 degrees out and I have lived this whole day for a walk outside, but this is life when he’s working alone in his department. (All his coworkers are off right now.) Literally in the same moment, I get an email from my supervisor asking me to tend to something before I’m off, so I open the computer back up to do that.

Ryan calls about 10 minutes later and says they weren’t able to make the trip happen, so he’s coming home. Best news! Lexi is pouting in her bed beside me because I’ve gone back to work, and she wants to play. Hang on, little girl! A w-a-l-k is about to commence!

When I mention that Ryan is on his way home, sister girl goes into high alert mode. She runs to the stairs and watches for him. Then she goes to the window. Then the bed. Stairs. Window. Bed. The whole time, she “teakettles” as we call it (high pitched squeaking). Every car that goes by is a wild disappointment until it’s HIS car. That tail starts going 100 miles an hour and she loses her mind.

We immediately head out for a walk around the lake. I haven’t been outside all day, so it’s the first I know how truly AMAZING it is out there. No coats needed. Sunshine, perfect breeze. It’s just like April 25^th (the perfect date if you’re a Miss Congeniality fan). We run into one of Lexi’s dog friends and a few crazy drivers (have to jump into a driveway once to keep from getting hit), but for the most part it is a quiet and leisurely walk in which we tell stories about our day. That’s always our favorite!

When we come home, it is so sunny and warm, we decide to have dinner on the patio. What!? In March? Ryan makes Lexi’s dinner Kong and feeds her in the house. I warm up leftover butternut squash lasagna from last night (a time-consuming, but worth-it adventure) and Brussels sprouts and kale salad. It sounds so gross, but it actually tastes a lot like broccoli salad, which is one of my favorite things. Ryan has a toasted piece of homemade bread with his. We sit on our picnic table for the first time this season and enjoy our meal! I dive into my final 32 ounce water tumbler for today – right on track!

After dinner, Ryan wants to go wash the car, so he does that, and I sit on the patio for a while longer, listening to the beautiful sounds of the lake and drinking the cup of coffee he made for me before he left. I pray for a while, and then my prayers are interrupted by the neighbor across the lake who is chasing geese out of his yard. They apparently don’t understand his commands. It’s extremely amusing. He gives up, goes inside, and I go back to praying. When I finish praying, I remember I had an unfinished Marco Polo from this morning, so I listen to it and respond.

Eventually Lexi becomes offended by her shadow and barks at it ferociously, so we come inside. She’s tired from her walk and outdoor exploration, so she hunkers down in her bed to nap. I am preparing to speak at a luncheon tomorrow, and I still have not printed my talk, so I do that and get it situated in my speaking binder.

Because I’m kind of like Amelia Bedelia, while I’m looking at my speaking binder, I realize I haven’t made a proper cover for it, so I make that. (I have a goal of making matching binder covers for all my binders this year. My binder shelf will be SO PRETTY when I’m done! While I’m making the cover, I realize the printer has stopped printing, so I go check on it…a jam. Ugh. I hate paper jams. I try to fix it, restart the job, and then it doesn’t like the paper size. I fix that. It sits. I wait to see if it will resolve on its own. I love our printer until it throws a fit and then it’s just maddening. Usually it pouts for a while and then just starts chugging out a print job. Not this time. The job keeps disappearing from the queue. I try again and remind myself why I don’t wait until the night before to print talks. It can smell the urgency.

It finally prints, as does my pretty cover, and I print out the last piece for tomorrow, which is a sheet with all my details: time to arrive, length of speaking time, contact info for the event organizer, etc. Even though this is a smaller gathering in a familiar place with people I know, I don’t leave home without my details!

It is supposed to rain tomorrow, and Ryan is not going with me to this event, since it’s during his own work day. (I don’t need slides for this talk, so it works out.) But I have been invited to bring my books to sell, which means I need a bag of supplies for that. Since I don’t know how far I might have to walk or how hard it will rain, I decide to pack a supply of books, my little table signs, my brochures, and my binder in the bag I usually carry to church, and I grab a throw blanket to put over it to protect everything from the rain. I’ll take extra books to leave in the car in case I need them, but I won’t have to worry about hauling it all inside in dress shoes while wielding an umbrella.

I spend a little time working on my day planner – catching up some plans for tomorrow – and also looking over my meal plan for the remainder of the week. I will need to go to the store in a couple of days to buy fresh produce for the weekend. It would be handy to have Ryan stop on his way home from the car wash tonight, but I think it’s too soon. We’ll just go another day.

Lexi and I head to the couch to settle in for some rest. I turn on some jazz music in a fake coffee shop on YouTube and pull out the two books I’m reading right now: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Crucial Conversations. I haven’t had time to read in either one for a few days, but I knock out a few chapters. I find a few quotes in the C.S. Lewis book that I want to remember when I have my writing day in a few days, so I take pictures of those pages. I’ll never find them again otherwise.

Ryan comes home, fixes our last cups of coffee for today, gives Lexi her last snack (and we get our last snacks too) and joins me in the living room. We both spend some time catching up on our computers.

Before we get too tired to think straight, Ryan kindly listens to me do a final run-through of my talk for tomorrow. I typically don’t like to do it the day before the event (out of consideration for my voice) but I’ve been gone/working late the last two nights, so this is the only chance. You can see how enthralled Lexi is. Ryan gives me good feedback, and I appreciate his willingness to listen and encourage.

It’s getting late, so Ryan does the prep work for tomorrow morning: filling the coffee pot, refilling the Berkey, and he even does my normal chore of refilling Lexi’s Kongs. I take a shower and wash my hair so I can commence with the job of drying it before bedtime.

With my hair freshly washed, I finish my nighttime skin-care routine and talk to Braeya, who has emerged for the night. She’s ready to go! (So nocturnal.) Ryan is dozing on the couch, the jazz coffee shop is still playing, and Lexi stretches out for a nap of her own.