MAY W.I.S.H Thread:

[MickeyMom76]

TOPIC TUESDAY

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I know alot of us love the beach/ocean, but when was the last time you stood under a tree in the woods? Have you ever consciously tried 'forest bathing'? How did it feel? Are you able to give it a try this week and report back?

I grew up in the trees! Our yard was about an acre and outlined with maple trees. I climbed them all the time. I sat in them to read and write and draw. We played games in them. so many good memories of those trees.

Now we live on the edge of a forest. Our development’s walking path goes through the woods. I enjoy looking at the trees from our home/yard. Sadly many are dying from disease or insects. But I still love trees. One of my favorites is when the watching the wind blow through the trees, turning their leaves, just before a storm. Another is watching the squirrels jump from tree to tree on their branches, which look like they will barely hold the squirrel!

I am really looking forward to getting out west for the first time (this summer to Vegas/Grand Canyon & next summer to Yosemite) and seeing the differences in nature and the landscapes!

 

[Summer2018]

I grew up in the trees! Our yard was about an acre and outlined with maple trees. I climbed them all the time. I sat in them to read and write and draw. We played games in them. so many good memories of those trees.

Now we live on the edge of a forest. Our development’s walking path goes through the woods. I enjoy looking at the trees from our home/yard. Sadly many are dying from disease or insects. But I still love trees. One of my favorites is when the watching the wind blow through the trees, turning their leaves, just before a storm. Another is watching the squirrels jump from tree to tree on their branches, which look like they will barely hold the squirrel!

I am really looking forward to getting out west for the first time (this summer to Vegas/Grand Canyon & next summer to Yosemite) and seeing the differences in nature and the landscapes!

When we flew to Arizona two years ago and then drove to California, I was blown away by the mountains and desert. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I am really looking forward to getting back there again. It’s like another world.

 

[MickeyMom76]

When we flew to Arizona two years ago and then drove to California, I was blown away by the mountains and desert. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I am really looking forward to getting back there again. It’s like another world.
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Thank you! Every time I think about it, I get so excited! That picture is an amazing view! I just can’t wait!!!! We’ve mostly done (and will continue doing) Disney and east coast beach trips for vacations. So it’s exciting to look forward to something different!

 

[piglet1979]

I know alot of us love the beach/ocean, but when was the last time you stood under a tree in the woods? Have you ever consciously tried 'forest bathing'? How did it feel? Are you able to give it a try this week and report back?

I used to go into the woods as a kid but can't really bring myself to do it now. I am so scared of snakes that I avoid places they might be. I do go into the metroparks here in town and they have a ton of trees. There is a road and a cement path through them. I just stay away from the dirt paths. Last summer DH took us to a park that had a dirt path by the lake. There was a squirrel or chipmonk or something moving around and just the sound of it I jumped and yelled and then walked back to parking area and waited for them. Nature and I don't get along very well.

I'm loving the sunshine but we need some rain. I had told myself that I would walk every day after work, but that has sort of fallen away. I need to get back on it for my mental health!

I understand this. December, January and April were bad months for me. Not a lot of movement. I am back at it now. Try to get even a short walk in. Being outside and having some movement has been a big help.

 

[Oneanne]

 

[Oneanne]

 

[Oneanne]

This is an aerial view of Lincoln Park, sadly not taken by me. That's the ferry dock in the upper right hand corner and my house would be just out of picture to the upper left. It is a lovely stretch of beach front and lots and lots of trails thru the trees. Yet despite being so close I never go there. I drive past during my beach drive loop, peek thru the various entrances and get happy just looking at the trees, but never stop. A lot of it has to do with my Dad drilling in to us to never hike alone, also partly because it gets busy and hard to find parking, yadda, yadda, yadda... I've blocked out lunchtime Thursday and will head down there for a walk and will take pictures and report back.

 

[sjrec]

To all our teacher friends today!

 

[sjrec]

I do walk on a wooded trail every day and love watching the trees change throughout the seasons. I don’t wear earbuds because I enjoy the birdsong (and staying alert for the occasional deer that crashes out of the woods!). I tend to walk briskly though and an article I read about forest bathing mentions meandering-so today after my walk is done I will linger a little and try to be more aware of my surroundings.

 

[Summer2018]

I have so many alumni that I absolutely adore. Pre-pandemic, they would come back and visit all the time. Seeing them always made my day.
Today, two of my favorites from 10 years ago brought me a plant and thanked me for being their favorite teacher. It was so hard for me not to hug them. We just cried together. My heart is full.

 

[Summer2018]

 

[PollyannaMom]

May the 4th be with you!

TOPIC TUESDAY ... Have you ever consciously tried 'forest bathing'? How did it feel? Are you able to give it a try this week and report back?

Not when I actually knew it was a “thing” , but I definitely practiced it in college all the time! There was a walking trail right on the edge of campus, and there was this one spot where it dipped down a just a tad and you literally could not see a single sign of civilization - not even a telephone wire. I loved to stop there and just bask in the peacefulness.

There is a trail not far from my house now that is not as secluded, but definitely still feels “forest-y”. I haven’t been on it in a while, but DS and I have always liked it, so I would like to get out there again when the the weather is a little better.

We also have a small hill at the back of our yard that is filled with trees. It’s not nearly big enough to be called a forest, but it makes a nice backdrop for sitting outside (or, at the moment, freezing on my phone because the cat wants to sit outside even though it’s damp and raw .)

 

[sjrec]

So I did take time after my walk to just sit (there’s a bench at one point along the trail) and listen and watch. I saw several cardinals, a little yellow and black bird and a chipmunk ran across the trail less than 10 feet from where I was sitting. It was nice not to hurry off after walking and just enjoy being outside.

 

[glss1/2fll]

It's funny you mentioned trees just after I was looking at visiting the Redwoods this summer. I was reading about the various hikes and thinking, I've done that one! Absolutely love it! We're thinking about heading down I5 this summer with the twins and ending up there. They're very materialistic and used to being bought, so we're not sure how they'll feel about all that nature, but we will love it!

Got my walk in today after work. Mostly because a friend said I'll be there to walk with you. Glad she made sure I got some steps in!

 

[Summer2018]

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

 

[Oneanne]

It is Wednesday, so let's ....

I

 

[Oneanne]

Woohoo...
... I have a clean house! They were here for four hours cleaning and scrubbing, seemed like a long time for such a small house but it looks and feels great.
... I'm getting a new laptop! Mine has been doing weird stuff, like opening up an email when I click to delete it or having to do multiple clicks to get a response. I had heard that it is painful to go thru troubleshooting with the help desk and that that had to be done before a new one could be purchased so I was dragging my feet about doing anything, then yesterday I got an email that mine was at end of life and ready to be replaced!
... couldn't get an appointment for an oil change until next week, but I'm going to drive out to my Sister's Saturday any way, really need to get out of town.
... I get my massage tonight!
... I've been working on my credit in anticipation of buying a house at some point and needed to add another credit card so I got a Disney card. Now I'll start using it as my primary card to earn awards, including paying for the remainder of my Sept resort charge now... extra bonus the trip will be all paid for before I go.

 

[piglet1979]

I am woohoo that we are finally hearing something about the vaccine for 12-15 year olds. It is looking like in the next few weeks the kids can start getting the vaccine. Maybe (I am hoping) we can some type of vacation before school starts in the fall.

 

[sjrec]

Woohoo that it stopped raining and the sun came out, so I got my walk in.

Except for a salad, dinner is leftovers, so I will enjoy this nice weather on the deck with a good book!

 

[Summer2018]

Today was my last observation of the school year. We were fully remote (Mute button Wednesday), and my principal was online with us. While I was teaching, I was moving between my desk to the smart board to the big book stand and my MacBook, so I didn't have my eyes on the kids for a lot of the lesson. I had prepped them yesterday, and they knew how I expected them to behave. It's May. We should have our act together by now. Well, one of my older boys (a 7 year old repeater) did something very naughty (the kind of thing I will never forget). I didn't see what he did because I was at my desk demonstrating an activity on my document reader which was projected on the smart board. I heard my principal yell at him which was weird because she never raises her voice, so I knew something bad happened. I kept teaching because it sounded like she handled it and I didn't want to feed into the bad behavior. Five minutes later, a parent texted me. She told me what the student did (which was outrageously inappropriate), and that when he was disciplined by the principal, he gave her the finger.

I can honestly say that none of my observations have ever gone like this one did today.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!