Skip to main content

Year Three, Day 81: Zita the Greeta!

Our heat wave is beginning today.  It was 65 degrees this morning. Sun already blazing at 8:00 a.m. 
I apologized to the Squire the Dog, but I told him no hooping on the deck for me today!

I head to the track. To my favorite tree. And hooped in the shade.  A high of 97 is predicted today. 105 tomorrow and Thursday.

Thankfully I am just working in my church office job in the morning today. My afternoon students cancelled. So I will taking the Max up to have lunch with my daughter and a little gym workout.
I have a couple of evening students. So I"ll stop at home, hang out with Squire the Dog and then hop on the bus later. It will be REALLY hot then, but usually the buses are nicely air conditioned. If I am totally miserable, I will reward myself with a walk in the mall after I teach.

I talked to a really nice tech from the printer company today on the phone. He remotely configured the drivers in my new work lap top so that I could use the printer.  I sat on the phone talking to this nice young man. He told me he would be entering my computer and taking over my cursor. I told him to go for it. I sat back, sipping tea and watching in fascination as my cursor moved around, opening programs and displaying all kinds of codes and IP addresses. We chatted about the weather and the upcoming eclipse.  And after a few minutes, I was up and running!  It was such a pleasant exchange. I wish all life was like this!

While I was talking to my new tech friend, the door opened and a smiling woman with a bouquet of flowers walked in. I told her I was on the phone with the printer tech and would be with her shortly. She whispered that she did not want to interrupt. She was a neighbor who had just gotten married. Our church had allowed her guests to use our parking lot. She brought flowers and a card to thank us.  I whispered my thanks back.  I put the colorful arrangement on my desk.  The colors matched my outfit today.  It is nice and cool in my office.  I wish I could just hold on to this happy feeling, sit and look at a vase of flowers.  And relax.

But work must be done, and work I shall!

I got back to work and there was a little knock on the door. In walked one of the leaders of one of the groups that rents space in the church. He comes in every Tuesday and visits.  He always brings me a rose. He brought me a lovely red rose today. In a little vase of water. I always put it on a shelf by the "Jesus" sign. :)



 He sat down and we talked a bit. He likes to make home made bags, purses and wallets and give them as gifts. He showed me his newest creation. He told me he is going to donate some homemade bags to his sister who has a homeless ministry. I told him about the hat I knit for my new grandbaby. I said that now that I have learned to loom knit hats, I want to make more! I thought about giving them for gifts, and donating to the church for their bazaar. But maybe his sister could include them in care packages for the homeless? My friend smiled and said he would ask her. So nice to have a partner!

I got back to work with a smile on my face.

But then, the door opened and a friend of mine I had lost touch with walked in! He lives in the neighborhood and had stumbled across my blog and recognized the pictures of the church I work at. He wanted prayers for a family member with terminal cancer. It was so lovely to chat with an old friend.  I like my job. I once told my boss with some guilt, that I had to stay later to finish a project because I chat too much. But she told me that being friendly and welcoming to visitors and church members is my MOST IMPORTANT job! :) I still feel guilty having so much fun at work, but I am glad to embrace my role!

Just call me "Zita the Greeta! :)





I was saying goodbye to my old friend, when the door opened yet again. And in walked "R"! I have not seen R since late June. I thought he had moved on. The last time we talked, he asked for my phone number. But never called.  He looked a little disconcerted that I was talking to another man, but my friend must have picked up on my vibe and said he was just talking to "his friend" and was leaving. He held the door open for R.  I waved and told my friend to say hi to his wife.

R looked relieved. He stopped and asked if I had a glass of water. We walked back to the kitchen together and had a lovely chat, catching up.  I poured him a glass of water. "You never called", I teased looking at the water fill up the cup.

"I will", he said. "I've been working on myself".

I smiled. I didn't ask what. But I noticed he looked like he had been working out.  I understood.  I feel like I am not quite "ready" to date yet either. I too am working on myself.

I like having these kindly people to talk to. Friends.

Then he went to his meeting. I went back to work.

Tomorrow I will go to my doctor and get to the bottom of this cough. I will not let him intimidate me or discredit my condition. I will calmly, in a positive but firm voice tell him I have had a cough for over 8 months. It has gotten slowly worse. I wheeze and hack all night. And my nose is always stuffed up. I will tell him it is very frustrating because I WORK OUT DAILY and EAT HEALTHY.

I have a feeling he was fat an lazy profiling me last visit. When he didn't seem to take my cough or the lump under my jaw seriously. When he hurriedly gave me a prescription for Prednisone.

Nope. Not taking any of that. I may be on the Oregon Health Plan, but I take my health seriously.

I just want him to rule out something serious like emphysema, COPD or cancer.  Or even a sinus infection.  If I am in the clear, I will continue to work on dealing with my health naturally.

And I will continue to work out daily, eat healthy, pray and study.

And meet and greet new friends!

Happy Tuesday my friends!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Love,

Zita :)

P.S. Today was Day 47 of daily hooping!




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day 347: My Big Fat Greek Salad!!

I have perfected the art of making a Greek salad!  I have made two huge bowls in the last week. My kinds rave. Essentially the secret is f vegetables , good feta cheese, Greek olives and a homemade dressing made with light, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar,  and oregano. Here is my recipe: MY BIG FAT GREEK SALAD Serves 4 hungry adults 4 cups greens (I used a "spring mix" from Fred Meyer) 2 cucumbers 6 roma tomatoes one small red onion 1 cup cubed feta cheese 1 cup Greek olives (pitted) Get out a big bowl. Peel a clove of garlic, cut in half and rub it over the interior of the bowl.  Wash the lettuce if it is not prewashed and packaged like mine was.  Dry the leaves, and tear into bite sized pieces. Throw into the big bowl. Note: Romaine lettuce is good to include in the mix, because it is hearty. Peel the cucumbers and dice. Add to bowl. Cut the roma tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds (otherwise they make th...

Year Two, Day 307: Chasing Away The Gloomy Weather...with Music and a Smile! :)

It seems to me that most of the city is depressed, tired and sick. I still have my low grade snuffly nose, along with sneezing, and itching eyes.  Low energy. It is nice to know I am not the only one. Misery loves company, don't you know! Even through the gloom, I had an enjoyable day.  I told myself several times that I really am a lucky woman. My kids are grown, I'm going to be a GRANDMA, and I love my work. My church job is a nice secure little job and it seems I am quite needed there.  I am still learning the ropes. But I am enjoying it. Meeting new people. And best of all, I have only a 1 1/2 minute commute (by foot!). I have a cozy little room in a household full of wonderful laid back people.  People who love animals and music. But best of all, my afternoons are filled with music. I basically get on the bus and travel about town, sitting at pianos, visiting with students, who are like my family. We talk. They play the piano for me. I offer pointe...

Year Three, Day 110: I Like Change, But How Do I Help the Suffering?

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning. I had planned on getting to the track by 6:30 a.m., because I thought today was the first day of school. You see, the public is not allowed to use the track when school is in session. Understandably so. But alas, I overslept! I still headed out with my hoop, hoping it was before school hours at 7:30 a.m. And I breathed a sigh of relief. The school looked vacant. And only one solitary jogger with her solitary dog was present. I got busy in case the kids were due to arrive. Got a nice hoop workout in. No sign of children as I walked back to the house. So I did what I should have done in advance. I consulted Google. And most happy am I - North Clackamas School District does not start back to school until September 6th! Portland Public Schools start today. But the elementary school next door to the track lists "student hours" as 7:45 - 2:00 p.m. So I really am going to have to get an earlier start next week. I am aiming...