Five Simple Things (April 16)

Hello.

This week we took a trip up the Cascade Mountains and played in the snow for a little while. It was nice to get out of the Valley and away from some of the stressors that seem to frequent the area where we live. It seems that Linn County here in Oregon is constantly having someone protesting something and right now people are protesting having to wear face masks. I don't understand the mentality behind people that protest protecting themselves and others. The selfishness is unbelievable among people nowadays and it's extremely annoying. The protesters claim the face masks are like dog muzzles. Clearly there's only ignorance behind the protests. I hope the face mask wearing continues forever, honestly. I like the fact that no one recognizes me. As an introvert, it's nice to be able to walk into a store, get what I need, and leave without being held up by someone wanting to brag about themselves. I'm joking, of course. Well, kind of, but it is nice to run in and run out sometimes. We also took a few pictures of Jeff in his fire department uniforms. He officially resigned/retired this week and it was bitter sweet. There were several reasons why he did this. One main reason is, we are moving, but another reason is because he didn't feel welcome in the district anymore. He learned a lot and thanked them for the training, but overall, they burned him out. Plus, other relatives being part of the district made it awkward for him to even step foot when they were around. Jeff is too proud to admit it, but being treated outside the district as a business deal, or a burden really wore on him over the years. It was hard watching him day in and day out go through that type of abuse. Those that do it don't even realize the toll they took on him. But, on a positive note, he is in a much better place and said he feels less weight on his shoulders. Here are five things this week.

1. This Snow.

As stated above we took some time and drove up to the Cascades and played around in the snow for a bit. It's weird that it's 75 degrees just 20 miles from where we were, but because we're up in the mountains, of course we got just what we wanted with the snow, too, and it was a fun day.

2. These Boxes.

Mighty Nest

Mully Box.

Cairn.

3. This Kitty.

I woke up to her meowing and thought she needed something and realized it was 9:00 a.m. She knew it wasn't normal for me to sleep that long and she was meowing to make sure I was okay. She's such a sweet cat. I am glad she picked us.

4. This Retirement/Change.

Jeff officially retired from the Lebanon Fire District this week. I helped him type up his departing letter and it was bittersweet. He was glad to be giving it a break, though. He said he's burned out on the fire department, especially the one he gave 10 years of his life to. It's a good change and good things to come. We love you, Jeff, and we will always be on your team.

5. This Episode.

Our latest podcast episode is out this week. It's a murderous nurse that had only thoughts of herself and what she wanted over others. Check it out at the podcast link at the top of the blog, or here.

Did you check out the new moon this week? It was a beautiful sight. New Moons normally bring about changes, so I am looking forward to positive changes coming soon.

Positive affirmations this week: 

"Today is a bad day, but tomorrow is a new day" 

Sometimes bad days make us think we have bad lives and that isn't true. Just because one day is bad don't let it keep you from trucking forward and getting better and staying the course. You can do this!

Have a nice weekend.