October Blessings...

Two cows on the walk to work...arguing about sharing the bucket...This is India!

 BLOGGING ON A SUNDAY

This week marks the end of October, and almost the end of my third month back in Bangalore. This is a small update to say that all is well, despite occasional setbacks. When I stick to tried and true routines, such as regular swim workouts and mindfulness exercises, proper nutrition and a little social on the side, work goes much better. It is when I forget the basics of physical, mental, and emotional health, I slip in to anxiety which leads to depression.

I have found that blogging helps too!  Sometimes when I write about the challenges and resulting blessings in my life, it helps me appreciate people, events, and  all of the silver linings within the dark clouds.

On Instagram I started documenting #365days of gratitude, another tool I have used to ponder the blessings of life since July 1, and there are many more...

BABY SHOWER
I love weekends!   This weekend started with a baby shower to honour an expectant mother on our staff. This lady happens to be our PYP Coordinator, and she is having twins! The babies are due in January, but with twins, you never know. The staff decided to try to surprise her with a lovely baby shower at a local resort.

Mom to Be and Bee

BTW, she is having TWINS! 

Cute idea for Baby Shower...personalized diapers!

Coffee at the end of a lovely evening! \

HALLOWEEN

After a chat with my hubby on Skype and a swim on Saturday morning, I walked to work with a smile on my face, ready to help decorate the Haunted House. Much of the basic work had already been accomplished by the Extra Curricular Committee and the Halloween Committee, but for me, any excuse is a good one to go into work. Not only did I get to lend a helping had, but I got a first hand view of the display. I can't wait for the BIG day!  Happy Halloween to you...now don't go showing this to any of the students at our school! 

Working hard to scare the children!

One of several ghosts- BOO!

Bats created by children, strung by the committees

FRIENDS

Last weekend I was browsing through Facebook and saw a picture of a woman wearing an Ohio State University sweatshirt. That flipped my brain to Ohio, and memories from primary school exploded in my head. A name came to mind, a girl that who was in my grade 4, 5, and 6 classes in a small town school in Ohio. For fun, I thought I could search for her name on Facebook, and sure enough there she was FOUND! I paused for a few moments and wondered to myself if she would remember me, as we did stay in touch for several years after my family's move to Canada. 

I was thrilled when she responded positively to my message, and it has been fun catching up between our her working hours, and the time difference. We are hoping to Skype soon, when the Indian Internet is a bit more cooperative. 

Sue, my beautiful childhood friend from Ohio. So grateful to have "found" her on FB! 

FAMILY

Never far from my mind are our two grandchildren Everly and MacArthur, who are growing leaps and bounds!  Now in Junior Kindergarten and Grade 1 they were visiting a pumpkin patch (at night) this weekend. These are two pretty brave children!  I am quite fortunate to see their smiling faces on Instragram and Facebook, and to have the occasional chat on Skype. 

Evie and Mac...these TWO- words cannot describe the evoked emotions!

WORK

You may wonder why I am away from these two little ones, my son, my daughter, and her growing family.  Sometimes, I wonder too. Work is important to me at this phase of my life. To have full time work in the same place everyday, no matter where in the world it may be, is fulfilling, challenging, and a blessing. 

I have had to opportunity to teach in Canada, Egypt, Saint Maarten, India, Kuwait, and now back in India, I believe it is important to "bloom where you are planted." I keep saying to myself, only one more year,  and as each year passes, I am reluctant to give it up. Some day, I may have to retire, but for now the plan is full steam ahead, growing daily with the challenges of professional responsibility. 

I will continue to count my blessings, on into November, December, 2018, and as long as my memory can hold the faces of family, friends, and other folks from around the world. 

Until next time, 

Bee Rich

Post Thanksgiving 2013

Found on Facebook-things to do today!

As I prepare to go in to work after a weekend out of town visiting with my wonderful son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, I find myself suddenly a little anxious. What do I have to do to prepare for work? What have I forgotten? Does the pool need vacuuming?  Should I vacuum at home before I go in?  Do I teach aqua fitness today? Do I have the right music?

Scrolling through my Facebook account, I came upon this gem, posted by a friend and former boss. Looking up to the sky always gives me a sense of peace so it is appropriate that these calming thoughts are posted in the clouds with some blue sky peeking through.

I did spend yesterday counting my blessings- good health, a job for which I am passionate, a loving family, caring friends, a warm home, clean water and delicious food; the list is infinite.

Practising kindness- I try in every area of my life to be kind and caring, but is that enough? Is there more I can do?

To let go of what I cannot control is important, too, and I am working on that one...

Being calm while productive is also key to success. For me, anxiety sometimes leads to a waterfall of rushed emotions and negative self talk.  Back to the part of being kind.  I know that being kind to oneself is also necessary. Taking time to read, write, sing, dance, play and breathe deeply from the fresh air is essential for me to get and stay positive. Turning off the negative self-talk is a good place to start!

That brings me to another quote that I had squirrelled away to be used at an appropriate time.  The time is now.  This message is not only to myself, but to all of the people who struggle with self esteem issues:

To be compassionate to others,
we must practise self-compassion.

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Counting Blessings instead of Sheep

When I was a little girl and I could not get to sleep my parents suggested that I count sheep.  Not really knowing what that meant, I would imagine a flock of sheep passing through a gate or over a bridge and begin to count them, one by one.
Nowadays when I gain consciousness in the middle of the night and cannot turn off my brain, I am often awake for hours dwelling on conversations, events, people, this and that and wondering When will I get back to sleep? I know how important it is to have a requisite number of hours of slumber, but that doesn't seem to help.
So now it's 12:02 a.m. and it is Saturday!
I went to bed to read at 7:00 p.m. I read until the thunderstorm outside caused the power to go off and because the flashlight (or torch) was not at the bedside and fell asleep to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. The cool breeze floated in though the bedroom window...
But now I am awake, reflecting on the day past, anticipating the day ahead and feeling somewhat sad and anxious. I stayed in bed and listened to the gentle rain outside, the whir of the ceiling fan overhead and the rhythmic breathing of my husband.  I tried deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques and a little more reading. Eventually my whizzing mind said Forget about sleep, forget about sheep, get up and count your blessings...
And so, here they are, in no particular order, some of the things that make me smile...please pardon my self-indulgence!

The beauty of the Earth!

The next generation, whom I miss dearly and will see in less than two months!

My sister, who battled cancer for the second time, and won!

Me and Harry, my step-father's best man, who passed away this past week.

Our colleague's son, with whom we will be spending Saturday evening. 

My husband's family on the occasion of the parents' 40th anniversary                        

My son and his son!

My daughter, who follows her dreams...

My favourite man in the world! In four weeks, we will be on our way back to the lake!

These are just a few of the blessings in my life for which I am thankful...my big brother is another one, but I cannot seem to find a good picture of his smiling face, as he is a little bit camera shy. 

Nonetheless, I am a very fortunate person!

Until next time, 

Bee Rich