Tag Archives: Zoom

Sep29

More Ash And Smoke

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More Ash And Smoke

With the air quality alerts we’ve had recently, I’ve been finding more things to do inside. I’ve been reading and writing more. And I’ve been watching more TV. I know. I should be sorting through documents and clothes in preparation for my trip to Mexico next month. I should be contemplating that last venture to Bath and Body as well as Walmart. I should be hunting for my 2026 Kinkade calendar. But I’m procrastinating.

Went to the theater on Saturday to see Eleanor The Great. Enjoyed the movie but not all the ash that had settled on the car in the parking lot. As always, the pastor delivered a great sermon on Sunday. Then we all descended to the lower level of the church for the chili cook-off. Fellowship and food. And I got to show off a photo of my granddaughter Madeline that my daughter sent me that morning.

Monday is my stay at home day. Laundry. Ugh! Not my favorite indoor activity. In the afternoon I had my Bible Study on Zoom. A great way to stay in touch with friends when it isn’t possible to meet in person. Then I finished off a module in a course I’m taking online.

Coming up indoors this week are writers group, book club, small group and lunches with friends. Possibly a hike through Costco, LOL. I’d rather be out on the loop.

The weatherman keeps threatening rain. Hmmmm. Hopefully, but no lightning please. There are enough wildfires burning all around us. One of them is limping towards Wenatchee. That’s getting a little too close for comfort.

Please keep praying for all the firefighters and the people who have been evacuated.

Mar21

Screen Time

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Screen Time

Screen time has occupied much of my time in the last couple of weeks. Some of it was necessary and some of it not so necessary. I admit I do enjoy playing Candy Crush but I limit my time with that activity. The other screen time has been far more productive.

The most tedious by far was researching travel. What day should I leave? Where should I fly out of? Where should I fly into? Where do I want to spend the longest layover? When will I feel the least exhausted?

I’m taking a course online from Yale University. We delve into feeling and expressing our emotions in a more positive way, even if they are negative emotions. Videos, lectures and readings are most informative. And of course there are the assignments that we submit.

I’ve also had two very interesting webinars from writing groups I belong to. Today’s was especially interesting as it focused on going from the first to the third draft before submitting for publication. And I am currently on the final edit of my third draft.

I also tuned in to a Zoom meeting on North Central Washington Libraries. This one dealt with homelessness, a very real and increasing problem in our world today.

I also had my usual weekly Bible Study on Zoom. We are studying 1 Corinthians and always have interesting and lively discussions.

And now I’m writing this post on WordPress. It’s a short one as I’m eager to take a break from writing and studying. The sun is shining and it hasn’t quite hit 85 yet so I’d like to go out for a walk.

Have a great weekend!

Feb25

February Finale

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February Finale

February might be the shortest month of the year but it’s been one of the busiest for me. While the focus this winter has been on writing, other activities fill my days as well. Church online. Bible Study on Zoom. Writing Webinars. Conversation Club. Tutoring. Friends. And finally this month I did some traveling.

I went to visit my friend Angie in Pachuca. It’s been three years since we last saw each other but we just picked up where we left off. Time was of no consequence. We first met in December 2010 on El Chepe up in the Copper Canyon. We hit it off as we were both teaching English at the time. Angie is Mexican and was a superb translator for me because back then my Spanish language skills were practically non-existent!

This week my daughter is competing in the CPU Nationals in Canada. I must admit that it’s a little unnerving watching her bench press more than her weight but I’m also so very proud of her and what she has accomplished. Last year I got to see it in person. This time I’m watching online.

My granddaughter Madeline turns seven tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday I flew to Ontario shortly after she was born. Video calls will have to suffice until I see her again in person this summer. I predict that she will be as tall as Grandma by then.

I’m attending a program on Zoom later this week that deals with publishing. I’m looking forward to it as I hope to publish a book this spring and the writing world has changed since I first published back in 2009. My genre has also changed and my next book is fiction.

I enjoyed my break from reading all the newsfeeds. And I ignored the podcasts. Now back to reality where people are still trying to hack into my Facebook and Microsoft accounts. Back to reading about more airline mishaps. Back to reading about The United States of Democrats and The United States of Republicans. Back to reading about the gong show going on in Canada. I think I need another break.

Feb29

February

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February

February may be a short month but it’s been a busy one. And it’s a leap year which means that today is a leap day. And I have only one month left until I fly back up north.

I was tutoring Emiliano yesterday and he told me that his classroom at school is haunted. I had to double check the translator on that one to make sure I heard him right. He told me that at night the chairs and desks move around. He says the windows and lockers open up too. Apparently a few years ago a student fell down the stairs as well. An interesting legend.

Texas is burning up. The state has set a record for the largest wildfire. Gusting winds are in the forecast. I wonder if it will spread to any neighboring states.

On the plus side once again a partial government shutdown has been averted. That makes me happy. Air traffic controllers were set to walk off the job along with many other workers. But I also wonder how long it’s possible to put these last minute short term deals together before all hell breaks loose.

Most of my Zoom meetings are done now. While the programs and classes I’ve attended have been interesting, they have also consumed way too many weeknights this month. And then there’s the task of reorganizing my notes and putting them in files. I’m looking forward to having more free time now for writing.

I went our for breakfast with my friend Gloria yesterday to celebrate her birthday. We went to one of my favorite neighborhood cafes where they actually prepare chilaquiles that are not too picante. I find that as I’ve grown older my body doesn’t enjoy spicy foods the way it used to.

On the topic of foods, a new restaurant opened up close by. I had the most delicious ribeye tacos and the guacamole was also amazing. Can’t wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

Movie of the week I watched in Spanish was The Sixth Sense. It was a lot more challenging than the English version I saw many years ago. But it’s still a great movie.

Time to practice Spanish with Duolingo.

Saludos!

Feb15

Let’s Move On

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Let’s Move On

The Taylor Bowl should have ended on Sunday. But it’s Thursday and it’s still going on. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got more media coverage than the game. The 49ers came on strong, screwed up and blew it. Done, finished, over with. Don’t dwell on it.

And now for the weather. Are we back in December here? 50s instead of 80s? Rain? And it’s not even the rainy season. Enough already. Bring back the normal sunny warm weather to Aguascalientes. Friends in Guadalajara and Mazatlan and several other places in Mexico are complaining as well.

Alaska, my favorite airline, please have a little more respect for your flight attendants. Resolve this issue before it’s time for my return flight up north in April. Disgruntled employees are not in your best interests. Neither are dissatisfied customers.

Okay people. I’ve ranted enough for one day. Now for something more positive.

We’ve had iffy weather and along with it comes iffy internet. The Wi-Fi actually was only out for a few hours on Tuesday and I was able to catch the last twenty minutes of my Bible Study on Zoom. And in the evening I attended another Zoom session with NCW Library where we discussed conflict in terms of escalation and de-escalation. Tonight the topic is compassionate communication and that should be an interesting one.

Off to do some shopping and practice my Spanish.

Saludos!

Feb10

Zoom Zoom

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Zoom Zoom

The pandemic has subsided but I still find myself taking courses and attending workshops via Zoom. The month of February is a busy one.

This past week I began attending programs sponsored by the North Central Washington Libraries. The first topic was Learn to Listen-Listen to Learn. It was a good review of listening techniques that I studied decades ago when I was going for my counseling certification. And it reinforced the idea of acknowledging and validating the feelings of others.

The second topic was Conflict. Definitions as well as characteristics of conflict were discussed. Five different styles of responding to conflict were explored focusing on relationship and our own agenda. A link was provided to assess our own individual style as well.

On both evenings we were able to go into smaller breakout rooms and ponder the above topics. It was a great experience and I’m looking forward to the remaining four evenings coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Another Zoom experience this week was for writers. The topic was The Art of Writing Immersive Worlds. The speaker was Cat Rambo, a Nebula award winning author of science fiction and fantasy. Material covered here included techniques and tools for making a reader feel totally immersed in the world of our characters.

Another Zoom group I do regularly is a Bible Study with my life group back in Wenatchee. We are currently studying John, one of my favorite books.

Do you Zoom?

Jun30

Friday June 30

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Friday June 30

In another lifetime I’d be taking my kids to pick up report cards and then we’d be off to Chuck E Cheese. Why does it seem like just yesterday when it was decades ago?

I had a Bible study on Zoom this morning. Then I edited the piece for my next writers group meeting. A productive morning. One more thing on the agenda and I need to stop procrastinating. I’ve been looking at flights to Winnipeg and the times and connections are awful. It’s easy to get to Mexico from Sea-Tac but not to Canada, especially not Winnipeg.

It’s a holiday weekend. Canada Day tomorrow. July 4th here on Tuesday so sadly no Tai Chi. It’s hard keeping track of what’s open and what’s closed. But fireworks are definitely on for Tuesday, as long as there are no more fires close by again. There have been a few already although it’s early in the season.

Yesterday I did my recertification as a SAIL instructor. Hard to believe I’m in my seventh year teaching. I subbed again in Leavenworth for two weeks. Although it’s not a big class it’s still my favorite class. Three of the ladies have been in my class for six years. They live in Mountain Meadows now but are still very active.

I was just outside with the munchkins and it is hot out there. They weren’t interested in staying out there very long. They were quite content to come back in and crash on their doggie beds in the air-conditioned house.

Who’s going to see the new Indiana Jones movie? I plan on doing that.

Happy Holiday Weekend! Stay hydrated and stay safe!

Apr5

Getting Settled

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Getting Settled

What do you mean I’ve been back for ten days already? I just got here! On Monday I finally got down to AT&T and got my American number for 2023. I also got a new phone. So now I’m playing around with all the new features. Amazing how phones change so much in three years.

I also went to Walmart on Monday for the first time in six months. Never did get there in Mexico. No need to with my corner tienda. Time to start buying things in packages again. Time to start filling up shopping carts again. It’s very different up here. I always go through reverse culture shock especially when it comes to shopping.

I haven’t started teaching fitness classes again yet. I decided to take a few days and just breathe a little. There are still a few things I want to do first. I want to check out the Senior Center in Wenatchee. It’s a much larger facility than the one in Leavenworth and has a lot more activities.

I also have a couple of Zoom meetings coming up. I haven’t started any university courses yet but that’s on the agenda. And now that I’m back in Washington I can actually go to some events in person now. It will be nice to meet the people I’ve been chatting with online.

It’s been great getting together with friends again. We always have lots to catch up on. So much goes on in six months. Right now I’m cutting back on my writing so I can spend time with friends.

Alexa’s joke today: What did the pecan tree say to the psychiatrist? I think I’m growing nuts.

Happy Humpday!

Mar8

The Theme Tonight Is

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The Theme Tonight Is

I’ve been working on the third part of my book. And I’m struggling with how to get to the ending. I’ve tried four or five different sequences of events and I’m not satisfied with any of them. I get these crazy ideas in the middle of the night and it’s wreaking havoc with my sleep pattern. I seem to do my best writing in the wee hours of the night.

I’ve been checking out the time changes. Here in Aguascalientes we are not springing ahead. But they are in Washington. Not sure what’s going on up in Canada. I’ll have to check because one of the Zoom groups I’m on is in Canada. Wouldn’t it be nice if the whole world was on the same time zone?

I was talking to one of my friends in Leavenworth last night. She’s moving to Wenatchee at the end of the month. We teach SAIL classes together and it will be nice to have her close by. I don’t really know many people in Wenatchee yet. Most of my friends are in Leavenworth, Dryden and Cashmere.

The weather has become incredibly hot here. Ninety degrees. The sun feels a lot stronger here too. Yesterday I met friends at a restaurant three blocks away from where I live. While I was able to walk mainly in the shade it was still hot, hot, hot! Then I see the photos of all the snow in California. I hope it’s gone by the time I get to Washington.

I need to get back to my writing. I just got another brilliant? idea. I’m listening to Eric Burdon and The Animals from back in the 60s. I wonder if that’s what inspired me.

By the way, I don’t live anywhere near Matamoros, although I have been there. It’s not one of my favorite border towns and what happened there this week doesn’t surprise me.

Happy Humpday!

Feb26

I’m Just A Little On Edge

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I’m Just A Little On Edge

A month from today I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. I’ve warned everyone that they snow better be gone. I don’t expect it to be 85 like it is here, but I don’t want to see any of that white stuff either.

Charlotte arrived in Calgary the other day to -37 and her car buried under snow. Sharon arrived in Portland after a detour to Seattle because there was too much snow in Portland and the runways were a mess. In the news all I read about is the cold and snow up north and as ready as I am to head home, I don’t want to experience another winter up there.

Yesterday was Koal’s birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for over fourteen years. I would love to have a dog again but it’s bad enough that I deal with three different Immigrations every year and I can’t fathom doing it with an animal. Of course I do have seven chihuahuas waiting for me in Washington lol.

Today is Madeline’s fifth birthday. It seems like yesterday that I flew to Ontario when she was born. As I recall an ice storm greeted me there. Happy Birthday Madeline! Grandma loves you and we’ll party when I come to visit you in Kelowna this summer.

I’ve been on Zoom a lot this week. The Writer’s Workshop was most informative. The bible study I do with Church of the Rock focused on forgiveness this week, very thought provoking.

Of course in person is still better. I’m looking forward to the next SAIL training in April in Wenatchee. I really miss teaching those classes when I’m here in Mexico for the winter. It’s much more enjoyable to be with other people.

I’ve been listening to a lot of country music while I’ve been writing this week, mainly from the 60s and 70s. I alternate between Spotify, You Tube and of course Alexa. That genre seems to go well with the stage of my main character’s life right now. Of course it also inspired me to revamp the chapter I’m working on.

Have A Great Sunday!