In an effort to actually maintain my 2020 goals, because they are in fact good for me, I figured I would blog about them. This seems to be a good medium for reflection and accountability for me. Soooo let’s see how I did in May, shall we?
1. Find a morning prayer routine
So I actually took away the Morning Offertory prayer I was saying & switched to this. Why don’t you keep both you ask? Cause I wasn’t feeling it, that’s why.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
I am, however, trying to incorporate other daily prayers and novenas into my list (currently doing the Pentecost novena). I love the format of Kendra Tierney’s booklets & check out her blog HERE.
2. Travel internationally relatively cheaply at least once
Well me and everyone else is on a travel ban right now. . .sooo nope! But I have some quarantine blog posts reminiscing about travel:
- UNESCO: Medieval City of Rhodes
- NEH Teaching the Holocaust through Visual Culture: Budget Reflection
- UNESCO: Archeological Site at Delphi
- UNESCO: Acropolis, Athens
- Reality vs Planning: 2019 Athens & Aegean Cruise Trip
- Travel Tips: Visiting the Acropolis
- Reality vs Planning: 2018 Andalusia Spain Trip
3. Finish our master bathroom renovation
We accomplished nothing with this goal this month in the rush to be done with the school year.
4. Work out at least twice a week
Week 1:
- There was only 2 days in this “week” so…no
Week 2:
- Monday, May 4: BodyRock: Ass, Inner & Outer Thighs Live Workout (50:14)
- Wednesday, May 6: weekly hike with a friend
- Friday, May 8: Nike Training App – Back & Biceps Burnout (24 minutes)
Week 3:
- Monday, May 11: ChallengeHIIT – Full Body 15 Min Time Cap (18:03 – this kicked my butt!!!)
- Thursday, May 14: my usual 6 mile social distancing hike
- Plus we walked a few times but I forgot to write them down.
Week 4:
- Sunday, May 17: Nike Training App – Smoldering Shoulders (25 minutes) + TWO walks around the neighborhood
- Monday, May 19: LOSE MORE FAT BY TRAINING THIS MUSCLE GROUP (that’s the actual name of the workout lol all caps too) (26 minutes)
- Friday, May 22: 1-hour walk in the woods with a friend
- Saturday, May 23: short walk around the neighborhood after dinner
Week 5:
- Monday, May 25: short walk around the neighborhood before breakfast & BodyRock HiitMax Sexy Core & Six Pack Abs (13:54)
- Tuesday, May 26: simple workout exercises while watching PD videos + a walk around the neighborhood
- Wednesday, May 27: Nike Training App – Smoldering Shoulders (25 minutes) + a walk around the neighborhood
- Thursday, May 28: my weekly hike was cut short by your Florida afternoon thunderstorms (but we still got an hour and a half in)
- Sunday, May 31: BodyRock How to do Ab Exercises with Bands (28:24)
5. Build a bookcase for our library
I’m really starting to think I was crazy putting this on the list, but hey a girl can dream, can’t she?
6. Do not purchase new clothes unless I get rid of something first
I successfully did not buy any new clothes this month! My sister-in-law did try to tempt me with pictures from the clearance rack while she was at TJ Maxx but I am doing my best to stick clear of unnecessary trips to stores right now.
7. Reduce our grocery bill by $100 a month (it’s like $800 right now!)
*Note: the coronavirus outbreak & us working from home has changed our food buying patterns a lot
Week 1:
- Saturday, May 2: $4.19 at Publix (Will wanted to make homemade “Crunchwrap Supremes”)
Week 2:
- Any groceries this week Will bought for my surprise social distancing birthday party so I’m not counting it here, it’s part of my gift! #loophole
- We bought no “regular” groceries (wooohooo)
Week 3:
- I was so determined this week not to go grocery shopping and YOU GUYS I DID IT!!!
Week 4:
- Sunday, May 17: $296.89 at Aldis (after not going food shopping for so long we were desperate lol)
- Friday, May 22: $164.35 (I was only supposed to go in to pick up my prescription. . .)
Week 5:
- $120.37 (I realllyyy tried to make it to June 1st but we’re having a Zoom brunch with friends & we didn’t have OJ or champagne so I had to go to the store lol)
Grocery TOTAL for May: $585.80
Restaurant TOTAL: $50.33
*We’re trying to do take out at a local restaurant at least once a week to support the local economy.
**We’ve ordered pizza 3 times this month lol (part of my birthday gift, Mothers Day’s social distancing gift to my MOL, & a few days ago).
8. Finish decorating the living spaces in our home
So Will and I are currently batting this a bit. He does not want to spend ANY money on anything for literally the foreseeable future & I know that is unrealistic. But as school starts winding down he has begun to engaged me in conversations of “wouldn’t this look nice….” 🙂 Check back in June. . .I’ll wear him down I’m sure.
9. Read and/or listen to at least 30 books
I do a big book review at the end of the year but these are the books I have read or listened to in May:
- Every Sacred Sunday Year A: 2019-2020
- Why?: Explaining the Holocaust (I’ve been working on this one very slowly because it’s a heavy topic)
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (audiobook)
- Inferno (finished! I’ve read this already but I’ve been doing a virtual book club with a co-worker reading about a canto a day)
10. Blog at least once a week (or 52 times over the year)
I successfully blogged 11 times this month:
- UNESCO: Archeological Site at Delphi
- UNESCO: Acropolis, Athens
- Pestilence & Prayer: Madonna della Misericordia (7)
- Reality vs Planning: 2019 Athens & Aegean Cruise Trip
- Travel Tips: Visiting the Acropolis
- Pestilence & Prayer: Vita of St. Christopher (9)
- Reality vs Planning: 2018 Andalusia Spain Trip
- What Education can Learn from “Emergency Teaching”
- Pestilence & Prayer: St. Christopher in Art (10)
- 2020 Summer Plans
- 2020 Summer Book Swap
11. Transform part of my backyard into some kind of garden
I just want to say I started this COVID-19 “Victory Garden” trend lol I have proof! I made this list in December 2019 way before everyone started quarantine gardening. I wish I could have convinced Will to jump on this sooner so I could have capitalized on the below 90 degree weather and boredom BUT I think I’ve convinced him to build our raised beds this summer. 🙂 Stay tuned for an update.
12. Practice yoga at least once a month
Here are the following times I practiced yoga:
- Sunday, May 3: Yoga to Build Resilience – Full Class (37:23)
- Tuesday, May 12: Yin/Yang Yoga for the Spine (53:01)
- Monday, May 18: Advanced Power Flow (38:35)
- Saturday, May 23: 20 Minute Full Body Stretch Routine (20:00)
- Monday, May 25: Sunrise Yoga (15:33)
13. Cook a meal 100% out of my pantry at least every other week
If you follow my Instagram stories you can see my daily pantry creations! (shameless plug)
14. Apply to (& get accepted) to one summer program
#1. Pretty much all in-person summer programs are cancelled BUT since I applied for a Gilder Lehrman summer institute (that I was going to have to say no to because of my now-canceled Oxford trip) they are now offering online PD for us. Online is not my prefered method but I always take an opportunity to continuing education! They asked us to pick our top two choices so I choose:
- Women and Politics in 20th-Century America by Linda Gordon, New York University
- American Immigration History by Vincent J. Cannato, University of Massachusetts, Boston
#2. I was told by a colleague of another short summer online PD opportunity! No application needed, I just sign up and, if I finish by June 15, I get $150. 🙂 It is put on by the Institute for Curriculum Services and called “Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict with Primary Sources.” I’m excited I get to continue learning about this fascinating topic that I just brushed the surface of during my Dimensions of the Middle East Institute at Duke last summer.
#3. I got re-accepted as an AP Art History Reader for their online essay reading week. Staring at a computer for 35 hours grading essays sounds daunting but I am glad for the PD opportunity and the extra income it brings!
#4. Will & I are actually teaching PD this summer for our district, very new for me! I am leading a session on building group collaboration on a virtual platform and Will is teaching one on creating on-demand teacher videos. We both love being teacher-leaders, making extra summer money, pushing ourselves academically, and having fun ways of connecting with peers. 🙂 This summer we are getting to check all the boxes!
15. Host someone over for dinner at least once a month
Will planned the perfect social distancing birthday for me that doubled as hosting people for dinner: we had a surprise lunch delivery from my sister, made homemade cannolis (what an adventure!), he picked up 3 boxes of pizza & had friends (6 feet away) around a fire. Highlight of my month. 🙂
Also, my cousin stopped for a night on her drive back up to Washington, D.C. and we had a lovely dinner or spring rolls, edamame, dumplings, and sake. Then Will made omelets for breakfast & mimosas! I love reasons to celebrate at home.
16. Write a letter (& mail it!) at least once per month
I sent ONE postcard!. . .as a joke to someone who said they never get fun mail. Soooo technically this is a win but my postcard had one sentence soooo…not sure it should count.
17. See at least 5 artworks from the AP Art History 250 Curriculum
Not anymore!, but I’m blogging about the AP Art History 250 . . .so close lol so close. . .
- #234. Earth’s Creation, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. 1994 CE. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas.
- UNESCO: Acropolis, Athens
18. Have a cheap date with my hubby at least once a month
I don’t even know what counts anymore and what’s cheap. lol Eating take out in the car? Does that count? Or weekly neighborhood walks? Naps on the hammock? Sure. . .I’m out of ideas now.
19. Get at least a 65% pass rate for my students in AP World History
Well our AP Exam was on Thursday, May 21 & we received their essays digitally on May 26th. Although I’ve had a chance to flip through my kids responses (no one has to take the make-up!!!) you never know what the “curve” will be (yes lol Trevor Packer said “there’s never a curve”. . .ok man…suuuure). I’m not going to pretend to guess, hopefully my kids did their best, that’s all I can ask. We’ll find out later this summer. *fingers crossed*
20. Vote Trump out of office (!!!!)
Sadly, the man is digging this country into a *literal* grave. I hate hate that innocent people are being duped by him, suffering (both physically & economically!) and dying. I hope the moderates in this country wake up and kick him to the curb! Those crazy anti-vax, protesters with guns are beyond hope & honestly beyond my care. I’m not trying to convert those wackadoos; the masses, however, need to realize he has never and will never do what is best for US as people.
JMF