My recent goal is to reduce my overall stress level regardless of what the future holds. God knows I could benefit from less stress, especially if I end up staying longer at my current job. D would also benefit from a more relaxed, balanced spouse. I am currently pursuing two avenues to reduce my stress.
Avenue 1: A new exercise plan that mixes aerobic, weight resistance and yoga exercises. I bought a DVD pack and tried the first workout yesterday morning. It’ll take some getting used to. I hope to get to the point where I have the routines memorized so that I can listen to my own music and not the instructor’s voice while I exercise. I’m certainly nowhere near that as I am very sore today from my first workout. Or maybe most of the pain is coming from…
Avenue 2: Gardening. That’s right, Van Eeden is growing. Well, right now it’s just getting less grassy and weedy. D and I ripped the grass (mostly weeds) out of a quarter of our backyard last night. I sifted through the dirt to get out clumps of plants and roots after he tilled. He finished tilling. I still have lots more dirt to work through. I said to him this morning, usually I have to get the dirt out of things, now I have to get things out of my dirt. I’m hoping the diligence will pay off and our garden won’t be overrun with grass later on. That diligence makes my thighs and shoulders sore though. I’m walking around like an old lady today, but my spirits are higher.
So why are we being crazy and ripping out grass? We’ve been inspired by a lady in our church. She has torn up all the grass in her yard, front and back, and has converted it all to plants. She gardens organically and with lots of fun South American flavor. She showed us her garden on Saturday and shared a few cuttings and seeds and lots of advice with us. It kind of opened my eyes to the realm of possibilities with Florida gardening. I also bought some books and intend to beef up my knowledge more so that we have a better chance at success too. This weekend we are going to visit my friend Lindsay, who works for an agricultural mission organization in FL, and hopefully get more advice and things to grow from her too. As Van Eeden flourishes (Lord willing), I’ll post pictures.
One thing that we have determined to be a need for our gardening and other forms of recreation is a pick-up truck. D’s looking for a single cab, 4 cyl, 2wd Toyota Tacoma, something that’s small and will be a good commuter auto for D but also allow us to haul gardening supplies, our kayaks and other things. D is very thorough in his research and we’re both committed to getting a bargain, but I am getting anxious. D said that as soon as we have a truck we can go buy rain barrels and then proceed with our plans for gutters on the house. I’ll have free water for my plants! I also want to start hauling mulch, plants, good dirt, etc. for our garden.
On the job hunt front, I have had two more interviews. One was with a local spa that offered me a job on the spot. I was excited, but decided it wasn’t a good fit for me after thinking, talking with D, praying and sleeping on it. The other interview was with a local College. They are looking for an HR Assistant. It would be a position with less responsibility than my current and with a much better employer. I was uncertain how last week’s interview went. They were having a hard time understanding why I wanted to leave my current position for the one they’re offering. I had to explain as tactfully as I could that I need a better work environment, one that I will be enthusiastic about working in. Sometimes in life you have to take a step back to move ahead and achieve a better quality of life. As I hit a week since the interview without hearing from the College, I was getting more certain that I would not be asked back for a second interview. However, I guess they understood me better than I imagined because yesterday they called and scheduled a 2nd interview! I meet with them on Monday at 1:00p. Please be praying that God will soften the hearts of the hiring managers and cast a favorable light on me as He guides the things I say and do on Monday. I would REALLY like to get this job.
Many things to be excited about right now – our new garden, visiting friends this weekend, a job interview, good health. I guess I can take sore muscles.
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