Done for the Week: Nana Boot Camp

Last week is a blur from where I sit this morning.

The next several weeks (I hope we get that long) will be devoted largely to supporting my daughter and her family as we wait for my second grandchild to be born.  Lots of doctors' appointments.  Lots of extra time with my grandson, so Mama can rest.

All of our lives are being rearranged for the duration. 

Here's what I got done in Nana Boot Camp last week (no lanyards, no obstacle course):

Done for the Week:  Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2011

1. Continued 5K training with my youngest son, in preparation for his first race--Finished Week 5 of 9 Week program
2. Ran once; swam once; biked once
3. Read Unless a Grain of Wheat, and Dead Men's Bones, both by Stephen Boehrer
4. Continued to work my two part-time jobs 
5. Published 4 blog posts
6. Continued significant work on current clients' projects
7. Held second tutoring session with clients
8. Had new intake appointment with my son for vocational services
9. Had lunch with friend
10. Helped youngest son prepare for first road trip, and gave phone support throughout
11. Began working on novel again
12. Gave substantial support to my pregnant daughter and her family
13. Continued (unsuccessfully) hunting for lost cell phone
    
14. Did laundry
15. Meditated once
16. Began listening to Meditations to Change Your Brain, by Rick Hansonand Richard Mendius
17. Took my dog to the dog park three times, with my husband
18. Watched episodes of Eureka with my oldest son
19. Lost considerable time to fruitless search for rear wiper for 1996 Isuzu Oasis
20. Began reading Elizabeth George's A Traitor to Memory aloud with my husband
21. Went out for Happy Hour with my husband
22. Straightened out energy bill budget billing snafu
23. Analyzed energy usage--we're in the greenest category of homes of "our type," and we're still going broke paying for "lights, heat, action"
24. Raised money for New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity on my Facebook Birthday Wish

Again last week, the "most important thing" I did was supporting my daughter and her family in her high-risk pregnancy.  I am "down for" whatever I can do, for however long this waiting period lasts.  All else is subject to the vagaries of my daughter's health and her changing needs.  


My focus goal last week, before my daughter's situation worsened, was to " meditate a minimum of three times."  How did I do with that?  Not so much.  Not enough focus, evidently.  Clearly, this time of additional stress and commitment will require that I step up my effort to find/make time for meditating.  

My motivation was strengthened by beginning, yesterday, to listen to Meditations to Change Your Brain.  One of the authors, Rick Hanson, also wrote Buddha's Brain:  The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom, which I read earlier this year.  I have been interested in using the audiobook (Meditations to Change Your Brain) to try applying some of what I learned from Buddha's Brain.  The introduction I heard yesterday was full of wisdom, hope, and information, including the finding shared by the authors that meditation may make our brains more resistant to Alzheimer's.  (Of special interest to me because:  1) this week I turn a year older; 2) I have family members who have struggled with memory loss; and 3) I still can't figure out what happened to my cell phone a couple of weeks ago.)


For the coming week, I will continue my focus on meditating at least three times.  If I can remember. . .