Summer has arrived. Low 90’s and windy today. The heat sucks the whatever right out of you today. It is to remain like this all week. Typical summer weather. The dogs have decided they need to spend the afternoons inside due to the heat. Neither one seem interested in going back outside yet.
Kathy and I went to Jacalito’s for lunch. It was nice to eat out for a change together. Haven’t done much else today. Too hot to go outside and not much to do inside.
I did manage to get a letter written to my Pen Pal volunteers. I made some mistakes setting up the program and need to do a reset. I had limited the number of times we write to weekly and that was a mistake. A week is a long time in the Center for the Detainees and some needed more attention than that. I was concerned initially about the cost if we had lots of Detainees sign up and I was concerned about the pressure it would put on my volunteers if they had to write more than once a week.
I also needed to better state expectations of the volunteers. Some take several weeks to respond and the Detainees lost faith in the program. I now have a way out if they take too long.
Hopefully with these and a few other small changes the program can rest and we can get more Detainees to sign up. I need to send a note to the person that does the program inside the Center and let her know what changes we have made so she can promote the program again.
When you know better, you do better and that is what I hope I have done.
Tomorrow I have a haircut at 2:00. If I remember I will check with Ellexia to see if she wants to have lunch again since I will be in town. I don’t think I have any errands I need to run otherwise.
I get to go back to Emporia Tuesday as I have an eye appointment at 12:15. Another chance to eat lunch out!
No plans for the rest of the week or the weekend. I wish I could escape the fireworks that have started in the evenings. They sound violent to me and I don’t appreciate them.
Wednesday I will post the month end report for Love in Action. I also need to make a special post about the stamp drive we are doing. Stamps are the biggest expense we have and the more stamps people send, the farther our funds go for special events for the Detainees. The donors like to have something to do and getting stamps and mailing them is something that is much appreciated.
Need to finish rounding up the last few items I need for the birthday party July 11. It will be here in less than two weeks. Still have no idea how many to expect. I picked a number and hope I am close and don’t have tons of leftovers.
Felt good to step away from Facebook for a day or two. I always feel better when I remember to surrender and let go. I forget that is a daily practice and not something that you do once and you are done.
Grateful for lunch out with Kathy today, grateful the letter got sent to the Pen Pals, and grateful when I know better I can do better.