Out on the trails

This week, I have had the wonderful opportunity to visit First Landing State park twice! Same park, different people, different trails, different reasons. Monday, being a holiday, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., we all had the day off. It’s always a national parks free day, however we are close to many national parks, so we visited the state park instead. My husband, Rich, youngest daughter, Paige, and the two mutts: Charlie and George, and I took to the trails. We hiked a 3+ mile loop, a trail I had partially walked before, but never the loop. It felt good, as always, to be out in nature and I was grateful that our 17 year old daughter joined us (not her first choice, of course, but she was glad she came). It was chilly, with off and on sunshine, and very few people! Always a bonus to have a trail to yourself for any length of time.

George and Charlie on the Osmanthus Trail

Just cool trees on the trail

Yesterday, I went for a 5 mile trail run ~ not as easy as I had anticipated. This was my second week in a row hitting a 5 mile long run. Last week was relatively easy . . . on asphalt. The trail had little hills, deep sand, roots, and thankfully packed down pine straw. I ran the southern tip of the Cape Henry trail and misjudged the distance. Despite the .25 mile walk from my car to the park entrance, this section of the Cape Henry is only 2 mile or less each way, so for my final mile I ran 1/2 mile out and back on the main Cape Henry, which was nice because it was flat and well packed, but still the softer trail surface.

My muscles are tired and a little sore, but feel good . . . no injuries! I know I have said this before, but if you are looking for a great post-run stretch, here it is: 7 minute post run yoga. I do this stretch after every run, whether it’s 2 miles or 5 miles; I’ve had no injuries! I look forward to hitting the trails for my long runs again!

My selfie along Broad Bay on the trail

First Landing State Park Cape Henry Trail

So, speaking of yoga, I have continue with Yoga with Adriene’s Breathe ~ a 30 Day Yoga Journey. I am a couple of days behind right now, but not disappointed at all. This has been a great month for starting and maintaining healthy routines, such as training to run a half-marathon, and daily yoga. I have run 47 miles total so far and practiced 21 days of yoga (I should have tallied the minutes . . . LOL).

As usual, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts today. Being Sunday, I am taking it easy and about to take the pups for a late morning walk. Have a great day and a wonderful week!

~ The Running Librarian

Yoga, run, read ~ repeat!

Starting 2021 with intention! My Vision Board includes yoga, training for a half-marathon, paying off debt. These are the big goals. Smaller goals include daily meditation, learning the ukulele, learning Spanish, and gardening + plant-based eating.

Yoga is a short term goal, which involves a great deal of intention! Practicing yoga is one thing, however committing to a daily yoga practice is easier said than done. Every January, I subscribe to 30 days of yoga with Adriene. This year’s theme is Breath. I am actually staying on track this year, missing only one day so far, which I may go back and do at some point. It’s a yummy blanket & pillow day. Some of the benefits I reap with this practice are increased flexibility, strength, and focus. Daily yoga also helps prevent injury from running!

Running is a long-term goal, however I do have a date to run my own personal 1/2 marathon, April 18th! I am 3 weeks into a 16-week beginner 1/2 marathon training schedule, without missing a day. I run 4 days/week. I do not worry about my time. My long run this week was 5 miles and that was the first time I have gone out for a 5 mile run in a long time! It felt great. Practicing yoga with intention and running consistently has a tremendous impact on my mental, emotional, and physical health.

I am not going to lie, it helps that I continue to teach virtually and make the 45 min each way commute 2 days/week at the most. This gives me extra time in the morning and afternoon to work in my yoga and running. Hopefully, with both being routine now, I will be able to plan ahead and continue these routines when I do begin the daily commute. For now, I will take advantage of the time I have.

Finally, I finished Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter #3! It took forever to read and I am thrilled to have time for pleasure reading again! I haven’t started the Goblet of Fire book yet, but I have it out and ready. This is one of the things I need to add to my Vision Board. I would like to read for pleasure, as well as professional journals, on a regular basis. I have not set that specific goal yet; maybe next week I will be ready to update that goal.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. I hope you are starting your year off with intention and taking care of yourself!

~ The Running Librarian

Goals for 2021

This year is starting off on a positive vibe. I wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and retreat to the sofa for my morning devotion and meditation. I’m on my “third time’s a charm” running routine. I kicked this off with a 3 mile walk/jog last Saturday, then my normal M/W/Th/Sa runing this week. My Week 1 Total = 9 miles. My cross training on Friday was a 1 hour Vinyasa Flow at OneLife Fitness. I am not a gym rat and have not had a gym membership since my early post-college years. However, I am having a tough time with accountability and consistency. Therefore, I bit the bullet and decided to try the gym. My best friend loves their classes and my daughter and her best friend love working out together. I’m excited to have the option of trying different classes, a pool to possibly swim laps, and treadmills in times of inclement weather. Yesterday also started Breath: A 30 Day Yoga Journey. If you have not participated in a 30 day yoga with Adriene in January, I highly encourage it for mind, body, and spirit health!

This month I will also apply for my Virginia Teaching Certification. I completed my student teaching and my last semester of grad school at Old Dominion University in December! We had a Zoom celebration December 14th with ODU Library Program faculty. My family all attended via zoom; it was casual, short, and sweet! Thanks to this pursuit, I am enjoying my current position as a school librarian with Newport News Public Schools, which has also allowed me to enjoy the holidays without incurring any new debt. I have a debt payoff plan, which includes paying off one credit card debt this summer and then attacking the one remaining credit card debt! While I was enjoying car shopping and had become excited about buying a new/used car, my husband’s family gifted us with his mother’s 2015 Buick Verano with only $21,000 miles on it! I cannot complain. It’s not the Subaru Crosstrek or Toyota Prius that I had my eyes on, but it’s also no car payment, reliable transportation, and lower gas mileage for my new commute. What a blessing!

As if all of this was not enough, I then received a call from my brother asking if we would like my sister-in-law’s 2006 Saturn Ion! I told him we did not need it, but asked if I could think on it and not turn it down just yet. Well, our youngest daughter and I drove “Spike” home from Culpepper Monday, after a short family holiday, small and socially distant. She finished her behind the wheel today and now has a car to drive (not a mom van!) She was very excited about that. On the conversation of cars, we now have 6 vehicles for our 5 member family. Three of these vehicles have over 180,000 miles on them so it’s nice to have a back-up for sure! I have been thinking a lot about whether or not we should keep the van. It is currently the only vehicle that we can all 5 travel in comfortably, something we only do once or twice a year. On Wednesday, I had a lightbulb moment and a new idea to add to my Vision Board (when I create one!) We can turn the Sienna into a camper van and my husband and I can finally start traveling with less expense possibly! I am actually very excited about that opportunity!

As I reflect on the past year, I feel very fortunate. Like so many of you, I do hope for an “end” to the current pandemic and a return to some normalcy. Even more so, though, I pray for movements such as Black Lives Matter and greater strides toward equity, recognizing our diversity, and appreciating each other.

Thank you for taking the time to visit here. I welcome your feedback and comments. Blessing to you and your families!

~ The Running Librarian

Fall run, post-run yoga

Kinsey, K. (2020-09-19). BitmojiTurtleRun. Virginia Beach, VA. CC BY-ND

This morning I celebrated! I was grateful for the ability to wake up. I fixed a pot of coffee, read tributes to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, went for a 3-mile run in beautiful fall weather, then enjoyed my Post-Run Yoga with Adriene. It does not get much better than that!

Last week, I ran 3 on Saturday, but only one 2-mile run during the week on Monday. Teaching virtually is exhausting in a new sort of way; hard to describe. My planning day on Wednesday was filled with meetings (shocking, I know!) Parents are overwhelmed, teachers are overwhelmed, and students are only half present. We are doing our best, I believe, but it is far from ideal. With rain and wind on Thursday and Friday, running took a backseat. Yesterday, too tired to run and experiencing a headache . . . allergies or screen time . . . I took to the mat for a new Perspective going in to the weekend. At home yoga with Adriene (and Benji!) has been a huge asset to my well-being for the past several years, throughout grad school, during injury recovery, and injury prevention. She has instilled in me the value in showing up on the mat, which has improved my physical, mental, and emotional health.

We are two weeks into virtual library instruction, making connections with teachers and students, as well as the grown-ups who are behind the scenes on the home front or in daycare. I believe everyone is tired. I believe everyone is doing their best to make it work. And I believe we will survive. I have learned right away to embrace “Self-care Saturday”. Today, I will take the day off from work, focus on my family, my house, and myself. Tomorrow, I will do what is in my control to prepare for the week. Oh, and I remembered this week that I am student teaching, so I’ll need to tackle that work as well :-)!

Whatever you do, but especially if you are a student at any age, teacher, or caregiver for either, take time for yourself today! I did not mean to brush over the loss of RBG, but this is not a topic I discuss in this blog and way too big for my personal knowledge and expertise. I will be doing a lot of reading this weekend to remember her and appreciate all that she did for equality and civil rights for everyone, especially women.

Enjoy your self-care Saturday ~ the Running Librarian

Virtual Librarianship

I finished my last graduate class (before student teaching/mentorship) August 7th. I thought I might have some time off and go visit family for a few days, but instead jumped right into team lesson planning with my fellow Elementary Librarians. This was an effort to develop some consistency in what is a new learning environment for us all. We broke into small groups to develop lesson plans that would take us through the first 9 weeks. And so began my experience with digital librarianship and becoming a teacher librarian in a virtual learning environment.

That small group became a tight group, one in which I could bounce my “new teacher” questions off in a safe space, without fear of ridicule or criticism. This group has provided tremendous support. Our school district moved from Google classroom to Canvas, so we are all learning this new learning management system together. Rather than leading our students quietly through the hallways, we are hopping in and out of Zoom meetings. Behavior management looks a little different in the virtual classroom. We mute and unmute, or as our students to mute and unmute. “Show your faces, please” has become a standard directive. We have quickly learned to mute students, without allowing the option to unmute; how to turn off the chat box; how to send students back into the “waiting room” or into a breakout room, where the teacher can have a private chat with a student. By Friday, we all started learning how to prevent students from renaming themselves. We began by asking them to rename themselves, mind you. Our children and youth today are digitally smart and they are going to keep me on my toes!

Now that we have made it through the first week, it’s time to focus on putting books in their hands, showing them how to request a book and place a book on hold for a “curbside pick-up”. This week I started taking a poll with some of my 3rd – 5th graders, asking if they prefer virtual learning or face-to-face. The responses were 50-50. The first class answered 75% virtual and 25% face-to-face. However, by Friday, it was 50-50. While the students enjoy some aspects of the virtual learning environment, they miss their friends and their teachers and want to be back in school. Let’s not forget the parents, too, who are right along side, especially with the younger grades to help them navigate to the right Zoom links and move from class to class.

Hopefully, by the time we master all of this, we will be back in school! For now, welcome to digital learning. I will embrace it and learn all that I can to be an effective teacher in a virtual classroom.

See you next week ~ The Running Librarian

Peace in Pandemonium

Thank you for visiting! In thinking about a title and focus for my post, I come back to the name of my blog and try to make sure it relates. After all, I am guessing that is what attracted you to visit in the first place.

Kinsey, K. (2020-09-05). OceanfrontLibraryVibe. Virginia Beach, VA. CC BY

So, today’s post will explore how both running and librarianship are helping bring peace during difficult times. Since my last post, we have had to replace a tire and battery (same day!) in our daughter’s car, had our son’s car towed to the shop, and now we have our dishwasher almost completely taken apart (trying to figure out why it keeps filling with water when we are not even using it). Last Sunday, it decided to stop working properly and flood our kitchen floor, luckily before we all went to bed, so we could stop it and soak up all of the water with every spare towel in the house. Fortunately, we have a cabinet in our laundry room and are able to store “junk towels”. So those, along with beach towels did the truck, with two to spare even. We did not have time during the week to look at it, so we are at it today.

Kinsey, K. (2020-09-06). BrokenDishwasher. Virginia, VA. CC BY

This is what happens when you have used cars, with over 100,000 miles on them. Actually, they are both pushing 200, 000 miles, so not complaining! Additionally, when you own a home, things will break occasionally and need repair. The difference now is that, along with my husband, I am finally working in a position that affords the financial capability to fix the broken things, without going further into debt. Previously, my husband’s teacher salary combined with my paraprofessional teacher assistant salary just didn’t cut it. Financial hardship is difficult, and for me, has caused a great amount of anxiety over the past several years. That is why I chose to pursue graduate school and earn my MLIS. I knew I could, but until the means to do it surfaced, I just couldn’t fulfill the dream. Knowing that this salary is soon on its way and finishing my class, of course, has reduced my anxiety immeasurably. This is why I encourage people, despite their age, to pursue a dream that will alleviate financial hardship or simply bring joy that has been missing back into their work life.

So, pursuing my master’s and becoming a school librarian is one part of my life that contributes to peace. The other is my running life. While, I am still working on gaining consistency, it remains a go to and constant for me. Even tossing on my running shoes and heading out the door for two miles clears my head, releases endorphins, relieves stress, and brings peace. This past week was a good week, with three runs and 7 total miles. I missed one day due to a crazy busy schedule, along with extreme heat, and a dinner date with my former co-workers. I will keep striving for consistency and increased mileage, but will gladly start over whenever that doesn’t happen. For me, it is well worth the benefits vs not running at all.

Finally, I continue to practice morning devotions, hop on the yoga mat, and pursue minimalism. I believe these also contribute to my peace of mind and how I handle stress in my life. I hope that my actions set a positive example for my family and friends, as well as anyone dropping my this blog.

Thank you for reading. I look forward to your comments and hope to host you again soon!

~ the Running Librarian

Running and Lesson Planning!

On Monday, I dressed to run, dropped off my 17 yr old daughter at work and drove a little further to the 64th St entrance to First Landing State Park. I went for a 2-mile run. I had to push myself and psych myself up to do this. Of course, I was so glad that I did and felt so good afterward! Rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast, but it only drizzled, which was refreshing. I stopped at my turnaround spot to take the panoramic picture above. I had thought that I might have a few days off between finishing classes and starting work. Well, that is not really going to happen.

My 21 year old had all four wisdom teeth removed Monday morning and by 5 pm I was already desperate to have a little time to myself. The beautiful trail run was a sweet surprise! The next day I would meeting with my team of Elementary School librarians to start planning lessons for the first 9 weeks of school, going back virtually. This was voluntary, and yes, I will be paid, but I felt like I had to jump in and participate and show that I was going to be a team player and a leader from the start. I was paired with a great teacher librarian and who has been very patient with me. I am grateful for her leadership and the opportunity to plan as a team!

So I remembered that I have not written for a few weeks :-(. In the meantime, we have had to replace our upstairs HVAC unit, after considerable leaking in our son’s bedroom. We had someone come out to complete roof repairs, to hopefully repair new leaks and resolved leaks from previous work. One child had gum tissue graft surgery, one had all four wisdom teeth removed, and one is moving out at 19 yrs old! Life in our house has not exactly been peaceful! I am grateful to have my new job as a school librarian, however I would have loved a little mini-vacation after classes ended. Oh well, next summer!

Next up : new teacher training! Take care of yourself, The Running Librarian

Self-care, relationship-care!

Kinsey, K. (09 August 2019). Rich and Karen take Rocky Mount Mills. North Carolina. CC BY

After a few weeks into quarantine, we began seeing many posts related to mental health and the importance of self-care. Well, another realization hit me this past week. With 5 of us in the house full-time since mid-March, I think my husband (Rich) and I thought we were doing well. However, it really hit home that our relationship needed some self-care, just as our individual souls need it!

Rich and I used to date no less than once a month; we facilitated a marriage enrichment program at our church the 1st Friday of the month. In addition, we usually worked in some “porch” dates during the month. In the beginning of quarantine, we were enjoying some family activities, games, movie watching, bike rides, longer dog walks (before the heat wave!) All of a sudden, things started to get a little tense (ok, maybe a lot tense?) So we had a little talk and one thing that came to light . . . we need to resume dating!

I announced to all 3 of our “children” that we were going for a bike ride, that our marriage needed some self-care, and that we needed a date. We chose to go for a bike ride and a beer at the oceanfront. Smartmouth Pilot House in Virginia Beach is doing a great job with social distancing by the way! Things are so much better already. COVID-19 numbers are surging again, especially in our area, Hampton Roads, Virginia, which might impact our ability to “go out” for a date. However, I am confident that we both realize how important it is that we do not let the dating stop again and take care of our marriage.

When you make your schedule for the day/week, along with your workout and appointments, be sure to carve our blocks to nurture those you love. Take care of yourself, take care of your relationships!

See you next Sunday ~ The Running Librarian

Thursday June 9th!

Thursday was a day of celebration in this house! After checking Lifetext every hour on the 8th, I finally decided to give it up and just wait for a notification that my ePortfolio had been graded. Here is the beginning of the email that popped up at 4:31 pm on Thursday:

Karen Kinsey (***************) has successfully completed the ePortfolio for the LIBS Program.

Congratulations, Karen!

I cannot begin to describe the feeling that come over me that afternoon. I was sure that my portfolio would be kicked backed for revisions. So, while I was relieved to have submitted it, my joy was reserved. I have a job as a school librarian for the next school year (whatever that might look like!) and I have three weeks left of my one last course, READ 680 – Reading to Learn Across the Curriculum. I will then have a two week break before I return to work in a new school district, Newport News Public Schools, as a “new teacher.”

The reason I used the picture of The Minimalist Home is because I pre-ordered this book January 1, 2019! I knew I would not have time then to dive into the book or our house, however I also knew that the light was coming . . . and now it is here! I sat down this morning and read Chapter 1 . . . finally. Then I looked around the house and noticed some of the “projects” that I have been patiently waiting to complete . . . collage picture frames that need pictures . . . a dishpan of silver that needs to be polished . . . the box of school papers that I shared in my second post May 20th. I can enjoy my family and friends more, go see extended family again, and take a little more time for some self-care. To say I feel grateful and blessed is an understatement.

I know that I have shared this before, but I feel that it is worth sharing. Returning to graduate school in 2018 (at 51 years old!) was the best decision I have acted on in a long, long time. As a result of working full-time, as well as part-time on and off, while taking two classes per semester, I am finally able to enjoy the rest of my summer without working part-time.

Please, please, please find the courage to act upon your dreams and desires. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way!”

Until next week ~ The Running Librarian

Plants, plants, plants

Kinsey, K. (4 July 2020). Pothos rootings. CC-BY 4.0

When your 16 (almost 17) year old daughter needs the kombucha jars you used and you have been meaning to add the cuttings to make your pothos plant more full, time to get busy! The good news is, I submitted my portfolio to for my ODU MLIS graduate program on Thursday!! So, luckily, this morning I had time for a 3 mile run, potting the pothos cuttings, and washing the dishes all BEFORE going down the street to the farmer’s market with Paige. Bad news, Maha Kombucha won’t take Red Mushroom’s kombucha jars . . . understandable, but worth a try anyway :-).

Kinsey, K. (4 July 2020). Maha Kombucha at Old Beach Farmer’s Market. CC-BY 4.0

Kinsey, K. (4 July 2020). Lamia’s Crepes Brunch Crepe. CC-BY 4.0

The joys of submitting the portfolio, only taking one (last!) graduate course and being hired already are increased family time! I went to the bay on Friday with Claire and the two children she nannies this summer, farmer’s market with Paige Saturday, and have helped Noah daily with sandwich or other food between jobs. It’s possible that my portfolio will be “kicked back” for some revisions for a passing grade, in which case I will have until August 7th to revise and resubmit. My summer class is also over August 7th. And my first day on the new school library job starts August 17th.

This is the first summer in four years that I will not work an additional part-time job. I am looking forward to truly enjoying my break between semesters with family time, visiting extended family, exercise, leisure activities, and household projects . . . let the minimalist decluttering resume :-)!

If you are like me and not fulfilled with your current work setting or feel you could be doing more, my advice to you is to go for it! I waited until my children were older and began graduate school at 50 years old! There will be challenges, such as finances, time constraints, exhaustion, and stress, but it goes by remarkably fast and the end result is well worth it. This fall, I will have a longer commute, but I will have a new, challenging, and fulfilling career that will bring with it more than double my current salary.

See you next Sunday ~ the running librarian