After: The bedroom, and other updates

Want to see the final "afters" of Kate's bedroom makeover? Here it is, the best-decorated room in our whole house:

 

I'm pretty jealous. ;) I didn't get a full photo of the vanity, which replaced her student desk, but it has mirror lights and she does her makeup there now. You also can't see the cute white faux-fur rug in front of that full-length mirror. I do love it, and I'll say again that this girl, whether she knows it or not, has a keen eye for interior design.

Funny enough, we completed this whole makeover but she has been sleeping over at friends' houses all summer (and was away at camp for 2 weeks), so it feels like she's barely been in there. I know that's not true, though we do feel a lot like the nest has been emptied lately! Not really in a sad way, just a fact of having older teens that have "better" things to do!

Alex found a job -- at a car wash, he isn't a fan, thanks. He's already told them when his last day will be, because oh darn, he has to go back to college (mid-August). I say it's good to have had a job like that, to know exactly why we go to college. But he has earned some nice cash, including a random $250 bonus in June, and some overtime for working yesterday on July 4th! 

We went to Destin, as we always do. A very nice escape from the day to day (and we didn't see any sharks). Long days in my chair, in the shade, reading a book. I finished two while there: Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld, and Every Summer After, by Carley Fortune. Both were good, fictional beach reads. The first was somewhat annoying because it was about a "late-night sketch comedy show" and everyone knows there is only one of those, really, but the author couldn't use the correct names for things/characters. The plot was great, though. The second was a teen romance that Kate read first and then shared with me, and ohhh, I see why she liked it. ;) I remember reading my first romance novels, too, and am just happy she reads books sometimes. It was fun, easy - just what my brain wanted. I haven't been into the more challenging historical fiction that I typically look for, this year. I think that's meaningful in some way.

We came home a week ago and I admit I'm still having a difficult time adjusting emotionally (ha) to regular workdays. Boo, hiss. I was glad we had one holiday this week, during which I 

-cleaned the kitchen counters and swept floors

-made breakfast and lunch

-helped (barely) paint the mailbox

-read my book

-watched a little Wimbledon and the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (gross!)

-took a nap under the ceiling fan

-went out to dinner with some friends, and then got ice cream

-finished another season of The Great British Baking Show, with Shawn's help

That's a "W" holiday right there. 

After digging into my craft supplies bin yesterday for a paintbrush, I'm inspired to get back into some kind of crafts. It feels like I don't have a creative outlet anymore. Even my day-job used to include some creativity in writing articles, but that's gone by the wayside in favor of admin, spreadsheets and meetings, ugh. So I need something. I did a little "mindfulness" coloring today but I'm not sure that's it. A trip to JoAnn or Michael's might be fun, but might also be overwhelming. Got any suggestions for an easy hobby?? 

Hovering: 5 on a Friday

The last 2 days, I find I've been hovering around my blog archives, re-reading old posts and trying to spark something in my head that seems worth writing about... without much success. But I'm here again, and it's a Friday, and I definitely don't feel like opening the spreadsheet that looms on today's work to-do list, so I'm going to give it the ol' college try. 

1. Health 

I mentioned The Blue Zones documentary the last time I posted, and I'm still slightly obsessed with it. I watched the super-short series a 2nd time, in fact, and registered for the "7-Day Reset" since it was only $11. It's not that I want to live to be 100 years old, necessarily, but I am indeed interested in living well, as I age -- living without pain/sickness as much as possible, and with measurable joy. The indication from the Blue Zones is that it's not only the food we eat, although that is an important aspect; but it's also about social interaction, and purpose, and movement and faith/outlook. (Reminds me of Friday Night Meatballs, which intrigued me so much about 10 years ago.) The ideas just appeal to me so much. I feel like we could probably implement them in our family, although we would have a hard time fully eliminating some of the snack foods, processed meat, nd sugary drinks that we all love. For now I'm leaning towards it; hovering around it; feeling curious.

2. Birthday!

This weekend -- tomorrow, in fact -- we are having Kate's Sweet 16 birthday party. She had originally asked if we would rent a cabin in the mountains, and drive her and 5 or 6 friends there to have a party and spend one night. "You and Dad can stay, too," she generously offered! Hahaha! We respectfully declined the whole thing, and I don't know where she got the idea that that was even a possibility (well, I do know: her friend had a little overnight trip to Callaway Gardens for her 16th birthday, which Kate got to attend). Anyway, we said we would sure do a nice party at our house for her, and so that is what we're doing. 

Yesterday we bought supplies. Today and tomorrow will be busy with preparations, I guess, but also she is taking her driving test at 1:30pm. All of this makes me feel a bit panicky, I will admit. But we can do it.

3. Organization and Planning

Related: Lately I am having the hardest time with organization and planning ahead. As in, I'm just incapable of it. I have tried, ohhhhhh, have I tried. I have a new year-at-a-glance calendar at my office, dutifully filled with the known events and dates for which I must plan. I try to set reminders. I have a paper planner. And I've made list after list after mind-map, brain-dump, list. Still, I can't seem to prioritize them properly so that I know, without doubt or distraction, what I need to accomplish on a given day. 

Not having concrete goals is probably a factor. Wisdom says you set the goal, you determine the steps needed to reach the goal, then you start taking the steps. In my current job, though, there are either too many goals, or none at all.

I guess the job is getting done (ish), even without a plan, at work and at home. But I sure would feel better if my mind was organized and on top of things, instead of free-wheeling, usually at the last minute. Here's a good example: Kate and I are going to an out of town volleyball tournament next weekend. I've known about this tournament since October/November. I have a hotel room, my ticket for the weekend, and she is obviously registered. I know it's in Orlando. Beyond that -- nothing. No plans have been made, no tournament website has been studied for details. I'm just going to show up and hope it works out.

I wonder if it's just this season of life? It's possible I've felt this way since Alex was about a junior in high school. Anyway, I don't like it.

4. Kitty kidneys

One of our cats, Ash, is having kidney trouble. This is the third week, I guess, that we've been dealing with it. He was sick and not eating, and now he is a good bit better and eating a little more. An x-ray determined he had some stones or crystals in one kidney, and we paid the exorbitant amount for an ultrasound follow-up. We're waiting on results from that. I'm just ready to be done with the acute management and move on to maintenance (hopefully without any required surgeries). The poor thing. He is mad at me for giving him meds and putting him in his travel crate so many times this last few weeks. 

5. Care less = be happier

Just a reminder to myself! Hope you, too, are carefree and happy on this Friday.

Two Lessons, and the day to day

There are two big lessons that are making my life better right now, that I want to share if only to remember them. In mid-January, I started listening to season 3 of the podcast, "The Dream." Have you listened to this? Season 1 was about MLMs, and how insidious they are, built and run by hucksters and jerks. Season 2 moved into investigating the "wellness" industry, which is also a whole bunch of bunk. I love the reporting style of the podcaster, and I just eat up topics like that. Season 3 took a look at Life Coaching, and hoo-boy, more snake-oil and bullshit for my listening pleasure! It all spoke to me, somehow, more deeply than I expected.

A lot of life coaching is "mindset work" and positive thinking, which probably started with a book called "Think and Grow Rich," written in the 1930s by, guess what: a liar/criminal/cheat/huckster! One of the things I took from this, and a few other episodes, is that all of our striving, positive-thinking and  visualizing ourselves successful -- the American Dream, basically -- does a number on our health. Both mentally and physically -- high blood pressure from stress, heart conditions, pain, etc. (Another part of life coaching is often the instruction to eat a little better, and move your body more, and that nugget is what gets people feeling better, in my opinion, not the mental gymnastics.)

I'm not explaining this well, but what it all added up to, for me, a little lightbulb moment, was that I need to care LESS. No one needs "life coaching," we need to be a little more active, get some sunshine. And we don't need to aim for A-plus work, or climb any Ladder. For me personally, I don't need to assume that there's "something better," some job that I'll love and will naturally excel at. I don't need to "grow" or achieve more, or any of that. I can do my work, get my paycheck, full stop. The end. Care less, be happier. 

I don't know exactly how the math worked for my brain, but that's the first lesson. Care less. (Something in there, too, about how WOMEN strive to prove ourselves all the dang time, while many men in business just glide along, doing less but getting more. Not you, honey, I know how hard you really do work, with 110% effort.) 

The second lesson came to me in prayer. And it was, simply, that I can lay down the burden of hating my job. Just let it go. I don't have to hate it. I can let the hate of it dissolve at God's feet, I don't need it anymore. And that has been such a relief. After so many years at this job, with several managers along the way who weren't good people, or weren't good to me, I don't have to keep feeling that way. Lay down that burden.

I think it also has to do with this being my 50th year on earth. Birthday coming up in June! :) I am here, THIS job, this life are what I have. So I'd better find some way to enjoy it. It's the only chance I get. I mean, I've known this all along, but it's really clicked into place in my brain here lately. Find something to enjoy, otherwise you're spending your life miserable. And, no, I haven't been miserable about my whole life, family always been great, something to be grateful for. But you know -- work is a pretty big chunk of daily life. So care less, be happier, find something enjoyable in this. Don't hate it.

Which brings me to the day to day! We're in full-swing club volleyball season, so Kate has practice T/TH/Su, and for 2 more weeks-ish, I am still driving her there. It's going well, actually, because I'm finding ways to use the waiting time (podcasts! and walking!). I can hardly believe she will have her license that soon. And it will be a relief as well as another kind of stress, obviously. She's so excited. 

My "not cooking much" era continues. However, last week I made a minestrone soup, and decided I could eat soup every night for dinner if you let me. There are so many good kinds! Alas, my family is very much Against that idea. Too bad. 

I'm still seeing the chiropractor (more like a therapist), and my plantar fasciitis is not better. I am dealing with it. I know it's some kind of stress that is stuck; at least that's what she says. My back doesn't hurt (today). I've been working on engaging the deep core with some Pilates -- still less time for exercise than I'd like, overall, but it's a work in progress. 

I'm watching the Blue Zones on Netflix (LOVE - this is where I got the idea for minestrone), many seasons of The Great British Baking Show, and I'm happy Abbott Elementary is finally back. Shawn and I together are watching Reacher, and True Detective season 4, both good. And I finally got back into reading, at the end of January! I loved Daisy Jones and the Six, read it in one rainy day; and I am now loving (LOVING!) Steven King's Fairy Tale. 

I'd better get back to my job. Even though I'm not concerned about it! Haha! I like this way of being. 

August Review

The notes not in parentheses are what I wrote in my planner/journal this morning: 

I definitely went to the office more regularly (didn't love it but a few free lunches were nice), drank more water, and maybe did more meditation and prayer (these were my stated Aug goals). Made some progress with the foot pain by buying 2 different night splints and using them. (Why my podiatrist skipped over that particular treatment suggestion, I do not know, but I'm mad at him about it. I'm nearly a year into this "journey." :/ But I think the splints are going to help.) Aug was so busy with school starting back, and high school vball. And Alex moving back to Athens. I wish there'd been a little more socializing (but the social aspects of hs vball have been good so far). 

I wish I could figure out when to go to P'cola for a visit. Guess that's a Sept. goal. 

Other wins: Took that PTO Friday and enjoyed reading, working out, doing NOTHING. Learned GHSA vball scorekeeping and libero tracking! InDesign projects (at work)! :) NEW appliances! New HHS vball friends, and Kate having her friends here last Friday (in the backyard, with the hanging lights)! :)

Looking fwd to in Sept: LONG WKND! Lots of HHS vb! Maybe cooler weather? Decorating for fall/Halloween. Flooring estimates and paint estimates. 

Monday morning mood

I'm not really in a "mood," but it is Monday morning. Mondays, it's so hard for me to get going; I'm not one of those, "let's attack the week!" types, lol. If you are, I probably don't like you. No, for me, it's a planning day of the week, not really a DOING day. (Also, I think there should be a BAN on weekend emails -- nothing new should be waiting for me when I first login. I'm still trying to remember what happened LAST week, and probably catch up to it.) 

Anyway, here I am: I've put my top tasks at the top of this week's planner page, and I'm sure half of those will be overtaken by whatever new Most Important Things are handed to me from other people throughout the day/week, sigh. No respect. At least I'm working from home today.

One fun thing on my calendar is New Kitchen Appliances. We bought them yesterday -- fridge, range, microwave, and dishwasher! Three of the four of those actually NEED replacing. Mostly the range -- the door and its handle are falling off, causing the glass-front to also fall off periodically. Usually while I'm cooking inside it. And it's not really something that can be repaired, it's plastic bits that have decayed and can't hold anymore. I mean, we've tried to repair it -- Shawn got washers and screws and has made it better, along with duct tape -- yes, I have duct tape keeping my stove together. So that is the impetus for the whole thing. Our fridge, too, has issues. The icemaker no longer works (first-world problem, we're using ice trays, the horror), and the motor makes a loud ticking noise sometimes if you open or close the doors. We have to shake or hit it to get it to stop. The dishwasher has done nothing wrong, it's just loud as all heck. Our microwave works perfectly, but it wouldn't match if we replaced the range, so... there you have it. BestBuy was selling them in bundles, so we bought the whole kit and kaboodle. I'm really excited. 

The NEW fridge has French doors, a bottom freezer drawer (swoon) and a special "Beverage Center," -- no, even more special than you're thinking - it's this one if you're curious. The oven will have both convection and AirFry options (how that works, I have no idea). The dishwasher is only 42 decibels and will once again have a "Delay Start" (our old house had an old, off-white (ew) dishwasher, but at least it offered that useful feature)! Delivery date for all four is August 5. We'll have to eat up everything in the old fridge/freezer before that date -- perhaps this means I won't go to the grocery store next weekend at all! We'll see. 

I can't believe summer is nearly over. Kate has one week left, and has already started some of her school volleyball season. In fact, HHS hosted a small tournament this past weekend, so we were there Thursday & Friday nights and all day Saturday. We met most of the other parents -- "our people" now, I guess -- and liked them quite a lot. Guess we'll be sitting in the stands with them, carpooling, and working in concessions. It's exciting to see your kid doing her thing, in an official uniform with her last name on it like some kind of superstar! (Oh, and she made a club volleyball team earlier in the month, in case you were wondering. It's going to involve slightly more travel than the last 2 years, and slightly more $, but hopefully we can manage it.)

Alex still has a week or two at home, but I'm trying to mentally prepare for him being gone again. :( I have a feeling we will see him less this fall than last, because he's been added to the travel marching band, so he'll be attending most of the Away games as well as the Home games (of the National Champions, I might add, Go Dawgs). He's going to be busy!

So life rolls along. This morning was nice and cool on the porch -- a relief, after a typical mid-July stretch where it's been much too hot to be outdoors, even at 7 am. I try to take care of myself with coffee and a 10-minute Calm.com meditation on the porch, as many days as possible. Even when I'm going to the office. 

And I'm trying to be open, to listen, to watch, for signs that will show me what's next for me with my job, if anything. I want a really clear sign. Like, hit me over the head clear. You might argue that I've already gotten it, what with all the poor treatment of me over the last 6 months. Each time, though, I've felt like I have to "wait out" whatever drama occurs -- Shan being fired, then my boss resigning, and now the new boss being hired. That was in May. He gave me a small raise so I feel a little bit beholden to him in gratitude, and I know he has discovered a lot of other problems he needs to fix. If I left now I'd definitely add to his burden. I also don't know where I'd go or what I'd do, yet. So that's the sign I'm looking for. Trying to be patient is difficult; I'd really love to rip the band-aid off and just hightail it out! I could hang out with my new appliances, making amazing dinners and desserts for my family, haha! But you know that's not me. I hope I'll know exactly when is the right time, and where I'm headed. 

Whoops, skipped June altogether

A meeting got cancelled just now so: found time! 

How've you been, blog friends? I am hanging in there. I've decided: I spent the first 6 months of the year grieving and railing against my new normal at work, but I want to be done with that mindset. I'm trying, as July begins, to move more lightly through it. It's JUST WORK, for gosh sakes, and it isn't brain surgery. I am doing my best. I am doing fine.

The new boss is working out okay so far. He seems to see the situation clearly. He did give me the small raise I should have gotten in January, and has promised to hire me half an assistant. (I'll have to share her, but I'm okay with that.) It might be an interesting new challenge to have a young person as a Direct Report. I assume she'll be young. It's weird, approaching the age of fifty and knowing that more than half of the work force is younger than you. But anyway, lightness and capability. I can do it, I am doing it. 

If I start regular exercise/walks again next week -- this week has been too hectic -- that will also help. I get really bummed out, and depressed, and downright hateful about work, when I don't workout. So the only way to continue managing this job with lightness and capability, until I can leave it, is to MANAGE the mental health. So say we all.

Meanwhile, home is in summer mode. I realized this week that it's my last year where summer will be harder than the schoolyear -- next summer, if all goes well, Kate will be driving. It will leave me free to go to the office without worrying that I need to take her somewhere or pick her up. YIKES. That is a gut-punch, as well as a huge relief. The very definition of "days are long, years are short." 

We had our family beach week in June (lovely long days in the hot sun and cool water); we repeated our July 4th from last year at Alex's girlfriend's neighborhood, with her parents; and tomorrow little AJ from blog-days of yore will turn 19! We have a lot to do in the next few weeks to get him ready to move to his first off-campus apartment in Athens. He doesn't yet have a bed, eek. I am counting on Amazon and Ikea to help us quickly resolve those issues. It's been so nice having him here this summer. 

Big deal today is club volleyball tryouts. Club season doesn't start until October, but tryouts for every club in town are this weekend. We're trying a new team this year, which makes us both, Kate and me, nervous as all get-out. Butterflies in the tummy, both for the new place as well as feeling weird/bad about leaving the old one. But we'll see what happens. Good vibes and prayers for Kate are appreciated! 

Lots of Good News

I have so many things I want to share, and I don't want to forget them all, so for this Friday, a quick brain cleanse with bullets:

• Alex and Kate both got straight As for 2nd semester of their respective freshman years! I mean, this is not a surprise but it's still mighty impressive, and wow, it's fun to be a parent and get to be proud of your kids for being hard workers, and smarty-pantses.
• Kate made the high school JV Volleyball team (tryouts were this week)! This relieves the sting from last year's disappointing result, for sure. It's going to be a fun fall season. I want to remember this, from the coach: She told Kate she was really impressed, that Kate had clearly worked on all the things she told her to work on last year, and she said, 'You proved me wrong.' !! Validation. And commendation because Kate did, indeed, work REALLY hard this year.
• My company hired a new General Manager and he seems nice enough... We'll see. There are some people who "only give him 6 weeks," but I'm hopeful it will be a good change.
• I have been told multiple times what a good job I'm going in my new role. I've had to admit out loud, to both the new manager and others, that it really has been hard. However, I'm starting to feel like I halfway know what I'm doing, and when this higher-up told me he could see that I'm more relaxed, and confident, THAT was a boost of confidence.
• Shawn closed on the sale of his mom's house! Huge weight lifted from him! Of course it's a mix of emotions, selling the home he grew up in. But he has worked so hard on all the paperwork and lawyer discussions and dealings with banks etc., and I'm so proud of him. It's been hard to sit on the sidelines but since I wasn't named an executor, it really was kinda all on his shoulders. 
• My mom's two procedures, a knee injection-in-lieu-of-replacement, and a carpal tunnel surgery, are both DONE and hopefully will be successful for her! Less pain is very much YAY. I'm so happy my sister and brother-in-law got to be with her this week to help her while she recovered.
• I just had a huge win at work, getting rid of a project that was an absolute albatross around my neck - the people affected were agreeable to it and I'm SO relieved.
• Kate was confirmed at church 2 weeks ago, and it was a JOY-FILLED 2 days, with her cousin -- the daughter of her godparents, incidentally -- coming to stay with us and serve as her Sponsor. I would love to write more eloquently about how I felt that night at the church, but I don't know if I can articulate it. We were surrounded by friends (kids and parents from her St. Joe's class of 9 years), a former neighbor and longtime church member who had known her since she was tiny, surprising her with a sweet card, PLUS having family there from out of town... it was a holy moment, indeed. My heart needed to feel that full, and it was so good.
• (And now for a complete shift,) I have done 5 full days of Intermittent Fasting (16 hours fasting/8 hours eating window) and it's not that hard, and I feel pretty good, like it's already a helpful thing for me. The book I ordered about it should arrive today. I am excited to delve a little further, and feel optimistic. The doctor/author seems to know her stuff, and says this way of eating helps not only weight loss, but all the other things as well. It reduces risk of disease, inflammation, blood pressure, etc etc etc. Snake-oil? We'll see, but I'm willing to give it a go.
• The weather has been lovely the last several days! I just had lunch on the front porch with Alex and it was cool, breezy, and I think I'm going to finish my workday here as well. 
• It's about to be a 3-day weekend! I hope you have something fun planned! We don't, really, but I am so grateful already for the day off, and for it being summer!

Hello and How Are You?

Here it is, nearly MAY! Can you believe it? The past month has been so incredibly full, and I've tried to stay present in the moments, but that has been a challenge with Future Things always begging for my attention. A quick recap: 

• April began with a 2-day trip to Panama City Beach in FL for part of our Spring Break. It was nice! Kate brought a friend, and it was wonderful for her to have that added element of fun; in fact, there were several other of their Georgia friends also enjoying the Gulf Coast, so for her it was really a very social vacation. Even Shawn and I had some friends down there, and we met up with them for dinner one evening. Fun! The condo was adequate, though not extravagant. Slightly bigger than the condo we are used to in Destin, but of course this was in a 30-story tower. Elevator access was our main complaint - we had to wait at least several minutes every time we wanted to go up or down (we were on the 14th floor). But overall it was fine. The sun and sand were delightful and we sat there doing NOTHING, 2 days straight. Five Stars for doing nothing! The water was much too cold, as can be expected in early April in north Florida. 
• The next weekend was Easter, which was weird for all of us. Alex didn't come home. Shawn had left town for a concert the night before, and wasn't home on Easter morning. Kate and I went to Mass and then to breakfast, but it didn't feel right. We made Easter dinner around 5 pm but I was also disappointed with that meal - I bought a Honey Baked Ham but I didn't find it as delicious as usual, and my deviled eggs weren't pretty. At least the lemon icebox pie was good.
• There was a 2-day volleyball tournament halfway across town the next weekend (we woke up at 4:45 both mornings), and then Sunday afternoon I left for Germany!
• The work trip to headquarters was actually quite nice, even though I have things to complain about: 1) I got sick on the way there, sore throat and stuffy nose the whole week; and 2) rainy, cold weather. But otherwise, my colleagues were delightful and I love Bavaria. I also got to meet a distant cousin of mine who is German! My parents had met him years ago when they visited Germany, and so Mom connected us. A little awkward to share a meal with someone you've never met, who's "all of a sudden" related to you. But nice nonetheless and definitely a trip highlight.
• I flew home last Friday, then we had volleyball regionals Sat-Sun, and then Mon-Tues we hosted a national sales meeting at OUR office, oh my! 10 sales reps plus some attendees from Germany! I gave a presentation (worked on it at the airport/hotel last week) and was told it was "inspiring." Ha! Not sure I believe that, but okay, thanks.
• You'd better believe I worked from home Wednesday.
  
  
• Also on Wednesday, I "graduated" from Physical Therapy! 8 weeks and many deductible dollars later, my foot still hurts in the mornings, but definitely less so. I'm going to keep working on lower-body strength and stretching 3x/week, and hope hope hope it fully heals eventually. 

I'm ready to move on to a new month! I can't think critically about much else besides my calendar these days, but would like to share with you:

• what I think about our recent Every Plate meals
• movie recommendations (I watched several during my 9-hour flights!)
• reflections on the kids' first years in college (alex), and high school (kate) - can't believe the schoolyear's almost over!
• what I'm reading (hint: not much)

Maybe there will be time for these things soon. :) 

Coming Up For Air

Hey-oh, blog readers! I have been mired in work-work, as you well know, and we're all sick of hearing/talking about it. This is the first time in a month that I've felt the space in my brain to come here to blogger.com. I finally decided yesterday, after a meeting with yet another manager, that no one wants to hear me whine about this anymore. I can feel overwhelmed, of course! It's my prerogative! But no one (particularly at work) has to know. Just go on about the work, get it done, whatever. Note to my family and friends, I may still want to whine to you once in a while. It's necessary to get it out. 

[Just two quick things, though, for my own memory! Our US manager resigned (he who had just become my immediate manager). And now we're in a transitional period with two gentlemen from HQ in Germany leading the way taking the helm (we'll see if they actually "lead"). And also I am required at a meeting in Germany at the end of April! And no one is offering me any promotion or pay-raise! Dear Shawn keeps mentioning indeed.com. He's right to do so.]

I also read somewhere (and was inspired by) the notion that if you're letting your entire mood be dictated by work, you're giving work too much attention/weight in your life. Interesting. I've been pondering that ever since. Maybe I agree. 

ANNNYWAY.... Kate's golden birthday brunch was a success! She did such a good job, with the help of one friend, planning and executing the day. I loved it. I love that she did it herself, the way she wanted. 

Photo wall! Loved this!

She told them all to wear pink/red :)

Heart-shaped waffles *swoon*

So festive!

I tried to stay out of the way and was mostly successful, although I did require that they remember to cut the cake and sing Happy Birthday, which may not have happened otherwise, they were so preoccupied with taking pictures of each other and then reviewing every single shot. ;) 

In other updates, don't ask about the diet I mentioned, it is stalled. Volleyball season doesn't make for good eating habits, and we have been at sports facilities every other weekend, so. Also I discovered an excellent cookie recipe when I needed to use up the rest of the pink and red M&Ms. Whatever. My V8 still sits in the fridge, ha! 

One thing I've been working on is plantar fasciitis, via physical therapy twice a week. It's interesting. While I love having a dedicated hour of basically working out my lower body, I don't love paying for it - PT is expensive and it's the beginning of the deductible year, ugh. We do squats and bridges, some calf stretching but not as much as I thought, and a terrible situation called "Stool Scoots," where I have to use the power of my heel-to-toe motion to move myself across the floor on a wheeled stool. (It's hard!) Nor do I know that any of it is really helping? I can't tell. I guess the intent is to strengthen all the muscles connected to the foot/fascia, but I don't know. I still wake up with foot pain. Mayyyybe it's a bit lessened since starting PT. Mayyyybe I don't have pain as often when I get up from a chair. I'm trying to pay attention but the therapist today said, "Well, it won't be like magic," so that was discouraging. Why can't it be like magic?! 

Still, it's been a good distraction from work, not that I'm talking about that. ;) 

Oh, another new tidbit! I'm ordering from a meal subscription again. Not Hello Fresh, but its cheaper cousin, Every Plate. We've gotten one box and the meals were mostly thumbs up. Not spectacular, but serviceable, and I don't have to shop for every item and that has been a help. Today I made a broccoli-cheese soup from them, for lunch, which was delicious. 

Celebrating Love and Little Victories

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate it. ;) I know there are those who don't, and who don't like it, especially the commercialism of it. I don't like these aspects:

• that restaurants are so stupid-busy on the day, and the weekends surrounding
• that there's pressure to celebrate it, no matter what (like, nowadays you're supposed to go big on SELF-LOVE if you're not IN love, and I mean... just stop)
• that people are lonely
• that I feel like I'll never live up to how I'm "supposed" to celebrate it

Ugh. But I do love and appreciate:

• many opportunities for chocolate
• sweet words from my husband, who is a GEM and I'm keeping him
• spa gift cards from the same, because he is a master gift-giver, noticing when I complain of aches and pains

Today, we are celebrating with volleyball practice (Kate) and the weekly cornhole game (Shawn)! I have a cookie cake ready and waiting for us at 9:00pm when we all see each other again, minus Alex of course, who's having his first Valentine's Day away from home. We will get to see him this weekend when he pops home for a quick visit (with Ashling). ;) It's her birthday on Thursday. 

And it's Kate's birthday tomorrow -- 15 on the 15th! Hard to believe. We can't really celebrate tomorrow, since it's a school/work day. But she has the week off next week, so she's (we're) hosting a few of her high school friends for brunch on Monday. A Pancake Bar, I believe, is the plan. She has such creative ideas [read: gets them from social media], like making a photo backdrop with 9 heart-shaped balloons, if only I will move two framed art pieces from that one wall in the living room, lol. I hope I don't stifle her with my skepticism. I took a half day so I can help her cook and prepare, and then I fully expect to be hidden away in my room for the bulk of the party, because you know teen girls don't want Mom there watching them! (Will I feel under-appreciated? Yes.)

Since my last post, work has calmed down somewhat, now that January is over. I'm finding a little groove, I hope, but I still don't fathom how anyone expects a company with 1500 retail customers (in the US) to "do marketing" with one person on the marketing staff. Make it make sense. 

Still, some little victories:

• I got the 2023 product catalog finished and published
• I created, with the help of a freelancer, the Spring Invitation, coupon and mini-poster
• I have successfully called and conducted some meetings
• I got the 15 swimsuits to FL for the fashion show
• I got two new salespeople trained
• I got the swimwear sales sheet to the sales team
• I wrote the online descriptions for the new products when the ecommerce team refused to take that task over (!! rude!)
• I have shipped out a ton of FedExes to various people who need them (so much shipping gah), and ordered more FedEx supplies
• I have ordered business cards and nametags for people, and an important document from Global; printed and delivered 
• I have processed invoices for payment

I want to remember all of that for posterity. It kicked my butt. 

Moving on! I'm trying again with managing my diet. I bought V8 so it's Serious. This time I'm using MyNetDiary, the free version, to track calories, because food is the hardest part for me but I don't want to give up carbs or sugar completely. I need to eat what I eat, just be mindful of how much. So far it's going well (2 days in). If I need extra help, I plan to pay for the Premium version for a month or two. At the moment I'm in the "LET'S DO THIS" honeymoon phase. I bought new snacks and lots of vegetables. I'm mad at diet culture but still want to feel better in clothes, lose 10 pounds, for my health and to prevent other issues, etc etc blah blah. 

Right after the Valentine's chocolates and birthday cake, lol. Love to you, my bloggy friends!

New Year, New Job?

Oh, golly, y'all, things have been a whirlwind. My manager was let go from the company last Monday. They're not replacing her position. 

Guess who's going to take up the slack? 

I've been through all the emotions already; am probably on my second round of the emotions. Grief, anger, disbelief, curiosity, WHY ME, and overwhelm. I'm trying to get my feet back under me, now that the rug has been pulled and the figurative papers are swirling around my head. Each day is a little better, I guess, but I'm still not thrilled about it. Remember my 2023 goal to "prioritize and organize my work life?" Heh. Thanks, Universe, for pushing that point, ha! Now I have even more things to fit into the puzzle and the daily round. 

She was responsible for all of our printing decisions, and while the main reason she was let go (budget) indicates I'll have to do a lot LESS printing, I'm not convinced of that. I mean, thankfully, I have a secret weapon in printing (Shawn!), my own personal consultant and advisor. But still, this is something I haven't had my hands in since 2008. So it's re-learning about paper and quotes and specifications. Not hard, just not what I've gotten used to.

There's some good in this plot twist, for sure. I've become, over these last years, quite comfortable in a position of "assistant." The last 2 or 3 years, in fact, I really embraced my role and accepted that I was meant to be the "best helper" I could be. It took a lot of pressure off. I would just do the work I was given, and that is fine, that's enough! It allowed me to take my workdays fairly easily, especially with Covid and work from home. I got things done on time, and worked, don't get me wrong. I just allowed myself to "go easy." Now, though, I'm not so much a helper as THE DOER of All things Marketing. The decision maker. The person people have to ask. 

The reason I say this is a good thing is, you know, necessary growth. Stretching myself. Owning my capability to handle it. (Ugh. I'd really rather be the assistant. SO much simpler.) I'm trying to think about, -- and this may be silly, but it helps me a little -- all the 20-something and 30-something women who come into new jobs with all this enthusiasm and confidence, somehow. I'm trying to think like that. To think of this as a brand-new job, one in which I need to impress and be decisive and take charge. Walking in with my hair and makeup perfect, having all the answers, asking the right questions - at least acting like I know what I'm doing, which is what most of the girls do. (I have the little advantage of already having been at the company 14 years.) 

It's so not my personality! But I guess I have to try to make it work for me. Maybe I'll be SEEN, for the first time since I started here (there have always been women above me whose personalities were BIGGER and who, I feel, definitely kept me a background character). That will be different. Can I be the A-student, leader-of-clubs, Dean's List, high achiever I used to be in school and my early career? I mean, I never was a big-time career "success," but at one time I did have that drive to achieve. Whew, it was long ago! Ha! I'll have to dig deep and remember how. 

On the very negative side, I miss my best work-friend. Things are not going to be the same without her.

Not Feeling Writer-y

I haven't felt at all like blogging yet, in October. Still don't. But I want to share, for my 2 and a half readers, that all is well! I just don't feel like there's much to say about it.

We seem to be in the rhythm of our schoolyear now, rolling along as normal. Fall Break got derailed by Hurricane Ian, so instead of our trip to Charleston, we went to Pensacola. Sorry, Sherry!! I'm still so sad about it. But of course we had a nice time with Mom and Dad. Spent a great day at the beach and another afternoon strolling and lunching downtown. (And taking one million photos of Kate in her cute outfit, because that is what 14-year-old girls want to do. I tried not to mind too much, but I'm not sure I was successful; I'm not the best photographer, I was told.) 

Fall has been beautiful here. More sunny, crisp days, please! Yesterday we had cloudy and rainy, which I like, but I think I prefer sunny. 

My few little Halloween decorations are up, and I bought the mission-critical Reese's pumpkins and seasonal Hershey's Kisses. 

I've been going to the office twice a week, and trying to put on makeup and make an effort even if I'm working at home. Ha. 

Lined up for the next month: An appointment with a new podiatrist, then a mammogram, then a colonoscopy. Big fun!

Today I'm making Loaded Potato Soup in the crock pot, and working on a big, mindless photo-sizing project, so that means I'll be able to listen to podcasts while I work. I've been doing a lot of that lately, too. Oh! and watching Abbott Elementary and Derry Girls. I love them both so much! 

Hope you're well!

Menu Planning in May!

I guess I gave up cooking in about mid-March, due to all the practices and Cornhole and Board meeting circumstances every night of the week except Thursdays. It has made me feel off-kilter, for sure, but was also a relief to just let it go. We've fared okay. One of Kate's favorite busy-weeknight, pre-volleyball practice go-to meals was frozen potstickers. Any brand, any variety will do. They take about 10 minutes in a skillet to cook up and have a nice crispy edge, and she ate them at least once a week. I know Alex and Shawn have had plenty of Spaghetti-Ohs dinners. Once in a while I've made recipes thinking they would last the week and provide some easy leftovers meals... and then no one ends up eating them but me. Things like red beans and rice in the crockpot, a sausage/pasta baked casserole, and BBQ meatballs.

But THIS WEEK we are without any volleyball or drum/band practices on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday! So I actually had to think a little bit when making a grocery list.

I don't think it's necessary to tell you everything we're eating this week, because it's all my usuals, nothing new -- first I have to see if I remember how to cook, lol. Maybe next week, or better yet, after school ends for the year, I'll venture into trying new recipes again. 

Meanwhile, I hung my just-delivered fundraiser hanging baskets yesterday -- pretty pink-flowered "million bells" -- and set out my 2 tomato plants, so that makes me want to clean up the rest of the planters. I do love puttering around in the garden! We also have some pretty red house finches making a nest on top of one of the columns on our front porch. Interestingly, there seem to be three of them building the nest -- a modern bird family, I guess! 

Would be nice to have a spring meal or two outside among the fresh flowers and birdies before it gets too hot. Also trying to decide if I can manage to host a graduation party for the graduate; if I do, that would likely be in the backyard as well. We'll see. No time to muse about it, my job tasks-list is huge today. But happy Monday and happy new month. I think if I can get through May, ... well, I was going to say "things will calm down," but that may not actually be the case. I will work on ENJOYMENT of each day no matter how busy, instead of "getting through." Remind me. 

Volleyball Mom: I'm learning

Here are a few things I learned this weekend about club volleyball tournaments:

1. They are equally as exciting/nerve-wracking for a parent as marching band competitions
2. You can enjoy them while not fully understanding all the rules of the game (and believe me, I do not fully understand!)
3. You can meet new parents as you cheer on your kids together
4. You should definitely bring a book for the hour-long breaks between your player's games, when her team has to referee for two other teams that you don't care much about (I'm so glad I had one!)
5. Bring snacks and drinks not only for your player, but for yourself
6. Or you can go get drink-drinks with your cousins who are club volleyball pros, and this is a better option
7. The merch table is a dangerous pit -- do not go near unless you're ready to part with a lot of dollars (of course I did)
8. You will be tired and cranky by 5pm if you don't eat any actual meal

So, we traveled across town to Kate's tournament this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. Long days. I'm actually so GLAD that Alex had other things to do -- it was his Honor Band weekend for the county/district, so he had a whole day rehearsal on Saturday and a performance Sunday afternoon. He would have been bored at the volleyball thing, and would probably have felt a little out of place.

(I also learned that I really don't like having to miss one kid's big moments while watching another kid's. Thank goodness for video.) 

Anyway, we went, and we invited Lara and Jeff on Saturday, whose daughters played club volleyball about 8-10 years ago. That was a good call and added some fun to it for us. 

Kate's team lost every single set they played on Saturday. It was terrible! After they lost the first one, they just couldn't muster any positive energy. None of them played like they usually play! But Sunday, they managed to come back and win a match, which helped their morale a lot. It's really fun to watch them as they're learning these big sports/life lessons.

Next week is our travel weekend, and we'll go to Montgomery, AL for a 2-day tournament. Just a couple hours' drive from here, but it's exciting to stay at a hotel and all. The parents are making plans and goody bags and I hope it's a good time. 

Alex has a percussion competition (he's playing cymbals this semester in the percussion ensemble!) the same day, so Shawn will attend that instead. I really hate missing things. But I suppose it's time to start getting used to that, as the first kid prepares to leave the nest in the fall.... IF he gets in where he wants to (Georgia Tech), of course. We're waiting on pins and needles until Spring Break, I guess, when those decisions get made. 

Tonight is an 8th grade night at the high school so I'm taking Kate. So much transitioning to new things lately! Maybe that's why I feel a little ...adrift? Unsettled? Something. I can't quite get solid bearings; everything feels like it's swirling around me a little bit. I sit down to work and am unfocused. I try my best to do one thing at a time, but it's hard. 

I'm not stressed over it (yet), although I did have a stressful moment Sunday night when every group I'm part of started text threads at the same time. Band moms, Volleyball moms, basketball moms, and just regular friends, ding! ding! Ding-ding! I nearly turned the phone off altogether. And meanwhile, teens and preteens were sighing loudly at me (and speaking like teens speak to parents, which is to say, somewhat unkindly).

This is the time of our lives, right? :) 

No cooking this week! Well, I have some salmon I might make on Thursday, we'll see. 

Today is Shawn's Birthday

Happy birthday to my Darling Husband! Today, I will bake you a cake! 

(I seriously love working from home.) 

He went to his office, on the other hand, on his birthday. We are both gluttons for punishment; back in June I worked on my birthday, too. BUT: In a wild act of celebration and treating himself, he did not make a lunch this morning. I think he's going to have a Jersey Mike's sub, and CHIPS. And a full-sugar SODA! 

He has some presents to open later and I will make his favorite meal -- say it together, everyone: Chili. :) It's a perfect winter climate for it, that's for sure! I wrote in my planner for January (because I'm so cheesy) that I want to celebrate him and make sure he feels loved on his birthday, and chili is definitely the way.

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Things have been rolling along, here in '22. Kate and I have attended her first club volleyball events, for which I finally broke down and bought bleacher seats with a back to lean on. These tournaments are long days in multi-court gyms, always on metal bleachers, and my lower back is not a fan. Hopefully the seats will help. Still, it's fun watching her have fun. Our determined little athlete. She really plays hard and gives it her all. 

Alex is doing All The Things in his spring semester senior year! And excelling (sorry to brag, but it's my blog and I will keep bragging): He auditioned for the county Honor Band and made 2nd chair clarinet, and then he went on to audition for All-State and made that, too! (He says he's last chair for that one, but I say, it's still a chair!) So there are several concerts in our future, with the preceding day-long rehearsals for him. He's playing cymbals in the Indoor Percussion Ensemble (new instrument!), and I think he's joined the Jazz Band again, as well?! Not to mention his two AP classes. He's a rock star.

Side note: It's so interesting to me, how in my family of origin, one of us kids (me) did all the artsy things (theater, choral performance) and one, my sister, did all the sports (basketball, cross-country, and later, crew and triathlon). History repeats.

All-State Band will be in March in Athens, a 2-hour drive away, and he'll miss a day of school. I booked a hotel. Along with Kate's out-of-town tournaments (one for basketball and one for volleyball), that means I have three hotel reservations at the moment, in the next 2 months. I hope I can keep everything straight. The problem is both kids seem to have events on the same weekends. Shawn and I are having a Big Calendar Meeting this weekend to work it all out -- who's going where and when. I am not stressed about it, just want to get these many ducks in a row. So I don't ...quack. HAHA!

I'm somewhat nervous that my manager is going to throw in work-trips for me, also; we have lots of tradeshows in March, ughhhhh. Pray she doesn't. I suppose I need to tell her about my personal calendar, but you know what's weird? Those things don't really get discussed as much because we don't see each other at the office anymore. We used to go to lunch once a week, but it has been a very long time since that has happened. 

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This semester I am not even trying to make real "meals" every night of the week. Instead, I'm writing "take out" or "fast-food" or a new term we learned from another family: Helpy-Selfy. Haha! I love that. Full meals are for Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays only. All other nights are spoken for with practices. Here are some of the things we've eaten lately:

• A cheater's version of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn: Old Standard. Everyone likes this, possibly even better than "real" meatloaf. I am opposed to the NAME of meatloaf (so unappetizing), but I enjoy eating it. 
• Sushi & Ramen! Using Kate's kit that she got for Christmas, we made homemade California rolls a couple of times. It's fun! ...although the process makes quite a mess.
• Chicken & Dumplings in the crock pot. I like C&D and it seems like something my Georgia native kids should know and love, for some reason. Is it a Southern food? I don't actually know. But this recipe was good, flavorful. I didn't add any vegetables because that doesn't seem right. I want my C&D to be a thick, carby white food. We had salad on the side and crusty bread to dip into the soup.
• Pork Carnitas Tacos (crock pot again). Very yummy. I made a lime crema (learned it from Hello Fresh), and served with black beans, shredded cabbage and cilantro. 

Big Wins

Alex Update:

The Harrison High School Marching Band won their first competition of the season, with a huge score of 92.1 (usually scores are in the 80s)! It was a great night, a local competition here in our county. They worked SO hard. Just a week prior, we had seen the end of practice (a "Parent Performance," the night that we had our dinner party) and it was a sad, sad state of affairs. But hard work and adrenaline made it all come together and it was a beautiful performance. So proud of them! We go on to our out-of-town competition this Saturday.

Alex was also named one of the top 50,000 kids taking the PSAT for the National Merit Scholarships, and was recognized for that. Top 50K doesn't seem that great unless you think about the number of high schools in your own state, let alone the whole country. Then it's pretty impressive.

Kate Update:

After a harrowing day of tryouts -- mostly because she was shooting daggers at me the whole time -- Kate made the volleyball team she wanted to make. She was mad at me because I wouldn't let her try out for the National/Travel team. Her 3 friends from school were all trying out for that highest level (only one of them made it). But sorry, girlie, I still have a full-time job and I knew I simply could not make that work, especially since this is our first go-round with club volleyball. Still, she played her heart out and maybe the anger even fueled her to do better. On day 2 of the tryouts, I watched from across the gym as she was pulled aside during a drill. She went to the sidelines and the coach said a few things to her and then fist-bumped her. Kate smiled ever so slightly, but her whole body relaxed and got lighter in that moment; she hopped off to get back to the drill but I knew they had offered her a position on the team. And, oh, my heart just swelled with happiness for her. What a moment. 

My bank account may never recover from this, however. Did you know that sports (outside of the little Catholic schools' league we are used to) are Stupid Expensive?! Imagine me looking at the grand total just for the uniforms (because there are so many "optional" pieces that I know she will want) and blinking slowly, repeatedly. Yikes. (Mom and Dad, don't worry, we have it covered, it's just surprising.)

Shawn Update:

Yes, there is a Shawn update! He also had a big win this week, in that his Atlanta Cornhole League team, The Sigourney Fevers 2, WON the local tournament last night! I'm so happy for him and his buddies. I like that he has this way to relax and have a beer with friends during the work-week. And I love that they WON! They now go on to a state ... wait for it ... Corn-ament! ;) 

Me Update: 

My Events Planning band job is kicking my butt. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. My partner got Covid, for starters. We have a home game and a competition this weekend so I'm having to manage those without her (thank goodness there are plenty of volunteers). And our next event, Senior Night, has had hiccups as well (the location we wanted is unavailable; the caterer is unavailable). It will all work out but it's caused me to wake up THINKING in the middle of the night, and that's always terrible. 

Last night was the first one in a while that I've gotten to stay at home after work. Alex had his piano lesson, and I did run to the grocery store, but after that, I sat on the couch and read my book. A luxury! I'm reading The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate -- a book I picked up while just browsing at Barnes & Noble, and how long has it been since you've done THAT?! so fun! -- I really like it so far. I was tired from getting my flu shot the day before, so a night off was just what the doctor ordered. That was MY Big Win for the week! :)

Getting Through the Days, vs. Enjoying Tiny Moments of Joy

The days are long, my people, but the years are short. Gretchen is right.

The days are indeed long.

We survived the last week of September, although I cringe to even type that -- "we survived." Of course we did. The only difficult thing we had to deal with was a calendar with too many things on it. Not the Plague that still plagues us, or a death or a catastrophe. Why does my brain default to, "Just get through this long day," instead of waking me up with thoughts like, "Okay, today has some FUN stuff in it, like a Sales Meeting in a pretty hotel with your out-of-town co-workers, and then tomorrow we get to go downtown to the Big City to see a concert at the Arena! On a school night! That we bought tickets for 2 years ago! Wheee!" 

Instead I thought, "Ugh, I have to drive on the Interstate THREE days in a row and I hate driving on the interstate. Meanwhile, I hate to ask other people to rearrange their lives to pick Kate up from school because of this work meeting. Also, I don't even really LIKE Lauren Daigle's music -- and I feel awkward around the people we're going with, as nice as they are -- I wish I didn't have to go to this concert and be out late on a Thursday in scary downtown."

It could have been the pull of the moon if ya know what I mean, but I felt all week like I was pushing myself, that I was constantly behind, especially with my professional work (still trying to pound out 8 hours a day, which hasn't ACTUALLY happened since March of 2020, and I should be okay with that by now), and that I was surely going to crumble from stress. I didn't, of course. I got through it with the help of Shawn, and of kind friends. In fact, the meeting was fine, the Interstate was fine, the concert was quite good -- and no one upon no one knows or cares if I work 8 hours or not.

Tuesday was the best day. It was Alex's college visit at Georgia Tech, and I took the day off work. He loved the campus, and I think it energized his college search/application motivation... at least for that day. ;) We did the official info session, the student-led tour, had lunch on campus, bought a t-shirt, the whole works. He is not sure he wants to go to an engineering school, but I can see him there... maybe. We still have a few other campuses we want to look at, and a lot of work to do, application-wise. But that was a good day.

Saturday was the craziest: Alex had a 9 to 9 band camp day. Kate had a volleyball tournament across town. Shawn had invited friends to our house for a little casual dinner party. Thank goodness the work event for THAT day (oh yes, there was one) got cancelled. I left my own dinner party early to go help at the band camp concession stand.

Through the whole week, I was really trying to find tiny moments of joy. Here are a few I wrote down:

• A short walk with Alex in our neighborhood on Monday
• Talking w/my aunt Kimmy about an upcoming trip to Orlando
• Sitting on the front porch in the cooler fall mornings
• Being in a college bookstore (swoon!)
• Feeling "part of the team" (work)
• Listening to a great podcast while on the Interstate
• Driving safety
• Seeing a sunrise when getting the newspaper 
• The smell of making gumbo reminding me of the holidays and my mom

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Last night Kate and I went to her first "clinic," or "Train for Tryouts," for a club volleyball team. One of the things I have loved about Kate's school volleyball team is her coach's emphasis on having fun. He's a parent volunteer coach, a really good one, and before every game, I heard him tell the girls, "Hey, let's just have fun out there." I think that's missing from so many kids' sports these days. And it was missing last night, I'll tell you that. This club, while not the MOST aggressive in the area, is definitely in it to win it. The 2-hour clinic was a fast-paced, drill-heavy workout, and Kate left it feeling like she isn't good enough and definitely won't make a team. I'm sure she will, but I'm NOT sure it's a good idea to commit to that level of difficulty. 

She says she still wants to try out, and while I'm hesitant, I guess we'll go to the next clinic on Wednesday. 

This week's evenings are packed with activity, as well, including one Alex just told me about this morning -- his induction into the music honor society at school. Also on Wednesday, ha! When I was planning our dinner menu this week, I decided that since none of us was going to be home at the same times this week, I did not need to plan any sit-down meals. I bought hot dogs and buns, pasta and sauce, pizza crusts and toppings, frozen black bean burgers, and we have leftover gumbo & rice from the weekend. It is WEIRD to not have planned a single weeknight meal! 

Monday Update

I read a really good book this weekend, called The Leavers, by Lisa Ko. I can't remember how it was recommended to me -- possibly the e-library recommended it based on something else I read -- but I enjoyed it a lot. It's about a Chinese American boy and his mom, and how he loses her when he's about 12 and gets adopted by a white American family who change his name and help raise him to young adulthood. I've already recommended it to both my mom and my sister so I thought I'd share it here, as well. Two thumbs up, it's well-written prose and sympathetic characters, and a true-to-life American story I've never really considered very deeply.

Last night I chose my next book; I have several on my Wish List, and the choice was between At Home in Mitford, which I read 20 years ago, and loved, and feel like is a calming, soothing setting and non-stressful characters, and Sharp Objects, which is the complete opposite of that (I watched the HBO series but never read the book). It's a murder mystery with some seriously damaged people. Heh. I think Mitford was the wise choice in These Stressful Times. 

Today on my list, besides work, which is ever-present:

AC repair. Our upstairs AC has been broken for 2 weeks. In Georgia. In the heat of still summer. Thankfully the last 3-4 days, temps have been very mild, but we did buy a window unit for our master bedroom to get us through, and the kids have five fans between their bedrooms. We've survived it but I am REALLY glad the repair guys are here this morning early. 

Fill 125 goody bags with candy and then tie them with grosgrain ribbon, for 8th grade night this Friday at the football game. 8th graders who may be interested in band come play in the stands with our high schoolers, and we feed them pizza and give them goodies. I like doing crafty things and am glad I took this particular task on, I just hope I can finish them by Friday! Maybe I'll do 25 at a time, as a work-break, a few times a day.

Sign Kate up for a few club volleyball "train for tryouts" clinics. Her life is about to be all-sports-all-the-time, because she wants to play both basketball for her school, and club volleyball. I wish she didn't want to play basketball -- it's a bit of a hassle to drive all over Atlanta to the various Catholic schools in the league... and I don't love a couple of the parents. But she's done it since 3rd grade so she might as well finish it out. She's not destined for high school basketball, I don't think, so this will likely be her swan song with this particular sport. And club volleyball -- the one reason I'm glad about it is that she may meet some girls who will attend her high school next year, and that will be a help as she moves from little St. Joe's to giant Harrison High. (KT baby!! In High School next year!)

Fall Concert tonight. Aside from all the marching, our band members are also in class, and have to show their progress. So tonight they'll march until 6pm, then have one hour to eat something, change into tuxedos and take their places on stage. Of course, Kate has (school) volleyball practice at the same time, so one of us (Shawn) will miss the concert. Bummer.

But as a result of all that, I barely have to plan dinner for tonight, yippie! The rest of the week we're going to eat these things:

Chili or chili mac -- the family standby! And it feels like fall, sort-of, so yay!

Pork Chops with Shake 'n' Bake (old-school!), field peas and rice -- Kate will complain about this meal but then will eat it and remember it's pretty tasty

Chicken Quesadillas -- because they're fast

Last week Kate mentioned wanting spaghetti Carbonara. I said that I couldn't eat it, being a person with high cholesterol. But I made it last night with whole wheat spaghetti, and then I guess it was so rich (and I'd worried people talking about egg yolks and bacon being fatty) that no one really ate much of it!! I myself had noodles with pesto instead. So now there's a lot of Carbonara left... and who is the person who mostly eats leftovers because she is at home? Me. Seems a shame that most of it will get thrown out. Oh well: at least pasta and eggs aren't expensive.

Hope you all have a good week! 

Oh wait! Edited to add some thoughts on groceries! In my area, we have noticeable shortages of:

• Gatorade and Gatorade Zero! For weeks! I think it has been about 4 weeks, actually -- the shelves are simply bare and we like Gatorade at our house. Can't find it in the 12-oz size anywhere. Google says this: "According to Beverage Digest, an Atlanta-based newsletter that tracks the beverage industry, several factors are behind the shortage: a particularly hot summer for much of the country, an increase in consumption tied to COVID patients, COVID outbreaks or quarantines among Gatorade production workers, and a tight supply...."  
• Mott's Apple Juice in small bottles. This week I found two 6-packs at Publix and bought them both, because they've been out for weeks, as well.
• Eggo Mini-Pancakes! This is my kids' go-to breakfast item because they can eat them with fruit, or syrup, or Nutella -- but NOPE. We are sorry this item is out of stock.

State of the Garden and other Updates

Despite the extreme heat of the last 3 weeks, my garden still looks okay. This isn't typical for me! This year I have tried not to water every day, but to definitely water every other day. We've had a lot of rain, too. Most every weekend, I've added fertilizer to the water. Here's the state of things:

Tomatoes: We've harvested several, and they taste delicious. They've not all looked lovely, however; some have had cracked sides which I read is from.... too much water! They're too heavy and they just crack. A couple were attacked by squirrels or birds so they were pock-marked. Unless they were really gross, I've cut them up anyway and added them to salsa or salad (cutting around the eaten parts, obviously). I figure, not every tomato in a field is going to look nice, so why should mine? There are three more on the (single) vine at the moment, and last week I saw a blossom but I'm not sure if it will be fruitful.

Petunias: I cut them back by a lot 2 weeks ago and that helped. One pot in the front yard got destroyed when we had the pressure washers here in June. Another pot in the front just burned up and I replaced them with some white Vinca. I'm sick of deadheading them all but it definitely helps them bloom.

Lantanas: These two hanging baskets are the saddest things when they're thirsty! But even when they look nearly dead, a good soak usually brings them back. They've flowered twice and it looks like they might one more time (?). They're supposedly a butterfly attractor, and I'm disappointed to not really be seeing tons of butterflies - but at least they're still alive.

Impatiens: So pretty. So easy to grow in the shade. One in the far backyard looked peaked on Saturday morning but I tended to it and today (Monday) it seems a little happier. I've had to spray to keep critters from munching on that one.

Begonias: Flowery and big! No trouble from these guys at all, they just grow and bloom no matter what I do.

Coleus: These are on the front porch in the shade and I'm not sure if that's the best spot for them, but so far they're okay. I love coleus; the ones I bought this year are green and red.

Jalepeno! Kate convinced me we needed a pepper plant and she was RIGHT! We've used several in our weekly salsa. 

Japanese Maple and Bridal Wreath (3) bushes: These, we planted in the front yard where we took out all of our Bradford pear trees. They seem to be doing okay despite being mostly ignored by me (bushes = not as fun to tend as flowers). 

All in all, it's probably the best garden year I've had, spring to summer. Not sure what I'll do this fall. I would definitely like to plant some kind of bulbs, but I can't decide what type/color or where. 

In Band Mom updates:

I got the pizza place sponsorship, AND one from a chicken restaurant as well, woo hoo! I've learned that people respond better to phone calls and that persistence pays off. And that I don't ever want to be in sales. This week is the first football game and we are taking orders now to feed the kids on Friday afternoon before they board the bus. It's a lot of work and I'm trying not to be stressed about it. The hardest thing is that my co-chair took a full-time job at a school and therefore can't really do any of the behind-the-scenes work during the day, so it's now all falling on me. Argh. Kinda annoying but I am TRUSTING that it will all be fine. We get along well and it's kinda fun having a friend texting me constantly, I must say. I think the worst is really behind us, lining up all those weekly meal sponsors. 

In Extra-Curricular news:

Kate has joined her school's volleyball team! It's been exciting because she has impressed her coaches. They ask me, "Where has she been playing? How much experience does she have?" because they say she's doing so well. But this is her very first time! I think she loves it, and it's a pretty low-key team. Maybe it will lead to more volleyball for her. I feel good about that; especially since the Drama club is still on hold until at least January. 

The only bad part is that the practice schedule makes our weeknights a bit crazy. This is the first year where we just may not eat dinner together many nights. I'm planning casseroles, freezer things, and crock-pot meals as a result. I'm not mad about it. ;)

Sunday: Chicken Tetrazini, made with zucchini instead of mushrooms

Monday: Frozen black bean burgers or chicken patty sandwiches, and fries

Tuesday: Bulgogi meatballs with broccoli and rice, if I can remember to stop at Publix and buy the sauce which wasn't available at WalMart this weekend

Wednesday:  Crock-pot chicken soft tacos (chicken, black beans, salsa, corn in the crock pot, sooo easy)

Thursday: Maybe pasta, maybe Leftovers on Parade (I imagine we'll have plenty)!

Friday: Football game!

Saturday: Band tailgate and parent performance!

It's a very full time of the year/of our lives, that's for sure. 

Welcome to the Back Half of the Year!

Uh, yeah. This year's half-over already!

I did a little review of June this morning in my paper planner and, I gotta say, it was a fast month! One of the things I wrote down as a "win" was this: Being more open to "yes." I haven't mastered that, not by a long shot, but there were a few examples. 

• On a random weekday, Kate asked if her friend Anna could come over to hang out. I would be working a full day at home that day AND we had an orthodontist appointment. But I said yes. Thankfully there was no additional driving for me, so I let her do it, even though it required a bit of set-up and a lunch out that I hadn't planned. 
• When she forgot a critical bag for her trip to Kentucky (stupid of ME, actually), I said yes to fixing it by overnighting the bag to her. Never mind it cost me $160. Never mind she'd only be there for 4 days. We live in the 21st century and things can be overnighted, so I did it. To make her happy.
• When Alex asked to have the whole clarinets section over the DAY BEFORE we left for vacation, during a busy work-week... I let him. He handled most of the setup (all I had to do was make one extra trip to the grocery store and hand him some serving bowls). It helped that he didn't ask me permission for the backyard activity of water balloons, because I might NOT have said yes to that... but actually he and his friends and his sister cleaned ALL of the pieces up meticulously afterwards. 

So even though it kinda makes me feel scattered and unplanned in the moment, saying yes was a good thing about June. :) 

Today I did something else rather spontaneous. I have been harping on Alex to work on his college planning, and he has been, slowly but surely. We set some deadlines for ourselves (him). I really do want him to take the lead but it is like pulling teeth. Anyway, this week he was supposed to start scheduling some campus tours. He asked me last night how, exactly, to do that, and I explained it to him (go to the school's website, look for an "Admissions" or "Visit" link, click it...) The fact that he asked that question made me think mayyyyyybe I need to just go ahead and get more involved. Which.... argh. But whatever. So today I hopped onto one of the websites for a local university, one of his top 6 choices, just to see if what I'd advised him was as EASY as I thought it should be. It was. I clicked "campus visit" and noticed they only had availability TOMORROW for a guided tour -- nothing in August. So I booked it. I asked him first, but good gravy, that was close. I think if we'd waited one more day we'd have had to wait until November. So at lunchtime tomorrow we'll be on a guided college tour! Yay!

Maybe there will be more Yes for the rest of 2021. I mean, I guess that will be up to me and my mindset. "Can-do" attitude goes a long way for motivation, I guess. Fake it 'til you make it. Yes, and.