Hey there!
I enjoyed our conversation last month so much, I wanted to check in again. I also wanted to show you some of the spring we’ve got going on around here!
It’s SPRING.
My neighbor’s lawn is half covered by lily of the valley, and I want to take the deepest breaths of my life when we walk by. It smells impossibly good.
And then there’s my other neighbor who grows poppies!
I honestly didn’t think they’d grow at my latitude but they’re really happy:
That’s the first one, and about two days after I took this photo, there were dozens. They’re so pretty!
And finally, the azalea I adore, the one I wait all year to see bloom again has indeed exploded, and the wait was worth it:
I have never seen a yellow-orange creamsicle colored azalea, and I love this one so much. It’s also a lot taller than me, which means it’s been showing off for a long time.
I’m still working on my spring sawtooth star quilt, and a flannel baby quilt as well. I’m also sitting outside and listening to a LOT of audiobooks. Not only did I give myself quilt projects, but I signed up for a dragon stitch a long cross stitch project, and I’m about two dragons behind.
LOL. “Two dragons behind.” That’s going to be my default answer when someone asks, “How are you?” I’m about two dragons behind, thanks!
While I play dragon catchup, I’ve listened to The Ward Witch by Sarah Painter, which was very good in audio, and I’m debating whether to start the next book, The Book Keeper, or try the other Painter series, Crow Investigations, which begins with The Night Raven.
Now that I’ve taken you on a tour of the flowers in my neighborhood (which should have been a Mr. Rogers song if it wasn’t) let me ask: what’s new with you? Hayadoin?
Are you two dragons behind, too?
I am about 17 dragons behind. I feel like I am running in place. It is very frustrating. Hopefully I turn a corner soon.
My husband had surgery back in January and has been on a liquid diet for the past four months. He finally got the okay to eat real food last week. Tonight, we’re going out for a slightly belated anniversary dinner (forty-one years).
The drama at work has grown exponentially, and, although I have no part in the actual issues, it does affect what I do significantly. There have been several key resignations and visits from the highest levels of HR and Corp. My downtime is spent watching period dramas and anime and indulging in comfort reading.
@Francesca, congratulations on the anniversary and commiserations on the work issue.
I am, free, free, free of Biology! I think I’m going to end up with an A in the class and I can’t say I honestly *enjoyed* it (I’m just always going to be a history/literature/languages girl in my soul), I did have a good professor and that helped a lot. I feel like I now have a big chunk of my brain back and I can concentrate on other things. Like reading for fun! and studying Italian! and baking! I told my family I’m now going to Bake All The Things and I know it made my husband happy 😉
I’m starting with a 6 inch layer cake version of this.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/espresso-chocolate-chip-cake/
I’m more of a cookie baker than cake baker, so it’s a bit of stretch for me.
Happy weekend, everyone!
I am officially 2 months from retirement. Yay! Terrified and excited at the same time. Trying not to let the increasing chaos and stress at work harsh my buzz. Hubby retired years ago and is 13 years older than me, so he’s under strict orders to stay healthy so we can enjoy ourselves. The work stress has really impacted my reading, so I’m looking forward to hitting my significant TBR pile.
After suffering through yet another weather event that resulted in going 24-plus hours without power, Mr. DDD and I decided to forgo our planned summer trips and instead take the money we’d earmarked for those endeavors and purchase a generator and a small air conditioner that can keep a single room cool. When we would go without power once every few years, I was ok. But this latest event (we had a series of tornadoes rip through the area—no fatalities, thank God, but also no power in the aftermath) was the third time in the last 12 months that we’ve been without electricity for more than a day. So we’ve spent the last few weeks learning about wattage, amps, dual fuel, currents, and everything else generator-related. The newly-purchased generator & a/c, along with a small storage shed in which to keep them, will be delivered this week. Welcome to global climate change. Sigh.
@DDD You won’t regret the generator purchase. We have one. I live in the mountains and ours has saved us more than once in the last few years, particularly in the cold weather. There aren’t many people around here, so we are always last when the power company has to fix things. The generator is loud, but we at least are comfortable.
The spring flowers are beautiful here too, particularly the rhododendrons. The mountain laurels will be blooming in a couple of weeks. Always a favorite.
@DDD, ugh I’m sorry for the sacrifice but I think it’s a very wise purchase. I love a good old fashioned Coleman lantern too if you don’t have one. I grew up with a lot of blackouts in Southern Italy and it was always handy and bright enough to read by.
My first daffodil bloomed this week, finally! Now a bunch. I’ve bought 2 plum trees after wanting one for years. Now to plant them.
Tonight we’re taking our teardrop trailer to a star party in a local state park – my husband is an amateur astronomer, but I need a place to sleep when it gets really late.
I’ve been walking through our neighborhood, sniffing all the reachable lilacs. This is the first year that my garden is cleaned up and reading for planting before Memorial Day. I’ve got all my seeds and just need to drag myself off the couch and get planting. I’ve been skipping my way through Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues books since I read the newest one last weekend. I’m also listening to the audiobook for BRIDE by Ali Hazelwood – while alternating between working on my most ambitious cross stitch project – a large magnolia blossom branch and pulling out my colored pencils and coloring books. I’m not so good at sitting still so having a handicraft and an audio book is a good combo.
I’m also trying to adjust to our 14 yo kiddos not needing as much active parenting attention (for the moment) and having a job that is left at work and not as soul-draining/body exhausting as my previous two. So sometimes I find myself with open stretches of time – a huge luxury and privilege. I’m trying to get in touch with how I engage with my days and what is life giving to engage with.
My first iris opened on May first, a white one that I dug out of my parent’s yard before we sold the house. Seeing all the other buds about to burst makes me so happy. As the sciatica has subsided for now, I was able to get a little garden work done yesterday.
I’m heading for Ohio next weekend to get my first snuggle with the new godgranddaughter, Hallie. Nothing like new baby snuggles.
these check-ins are lovely.
overall wise: I’m grateful and appreciative of living with a partner and a kid that I really enjoy being with. love ’em, AND like em, which I am so thankful for. They do drive my crazy too, of very course, but we can always talk to each other, and I am super thankful for that.
right-now-wise: loving that the school year’s drawing to a close, and also having all the feels at the feeling of ending-s. trying to figure out what is best for our family camp-wise/extra classes wise. . . also wondering what’s going on with me that some days I wake up with the beginnings of a headache. also, wanting to zero in on a water filtration system for our drinking needs.
spring is definitely springing, and I’m loving it. I’m waiting for the peonies to show up at the farmer’s market but meanwhile I’ll take the lily of valley, and azaleas, and ranunculus, and anemones and tulips!
small joy/success: my indoor curry patta plan which I was sure I had managed to kill after my aunt nurtured it for years was actually not killed!!! turns out it was just following the rhythms of the season–I plucked all the dried leaves and steams, wondering what would happen next. Well, spring happened next! Within two weeks, it’s bright and busy and verdant and simply pulsing with life! So, yes! 🙂
Also, just wanted to say I love this corner of the internet. it feels like home to me. Thank you Sarah and the whole crew, and the amazing community for nurturing this space. Hugs to us all!
Finally coming out of my four-month funk. I finally connected it to the old days when I was doing convention art shows all up and down the East Coast; I learned to manage my manic-depression to make it work for me, living on one meal a day, two hours of sleep and pure adrenaline for six months, then hit the wall and do nothing but eat and sleep for the next six. Well I’ve been on an overlapping triple deadline for several months, and when I got them all mailed out and had nothing urgent to do my body said “Downtime!” and threw all motivation out the window. Just now coming out of that cocoon and excited for Free Comics Day today. (I do not credit spring for this; it’s been raining almost nonstop and pollen levels are insane, so I have constant sinus headaches that make me want to go back to bed and do not inspire me at all.)
I’m not having a good time. Trying to hold on until the end of school and all my kids’ extracurriculars and the busy season of my work, but I’m so burnt out and it’s been a struggle! I was driving my kids to dance this morning and a car was far back in the left lane so I turned into the right lane on a road in my neighborhood, but apparently the guy in the other car didn’t like that so he cut us off and hard braked, forcing me to swerve into another lane where he swerved to cut us off again and hard brake then AGAIN to “teach me a lesson” or something. We came up to a red light and I cut through a gas station to get away from him. That was like the cherry on top for me and I have decided I’m going to be in a blanket burrito watching cartoons all weekend.
Pickle, I am so sorry – that guy needs to lose his license asap.
I’m trying to retire and unfortunately, my agency has decided to ‘refresh’. Which means moving all employees to whatever space they can find, and trashing everything not critical. I have throw out a couple of dozens of technical books already. Grrr.
Staffing issues all week, coworker moment on Wednesday that I will be dealing with the fallout from for months… And emergency tooth extraction Thursday – it was pretty gross – which has me loopy on painkillers and decongestants, which means that running Star Wars Day will be interesting today. @_@ But, fortunately, I have awesome volunteers, so the event will be a success. And then I’m going home and not moving from the couch all weekend.
Hugs to all of you who like hugs, and to those who do not, a firm Wakandan bow of respect and solidarity.
@Francesca: happy belated anniversary to you!
And good wishes to all whether you are two dragons behind or not.
I work at a college, and it’s a lot right now. Students protesting (I support them!), our Jewish students are upset (I support them too!), and nobody knows what’s going to happen for graduation.
I know it’s small in the scheme of global conflict, but this class graduated HS in 2020, and I want for them so badly to have their graduation.
And extra good wishes to you, @Pickle and @Babelfish.
My MIL is in hospice. We visit as often as we can in another state. Have to pick up a kid from college this week, worried it might happen then, but we have to go because there’s stuff to bring home.
There’s no Mother’s Day this year for me.
Thanks for giving me a safe space to be a Debbie Downer.
I’m 14 days from finishing out the school year, and while I will miss my sweet class-I can’t wait. As anyone who teaches knows, these last weeks are stressful, but the blissful summery light at the the end of the tunnel?? Yes!
@DDD-about 11 years ago we went almost 2 weeks without power due to a freak windstorm at the end of summer which downed tons of trees. We had purchased a portable generator in an earlier power outage that was resolved fairly quickly. I can’t tell you how much we appreciated having that! Ours is noisy, but we were able to keep the fridge, freezer, lights working on a kind of rotation. Luckily we live in a cooler climate so no need for AC. So sorry for your troubles, and I hope everything gets back to normal soon!
Hugs to everyone. Thanks for making space for a check-in, @SB Sarah.
@DDD, glad you’re getting something to help when weather causes disruptions.
Happy belated anniversary, @Francesca–glad you’re able to celebrate!
Yay on finishing bio, @JillQ, and yay on all the baking!
Have a wonderful evening, @Vivi12!
Enormous hugs, @Pickle and @denise. I’m so sorry.
I’m three weeks into a new-to-me long-term sub position, and count it a victory that I don’t feel completely lost at this point, LOL! Finally did laundry for the first time in what feels like ages, and am trying to decide what to read for fun next…
I recently picked up the instrument I played as a teenager after 30 years of not playing. I never thought I’d be playing in an orchestra again – but last September I lucked into a seat in a community orchestra and tonight we played our last concert of the season – Beethoven’s 5th. I felt like I belonged there for the first time and I’m excited about next season.
I’m struggling a bit with work stress and a little overwhelmed with general life things. I live on my own and there’s nobody to share the load with. For the most part I’m ok with that but it would be nice to have somebody clean out the shower drain and call the internet provider about the overcharge.
The last year (2023 – to now) has not been kind to me. I lost my dad on the first Sunday in February and my job of seven years ended Thursday of the same week. While the job loss has allowed me to spend time with my mom who was devastated to lose her partner of 67 years, it hasn’t been fruitful in the job department. I have been looking for a new position for over a year and I will say ageism is a thing. I am almost 63 and no one wants to hire someone my age. I have great phone screens and am told they are moving me forward, I see someone at the company viewed my LinkedIn profile and a rejection soon follows. It is disheartening to learn the skills and time I have put in are worth nothing.
I am happy to say my mom turns 89 in a week and she is doing well. She loves that I am unemployed and at her disposal. That is my Polly Positive statement of the week.
@ Lisa J, all the hearts, so sorry for your loss. Hugs to you and your mom.
I lost my job shortly after my mom passed away and it took almost three years to get a new job. And I was only 40. Same with the bff when her spouse passed when she was 50. It was connections/friends that came through for both of us. I will never understand the hiring managers who don’t value older workers. We train faster, we don’t try to cut out early on Fridays or call in hungover on Mondays and we aren’t looking for a new position every three to four years – don’t get me wrong, I understand why younger people do this, but you’re not looking for your next position you’re looking for your last position. As much as I am coming to hate my job the thought of trying to find something to get me through the next five years gets me through the bad days.
@Lisa J – update your LinkedIn profile to only list the last 15 years of your work history. Take graduation years off of any education listed. That is what resume writers and career coaches recommend. It can help prevent that initial filtering out.
@Queen Celeste – thank you for the advice. I did that when I first started looking over a year ago. The job I was rif’d from also provided resume review and I took advantage of it.
@DonnaMarie – Amen! I have said the same thing too many times to count. When I spoke to the people in my State Unemployment center they said older workers are having an issue due to pay they want. I told him I had decreased my salary requirements by over $30K per year and still wasn’t getting any traction. He just said he is hearing that from a lot of older workers and encouraged me to keep applying. I am much luckier than a lot of people who were laid off with me last year, I knew when they announced we were being acquired that my job would probably go away and I started to put the majority of my pay into savings to help. It has been a good thing.
I have tried to grow poppies several times but I am unable to convince my father that not all flowers with furry stems are thistles. I’ll get them just to the point of flowering then come home from work to find my father has proudly decapitated all of them “to prevent those thistle weeds from spreading.” Never could convince him they were poppies and I’d planted them on purpose so I gave up.
@DDD, it may be more money, but if you can get a propane powered generator instead of gas powered, there are some benefits. You’ll just need a propane tank like the kind used for barbeques to hook up to it, instead of keeping cans of gasoline around. Don’t forget, once the power goes out, gas stations can’t pump gas.
My lilacs are extremely loaded with huge blossom heads this year-here’s a photo from IG – https://www.instagram.com/p/C6mZtRARGPi/?img_index=1
Plus I’ve got a wall of Prague viburnums in the back yard, and a wisteria vine just opening up.
I love May!
@Karin: we got a dual-fuel generator (propane & gas) for exactly the reasons you gave!
Spring has definitely been good for my mood. Right now, eagerly anticipating my twins’ college graduation in about 10 days — at two different schools. (ugh) I’ve also been way too obsessed with watching the Phillies. When they are good, they are SO good.
I just finished my first semester of grad school!
In other news I can’t seem to keep my 6yo’s houseplant alive… (we are on our second failed attempt at keeping a string of pearls alive, if anybody has any advice.) We are also quickly approaching the year anniversary of my FIL’s death, so I am expecting everybody (spouse, 6yo, 4yo) to malfunction more than normal… Yaaaaay…… (/sarcasm)
@Katie: I have been keeping a few succulents alive, but not a string of pearls. The ones I have benefit from as much sun as possible, like absurd amounts, and I repotted them with some succulent potting mix which looks like little rocks. I also use an app to remind me when to water them (so I don’t over water): Succulent Tracker (iOS) | (Google) Good luck!