Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
Day 52: IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! I woke groggily, in need of food and water, so I pulled myself out of bed for those two reasons. I made coffee and breakfast while starting the online celebrations of my birthday. I sat down to eat breakfast and found a card from my husband on top of my computer. I took it to the bedroom so I could open it near him and friends, it’s a good thing I was sitting down because HE GOT US HAMILTON TICKETS. Of course, it’s a cautious sort of excitement with a pandemic and everything. We’re hoping we’ll still get to go see it. It’s been a dream of mine for years and now that it’s actually in the works, we are in a global crisis.
So far, I’ve eaten breakfast, had coffee and water and sent out some Facebook greetings to all the friends who share my birthday. It’s funny because growing up I knew not one single person who shared my birthday and now there are close to a dozen people that I’ve actually met or know in person. Birthday buddies are fun!
I decide it was a good day to wear a dress. Who says you can’t be fancy in quarantine? Sometimes, wearing a dress makes me happy.
I took a call from my parents. We video chatted with Phil’s parents. I met with the kids about school work. I washed dishes, cleaning up the memories of last night’s dinner and dessert. Drank a lot of water and coffee. Surprisingly don’t feel awful after splitting a bottle of wine yesterday.
Phil and our daughter worked out while I washed dishes and started listening to the Hamilton soundtrack because it makes me happy. When my son logged on for his class meeting, I took a book out to the porch to read. I sort of decided today would be as little work as possible. No work reading. No workout. I kind of needed a day off from all the things I’ve been trying to keep up with. Plus, Facebook is like a job all by itself today managing birthday greetings and the little challenge I initiated. It’s been fun to see the creativity! I can’t wait to pick a winner later!
Kids are doing their schoolwork and other things. I’m unmotivated to keep them on track today. It’ll all be fine. We would be feeling this way if school was in session, too. Under normal circumstances, we’d be into the last month of school and everyone gets a little spring fever in those days. Phil went to work. I finished a book. I’m not sure what else the afternoon holds. Dinner is frozen pizzas because I’m also taking a break from cooking–two nights in a row!
I talked to my grandma on the phone. Got two more birthday cards in the mail. As I told my mom, I’m living my best life today. Trying to make the best of a cruddy situation.
I folded laundry. Spent some time reading birthday greetings on Facebook. Started another book. Phil came home. I searched the driveway for the needle to our air pump (for sports balls and the like). We offered our son a couple of options for active time and he chose to go for a walk with me. I decided we should wear masks, for practice, especially since he was going to ride his scooter.
That took some time to find one of the ones I’d made to fit him just right. He’s going to be a tricky one to please. Took a short walk. Saw some interesting construction on a house that’s been vacant for months, and a cat in the farm field.
Talked to my birthday buddy David and put the pizzas in the oven for dinner. We watched Some Good News’ graduation episode and I was crying in the first two minutes. Now we’re just hanging out. Daughter is finishing school work. Son is playing on the tablet. Phil is watching an old F1 race. It’s been a nice day.
I did some reading before putting the kids to bed. Then just took a few minutes to sit in quiet and write a few things about my birthday in my journal. I had an episode of Outlander to watch, but I knew it was going to be a rough one, so I delayed a little bit but finally watched it. Then went to bed to pretend it never happened. Drama, y’all. I know it’s not real and I know what’s coming because I’ve read the books, but still.
Day 53: The day after my birthday is always kind of a letdown. There are no more greetings (or not a lot), no more cards in the mail. I did get some belated wishes today, and I picked a winner for the challenge. But it was a mostly ordinary day with academics and workouts and food and work. I did help our friend David, via phone, clean his coffee pot and it’s working now, so that’s something fun. The kids got work done today. I cleaned the bathroom closet because I realized we have an excess of toothpaste — some from dentist’s visits, some from not realizing we had it in there in the first place. It’s much more accessible and better now. These small projects, like cleaning out drawers, etc. are giving me life.
It’s 4 in the afternoon and I can feel the chill in the air. I need to bring the garden plants in before dinner, I think. Phil just got home. I don’t know what all to say about this day.
We had pasta for dinner and watched a Bon Appetit video about how to cook hamburgers (almost every way). The kids went outside for a little bit, but it was one of those nights that felt kind of aimless between dinner and bedtime. We tuned in to the Gaffigan dinner for a few minutes. By 7, we asked the kids to put the screens away. Our son actually grabbed a book and read all curled up on the couch. I did some reading, too. Daughter did some coloring.
After the kids were in bed, Phil and I watched another episode of the travel documentary we’ve been enjoying: this one the first part of a trip to Italy. The couple visited Cinque Terre, a place I’ve never heard of but now insist on visiting. The wanderlust is strong right now. We turned it off before they went to Venice because I was starting to feel sleepy.
Day 54: Waking up was hard to do today. Fitful sleep is not a sustainable practice.
I’m not sure I have a lot to say about this day. Three-quarters of us worked out in the morning. We went about our business. I went to bed early.
Day 55: A night of sleep changes perspective on things. Yesterday, the afternoon especially, was just hard because of some miscommunication and an overload of feelings (that one is on me). I went to bed early which meant I was 1) wide awake at like 1 a.m. for no reason and then 2) awake before my alarm went off at 6:15. Planning to go for a run this morning anyway, though, so breakfast and coffee and water and then I’ll head out when it warms up a little bit.
It’s a day later when I’m writing this now. I’m having trouble checking in with words right now. Maybe because the days are starting to feel the same again. I ran for 3.33 miles, the farthest distance I’ve ever run, and I want to keep going, just for personal goals. The rest of the day went pretty much as usual.
After dinner, I played two Mastermind games, against each of the kids. And then we played Apples to Apples as a family. When Phil went to bed, I gave the kids some quiet options, one of them being that I would read aloud to them. My son actually took me up on that, so we started reading a series called Upside-Down Magic. I was reading to him, but eventually my daughter set her book down and listened as well. Even though we are a reading family, this is something we don’t do much of–read out loud. Would the book have been my first choice? No, but I’m willing if it means I get to read to my kids.
I watched a couple of episodes of When Calls the Heart and worked on cross-stitch before turning in.
Day 56: Friday again, in case you need to keep track. Sometimes I only know what day it is because of the container that keeps my medication. Do I sound like an old lady?
I took another rest day today from running and working out. I’m enjoying pushing my body to physical limits but don’t want to overdo it. I spent most of the morning in the kitchen washing dishes and prepping tonight’s dinner and tomorrow night’s dinner, both of which need to marinate for hours or overnight. I got through quite a few Outlander podcast episodes. It felt good to be done with housework early, including some laundry. Son had a light academic day, so he didn’t need as much help. It’s a rainy, overcast Friday, easy to just stay inside and do nothing.
I sort of missed the news yesterday that our county’s stay-at-home order has extended to June 4. Almost nothing surprises me right now, so I don’t feel any kind of wild emotions about it. It’s already the middle of May. (Okay, maybe it’s still early May, but it feels like the middle?)
We ate lunch and I did some more kitchen clean-up just to be sure it’s ready for actual dinner prep later. Then I retreated to the bedroom and cut T-shirt material for more masks. We’re slowly introducing our kids to the idea of having to wear them when we go out because even when our stay-at-home order is lifted, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go places without masks. I listened to more Outlander podcast episodes and ended up sewing two entire masks. I think I’m getting a little better at it with practice. We have numerous ones to choose from now, and I’m going to go back and redo one of the first ones I made so it’s a little more reinforced.
I feel good about what I accomplished today, which means I will feel good about relaxing tonight and taking writing time tomorrow morning. I know I don’t have to be productive in these days, but there is still stuff to be done. I finished another book for contest. Maybe I’ll reward myself with a book for fun!
Life feels really small right now. And in some ways that’s hard, but I think it’s also good. This narrow focus on the people and the work literally right in front of us is different and can still be meaningful.
Dinner. Television. List making for the weekly produce grab. A digital book was ready for me from the library, so I read that. I wouldn’t say it’s a “fun” read, but it is interesting. Two more episodes of When Calls the Heart after the kids went to bed. This is an easily binge-able show.
Day 57: The people are restless. Two nearby counties are moving themselves out of the red phase to the yellow phase, without the governor’s permission. On the one hand, I admire the “you can’t tell me what to do” sentiment. It is, in many ways, what our country was founded on. On the other hand, I worry that a desire to “get back to normal” will cause more harm than good. Our county is run by Republicans, I think. I fear we might be next. I send my husband out there in the public three days a week. These cavalier attitudes cause me to think his safety–and the safety of others working on the front lines–means nothing. The World War 2 generation would be ashamed of us. And probably are, those who are left.
Those are fun thoughts for first thing in the morning. I’m not even to the bottom of my first cup of coffee yet. Happy Saturday!
Saturday passed without a lot of excitement. I made tea with the tea ball for the second afternoon in a row.
It felt like March 9 today instead of May 9, so hot drinks in the afternoon are a thing. Phil went to the grocery store after work. We finished the travel documentary episode we were watching. The couple went to Venice, so I pulled out my pictures and travel journal. My memories of Venice are sketchy. It was the last adventure of my college semester in Europe.
Day 58: It’s Mother’s Day, and my daughter has been up since 6:10 to make me pink pancakes for breakfast. The plan is that everyone in the family takes a meal to make today so I don’t have to cook. The dishes, though. Maybe I’ll think about that tomorrow!
The pink pancakes were delicious and pretty, topped with homemade whipped cream. Yum! After letting that sit for a bit, I got ready to do my workout while Phil and our daughter got ready to do theirs. Our son is the odd man out right now when it comes to these things and I want to find a way to include him more. He loves video games and YouTube and riding his bike. I might have to do those things with him.
My workout was good, and I wanted to do an extra credit, so I ran a mile for time. I thought it was 11:05 at the end of it but my app had stalled, and it now looks like I ran the mile in 10:33. What?!? It hurt to keep that pace and I know I can’t do it long-term but that’s a fast mile for me.
Short turnaround until we had live church, so we gathered what we needed for that and spent the next couple of hours with church folks online. As that wrapped up, the kids collaborated on lunch: french toast sticks and eggs. Lunch, also known as second breakfast.
They were still working on it when we finished our meetings, so we sat in the kitchen. Phil started prepping for dinner and I put away some of the clean dishes to make more room. The dirty ones were going to have to wait.
Instead of syrup, I ate my French toast sticks with thawed frozen fruit and some of the whipped cream. It was a nice balance. We started watching The Last Dance documentary about the Chicago Bulls and the road to the sixth championship. Our son, surprisingly, isn’t interested, but the rest of us are hooked. We watched a little less than half of it and then went back to the kitchen. I washed dishes while Phil continued working on the dinner prep. When I got to a stopping point with the dishes, I asked the kids if they wanted to video chat with my parents, so we did that.
Just before we got on the call with them, I learned that our county is planning to “reopen” without the governor’s approval on Friday. I have so many feelings about this, and I don’t like it, not one bit. I may have to write a separate blog post about it. We had a nice chat with my parents. Phil had more dinner prep to do, so he and I went back to the kitchen. I ate a snack and we talked while he worked on food stuff.
I decided to take a book outside to read for a little while. Yesterday felt like winter again. Today feels more like spring. I came back in to start looking ahead at the week, making a plan for the things I need and want to do. I have training for work to squeeze in. I’m still reading books for judging. I’m still planning to run and work out. And write. Maybe that sounds busy but these are some of the things that fill my days and I want to be sure I have time for them. I emailed my son’s counselor, as well, because there was some confusion about the timing of his last appointment. She cleared it up but now I have to call to get some dates rescheduled because of limited hours the office is open, even for telehealth.
All the carbs were catching up with me, so I had to lie down for a while. I watched an episode of When Calls the Heart, then I folded some laundry before dinner was ready. The shrimp and grits was SO tasty.
Three breakfasts in one day was the exact way for my family to love me on Mother’s Day.
Three of us finished the first episode of The Last Dance after dinner, which took us right up to bedtime, basically. Then Phil and I watched a couple of episodes of The Office. I had a Zoom meeting at 9 with the launch team of a book I’m helping to promote. Then it was bed time.
That’s 50 days of quarantine/isolation/social distancing. This post actually takes us to Day 51, the day before my birthday and the start of my celebrations. I’m running a bit behind in posting these because of said birthday. Nevertheless, enjoy!
Day 46: It’s afternoon already as I sit down to put some reflections in the journal. I don’t know how many “digests” I’ve published now since this started, and I’m not hating the daily practice of thinking through the day. But I’m also tired of isolation and quarantine and being so careful about everything. I don’t want to cause anyone harm by actions, and I know things will be different going forward. Part of me is afraid that I won’t know how to go out in the world again when it’s time. I’ve been nowhere that I couldn’t walk or run to and not inside any building except my house. Going somewhere feels foreign.
I started the morning as usual with socials and Pray As You Go. I didn’t know what time it was when I woke up. I don’t remember Phil leaving, which means I was probably sleeping hard. I had a kind of restless nights o maybe the last few hours of my sleep were deeper than the earlier hours. I made coffee and figured out breakfast. Then I took my blood pressure so I could report in to my doctor. She replied later in the morning that my numbers looked okay overall and that I should keep monitoring it, exercising, and limiting salt. I’m to check back in with her if it consistently rises above 140/90. I can probably do better on the salt intake. I don’t really pay much attention to that.
The kids and I met for school check-in, but almost immediately my daughter had a meltdown about something she’d been working on that was appearing on the screen differently than yesterday. I took a brief walk to the mailbox to put some letters in. Then I came back to deal with the rough start to the day. In these instances, I have to consciously calm my exterior and do the opposite of what I want to do (which is run screaming in the other direction). We sat together and talked through it and the solution was simple. Then I met with my son and looked at what he had on the agenda for the day. He got started right away on more coding. I washed dishes and started some laundry. And cleaned out a junk drawer. Then my son needed some help with a writing assignment, so we took a look at that and got started before his meeting.
During his meeting, I read for contest judging and got a puzzle ready for exchange. Our friends were going to drop one off at our house, so I set it out on the porch. Every exchange like this feels semi-clandestine, or like we’re all celebrating May Day early. (Did anyone do this? We would fill May baskets and drop them at our neighbors’ houses. I’m not terribly sneaky. I’m pretty sure I was caught more than once.)
Lunch time. I researched my workouts for the day while arguing with my son about his screen time for lunch. We turned the TV on, which is a gray area some days. His next meeting started at noon, and I read for a little longer and helped him finish the writing assignment afterwards. Then I changed into workout clothes and did the prescribed exercises. It’s beautifully sunny out, and cool, springlike. I’m grateful we’re still getting a few days like this interspersed with all the rain.
The kids worked on projects while I worked out. I made a smoothie. Daughter is tuning in for her band lesson now. I’ll start thinking about dinner prep soonish, but I might try to sit out on the porch for a bit. It’s cooler in the shade, but I can’t resist the lure of spring.
I read a little and started laundry. It’s Taco Tuesday, and we had ours over roasted potatoes. Just before dinner, Phil learned that Jim Gaffigan has been releasing content on YouTube, including livestreams of their dinners. We watched a couple of short episodes of Jim cooking (toast and hamburgers). The kids cracked up. After dinner, they went outside to play for a while, and we’re now watching Dinner with the Gaffigans. They’re raising money with their livestreams, so it’s not just an attention grab.
After the kids went to bed, and we had denied their request (demand) for ice cream, Phil and I watched an episode of The Wall (a game show) featuring a grandmother-granddaughter pair from Lancaster County. It was an interesting show that I could easily get attached to.
Day 47: My intention was to wake up early and go for a run. But I had a hard time sleeping last night. Dreams and restlessness. I saw an article about this that I should go read so I understand why it’s happening. Anyway, I slept in till almost 7 and then dragged myself out of bed to get ready to run. The weather was just so nice and doing the run in the early part of the day frees up time this afternoon for me to write. It took me about 30 minutes to get ready to go. I headed out on a new route that was challenging but fun. I’m needing to see new areas of the world without driving to them. So, the longer I run, the more I’ll see.
I did another 3 miles, in a little bit less time than last run. And I felt good. I’m tired now, both from running and the strength training. Tomorrow is a rest day, and I welcome it.
The kids got a late start on their academics because I was back late from my run. We accomplished a few things in the morning, though. And I took a shower. Sometime in that time, my new wireless earbuds arrived, a birthday present from my parents. I can’t wait to try them out on a run. No more wrestling with the cord when I try to put my Buff over my face! It’s the little things. I struggled through some poetry work with my son and then he had his class meeting. I don’t feel like the morning was super productive from a housework standpoint because it takes so long to prep for, do and recover from a run.
The mail arrived, and with it a Target order and a card from a friend, so that was exciting. Phil had to run to the post office to send a piece of paperwork because the mail came to our house so early today. I did some reading for the contest. And then it was lunch time. The kids are eating and watching the Minecraft channel on our TV, which is only slightly better than staring at a screen. We’re trying to institute a new screens policy, and the TV is different because you can walk away from it. I guess. We’ll see how it goes.
I washed dishes. And helped my son with his school work. Then I did some more reading and took a couple of hours to write. Phil worked on dinner. He baked shortbread for dessert and made cornbread muffins, sweet potato fries and spinach salad. He cooked brats on the grill. It was all delicious. We watched Dinner with Gaffigans again. Family dinner is pretty universal, no matter where you live or how many kids you have.
The kids are going outside now to play.
We ate shortbread when they came back in. I wanted tea with mine, and the kids also wanted hot drinks. We decided they could split a cup of tea. Too much sugar/caffeine potential with hot chocolate. The shortbread was delicious. We sat around doing not much before bed. Our son showered. I colored some pictures to send to friends. The kids went to bed. Phil and I watched The Office while I finished coloring.
Day 48: Whew. I don’t like where this daily count is going. And at the same time, it’s another day we’ve made it. That’s what the radio DJ said yesterday. Every day is another day we’ve gotten through. We can do this.
Sleep was better last night. Dreams still vivid. In one, I dreamt that the school district turned our classroom into a teacher’s lounge. Except it didn’t look anything like any room in our school currently. Weird.
I made breakfast and got my letters ready to send. I created another post for my birthday challenge. Put the letters in the mailbox and met with the kids about school stuff. When I went out to the mailbox, the lilacs were so fragrant that I had to bring some inside. So I did.
Son plowed through his schoolwork, and we celebrated the positive comments on the paragraph he wrote yesterday. Because writing is a struggle for him. But he did it and did it well. He worked on a secret project for his student teacher. I went outside to read for a bit because it’s supposed to rain hard later. It’s windy outside and a little bit cool but still pleasant.
Phil worked out and is now watching an old F1 race that our son has joined in watching. It would seem that we’re in for a sort of calm day. Or at least, we are for the moment.
It’s 7:30 p.m. now, and I would say the day has been mostly that. It rained all afternoon which kept us indoors more than usual, although I’m not sure anything is “usual” anymore. Academic time was logged. Dishes were washed. Laundry was folded. As I was folding laundry, I decided to start matching the mis-matched sock pile. Last week Phil did a major cleaning of his part of the bedroom, and it looks amazing. I wanted mine to match, so I started sorting through all the stuff that just piles up on the floor. Why it does, I don’t know. Sometimes making decisions is hard. I threw a bunch of stuff away and salvaged a bunch of stuff to make more masks. There’s a towering pile of potential materials on my sewing box sitting right at the dining room table, so I can’t ignore it.
I managed to create order out of my own personal chaos in the bedroom and I feel so much better about walking in there and living in there. I did some reading for the contest judging. I made a second pot of coffee and realized the coffee pot needed to be cleaned. It’s always good to discover this in an afternoon or evening instead of morning, so I ran vinegar and water through once and then two pots of water. I’m hoping tomorrow’s coffee will come out better than today’s.
Confession: sometimes I make an afternoon pot of coffee so I can eat something sweet. Remember the shortbread Phil made yesterday? Yeah, I’ve been snacking on it today, and it tastes really good with coffee or tea.
We struggled a little with active time and chore time, but overall things went pretty well today. Dinner came together well–butter chicken thighs with rice and roasted vegetables. We watched Good Mythical Morning’s Ice Cream Tournament of Champions. A family member recommended Good Mythical Morning and it looks like it will not disappoint. We’re doing okay with family shows to watch. I’m about to be in a show hole myself, so I’m auditioning new evening companions via Netflix and Prime. If you’ve got a rec, I’d love to hear it. (It’s not that there’s nothing to choose from; it’s that there’s too much to choose from and I want it to be good.)
After dinner, I did some Just Dance songs with my daughter because she wants companionship when she does things. I won’t say I killed it, but I killed it on a couple of dances. I may also have uttered the phrase, “You know TikTok didn’t invent dancing, right?” (She’s not on TikTok but watches YouTubers who are.)
This brings us close to bedtime, and I haven’t yet decided what my evening will look like. I may try to make another mask. Or get closer to finishing the cross-stitch. There might also be ice cream. The possibilities are endless! (Okay, not really, but there are at least possibilities.)
I made masks and watched two episodes of The West Wing. I think the straps are too small on one of the masks, but maybe they’ll fit around one of my children’s large heads? Dunno.
Day 49: Here we are again. It’s Friday. I didn’t sleep soundly. This is becoming the norm. In one dream last night, I left my son at a movie theater with older adult friends. (He’s 10.) And for some reason, I couldn’t get back to him. Maybe it was the influence of The West Wing episode I watched where three staffers are left behind by the motorcade and have a heck of a time getting back to D.C. I don’t know. It doesn’t make for good sleep.
I used my new wireless headphones to listen to Pray As You Go. And scroll through social media. I woke before my alarm went off, so now the coffee is brewing and I’m ready for breakfast. The kids are on screens. Fridays can be as hard as Mondays to get motivated, sometimes.
So I planned to do my workout this morning instead of this afternoon, just to get myself moving. I put on my workout clothes then checked in with the kids about their schoolwork. Son had a virtual field trip as his assignment today, which was really cool. He learned about Yellowstone. I did my workout while they did schoolwork. Then I transitioned to housework–the ever-present dishes and laundry. The mail came. I got a birthday card from a writer friend. And a package for the whole family that we’re waiting to open till Phil gets home.
Later, I got a birthday present from my grandmother. It’s a scale because ours is broken, and it’s not that we’re obsessed with our weight numbers; we just like to have the information. It’s sleek and fancy-looking. No weighing myself till tomorrow, though.
We had lunch. Son’s class meeting went long, which was no problem, but now the kids are lingering a little over lunch, the boy especially. Daughter is doing more schoolwork. A pile of laundry sits in the living room for them to fold. I took a shower then went out to the porch to read. I’m feeling sleepy, but I think I just need to drink more water. I’ll probably go back outside. It’s just too nice not to be out there.
This was pretty much my afternoon, bouncing back and forth between the porch and inside. At one point, I had to call my doctor’s office so they could complete some paperwork that I hope will lower the cost of my next injection. It was a five-minute phone call but I’m so grateful for the nurse who is working on this for me.
I made soup for dinner and Phil got home from work. I talked to my mom on the phone for a bit. We opened a package for the family during dinner. There was a little something for everyone in it. We watched another episode of Jim Gaffigan’s “Let’s Get Cookin” because it makes the kids chuckle hilariously. After dinner, the kids went outside to play. I worked on a shopping list for Phil, who is going to the grocery store tomorrow. And I made a hummus for my meal plan snacks in the coming weeks.
I started listening to The Outlander Podcast earlier in the day. It’s definitely not like Office Ladies, but it’s an interesting look behind the scenes. I don’t know what it says about me that one of my leisure activities is listening to podcasts about shows I love. After the kids went to bed, I finished listening to episode 2 while coloring a picture to send to friends.
Then, on the recommendation of a friend, I started watching When Calls the Heart. I know there’s a big fandom out there for this show, and I enjoyed the first episode, although I was a little bit distracted. It was kind of hodge-podge day so I think my attention span was limited. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on it.
Day 50: So that’s a fun number. And by “fun” I mean “not at all fun.” I know we’re getting restless. I read it on social media, and there just seems to be something in the air. Phil and I have both noticed more cars on the road. My fear is that our restlessness will make us reckless and we’ll be in a worse position than we are now. Sigh. One day at a time.
I weighed myself this morning, not because I consider it torture but because I like concrete information. I’ve gained about 3 pounds in the last two months, which in all honesty, could have been a much higher number considering how much dessert I’m eating. I don’t berate myself for numbers on the scale, just use it to make adjustments as necessary.
Now, we’re all awake and sliding into Saturday with what I’m sure will be low motivation to do anything except veg out. I feel it, too. But it’s going to be almost 70 outside today. Outside time is a MUST.
Well, it’s almost 10 o’clock and all of us have been outside for at least a little while. I ate breakfast and read a book, then got ready to do my workout. Switching to mornings the last few days has been helpful for the rest of the day, I think. I don’t know if I can keep to this schedule, but for now, it’s working. The kids went outside and rode their bikes. I washed dishes. The boy is taking a bath because he talked me into skipping shower time yesterday. Hmmm…
The kids told me they’ve made a scavenger hunt for my birthday to find my gift so if I find any clues don’t look at them yet. I can’t wait!
Made a snack. Then I’m going to transition into some work time.
A little writing, a little reading, then lunch. More reading. And then my second workout of the day, live. It was a challenge, but kind of fun to be participating at the same time as thousands of people around the globe. Then it was another snack and a shower.
More reading and responding to Phil’s grocery texts. I cooked bacon and prepared a salad for dinner. When Phil got home, the kids helped put the groceries away, and then wanted to do the scavenger hunt right away. We decided it would be better to let Phil shower and eat dinner before we did that. Our daughter kept trying to tell me the instructions for the hunt, but I kept telling her I wanted to wait until just before the hunt. It was almost an ordeal.
We ate dinner and watched an episode of Absurd! Planet which was less gross and a little funnier than the first episode.
Then it was time for the hunt. I was handed a notebook with my first clue along with a card I could not open until I found the gift. There were eight clues, each hidden in some part of the house. For one clue, my son basically told me where it was because I was taking too long to find it. They both hovered, waiting eagerly for me to find each hidden piece of paper. Finally, I was led to their bedroom and under my daughter’s dresser. I took my gift back to the couch to open it. I read the card, which was full of alphabetical adjectives for me, and admired a hand-painted gift from my daughter. Then I unwrapped the present.
It was Code Names, a board game, and we decided to play it. After a short call to a friend who had been trying to reach us, we paired up and played the game. It was fun and not terribly difficult.
We put the kids to bed, then watched the Parks and Rec special from Thursday night, and the season finale of Brooklyn-99. Both provided some much-needed laughter.
Day 51: I woke up with the intention of going for a run. It took a little time to get out of bed and get going. I did listen to Pray As You Go. I got up and had breakfast and made coffee. I wanted to drink a bunch of water before heading out because I was feeling a little bit dehydrated. By about 7:45 I was ready to go, intending to run 3 miles again this morning. The humidity is starting to increase. I could feel that right away, and wearing a mask made my face hot pretty quickly, but I persisted in wearing it until I was through the park. I’ve encountered enough walkers not wearing masks that I like to have mine ready just in case.
I knew sort of where my stopping point would be and I reached the 3 miles before that point, so I kept going. I did a 5K distance of 3.1 in about 40 minutes. Felt good.
Phil drove to a store to get a few things that were missing from yesterday’s grocery trip, but the line to get in was so long, he came home so he wouldn’t be late for online church, which is going live every Sunday now. I took a quick shower and we got our Communion elements ready. Participated in online church and sermon discussion. The kids spent some time on screens and some time outside. It’s a gorgeous day outside. I can’t wait to be out there more.
I ate lunch after church. Phil got ready to go for a run. I washed dishes after I finished eating. The kids are getting bored with quarantine life, I can tell. Son is reluctantly sorting through his collection of cars to figure out which ones work on his Hot Wheels track or not. Phil is finishing his workout and our daughter is coaching him a little.
I spent most of the afternoon on the porch reading fiction because that’s how I wanted to spend my pre-birthday celebration. Phil and our daughter made a cake. And Phil ordered our food for the evening.
We had a delicious birthday feast. I had three tender lamb chops. Our daughter had pork cutlets. Son ate pork sliders. Phil had shrimp stuffed with crab. We also ordered a bottle of wine that cost the same as my age, and I make zero apologies. We each had a glass with dinner. Then with dessert. Then later when we toasted with friends via Zoom. More on that.
After dinner, we just turned on the TV and watched Little Big Shots followed by The Wall. And ate the chocolate cake. Delish.
Phil arranged for a FaceTime toast with our dear friends who live in Arizona. So, at 9 p.m., after we put the kids to bed, we called our friends and talked and toasted for nearly 2 hours. It was such a gift. Sunday felt like my birthday even though the actual day is not until tomorrow.
We went to bed late, having split a bottle wine. I feared the morning might be rough.