#2893 plants and clothes

It is late on Sunday night - 11:00 pm - about an hour past my bedtime. The thing is that I took a long nap late in the afternoon. I did the same thing yesterday. The naps were glorious and restful, but I realize the timing wasn't very good. Oh well. 

The weather here in Salt Lake City was beautiful this weekend. Very spring-y. The leaves on both the maple trees in my yard are coming out nicely. The little honey locust is also budding. It looks more like a bush, but I'm hoping it will get taller. I have two bridal veil spirea plants that are doing well. I bought four, - or was it six? - but only two remain. Those two plants are doing well, though. I'll post pics when they bloom. 

It's not quite time to plant here. Usually Mother's Day is planting time, or when the snow is melted from the Oquirrh mountains. As usual, I have thoughts about planting around my yard, but I'm not sure how ambitious I'll be about actually doing it. It's a wish list thing. I will definitely have plants on the deck. I'd really like to find a plant stand. I might go to some thrift stores and see what I can find. Maybe there will be something at the Dixon house that I can repurpose.

Today I finally got around to trading out my cold weather clothes for my warm weather clothes. I think the coldest days are behind us, for the most part. I still have some lightweight sweaters that I keep handy because it gets a little cold in the work office sometimes. One of the parts of swapping out the clothes is culling the wardrobe. I filled a couple of large garbage bags with clothing that I'll donate tomorrow. The thing is that I still have a boatload of clothes, way more than I need, to be honest. 

I was thinking about the trip I took to Barcelona and Paris last year. I was going to be away for two weeks, but I didn't want to take a ginormous suitcase, so I was thoughtful about what clothing I took. I wanted to be able to mix and match a lot, and follow the 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 packing formula. I was happy with what I wore there. It got me thinking: isn't it curious that I would pay so much attention to my vacation 'fits, but not put the same thought into my everyday wear, especially what I wear to work at the office?  Even going out running errands, I do not present myself well. I'm not talking about a frock and heels, but I can probably do better than joggers and a t-shirt, even just going to the grocer store. How do I want to present myself? I don't need to be fancy, but the goal is to look "put together." 

This is not new self-talk. I go through this thought process a few times a year, usually when I'm swapping out my seasonal clothes or when I'm packing for vacation. I've decided to challenge myself to go back through my clothes and do the mixing and matching thing. In my mind, I see myself picking out some colors that I like and want to build around, and going from there. It won't happen next weekend, but probably the weekend after. It makes me nervous, and a little excited. 

I have so many scarves. I divided them up between heavier and lighter fabrics and put some away for winter. Scarves aren't really a thing here so much anymore, but I really like them. I could be the scarf lady. You know who wears scarves nicely? The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

But I digress. 

I'll keep you updated on my progress, both with plants and clothing. 

That's all for tonight. I gotta get to bed. That dumb alarm is going to ring way earlier than I will want to get up as it is.

xo

#2892 a trip and a trip

On Friday I worked through my lunch hour and left the office an hour early. Instead of going home, I headed north to Pocatello to surprise my BFF LA at her book signing event. It is definitely spring in the Rockies; I had ALL the weather types you can imagine. It was lightly raining when I left SLC. The rain picked up a bit as I got to the Ogden area, then turned into chunky rain at Brigham City, and snow toward Tremonton, along with a pretty dense fog. As I-15 curled north into Idaho, the weather turned back into chunky rain at Plymouth, where I stopped for a restroom break, and I thought for sure it would be awful going over Malad pass. Thankfully as I passed the state line, the weather cleared up and although the road was wet, the precipitation was done as I went over the mountain pass. The sun was shining, and the clouds parted just enough to show some hints of blue. As I got closer to Inkom, it got windy and the weather kicked in again with light snow, but it dissipated when I got to Pocatello. What a drive!

MT left for Pocatello earlier in the day. We took separate cars because on Saturday, he and his mom headed east for Columbia, Missouri to see the total eclipse, to check out the property we have there, and to hook on a trailer of his brother's. MT and I met up and went to the bookstore where LA had her signing. She was excited to see us, and for a bonus, her sister Jen was there, too. I hadn't seen Jen in years, like 13 years! The three of us, Jen, LA, and I, used to hang out together all the time. It was fun to chat with her while LA pedaled her book and signed copies of it.

Afterward. LA and her husband Rob met MT and I at Mama Inez, a local Mexican restaurant, for a late dinner. It was just like old times, sitting there eating cheese crisps and telling stories. At the end, we got to giggling so hard that LA was wiping her eyes and my face hurt from smiling so hard. It felt good to reconnect while still feeling like we had just seen each other a few days ago. It's such an easy friendship, and the longest friendship I have ever had. We've known them for 36 years! 

I drove home on Saturday morning after buying some PowerBall tickets (no lottery in Utah.) The PowerBall jackpot is like $1.3 billion. I can't tell you the last time I bought a PowerBall ticket, but my friendly co-worker, Marta, gave me some cash and asked me to buy some for her, so I got some for myself as well. I didn't win anything. I don't think Marta did either. Oh well.

When I got home, T and I went to get some pizza. After we ordered, we walked to the nearby Barnes and Noble. I took a spill when I missed a step up while looking at a window display, and sprawled out on the concrete after landing on my left knee. I was embarrassed and also in a bit of pain. I took some Tylenol when I got home and cursed my clumsiness and stupidity. Today I've been resting, sleeping a lot. It's how my body deals with repairing itself. I almost didn't tell this story because I know my mama is probably freaking out right about now, but it happened, so there it is. I'm sore and tender, but I'll likely be okay. My knee is a bit swollen where it hit the ground, and it might bruise, but I think it's all right overall. It's metal, so I got that going for me.

MT has had an eventful drive east. I-80 was closed through Nebraska due to high winds and heavy snow, so they re-routed through Denver and into Kansas. In Kansas, there was a haz-mat spill on the freeway, so they were re-routed again onto a highway where they got a little lost and couldn't find a way to get back to the freeway. I really hope they have clear skies for the eclipse tomorrow!

Gallery time!

I only have one bit of art to share tonight. I made this little card for LA:

Here are a couple of photos I took. I had my first volunteer gig of the season on Thursday when I went up to record blooms in the Children's Garden. There aren't a lot of blooms just yet, but this hellebore caught my eye because it is just so pretty!

Here is a pic of T at the pizza shop.

He looks thrilled, doesn't he? LOL

Until next time...take care, and watch out for stupid steps that will trip you and make you feel like an idiot.

  

#2891 I stayed home plus the Sunday gallery

I got off work early on Friday afternoon in honor of Easter weekend. I went to Costco to stock up on ground beef and chicken breast - staples at our house - then I picked up a drink at Dutch Bros, took the glass items to the recycling container at the park, and went home. I didn't leave the house again the whole weekend. I consider it a personal victory. 

On Saturday morning I woke up at 6:00 to feed the dogs and let them out. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet, so we went back upstairs to hurkle durkle. 

Not that 6:00 is long after it's time to get up on a Saturday, but I was up, and I went back to bed. I thought I'd read, but instead I played with my phone for an hour, then I fell asleep for a few more hours. I woke up at 10:00! I was feeling so tired and it felt good to sleep. Needless to say, I had a really slow morning. It was lovely. I showered, had a leisurely cup of coffee, read, then wandered up to my office to watch the creativity workshop on You Tube that I missed on Thursday, and caught up with my favorite influencer, Shannon, over in France to see what she is doing. She has started a weekly vlog about her day-to-day life in Brittany. It's pretty interesting. This week, she is in the Loire Valley touring some chateaux. I'm a goner for sure. I love chateaux. 

Today I managed to stay awake when the dogs woke me up at 6 AM for their breakfast. Mostly I've been here in my office. I spend a lot of time in here anymore. I am slowly but surely making it a Sandy-cave. I was doing one of my most favorite things today: reflecting on the past month in my journal. Did you know that my journal is my favorite book? Of course, I'm the only one who sees it, but it's full of stickers and doodles and words and miscellaneous decorations. For many years I used someone else's template for monthly reflection, then I decided to make my own and I enjoy the process. I also did a couple of art projects today, finished a book, did some laundry, changed the sheets, and did my bookkeeping. You know what I didn't do? Leave the house. I went to the backyard with the dogs, but I didn't get in my car. I wasn't sad about it.

It was a bit rainy this weekend, and a little chilly. March came in like a lion, but is leaving like a lamb. Tomorrow I get to turn all the calendar pages, and you know how much I love that activity!

It's time for the Sunday art gallery. Last week I told you I'd been messing around with zentangle doodles and threatened to show you some. There's no explanation on these; I follow a few doodlers on IG and when I see something they do that I like, I try to do it too. I'm still learning and experimenting, and I enjoy this form of art. It helps me let go and loosen up a little. Also, it is very meditative. I guess that's why it's called a zentangle.

Maybe you've already seen these, I don't remember if I showed them to you or not. I did these for myself a week or so ago. It had been awhile since I painted anything, and I missed it, so I picked out a few little things that had caught my eye and gave them a try:

This one happened during that creativity workshop that I watched the recording of yesterday. Jill the Artist was leading us through making collages. She wanted us to find a head and make a character. I had a couple of birthday cards I'd made that I didn't really like. I keep the stuff I don't much like because sometimes you can repurpose it, and that's what I did here. I made myself a little spring chicken wearing a flowerpot skirt.

Finally, you probably know that I have a couple of little things that I do every month, a zine and a calendar. The zine is a specially folded paper that creates a little book, or zine, and I use one page per week to make notes about what's happened, what books I've read, and what I've listened to or watched on TV. I decorate a the cover with some art. Here's my April zine cover:

Oh yes, Jill taught me about zines, too. I have quite a collection now. One thing I'd like to do in April is get a little box just for the zines I've made. It's fun to pull out a random zine once in awhile. I started doing them when I went to Greece in 2022, one for each day we were there. I made one each month in 2023 and so far in 2024 as well. I also made one for each day we were on our trip to France and Spain last year. I get a lot of joy out of these silly little things. It's kinda like my journal, just more portable.

Here is the wee calendar for April. I crack myself up calling it a "wee" calendar because I put it on the shelf in my bathroom. hahahaha

That's all for tonight! Take care of yourselves, and don't be an April fool!

xo

#2890 three things: a good day

Have you ever seen journal prompts or self-reflection questionnaires that ask you to picture your ideal day? When I see that question, my mind always jumps to a vacation day, but what about an ideal day in regular life? Well, I think I had such a day on Monday. Let me break it down.

1. Morning. Since I was working from home on Monday, I didn't have to get up at 5:00 am. I let myself sleep in until 5:30. The dogs and I went downstairs, I let them out, then I fed them. When they eat in the morning, I drink a glass of water. When they were done with all their activities, we went back upstairs. I took a nice shower and washed my hair, then went back downstairs to make coffee. I got new beans from bougee Harmon's. I like the ritual of  making a nice pot of coffee on  Monday morning, and if I have beans to grind, even better. While the coffee brewed, I put away the dishes in the drainer and from the dishwasher, so the kitchen was clean and clear. All of that happened before 7:00 am, at which time I logged on for work. I did a few things before work, but it all felt really calm and good.

2. Afternoon. Work was work, it was fine. After work, around 4:30 or so, I took the dogs outside to play. The big dogs play Find the Kibbles. I scatter about half a cup of kibbles in the grass, then Mac and Harley snuffle around and crunch on all the little kibbles. While they are using their snoots, Stella and I play frisbee. My smol gurl loves to play frisbee, and she's very good at running, jumping, and catching the disc. It's adorable. Stella could care less about the kibbles in the grass. Mac and Harley could care less about Stella's frisbee, so it all works out. I do about a hundred squats picking up that frisbee LOL. I have also started jumping rope. I'm not good at it, not at all, but it does elevate my heart rate. My max jumps so far have been 19, but the average is currently around 10. Don't judge. I'm nearly 58 years old and it's been decades since I've jumped rope. It's something different to do.

Another thing I did that afternoon was to look at the pots I have out on the deck. I realized that two of the plants are still living, coming out of winter sleep: the Russian sage and a mum. I got my little spade and clippers and did a bit of gardening. I have several pots out on the deck, and I spent a pleasant few minutes thinking about what I might plant in each of them. I really am delighted about the Russian sage. It smells so nice, and the bees love it. I'm pro-pollinator!

5. Evening. On Monday around lunchtime,  I put a couple of chicken breasts in the slow cooker along with a jar of Trader Joe's green salsa and let it hang out for about four hours. The chicken gets tender and takes on the flavor of the salsa. When we are ready, I shred the chicken and sizzle it up a bit in a saucepan, then we have tacos. It is simple and good. MT and I enjoyed a quiet dinner, then I cleaned up the kitchen and came back up to my office room to paint, draw, and write. When I was ready to for bed, I read for ten minutes or so, then dropped off into dreamland.

Here's what I painted:

It's a little birthday card for a friend at work!

It was a simple, stay-at-home day, and I was very content with it. 

#2889 relaxing weekend

Why do weekends pass so quickly?! How can it be Sunday night already? <<SIGH>> 

On Thursday, I was attacked by a migraine headache. It started out as a wee, low-key pain in my head and very quickly morphed into a vise-grip, eye-watering, nausea-inducing, dizzying hellscape. I was at the office when it came on. There has been some remodeling and painting happening, and I find that the smell of paint is a trigger for me. (Not watercolor paint, though, thankfully!) I came home from work and climbed into bed, pulling the sheets up around my head to block out as much light as I could. I laid (layed, lie??) there for awhile practicing deep breathing, trying to relax myself. Eventually I fell asleep, and when I woke up, the headache and nausea were gone, but I was still a little dizzy and didn't feel totally like myself. That feeling lingered into Friday. That day, I worked at the office until noon, then came home to finish up the day. MT was meeting with our CPA to prepare the 2023 taxes, and I stay home so I can answer questions that might come along that I need to get on my home computer for. After work, I napped some more.

Saturday I felt pretty good. I really wanted to clean the house. It was in bad shape and needed a little care. I only got the main floor done, then I took a nap. When I got up, it was dark and rainy. It was soggy and gray all weekend, and I didn't venture far from home yesterday or today. It felt good to be home. 

The trips to Dixon will be winding down after next month, I think. We will have three more days of estate sale action, then whatever is left will be donated or trashed.  The plan is to stay a total of five days, run the sales for shorter time spans, and use the extra time to load up dumpsters. The whole endeavor has been bittersweet. The most interesting thing about the process has been the reaction of people who come into the house. I can't overstate how much STUFF was in the house. Almost every single person who has come in has said something about needing to pare down their own possessions so their family doesn't have to do what we are doing. I kinda like to think of the house as an inspiration, like don't-let-this-happen-to-you inspiration.

What's coming up this week? I don't have that much going on just yet. Jill the Artist has a workshop on Thursday afternoon that I'd like to attend. It's at 4:00 my time, so hopefully I can leave the office a little early, but if not, Jill records her workshops so I can watch it later. I'd like to go to Trader Joe's this week. It's been awhile and I'm out of some staples like mac & cheese, rice, and tuna. Actually, I made a list today and it is big. Sunday is Easter. It isn't a big event at our house. If the weather is nice, I'd like to go for a quick bike ride. The forecast looks like it might be soggy all week, though. Oh yeah, and it's time for my seasonal clothing swap. Sweater weather is over! I'll keep a few lighter weight sweaters out for days like today, but the heavy sweaters get to go in storage for a few months. YAY!

To finish off the weekend, here is some art I made this week. Jill's prompt was to use black and white, and make something with color as the main thing. I'm not sure I really followed the instructions, but I had a lot of thoughts, so I made four things:

It was fun. I've been really into zen-type doodles lately, like the one in the lower right-hand corner. I'll pick a few to show you next time. I have them in a separate little sketch book. 

Okay, that's it! Have a good week. Be safe out there!

xoxo

#2888 three things: spring, taste buds, and happy birthday

 1. Happy Spring! The warmer temperatures and pleasant breezes are welcome in my life. I am delighted by the budding leaves at the tippy-top of my maple trees, the spring bulbs that are peaking out of the ground and showing their wee flowers, and even the extra few minutes of daylight in the evenings. I'm not a big fan of daylight savings time; in the summer, I don't enjoy going to bed when the sun is still in the sky at 9:30 pm, but right now it is fine because the sun goes down around 7:30 or so. 

We were in northern California over the weekend, and it was beautiful there. Trees and flowers were blooming all over the place, and temperatures in the low-to-mid 70s. It was glorious! There is a big magnolia tree in the front yard of the house, and it was an explosion of pink blossoms. 

2. Changing tastes. I read or heard somewhere that a person's tastes in food change every seven years or so. I totally believe this, although I'm less clear on the time frame. There are a couple of examples of this in my life: I didn't eat avocados until I was 50 or so, and now I can't get enough of them. Also, as recently as a year ago, I couldn't seem to go a day without a Diet Coke, and now I don't even like the taste of cola. Who would have thunk it? I think my tastes may be changing again, because right now, all I want to eat is salad and I have a deep yearning to eat roasted vegetables, which is completely out of character for me, an avowed carnivore. I see videos of Mediterranean diet recipes featuring a lot of roasted veg and I find myself thinking, "Damn, that looks good." I don't see myself turning vegan or vegetarian, but I think I'm going to have to explore some new recipes. (I think I just heard my mom fall over in shock.)

3. Happy birthday, T! Yesterday was my son's 26th birthday. He's having a bit of a rough time, struggling with some depression in general and birthday blues in particular. 26 is kind of a big deal, since the government says he can no longer be on my insurance. (He does have insurance that we got through the exchange.) I worry about him, though. He's in a rut, and doesn't seem to know how to get out of it, and it is sad for me to see him feeling sad. He may be a man(child), but he's still my boy.

#2887 three things - books

 

I sketched this pile of books back in November 2022 when I got back from Greece. You can see I drew them with a pencil, then went over it with a pen. I didn't do a great job with the eraser. Let's talk about books!

1. The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. MT and I listened to the first book in the series, Fourth Wing, during our January trip to northern California. It isn't my typical fare; this book is a romantasy full of violence and action, and some spicy scenes, too. It takes place in a war college and our heroes and heroines are all dragon riders. The war college itself is a brutal place for the cadets - they go there when they are 20 years old. The world building and the story telling are very good and we were immediately engaged in the story of Violet and her pals. I was able to get the second book, Iron Flame,  on audio in late February (MT got it right away and finished it quickly.) I'm about 95% through it; I expect to finish it tomorrow. The story and characters have captured my imagination, and I especially like the reader. She's good. I'm pretty sure there will be a third book; I hope the author doesn't make us wait too long for it!

2. I like it when the author joins the discussion. I have been reading with #EkpesBookClub for six years now, and it's always good. We are currently reading Loyalty, our fourth book by Lisa Scottoline. The fun thing about this author is that she joins in on our weekly discussion when we read her books.  There is another author who joins our conversations,  and it's freaking cool when they do it. With Lisa (fun fact: we follow each other on Twitter/X, so she's my "friend") joins us, she gives a little background into what she was thinking about when writing a particular scene, and she talks about the research she does before writing a book. Loyalty takes place in Sicily; another book we read, Eternal, takes place in Rome during WWII and the research she did for each book was extensive and fascinating.  

3. OMG my friend wrote a book! No, not Lisa Scottoline, but a person I actually know in real life, my BFF LA! She wrote a book called Guardian from My Dreams. She self-published and it is available from Amazon. I have the ebook, and I think you can buy a paperback version of it, too. I just started reading it yesterday. It is a sci-fi romantasy book. I think it is going to be a sweet story. I am so happy for her and proud, too. Telling a story and putting it out for the world to see is ballsy and pretty awesome.