Late post here, but what else can y'all expect from me?
What tools and practices keep you thriving in 2025? We can be mindful of our boundaries, plan for rest and moving our bodies, and lay off the technology and bad news. As we enter the second quarter of the year next week, what practices do we encourage and where do we cut back?
What do you find keeps you thriving these days? What's the plan going forward?
Well, that's a big question. I don't know that I could say I am THRiVING... for the past year, I have felt I am mostly just surviving. DSISIL told me I would look back and see how far I've come, but I don't really see it yet.
I'm just trying (and often failing) to keep up routines, to establish routines, to focus on my Bible reading and study, to focus on trusting God and taking things one day at a time, as LadyM and Harriet were discussing. My grandchildren do help me stay focused on the present, and being active, so far as being present at their activities, and not letting myself dwell on myself.
Dgrands kept me busy most of the day. DGD went home with her mom since ddil is off work tomorrow. She'll be back tomorrow evening, and I'll have them both again tomorrow night until Sunday evening. May have to take them to a funeral visitation with me -- dh's first cousin's wife passed away. She was probably 85 years old, a cancer survivor, and had suffered with COPD (I think) for the last few years. Such a sweet woman; she and dh's only girl cousin were special blessings I gained when I married into this family. One of her sons is only a year behind me in school, so we've been friends since high school, and he and DS are especially close because he is a musician too (not professionally, but they have played together locally often.)
I don't know when the funeral will be -- they are making arrangements tomorrow, and the other son lives on the west coast. He is here, but his wife and daughters are not, so I'm sure their travel plans will enter into considerations for the service.
Tomorrow I will need to order something and will need to take something to their house -- probably paper goods. That was much appreciated when dh passed away.
Dgrands have been mostly pleasant to each other. There have been a few meltdowns (on dgd's part -- DGS stays on a fairly even keel all the time. DDIL expects DGD to begin puberty soon and she thinks some of the moodiness may be a symptom of what's to come. I told dgs to prepare himself, it will get worse before it gets better, LOL.)
I'm so sorry your dh has Covid, Kathryn! Hope he continues to feel well and doesn't have to isolate for too long.
I sometimes write things down so I can mark them off too!
And oh. my. goodness. No remote for the blue ray player? How frustrating! I HATE things like this that have to have remotes... and "smart" tv's in general. I have to use two remotes for my Roku tv and it drives me crazy.
Not much to write today -- although when I am "on my A game" I write EVERYTHING down.
Happy for your dd getting the old job back, Nancy! You did good keeping up with family today. I have not talked to my dmom today -- I'm thinking no news is good news. WTG on eye appointment too!
do what's needed one day at a time. No need to borrow from upcoming day for something to worry about.
YES. I am trying to make this my motto, Harriet. Dmom tried to teach me this while ddad was in Houston, and it certainly something dbro and DS seem to be able to remember. Sounds like getting that bandage off made you feel much more comfortable, and I hope the next few days go well.
I hope the white dogwood DS planted for me last week will take root and grow. The soil there is really rocky, and the tree is small -- REALLY small -- but not as small as the maple trees. I love dogwood trees.
Harriet, thank you for your understanding all my concerns the other day. I sometimes do feel like I'm acting like such a baby about all this, but it is a lot, especially when one feels like an only child, which I know you understand. My dbro is good for moral support, but as far as being actually able to be present and help day to day... no. He gets a negative 10 in that department. And even though dh was not great in a crisis, he was good for moral support too, and the other night, when I was having a meltdown, I really missed him and felt so ALONE. DS and ddil are great to talk to, but of course I am aware that if I complain about MY mom NOW... it may come back to bite me in 16 years when I am 80 and DS and ddil have complaints about ME.
I hope medical appointments go well for you too, LadyM! Seven appointments in seven days IS a busy schedule but you are right... just one day at a time.
blessed -- (((HUGS))) for all the shopping and returning for your dmom. Remember those shoes I bought dmom for her birthday and she said they were MEN'S size 8? Well no, they are not. DS was looking at them, because DGS wears a MENS 8 -- but nooo, they are not men's. They are clearly women's, and I don't know why dmom was so sure she saw MENS on the box.
(BTW, she was SURE she asked for vegetable soup at Cr*cker B*rrell yesterday -- but I did not hear her say "vegetable." Sigh.
(((Twins))) Adjusting to a husband's retirement is not a small matter.
My dmom mentioned needing to see local massage therapist, since her fall. I'm sure it would help her to feel better in lots of ways, but dmom is full of good intentions and I doubt she will follow through.
$130 is pretty expensive for that, but I don't envy you the time and trouble of printing it yourself, either. I printed a lot of that organized home thing the other day, and of course, some of it didn't print really dark enough, and I had to change my color cartridge mid-printing because some of the pages were getting spotty... but still -- I'm sure I saved money. They would send the whole big thing ready to use for $84, but I know I wouldn't use all the sections, and it was only $29 to get the digital version. I doubt I've spent $50 on the paper and ink I'll use. (The double pack of XL cartridges was almost $50, but I doubt I'll have to replace them just for doing this print job. Actually, I'm still on the old black cartridge. I only had to replace the color one, so far.)
Monday is supposed to be my laundry day, Rose, but lately, it's been more of an all=week thing (not an overwhelming amount of laundry, just overwhelming demands on my time.) Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be Weekly Home Blessing days but lately that ain't been happening either.
Glad to hear no ice storms are in your future, Mystery. Rain can be tiresome, but much better than ice!
(((Cathy))) and (((Kathryn))) -- sorry to hear it's coming your way!
Well -- I think I'm cuop -- sorry for such a long post, but it's not that unusual for me!
I'm looking forward to tomorrow; DGS will let me sleep as late as I want, and maybe I can catch up on some rest. Maybe dmom will manage okay on her own, and maybe I can do something for dcousins. I have sent father and son texts messages letting them know they are in my prayers and that I will see them soon.
Hope you all have a great day tomorrow!
PS — TA-DA (sorta)
* tried to reconcile checkbook and statement again.
* second month in a row, bank says I have exactly $477.40 MORE than I think I do. I balanced in January. I have checked deposits back to October. I can find nowhere that the bank added money and I didn’t. This is very puzzling.