Where I’m at #25

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life.

planner : BLAH! 😆 No, no blah. I’m planning autumn activities this coming month (orchard, pumpkin farm, trunk or treat, etc). We gotta have a Halloween / Murder Mystery party before people murder me for not bothering with parties the past few months. My sister in law’s birthday is the same as mine – usually we go to the casino buffet for dinner, but she’s never been to Duff’s (blasphemy for a Buffalonian!), so we’ll likely do that. Still busy busy, & very much looking forward to the less busy time of year.
self : Still struggling a bit with my diet & exercise routine – I just don’t fuckin’ care. I mean, I do, & I’m still sticking with my “minimum viable” (😉), but I’m not that invested. I’m comfortable where I’m at, for the most part. My mind, on the other hand, has been a fuckin’ mess. I blame allergies & controlling chaos. Cuz that’s pretty much the culprit. (Still sticking with my “minimum viables” though lol!)
marriage : Doing alright. Stressful at times, but working through it. Such is life, eh?
mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good! No injuries to report (hopefully that remains a constant monthly update!) We went on our last “mommy-daughter dates” of the season, & I brought both of them along for each of the two dates – we went to an arcade with mini golf for BooBoo’s choice, & bowling for Bubby’s. And we all got season passes for Six Flags now that the girls are tall enough for a lot of the rides, and we’ve gone a couple times already & everyone had a lot of fun – BooBoo can go on “big kid” rollercoasters now, & she loves it! I’m grateful that I’m still physically able to go on the rides with the girls, even if my body is screaming at me for days after 😂 Good memories makes it worthwhile 🥰
homeschool teacher (2nd grade & K) : Getting back into the groove with all the busy-ness, but doing well. We’re figuring it out. They give me a hell of a time during school, but they seem to actually enjoy the progress they’re making, which is kind of the point. Bubby loves math & hates phonics, but she’s really learning to read now which is awesome!!! BooBoo likes everything, it seems, even science & history, so that’s pretty great! BooBoo’s happy to be back at gymnastics now that their season has restarted, & her “bestie” is back after being off for the summer so she’s excited about that too. Bubby’s been doing awesome in taekwondo – she throws a hell of a punch LOL! She’s really good at paying attention & doing what she’s told to do, & I’m super proud of how she’s been handling her classes.
zenBLITZ : Yeahhh…my mind’s been too much of a mess to put together anything worth sharing. I know…who gives a shit, do it anyway. LOL. I’m gettin’ there… 💚
homemaker : Gotta finish cleaning up outside so I can start deep cleaning the house! I’d rather do it in autumn than spring cuz we obviously spend more time indoors during the dark half of the year, and so I’d rather get & (try to) keep it cozy & comfortable starting around now. Everything else is all good. We have a bit of a drive to go to a wedding at the end of October, so I think I might try to make a mini vacation out of it. We’ll see.
(step) gramma : Chiquita Banana is doing awesome! She’s about ready to walk, understands a lot of what I say to her, & loves to dance. We went for a walk around my yard the other day & ate some of the season’s last yellow raspberries together hehe 🥰

Currently

eating – Homemade pho! Glass noodles + veggies + broth 😋 I switch up the types of veggies & the seasonings I put into my broth often – today I added some seaweed, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, & lime

drinking – Too many Monsters lately – I gotta stop! My heart feels like it’s trying to jump out of my chest like the Kool Aid Man

watching – Not much. Haven’t really been interested in TV much lately (cuz I just can’t focus on anything!)

reading – The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells – lots of thought provoking lines, but not an amazing story (yet)

playing – Ugh… I got started playing “Bus Fever Party!” on my phone, & I’m addicted 😅

buying – As little as possible. Hubby’s been on a bit of a spree because his friend is moving & selling some of his stuff, so we just spent a considerable amount on money on a scissor lift & a portable car lift

listening to – “Uno Dos Tre” by Green Day – I forgot how much I enjoyed Dos

celebrating – My birthday! (Surviving another year is always a good reason to celebrate, even though I kinda hate this month lol) And Halloween

pinning – peoples’ journals, “free spirit”, pretty backgrounds, & drawing inspiration

planning – My birthday, Halloween party, autumn activities, & wedding trip

feeling – Egh, I don’t know. Exhausted. Depleted. Perpetually fried. Gettin’ better though (I hope!)

Where I’m at #24

Where I'm At

^ A summary of the past couple weeks, but substitute the alcohol for energy drinks 😅

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life…

It’s been…interesting around here. I’ll probably divulge in due time, but probably not anytime too soon. I’ll just say chaos reigned & the blog ended up on the back burner for a little bit. Not forever! Just getting some things situated… 😉

planner : Yeah. Lots of stuff still going on, the past month & the next. You’ll see…
self : Amidst the chaos, I’m struggling to do all the things I usually do. However! I’ve been practicing what I’ve always done, & at least getting the minimum viable self care in! ☺ PT got shut down at the end of the month, because my insurance company says I’m not making significant enough progress, but my PT suggested I either appeal or wait a few months & reapply (& continue doing what exercises I can in the meantime) – I feel like I was definitely making some progress, but there’s definitely a lot more to be made. We’ll see what I can do on my own time, in the meantime. And, I’ll be honest, I’m battling some mental demons lately (”failure” / caregiver guilt sort of thing) – but, like I said, I’m sticking to the tools that I know work for me, & I’ll divulge with you beautiful readers in due time.
marriage : That’s the chaos. Not my marriage itself, but something hubby’s been dealing with. So, we’re dealing with it together, of course, & it seems it’ll ultimately strengthen our bond even more. 💜

mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good! Major injuries… 🤔 None that I recall LOL. Most notable thing we’ve done is go to our local Six Flags for the first time, which was pretty awesome – hubby took Bubby in the kiddie park & apparently she loves the “Himalaya” (or whatever it’s called these days); and I took BooBoo on her first big kid coaster (one that goes upside down, spirals, & through a tunnel) – we sat in the front of the coaster, & she was pretty mind blown hehe!! We also took them to mini golf for the first time, & Bubby’s obsessed LOL!

homeschool teacher (2nd grade & K) : School’s been lacking a little bit this month, because it’s summer…but we still do classes at least once a week. Since the technical school year is on the horizon, I gave them the option to switch their extracurricular activity if they wanted – we researched a little bit about a lot of things, including Girl Scouts, 4H, music, and so on – BooBoo decided to stick with gymnastics, & Bubby decided she wants to try Tae Kwan Do, which is pretty cool (& she’s done really well with it so far!)

Bubby “wants to beat up bad guys”…and she certainly will!

zenBLITZ : Yeah, I’m slacking. Sorry. (Not sorry? 😘) Just too much going on to be able to focus enough to produce anything of much quality lately. This post is helping me ease back into the mindset though, I think (I hope!) I’ve played with some digital design a tiny bit & made some pretty cute quote memes for social media, but that’s about all the creativity I’ve had time for lately. (”Minimum viable option”, I suppose!)
homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Yeah. Well. Finances are fine. Cleaning…it’s about time to start putting outdoor shit away & prepping for winter (we have a lot to wrap up out there!) Travel… We have to travel a little for a wedding in October, so I need to start planning for that – I’d like to make a little trip out of it, but we’ll see.
(step) gramma : Chiquita Banana just turned one!! And she’s a busy lil kiddo – crawling all over, pulling herself up to standing, chatting like crazy, & she’s very proud of herself that she’s starting to understand words 🥰 She’s so precious!

Currently

eating – Pho instant lunches with a splash of lime 😋

drinking – Strawberry Lemonade Monster energy drinks (occasionally, lol)

watching – Star Trek : Strange New Worlds (I’m glad we dropped Max & Peacock for a little bit, cuz I’m loving me some Star Trek hehe!)

reading – The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells

playing – Coin Master. Magic Sort.

buying – Too much stupid shit – gotta reel it in a bit before Xmas madness begins!!!

listening to – Less Than Jake, right this second

celebrating – Fall activities beginning

pinning – pretty backgrounds, journals, punk “fashion” lol, free spirit, crochet

planning – slowing down expensive outings, heh

feeling – drained, but healing 😉

Where I’m at #23

Where I'm At

Life is still beautiful chaos, by design 💚

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

planner : More summer fun in the plans – that’s my main focus right now!
self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Getting back into my workout routine, gently & including at home PT exercises. Man, PT is really fucking kicking my ass – not sure yet if it’s helping all that much, but I guess it can’t make things any worse, eh?! 😆 Funny enough… every time I get out of PT, I’m pissed, in immense pain, & white knuckling everything in the car. So, I started sitting in the back of a nearby parking lot so I can smoke a ciggy, breathe through it, & blast some music. And literally every time, “Bales of Cocaine” by Reverend Horton Heat comes on the radio & makes me lol ☺
marriage : Doing good! Went to his high school reunion last weekend, & it was actually quite a blast once I had a few beers & loosened up (I pretty literally never drink, so I was rockin’! 😅) It was a much needed reminder of who the fuck we are, & why we fell in love. 💜💚

mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good – no major injuries to report, that I can think of. Booboo’s quite the social butterfly, & I really need to find her a friend she can hang out with once in a while, but parents are fucking weird, man. I mean, we’re weird, but at least we’re friendly 😂 Bubby’s got quite the personality, I tell ya…lol

homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : School’s much more relaxed over the summer, but we keep at it. Bubby shocked the shit out of herself when she realized she could figure out how to read number words, which was absolutely amazing to witness omg 🩷 Booboo’s been doing most of her work herself, which is absolutely awesome 💙 And both girls are still enjoying gymnastics – Bubby’s quite the perfectionist & she’s doing really well in class hehe

zenBLITZ : I’ve been so damn distracted by chaos… Not disappearing though! Just breathing!! 😉💚
homemaker : All’s well. I noticed I’ve been feeling pretty guilty about leaving all the yardwork for hubby, but then I realized how busy we’ve been. Plus I’m really struggling with my back & PT, so…no sense in senseless guilt – I’ll do what I can, when I can.
(step) gramma : Haven’t really seen Chiquita Banana much the past month – she was over last week for a little bit, but I let my sister in law soak up the “babyness” since she doesn’t get the chance to very often.

Currently

eating – mindfully

drinking – Strawberry Lemonade Monster energy drinks are fucking delicious! 😋

watching – Nothing much. The Traitors. Buncha shows came back on Hulu. Cancelling Max & Peacock next month – Max is good but we want to switch it up a bit, & Peacock mostly sucks ass heh. Gonna try Paramount.

reading – Still working on The Night Circus, but almost done – it’s been a lovely little adventure hehe

playing – Nothing, really. A lil Coin Master at night, but that’s it

buying – Stupid shit on Temu, but I’m calming down with that (I swear!!!)

listening to – The Foxboro Hot Tubs, at the moment

celebrating – Chiquita Banana’s bday!! 🎈

pinning – self care, pagan zen, free spirit, pretty & print, journaling

planning – County Fair is coming up!!

feeling – Optimistic… hopeful? 😜💚

Where I’m at #22

Where I'm At

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life...

I’m tired.

So, I had to ask myself – What’s making me so tired?

And then I realized…

The million mini mountains I try to climb on a daily basis – of inspiration, affection, adventures, education, & so on. It’s exhausting.

But it’s fulfilling. It’s resilience. Adaptability. Agency.

It’s a matter of indulging in life, instead of watching it happen.

“Memento Vivere”, because “Memento Mori” – I’ve personally had enough reminders to take it to heart. 💚

Maybe I just need regularly scheduled siestas… 😉

planner : Hmm…planning? Still doing our little adventures. Nothing too crazy planned for July… It’ll be me & hubby’s 7 year wedding anniversary, so we might have a steampunk party – I don’t feel like doing one, but we probably should, heh. I hate hosting parties cuz my anxiety goes haywire, but they’re not for me, they’re for his family to have a reason to get together, so…shuddup, anxiety! I don’t think I’m really planning much else in particular, so we’ll see where the summer takes us 🫠
self (body & mind) : Eggggggh. I finally got some answers about my back – I have “degeneration & misalignment on L5 into SI”, so basically the base of my spine is a fucker. And I’ve been feeling some excruciating pain in that exact spot for over a decade now. Weird thing is, the middle of my spine feels fucked up, but nothing shows on x-rays. So, I started PT. I was very thorough with him about where my spinal issues are, and when he ran his fingers down the middle of my back, he could very obviously tell something isn’t right – “it, like, juts out, and then the rest curves way in”. Yup. People think I have an ass- HA! I’ve been fooling you all these years, accentuating my horrifically fucked up spine with appropriately worn clothing LOL. Bwah ha ha! So, I started PT, and it’s painful as all fuckin’ hell, & he even said he honestly doesn’t think there’s anything he can do for me. I still enjoy chatting with him though, & getting into an actual gym, & learning a few things. So there’s that. I’ve been contrarian as fuck about my workouts lately, even simple shit like tai chi – I just refuse. I’ll get back into the groove soon though. I rolled my ankle & fell hard off my back steps at the very beginning of June, & it’s still not fully healed, but that’s not a valid excuse – I just don’t wanna. 🤷 Working back up to being mindful & intentional about my physical state, I suppose. Mentally, I’m doing alright. Feeling kinda bleh lately; “exhausted” would probably be a more appropriate word (and if you’ve read my “Day in the Life” post, you can see why). But, s’all good.
marriage : We actually went on a date!!!!! I literally don’t remember the last time we went out on an actual date. It was just to see a (really quite terrible) improv show, but it was cool cuz it was right by the river we’d gone to on one of our very first dates. We had more fun wandering around by the river than we did during the actual show lol, even though hubby won a gift certificate to a local restaurant.

mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good. They had their end of season gymnastics showcase, which was super cute. Injuries? Only notable one was when Booboo crashed her go kart into the skoolie – good thing she was wearing a seatbelt & a helmet (& she got an impromptu homeschool lesson in velocity & traction that day heh). No real injuries though. I’ve been taking them on dates individually once a month, to get one on one time – took Booboo bowling & took Bubby to an arcade.

I think she just loves throwing things 😂

homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : Officially finished the school year. I was panicking when I had to turn in the annual assessment for Booboo, but it really wasn’t that serious lol. Well, until I went to turn it in – the drop box was blocked off by construction, & when I called they at first didn’t know what to tell me, so I ended up submitting it in the mail. Hopefully they got it lol. So, we’ve officially started 2nd grade & Kindergarten (since we do school throughout the summer), & it’s going beautifully! Bubby surprises me more every day!!!
zenBLITZ : I’ve been slacking a little, not gonna lie. I just haven’t been able to find the time or energy for my posts (I’m even behind on this one!) I created a landing page for my brand, with more links in progress when applicable – I like the simplicity of it. I’m working on a business card zine too – hopefully I can make it look as nifty as it is in my head lol, and I plan on doing a bit of “guerrilla marketing” with it. Worked on some “print on demand” designs, but haven’t started with Redbubble yet (mostly just playing with designs right now, in other words). Made a couple of cool leather bracelets which I’ve been wearing a lot, started a really cool looking traveler’s notebook (but then hubby over-conditioned it & now it needs to dry out enough to hold paper lol UGH!), & started a leather wallet but I’m finding that I’m appalled by 2-3oz leather, so we’ll see how it goes (an experiment if nothing else!)
homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Fuck it. Fuck it all. 🤣 (It’s fine; nothing to report.)
(step) gramma : Good. Only got to babysit once or twice, but she’s good! 🥰

Currently

eating – Cup Noodles are my love language 😆

drinking – water, coffee

watching – Nothing really. I don’t have the attention span for anything, tbh

reading – I gave my copy of “The Night Circus” to a girl who drove over an hour to pick up something I was selling on Marketplace because she runs a circus side project 😂 So I’m awaiting my eBay order of another copy lol

playing – Nothing, really

buying – Well, hubby got his Roger Rabbit Bugatti golf cart, so he’s been spending some money on converting it from gas to electric. I’ve behaved, for the most part heh

listening to – Social Distortion. I don’t know why – I used to be bored by Social Distortion, but they’ve grown on me recently

celebrating – 7 years of marriage, & 9 years together!

pinning – pretty background pics, antique journals, drawing technicalities, self care quotes, & zines

planning – adventures

feeling – Meh. Not bad. Just tired.

All that said, I’m still behind on my posts, so we’ll see what happens – I may continue the series I’ve been working through, I may rant about any of the other things on my mind, I may just take a week off to let my brain simmer down from this 90*+ weather. Whatever happens, love you all 😉 See ya soon!

Stay real, live vibrantly, & rock the fuck on! 🤘💚💜🖤

Don’t forget to stop & watch the sun set once in a while… 💚

Day in the Life

Where I'm At

Taking a little break from our series…..

By request from a WordPress friend (& because I’m secretly a little behind on my normal posts, shh!), here’s a day in my life – it’s probably gonna be more like interstitial journaling with extreme commentary. Hopefully it’ll be a least a little entertaining, lol! I tried to pick as normal of a day as possible… so I probably should’ve picked yesterday cuz now I’ve got a couple things thrown at us to work around. But that’s ok, so long as nobody in this house’s moods go too far sideways 😆

Anyways… Buckle up, it’s gonna be a long one!!! 🤣

Friday, June 19 2026

Woke up at 7:30. Said “fuck no, can’t make me” & fell back to sleep.
Woke up at 8:15 with an Interrupters song stuck in my head. Not even sure which one. Went downstairs & said good morning to the cat (she gets lonely when I don’t pass out on the couch all night.) Looked at my phone while my brain came online – saw a slightly interesting article on Reddit written before Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown came out (one of my favorite Green Day albums), and checked in on a debate in a local Facebook group about a confusing intersection cuz apparently I need something to get pissed off about first thing in the morning 😆…

Does it look like the left lane ends? I think the fuck not.

Got my lime water, opened the curtains & windows, & set myself up in my office – laptop on & background lo-fi on TV; Capacities & Notion. Started writing this thing 😉. Started my morning routine…
- One reminder from yesterday : “Meaning is hiding inside ordinary moments that receive extraordinary attention.”
- Last year : “I’ll Stand By You”
Went through my “inbox” of random tasks that came up throughout yesterday & organized all the shit I gotta do today, including homeschool plans & tidying up the homeschool cart – Realized I gotta file away their portfolios cuz we’ve technically started next year’s work.
Read today’s passage in The Daily Stoic & it’s accompanying journal :
- Focus on one foot in front of the other, especially when the big picture is too big
  - How can I better keep myself in the present moment? Mindfulness reminders – look around & take it in.
Read for a few minutes in “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern : “People don’t pay much attention to anything unless you give them reason to.” I’m probably about halfway through this book, & I’m really enjoying the mystical journey it’s taken. It’s quite lovely hehe.
I hear a woodpecker, so I’m distracted by looking out the office window. I’m eternally grateful for all the nature outside my house – I only live on about an acre, but it’s very private & full of fauna. On any given day, I’m visited by chipmunks, that damned red squirrel, a family of bunnies (most who have been named by Bubby “Cupcake”, “Mini Cooper”, “Poindexter”), a mom & baby deer, chipmunks, a groundhog, and so on. Right now all I see through the sunshine shimmering through the trees is a 5 foot bouncey ball & Hubby’s new Roger Rabbit “Bugatti” golf cart (more on that another time). And scaffolding & ladders & shit cuz hubby & his friend have been working on the house (since I’ve been gently & graciously nagging him for almost 10 fucking years!)
Wrote in my journal for a bit. Just a moment about what the ~~plans~~ ideas are for the day, and then some reflection on essentialism…cuz I tend to romanticize the idea of essentialism, and then overcomplicate anything I possibly can.
Read a passage in a book I just got, “Awaken Every Day : 365 Buddhist Reflections” by Thubten Chodron. “Our actions leave ‘seeds’ on our mindstream, invisible potentials that can bring results in terms of what we experience in this & future lives – our habitual thoughts & behaviors and the environment & circumstances of our life.” Not too sure how deeply I agree with reincarnation, but interesting to ponder regardless.
Set up my workout plan for the day – I use a Notion database to rotate through the zillion videos I’ve saved over the past couple years so I don’t get too bored. Smoked half a Camel 99 (yeah, shuddup), tidied the house & little, & got to it.
- Not trying to justify a shitty habit, just saying – I found that I appreciate the hedonism of a good cigarette as much as the excuse to get outside & enjoy some nature without tiny humans screaming & running around. Otherwise I’d probably never even see the groundhog (or that bastard squirrel!)
- Took some pictures while I was out there…

Mulberries on my mom’s 30+ year old, 30+ft mulberry bush

Bet your ass I ate that cherry before the birds got it!!!

So… 20 minute full body workout with 3 lb weights (during which my entire skeleton snapped crackled & popped), 15 minute arm workout with 5 lb weights (I’ve been cursed with bingo wings), 5 minutes yoga (just about threw my neck out), 5 minutes Qi gong (never tried this one before, never gonna again LOL – my scoliosis can’t handle it!), & 5 minutes meditation (super unproductive). Then I pulled a card from my new “Buddha Wisdom” oracle deck : “Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.” Ain’t that the truth. 💚
Got myself some cherries, milk, & Allegra. Posted my “quote of the day” on Facebook, Bluesky, & Substack, and watched a YouTube video in my endless “Watch Later” list – today’s video happened to be
NotebookLM Will Change How You Learn – Here’s Why!. I didn’t have time to finish it, but I’ve played around with NLM a bit, & it can be super useful (especially for product manuals!!!)
Checked in with ChatGPT cuz we’re doing a reflection experiment to see if it can help me …keep my head out of my ass? I have it ask me a set of questions twice a day, & help me work through anything it deems worth noting. It’s been surprisingly useful so far 😁
- “Earlier in your blogging journey, a lot of your questions were:
  - What should I write?
  - How do I grow?
  - What should my brand be?
  Lately the questions feel more like:
  - What am I noticing?
  - What am I learning?
  - How do I express this clearly?
  That’s a sign of something maturing.” Agreed. 😆
Got myself tidied up for the day. We’re not going anywhere, so I’m not about to go all “curls & contacts” today 😆

And that’s my ridiculous but fulfilling morning routine. It’s what keeps me from getting murderous halfway through the day. Usually.
Went out for another half a smoke. There was a giant stormy cloud above the house, but blue skies all around. Usually, it’s the opposite – we’re in a bubble of good weather. During the winter, outside of about a mile radius of my house, they’ll be getting Lake Effect snow. Here? Fluffy sparkles. I guess my hearthcraft works 😉 While I was out there, I saw “Alvin”, the baby chipmunk – he likes playing with the baby bunnies hehe. (Thought to myself the other day – “I’m like fuckin’ Snow White with a tan & a cigarette!” 😅)
Onto the “focus time” of my day. Normally I put on some tunes, but I’m trying to get through some other bloated YouTube playlists, so I’m playing some “Witchy” videos in the background (that’s about as much witchcraft as I practice these days!) Friday’s “focus time” is reserved for a review of my “interstitial journaling” notes from the past week, to see if there’s anything worth noting. FUCK! I forgot my granddaughter is supposed to be coming over soon. I was really hoping hubby would be up in time. Shittles! ….. I went through it pretty quickly so there wasn’t a whole lot of discernment, but this is where a lot of my blog post ideas, personal journaling prompts, etc come from (feel free to skip if it’s overwhelming, which I’m sure it is lol) :
- Still on about the Facebook group post about the stupid lane merge thing (this was from Sunday LOL)
  - Gemini basically says I’m right, but also that insurance companies would deem an accident 50/50 liability basically because people shouldn’t drive like assholes lol
- “Magic is found in all the little moments. A campfire is still fire.”
- Things insist on my attention often because they feel the most alive.
- challenge, opportunities, subtraction
- Leatherworking = patience + restraint
- I am my own deity, my own religion, my own philosophy.
  - ✨I don’t worship myself, but no better outlook on spirituality, in my opinion.
    - It’s self confidence, self love, goddess energy, compassion, resilience, intelligence, an open mind, grace
- “Awaken Every Day” – “‘Three poisons’ : ignorance, attachment, & animosity” : Ignorance to reality causes attachment, & attachment causes animosity (repelling from the unpleasant)
  - Detachment from suffering
    - ✨…can be a slippery slope. You have to let yourself feel some suffering. Not only because it’s good for your character, & not only because emotions are a beautiful part of being human, & not only because repressed shit festers until it’s seething.
- ✨ How can I help people? What problems can I solve? Or maybe just help ease? What problems am I dealing with?
- “In these seemingly small moments, you’re teaching your children one of life’s most important lessons: how to respond when things don’t go as planned.” – Daily Dad
  - “The wise don’t fly off the handle. They don’t say the first thought that enters their mind. They pause. They reflect. They choose their response.”
  - “They inherit your responses.”
  - “emotions are to be felt, but not always acted upon”
- “the artist is the child who refused
  to stop believing in imaginary friends,
  so they grew up and became one…
  for every lonely soul who needed a mirror
  to say: me too.” – Chris Sexton
- “Daily Stoic” – “No shame in needing help”
  - Where do I need help? Who can I ask for it? (*This is definitely something I struggle with!)
- Report from PCP : “alignment & degenerative changes, L5 slightly onto S1”
  - ✨”Degenerative “ is a disconcerting word…
- Sage insight : “Connection doesn’t have to feel easy to be worthwhile.”
  - ✨Even if it’s inconvenient or anxiety inducing, it’s often worthwhile to connect anyway
- “Live so fully and intentionally that when death comes, it feels like a completion rather than an interruption.” – Darius Foroux, quoting Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche
  - “even death becomes part of their life, not just something that happens to them.”
  - “’The man consummating his life dies his death triumphantly, surrounded by men filled with hope and making solemn vows.’ Surrounded by men filled with hope. That image has stayed with me. He’s describing someone whose life inspired others to be better.”
    - ✨To live better
    - ✨I hope I inspire others to live better, & more fully, with my blog
  - “’In your death, your spirit and your virtue should still glow like a sunset glows around the earth'”
- Chris Sexton : “play is spiritual cardio.”
  - “your comfort zone got you on a leash
    and you keep calling it peace.”
  - “throw your heart at life
    like a wild florist.
    whatever blooms, blooms.
    whatever dies becomes fertilizer.”
- Awaken Every Day – Stop licking honey off a razorblade (re attachment)
  - ✨ I fucking love how edgy this quote is, lol. It’s true – the honey is sweet, but if you’re cutting your tongue the whole time, what’s the point?
    - So, is there any honey ultimately shredding my soul right now? I’d say my daydreaming, but I don’t think that’s entirely true.
- Some days, “better than nothing” is discipline enough ❤️
  - ✨ So long as it doesn’t consistently replace actual discipline
- Life is all about self discipline – parenting, marriage, everything
Reading that over made my brain hurt… 😵‍💫
Then I went back through my entries to capture all the daily highlights in a “Hobonichi Weeks”-style planner I keep for my husband – it’s colorful, includes pictures, & is exploding with memories by the end of the year. His birthday is right before New Year’s Eve, so it turns out to be an awesome birthday gift ☺
And just as I headed into the second part of my day, a thunderstorm rolled in. I love thunderstorms – they’re so exciting!! ⛈ A nice reminder that even mother nature lets shit build up & needs to let it rip sometimes 😉 Put all the stuff in my digital planner into my analog system thing that I have going on, and out of the office I went…
It fuckin HAILED!! Stood on the porch & watched buckets of rain & ice pelt the shit out of my car, peering at the blue sky in the distance LOL. Then I saw some poor bastard riding his bike 🤣 (I feel bad, but he should’ve seen it coming!) (My pics won’t load…)
Well, apparently my granddaughter isn’t coming today – my step daughter told hubby, but he was still in bed anyway LOL. At least I had a few extra minutes of peace & quiet to enjoy the thunder trailing off in the distance. It only lasted maybe 10 minutes, but it seemed like an apocalypse! I live in a very “don’t like the weather? wait 5 minutes!” climate. (Unless it’s Lake Effect snow season. Then maybe wait a couple days 😜)
Scratch that, it came back. Icy marbles everywhere. And blue skies all around.
All the monsters got up. Hubby’s still on about Nancy Guthrie; he made them omelettes while I got their milk, fruit, Zyrtec, vitamins, & hair brushes. Bubby put on Lucas the Spider, Lia counted her money. I made myself a salad with spinach, banana peppers, green olives, feta, quinoa, & leftover chicken meatloaf. 😋 Made some coffee. Went through my social media…nothing impressive 😆
The kids swam in their plushie cave while I put laundry away. Checked the mail & threw some sycamore branches out of the driveway.
Hubby went to clean in the garage for our party tomorrow (God help us if it rains, omfg). I did school with the girls…and half their plushies. Booboo worked on a painting project for Father’s Day while I helped Bubby. So help me God, if I hear “67” one more time… Bubby’s doing kindergarten, so she worked on counting to 20, vowel sounds, & writing the letter “R”. Then they switched. Bubby did some painting while I worked with Booboo, who’s technically in second grade now but we’re still finishing up some 1st grade work 🤫 – she worked on spelling “-et” words, “one”, & “the”; then read a poem & a short story. Nothing will test patience better than homeschooling children. I am absolutely certain of this. Booboo got frustrated during reading & barked so loud in my ear I could’ve thrown her clear across the room. I didn’t. But I could’ve. Break time 😅 Bubby finished her paintings & played (educational stuff) on my tablet. Booboo likes “Adventure” & “Dreams” by Bensound, apparently (so do I hehe). Back to school – she had to read her typed scene description to me so I could draw it & see if she described it well, addition & subtraction.

This is what homeschool looks like for us ☺

Ran & hid for a few minutes while the girls worked on their Father’s Day cards lol. I love this time of day cuz I put prisms in the sunniest window of the house & so the living room fills with little rainbows ☺️😍

Got the girls’ allowances. I give them $1 each for every year on the planet, then divide it into 4 – “rent” (savings lol), “gifts” (for other people), “donate” (Booboo was elated to donate $100 to our local Children’s Hospital ☺️), & “spend” (so they don’t ask me for shit when we’re out lol!)
Picked mulberries with Booboo. She named a couple of bunnies “Cherry” & “Pineapple” ☺️ Then she chased a chipmunk because hubby’s mad at the chipmunks for making a home under the hood of the skoolie
Hubby asked the girls if they wanted to go in the hot tub. Booboo had a fit because Bubby brought her her clogs. (Can’t wait til they’re teenagers – Pray for us!! 😅)
Made out a check for hubby’s 46th highschool reunion. Yes, 46th. They buried a time capsule back then & are opening it at the reunion 😛
Printed some worksheets for school.
They went in the hot tub. I started dinner early cuz I wanted to make rainbow pasta salad for the tie dye party ☺️ If anyone’s curious, this is the “recipe” I used for the rainbow pasta. Then I got sidetracked for about 15 minutes cuz hubby needed me to watch the girls. For dinner, I made pesto shrimp fettuccine 😋 Usually I make a salad with dinner, but my back was fucked by the time I finished the other shit. Did dishes in the meantime.
Started laundry. Took Allegra. Ate & watched Expedition Files. Checked in with a couple people about the party tomorrow.

Finished the pasta salad. Put leftovers away. Did more dishes – realized I was clenching my teeth cuz my back hurt so bad, so took some Motrin 😬 I hate taking Motrin – I’ve never had a problem with it, & I’d like to keep it that way. Usually I’d sneak in some leatherworking or digital designs, but I just can’t even tonight. 😴
Hit the bowl once (it helped my back immensely!), yelled at the red squirrel in the garage, brushed my teeth & took a shower. Listened to Rockabilly Radio on Pandora – it plays everything from Reverend Horton Heat to Stray Cats to “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen. I grew up listening to 50’s music when I was a kid (& disco LOL, & Nat King Cole).
Went in my office for a few minutes to write in my journal. The children decided to join me with their notebooks & it was adorable as hell 🥰 We listened to lo fi & passed notes to each other. ❤️

Got some trail mix & sat on the couch with hubby to watch Black Mirror. He made ice for tomorrow. I like this show, cuz it’s like a modern Twilight Zone, but I can’t usually focus on anything by the end of the day.
Finished my evening routine… Updated my digital planner, read most of an interesting Amy Landino article, checked Facebook for memes, played Coin Master with Bubby, & pigged out on Harvest Snaps. Bubby requested a pickle. Then Booboo requested a pickle. Wegmans pickles are pretty decent. 😆
Laid down on the couch. Hubby rubbed my feet while he watched Virgin River – he’s such a sweetie 🥰 Read a couple more articles. Went crosseyed. Passed the fuck out. 😴

And there ya have it. Hope your brain didn’t melt 😉

Til next week – Stay real, stay loud, & rock the fuck on!! 💚

Where I’m at #21

Where I'm At

*Birthday girl with Hubby’s new bounce house & 6ft bouncy ball* 😆

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

planner : I’ve been loosely planning (& executing!) weekly adventures with the family since the weather has finally broke!! So far we’ve explored the local locks on the Erie Canal & paid a visit to Niagara Falls. Annual tie dye party next month, & I’m planning on making some rainbow pasta for an Italian pasta salad, so that’ll be fun hehe.
self : I’ve been pretty angry at my diet, so I’ve been rebelling a bit, not gonna lie. I haven’t completely abandoned it, but I’m definitely choosing not to be so strict about it because it’s just infuriating LOL. I finally got back to my fulllar exercise routine this past month, & I’ve been consistent with it (though also not so strict – I’ll substitute workouts if I feel the need to, but I’m still doing shit!) I’m trying to be a bit less irritable, but…that can be a struggle lol.
marriage : Always improving!

mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : BooBoo had a fun birthday – hubby blew up the bounce house & 6ft ball to celebrate, & we’ve been enjoying both as much as possible since (I think Bubby wants to move in to the bounce house LOL)! Both girls are getting too big – it’s kind of nauseating LOL 💚
homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : School’s going pretty well. Bubby’s definitely had a mental growth spurt – suddenly, she’s showing minimal signs of dyslexia (I’m still keeping an eye out though 👀). Looking to “finish up” the school year this month – I gotta make myself a full year SOP / cheat sheet so I don’t stress myself out every fuckin’ year lol.
zenBLITZ : Happy with things around the blog – the series I’m working through right now is honestly a little tedious to write sometimes, but enjoyable at the same time lol whatever sense that makes… And I started getting back to leather working, & fucking shit up LOL (lots of learning curves with that craft, omg!). Started playing with some designs that I’m considering adding to Red bubble sometime (we’ll see!)
homemaker : It’s all good. Whatever. 😂
(step) gramma : She’s doing great – almost got a “hi!” out of her!! 🤩
HSR (resale) : Yup, back on my radar a little. Only because I have no much shit sitting around that I apparently refuse to just donate lol. So, I started listing a little bit when I can (which is the tedious part). Maybe I’ll add a page on my blog here for the better listings, if I can find time to figure out the best way to do that!

Currently

eating – salt & carbs. And some healthy stuff too…!

drinking – lime water

watching – One Piece. (Hubby’s in love hehe)

reading – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – it’s gonna take me a while, but I’m enjoying the journey so far!

playing – Nothing, really. I quit The Sims Freeplay. It’s evil 🤣 (I’ll undoubtedly be back at it in the fall)

buying – Too much stupid shit I don’t need. Accidentally got Booboo a go kart because it was just too cheap. Lol 🤦‍♀️ (& she’s discovered the joy of drifting lol)

listening to – Lofi, ska, rockabilly…nothing in particular. Oh! Lindsey Stirling a bit again

celebrating – Father’s Day. Tie Dye Party. Summer!

pinning – leather working, journaling, self care, pretty lotus pics

planning – adventures with the fam

feeling – pretty decent 😉👍

Where I’m At #20

Where I'm At

*I couldn’t choose just one main pic* *for the month – You see why* ☺

“Where I’m at” posts are just monthly updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

planner : I still just refuse to plan any gardening, or travel, or much of anything. I guess I’m just in that season of my life right now?
self : Stress > shoveling salty carbs in my face > 😭. I’m working on it…
marriage : Stress, but working through it – hubby’s ex wife decided to try to stir up some shit. She’s kind of a crazy asshole. We’ll survive lol
mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : Two injuries to report this month LOL UGH. Booboo hurt herself pretty bad, but she healed well. And then she accidentally bashed Bubby in the bridge of the nose with a foam covered plastic baseball bat full force, so now she’s probably gonna have a scar (I guess that’s karma for Booboo’s scar from Bubs throwing her tablet at her?) THESE KIDS, MAN – OMFG!!! 😅
homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : School’s going well – I actually started Bubby in some Kindergarten classes, which she’s super excited about! I’m excited to take a week off for Booboo’s birthday! 😆(Since we school year round, we take an extended break around Xmas / Bubby’s bday, & then a short one for Booboo’s bday.) Booboo actually told me she’s disappointed to have a week off cuz she “loves school”, which makes me happy 😊
zenBLITZ : I’ve been working on a lot of posts lately, & having fun interacting with other writers when I have time 💚 And I finally started dipping my toes back in the waters of leatherworking! A little poetry here & there, and some fun over on Substack.
homemaker : 🤮😅🤣
(step) gramma : Oh, this kid is about to be killing me – she’ll be crawling before I know it! I never used a play pen with my own kids, so I’m sure I won’t be using one with her – I’ll just have to watch her like a hawk pretty soon here. She ate a whole packet of blueberry banana baby food the last time she was over – I couldn’t believe it! And then almost a whole bottle just a couple hours later 😳 I gotta come up with something special to do with her for my step daughter’s first Mother’s Day as a mom ☺️

Currently

eating – Salty carbs 😅

drinking – Water, mostly

watching – Lincoln Lawyer, The Traitors, The Floor

reading – “Aug 9 – Fog” by Kathryn Scanlan – I like it so far, but I can’t say I quite love it heh

playing – Sims Freeplay, Coin Master, Magic Sort

buying – birthday gifts for Booboo

listening to – SKA ☺️💚

celebrating – Booboo’s birthday, Mother’s Day soon

pinning – poetry, funny shit, self care, zines, sewing

planning – Booboo’s bday, Mother’s Day gift

feeling – Drained. And fat. 😅😭💚

Where I’m at #19

Where I'm At

*Costumes for our Asian*–*themed dinner party* 😆

“Where I’m at” posts are just updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

planner : Yeahhh. Mostly planning to not lose my shit as warmer weather approaches & life gets busy. 🤪 I gotta figure out a tea party for April, & then BooBoo’s birthday is at the beginning of May (she wants to invite her cute gymnastics coach, which I’m almost not opposed to LOL). And we’re late on bowling.
self (body & mind) : Well, the household got a second (though less intense) round of sickness, so…that sucked. Still working on getting back into my diet & exercise routines. Had my annual PCP visit, & she commended me on my 20lb weight loss since last year, so that’s cool hehe. My mind’s been a bit chaotic, but… I’m trying. I realized the other day that I’ve been confusing the word nihilism with hedonism (I knew nihilism wasn’t the right word, I just couldn’t think of the right one lol), so now I’m doing some research & formulating a possible future blog post lol – that might be fun 😆
marriage : Doing pretty good. We’re both sick of being sick. We’ve been enjoying Panera dates lately hehe 😋 Green Goddess salad & pomegranate hibiscus tea are personal faves right now!

mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good. I actually am taking BooBoo out alone for a mini date today, to get her hair trimmed & I think she wants to go to Five Below & then get a Happy Meal. We’ll see lol. These kids are obsessed with Roblox (I would be too if I were their age lol) & roller skating around the house. We’ve been having fun playing with dolls & makeup – I taught them how to put lipstick kisses on paper hehe. Oh, BooBoo’s got glasses now; she says they make her smart lol 😊

homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : School’s going well. Bubby’s starting to get better with writing & letter recognition, & she can even “sight read” some words, which is great! BooBoo hates reading for no apparent reason, but her reading comprehension is definitely improving!
zenBLITZ : I’ve gotten SO behind on my posts, UGH! I haven’t had the time or energy to create much of anything lately, to be honest. Blargh. I’ll get back ahead of things pretty soon here. I hope.
homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, travel) : Yup. It’s fine. Whatever. 😂
(step) gramma : Chiquita Banana’s doing great! She’s such a happy, inquisitive little booger – it’s always a pleasure to see babies evolve, especially when you’re not seeing it all day every day because it’s easier to acknowledge from some perspective. She’s got 2 teeth now, she stands beautifully with minimal assistance, and she still loves the gingerbread man toy I got for her lol. She gets elated to see her Aunties BooBoo & Bubby, and they both love playing with her & feeding her. Too cute.

Currently

eating – Blueberry yogurt, at the moment lol. It’s officially salad season, now that it’s spring – so I think mushroom salad is in the plan for the week (pan fried mushrooms with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette)

drinking – Lotsa lime water. I quit drinking coffee & wine when I was sick, so now when I do drink them, they actually do their jobs LOL (kinda)

watching – Doom Patrol. Masked Singer. Suddenly Amish. I dunno…I can’t hardly pay attention to TV (so movies are definitely not my thing) – I always find myself too tired to be able to focus on shows. OH! The Scrubs reboot has really been rocking my socks though!! 🤩

reading – When You Read This by Mary Adkins – very interesting format, kind of enjoyable story so far

playing – The Sims Freeplay, mostly. I don’t know why I get so sucked in to this game, but it’s been an obsession on & off for like 15 years lol

buying – Too much, apparently. Well…I’ve behaved fairly well. Hubby, on the other hand, insisted we get a full size bounce house – he’s always wanted one, & we can afford to get it so…fuck it lol. He’s also trying to buy back “the Roger Rabbit car” he tried to buy when we were first together, but his friend ended up buying it (it’s a Bugatti-style golf cart that was actually used in the movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”) Funny.

listening to – The Interrupters, at the moment

celebrating – SPRING! I can’t wait to be able to open & doors & windows & get some fresh air in the house, OMFG

pinning – leatherworking, sewing, “free spirit” images, journaling, & crochet

planning – Tea Party, BooBoo Bday party, bowling, sanity…

feeling – Ehhh. Hangin’ in there 😆

The Family Curse: Growing Up in the Shadow of ALS

Where I'm At

Yeah, so…I’m still fucking sick. Recovering, but much slower than I’d like. Lame. Please bear with my foggy brained rambling 😆💚

I decided to scrap my last “love” post for February. Cuz, well…I’m just not interested in it anymore!

This month (ironically), I’m planning a few “health” related posts.

Not at all like “how to be healthy” posts.

More like…this is some shit I’m dealing with, or have dealt with in the past, posts.

It’s been in my neverending collection of stuff I wanna post about eventually, so…here we go! 😉

*“Holding Hope”* – Image created with Gemini

Some families pass down heirlooms.

Some pass down traditions.

Mine passed down ALS.

And if the pattern in my family holds, there’s a chance the story isn’t finished with me.

The Family Curse

A few months back, I wrote a little bit about my teenage experience as a caregiver for my mother after her ALS diagnosis, & the personal fallout after she’d passed away (ALS, Grief, and Growing Up Too Fast: What October Means to Me).

For those who don’t know, ALS runs heavily in my mother’s family. To the point where our genes are sought for study. It’s pretty scary.

Let me map out some of what little I actually know :

It comes from my mom’s dad’s family, traceable back as far as the late 1800’s when it was referred to as “creeping paralysis”.
My mom was the oldest of four girls, the middle two were twins : The youngest doesn’t carry the gene; the other three passed away, all from ALS, at around the ages of 35, 45, & 55.
The three sisters had a total of six kids between them, myself included. Out of those six, three have already passed away from ALS, most recently about two years ago now. I haven’t been tested for the gene, but my remaining cousins were & they do carry it.
Here’s two of many stories about about a couple of my cousins :
- Dying Mom Leaves Legacy of Wisdom
- New York Bill Named for Beloved Coach Seeks to End Genetic Insurance Discrimination

Existential Crisis

My odds probably aren’t great. But as long as I don’t get tested, there’s still a strange kind of hope in the uncertainty.

However, one of those remaining cousins was recently diagnosed with ALS. She’s only a couple years older than me, so…cue the amplified existential crisis.

I’m tired of being so rudely reminded of my mortality, as I’m sure were all of my ancestors before me.

I’m tired of all this grief, and fear.

That possible genetic time bomb has been ticking a little too loudly in my ear lately…

And I resent the fact that my family isn’t as close as it should be. It’s always been kind of sickening to me, because we all know that’s not the way it should be.

Shitty Instincts

For some reason, hearing this news makes me want to reach out to my old friend even more. (If you’ve been around a while, you’ve heard me mention him. And you may have heard me mention that I’ve tried reaching out to him, to no avail.)

Why.

Because I don’t wanna go out without resolution. Such unresolved tension. Especially since there’s no good reason for it in the first place.

And because I want his support; because sometimes he could be the most enlightening perspective in my life.

He was around when I first started learning more about the tragedy surrounding this gene, and he said to me one day, “seems you already count yourself among the dead”. Which wasn’t any more true then than it is now…

No One Makes It Out Alive

I don’t consider myself among the dead.

I consider myself among the cursed.

Cursed with immense loss & fear ingrained in my genetic code.

Cursed with being faced with the harshest of realities, such as the fact that no one’s there when all is done – ”In the end, you’re measured by how you treat the people closest to you“ – Ryan Holiday.

Cursed with shitty genes & a constant reminder of how short life can be.

But also immensely blessed with a sense of urgency that most people don’t realize until it’s too late. If they even get the chance.

All I can do is love my family, keep trying to live vibrantly, and keep trying to help others.

“Life is long, if you know how to use it” – Seneca

Celebrate life. Honor your ancestors.

If ALS has touched your family too, you already know the strange mix of grief, fear, and urgency that comes with it.

If you’re able, consider supporting ALS research – or simply reach out to someone you love today. None of us are promised tomorrow.

Click here to learn more about ALS or to donate toward finding a cure 👉 ALS Association

Stay real. Stay loud. And rock the fuck on. 💚🤘🏻

Where I’m at #18

Where I'm At

Quick note : Hi there! I do have another post I’m trying to write to go along with the “unusual” love posts I’ve shared this past month, but I have been sick as fuck. Like…fuuuck! And so has everyone else in my home. So, I’ve fallen a bit behind. I’ll try to get that out next week, pinky swear 😉

In the meantime….

“Where I’m At” posts are just random updates about what’s going on in my life, based on the areas / roles in my life.

planner : Yeah, I don’t know. I’m so thrown off right now, its not even funny. I’ll get back on track soon though. I’d like to plan some sort of family fun next month, be it bowling or a hotel visit, but we’ll see how everyone’s health goes, I suppose.
self (body & mind, emotion & education) : Bleh! I’m…less sick; but I have some surprising health concerns since I started getting sick, which I’m looking further into. And since getting sick, my diet & exercise…didn’t get put on the back burner, it got thrown right off the stove 🤪 So, I’m slowly working my way back into routines. My brain’s doing pretty good though, considering and despite almost crippling anxiety over said health surprises. Workin’ on it…lol
marriage : Things are good. We take good care of each other and the kiddos, so I’m perpetually grateful for that.
mom (BooBoo & Bubby) : The girls are good. Bubby kicked BooBoo in the face & now one of her teeth are a tiny bit loose, but I’m hoping it’ll resituate itself (omg please!!!!!) (Dentist visit coming ASAP, FML!) (Is this what it’s like having siblings? Cuz I didn’t have any. LOL UGH). Just found out both girls have astigmatism, & BooBoo’s been complaining of headaches lately – so, assuming they’re not just from her sister kicking her in the face, we’re working on getting her glasses this week. And both girls keep getting crazy tummy sickness randomly – they’ll be fine for a couple days, & then in hell for a day (I’m glad whatever this bug is affects me & hubby differently than them, geez!) Otherwise…the girls are doing great!!! 😅

*Yes, there’s a bounce house in my living room occasionally.* *That blur is BooBoo.*

homeschool teacher (1st grade & PK) : Due to sickness, school has been a little inconsistent. Still plowing through as best we can. BooBoo loves geography lately, and math. And Bubby’s gymnastics coaches are ready to throw her into the next level of classes because her skills are way too far beyond the level she’s forced into right now. She’s still enjoying it though 😊 Oh, AND she made a FRIEND!!! YAY!!!
zenBLITZ : As with diet & exercise, creativity has pretty much been thrown right off the stove the past couple weeks. I haven’t felt enough clarity to write, even when I try; and I haven’t had the energy to work on much else, though I did complete a couple of cool projects earlier this month (& I love them!!!) :

*Completely handmade veg tan leather A6 “Traveler’s Notebook” cover (…I always fuck up the “B”! Ugh!)*

homemaker (finance, cleaning, gardening, prepping, travel) : Pfft! Everything’s fine, but… 😝 I had to cancel our annual crockpot party due to everyone feeling like death was upon them, so… Next month I’m planning to host an “Asian” themed dinner potluck – I’m thinking I’m gonna get some saki, sushi, order some unique snacks from Amazon, bust out all my cool chopsticks & nifty dinnerware from Wegmans, and bribe someone to pick up a couple meals from Taste of China (the best damn Chinese food I’ve ever had in my life!) So help me god, I don’t even care who’s sick, we’re having that party! 😆
(step) gramma : A new feature that I figured I’d add, because it’s proving to be a pretty important part of my life 🥰 – my step granddaughter!! We babysit her fairly often, & we love every second of it! She’s just over 6 months old now, & she’s very smiley & giggly & precious hehe. Both girls absolutely adore her, and BooBoo gets quite the kick out of making her giggle & feeding her her bottle.

Currently

eating – Not much cuz FML I’m so sick of being sick…wah wah wah… 😂

drinking – Water. And tea. That’s about it. I haven’t even been drinking coffee (am I dying?!? LOL)

watching – YouTube. Lots & lots of YouTube.

reading – Still working on “The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss

playing – The Sims. Bubby got me back into The Sims Freeplay on my phone. I don’t know why I get so obsessed.

buying – Oh boy. Hubby’s been on a bit of a spree this month. (I’ve been behaving, for the most part.) First, he made me buy a 6 foot bouncey ball from Vat19.com. Now he wants me to finally get him a pirate ship bounce house / water slide thing (which I’m not opposed to because he’s wanted one since before we even met, plus it’ll be fun in the summer, especially at parties.) And NOW he also wants to buy back the Roger Rabbit golf cart car his friend bought out from under him when we first got engaged. So, brace yourself for some interesting pictures this summer 🤣

listening to – Heaters. I’ve very much been enjoying as much peace & quiet as I can possibly get lately lol

celebrating – Life. That’s the best thing to celebrate. Especially despite the chaos of the world.

pinning – leatherworking, steampunk aesthetics, self care, & crochet

planning – Asian dinner party, potential adventure

feeling – 🤒 but (trying to be) optimistic

💚