So Much To Do

I felt almost back to normal yesterday.

First the hike -- 7 miles. Beautiful morning. Duke was thrilled. 

Ice feathers

It's so pretty.

Twirl tree

My favorite guy

Do you see it Duke?

Painted an owl rock for the rock snake. 

Both of those things were for me -- ways to get back to feeling myself. 

It was a full, long day. Boy, I wished I didn't have to go to dinner -- I have so much to do, but I'm glad I went. She definitely needed company. 

I'm up early and already DOING. Starting to panic a bit about how I'm going to fit everything. It's little things -- if I wasn't driving my neighbor today, I could stack some errands. If I want to run the errands, I have to drop her home and head out again -- not enough time before I need to go to the home visit (in lots of traffic). Today is almost a wash to be able to get ready for the weekend entertaining. Eeeeek - panic. 

My cancel friend has NOT canceled for tomorrow (although the day is young), the one and only time I want her to. Of course, I could cancel on her, but that doesn't sit right with me.

It's really one of those weeks. A friend asked me to help her plan a girls trip to Asheville -- I owe her a long text with suggestions. My cousin is struggling to throw a HBD for my aunt and I took over yesterday -- new plan and I need to finalize some of the details. That's not for 2 weeks though -- phew. Volunteer stuff just jumped up again. So, so, so many things right now. Too many for one little week to handle. 

AND it's one of those weeks where I have little chunks of time, but not quite long enough to do the things. I'm baking GF banana bread for bookclub and I don't seem to have a stretch to make and bake it. Plus I'm out of sugar -- only enough for one loaf and I'm baking two. Things like this. Yes, I could just buy something, but that steals from what I like to do. I enjoy baking for people, making the effort, having homemade offerings. Little special notes to a gathering. 

AND it's garden season in GA. Let it begin. I need to transplant in the grow room, ready the raised beds, pick up from the farm on Friday, get stuff in the ground (or at least care for it until I can plant). 

This is all a reminder that I don't want to be so scattered that I don't enjoy the things I enjoy. The little excursion with my neighbor is set to be a lot of fun and I don't want to rush it or be in my head about other things the entire time. 

Slow down and enjoy is my motto for this week. Can I? Maybe. I'll try at least.

On that note, best get moving. Have a good day. Later gators.

A Reminder

Good morning.

I ended up spending THREE HOURS at coffee with my friend ... 3 hours!! That was a much bigger part of my day, but it was nice. She wanted to talk about navigating our growing group and some prickly group dynamics. Not in a gossip way, but in a constructive way. It felt nice that she trusted me to talk about how she's feeling.

I busted through some errands. Didn't get to all the walking ones because of the long coffee, but hit Micheal's for more art supplies (upcoming rock painting). Found these fun extras. (I've been trying to go to stores instead of ordering online since we live much closer to shops now -- bundled this with a Trader Joe's run across the street.)

The author presentation was fantastic -- really interesting insights to her writing and this book. I started it last night and I like her writing style so far.

Two things got added to this week -- all in the evening. Ugh and also, it's okay. 

First is tonight. Our little Friday group is going to dinner again, but no one else can make it. The organizer is a recent widower (and lost other family at that same time). I can't say no -- it makes me sad because she said she'd just go alone if other's couldn't and she seemed disappointed. She thought we already agreed to dinner tonight. I know she tries to occupy her evenings -- it's probably her loneliest time. I'd want someone to do that for me. 

Second is a home visit for my volunteer position -- this IS a must. I'll be out every night M-Th ... on a week I'm trying to convalesce. 

All that said -- I'm getting so much friend touching points this week. From texts, to calls, to invites. It feels good. I need to notice this and appreciate this -- it's really, really nice. 

And, it's something I've spent years wishing and working toward. In 2019 when I decided to let go of a lot of social relationships that didn't work, I felt a real sacristy of friendships. Yes, I have a few very close friends and that's a special and amazing thing in itself, but I didn't have many local friendships. Day to day, I felt a sort of being on the outside. Not exactly lonely, but more alone than I wanted. 

It's slow work and has to happen organically, but it doesn't happen without effort. I put myself in positions of shared interests. I introduced myself to people. I went alone to things. Most importantly, I had to do those things for the things themselves and not make it about making friends. That gets grabby or desperate and it attracts the wrong kind of relationships (learned this many times).

That's why when I notice that I have a full plate of friendships, I need to stop and be grateful -- to the work I did, the person I became, the answered wish for something different. 

I still practice this idea. Liking the moment for the moment and if a friendship develops, wonderful. If not, I had a nice shared moment. I have far, far more of these moments than actual friendships forming and that's totally okay -- it's actually good.

Don't know why I went off on this tangent today. Maybe I need a reminder to pause and really notice how much I've grown into what I wanted so many years ago. 

Makes me think, where am I headed now? How do I want to grow going forward? Feels like time for a FS meditation. It takes about an hour and that might be a perfect thing to do next week when all is quiet on the home front. Maybe that's why I thought of this today ... hmmmm.

Okay, going to start a rock this morning while I wait for temps to warm up for a hike. 

Have a good day. Later gators.

One For the Road

One for the road ...

I stopped for breakfast at my new obsession. Bean, rice, veggie bowl with eggs, and chia pudding (to-go). 

Started a re-read of this updated book too. I think it's going to be a timely read.

This breakfast-before-the-drive is perfect. My other go-to option has long morning lines and difficult parking. I could actually load the car and leave from the restaurant because I can see my car from the window.

Drove straight to my old library to grab a hold book and my library card has expired. The new out-of-county rate jumped to $60/year. Not worth it, sadly. End of a library era. This was my favorite library, by far. Hopefully, I can still volunteer in the bookstore.

Jumping into the fire today. This is a really, really full week. Some volunteer stuff, but mainly social -- crowded from postponements from last week. Hosting 2 "big" things this weekend that require a lot of prep. As always, trying to get my headspace around the thought THIS IS FUN and GOOD and part of a FULL LIFE.

Energy is still limited and that's part of the issue. Lord knows I do this to myself. I could use a few cancels this week, but it doesn't happen if you wish for it (it's the cancel law). I have a lunch date on Thursday with my cancel friend though, so there's always hope -- this is her superpower, don't let me down!

I'll whisper really quietly ... NOTHING on the calendar next week. Shhhh. Now I know that won't hold, but it feels exciting. An opportunity to fill it with quiet things. Space. Hubby is out of town so it's the real-deal kind of SPACE week. I need to be careful and think long and hard about what I commit to next week. Put myself on the calendar and HOLD THAT COMMITMENT (and then, you guessed it, complain I'm bored).

What's today?

Coffee with a friend who needs to talk about something. I like that she trusts me to talk about what's bothering her (BTW, it's not me ... at least, I don't think so).

Walking errands -- library and dry cleaner because I want that for myself.

Evening with an author presentation and book signing -- going with 2 friends.

Maybe a drop-in after the author talk to the town meeting in the same lot.

In-between -- driving errands, food prep for this weekend, rock prep for this weekend.

Hope you are off to a nice start to this week. 

Reminding myself that it's a good day to have a good day. 

Later gators.

Asheville Fun

Let's do an Asheville list -- all the nice Asheville moments yesterday.

1. Mountain walk. Rained most of the time, but it was cool and beautiful.

No idea what this means,
but always little love signs
to find.

Mountain view. Cute little
homes along the road.

Tucked along the side of the road.
Planters for spring.

Way up the mountain -- decorated
for Marti Gras. Little whimsy. 

2. So many birds. Songs, chatter, loud voices in the quiet mountain. I saw a robin bathing in a puddle -- so pretty.

3. Our Paper Plant is in spring bloom. If you've never smelled this flower, it's incredible. Scents the entire street. 

4. New electronic trash cans along the mountain roads. Bear proof. This initiative was delayed because of the storm and it's back on track. Signs of Asheville's recovery. It's designed to discourage bears from coming off the mountain on trash day.

5. There's a home tour in my neighborhood -- totally forgot about it. We were asked to participate and declined. I wish I remembered because I would've gotten a ticket. 

My street was a steady stream of people walking. Checking out my fairy village rocks (a couple of people took pictures -- made me feel good). Checking out the LFL. Smelling the Paper Plant. 

It was community. It was appreciation for little things. Lovely.

6. Finished this book. I've tried to read this several times and had to try again after I got it in the bookclub Christmas exchange. I decided to force read it in Asheville since I had more time to read. Felt an obligation to the person who selected it to finish it.

It was amazing. I kept getting stuck at the first bit with all the failed attempts, but it takes off after those few chapters. Cried the entire ending -- tear jerker in the best way. It was a perfect read for this weekend and Asheville.

Quote from the author's note at the end. Quoting Jon Mooallem's TED talk.

"Storytelling matters now. Emotion matters. 

Our imagination has become an ecological force."

7. Decided to try a new lunch place. Googled plant forward with GF options. Wow -- it has incredible selections. Most of the menu is vegan and GF. Vegan is important because all the "cream" things were non-dairy. 

I drove since I was out at a shop, but it's walkable from the house. New favorite unleashed.

Lentil soup.
GF corn bread.
Warm oatmeal.
Citrus green tea.
Good cry finishing the book.
Tried to be discrete about it hah.

8. Got a GF pizza for dinner from a local pizza place -- it's small, but delicious. I haven't had it in a long time. While I was waiting, I went next door to Fresh Market --  my first time, and also, not my last. What a nice market for unusual things. Bit $$$ so not for everyday shopping, but great for special things. We have them in GA too. I think reasonably close to my house -- I'll have to check it out. 

00 version of a family favorite.
I haven't tried it yet.
Hope it doesn't just taste like
apple juice hah!

9. Checked out a new shop that's two store fronts -- one vintage, one boutique looking for a HBD gift for my aunt's birthday party. Didn't find anything, but they had painted rocks. I took a sneaky picture to try and copy the owl for the Snake Rock. 

The drive down this road yielded a lot of treasures. I hadn't made the connection these things were on the same road. Not all walkable -- it's about 6 miles of driving down that road to get to everything.

Lunch place.

Pizza place.

Shops.

Favorite plant store. 

Yep, stopped at the plant store, but didn't get any plants (I was tempted). Got a new pot and footers for outdoor planters though.

10. Almost forgot -- after the teahouse, I visited my favorite vintage store. Got a winter coat from 1950s -- picture when I wear it. Also, this broach. It's so pretty in the light.

The purple gets really iridescent 
in the light.

That's a wrap on Asheville. Waiting on sheets in the dryer and a final cleanup before I go. I'm trying to time a library pickup from my old library. I want to start the book tonight. It doesn't open until 1:30 today so I'm not rushing too much this morning. Might be tricky, but will save me a drive tomorrow and I pass close enough on the way home. That said, I forgot a wind storm is moving through -- maybe should get over the mountains before it really picks up. Eeek -- need to think about this now (we just got a big wind gust).

Have a good Sunday. Later gators.

Asheville

I let my body run a temperature on/off yesterday. Oura ring says I'm doing much better this morning. I'm in the convalescent point now -- low energy, but feeling better. 

Rain held off yesterday, but came last night. Once it heads out later this morning, I'm going to go for a walk up the mountain. As much as my body wants -- start to blow off the crud. 

I got most of the Christmas decor down yesterday -- a bit more today and then that's a wrap. I have to wash sheets and clean a little too. I'll do a teahouse visit and maybe a late lunch outside. Add some fun.

I have 3 big Asheville visits coming up and I might add another quick visit in 2 weeks. One (maybe 2) solo visit with my dog -- hubby is away and some extended family is gathering in Asheville. I haven't solo traveled with dog(s) for years. It makes potty breaks a little tricky, but I can figure it out -- I did it several times with 2 dogs -- one should be a piece of cake.

Hubby and I talked about Asheville and how we need to make a deliberate effort to come here and enjoy it together. The storm recovery was about 6 months and then we moved and it's been sporadic ever since. The ONLY way to make it happen is to schedule it. We have to block dates and hold that block. We said once our sweet Monti was no longer with us, we had no excuse not to come. We love it here and we need to spend more time enjoying it.

Waiting until a block of time magically appears between both our schedules is not working. We also want to entertain friends and family in Asheville more. 

I'm feeling all sorts of overwhelm this morning. I think it's just that I don't have the energy that matches my week ahead. Hopefully, once I'm completely over this bug, I'll be back in the swing of things. I'm trying to not give this feeling too much credence because I don't think it's accurate. 

The last few days, doing anything felt like a gargantuan task and that's with most things canceled. This week ahead is another jam-packed week from Monday-Sunday (with several evenings too) and that feels like too much. Nothing I can or will or want to cancel though. It was the timing and the postponing that overcrowded the week. Also, there's a lot of fun in this week and I want to make sure I view it as FUN and not as something to check off a list. 

And, I need to keep on task so FS doesn't have to hold the burden of extra, extra stuff. Dramatic, yep. I want to curl up in my bed and do nothing again today, but I should feel better if I get up and about. 

On that note, I'm going to go finish the Christmas decorations and start sheets. Rain will be out in a couple of hours. Have a good day. Later gators.

Finally Heading to Asheville

Back to "major signs" and a temperature this morning. I ended up testing for COVID and it was negative. It's an older test (found where I put them after the move), but the control line was solid so I expect it was okay. I might test again when I get to Asheville. This bug is behaving strangely and feels like it's something other than a cold. 

I am going to Asheville. It's probably not going to be particularly fun today because my energy is low -- need to focus on putting away Christmas and cleaning. 

Good news is rain is out for tomorrow so I hope for an easy mountain walk and a farmer's market visit. Fingers crossed I feel better. That's why I want to focus on cleanup today to get it out of the way. It's also best to stay clear of the teahouse if I'm germy -- I hope I can get at least one visit though.

I'm bringing food with me so I don't need to eat out. Being a good neighbor keeping my germs to myself until I feel better. 

I'd actually send hubby to Asheville if it weren't for the fact that the painters are coming today and tomorrow. No rest being home so I guess I'll head to Asheville. He'd have no idea how to put away the decorations anyway and maybe I can salvage some Asheville fun tomorrow. 

I'll keep it short today. I want to get on the road. Have a good start to the weekend. Later gators.

Some Updates

Woke up to "minor signs" on my Oura ring -- that's a step better from "major signs."

I'm postponing Asheville until tomorrow. I wasn't up for the whole shebang today. Today is the last day before rain comes in for the weekend -- I'm going to spend time moving outside today. 

Turns out the painters weren't coming to paint yesterday -- only assess. That makes way more sense. They're coming on Friday and Saturday. Hopefully, I miss the entire thing hah.

My virtual gyn appointment with a PA was interesting. She thinks the lab result is an error given how I feel and my other lab levels. She also said it's almost impossible to get such a high lab from my dosing. She wants me to go back to the regular dosing and redraw next week. Now comes the lab charge battle today. Lovely. 

The new craft room rug came yesterday. It's so pretty -- from Anthropology. Had to let that other rug go after Duke decimated it with watery diarrhea twice. It was already stained and I couldn't tell what was what -- it needed another professional cleaning. That would help the ick from the poo, but the rug was still a stained mess. I decided to stop sinking money into it and start fresh. 

Believe it or not, I messed up the grow room lights AGAIN. Finally figured out the issue -- the "off" timer was set to "once" not to every day. Good lord. My poor little itty bitty plants. I'm not sure what will take now. Fingers crossed nature can overcome human error. 

I've done exactly ZERO reading since I've been sick. I haven't even selected a book. I'll need to choose before I leave for Asheville. Nothing is interesting me from my 50+ TBR books so I know it's me, not them. 

Some good news is I have a plethora of podcasts for the drive tomorrow. Haven't driven anywhere, haven't cooked ... this week's podcasts are waiting for me.

That'a all from here. I'm trying to rally and feel better by doing something. I think more sitting around will be counter productive now that I'm on the mend. Seems like this was a quick go.

A little confession -- I worried that it was COVID and I'm not actually sure it wasn't. I lost my smell on Tuesday. It came back by evening. I don't have any tests left here (I have some in Asheville and I'll test tomorrow). BUT ... I had no other symptoms other than a head cold. No sore throat, slight temperature the first day. Basically fatigue and congestion. It's probably a cold, but the cold moved faster than I expected. It's unusual to feel that much fatigue from the beginning of a cold and then have symptoms improve so quickly. If it was COVID, I should test positive still. I think the tests are still usable -- I'll know from the control line.

(Eeek -- just googled symptoms of current strain and it's primarily cold symptoms that resolve in a few days. Dang.)

Okay, now this is REALLY all from here. Have a good day. Later gators.