Hummingbirds

Another good day yesterday. 

We took the dogs on a boardwalk path along a nature center and the river. I saw a group of people with serious cameras pointing at some flowering plants when we started and they were still there when we returned. Hummingbirds (!!) We talked and watched for a while (waiting for hubby and Monti to catch up). One of the photographers shared a photo he took while I was standing watching. Glad I stopped to talk to them -- we had such an interesting conversation about photography and hummingbirds. 

Amazing picture. Incredible birds.

Picked up this antique table from my aunt. She painted it a dark gray. It looks nice on the porch and it opens to a decently big table. I'll thrift things to finish styling the area. I might switch the back porch console and this table when we screen in the back porch since this can be a full dinning table. We'll see.

Dinner was fun with our old neighbors. We made tentative plans to get together again. Hopefully it'll happen, but you know how that goes. This was the restaurant that I ate leftovers that one afternoon, got sick, passed out, smashed my face. I don't think it was the leftovers that got me sick, but it's what came back up. I ordered something completely different. All was well. Then went to the bathroom at the end of the night and a lady was getting sick in the next stall. ANOTHER barfing experience associated with this restaurant and the food. Lordy. I think I'll give this one a break for a minute. 

Heading out for this pseudo bucket list hike. It's as much of a pain as I thought it would be -- they don't make it easy to get into the park with the pass or directions. Fingers crossed I figure it out this morning. It was getting embarrassing to say I've lived here 13 years and love to hike and have NEVER been to this mountain. Now I will be in the know. A lot of people I hike with say this is their favorite local hike. The day pass is pricey so they "encourage" the purchase of an inexpensive yearly pass. I'll need to go one more time to make it worth the purchase. 

Speaking of yearly passes, same thing happened with the Botanical Gardens and I haven't been back. It expires in December so I need to make an effort to go. It's beautiful and I keep forgetting about it. 

We have a family dinner (sort of lunch) at a pizzeria this afternoon. My DIL recommended the restaurant for good GF options. We couldn't get reservations last time. 

Got to run and get ready for the hike. Have a good Sunday. Later gators.

Walking the Walk

First day "back" leaving the coping habits behind. Not a bad day.

The run was really nice. Couldn't get more perfect weather. The groomed path is wide and easy. Duke had the best time.

Cooldown walk.

Pretty river views

 

Came home and walked to the restaurant that we went to last night to figure out the best walking route. It was a preview of walking in the fall when the weather will be fabulous. P.S. The tapas restaurant was really good. It's a bit of a challenge to have a shared meal because of my food sensitivities, but I made it work. 

Hung on the porch with hubby and chatted the afternoon away while drinking my new obsession.

I brew decaf espresso with a bit more water (like an americano, but much less water). Chill in a mason jar. Add cinnamon, coconut milk, ice. SHAKE it up -- this is the most important part. It's so cold and frothy and delicious. I use the good coconut milk with just coconut and water -- so it's not just oil blend. Drink from the mason jar -- also part of the fun.

I go through certain kicks of drinks. Iced matcha was a big one for a minute. Then club soda with fresh squeezed grapefruit and mint spring. Hot chai with frothed milk phase was a good one too. I'll probably head that way again when the weather gets colder. 

I registered for a big hike tomorrow. It's a mountain I've been wanting to see but it was so far from my last house and parking holds a number of issues. I bit the bullet and am making a morning of it tomorrow. My hiking "identity" has been tanked with my energy issues and it's time to step it up again. I'll love hiking tomorrow and I need to remember it's worth the effort to figure out the parking, etc. I've been meh about making any effort lately.

We have a good day planned today. River boardwalk walk with our dogs. Heading to pickup a porch table from my aunt. Dinner with friends (former neighbors) tonight. 

I'm also on a good reading streak right now. More on the books this week. I need to take pictures of the covers. 

Have a good day! Later gators.

Fall Garden and a Confession

I had a really full day yesterday -- big, long to-do list and I got everything finished. 

I won't bore you with the details, but a must-do line item was planting the fall garden. It's all in -- greens, pea seeds (2 kinds), radishes, and some flowers (from my son's plant). Fingers crossed everything is happy. Irrigation gets installed next week.

Big bee still working
on the Thai Basil

Cabbages

Two rows of pea seeds
behind peppers
and basil

Radishes around the
eggplant and basil

Kale, arugula, lettuce.
Row of pea seeds in the back.

I'm still struggling with feeling well -- night sweats, hot flashes, energy. The truthiest truth is it probably has more to do with my diet than hormones right now. I'm on a GF white bread kick and eating far, far too much before bed. Caffeine (tea and kombucha) is too much too. Dang, dang, dang. My body is very sensitive now. I haven't been hiking because of my schedule and my low energy. Basically, my "lifestyle" is a mess. It's a catch-22. 

First step is admitting the problem. Finally had a coming-to-jesus moment with myself and my responsibility in how I feel. It didn't start out this way. It crept up on me because I felt like poo and started slipping back into old ways of feeling better (obviously only a temporary feeling better). Now these coping habits have become the actual problem.

What does that mean? You guessed it -- stops today. And it will be a difficult transition, but I'm pulling the band-aid and just stopping. I also need to add more hiking again. My body loves hiking and I feel my best when I hike a couple of times a week. I've been working out, but it's not the same. 

The good news is I'm back with the other good habits -- not sofa slugging out my energy dips. Just need to get these couple of things in line and I should be good to go.

In the name of getting my lifestyle back in order, I'm taking Duke to a groomed trail to run this morning. The drive is a bother (heavy ATL highways), but the park is really nice -- shaded along the river. I have a 5K run a month from now and I need to get back to twice a week runs.

That's all from here. I want to get out early-ish so we get parking. The park is inside the belt-line and it gets crowded -- especially since the long weekend starts today and the weather is amazing for end of summer. 

Hope you're set for a good weekend. Later gators.

Heading Home

It was a nice day -- nothing spectacular, but good enough.

The HVAC sales person was on time and an estimate will be coming soon. I finished this book while I waited for him.

5/5 - Excellent book!

I headed to the teahouse before lunch. I've been able to do a partial walk because one of the underpasses no longer has an un-housed camp. Most often, un-housed doesn't mean un-safe, but I had an incident with someone and it left me spooked. (I walked by and a man pretended to shove me into traffic --  I realized that if he had wanted to, I would've been hit by a car.)

Now that I know the route is okay, I can do a full walk from the house. I tested the partial walk this visit and it was clear each time. 

I tried a new tea in the name of being "tea adventurous" -- black tea with chocolate, honey and milk on the side. It was okay, but I didn't love it or finish it, so I got a marsala chai too. I'm reading this book now and it's also really good. Sophie Hannah got the blessing from Agatha Christie's estate to continue writing Hercule Poirot mysteries. 

Lunch at an Asheville landmark that just reopened from the flood. GF bread, "famous" Rubin and fresh pea salad.

Delicious and so filling.

Beautiful old house
from 1920s

An antique market also reopened in the flooded area. It's so much nicer than before, but, of course, that's not the way you want to make improvements. I found a plant stand that I traded out for one that's here that I want to bring home.

It's so pretty, but I don't like
the fake plant. I'll figure
something out soon.

I was too full to hold a dinner reservation at a tapas restaurant downtown. I didn't feel hungry enough to enjoy a pricey and heavy meal. 

West Asheville has a market on Tuesday afternoons so I headed over to get the overnight oat mix I like -- good ingredients, no sugar, excellent for overnight or on yogurt. I got a few GF cookies that I planned to freeze, but they ended up in my belly. So much for not being hungry.

I'm doing sheets this morning and then figuring out a workout before I head home. I'm on the fence for a run or Peloton. It's a beautiful morning to be outside, but bears so no headphones. It's nice in GA too and I planned to take Duke to the park to run this week so maybe Peloton is best. 

On that note, best get moving. I have lots to do in GA starting today so no time to fuss around. Asheville is finishing up, it's back to reality again. Later gators.

That's Better

Yesterday was a much better day. Asheville did its "thing" and it felt good.

I rode the Peloton before I went on the mountain walk so there was no pressure for the walk to be a workout. I wanted to pace comfortably and walk what felt good. It was about 4 miles and I did the big climb so I could see my painted rocks on the top hillside. No bear sightings. 

Added the dog today.
Wonder if someone will
built a house for him too.

Look at this view at the mid-way mark. You couldn't get a more beautiful day.

Always good signs to be seen.

Presumably for dogs,
but probably anything
or anyone too.

I found a book in a LFL that was just recommended at our bookclub meeting. The day felt lucky.

I walked to the teahouse and it was back to its best self. I got something different -- build-your-own-adventure masala chai. Found out you can vary some of the selections for decaf options too. 

Did a bunch of reading -- this book is excellent and might be a favorite of the year.

Got vegan pickup for dinner and was talked into a cherry chocolate smoothie -- delicious. I drank it while I did a volunteer training course online back at the house. It had a kind of digestive algae in it and that gave me a bloated stomach.

Finished out the day by organizing and changing out books in my LFL. Filled the quote jar and added a bunch of top books from this year. 

Today is a full day -- more on that tomorrow. I'm thankful for Asheville to help relieve a funky mood. 

Hope your week is shaping up too. Later gators.

Not Asheville-ing Yet

Mixed bag yesterday.

Uneventful drive into Asheville, but an afternoon of unexpected rain showers dampened my plans. 

I saw my sister and her grandsons for a few minutes when I dropped off bikes (giving them to my niece and her husband), but didn't stay because half the family has COVID. Met outside and stayed a distance since she's been exposed too.

Stopped for a chai and it was crowded (weekend) and the staff was grumpy (very rare). Had lunch just before a cafe closed and it felt rushed and crowded since most seats are in a garden so everyone scrambled to be out of the rain and on the covered porch.

Grabbed a frozen pizza from Whole Foods and a couple of cute bottles of non-alcoholic wine for the evening -- struck out on both fronts. Pizza was awful and the wine tasted like sweet grape juice. I tried and tossed both options.

There were still a few "Asheville" things to notice. 

How pretty are these bottles?
Wish the insides matched.

Painted elephants on the ramp.

In the cafe's bathroom. 

I read and watched a bit of TV last night. 

Today I'm hoping for a more Asheville feeling. Stay tuned. Not sure what the day will bring. My plans kind of went out the window for today and I feel a bit down. I know this feeling is hormones still -- it a recognizable kind of sad. 

I love being in Asheville. I love being by myself. I love the possibility that an unscheduled day brings. And yet ... feel totally blah. 

Sorry for the downer. I hope to bring some improvement tomorrow by doing what I know works for me today -- and letting myself feel blue for as long as I need. 

It's Monday. Monday and Asheville -- usually a happy combination. Fingers crossed. Later gators.

To Asheville ...

It's been a few days. We have company and it's messing up my mornings. I'm heading to Asheville today. This is hubby's friend's last visit here for hopefully a year -- he stays too long. They'll meet in Asheville or other places going forward. I have very little privacy in this house and it's felt too much having him around. I couldn't leave because I needed to be here for the dogs. 

My cold left quickly -- yea. Didn't have to cancel anything. 

Bookclub was good. The restaurant was a pain to get to and parking was a mess too, but we all made it. It was loud and crowded and hard to have a full table discussion though. It's inside a museum and there was some big event happening with kids. Lots of crying, running around, little kid screaming, etc. Overall, a fun time though and we have plans set for September and October. 

Here are a few pictures from the week.

Duke hiding from company too.

Took the kids out - not a bad
setup. Got the BIGGEST hug from
my grandson.

Outside, waiting for my aunt
for lunch. LOVE this.

A walk with Duke.
This guy loves the water.

I'm not sure what Asheville will hold this week. So many businesses are closed some combination of M-T-W and that's a bummer. Both my neighbors are out of town AND my sister is heading out of town on Tuesday. 

UPDATE: My sister's family has COVID. No visit for me (!!) Dodged a bullet.

Okay -- people up. Got to run. Later gators.

Under-the-Weather

I have a cold -- it's not anything big so far. I only "feel" the cold in late afternoon and early morning and even that isn't horrible. Sometimes a cold can be a slow burn at first though. Fingers crossed.

I hiked last night. It was humid and I wasn't at my best, but I kept up. We had to cut the hike short by a mile because storms moved in and I got home just before the downpour started. Hubby drove to the trailhead to pick me up. 

At first I was disappointed that I was so tired on the hike (i.e. it felt way harder than usual), but I remembered this was the 4th solid workout in as many days, my hormones (aka sleep) is crap, it was humid as hell, and I have a cold. Probably not the best circumstances to feel energized. 

I'm up early for another "hike" this morning at a new-to-me trail. It usually posts as a run -- it's a fitness loop in the woods. Very little elevation and wide, groomed paths -- more like a walk along the river. I'm going to check it out for a run spot for me and Duke. I'm not even bringing my backpack or poles. 

The hike leader suggested a brunch after at a restaurant up the street from my house. I'll see how everything plays out before I decide to join -- I don't want to get anyone sick eating inside, but there's a large patio so maybe. If I decide to bag the brunch with the group, I'll grab an early lunch at a place around the corner from me. I can sit outside. I'm probably being overly cautious about getting people sick, but no one needs a cold.

Hubby has a friend coming into town today until Sunday. Same friend as last time. The timing isn't great, but it is what it is. I leave for Asheville on Sunday (probably, maybe Monday). 

Rest of today is chill -- letting my body recover from all-the-things. I have an early lunch and shopping with my aunt tomorrow. Looking forward to it. She NEVER cares if you have a cold so unless I'm super sloppy with snot, I'm planning to go.

That's all from here this morning. Hope you're having a good day. Later gators.

Dang It

Feeling well lasted all of a minute. I'm getting a cold -- maybe, probably. Hopefully it's mild. Grandson was getting over one and still running boogies. I slept horribly last night and feel head congested this morning. 

I'm going to press on with my plans for the week though. Everything is outdoors and as long as I'm not massively under-the-weather, I'm doing the things. 

Starting with today -- outside run and a long walk with Duke. I have a 5k race in September and I need to continue to run regularly. It's been over 10 days since my last run and that means I'm going to be all sorts of sore tomorrow and all sorts of slow on the run today.

I chose something else instead of my friend group hike and lunch today because it wasn't worth the drive. Easy 5 mile hike and lunch with a total drive time of almost 2 hours. Choosing to go when it works and not go when it doesn't. Being honest with myself. Not exactly honest with the group -- didn't give a reason, just said I wasn't hiking this week. I didn't see the point in backseat driving someone else's plan. I've said that the hike needs to meet the drive to be worth it -- don't need to belabor this again.

I'm having a quick lunch with my cancel friend too. I'm not sick (or germy) enough to cancel. We'll be outside.

Bookclub is Saturday. Once again, the member we accommodated for location is probably not coming. I've never known someone with so many "my friend's parent died/dying" problems. Makes me wonder a bit. And, as usual, I needed to reach out to her. We're going ahead with this location because it looks like we have another person coming. I'm looking forward to trying the founding location of one of my go-to lunch places. BTW -- on the last chapter of The Wind Knows My Name and it's an incredible book. Maybe the best I've read this year.

A friend gifted me this violet and it hasn't bloomed again until now. I think these plants can be picky. Maybe I'm doing something right, finally.

This afternoon I have a few volunteer things to get off my to-do list and that will round out the day. 

Hope you're having a good week. Later gators.

I Love a Monday

I had the BEST time with my grandson. Toddlers are so much fun and he's a joy beyond joy. Madly and deeply in love with this sweet boy.

I miss him today, but I'm also happy to get back to being me -- morning routine, workouts, planning, organizing. 

The decomposing rat is no longer -- phew. That was disgusting. Don't want rats in my house (of course), but dripping rats are a whole other level of hell.

I started today in the best Monday way. Chores like crazy. Good workout. Got live coached. Walked to a solo lunch with my bookclub book in hand. Set up a bunch of social fun this week. Made a couple of decisions for the week from intuition, rather than "should." Added two club hikes to the mix too.

Feeling a lot like myself today. I've been having a very rough go of hormones and felt horrible again over the weekend. Hot flashes that wouldn't stop. Night sweats. Low of lowest energy. It was awful. Last night was the first night without sweating and I feel so much more myself today. I hope this feeling sticks around a bit. Only one mild hot flash so far today.

Got a little gift from my DIL for babysitting and it's PERFECT! It's a used booked wrapped with goodies -- I've seen these and have wanted to duplicate it. I can't wait to read it. There's something extra nice about being seen and she nailed this gift.

I have one more chore to finish today -- watering plants. It's such a project in this house because the plants are everywhere. I'm about halfway. Hubby is golfing and the house is quiet now that my grandson and grand-dog are home -- time to get that finished. 

Hope you're off to a good Monday. Later gators.

Crazy Mountain and a Dead Rat

I'm home.

It was a strange drive back. I stopped for coffee on the way back -- about 80 minutes from Asheville. I put in GPS again and it rerouted me from my usual mountain drive because of heavy traffic (maybe an accident). I ended up in a national forest for 20 miles with only SOS signal and NOTHING but forest. Turns, slide warnings -- and then it started pouring rain.

Got off that mountain -- phew, and thought it was over. Nope. Another mountain with the absolutely craziest switchbacks. I had to turn hand over hand, over and over, up the mountain and down again. Beautiful scenery, but I didn't enjoy it because I was a bit unnerved. 

Then a route through a rural town with construction and closed roads. Geez. It was an adventure. Won't be jumping to take that route again -- I'll stick with traffic.

I had brunch before I left Asheville -- I needed it for that drive. 

Outdoor seating overlooking
their veggie garden.

Did I mention we have rats? Traps set, house sealed. BUT, a smell in the basement and I said it was a dead rat. I wasn't believed -- well, guess what?!? Smell is now really bad and I found the rat in the unfinished ceiling area dripping rotting guts when I got home. Lovely. The company is coming first thing to dispose of the body because we can't reach it. I hope it's only the one rat. 

Grandson is coming first thing today until Sunday evening. I probably will be MIA until then. Wish us luck running after a toddler and get that sweet boy to sleep in an unfamiliar place. I'm going to be tired after this, but I love getting to spend so much time with him.

I'm solo today -- hubby at a golf tournament. I'll need extra luck.

Have a good one. Later gators.

Asheville

Another day that was good, but felt meh. My mood has been so sad, but the night sweats and hot flashes are getting better so I'm hopeful the blue mood is next to improve. 

Adding pretty to the kitchen
from the yard

The drive was uneventful. I didn't stop for a coffee break because it was raining. Got in, unpacked, and drove to the teahouse. I walked around downtown and stopped at a local bookstore I've never checked out before. Because of my HUGE TBR pile, no books for me, but I still wanted to support the store. 

Puzzle for Asheville
It's a challenge

And a puzzle sorter

Book meets truck
for my grandson

I took a whirl around a vintage market -- didn't buy anything, but saw this jacket. A friend had a similar one in the '80s and we had a fun text exchange about it.

It's going to rain most of the day today with thunderstorms looming too. What to do? Yep, clean. The house needs a big clean and I procrastinate it every visit. Today is the day. The moment has arrived. Suck it up, buttercup. Big girl panties on. There is nothing else to do this morning. Ugh. It'll be so nice when it's finished though. 

Then out for lunch somewhere. I haven't decided where, but I have ZERO food in the house. Absolutely NOTHING so I need to get cleaning so I can eat. How's that for a carrot stick?

My sister is coming over this afternoon while I wait for the HVAC contractor. Depending on how everything works out, I might grab a dinner out too. 

I'm hoping for that Asheville magic that somehow sneaks in and makes me feel happier. I'll look for it today.

Have a good one. Later gators.

Garden Prep

Weather forecast changed completely -- expecting nothing but rain in Asheville for the visit. Dang. I'm packed and ready to go this morning though. Guess this will be an inside kind of trip and no excuse to not clean!

I'm glad I stayed home yesterday. We worked on the garden -- pulled the tomatoes and cucumbers, added new compost and soil, filled new beds. Ready for fall planting in a couple of weeks. Rain also expected for the next 3 days here -- glad to have it all cleaned up. Next step is getting utilities marked so the irrigation can be installed. 

Finally, a friend

Street view

Yard view

We went for coffee with the dogs -- sweet boys. 

Waiting ...

Cute as a button

That's all from here. I'm going to finish up and get on the rainy road. Have a good start to the week. Later gators.

Sunday Updates

Leaving for Asheville tomorrow morning instead of later today. I'd leave this morning, but I have a HS zoom call and I don't want to miss it. I don't think I'm up for a late drive today. This will give me a little time to work on the garden and such since I'll come home to babysitting the rest of the week.

I'm still having a hard time. Energy is zip. Mood is awful. Sleep is tanked.

Was yesterday a good day? I'm really not sure. I did all the things and I didn't really enjoy much of any of it. I know it's hormones. I'm not going to fight it -- it is what it is. I'll keep doing the things and wait for the HRT to kick in. 

I made a blended curry, coconut, zucchini, potato soup. If I make this one again, I'll change it up a little, but it's pretty good. Lots of fresh veggies -- spinach, peppers, leeks. 

I bought a basket of beefsteak tomatoes at the farmers market too. I'm out of GF bread, but I'll make a quick trip to get some today. Nothing better than a summer tomato sammie and homemade soup. 

Short and sweet this morning. It's a full day -- more Little Blue House stuff. It's bugging me that things are good and I feel sad and uninspired by it all. Eeek -- just noticed the double meaning of Little BLUE House. I do have a bit of the blues. Hmmmm ... maybe not the best metaphor for my best life. 

Anyway, have a good day. Later gators.

A Quick Recap

Here's a recap of yesterday.

The Hike ...

The BAD:  The hike felt so hard. Like I didn't know if I could finish -- that hard. I did it, but my energy is really tanked for no reason other than hormones.

The GOOD: The weather was perfect -- overcast with a cool breeze. I thought about the Camino on the drive over since I was listening to a Spanish podcast. Ran into the Camino group organizers on the trail. We talked for about 15 minutes and exchanged info. We're going to meet up for coffee or lunch and talk all things planning a Camino. Absolutely AWESOME! They're so generous to help. Said they love doing it and someone did it for them years ago.

The garden ...

The BAD: Summer garden is ramping down and I need to pull tomatoes (diseased and bugs) and cucumbers (end of growth). The new beds have to be positioned a little wonky because of some drainage access in the yard. I was too tired to pull and fill yesterday. It'll have to wait an until after I babysit since I'm heading to Asheville tomorrow morning.

The GOOD: It's moving along. I shared a bag of compost with a friend -- love sharing garden everything. Fall plan is exciting.

The Dinner & Concert ...

The BAD: GF pizza was horrible. Another couple came arrived before us and we sat on a back porch overlooking gravel with no one else on the deck or no music -- very bland setting. There's a really cute front area where I pictured sitting. A couple of a ladies decided on "one last drink" so we bagged ice cream. Bummer for me.

The GOOD: Set up chairs early and had great seats. The concert was fantastic. The weather was picture perfect -- like a cool fall evening. 

It was a good day, not a home run, but a solidly fun day, hitting lots of Little Blue House moments. 

Today I'm heading the the farmers market for summer soup veggies. We're heading to our youngest's today to watch the wedding video and then trying out a new place in town for lunch. 

Hope you're having a good weekend. Later gators.

Comes in Three

Today should be a fun day Friday.

First up -- heading for a solo hike. Temps are cooler this week and it'll be a good morning for outdoors. It's a challenging climb with solid elevation and some technical parts. I've been adding a few miles to the hike taking a rolling hills trail, but I might stick to just the mountain today. My body is out of sorts still and it's been a minute since I've hiked. 

Next up -- garden setup. The fall gardening class was good and I know what I want to do for the fall garden now. Taking an info class always gets me excited and I learn something new every time. I'll plant at the end of the month.

Ending the day with a pizza dinner with friends and the local summer music concert (80s cover band). I organized the group and it should be a nice evening. Temps and humidity are lower and the area is shaded. 

Last night was better with the night sweats -- although hot flashes were bad yesterday. Our washer broke so I'm grateful I had already washed my sheets. I'll be taking dirty laundry to Asheville on Sunday. New washer arrives Monday.

Did I mention we have rats? Yep, traps set and the house will get sealed next week. It's common around here. So far they've stayed in the belly of the house and we haven't seen anyone creeping around. Geez. 

That's the three BIG ticket items. HVACs in Asheville, rats, washer. Let's hope it stops at there. 

Quick hello this morning. Even though it's cooler, I want to get an early start to the hike. Have a good day. Later gators.

Conversation Update and Book Organization Update

Lunch was nice yesterday, but I don't think I was able to change the conversation much -- not that it wasn't good, it was just different. 

I'm craving a different sort of conversation. We spent most of the time catching up on our lives -- family, travel, life, etc. and little time talking about other things. Like something fun. I can't really describe it -- not small talk, but talk that's about subjects other than sort of listing off calendars and updates on family. We get caught up on life stuff (in too much detail) and then lunch is finished. 

I want to know other things about people too. What's making you happy right now? What kind of fun are you having? What did you learn lately? What kind of FS stuff are you heading toward? Any new hobbies and do you like them? What drew you to the new hobby? What feels exciting to you right now?

I did a crappy job steering the conversation this way. We hadn't seen each other in 6 weeks and that's a bit of the issue -- we don't often have time to get through updates onto more interesting topics. The conversation feels like something we could just text. But I love having a friend who knows me and my kids and my grandson. That's lovely too -- just wish it could hold more of the other kind of connection.

We talk about the recent past and not a lot of forward things. The conversation is a recap -- important and good, but not enough.

I know everyone can't be everything all the time and that's why it's nice to have multiple friendships to draw on. But I wonder if I can do better in how I approach these connections and conversations. 

Me and friendships -- it's a whole thing and I wish I had it more figured out. 

I finished this book yesterday. Very slow story, lots of little bits about everyday life and imagination. I liked it. Much longer and I might have lost interest. Worth the read when you're in a reflective, nostalgic mood.

I finished organizing my TBR and I think the plan is a good one. I also created a pile of "Read First" books that I'm interested reading sooner rather than later. Between library holds and this group, it should keep me moving forward.

I also decided to use StoryGraph. I'm adding a few older reads here and there for books I want to remember (and/or recommend). No big rush to add the older ones, but I plan to stay current going forward. I like that you see the cover, not just the title. That spurs a little visual memory for me and it's the reason I chose it over the spreadsheet. It's also easy to see on the phone too. I like that I can input from my computer or phone. 

Check and check.

Now moving toward the garden. Fall growing class this afternoon. Raised beds and soil arrived. It's moving along nicely.

Best get moving. I've been fussing around this morning on house chores, etc and it's late. Have a good day. Later gators.

Goldilocks Spanish

Spanish classes are a little Goldilocks situation. Thursday class is a bit much; Tuesday class not enough. Unfortunately, there are no other choices. The group was nice, although I think many won't be back. The teacher is a 78 year old woman who speaks Spanish with a deep southern accent and wasn't even a little prepared for class. All over the place with very basic information and if you didn't know any Spanish you'd be totally lost. I don't think she knows a lot of Spanish herself. It was strange, but she said this is a volunteer teaching gig -- might explain it.

I'll head back to the Thursday class for another try AND make myself practice regularly. 

The class was at another library and I didn't like it very much. I had a book recommendation from a friend and I noticed the book was shelved at this library so I checked out in-person -- first time "shopping" the shelves for a book. They have a super small bookstore, but it houses all the special donations. Beautiful old books and if I needed any for decor this would be the place to go. I was tempted, believe me, but the last thing I need is more books. 

I finished this book and it was good. The plot had lots of moving parts, but it was easy to follow and came together well. Solid, believable twists and turns. 

We finished The Pitt -- excellent. I thought we had 1 episode left, but we had 3. Had a fun TV night together and still time to finish my book. Nice way to spend a rainy evening. 

I have lunch with my cancel friend today (looks like it's a go though). My intention is to level up the conversation. I'll report back. Practice will make me better. I like this little experiment. 

Hope your week is going well. Later gators.

A List

I'm in the mood for a list today ... in no particular order.

(1) Lunch was absolutely excellent. I know everyone isn't the same and every friendship isn't the same, but the conversation with these ladies is such a step up from most. We talked books and politics and social issues and travel and family and health. I want to take that blueprint and try to carry it to other situations. It was interesting and well balanced and no peacocking. I'd like more of this in my relationships.

I have a lunch on Wednesday and I'm going to see if I can encourage a little elevated conversation. It's easy when everyone is making strong conversation -- harder when I'm the one carrying it. It's not that I'm particularly good at it, but I can hold my own in a good conversation. I'm not great when I have to do all the lifting. 

I might talk about subjects that interest me with other people, but it doesn't often go further than surface level chat. Somehow not thoughtful. I'm guilty of it and I absolutely need someone to help elevate me. It's like conversations ping pong from subject to subject instead of really talking.

 

(2) One more episode of The Pitt. It's fantastic, but has me dreaming about work. A little too close to home with the stress of a hospital. But, dang, this is a good show.

(3) I started organizing my TBR pile. A bit loosely because I don't have room for every category delineation and some books fall in a gray area. I'm trying to add a little note in some books -- where and when the recommendation. This can help me choose. Especially when I've picked up books from LFL and not a recommendation. It's been helpful to simply review my TBR. Maybe that's the answer. Label with the when and where, keep loosely organized, and visit the pile once a month.

I'm giving the spread sheet a little looky-loo. Chatting with the ladies yesterday, they recommended Goodreads. Still back-and-forth with this one, but I'll decide by the end of the week.

(4) Found this classic and it screams to be read now. One of the ladies yesterday had read the book and wants to talk about the ending once I've finished it. See?? Interesting person. Interesting conversation. Interesting connection. 

(5) I'm headed to the Tuesday Spanish class at another library this afternoon. How's Spanish, you ask? In the crapper. Geez. I have no excuse and no answer. I'll report back after the class today. It conflicts with my hiking group, but the class seems more of what I'm looking for -- no registration, no max size, more casual. I'll see if the description matches the experience. 

(6) Still having hormone issues. Dang.

(7) Apparently, everyone uses ChatGPT to help with recommendations and ideas for things, etc. I'm a lone hold out among my friends. I think I'm going to cave and give it a try. 

(8) School is back in session for ATL. September is the 2nd January -- ever heard this? In this case, it's August. I'm using this as a little moment to reflect and regroup. I have few fun months leading up to the holidays and I want to be intentional about them. The more intentional, the more I enjoy things.

That's all from here. I'm chatting later this morning because I worked out earlier. I've been a bit meh about wanting to work out so the best solution is to do it early. Ran first thing yesterday. Peloton first thing this morning. Have a good Tuesday. Later gators.