Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - September 21, 2025: Happy New Year?

Yes. I said it. The fall - especially with school-aged children - feels more like new years than when the actual year changes. We're not even a month into the school year yet, but juggling all the new school year things - laptop insurance, auditions, events, lunch accounts, and right around the corner are curriculum nights and conferences. How people with several kids handle it is a complete mystery to me. And while I'm used to hubs traveling a lot for work and such and doing it mostly alone, this week I need to take hubs in and pick him up for back surgery. I know, it's not about me. 

Welcome to the weekend! So happy to have had a complete-ish weekend (didn't work yesterday) since they were cleaning the carpets in our office yesterday. We puttered around and got most of a care package together for our daughter during the day. I should have taken pictures! I got her a cute decorative sign for their shared college bathroom that says, "Please Don't Do Coke in the Bathroom." Yes, my sense of humor is an acquired taste. LOL Also included some snacks and such that she likes and a few other knick-knacks and pins. Joining up with Sunday Post and Sunday Salon today - you should too!

What I'm reading this week:

Finally finished up two of the books I was on two weeks ago. The review for I Killed the King is up, and I'll be writing the review for Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found for Books I Think You Should Read while I read other blogs and review stuff on Yelp later today. 

Now I'm finishing up reading Dear Writer by Maggie Smith (it's taking me long in a good way, as I actually do the writing exercises too!), and I've stared We Are the Match by Mary E. Roach (really liking this one so far! Lots of passion and violence, love the characters' internal dialogue, and well written, IMO).

Three Good Things:

1. Both my kids got great parts after auditioning last weekend! My daughter's college puts on LOTS of shows, and she auditioned for four last weekend. She got a named part (and ensemble) in one musical they're doing this spring, and a small part and supporting stuff, as well as two swing roles, in a holiday show! My son got the biggest part in his middle school's musical that starts production tomorrow! So proud of them and their had work, and happy that they love something that they also are talented at.
2. 
   
   New LEGO! I'm made a bit of progress on the jigsaw puzzle, but hoping to do the 3 in 1 Haunted Mansion on that table, and finish cleaning up my office so I can start on the Sanderson Sister's House soon. I also ordered the Halloween Wreath, which was on backorder and just shipped, and when I get paid this weekend, I'll probably order the Home Alone House for the whole family (to use as an advent calendar, since it has 24 bags!).
3. Since our son's 14th birthday is October 1, I'm so glad we've settled on plans for his friend birthday party (local trampoline park), and a family party (pizza and wings at home). It feels like this could be a last planned friend party, but I'm so glad to do it since he's got such a great group of friends this year. Kids and friends has got to be one of the biggest stressors of parenting life. 

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Keep applying for jobs. I sort of wish I'd started tracking better a couple years ago when/where I'd been applying. I've adjusted my expectations way down and am now willing to take a pay cut, as my sanity is worth it. But this week I even got rejected for a teller job in town. I was a teller for probably more than a decade, but if I say that, then I sound too old to hire for anything. Luckily, I've got the two days off this week for hubs' surgery, then a half day off the next week for son's birthday party, and then a day off the next week to visit daughter at college. But then the holidays are when our team will probably crash and burn in regards to deadlines, and I'm out of time off while my family takes a nice vacation together. Well, then turned dark fast.
2. Finish the jigsaw puzzle! LOL
3. Finish the office and start more LEGO!!!