Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - July 26, 2026: Happy Birthday!

Hello! I always see people with little kids saying they want to 'stop time' to enjoy their little one. Personally, I've made it sort of one of my word goals not to say anything like that. We all know people for whom time has stopped, when their child is sick, or gods-forbid, dies. Time has to progress and proceed. And words are spells (this is a huge one for me). Every moment is so precious, and never to be repeated.

This week, we're celebrating my first child's 19th birthday. One of my great sources of joy and satisfaction is seeing others appreciate my amazing daughter. I love to watch how much her friends and family care for her, how she elicits notice and laughs or admiration from audiences and people she interacts with, and the reactions she gets just being her fun, kind, and unique self out and about with those she cares about. As I said when she was being ridiculous at an event with friends and family a few weeks ago, "I made that." Hahahaha....

I'm taking a few minutes to join in with Caffeinated Reviewer for Sunday Post, and  Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon, before I take a quick shower and run out for breakfast treats, before the girl needs to go to work. Ugh. Then she'll take her quick shower after work, before more family comes over to celebrate her special day. Our summer is rapidly heading to a close. This will be our last week all together, as the week after has camp for my son, another business trip for hubs, and then it ends with my daughter heading back to college. So just a couple weeks to go, really.

What I'm reading this week:

I'm about half-way through the kindle edition of Honey by Imani Thompson (which I may be enjoying more than I should, with the murdering and all...). In print, I'm hoping to wrap up The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wacker later today, so I can start on my Battle of the Books books before the event on August 13. For audio books, I just finished Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree (really enjoyed, and may pick up the later books in the series another time), and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (loved, and his passion for the subject makes it great, even if I didn't understand most of it - would listen again). 

I just unsuspended my hold and will start Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid on Monday. I've somehow not read any of this author's books before, and what caught my attention for this one was the Audio Award Winner for the audio book narration by Kristen DiMercurio. I actually first watched a lot of Tik Toks by this voice actor, as they pick animated characters they don't know, then reads about them and 'guesses' at their voice. They're usually pretty close! When I saw them winning the award for narrating this book, I really wanted to hear/read it.

Three Good Things:

1. I did a good something for myself! I mean, it didn't work out, but I initiated something. I was talking to a friend a couple weeks ago who recommended a breath studio in town. I scheduled a consultation! I went in last Monday for a tour of the place, and talked with my guide for a few minutes about the whole 9D breathing therapy thing. It sounded ah-mazing. But they do the intro class on a Monday - Wednesday from 7 - 9 or 9:30pm. I've become a big fan of doing what works for me. Being in bed by 7 on nights before work is a win for me. I get up at 4:20am, so not being home until almost 10pm would be bad. Especially the first three days of the work week. I'd never catch up if I had to do that for a month (the intro period). So I had to pass. And never even found out how much it would actually cost. But my 'good thing' is that I did schedule and go see about something just for me.
2. I finally started my Davincified painting! Just a couple spots so far, and I accidentally left a paint pot open when I walked away the first time... But progress is progress!
3. I got more furniture for the family room. Not sure if mentioned the awesome skinny table behind my couch (that hides remotes, phone chargers, and the like), but now I also got a side table with built in outlets/chargers next to the lounger chair in the family room and the one in the living room. We had actually been using a cat climber/scratcher next to the chair in the family room, so when the cats scratched, a drink was often spilled! LOL

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Keep working on my painting! I meant to yesterday, but got drawn into the appeal of laundry (just kidding, the only appeal is trying to stay ahead of the panic of dirty laundry we need to be clean...)
2. Work some overtime this week. The kids and I are going to a theater a few hours away to see Our Town next Saturday, but I don't have any time off during the week. So I can make some overtime, but it will have to be Monday - Friday.
3. I almost wrote menu plan, but I think I need to do it a little less traditionally. Since schedules around here change unexpectedly, I get way too frustrated when I have dinner planned, and not enough people are here to eat it. So by 'menu plan,' I think I need to essentially be ready for a few dinners at home by having ingredients thawed and on hand, that I can use within a few days. When people are here and ready to eat, I can make what is next on the plan. I really like planning, so this is sort of uncomfortable for me to do so loosey goosey. Hahahaha....