Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - November 10, 2024: Chasing My Tail

Less than a week, and the election already feels like ancient disappointing history to me. The Instagram Reels and TikTok are still off the hook, and trying to be inspiring. I deleted Facebook from my phone. That's all, folks.

I'm joining up with my peeps at Sunday Post and Sunday Salon today. You can join in too at Caffeinated Reviewer and Readerbuzz. My weeks have started cycling between already needing time off work during a week (so taking more and more time off) and being scheduled and available 40 hours (so working as much overtime as I humanly can). Last week was the first - I had Friday off to do an event at my son's middle school, so I decided to use two hours of my use-it-or-lose-it flex time on Wednesday, and then calling off on Thursday... This week I only have a 7pm theater meeting on my calendar for Monday, so I'll probably stay late on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and I'll plan to work on Saturday. The week after that is the high school's production of Little Women (and my daughter is Jo March!!), so I may need to schedule some afternoons off... My motivation is definitely a runner lately, so zeus help me getting anything accomplished at work lately!

What I'm reading this week:

I finished two kindle books since I posted on a Sunday! The Good Bride publishes in early December, and I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. Some of the characters who were central to the storyline were unlikeable, so I didn't really need to know what happened to them. LOL 

Don't get my wrong, sometimes I like unlikeable characters, as in The Stranger Upstairs, which I finished last night. The unlikeable character in this one was a much more entertaining unreliable narrator with a drug and alcohol problem. Funsies! I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. Both reviews will be coming on Books I Think You Should Read.

Last night I started The Woman at the Wheel by Penny Haw. It's 'an inspiring historical fiction based on the life of Bertha Benz.' The author has drawn me right into the imagined life of Bertha in late-1850s Germany. Although 'only a girl,' Bertha loves hanging out with her father and learning the nuts and bolts about his business and what makes things work.

In print, I'm still reading Lightborne (coming up on halfway!) and Little Women (okay, haven't even picked it up in weeks, but hoping to get cozy with it in a bit. I still do want to finish!).

Three Good Things:

1. We had Christmas with my family last week! My parents are snowbirds (travel from Michigan to Florida every winter). In their case, they go via RV, so they'll leave before there's remotely any chance of snow in Michigan, hopefully. [I think August is the only month it has never snowed in the upper peninsula, but that's hours and hours north of us.] Anyway, my parents, my family, and my brother's family all meet at my brother's house. We have dinner and get gifts for the kids and my parents. The last few years I think it's been in October, so we actually had Chrismas a lil late this year, on November 3. Hahahahaha
2. 
   My son and I went to Motor City ComicCon yesterday. Edited to add: We're Bill Cipher and Mabel Pines from the Disney show Gravity Falls. So fun!! He's the real mastermind, and made his own costume. I ordered all the stuff for mine from Amazon the day I got tickets and found out what he was gonna dress as. This was our second Comic
   Con, and we'll definitely be back.
   
3. I started my holiday shopping! Well, I supposed it can be said that I finished it for my nieces and one of my nephews before 'Christmas' last weekend, but I started getting stuff for my kids and making a plan. See, I wanted that fabulous gift with purchase bookcase set from Lego, which ends in the next couple of days. So I had to order $130 in Legos, and then I'll slip the bookcase to my kids to wrap for me. LOL

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. 
   The other part of starting Christmas shopping for me was making a decision on our Advent calendars. I don't belong to any organized religion for Advent, but I've been doing Advent calendars since I was little, so it's definitely an awesome tradition that I enjoy. The last couple years, thinking about it stressed me out, so I bought the pre-made Advent calendars, but this could theoretically be my daughter's last December at home (unless she takes a gap year after high school), so I went back to our old-school calendars. When I was little, my parents and the neighbors collaborated to make this Christmas tree shapes in wood frame that holds baby food jars. We take the lid off one jar each day of December and get what's inside. Instead of packing them all at the end of November, I've taken the lids off of them all, and I'm filling them and putting the lids on as I go. Which is to say, I hope to get these finished up sooner rather than later...
   
2. Holiday Cards!! I actually made them in October, and they're already delivered. Now, it's time for the addressing. Might even start that later today..
3. As the fundraising VP for our district theatre program, I mostly plan dine to donates. Patrons eat at the specified restaurant on the given date, and the restaurant donates a percentage of sales as agreed upon when we set up the event. We had one this week at one of my favorite places to get pizza and salad for lunch at work, but it did not hit the restaurant's minimum for a donation. Unfortunately, a couple people who were supposed to help promote the event, didn't. And then the road that goes past the restaurant was gridlocked with lots of police presence, at least while we were there eating. Which brings me to my goal: Dine to donates are a thing for a lot of organizations near us, so I'd like to start a running list of dine to donates. No one has to belong to the organization to donate - it's usually just a code you give or flyer you show. I've gone to placed when I've seen posts for organizations we don't belong to, and I think others would too. I'd love to get a community list going with the dine to donates. I've said this for years, but it is still something I'd like to do.

Sunday Post/Sunday Salon - October 20, 2024: A New Story?

Happy Sunday!

Celebrate a beautiful weekend with Caffeinated Reader and Readerbuzz! I think I'm on the tail end of a nearly week-long debilitating headache, during which I still worked 55 1/2 hours. Ugh. We were required to sign up weeks (months?) ago for a 'Super Saturday,' during which we'd work eight hours, and they'd feed us breakfast (bagels) and lunch (sandwich box from Jimmy John's). I used to work six hours most Saturdays anyway, but being told I had to rubbed me wrong from the get go. Especially after I asked if I could work 2 or 3 six hour Saturdays instead but was told now. Also, I have no idea why motivation in corporate America is decreasing [/sarcasm]. Anywho. The headache is finally breaking, and I'm just a little stiff and in a medicine fog today. 

What I'm reading this week:

I'm still reading the exact three books I was reading last week (This Time Could be Different, Lightborne, and Little Women), but I've made more progress on the first one, and I'm really, really liking the vibe. Someone in a review said the book was like free therapy, since the main character is continually working on tasks given by their new-agey therapist. Accurate. And I really like it. 

I've also been considering (just kidding, it actually just occurred to me) that maybe I should adjust my Goodreads goal. Cuz I'm not gonna hit it this year. I've read 47 of a goal of 75 books this year. But I'm really okay with it, and excited to build my next Lego set, and still planning to pick up counted cross stitch again. So, whatever. But a good whatever. ;)

Three Good Things:

1. My daughter, Maggie, has kind of made my weekend. She said yesterday, when I rode along to a special-ed trunk or treat that she was volunteering at, that she likes hanging out with her mom. That her friends are cool (obvs), but her mom really gets her snarky side comments without explanation (we have a very similar sense of humor), and she likes spending time with me. And then today? She invited a couple friends from her broadcasting class over so they could finish their group film assignment for this weekend. So, I'm the 'mom' in her film. But what really felt good is that she's cool with our house. Like, some things are old or run-down, but we're comfy, and she has no hesitation bringing people around. When they put the rubber duck and the camera in the fridge (trust the process), she said our fridge has 'personality.' LOL Also, she's hosting friends for a Halloween party this coming weekend. We're not fancy, but it's all good.
2. My dude! We're on our way shortly to All-State Band Auditions. He insists he won't make the cut, but he's still putting it out there and auditioning. Since he's the only one playing his instrument (euphonium) in his grade, I really have no comparison. But I think his sound is solid (I've never played brass, so it's all magical to me!), and he seems to be hitting the right notes. So we'll be on our way to auditions in a few hours, and then solo and ensemble is the first weekend in December. Since hubby and I were both band kids, it's kinda cool to be raising one, too.
3. Halloween is my favorite! Last week, my son Jack and I made our first visit to Spirit Halloween. I got a Haunted Mansion door mat, that I'm actually putting in front of the kitchen sink so I can see it more. And we got a 5 ft inflatable gargoyle for out by the front walkway. It also has red glowing eyes, and glowing wings. It is pretty darn cool. He picked out a door wrap for his bedroom door, which ended up being nicer than the plastic disposable ones. It's fabricy, and designed like a fitted sheet, so
   he was able to wrap it on the door himself. His room is at the end of the upstairs hall, so it's kind of a highlight (and his door is usually closed to keep the cats off his gaming set up).

Three Goals for this week/month/whatever:

1. Starting my Villians Lego set! It's the brickheads of Cruella and (I think?) Maleficent. I got the box out of my closet and set it at the stairs to take down to the table. Baby steps, but now I'm committed :)
2. The interview last week was a bomb. Like, they canceled earlier that day and said the position won't be filled til January now. Whatever. I was already primed for disappointment, right? So I've decided to just buckle down and work my required hours. I've done the do-your-best and above-and-beyond thing, but it's mostly a toxic office space where my particular efforts are not appreciated. So, whatever. The good news is, it also seems to be impossible to get fired, so I need to adjust my efforts to match the rewards ;) Oops - this is the goals section. My goal is to save my best for those who appreciate it. Which isn't my office.
3. I'd still like to straight up my space (read: home office) and find a better, potentially profitable, creative outlet. 

Happy 7th Birthday Jack!!

So my baby is 7!!

Jack is so smart, and funny, and quirky, and true to himself. No one can tell Jack who he is or what he likes - he already knows. For a while last year, he thought he may have outgrown Thomas the Train - his favorite of many years! But summer break rekindled his love, and trains have taken over our house once again.

Jack has so many friends. He loves seeing familiar faces from last year and the year before, and reconnects like no time has passed. And he wants to be included in everyone else's friendships too - Maggie's friends and my friends become his friends as well in no time at all.

Jack's compassion has been known for far too long. Although it wasn't in the most recent year, he loves to recount the story of when he 'rescued the baby mice' (cracked open all the eggs in the refrigerator!).

I also love that Jack is so grateful for everything! He is constantly thanking people for things from gifts, to thoughtful words and gestures, to thanking his father and I just for feeding him - hahaha...

I'm so blessed and lucky at the caring, loving, funny boy Jack is growing into. Every day is a new adventure, and I'm so happy to be sharing it with him.

Happy Sixth Birthday to Jack

I didn't feel right closing up my day and going to bed without a special post for my son Jack. He turned six today.

He's the kid who does the right thing, for the right reason. He wore a new dinosaur shirt for the first time last week, and his comment on the way out the door was, "[Particular boy in his class] will LOVE this shirt. Dinosaurs are his favorite!" It made me so happy to be raising a boy who wants to see other people happy. Not for his own gain or benefit, but just because happy is good, right?

His excitement for life is unmatched. He practically vibrated yesterday and today for the parties he had to celebrate his birthday with his friends and family. And his sudden embarrassment when his enthusiasm got the best of him... he yelled, "I love this shit!" in the middle of opening presents with family. The next youngest family member is his ten-year-old sister, and the rest of the room was adults. He said sometimes he just couldn't help it! I said he'd learn to help it if he wanted to keep his behavior chart clean at school and keep playing his video games. He gets it.

Jack is such a snuggle-bum for mom. He tells me all day, unprompted, "I love you," or "I love you more," depending on what's going on. He loves to climb in the big bed and curl up next to me for at least a few minutes before the alarm goes off. When he gives me a big hug, all is right with the world.

He loves to tease us, and tell whoever he's talking to that they're his second-favorite. "I love you, but I love Maggie best." Or he'll tell Maggie, "I love you, but I love Addy best." And the smirk he gives tells you that many people have all his heart.

I think he loves to laugh the best, and his sister is the one who can really get him going. If any shadow of disappointment crosses his face, she is so dedicated to 'turning his frown upside down.' I'm sure life will have its challenges for him, but for now, I love that he's such a happy, smart, funny, loving boy. He has the qualities that will get him far.

And today, he celebrated a wonderful birthday <3

Happy Holidays!

Wordless Wednesday

The loves of my life...

Happy Second Birthday, Jack!

Oh, my boy. You are certainly two.

When you're happy, the whole world can't help but smile with you. When you're not happy, though..look out!

The full happy squeal lasts just a minute, then you usually look pretty content or contemplative about the world around you. I call you my grumpy old man much of the time, but I know you're keeping that smile on the inside.

Every time you climb up on me when you're supposed to be going to sleep, and I find it's just so you can give me another kiss, you melt my heart a little more.

I can't wait to hear everything you have to say, but at the same time I don't want to rush you growing up. Because you are my baby. Our family is complete.

It's hard to talk about you without mentioning your sister, since she was everything I knew about babies and toddlers until you came along. You made my previous knowledge frequently useless, but that's okay. It's an adventure I love to learn about you. And I'm pretty sure you don't mind having your sister mentioned in your birthday post, as she is definitely your favorite.

That overpowering joy that you just can't hold back? I get to see it every day when your sister walks off her school bus. You run to her, giggling and screaming her name, until you hug each other and we begin the walk home. It would only take five minutes by myself, but you have so much exploring to do every day that it takes much, much longer. But I hate to rush you when you're enjoying yourself so much.

Thank you, Jack, for choosing us as your family. I hope we always love each other as much as we do now, or even more.