Sunday Night Thoughts July 20, 2025

      This past week was the mid point of meteorological summer. I could handle many more days and nights of the weather of late. The highs just touching 80, but without humidity, and evenings that in the shade, a light sweatshirt feels like a hug. I guess I had an up and down weekend. I got both front and back lawns mowed. I use lawn lightly for the backyard, just weedy grassy patches in some parts and near jungle near the side trees. It took longer because of how thick in places as between helping at church and rain, I pushed mowing to 10 days from my last. The first batteries didn't quite make it, but happy that the spare were ready so I could finish. 

     I started down a tangent about my yard that I opted to cut and save for a post of it's own and hope to get my camera out, one of my July goals. Yesterday though I decided to take pup to the lake for a few hours. I had a time limit as I committed to feeding my sister's cats and of course, Little Miss needed someone home later too. 

     My son had back to back jobs near there and was going to stay the weekend. I just saw him briefly. Otherwise, it was just a relaxing day. I made my mind up that I was not going to let anyone's words get to me, and just once felt the need to exit the conversation through positive ignorance and physically exiting the space by using pup as the excuse. My sister in law, has a " flare for the dramatic" in that simplistic things increase in importance or value or degree of effort in her head. My MIL asks questions in a way that implies a certain answer is expected. When I paused to figure out what they actually wanted to know, it was much easier to have a conversation or duck and weave boundary crossing questions. I noticed when SIL doesn't want to talk about something she just sort of answers back with the question, not answering at all, but sounding like she had. I used a bit of the same.

     I puttered outside this morning, getting busy with the loppers on some sprouty things. I took inventory of my jam jars. I need many more lids and more rings too, but not as many. One sister is back in the hospital, off and on breathing, throat swelling and unable to keep it stabilized has been issues for the last year it seems. Her husband has had recurring pneumonia so can't make the hour drive to St Paul from their small town. Another sister and I went up to relieve her daughter for a bit in the afternoon. This sister is "go go go", and that's part of the issue, I think. She has so much worry she's missing out on something she doesn't let herself fully recover. It's a bad cycle she gets herself in. 

      I'm meeting my older daughter for her dog in the morning. She's loaning me her computer as the one I use I can't get Chrome or Firefox loaded. I'm doing a video study on Tuesday and will get a bit of fun money but it won't work on Explorer, which is all this laptop holds currently. I'm also doing a pre cancer research study and while I'll get a $25 card for compensation, I'd willingly contribute for nothing if it might help anyone in the future. I did the questions and will have labs done on August 1. This is through my health care provider system, not just random. Then, learned my younger daughter actually is having not just a consultation, but more oral work that will be under hard pain killers, so I rearranged my day tomorrow to bring her and provide a bit of post care. 

    I have no other plans this week until Saturday, though am debating attending a widows connection dinner on Wednesday. I feel like I don't have enough people to talk with that understand what life is like now, and this seems like more networking and less grief support and could be what I need. I'm still waiting on a formal offer/ proposal for a bit of contract work. I did a ping type email Friday. While it'd sure be a nice boost to my travel budget, I don't need to have side income. I need new suggestions for evening watching. I watched The Residence and Department Q over the past few weeks. Other suggestions for Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Peacock? I have a few books to read so that'll keep me occupied tonight. I hope you had a good weekend.