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. 

 

     

Comments

  1. We are currently enjoying "Painkiller" on Netflix. It is about the spread of prescribed Oxy and how it happened.
    About the only thing I watch on Peacock is SVU. It is my mindless entertainment and confess to fast forwarding through about half of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peacock has Downton Abby but I'm taking a break. I'll check those both out.

      Delete
  2. I watched Sneaky Pete on Amazon, which was pretty good although the last season got monotonous. I hope your daughter’s oral care goes well today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the recommendation. There's a lot of shows that go a season too long.

      Delete
  3. I smiled at your comment about this being summer's midpoint. The Old Farmer's Almanac has a countdown on the daily email and today it was 63 days to Autumn. Yes, I'm counting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fall is my season, though if I could have low to no humidity and upper 70's I'm pretty satisfied. We had a few perfect days like that.

      Delete
  4. My sister was visiting from Portland, which is actually having very hot weather, and my BFF from Boulder, also having a hot summer. Glad we chose our house as our impromptu meet up, because the weather was pretty much perfect. Around 78-80, cool in the mornings for hiking, and we don't get humidity, so it's absolutely gorgeous. We hung out by the pool, enjoyed the teens fooling around in the pool with friends, got in the pool on rafts, & generally had a great time. It was very low key & fun.

    Sending good thoughts for your sister's recovery, as well as an easy procedure for your daughter! - Hawaii planner

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Unless she does some slowing down and other changes, I'm afraid it's going to keep being a revolving door. Your weekend sounds perfect from weather to company.

      Delete
  5. No watch ideas here. I am looking for something to catch my interest as well. I have been reading and doing jigsaw puzzles in my down time this summer. I picked up “Saving CeCrle Honeycutt” in the library’s discarded section. It was a fun, quick read. I am now reading My Oxford Year.” (Book is in the other part of the house and I don’t recall the author.) It’s okay. I also finished “Oh William “ by Elizabeth Strout.
    If you find something to watch, let me know!
    -Meg B

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just am not a jigsaw puzzle person. We tried during Covid and it just cluttered my dining room table. My son insisted I'd like The Expanse, part sco fi, part Game of Thronesesque, part crime, but it's been a slow start for me.

      Delete
  6. Hope your sister feels better, and I hope your daughter gets along ok with her oral surgery.
    Glad you were able to have a relaxing day at the lake, and it sounds like you were able to find a solution dealing with the inlaws.
    My TV watching is eclectic. :) My husband likes anime, and he has gotten me hooked on Apothecary Diaries on Netflix. Resident Alien is a fun watch too. I like some shows on CBS/Paramount: Watson, Matlock, Tracker, Elspeth and Strange New Worlds is one of my favorite Star Trek series.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hope both that your daughters appointment goes well , and that your sister allows herself
    a proper chance to recover
    I watched Dept Q on Netflix as well , and whilst I enjoyed it I preferred the original Danish version - screened here on BBC 4
    No Idea if it’s streaming anywhere but it was brilliant
    Hoping you have a kind week
    Siobhan x

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

If you comment anonymously, it'd be nice to have a name to go with the comment. It helps me string other people's comments and therefore their experiences together.

Popular posts from this blog

So Very Tired

A Check-in

It's Worse Than I Imagined