Embracing Homelife: April Ahead
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| I should get some seeds started this month. |
You'd think I didn't have four trips in the last year the way I'm coming across as obsessing about no travel in the forseeable future. I just can't leave pup longer than an evening and only when my daughter is available. (Long story short, son cannot do needles). Really though, I know that FOMO feeling is going to hit when my sisters, friends, mere aquaintences take to the roads, sky, and seas. That's how I ended up booking my trip to Greece last July in the middle of the night- and pups meds for the year will cost more than that trip. To combat this, I'm going to intentionally outline my calendar and if there are bare weeks, find local fun to fill the gaps. I'm doing this under the overarching topic, Embracing Homelife.
Here's how April looks right now. It's a bit light on weekends but that leaves room for flexibility or just downtime for home projects the last two weekends since the week between is busy. A bit of social fun is mixed in with two community commitments.
April 5: Hosted small Easter dinner + NCAA Women's Basketball final game
April 6: NCAA final basketball championships wat h night
April 11: Family bookclub and cards
April 20: AAUW Spring Dinner and annual meeting
April 23: Power of 100 Women Spring Giving event
Possible April activities include...
- Bachman's Garden Center visit with their Bloom event
- Local Winery afternoon with live music which starts in April
Winery just outside of town. - Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA)
- Visit the Como Conservatory
- Bird Banding events at local nature center with meet up walk with friends
- Local Hootenanny April 25 (local bars host live music that rotates around the city, donation based- proceeds go-to the school district music programs)
- Niece and nephews lacrosse, baseball, softball, and soccer season starts so will get schedules to get to various games
Too bad you don't live closer to me - I love visiting wineries and breweries! I have been scouting out things to do, too. That's how I found the book club at a local library. I am right now trying to plan a 3 day getaway to the Texas coast, but also I am finding new parks to visit for lunch al fresco, and thinking about doing some book thrifting. I hate being bored.
ReplyDeleteWould it be helpful or frustrating to plan for trips ahead? We've been big into watching hiking videos, to help plan for our next few trips. We are mostly focused on one big trip per year, with national park trips to fill in the few days a quarter where M has "freebie" vacations. Other ideas: free classes at the library? Not sure if yours offers that. A free trial Y membership, and check out all of the mobility & stretching classes (mine offers this, not sure about one near you)? Signing up for a community college class & learn a new skill? maybe something art related (I'm terrible at art, but think I would like it just the same). My April is going to be: one work trip to London (way less exciting than it sounds, as it's just the airport/office/hotel, no sight seeing + a lot of jet lag) & then on the last day of the month, I'm flying to Boulder to pick up Nick, which I'm very excited about. Bonus that I'll get to see my BFF, as we are staying with her one night. - Hawaii Planner
ReplyDeleteThe Bird Banding events sound like something I would love to watch. Hearing birdsongs in the mornings is a sweet sound to me. We currently have a woodpecker that is up bright and early and working hard this morning. Do you have the Merlin Bird app on your phone? It's from Cornell Lab and you can use it to identify any bird that you hear. I really like the app and it's easy to use.
ReplyDeleteAs you plan out your April, I am at the opposite point of looking at this week, seeing NOTHING planned (other than my husband's teaching; just two afternoons a week for 2 hours) and am cheering. We keep a paper wall calendar on our kitchen table and color code events: pink for me, blue for him, green for us both, and orange for "other" (such my dad's appointments, for which I am responsible). The last several weeks have been so "colorful" that I am thrilled to see just blank white days...! On the other hand, my favorite (locally owned) garden center opens today and I know that at some point soon, I need to get busy planning and planting our 2026 gardens. I don't start seeds inside anymore, but, yeah, there's work to be done!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a potentially busy month - lots of fun activities.
ReplyDeleteI would totally join you if I lived close by.
ReplyDeleteNothing for April besides planning meetings for my civic commitment. It’s taking up a lot of time. Today, for instance, is a two hour meeting. I was invited to sit in on a discussion prior to that, (not in that committee, but they extended credentials) but for all it will be fascinating, my social tank is drained. My big trip is a year from September. Plenty of time to steel myself for it, both emotionally and financially. The good news is the woman who invited me (it’s a two family trip plus me) is as introverted as I am, as is he adult daughter with whom I am splitting a room. No hurt feelings if one of us wants to stay behind and read or spend the morning alone in a cafe with a coffee. But this summer, friends and I are going to do some overnight Canada trips too. Really what I want is spend April working on my flower beds, but that isn’t a possibility until mid-month.
-Meg B.
Because of your blog, Sam, I have given a good amount of thought to how my life would change should my spouse pass first. Some of the changes I think I would make would be to sell this big house and move to a coastal condo community, where people seem to interact quite a lot with each other. Not a 55+, because there are none here as close to the ocean as I would wish to be. Condos, however, yes, there are many here that are close to being beach adjacent.
ReplyDeleteSocially, however, as an extrovert I know I would struggle. So if I think of activities I think I would be willing to do solo, I think of Women's Clubs first and foremost. My Women's Club has a plethora of activities, and because many of the members are older and increasingly widowed, being solo at an event is a non-issue.
I would also increase the number of activity groups I currently below to, because my experience in group activities is that the majority of participants are there without a partner, even if they are partnered otherwise. In my case, that would mean pursuing group activities like hiking, tennis, walking, guitar, ukulele cooking, book clubs, art groups, and/or lunch out groups. (I have no interest in evening Dine Out groups as for some odd reason that strikes me as a bit to desperate(?).
Similar to Tamara, your situation has made me really think what I would do as well. I think i'm less of an extrovert than Tamara! :), but am most of the way there.e I know I would need to fill my time with travel & activities & would probably do a combo of friend trips, as well as tours for single women (luckily there are a few places that offer this). And then fill in with plenty of local events as well. - Hawaii Planner
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