Ug, Adulting

I got up early this morning to get some stuff done. I got some of it done. Now I’m tired and I just spent almost $200 on gas and groceries. That’s so crazy. I paid tithing too so there went my paycheck. It’s fine. I have money and I’m blessed in a lot of ways by paying tithes and other offerings. I don’t mind that at all. But man, crap is expensive. I feel like I need to make another donation to the food bank or something because I shouldn't complain. At least my paycheck covers my expenses. It’s just horrible how many people struggle to get by. 

We’re getting a little rain today, which is really nice. And there’s a local indie bookstore doing a “re-opening” because they moved locations that I may stop by. I didn’t know they existed before this location so it could be fun to check it out. Or I can go sit in my library and read. Ha ha that will for sure be something I do today at some point. I did finally make it through the library books causing me anxiety and now I have a new stack to read. This year has been different from recent years in that I’m reading a bunch more library books (I even browsed the stacks for a bit the other day). Over half of my books read have come from the library. It’s early in the year, but still…

Yeah, maybe I’ll get some lunch and then go check out the bookstore. Then I can come home and get cozy, whether it keeps raining or not. I’m going to cook dinner and do some baking sometime this weekend. I’ve got buttermilk to use up. Baking does sound nice right about now.

Spring Break

Woke up this morning to thunder and lightening. And hail. It's been raining but now it's snowing. I'm sick so I guess its a good day to stay home. 

I got back last night from a trip with my sister and the twins. I will say it was a good trip in some ways, but it was also difficult. My nephew has autism with another disorder called PDA. He's such a cute little kid but he goes Jekyll/Hide all the time. He's in therapy and she's doing all she can for him, but that doesn't make it easy to deal with. So yeah, we had some hard times. But there were also good times. I don't want to stop doing stuff with them just because it's difficult at times. 

We flew into Seattle and stayed by the airport at first. We took the train into the city and explored Pike's Market the first day. Then we drove to the peninsula. One day we spent at a state park climbing over rocks and looking in tide pools. I love being on the water like that. It's one of my favorite places. I'm not a sit on the beach type of person, but I love walking and exploring along the water. 

Another day we spent some time in Olympic National Park. It was so beautiful and I want to go back one day.  Took a little walk along Crescent Lake. 

And also did the hike to Marymere Falls. 

It was about 1.5 round trip so not long and not hard. Perfect for kids. I loved just being in a green forest with pine, moss, and ferns. We also explored Port Townsend and Port Angeles. We would have liked to include a ferry ride, but just couldn't fit it in this trip. That's ok. We'll just have to go back!

I felt fine the entire trip, although did get a bit stuffy one night, but I didn't feel sick. Yesterday my nose started running a bit on the flight home but I still didn't feel bad. By the time I went to bed last night, I knew I was getting something. So now I'll just stay home til I feel like leaving. I did pick up a few groceries on the way home so I'm fine and happy to be home in my own bed.

Officially Spring

It’s officially spring, but I’m not sure the weather agrees. I ran errands today and it was hot! I think SLC was to hit 81 today? We might have even hit 80 at home today. I was hoping for a slightly wet and 60s spring, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I guess I’ll see. 

Today, I ran a few errands and then got on the freeway to SL. I decided to go to another indie bookstore to cross one off my list for March. This one was the 1974 Bookstore and it was pretty easy to find and park at. The owner was really nice. It’s a very small store and doesn’t have a ton of stock. I did find some fun covers on books that I already own and did actually pick up 2 books, mostly because I was trying to spend money there, not because I actually needed those books. I ended up with the UK cover of Rebecca Ross’s Wild Reverence which is very pretty and I don’t mind reading since I loved another one of her books. It just wasn’t something I had planned on buying. And then I bought a weird little book called A Magical Girl Retires which has been translated from Korean and it could fit in my back pocket. Who knows? It could be really fun. I don’t really see myself going back to that particular bookstore. Maybe if I’m in the area, I could stop in? But it’s not a destination bookstore in the normal course of things. I think next month I might try and hit up one of the indie stores in Park City or Midway. Both of those places would be good for spring or fall trips. They are a bit more of a drive, but I could make a day out of it. 

Reading

Wow, I have made it through a lot of library hold books. Seven of them so far. I have 1 more checked out that hasn’t been read and 3 on hold. I feel that 3 is a manageable hold list LOL. I even snuck a book I own in there. That’s 11 books and it’s just past halfway through the month. I think I need to take a breather and slow down a bit. I’ve neglected some other things and have eaten like crap over the last week. 

Tonight after work, I’m going to clean my bathrooms, do the dishes and practice the organ/piano for Sunday. I have to play 3 songs I’m not completely comfortable with. Once I do all that, plus my eye mask, I can read something if I want. But also I could do a puzzle or finally get started on that Easter wreath that’s sitting on my table. Choices, choices. 

Birds Are Back

I woke up yesterday morning to a bird singing. In general, I don’t object to the birds, although I could wish they didn’t start so early. :) But they are back and I heard them again this morning. The other night, the batteries in my electric flickering candles went out, so they are finished and put away until the fall. The 2 that I left out are off their timer and they don’t truly flicker. They will get turned on when I want them, but not on a schedule. And with the time change, I have flicked my switch as well, and I’m ready to start embracing the springtime, even if it’s technically not until the 20th. Although when I have to wake up tomorrow and go to work, I will be cursing the time change. It’s a world of difference from today where I could wake up naturally. Also yesterday, I cleaned the leaves and dead stuff out of my flower garden. It’s way too early to plant, but with all the rain and snow we had, it was nice and wet and easy to pull the stuff out. 

I can see the buds on one of the trees outside my kitchen window. The other tree is always a few weeks behind. In another month, my library will not get the direct sunshine it’s gotten all winter, with the leaves on the trees being gone. Time passes and we all adjust. 

I did make caramels yesterday. I added some raspberry flavoring and dipped them in chocolate. I’ll have to take them to next family dinner, but I had been wanting to make them for months and didn’t want the cream to go bad. After all the reading I did last week, I’ve slowed down and started being productive around the house again. I got my final rag wreath stuff out so I can start working on it as well. It’s Easter themed so maybe I will finish it in time to hang? It will be good just to finish it, even if it’s April before the last part is tied. I even did a puzzle and got out a couple more 300 piece ones to do. It all goes in waves and that’s just the way it is. 

Moody

I am in a mood! A really bad one. I’ve felt like this kind of all week, kind of for no reason. I’m pretty sure it’s just more perimenopause fun. I’ve stayed away from the news and can’t say that I’m unhappy. I’m just super grumpy.

Some positive things: It snowed this morning and I’m going to soak in the cozy vibe today, and I get to go to water aerobics tonight. 

When I looked out my window this morning when I got out of bed, we had some rainy drizzle going on so I went and got ready for work. When I opened up my blinds as I was getting ready to leave, I saw a whole bunch of snow coming down. I left for work, but the closer I got to the freeway, the more snow and last time I went to the office, I had to park clear out by the farthest production building. My mood was rapidly deteriorating and I turned around and came home. Funny thing is my sister told me they don't have snow up north when I texted her. Oh well? I’m not stuck to my desk like I was yesterday so I can run some errands at lunch and take care of a few things, while I enjoy the storm in comfort. One of the things I still like about my job is the ability to do it where I want. 

So I’m taking a few minutes to eat something fairly healthy and I’m getting my bad mood out. It’s fine to feel however I feel, as long as I don’t take it out on other people. Then I’m going to put some tunes on and get to work!

Books and More Books

Ok - I’m getting book anxiety. LOL I meant to be working on a few projects, but I had 10 books on hold at the library and they have all started coming up. Some of the books were stuff they still were in the process of buying as new releases so I got my name on the hold list early, but did not expect them to all come up at the same time. I had 1 paper book and then an ebook come up. Then the next day or so, 2 more paper books. I’ve managed to read 2 of the paper and the ebook. But another ebook came up, I’ve still got one more paper at home, and the library has one ready for me for pickup. But I can see on my list that one is in transit, which means only a day or so before they notify me again. LOL 

I’ll take 2 back tomorrow and pick up whatever they have for me. I have 3 weeks to read them all, but it is really starting to get to me. It’s not like I have to finish them all and if any of them don’t hold my interest, I’ll put them aside. But so far, they’ve been good, so I’ve been trying. Plus, it’s not like I can’t borrow them again. So crazy to feel it, but that’s the mood as of the last week.