Things to Think About

We had a great speaker in sacrament meeting yesterday. I don’t know her well, mostly just know who she is. I really could do a much better job of welcoming people and saying “hi”, even with the introvert me urging caution. 

Anyway, she referenced a book I had thought about reading, and then didn’t (because I decided to ignore my questions and basically hide my head in the sand, even though they don’t really go away) but now have purchased and started reading. 

Her talk was about her daughter being lgbtq+ and her struggles to remain in a church that judges instead of loves, and also how to foster a sense of belonging and listening instead of judging. It was just so good and really taught me some stuff. I can do better for sure. 

Mostly I know that I’m not alone in my questions and that I’m ok right now as I struggle through some things. Just this morning before church I was thinking (again) how I probably wouldn’t be going if I wasn’t playing the piano in Primary and had something to do there. I just show up because I’m not ready to quit. I realized today that just showing up is ok right now if that’s all I can do. Eventually, I probably need to work through a few things, but for now I’m ok with the space I am in. 

I really can and need to do better at loving instead of judging. And while I get stuck in a rut thinking it has to be in my ward, it doesn’t have to be. That’s only one space that I am in. There are others. I could even love in multiple spaces at the same time. 

I spent the rest of the day with lots to think about and this is one Sunday, I’m glad I was there.

Summer Storm

The part of summer that I hate came early this year. It’s been hot and dry (less than 10% humidity in the air) and windy and everything is on fire. Normally, this doesn’t hit us truly until later in the summer. Some of the fires are big and have forced evacuations. I’m just praying people stay safe and that they can get them out eventually. Most of the fires are further south, but even Salt Lake had one on the mountain above the hospital. And now people are upset because the governor finally did something and called for a statewide ban on fireworks. Personal fireworks. Municipalities can still have their shows and whatnot. I say yay. I’m a grinch when it comes to fireworks, and I know it. 

We did finally get some rain today. And that has been lovely. I woke up early and turned my fan off and a little bit later it started to rain. I just laid in bed and listened to it for a while. I’ve had my windows open and just been loving the cooler temps plus then general stormy atmosphere. I even just heard some thunder. While it’s coming and going I have decided to read in my library. Might as well enjoy it. Plenty of time for errands and chores later. 

Farmer’s Market

Made it to my first farmer’s market of the year. I met up with my sister and the twins so I knew this one would be the big one that I walked down into all of the vendors and not just the produce section. I got all sunscreened up and met up with them this morning. 

It was a little smoky in the air from a fire, but I got used to it. I got a breakfast burrito and a blackberry mint juice at one of the vendors I like. Forget their name, but they’ve been doing it for a few years now and have good pastries too. I ended up with a bag of cherries, but that’s the only produce I got. I was tempted by the peas, but didn’t make it back to those tables. We got there late, but even between 8:30-9:00 am there were a lot of people.  

I also bought the kids some Nutella covered strawberries and let them get their face painted. LOL the price has gone up, but I said once a year I can do it. That’s not something we really got to do as kids and I always thought I missed out. Of course, now I don’t want it done to me. 

There was also a bookmobile called Withering Hearts that I got a really cute perpetual calendar that counts the books I’ve read this year. It’s now sitting on one of my bookshelves. LOL It’s got the wrong number on it though. I’ll have to fix that. 

And before I left 25th street, I stopped in at The Romantics Archive, which is a new-ish indie bookstore. The did have more than just romance. There was a science fiction and mystery section as well. I bought a book and a little notepad set there. So that’s 2 more indies I’ve supported today and 3 total this month. That’s probably good for June. 

On the way back to the car, I noticed that the Episcopalian Church of the Good Shepherd was open for tours. It’s a beautiful historical building that I’ve always wondered about. So I turned back and walked on in. The guy there let me ring the bell and then told me all about the stained glass and pews. It is a lovely old chapel. He said they also open during the Art Stroll and that seeing the sunset hit the stained glass is a must see. I think I’m going to have to go to the Art Stroll this summer. :)

So I’ve run all my errands and had my fun. I’ve a bunch of laundry to do and want a shower. 

Lazy Weekend

This was one of those weekends where I didn’t really have plans. Those are always nice. I went for a long walk on Saturday morning and then planned my menu and grocery list. And since I didn’t spend as much money as normal on groceries, I headed over to Trader Joe’s as well. I didn’t do laundry or clean much of anything. I did a puzzle and I read and cooked. Sunday was the same thing. Hard to believe we are halfway done with June. 

Summer Plans

I finally figured out what I’m doing for my summer vacation! I didn’t have any set plans, and nothing was sounding good. I had already marked off the time on my work calendar and figured that I would just head down to the Shakespeare Festival and spend some time at home. I had also already ruled out a trip with WTT because it was just really expensive. I mean a tour is always more money, but this one was just more than I wanted to spend on a trip (that didn’t leave the U.S!). 

Then on Wednesday, I logged into my email and WTT had sent an email about trips that were almost full and closing soon. And wouldn’t you know it, but Nova Scotia and P.E.I. were on it for the exact same days I already have scheduled off. Prince Edward Island has been on my bucket list since I made it. L. M. Montgomery’s books were a huge part of my childhood and I’ve always wanted to go there. I’ve halfway planned a trip there before, but didn’t truly want to go by myself. 

So I jumped on the internet to see what kind of flights were available and as soon as I found something I could handle, I signed up for the trip, and then purchased my flights before I even knew I was in for sure. This trip is about $2000 cheaper and even though I told myself I’d never share a room again, I’m doing the room share. It’s one week and I have those great noise canceling headphones now. 

This trip does a little bit in Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, plus one day at PEI. If I were planning it myself, I’d do an extra day to take in the Anne of Green Gables musical theater show, but I’m ok not doing that, especially since I don’t have to plan any of the transportation, which includes a ferry. I’m just super excited to be walking around and see the coast up there, as well as some AOGG stuff. 

So I’ve got my vacation sorted aaaannnnddddd…. I also planned for a 3 day weekend in August to head to Cedar City. I can hit up a few of the shows in a long weekend and that will be great for this year. Next year, I’ll see if any of the girls want to do another bigger trip. 

So this summer is shaping up to be a nice one so far. I’m sure June will be over before I know it. I also have a work trip to NC in there and we want to do something as a family, maybe head up to Bear Lake for a day or something like that. 

I’ve been walking again and I’m still going to water aerobics. I still love it, although last night I did not want to go. I was so tired but I went anyway and I had a great time. Plus, the instructor was a substitute and we did a different workout, which was nice. It helps me use my muscles in a different way. I am starting to notice that I’m getting stronger in my legs. Getting up off the floor is getting easier. Reminds me of what I already know: little changes done over a period of time will add up if I keep with it. 

So yeah, summer is here and it will be over before I know it. Still not looking forward to the heat (although I have not turned my A/C on yet, but it’s coming) but I can handle it. And after summer comes my favorite months of the year. 

Rainy Saturday

Last night when I went to bed, I heard a few raindrops and then they stopped and I really hoped that wasn’t all the storm we were getting. Luckily, it wasn’t. It started raining again sometime early this morning and didn’t stop until about noon. 

I wanted to get out of the house and my sister said she was heading to Valley Nursery for a cucumber or something so I said “pick me up!” We actually went for a drive up the canyon and over through Mountain Green and back down to Uintah first.  The mountains are stunning. Truly so beautiful. And we were driving in the low clouds and I just loved it. 

Then of course, being surrounded by plants and trees and flowers is always a good time. I had 2 plants that were either dead or dying and wanted to replace. I ended up with 3 houseplants. Ha! Two of them are succulents and they will probably die on me. But I do love having plants in my home. They make me happy. Just walking around the nursery is nice. We stopped in the rose greenhouse and just wandered. Roses are lovely, I just don’t want to grow them. 

The rain has stopped and the sun came out and now it’s cloudy again. I’m in for the rest of the day. I am doing a little cleaning, a little reading, a little laundry. I made black beans and rice for dinner and my house smells fantastic right now. I don’t even like when it smells like food but very excited to try this new recipe. 

I’m calling this week a win. I worked from home the entire week since there was an electrical project going on at the office. I did try and get out a bit every day so I didn’t get too stir crazy. I walked 3 miles and also went to water aerobics on Tuesday and Thursday. There were a few instances of rage at my job, but I handled it. There was also a problem that I solved and that felt good. So yeah, this week is a win. 

Long Weekend

Thursday was a bit of a rough day. I had some peri-menopause emotions going strong and everything was making me upset. After work, I picked up 2 mums from Smiths and my first stop was the Wellsville cemetery. The canyon is stunning right now and the drive was so beautiful. Plus, once you get to Wellsville, the mountains on that side are also simply gorgeous. The cemetery was empty on Thursday early evening so that was also nice. Then I drove back home and before I went home I stopped at the Ogden cemetery. Not many people there either. I put some flowers on the grave of my great, great grandfather: Roy Ernest Hull. His headstone is almost entirely covered by a huge bush and I’m not sure if anything can be done about it. I mean, I didn’t even know he was buried there until a few years ago. It’s just an extra thing I like to do now.

On Friday I used a day of vacation so I didn’t have to work. I got up and went for a 3 mile walk. Then I got ready for the day. I picked up Ollie and we got lunch and then picked up Rosie from her last day of school and we went to the park so they could play and eat lunch. Then I ran some errands and did the grocery shopping. I met up with my sister and the twins again at the pool. It’s open again after a 2 week closure so I’m going to be going back to water aerobics this week and that makes me happy. 

Saturday I got up and went to the church to help with the weekly cleaning. I got to vacuum a lot of classrooms and hallway. Then the fun started ha ha. I had in mind to do some deep cleaning and rearrange my bedroom and office, mostly to give the carpet a break and get the groves in other places for a while. Man, that was a project. I got it done though. I can move everything by myself as long as the dresser drawers are taken out and the desk and cedar chest are mostly empty before I do it. The one thing I really had a problem with was my mattress. That sucker is heavy and doesn’t have good handles. I was very sweaty when I finished. It feels good to have that done though. I also put together a slow cooker meal in the morning and then made a loaf of peasant bread as well as doing laundry. I spent the evening reading and watching tv. I was tired. LOL

Today was church and then family dinner. We ate at Anna’s and went to the Brigham cemetery after. It was a very nice evening. The temperature was perfect for a walk around the cemetery. If summer stayed like this, I would like it a lot better. We tried to tell the kids a few things that we know about the really old graves we leave flowers at. It’s a little hard sometimes since we didn’t know some of them ourselves. But I guess that’s what family history is for. 

Tomorrow I want to take another walk and then do a few more small projects around the house. One of the projects may require a quick trip to Hobby Lobby. ;) I’d also like to clean out my car and go through the car wash. Other than that, I have no big plans for the day but it sounds perfect to me.