Five Things

Friday Five Things 11/5

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Hi Friends! Hope everyone is doing well. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on social media about seasonal depression and I, myself, have been feeling somewhat affected by the shorter days, especially because we’ve had several days in a row of overcast weather here. Luckily the sun and blue skies are back for a bit and I’m slowly but surely remembering my winter coping mechanisms! If you are feeling down please remember that it’s okay to ask for help. And it’s okay to make changes to your routine to make things feel easier and little more gentle on the soul. And as always, remember to look for joy in the small and hidden places.

  1. Reading happy books. I just posted my October Book Report and I mentioned that the ending of one of the books didn’t sit well with me and that I think it’s more about my mental state than the actual writing. In that same vein I’m in the middle of a beautifully written book that is set during the Great Depression and it’s, well, depressing. I’m close to finishing so I’m going to push through, but I wish I had landed on this book at a different time of year. So once this is done…I’m going to lean in to Christmas-themed fluff novels and silly fantasy books and funny memoirs for a bit. Reading really can affect our mood and mental state, so why not adjust our reading lists to what we need in a given season.
  2. The Morning Show. I just started watching season 2 of The Morning Show and once again I’m hooked! If you got an Apple TV+ subscription to watch Ted Lasso and are now wondering what to watch next…add this to your list. It is just so well made and really sucks you in.
  3. Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salts. This time of year I start to add baths into my routine more regularly. I get really sensitive and itchy skin with the dry winter air in my climate and a lot of bubble baths or bath bombs just made it worse. However! Dr. Teal’s salts are both affordable and kind to my skin. I really like their blends that have oils in them for a little added moisturizing effect (Hemp Seed Oil, Shea Butter & Almond Oil, and Coconut Oil). If you are a bath person and also don’t want to spend a million dollars on tiny jars of fancy bath soaks…this might be your jam.
  4. Speakerphone. I have always been uncomfortable talking on the phone. Even when I was at that age when girls are constantly on the phone…it always gave me a bit of anxiety. When I started working in an office setting and had to be on the phone for many many hours in a day I would really have to hype myself up for each phone call. Then I discovered that using the hands free headsets seemed to help, especially if I got up and paced around my cubicle. Now that I’m not in an office and I spend most of the day at home by myself I have really been leaning into speakerphone. Guys, I can’t explain it but when I needed to call the dentist this morning I started getting that queasy stomach feeling until I remembered that I could use speakerphone and it suddenly made it seem really easy and accessible. So if you are like me and have phone anxiety, try using speakerphone to see if it helps! And also, if there’s a task that is difficult for you but a slight modification makes it seem a lot easier, lean into it! Don’t feel like you have to do it a certain way just because it seems like the “wrong way” to do it. Using speakerphone for simple calls on my cell phone when I’m home alone might not be what most people do…but it just makes things better for me so why not do it?
  5. This recipe for stuffed acorn squash. I was craving squash this week and came across this recipe during a search for stuffed squash. SO GOOD. Instead of dry white rice I used one of these packets of brown rice and quinoa that I had in my pantry. Since the rice didn’t need to cook in the pan, I reduced the chicken broth to about a quarter cup just to bring everything together. Otherwise I followed the recipe. Although next time I think I’d make two changes. 1) toast up some walnuts in the pan and add them to the stuffing at the end for a little texture and protein, and 2) add parmesan cheese into the rice mixture in addition to the topping. I usually do that when recipes call for just putting cheese on top because I like to have a bit of the flavor in every bite, but I jut forgot this time. Anyway, if you like acorn squash and mushrooms, you should definitely make this. It’s very filling and stands alone as a main dish.

Friday Five Things 10/29

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Gautama Buddha

This was one of those weeks that I can’t categorize as wholly “good” or “bad” because it was full of ups and downs. I have been making myself get out of the house more often and be social which has been great, but it creates a sharper contrast of how alone I really am most of the time. I am also acutely feeling the changing of the seasons and getting nervous about not being able to spend as much time outside this winter, so I just need to be intentional about it, right? Anyway…there were still some very bright spots to my week despite the sun going down so early.

  1. New window seat for cats. If you have pets, you know the feeling of buying something you are sure they are going to love, only for them to fully ignore it and never use it. Both of our cats love sitting in the window, but our window sills aren’t very wide. So I saw a cat bed that is basically an extension of the window sill. I bought it and for almost a week the cats were leaping over it to get to the tiny portion of the original window sill that was still exposed. So I figured it was a failure. Then all of a sudden this week Buzz has figured out that if he uses the new window seat he can lay down and look out the window. So now he spends a couple hours in the morning and evenings enjoying his new spot. As I type this he is just taking a little snooze there and it makes me so happy!
  2. Writing coach. A couple months ago at a silent auction I bid on a session with a writing coach and I won it. So this week I actually met with her and she was encouraging, insightful, and delightful. She gave me some great tips to overcome some mental challenges I’ve been having and it was also great just talking with another writer for a bit. I probably can’t afford to meet with her super regularly, but hoping to get a few more one-on-one sessions as I continue working through my first draft.
  3. Walks with Bama. Every day Bama and I walk for at least 1 mile around the neighborhood. I haven’t been hiking much recently, but these walks definitely fill that same need I have for daily movement and spending time outside. We skipped our walk on Wednesday because Bama wasn’t feeling well and we were both up quite a bit the night before. And while she snoozed on the couch, I decided not to go for a walk by myself because it was really windy. Man! I didn’t realize how important those walks are for my mental well being until I skipped that one and just felt off all day. So Thursday I made it a priority to go and I’m hoping we can (mostly) keep up the practice for the rest of the fall and into the winter months.
  4. Cozy socks. Something happened over the last couple years and I feel like all my friends started getting into cozy socks in their late-thirties, myself included. Tall thick warm socks that you can pull up over the cuff of your sweatpants or leggings. It’s not terribly fashionable, but man it’s comfy. I treated myself to a six pack of really soft ones from Costco recently and I wore the heck out of them this past week as it’s been chilly in the mornings. It’s like we’re all turning into Dumbledore (IYKYK).
  5. Hunger Games movies. Even though there are a million and two new shows and movies on my To Watch list, this week I decided to start the Hunger Games movies even though I’ve already seen them at least a couple times each. I kind of had forgotten how good they are! Very much enjoying the rewatch.

Friday Five Things 10/22

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

This week hasn’t felt very productive and that makes me antsy. But this morning I read an instagram post from a friend who wrote that when she starts feeling like her worth is tied to her work, she steps back and re-states her personal definition of success. After doing that for myself I realized that while I haven’t felt “productive,” I have actually had a really successful week. And here’s why…

  1. Visiting with a close friend. Over the summer, a friend and I would take weekly walks on Monday mornings. We had to stop when she went back to work (she’s a teacher). So I see her less frequently now and we have to be intentional about scheduling time. Last night I was able to go to her house and just sit and chat for a couple hours. It was lovely.
  2. Snuggling with my pets. With the weather getting colder, everyone in the house is feeling a lot snugglier than usual. So pretty much any time I sit on the couch I end up with a dog next to me or a cat in my lap. Loving these little beasts and having them love me in return feels like I’m doing life right.
  3. Writing. At this point it is very unlikely that I will hit my goal of 90,000 words written by the end of the year, which feels like a failure. However, I’ve recently been going back and rewriting parts of the beginning of the book that are more in line with where I see things going and it’s making my writing sessions much more successful in terms of creative flow. In this case, letting go of my quantitative goal is leading to better quality.
  4. Morning routine. While I might never have two mornings that look exactly the same, this week I’ve been able to get the each of following things done every morning – meditate, journal, eat breakfast, walk the dog, shower, get dressed. Sometimes I also write in the morning, one day I had a doctor’s appt, and some mornings I linger a little longer on the couch with my second cup of coffee. So my routine is less a rigid timeline and more a series of activities that make me feel grounded and ready for the rest of the day.
  5. Boring adult stuff. The past couple weeks I done a few things that aren’t really the “spark joy” kinds of activities but that I know are going to benefit me long term. Last week I got a root canal on a damaged front tooth that has been discolored for many years. They did internal bleaching and now it looks like nothing every happened! Don’t know why I didn’t do it years ago but glad to have it done now. I also did some work to consolidate some old retirement and HSA accounts. Very excited to have it all in one place and not have to use the Forgot Username/Password button on multiple sites to keep track of things! And last but not least…after a few months of our trash can lid being broken, I finally ordered a new one and it’s getting swapped out today! Woohoo!

Friday Five Things 10/15

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October.” – Alexander Smith

Can you believe it’s already halfway through October? Maybe because it’s only just now really feeling like fall around here, with snow starting to show up on the forecast, that it hasn’t quite seemed like October. I guess I’d better start thinking about what to get for the 5 or so trick or treaters we get every year…

  1. Harry Legged Jerry. Last week I mentioned the Halloween decorations in the neighborhood where I walk Bama. Over the weekend I passed a family who were in the process of putting out their decorations. And I overheard their daughter yell out to her friends next door that they had named their spider Hairy Legged Jerry. Jerry wasn’t out yet when I passed by, but I did get to see him the next day. He’s a giant fuzzy purple spiders with big googly eyes and I love him. So now every day we get to walk by and say hi to Hairy Legged Jerry.
  2. Cactus Friends. An old friend of mine called me her cactus friend this week and while I can be prickly at times, that’s not what she meant. She was describing how we can go months, maybe even years, without talking to each other or putting energy into maintaining our friendship. But then when we do get back in touch we’re just as healthy and strong as ever. We started texting this week after she sent me a funny headline she found and I sent her one back that I had seen last week (and at the time had actually planned to send it to her!) We caught up a bit on life and vowed to keep in better touch. And I really hope we will. But I also feel confident that if things do fall off again, we can always pick back up where we left them.
  3. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. Guys, this might have been my favorite mac and cheese that I’ve ever made. The squash adds flavor but it isn’t overpowering. I made a few swaps/changes because I rarely ever can just make a recipe straight! First of all, I read through the comments ahead of time and ended up doubling the amount of pasta. I’d say either do that or cut everything else in half because it makes a lot of sauce! Other changes: -Added fresh rosemary with the sage -Used heavy cream and 2% milk (we didn’t have half and half and whole milk!) -8oz of cheddar cheese instead of 10oz because I didn’t check the size of the block when I bought it… -made my own purée with a bag of frozen squash -Stirred in some shredded chicken at the end because I had some left over. Yes, that’s a lot of changes, but no I don’t think it materially made a difference to how good this recipe is! Well…except maybe the using heavy cream… Anyway, make it and enjoy!
  4. James Bond. I went to see the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, this week and really enjoyed it! It’s a long one, so bring snacks! I would also recommend watching at least the most recent Bond movie before this one as there are plot points mentioned from it. It won’t ruin the movie if you don’t, but I wish I had just so I was a little faster on the uptake with a few conversations between characters.
  5. Essie nail polish in Rocky Rose. I just repainted my nails with this color for a second week in a row and I’m so in love with it. It’s the perfect fall color if you lean more towards neutral/nude colors. It’s like a rosy terracotta color and it’s just so pretty.

Friday Five Things 10/8

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“Our heads are round so thought can change direction.” – Francis Picabia

It was a pretty good week here! Fall feels in full swing here, I’ve had to wear a jacket or vest for my morning walks with Bama and the leaves are changing in our neighborhood. Some neighbors have put out elaborate Halloween decorations and Bama tends to give those houses a very wide berth. Hope you are all having a good October so far!

  1. Rewrites on my novel. My original plan was to finish a complete first draft before I went back to the beginning to make changes, but I was stalling out on how to finish up the story because I changed my mind about a few key things in the plot. So instead of continuing to write forward, I went back and started rewrites already. And I’m so glad I adjusted my plan! Making these changes is really sparking creativity about the story and I’m having a lot of fun writing right now.
  2. Virgin River. Okay, so I’m late to the party on this one. A lot of people I know watched it at the beginning of the pandemic shut down. But I finally decided to give it a shot! If you don’t know, it’s a drama/soapy-type show on Netflix. It’s set in a small town in northern California and full of all the small town characters tropes you would expect. The cranky older doctor, the handsome but troubled bar owner, the gossipy town matriarch, and, of course, the new girl in town. Here’s the deal, it’s not a good show. Like, objectively it isn’t great writing, great acting, anything like that. But it’s so easy to watch especially if you are doing something else like folding clothes, cooking, or doing a puzzle. It’s the same kind of mom-watching-All-My-Children-while-ironing vibes that a lot of us grew up with.
  3. Disney planning. We are going to Disney World in the spring and I am so excited! I am one of those people who loves researching and planning ahead of a trip almost as much as I enjoy going on the actual vacation. I’ve been following Disney Instagrammers, watching YouTube videos, and reading blogs so we can make the best of our time in the most magical place on earth!
  4. Being social. I met up with a couple friends on Tuesday to grab margaritas and Mexican food. We had a lot of fun chatting and laughing and catching up. I’ve been making a concerted effort to get out of the house and be more social. It always seems daunting to me at first but I always have so much fun.
  5. Soup season! I really love soup and would make it year round, but our kitchen gets so warm with the stove on for awhile so I usually skip the homemade soup in the summer. Now that the evenings are getting cooler, I’m back to soup making! I made a delicious butternut squash soup the other day (kinda followed this recipe but included carrots and added a little heavy cream at the end.) I had enough for two nights of dinner and then some, so I froze it in our big ice cube tray (like this). If what we had didn’t work well enough, I would get some of these souper cubes. Makes freezing thawing the right portion so much easier!

Friday Five Things 10/1

~ kofriedery ~ Leave a comment

“I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world.” – Dolly Parton

Happy October everyone! Some of us are getting excited about Halloween, others are already planning and decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and others are just plain happy to be done with the hot hot weather (that’s me 🙋‍♀️). I hope whatever it is about this time of year that brings you joy, that you receive it in abundance.

  1. Propagating houseplants. This week I did a bit of pruning on some of my houseplants and I now have a whole little army of cuttings that I’m attempting to propagate. Most likely, not all of them will take to it. But if I get one or two out of the bunch I’ll be happy! I never ever thought I’d turn into such a plant lady, but here I am!
  2. Mums. Speaking of being a plant lady, I bought mums this week! We were at Home Depot for a few other things and I saw they had some really healthy looking mums and I couldn’t resist. I bought two HUGE planters of multicolored mums and I am so excited for them to bloom! It also prompted me to finally get rid of my summer hanging baskets that have been dead for a few weeks.
  3. Writing desk. We have a room in the house that somewhat functions as an office. I mean, it has a desk, a printer, and some file cabinets. But it’s also where the snake and lizard live…so it’s hot with their heat lamps on. And it’s cut off from the rest of the house. It was great when I was working full time and on conference calls constantly because I could shut the door. But now that I’m doing something different, I like to work in our more open living area. After a year of sitting on the couch to write, I decided last week to get a small desk. Tyler helped me pick one out that would look good and wouldn’t be too large and clunky in the space. Target was having a sale on desks and then we found the perfect chairs at our local Habitat for Humanity Restore. Altogether I spent less than $150 for a desk and two chairs! I’m really pleased with my new setup and I’ve spent a few hours sitting here every day since it put it together. Here’s the desk (though not on sale anymore). It was pretty straightforward assembly and it feels really sturdy, but doesn’t take up too much space in the room.
  4. Crossword puzzles. This week I signed up for a free trial of the New York Times crossword puzzle app and I’ve been having a great time doing puzzles in my spare time. In fact, I’ve stayed up way too late on a couple of nights working on a crossword! I don’t think I’m going to pay for the full trial just because the NYT puzzles are pretty difficult for me still. So I’ll probably buy a book at the store to get back into the practice of doing them regularly at a more beginner/intermediate level to start. I do not consider myself competitive with other people at all, but I am super competitive with myself when it comes to trivia or puzzles of any kind, if that makes sense. I feel so accomplished when I’m able to get an answer quickly!
  5. Autumn! I mentioned it earlier, but I love this season so much. The end of summer kind of drags on for me a bit and I don’t like really hot weather. So as soon as things start to cool down my mood gets such a big boost. And my energy levels too! It doesn’t last forever, I know, but I love the leaves changing and pumpkins everywhere and pulling out my favorite sweaters and scarves. Cozy season for sure!

Friday Five Things 9/24

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“Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance.” – Jean Antoine Petit-Senn

First of all, this has been one of those weeks where I’ve lost track of what day it is…pretty much every day. I only knew today because my phone alarm went off to remind me to take the trash out to the curb for pickup! Anyway, it’s been a pretty good week and, like usual, I’m happy to be here sharing my thoughts with you.

  1. Freedom to adjust priorities. If there was a theme to this week it would be adjusting priorities. I’ve had a lot of things come up that have gotten in the way of my writing or my gardening or any number of other things on my weekly to-do list. But I remember someone once making the comment that we should change our perspectives from “I don’t have time to do xyz” to “Xyz isn’t a priority for me right now.” And to see how that feels. For example, this week writing has not been a priority and I’m okay with that. This month putting money into the “vacation” bucket hasn’t been a priority because of various other things and I’m okay with that. What doesn’t feel okay is to say that my health isn’t a priority. Or my family isn’t a priority. Or taking care of my animals isn’t a priority. So things had to adjust and rearrange this week and guess what…probably next week my priorities will look a little different!
  2. Getting outside every day. Speaking of priorities! I did not make getting outside every day a priority in August and I think I suffered for it. While I haven’t been able to hike as much recently as I’d prefer, I have been taking the dog on daily walks around the neighborhood and I think we are both benefiting from the routine of it. Getting outside before I dive into whatever else needs to be done helps me clear my mind and start things off on the right foot.
  3. Meditation. Something else that I decided to make a priority this week was doing short little meditations when I started to feel like things were going off the rails. Anywhere from two to five minutes of focusing on my breathing and clearing my mind. I do a visualization of a big black hole in front of me and any thought that comes into my mind while I’m meditating gets thrown into the black hole. Need to put away laundry? Not now, into the black hole it goes. Worried that I had too much sugar last night? Who cares, into the black hole. Getting overwhelmed with my ambitious writing goals? BLACK HOLE IT!!!! Somehow it just works for me, once something goes into the black hole it doesn’t come back until the meditation is finished. Also, I’m always amazed at how many thoughts can pop into my head in the span of two minutes!!
  4. Tackling home projects. Today I installed a new utility sink in our laundry room all by myself! Well…Tyler helped me troubleshoot an issue and even ran out to the hardware store to grab the right connection to solve the problem. But I was the one who put everything together from assembling to sink to connecting the water and the drain. I plumbed! I also understand why plumbers charge so much money! But I did it and now I have a functioning sink. Which (hopefully means) no more handwashing large items in the bathtub. Or rinsing out paint brushes in my bathroom! Love that accomplished feeling!
  5. Matt Amodio. If you watch Jeopardy, you know that Matt is having an awesome run of it right now! I don’t know what it is, but I’m enjoying watching him so much. He seems really humble and down to earth. I also feel like he is genuinely surprised and delighted each time he wins. Go Matt Go!!

Friday Five Things 9/17

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“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill

Last night I learned that an old coworker and dear friend died this week after a long battle with cancer. She was the kindest and sweetest soul, but could also be incredibly feisty. I learned a lot about what it means to set personal boundaries and advocate for myself at work from her. I hadn’t seen her or spoken to her in a few years but I miss her like it was just yesterday that we were having dinner together. Squeeze your loved ones tight and remind them you love them. And in the midst of it all, don’t forget to find joy also.

  1. Drinks with a friend. This week I was running errands south of Denver and decided to see if a friend was available to grab a drink. Then what started as a planned one hour happy hour turned into almost four hours of sharing, reminiscing, and laughing. It was very much needed for my sanity! I spend most of my time alone at home talking to the cats and dog, so it was good to be around people.
  2. Applying for jobs. I have been thinking about getting back to work part-time for a few months and this week I finally pulled the trigger on applying to a couple! TBD if anything works out, but it feels good to be acting on it. Would love to start working with people and feeling like I’m contributing to society again.
  3. Cooler weather. It’s finally feeling (a little bit) like fall! The afternoons are still pretty hot, but the mornings are cool enough to wear a jacket. This morning I had an early appointment for my car and I had to pull a fleece on over my t-shirt! No leaves changing around me yet, but I think next week I’ll get some mums for my front stoop.
  4. Football! I know I mentioned going to a college football game a couple weeks ago, but I’m also so happy that now my Saturdays and Sundays are full of the familiar sounds of football on the tv. It’s rare that I sit still and just watch a whole game, but I love having it on in the background while I’m writing or cleaning or cooking. It’s a cozy and comforting sound to me.
  5. Booksmart. I know I’m a couple years late to the party on this one, but I recently watched the movie Booksmart and omg, I loved it. It is rated R with a lot of F-bombs and sex-references and drug use…but it was really a heartwarming movie about two best friends just trying to have fun and support each other! The premise is that these two girls only focused on schoolwork and didn’t have any “fun” but then they realize they could have been doing both and try to cram four years worth of fun into the night before high school graduation. It was really reminiscent of Can’t Hardly Wait in a way. I laughed, I cringed, and I cried.

Friday Five Things 9/10

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“Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.” – Ruth Gordon

Summer is not leaving without a fight here in Colorado! Last year at this time we were getting snow and this year we are getting temps in the 90s. Hopefully things get more fall-like soon…I’m ready for mums and pumpkins! Although, I finally decided not to spend money on pumpkins for my porch this year because every year the squirrels make quick work of destroying them. Anyway, hope everyone is having a wonderful September so far, wherever you are!

  1. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Tyler and I went to see this movie earlier this week and WOW it completely exceeded my already high expectations. It was such a great mix of a classic superhero movie and a classic martial arts movie, with lots of fun supernatural elements thrown in. I loved the story, loved the characters, and just had a lot of fun watching the movie. Side note: with our schedules we were able to go early afternoon on a Tuesday so the theater was practically empty. I think there were five other people there? I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable going to the theater during normal busy hours and being in a crowded room with stranger for a couple hours…
  2. Peanut Butter M&Ms. I don’t have candy very often, if I’m going to have a sweet treat it’s more likely to be ice cream or cookies. But Tyler picked up some candy for the movie and guys…I had forgotten how good those little suckers are! You know how sometimes when you haven’t had something for awhile it doesn’t quite live up to your memory of how good it was? Not the case with peanut butter m&ms. Seriously. Brought so much joy to my mouth.
  3. Hiking! Bama and I got back on the hiking train this week! After basically not hiking at all during August due to the heat and smoky air, we loaded up and drove a bit into the mountains to find a nice shady trail on Wednesday. It was about 3 miles round trip, which is a little longer than Bama prefers to hike with me, but she did it without too much struggle. I’ll probably leave her at home and try for something slightly longer next week, but so glad to have a few miles under my belt already this month.
  4. Long overdue dentist appointment. No, going to the dentist does not bring me joy. However, finally checking off “go to the dentist” from my to do list does! Like many others I’ve talked to, the dentist was one of the first regular doctors appointments to get bumped to the bottom of the list during the pandemic. In the early days, the office was closed. Then they opened, but the thought of going somewhere to sit with my mouth wide open for an hour sounded…risky. And then eventually I just started avoiding it because it had been so long and I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy appointment. Yesterday morning I sat down to journal and wrote down “Things are not as scary in real life as they are in my head.” And then I repeated that to myself a few times while I was getting my teeth looked at. And you know what? It’s true! It wasn’t a perfect appointment, I have to go back in a few months to get some things checked out and worked on, but nothing major that can’t be fixed. Not as scary in real life as it was in my head.
  5. Finished my Late-Summer Cleaning list. After chipping away at a it for a few weeks, I finished everything that was on my deep cleaning list for the house! Of course, between the two cats and the dog they are doing their best to undo my hard work, but the house really does feel cleaner and brighter.

Friday Five Things 9/3

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“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” -Neil Gaiman

Sometimes I think of myself as not very artistic. Like, only someone who makes visual art is truly creative. But then I remember this quote from Neil Gaiman and remember that every time I sit down and write, I’m making something that wasn’t there before. And it does make the world feel a little brighter when I’m done.

  1. It’s finally September! I am so glad that August is in the rear view mirror and we are marching on towards autumn! While chatting with a friend this week I commented how January, February, and August are always so difficult for me. I think it’s because while January and February are often too cold for me to spend significant time outside…August is usually too hot! So I am very much looking forward to the cooler weather on the horizon.
  2. The ability to rest when needed. Earlier this year I had my first episode of vertigo. It was scary and unexpected and frustrating. Earlier this week I had a second episode. Let me tell you, there is nothing fun about waking up and rolling over as usual, only for the world to start spinning uncontrollably. Luckily this time I understood what was happening and what would help me. I also gave myself permission to rest and recover. While I haven’t had any spinning the past couple days, I still haven’t felt 100% stable yet. So I’m continuing to take it easy as needed, even if it means delaying the completion of my deep cleaning this week! But I figure bending over to wipe down all my baseboards isn’t the best activity for my equilibrium.
  3. DIY Haircut. Okay, hear me out. I’ve been giving myself at home haircuts for the past year, just a couple inches or less every few months. And because I wear my hair curly it isn’t the end of the world if things are completely even. But I feel like I really nailed it this week! So I’m happy to look a little less scraggly and frizzy.
  4. Mike Richard ousted as Jeopardy EP. A few weeks ago I mentioned being happy that Mike Richards had stepped down from the role of the new host of Jeopardy. But I had resigned myself to the fact that he would remain executive producer, especially after hearing the Sony execs planned to send him to sensitivity training. It seemed like such a dated and disappointing move that I figured they wouldn’t be swayed further. BUT THEN this week they straight up fired him from his job. Guys, it is so gratifying as a Jeopardy fan to see Sony take it seriously that this guy has damaged their credibility. And it is so gratifying as a woman who has experienced blatant misogyny in the workplace to see someone truly be held accountable for their toxic behavior. I truly think Jeopardy will be better for it.
  5. Finding the right thing at the right price. While I’ve been trying to buy less and spend less, there are a few house projects that are still on the table for purchases. One of these is making our laundry room more functional. After we moved in, we took out the utility sink to reseal the floor in the laundry/utility/mud room. Then it just never made it back inside. And then I got a standing drying rack that took up the space where the sink used to be, but I really only ever use the top part of the drying rack. Anyway…I reorganized the laundry room a couple weeks ago and decided I want to get a new utility sink which means I needed a new drying rack solution. This week at Costco I found the perfect little rack/shelf with hooks underneath it! It was less than $15 and will fit perfectly over the space where the sink will go. Now we just need to find the right sink at the right price…