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Tag Archives: weather
meandering monday
On Friday, the promised snow began around 2pm and went on thickly until about 9pm, when it switched over to a sodden freezing drip. The winds picked up and the power flickered a few times, but stayed on; we had a full woodbox, lots of books, a Blue Apron to cook, and a bottle of Chianti. We watched ‘Barbie’ (we both enjoyed it) and headed out around 10 for a walk around the neighborhood to check out the storm damage.
It was a wet heavy snow that was difficult to clear on Saturday, but the sun came out a bit and the exercise felt good. Shoveling and snowblowing that kind of snow is a uniquely taxing experience – you’re cold outside of your clothes but overheated and sweating inside them. My latest merino wool purchase – a lightweight henley – came in handy. We have a tiny and not very rugged snowblower, and I had to use the ‘single woman’ method that I learned before Brandon moved in – you clear the areas that will get you sued. Focus on the walkways and sidewalks and leave the driveway alone. Our 4WD and AWD vehicles will mash the rest of it down so don’t waste your energy or salt or battery life. We gathered up branches, made sure the birds and the squirrels had full feeders and water in the heated birdbath and that the local Coopers Hawk was nowhere to be seen. After that, I was very happy to come in and have a hot soapy shower and use some of my new favorite skincare.
I think I mentioned that this year I splurged on a Beekman 1802 Advent calendar and to say I am obsessed with their rich, whipped goat milk skin and bodycare is an understatement. Every product has been fantastic. (I have no affiliate links – these are just my personal recommendations based on my own experience and purchase.) My especial favorites are the milk drops, the Honeyed Grapefruit body lotion, and the Sunshine Lemon handcream. The Honeyed Grapefruit body lotion scent layers really nicely with my newest deodorant. I’ve tried to switch to an aluminum-free deodorant on many occasions with disappointing results. I tried Schmidts, which was like sandpaper and ripped up my underarms (terrible), Toms of Maine (slimy) and Peach. Peach was the best of that bunch but I found the metal packaging to be fiddly and weird, and I couldn’t wear it on office days because it just didn’t hold up to my workday stresses. I finally decided to pay for Native (it’s not cheap for deodorant) but it’s the best and I haven’t had to go back to my regular Dove once, even on stressful workdays. We’ll see how it holds up in the summertime but so far so good.
I spent the rest of the weekend with books and vlogs and knitting. My 2024 reading started off strong – I read ‘Ninth House’ by Leah Bardugo and quickly dove into the sequel, ‘Hell Bent’. While ‘Ninth House’ took awhile to rev up, once it did I was hooked and found both books to be very enjoyable reading experiences. Unfortunately, once they were over, I started ‘We Ate the Dark’ by Mallory Pearson and this is proving to be a much less entertaining read. It was a free Amazon Prime monthly selection. I’m usually a little wary of those, but this one started out okay and I thought it would be a quick interlude until I could get to the library again. I’m about 40% done and on the fence about whether to finish it. I hate to waste time with a book I’m not enjoying but somehow I can’t quite put it down yet either. It started off interestingly enough but quickly gave me strong ‘what the fuck is going on’ vibes and now it is really veering off into those waters.
Hope you all had a calm and peaceful weekend and are enjoying your small pleasures!
changes, but no bad weather
I believe there is a Scandinavian saying about “no bad weather, only bad clothes!” and I thought about that when I woke up to 39 degrees this morning. Cold weather and life changes have come to my part of Michigan but I have warm clothes and a positive mindset.
Brandon has commenced a work project out of state and will be away periodically for quite some time. He’ll be coming home most weekends and for a longer time over the holidays, but I have to make up my mind that my extra alone time will be healthy and productive. Today at lunch I went out for a run to enjoy the brisk fresh air and if I feel sad this evening after work, I’ll take my iPad to the gym and spend some time on the elliptical instead of lying on the couch with snacks and reruns.
I’m a true introvert so I don’t mind alone time. I do, however, want to focus the extra time on productive and positive things – doing extra work, spending extra time with my beautiful daughter, my knitting, and my feline companions.
It’s good to have plans, now to put them into practice.
I have a couple of recipes from WW buddies that I want to explore. I actually do not enjoy cooking, but when Brandon and the kiddo are both home, I cook almost every night. Left to my own devices I’d probably eat frozen pizza and salads every night so my plan is to batch cook a couple of times a week. This week I’ll be trying this white chicken chili recipe – I love a dish where I can just throw a bunch of stuff into a crockpot and be done.
In other news, we hosted our first party for teenagers on Saturday night. We got lucky with the last evening of comparatively mild temperatures for autumn – later that night and into the morning hours, the cold would really begin to set in – so we set up an outdoor projector and big screen and the kiddo had 9-10 of her marching band friends over. We ordered pizzas and set out a cooler of sodas, some bowls of Halloween candy, cider and donuts, they had a bonfire and watched ‘Scream’ and ‘Blair Witch Project’ bundled up in blankets. I kept creeping around to the back of the house to eavesdrop and enjoy their snarky comments and laughter. I told Brandon that we are officially in the period of life where we do the hard labor and bear the expense for her parties and then don’t get to enjoy the fun! I was gratified that the kids that she invited are all great young people who seemed to really enjoy themselves and even though it was a little stressful for me to plan a party for teenagers, and I had moments of regretting the offer – I am tentatively sure it was a reasonable success and I would do it again to make the kiddo happy.
Every day, every week is an opportunity to try new things and extend myself beyond my comfort zone, and I just keep telling myself – there’s no bad weather.
winds and clouds and changing skies
It’s March and 2023 already feels pretty action packed. Our power grid in suburban Elysia is always a matter of heated local commentary and it’s been tested severely over the past couple of weeks. An ice storm knocked out about 500,000 households two weeks ago, and just as the vast majority of those folks were coming back online, we got hit with an unusually intense snowfall on Friday night that delivered another wallop. The snow started showering down at about 3:30 Friday afternoon – it was heavy and wet, and came down so fast that it took more trees, branches, and power lines with it. We made it all the way through our Friday night movie selection (“The ‘Burbs” which Brandon had never seen) and within seconds of the end credits, we heard the familiar sound of blowing transformers and the lights went out. I’ve lived in Michigan almost all my life and I’ve never experienced thunder snow and lightning before. It was amazing and terrifying. Luckily, I had the foresight to blow up our air mattress so we could sleep downstairs near the woodstove, so we were fairly comfortable, but still. It’s a matter of convenience. The rest of the weekend felt like a wash – power going off and on until Sunday mid-afternoon. When it was finally restored, we could start laundry, meal plan for the week ahead, restock the fridge, etc. Pretty much everyone in the neighborhood is just pissed and done with the fact that our power goes out whenever someone sneezes. There will be a long line of generator customers (including us) once tax refund checks are delivered.
Anyway – it’s March and I have some goals!
Firstly – health and self-image – I am getting my teeth fixed. I resisted for a long time but my dentist told me before the holidays that my bite has become so bad that my teeth are actually loose on top and chipping on the bottom. I had braces as a kid, but I didn’t wear my retainers so….cautionary tale. I went in for an ortho consult last week and unfortunately, Invisalign is not an option…I need an extraction to relieve overcrowding and then it’s good old-fashioned brackets and bands for me. Starting soon.
Also in the health and self-image category – I’m back on Weight Watchers. While I’m all about body positivity, and embracing that my peri-menopausal body at 49 and 8 months is never going to look like it did before (and that’s okay) – I would really like to feel a bit better in my clothes than I do currently. I am short, and I gain weight around my belly and as a result I can just look barrel-shaped which makes finding pants that fit almost impossible. So another March goal is tracking and doing better with my food choices and getting back into some of my work pants. It’s also somewhat true that once I do one positive thing for my overall health and well-being (see ortho above) then I feel inspired to do other things. I spontaneously re-upped Weight Watchers a few hours after my ortho consult.
Professional goals – Although Widget Central has been fairly lax about hybrid schedule and working from home, I’m conscious that these things are much about perception, too, so in March I will try to be more faithful to 2-3 days a week in the physical office building. I’ve been averaging about 1 office day a week since January. I like work from home, but I also don’t mind time in the office, so this shouldn’t be a major problem for me – the biggest thing is just planning to pack my lunch and snacks (which should also be good because – see above with weight issues).
Miscellaneous goals include keeping up with my 2023 reading challenge, running at least 20 miles, blogging once a week and finishing at least 1 knitting project. I’ll check in on these things at the beginning of April, hopefully in a bit more organized format.
Not really a goal here, but at the end of the month, for the kiddo’s Spring Break, we’ll be taking a trip to Williamsburg, VA – she’s going to be 15 this summer so she has probably already aged out of the ‘educational trip with parents’ bracket, but I still think it will be cool for her to see Williamsburg and Jamestown, the weather should be mild and pleasant, the hotel has an indoor pool and we’ll eat some nice meals. I’m currently trying to decide whether to drive our Subaru Outback (the inexpensive route) or rent a more comfy minivan for the 20ish hour (round trip) drive.
And of course there are the usual tasks of getting taxes done (tomorrow), running the kiddo around to theater rehearsals (Hello, Dolly! in May! she plays the judge!) and marching band and music lessons and scheduling her summer music camp and driver’s education class in June (!!).
And that’s our March.
The title of my post is from William C. Bryant: “The stormy March has come at last, With winds and clouds and changing skies; I hear the rushing of the blast That through the snowy valley flies.”
quick hello
Two office days this week and they’re starting to feel more normal. It helps that I’ve been busy planning and preparing for our major corporate governance meetings, which take place this week & next. It’s one of my major work responsibilities and every spring for me is marked with seasonal allergies and board meetings.
Life is busy otherwise, too – the kiddo is in final theater rehearsals for her performances in mid-May, and she’s also running track. Michigan weather hasn’t really cooperated much with this and several practices and her first meet have been canceled due to snow, wind, rain, etc. But still a lot of driving and dropping off and picking up but it’s very exciting to see her trying and enjoying new things.
Brandon went to the Jack White show at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, which kicked off the Supply Chain Issues tour. I didn’t go, even though I love Jack White and the White Stripes – I just needed a quiet night at home with the cats. He went with a buddy and I was kicking myself the next morning when Brandon casually mentioned that Jack proposed to his girlfriend AND THEN MARRIED HER ONSTAGE. I did get a cool t-shirt, but I could have been a wedding guest!
Our Easter was quiet and traditional- one of Brandon’s friends came over, I made ham, green bean casserole, and scalloped potatoes, and there was lamb cake for dessert.
So that’s about it for now – I just wanted to give a quick hello from gloomy wet Michigan spring. Once my meetings are over, I have a couple of posts planned – one to review my wardrobe updates / capsule wardrobe for return to the office, and one crafty update (I hope to have one knitted FO and a fair bit of cross-stitch). Until then! xx
friday files
Yesterday started out at almost 50, and pouring rain, and by midnight it was 10 and snowing. We got about 5 inches which is covering a sheet of thick ice. The kiddo has a snow day and Brandon only has one meeting; she’s still sleeping, he’s making cinnamon rolls, I’m taking some vacation time to hang out with them and hit the sled hill when it warms up.
I have a couple of beauty product recommendations for today – although if you saw me lately you may not want to take them. (No affiliations, just products I’ve tried and like.) I am playing chicken with myself about coloring my greys and I’m looking a little feral. But my stylist convinced me to try this brush for my shoulder length, layered cut and it’s a two thumbs up. It’s a very light carbon and heats up with the blow dryer to act almost as a curling iron. The bristles are perfectly spaced. It was pricey – far more than any other brush I’ve ever had – but worth it so far.
Along with coloring my hair, I need to get my eyebrows shaped and tinted. As I age, they have thinned out and I’ve tried probably 20 different drugstore pencils, pomades, and gels. So far, this is the best gel type pomade (my favorite pencil is from Aveda). It also has an amazing dense, soft brush for fluffing.
We always have to try the new Oreo types and the kid says these are pretty good.
What’s everyone up to this weekend? I am making beef stew, the kiddo has a theater rehearsal, and tomorrow I have a day-long basket weaving class at the Michigan Folk School. Just when I think I can’t get any crunchier, I level up. Be well and enjoy. xx
friday faves
Snowmageddon was overhyped as usual. I think our area got about 5 inches, which is nice for the winter sports buffs but probably should not have ground everything to a halt. This is Michigan, after all. Kiddo got a couple of days off school but otherwise it felt like a bit of a bust after all the trumpeting of a “biggest storm in seven years”.
Without further ado – Friday Faves.
1. Righteous Gemstones on HBO. My brother recommended this – I’m a bit late to the party. It took me awhile to get into Danny McBride’s humor. And there’s a lot of exposed wang in it. But by the time Walton Goggins (whom I loved in Justified) showed up, Brandon and I were bought in.
2. Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series. Another recommendation from my brother…Sort of a snarky sci-fi fantasy epic. The blurb on the cover of the first in the series, Gideon the Ninth, sort of says it all – “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space! Decadent nobles vie to serve the deathless emperor! Skeletons!” Muir takes a bit of a tonal detour in the second novel, Harrow the Ninth, and I’ll confess that it was pretty dense and difficult to follow. I was lost but enjoyably so and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third later this year.
3. Painting my damn nails. I finally found a dark green that I love. This is Essie Off-Tropic.
4. Small comforts – Sherpa sheets, my humidifier for sleeping, my flickering battery-operated candles for my mantle, shelves, and table, my SAD happy lamp for my desk, Shoyeido incense. Also, scented lotions – some of my current seasonal slathering favorites are Shea Body Butter from Body Shop, Pansy from Lush, and Japanese Cherry Blossom from Bath & Body Works.
5. Bedroom refresh. Brandon has made a lot of gradual changes to our sleeping space since he moved in – a new bed frame, paint and duvet. He kicked into high gear around the holidays. He had the blackout drapes hemmed and bought matching nightstands (he keeps his much neater than I keep mine). We added matching lamps and sometimes I’m still surprised at how adult the room looks.
It’s been a long week and I am looking forward to takeout tonight and catching up on rest this weekend. I hope you are all well and safe. xo
february blahs
January and February are my least favorite months. The short, cold, dark days grind me down and there are no holidays to look forward to. Valentine’s Day doesn’t count because even though I have a top notch sweetie it’s still a stupid holiday.
I try for the cozy glow of November and December but never quite seem to get it back. I hate the pale, slanted quality of the light and the pervasive drear.
It’s better to be working from home than in an office during these days, though. Winter commutes worsen everything. I can pet cats and use my SAD happy lamp without being mocked, stay in my cozy sweats all day and maximize my productive time of day (early mornings).
But I am still tired and struggling not to beat myself up over what I perceive as my lack of productivity and motivation.
I did finish up my Snuggle Down Cowl. This is a pattern by Jooles Hill of Sew Sweet Violet; I knit it in minis from my 2020 Legacy Fiber Artz Advent calendar held with a strand of Casual Fashion Queen’s baby suri alpaca & silk in the Pink Moon colorway.
I finished it during a Thin Man marathon. You get through deep winter any way you can and for me it involves crafting, old movies, fantasy novels and true crime.
Southeastern Michigan is expecting Snowmageddon this week…the kiddo is super excited because it may mean multiple snow days and a trip to the sledding hill. I’m less excited because the downside of working from home is that work is right here no matter what. All the time. Even on snow days, vacations, and holidays. I still vastly prefer it to mandatory office presence but maybe a trip to the sledding hill would be good for my energy and outlook.
Anyway! I may be back with a Friday Faves! If I can find the energy! In the meantime keep your feet warm. xo
more rain, more tests, a bit of sun and vlogtober
The sun came out on Saturday and it was a joy. It feels like it’s been raining for a week straight – nothing dries out and lawns are full of fairy rings of strange mushrooms. I’m a bit concerned that I’m just not ready for the long dark days in winter to come, since these ceaseless days of damp have really gotten to me this week (along with everything else on our plates at the moment). Running and being outside is a necessity, but in our village it is perilous because of the slipperiness of wet leaves and the occasional ankle-turning black walnut hidden therein…I tried to soak up the golden rays and took advantage of the beautiful day to pad out our Halloween decorating scheme.
Jacques is the hanging skeleton for the porch- Gus is the pumpkin head. In Miss L’s world Gus has the voice of a Bronx cab driver and Jacques is a former French aristocrat.
Brandon and I both got Covid tests on Saturday as well and they are both negative! So Miss L came home from her dad’s. And then it rained again.
The rest of the weekend was spent reading and crafting. I am burning along on my Halloween socks and also my little Halloween cross-stitch. This is totally due to the joyous thing on YouTube known as “Vlogtober” in which vloggers vlog every day in October (perhaps that was self explanatory…). A couple of my favorites are participating – Tales from Cuckoo Land and This Little Wonderful Life – so I’ve had a lot of peaceful time with them and my projects.
And that was the weekend. I am hoping for a more normal week ahead but it will be a busy one, with doctors appointments (optometrist and general physical), a Girl Scout activity next weekend and Miss L’s big orthodontist appointment. As well as the usual work from home and normal upkeep of home and family. Onward friends.
grey damp days.
It’s felt like a week of Groundhog Days. Every day dawns grey, damp, and unseasonably sticky-warm. Brandon’s been home, bored and very tired, so we have coffee together and then if I’m not going for an early run, I shower, dress, and log on in my home office (which is also currently my bedroom during Brandon’s Covid isolation period). I’m spending a lot of time in that little back bedroom.
A couple of mornings I’ve run before work which helps break things up.
We have lunch and the afternoons are back in the home office while he naps. Around 530 I start dinner, we watch a scary movie for 21 Days of Horror (more on that later this month) and then tea and bed.
To get up the next day and do it all over again.
It would be nice to see the sun or have some things to do outside the house. Maybe next week. Brandon is feeling a bit better every day and I’m still healthy and displaying no symptoms. We’ll both get tested at some point this weekend and hopefully two negatives will mean a return to some semblance of normalcy around here.
Six Ten 