Feeling very Friday today

I'm feeling very Friday today. You? Coffee on the porch far too early this morning in my new mug from Lori.

Backyard vistas. I am crazy for solar lights.

Hates couch protectors. Ben is my interior decorator dog - he moves dog beds all over and removes as much of the couch covers as he can immediately.

I didn't make it to Thursday Thoughts yesterday, but I did get all my work work done, finally finish the 230498304 loads of laundry from the shore and home, returned two dresses, packed clothes and house laundry and food  and work stuff up to come back to the shore, picked up some of the shore shit I needed to replace in the house (and a polish, who can resist). Earlier in the week I completed the bloodwork for my physical, which I tend to put off. I'm feeling good about this week personally.

I'm back at the shore to stay for the first time since the beginning of June. I've been down and back three times since then to do turnovers, but I've missed being here. This will be a longer stretch for me and I get to see some of my favorites while here. 

I bought my stamps for holiday cards today because they're going up in two days. Thanks to Cory on Instagram for the tip off. 

Bruce is the laziest dog I have ever had.

Joy is in the smallest things. This week it's been dishtowels, getting back on the good book foot, finding that new lovely polish, not much traffic on the way to the shore. It is not in a clean oven. If you have any care about anything outside of yourself, it is so fucking hard to keep yourself on an even keel right now because you can do all the therapy, wellness work, personal inventory, boundaries, actual self care, etc., but the far reaching social issues that arise from massive structural inequality across every system in this country impact all of us and our mental and emotional health. Fight for yourselves and each other. We all deserve more ease in this life. 

And stickers. Since childhood and forever, always stickers. 

It's guns and...a lot of very American things tied up in toxic masculinity and white nationalism with a side of shitty social safety nets follow Amanda Faun on IG

Reminder: no one owes you a reason or a story for why abortion must be available to all pregnant people. People who are pregnant need abortions for medical reasons but also because they cannot or do not want to care for a child in the circumstance they are in, and before you go on about birth control or abstinence I will ask you what in the fuck you have said about men in regards to birth control and abstinence and the answer will be nothing so you can STFU about women and forcing birth on pregnant people and pivot yourself to responsible ejaculation. This country has zero social safety nets for unwanted children that are operating at the appropriate capacity and zero social safety nets for wanted children that people cannot afford to raise here that are operating at the appropriate capacity. This is about white men staying in control and THAT IS IT. 

How to help within the system we are currently operating in - carrying this over from last week for the resource links We must first take care of each other - fund abortion. Do not try to be a rogue actor because you feel the need to do something - I get the desire to be part of a "camping" crew but we must use the well established and networked organizations to safely help people. The best thing to do if you are able is open your wallet. Every organization below will take donations right now. If you are unable to donate, share these resources in your networks and encourage others to donate. Links:

Donate to abortion funds: National Network of Abortion Funds

Donate to organizations that provide travel to those seeking abortions: The Brigid Alliance

Know your digital security rights: Digital Defense Fund

Know your options: INeedanA.com, Plan C, Hey Jane

Support independent clinics: Keep Our Clinics

Support during or after a miscarriage or abortion: M+A Hotline, 1-833-246-2632 (call or text)

Legal advice: IfwhenHow - lawyering for reproductive justice

Take care of each other out there.

TWTW - the one before my birthday

Friday night I saged my house and every being in it in an effort to banish negativity from the hit piece on MFD that appeared in the paper and online Friday. A state rep race out of the gate is not news in our district...unless someone makes it news. Do you have to give up your soul and humanity to do that to other people? I think you might. I heard MFD's side of the conversation and that wasn't exactly how it went. A good reminder that many things in the paper are some version of the truth but not all of it LOL. Thankful more than ever for the mighty village of the people in our lives. This hangs in our basement and it is 100% truth. When you're honest with yourself and the people in your life, you take the hit and stand right back up because you know who you are and what you're about. What he's not about is a whitewashed, perfect Stepford past, present, or future. We have all fucked up and will continue to, and if you think and act like you haven't or won't, that's a problem that's going to come back on you.

Saturday I finished a book, put laundry away, purged some stuff (including some of MFD's stuff, which never, ever happens), texted voters on behalf of Conor Lamb for the special election coming up this week, ate a MFD-made dinner, and watched some Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. I fell asleep contorted around three dogs on the couch and woke up feeling every single bit of nearly 41. My aching back for real.

Sunday was tough to get up and go with the aching back and the time change. I kill it every Sunday of fall back and walk through sludge of every Sunday of spring forward. I visited Pop for his 87th birthday and got to hang with my mom and Lori there and at Stephen & Aubrey's after, where we visited the best niece and nephew ever and had lunch from Jay's. The pugs were happy I saw Treat Lady because they enjoyed the bones she brought for them. I got this awesome mug for my birthday from Emily and put new pug canvases up on the gallery wall that I didn't add the other week. MFD changed the sheets and I did some picking up and ran the dishwasher and started a new book and suddenly it was 8 pm.

Weekly food prep: Birthday week and only three days at work so nah. I did make a pork loin and buternut squash Sunday night but after I wrote this up so no pics. Breakfast is breakfast burritos though, I always have those in the freezer. I'm going to have to get creative for lunch using whatever's in the fridge and pantry.

Show Us Your Books with me and Jana tomorrow! See you back here for that. 

TWTW - it's March, bitches.

Another scintillating Friday night, friends: Sam's, gym, Target, pizza. I listened to the Call Your Girlfriend podcast at the gym, which I heard about through Lauren. It made time go quickly, which is good at the gym. For me, at least.

I said I was getting it, and I got it - a Bodum 8-cup French Press - Chambord from Target. It was on sale for $32, plus an additional 10% off with Cartwheel, and another 5% off with my Redcard. Boom. The coffee comes out smooth and just really lovely, rich, and deep. You need to use a coarser ground coffee, so you have to get it done at the store or grind it yourself. I love grinding beans and the scent associated with that. Using the french press couldn't be easier. I'm pleased with my new weekend ritual.

Dogs were walked, couches were washed, errands were run, pedicures were gotten. To expand: the dog walk was frigid (ear covering by the fabulous Kathy B), everyone and their blessed mother was out running errands (even the lady in front of me was all WTF!), and the last time I had a pedicure was the beginning of December. Sweet Jesus, I've missed them. Even better? Thursday night while cleaning out my bedside table, I found a year old gift certificate so it was free. Free is for me.

I apologize for the lack of a before photo. I reorganized the medicine cabinet using acrylic organizers. MFD even said, "This works so much better." He usually doesn't give a shit about organization...as you can see by the second pic. Guess which side is his?

I also moved my makeup brushes, so that when not in use they sit on top of my beloved Mujis. The squat jars with white beads are where the brushes used to be. Overall a cleaner appearance on the dresser top since I ditched those two and the big jar of lip stuff Thursday when I purged my makeup and made sure it all fit in the Mujis.

Show you a place where I like disorder, you say? No problem. I like disorder in my mug cabinet. I like rooting through and pulling out different mugs to use. I cleared the way to make room for even more this weekend, transferring my boxed pasta to solid storage that was empty.

Saturday night dinner - ham, asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes. Weekly food prep: sausage/green onion/jalapeno pepper cheese egg muffins, energy bites (recipe coming as soon as I get my shit together), chicken tortilla soup, jalapeno cauliflower muffins, orange kielbasa (recipe coming tomorrow).

Sunday after the food was all prepped I laid out my clothes, admired this week's $4 flowers, and hit the gym for my 12th day of 40 minutes or more of exercise in a row. That has happened never in my life. I'm proud of myself. And happy I got it in before the weather turned to crap.

What kind of host would I be if I let you leave without taking a tour of This Weekend in Dog Town? My friend Karen sent me this very thoughtful and totally unexpected gift, very appropriate in this house. It's warm and comfortable and I loved kicking around in it on Saturday. Thank you Karen!

And these pictures suck, but I must show you how Mae is literally in my face constantly.

Well, that was an overly verbose TWTW. Apologies. Sunday night can be summed up with the following: House of Cards. And Food Network. Our friend Bill is on a show that started last night, All-Star Academy . He's on Chef Michael Symon's team. If you're watching, root for Bill!

Did you enter my birthday month giveaway yesterday?

Happy Read Across America day. If you have a kid in your life, make sure to read to them today! Follow #readacrossamerica on Twitter & Facebook.

Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure Linkup this Thursday to share how you did on your February: Create goals (spoiler alert: I sucked at mine) and to post your March: Relationship Goals.

Now you tell me about your weekend, pretty please.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending