snippets of the weekend 11.7.2022

Friday was a stunner. I spent lunch on the porch and we walked down to the beach after work, then rode bikes to try Chelsea Pizza on Asbury. Packed up, cleaned up, and read at night while MFD watched TV.

Saturday morning I picked up the main house a bit and checked in on the bathroom - it should be done today, with our guy coming back to do final touches and re-hangs, changed the sheets, packed the car, took the best friend dogs on a beach walk, and drove back to Philly at 10:30 talking to Laura for most of the way. Back there I started laundry and painted my nails (Zoya Autumn and OPI Bring out the Big Gems).

We headed in to Philly with a pit stop at my office to pick something up before Vie for Caitlin & Thor's wedding. It was nice to spend time with the Uptown family and many people I have not seen in quite a while. Everything was happy, twinkly, and beautiful - love this picture of Caitlin before she walked down the aisle. 

We got home around midnight and I woke up at 6:30 Sunday. We were going to go back to the shore but I didn't feel like doing the back and forth. I did a few loads of laundry; went through my winter clothes, my dresser, and shoes (still have to do the closet); got DD coffee and a few groceries; visited my favorite neighborhood foliage; pulled stuff out of the freezer; made a broccoli egg bake for this week's breakfasts and spaghetti for dinner with veggie meat sauce from the freezer; read half of a book

In addition to snippets here, I've been doing weekending reels on Instagram if you are interested. 

For the love of all that is holy please vote tomorrow

October 2022 reads

I have not read anything the past two weeks aside from descriptions of Italian accommodations save 50% of a BA Paris book last night I'm going to end up hating, but here we go with 

What I read in October:

Engrossing Reads

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese - A clever companion to The Scarlett Letter - loved the characters of Isobel and Mercy. A good October read Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - I really loved this book. Very clever premise and while the characters were surface, I enjoyed them. OCNJ hard cover

Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Stanley Blair - This should be required reading for ALL people. It is convenient to focus on controlling women. There are no pregnancies without sperm. Regulation for all bodies or no bodies. I'm in favor of no bodies. Pre-ordered paperback, own

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult - This read a little like old Jodi Picoult, by which I mean My Sister's Keeper and The Pact not the horrific Tenth Circle. IYKYN. I love when she delivers on uncertainty, which she did here. It makes it personal. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

What She Found (Tracy Crosswhite #9) by Robert Dugoni - Consistently good, no exception here. Paperback, own

Pretty Little Girls (Agent Victoria Heslin Thriller #2) by Jenifer Ruff - A solid second entry. My library doesn't carry these so I have to buy them, and I just bought the rest in my favorite format - used paperback - so will obviously continue Paperback, own

Passed the Time Just Fine

The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey - I love the late 1970s setting, I am nostalgic for times past right now...a fine read and some things I did not see coming. Amazon First free book

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams - Dimple was occasionally annoying, and at certain points I felt like the book was going to be different things, but in the end it was fine in its telling of interesting familial issues and commentary on who is family and who can choose family. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Not For Me/Did Not Finish

Demonhead Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - One I actually might go back to - it is rare that I do that - but I started this and my brain was swimming. Too many other things going on to focus on this. OCNJ library

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste NG - Might go back to this? I ran out of time at the library because I've not sat down to read this, only gone through the first 20 pages which feels similar to what we are living through right now so I'm not necessarily in the headspace for a fictionalized version of fascist shit. It is not like her other books at all, but something is telling me to read it. We'll see. OCNJ library hard cover

What have you been reading?

I do want to leave this here, I met Lisa Regan, the Josie Quinn author, at the Doylestown Bookshop earlier in October which was awesome. You know I love the Josie books for their characters and consistent goodness. This was cool!

Happy birthday to my Dad tomorrow! 

snippets of the weekend 10.31.2022

Friday I walked the beach after work, drove back to Philly and meant to go watch the Phillies at my brother & Aubrey's but lay on the couch and it was all over. I was up until 2 Thursday night trolling through Rome hotels and apartments, so I watched the game on my own couch and was up until after 1 again doing that and also uh looking again at more Rome hotels and apartments. 

Saturday I slept in, did nails (Zoya Charla), ran a few errands, did some veggie prep for the week, and MFD made dinner. We went to Mr. May's to watch the Phillies and I was up past 1 again. 

Sunday there was no sleeping in. More errands, laundry, house things, Eagles game, and couch sitting. My brother and Aubrey and the kids came over and we got Chinese and had cake for my dad's birthday. 

In addition to snippets here, I've been doing weekending reels on Instagram if you are interested. 

Today is the first Halloween without my uncle alive for his Halloween birthday, getting absurdly large pumpkins and handing out full size candy bars to gleeful children. Extra love and support to my cousins today as it is a hard first, made extra hard by the fact that usually when a loved one dies the entire country is not celebrating their birthday as a holiday and by Perry truly embracing being a Halloween child and leaning into it so it is hard to separate the holiday from him. Or from excessively large amounts of chocolate cake.

Have a safe & great Halloween and appreciate each other - we don't know how long we have together here.

GO PHILS. The World Series game schedule/hours/watch parties were much easier on the body when I was 31 in 2008 vs. now. 

Find and cultivate that baseline wellness

Several things about this current earth simulation makes happiness feel a little out of reach many days.  

I don't think sustained happiness is possible - I believe you need the lows to appreciate those highs. But existing in a more even-keeled state - should we call it contentment in the now while looking forward to more growth and change? - is better for the cortisol levels, and keeping those cortisol levels in check is crucial for overall health and well being. Toxic positivity and consistent negativity are equally bad. Realism and authenticity serve me well. 

A state of contentment in the now helps us let go of things we cannot change, foster healthier relationships, and mind our health. When we exist in a generally happy state are more productive, creative, and resilient, and they're also better able to cope with stress. How to get to that state?

1. Spend Time With Loved Ones

Spending time with people you care about is one of the best ways to boost your mood. Regular check ins via text, phone, facetime, email, and in person when you can make it happen make a difference and remind us we're not alone out here. Make an effort to stay connected and boost you sense of baseline contentment.

2. Get Moving

Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. A moderate amount of exercise is the key to happiness—too little and you won't see any benefits, but too much is too much too. I am not a joyful exerciser. I find activities I enjoy - walking, riding my bike - and make it a part of my regular routine, which improves my overall mood and sense of well-being. Add in some pushups and squats and mini weight work and that is something I can commit to keeping up with. And grounding! As in your bare feet, into the earth. Please try this in practice.

3. Help Others

When you do something nice for someone else, it feels good. Whether you volunteer your time or  perform random acts of kindness, helping others is a great way to make yourself feel good and bring more happiness into your life. Find a way to help people that assimilates into your schedule and bank account, and make it a priority.

4. Rituals

I love my routine, but I am always honing it. Sleep is an enormous player when it comes to your health, and if you are anything like me, lack of sleep makes you an unhappy troll. I started having sleep issues, and talked to my doctor (holistic practice) about melatonin vs CBD and chose CBD after realizing melatonin has the opposite effect for me. Using CBD can help with relaxation, which I need at night, something like Delta 8 THC Vape Carts or Early Bird gummies - my friends, you can get this shit in the mail. What a time to be alive. CBD creams are amazing as well. I've added that and more consistent dry brushing to my routine recently. 

5. Do Something New

Trying new things can help break up the monotony of everyday life and give you a sense of excitement and adventure. It doesn't have to be anything big—just something that you wouldn't normally do. 

6. Do Something You Love Every Day

Make time for activities that make you feel good, whether it's reading, painting, hiking, biking, cooking, or anything else that brings joy into your life. If you’re always working or busy or feel like you’re about to burn out, that does not lead to baseline wellness. Make your rest and leisure habits and  hobbies more of a priority. It’ll make such a difference to your happiness levels.

7. Be Grateful For What You Have

It's easy to get caught up in what we don't have and forget about what we do, and that is a recipe for all things to start going to shit. If you don't already do this, every day, take a few moments to reflect on the things you're thankful for. 

Keep on keeping on out there, my friends. I hope you always have something to look forward to...today, this weekend, next month, next year. 

Happy Friday! Go Phils.

 

Thursday Thoughts - I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now

Glorious night. The air was great last night, and so were the skies. I was out there for a long time walking and stretching my neck like nobody's business. I'm making a pier pics photo book for our house this winter. Allegedly

Bruce was running wild through the ocean with his leash on, Ben following, and Mae bringing up the rear although how she made it out there I don't know. We all got soaked but it was fun and they didn't move the rest of the night. 

Fuck everyone who has things to say about a man recovering from a stroke speaking in public. Especially if you voted for the former president who is a fucking terrible public speaker and don't know your ass from a hole in the wall regarding strokes or any kind of processing delays. Being able to speak well in public is great, but we do not need the sound bytes and we do not need the fire tweets. We need people who will write, read, and pass legislation that will HELP REGULAR AMERICANS. That's the fucking job. People who will actually work and produce RESULTS that are not TV interviews and tweets. We've had so many years of gridlock and so many years of do nothing shit under McConnell previously that we might have forgotten they are not in office to make names for themselves or be twitter stars or make appearances at fucking baseball games or anything else people on both sides do, they are there to work for the American people. Period. The ableism and fake concern for health people have been spouting this week is fucking vile. Many people out there clearly taking their health for granted and have not had to work through the recovery from any physical or mental health issue in public and if fucking shows. Enough. Act right. What is wrong with people. My god. Elect people who will not lie and will work for us. 

Last day for Yunizon kickstarter. Please click here to support this campaign if you haven't! I did it by pledging the sunglasses. Amba and Andy, baby.

Desk refreshes. In Philly I changed up my lighting because the room is dark and winter is coming, my friends. At the shore I just cleared out around my computer shit - there had been a scary stack of receipts and miscellaneous bullshit everywhere. I have a tiny lamp coming to light up the back of this area. Anyhoo easier to live and work in brighter, clearer areas. 

IT Department, Party of One. One of my least favorite things about WFH is being my own IT department. I woke up yesterday to no internet with a deadline looming so I tethered to my personal hotspot and chatted with comcast until we got a temporary fix, and they sent someone out in the afternoon who told me 3/4 things that make the modem work had a filter on them so we were only getting 1/4 of the power. Guess who showed up one day unannounced and put the filter on for "interference reports?" Comcast. The guy yesterday just shook his head.

Booking accommodations for next year's family trip. My first time out of the country since 2016 which does not seem possible. 

Halloween candy ordered. I nearly forgot. You? Who needs a costume? It's funny but it's fucking not

Reading. I have had issues settling on a book recently. I'm trying Celeste Ng's newest, which is absolutely nothing like her other books. I do have a new hold in at the library so I'll get that tomorrow.

Watching. Last night I watched the second Austin Powers for some LOLs 

That's it. Go Phils.

 
What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve