Friday Wrap Up

       I've been a spotty blogger for the last two weeks and that might be my new pattern. I'm avoiding using the phrase new normal. Nothing has or will be normal again-and in many regards, that's a good thing, and in others, it's just the evolution of life within a major world health crisis. I've been a little prickly in some comments on blogs, stating my opinion, but realize prickly and rude is a fine line-so sorry if my quips have come off as such. I'm just saddened when I read after all this country and world has been, and is still going through, people letting past behaviors that were not great to begin with, resurface.  It has been a very different past two weeks for me than the last 16 months, and it dawned on me that when some of you read my post, you might have the same reaction I did reading others. Yep, those living in glass houses should not throw rocks. So with that bit of self reflection, I have lots to share in my weekly recap of life using the W words.  

Where I've been: I may need to do bullet lists on this as I have been every where it seems compared to this week last year.

• Book club outside at my friends house
• Nephews confirmation inside the church and lunch afterwards
• Party room gathering for drinks and listening to musician friend perform
• Dinner out-inside (though at a table distanced from others) with friends
• Home showing with my daughter
• McDonalds drive through, twice, for coffee and Diet Coke (Kim you are rubbing off on me!)
• Eye doctor
• Dentist
• Plant department
• Three store stops for a few groceries and H&B items

     This weekend will be much more home focused, but the idea that we can be out and about is great. Trivia actually doesn't start until June 9th so I didn't meet up with that group of friends. It feels like the only thing I didn't do this last week. 

Where I'm going: We don't have any specific plans this weekend to go anywhere. If we don't go to the lake, we'll likely go to church, outdoors preferably if the weather is cooperative. I really like outside church, pandemic or no pandemic. It feels right. I need a good grocery shop again, but want to get the refrigerator and freezer cleaned first. Yesterday I was going to suggest either a meal out or take out, but DD2 is still not at two weeks post vaccinated, and want to save that budget for an experience, not just to avoid cooking. 

What I'm watching: My daughter wanted something funny for quick watching and found Community on Netflix. I've watched a few episodes, and I like it. It's a silly ensemble cast of traditional and nontraditional students at a Community College who become a friend like group through the  guise of a con Spanish study group. I've also watched two episodes of the BBC  police  drama, Grace on Britbox, starring  one of my favorites, John Simm as DS Roy Grace, who is struggling with the disappearance six years earlier of his wife while solving horrendous murder cases in the Brighton-Hove area of the UK. 

What I'm reading: I'm still catching up with work reading and as we are taking a break for the summer for book club, no new assigned book. My daughter is reading Gone Girl, and keeps making statements about the twists and turns, so I think I might read when she is done. I did not see the movie so know nothing of the plot. 

What I'm listening to: I've been listening to a lot of conference committees from the Minnesota legislator. I'm so exciting like that. I put the  archive from sessions I miss on while doing other work, or if it works, listen to the live session. There are several details I am tracking and I don't want to be caught off guard. If you've never listened to one in your state, I highly recommend  listening in at least once, to fully understand how the process works. It can be as exciting as watching paint dry, but  transparency only happens when people pay attention and it should be a public process. When I mentioned the  things that are changed and maybe for the better, the increase in technology and not having to physically be in St Paul to do a public viewing of the legislative  committees, is a definite win. Of course there is C-Span that will carry the federal congressional activity, but so much in our day to day lives happens at the state level. Is all legislative activity transparent? Of course not, but what is, gives insight into what has or could happen behind closed door negotiations. 

What I'm eating: I posted yesterday all the  last minute meals we've thrown together-not through active meal planning. Last night I made a ground beef meatloaf that was really tasty with the addition of garlic that ran away from me! I served with steamed vegetables and ia boxed jambalaya rice, that tasted really good with the meat. DD2 only ate rice and vegetables, but she did request yogurt when I ran to the store. Yogurt as dairy doesn't bother her like too much cheese or cows milk. 

What's top of mind: The announcement yesterday by the CDC regarding what fully vaccinated people can safely do is top of mind, followed by local Minnesota guidance that the restrictions already set to roll back over the next  two months will roll back quicker. The guidance for mask wearing is still in schools because no elementary school age children have been vaccinated, and very few  12-16 year old middle and high school, and still working to get the 16+population vaccinated, plus the social distancing guidance is in place through the school year, unless different guidance comes from the CDC.

Who I'm paying attention to:  I guess no one other than my family. My MIL is on a senior  bus trip to Kentucky to see the Noah's Ark that a man has/is building supposedly accurate to the dimensions in the bible. What ever floats her boat, (pun intended) but sounds like torture to me. 

     DD1 passed on the house from Sunday, but with each visit, she is really learning what her  non-negotiables are, and what she is willing to compromise on. Bathroom on main floor, decent yard and kitchen size are the three non-negotiables. These are things that can't be fixed cosmetically. The right fit will come, but she is smart and will not rush into something that won't work. While first houses often are lived in for under five years, she wants something that if she had to, would be livable for a life out 10 years from now.

      DD2. besides getting the  internship for fall, she interviewed, was offered, and accepted a position this summer through the Americorp  grant. It pays lousy and she will have a commute, but the work is aligned with what long term she wants to do for her career so will be a good addition to her resume. For those that don't know what Americorp is, it is labeled as volunteer service, but a biweekly living stipend and an educational grant is provided. 

     Not much news on DS-quick Mothers Day acknowledgement, but for him, that is a good sign. It means he's keeping himself busy, and not ranting via texts at the latest idiocy! 

     DH's foot is slowly getting better. It is still swollen, but he says it does not hurt nearly as much as it did a week ago. 

     

What I'm planning: Last night I picked up a cluster of flowering plants. My original intent was to buy a hanging basket, but I was not impressed with what was left after Mother's Day weekend, but ample supplies of the clusters for 6, 12, 18 even. I have several baskets that I kept the planter, so will make my own basket for my shepherds hook. I'll plant the others in the planters that the squirrels stole my seeds from. I'm not sure if the high school plant sale will run tomorrow, but I'd like to swing there as well and see what beauties I might find to help my porch and front yard appearance. I'll also plant the hostas that I lazily never planted last year. I am not a gardener-I really don't even like it, but I appreciate the results. We'll have a minimalist yard-lots of grass, but the pops of plants are nice variety. I am actually taking the afternoon for my flex day. Slowly, that is going to be back to my work schedule. 

     That's the world of W's in my life this week. I've gotten both lighter feeling, and cantankerous as I keep thinking how much better we all would be off had there not been so much politicization of the virus and folks just did their part. Would there be less hatred-or less visible signs of hatred? I blame a lot of the visible hatred on the last  president  basically giving permission for  self centered bigotry to be made public, but we all hold the blame to a point, not always listening, not hearing each other and what is the root of concerns, that lead to pitting community against community. 

     I read a pretty good comment from someone on a local Facebook thread about the decision made in Minnesota to end the mask mandate today. It was rooted in the CDC guidance, and the reality that it would be impossible to monitor let alone enforce, non vaccinated people not wearing a mask if  vaccinated people were given the go ahead. I'm paraphrasing but the comment basically was, Governor Walz is hated by everyone this morning-those that thought the restrictions were too deep and too long, and those that now think he is making an error moving forward with the no mask mandate and loosening remaining restrictions. Good governance makes everyone unhappy to a point. To you my readers, I hope you and your family stay safe, healthy, and in company of people who care about their fellow humans. Happy Friday!