Saturday Contemplation for a Winters Day

      

     I got behind in blog reading so have been out of order, and missed a few blogs before reading more current. You all have a lot more going on, or at least are making a more use of your time than I am. I also know January can be hard and dark month for many people, myself specifically, so being busy and having things to readily occupy the brain is a good one. Sleeping in on a Saturday and  giving space to do nothing isn't bad either. One blogger friend shared deeply about what motivates her drive and need to constantly be doing more. I want to start this post with a great big shout out to her, and to you all, and to myself, that we are all enough! How we manage our days, how we balance the strain of the political climate and strain of the pandemic impact, with the day to day life stresses of jobs, and bills, illness beyond Covid, extended family, and challenging situations is OK-no matter how we do it. 

     Kim might drive herself to exhaustion sewing, cooking, and caring for others but it's part of who she is! Rachel finds time to get her family outside in the fresh air, juggling when her kids are in hybrid or distance learning, while also sometimes caring for other people's children, and her parents-she is a rock star! Sluggy who gets joy form figuring out all the bundles of store points, coupons, and rewards, then gives generously to others from her hauls, and shares with us all how she makes it work (ad I'll never understand.). Cindy reinventing her blog on a regular basis-it's been like five iterations since I found hers, but who cares? It works for her and no one needs to read it if they don't like what version she now writes. I write these things for myself, probably more than anyone.

     Now I have three days ahead do me where technically I don't have to think about work. That won't be the case because I am on speed text and have the laptop at the ready to respond to my boss or bosses boss or the top boss. At least though I do not have drive anywhere or up to the cities if something urgent  needs a response. My daughter has a shoot for work today and DH will leave shortly leaving just me and pup and not even screen time meetings to talk with people, I could make a pretty long to do list, but haven't yet. I'm letting myself be slow and lazy this morning, though I've gotten pup outside and fed, and coffee of course. My daughter wants to come with me to Aldi, Target and Kohls-the errands I was going to do today, so I'll put off to tomorrow. If I keep the motivation I had yesterday, we're going to the county park outside of town for a walk/snowy hike. 

     I'm really scraping the bottom of the freezer for meals, but it means It will be easier to do a full clean out. So that is on the list yet to be made. I know there is a large, cooked, frozen chicken breast so supper will be some sort of hotdish using the chicken. I made a sauce for the  mushroom ravioli I showed in yesterday's blog using a little of the pasta water, a tablespoon of butter, and the remnants of a bag so spinach. Oh was it good! The truffle oil from th pasta leaked into the water so it made sense to reserve some when I drained. Seriously, the meal tasted as good as I remember the mushroom pasta dish at one of my favorite Washington DC restaurants,  Afterwords, part of Kramer books, outside of the monuments and museums, one of my favorite haunts. Maybe it's not even on the menu anymore. I haven't been the since fall of 2015 when DH, DD2 and I went for coffee and desert, my first and only trip as a tourist. 

     I do miss my trips to DC for work. They were frequent enough to feel a part of the  place, but not so much that it was a burden. Have I shared that my youngest  hopes after college is to live and work in DC, at least for a few years? Her majors will be assets in the non-profit and government environment. Scary to think about now, but of course over 700,000 in the District proper and 5,000,000 people call metro DC their home. I am thinking of all their safety right now, my friends in particular.

     Yeah, I had no real topic for today's blog post. It's one of my semi regular mind dumps-stuff I'd talk with a friend about over coffee at Cahoots, Nina, the Dancing Goat or Groundswell-no, none of these coffee spots are sponsors, I just miss them! I am meeting my friend N on Tuesday for a bundled walk, but we'll bring our own tea again. I'll make do this January weekend with the promise of walks with my daughter and a friend, a little excursion to the stores, and maybe just maybe, I'll get something done around here and will have content next week.