Yep….I know it’s actually Tuesday but I forgot to post my weekly plan.

I really love making my weekly menu plan.

This year I was struck by creative inspiration. I didn’t want to just buy my husband some generic Christmas gifts. I wanted something much more thoughtful.

I made lists and lists. I bounced between ways to “present” this gift. Ultimately, I think I came up with some great date ideas.

How do you date your spouse?

I learned today that doing laundry on the first day of the new year is bad luck. The saying is something about washing your luck down the drain. My mother makes black-eyed peas because her husband is from the south and this is his family’s tradition. I’ve seen many people making and eating pork and sauerkraut.

Big Man and I usually start the new year with a fancy prime rib dinner we make at home. It’s like our first date of the year!!

Unfortunately, this year we did not have our traditional first night date night. Right after Christmas, we both got sick with some sort of stomach bug or flu. And at the same time, our daughter was moving back in after grad school (we moved a few years ago and she has not lived with us). This is exciting but required some shuffling to give her her own room. Fun times!!

So, while we are feeling better we had done nothing in the way of preparation for the work week. To know me is to know I NEED my work prep, as well as my meal planning and prep to feel ready for the week ahead.

Even though it’s New Year’s Day I have prep to do!

The menu was planned. The laundry was cleaned. The lessons were even planned.

I’m not sure when lm or how exactly it happened but I have not been taking very good care of myself. Not in all ways but in some pretty important ways.

I stopped walking regularly

I stopped yoga I stopped lifting

I stopped eating as I should for my allergies

I stopped meditating and grounding myself daily

I didn’t give my relationships the attention they deserve

I owe myself more.

More dates with my husband

More family brunches and dinners

More yoga, meditation, walking (it’s good for my stupid mental health plus will help me love a longer, healthier life)

More meaningful connection…..with my husband, my daughter, my estranged siblings, my dad and stepmom, my friends

More journaling (here or in a book)

More of the good stuff!

I don’t have to change who I am or make any crazy big resolutions. I just want to remember all the good stuff and do more of that. Be more of that Jen.

I don’t plan on doing any one thing every day so I can’t say how often I’ll update here. But I do want to journal more so I hope to be here a lot more often. #oldschoolblogging #ifnobodyreadsitdoesitevenexist

I have struggled for years with various aspects of my health….nothing major but some random stomach/digestive issues, chronic sinus infections, and itching skin. When I say years…I mean years. I have done elimination diets, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and more. All with no real relief. I kinda just gave up…I stopped eating gluten (for the most part) and dealt with the rest. I figured I was just supposed to feel this way.

I have basically been gluten free for years in hopes to stave off the most severe itching symptoms. Unfortunately, that only worked on the most severe itching. I was still suffering. I lived off Benadryl and Pepto but really just figured I was stuck living with my belly and itching as is.

I’ve had chronic sinusitis my whole life. Honestly, I cannot think of a time I didn’t have sinus or bronchitis infections. We’ll, in 2020….on my birthday in February and 3 weeks ahead for the COVID shutdown, I was diagnosed with a lower respiratory infection. I mention this because I didn’t follow up with my doctor due to covid. Plus, this has been my whole life….I would just deal with it.

Fast forward to now …I snore a lot and I can’t remember the last time my sinus/nasal cavities weren’t stuffy and I didn’t have a headache. I have been sleeping on the couch because my snoring was waking up my husband. I went to my doc And he prescribed antibiotics and steroids but after ten days I still had no relief. We did another round while my insurance denied a CT scan. I went back to doc and he recommended I see an ENT. I found an ENT that is also an allergist. Thank goodness.

ENT was no joke. He cut me off my Benadryl and Q-tips (with my ears itching and always feeling full, I had been q-tipping too much), set up a CT (don’t worry the insurance denied that a total of three times before a peer review gave me authority) and allergy testing.

Welp…..I’m allergic to soooo much!

The allergy testing had two levels. The first was the scratch and the second level was a deeper test using needles on my back. OVER 40 of the little suckers.

Stay tuned….I’m working on a plan!!

I feel a call to blog again. I’m not sure where this will go but I’m feeling the need to write. This might get weird but I’m gonna ask that we skip over July events for now.  July was probably one of the hardest months of my life. Stay tuned, this post is not the right time/place for that heartdump. Everyone and everything is fine so it can wait.

I miss blogging out my thoughts and what’s going on in my world. I loved blogging back in the day. Blogs connected friends across state lines. Heck, if I’m being honest, I met some of my best friends thru blogging. Some of you wonderful people I’ve still not hugged in real life.

I’m seeking connection and friendship. I’ll be honest, the last few years I’ve struggled to connect. I’ve struggled in lots of ways. So back to blogging I go. One thing I loved about the actual writing of blogging was the journaling aspect. This is something I know I need right now. I’m sharing this in blog format because maybe I’m not the only one who needs connections, friendships, and journaling thru life.

So August is here and that means I have this month to prepare for back to school. September will be here before I know it and there are things I need to get done!! One thing I love about new months, new weeks, new notebooks, new days….it’s the newness, the cleanliness, the fresh start of it all. I’ve been carrying some gunk (mentally and physically) and it’s time to work thru some of it.

Enter the blogosphere…well, re-entry!

Goals for August:

• Finish two library books: True Biz (I already started this a couple weeks ago but haven’t finished, which is so unlike me) and Signs of Survival
• Practice ASL daily and attend weekly classes
• Devote time to studying for “The TEST”
• Organize, Purge, and clean “MY room”
• Return to meditation and yoga. I’ve been avoiding this and it’s time to get back to my mat! We miss each other so we’ll need to take some time to get to know one another again.
• Lots of walking, lots of 10k step days.
• Try one new recipe of food each week (I’m taking daily pics and I’ll create a weekly TikTok with my foods)

This is where my head is at…it’s a lot! I think I’m going to enjoy blogging again.

Did you miss me?

I set a goal of 75 books and I read 81. I think I’ll keep 75 as my goal for 2021 but add…track better and write notes about each book.

This whole year has been very different from years past. Christmas was no exception. Oddly familiar and yet, not.

Let me tell you about..

Five days before Christmas….Qs boyfriend’s dad tested positive for covid-19. Q came home to isolate …

A bit of background: At 21, Q is a senior in college with a boyfriend and two jobs. She shares time between our house and her boyfriend’s parents’ house.

Four days until Christmas…Q at home and holed up in her room. We have a tv tray outside of her door. She texts for food, we feed her. It’s not perfect but we are making the most of it. I hate how we have to do it, but I like being able to spoil my girl.

Two days until Christmas…day of testing! Q decided to get the non-rapid test because she felt she’d get more accurate results.

One day before Christmas…more waiting, more feeding through a door… waiting on test results SUCKS.

Christmas Day…. covid style….Q insisted we still make our traditional brunch foods. Of course, I complied. It made me happy to make Q her favorites. It killed me to not see or hug my daughter.

Later that night….much later…after midnight…test results… POSITIVE.

This almost killed me. Q was in her room, alone, crying her eyes out. I couldn’t go in her room. I couldn’t hug her. She was hysterical and I could do NOTHING. And then, she left and went back to her boyfriend’s house of covid. There at least she could move beyond her tiny room and have some human contact. I understand but I hate it.

Since Christmas…

I’m in quarantine with my favorite person and my favorite dog. We’re here until the first week in January…its a good thing we like each other. 🤣🤣

My mom went and got us produce, we have plenty of food, and all the streaming services. It’s not totally horrible but this is my winter break.

I never really really watch the Star Wars prequel trilogy so I started a SW marathon… prequel trilogy and Solo have been watched so far…. tonight is A New Hope (is it weird for anyone else to call Star Wars this “new” title?!?). It’s a good thing for Star Wars or I’d keep watching corny Christmas movies and I’ve already watched enough of those this season.

I’m usually so upbeat and positive but this has me bummed. I slept almost all day Sunday and Monday. Obviously, I’m not mentally at my best. Today, Tuesday, has been a bit better. I deep cleaned my kitchen and made a menu… something is better than sleeping all day.