(it’s a new dawn… hot pink sunrise from a few days ago)
today at the start of my writing group we had a check in. for the first time in about a year i said, “i think i’m okay.” it felt weird to articulate that but i DO actually feel pretty okay. i am still watching the news, but not nearly so much. every time i turn it on biden is doing something helpful and normal. his awesome press secretary is polite and informative (and has the most gorgeous red hair) and of course i am just delighted every time kamala makes a speech… i might have mentioned that she and i attended the same elementary school!
(jen psaki is just tremendous)
(how gorgeous is my kamala on the cover of vogue??)
my parents got vaccinated last week (the first dose) which means that when we next visit we will be able to HUG them. it makes me teary just to imagine this.
(cuddling with grandma…)
(and grandpa pre-corona!)
my kids are now back in school a couple of days a week so i am not doing any more fractions or algebra (PRAISE JESUS!) AND the grandma who sits in the window on the “i” street that we wave to on the way to school waved back THREE days in a row which made us super happy.
i am down to one class which has lessened my homework load ENORMOUSLY and i am actually cooking again (last night i taught theo how to make perfect grilled cheese sandwiches which i learned from our beloved babysitter, noel… the trick is to keep the heat really low and cover the pan so the cheese melts but the bread doesn’t burn. pre-noel i can’t tell you how many GC’s i scorched! now i know he will be able to make himself at least one meal when he goes to college. but that doesn’t really matter anyway as i think i am going to go with him, especially if he gets into NYU… i am a great roommate. i am very clean and quiet - i sleep a lot - and i will even get us pretty matching duvet covers and shams. tonight we are going to try and make our own sushi) and our post dinner dance parties have resumed because i am not racing back to my computer to make a lighting plan in autocad or render a “room scene” in sketch up.
(the kids with noel, the QUEEN of grilled cheese!)
(lu’s sushi and plate decor)
(theo’s more restrained sushi)
(i will even contribute a cute little fridge for my dorm room with theo… that is NOT a beer!)
i have several super fun work projects and no “rotten apple” clients (i had one experience a few years ago that was so bad we forever referred to that client as the rotten apple. we ran into her once at a sushi restaurant and it was all i could do to hold my daughter back from confronting her about all the grief she caused me. as we waited for our order we played “contextual hangman” meaning the phrase has to be relevant to what happened that day. lucy had chosen the phrase and for the life of me i couldn’t figure it out (she was NOT the best speller at the time) turns out it was “rottin apple,” which made me cry laughing.
(my old client is in the second row, third from the left…)
i am trying to exercise a bit… i have gone on several hikes now with my girlfriend steph and i haven’t complained too much. i am even going to buy some special shoes for this activity because last hike i skidded out in my vans and ended up on my bum. this will be the very first time i have bought shoes expressly for exercising!
i have started playing mahjong again with my girlfriends and i can’t tell you how nice it is to see their faces, even if it’s only on zoom. my darling anne marie taught us this game five years ago because we were all so stressed out about the 2016 election and it takes so much concentration it provided a respite from the politics. this game (AND my girlfriends!) have really carried me through the trump administration and now we can play just for the joy of it!
(the “flowers” are my favorite mahj tiles… i can’t wait until we can play live again!)
i spent the afternoon making valentines with my children (i LOVE valentine’s day! … just in case you are wondering see’s scotchmallows are my favorite candy!)
(the big one made valentines too, but he does not like to be photographed right now)
(the YUMMIEST chocolates!)
so yes, i think i’m okay AND i think things are going to continue to get better and better! x0x0x
* hank and i had a bit of a setback today… we went for his yearly check up and he has gained even more weight! i TOLD him not to go so heavy into the queso at our super bowl party, but he just couldn’t help himself. out of love and solidarity with my little frenchman i am also going to try and stay away from queso… at least until next super bowl!
