What a week! Life has had the usual range of ups and downs (John’s in Europe again; Indy has either sprained or broken his thumb playing tag on the school playground; I ran into someone I haven’t seen recently and they shared the hard news about their recent health diagnosis), but overall I feel far more settled.
The first Happy Thing on my mind…is this post. It gave me warm fuzzies to sit down and know I was intentionally setting aside time to reflect on positive things. What a gift this little weekly habit has become. According to my categorization system (which should be accurate?) this will be my 98th Happy Things Friday post. And it is a true joy in my life.
*Unrelated tangent: despite three hours of trying to figure out what is going on, my comment section reply function seems to be broken and if I try anything else without expert supervision I am sure to break the whole thing. If you want to reply to someone directly, for the time being, please use the “@” and then their name. It will not nest below their original comment. I am so sorry. I was completely unaware it was broken (I actually had this fixed by a developer before and it worked for months) until Meagan wasn’t able to reply to comments properly on her guest post. TECHNOLOGY*
Tangent done, let’s discuss more Happy Things.
OXYGEN TENT TIME!
I’m heading off to visit my parents for my fall-retreat (I started visiting them solo a few years ago and it has morphed into a much-loved bi-annual tradition; I go once in the spring and once in the fall). I’m assuming their fall foliage will be past its peak, but I’m looking forward to a week spent with my parents, hikes in the woods with my dad, and great conversation over many cups of coffee sipped in front of the wood stove.
It also means I will get to miss Halloween for the second consecutive year. Halloween is one of my least favourite holidays (I would skip it forever without batting an eye) but the kids will be out trick-or-treating and having a blast. At this stage, they don’t want (or need) me!
GOOD FOOD
Last week salmon was on a good sale and so were Brussels sprouts (steamed and then tossed with a sprinkle of brown sugar, butter, salt, and pepper), so that made supper on John’s birthday an easy choice. I made up some white rice (and then let it sit in the fridge all day), for a batch of quick fried rice. YUM!
I made cheeseburger soup (hamburger, veggies, homemade chicken broth, coconut milk, cheese) on Sunday and then reaped the benefits of having zero meal prep on Monday. On a whim, I thought it sounded good to add diced dill pickles to the top of my bowl. Belle looked at me like I had two heads, but it was legit delicious (I happen to love dill pickles and I would say that is a prerequisite).
Indy had a friend sleep over on Friday night. They were in no rush for breakfast so I made baked oatmeal (seriously one of the fastest breakfast meals out there) and I topped mine with drippy peanut butter, bananas, plain yogurt…and washed it all down with a delicious coffee on the side.
Another night I grabbed a bag of frozen potstickers from the freezer (I mean, there’s protein and veggies in there, right), and grabbed the odds and ends of veggies in the fridge (some cauliflower, half a bell pepper, a zucchini) and while the potstickers were cooking, I sautéed them in a bit of oil, added some water for steam, and drizzled on some sesame oil, soya sauce, and a tiny sprinkle of Chinese Five Spice. YUM!
I so rarely think to make popcorn, but I was hungry (okay, okay, I was actually hangry) on one particular dreary afternoon, so I made a bowl (I microwave mine in a Pampered Chef lidded mixing bowl; 4-5 minutes for 1/4 cup kernels; it doesn’t even need oil, and comes out perfectly every time). I sprinkled on a bit of melted butter and some fancy locally made dill pickle seasoning. YUM.
Kendra Adachi shared a 3-ingredient pork recipe in her last newsletter and so I made that, some rice, used up the end of the frozen green beans in my freezer, sliced up a tomato and, per the kids’ requests, made a fresh batch of potstickers. They ARE good.
I used to make extremely health-conscious oatmeal banana muffins, but the kids revolted and so now I make “normal” banana muffins that they adore. I feel like the joke is slightly on them since I always toss in a giant helping of ground flax, lots of chia seeds, and use a fraction of the sugar. So they’re health-conscious-adjacent but highly palatable for the kids.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Indy’s friend sleepover. They did sleep…eventually…and had a tremendous amount of fun jumping onto a mattress temporarily relocated into the living room.
- Ice-cold water.
- A good night of sleep!
- THERE IS PEPPERMINT MOCHA CREAMER IN STORES. Last year, it wasn’t released locally until AFTER Christmas. I bought two and put a splash in my morning coffee and it was so wonderful.
- We finally invested (to the tune of $7) in an actual splint. Money very well spent.
- Finishing a book.
- Returning a stack of finished books to the library.
- A new-to-me thrifted festive mug. I found it last week for $2. It needed a new home and I happily opened my cupboard doors. I think this little raccoon is adorable. He needs a name. (Fitzgerald, nicknamed Fitz…or Gerald?) Who has other ideas!?
- Fall foliage. I mean…
- ‘Tis the season for birthday parties. Indy’s suggestion was cold hard cash (and a small toy and a bag of candy) for a friend. I decided to make a face instead. I did Google how to fold a bill into a bow tie and went down a rabbit-hole on YouTube before deciding anything that requires me to get out a needle and thread is a STEP TOO FAR.
- Reading Kae’s final recap of her trip to NS gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies.
- Having time to brain-dump at Starbucks. What a joy to have time to work alone and, in some ways, I was “saving” a bit of money since I opted to go there while Belle was at a nearby birthday party instead of driving all the way home. It’s practically thrifty, right??
- Freshly painted fingernails.
- SHU’s podcast episode this week, talking about planning things that bring you joy. Like a trip to Nova Scotia!!!
- Watching Rudy as a family. I hadn’t seen the movie in years and it was such a treat. The kids loved it. And I remembered that Ernie was an extra in the stadium stands. Très cool!
- Laughing at memes, often until my belly hurt!
- Texting with Suzanne! She gives such wise advice.
And that’s a wrap for me this week.
I’ll be back on Monday with another Cool Bloggers Walking Club recap…and then things will go silent on the blog for the rest of the week (I might not be able to resist popping back for a Happy Things Friday post, so that’s TBD). I’m going to enjoy relaxed time at the lake (and also try to get ahead on some work projects and continue to catch up on my insane TBR list; hopefully on both counts I do it in front of a crackling fire).
Happy weekending.
Your turn.
- What has been the highlight of your week?
- Have you ever broken a bone?
- How do you feel about Halloween — love it, tolerate it, or wish it would quietly disappear?
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What a week indeed! Poor Indy – I hope it’s just a sprain and not a break. You’ve definitely earned that oxygen-tent time with your parents. I love how this retreat has become such a comforting, grounding ritual for you.
That raccoon mug is just the sweetest! I’d have been tempted to call him Rudy after your family movie night, ha!
And yes, I’m with you on Halloween. In Switzerland, 1 November used to be a quiet day to remember the dead and bring flowers to their graves… then about twenty-ish years ago it got “Americanized,” and I don’t like it at all! I’d be perfectly happy if it crept back into the shadows where it came from.
Enjoy your well-earned week of rest!
And my parents are just SO excited to have company. It’s very sweet. Win-win for sure.
It looks like Indy has bounced back from his injury. Did you buy the splint at the thrift store?
I like Fitz – fun and mildly chaotic sounding, like a real raccoon.
My highlight us cooler weather; autumn finally arrived. We had a very long second summer, so I’m happy that my favorite season is finally here.
I haven’t had a broken bone, at least that’s been confirmed by a medical professional. I think I cracked some ribs last year falling off a curb. But they don’t do much for cracked ribs, so I didn’t bother going to the doctor. And I did something to my arm last month after another fall, but it wasn’t swollen, so I figured it would be fine eventually as long as I was gentle. ( I probably should have seen the dr, but I’m like a wild animal when hurt. I just want to hide and curl up until it’s better.) .
Enjoy your retreat!
I did not find the splint at a thrift store (but it was only $6.50 at the pharmacy and I feel like we’ll get a lot of use out of it!).
I’ve never had a cracked rib but I’ve heard they’re tremendously painful. Eeks.
Ha – anything that requires a needle and thread IS going too far! 😉
Thanks for the shoutout – you have been such a supportive friend, I am glad to reciprocate whenever possible!
Poor Indy! Although he looks like he is going to survive. 😂 Why do these things happen when you are solo parenting?!
I am so glad your fall lake retreat is coming up. What a wonderful way to reset. And to miss a disliked holiday is a great bonus! I love Halloween but I know it’s not for everyone.
We joke that just about every story we have about something going wrong has a long pause, followed by: And Dad was away…
I’m so excited for the time away. The last time I was at the lake, I was there as the main adult and FOUR kids, so this will be a lot more restful 😉
My preferred way to spend Halloween would be to turn all of the lights off and hide. I find trick or treating to be a little tiring since it’s two hours of constantly getting up to answer the door and placating a barking dog – but at least it’s only two hours and Hubs and I trade off so it goes by quickly.
I like the money face card!
Enjoy your time in the oxygen tent!
I’ll come over and we can hide together.
I didn’t even like it as a kid. I went out because…HELLO FREE CANDY…but I couldn’t wait until it was over.
Poor Indy! I hope his thumb heals fast! Getting a split was a good idea!
The high of my week was going for a walk with my friend Paul. He’s the kind of friend that I can ask to bring me a latte from Starbucks (he’s probably the only friend I would make this request to) and I told him to let himself into the house as I was still on a call when he arrived. He’s the best! We had a really nice catch up and admired the gorgeous leaves!
That sounds like a lovely time. Coffee, a friend, and beautiful fall foliage??? What a winning combo.
I forgot to comment on Halloween! I liked it as a child, then loathed it until we lived in a house where we could hand out candy (love seeing kids in costumes). Now I really like it because the boys get so excited and our neighborhood is great for trick or treating. Our block does a group photo and then kids trick or treat in groups. I love all the neighborhood decorations. Is is an extra exciting time of year so lean into it. I actually told my direct report yesterday that Halloween/fall is the new Christmas. lol. But we had that pumpkin event last week, tomorrow there is a fall festival at Paul’s school and then on Sunday I am taking the boys to a ‘trick or treat trolley’ event. It’s hosted by this amazing local kids bookstore (that I will take you to when you visit some day! See what I did there and just assumed you will come??). It’s a short trolley ride and they read a picture book. It should be fun! We are also doing a pumpkin carving with friends next Wednesday night. Oh and a pumpkin patch event at our church on Saturday! See what I mean? But I like all these events because being out of the house is best for us.
That all sounds so festive and fun. And since the boys are excited by it, too! That’s just wonderful <3
I can't wait to visit that bookstore. It sounds dreamy. I also want to visit and go to one of the Grinch events. I LOVE the Grinch and it always sounds so lovely.
SO many happy things here, and I’m thrilled that Christmas-y things are starting to make an appearance! I LOVE that mug (you knew I was going to say that, right?) and I support either “Fitz” or “Gerald”. And there’s peppermint creamer out??? I haven’t seen it yet, and I just bought a new carton of the pumpkin spice one- we’ll have to use that up quickly.
I’m so excited for your fall retreat! I hope the weather is perfect, and you get lots of reading time in front of the fire. Extra bonus that you get to miss Halloween- I like the holiday, but there’s not much for me to do now that I don’t have little kids, and we don’t get a lot of trick or treaters anymore.
THERE IS PEPPERMINT CREAMER OUT. I am so excited. I’ve had a splash in my coffee the last two mornings. Today I had a few minutes before we had to leave and I let myself just sit and enjoy the final few sips of coffee and the minty hit was delightful.
I hope the weather is great, too. But really…any weather is perfect when I’m not responsible for other humans while at the lake.
My highlight is this weekend. Going to a new restaurant tonight with another couple and tomorrow we are spending the day in wine country with my SIL and her husband. Sunday, my daughter is performing a piano piece at an assisted living place for their Halloween party.
Halloween was my fave holiday as a kid. I loved the party at school, the parade, and then going out at night. It was a thrill. I even liked it when my kids were young. We always go trick or treating with the grands if the weather is nice. However, I have come to hate the ugly huge skeletons that people leave in their yard year round! And I hate all the gore, etc. It used to be so kid friendly and now it’s turned into a weird adult fetish.
Yay! That sounds like such a fun weekend. It’s so wonderful to have things like that to look forward to, and extra special when there’s a whole weekend full of exciting things.
OMG I was so excited when you texted me about the peppermint creamer. That means it won’t be long until it hits my local Superstore!!! MY BODY IS READY (why did I write that?) (not deleting)
Rudy – that cracks me up. My high school boyfriend was obsessed with that movie. I had never heard of it. He made me watch it with him and his brother, and they were both crying by the time all the players bring in their jerseys for Rudy. I was…less impressed, but it was a good movie.
Speaking of guys and crying at movies, a guy I knew in university cried when he told me the plot of Rambo, which I have never seen. He was Italian and really identified with poor Rambo.
Anyway, I’m off on a tangent here. Where am I, what am I doing. Oh yes, birthday parties – I loved the stage where my kids just gave their friends a $20 for their birthday. It made things so easy! One of their friends used to put it in a balloon and then blow the balloon up.
Have a GREAT time at your parents’, I will have to send you photos of my walks before I forget! I don’t want to be left out of the club!
You got it a month before me last year and I was disappointed every single time I went and there was none in stock. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I spotted it there this week. BEFORE HALLOWEEN.
The balloon idea is great! I might do that next time!
I cannot WAIT for my time at the lake. The last few days (weeks?) have been soooo busy. It is going to feel amazing and I am going to really try to soak it all up and just…enjoy it.
My left wrist has a habit of willow bend breaks (I’m going to blame my general hypermobility/loose jointed-ness?), which is … not ideal, since I’m a leftie, LOL! Thankfully it hasn’t happened since I was in middle school.
Halloween was never a big deal in my family (although the extended family *loves* it with a weird and unholy passion, lol), and as I’ve gotten older it’s even more not my favorite. Working in the public library was it’s own special form of ghoulishness, so I am VERY glad to be home now. It’s forecast to be cold and rainy on the day, so I’m gonna hunker down at home and go nowhere if at all possible 😀
I love hunkering down at home on Halloween!!! Since having kids we always go out with them, but they’re so much older now.
One year, I skipped Halloween completely. It was the year I was pregnant with Indy and Belle didn’t know enough (she was 3.5) and so we just stayed inside with our lights off and it was LOVELY!
I forgot to comment on Halloween!
I love Halloween for seeing cool costumes, cute kids, and handing out candy like a benevolent queen. I’m not fond of the scary stuff, but to each their own! I do prefer homemade costumes, but I’ll give candy to anyone who come to my door – I usually give two pieces so the kid can share. (Parents like Haloween candy too!)
My kids are just aging out of trick or treating, so I’ll stay home and say “Happy Halloween” to a horde of kids on Halloween night.
“Handing out candy like a benevolent queen”…this is hilarious.
I make the kids pay me a parent tax and get a few Reese’s off them 😉
I know it’s different with children because their bones are not fully developed and they tend to heal better than adult bones, but be super careful with thumb injuries. I broke my right thumb (dominant hand) and they thought it was sprained and it wasn’t until nearly a month later that they finally recognized the break and by that time, my thumb was permanently messed up. This significantly impacts my day to day life (you wouldn’t believe the absolute frustration of trying to put a liner in the garbage an and how hard it is to do downward dog when you can’t put weight on your dominant thumb) and I find myself irritated by American healthcare and how women’s pain isn’t taken seriously on a near daily basis because of this. I realize that neither of those things apply to Indy (not American or a woman), but please make sure his thumb is fixed!!!
I had to dig deep for happy things this week. It was really beautiful on my drive to work this morning – the sun was rising and there was water vapor coming up off the river. I have remained healthy while my husband is sick in the same house as me. I have twenty extra minutes this morning to spend time reading and commenting on blogs. Our Halloween decorations are up and make our house look extra spoooooky and fun at night. I can sleep in tomorrow. I did it!
THANK YOU. This is so helpful to know and I will monitor it closely. I can imagine a permanent thumb injury would be horrible on a day-to-day basis. I am so sorry!
You came up with a lot of happy things. And just from today. I’m proud of you. There are some seasons of life where it takes A LOT of digging, but that’s probably when we need it most.
Enjoy the time to sleep in <3
“Coffee enhancer”?? That hits my funny bone with its high-falutin’ sounding language!
I’m with you completely on Halloween. Dressing up could be fun, candy is fun, but we were not allowed as children. Lived in the country, our parents saw it as “begging”, and they weren’t about to drive us to town for that. Besides, we were seriously sugar-deprived. . . my parents were “MEAN”. Now as an adult, I see such a creepy dark side to the day that unless it is purely autumn themed stuff, I am Not Interested At All.
GREAT CARD/GIFT for Indy’s friend!
Do you drive to your parents’ place? Just wondering how else you could transport that tower of books otherwise.
I do drive! It’s about 4/4.5 hours away. I quite enjoy the drive – it’s all highway driving, I’ll put on an audiobook or music. And, wait for it, there won’t be any children arguing in the backseat!
@Jenny (and Elisabeth), can his name please be Fitz Gerald? I had so much fun imagining his personality with introductions. Would he be short with people’s clarifying questions? Oblivious to it being confusing? Enjoy their struggle? “Fitz Gerald.” “Oh nice to meet you. Fitz? Fitzgerald…..Mr Gerald? Fixture (sorry, um,)…”
I love this! Fitz Gerald is perfect and your wish is my command.
@Birchie,
Turn off the lights and pull the blinds/drapes/curtains. Go to the back of the house, and be free from the tyranny! It bothers me that people get guilted into participating in things they don’t really like or support. Permission granted to hide, from your Central Calif. Artist friend. 😎
Be free from the tyranny…hahaha!
OMG, the raccoon mug is the cutest. What a great thrift find! I am sure you can imagine how much I appreciate a cute mug (I think “Fitz” is a great name!)
I am so, so happy you’re going to solo-visit your parents again. I love that you established this biannual retreat for yourself… and I know you’re not “sad” that you’ll be gone over Halloween 😉 I am not a big Halloween fan either although I have enjoyed checking out the decorations in the neighborhood with my mom last week!
I am so sorry to hear about Indy’s thumb. I hope it’s just sprained, not broken. I only broke one bone in my life (my femur when I was 2 years old) and gladly, I don’t remember much about it (but there’s a photo of me with my whole leg in a cast from toe to hip).
Not only is the mug cute, it is a perfect fit in my hand (which also matters). I am so, so glad I found it!
Yikes! That is a big cast, a major break, and at such a young age. That must have been such a challenge for your mom to manage (especially with a sister the same age!). I think it’s a good thing you don’t remember it!
P.S. I will forever be on the hunt for that Silk Peppermint Mocha creamer! 😉
You should be. IT IS AMAZING. I am so excited to have my coffee this morning.
The highlight of my week was a toss up between Curly’ senior night for volleyball. Some of my babysitting families showed up and Curly was tickled. And the other highlight was my dear friend came to my house for lunch today (Friday). We try to schedule a lunch Fridays every couple of months but with summer in there, it’s been several months. Curly Irish danced with her daughter and our friendship is one of the best things that came from that activity.
I loved Halloween when the kids were tiny – I so enjoyed planning an sewing costumes, etc. Now that they’re not little anymore, I don’t really care about it one way or the other. I’m not a fan of all the candy that surfaces this time of year.
I’ve chipped a bone in my thumb before. Ouch. Otherwise, knock on wood, nope. Mini and Ed are the only kids in our family who ever broke a bone.
A whole week with your parents – sounds delightful. For me, heading out of town and leaving kids home is sometimes so much work that it’s hardly worth it. I’ve always been the one to meal plan and fill the fridge and be sure rides were lined up and laundry was done, etc.
I’m chuckling that you remembered my appearance in the Rudy movie. I’m there somewhere – in the stands when they show the football stadium. So funny. I haven’t seen that movie in years and I feel like it’s a movie Kay and Rae would enjoy esp since they’ve been to Notre Dame dozens of times. Thanks for the reminder.
That’s so lovely that people showed up to support Curly <3
If John and I leave together it's SO MUCH WORK (less so now as the kids get older). I felt like I had to live the entire week in advance. Now, because I'm so often the solo parent at home, I feel zero regret basically just leaving. I don't prep food, I don't do too much arranging. That's part of the vacation for me, since I do so much of that normally. John's more than capable and some things that I do...really don't need to get done. So what if the bathrooms don't get cleaned? And there's always Subway if they don't feel like cooking...
The movie was such a hit for the kids. How could it not be? A timeless classic.
I know I’ve said this before, but I love that you spend this time with just you and your parents. What a gift to all of you.
I don’t care about Halloween. We don’t get trick or treaters, since we are at the back of a townhouse complex. We don’t go to any parties. I like seeing decorations, but that’s it. When my daughter was little I enjoyed it. When I was little I loved it.
Everyone (my daughter) is griping about it getting dark earlier, and I know that has just started. But I love being able to sleep past 5am because it is dark and quiet. When it’s warm out we sleep with our window open, which is necessary but loud and I hate it. I love a dark, quiet, cool bedroom.
It is such a gift and time I know we all treasure.
I mostly like the time change. I mind dark mornings more than dark evenings, so I’ll just get candles out and light those at supper as soon as the time changes! And soon we’ll put up Christmas lights. I enjoy the coziness of the darker evenings. What I DON’T like is the cold and that comes with it 🙁
When I heard I was going to have to single parent our half term this past week I was ready to cry – I only found out a week in advance. I was really stressed about it! But. On Monday, they spent the day with friends and they invited us for dinner,so I didn’t have to cook!
Tuesday, we drove over to other friends so the kids could hang out and I worked there, with the occasional walk with my friend. And they invited us for dinner too!
Wednesday we went swimming, with another friend and her son we hadn’t seen in ages, and ordered sushi to finish the evening. Plus, we watched strictly come dancing together.
Thursday I worked from home, and the kids entertained themselves. My youngest loves lego, and she built a set. Such a joy to see her working away and calling me in to admire what she made. And then my husband got back and we ordered pizza!
So, ups and downs, but very grateful to all the friends who supported me (us).
Yay for support. It really DOES take a village!
And sometimes not knowing too far in advance is an advantage. Less time to worry about everything that could go wrong and how exhausting it will be.
Sounds like a wonderful week for everyone involved.
I’ve been in my occasional I read but don’t comment funk this week for some reason, but wanted to say:
Have a splendid trip to visit your parents! It always sounds so very lovely and peaceful and I hope it’s just the refreshing time you need! 🙂
Thanks, friend. Right now it’s raining outside, but I just finished a cup of coffee and I’m sitting in front of the wood stove so LET IT RAIN!
I don’t care for Halloween party but Lizzy loves it and I’m in her school party now. People put so much effort into costumes.
Love all your quick simple but delicious meals. Soup has been my go to meal prep item as they usually keep well for few days if not weeks and it’s great to know something is in the fridge any day.
I’ve never broken a bone but Sofia had fractured when she was 18 months old and that was not fun. Hope Andy recovers quickly.
That’s another great thing about soup – it keeps so well!!! In fact, I find it tends to get better with time.
Indi sounds exactly like me E. We had a period where every year it would be another bone broken, probably just because he would through himself into everything. Toes and fingers were the most common. When we were cleaning out E’s room we found multiple splints he’d had made (one of the breaks was in the growth plate that required extra management) at various times. The injuries did eventually settle down in frequency, although he needed stitches near his eye earlier this year (he walked into a truss at work). I broke my arm as a kid.
Have a wonderful time on your retreat. How wonderful that you have that time to get away, and spend quantity and quality time with your parents, baked into your year’s schedule now.
Belle hasn’t broken anything. Indy has fractured a wrist (playing goalie in soccer), broken/sprained two thumbs (hammock accident + tag) and had a concussion (running into another boy at summer camp).
No stitches for either kid yet, though Indy has a nasty scar under his chin from…another game of tag gone wrong 😉