I feel like Tuesday is the black hole of blogging. We’ve already talked about the weekend, Wednesday is for knitting and reading, Thursday is for 3 things and Friday is for a pretty photo. Remember back in the day when we did Ten On Tuesday? That ran it’s course but it was a great theme for a long time. I’ve considered coming up with a weekly theme again for Tuesdays but I don’t want to regiment every day of the blog. And I’ve considered not blogging at all on Tuesdays but that doesn’t sit right with me. So right now Tuesday is this sort of wide open day for blogging . . . which can be nice, if you’ve got a topic you want to discuss . . . but can be daunting if you don’t have much to say.

All of this is to say . . . I don’t have much to say! I do have a few photos to show you, though. They fill me with joy.

We went 2 full months without seeing Jackie at all but Dale’s accident changed all that and if that’s not a silver lining I don’t know what is.

Cheers to Tuesdays, friends.

How long do you suppose it takes to catch up on sleep deprivation? I’m asking because my sleep pattern just hasn’t returned to what it was pre-pandemic. I am someone who never needed an alarm, I would wake up between 6 and 6:30 without fail every day. It was super convenient and I’m a morning person so getting up early worked pretty well for me.

These days? I blow right past 6 and regularly wake up after 8! I feel like I’ve wasted the whole morning when that happens and yet I haven’t done anything to change the cycle. I know it’s partly that I can get away with it since I’m still not working my previous schedule – I’m still working from him a bit although I am going in much more than I was. And I can’t help but wonder if it’s partly because of the sleep I missed when Dale was in the hospital. Or maybe it’s just avoiding the start of the day when the day holds things that aren’t always great . . . the pandemic, the news, the chores . . .

How have you been sleeping since the world changed back in March?

I had every intention of writing a blog post for today at some point yesterday.

But then, I slept a little late.

And Dale’s Physical Therapist came at 9.

By the time she left and we had eaten breakfast and I had cleaned up and did some work stuff it was after 12.

I got Dale settled on the couch with strict orders not to move so that I could make a quick run to the nursery to get plants for the window boxes. Dale wanted to hang out in the yard when I got back so I helped him outside. By the time I finished with the planting (Jackie came to help, it was adorable) and had cleaned up it was 2 and we had a conference call with our lawyer. And then it was nearly 3 and we hadn’t had lunch. So I reheated some pizza, cleaned up the kitchen again, had a visit from a neighbor who brought a lovely coffee cake, changed the sheets on our bed, and got ready for a Board of Selectmen’s Meeting on Go To Meeting.

After that I answered a few more work emails, and then we headed outside for cocktails on the deck. I watered all the plants. Our neighbor came over to borrow some vinegar because her two year old had drawn on their furniture. We caught up and chatted, and I started the grill to cook some brats to go with the potato salad I had (thankfully) made on Sunday afternoon. We ate inside, I cleaned up (again), watched a little TV (including the final episode of Schitt’s Creek which was terrific and emotional) and headed for bed.

My days are full! Dale is gaining independence and able to do much more for himself but he still needs help, particularly with getting in and out of the house, taking his boot on and off, remembering his meds (including the daily shot in the belly to prevent blood clots), and the proper placement of pillows for propping his leg. Plus fetching things like books and drinks and treats for him so that he can rest. And everything seems to take longer because I’m doing it by myself, from setting the table to cleaning up after meals, keeping the house picked up, and taking care of outside stuff.

And that’s why, sometimes, I don’t have time to write a proper blog post.

The end.

June is my favorite month of the year for a myriad of reasons. Our weather is at it’s finest. We celebrate two very important days in June: our wedding anniversary and Dale’s birthday. And for the past few years we have vacationed in Maine, although that’s not likely to happen this year. The arrival of June has always made me happy. And, while it still does, my heart is also heavy.

Heavy with worry for Dale. Not because he’s not making progress (he is, and it’s wonderful), but because of the challenges he’s facing (okay, we’re facing) due to an accident.

Heavy with worry about how to go about reopening my library. Making decisions that will keep the staff safe and the patrons protected, balancing demands for service with risk.

And heavy with worry about our country. The pandemic and the toll it is taking on our people, the ones who are sick and dying, the ones who are working so hard to save them, the ones who are trying to lead despite the lack of information and supplies and materials, and the impact to our economy. And racism that is systemic and infuriating to witness over and over again. While so many things have been put on hold during the pandemic, racism certainly has not and as white allies we must recognize our privilege and we must be the ones who fight for our solution. I’m working on how to put my thoughts, anger, sadness, and frustration into action and I’ll admit that I don’t yet know what I’m going to do . . . but putting these thoughts out here is where I’m starting.

So. June. Along with your long lovely days, I’d like to ask you to also bring kindness and empathy. Minds that are willing to consider new ideas, ears that are listening, and mouths that are speaking up about injustice.

It’s way past time.