Coming at you this week with 3 random things . . .

• Our oldest son Brant and his family live in Port Charlotte, one of the towns directly hit by Hurricane Ian. The last I heard from them was yesterday afternoon. They are at his mother-in-law’s house and are without power. There has been some damage to her house but they don’t know anything about their own house yet. They were not able to evacuate (read this piece from NPR on why evacuating isn’t doable for many people and for many reasons) and I’m a ball of anxiety regarding all of this.
• Have you heard of phubbing? I do it. Dale does it. I bet you do it, too. It’s a fascinating phenomenon, particularly because we think when we do it that it’s not a big deal to the people around us, yet we’re full of emotions when others do it to us. I notice it in particular when Dale and I sit down for our Friday Night Snacks. I use my phone at that time to take a photo and post it to social media and I also use my phone to curate our playlist for the evening. I try to only use my phone for those two things but . . . you know how that goes. Dale often follows my cue and picks up his phone to send a text or an email or check his Facebook feed. And it bugs the crap out of me. I suppose it’s a double standard but I see my phone use during this time as essential because of the music and I see his phone use as . . . intrusive. Classic phubbing, honestly. Now that I know this behavior has a name, I’m going to work hard to avoid it.
• I read an article the other day about doing a life edit in the fall. The idea is that you sit down and consider your life in 6 areas: digital, home, finance, wellness, mental, and relationships. Journal about each of these things extensively and then identify where you feel blocked or stressed and figure out ways to feel more at ease in each area. I’ve started the process and it feels great.

And that’s all from me for this Thursday. Add your link below if you wrote a post for this week!

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I have this problem. I commit to . . . things . . . in a moment of inspiration. Or whatever. And then when it comes time to do the . . . things . . . I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I thought it was something I’d want to do. It’s Thursday so I will give you 3 examples to illustrate what I mean.

1. Earlier this summer I got an email at work about Microsoft Excel workshops that the town was going to offer to employees in September. I thought, oooh, great idea, I’m sure my use of Excel could be better. I signed myself up for the intermediate group. The classes are next week on Wednesday and Thursday morning. Do I still want to go? Of course not.
2. A couple of weeks ago I got a text from a friend in Kiwanis that I greatly respect and admire. He asked if I would be willing to be on the Nominating Committee. This is the committee that seeks out people to fill the various leadership positions in the club, everything from being on the Board of Directors to serving as President. I said yes. On Sunday I got an email that the committee would be meeting Tuesday night at 7 at a local restaurant to discuss potential nominees. Did I want to go to this meeting? Of course not.
3. When I have bananas that turn brown I throw them in the freezer so that I can make banana bread at a future time. At the current moment I have about a dozen bananas in my freezer. Do I have any plans to make banana bread? Of course not.

Now, I want to say, I will go to the Excel class. And I went to the Nominating Committee meeting on Tuesday night. At some point I will even make banana bread. But the me that thinks I’m going to want to do the things and the me that then agrees to do the things really needs to consider that the me that is then going to have to do the things will not want to do them. Some day I hope that future me will live up to the person that current me thinks I am.

Please tell me you can relate.

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The other day, Sarah hinted that it would be nice to have a Fred & George update. I’m happy to oblige today with 3 things about Fred & George right now.

1. It’s hard to believe but they will be turning ONE at the end of this month. This is their birthday, not the day they came to live with us (that was November 5, 2021) but I still feel like the time has flown by. Once they pass this milestone they will no longer be considered kittens and they will eat regular cat food instead of kitten chow. I actually put a call in to my vet yesterday to ask her what I need to do for a successful transition away from the only food they’ve ever known.
2. While they don’t always sleep curled up together like they used to, they are still extremely devoted to each other and snuggle frequently. They are really never far apart for long, they still groom each other and wrestle with each other and play together all the time. Speaking of playing, their favorite toys are still those mylar crinkle balls and their 3 way tunnel. They will chase those crinkle balls all day long and they play fetch, too, bringing them back to be thrown over and over. And over. And they pop in and out of their tunnel all the time, usually with Fred on the inside and George on the outside.
3. They have very distinctive personalities and appearances. Fred is quite a bit smaller than George and his fur isn’t as soft. He’s the more daring of the two, always the first to greet a new person or try something new. He’s more snuggly and cuddly and demands to be petted a lot. George is a BIG cat. He’s a bit more vocal than Fred (although neither is super vocal yet but as Siamese cats I know that’s coming) and he is slower to warm to new people and try new things. He sleeps for longer stretches of time and is more likely to sleep on our bed with us than Fred. One thing they both have in common? They miss us a lot when we go away!

And that’s the update on Fred & George. I’m so glad they are part of our family, I can’t imagine our home without them.

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Today’s post is going to be a fast one, both for me to write and for you to read . . . I’m sharing 3 simple things that are bringing me joy right now . . .

1. Zinnias and dahlias. I probably sound like a broken record but I absolutely love growing flowers for cutting. They bring me joy when I look out the window and see them and they also bring me joy when I cut them and bring them into the house.
2. Homegrown tomatoes. We have ripe ones and they are delicious and probably my favorite summer treat. I have had a tomato sandwich for lunch two days in a row and I couldn’t be happier about that.
3. Fred & George and their antics. These two bring me so much joy, they are playful and funny and sweet and I love them to pieces. I can’t believe they will be turning one at the end of the month!

I hope you are finding joy in simple things right now, too.

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