Currently - April '21

January, February and the early part of March seemed to take forever, but now all of a sudden, we're heading into late April! I don't know that I'm that much busier than I was at the beginning of the year, but the longer evenings and better weather have helped make a wider variety of activities more appealing and the weeks seem to be flying by.

arranging - The bins that hold our camping stuff. We forgot a few things (thankfully, nothing critical) on our first camping trip of the season over Easter weekend, and I came home determined to get our camping bins organized and stocked with all of the basics to facilitate future trips with minimal planning/packing. Having recently watched the entire Get Organized with the Home Edit series probably fed this need as well!

craving - I made Seven Layer Magic Bars with an Easter twist (using Cadbury Mini Eggs as one of the layers) for our camping trip. It had been a long time since I'd eaten a magic bar and even longer since I made them, and they did not disappoint. I have everything to make another batch, but it feels a bit dangerous when I'd be at home alone with them all day!

discussing - Almost every conversation these days turns to vaccines at some point. In my small social circle, more and more people have gotten their first dose, some of them driving for hours to get it. Keizo and I got our calls to make appointments last week, and as of yesterday have received our first doses! We both felt a little tired afterwards, but it's hard to know whether that was a direct side effect or more the result of a busy week for both of us.

enjoying - Our new hammock stand. It's portable for short distances (sort of like carrying a couple of camping chairs at once) and can be set up anywhere flat. It's nice to be able to choose the level of sun/shade and not have to worry about having properly spaced, sturdy trees nearby.

preparing - I don't think I'm preparing as much as being slightly anxious about having more decisions to make after we're vaccinated. 

***

And before it becomes even more of a blur, here are a few good things I want to remember about March:

• St. Patrick's Day dinner and dessert - My very first time making corned beef and veggies, followed by Guinness Brownies with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting. The frosting was the easily the best part.
• Bike ride to see some early cherry blossoms in Capitol Hill (the source of this month's photo above).
• Some weather that made drinking beers on brewery patios not only possible, but thoroughly enjoyable!

One Year Later

There's been plenty written about the anniversary of the week when the WHO declared the coronavirus a pandemic and the world suddenly changed. It's been strange to think back on the last 365 days - how much we didn't know at the beginning, my naive assumptions that things would look more normal much faster, and the sheer exhaustion and blur of it all.

Back in December, I started drafting a "year in review" type post, but obviously never got around to finishing it. I am thankful to have the draft to go back and look at though since it contains some details I would not otherwise remember. The post is broken up into 1-3 month segments, and for March I wrote, "went camping on Assateague after cancelling our trip to AZ at the last minute," and "started walking around the neighborhood...a lot."

This year, we didn't think for a moment we'd be able to celebrate my mom's birthday with her in person in Arizona. Instead, we celebrated her passion for birding by taking ourselves and our new binoculars to the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon of exploring. We saw and identified (!!!) at least 11 species of birds, which I don't think is too shabby for newbies not willing to get up at the crack of dawn.

I'm also going to take the opportunity to finally post the photos from last year's, last minute, local adventure: camping in Assateague. I had really been looking forward to a trip home and desperately needed a change of scenery. After cancelling our flights, I moped for a day and then decided we should check off a local bucket list item instead.

That early in the spring, campsites were plentiful, and spending time by the water and staring into the fire at night were a much needed break from work and thoughts of cancelled plans. 

As you can see, we got lucky with the weather and it's amazing to me that after a longer, wetter winter, we have almost the same weather this weekend as we did then - brilliantly sunny, but with a steady breeze that makes it feel cold in the shade.

The view when we arrived after the ~3 hour drive. As we drove, we listened to the news and promises of corporate America setting up testing centers in every neighborhood.

Exploring the next morning. Sunny skies and fairly quiet before the day users arrived.

We didn't bring bikes, so we ended up walking about 10 miles exploring the park on Saturday. We saw 6-8 wild ponies, including accidentally getting a bit too close to one at night.

It was only a 20-30 minute drive to get provisions and do an indoor beer tasting that would be our last one for a long time. 

Barring any unforeseen events, we'll be back camping by the beach again over Easter weekend, replicating a different trip that was cancelled by the pandemic last year. Hopefully we get repeat weather (60 degrees and sunny) for this one too!

Currently - March '21

I think this month's post is done in time to join the link up over at Anne in Residence. Isn't that exciting?

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

choosing - To embrace each month as it comes instead of worrying about where the previous one went. I'm ready for warm weather and eventually getting vaccinated; enough of this winter stuff!

imagining - Getting a camper van and visiting National Parks out west. Or doing some bike touring. Job? What job?

making - Our weekly grocery list does not vary much, despite my efforts to plan different types of meals each week. There's usually a pasta dish, some kind of stir fry or curry, maybe something Mexican inspired, or a soup. 

Recently though I've gotten some renewed inspiration from old Blue Apron recipes (Kale & Plantain Salad) and the show Nadia Bakes on Netflix. Watching Nadia decked out in bright colors in a gorgeous kitchen makes me wonder if I would have the same boundless energy and enthusiasm if I embraced more color in my life. :-D

recommending - We sped through both seasons of Blown Away, a glass blowing competition show on Netflix, and most Sundays you'll find me listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and/or Ask Me Another as I do things around the house.

wearing - The same 20% of my clothes over and over again. Certainly, some of that is seasonal - can't really embrace the sundresses and tank tops when it's 40* outside - but a good part of it is working from home and needing everything to be warm and comfortable. Stretchy jeans and relaxed sweaters FTW.

***

And before it becomes even more of a blur, here are a few good things I want to remember about February:

• Becoming an aunt! Cora Meadow was born on February 23, and the photos and videos my brother and sister-in-law send make my day every time.
• Riding 43 miles on the bike trainer, plus a few outdoor rides. Indoors, I follow videos from Train with GCN.
• This recipe for California Roll Sushi Bowls, which was so good we had it two weeks in a row and also has my mother's seal of approval. 

Currently - February '21

It's now closer to the beginning of March than February, and the timing of this post reflects the way most things are going around here these days: not following much of an agenda and getting done late if ever. And that's okay.

loving - Early in February I was really loving the daily themes, the instructor's style, and our general commitment to the Yoga Connection || 30 Day Yoga Series with Emily Henderson. Then came the day with an intimidating 40-minute power yoga routine that threw off our groove. Now we're looking forward to starting over again and hopefully finishing it in March.

I'm also trying to love, or at least use, the indoor bike trainer a couple of times per week to get back in the habit of riding regularly. I conservatively estimate that I missed out on about 500 miles of bike commutes while working from home last year. I don't expect to be back in the office anytime soon, but spring will arrive eventually and I'm looking forward to more outdoor rides!

reading - I closed out 2020 and started 2021 with two paperback mystery novels - one by Nevada Barr and the other by Sue Grafton. I'm skipping resolutions this year, but it feels nice to already have finished two five books and be well into my third sixth before the end of February. This is made possible in part by sticking with fiction and essay collections including Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson and A Marriage Made in Heaven or Too Tired for An Affair by Erma Bombeck. 

remembering - How different the world was last January/February, and working to adjust my expectations and actions accordingly (see the timeline for this post and reference to skipping resolutions above). I really hope that by fall plans can be made further in advance and the calendar will start to have more fun things on it (regular get togethers, dinners out, holidays with family, etc.) but in the meantime, taking things one day at a time and marveling at how the days are already getting longer, is the best thing for me to do.

sharing - I was feeling pretty down at the end of 2020, and while the state of things politically and pandemically certainly had something to do with it, a good deal of it also came from deeply held expectations for myself and feeling like despite doing so many of the "right things" - getting outside for walks, doing yoga, trying to maintain friendships over Zoom, eating vegetables - I always felt tired and depleted. 

A few things have helped me feel better lately, and I share them in case they might help someone else:

• The 30 day yoga series above, and its message that yoga is not about improving yourself, but getting to know yourself as you already are. 
• Trying to be more pleasure motivated, i.e. do more things that I want to do, rather than doing them because I feel like I have to (inspired by the book The Pleasure Zone by Stella Resnick). 
• Talking to a therapist.
• Embracing my 'masculine side' meaning if a stereotypical male isn't worried about it or doing it, neither am I. Making plans for Valentine's Day? No thanks. Worried about the amount of time spent online? Nope. Dust on the baseboards? What are baseboards?

wishlisting - A continued drop in Covid-19 cases and more spring-like weather by the end of March since we just accepted an invitation to go camping over Easter weekend!

Currently - October '20

Let's get right to it, shall we?

admiring - my shiny new running shoes, which I hope will inspire a shiny new running routine (or at the very least some running!)

going - last weekend we went to the Temple Hall Farm pumpkin patch and returned home with the three beauties shown above. We met up with my cousins there and then headed to Vanish Farmwoods Brewery for lunch. Both places had lots of outdoor space and it was easy to maintain social distance, making it a highly enjoyable outing.

making - crock pot tomato sauce and my favorite spicy pickled radishes to make some room in the produce drawers for this week's CSA haul. I've made the sauce with all different kinds of tomatoes and other veggies depending on what we have on hand, and it comes out a little differently each time.

scheduling - time off this Friday and next Friday. September and the first part of October have been a whirlwind at work with a ton of meetings and at least 1 presentation/webinar to prep for and deliver each week. That, plus anxiety about the upcoming election and continuing to live through a pandemic has me feeling a bit worn out. No plans for this Friday other than staying away from screens and hopefully some time outside, but next week we'll head to Delaware for 2 nights of camping.

wishing - this could be the year we just stay on daylight savings time. Do we really need it getting darker even earlier in the fall/winter? 

Currently - August '20

The calendar says it's August and the weather seems suitably sticky, so I suppose it is. 

I've been resisting the urge to take a nap all day, but the good news is that in less than 10 days I can take a nap anytime I want - we'll be on vacation! No work + rented house by the water + books + bikes + drinks + naps = yes, please!

In the meantime, you can read about what I've been up to below, and please visit Anne's blog to see what she and others have been up to 'currently.'

choosing - I started writing about my indecision related to getting a hair cut, but got annoyed by my whining and made an appointment. It's been bothering me for a while, so it's time for a refresh.

consuming - a lot of mindless iPad games this past week. Why does zoning out with a book or other non-screen activity seem so hard?

enjoying - the delicious bounty of summer fruit and vegetables. Because they are so good on their own, simple recipes are the best, and because they're so good for you, there's plenty of room for ice cream afterwards (or so I like to believe!)

ordering - having not cleaned out anything in these months at home, plus adding items to two recent online orders just to qualify for free shipping, I'm trying not to buy anything online in August. I'll make an exception for pickles and kimchi from the farmer's market though.

remembering - what it's like to devote several weeks to biking and building up endurance. We did this last year to get ready to bike across Iowa, and I need to start doing again to fulfill my desire of spending my birthday weekend in late September biking and camping along the Great Allegheny Passage.

Currently - July '20

Wow, it's hard to believe we're halfway through 2020. On one hand, the ~4 months of the pandemic have gone by really quickly (I think it's because so many days feel the same); but on the other hand, with very few signs that anywhere in the US has the virus even remotely under control, it's been a very long six months.

While the big picture leaves a lot to be desired, I'm very lucky to be able to say that things in my own little corner of the world continue on pretty similarly to the way they have been going for the past few months. Working from home, cooking and eating in a lot, taking walks around the neighborhood, and occasionally venturing beyond it on a bike.

cooking - Keizo has perfected preparing and rolling out homemade pizza dough, making pizza one of the few things worth turning on the oven for these days. Last weekend, we made fresh pesto and used it to top two pizzas. One was Japanese-inspired with imitation crab and corn, while the other had more traditional toppings of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

photographing - Even before staying at home, I didn't take many photos because I realized a while ago that I never did anything with them. But last week, I took an afternoon off work, we drove to a regional park about 45 minutes away, and I felt like I should document the occasion. We rented a kayak and paddled around the lake for about an hour, then had an early picnic dinner before some ominous dark clouds rolled in and sky opened up for about 30 minutes. We took shelter in the car with some Blizzards from the DQ drive through and drove home looking at the rainbow pictured above.

sharing - Probably one of the best things I did last month was gather up all the junk mail stickers I've been getting, write some notes, and mail them off to the little people in my life (ages 2-5). In return, I received a few grateful texts and one adorable, painstakingly written letter telling me about all of the 'qkumbrs' growing in the garden. :-)

trying - I'm almost half way through a two-week mind/body "reset" where I'm trying to do yoga, hit my step goal, drink 2 liters of water, and skip alcohol everyday. I'm doing the best at the yoga and water drinking and have had just one glass of wine after a long day. The step goal part is the most challenging while working from home!

wondering - Probably the same things many others are wondering about - will kids go back to school in the fall? Are we going to miss our annual trip to AZ for Thanksgiving? When will I wear work clothes again? Can we get a grip as a nation and do the right things to get the pandemic under control?