Spring is officially on the horizon, which means it’s time to freshen up the house and pretend I’m the kind of person who has it all together. But, of course, what started as an attempt to declutter turned into an afternoon of reminiscing, procrastinating, and realizing I have an unhealthy amount of cleaning supplies. At least I tried, right?

This Week in the wilderness

I got the sudden urge to do some spring cleaning this week. I started with the best intentions, but after an hour, I got distracted looking through old photo albums, found a candle I forgot I had, and then convinced myself that “cleaning” also included taking a break for a snack. Three hours later, the only thing I had actually accomplished was rearranging a bookshelf and discovering I own six half-used bottles of Windex. At least I’ll have the cleanest windows in town.

Life at Shady Pines free range seniors

Uncle R walked around all morning complaining that his feet felt “off.” Turns out, he had somehow managed to put on two completely different shoes—one brown loafer and one black sneaker. When Ma pointed it out, he shrugged and said, “Well, no one said I had to match both feet.” He wore them like that for the rest of the day just to prove a point.

Hot Flashes & More the joys of midlife

Midlife is when you trip over nothing, forget why you walked into a room, and call your kids by the dog’s name—and instead of being embarrassed, you just laugh. There’s freedom in not taking yourself so seriously. If life’s going to be a comedy, you might as well enjoy the show!

What’s Cooking for dinner tonight

I started meal planning to help me in the grocery store a little more. We shop monthly and well lets be honest sometimes I don’t buy enough of something or I buy too much of something else. So, I thought I would share what our dinner plans are for next week and see what you think.

1. Monday: Irish Beef Stew with Soda Bread (St. Patrick’s Day)
2. Tuesday: Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes over Rice
3. Wednesday: Vegetable Stir-Fry and Brown Rice
4. Thursday: Baked Ziti with Caesar Salad
5. Friday: Cajun Catfish with Dirty Rice and Steamed Green Beans
6. Saturday: Chicken Caesar Wraps with Sweet Potato Fries
7. Sunday: Braised Lamb Shanks, Rosemary Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach, and Chocolate Cake

A Moment of peace and quiet

The weather finally gave us a warm day, so instead of working through lunch, I took my sandwich outside and soaked up the sunshine. No multitasking, no distractions—just me, the birds, and the feeling of the sun on my face. Sometimes, the best self-care is just stepping outside and breathing it all in.

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