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Friday, May 14, 2021

Joy Finds Me Again

As is my usual for the week, I try my best to keep up with some of the daily joys I experience, and freely admit the some days during the past year, joy has been terribly hard to find. Still I look for it each day and manage to find something joyful or joyous each day.

 I am fully inoculated and am taking baby steps to rejoin the world, however, I am doing it at my speed, fully masked. Sue me.

Each week now, I intend to do something I would have done pre-covid. I have put my toe in the
world and will try to safely go out among the living again, reserving the right to retreat if I feel uncomfortable. 

Now here is my list of joys for the 19th week of the year, including my big leap back into the world. I have actually worn real clothes and make-up three times this week. That is more than I did the entire month of March. Look out world, I am taking a walk on the wild side!


 Friday: A dear friend had called me and asked if I would meet her for coffee and conversation. Like me she has been contained in her small bubble and was in desperate need of socialization. There is a relatively new Mexican bakery/coffee/ice cream shop near us. TheHub and I had dashed into it before and bought some pastries and I had noticed it was a very large shop and the coffee/ice cream side had always been virtually vacant. It was the perfect spot for both of us to test the waters, since neither of us had been seated inside anywhere since March 2020. I can't begin to tell you how much I needed it, and plan to meet another friend at the same place next week. 

Saturday: For the first time since the beginning of the year TheHub did not go into the office at all on the weekend. We decided to get up, get dressed and run a few errands, including one to get my Mother's Day present. You have to understand I am pretty practical and have asked for paint, new garbage cans, hedge trimmers, etcetera, and TheHub is happy to oblige.  And this year's winner was a 2x2x6 foot galvanized horse trough. I know it sounds like an odd gift for a horseless house, but I have great plans for it. 
We continued our errands, then went on The Great Lantana Hunt. I don't know why it is so hard to find lantana this year. (I had lantana that came up in the same planter each year, but for some reason TheHub "cleaned" the planter and threw it out. I guess its was the same reason he "cleaned" the mint and parsley planters)
I kept telling TheHub we needed to go to Myers first. It is hands down the best nursery in town and they have absolutely everything. Yes, it is a tad farther and a little pricier, but driving to the four other places we went to looking for it cost gas and time, and we wound up there anyway!  Even though my "I told you so" remained silent, there was a certain glee knowing I could have said it!

Sunday: Mother's Day grilled lunch with Son2 and DIL2. I love seeing them and spending time with them!

Monday: Occasionally, when Son1 is taking Pip to school, they call me. Monday they called and I got to   join in her early morning  (10 o'clock here) silliness.

Tuesday: I had a wonderful phone conversation with a friend I have not heard from in quite a while. Sure friendships are beyond joyful.

Wednesday: Mom's accountant called and her taxes were finished. I was able to run by his office, sign them and have them filed electronically. It was bittersweet, because it is the last time I will ever have to do that for her, but there is joy knowing I will not have to keep up with her tax documents again.
Also, the SEC women's softball tournament was on TV. I love watching them play, and wish it had been around  as a sanctioned sport when I was younger. 

Thursday: Produce should not cause such great joy, but our local produce stand has real honest to goodness freshly picked tomatoes and strawberries. According to the farmer/market owner all of his crops are at least two weeks ahead of their normal schedule. Oh my goodness! It tasted like putting summertime in my mouth!
Alabama played Kentucky in the SEC softball tournament. It was a great game. Roll Tide!

Have a great week finding you joys wherever they are or whatever they might be!






22 comments:

  1. I'm with you on slow re-entry. I think I overdid it last weekend and now every sniffle or throat tingle has me nervous! I'm glad trivia was postponed as a complete ummasked table to table was a sttetch for comgort. I love all your joys. Coffee house is my next meet up place.

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    1. I am just going to have to take re-entry in my own time. I am sure a lot of folks in my realm think I am being overly cautious. So be it!

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  2. Love your joys.
    Mind you I am not going to admit how long it is since I have worn makeup. Suffice it to say I can't blame Covid.

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    1. Pre-Covid I went out at least 3 times a week that required hair and makeup. (only because in my normal every day walking around with nothing look, I am apt to scare dogs and small children)

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  3. I love reading your weekly joys! My daughter and I were pushed into reentry sooner than we would have liked with her having to take me to ER and making several trips to the pharmacy, etc., but, we are both fully vaccinated and so grateful for it. We do continue to wear our masks when we are out and it will be a long time before I will feel comfortable going out to eat. But, we've relaxed enough to buy food from out (just once, but, it's a beginning!)

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    1. For me it is baby steps but I am going to push myself (masked of course) to go out , gingerly, among the living.

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  4. We're still several weeks behind you - I don't expect I'll get my second does for another four weeks but I might be surprised. I rarely wear make-up, even when I worked. I have a tendency to rub my eyes so I always end up looking like a raccoon by the end of the day.

    I've never grown lantana - but saw it on another blog, thought it was pretty and bought two plants. It's an annual here.

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    1. Lantana is a perennial here, unless TheHub rips it out of the planter!

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  5. I think taking it slowly is very prudent, so no lawsuit here. I'm taking it a little step at a time. Practical gifts are the best! One of my favorites was a power assisted jack to change a tire! Celie

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    1. Yeah, one Christmas I got a compressor for nail guns and the like. I have always been pretty practical

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  6. And, where is this market location and what is the name of it, please? I love a practical gift of my choosing!

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    1. Bluff Park Methodist parking lot Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9ish -1
      There is also a good Saturday morning farmers market at the Bessemer civic center

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    2. Anne,
      Bessemer is close, and I know where it is. Thanks!

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  7. A friend/lover who is also fully vaccinated took me out for a steak dinner two weeks ago. It was lovely. But when I went to buy groceries yesterday, I wore my mask, as did most of the other shoppers. I've gotten so used to the mask, I might continue to wear it in the hope of fewer colds/flu. But I never have to wear the mask for long periods of time, so it's easy for me to continue.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Our traveling Broadway theater season is going to begin again soon and I will be masked during the performance seven though I am fully vaccinated.

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  8. Another excellent song choice. One of my joys this morning. :)

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  9. My biggest joy was my sister and her husband coming to visit. It was so good to see each other again after so many months.

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  10. Can't wait to see what you got the horse trough for - the mind boggles! Using it to swim laps?

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    1. I am using it in the back yard. We have one tiny area that has a steep drop off. It is hard to mow and anything we plant there can't be seen. I saw a picture where someone with a similar yard put a horse trough in the "hole", filled it with soil and planted it. You could actually see the plants and it solved the mowing issue.

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  11. Love your practical Mother's Day gifts. I'm similar. I asked for a replacement pair of my favorite "dress up" shoes, which are 10+ years old. The ones M bought are too big, so now I'm instead thinking of having my old shoes re-soled, for the 2nd or 3rd time. I prefer the original style, and this would keep shoes out of the landfill, so it would be a win/win

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