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Saturday, September 3, 2022

Joys of the Week

Well, I have no idea why I had this written late Friday night and did not post it until late Saturday night. TheHub worked until about 9 am and then we headed out to get a lot of things done, plus a little indulgence, But that is for next weeks joy list. This is a small snippet of the joys for week 35. Can you believe how fast 2022 has flown?




Saturday: We had our annual family reunion at my cousins house. He and his wife have a lovely home with some acreage a bit out of town. They are so generous to host it every year, and honestly it is the perfect place for a large crowd. The rains had stopped and the day was sunny and warm, perfect for an inside/outside event.
Everyone brings several dishes and it is set out as a buffet style potluck meal, so the burden of feeding a crowd is a shared responsibility. As usual for our group, there was enough food to feed a small army, and at the end of the day everyone waddled walked away full and happy.
I grew up with a large extended family (lots of cousins) and now their kids are married and most have kids of their own so the numbers have grown and grown.
Only one uncle is still living and he made the trek with his daughter and son-in -law, but that means with the exception of UB I am one of the older generation. How did that happen? 

Sunday: TheHub had to go into the office until about noon so I had the house to myself. I would love to say I did something more exciting than reading, but I didn't. After he came home we watched (I read but did sit in the den with him) the Fedex golf championship (congrats to Rory), cooked a burger on the grill, then watched an episode of Better Call Saul. We are really enjoying it, even though we did start it late.
I guess we are just tragically unhip.

Monday: The day was a pretty boring, though beautiful, Monday. It was fine weather for swimming with blue skies and huge fluffy clouds. 
I would like to say I got all sorts of things done, but I would pretty much be lying. I did take note of what all I needed to do,  but I am pretty sure that counts for very little.
TheHub came home late__again, and after a quick dinner we drove to the post office to stick some mail in the official post box. On our way there we notice how beautiful the night sky was, so we drove to our usual sunset watching spot on the crest. Though the sun was past setting, there was still a tinge of orange right at the horizon framed by the deep purple sky and a tiny sliver of a waxing crescent moon. We only sat there about 10 minutes but it was long enough to see the last vestige of gorgeous colors disappear.

Tuesday: Well at least Monday was beautiful. Tuesday the rains returned, with a bit of lightning and thunder thrown in just to make sure I was paying attention and taking advantage of beautiful days. 

Wednesday: The day was hot but lovely. My Beloved Sister and I went out shopping a bit, then came back to my house for Diet Coke and conversation. 
I had been having trouble sleeping at night and actually took about a 30 minute nap after she left. Wow! It was great.
TheHub called on his way home to see if we could go to The Electric to eat. It was fine with me. I mean who can say no when it means no cooking? The grill is very near the crest so afterward we drove to it, parked and watched the last tiny bit of color disappear. I think what I like most (other than the view) is that every clear day there are several cars parked to see the sun set. Wednesday night there was a group of teenagers, a couple of dudes on Harleys, young couples, and of course us, the old birds!

Thursday: I have mentioned before how unhappy I am with the hours TheHub has been working, but not  how this is affecting him. I  have known all this work is taxing, but by Thursday he was wearing the stress visibly . He looked worn out.
When he called before leaving work, I could tell just in his voice how fried he was. When he is under extreme stress, he likes a temporary break from the norm. I did not want to go out to eat again (I had been working in the house all day and was not dressed for dinner ) but he wanted to at least pick up something from a little mom and pop restaurant directly on the crest. So, he got his needed deviation, we got to see a bit of another sunset, and I did not have to cook. 
After we ate, he turned on the West Virginia/Pitt game (the Tennessee game was already a blowout), got on the sofa and promptly fell asleep, but not the deep sleep you get in a bed. My job, while he was cat napping, was to keep the game on so I could tell him what was happening each time he stirred. I read until the last three minutes and I must confess it was a very exciting ending.

Friday: I have been attacking the Master Bedroom, and am horrified at all the things I have accumulated that I not only don't need, but really don't want. I am going through the bookshelves, every drawer, every container, literally every single thing in the bedroom, closet, and adjoining bath. It is time to wear it, use it up, or get rid of it. 
In the midst of cleaning I got a call from Sluggy who was taking a break from her packing, pitching, and donating. Talking with her is always fun, but I do not envy what she is going through. Reading about her move is what inspired me to get cracking dealing with my own mess. Vapor Thrift Store, get ready for me!
TheHub called while he was on his way home and suggested I take my dust covered self, clean up right quickly and get read to go out to eat. So I did and we had restaurant food for the third time in one week.  Now I wonder if he continues to work just to pay for meals out? I had rather he retire. Cooking every night would be better than seeing him so stressed from his job.

Have a great week looking for your joys. Hidden or not they are always out there.

May all your weeds be wildflowers,
Anne



25 comments:

  1. ROLL TIDE! Cindy in the South

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    1. Since I don’t have a TV and haven’t had one since 2008, I simply parked myself on my front porch with my IPhone and listened to the crowd in the distance while watching everything on FB. So many friends were at the game, it was a perpetual newsfeed of BAMA! Lol… Cindy in the South

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    2. Funny! TheHub is/was wiped out and did not go to the game. Fortunately Son2, DIL2 and TGS went. I am wondering how we avoided all the storms that were predicted! Roll Tide!!!

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  2. I am so sorry that your husband is stressed out (and that you are too). Hopefully this stint of working excessive hours will end soon.

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    1. It will have to end soon because he can't keep up with this pace too much longer.

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  3. A thirty-minute nap would leave me groggy! I do try to limit my naps so I am not up all night.

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    1. I have always been a power napper if I take one. If I sleep much longer than that I am fuzzy headed.

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  4. My hubby is retired, but still working part time and still stressed from it. The person that took over his groundskeeping position isn't doing such a great job, so he was asked if he wanted to take on more areas to maintain instead of just the athletic fields. He said no because he can only make so much money while on SS. Meanwhile, he is so stressed out seeing the work he used to do there not getting done, or not getting done right. I told him he can't ever give up his field maintenance job because then we'd never be able to go into town again. lol. He would be freak out if he saw that his fields were unkempt.

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    1. It's hard to see someone else flounder at a job you used to do so well. At least the athletic fields benefit from his attention.

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  5. Sounds like that you had a great weekend! We also really enjoyed the show Better Call Saul..sad it's over.

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    1. We are so late to the Saul party that for us it is just season 2

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  6. I feel your second hand stress for your husband. It's hard when they think they can't retire. I think we, my DH and I, might be a touch younger than you but I m already on the countdown for hubs next year. Friday proved he needs to leave work stress behind. I hope you can help him find balance. Enjoy your college football season.

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    1. I am ready for him to retire. I really do miss him when things are like this. He is waking much too early and is in the office between 6:30 and 7 each morning, then not getting home until after 7 (more like 8) each evening plus working Saturdays and Sundays. It is not good for him physically, but mainly he is mentally exhausted.

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  7. My husband retired in April. It took a little adjustment, but both of us are loving it. He doesn't miss his work at all which involved a lot of stress and overtime. I wish the same happy retirement for you and your husband at some point.

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    1. I know retirement will be and adjustment for both of us, but I do think after a little bit of floundering he will start playing golf regularly, and we do have some travel plans.

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  8. How wonderful to see all those sunsets in one week. I would love to see a photo of one of them. Nice that you and your dh snuck in a nap or two here and there this week. Naps are the best to rejuvenate. It’s so sweet that you talk to Sluggy on the phone. I know what you mean about decluttering. I thought about you a lot as I went thru my Mom’s things remembering how you and your sister went through your mother’s things. It is a big job that we do need to stay on top of - decluttering our own homes. I hope you have another great week filled with a lot of joys, Anne. 😊

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    1. I have told my sons they need to be nice or I will leave all this junk for them to deal with at some point in time!

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  9. I do hope this work stress ends soon for your husband (and your worries for him). It truly isn't healthy to be under such a high level of stress for long periods of time. Take care, both of you.
    The thought of watching the sunset sounds wonderful - there's no spot nearby but someday I should take a drive to the west end of the city or out to the farm. My brother sent me photos of the northern lights from last night (from 2 a.m.). I'm missing a lot!

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    1. The northern lights are a foreign concept for us, but I can drive about a mile and a half up the road and be on the western facing crest for gorgeous sunset viewing.

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  10. All of the sunsets sound great! I feel for your husband on the work stress. It can be so hard when you're in the middle of it, to step back & make thoughtful decisions on how best to handle it. Here's hoping he gets the break for some perspective.

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    1. The job has always been time consuming and demanding, but this is at a whole new level. I don't see any big change unless/until he decides to retire.

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  11. I'm so sorry your Hubs is being pushed to this point. My last job wasn't that time-consuming, but the emotional stress came close to breaking me. I only wish I'd said "Enough!" earlier ... but that's only a decision the two of you can make.

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    1. It is ultimately his decision to make, but he knows I am on board with his retirement and I hope it is sooner rather than later.

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  12. I'm glad you were still able to find joys this week, even with being concerned about the stress your husband is under with working so much. He needs to find a better work/life balance before his health suffers. The family reunion sounds wonderful.

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    1. The reunion was great and those who were unable to make it were missed.
      Fingers crossed this intense work situation lessens quickly. I don't think it will since it has been like this for a long time, but hope springs eternal and all that.

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