Monday catch-up
It’s been 525,600 minutes (jk) since I was last here, so why not play a little Monday catch-up? I was chatting with a few friends at an event last week about the bygone era of blogging, and I’ve truly missed it. Does this mean I’ll write more often? I hope so. But no promises.
ELIZABETH STUFF
I turned 38 yesterday, and somehow injured myself while sleeping the night before — which is, like, the most 38-year-old thing ever. Getting old is a literal pain in the neck. But I am excited for the year ahead, and thankful for the year gone by. I asked for Big Structural Change for my birthday (obvious choice)… so… fingers crossed. We spent the day at the Cape doing a little plant shopping, taking a walk at the beach, and enjoying our favorite year-round ice cream place.
In truth, I actually really like getting older — because we get to be more ourselves. We get a little bit more clear, each year, about what we like. What we don’t like. What we care about. What we’d like to learn. What we can do to help. Who we most want to be around. Growth is good. And so is ice cream in March.
WORK + MAKING STUFF
I’ve been trying to balance a v small (but fulfilling and interesting) freelance writing + content creation business with creating for my own enjoyment and wellbeing… this is something I want to continue to work at in the coming year. I’d love to reestablish a healthy writing and painting (and even just plain old Instagram posting) routine — just carve out the time and rebuild the discipline that creativity requires. But in a fun way. I just made that sound miz. Do you want to come paint and write and craft in my basement with me?
I’m also letting myself try more new things. I’m not getting any younger (ask my neck/back), and plus… self-sufficiency feels pretty great. I’ve gotten a little braver at video (mainly Instagram stories) for starters. I’ve been meeting people for coffee and volunteering for school things like a real person (left to my own defenses, I’d stay home forever). And I’m doing fun projects that I’ve wanted to tackle for a while, but avoided because there’s a million important things to do instead.
I’m waiting on a fabric shipment (I’ve never ordered fabric online before, so this has the potential to be totally awesome or totally not) and will then attempt to reupholster our old headboard, which will go in Grace’s room. We have been slowly working our way through the new house (we’ve been here for just over a year now), and I think the kids’ rooms will be really fun to fully decorate.
Along similar lines, I’ve been on a major purging/donating/organizing kick. Between Christmas and New Year’s, I overhauled our pantry and all of our closets. The kitchen is nearly done — but the basement will be my Everest. How all of that stuff fit in our condo is beyond me.
Oh, also: I took the Jeopardy! test… but have yet to hear back. That’s probably not a great sign.
CLARK STUFF
I alluded to this on Instagram, and I really appreciate all the kind messages I received, but unfortunately Clark’s hasn’t been feeling well lately. He’s had a number of seizures in the past few weeks, and just Friday the vet confirmed that he has a tumor in his liver (inoperable and unrelated to the seizures).
You likely know I’m a crier (the floodgates opened in 2013 when I was pregnant with Grace and accidentally watched a documentary about a blind dog being befriended and protected by a seeing goat, and they really never closed). And so it’s probably not surprising that I cried so much about baby Clark last week that I thought I was having an allergic reaction to my eye cream. (My eyes were, in fact, just red and puffy… from the crying.) He’s going to have good days, and he’s going to have bad days. And I guess that’s true for all of us, isn’t it?
We have medication + a plan to keep him comfortable, and a very thick packet from the vet titled “How Will I Know?” with a photo on the cover of a young man starring into the eyes of his beagle against a breathtaking mountain vista. It’s actually quite helpful reading (I learned that all the crying is likely anticipatory grief). This part of having a dog best friend is just really sh-tty (apologies, I couldn’t think of a better word… I took out the i and then didn’t have the energy to crack a thesaurus). But we have had so many good years with our frenchie fry– and I’m grateful for whatever time have left here with him. Like right now: he’s snuggled up with me and snoring like a buzzsaw. And I love every single, noisy second of it.
KIDS STUFF
Grace starts ice hockey in earnest this week (she just finished a session of learn to skate), and I could not be more excited. She’s been proudly wearing her #33 Bruins jersey on the ice, but was worried that people would ask if Zdeno Chara is her dad. I mean… I won’t comment on my husband’s height… but. No. I don’t think anyone will make that assumption.
Both babes are doing great in school — our move to the suburbs has been overwhelmingly positive, especially in this way. I love how much they’re learning at these ages, they just soak everything up. The questions can be a bit much, but my goodness– what a privilege and responsibility to be their go-to for information. I do a lot of Googling these days. Lately it’s cremation — fun!, math things — not fun for me, but that doesn’t mean math can’t be fun for you!, the surface temperature of different planets — hot and spicy!, and so on.
Semi-related: I watched Frozen 2 with the kids and have precisely ZERO clue what was going on. The soundtrack was pretty legit though.
ENOUGH STUFF… for now
Okay. This got long and involved. But you’re mostly caught up now! I’ve been working on a few other drafts — so stay tuned (but not so tuned that you’re distracted from better things and/or that you’d notice if I don’t follow through…) for:
- WELL Summit 2020 information!
- Skincare stuff (routines, products, etc.)!
- Reading recommendations!
- A story about bird migration!
But wait… there’s more!
No, don’t worry, there isn’t. I hope you’re all doing really well. xoxo Gossip Elizabeth
Also On Tap for Today:
- Please show up + vote tomorrow, if you’re able (and if your state’s primary is, in fact, tomorrow… obviously) <3
- Use the KonMari Method to tidy your mind (this is directed at… myself) from Outside Magazine
- Really embracing the microwavable rice-filled on the go heating pad thing life
Catch me up. How are things for you these days?
