I don’t know why I wait until I’m crazy tired to begin writing these lists. My brain is emotionally and intellectually spent, so it will be interesting to see what I recollect for the May list.

1) I’ve been taking more walks, some of which have turned into walk/runs. I usually take the same paths, more or less. Still making attempts to see the neighborhood  with a different lens.

The walks have helped not only my mental state, as I can more comfortably fit some of my summer clothes. Although I have relented somewhat into trying to conform to my younger body shape and ordered some new (aka not so freaking tight) styles, including a pair of white pull-on jeggings, which are pretty much maternity jeans. Amazing!

2)  The baby robins hatched and fled their nest in our clematis (which is gorgeous this year, by the way). I inadvertently helped them leave one day as I moved in to take a closer look. They peeped at me and all of a sudden one of the squawked and darted out of the nest, fluttering down to the ground.

As soon as that happened, mom and dad rushed in from a tree nearby and there was much fluttering about and then the sibling jumped out and that was that. They hopped about, looking at me like….hi. what now. Ay carumba. I am sorry, little ones! I wish you well.

3)  I was asked to do a photoshoot for one of the high school seniors whose photos I took last year. She and her friend celebrated prom together, so the shoot was for both of them. They were so lovely and ethereal. Raise your hand if you were this beautiful in high school!?! Crickets everywhere.

4)  Aaaaand that shoot got me a few minutes of airtime the local (Detroit) news station, thanks to my girlfriend Kathy, whose reporter friend was looking for feel-good stories. It was a sweet piece about the girls, who were making the most of quarantine and still celebrating pivotal moments (like prom, graduation, etc.).

5)  And after watching myself on television, I realized just how much I missed my hair dresser and dermatologist. Please for the love of the land. The governor says hopefully by July 4th, salons will be open. I have not had a salon visit since OCTOBER. I’ve been growing out my hair and had an appointment scheduled in mid-March, exactly the date they closed. Hot mess.

6)  My podcast this month was The Teacher’s Pet, a podcast released in 2018 about an unsolved disappearance (assumed murder) in Australia. I was telling my girlfriend who is from there (and who subsequently also loves true crime podcasts) how much I enjoyed all the different Australian accents. There is actually a trial going on right now, which may result in a conviction.

I’m going to tune in to more stories from The Australian, if only for more of the accents.

7)  My puzzle this month was sooooo challenging. I didn’t realize how difficult this one would be when I bought it. All the roots and leaves, oh my.

8)  My husband and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this month. We ordered out from one of our favorite local spots, Bucci (the artichoke appetizer! The shrimp pasta!) and ate in the dining room while the girls ate in the family room and watched a movie. It was really nice. We talked about making it a regular thing, but we’ve yet to do it again.

9)  Our 11-year-old has been on a baking kick lately and she made yogurt cake that evening, not especially for our anniversary (so she says), but because she just felt like it. We all had some for dessert with homemade whipped cream (which I made) and strawberries and it was delicious.

10)  That day (of our anniversary dinner), I saw a post on my friend’s Facebook page about her having cleaned her chandelier. It looked so nice. So of course I had to also clean mine, which was a painstaking undertaking. But wow, the difference! First pic you can see the few rectangles that I polished compared to the other dusty ones. And yes, I hand massaged ALL of those suckers.

11)  I finished the book “Hillbilly Elegy” by JD Vance. It was good and I especially liked all the statistics he gave, those were interesting. But I read this on the heels of “Educated,” which to me was so much more captivating, in my opinion.

I started “The Kitchen House,” recommended to me by a friend, and I can tell two chapters in that I’m going to really like it. It’s so far about an orphan Irish girl who is brought to a southern plantation to work and live with a group of enslaved people.

12)  Lastly, I’m plain exhausted, can I get an amen. So tired of sheltering in place (I get it, but still). Our state is beginning to open up, but I’m not sure how fast we’ll embrace that as a family. The cultural unrest is unsettling, but the discomfort is needed, I suppose, for actual change. Work is just beyond busy due to the pandemic. It was supposed to be an easy summer. I will need to figure out a plan for the girls, as they are already over it with me and him working all day. I feel for them. And the list goes on and on. It’s all so draining.

I’m counting on June to bring some lightness and relaxation into my life and hopefully yours, too. Sending good wishes to all who are reading!!