2026 Project 365 – Week Twenty-one

Never has a Bug been more excited for a three-day weekend. Oof. Crazypants!
Sunday, May 17^th                 
Every Sunday, my Finch self-care app asks me what I’d like to work on for the week ahead. This week I chose to work on being calm by lighting a candle. People. I think I lit the candle all of two times because my matches wouldn’t work & I had to use the long pointy gun looking lighter and it’s too difficult for me (I’ve let my hands get weak because they hurt – I need to work on that!). Anyway, it did not make me feel more calm.

Monday, May 18^th              
Dr. M says: This month our “gift” box from The Happy Givers (La Fundación Happy), a charity based in Puerto Rico that goes by the motto “Changing the World one purchase at a time,” included a bottle of artisanal Pique! This hot sauce features the Aji Caballero, which the wiki says is the hottest pepper one can use for traditional Puerto Rican Pique. Isn’t it lovely? We donate and in turn receive merchandise from their store. So much fun to see what they have picked out for us!
 
The Bug says: I’m pretty sure we’re never opening that bottle!

Tuesday, May 19^th    
Working late and eating baby Nilla Wafers, as one does.
     

Wednesday, May 20^th               
This week I made myself available at various places in the City to help employees with open enrollment paperwork. I’m pretty sure that more folks came by my office while I wasn’t there than showed up at those locations. Next year I’m staying put!
 

Thursday, May 21^st    
The age of the peony has passed and the age of the daylily has begun!
 

Friday, May 22^nd     
We had a potluck at work for Memorial Day & this is what I brought. I told them that I don’t really approve of “Happy Memorial Day,” but it was the cookie with the most icing on it, so that’s what I got. Also, I wore pearls. 🤷
 

Saturday, May 23^rd   
Ms. Pinky continues to be two-toned.

Since last week, my hearing has gotten much worse. Probably temporarily, due to the cold/allergy I’ve been fighting – my ears are quite stopped up. So I made the bold decision to order hearing aids from Amazon as a stopgap until my appointment with my audiologist (it’s in July!). They arrived last night, and let me just say that our floorboards are WAY creakier than I remembered! I’m excited to see how well they help in the office. I do still plan to get “real” hearing aids – these ones won’t stay in my ears. My dad told me to tape them to my head and it WORKED, but I don’t think I can go around taped up indefinitely. Can I?

2026 Project 365 – Week Twenty

People, I am sick. Cold or allergy – who knows. I stayed home from church today. Dr. M took lunch over to Dad & Sue & I missed that too! I do have to go to work tomorrow – we’re short-staffed, and I have a lot to get done this week. We shall see how that goes.
Sunday, May 10^th                 
Another fine meal by Dr. M – chicken thighs, peppers, onions, & zucchini. Yum!

Monday, May 11^th              
No photo.
 
Tuesday, May 12^th    
I stopped by our peony for a photo shoot for my BeReal of the day. Lovely!
                                                                     

Wednesday, May 13^th               
I was at work at 6 a.m. for our health risk assessments (we do fasting blood draws – that’s why we start so early), then helped set up for the Health Fair. We had it in the gym at the rec center. The only photos I have are some of the signs we put up. Very exciting. Ha!
 

Thursday, May 14^th   
Another 6 a.m. workday, then I helped out at the health fair. I don’t know why I didn’t take photos of all the tables (maybe because I’m too short to get good ones – I need a drone!), so you get my very UNhealthy food truck lunch. It was delicious! I ate half on Thursday & the other half on Friday.
 

Progress report on the zinnia pot. It makes me smile.
 

Friday, May 15^th    
It was another 6.a.m. day and I was DONE. I did work until 5:00. But no photo. 
 
Saturday, May 16^th   
I only wanted half of my grits & eggs. I love these bowl covers that I got – there’s a size to fit any container!
 

Meanwhile, Dr. M went to see his dad. And take photos of blueberry progress. I’m getting excited!
 

On Thursday I had an appointment with an audiologist. She said that I have “mixed mild to moderately severe” hearing loss & need hearing aids. I kind of thought that would be the case, but I was hoping to be wrong. So now I have to decide what kind of hearing aids I want. I don’t like things in my ears, so I think it will be a hard adjustment. It’s going to be more expensive, but I’ll probably just go with whatever my audiologist recommends. I don’t think any of my readers wear hearing aids. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?

2026 Project 365 – Week Nineteen

Very quick hockey update before we dive in – the Hurricanes swept their second round series! Now we have to wait about a week before our next opponent finishes their series. We’re on fire!
Sunday, May 3^rd                  
I had a situation going on. The magnets on these toppers aren’t quite as strong as some others I have.

Monday, May 4^th              
Ribeye stir fry! It was good ya’ll!
 

Tuesday, May 5^th    
Open enrollment has overtaken my office. And this was just a fraction of the paper. Fortunately, it will all be distributed on Monday, but unfortunately some of that paper will be coming back to me.
         

Wednesday, May 6^th               
It was packet stuffing day so I wore something comfortable. I was trying to decide if the belt worked or not. I think it does – I look pregnant without it. Ha! Although I think part of the poochiness is the shadow from my hand.
 

Thursday, May 7^th   
WE GOT RAIN!!! Which Dr. M used as a car wash for Daisy.
 

Friday, May 8^th    
Pretty pretty peony.
 

Saturday, May 9^th   
Lunch! I only ate about 10 potato chips.
 

So, this week open enrollment packets are getting distributed, I have to be at work at 6am on three days, on one of 6am days we’re also having an employee health fair that I’ve been helping with, AND we’re working on a new portal for our health insurance that requires some intense meetings. I’m going to be a total vegetable when I’m writing next week’s post. Something for everyone to look forward to! Anything exciting happening during your week?

2026 Project 365 – Week Eighteen

I haven’t really been boring you folks with this information, but did you know that it’s hockey playoff time? My Carolina Hurricanes are doing an amazing job. They made it through the first round and have won the first game of the second round. (You may recall that the playoffs last approximately twice as long as the season, so this will take a while.) Go Canes!

Sunday, April 26^th                 
Dr. M planted zinnia seeds in this pot, and even though we should probably (definitely) thin them out, we’re just gonna watch & see what happens. Fun!

Monday, April 27^th              
It was a Monday of Unusual Size. Oof!
 

Tuesday, April 28^th    
Another Tuesday, another photo of Peaches!
 

Wednesday, April 29^th               
The same friend who gave me the social battery pin gave me these stickers. I’m going to start wearing them on my forehead. Ha!
 

Thursday, April 30^th   
I don’t know – do you think I need another drinking vessel on my desk?
 

Friday, May 1^st   
Dr. M did a walkabout in the yard today. We have Sweet William, petunias, verbena, a peony bud, a metric ton of upcoming bee balm, and a skink!
 

Saturday, April May 2^nd  
Dr. Van Fleet continues to impress as it puts on its Mother’s Day show. So lovely!
 

I spent some time at the office again yesterday. Another couple of weeks and, for better or for worse, my two big events will have happened, and open enrollment will be launched. I’m in head down and power through mode. In the meantime, my brain is NOT WELL. This is what it came up with in the middle of Friday night. Oof.

So, how was your week?

2026 Project 365 – Week Seventeen

The world is so crazypants that I can’t find anything to say about it. I’d just like to acknowledge that fact.
Sunday, April 19^th                 
This Sweet William has grown out of last year’s dead flowerhead! So bizarre!

Monday, April 20^th              
Do you remember those ruffle (potato chip) scarves that were all the rage a while back? Sue gave me a bag of that yarn in two colorways (sapphire & salsa). I decided to treat it as extra bulky & made this sweater with it. There wasn’t enough of either color, so color block it is! I do have one skein of each color left if anyone wants one of those ruffle scarves.
 

Tuesday, April 21^st   
Peaches is blooming like crazy!
     

Wednesday, April 22^nd              
The best part about getting my hair done these days is that it comes with a lap dog!
 

Thursday, April 23^rd  
Another day, another colorful dress. I had dinner with friends & (of course) only took photos of the food: Baja Chicken and a fabulous banana split. Yum!
 

Friday, April 24^th  
My coworker got the most perfect pin for me – I look forward to wearing it every day & adjusting it accordingly. Ha!
 

 Saturday, April 24^th
I stole this from Elliott’s mom: Elliott may be “non verbal” or “minimally verbal” but he will cuss you out just the same without using a single word. Watch him stamp his little foot, and mumble every letter of the alphabet at you.

Another weekend, another weekend day at the office. This week I went in after church today. Yesterday I stayed home and got a lot of stuff done around the house. Woot! I wonder if I’ll still try to do all the things on Saturdays after I retire. When do you get your housework done?
 

2026 Project 365 – Week Sixteen

I’ve got nothing…
Sunday, April 12^th                 
No photo.

Monday, April 13^th              
Work selfie.
 

Tuesday, April 14^th   
Another work selfie. What the heck. I kind of like the giant yellow/orange flower.
                                   

I think we’re maybe going to get one peony again this year. There’s another tiny little bud on our other plant, but it hasn’t changed in a while so I don’t think it’s going anywhere.
 

Wednesday, April 15^th             
I’ve been working on this weird sweater for a while. The jury is still out on it.
 

Thursday, April 16^th
The father of one of our group of four passed away, so the other three of us went up to Pilot Mountain to the funeral.
 

Friday, April 17^th
Bed head. I used this photo in a post about my mom (you should be able to read it here). It’s based on a blog post from 2011.
 

Saturday, April 17^th
I went to the office for a while, then went by my aunt Vivian’s house to see my aunt Marilyn, who was in town for her birthday. When I got there my aunt Emily, Dad, & Sue were there too. Score! Did I take a photo? Nope. So here is a photo of Mary Jo’s Dr. Van Fleet rose (Dr. M’s great grandmother). It’s fixin to bust out all over!
 

I’m word free here too. I think because my week was very peopley & I haven’t really recharged ahead of the new week. Should make it interesting!