2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-seven

This week, in addition to the potential collapse of democracy, I have a lot of food & selfie photos! Yay! 

Sunday, June 29th 

Dr. M says: We are definitely seeing more bumblebees on our bee balm, along with a few pretty little butterflies, but the star of the show right now is the bumblebee moth! Hemaris diffinis, the bumblebee moth, is also called the snowberry clearwing in reference to the plant on which its caterpiller feeds. Hemaris diffinis is much smaller than hemaris thysbe, the hummingbird moth. You can see in my pics how the bumblebee moth blends in with our bumbles. So much fun to be able to capture this little cutie!

Monday, June 30th

I got a new topper! Just what I needed - I have so few (that was sarcasm). 

Tuesday, July 1st 

When I saw this travesty in my dad’s bowl I said, “have you no decency, sir?” (Chicken salad, potato salad, & BLUEBERRIES 😲)

Wednesday, July 2nd

I misread this company quote (mission statement?) & thought YES WE ARE APPARENTLY DONE WITH INTEGRITY IN THIS COUNTRY.

Meanwhile, Dr. M saw an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. A bit battered but still lovely.

Thursday, July 3rd  

I was aggressively patriotic at work today because dammit it’s my country too. But I mostly felt like a lie. I wanted to be carrying a sign that said I don’t approve of the evil things this administration is doing but all I did was wear my Black Lives Matter bracelet. Tiny concession to who I am as a person.

Friday, July 4th      

We decided to have veggie burgers for the 4th & they were really good! I like how they’re sort of daisy shaped in the pan. Ha!

Saturday, July 5th

I woke up very early (for me on a Saturday) & took a little ramble around the yard. These photos are the result of me trying to get a photo of a bumblebee, and me giving up & doing a rudbeckia selfie instead. 

My caption to the photo on the left: When someone asks an Enneagram 9 to decide what to have for dinner. And then other people ask the same Enneagram 9 what to have for lunch the next day. Food. I would like food please. The food I decided to eat for dinner was a chicken and potato salad sandwich. Yum!

Finally, here’s my caption for this photo: I don’t know man. A project that uses 29 stitch markers (SO FAR) might be a smidge more complicated than I bargained for😂.

This coming week is the first payroll of the new fiscal year so all of the benefit changes I’ve been entering will go out into the world. Hopefully there aren’t very many issues with them. The payroll after that is a little more scary for me - fingers crossed! THEN my several months of stress will be over & I can concentrate on other aspects of my job (to be clear, this year has been a walk in the park compared to last year). ANYWAY, I know you’ll be glad to stop having to read about it. My next thing to obsess over (personally, because “the politics” is ever in my mind) is my hair. I’m thinking of coloring it because I AM BORED with it. Thoughts? Suggestions? Other things you’d rather talk about? Tell me all!

2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-six

I’m inching closer to being done with open enrollment hallelujah! I entered almost all of the enrollment changes on the carrier portals (medical, dental, etc.), & I entered them into the personnel database. I have one more big group to handle & then I can move on to concentrating on my regular job. 

Sunday, June 22nd 

Around the house. The double-orange daylilies that Ellen gave us have started blooming!

Monday, June 23rd

Just out here living on the edge on a Monday!

Tuesday, June 24th

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror & thought, “Passion Play extra!” Ha!

Wednesday, June 25th

This was the only photo for today - Sorry!

Thursday, June 26th  

More lovelies from around the yard.

Friday, June 27th      

The only photo was this accidental screenshot.

Saturday, June 28th

Dr. M & I went on a ramble! We were headed to one place, but accidentally ended up at Roan Mountain, where, reader, I was COLD. We practically trotted around looking at the rhododendrons. It was a lovely day. Happy sigh. 

Next week is a short week at work due to the July 4th holiday. I’ve already decided that I’m going to be obnoxiously patriotic on Thursday at work. I’m borrowing a very fun excellent dress from Sue, wearing my red, white, & blue jewelry, and my Atlanta Braves glasses toppers (I never bought any patriotic ones). I am an American, the same as everyone else & I shall represent! How about you guys? Too disgusted to celebrate? I’ve definitely been there in years past.

2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-five

I’m just going to pretend that I have no anxiety about a possible nuclear escalation. It’s fine. Really. Lalalala…

Sunday, June 15th 

I wrote a poem to read at church for Pride Sunday. You can go listen to it here (The text of the poem is in the comments. In retrospect, I wonder if it was more like the All Lives Matter response to Black Lives Matter because I didn’t really focus on LGBTQIA folks). 

Monday, June 16th

Found a home for the fox from last week’s cupcake.

Tuesday, June 16th

No photo.

Wednesday, June 17th

Dr. M’s childhood home is getting a glow up! We’re so glad that the lady who bought it is giving it new life. Also, the hydrangea from his mom’s funeral is blooming.

I took a couple of paper daisies made by my friend Jenny and turned them into earrings. I felt VERY CRAFTY for about two minutes.

I got about two inches cut off of my hair and I have to say that every salon needs lap dogs as part of their service. 

Thursday, June 19th  

It was my mom’s birthday and Juneteenth & I had a lot of feelings that I mostly ignored. ANYway, seen around the yard…

Friday, June 20th      

Dr. M made Balrog chicken (unintentionally, but the new lemon pepper seasoning he got was QUITE A BIT more spicy than our old kind). 

Saturday, June 21st

Photo shoot for the scrapghan. I’m going to make one more row (so 6 more squares - there was a finished one still blocking & is not pictured). That will make it 70” x 84” before I join & add the border & that will just have to be big enough.

I also worked on this blob. One of my cousins sent this to me & sort of issued a challenge & so I thought I’d give it a shot. I already know I’m frogging at least back to the orange because it’s gotten wavy. We’ll see. 

Dr. M & I both made chicken salad out of the Balrog chicken which made it MUCH more palatable. I put blueberries, trail mix, and about a quart of mayo in mine. He substituted broccoli for the trail mix in his.

I kind of feel like making a blob out of yarn is just the way to go right now. What’s your coping mechanism?

2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-four

Another week, another bunch of flower photos!

Sunday, June 8th 

Dr. M says that Rudbeckia takes its own sweet time opening up. 

Monday, June 9th

Tiny Jesus apparently had a rough pentecost.

Tuesday, June 10th

Progress! Pretty pretty.

Wednesday, June 11th

I hear ya Emo Daisy, I hear ya.

Thursday, June 12th  

I was amused that I decided that my Snoopy earrings match my daisy jewelry. And really, it IS appropriate since Charlie Brown got him from the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. 

Friday, June 13th      

Our porch mum is looking lovely!

Saturday, June 14th

Dr. M wandered around the yard this morning.

I went to Elliott’s 2nd birthday party! He THOROUGHLY enjoyed his cupcake. And his Mimi’s cupcake. And would have dived into mine if I hadn’t already eaten it. He is adorable.

His brother is also adorable. He was so very serious going in circles in his car - I posted this video on the socials with the caption: My great nephew Grayson is all of us right now.

Finally, Dr. M brought home some blueberries from his dad’s blueberry bush! I can’t wait to dive in.

I’m feeling a disconnect between the normality of my personal life and the insanity of the world around me. How about you? How are you holding up?

2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-three

I think maybe I read one blog post all week. And that’s all you need to know about that. (Yes, this is the same thing I posted last week - and I don’t think next week will be any better!)

Sunday, June 1st 

I have a coworker who has chickens and it makes me feel like a wealthy woman when I bring these eggs home!

We had a LOVELY service at church but me being me I had to tell my bestie during communion that I had a bit of Jesus stuck in my teeth. You can’t take me anywhere.

Monday, June 2nd

I worked late & then went by Dad & Sue’s on my way home. They were having a painting party! And using child labor (for about 5 minutes until he had to move on to something different). 

Tuesday, June 3rd

Your weekly daylily! They’ve been really pretty this year.

Wednesday, June 4th

The wildflower bed is basically Bee Balm Central these days, but we’re going to have a few other things too, like this aster and coneflower. 

Thursday, June 5th  

Our house got power washed this week, so Ms. Pinky has been living under the oak tree. She seems to like sitting in her chair - we might leave her there for a while! 

Friday, June 6th      

I wore an ANCIENT shirt of Dr. M’s that I appropriated early in our marriage. I loves it.

Saturday, June 7th

I spent some quality time finishing one square & starting another one. On the round after what you see pictured I realized that I was supposed to have eight petals instead of seven. I’m not sure how to fix it going forward, so I think I have a very fancy coaster now. Woot?

We had an employee pass away at work this week. Such a sad situation for his family - he was only 20 years old. It’s a cliche - but it really does make you think about your own life. What had I hoped to accomplish with my one wild and crazy life? Well, as I was reminded on the socials this week - my five year plan is to wait and see what happens. How about you? Are you a planner, or a floater like me?

2025 Project 365 – Week Twenty-two

I think maybe I read one blog post all week. And that’s all you need to know about that.

Sunday, May 25th 

We long ago solved the problem of folding fitted sheets by always washing our sheets & putting them back on the bed. But, reader, the time of elves has passed. I put the summer sheets on the bed & then had to “fold” these. I think I did a pretty good job! There was a smidge of cussing. 

Monday, May 26th

Our Carolina Hurricanes didn’t win the Stanley Cup semifinals, but on this night they won this game! It was the first time they’d won a game in the semifinals since 2006 when they won the Stanley Cup. Our coach was the captain of that team. It was a good season.

Tuesday, May 27th

Dr. M made another amazing soup for me. When I told my dad & Sue that I was heading home to eat soup, Sue said that he’d had soup for lunch. He’d offered to let her have some but SHE DIDN’T WANT SOUP WITH PIZZA IN IT. What. Turns out when he reheated the pizza it got too crispy so it injured the roof of his mouth. He was delighted that the soggy pizza caused no scrapeage. Reader, he left the olives on the pizza even though he doesn’t like olives. So any and all commentary about my weird food should now cease.

Wednesday, May 28th

Many years ago I sent a fellow blog friend (Sandra Leigh) a prayer shawl that I’d made. She returned the favor this week. I think I’ll be making good use of this!

“My” blueberries are coming on strong!

Thursday, May 29th  

Ms. Pinky is getting over her annual snit!

Friday, May 30th      

Daylily Nation is still going strong.

Saturday, May 31st

Dr. M took a photo of one of my favorite scenes. 

I spent a couple of hours in the office after church today, and I could I have stayed another three. I keep telling myself that other times of the year are not this crazy, so there will be an end in sight. Maybe in August? If you are having a calm spring/summer I do not want to hear about it. Just kidding - tell all!