Lighter

We went grocery shopping earlier than usual to avoid the snow predicted for later. It was busy. I guess people were Christmas shopping too? I remain incredulous that people don’t follow the arrows, traffic pattern, so keeping a social distance is impossible. There were also those who had their noses uncovered as well. It’s so strange that it’s so difficult for people to maintain safety measures. It’s hard to understand because it seems so simple to do, but obviously, it isn’t for some people? Some shoppers seemed frantic and were not paying attention, there were some near-crashes. I was so relieved when we finished. That was our outing for the week, woot.

I’ve been craving candy. Instead, I’ve been eating craisins and raisins. I saved the peel from organic oranges and candied them today. I also made a vanilla pudding pie, but it didn’t set properly, maybe because I used oat milk? So it’s a liquidy pie soup, omg. I added some graham crackers on top and that helped it hold together better. I made some whipped cream using Silk dairy-free heavy whipping cream. It turned out splendidly. For supper, I made mini tostadas, with those street taco corn tortillas. They were so cute.

I have seventeen more days left of this daily blogging. I’m running out of steam. I’d rather be using this energy for other projects. It will be a relief to finish this year-long challenge.

I listened to a book called Sisters by Lily Tuck. It was difficult for me to relate to, but it deftly captured how people become obsessive in relationships. Then I began listening to Sleep No More by P. D. James.

I’m struggling with coming up with something to write about. I’d really rather nestle under the covers and watch His Dark Materials with Drue. I’ll do that as soon as I finish this post.

I read an article about Cher, how she is rescuing creatures around the world. I admire and respect her, she’s still going strong. So cool.

I just looked out the window and there’s a fresh dusting of snow. I thought it had stopped, but I see fine flurries illuminated beneath the parking lot lights. We saw people, mostly children, on the sledding hill this evening as we drove by on our way to the store. There were a few stragglers left in the darkness when we passed on our way back. The parents had their car headlights beaming so they could get a few more minutes to sled, so sweet.

Our shoes were wet with snow as we brought the groceries in, so I ended up mopping afterward. I’d vacuumed earlier because I’ve been shedding more hair than usual after that stomach virus I had. I asked Drue if I had any bald spots this morning. I had him look for me, lol. Then he joked, how about me, do I have any bald spots? He grinned, and we laughed. He’s getting Captain Picard hair as we grow older. And maybe I’ll have zombie hair if I keep losing this excessive amount of hair for much longer.

What other trivia can I chatter on about filling this blog post, heh. I’m just so thankful every day that we are okay and our loved ones are too. That’s what matters most to me right now. All other concerns seem trivial. I’m happy we are safe and sound. I’m grateful I can get groceries and make soupy pies. I’m grateful I have an apartment to vacuum and mop. I’m thankful I have a partner to check my head for bald spots. I’m thrilled to get text messages and photos from the kids. We are so fortunate in countless ways. I am getting better at remembering to appreciate our good fortune when these pandemic days weigh on me. It helps lighten me up.

I read another article about how scents and sounds can influence your mood and self-esteem. The fragrance of lemon makes us feel lighter while vanilla corresponds with round and heavy. The sound of stiletto heels makes us feel lighter compared to heavy footsteps. People are studying this to find alternative ways to help improve people’s body image. So when I want to feel lighter and better about my body, I’ll sniff lemon and listen to clicking stiletto heel noises, ha.

Time to watch His Dark Materials. That reminds me, that song from Hamilton, Wait For It has been an earworm for me since I watched that episode on Song Exploder featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s an actor in His Dark Materials. Now I want to see Hamilton, the one song I’ve heard from it is so dang catchy!