An End to April

April was a much needed month.  It was quiet for the most part. It gave me a chance to catch my breath. And it breathed a little sunshine into my soul.

April brought my little sister's birthday.  I would have liked nothing more to celebrate with her. But since that wasn't an option this year, I sent her a gift that I hope was meaningful. She's such a great gift-giver and it was hard to come up with something even close to the amazing gifts she has given to me recently.  

We celebrated Easter with our kids and grandkids.  I made up a little basket for the dogs, because I'm silly like that. It was a beautiful day. And spending time with the grandkids is always a joy.

It was a quiet month in the blog. Other than Sunday and Thankful Thursday posts there wasn't much for midlifers. But I have a couple of good things lined up for May, which I hope you'll enjoy.

In April, I read "Two Twisted Crowns" by Rachel Gillig, "The Last Train to Key West" by Chanel Cleeton, "Everything is Tuberculosis" by John Green, and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien. I finished listening to "Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old".  And in the last couple of days, I started reading "Weyward" by Emilia Hart.

We put up our greenhouse in April and have started growing some vegetables.  We're keeping it small since this is our first year.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, peppers, and a couple of strawberry plants. I am looking forward to later this summer when we can start harvesting some of our own produce!

How was your April? Let me know in the comments!

Goodbye, April

Oh, for goodness sake, April - what were you playing at?  After March left me feeling more than a little exhausted,  I was really hoping to catch some sort of a break in the month of April.  Apparently April had different plans!

The month started fresh out of the gate on the heels of Easter.  Easter was something in, and of, itself with all plans for the day going completely topsy-turvy at the last minute. But as they say - all's well that ends well, and we made the best of it.

At the beginning of the month, every week looked like it was going to be quiet and I would have a chance to catch up on a few things.  But it never seemed to work out that way.  Life happened, as it always does. 

As the middle of the month rolled around,  my calendar was full and fuller.  Between the dogs and myself - I will have been in some sort of doctor's office 7 out of the last 14 days.   The last one being today for my mammogram.  That's a lot of appointments. I hope not to see the inside of any more medical offices for a while. 

My stomach issues continue. They improved somewhat with the medication, but not as much as hoped/expected.  So, I'm starting a different medication and I am scheduled for an upper endoscopy in July. 

There was beauty in April.   We saw some amazing sunsets. The cherry trees, tulips,  lilacs, and dogwoods blossomed. The trees shifted from bare lacy branches to lush green. 

My goals for April were mostly displaced, postponed, or abandoned.  Too many other things came along to take their place.  And some days nothing more than a weariness and a longing for rest made my to do list seem somehow unimportant. 

Looking back,  I suppose I would describe April as a very long month that went by very quickly. 

How would you describe your April?

Reflecting on April - and Ending on a Positive Note

  Y'all know that it has been a rough start to the year around here.  And, reflecting back on  April, it started out with more of the same.

The Man of the House went to California for a work thing the week before Easter.  And the Monday after Easter, he found out that two of the people he had been working with had both tested positive for Covid after getting home.  Fortunately, he tested negative with both an at-home and a lab test. (Thank goodness for the vaccine!)

I had a flare-up of carpal tunnel inflammation, which put me in a wrist brace for over a week.  Our oven started acting up two days before Easter.  We discovered that our washing machine was leaking.  And, worst of all - someone close to us got an upsetting medical diagnosis. 

I am happy to report that things do seem to have quieted down for the last two weeks of the month.  

The Man of the House was able to order a couple of parts and with a little engineering know-how and time, he fixed both the washer and the stove in a matter of days.  So thankful that we don't have to replace two major appliances at once!

I was able to spend time with the grandkid while he was on Easter/Spring break from school.  And he got his third straight A Honor Roll award for this school year. We're so proud of him!

I have been fighting to keep my head in a positive space, despite all the crazy things that have happened so far this year.  As I've said before, most of it wasn't huge crises - but it all starts to weigh on you and after a while, you can find yourself focusing on the negative rather than the blessings in your life.  And, trust me - if you take time to really look for them, the blessings almost always outnumber the bad stuff.

Besides my daily gratitude journaling, I have also tried to take a moment once a week or so to focus on things that I like about myself.   Here are a few of the things that I have come up with:

• My blue eyes
• My curly hair
• My sense of humor 
• My love of reading
• My creativity
• My curiosity

So... to send this month on a positive note - what's something you like about yourself? Share in the comments!