Day 1: Saturday. We started the day early by getting ready and going to get groceries as a family. Oliver acted like he's been going to the grocery store for years! He only asked for donuts; he got those in lieu of his weekly McD hashbrowns.
I changed into a hot pink Betsey Johnson dress with a wide ruffle and put on my birthday crown necklace. Bruce picked me up, and we listened to show tunes on the way to Durham. We arrived in plenty of time for our customary snack of soft pretzels and peanut M&Ms. I didn't expect to love Jesus Christ Superstar; the subject matter is rough, and I'm usually not crazy about concert-style musicals (I didn't love Hadestown at first). But it was awesome! So much talent was on that stage: incredible singing and such vigorous choreography. I was totally into it.
I had a couple days last week Dr. Pepper started tasting normal again. It's tasted weird for most of about two months since I had strep. At first, I lost smell and taste completely, and I tested for COVID several times. But the weird taste came back. Bruce solved the mystery: it's the medication I started taking two months ago. It's an anti-depressant that also helps with weight loss. I forgot to put it in my pill box last week, so my taste returned to normal. I've also been having trouble reading, but last week, I read four books, two of them in one day each. My doctor told me that the medication might make me less "bright." So I'm going to try another week without the medication and see what happens to my weight loss, my taste, and my reading. Quicker weight loss doesn't make up for a loss of books and Dr. Pepper. Stayed tuned for that experiment.
We got home a little earlier than usual since JCS didn't have an intermission, so I got to hang out with the boys before bedtime. I also read a little more of Wilder Girls. I only have a couple more days before summer begins, so this will be my last book for the spring YA focus. That will put me at eight YA books for the season. I'd prefer ten or twelve, but eight is okay. I'll still read the newest version of Anne Frank's diary soon.
Day 2: Sunday. We had a quiet day at home. Oliver must have gotten his fill of outdoor activity yesterday. I read nine chapters of Lost in a Book to the boys, and then I read the final sixty pages of The Art of Losing to Josh. So I finished a book! We're going to read Joyful next for a change in tone. My mood has been heavier this month, so I'm hoping we'll both pick up some ideas.
I made a lot of vegetable fried rice, using half brown rice and half riced cauliflower with corn, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, sweet peas, baby corn, and red peppers. I did my workout today (I've fallen off that wagon over the last week), and Josh and I did yoga together (we've both fallen off that). We're also getting back into sharing our best three to five things from the day. I'm trying to put my good habits back together.
My ZURU mini purses arrived today! Now, I have a pink and white marbled zipper pouch just for tiny things. I'm leaving it out on the counter for now, and I look inside whenever I'm making food for Oliver. It's literally the little things.
Day 3: Monday. I was determined to make today count. I've been listless a lot at home lately, too unfocused or unsettled to read effectively or pursue many of my habits. This morning, I spent a few minutes with Josh before he went to work. I read a letter he wrote to me in the notebook we share, and I wrote back to him. He had suggested that we each write a poem about something the other loves, so I wrote a poem called "The Run." It was my first poem of the month! I don't know if it's very good, but I feel great about having written it. I like Josh's writing assignments.
I caught up on reading for the magazine, which is always a relief. Oliver has been in a good mood, playing outside a lot. I was able to zoom in on my words, stillness and attention, and really focus on a book. I read over two hundred pages of Wilder Girls and finished it. It was really good! I wish I knew what happened next. I plan to read Rory Power's other YA novel; HQ library has it, so I'll probably pick it up on Friday. I've decided to start going to the library on Fridays after Josh gets home from work: a little outing just for me after finishing the week. That's when I'll return books and pick up holds.
I then finished my Hello Gorgeous Studio Oh journal. I'm going to start my cats and books journal from Strand. I love writing in journals that others have given me as gifts. I always write down who gave me the journal and when inside the back cover so I'll remember.
Day 4: Tuesday. Today has had a slower start. I got caught up in something that upset me and had some self-doubt. It worked out, but I don't want to sink today. I talked to my therapist on the phone, catching her up on what's happened over the last month. While we talked, I decorated the pages of my Peter Pauper Press Song of Songs journal with stickers. Sometimes, every other journal I write in is PPP.
Summer begins today. That means I'm moving into reading short stories. I've had several short story summers; I think this is number 11. For this one, I want to read TWELVE story collections. These are the ones I want to read:
- The Art of the Story: an anthology of contemporary short stories by writers all over the world. Bruce and I chose this as one of our birthday books. This is a big one, so we're planning to start it right away and go story by story.
- Wild Swims: a Man Booker International Prize finalist translated from Danish; a short collection I asked the library to purchase (they did!). It's due in a few days.
- Thirteen Stories and Thirteen Epitaphs: I don't remember anything about this one, but I know I asked the library to buy it, and I've checked it out. It's due in a few days.
- If I Had Two Wings: a collection of southern magical realism; another book Bruce and I chose.
- Christina Rivera Garza New and Selected Stories: a book I picked up from the new release shelf at the library.
- Dreadful Young Ladies: an adults' speculative collection I own by Kelly Barnhill, who wrote The Girl Who Drank the Moon, which I recently read to the boys (and loved).
- Clarice Lispector's Collected Stories: I've just read that I must read her. This is a big one. I currently have it on hold at the library.
- The Ocean House: another collection I asked the library to purchase. I read about it in a magazine, and I plan to pick it up on Friday. Full disclosure: I checked it out before but didn't get to it.
- Cities I've Never Lived In: same as Ocean House.
- Best American Short Stories 2021: the annual anthology. I want to be the kind of person who reads this (and Best American Poetry and Best American Essays) every year. I've read BAP 2021, so I'll read this one this summer and BAE 2021 this fall. The 2022 anthologies will come out late in the year. I'm wondering if anyone would like to read them with me. This one is on its way from another library; why doesn't ours have it?
- Starry-Eyed: an anthology of sixteen YA stories involving theatre. How fun is that? I got the book from the library.
- The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories: one of the most specific collections I've ever seen. It's an anthology of speculative stories that female and non-binary authors have written, edited, and translated from the Chinese. Amazingly, I was able to get it from another library.
A few of these are quite long. It's going to be a challenge. But I can read four story collections per month for three months. Anyway, I'm so far ahead on my reading goal that I can take my time if I need to. But I have other library books to remember as well! I hope to get a good start, starting today.
I'd also really like to catch up on Best Small Fictions: I have 2019 and 2021 waiting. I have 2020 somewhere (Amazon says I bought it in January 2021), but I can't find it. So maybe make that five story collections a month, plus the other library books. Well, we'll see how far I'll get!
Ah, I found 2020. I'm working on a short story collection stack to keep myself on track visually.
Day 5: Wednesday. Today was a hard day. I had a difficult event and took most of the day to recover from it. I have a lot of questions for myself, and I don't know how to answer them.
Oliver spent lunchtime on campus with Josh. He ate a lot of chips and Reeses cups and did well (who wouldn't?).
I did have a victory today though: I paid off Oliver's major therapy bill ($980!) with leftover funds from his ESA. I didn't know if I'd be able to, but I got the confirmation today. And the therapy center takes on the fee, so we don't owe a dime. And it looks like I may be able to pay off another, smaller therapy bill the same way.
Day 6: Thursday. Driving day! Oliver started on a meltdown right before I got ready. I told him we were going to see Marmee, which kind of redirected him. He's always great in the car. I listened to The Testaments. It's quite good, and I almost wish I had to drive more so I could listen to it more.
We met Mom at Discovery Place in Rockingham. Oliver has been there several times but not since the pandemic started. He was extremely anxious when we arrived. He tried to run from me out the door and into the street twice. I picked him up and told him he didn't have to play. He eventually became curious and ran to the fire truck. His getting up on the fire truck took many tries, but he did it. Luckily, we almost had the place to ourselves, and the staff was nice about turning down the club-level music. We went up and down the elevator (stairs were too much). He ended up smiling, playing, and jumping but said after about an hour, "Wanna go to Marmee and Papa's house."
Mom had given me birthday presents that I didn't really get to look at until later. This birthday was Ariel-themed; I love themed presents. She gave me an Ariel ballerina doll that is wearing sparkles and aqua ballet slippers. It's something I'd seen and liked but probably wouldn't have bought for myself (certainly not this year). Keeping with the theme of tiny things, she gave me a miniature silver Ariel backpack full of tiny stationery supplies, including a bitsy notebook and pen and the tiniest page flags I've ever seen (I love page flags). And she gave me a lovely aqua and white Ariel satchel purse, saying it could be my summer purse. The back shows the underwater castle!
The library called me and said I had some books waiting; the automatic alert system is out. So we went to the library. I climbed the stairs without getting winded and tachy! I checked out ten books, six of them holds, most of them short story collections from my list. Josh smiled at the way I said, "Yes, please," when the library staff member asked if I wanted to check out my holds and the stack I'd brought down. I stuffed my tote bag (the one I used when I was teaching), and we went to Walgreens. We picked up meds, Dr. Pepper, and sheet protectors (Oliver's favorite thing...he needs some fresh ones).
We had some time to rest before Josh had to go to the baseball game for work. He napped while I contemplated everything and nothing contentedly. When Josh left, I got straight into a hot bath. I had some anxiety about today's events (the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade) but didn't really know how to express them since the subject is a slippery one for me. I believe I would not terminate a healthy pregnancy. But what about unhealthy pregnancies? What happens when a pregnancy will not result in live birth or the mother is in danger? And what's next? It's scary, and I don't really have anyone I can talk to about it as everyone I care about leans heavily on one side or the other.
But I read fifty pages of Wild Swims, the first collection I'm tackling. The stories are spare and strange without speculation. I can't see myself pulling off stories like Nors's. It's a brief collection, so I hope to finish it quickly. But I don't know how much reading I'll do this weekend since all I want to do is be around Josh.
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