Rewind 05.2026: Month-in-Review & Hodgepodge

Welcome, sweet friends!!  Thank you for being here today for my 05.2026 Rewind post.

Once upon a time, with my old blog, I had a series called Sentence a Day.  It was a long-winded review of my month's activities and adventures. Each month, I would start my SaD post with a confession that I never expected anyone to read all of the boring details of my day-to-day life!!  But the posts were fun to write, kind of like keeping a daily bullet journal.  And many times, I would return to my SaD posts to find out when I did what.  Doctor appointments, substitute teaching commitments, even when I last fixed a meatloaf for dinner.  Riveting things like that.  

The SaD series also kept me accountable for exercising, getting my steps, tracking my Weight Watcher points, and accomplishing my seasonal goals and the activities on my bucket list.  

But just about every month as I sat down to finalize my SaD post, I would wonder if it wasn't just a little bit self-obsessed, narcissistic for me to blog at all, and especially to write these monthly posts all about ME!  When I made the decision to close down my WordPress blog, I tried to save as many of my blog posts as I could but there were hundreds of them.  Among the posts I saved were my SaD posts.  That's how much they meant to me.  

Fast Forward

Last month, in this post, I tried a month-in-review formula similar to what my friend Deb at Deb's World uses for her Taking Stock posts.  You can find her most recent Taking Stock post, here.  

Instead of writing an entry for each day of the month, Deb responds to 26 prompts - one for each letter of the alphabet - to summarize her life lately.  I spent some time coming up with my own ABC of prompts and used them in April.  I am using them again for May but not sure I am feeling this format.  

Which do you prefer?

Here we go...

Rewind 05.2026

Amusing - something funny:  when Mustafa tucked Declan into bed this week, he made a comment about his daddy's feet looking like a monkey's!!  🐒Brennyn was able to record the conversation through the Nanit camera app they have for seeing Declan in bed at night.  Declan went on to ask if Mustafa could climb well, and asked his daddy if he had a tail. 🐒 Mustafa was pretty tickled at Declan's comments and told Declan he was a monkey, too. 🐒 He asked Dec where his tail was and Declan was quick to point out he had a tail in the front. 🐒 Guess what he said his tail is? 🐒 Hahahaha!!  In the picture below, Mustafa is covering his face because he is laughing so hard.  Out of the mouth of babes!!

Balancing:  all the activities.  Spending time with PC doing the things he enjoys most, spending time with Lauren, Francisco and the grands, spending time doing things I want to do, spending time actually doing something productive around the house.  Not always being very successful at balancing everything.

Crafting:  finished scrapbooking our Alaskan cruise, taken a year ago.  And have started working on our Colorado vacation.  It was a really sweet, sentimental trip to a Rocky Mountain ranch where we vacationed in my childhood.  I love rekindling old memories and making new ones.  

Dating my PC: for this prompt last month, I responded that I dated PC all over London and Edinburgh.  Same holds for the first week of May.  We also enjoyed a Mother's Day meal, just the 2 of us, at Olive Garden.  And took in a movie in the real theater - "Pressure" set during WWII with Brendan Frasier.  One Friday night, after I had wrestled kindergartners all day, we went to the El Paso Playhouse for a performance of the Steve Martin play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile."  Those folks do so much with so little.  I can't imagine they have much of a budget but the sets and costumes are always so creatively done as was the case this night.

Eating:  my first successful attempt at homemade bread in many moons.  Many years.  I used a recipe for wheat bread that came with my bread machine.  Followed the directions carefully but added in some of my mother's/grandmother's yeast starter and it rose!!  It was light and perfected baked.  Maybe just a tad bit dry.  But sooo much better than any attempts in recent memory.  

Flowing - this is my word of the year so will share a way I went with the flow during the month:   felt like I pretty much went with the flow on our whole trip.  We got home and I had 4 days to catch my breath before jumping into substitute teaching for kindergarten for 4 days.  And then 2 days of second by which time I had completely lost my voice and really needed to rest.  We also attended 2 afterschool events with Lucia and Cami, so we had a couple of very full weeks where I just kind of bounced along with the flow.

Glimmerings - little miracles: early in the spring I noticed that my 2-year-old Nissan Altima's leather driver's seat was coming apart at the seam.  It was as if the leather didn't 'catch' in the sewing machine and had pulled out where 2 pieces were sewn together.  I took the car to the dealer and they said it was manufacturer's error and would submit a report asking for my warranty to cover it.  Never heard anything back from them so last week, I called again and the service manager asked me to bring in my car so they could photograph the seat.  I did, Charlie Clark Nissan submitted a claim and it was approved.  My car seat was replaced free of charge.  And as I offered thanks to God, I found a penny at my feet.  Head's up = God is with you.

Home sweet home:  after our 12-day adventure, it was nice to be home.  We caught up on our laundry right away and even tackled cleaning the garage which was a spring goal.  I think we would both say we enjoyed our trip immensely but we were ready to come home.

Interesting - something that piqued my interest:  I am not terribly curious or inquisitive so I don't do many deep dives to learn more about something I might find interesting.  But in her book The Enchanted Midlife, my blogging friend and author Suzy Turner suggests the practice of pulling one Tarot card in the morning, to help set the theme for the day.  Years ago, my daughter Lauren gave me a tiny deck of Tarot cards but I had no idea what to do with them other than admire their cuteness!!  After reading Suzy's book, I did a little research about using Tarot cards for beginners and found this article on Woman's Health online helpful.  Going to play with this a little to see what I think.

Joyfulness:  having quiet time outdoors.  Whether on the patio or maybe at the lake while PC fishes, I feel closer to God when I am communing with Mother Nature.  It is a joyful way to start the day.

Kudos: to all the good teachers who touch lives and make a difference everyday.  Enjoy your summer vacation!!

Loving: my hair cut.  It isn't radically different but it is about 2 inches shorter which has given my hair more bounce and volume.  I bought this round hair brush dryer with several attachments and 3 temperature settings.  And I can actually use it!!  It gives my hair more volume and smoothes my fuzzy grays.  Have had several comments on the cut - one from my diva granddaughter Camila Jean.  There might be hope for me yet.

Making:  it has been hard to get back into the cooking dinner routine.  Some nights in Scotland, we just enjoyed a fresh roll, some cranberry goat cheese and grapes.  I think I could about eat that every night.  But PC would miss meat.  Tonight I made this chicken spaghetti recipe.  I would say it was a hit as PC had 3 servings.

Needing:   I really never NEED anything but I ordered 2 more pairs of jeans from Flamingals online.  Glad to see longer 'shorts' back in style.  Love these pin-striped, high waist Bermuda shorts.  And hoping that these raw hem, drawstring capris will be comfy and cute to wear at the beach in July.  Are you wearing longer shorts and capris this season?

 

Organizing:  my jewelry.  Actually, it was kind of already organized but I purchased a bracelet display holder and kicked things up a notch.  I had all of my bracelets on a tray I kept in my closet.  Now with this bracelet stand, I can see all of them much more easily and can be reminded to wear them.  It came with velvet lined slots for rings, too, so my rings are now front and center where I can remember to show all of them some love.

Planning: a Father's Day getaway for PC.  Made overnight reservations through VRBO at the Lobo Tipi on El Mistico Ranch.  We will spend the afternoon fishing Bonito Lake then check into our accommodations, go out to dinner and stargaze before bed.  Then we will fish again after breakfast the next day before heading home.  Isn't this a cool looking place?  Hope it will be as fun as it looks.

Quoting:  everyone needs someone like this to comfort them and carry them through when they are grieving.  When my mom died, Brennyn and Lauren both flew to Kentucky to be with me and to celebrate my mom's life.  Brennyn brought 8-month-old Declan and his presence reminded me that there was still joy to be found in life.  Even after the profound loss of my mom.

“She did other things too—opened all the windows to let in the breeze, spread bright cloths across the table like she was laying out sunshine, turned on the wireless to let a little music move through the rooms. Looking back, I sometimes think this should be a service one could gift the grieving: the quiet, steadfast presence of someone who still believes there’s joy to be found—someone willing to hunt for it on your behalf.”
― Sally Hepworth, Mad Mabel

Reading:  my online book club just selected our June read.  We voted among 5 titles and The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett took an early lead and kept it.  I am listening to the book on Audible and it is very good.  Also reading my blogger friend Suzy Turner's book The Enchanted Midlife.  It is full of suggestions for how to make the midlife season of life the best one of all.  During my morning quiet time, I am reading 3 different books.  My sister told me about Be Still and Know:  365 Daily Devotions and I read it every morning and will be throughout the year.  Bite-sized Bible verses and motivational messages.  Picked up The Affordable Retirement Bucket List for new activity suggestions to add to my seasonal bucket lists.  And finally, Big Magic:  Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert.  

Oh, and the Texas State Board of Education has recently proposed a list of literary works to be read by all students in the state.  A number of the books are 30-50 years old, and have long been removed from most school libraries for being outdated.  I am really surprised by some of these titles.  One of the books on the 6th grade reading list is Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, a story set in Civil War America, published in 1964.  I decided to read it.  The characters are members of a family living in Kentucky divided by the war.  The dialogue is written in colloquial Southern speech which I think will be difficult for today's students to follow.  If the story is read aloud and brought to life by a good teacher, the book will be a wonderful learning experience for kids.  But if they are required to read it on their own, I doubt very few will do so.  

Untangling:  this really isn't a tangle YET but we are beginning to toy with the idea of replacing our very worn, builder's grade carpeting in the bedrooms.  The project will become a tangle when we begin moving our heavy bedroom furniture about and trying to figure out the most affordable way to refresh the flooring without too much hassle and expense.

Viewing:  several things.  We went to the theater to watch "Pressure" with Brendan Frasier as I mentioned under D for dating.  It was very good.  An interesting take on a WWII story.  We are also enjoying a Netflix historical documentary series on famous men (at least so far they've all been men - boo) who have shaped the United States.  Currently watching the episodes about Abraham Lincoln but have watched those on Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis and Clark, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett.  Very interesting.  Can't figure out the name of the series but here is the link to the Lincoln episodes. 

Also watched in horror "The Crash" on Netflix.  I would like to personally give that little brat Mackenzie Shirilla a spanking, no doubt what would be her first.

Writing:   finished writing my rough draft of my third children's story.  Everything just kind of fell into place this week and I was able to finish it up.  Now what?  Have contacted my Facebook acquaintance and children's author Dianne Ochiltree for a consultation as offered on her webpage.  We'll see where it goes from here.

Xercising:  after reading the many benefits of rebounding for seniors, I pulled the plug and purchased this one on Amazon.  Had read good reviews on BCAN trampolines and had been cautioned to be sure to purchase a trampoline with bungees.  I was able to put this one together myself and have enjoyed using it.  There are lots of YouTube video workouts and my heart reaches a 'vigorous' rate in 10 minutes of bouncing.  

Yardening - a combination of yardwork and gardening:  our little raised vegetable garden is struggling but still alive.  We were afraid it would dry up and blow away while we were gone but the plants hung in there.  I can even see a little cucumber coming up.  

Zhooshing - adding a bit of sparkle:  not exactly sparkle but have sprinkled red, white and blue around our house - first for Memorial Day and now for the country's 250th birthday on the 4th of July.  On my front porch, I combine patriotic with baseball decor.  We have a Cincinnati Reds wreath on the door with a red, white and blue Home Sweet Home pillow, bird house.  

And with that, you have the ABCs of my month.  Let's wind this thing up with a video review of May courtesy of 1 Second Everyday.

A Bit of Hodgepodge

One of my favorite bloggers is Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  Each Sunday, she puts together a set of questions for the week's Hodgepodge linkup.  I love participating but you know me...I just can't seem to get my act together to blog that regularly.  When I saw this week's questions, though, I just had to play.  So I am adding a bit of hodgepodge to the end of this rewind post.

How would you define 'the good life'?   honestly, the season I am in right now feels like the good life.  I am almost afraid to say anything because how long can it be before the next shoe drops?  But for today, there is relative peace in my life.  We have good health, sufficient resources to do most of the things we want to do within reason.  We have a comfortable home, loving family and friends and 2 sweet kitties.  This feels like the good life to me.

What's the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)? had to research how to figure this out.  Glad I didn't just guess because I wouldn't have guessed right.  The most used app for today is Facebook Messenger.  In the last week it has alternated between Messenger, What'sApp, Google and Messages (text messages).  Not particularly proud that any of those are my most used apps.  But I will say that I use Messenger, What'sApp and Messages to communicate with loved ones, conduct video calls, chat.  So, that somehow makes things seem better.

'Every rose has it's thorn', 'everything's coming up roses', 'looking through rose-colored glasses', 'it's no bed of roses' or 'stop and smell the roses'...which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain.  I think it would be a toss up between 'everything's coming up roses' and 'stop and smell the roses.'  Today was an example of stopping to smell the roses - I did a half dozen very enjoyable activities and hardly did a lick of work!!  My view at breakfast below.

How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)? I like the idea very much but don't have much experience enjoying floral flavorings.  When we eat at Chipotle, I mix their hibiscus lemonade with unsweetened tea - very refreshing.  Those beautiful cakes embellished with pansy blossoms look delicious to me but I have never eaten a pansy.  Would love to try one, though!!

Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?  oh, Joyce, this is a tough one.  Pondering.  I guess that wouldn't be worrying.  I ponder what's for dinner a whole lot.  Almost as if I am not the one who is going to make that decision.  Pondering followed by preparing dinner can be exhausting.  

Insert your own random thought here.  I have finished writing my third children's 'book' or story.  Need to do a bit of editing on 2 of the 3 but I feel like they are pretty much completely written.  One of my goals over the remainder of June is to record myself reading each one and then sharing with my daughters and their babies.  

Your Turn

After our trip, I took on 7 days of subbing divided among kinder, second and third grades.  And then I got sick.  I think it was too much too soon.  Just now beginning to feel back to normal.  Praying PC doesn't come down with whatever it was.

How was your May?  On a scale of 1-10, what would you rate it?  I think I would give ours a 9.  Would have been an easy 10, if I hadn't gotten sick.  Not that I was THAT sick to begin with.  And now we are well into June and it is shaping up to be mighty fine so far, too.

Sure appreciate you spending a few minutes here with me today.  Thank you for the visit.

Hugs and kisses,