Friday Five - Feel The Heat
We are experiencing an unusual heat event here this past and upcoming week, so I've had to put my brain temporarily into summer mode. So odd in the middle of March, but I'm trying to roll with it.
1. We're needing to shift our walks to the morning. One of my great joys in retirement is not waking up to an alarm (even as I often wake up on my own before 6am, LOL). But this week, all my planned walks are happening several hours earlier than normal in order to beat the heat. Yes, even as close to the beach as we are, it's been extremely warm. Right at the shoreline is still comfortably cool, but every walking route we take eventually veers away and hits pavement, at which point temperatures rise. All to say I'm temporarily setting my alarm clock until this seasonally-unusual heat dome passes.
2. I caved and turned on the A/C last night. We rely on the strong afternoon coastal breeze to cool the house in warmer weather, but if/when that breeze dies out, such as currently, the house can definitely get stuffy. So, I broke and turned on the A/C last night, trying hard not to see dollar bills flying by overhead as it kicked on. Our already-high electrical fees here in California recently went up again, so I'm definitely not looking forward to our next bill!
3. We're going to San Juan, Puerto Rico for our Christmas Holiday family vacation. Our daughters are so excited with the plan they came up with, which in turn makes my spouse and I very happy. We'll be staying in adjacent apartments in UNESCO-designated Old Town San Juan between Christmas and New Years, tagging along with whatever activities the girls and their families come up with. It should make for a wonderful end to 2026 and start to 2027 to be all together. I read a reference to gifting money in this manner as 'Giving with a warm hand'. Enjoy gifting now, in a manner that can be experienced and enjoyed while we are alive, rather than waiting till we're, well, not.
4. I'm almost on auto-pilot with regard to my daily eating plan, after losing 25 pounds last year. Even after a full year of working to modify my eating habits, first to effect weight loss, then to maintain it, there are still days that I struggle. One thing I do, that is proving to be very helpful, is to make up the day's eating plan each morning while I sip my coffee. I go through my day, identify any calorie splurges, such as tonight, when I'll be having a 150 calorie, 6 oz glass of wine at our Club, and schedule out my remaining daily calories. This allows me to pleasantly anticipate and look forward to various caloric events, while still maintaining control over the rest of my day.
5. We finalized our Easter Sunday plans. Not religious over here - the ocean is my church - but others in my family are, so I do work to honor their beliefs even if not sharing them. Thus, this year's Easter plans will begin on Holy Saturday with taking my mom and my husband's sister to dinner and sunset viewing at our Club. This will be followed by all but me attending services on Easter Sunday morning, during which I'll pick up a freshly baked quiche from a French bakery in town, and take it, along with champagne and an array of fresh fruit, to my mother's home, where we'll all meet up for Easter brunch. Afterward my mom wants to take us along the creek trail that runs near her home, which I'm very much looking forward to.
I'm not sure what Easter looks like. My sister who normally hosts brunch, with all of us dividing the menu, hasnt said amyrhing. She has hinted that she might be done, which is her prerogative as everyone has their own immediate families, except my one sister amd she'd be welcome to anyone's small gathering. No one on my in laws have said anything either, but since when they do it's the on laws/ in laws as well, not just our family, I tend to thank them for the invite, but do other plans. I committed to a casual supper though with my kids and amy "strays" that do not have any plans. It'll just be a ham, baked cheesy potatoes, dinner rolls, and vegetables, nothing fancy or time consuming.
ReplyDeleteI again have so much respect, and a tinge of envy, for your extended family, and for their being so relatively close to you. Whatever you do and wherever you decide to spend your day sounds kujw it will be lovely.
DeleteWe have been enjoying the mornings before the heat takes hold too. AC only upstairs and fans downstairs. It's been ok but not March weather for sure. Easter at my DIL's mother's house for grandkid's egg hunt and dinner. Pups included which is nice.
ReplyDeleteYour Easter plans also sound lovely, Juhli. And fun - grandchildren can be such a joy on holidays.
DeleteYour reference to your pup made me think of our evening at our Club, now last night. On nice evenings many folk bring their dogs onto the patio with them, and it's just a festival of furry cuteness.