Soon...

Welp, not much action on my blog! It's just not what people read anymore, but I'm happy to have a record of my musings anyway. Looking back at old posts is often illuminating.

We went to the pool store to get instructions on opening the pool, which unfortunately has not responded enough to treatments. I'm pretty annoyed that we don't have it available on this hot weekend. Back to the pool store early tomorrow, and perhaps I'll make sure to get someone else to help me with the water analysis.

The summer session at work is busy. Not with students so much as logistics? Not sure what to call it. The reorganization, and the shifting tasks that everyone has. So many people have moved to new positions or left the college that the next year at least will be pretty chaotic. The decision to work this summer was a good one, in spite of not really feeling as well rested as I'd like. It's also a time to work without as many interruptions and without certain people. OK, without a certain person. I do very much enjoy the core group of folks I work with.

Soon, our time away from social media will be up. I'm not sure what that will look like, but there will be a severe pruning of people I interact with. It's not actually so much that I don't like them or the interactions are unpleasant. It's more an issue of my carrying capacity and boundaries. I really like my work friends, for instance, but it also makes me feel like I never leave work. Also, frankly, I just don't want to keep my game face on all the time. Academics are really fucking prissy. 

We've been busy around the house, fixing, moving, rearranging, etc. I've finished multiple little projects, which always feels good. But especially when I am feeling much more abled than in recent years. It's really just lovely to be able to take care of yourself. Depending on others? A little goes a long way. It makes me dread getting older, but what can you do? La, la, la-la-la-la live for today...

Wilbur Hot Springs

Our friend Carly gave us an anniversary present of two days at Wilbur. Carly used to work at Wilbur, and we had sort of just met her when she invited us up to visit. We we so excited to go (we totally could not afford to stay there as paying guests at the time) and we felt worried that we were taking advantage. But she assured us we were very welcome and a beautiful friendship was born. She no longer works there, but does do some work days, for which she gets these trade days. Carly has seen us naked more than our own families, lol.

It's been well over a decade since then! It's just wild how time passes.

I took some binoculars and a bird ID book borrowed from my friend Chris. Not a huge number of birds sighted, but I added a few to my list. Side note--I wonder where my old notebook is from my college birding days. I'd love to look at that again. I'm pretty sure it exists somewhere in this house.

Since coming home, I've been reorganizing and getting stuff ready to be donated. So much of it is stuff I moved to this house because I simply could not make decisions at the time. So we've been weighed down by a lot of possessions we don't need. Grief does a real number on one's brain. Every time I open some cabinet I need to clean, there are old memories waiting. It's exhausting. 

We are giving up the old bunk bed that I got for Ben before Henry was even born, I think. Back in the day when you had to troll garage sales and thrift stores for used furniture. At the same garage sale, I got a huge box of Legos for Ben for $20. I had forgotten that until writing this. (See what I mean? Exhausting and sad work this is.) I asked Henry if he was ready to let go of the bed, and he said he is. It's solid and easy to put together and take apart. I hope to find it a home.

Here are some photos of Wilbur;

View from the cabin

A pokey thing

Cabin interior

Nettle that has seen better days

Old article on Wilbur

I have a thing about bathrooms

The veranda