What Did You Do This Weekend?

Warmest and happiest birthday wishes to you, Joanna!

My weekend was affirming one too, albeit in a slightly different way; after spending 15 months rehabbing a shoulder injury, I was finally (FINALLY!) able to join my swim squad on Saturday morning for their full two-hour session, finishing up a neat 5kms in the pool.
On Sunday morning, we reconvened in the ocean and swam 6kms across some of the most beautiful reef and seabed before finishing up on a beach which just so happened to be a dog beach.
Arriving happy but utterly spent and seeing the deliriously happy faces of all dogs playing the surf felt like the perfect embodiment of my immense gratitude for a shoulder (and body) that finally works.

Happy birthday, Joanna! This weekend we celebrated the birthdays of my two kids, who turn(ed) 3 and 1 on February 2 and 3, respectively. I had the best time watching them delight in their presents and birthday cake.

I have four days off a month and this past weekend spent two of them at home. It is frigid and icy in Ohio, so watched a lot of Netflix while enjoying a blazing fire, baked banana bread, meal prepped for a busy week, took a bath and ended with a late Sunday afternoon massage. Blissful weekend!

Homemade pizza, played tennis, church, cook and listen to music and long walk with husband, drive a kid to this and that, visit parents. Extremely low key I keep saying I will make real plans then don’t!

My husband was away for work all of last week and it’s been cold, so Saturday we stayed in and cuddled, read by a fire, I made a fancy filet mignon dinner with gorganzola cream sauce, and we caught up on Shrinking and The Pitt. Sunday was similar, with more cleaning and with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Nice and quiet.

Happy Birthday!! Your day sounds ideal. How special to be so loved. My daughter is in hospital so I hung out with her a we worked on a puzzled and brought our dog to visit! On the day I was at home my youngest daughter and I hung out and ate cake and just I dunno did not much. I bought flowers and shopped for dinners and chatted with neighbours and these days those things are magic x

I made a lopsided cake for my 2 year old. The buttercream is lumpy, the cake is slightly skewed, and I realized partway through that the last time I had seen the offset spatial (for frosting) it was being used as an instrument by said toddler.

The cake was a triumph (we ate it today). I am proud of myself for taking time away from practical tasks. There were many moments I thought: was pushing a baby out easier than making a cake ?

We went to a nearby pond with ducks – which my toddler loves. But he calls them Cocks (pretty sure he is trying to say Quack). It is a delight to here him shout : COCK COCK
COCK while chasing ducks

My weekend, as always, was spent showing up wherever I need to show up- Gaza, Venezuela, ICE, Iran……

Happy birthday Jo, my favourite internet aunt ❤️

Happy birthday! May this year be full of blessings, including wonderful, lanky teenagers, great books, beloved friends and chocolate mousse.❤️

Happy birthday, Jo! All the balloons reminded me of a birthday tradition my sister started for me a decade ago. On my first birthday after my mom died, I really didn’t want to celebrate. I felt sad, and drained. Something I do when I feel hopeless is to help others. I’m not sure where I got the idea but I decided to do 39 random acts of kindness as a birthday gift for myself. It was so fun, because many of them were anonymous and in my neighborhood. I felt like a secret happiness spreader. My seven-year-old son even helped carry out some of the “kindness missions,” which made it even more exciting for me. I didn’t tell that many people what I was doing; mainly just my husband, son, and sister. My sister asked what to give me for my birthday and I said, sort of offhand, “Maybe you can help me spread kindness and do a mission where you live [a ten hour drive from me].” She decided to do one and her idea was for her and her three-year-old twins to purchase 39 balloons and give them out to strangers in their local Target. 39 balloons! They had so much fun and were celebrities in the Target. And she’s done it almost every year since! In 2023, her family was visiting us on my birthday and our two families gave away 47 balloons to strangers in our local mall. Oh my goodness, the joy I felt! Anyway, thanks for the reminder of birthday joy in my life, Jo. What is it about balloons?

Happy Birthday!

Hate to put a downer on this post but I have to say that it irks me to no end when a
relationship between a minor and adult is called an affair (re: Half His Age). I have not read the book but it reminds me of an incident at my high school where a teacher was charged with having a sexual relationship with a 16 year old student. She babysat for him and his wife and been groomed and abused from there. It was disgusting and especially upsetting that friends and community members tried to minimize his “mistake” for having an “affair” and cheating on his wife. Yes he was unfaithful to his wife and that’s bad but it’s much more than that when it’s an underage girl and one of his students. It’s never ok for a teacher to have a “romantic” relationship and/or sex with a student. Reminds me of the reporter who was recently called out for using the term “young women” for Epstein’s victims rather than children or underage girls. The language we use does matter and changes how people perceive a situation.

We took our almost four year old skiing for the first time, and it was hilarious! He was so brave and adorable!

Wow did this bring back a memory. Years aga I had just an awful high-stress job, one that shouldn’t have been, as director for a small non-profit, my dream job; plus working along with long-time friends – this was such an opportunity for all of us to accomplish so much. Instead they turned an me, made my life a living hell, and I will never understand why. Anyways – a local ‘natural store’ had a hair salon and I needed a hair cut, so I made an appointment. I was so tightly strung for so long I didn’t even realize how bad it was. I sat in the chair and the woman started working on me, washing my hair, and it was taking a while, and then I realized – she was giving me a massage! Wow! I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and relaxed. That could have gone on forever. It was quite the wake-up call to me to realize just how bad I was being effected by this work situation; also the moment I realized I could do something about it – so dissapointing, I had to leave, which broke my heart but saved my life. 10+ years and I still can’t say the name of the place or go through the town, but otherwise I have dealt with it pretty well. Anyway, get a head massage! Amazing! A foot massage is wonderful, too. Happy Birthday Joanna – I’m so glad you had such a great weekend. We need these now, grab precious moments when we can. Sending love.

Is a head massage the same thing as a scalp massage.? And does the same salon provide both services? Thanks for clarifying.

Happy birthday! What a fun, fabulous day….plus a Georgie moment!

Awww! What a fantastic birthday weekend Joanna!!! Here’s another, very happy birthday to you. May the year ahead be full of small moments of UNREASONABLE joy.

I spent the weekend sick with a cold (grateful for the what to eat when ill post!!). And driving back and forth to visit my husband in the hospital.

Thankfully, he had surgery this morning, and it went super well, and he’s eating choclate ice cream right now. I’ll go see him after work and dog walk. And he’s supposed to come home TOMORROW. Hooray!!

This is probably going to sound strange…… but it was such a gift to see him granddad charming the very young people caring for him. And seeing them argue over who gets to walk him down to the entrance so he could see his dogs for a few minutes. And this is why I love him.

We will be celebrating my bday on Thursday, in nearly 60 ° weather (a bit unusual for Montana in February!) and I’m very excited to sit in the sun in a t shirt and soak it up.

Thank you all for the kind wishes sent my way, they truly helped scrape me up off the floor.

Happy belated birthday! Sharing your joy is a gift to us too:)