THANKFUL FRIDAY

I’ve been busy. Like Bizz-eeee. Last Saturday was Celebration Nurse Jenn. This included shuffling through the crowds at the Renaissance Faire, something I had never been too here. It’s kind of a big deal with permanent structures and large sculptures dotted around. I took my camera, but only took like four pictures because I felt uncomfortable photographing people. Though I do regret not getting a good picture of a legit looking Santa. Instead, I walked around openly staring with my mouth hanging open. The people watching was spectacular, the crowds were a bit too much, but the weather was perfect. We followed that adventure up with a nice dinner at Westside Local and then a firepit evening in Jenn and Wade’s backyard. It was a great day filled with wonderful people.

Michael was in and out for the events of that day in between shuttling the Cabbage around for Speech and Debate. I believe this was their first tournament and they came in fifth out of over a hundred other kids. The Cabbage was given the option to hang out with us at the firepit. They were also given the option to go with us to the Asian food market on Sunday. They declined both invites to stay home and care for themselves after two long days of tournament. But, they made their own lunch on Sunday, cleaned up after themselves, put clean sheets on the bed, and took a shower all without nudging or asking. Sure, I’m proud of them for doing well at the tournament. That’s great, but I really put an emphasis on how happy I was that they had fun and enjoyed themselves at the tournament. I am also impressed with how they took care of themselves. I took a cue from them when I was off Monday and had the house all to myself. I was the only one in the house with a day off in celebration of our Indigenous People. I spent the morning cleaning the house and the afternoon binging Netflix.

Any way…that was last weekend. This weekend is Celebration Heather weekend and we’re celebrating by attending a No Kings protest. I’m sure there will be fancy cheese and wine too. I’ll come home on Sunday and have just enough time to do some laundry before repacking my suitcase. I leave for Woods Hole on Tuesday to close down our lab space for the winter. The plan is to also see Chad and Jess while I am there. They have been driving in their camper van up to Canada. My trip coincides with their return drive back down to Tennessee and I can’t wait to squeeze them both. I’d like to say that things will slow down after this trip but it doesn’t. There will be Cabbage related events. I have to figure out a Celebration Katrina time. Michael’s birthday is in November and even though we said “No birthday celebrations!” for this year because of Paris, I still should take him out for dinner. Before we know it, it will be Thanksgiving which feels more complicated than previous years. I just keep thinking about the tasks ahead with work, a conference in December, and finding a way to see family before leaving for our Christmas Holiday.

Recently, Karen Walrond shared something on her Substack about a reel she’d watched from a woman who liked to set her resolutions in the Fall. She compared it to gardening. I left a comment about Fall being a good time of year for planting onions. Sewing seeds and bulbs of wants and plans gives them time grow. I specifically chose onions because I want a more layered life, one that includes travel and friends as well as new hobbies. I have been thinking about projects and things I want in the next year ever since picking up Karen’s latest book, In Defense of Dabbling. Usually I lean more towards the “why wait?” mentality, but things feel really full right now, but I feel like there’s only one layer to that fullness and it is work. I am more than a scientist. But then I think about all the things I told you above, all the tales of people watching and spending time with those who are dear to me and I realize that my life really does have more than one layer.

But it doesn’t hurt to want more.