All posts filed under: personal

week 8: focus on mental health

Week eight of 2022 ended sadly. Another war and more people dying for no good reason. What does war solve? To write about what I was making this week, or to tell you what delicious recipe you should try next, seems completely irrelevant. And honestly, I haven’t been inspired to do either since Thursday. Actually, even before the events of the past few days, I have been noticing myself feeling kind of blah about everything. The pandemic has lasted too long; even after vaccinations and now with the new post-pandemic “normal” slowly setting in, everything has changed so much. I think I’m just exhausted, and it seems like there’s no end to bad news. All this led me to an article by Adam Grant about languishing. He describes it as a mental state in which you aren’t quite depressed, but are not flourishing, either. He wrote it to describe a general lack of joy and direction many people were experiencing in 2021. But in 2022, I can relate. In his article, Grant tells us that …

a relaxing afternon at stinson beach

So, I did it. I took myself to the beach last weekend and had the most relaxing afternoon. I watched the waves and the seagulls, the young people playing volleyball and surfing, and I worked on my sweater. It was a gorgeous day with almost no wind. I’d forgotten how pretty it is at Stinson. I am so glad I went! I highly recommend a day trip to Stinson in the wintertime. Believe it or not, it can be warmer on a winter day when there is little fog at the beach than at the height of summer. Here’s how my afternoon went and what you could do: Get some food Grab brunch or lunch at the Parkside Cafe (my favorite place for breakfast with Patrick and reading the Sunday paper back when we lived there), or grab a burger or hot dog next door at the Parkside Snack Bar. Sitting by myself at the restaurant didn’t sound fun, so I ordered a sandwich from the Snack Bar and sat on a bench to eat …

ingredients to make iced tea

iced tea on the deck and shortie’s birthday

It’s been much warmer in Fairfax, the last two days. It’s nice to be able to sit on the deck in the afternoon and work outside. I decided to make some of my favorite iced tea to have something refreshing by my side, and I’m indulging in a few cookies. Yesterday was Sarah’s birthday. She turned 16, which is hard to believe. To me, she’s still my little baby girl, even if now she’s driving me back and forth from the store all the time. Her friends stopped by to wish her a happy birthday with handmade posters and small gifts. It got me all teary-eyed. This COVID-19-life is so strange… I am so glad they came. It was supposed to be a big birthday! A little after her friends drove away, we had a second group of cars parked in front of the house for a while. This time grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. I was so touched by all of this. I think Sarah had a good birthday, even if it wasn’t what …