Thank Saturday, heartbreak edition

 This week I found out that Luna's cancer has spread enough that it's inoperable, and she's in too much pain for me to think radiation is a good idea. This sucks so bad. I've been snuggling and crying on her all week.

I'm still thankful for:

1. Some time to process and snuggle with her before I have to say goodbye

2. Wonderful caring vets that are providing lots of options

3. Working from home, so I can both be with Luna and step away for crying breaks when I need to

4. Some cooler weather so we can take neighborhood walks

5. Amazing friends that have brought me food, pie, walked with Luna, come to snuggle her themselves, given me hugs, texts, phone calls, washed my dishes, taken photos of me and Luna, and shown up in every way possible. I am so freaking lucky.

Thankful Saturday, Birthday Edition!

 This week was my birthday and it's been a great week :)

I'm thankful for:

1. Kayaking with Kate on my actual birthday

2. Dinner with Kate, Garth and Karen

3. Lunch with Babs

4. Lots of texts and messages from family and friends on my bday

5. Spending July 4th with mom

6. A three day weekend

7. Game night with friends last night

8. A thunderstorm to cool things off today because its been crazy hot

9. I snuck a hike in Tuesday night at Lake Needwood before the heat dome came

10. Watching world cup games online and in sports bars

11. Watching Kelsey set the world record rowing from California to Hawaii!

Thankful Saturday, Luna Edition

 This week I'm thankful for:

1. Tentative good news about Luna. We think she has cancer, but she had scans this week that were clear, which means it looks like the cancer hasn't spread. Fingers crossed this means she can have the cancer removed in a few weeks with no complications.

2. A great vet

3. More free time in the evenings in the summer.

4. I got to go to Frederick Pride today which was fun, it was a lot bigger than Rockville Pride.

5. Spontaneous hanging out with Lash last night until 2am and good conversations.

6. Hanging out with friends at church tonight for a potluck.

7. Watching world cup games this week. I got to watch the Ghana England game in a bar, and the England Panama game at church tonight.

Thankful Sunday, Summer Edition

 Still working on posting thankful Thursdays on Thursdays, but here we go.

This week I'm thankful for:

1. Some gorgeous weather. I have spent several hours reading in my hammock this weekend- its been warm with low humidity. 

2. Fireflies

3. Another cousins hangout, this time with Kate and enormous ice cream sandwiches at Baked Bear. 

4. I'm taking a writing class this summer on research for historical narratives, and so far its really interesting!

5. I got to hear one of my favorite podcasters do a live show in person.

6. Lunch with mom

7. Dinner and 3+ hours of conversation with Babs

8. A vet that's great with Luna

Thankful Monday (!), Busy life edition!

 So I completely forgot to post last weekend, whoops! Here's a catchup with lots to be thankful for!

1. I got to check out the Virginia Renaissance Festival on June 6th. It was very sunny but I hid in the shade a lot. I saw some friends, heard lots of good music, got a lesson on chanter and Irish Whistle from a friend, and had a long conversation with someone at the Knightwings with lots of cool raptors. It's a bit of a different vibe than MD Ren Faire, but I really liked it. Less crowded, and different music groups. 

2. My church had our booth at Rockville Pride again. I'm so glad to be part of a church that values going to Pride and reaching out to people. 

3. I'm re-certified for CPR for another 2 years. There was some registration drama a couple of months ago that delayed my signing up for the class, but I did my test out with no issue. I laughed that they said use whatever you had available as a mannequin (it was via zoom), so I used Luna's stuffed sheep.

4. I got to catch up with my friend Kat from high school- we literally haven't seen each other in 20 years. 

5. My best friend Babs. Noff said :)

6. I checked out another festival this past Saturday, Carroll County Celtic Festival. I saw 2 bands I like, Pohemia and Piper Jones, and got to see Albannach for the first time. I've never heard bagpipes with a Didgeridoo and it was really cool.

7. I got to hang with my cousins yesterday, including Stephanie who was in town.  

8. I'm really enjoying playing (squeaking a lot) my new Irish whistle. 

9. Some nice thunderstorms to cool things off, it's starting to get summer hot around here. 

Thankful Friday, Summer Edition!

 It's been a fun week. 

I'm thankful for: 

1. Summer!

2. Hanging out with friends at Sonja's birthday celebration on Saturday. 

3. My Girl Scouts award and bridging ceremony on Sunday. No photos because they aren't my kiddos, but we now have 3 Cadettes and 6 Juniors! 

4. A successful bell concert Sunday night, complete with moving looooots of furniture.

5. I got to help facilitate some interesting discussions at my church on race and mortgage lending through our racial justice group.

6. More things checked off my to-do list, woohoo!

7. Scouts, bells, and to some extent the racial justice group are winding down for the summer, so I get a nice break for a few months.

8. I squeezed in a hike at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge this morning before it got really hot.

Summer Bucket List

My Summer 2026 Bucket List:

1. Go kayaking 2-3 times

2. Virginia Renaissance Faire

3. Go swimming 

4. See a movie

5. Eat down my freezer

6. Take a writing class

7. Read 5 books

8. Read in my hammock

9. Eat a giant ice cream sandwich

10. Go to an outdoor concert

11. Go white water rafting

12. Wander a museum I haven't been to before

13. Hike 2-3 times

14. Host a game night with friends

15. Grill burgers

16. Do an escape room

17. Catch a firefly

18. Eat a popsicle

19. Back up my photos on my computer

20. See fireworks