What's Up Wednesday, May 2025 Edition

 

Happy almost June! May went by so quickly because I have been so overwhelmed at Not So New Job; we are still down two full-time employees, and picking up the slack has been time-consuming and stressful. Happily, I filled one of the positions, and our new advocate started yesterday, so things should begin to improve. I really hope so, because I would like for June to be a lot less anxiety-riddled.

Fingers crossed! Anyhoodle, on to this month's edition of What's Up Wednesday, courtesy of Sheaffer and Shay.

What I've Been Eating

I've had some truly delicious meals this month! While I don't consider donuts to be an actual meal, the Mennonite donuts that we had at this season's edition of Pickin at the Pea were a good substitute.

We ate at an authentic German restaurant earlier this month, and I enjoyed the appetizer sampler that we shared, along with the pickled beets on the salad. My main entree wasn't typical German fare, but the Chicken Cordon Bleu hit the spot.

I also had the Back and Bleu burger at a local brewery. I don't eat hamburgers very often, but slather one in bacon and blue cheese and I'm all over it.

It's also charcuterie season! Kristi and I kicked it off this weekend.

And, finally, I had a croque madame for Sunday brunch this past weekend. It was so rich, I couldn't finish it.

What I'm Loving

I spied this painting at Pickin at the Pea and was immediately smitten.

It looks great over the fireplace.

I mentioned earlier that it is charcuterie season, which means that it is Porch Night season; Kristi introduced me to a new friend of hers, and I hosted them on the porch for the official kick-off. Cheers to that!

What I'm Reminiscing About

I planted the garden last week. To say I missed this sweet face would be a vast understatement of my feelings.

Not having him following me around the raised beds is going to take a lot of getting used to, but I'm eternally grateful for the memories of our years in the garden. Every time I pluck a tomato from the vine, I'll remember how much he loved them.

What I've Been Up To

I've mentioned Pickin at the Pea several times in this post. This season's show had a Kentucky Derby theme, which was fun. Mom and Kristi accompanied me to the sale and we each left with some treasures.

Hugh was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the Official of the Year, so we all headed to Colorado Springs for the induction ceremony.

Mom flew Queen B in as a surprise for Hugh, and he was so excited to see her. We spent the weekend shopping, dining out, and visiting with family members who also attended the ceremony, including my mom, Oscar, Emily, and aunts Connie and Laurie, as well as uncles Gale and Greg.

What I've Been Working On

I've been teaching myself to do ribbon embroidery, which I am finding a bit more challenging than regular embroidery. I have one project that is 99% complete; I just need to mount and frame it.

I planted my flowers in my grandpa's old wheelbarrow and in the wicker planter that sits on the porch.

And I planted the garden, as I mentioned earlier.

What I'm Dreading

I am so tired of dreading things at Not So New Job, and have done a lot of work on my attitude when it comes to the things that stress me there, but, I would be less than truthful if I said I wasn't dreading the possibility that our upcoming golf tournament won't be as successful as prior tournaments. Things just aren't aligning as well as they usually do. And I'm tired, y'all. I'm just tired.

What I'm Excited About

I'm taking next week off, which naturally excites me, despite the gnawing sense of guilt I have about leaving my staff to handle the workload alone. But, see above: I am tired.

What I'm Watching

Mom and I attended A Walk in the Woods at the community theater; it was the final play of this year's season, and we are already looking forward to purchasing our tickets for next season.  

Otherwise, I haven't really watched much of anything; I have barely turned the television on when I am home, and I haven't really missed it.

What I'm Reading

I have finished the first two books in The Compelling Fates Saga, and now I am eagerly anticipating the third book, which is set to be released in August. The fantasy genre is an excellent escape from the stress that my work life throws at me, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. These books are jokingly referred to as "romantacy" online, but who doesn't love a little romance mixed in with their fantasy? Also, the spice is nice. Just sayin'. 

What I'm Listening To

I finally broke down and downloaded the Audible app, so I've been listening to books that I've already read. It's great background noise for when I'm cleaning or embroidering, and I've caught things on the Audible platform that I may have glossed over when reading.

What I'm Wearing

The weather has finally become consistently warm enough to abandon dressing in layers, so I am embracing it. I also pulled out my white jeans from winter storage, which makes me happier than it probably should, but it was a long winter, and I'm delighted to wear lighter colors and fabrics.

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Two words: Girl's Weekend!

Friday, I will meet Jules at the airport in Neighboring City, where we will board a first-class flight bound for Phoenix. At roughly the same time, Tee and Phoebe will be boarding a flight in the City of Our Alma Mater, set to arrive in Arizona at exactly the same time our flight is scheduled to arrive; we didn't even plan it that way, it was just a serendipitous turn of events. Reece will pick us all up and we will head to the resort, where we will spend the next four days reliving our youth. I am so ready for this trip that I cannot even put it into words.

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month

I am looking forward to the official start of summer. I'm hopeful that we'll get a chance to spend more time on the lake and that we'll get to go camping at least once. 

Favorite Purchase This Month

This is somewhat silly, but I'm delighted with the automatic can opener I picked up at Marshalls. It works like a charm; all I have to do is position it on the can and push a button. Easy-peasy.