Ash Thoreau

The week took a nosedive straight into the weekend. By Saturday, I was sick, and I desperately wanted to call out of work. Unfortunately, I’d swapped a shift and calling out would have meant losing my precious Sunday off—essential for a visit to my mom’s. Now, it’s Tuesday, and despite last week’s chaos, this trip has been wonderfully refreshing so far. I’m here until Saturday, and then it’s back to the grind on Sunday.

On a positive note, I did manage to lose more weight this week! Getting through all the ups and downs wasn’t easy, and while I’ll admit my exercise routine has taken a backseat during this break, I’m still proud of my progress.

Now, onto the fun stuff!

Yesterday was a whirlwind of activities. We started with a stop at my mom’s art center to pick up some of her sculptures that had been on display for a recent show. Next up was lunch, and oh, was it delicious! I wish we had a Costa Vida on my side of the mountains.

Then came Target. Honestly, the older I get, the more I adore that place. It’s almost comical. I didn’t even buy much, just some high-protein yogurt drinks, but I could have easily blown two paychecks on their Christmas decor alone. The rest of the day was spent on the farm.

Of course, no day is complete without a little unexpected excitement. Just as I was getting Dais out of the shower, Mom came pounding on the bathroom door. Her horse, Friday, had escaped into the yard, and she needed help corralling him. I scrambled to dress Dais, popped a tablet in front of her for distraction, and raced outside. There he was—a dark brown horse blending almost perfectly into the pitch-black yard, happily munching on grass. I tried coaxing him along, but he wasn’t having it. Thankfully, Mom was there with a food pan and lured him back through the pasture gate and into his corral. Crisis averted, but what a way to end the night!

Today was just as lively. We hit up Hobby Lobby and Walmart. The mission? Supplies for homemade butter, inspired by an Instagram post that stirred a distant childhood memory of making butter in a jar at school. Target had the whipping cream, Hobby Lobby had the Mason jars, and Walmart, the elusive cheesecloth. Butter-making will have to wait for tomorrow though; we had too much on our plate today.

Speaking of Hobby Lobby, I found the cutest charms there and had a spark of creativity—I turned them into earrings! Six pairs in five minutes and it barely cost anything. I’m already planning a trip to Michaels tomorrow to make more. Pictures to follow tomorrow!

That’s about all I’ve got for today. I hope you had a wonderful day and I wish you everything!