by Wendy, July 9, 2023

June passed in a blur and I’m not complaining. It was hot, which I don’t enjoy. I am definitely not a “summer person,” but I always try to find enjoyment in it, rather than complain about it. Summer is inevitable, after all!

Reading

This month was hit and miss for reading. I started with Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn and loved it. Four middle-aged women celebrating retirement from their career as assassins suddenly find themselves targeted for death by the very organization for which they worked. It was such a fun read – witty and fast-paced.

I then read Weyward by Emilia Hart, which also has themes of women’s empowerment. The blurb was promising, but story was slow and felt disjointed. I didn’t really enjoy it, but the ending was satisfying.

Cross-stitching

In June, I continued working on Summer Quaker by Lila’s Studio and made an okay amount of progress. Pages 3 and 4 are complete. As of today (this picture is a few days old), I am almost done with page 2, and started on page 1. I also have some progress on pages 5, 6, 7, and 8. It would rock to complete Summer Quaker by the end of August, but I’m not going to pressure myself to get it done during the season.

Gaming

My D&D 5e campaign continues slowly, mostly because of scheduling challenges. But we manage to play once or twice a month. We had a literal “rocks fall, everybody dies” session, which was fun for me. It’s great when everything goes smoothly and easily for the players, and they are rewarded for their planning. I think it’s important for some sessions to be fun and easy, and others to be challenging and frustrating. I used to do XP levelling, but I’ve embraced milestone levelling and I feel like that works well, too.

The Genesys campaign is leading us to a necromancer and, possibly, a cult looking to resurrect a long-dead dragon general. At the end of June, that same group also rolled up characters for Cyberpunk Red. That campaign began July 7 and, well, I think I’m a little busy on Fridays and Saturdays, now.

I haven’t been playing much as far as video games, other than doing my dailies on Animal Crossing. I just purchased Spiritfarer, but I’m not sure when I’ll start it.

Watching

I haven’t watched many shows or movies, but that’s because I prefer spending time outside, as long as it’s shady and cool, bringing my daughter swimming, visiting the library, or watching YouTube. On YouTube, I don’t subscribe to many channels. I like to keep it to 20 or fewer. The channels I follow are fellow Witches, Flosstubers (cross-stitchers), genealogy, Rachel Maksy, and Critical Role.

Exploring

June has been a low-key summer month. We’ve stayed around town because we have a pool and beach here in our neighborhood/HOA. We went to MysticFest in Council Bluffs on June 4. We were there for our bake sale table for Spiral Scouts, which is our circle’s main fundraiser. My daughter had fun shopping all the different booths. She also did a good job of making change for people who stopped at the table to purchase baked goods. My husband made a huge batch of Snickerdoodles to contribute to the table and it was a good time.

June was a much better month than May. I don’t know what it was about May, but it was an oddly rough month. As I said, I’m not a “summer person” but I’m doing my best to take it for what it is, and make the most of it. I prefer slow living anyway, and June was a good month for it.

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May Journal

by Wendy, June 6, 2023

May was an interesting whirlwind of activity. I kept much busier than I expected, probably due to the unexpected. We had a school board member in the town where I live – but, thankfully, not for the school my daughter attends – decide to unilaterally remove “controversial” books from the shelves of the middle and high school libraries. It’s easy enough to learn more about her and her Christo-fascist agenda. She doesn’t hide it at all and she’s probably proud of it.

I attended the school board meeting at the beginning of the month to protest the decision, as did many other people, especially students, in the community. Even her own adult son stood up to tell everyone what a terrible human being she is and how hateful she is to anyone who is gay, like him. A few people spoke in favor of removing the books, all with the belief that they are “protecting children.” At this time, the person has gotten her way, which is really unfortunate. I don’t believe in imposing an agenda on anyone, but that is what this person is determined to do.

I trust and support librarians. School librarians have the education and training to select material that is appropriate for students to read. If a person does not want their child to read certain books, then it should be up to the parent to monitor their child’s reading habits and perhaps speak to the librarian. But it is not acceptable for someone to decide what everyone’s children may or may not access at public school libraries.

Public schools should be preparing our children for the world by teaching them critical thinking and providing a wide range of materials that introduce them to various perspectives. Exposure to a variety of ideas and points of view allows children to develop and articulate their own ideas and perspectives, and explain their reasoning. But some people fear children thinking for themselves. That’s what private schools are for, though. 😛

Reading

I read Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. Normally, I don’t read mysteries, but I heard about this from a Youtuber I enjoy watching. It was funny and twisted, and I quite enjoyed it.

Cross-stitching

In May, I started a trio of landscapes, but also ordered Summer Quaker by Lila’s Studio. At first, I was going to wait until completing one of the landscapes to start it. But then I was going to wait until July, then June, and now… Well, I couldn’t help but start it! I don’t know if I can complete it by the end of the summer. That seems like a lofty goal, so we’ll see how far I get.

Gaming

I had fun with the latest session of my D&D 5e campaign, putting the characters through a little puzzle dungeon with a ghost, family relics, and treasure. We’ll see how the next session goes as they reluctantly attend a ball.

The Genesys campaign is fun so far. It started off with some good old fashioned cultists, long lost artifacts, and a wacky wizard – all the makings of a classic adventure.

Watching

I watched The School for Good and Evil on Netflix, because I enjoyed the book when I read it a few years ago. The movie was surprisingly good. I definitely recommend it!

Doing my best to keep up with Critical Role, as well. Not much else on my list of shows or movies to watch at this time. Obviously, the writers’ strike impacts upcoming seasons of shows, but everyone has a right to a fair and livable wage. So I’m content to live without new TV shows and movies. Some things are more important.

Exploring

May started with 4th Grade field trip to the capitol building, Memorial Stadium, and Morrill Hall. I enjoyed all of the sites.

We had the privilege of sitting the gallery at the capitol just as Machaela Cavanaugh spoke against LB574. Unfortunately, the legislature did pass LB574, which is a bill that denies gender-affirming care to minors in Nebraska. In addition, a “12-week” abortion ban was added at the 11th hour. But if the Christo-fascists in Nebraska think women or transgender youth are just going to roll over and take it, they better think again.

This isn’t white cis-het middle-aged man land anymore, and everyone is going to need to learn not just to accept that, but also how to live with their non-Christian, non-straight, non-cis neighbors.

The month ended with a trip to Sioux Falls which is beautiful, as always. I like seeing the falls themselves, as well as visiting the Game Chest. If you ever go to Sioux Falls, that is the best gaming store to visit. There are other gaming stores there, of course, and everyone is very welcoming. However, Amanda, the owner of the Game Chest, is so personable and has so much passion for what she does that you don’t want to miss stopping by there.

We also hit up Pave, which was a little too crowded. It has a neat ambiance, but the Guinness was disappointing. Then we went to Wiley’s, which was fantastic. It felt like a place straight out of the mid-90s. I loved their hot pretzels. Perfect for a 10 p.m. snack! I hope to visit again soon. We also went to the Full Circle Book Co-Op for the first time, and left with literary goodness.

All in all, May was a good month, and it gave me a lot of food for thought. I think the major takeaway for me with the book banning and passing of LB574 is that those things don’t magically make us – the LGBTQ+ community, women, and non-Christian people – magically stop existing. People can try to invalidate us, but they can’t make us cease to be. And maybe that’s what upset them so much. Maybe that’s what they’re afraid of.

So, I feel inspired to continue to fight for the right of all humans to exist regardless of gender identity, sexual identity, or religious identity. Furthermore, I’d rather be loud and proud about my sexual and religious identities, and ignore the scared, ignorant, small-minded few who can’t handle the basic facts of life – that not everyone is the same.

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2020 In Review

by Wendy, January 1, 2021

I think every year-end blog post or card or family newsletter is going to start with, “What a year!” We say that every year, though, don’t we? At the end of most years, I tend to be optimistic and set goals for the new year. Last year, however, I said, “Same shit, different year.” So I guess I’d better go back to optimism, because look how 2020 turned out!

We are among the fortunate people who haven’t gotten sick yet. However, several people we know and love did get sick, and that has been pretty scary. There’s no telling how Covid will affect anyone, which is what makes it so daunting.

When I heard the news about the first vaccine being administered in the UK, I cried with happiness. Here’s hoping that the roll-out of vaccines in the U.S. goes smoothly and we can all look forward to a slow return to something approaching normalcy.

Of course, we’re happy with the way the election turned out this year. It was another positive aspect of 2020. It took me a few days to feel safe opening a bottle of victory wine, but when I finally went for it, it couldn’t have been a sweeter moment.

Remote schooling for some of the year was difficult, but we felt it was necessary. It was hard for the kids to not see other people face to face. However, we felt it was the most responsible choice over the holidays, considering the uncertainty around other people choosing to gather with large groups, have family get-togethers, etc. We did our best to keep joy in the household with new books, games, music, and TV shows. It wasn’t always easy, but I think extra hugs and talking frankly about everything going on in the world went a long way.

At some point in the year, I also realized I was just done with certain projects and let them go, full stop. I had no drive to move forward. I thought my interest in and excitement for those projects might return, but no. So far, nothing.

It’s disappointing, because these projects have been a big part of “me” for 4 years. They’ve also given many other people a lot of joy. However, as Charlotte once said in “Sex & the City,” I think I’m done here.

What’s next? I’m still figuring that out. I still love my job and the teaching I’ve been doing, so that isn’t changing. But I need to figure out what’s next as far as other aspects of my life.

This post is already rambly, but there you have it. 2020 was, for us, challenging but we made it. Here we are. Where we’re going from here, though, I have no idea. At least, though, I’m feeling far more optimistic at this point in the year than I felt going into 2020!

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Bedroom Renovations: Part 2

by Wendy, May 11, 2020

With the first two bedrooms gutted, we started the process of renovating them. First, we installed new wiring and recessed lighting cans. After the county inspector gave the electrical work the green light (which is easy to get when you do it right), we added modern insulation for both the ceiling and walls. Finally, we hung the plastic that holds the ceiling insulation in place. One thing I forgot to mention in part 1 is that my husband also goes through the process of strengthening all the ceiling joists. It’s a lot of work, but lifts and reinforces a previously sagging ceiling.

Ceiling drywall goes up next! That’s exciting, because it signals the next phase of the renovation – turning what looks like a construction site into an actual room.

Covering the insulation is one of my favorite moments of this entire process. It takes a few days to get all the drywall up on the ceiling and wall studs. Once it’s on there, we get into the process of taping, mudding and sanding. This is where the excitement fades, because drywall dust is insidious stuff. It gets everywhere and it never seems to end!

When that messy part was done, we installed new doors on each bedroom. The old layout had the doors facing each other. Those doors were as thin as the walls. You could easily put a fist through them.

We replaced the hollow core doors with solid core oak doors and stained them dark. Hanging the doors was a frustrating process, but once it was done, we were ready to paint! Our room got a pale green color called “Lime Taffy.” Paired with the door and dark brown curtains, it looks like a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Our daughter’s room got a sky blue called “Windsor Way” at her request. The original picture makes it look a little more Robin’s egg, but it’s much softer and less green than the lighting appears to show.

Once the rooms were painted, it was time for flooring. This was an adventure. The flooring we chose for our living room – “Smokey Topaz” made by Great Lakes Wood Floors – was discontinued. Our local Menards didn’t have any and they don’t place orders to for inventory from other stores. We looked at our options and decided to buy out all 26 boxes available at the nearest store… in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This took into consideration the leftover flooring we had in our home from doing our living room, the need for 20 boxes to do both bedrooms and the hall, plus the eventual need for more flooring to do the third bedroom.

Neither of us was excited about the idea of a 7-hour round trip to haul a truck full of flooring, but that’s what we did. It turned out to be the best decision for a number of reasons, both practical and personal. After a triumphant road trip, we let the flooring sit in the house for a few days to acclimate and then it was time to install it.

Once we completed the hall and first two bedrooms, and went into the third bedroom, we found we had enough to complete that one, as well. We aren’t doing the third bedroom yet, but it’s good to know we have enough flooring to finish the house.

The discontinued flooring led to the question of what we would do with the dining room floors. That was easy to determine. The dining room will get the same flooring as the kitchen, whatever we choose. That flooring will also go into the addition, since it will function as a partial mudroom and laundry room.

With the flooring in place, we had paint touch-ups, trim, outlet and switchplate covers, and other random bits to do! We also replaced the in-floor heating/cooling vents with the ones that go against the wall, instead. First of all, it looks nicer. Second, it’s more practical. We’re less likely to drop small things, like tiny Legos, down an angled vent than a floor one! The finishing bits should be done by the end of May and we are so glad this part of the renovation is nearly complete.

Besides final photos to come, what’s next? We have to wait about 3 years for the next phase in our renovation process, because it’s the addition. We need to save money. We don’t want to start the addition and do it in pieces. Leaving it uncovered (no roof, no housewrap, etc.) and open to the elements is an awful idea.

The addition will replace the back deck. It will include a storm cellar, since we don’t have a basement. The room will function as my office, as well as have a separate laundry room and mudroom/entry. I’m excited about this, because we will also update the exterior of the house in this phase.

Our house only has studs, a layer of old siding, and a layer of new siding on top. No plywood and no housewrap between the studs and siding! Fixing that and replacing the grungy white siding with the wheat color used on the workshop is going to be fun. I love installing siding. It’s like putting together a puzzle. Modernizing the exterior with plywood and housewrap will also make the house that much more energy efficient.

The workshop siding – looking forward to the house exterior matching it!

After that, we’re left with the most expensive parts to tackle: the bathroom and third bedroom at the same time, which includes the water heater and furnace, and then the kitchen and dining room. Moving the washer and dryer from the bathroom into their own dedicated laundry space will allow us to enlarge the bathroom, while the kitchen will get a complete overhaul with added cabinets, an island, and a breakfast bar.

With the cost of doing the other half of the house, we should be done… oh, in another 20 years or so. >.< But at least we’ll have a house we like and it will be much more attractive and modern, and easier to sell someday!

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