I didn’t get around to writing my May favorites for obvious reasons. I broke my foot on May 1 and then spent the entire month hobbling around packing up a 4,000 sq foot house. It was a lot and I was just trying to get through it, not make mental notes on things I really enjoyed. But, I did manage to remember a few things I really enjoyed and decided to combine them with some favorites from June.
May and June are like a tale of two months. May was frenzied and exhausting. June was relaxing, quiet, and slow. It was staying in a small house that didn’t need much from me and I could just focus on recovery and rest. Of course, I still did work, but I welcomed writing and painting after all of the packing! It felt restful and I could work at a slower pace. We don’t always get that recuperation time after busy seasons, but I am so thankful I had this time.
Here are a few other favorites…
andar brooklyn backpack purse
Andar sent me the at the perfect time. I got it just a few days before I broke my foot when I didn’t know that a backpack purse would be the best thing ever. I moved all of my stuff over to it and have used it ever since. I’m not a big purse-switcher. I’m pretty loyal when it comes to my purse and will only buy one every few years or if I find one I particularly love. This bag is a great size and design, though…nice for shopping, traveling, and everyday use. I can even fit a water bottle in it!
As with all Andar products, it is very well made and has lots of useful pockets, pouches, and zippers.
If you have Airpods, we also love their wood cases. Jeff, Marshall, and I all have the wood case for our Airpods and have enjoyed them for a couple of years.
homemade caesar salad
My sweet friend, Cheri, brought over dinner for our family after I broke my foot. It included homemade lasagna and caesar salad, both from the . The lasagna was great, but I was just in love with the salad. I immediately bought the cookbook and made it for myself to have for lunch during most of our move. I had never had avocado in a caesar salad and that was a winner for me!
I can see having this salad often with some chicken added on top when I want a bit more protein.
nuun strawberry lemonade electrolyte tabs
When I was sick with the virus, I was so thirsty! My throat and sinuses were on fire and I just couldn’t get enough water. I ended up having heart palpitations from dehydration and electrolyte imbalances despite all of the water I was drinking. My heart rate was elevated and I had early/irregular heartbeats when I stood up to just walk around. I did have it all checked out and my heart was okay, but I needed to work on hydration.
Jeff gave me one of his that he uses when hiking to put in a bottle of water and I felt the difference almost immediately after I drank it. I am not really into flavored waters, but it helped so much that I kept drinking one large water bottle with a Nuun tab every day. Through trying different flavors (some better than others), I’ve decided that is my favorite by far. It just provides a light flavor that is pleasant. I drop a tab in my water every day still to stay on top of hydration.
the great pottery throw down
I am pretty much game for any creative competition TV show as long as it’s not icky and back-stabby. The latest one I’m enjoying is The Great Pottery Throw Down. It is a British show and it has a vibe very much like the Great British Baking Show. The contestants are hobby potters who are accountants, construction workers, teachers, etc. by day and work on their art in their spare time. It’s really pretty interesting!
First of all, I have been interested in the art of pottery, ceramics, and china for a while so I have loved learning how demanding and technical it is. The second thing, I love is that Keith, a potter himself and one of the judges, gets emotional about beautiful work, showing just how passionate and touched he is by this craft. He gets moved by beauty, but also when people show resilience, great effort, and determination not to quit even when everything is going wrong and mistakes are made. It touches me that he notices those things and celebrates them. There was a particularly impressive moment when three of the finalists helped the fourth one who was in the weeds and wasn’t going to finish on time. They all pitched in to get the work done even though it was a competition. Just awesome.
hoka shoes
I had my foot x-rayed last week to see how the break was healing and I was pretty deflated to see that the bone was still ununited. But, the orthopedic surgeon said I was about where he’d expect in the healing process. I would need to wear the boot for about another month and have it x-rayed again to see how it’s healing, but I could start walking around the house in a stiff-soled shoe. I could also drive when needed, which is huge because we have two vehicles to get out east!
He suggested I get Hoka shoes, which have thick, supportive soles. I got shoes, which are actually a running shoe (and I won’t be running anytime soon), but they are perfect for balancing out my boot when I’m in it and for walking when I’m out of the boot. I’ve made a few laps around the living-dining-kitchen loop in our little rental house and I can already feel my foot muscles waking up. My foot is a bit like it’s asleep without the tingle, but it’s getting better.
Anyway, I wish I bought these shoes weeks ago because they are almost the perfect height to wear with the boot. I tried getting an even-up thingy to wear on my left foot, but I couldn’t find one that fit well and felt stable.
I can’t wait until I can go back on my morning walks and I think these shoes will help me get there!
time
This is kind of an odd favorite, but through the month of June, I have really enjoyed having time…time to read, to paint, to take online classes. I didn’t realize how busy I’ve been with packing and the move and having that time back feels like such a luxury. I’ve been so thankful for the time to rest and just be.
And, speaking of this time, I also enjoyed my temporary studio. You can read more about how I claimed the dining room as my work and creative space HERE and watch a video tour here…
We are now heading into a season of hellos and goodbyes. We are saying goodbye to Minnesota, hello to family and old friends. We’re saying goodbye to some stability and hello to new possibilities, new people, and new places.
And I’ll take you along the way…
What were some of your favorites from May and June?
You can find more of my monthly favorites HERE.
18 Responses
My favorites from May-June? After 2 years in a new-to-us house we found finally set about getting my creative space together! And I’ve decided next time we move it will be one of the first spaces I put together….one must be creative in the midst of chais!
YAY! I hope I’ll be joining you, settling into a new house in late summer or early fall. Enjoy this sweet and exciting time. 🙂
I met Keith at an event a few years ago and asked him about the emotion he expresses on the show. His answer was so sweet, and he genuinely feels supportive and emotional about the contestants and their work. I don’t know if you get it in the US but the Great British Sewing Bee is the same style of supportive competition show.
We won’t talk about the woodworking version which was withdrawn from the air after the first episode when people complained that one of the contestants has white supremacy tattoos.
I will see if I can find the Sewing Bee show anywhere. I would enjoy that, too!
You will love the Hokas. I’ve been wearing them for a few years. Enjoy your next journey!
If you get a chance check out the Great British Menu show. They did an entire season finding chefs from around Britain to prepare a banquet for D Day veterans. It was so moving, I cried through parts of it.
Oh, I will check it out! That sounds so good!
Curious about the pottery show. Is it on PBS or do I need a streaming service ( which we don’t have other than Amazon)?
Can’t wait to see where your journey takes you. Also I had no idea how huge your Minn. home was! 4000sq ft, my goodness!!
I’ve enjoyed Young House Love’s journey to downsize and how it really suits them now. I think lots of families are coming around to this.
Good luck, looking forward to more stories and especially your art journey.
The pottery show is on HBO Max, which we get by being AT&T customers, but I’m sure you can subscribe to it through Amazon, Apple, Roku, or other streaming services. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.
And yes! We had over 4,000 sqft and it is a lot to keep clean and care for. It was perfect for us because we needed to fit my business in the house, so our living space vs. my working space made sense. I’m hoping for a smaller house but a larger studio/office.
I always enjoy your recap of favorite things. Not only is it a fun way to learn about stuff I’ve never heard of but it’s also a great reminder to reflect on what I might consider my favorites from the past month!
I love Hokas! I’ve been wearing them for years (and never run a single mile).
Since you all will be on the road a lot have you considered listen to a book on Audible together? My husband and I started doing that a couple of years ago with Ray Bradbury’s Dandlelion Wine…a great summer story about two brothers set in 1928 in small-town Illinois. ” In the story, dandelion wine, as made by the protagonist’s grandfather, serves as a metaphor for packing all of the joys of summer into a single bottle. ”
Safe travels and hope you all can enjoy the journey and each destination! – Sharon
Oh, I’ll check it out! Yes, I did listen to an audio book on the way here and I have a few more in the queue!
“Dandelion Wine” was one of my childhood favorites! Magical book.
I wear Hoka shoes for my morning walks and I love them. Take care of that foot praying it keeps healing!
Great idea to try and balance the boot. I didn’t when I broke my ankle and ended up with a bad hip on the other side which needed lots of physio
I had that same break in January of 2020 and a friend told me about Hokas to balance the boot! I wish I’d thought to tell you that! My favorite for June is funny- we finally got sod in our yard after waiting eight months! We have spent two years remodeling my husband’s childhood home and the last thing is the landscape! Long journey but we are so happy here. I used William Morris wallpaper throughout the house and I love it!
The Repair Shop is awesome. “Nestled deep in the British countryside lies a workshop where broken, battered and beloved artifacts, antiques and curios are brought back to life. An ensemble of skilled and passionate craftspeople put the beauty back into these precious objects.” Our local PBS station aired a few episodes before it disappeared. Available on Amazon Prime and Discovery+.
Love that you included TIME on your list! It is the most precious of all.
Keep recovering, my friend!
It’s like the timing is just right….with your move and your logic about the uncertainty of where you are going ….it has been helpful for me. We are selling off lot of belongings and furniture and the house and going full time RV-ing….there is a lot of uncertainty in that