Weekly recap of my ritual of existence in this liminal space called life. (See here for more info.)
- Weather
We started the week off warm, in the 60°Fs, but we were back in the 30°Fs for highs by Friday and into the weekend. The average high this week was 47.6°F, ranging from 67.6°F on Tuesday to 35.6°F (on both Fri. and Sun.). Lows ranged from 18.7°F to 37.9°F, averaging 27.9°F. We got a little less than a third of an inch of rain this week, mostly early on Saturday. Snow is melting, then icing up, then melting.
- Beginnings/Firsts
First fox sparrows (quite a few) seen in the yard on Saturday, 14 March.
My husband heard his first red-winged blackbird of the year in the yard on Tuesday and Merlin recorded one on our walk in town on Wednesday but I haven’t seen one yet. He also saw his first chipmunk of the season in the yard on Thursday but I haven’t see one yet.
We started bringing in the bird feeders at night on Thursday after learning of a black bear sighting in a town not far away this week.
We’ve had Birdfy (“smart” feeder) up for about two months but this week was the first time the red-bellied woodpecker, who usually eats nuts spread along the hefty apple tree limb, decided to try it out. A few times.
- Wild Things (Flora, Fauna, Fungi) in addition to others elsewhere in this post
Merlin-heard birds in town between Tuesday and Friday. We’re getting both purple finches (we’ve had them all winter) and now house finches at the feeders. I haven’t seen the starlings or grackles yet but I have seen the waxwings.
Some animals seen mostly in the yard and a couple in town this week: TOP row: white-breasted nuthatch with nut; grey squirrel; underside of red-breasted nuthatch. 2nd row: pine siskin, two purple finches (female), two goldfinches; two titmice; downy woodpecker. 3rd row: American tree sparrow; hairy woodpecker; pine siskin. 4th row: male cardinal; fox; red-breasted nuthatch. 5th row: blue jay; very red squirrel; yellowing goldfinch; BOTTOM row: nine goldfinches on apple tree limb.
- Wandering
I walked in town or around the lake every day except Saturday, when we wandered a few towns over to do something we rarely do (I can’t remember the last time), shop for clothes in brick-and-mortar non-thrift stores, in this case at an outlet plaza. We each bought a pair of jeans and I bought two $8 T-shirts. And saw gulls! Then we went out for a late lunch at a diner.
in town walks
The vehicle is an Austin-badged Morris pickup (produced from 1968 to 1973).
lake
- Curiosity & Discoveries
I was surprised to see this (rustic?) wolf spider on an icy sidewalk on Tuesday, even though temps made it into the 60s eventually.
- Creating
Not really.
- Repairing and Maintaining the human(s), the cat, and the cars
Human(s): I worked out four times (4 hours) this week, with weights, stretching, dancing. I walked more than 8,000 steps every day, more than 10,000 steps on four days, more than 12,000 steps on three days, and a high of 17,593 on Tuesday. My husband cross-country skied on Tuesday, when it was in the 60°Fs! I participated in Dharma Sunday via Zoom with Ron Thomas teaching on “Creative Imagination and the Imaginal in Jung, the Sufis, and the Vajrayana” and leading us in short meditations based on each of the three perspectives. My husband and I ping-ponged for about 2 hours this week.
- Nesting
Cleaning/Maintenance: I watered the houseplants on Wed., did a load of clothes laundry on Thursday, and apparently <checks notes> that’s it, though I think I also swept, cleaned toilets, cleaned the kitchen sink, counters, stove, etc. as well. My husband ran the robovac in the bedroom on Wednesday.
Financial/Admin: On Monday I updated my Financial Info document, part of my end-of-life planning so survivors will know what and where and how to access financial stuff when I’m gone. I also emailed our financial advisor about estate planning attorneys. And I submitted the EFT request to move 2025’s Health Savings Account contribution from the bank to the HSA account holder. On Tuesday I tackled updating another death document, with details for my memorial service, a contacts list, a brief guide for where to find other documents. I printed out both updates and replaced (and shredded) the old versions.
Supplies: Nothing major this week, just ordered a couple boxes of some oatmeal I hadn’t been able to get locally recently and some oral care cat food on Monday and once again rejiggered the Amazon Subscribe & Save.
Food: We picked up take-out from a local restaurant on Monday (pot roast, fish & chips, + green salad which I augmented). My husband had his pot roast/veg/mashed potatoes leftovers (+ green lettuce salad with carrots, radishes, yellow bell pepper, roasted asparagus, and kalamata olives) on Tuesday and Wed. for dinner, while I had leftover sofrito risotto with shrimp (+ the same salad) both nights. On Thursday my husband was the one eating the leftover sofrito risotto, with more shrimp added, while I ate pine nut couscous with roasted asparagus and four Morningstar (veggie) chik’n nuggets. Friday my husband finished the risotto (finally!) and I made cacio e pepe with artichoke hearts for me, plus sautéed fresh local spinach with garlic for both of us. We went out for a late (3 p.m.) lunch on Saturday at a local diner so for dinner just had raw veggies (carrots, radishes, yellow pepper) and celeriac dip-humus. Sunday my husband had his leftovers (shepherds pie) from the diner and I had more cacio e pepe, adding more artichoke hearts, roasted asparagus, and shrimp to it. A somewhat uninspired meal-planning week (not that I ever actually plan it) but tasty nonetheless.
- Sleeping & Dreaming
Pretty good sleep week, with an average night’s sleep of 7 hours 50 mins and an average score (Samsung Fit 3) of 89.3, with all scores but one between 87 and 93. REM sleep accounted for 12 hours 51 mins and deep sleep for just shy of 7 hours.
- Reading / Words & Ideas / Listening / Watching
Reading
BOOKS
This week I finished The Botanist’s Assistant (2025) by Peggy Townsend, which I rated a 3 out of 5. My summary: Fifty-four-year old Margaret Finch is the extremely (obsessively) efficient and organised research assistant to a well-liked botanist who dies in his office at a lesser California university on her birthday. Where the police and coroner see a genetic heart illness as the cause she sees symptoms of plant poisoning and she’s not afraid to tell almost everyone around her about it but fortunately for the killer (and for Margaret) the only person who treats her evidence or hypotheses seriously is the custodian, Joe. She takes a number of big risks to try to prove or disprove her ideas (and for the most part doesn’t face consequences for them). The crime-solving is OK but what I liked more about this book and missed when I finished it is the spareness and simplicity of Margaret’s life and home and her contentment with it.
OTHER
Articles:
The Patient Who Has to Prove Their Pain: Notes on Credibility Privilege, by Zed Zha in her newsletter Ask The Patient: “After patients recite the rehearsed speech they prepared before coming to see me, packed with chronology and evidence to prove they are as sick as they say they are, and when they are about to run out of breath, I say those three words. “I believe you.” Sometimes that alone reassures people. But for many, the first time I say it, it sounds like a fairy tale. They nod politely, catch their breath, and continue the backup speech in case they are not believed. “Really,” I tell them, pulling down my mask to show my face. “I believe you.” Only when patients believe that I believe them can we truly hear each other.”
Credit Bureaus Are Leaving More Mistakes on Frustrated Consumers’ Reports Under Trump’s CFPB, by Joel Jacobs at ProPublica. Specifically, TransUnion and Experian, but not Equifax. “The credit bureaus “want to do as little as possible,” said Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting at the National Consumer Law Center, which is a plaintiff in a lawsuit that has so far blocked some of the administration’s dismantling efforts. “The thing that is making them do any kind of effort is a lawsuit or a regulator, and now we don’t have the regulator,” Wu said.”
Numbers to Shock and Astound: Three simple comparisons that might change how you look at the U.S. and the world, by Dan McGinn in his newsletter The Future We Already Know. (No, I haven’t fact-checked it.) Comparing California and Japan, Montana and Germany, and Texas and Pakistan.
Listening
Shazam’d songs this week, which just means I heard them and does not imply any judgment.
Watching
This week we watched a Miss Marple (over two nights) and a few ‘Poirots’.
- Connections & Community
Local Support: We ate at a local bakery/café on Thursday and Sunday for lunch (me – potato leek soup) and snack (him – something sweet). We picked up takeout from a local restaurant for dinner on Monday and had a late lunch/dinner on Sat. at a local diner. Shockingly, I did not buy anything from the local farmstand this week! We both voted in the town elections on Tuesday.
Relationships: I hosted the permaculture group on Zoom for an hour on Thursday with four of us attending; we’re almost finished with our current book, Your Natural Garden by Kelly Norris. Salon met on Friday for two hours with 7 of us attending. Chatted with my sister by phone for 35 mins on Monday morning. Chatted with an acquaintance (MV) after voting on Tues. for a few minutes. We chatted with a neighbour (JL) for 10+ minutes in his driveway on Thursday and with another neighbour (BT) for about 10 mins while we were out walking on Friday. Texted, emailed, social media’d, etc., as usual.
Donations: I made a donation to the ALS Association on Monday.
- Endings
It’s the last full week of winter!
- All This Useless Beauty
this earnest looking goldfinch
water colours and reflections at the lake
white-breasted nuthatch patterning
kitcat patterning
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