Friday Thoughts: Currently
Hi, friends. How are you? I’ve been off the grid for a while (I’ll explain more below), which is why there has been a short break from recipes. But I have been anxious to check in with a Friday Thoughts post! I LOVE connecting with you in the comment threads of these posts, and with so, so much going on right now for all of us, it’s time to have a friend therapy session together, wouldn’t you say?
Today, for this Friday Thoughts post, I’m sharing what I’m up to currently (both physically and mentally). And then it’s your turn to tell me what your “current” status is!
1) Currently eating all the things.
It took a good six weeks but I finally fully healed from the gum graft surgery that kind of rocked my world. Because the surgery involved slicing the roof of my mouth to extract the tissue used for the gum graft on my front lower teeth, the healing process took a bit longer, and I was only tentatively eating soft foods at week four (I also had a few issues with parts of the graft slipping so I was on extra strict orders).
However by week six, everything had healed, and I’ve been well on my way to making up for all the lost eating time since then.
Mostly, chips.
I pray mightily I never, ever have to have that surgery again. So much compassion and respect for those of you that have had it multiple times! It was not a pleasant experience for me. Now I’m prepping to get a crown redone as a result of the domino effect that is dental work.
2) Currently listening to a lot of audiobooks.
Right now, I’m halfway through The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden; the storytelling is captivating. I just finished Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson and have enjoyed talking about it and processing it with Brian and my kids who also read it (we’re watching the movie this weekend), and The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown is next.
Any favorite audiobooks to share?
3) Currently spending a lot of time with our quarantine-acquired, new-ish kunekune pigs.
I share more details about them on my @melsfauxfarm account, but they have been a fun addition to whatever you call the random hybrid lifestyle of country and suburbia we have going on.
Also, I’ve never scratched so many piggy bellies in my life. If you can’t find me, I am 100% most likely out in the pig pasture, which has become my favorite, peaceful place in all the world (except if the pigs are hungry, and then watch out) and best way to detox from the day (and chaos of the world as of late). Highly recommend kunekune pigs to all the world.
As a sidenote: we have four purebred, registered kunes. Two girls/gilts: Olivia and EmmyLou. Two boys/boars: Benny and Eddie. Three of my kids invested money from their savings in these pigs as breeding pairs. So, next year some time, we will probably be swimming in adorable piglets for sale. (Kunes are raised for breeding and meat.) They are friendly, gentle, *mostly* non-rooting and non-wallowing pigs that eat our pasture grass and make us very happy.
4) Currently hoarding all the huckleberries while enjoying short hair again.
I dragged the kids up to pick our annual supply of huckleberries (the last few years we’ve picked near McCall, Idaho, but don’t ask me where we go specifically, because if you huckleberry regularly, you know revealing your secret spot is an unpardonable sin). We pick them solely to make huckleberry milkshakes all year long.
Huckleberries are the best, and I missed them every single day of every single year we lived in the midwest. Also, I got eight inches cut off of all of my hairs, and I feel like a new woman (especially now that it has grown a few weeks and is *just* long enough to fit in a ponytail again).
4) Currently gathering books to donate to our middle school and elementary school libraries.
In a small effort to involve my kids in affecting change for racial equality and justice in our own community, we decided to research, gather, and donate 40-50 books to both the middle school and elementary school libraries.
Books that promote, champion, and highlight diversity, black lives, and racial issues and equality. We’ve been working with both school librarians to figure out what books they already have in their libraries. Thanks to a well-stocked middle school library, we’ve expanded the middle school list to include a few other books that champion diversity in other marginalized groups as well.
Photo credit: Jane Mount
If you’re interested in the full list of books, here you go. (Disclaimer: I haven’t read every single book on this list; use your own discretion if checking these out for you or your child.)
We are trying to source and purchase most of the books from independent and/or black-owned book sellers across the country, and hopefully, we’ll be able to get them to the school libraries ASAP. It has been a fun and rewarding project to work on together.
My secondary goal is to also get these books circulated among individual classrooms and also volunteer in the elementary school to highlight and read these books in the library and classrooms so these books don’t get forgotten on the shelves – all of this is dependent on how school will look this year due to covid, but we’ll take it one step at a time.
5) Currently learning that my anxiety is at an all-time high.
It’s been a weird, hard, rough, enlightening, chaotic, frustrating, stressful six months for me. The uncertainty of everything has me feeling stretched very thin, and I’ve had to dig deep for coping skills that I haven’t had to use in a while. I wish I had the answers and all the solutions and, mostly, A Detailed Future Plan to Write Firmly in a Spreadsheet and Follow Daily.
I don’t have any of that, dang it. But I just want to say that if you are feeling like some days you are drowning in all of the noise and chaos and uncertainty and hypocrisy (on every side) and fear and stress and judgment, you aren’t alone.
As someone who has googled “am I having a panic attack?” more than once in the last few months, I can also personally attest that there’s a lot of peace and happiness out there, too. It actually hasn’t gone anywhere, it’s just been pushed and nudged aside by the louder, dominating, noisy voices.
I’m learning that for me, one of the keys to finding my inner peace and resilience again is to disconnect. From social media, the internet, and technology in general. (And even from real life people who tend to bring me down.) It’s an almost instantaneous, shoulder-relaxing effect when I log off everything. And I’ve learned that, guess what, I actually don’t miss that much when I’m not checking Instagram daily.
And then once I disconnect, I try to simultaneously connect with what I already intrinsically know brings a longer-lasting peace: God, my family (like, really connecting with them one on one), the outdoors, and sometime just being alone if I can manage it.
As a verified introvert, I’ve been challenged big time since March. Listen, I love my kids and husband. They’re great. I want to live with them forever. And I genuinely would choose family time over just about anything else (as in, family night out over girls’ night out any day of the week). But all disclaimers aside, I am mentally rejuvenated when I have a degree of quiet alone time. And that has been noticeably absent the last little while especially since I’m in the parenting phase of early rising kids (who are too old to take naps) and late bedtime teenagers. {Admittedly, the aforementioned quiet pig pasture has helped with this introvert initiative a bit even if a kid, or two, tags along sometimes.}
It’s a process and a cycle – this disconnecting and connecting thing – and definitely not a one time thing. It’d probably be better if I could just learn to balance it all on the daily, but I don’t do that very well, so when I reach my peak, I just disconnect, restabilize, and move on. It’s meant I’ve been a little hit and miss here on the blog and on social media this year. Quality over quantity, right? 🙂
What coping skills are working for you right now?
Edited to ask: if you have kids at home, what are your school plans for fall?? The school year here was slated to start this coming Monday but it has been delayed until September 8. At this point I’m planning to send my kids back to school (although it’s doubtful they’ll be *at* school very often, if at all, based on our #’s and the district’s plan to keep them home if we are in the yellow or red zone).
6) Currently traveling across the wilds of Northern Idaho and Montana in Thor, the behemoth RV we rented on rvshare.com (not sponsored).
It was a whim of an idea. With so many of our other plans canceled this spring and summer, the normally unimpulsive Brian-Mel pair looked at each other a couple weeks ago and decided on the spot to rent an RV and drive around with the family, self-contained and fancy free.
It has been dreamy so far (except for when the concentrated family time has proven a bit too much – and also, I’ve learned which of my children have a serious stinky feet problem).
Most of the time we’ve been without cell service in places where beauty and hygiene standards are wonderfully, acceptably low. And we’ve done a mix of dry camping (no hook ups) and RV park glamping (full hook ups). Hi, lukewarm shower, I’ve missed you.
We left with a general idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do with all the flexibility of changing those plans at any minute thanks to driving a creaky house on wheels.
So far we’ve been up by Redfish Lake near Stanley, Idaho (which now ranks as one of our favorite places in Idaho), Cour d’ Alene (the most gorgeous place on earth), and we rode the Hiawatha Trail yesterday on our bikes (a bucket list item we have now checked off and hope to do many times in the future – AMAZING).
We’ll have to get back to real life eventually, but I highly recommend the RV adventure-on-a-whim experience for regenerating good family vibes, forcing a break from technology and the chaos of the world right now, and showing your kids, especially The Teenagers you are still grand master of all.the.card.games and corn hole.
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Ok, this was a long one. I have a lot more to say, but I’ll let you get on with your life. Ha. Remind me to tell you about our dusty living room/kitchen remodel, my new favorite pants (and the shoes I’ve been living in all summer), a cookbook idea and question, and a few other things!
Love your guts. Thanks for being here. And don’t leave me alone in the comments! I want to hear about YOU and how you are doing.
521 Comments on “Friday Thoughts: Currently”
So, somewhere on here, once upon a time, I stumbled across a foot powder or cream that you recommended for stinky feet.
After searching your blog for the last 15 minute, I’m no longer as positive as I once was.
Am I crazy, or do you have a great product to recommend?
Oh boy, Salem, I’m drawing a blank. I don’t remember that??
I will have to go back and see if you’ve recommended audiobooks in the past, I’m hooked!
Also, do you have a go to menu of on the road camping recipes? I’d love to add to mine!
Hi Mel, I know this is an older post but I must say I love your wide brimmed hat! I’m not sure if it would even still be available but do you remember where you got it?
I must tell you, you are my favorite blogger! It’s so refreshing to read your posts, it always makes my day! You are the best, keep doing what you’re doing and standing up for good! You have an army of supporters, always!!
Thank you, Kristen! That hat is from Coolibar.com although I don’t think that exact style is still available, darn it!
Mel. I think you are the coolest. I am full-on homeschooling this year (#thankscovid), and taking advantage of the opportunity to get through every one of the books on your list I can get my hands on. Also we make at least one (if not four or more) of your recipes every week. Keep it up being awesome!
Mel, I had that tortuous gum grafting years ago when I was 21, and can I say after having 8 kids and being 57 years old. That surgery has to been the iconic worst thing that I have ever gone through. Back in the day the dentist said I wouldn’t have any teeth if i didnt go do the surgery. It took me a good 6 weeks also to heal all the way. But I still have my teeth HAHA. But Im sure the updates on the way they do the surgery is better but , I remember when they started to cut pieces out of the roof of my mouth and then said , Im not sure what we are going to do. You dont have enough thicker tissue to cover the whole bottom of my jaw line. Yes, the panic was real. But they only ended up doing the bottom teeth and somehow got enough tissue from around the sides to make it work. Question? Im not sure how taking the tissue from the roof of your mouth to attach it to the around the front of the teeth even works. Consequently, I have a dreaded anxiety for the dentist.
I hope that you heal great, and thank you so much for your Blog and for your fabulous recipes.
Loved your blog post!
I could so relate on a few things you shared-
*The haircut: I chopped off 14″ inches !!! I’m not gonna lie, I teared up a bit when I got into my car. Now 11 days later, it feels wonderful to have less hair to wash & style! Mine barely fits in a pony tail, the bun is almost non existent right now.
*Unplugging; ♀️ me too! I unplugged after rewatching Russell M. Nelson talks in April. One in specific stirred my soul. I decided to focus on things I needed to get done (packing) and let all else fall by the wayside. I had no desire at all for social media. I craved conversation in real time. I can honestly count on 1 hand how many times I’ve logged into my social media. And I don’t miss it! I enjoy “me & we time” & eliminating things I no longer need, want, or desire in my life anymore. I was discussing w my hubby all the wasted hours behind my screens that I can’t get back….change is a good reset button!!!
We’re outside more-huge plus!
We moved to ID this month & don’t know why we waited so long! Thanks for the local huckleberry & lake spots.
I’ve followed you for 8 years, maybe more & have enjoyed learning, & improving my cooking skills, thank you so very much!
Kunekune pigs are adorable! Might have to pet or belly scratch one someday.
Glad you’re on the mend & on this side of healing.
Be well & blessed.
Hi Mel, I have enjoyed your recipes for several years , but this is the first time I’ve read your post or made a comment.
I at one time suffered from panic attacks and I didn’t really want to take prescription drugs. I did a lot of reading and not to over simplify, it sort of boils down to breathing. When you are anxious or stressed your breathing becomes shallow and you may find yourself sighing a lot. That’s because you have been holding your breath and you didn’t even know it!
There are so many ways to re-establish healthy breathing. Physical exercise, breath awareness, meditation, prayer, dance, just to name a few. A book that helped me (although it’s a little older) is “ Healing Mind Healthy Woman” by Alice Domar
Good luck to you!
Hi Linda, thanks for taking the time to comment! Thank you for the breathing recommendations! I really appreciate it.
Just want to say I have loved hearing about your recent journey. Please take care of you and your family above everything else.
I’ve always wanted to do a spur of the moment RV camping trip. It looks perfect for these times.
I want to tell you how I have loved your posts and your recipes. Yours are the ones I always search first when looking for a particular recipe. They are always delicious.
If you posted only once a month or every other month or once a year I would look forward to your posts and recipes and know you are taking care of you and your family first.
May God richly bless you as you have blessed me.
Thank you so much, Terry! Your comment was so heartfelt and much needed to read today.
Mel, I love you so much. I always feels like I know you when I read your posts and often wonder, “What would Mel say?” and check your blog for inspiration and advice. And the recipes, of course, which are almost always big hits in our family. We had a year in Europe cancelled (well, postponed till next year), a trip to Disney World with my parents cancelled, tickets to Hamilton cancelled…so much disappointment in a short period of time. Then all the things you mentioned about loving my kids to death but also really really needing some time when the house is just quiet. We live in a big city and usually love it but the pandemic has been a hard time to live here because we haven’t been able to do so many of the things that make city living great, like go to museums, parks, beaches, libraries, stores, restaurants, etc.. Kids go back to school this week and am excited but apprehensive that things will shut down again. Have to hang on to hope and appreciate all the good that is still out there, just like you said. And unplugging is totally the way to go as it just adds SO much stress. Thanks for your honesty and helping us all to know that even as awesome as you are you still struggle too. And I can’t believe how cute your pigs are. Never thought I would say that about pigs.
Hey Chelsea! I hope school was able to start without a hitch. I’m so sorry for all the canceled adventures you had planned this year! It’s interesting and helpful for me to hear from others who live in other environments (big city vs rural) and understand how this pandemic has affected them, too. GOOD LUCK!
Loved The Bear & the Nightingale so.so.much.
Yes to unplugging & struggling as an introvert to get alone time and also adoring my family.
And boy have my anxiety levels been higher than I’ve ever experienced in my life.
We’ll all make it through this. But is sure is making me dig deep some days.
I have blazed through the trilogy! I didn’t even know until I posted about it that it was three books, and I have just eaten them up. It’s been a good distraction right now! Good luck digging deep, Jen! It’s a tough time.
Mel, I would love to be your neighbor! ( super big compliment in my language). Very sorry for the trials placed at your feet. You are so refreshing with your openness and realness. Thank you. That is very rare. I have raised 7 children ( youngest is 10) on recipes for many years from your blog and keep meaning to say, THANK YOU! Not only do you provide much needed great meal ideas, but your writing and sharing real life is always a delight. You are spreading much needed light.
My oldest child, has been total.care since infancy with intractable epilepsy, and I have been super blessed all this years to never really experience anxiety, and didn’t even recognize it when it first showed itself…let alone know what to do with it. I love living a FULL, vibrant life and all the sudden found myself struggling to do the very basics. I recently found this video that really gave me a tool that has made all the difference.
You keep up the great work you are doing, with your love for others, your family and shining your light!
https://youtu.be/PXw_5r5ZHpM
Thank you so much for your kindness, Jodi! I’m sorry that you have been thrown into a situation of high anxiety. I have no doubt with your positive outlook on life (and some newfound tools) you’ll be able to get back to your full vibrant life (love how you described that). Thank you for the link!
The Boys in The Boat is such an excellent book! Even my 86 year old Mom has read it 3 times. 🙂 PBS did a documentary that is also fantastic. Your kids would enjoy, and benefit from reading this book. It is such an amazing story of determination. I had heard a couple of years ago that a movie was going to be made but I don’t know if that ever happened. Does anyone know? Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes. Your site is a favorite!
Hi Norene! I’m excited to dive into the book after so many good reviews on this comment thread! I don’t know if they’ve made a movie; I’ll have to look into it!
Mel you are always my go to girl for recipes!! I saw this post of yours and read and read and read…comments too! Thank you for being “real” about life and COVID and anxiety and disconnecting. Keep on keeping on!
Thank you, Tandy!!
Thank you for gathering and donating those books to our libraries! Lucky us to have you here!
Thanks, Lori! I dropped them off last week – it was so fun for us!
I came on here for a stock-pot recommendation and read this post instead.
THANK. YOU. I needed to read this post (the fun-ness, the serious-ness, all of it) and all the fabulous comments. It really is like a major group therapy session. We all listen and then we all begin to understand one another, ourselves included.
I recommend the Long Way Home from Chicago series by Richard Peck because each chapter is almost a stand-alone story and it doesn’t take a lot of brain-power or emotional-power to get through yet touches the soul, stirs memories, and invokes quality laughter.
This year was full of keeping our 7 kids contained in our house/yard and not going anywhere or seeing anyone as we prepared for baby #8. Massive boredom intermixed with some fun family activities and lots of gardening and Amazon shopping. Boredom/anxiety/peace all at once! Little Hannah graced our family and smelling her and touching her brand-new-straight-from-heaven wonderfulness has been a gift. Of course 8 kids (15-13-11-8-6-4-2-0) is pretty much craziness.
In our city south of SLC, school is resuming full-time with masks and tons of new rules and safety protocols but the kids would take that over learning at home anyday. So I let them go (high school, middle school, elementary, and preshool) and try my best to have faith and be brave. And I also joke/fret that if our family got Covid we would probably be the only family in the district to shut down four schools!
Also eating our garden right now. Lots of tomatoes, squash, salsa, raspberries, corn, salsa, beans, cucumbers, apricots and did I mention salsa. I garden for the therapy session with Mother Earth…that and the salsa. 😉
I recommend the CALM app and American Express is letting its card holders have the premium version for free.
Once again. THANK. YOU! Thank you for your recipes, your stories, your openess, and letting us see bits and pieces of you. You rock!
Abi! I loved all of your recommendations. My goodness, baby #8 in such a crazy year! You are amazing! I always loved how having a new baby in our home slowed life down a lot…like a little piece of divine perspective thrown at us to cuddle.
Right now I am working from home fulltime, along with my husband. Our kids (14,12,10,1) are all at home until September 8th, my mother-in-law watches our 1 year old during the day and helps out with the older kids. I’m in Canada, the numbers in my province are really good, but debating whether to send the kids back to school or homeschool them somehow this year. The back to school “plan” here is sending all kids back fulltime…30 to a classroom…with masks all days. It seems to throw the social distancing, that we otherwise have to follow, out the window. There’s a lot of uncertainty here. The kids want to go back, sort of, mostly for their friends.
Hey Julia, sorry for the delay in responding – did you decide what to do about your kids??
Hi Mel, I enjoyed your post and thank you for letting us know we’re not alone in feeling anxious these days. Although our circumstances are different, I feel a connection to you. I am about 32 in my heart but 72 in actual earth years. Living with my husband in suburbia in a small town in Indiana. Our kids are grown & married & living several states away but it might as well be continents away due to covid. We can’t visit them & they can’t visit us. You can’t hug on FaceTime. I understand your need to be alone sometimes but sure wish I had the option to have kids & family close by. Years ago I had the same gum surgery as you had,, even same front teeth. It gets better, don’t worry. I confess I read your blog more for your sweet honesty than for recipes altho I’ve enjoyed several. At this age we are on low salt & low sugar diets. Take care, this pandemic won’t last forever. But love and life will.
Mar – you’re amazing! I love how you feel so young at heart. I hope I stay that way, too! I’m so sorry it has been a lonely time for you. I can imagine you are missing your family so much! Loved your thoughts.
The rent an RV for road trip sounds amazing! However the thought of being trapped with a traveling port-a-potty horrifies me. Now I have to ask a question. Do they give you a quick lesson on how to deal with that and other features of the RV? I mean…I don’t need details. I just need to know they don’t just take your money and throw the keys at you and point at the RV. lol
Anxiety? Smanxiety… I have pending wisdom teeth extraction coming up probably late September/early October and I have a chipped crown that I can’t get replaced until after… AND THE HORROR of it all. Only one wisdom tooth is a ticking time bomb and I’m like- yo! Dentist- just yank it. He kindly informed me that pulling teeth on someone in their 40s is different than in their 20s because of bone density. Let’s just say I’m so freaking scared. Which is why I’m having all 4 done. JUST stick a fork in me I’m done. What’s that saying? There’s stuff you know, stuff you know you don’t know and the stuff you don’t know you don’t know.
On the upside I’ve lost weight during quarantine, when most claim they’ve gained weight, darn near 25 lbs, edging close to 30. It’s been slow so I know it’s the good kind that will last. I gave up daily coffee at the beginning of the year and I think I’m finally seeing the positive outcome of that and other healthy food choices.
Haha, Andrea…I had the SAME fears. The same. And no, they don’t throw the keys at you and walk away. We would have been a huge liability. The owners gave us an hour walk through. It was so helpful for my nervous brain. That’s amazing you’ve been able to lose weight and feel better…but man GOOD LUCK with that dental work. I’m slightly horrified for you, but I know it will all work out! Leave it in the hands of those who do it on the daily – your dentist has your back.
Some days are good and some days are bad. Some days I cry and some days I can handle everything. I have 4 kids, but they are older. Just took child#3 out to college and hope they actually get to stay. Child #1 just started law school and child#2 is a junior in college. Hope they can all stay and actually attend. Child #4 is a sophomore in high school. We have low cases in the rural area we live in, and our schools are in person starting tomorrow, but we know the plan for switch to online if we hit a certain number of active cases, so that possibility is real. We have been reading Harry Potter books out loud again as a family and started that in mid March when the world turned upside down. We recently finished Harry Potter #4, and then we watch the movie as we finish each book. We also played a game a day every day since mid March until end of June. We still play games lots and do lots of puzzles, but do not force ourselves to do it every day like we did before. Also, in mid March I made my then high school senior and freshman cook dinner every night for over a month. They were home and why should I be the only one to make dinner, right? They did an awesome job, and then their summer jobs started and I had to start cooking again….bummer. Reading books, going on nature walks/hikes (we are blessed to have some great trails close to our house) has saved my sanity. Would love cooler weather to help with that too. Hot and humid summer means lots of indoor time. Anyway, I am a huge fan of yours. Been following you for about 9 years (I think?) and make something of your almost every day. You save my sanity in the kitchen. Thank you! You are a rock star! There is so much good in this world! Thanks for being part of it!
I loved your comment, Jen! And I love all the things you’ve incorporated into quarantine life (meal assignments, Harry Potter). Definitely seems like you’ve made lemonade out of the lemons. Good luck to your kiddos in all their different phases of life!
Love this post Mel! And I totally want to rent an rv and GO! We were actually just at red fish lake ourselves! Amazing spot! We stayed at May family Ranch in Challis, ID. Amazing place! I love how you find peace in disconnecting from the internet. Me too! The mountains have become my peaceful place. Also meditation! I really loved this post. It made me laugh and feel grounded. I’ll have to check out those books, my husband is an audio book reader! Thank you!!
Is Challis about an hour from Redfish Lake? I hope you had an amazing time! I need to start meditating. I tried once and fidgeted too much.
Mel, buy the book The Power of Stillness: Mindful Living for Latter-day Saints, and then read and ponder it slowly at your own pace, or at least on Sunday afternoons while you soak in some quiet alone time. It is helping my anxiety and my ability to see things in a different, more fulfilling, more peaceful way. I too need quiet alone time frequently. I feel guilty sometimes prioritizing that over everything else, but I do it efficiently and meaningfully and it makes a big difference in my life and I’m a happier wife and mother because of it. Love your guts right back!
Thank you so much for the recommendation, Stacie!
Your RV adventure sounds awesome! What a great idea. I’ve actually been thinking how an RV might be a fun, safe get away during this time. I’m so sick of being in the same place! My kids aren’t in school yet, so we have time for more adventures. Also, I’m sorry healing from the gum graft was so awful! I’m getting a gum graft this week. Yay. I’m eating all the crunchy things I can until my surgery. I’m a crunchy girl, so I’m not looking forward to all the soft food. What did you eat for 6 weeks??
The RV trip was definitely worth it, Valerie. Highly recommend! And so many blessings of healing for your gum graft. How many teeth and where in your mouth? I literally subsisted on yogurt and pureed soups from Trader Joe’s. I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to eat either for a long, long time.
Ugh. I have a feeling I’m going to be so sick of yogurt and soup. Such a bummer. Luckily it’s only two teeth on the bottomleft side. Hopefully that will make the recovery semi okay. I just got it done yesterday, so the fun begins. I had your loaded baked potato soup for dinner after (the pureed version with no toppings
ha!) and it was a good start. But man, it takes forever to eat – even soup!
Mel, PLEASE write a cookbook. Pretty please? For me? That’s all thanks 😉
Haha. Ok! I mean, I want to. I do. And it’s on my bucket list. Goal list. Whatever you call it. I’m closer than ever before. But I have this paralyzing fear I’ll sink all this time into it and no one will buy it. So. At least I know you will. Thanks for that. 🙂
What?! I alone would buy enough to make it worth it!! No really, you should absolutely do it and I know most reader can’t wait to directly THANK YOU for all you have given us over the years by buying one and gifting it to all our neighbors at the holiday!!
Thank you for sharing your audiobook recommendations! To me, audiobooks are their own genre as a good one can add depth that a print book can’t. My favorite audiobook of all time is “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah. You will laugh, cry, and think and you won’t want it to end. I highly, highly recommend it. I’d love to hear more audiobook recommendations as you have them. Thanks, Mel. PS love your sun hat, where’s it from?
I totally agree about audiobooks, Kelly! In fact i think there are several audiobooks I would have hated as print books if I would have gone that route (but I loved the audiobook). I’m so excited about that audiobook recommendation. Thank you! The sun hat is from Coolibar! https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
I love hearing an update about your life! If I would have read this sooner I would have driven the half hour to Coeur d’alene to stalk you 🙂 The Pacific NW is beautiful!
Not only do we have the same tastes in food (I’ve made probably 20 of your recipes in the last month and EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. is one that I print out, laminate and put in a binder…I’ve made the curried popcorn cauliflower 2-3 times a week lately and every single member of my family loves it) but we seem to have the same taste in books. Just Mercy is one of my very favorites and so is Boys in the Boat. I will have to read the Bear and the Nightingale now. And please let us know what your favorite pants are because I’m positive they’ll be my new favorites too.
Thank you, as always, for the really really great recipes and life advice! You’re just the best!
Oh you are so sweet. Thank you, Nicole! Seriously. I can’t believe you live so close to where we were hanging out! It was breathtaking up there. A few weeks later and I’m not sure the Bear and Nightingale book is my fave. I’m kind of slogging my way through the audiobook. It was great at the beginning but kind of lost steam for me.
We have twin girls who will be 4 in October so we haven’t had to worry about school. Respect to all the school-age families out there! Mid-July we started babysitting a 4 month old cutie pie who lives across the street Monday through Friday. Baby Sloane has been a great way to entertain us all! She is darling and you know how a baby can just heal sometimes? The snuggles, the feedings, the certainty that you don’t have to know it all to give of yourself and care for someone else. Largely we are bored, but safe and healthy (minus regular sugar cravings) so surviving. And now I want to go around Arizona in an RV! Great idea! Love to all your family, Mel.
The truth of how a baby can divert and distract and heal us is so true. What a fun, tender mercy for you guys right now! Love back to you, Theresa.
Oh it was fun to hear from you! What a fun adventure you’re having with your family. We moved just before the world shut down. We decided to not take any of our old junk but only the nice things we wanted to keep and replace the rest when we moved. ha! We are all alone in a lovely but very empty home 🙂 It’s been an adventure! We have met a couple neighbors but that’s about it. Oh well. The view is beautiful and I dream I’ll be able to travel a little in the new year as we found out our first grandchild is coming then and it will be horrible if we can’t visit. Loved both Just Mercy and Boys in the Boat! Reading has been a challenge for me during all of this – short attention span stress I guess. I am trying to resist making those peanut butter chocolate frosted wicked cookies you shared. The covid weight gain is real 🙂
What a transition during such a crazy time in the world, Marcella! Oh my! I really hope you can see that new grand baby when he/she comes!
Mel, up until 6 months ago, I was an English professor and had lived alone for six years. I’ve always loved cooking but cooking for one looks more like heating a baked potato up in the microwave and going fancy by adding chopped tomatoes and cottage cheese. Then, I met my husband who is fabulous and came with 5 fabulous children, three of whom live with us (the other two are grown). We got married Leap Day 2020 and when we returned from our Weddigmoon, Covid-19 cancelled the world. Suddenly, I was home with 4 hungry faces and a lot of time on our hands. My mother, who is also a big fan of yours, suggested your blog. And boy have you ever saved my life!!! I really cannot thank you enough for your plethora of recipes which match my own food philosophy (from scratch and crowd pleasing). I now have a binder full of recipes my new family loves and a dinner schedule that is full of good food, laughter, and delightful chatter. Sit down dinner was not something they did before—More of a grab and go style. But as you know, family dinner time is sacred, and healing, and bonding, and so I have it as a top priority, which I let nothing interfere with. Thanks ever so much for all your help over the last six months of my life. And I love your blog—I think you’re hilarious. Keep the good work coming and know that all your hard work is very much appreciated and going towards the best of causes—feeding peoples bellies, hearts, and minds.
I loved reading this so, so much! Oh my goodness. So much. First of all, what a huge life leap and transition – and then to have an instant family brought into your life and face it along with covid. You.Are.Amazing. I am so happy the recipes have been helpful, but I’m more impressed that you’ve been able to execute it all.
Love to hear about your adventures, Mel. Our garden is one of the things that is helping me remain sane. Our tomato plants are over my head (literally) and with the corn (an experiment), it looks like a jungle out there. Getting some big pumpkins too which is also an experiment. Also working on getting new flooring in the house, so hubby and I are making those decisions. Fun stuff but honestly, I am bored almost every day. I work from home out in the country and do not see many people. I’ve moved to a new town (got married last year, sold my house and moved earlier this year) and thought I’d find friends through the Y, through church etc…well that hasn’t happened. I am however grateful that I do not have to deal with distance learning or school decisions!
Ha. My garden looks like a jungle. but definitely more in the “scary, overgrown” category of things. So many of you are commenting with the same type of lifestyle change – a HUGE change right before or during covid. That is so hard! Especially to be bored and lonely. I hope things start looking up for you and you can meet some wonderful souls in your neck of the woods!
Cookbook!?! YES! I would love it if you wrote a cookbook. I much prefer to look at a cookbook, then to get a recipe from on-line. I actually have a huge cookbook collection, and I read them like novels. I love to read the recipes and look at the pictures. 🙂
I am also glad you are feeling better, and your pigs are adorable.
I have 5 kids, and only 1 left to get through school. She is in 8th grade, and is so excited to go back to school tomorrow even though she has to wear a mask. She is tired of being home, and can’t wait to be with her friends and teachers and to have a more structured schedule. 🙂
Thanks, Stephanie! The cookbook dream is getting closer (although how close I can’t say for sure because I need about 28 more hours in the day). I hope your 8th grader has a fantastic school year, mask and all!
Rats, I thought I left a comment last Friday! Oh well, I’ll try again 🙂 We are planning to take our kids on a short RV trip in September, but I am SO intimidated by the food aspect of it all. What was your strategy for cooking/eating on the road?
Hi Amy – I think your comment DID post just WAY down the thread. This was my response: For someone whose life revolves around food, we did the RV food thing super low key and basically ate the same thing for breakfast and lunches every day (cereal and yogurt and granola for breakfast/sandwiches and snacky stuff for lunches). And then for dinners, I premade tinfoil dinners for one night of camping, we did hot dogs another night, and then I had a few Costco-type shelf stable meals for other nights (lentils and rice, etc). It wasn’t fancy but it was filling and no one complained! We also had access to a grocery store midweek where I picked up some bread and fresh foods.
I’m so glad you’ll be reading The Boys in the Boat, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in the past 10 years (and I read a lot). And please share it with your kids, it’s about youngsters. Have you ever had a coach? Been a coach? Have you ever thought your life was hard? Hint – it hasn’t. I hope you love as much as I did.
Thanks, Margie! I’m excited to read it.
Hi Mel,
First and foremost I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better. It’s absolutely no fun to have this painful oral surgery especially now with all that is going on in our world.
I must tell you that you had me at your huckleberry adventure. I have never had a huckleberry let alone a huckleberry milkshake? Do you have any recipes that include huckleberries that you can share with all of us? I would love to introduce my family to your huckleberry milkshake recipe. 🙂
My milkshake recipe is super simple. One quart vanilla ice cream, one can evaporated milk and about 2-3 cups huckleberries. Blend it all up!
What are those cookies (in the pic) and are they on your site? They look great. Thanks!
Just posted them last week! https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/
We just started school, 8th and 4th grade so we’re going to see how that goes. I have for the last several months, have started working out religiously to feel better and for my anxiety. I am starting to see results so I am pretty excited. My husband had COVID at the beginning of June but thankfully he got over it without any issues.
I’m so glad your husband didn’t have any serious side effects! And great job on exercising! I’ve found that getting some kind of exercise in regularly has helped me stay sane, too.
Oh Mel, you get so many comments I almost hate to bother you. I read your blog and cook your recipes faithfully and consistently. It was exciting to read THIS post though because I am in the middle of planning a little Montana road trip for the first few weeks of September and I had never read of this Hiawatha trail. Looked it up – was amazed by the gorgeousness and now that is on our list of things to do. What I can’t find is info on the age suitability. My youngest is 6 and just this summer started riding a two-wheeler without training wheels. She’s doing great but 15 miles sounds far for her – is it go until you get to the end or are there places to stop if someone’s legs are getting tired?! Or maybe Dad will have to pull her. 😉 Just wondering how it went with younger kids. All my other kids are big enough to handle it.
And by the way, I now eat a dairy-free plant-based, wheat-free diet which is sometimes super challenging for me and so I was ECSTATIC when you posted the recipe for peanut butter cups. They are amazing and are saving my life on days when I can’t find anything I want to eat.
Hi Kelly – I hope you see this! Sorry for the delay in responding. Ok, so I think the Hiawatha trail is amazing for younger kids (if you start at the top and go down the bottom and then catch a shuttle back up, it’s basically a 2% downgrade the entire time). Having said that, it’s still 15 miles. I think I’d probably recommend a tagalong bike for your 6-year old unless she is really rocking it on her bike. Camryn (8) did it just fine but we stopped a lot. There are LOTS of stopping places. Signs to read, overlooks, and just places to turn off. Good luck! So excited for you!
I love your library diversity project. In between the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, I felt like I should start an Instagram account with resources for families to use to talk to their kids about race and diversity. So that’s been my covid summer project. 🙂 @the.inclusive.family
Sorry about your surgery recovery. That doesn’t sound fun.
Thank you for sharing your Instagram account, Alissa!
Mel, you’re awesome! Your recipes are a staple, but beyond that, you’re an amazing person for the book donation (and many other endeavors as well). We just pulled our kids after a week of in person school and I’ll definitely be using that list to choose book study books with my fifth grader. Thank you so much for being you and sharing you with us.
Thank you so much, Amy! Good luck with homeschooling!
Love your updates! The RV idea sound awesome!! How did you bring your bikes? My recommendation for anxiety is a magnesium supplement. We use “Natural Vitality Calm” gummies. They’ve been a true life saver
Thank you, Rachel! We borrowed a bike hauler that hooks into the trailer hitch and used that.
I am fine and stay extremely busy learning how to do all kinds of creative things, cooking, card making, art, health issues, etc.
I totally understand what you went through with your mouth. I too have had issues and remember.
You are wise about the disconnect issue, Peace and quiet can heal.
Take care…
I love that you focus on your creativity, Laura. I think that’s amazing!
Everyone is worried for the extroverts but I’m with you– introvert at home with ALL the kids ALL the time is tough too! Here in AZ my only escape is getting out for a walk by 6am when it’s *only* 83° out Just Mercy is on my list of all-time favorites. That book really changed the way I think about a lot of things. Like another commenter, I also couldn’t get through The Boys in the Boat, much as I tried. Maybe I should give the audiobook a try. Your RV trip looks amazing!
Gah. “only 83” that makes me cringe. You Arizonans are hard core with the heat. Your daily walks sound like they are a good escape. I hear you. Being an introvert right now is challenging.
I’m having similar feelings as an introverted mom… I miss my alone time! My kids are old enough that I can leave them home while I run errands, but I miss being alone in my own home. I haven’t had much of that since March. And I also have early risers and teenagers that stay up late, so there’s always someone around. Yardwork and morning walks have been my saving grace. And I’m with you, disconnecting from social media has been an important thing for my mental health. I sure love your blog!
Yep, that’s exactly me. I just need a little time alone in my own house. It sounds like you totally understand where I’m coming from! Hang in there!
Those pigs are so darn cute! And I love that you and the family went on an RV adventure. It sounds heavenly. And lastly, I can’t imagine how painful your post surgery recovery was. Not being able to eat all these wonderful foods that you’re so good at making…..
Thanks for being an inspiration to all of us, anxiety and all!!
Thank YOU!!!
My husband took our older two kids camping and hiking at Redfish Lake last month and they loved it. The Hiawatha trail sounds amazing, but we’ll need to wait about five years for our kids to get old enough.
School starts here in Owyhee county next week. Our town is very laid back, shall we say, about covid precautions, which was causing me a lot of anxiety, but I feel good about sending them now. The nature of my husband’s work means he’s fairly exposed and I’m signed up for a vaccine trial, so hopefully within a couple months I’ll be immunized (or possibly placeboed).
I really enjoyed The Boys in the Boat and really appreciated Just Mercy (the movie version). I’ve definitely been in a reading slump (generalized anxiety, kids being home, overflowing garden, etc) so I’ll have to check out your other recommendations.
I hear you on disconnecting and alone time. Both are so critical and so hard!
Super interesting about the vaccine trial you’ll be a part of, Emily! And I hope your kids do well going back in person!
Googling whether or not I’m having a panic attack was not a hobby I expected to pick up in 2020, but here we are. Thanks for sharing your thoughts/concerns! We go back to school 2 days a week for my kiddos, and 4 days a week for me(I teach). My anxiety/excitement/confusion has been all over the map! Thankfully, I know we can get through this, and we’ve had some pretty great things happen too. Onward and upward, hopefully!
Nicole, wow! A teacher amid all this. I hope all goes well for you this school year as you balance teaching and having kids in a hybrid learning environment. I think it’s true what you said – the emotions have been all over the place and pretty unpredictable (at least for me!)
Thanks for your honest post Mel. I am SO glad that your gums are healed. That’s tough normally let alone for a recipe/foodie blogger!!
I too am highly introverted and although I love to be home, I’m feeling stir crazy and miss people. WA has had a strong and continued state COVID restrictions.BUT… thankful for our trip to Montana (my home state) It’s quite possible that we could have crossed paths on Hiawatha Trail – it’s such a beautiful trail. I picked up a great new cookbook and am looking forward to curling up to read and cook from it; The Western Kitchen by Seabring Davis.
At home, my husband and I have also been canning and pickling ALOT. Our favorite so far are pickled lemon cucumbers. Truly refreshing, beautiful and the best snack on everything.
I hope that your trip in Thor invigorates. Thank you for allowing all of us to be part of your home cooking and adventures. I’m looking forward to many more meals “with you” this year.
Thank you, Diane! The Thor trip DID invigorate. It was amazing. And wow, I cannot wait to try pickled lemon cucumbers. That has my mouth watering just thinking about it!
Love your spirit, love reading about your pigs, etc. More importantly… were you aware Jennifer Garner has used a recipe of yours??
I saw that too! It was her pretzel recipe.
Haha, yes, I think that was a few months back, but I was pretty flabbergasted!
PS – I actually came here today to look up your lemon bars recipe, my son picked that for this first week’s cooking class. There will be several of your recipes included in our family cookbook – I hope that’s okay! I will credit you, of course. These are recipes I use and love and want my kids to take with them into their future families. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Family cookbooks are the best!
I so hear you about alone time. Like you, I love, love my kids and husband, but having them ALL with me, ALL the time is exhausting for me. Being in quarantine made me realize something about myself that I didn’t know: I like being alone. Not all the time, but definitely for a little while each day. When I don’t have that time, I get a little (sometimes a lot) ornery. I’ve learned that finding even just a few minutes can work wonders for my sanity.
I feel like I could have written this comment and signed it as myself. Amen, sister. A hundred amens.
My husband and I have picked huckleberries in Idaho and we were just talking about going back to do it again (we live in AZ) – I don’t think we’ll get there for that anytime soon but maybe we’ll finally get to Yellowstone this fall. We lived in Rexburg for 2.5 years and were always too busy and too poor to take that short trip, so it’s still on our bucket list.
For school, we are doing Prenda – it’s kind of a hybrid between online school and old-fashioned (but kid-led) homeschooling + collaborating with other families. We’ve been doing it for almost 2 years and we LOVE it. Prendaschool.com, look it up (seriously!) – it’s available everywhere now and it’s awesome. We are starting tomorrow. I decided that this year one of our activities will be a cooking class, where the kids take turns picking what family favorite recipe to make, we (they) learn how to make it together, I take pictures, and then we compile the recipes and pictures into a family cook book at the end of the year. I’m kind of ridiculously excited about it. We may add in some art work from our art projects too. I wasn’t planning on homeschooling so many kids this year (Prenda in AZ has a microschool option too and my girls have been begging to do that, but it didn’t work out), but now that I will have 4 school kids home I’m getting really excited about the possibilities.
I am so not jealous about that skin graft stuff. I will have to do that sometime in my life and I’m pretty sure I will put it off as long as possible because my husband had it done and it was HORRIBLE. Maybe someday I’ll get up the guts for it. For now I will continue pretending I don’t need it and counting my lucky stars that I have a 3-month-old who needs me to be eating real food so I can have milk for her.
That road trip (bike trip included) looks amazing! I may be adding that to my bucket list also. I would LOVE to do that with my family (with introvert breaks scheduled in, of course).
Thank you for sharing your life with us! You’re the best!
Thank you, Anna! So funny that you mention Prenda. I had never heard of it until this comment thread and then a couple of my old roommates that live in AZ were talking about it on marco polo. They love it! And I love the projects you have lined up (that cooking project sound so, so fun!). You’re amazing. I am impressed how you are embracing this phase and going with it!
Thanks for sharing these posts!
My kids will be doing online schooling at the beginning and I am just dreading it. My youngest is starting kindergarten and I had been SO EXCITED to finally have all my kids in school and now this… {Sigh.} But we’ll get by somehow…
I have to sort of brag about this– my sister worked as a server at the retirement home where Joe (from The Boys in the Boat) and his wife lived! He would carry his Olympic gold medal around in his pocket and she said he was the nicest guy and he and his wife were very sweet. How cool is that???
What? That IS super, super cool. That makes me even more excited to read the book. Thanks for sharing that! (And good luck with online schooling…)
The bear and the nightingale trilogy was hands down one of my favorites. So glad you enjoyed it!
I had no idea it was a trilogy!
My husband thinks going on an RV trip like that would be amazing. We have eight kids, though, and I’m not so sure being in such close quarters for an extended period of time would be incredibly enjoyable . I’m interested to know how you’re handling food on a trip like that: those small fridges don’t hold a lot of food for a big family!
COVID 19 took out our business in one fell swoop, so we have been extra busy and extra glued to our computers as we (my husband and I) have been starting a new business. It’s STRESSFUL to say the least. Good meals have been sparse around here lately. The good news is that I love our new venture as it has the potential to help a lot of women in a way that I am passionate about (it’s an online course that teaches women how to give birth with practically no pain).
Oh wow, I can’t even imagine that kind of stress, Rachel. I hope you are able to build up your new business and recover. It sounds fascinating – good luck!
I so enjoyed reading your update Mel. Reading about real life from others helps me deal with my real life!! And the anxiety is real for sure! I am typing this on our way to take our only child to college (freshman year) 10 hours away from home!! As hard as I tried to plan and be organized in the weeks ahead of this trip so I wouldn’t be stressed the night before, when I got in bed last night my heart was beating fast and loud, I had indigestion, and my mind would not shut off. I finally fell asleep only to wake up an hour later and the process started all over again! I even had two of my sweet cats sleeping next to me and even their gentle purrs could not settle me. And certainly the Covid fears have escalated all normal anxiety. Thankfully now that we’re on the road I have settled in for the adventure.
Our son is super excited to be going to college and so I’m focusing on all the great things he will get to do and learn and trusting God to take care of what we can’t control.
Thanks for the audiobook suggestions. I’ll look into those for the drive back home.
I may not know exactly what this next stage of life will be like for me but I do know I will still be looking forward to your blog posts and trying your amazing recipes!!
Thank you so much, Kristine! That tugged at my mom heart strings to hear of you taking your child to college. A bittersweet transition for sure. I hope all went well! Hugs to you for being a good momma – take some time for yourself and don’t feel guilty about it.
Getting ready for some major dental work….sigh…. Cute cute sun hat! Where did you get it? Love this update so much! Thanks for the RV share info. I see a possible adventure in our future. No kids at home so no back to school plans here. But we have an upcoming destination wedding in October.
Sorry for the delay – the hat is from here https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
“ I am mentally rejuvenated when I have a degree of quiet alone time. ”
This statement is TRUTH for me! Summers are usually harder for me, for that reason. But yes, having the whole gang home since March has been an adjustment, and I miss having time to mentally breathe. I’m proud of myself for weathering it and getting better with charging ahead with no breaks, but I’m also fist pumping a bit that school is starting soon, and even if they can only go for two weeks in-person, I will CHERISH IT.
I’m proud of you, too, Susan! Cherish EVERY MINUTE!
Thanks for sharing what you’ve been up to. We are starting “school” in September. It will all be online for the first month and then they will re-evaluate. I was really hoping my kids would go back, they learn better at school. I would love the recipe for the cookies pictured in this post, they look really good!
Good luck with online schooling, Juliana…no matter how long it lasts. Here’s the cookie link: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/
First, so glad your mouth procedure is in the past. May you never have to endure something like that again.
I loved Boys in the Boat and Just Mercy. Thank you and your children for collecting books to add to your school library. Great idea and I’m going to look into doing the same. I just finished a book, Dear Church, that I purchased from a private black owned bookstore and will continue to support it and others from now on.
Looks like the RV jaunt was a hit! Thanks for sharing the great pictures.
We missed our annual camping trip to the Redwoods for the first time, since the kids can remember, this summer and I’ve been bummed about that for awhile now. But, we did make reservations to camp in December up in Big Sur. Call us crazy, but four other campsites were already booked when we made our reservations!
Family has been my go to through all this. We have four kids, 24, 21, 19, and 16, who remind me, in their own unique way, every day, how grateful we are to have each other. School starts in a couple days, remotely, including my husband who is a college English professor.
My daughter learned how to make pasta this summer. Do you have a favorite ravioli recipe to share? BTW, pretty much every recipe I use of yours gets a “Yummy” written at the top of the page. Because my three oldest children are young men, I have to double many recipes. Just wait, you will too!
I don’t think that’s crazy at all! Campsites are going so fast everywhere! The redwoods was one of our very favorite family vacations ever so I’m sad you didn’t get to go. Sounds like you’ll make up for it a little bit! I don’t have a great ravioli recipe (yet!) sorry!
One of our children and their family came for a short visit in early March and they are still here due to Covid. Last week, for the very first time since they arrived, I was home alone (for 1/2 an hour). I literally cried because it felt so good. I love them to pieces, but holy moly, I desperately miss my alone time. I just ache for some privacy and quiet in my own home. I know it’s hard for them, too, though we get along great and have a ton of fun. These are really hard and unsettled times and you are not alone!
I totally know what you mean – especially when such a huge change (having a short trip turn into a months long stay) was totally unexpected.
Thank you for writing about feeling anxious. I think it’s important to acknowledge that these aren’t normal times and that many aspects of life are difficult and the state of our country is very worrying. You’re definitely not alone. I feel anxious every morning, waking up waaay too early.
There is a certain amount of peace knowing none of us are alone in this!
Okay first…where did you get that cute sun hat?! Love it! Second, I totally am there with you on the introvert mom struggling with everyone in the house ALL THE TIME. I actually sat on the porch and cried when we got the news that we are doing online school again starting Sept. My coping spot has been in the car in the garage where I have hidden dark chocolate and gummies in the console lol. Deep breaths…we can do this!
Sorry for the delay – it’s from here! https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
I have a couple coping spots, too. Hang in there momma. We CAN do this!
Mel…I have debated many times about commenting on your blog. I have followed your blog and made A LOT of your recipes…especially in the last few months. This time I couldn’t resist…I am married to Decker Woody (he told me to say that and he assured me you and Brian would know who he is). You need to look on a map and find Cocolalla, ID. We are currently there right now (only 30 minutes from CDA). Decker has talked a lot about contacting you guys for months now…besides just our Christmas card. Anyway, we love ID and if you are still around here, or are here another trip, we would LOVE to see you! In fact, we just traveled through Montana…Decker tells me that’s your old stomping grounds. Gorgeous. Lori
I’m so glad you commented, Lori! I just emailed you!
I’ve recently read…
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet
The Body, An Owners Guide by Bill Brysen
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
I tend to read fiction and listen to nonfiction, I’m just shallow like that. My attention span can’t handle reading nonfiction and don’t get me started on self-help books…I just can’t do those. I’m a Dental Hygienist in Indiana, COVID has been really rough on the dental industry around here. We were shut down without pay for almost 2 months and unemployment wasn’t happening (it eventually went through the day I went back to work). I don’t consider myself to have anxiety but as this year has progressed I’m pretty sure I’m somewhere on that spectrum. During the 6 week lockdown we experienced I could barely read which is crazy for me. I could not handle anything suspenseful. I found myself reading slightly trashing, formulary romance novels, all from the same author because I knew exactly what would happen every step in each story. Absolutely no surprises. These stories were 100% predictable and it was really all I could handle. My husband is a high school administrator who has had to completely reorganize his school. We have 4 kids, my oldest is leaving to attend college in Idaho (hopefully she’ll get to stay) and the rest just want to play soccer again. All these unknowns have kind of untethered me. Reading and excercising are my coping skills. I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now!
Emily – I kind of want to cry for you. So many changes and difficult hurdles. So sorry about your job as a dental hygienist. It has been such a crazy time. And I don’t know how your husband is handling all the decisions and criticism and changes. Gah! I found for a while I could only read “cotton candy” literature too because my brain and heart couldn’t handle anything more.
I just love your blog. I agree and have taken a break from Instagram and it’s been helpful. I love your book idea. I follow Here we read, and she has something similar going on and has a great list of diversity books as well. https://www.instagram.com/hereweeread/?hl=en
Yes! I’ve gotten so many great resources from that account!
Hang in there. This will get better eventually. My husband just finished a five month dental odyssey, and it’s much better now.
I can’t wait to hear about the pants, shoes, and cookbook. You have made me a much better cook. Take all the time you need and know that we’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.
Oh I want to cry for your husband.
I was DELIGHTED to see The Bear and the Nightingale on this post. The Winternight trilogy is one of the most fantastic, well ending trilogies I have ever read in my life. YOU WILL LOVE ALL THREE BOOKS!!!
I had no idea it was a trilogy! I’m excited now!
I have noticed you have been a little MIA. Love your recipes and I have always admired you for all you get done “for us” and take care of your family. These are trying times. Not only Covid but life in America looks like it may never be a God loving, fearing nation again. My comfort comes from my Heavenly Father. Knowing Him and what my future will be after my days on earth are over gives me great comfort. I have the advantage of being older. (Never thought being older was good until now.) I am so thankful for that blessing. Quiet time with God and my family gives me the most comfort. Have a plan for when anxiety sets in. Get your team on board. Let them know what you need. You provide for them. They will love providing for you. I will pray for you.
I love this perspective – thank you so much!
I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about that cookie?!?
I have been busy dealing with awful pain from pregnancy with baby #5 (only 17 weeks, my discomfort starts at week 4.5…)and keeping up with the garden and canning. Iowa just had a derecho storm, winds like a hurricane with NO warning, and we didn’t have power for almost 5 days. Thankfully we were able to take our freezer food to family members with power, and we had minimal damage on our property. I think I heard 10 million acres of crops lost. It was huge.
p.s. I have never tried a huckleberry!
I saw the devastation in Iowa on the news. I’m so sorry. Bless you for using your prepped food to bless others (but my goodness, all while in pain during pregnancy – HANG IN THERE!)
Thanks for all the insights! I am finally a grandmother and am enjoying this cute little guy, but know why it is when you are young that you have children! It has been a quiet, sad and reflective summer. Not just the incredible noise out there from protests, looters, politicians and the like, but we rescued an adorable dog (Chow Chow), 2 1/2 years ago. She was at least 10 – 11 years old at the time, which is the end of a chow chow’s life cycle pretty much. I was thinking about this angel of a dog we took in. She was depressed having lost her original family to death and disease and was not eating or sleeping well. WE had had a chow chow dog for 12+ years 6 years earlier so we knew their special personalities, etc. She was completely different and somewhat the same. LOL She absolutely adored walks, as do I. So we would go on two big walks everyday. She was extremely picky about food and in the end it was only american cheese and dog biscuits and treats that she existed on. The last 5 months of her life (hence my sadness) an angel appeared in the form of a homeless orange cat. Chow Chows do not, I repeat to not like cats, but these two bonded. They slept next to each other during the day and shared each others food a couple times a week. In May, our girl got sick and we spent a whole lot of money and visits to the hospitals before coming to the conclusion that she needed to go home to dog heaven. WE facilitated this on July 3rd. I am lost without this sweet soul! I have talked to God so much about how special the place needs to be for her and all of these special loves in our lives. We never had to discipline her, she never had an accident and never begged for anything but a walk! My daily walks are definitely not as sweet! I am so grateful for taking a chance on her and giving her the best life possible, which she so richly deserved. It has brought me closer to heaven and joy and tears. A friend asked me once on our walk,, “why would I go thru this again after the loss of our first dog?” I told her that it was all so worth it! No matter what we are going thru in the world right now and for the past 6 months, it will be soooooo worth it! We will be stronger, recognize goodness, mercy and joy again.
Michelle, what a sweet, heartfelt comment! I am so terribly sorry about your loss of your sweet chow chow dog. What an amazing companion for you! But clearly that amazing dog was a blessing for you (and vice versa!). I hope you find some peace and solace – looks like you will because you have so much perspective and faith!
Thank for your post, Mel. One thing I miss very much is regular contact (in person) with friends to help ground my thoughts. When all you read/hear is noise online from people you don’t know well if at all it makes me feel alone and unsure where I fit. Connecting with people helps but also have alone time with my own thoughts. Thanks for the reminder that it’s ok to not feel totally ok. This is such a crazy time so I guess that means it’s normal to feel a little crazy:)
I think it IS normal to feel a little bit crazy – but I also hope you find a way to connect with other to process through things!
You are a gifted writer! Reading your blog post during a few minutes of my own quiet time has rejuvenated me. The past 6 months have been challenging for probably all of us. I personally have missed my own space for rejuvenation (temples and church buildings), but it’s also been awesome to have so much family time together. Having a high risk kiddo we err on the conservative side and saying I’m a bit tired of going nowhere other than curbside grocery pick up is a gross understatement. I miss seeing and interacting with people (not in my immediate family) in a non-virtual way. Sometimes every day feels the same and I just don’t feel super excited about the day. Having said all of that I think I’m having way more good days than not good ones. I think I’m handling my children’s emotions and my own the best that I can. I think I’ve recognized that I need healthy food, exercise, enough sleep, and I need to serve to feel good. All of this staying at home time is pretty insightful as to areas where I can improve as a mom and a wife. And guess what? I’m actually making some improvement and I’m proud of myself. I think this has been a learning and growing year. In spite of all of the challenges I can see God’s hand in it all in how I’m being helped to grow and change a bit.
Thanks again for your words. So much of what you wrote resonated with me. It actually did feel a bit like a group friend therapy session. 🙂 And that felt so so good to know that I’m not alone in my thoughts and feelings. Hugs!
Trish, your comment was insightful because ultimately I think all this quarantine and craziness really can teach us about what priorities we want to come out of all this with. And how we can improve. I loved that so much. Thanks for sharing.
So my husband was medically separated from the military and we had a month of being convinced he would be unemployed in a pandemic with 5 kids at home… and then he got a great job that required us to move a couple states to somewhere we had never been. And I am now panicking about sending 2 kids to college (please don’t die in the Covid soup that is a college campus), and trying to take care of the 3 kids at home – I really need school to meet in person, even for just a couple of months, so my teen can make some friends. But also for no one to die. Worried for friends who are unemployed and facing hard choices. And I am surrounded by moving boxes and can’t find my drill. How am I supposed to do anything without my drill???? We are all sick of takeout. But also SO grateful for employment and a house and sunshine. It is an intense mix of feelings all over the place, man!
Oh man, Lynn – good luck with all that stress you’re carrying on behalf of your family! I hope your kiddos stay safe and healthy (and you, too).
I love that you are gathering books for school libraries! What a great idea and meaningful project for your kids! I also appreciated the book list. We have enjoyed several of those listed and will check out some of the others. I’m just starting to realize how blind I have been to the racial inequality in our country. Thanks for helping me in my journey to become more cognizant of the problems that face minorities.
Thank YOU, Stacy!
I love that you are gathering books for school libraries! What a great idea and meaningful project for your kids! I also appreciated the book list. We have enjoyed several of those listed and will check out some of the others. I’m just starting to realize how blind I have been to the racial inequality in our country. Thanks for helping me in my journey to become more cognizant of the problems that face minorities.
10 hour drive to huckleberries for us, but we make a trip out of it and freeze the huckleberries for transport on the way home. By the way, I NEED your huckleberry milkshake recipe.
We RV a lot and LOVE being off the grid. We have recently outgrown our little camper and are making do with a travel trailer + tent. We’ve road tripped to Alaska, cruised around Colorado, sweltered in Zion’s, biked the Oregon coast with it, and gaped at the Grand Canyon. I didn’t camp much growing up and the hubs said he wanted to make camping a good experience for me so I’d do it again. I’d say he knew what he was talking about =) Camping on a bed (we call it glamping) is amazing, even if he prefers to do dry camping. That being said, every time we get back from a trip, I feel like my house is MASSIVELY HUGE… especially my shower. =)
But seriously. I do need your huckleberry milkshake recipe. And if you have a huckleberry ice cream recipe, I’ll take that too. We picked 8 cups yesterday and are going out for more today =) I use about 4 cups in a pie (someone told me once that the secret to a good huckleberry pie was to grate in 1 granny smith apple and it was delish). It was so good, my kids said, “Mom, this was the best blueberry pie you’ve ever made.” Umm….
My friend also drives 9-10 hours for huckleberries but they pick GALLONS so it’s totally worth it. I love how much traveling and road tripping you have done. Amazing! My huckleberry milkshake recipe is easy: 1 quart vanilla ice cream, 1 can evaporated milk, 2-3 cups huckleberries. I’m excited about that huckleberry pie tip! Hilarious comment from your kid. I laughed out loud.
We may or may not have picked gallons this year too (there’s 8 of us total so we can pick a lot, but we go through them super fast!). =) thanks for the shake recipe – the kids will love it, I’m sure!!
You are amazing. I so related to everything you are going through and loved your insight.
Thank you, Deann!
I’m glad your wonderful family got to get away for a while. We checked the pigs and the donkey’s once and they were missing you! Loved the beautiful RV. I remember the years we went camping with our camper on the back of our pickup. So much fun with so many of us in there. Much easier to have the little ones up out of the dirt. I especially loved hearing the soft rain pelting the metal roof in the comfort of a warm bed. If you’re not scared, sleeping in the mountains makes for such a peaceful night’s rest.
Thanks for your ‘Friday Thoughts’, I enjoy reading them and as you undoubtly know, we love any of your recipes.
Thanks for being a great neighbor, Carol!
I have been waiting for years for a Mel cookbook! Thanks for the update. I’ve missed your posts, even though I am a bit sick of cooking and baking. Can’t wait to check out the book recommendations. I just finished Olive Kitteridge and need something new to listen to while I clean out drawers and cabinets (or more likely sit and relax). The pigs are adorable. We have chickens, bees, and many dogs, but a pig that doesn’t root or wallow sounds tempting! Have a nice weekend.
Thank you, Teresa. Always, always love seeing your comments.
We love to just go and get away from things too, it so nice! Our schools are open and the kids just started this week, so far they’ve loved being back and haven’t complained at all about their masks! I was one of those that very much did a lot of stress eating in the beginning of all of this craziness but I feel like we are finally starting to find our groove again and trying to get back in a good taking care of self mode and work off all the extra fluff I’ve been accumulating because of the stress/anxiety of it all! Sundays lessons with my fam have been my real saving factor, during the week I would just feel so down but then doing more in depth come follow me lessons with our family helped me to see the good that was actually coming from this experience. It drove us to really dig deeper in our at home studies instead of the short half thought about lessons we had done in the past because we felt they had already learned it at church. I really want this part of it to continue. It’s become a week saving treasure!
I love reading through others’ quarantine journey. I’m kind of sad we are back to church. Ha. I loved home church.
These Friday posts are my favorite! If things weren’t stressful enough my dad came home from the hospital this week on hospice. As the daughter that mean I get to help out a lot. Sure puts things into perspective, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t a tad overwhelmed but grateful school is starting this week, which also means we have 3 birthdays within 9 days, and my husband is u employed. But…like you when I put God and family first everything is pretty ok. Good Music, crickets singing their summer song and evening walks are keeping me going. Hang in there we need you doing just what you do.
You have so much to deal with right now, Ashli! I’m so sorry! How is your dad doing? I’m starting a gratitude journal this week to remind myself of those little things (crickets, good music!)
I’m with you, disconnecting is so freeing and grounding, yet staying plugged into my phone is such an ingrained habit I have to be extremely intentional. I love all that you’re doing for your school libraries. As a fifth grade teacher, I work really hard to have a diverse class library and to introduce students to books about people with different perspectives and circumstances, but as always I know there is room to improve. I have early bird kids and night owl kids and am definitely struggling with the lack of alone time, running has become even more crucial for my mental health. In New Mexico we started school this week in a distance model with plans to transition to hybrid as soon as mid September, we’ll see what happens . As always I love your ability to be honest, realistic and optimistic. We did the Hiawatha trail a few years ago, so incredible !
I have to be intentional about it, too! Good luck with teaching this year! So much love to the teachers out there.
Had a gum graft many years ago. Having a cup of coffee immediately after was probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
Chips on sandwiches? When I was a kid, I *always* put Fritos in my tuna salad sandwiches. Haven’t done it in probably fifty years now (yeah, I’m that old) but have been tempted a few times and have no idea why I’m not just throwing caution and decorum to the wins and doing it.
Ouch to the coffee right after! That made me cringe, Jim! I’d say live life on the wildside and throw some fritos on that tuna salad sandwich!
I can’t seem to get rid of the anxiety but otherwise we are doing well. I need to cut myself off from social media to re-stabilize. I think most of my anxiety is triggered there.
I recommend Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, and Beartown and it’s sequel by Frederik Backman. Also, The Hate You Give and On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. All great audiobooks.
We just rented a house with a pool on the sunnier side of our state and it was glorious. 4 days of pool time. My only responsibilities were cooking, cleaning, and keeping one eye on the kids in the pool while reading a book. We played fun games and ate well. I didn’t bring home a lot of laundry because we loved in our swim suits. It was great.
Thank you for the book recommendations! Your house rental sounds so dreamy!
So good to hear from you! As an introvert the last few months have been hard as well. I also love my children, all 5 of them. But never having a moment of quiet is very taxing. I’m sending my kids back to school. Our start day got pushed back a week and we’re beginning online. Once numbers are better they’ll transition to a hybrid plan. Not ideal, but I’ll take it. I’m not ready to actually homeschool my kids. You’re RV trip sounds amazing! Maybe sometime I’ll convince my husband to do something like that. Good luck with your future dental work. 🙂
Our start date has been pushed back, too. I’m anxious to just have a plan. Good luck with whatever form schooling takes this fall! You’ve got this.
Thank you, thank you for your efforts to teach and model racial equality, inclusion, justice, and diversity! The past and present do not have to be the future for our children, we can create a better society for and with them! I really appreciate and respect you for opening up and publicly writing about these issues, as well as your anxiety. Fellow planner here! Best Friday Thoughts ever from my favorite blogger. Thank you.
Thank you so much! Your comment actually really bolstered me because of the back lash I’ve received for doing this book project. It’s nice to read that there is support for this kind of thing. Thank you. XOXO
Thanks for your fun post! I’ve unexpectedly added another “C” besides COVID to 2020: breast cancer. Since June, I’ve had the whirlwind experience of biopsy, being diagnosed, having port-placement surgery, and having chemo. It has taught me that though I thought I was pretty much in control of things, I am not and God totally is! It has also taught me what a wonderful support system I have in my husband, adult kids, and so many friends who are serving me by doing everything from mowing my lawn, cooking meals, making me blankets, and delivering Starbucks out of the blue! I am definitely learning to how trust, rest, and serve!
Oh Shelly, I’m so, so sorry to hear of your cancer diagnosis. Your perspective is inspiring. I’m so glad you are letting others serve you. I will be praying for you!
Audio book recommendation: ” The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life” by Fiona Givens and Terryl Givens.
Thank you!
Lovely update! Thank you for your openness and honesty. Love reading about your plans for buying books – great project! (And your farm Instagram is one of my faves!)
Thanks, Jesse!
Currently: same boat as you, Mel. On so many things! Speaking of boats, The Boys in the Boat. Best book! In fact, I went so far as to start using the rowing machine at the little gym I go to. Another “good” book: DARE by Barry McDonagh. Sub titled The New Way to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks. This book was recommended to me by a therapist to read as a way to help one of my kids. It’s written for adults but it has been the most valuable book for helping my child and for myself as well! Highly recommend. Lastly: returned home from camping and used hairspray for the first time in a week. I can never decide which is better: being away, relaxing, unplugging and resetting, or coming back to civilization and showering afterwards. It’s a toss up.
Two more notes: good luck with the school year and I’m sincerely glad you’re recovered from mouth surgery!!
Thank you for the book recommendation, Ellen! I actually think the way you describe it that it could be very helpful for one of my kids, too. Thank you!
Love the book project, and that you are doing it with the kids. In our seventies, we are moving to low carb eating. That means I am using fewer of your recipes, but still enjoy the occasional post. Hang in there. We are creeping up on a remodel project. Scary, stressful. Looking forward to making an inviting attic for future guests. Otherwise staying in a lot, catching up on years of British TV. Doing a lot of cooking for two, working down the freezer and pantry. Going forward on faith.
Good luck with your remodel! Stressful for you (as someone who just went through a remodel) but the idea of it sounds amazing!
I have had anxiety as well. I also find peace and serenity when I take more time to unplug. I think it’s great that you know when it’s time to take a break. It’s easy to feel pressure to keep filling out schedules when sometimes what we need is to step back and regroup.
My kids are starting school next week. I have mixed feelings about it, but I think it’s something they need. I have talked to them about how there might be a lot of change and going back and forth. It’s a great practice in being flexible!
I started a gratitude journal this summer that is specifically to write down things I’m grateful for each day. It has really helped to keep me from only focusing on the negative things that often get front and center coverage.
Thanks for sharing the project you are working on with your kids! It gives me ideas of ways I can actively work on bringing our society one step closer to understanding each other and making sure that everyone has equal opportunities.
I firmly believe that as we come together and support each other we will make it through all the difficulties and challenges that come our way. Thanks for creating a space where we can do that so easily!
The gratitude journal! A couple key people in my life have mentioned it lately. I’ve always resisted, it seems hokey to me (I don’t know why) but I have felt prompted to start. And so I am. Thanks for your additional reminder.
I love following your piggies! I spend a lot of time petting my dogs.
It is a challenge to have everyone home all the time. I sometimes retreat to my room and take a nap or read.
The college kids are back at school or going soon. I will miss them.
6th grader is at a private school and is slated to go in person with lots of PPE and safety measures. I told him to think flexibility for this year.
Hang in there. I can’t wait to make a cookie s’more. I like using a caramel square!
Oooh, a caramel square on a s’more – YUM!
You’re the best, Mel!!! Uplifting always, even for 72 year old me!!! Love your recipes! Love hearing about your beautiful family!! Love you sharing your thoughts! Life as we know it has changed, but our attitude and prayers will get us through!!! Big hugs!!
Thank you! XOXO
Hey, hey! Thanks so much for sharing with the masses your experiences in humaning. Your eclectic-meets-structured lifestyle during the pandemic seems very sensible, and I appreciate your honesty, and your willingness to share the behind the scenes viewpoints.
We traveled in a Thor across your same terrain a few years back with our kids, and also adored the Hiawatha Trail. A hidden gem!! If you get a hankering to go further east, another lesser known favorite was The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota, and the Medora Musical (not to be missed is the pre-show dinner where they fondue steaks on pitch forks into giant vats of hot oil ❤️).
Thank you for that recommendation! We lived near the ND border when we were in Minnesota, but we never experienced the Enchanted Highway. I love the sound of it!
I am so happy that I stumbled upon your blog while searching for a recipe. Although my children are grown ad gone, I teach first grade. I can’t remember a fall when I have had so much concern about going back to school. There are always those fears about being “enough” for my students: kind, supportive, inspiring, and motivating are just a few of the “enoughs” that I want to have for them. This year, however, there are so many more: can I keep them safe and fearless in a world that is so rapidly changing? Can I take brand new first graders and teach them enough technology in the first few days so that, if we do have to teach virtually again, that they can feel confident in their abilities? Can I encourage each to accept the differences in others in the safe space of my classroom that may not be as safe anymore? Anyway, cooking has always been a stress reliever for me so your recipes have been a godsend. Thank you
Oh Lynn, good luck teaching. You sound like such an intentional teacher with heartfelt concerns. And you’re right, there are SO many more concerns this year. I hope all goes well for you and those sweet 1st graders!
Thanks for an update Mel! I was just thinking the other day that I hadn’t received anything new from you for a few weeks. Glad to hear you’ve taken time off to travel with your family. I love the idea of renting an RV and bookmarked the site for future reference.
Our kids started back to school, in person everyday for elementary kiddo and 50% in person for our sixth grader. We’re in Indiana and our numbers are increasing some. My kids are mentally so much better now that they are back in person. A case has been reported in each of their schools, but the schools have great procedures in place. Hoping they work and they can stay in school for a while yet!
My stress level has increased with worry about it all. Hence the “need” to bake cookies despite a busy Friday yesterday. I too am an introvert and daily walks with our dog and working in my garden help me a lot.
Hope you continue to find some daily alone time and looking forward to new recipes. Take care!
I think my kids will also have a boost in their mental aptitude and health if/when they can go back to school, even if it is a hybrid system. I hope you take care as well – thanks so much, Vickie!
I LOVE that Katherine Arden series! I just read it recently and felt like I found a hidden treasure. I think the next two books are even better than the Bear and the Nightengale!
Really?? That makes me excited!
We are heading out to Stanley next week (from Michigan). Any favorite hikes to recommend? Any tips are welcome! We’ve never been there before. Looking forward to exploring beautiful Idaho:)
Sorry for the delay, Rebecca! We didn’t hike around Stanley but a friend of ours recommended the Bench Lakes hike. We want to do that next time.
Hi! Where did you get the cute hat?
From here! https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
The cookies look delish! Please share. Thanks for all the coping tips. I will retire from my job of 43 years in 15 days, 16 hours, 10 min, 14 sec, but who’s counting!!!!! Papa and I will be helping out our son and his wife with the little boys age 3 and 5. The 5 yo starts school soon and the 3 yo will be with us 2 days a week. Looking forward to it- wish us luck.
Posted them here: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/ and CONGRATULATIONS on your retirement! Your grandkids are so lucky to have you! So excited for you.
Two good audiobooks I’ve done recently: This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger and The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker. I’m forcing others I know to read them and they aren’t too mad about it.
Looks like our school in Maine won’t start til the 8th, either. My kids are both in elementary school so they can go full time. The high school will have to do some kind of hybrid which doesn’t sound great.
I really liked The Ragged Edge of Night! I listened to that one as well.
I am an empty nester so no kids to tend to (except they still want my cooking occasionally) and I’m a caregiver for the elderly in homes. At first I was freaked out fearful I would pass the virus on to my clients and kill someone. When I wasn’t working I’d live in my bed coloring and baked many Mel recipes in my kitchen. Thankfully daughters of my clients put my mind at ease that if their parent died of the virus it wasn’t my fault and God knew that was how they would pass. So I got on my knees whenever stressed and gave all my burdens to the Lord. He wants to carry our burdens. And He doesn’t want us to live in fear. We can trust Him.
I did choose to run away by myself and went to the Olympic Peninsula to enjoy the solice of the beaches and mountains. I kept to myself and it felt glorious to run away from home. May the Lord bless you and keep you all safe in His Amazing Grace!
I loved your reminder and message so much, Kelli. Thank you for that!
Hi Mel. I’ve considered you a dear friend for a while now. I hope if I ever do meet you in person I don’t freak you out.
You are not alone on the panic attack front. After I had one I promised myself I would take time for a brisk walk every morning. Exercise and breathing morning air have been healing. Unplugging I can improve on, your suggestion rings true to me.
I’m finishing The Land of Stories. I am enjoying the creativity and fun.
Thank you for your recipes. Thank you for your upbeat, honest eloquence. Bless you for the light and peace you share.
Haha, you won’t freak me out, I promise! I’m so happy that your morning walks have been an answer to your panic attacks. I’ve been trying to up my exercise – I think I need to start getting out of the house more instead of just going up to the bonus room to work out. My boys love Land of Stories! I should read it, too!
Oh yes , I’ve read Boys in the Boat. Excellent. Saw just mercy- another great story. We are surrounded by what we look for. Always remember that and keep reminding yourself. It’s a hard task I need more of.
Love that reminder. Thank you, Sue!
Mel, thank you for your narrative. My family has a three story house in McCall, we refer to as “the cabin. Truly my happy place at one point. I know about the huckleberrys. Reddish lake is where my husband took our four children camping when I delivered number 5 while living in twin falls. Currently I’m in Oregon but have a place in nampa. My aging mother has suffered from anxiety and nightly panic attacks. She is 84. She has had the gum surgery also. small world. You are not alone. I know Anni Scott. A good friend that your mom knows- so Anni tells me. Glad you’re back. And I agree- disconnect and garden. It does the spirit and soul wonders.
Thank you, Sue! I hope your sweet mom is doing ok. A rough time for all of us, but my elderly relatives have really had a difficult time with similar issues.
I wish I had a future plan and spreadsheet too! I’ve struggled with so much unpredictability the last few months. My kids start school on Monday and I love each of them more than anything and I am SO EXCITED to have a few minutes to myself to breathe and be still at home. My boys have worked hard this summer mowing several lawns a week, but unfortunately they aren’t old enough to drive yet, so I spend many days sitting in our very old (1994!), gross truck driving them from house to house, thinking about my messy house at home and not being able to do a thing about it. I am so happy to support them in earning money, but so glad I’ll get some days at home and out of that truck!
I’m so excited for you to have a few minutes to yourself as well. You are an amazing mom facilitating your boys work schedules this summer and making it happen. AMAZING.
I will 100% support any cookbook you make. I love your recipes and I love hearing your personality when you write! You’ve helped me become a confident cook! Never stop doing what you do! You are such a talented person.
Kristen, seriously thank you so much. Such a pick me up to read your comment.
Mel, I love how real you are. And although I have noticed that there haven’t been as many recipes, I have been great with knowing you have a little time away from it.
This is definitely a crazy time. There are times that I find myself becoming accustomed to it and times when it slaps me in the face and I feel like a character in a distopian novel or something. Definitely seeing signs of the times.
My SIL bought me a book that I would highly recommend and I feel is currently changing my life for the better as I read it. So many aha moments and because of the changes, so many more. It is called “The Power of Stillness.” Highly recommend if you have not already read it. Anyway, I have been feeling like I should share this with you all day.
Thanks again for being you. Definitely going to have to try the RV trip. Sounds epic!
Thanks for understanding, Jennifer! Someone else recommended the Power of Stillness book – I’m excited to check it out!
I was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, ID and it is a beautiful place on earth When I was young I thought the whole world looked like where I lived!
Oh man, if only!!
What cookies are those in the very first picture? I read the whole post and probably have some comments on other things but can’t get those cookies out of my mind. I NEED them!
Haha, sorry about that! https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/
WE loved doing the hiawatha a few years ago – SO beautiful! I got goosebumps seeing your picture there. We’d love to do it again someday!
I hope we can repeat that trail, too!
I always enjoy your Friday thoughts post. I was happy to see other’s recommendations of audiobooks as this is the main way that I find time to read. I have been hunting for a new one, so these recommendations really help! I enjoyed listening to Boys in the Boat. I recommend any of Susan Meissner’s books. Hope your RV trip continues to be great!
Thanks for the author recommendation!
Red fish lake! I love that place and haven’t been there in years. It is beautiful in my memory. I am an introvert as well and I notice that just taking walks and creating a bit of alone time really helps. I do love being around people as well and gather so much strength from those I love but I need time alone to think and recharge. I love that you have been flexible during this time and that you have still managed to create wonderful memories for your family. Thanks for all you do here; it is a wonderful place to come for fun ideas about cooking and also to always leave feeling upbeat.
I love how so many true blue introverts on this comment thread cope by taking walks! Love that so much. Thank you, Sara!
Thank you for your post. it shows the real stuff we are all going through. LOVE motor home camping. connecting with nature is very rewarding. Can’t wati to see your post about the pant shoes you’ve been living in. Thank you as well for keeping it real!! Safe travels to you and your family
Nature is so rewarding, you’re right! It was just what we needed.
Hi, Mel! I echo so many of your thoughts! I am also an introvert with 5 kids home + husband. If you had told me in March that I would not have my treasured alone time for the next six months, I would have dug myself into a hole. I have relied heavily on noise-canceling headphones and podcasts. “All In” for the weekly win. For family time, we took up rock climbing. Vertical View is amazing (it’s a climbing gym in Meridian – Mel, we’re practically neighbors) and they have COVID policies that keep them open and keep me feeling safe. Oh – and we didn’t get pigs, but we did rescue a rabbit that was neglected by neighbors. Our rabbit has become a free-roam house pet. Did you know rabbits can use a litter box? Learning about rabbits has been a nice escape from googling “idaho coronavirus”. Last of all, your bucket list family vacation sounds dreamy. We’ve always wanted to ride the Hiawatha trail – it just feels like such a hike to get the family up there. Thanks for letting me ramble!
Um, Becca, I would have dug a hole right next to you. Seriously. I was living in some lala land back in March where I thought all “this” would be over by mid-July at the latest. Sigh. My sister loves her noise canceling headphones too. Looks like I should invest in some. And oh my goodness, we’ve loved going to VV, too! We haven’t caved to a membership yet but we all got belay certified and we’ve gone climbing as a family a couple of times. It’s been amazing! I’m already in love with your rabbit! What an awesome rescue story.
Hey Mel! I just wanted to suggest some other books of a different perspective. Look for writings by Thomas Sowell and also a book called Up from Slavery. There are agendas by which we can be deceived. Your efforts seem noble. Just perhaps look at some of the non-mainstream perspectives by reputable sources as those I mentioned above.
I agree with you, Jenny, but I will go a bit deeper than you did. There is only one narrative that is being pushed by the mainstream media, social media, print media, and academia. That narrative is that America is bad, whites are to blame for pretty much all of the problems of the past and present, police are racist, and if you don’t agree, you are a racist. Disgusting really.
The word ‘racist’ (‘racism’) gets used so frequently nowadays. It is allegedly the answer to all of the world’s problems. Makes me very sad and angry at the same time.
Mel, from the years of reading your blog, I can feel your sincerity, love, kindness, humor, faith, and your genuine good nature. I don’t believe for one minute that you, your kids, and many readers are ‘white priviliged’ or ‘racist’. I don’t want you to be guilted into thinking you are–NOT FOR ONE MINUTE. The author of ‘White Fragility’ claims EVERYONE white is racist. That alone is a racist statement! She makes $6,000 an hour at speaking engagements. She is the one living a privileged life trying to make everyday Americans feel like we are responsible for all that is wrong in minority communities. That is not true. And don’t get me started on the group ‘Black Lives Matter’. They don’t seem to give a darn about all of the blacks who are killed by other blacks or all of the black babies that are aborted. Don’t those lives matter? The majority of police officers work to serve and protect the communities. I truly believe that. There is so much chaos, burning, looting, attacks on police going on in major cities. It is devastating. I would like to provide you with names of some Americans who tell a different story than what is being pushed by almost all the media and schools from elementary onto ivy league colleges. Research what Candace Owens, Leo Terrell, Bevelyn Beatty, Diamond & Silk, and Allen West (to name a few) have to say about the recent events in our country. Ironically, all of the civil unrest that is currently going on is hurting the minority community, and until people wake up and realize that they’ve been misled by this false narrative of white privilege and white racists, things will continue to get worse. Before Covid and the death of George Floyd, this country was thriving, unemployment for blacks, women, latinos was decreasing, and opportunities were growing for everyone. The only way our nation heals is to get back to family values, faith in God and respect for others. That is the narrative that is being destroyed. One example: #1 song on Top 100 Billboard is a song by a rap ‘artist’ named ‘Cardi B’. The song title is ‘WAP’. It is the most vile, disgusting, offensive, vulgar song I have ever heard by a woman. She also has an instagram post that is equally disturbing and disgusting. Yet she has tons of followers and the #1 song currently. She should be kicked off of all medias and her music banned. What is scary is who are the people liking this garbage?
This has probably not helped your stress level. I know it hasn’t helped mine. I believe so strongly in the good of this country and its citizens. The more we get into cancel culture and identity politics, the further this country gets divided. If we bring faith and family back to the mainstream culture, things can improve. God bless the USA
I love this blog with you sharing life, recipes, tips, family events,, stories, etc. I really believe your heart is in the right place and your intentions are
Thomas Sowell, while a gifted economist, is not a credible source for anti-racist research. His critiques of liberal theories are reductive and charicatured, and he is unable to explain the earnings pay gap between whites and non-whites. He had definite opinions, but his opinions do not explain the real-world data.
Please do not weaponize the theory of white fragility. Brene Brown had an excellent interview with Ibram X. Kendi on antiracism, and I loved the analogy they used to explain hegemonic racism and fragility. Because we live in a world built upon racist structures, it is everywhere, kind of like rain. It isn’t our fault that we have rain on us, and when someone points out that we are getting wet, we can either accept the umbrella they offer us with grace and humility, or we can lash out in fear, anger or embarrasment. There is a lot of that fear and anger in the world right now, and plenty of misunderstanding. From your reading list, it looks like you are on the right track.
Mel, I applaud you for your compassionate heart, and your desire to seek ways to create equity in schools through literature. I truly believe in the power of the best books to change the world. Rachel Cargyle has on Instagram has compiled a great resource to help parents talk to their school administrations about equity projects, you may be interested in checking it out.
Sending you lots of love on your journey.
Thanks, Alicia – I think I saw that on Rachel Cargyle’s instagram – I’ll do some more digging.
Oh Mel!!! The struggle is so real!!!! I completely relate to the coping, and figuring out the connection conundrum, but still trying to meet my needs. Thanks for sharing, I feel little less alone!
We’re just coming out of 4H fair (lambs and bunnies) and my kids are completely stressing over school. I’m brainstorming how NOT to repeat the stress/cry-every-day kids homeschool experience from this spring. I’m planning on setting limits with the teacher and the kids and we’ll do what we can do and let it go from that. (I work and ((tiny whine)) it’s been hard!) ❤️Thanks for sharing Mel- I’m going to practice more disconnection from media and news….a little more peace sounds lovely.❤️
tiny whines are totally valid here, Maren! Good luck navigating the online school/working mom gig. It’s not for the faint of heart and I admire you so much!
Okay—I have to know the recipe for the cookie pictured above. Please tell me it’s on the site or will be soon! You’re the cookie queen.
Here you go! https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/
Also, I have been PINING for you to do a cookbook! Your other words were just so relevant I forgot to mention I will buy your cookbook for all the women in my family if you’ll just please publish one!
Haha, thanks for the vote of confidence, Becky!
Soooo many “kindred spirit” thoughts on this post, but the one really REALLY resonating with me right now is the early rising kids & late bedtime teens. GRACIOUS, it’s been a long road, this phase. I mistakenly thought we’d have a gap after babies & before late teen nights… with at least a couple good sleeping years. Alas, here we are, a home filled with both roosters and night owls.
Yes, yes, yes. I thought I’d have that gap, too. Nope. We will survive.
Yes, yes, yes. I thought we’d have that gap, too. Nope. We will survive. Right???
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3LMVJ2xd1g8
Thank you! Such a happy song!
I think you covered so much of what I have been feeling (except the grafting surgery, OUCH, I hope it’s your last!) we are trying to remain calm and carry on, but people all over seem to be coming unhinged (just today we had to shelter in place while police hunted a dangerous man) and things feel like they are just changing too fast. At the same time we’ve been preparing for this all along (being lds and knowing times will get tough). I just have talks with myself like: relax! , You were meant for these crazy times. God knows and he said this will work out, so stop eating so poorly and start exercising (it Helps my anxiety so much- this pep talk has to be repeated daily). It’s scary times but I love what you said, the peace is still there, just crowded out. And Somehow I know that with God there are plenty of good things ahead. My kids go back to school on Wednesday… not letting the fear of it cripple us So far… thank you for Sharing, you have such an uplifting effect on me!
I just listened to three minute podcast that basically said: just like an airplane, we were built for turbulence. That goes along with what you are saying. And it’s true. Gotta just relax and realize, we’ll make it through (some days that’s easier said than done!).
Missed you this week, but I love seeing that you are RVing. It is my dream to do that. We rented one for a few days and had a great time but that was 12 years ago. Time to go again? With my oldest working , I don’t know how often we can take random family trips 🙁
We also have chickens and one of my boys loves pigs. I need to research that breed (the mostly no rooting is Compelling). Those pigs are too cute.
I think the news and social media can be overwhelming, especially now more than it was. More people need to be able to recognize the need to disconnect and actually do it. Bravo!
I truly was hoping and thinking we would be out of this pandemic by now but no. I am grateful that we homeschool and always have. It keeps our normal going so that I don’t get any crazier.
I don’t have social media accounts and people make fun of me for it. I just can’t go down that path because we might not eat, the clothes wouldn’t get washed, …
I need a new sun hat And yours is adorable.
Is the dog with you on your trip?
Thanks for chiming in, Sheila! I hope you get out on another RV trip but I hear you, having older kids that start “real” work schedules puts a damper on those kinds of things. Maggie stayed home this time!
I always knew I loved you, Mel. As someone currently working on a Masters in Librarianship — I am above and beyond impressed with your advocacy idea. What a way to give back to the community and teach your kids to stand up for what’s right.
Thank you, Alisha! Just trying to figure out how to do something, you know?
My husband (Mario) was looking over my shoulder when I read this post. His first question was “who’s going to take care of the pigs?” . Yeah, he’s a big old sweetie. But the reading over my shoulder thing is getting old.
Much fun on your trip!
Hahahahahahahaha.
I think we can all connect with your blog post. Loved some of your book choices. Please put Small Big Things By Jodi Picoult on your book list. It touches on racism and was a very inspiring read.
Thank you, I will!
Hi Mel! I’m fairly new to your blog, but I love it. I have made the French bread about ten times so far neaten as plain beautiful bread with butter, made into French toast, croutons and garlic bread with fresh garlic and real butter. Yummy.
The RV trip looks fantastic. I live in Canada and the scenery you are experiencing is pretty much what it’s like in British Columbia. It’s so beautiful here.
These weird times are destabilizing, and although generally we have fared better in Canada, our numbers are rising and life has been challenging. We are retired, and the travelling that we long to do, we cannot do. But we are blessed and I, too, put all of my faith and my trust and my fears and my hopes and my dreams in Jesus Christ.
I pray your family have a safe and blessed trip with a lot of memories for the future.
Oh wow, I’ve heard British Columbia is gorgeous – can’t imagine living around that beauty all the time! I love where your priorities are, Shelley!
You are such a real and amazing Mama. Please give yourself grace, you’re doing an amazing job!
Thank you, Kris – XOXO
My hubs did the Hiawatha trail and I’m super jealous and want to do it. I love everything that you’ve said on this! I agree with all the trying harder on diversity, and glad you loved Just Mercy. We’re hanging out at bear lake at the moment, but we start school in 10 days. Our school is doing 2 days on, 3 days at home, switching up which kids go, based on last name. So we’ll see how that pans out
Good luck with that!! I think we’ll end up in a hybrid, too.
Oh, your post really hit home. Thank you for your honesty. I’m also introverted and need my alone time. We were almost empty nesters and then Covid…all 4 kids unexpectedly home (from college and working out of the home). Four big adult bodies. It was great to have them all for the first couple of weeks…you know like for the holidays kind of nice, but after months on end a little panic started to set in! I guess we will all get through it eventually. I’m with you on the disconnecting thing. Hang in there and thanks for your blast of fresh air 🙂
Oh my goodness, you had an influx of so many people!! Panic would set in for me, too. You hang in there yourself, my friend!
I’m in the middle of Just Mercy but it’s hard to read – I’m so sensitive and hearing what they were doing to the black people in jail and especially the teens put in adult prison. I had to put it down and I’ll try to finish again later.
When I read this book I had to do it in small chunks because it was so heavy
I agree, Mary, there was a lot of eye opening facts and information in that book. Try again if you can. It really is worth it.
I hear you on the introvert thing! 5 kids, ranging from 9 months to 7 yrs. I had a VERY hard time not being by myself. For me, I had to realize that alone time has to be a priority every day, even if all the dishes don’t get done and everything’s not as clean as I would like. THat has really helped! I am not superwoman. Thanks for your blog. It is such a bright spot in my day!
Thank you, Ashley!
I hear you! I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and experienced a derecho for the first and hopefully the last time this week. The only good thing is that the destruction takes your mind off Covid 19. I really feel fortunate to have power back. It is heartwarming to see neighbors helping each other. Thank you for publicly saying that Black Lives Matter.
That had to be so intense and scary, Jennifer! Just seeing it on the news had me cringing. Hope you and your community is recovering ok!
The best Audible book for me this summer has been Lisa Wingate’s The Book if Lost Friends. The narrators are fabulous! Thank you for your honest account of how you’ve felt in the time of Covid. I had an arm surgery that has left me unable to do the things I normally do which has been enlightening in that my coping mechanisms often involve physical activity which I was unaware of until now. I recently read an article about living in prolonged fear which can lead to anxiety, depression, mood swings, etc. The fear of loss is one of the greatest fears and without understanding this I had been experiencing it with the loss of my arm mobility (coupled w/all the other world craziness). Just hearing your experiences helps me not feel so alone in all this. Thank you!
Lots of recommendations for that book. I’m excited to check it out. I hope you recover from your surgery fully and quickly! Realizing we really can’t do everything, physically, we used to do is really hard. I’ve had that happen with past surgeries. Hang in there!
You are passing through my neighborhood now! 😉
What? So beautiful!
Love all the audiobook recommendations!! I commute an hour to work so I am a total audiobook junkie! Boys in the Boat is slow to start but hang in there! It is worth it. The Giver of Stars is really good too. Where the Crawdad Sings has a lot of buzz and for good reason. The best thing I have listened to lately is A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel. It is a HILARIOUS and heart warming memoir. You will cry a little and laugh a whole bunch! It felt like medicine that did my heart good with all the stress these days.
Hey Erin! Thanks for the book recommendation by Haven Kimmel. I haven’t listened to that one but am so excited to check it out. I really enjoyed Where the Crawdad Sings…and I was worried I’d hate it because it was so hyped. I LOVED Giver of Stars!
I love this! The Hiawatha trail is on our bucket list too! Would you consider doing a more in detail post about how to do it with your family? We have 7 children ages 15 to 2, and would love to know if we could pull it off pulling a couple of bike trailers for example!
I’ll try to get something up with more details, Marian!
I love your Friday thoughts post! I also have younger kids who wake up early and teenagers who never want to go to bed. As a fellow introvert, it is hard to not have some quiet moments. Your trip looks so fantastic. Best wishes for a smooth school year! We start next week and I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that we get to stay in school and everyone is safe.
I hope your start of the school year has been seamless! (ha, I recognize that’s a ridiculous hope, but still, I’m sticking with it)
Thanks so much! So far it has been really great. Unfortunately, the last few days the numbers in Utah have not been good so I wouldn’t be surprised if things change soon.
I LOVE The Boys in the Boat so so much!! And amen with the anxiety. I’ve had to massively unplug because I just can’t handle it all. School…the kids are going back two days a week and remote three days a week to split class sizes in half. That, too, has been dramatic. We had protesters fighting that…I can’t handle that, either.
There is so much discord on every side! I agree, all of that “noise” is hard to take on as well. Good luck, Marek!
So much Resonating with me in this post ! The last 6 months have been weird on so many levels ! Anxieties I didn’t even know I had coming at me from every angle. I agree about disconnecting with the online world !! Always a little easier said than done .. but when I do it feels like such a weight is lifted off. Kids going back to school next week, just part time while the district keeps an eye on things before going back full time. The plan for school definitely is filled with uncertainty and so am I ! I’m trying to prepare for any possibility in the future. And with 2 missionaries currently serving also, I’m just really grateful for technology and the ability they have to connect with me on a regular basis .. it’s saving my sanity and filling my soul ! Thanks for your newsy update and your honest dialogue ! It makes me feel a lot less alone
You’re amazing, Helen!
Is that cookie pictured on your blog one of your creations? What is it called? Thank you!
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-sugar-cookies-with-chocolate-frosting/
Mel. I SO needed this connection today. I needed to hear a lot of what you said about inner peace, unwinding and connecting. My favorite place the past 6 months has been hunkering down next to me chicken coop. Holding a darling feathered friend on my lap makes for happy times and I love watching my kids take care of their birds. I’ve also been enjoying the downtime. I don’t miss the noise and chaos life used to bring. I do wonder if any of us will ever feel “normal” again, and then I work to be happy with the new normal. I have found gratitude for so many things. I have also had to dig deep to be okay and work through some of the sequelae of the last 6 months. I have great hope in my heart and faith for the future; it takes a minute to find that place sometimes. Thank you for sharing your family trip! The scenery looks amazing! Hoping to get out of the house soon and spend some time outdoors. So glad you’ve recovered from your surgery- that’s fantastic! ❤ Favorite audio books right now are Presence by Amy Cuddy and the classic 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (can you tell where my mind is currently?) Had a lot going on and lots of stretching and digging and growing over the course of this year, but grateful for everything I’ve learned and for God’s tender mercies. We will find them when we look. Always sending love to you and yours.
Amy! I just got your sweet package in the mail. I’ll email you.
So glad to hear from you again, Mel.
Thank you, PJ!
Those cookies look amazing. What are they?
Peanut butter sugar cookies with chocolate frosting – recipe hopefully going live Monday!
Please, please, PLEASE, all the details of the rv trip! Hiawatha trail is on my bucket list and I would be interested in each and every detail of your trip! Did yoy rent bikes or take your own? Did you shuttle back or ride bikes both ways? Where did you get on the trail? Also what did you do in cour d lane and redfish??? I like your travel guides and game posts as much as your recipies!!! Love the pigs, too!!! Adorable!! My kiddos are going back to school with masks, except for one who has health problems. He is doing Connections Academy. It is hard to decide! Ultimately, mental health was the deciding factor.
Sounds like you had a lot of decisions to make about school. Glad you were able to find solutions that work for your family! It is so hard to know what to do! I’ll try and get a more detailed post up. But in short, we had room to bring four of our own bikes and we rented three bikes up there. To be honest, the quality of bikes we rented from Lookout Pass were really crummy. The seats wouldn’t move and my poor 11- and 13- year olds were kind of miserable as their knees were up in their faces the whole time. We did the most popular version of the trail – going downhill. So we picked up our bikes and passes at Lookout Pass (exit 0) and then headed to exit 5 and followed the signs up the road to the Hiawatha trailhead (Roland area). We rode the 15 miles to the bottom (Pearson) and then me and the two youngest caught the shuttle back up to the top while the rest of the kids and Brian rode their bikes back up (it was hard but worth it, they say). I think next time when Cam is older, we’ll start at the bottom and ride all the way up and then ride back down to the car. It’s definitely not the most popular route, but I’d like to try it. We mostly just camped, explored and swam at Redfish Lake!
Loved your post & your desire to diversify school bookshelves. A fun read for me lately has been Recipe for a Perfect Wife. Other fiction I’ve enjoyed are Ghost Boys, The Antelope Wife, Five Wives, Washington Black & The Water Dancer. For non-fiction there is I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown, Tightrope by Nicholas Kristof, Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison, The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow, The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby,
Love all of these recommendations. Thank you, Barb!
Totally understand the need to disconnect… I’m a teacher and today I was so wound up, I got up at 5am (no alarm clock!) and had to go for a walk. At one point I was walking so fast because my mind was racing so much, I realized I should be running instead. But by the time I finished, my mind was at regular speed and I could think straight. Crazy Times! Love the last minute RV vaca! You are making memories with your family that will sustain you in these crazy times. Love your blog and use your recipes all the time.
Exercise has definitely gotten me through, so I know what you mean about getting to a more regulated spot after exercise, although if I exercised as hard as my mind was racing most days, I’d be sprinting marathons. Haha.
Grew up eating bologna on white bread with French’s yellow mustard, then piled high as possible with potato chips. The exciting part was putting the top slice of bread on and smashing all the chips. Compress and eat. Best thing ever. Would hate to say how many of those I ate growing up in the 50’s-60’s. Pretty good with ham too.
Haha, I love this! Especially the “exciting” part.
Mel, when I picture you with your pigs, I get the same sense of peace I felt as I read my favorite book as a child, “Charlotte’s Web.” I loved how Fern just sat quietly by the animals and observed their personalities and relationships. You are in my prayers as we sit with the highs and lows of this strange season. I’m working to to see reasons for gratitude daily and to just hold plans lightly. Easier said than done some days!
I am going to imprint your words of wisdom on my heart (and probably write them on my hand, too). Thanks for such a gentle, wonderful comment, Colleen!
Glad to see you back! Just a quick thought on homeschooling or school in general…BYU has full middle school and high school classes. Some are done independently and others can be teacher-led. There is also a private school out of Pleasant Grove, Utah that has been doing virtual options for a long, long time. It’s called Liahona Academy. I’ve used them to supplement my kids’ homeschool for a few years. They are accredited and they do K-12. You can watch live and ask questions in real-time or you can watch later. They also do four day work weeks. So we get three day weekends every weekend. Good luck figuring it all out!
Thanks for the resources and recommendations, Amber!!
PLEASE tell me about your favorite pants and shoes!! I was going to read the Boys in the Boat but heard it was dry. “Unbroken” was excellent though!!
So many people down thread say Boys in the Boat is their favorite book! My husband just finished it on audible and loved it! I’m excited to start it. Also, I’ll get a post up about the shoes and pants, promise!
Hey there… what are the cookies and frosting at the beginning of this post? They look scrummy!!! Thanks!
The recipe is going up Monday! Promise! Peanut butter sugar cookies with chocolate frosting.
Looks like a dream family vacation! I am struggling. We did all the “right” things – wore masks, socially/physically distanced, cancelled several trips….and now my husband and son are battling Covid. We are on day 8 of self isolation in our house, and it’s hard. I can’t physically comfort my sick son, I can’t hug my 11 year old daughter as I’m doing everything I can to protect her from getting sick. I’m mad, I’m sad, I’m jealous of everyone that has been able to go on with life….. then grateful my daughter is not sick, grateful my boys are not sick enough to need hospitalization, grateful for internet that allows us connection to each other and the outside world. It’s an emotional journey! I don’t even want normal life back. I just want to be in the same room with my family and not worry that it will make one of us sick. Thanks for letting me vent. Well wishes to you and your family!
Oh, Marisa, I am so, so sorry. I’ve heard from several people that they also followed all the recommendations and when they ended up with covid, it was devastating and so challenging. It’s no wonder your emotions are all over the place! Are your husband and son able to be together? Hang in there, my virtual friend, hang in there!
Mel, you have really had some challenges lately. Thanks for sharing. I grew up in a large farm family so can relate to many parts of your life. Was wondering what happened to you as I enjoy your recipes, learning to make homemade vanilla, etc.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to take extra good care! My escape used to be a walk 3/4 mile to the main road or to the creek before that or just as far as “The Tree” so highly recommend alone time to decompress. Sounds like you are doing creative fun things so that is a healthy healing approach physically, mentally and emotionally.
I have been making quilts for clients as well as family. Just started making bread again and had forgotten how incredible it tastes. My mother-in-law who is legally blind now really really liked the bread I brought for Mother’s Day and again 4th of July when we had to get our dog Maggie to the farm to avoid all the fireworks going on even before the 4th!
Be well and can’t wait for next post! You are amazing!
You are amazing, Judy! I love how you are finding ways to be creative with your time and energy. Making quilts and baking bread! Sounds like your life is full and rewarding!
OH i have CHILLS just reading about ID/MT again. It took us 2 years for us Georgians to head up there but when I heard the Hiawatha was a thing that exists—- We couldn’t WAIT. and it did not disappoint, as you well know. We stayed and loved the quaint little town of Wallace. We headed to Couer d’ Alene on our way to fly back home from Spokane. What a lovely area! I would do it again in a heartbeat. It is hands down one of our best vacations. So glad you got to do all of that on a whim. Much needed. I hope you continue to heal- in all ways!! Thank you so much for posting!
How amazing that you made the effort and traveled to experience all of that! I agree, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s one of our top family experiences/vacations to date!
It has been a crazy six months! I loved hearing the update!! I am so jealous of the RV trip. I loved Couer de lane when we visited a few years ago. Hayden Lake was my favorite, but I am dying to try the bike trail! Looks amazing! Books are my favorite thing to discuss ever and I loved Boys in the Boat. I am super into nonfiction right now (and some historical fiction) on a variety of topics. A few of my favorites:
Forty Autumns (a true story about a family separated by the Berlin Wall)
Roots (a TV series. The book is long, but worth it)
The Giver of Stars (a book about the Packhorse Librarians who rode horses in the back country of Kentucky delivering books in the 1930s.)
Thirst (a book about how an organization gets fresh water to villages in Africa)
The Day the World Came to Town (a book about a town when flights were grounded on 9/11..I now want to visit this Canadian town!)
Call the Midwife ( a Netflix series is based on this book and it’s based on actual characters who I just love!)
Bad Blood (about how the CEO faked technology and became a billion dollar business)
Princess Bride (so much funnier than the movie! How did I not know this was a book?)
I will stop now, but I don’t want to! I love books!!! There are just too many I want to read and not enough time!
LOVED all the book recommendations! I’ve read some but not all and am excited to check those ones out! I loved the Call the Midwife netflix series and was so sad when it ended.
I have never been to Idaho, but now I want to go! Thanks for telling and showing us where you have been! It looks heavenly
Az schools began on aug. 4 with remote online learning. I knew our family wouldn’t like it and we sure don’t, it’s been worse than I imagined. So, yesterday, my elementary aged kids and I came to the decision to return the laptops and try real traditional homeschool! I’m really excited and the kids said they are relieved! I use to be a teacher so I feel pretty confident in my abilities to make it a great experience for us! Now we can go on an rv trip and bring school with us I decided to use mostly the good and the beautiful curriculum! And, I’m trying to get a Co op group together because I need kid breaks too! Wish us luck! My 7th grader wants to stay with online school and we are hoping and praying they move to modified (school and home mix) model soon! She’s in band and hearing flute practice everyday from 3-4 is not my favorite
Life has been crazy, stressful, and I was struggling with all the unknowns, but now I feel at peace.
I’m sorry the online learning has been awful, Heidi. But good for you for doing the right thing for your family! Good luck! I’m sorry, though, I did giggle at the hour long flute practice with the online band class. Oh boy.
I relate to this post soooo much. This pandemic has made me discover just how much anxiety I have, but it’s also forced me to find ways to deal with it. Sink or swim I guess. I want to know about this road trip! All the places that you went!
So true! I’m being forced to look at some of my anxieties face to face and figure them out. I guess I’ll consider that a blessing. About the road trip, I shared a few details over on Insta stories tonight…we kind of flew by the seat of our pants (and ended up back home!) but it was so fun. We thought we’d end up near Glacier National Park but we stayed in Idaho for the most part doing Redfish Lake, Cour d’Alene and the Hiawatha trail. Lots of driving and lots of beautiful scenery!
Oh girl, I am with you. I got my wisdom teeth pulled on Tuesday. So over soft foods! Hope you continue to recover well.
Ugh!!! I hope you heal quickly!
I LOVED The Boys in the Boat!! I blazed through it, which I normally don’t do.
You most definitely are not alone in your feelings. I’m pretty sure every mom on the planet feels the same way right now!
Our kids are all starting online due to Covid numbers. Because our county has had so many cases I decided to choose an entirely online option for my two youngest this year. I feel like it’s going to be a waste of an academic year for all of my kiddos. Still searching for the good, but at least there’s lots of time for life lessons!
So true! Pack in those life lessons. I’m worried it’s going to be a pathetic academic year, too, and that scares me, but I’ll channel your positivity and focus on the good that can come from it!
I am glad you are healing and feeling well again, Mel! We spent time in Redfish Lake this summer, as well as Grand Teton National Park. 2 of my very favorite places!!
We start homeschooling on August 24th. I am excited and nervous. We’ll see how it goes!
Ah, good luck, Kelsey!
So glad you had such a rejuvenating and unplugged vacation. I loved Boys in the Boat. I also recommend The Only Plane in the Sky (although it’s best listened to rather than reading
the printed version), Call Sign Chaos and Dear Mrs. Bird. Your library project sounds so fulfilling. Our family rode the Hiawatha Trail two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. We’d love to do it again but it’s a good 12 hours away from us. Having grown up in Idaho, Cour de Lane is a favorite place of mine too.
Enjoy time with the kiddies and the piggies and whenever you post a recipe, I’ll be thrilled but totally support you dialing back too. You do what’s best for you and your family!
Thanks for the other recommendations, Holly! And for your kindness. Appreciate you.
The Boys in the Boat is on my Top 10 favorite books list (so far)! We listened to it on Audible, but bought the book because there were so many wonderful quotes we wanted to remember/save!
I love audio books—multi tasking at its finest!
Thanks for your blog—your recipes & your thoughts.
❤️❤️
I’m glad to hear it! My husband just finished listening to it on audible and loved it so I’m excited to start!
Loved The Boys in the Boat. My parents were contemporaries of these people, and I appreciate the “nothing given – nothing expected – get up and get on with it” attitude. For me, the non-rowing parts of the book illuminated this character. ….. Other books: Educated, if you haven’t already been riveted by it. Anything by Bill Bryson, but you might start with A Walk in the Woods or A Short History of Nearly Everything or his Australia travelogues. And … strongly recommend … The Long Walk by Sławomir Rawicz. This person was a prisoner in a Soviet POW camp in Siberia during WWII. He escaped, and walked across China, Tibet, and the Himalayas to reach British India. There’s some controversy about the authorship, but it appears that the story is true even if the names are not accurate. You may have to get this one on interlibrary loan, but it’s totally worth it.
I want to add a book: Vision of Light, by Judith Merkle Riley. A young woman in the 13th century tries to live a good, godly life. It’s not an easy time. A transcendent book.
Thank you for the recommendations, Margaret!
What?! I don’t think we can wait to find out about favorite pants and shoes! I’m also interested in kitchen remodel since i just ordered my new cabinets last week. I inquiring minds need to know
Ok, ok, I’ll try to get another post up soon!
I totally feel you fellow introvert! At first I was happy that I got to cancel everything on my calendar. At the time, It didn’t dawn on me that my kids and hubby would also be around constantly! Our parks are even closed so I couldn’t even get a break that way. Plus, we spent this summer redoing our flooring and baseboards throughout the house. Everyone is on top of everyone with stuff everywhere and I’m loosing it. Thankfully we are almost done. I love your suggestions to disconnect and reconnect with family in a positive way. We also headed up to northern/central Idaho and hit Stanley Lake. Less busy then Redfish Lake and still just as beautiful.
Oh boy, Keri, I have a certain amount of anxiety just hearing about your baseboard/floor project in the midst of being at home because I totally understand! We started a home remodel right as quarantine started and the dust and chaos in my house was epic. It was one of the more difficult times for me as a mom even when I could see how blessed we were during it. I’m glad you are almost done! I’ve heard Stanley Lake is awesome, too, and way less busy than Redfish Lake!
I am with you on the disconnect.I couldn’t sleep at night with my worry for the future. I scroll more, skipping negative articles and am so much happier.
My kids are moved out of our house but I love reading about the great family life you are giving your kids. You’ll have few regrets when they are adults, as you’re raising them right and having great experiences together.
Continuing to love your site and recipes,
Lori
Thank you for your kind comment, Lori! I agree, also, that skipping the negativity helps me sleep so much better at night!
I am right there with you! I love my husband and kids, but I recharge by spending time alone. And I haven’t had much alone time since March. My youngest is going into 1st grade this year and I have been looking forward to the day when all my kids would be in school full time since he was born. I teach college from home and it was going to be such a relief to be able to do all my work while they were at school. But we’ve decided to do virtual school all year for our kids. It was a difficult decision, but we feel right about it. I’m learning to ask my kids for more help around the house. I’m also planning to “wear one hat at a time.” When my kids were doing distance learning in the spring I always felt pulled between helping them and doing my work. My current coping plan is to have certain hours set aside for doing school with them and other hours for doing work. We’ll see how it goes!
I am loving (and learning) from your strategies, Emilee! Good luck with executing that plan. Even if it ebbs and flows, you’ll be able to make it work. I’m glad you were able to settle on something for your kids that feels right for you and for them. That’s the most important thing!
Love your brutal honesty! So many people can’t admit to the feeling of helplessness and are forced to continue as if all is well. The disconnect during these past few months has taken its toll on many. Our family loves to cook and eat and we have spent many days and nights in the kitchen. This pandemic has given us time to garden and use our harvests in ways we haven’t imagined. Spending more time together is truly a blessing except when it gets to be a bit too much
I’m glad you’ve been able to find those blessing amid challenging times, Dina! Your family is lucky to have you! But you’re right, it can still take a toll. I’m glad we are all in this together even if we don’t know each other in real life.
Redfish also needs to stay secret, just like the huckleberries!! It is my favorite place on earth, but it sure has become so busy! Glad you could disconnect, thank goodness it is so easy to search your archives to dig into all your old goodies! Thank you for what you do! Love from Texas (but an Idaho girl by heritage).
You’re right – it was so busy and the camp host there told us it gets busier every year. Kind of a bummer!
I’ve been listening to a lot of audio books too! I’m a fan of non-fiction, so I’ve enjoyed and recommend Deep Down Dark, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Running For My Life, The Stranger in the Woods, and Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal. I really enjoyed Just Mercy also!
Thank you so much for the audiobook recommendations, Lisa!
Welcome back, Mel! I’m a definite introvert – and INFJ on the MB scale – and the past few months have pushed me beyond my limits of peopling ;). Three boys + husband working from home = LOTS of overstimulation for Mom. Our district is doing 100% remote learning this year, so we decided to homeschool all three (1st, 4th, 6th grade) in lieu of online learning. Realizing now that I will need to be purposeful in the way I build in quiet time for myself in order to recharge.
So much good luck to you, Sarah! Be purposeful and get in that time for YOU!
I’d love to know how you handled the food situation in the RV! I feel like food takes away from the spontaneous aspect because you have to figure it out beforehand! We’re planning a trip in an RV soon, and this is the part that intimidates me the most.
For someone whose life revolves around food, we did the RV food thing super low key and basically ate the same thing for breakfast and lunches every day (cereal and yogurt and granola for breakfast/sandwiches and snacky stuff for lunches). And then for dinners, I premade tinfoil dinners for one night of camping, we did hot dogs another night, and then I had a few Costco-type shelf stable meals for other nights (lentils and rice, etc). It wasn’t fancy but it was filling and no one complained! We also had access to a grocery store midweek where I picked up some bread and fresh foods.
The Boys in the Boat is one of my very favorite reads…don’t miss it! Love all your recipes and the time you put into writing the notes up. Stay safe!
Thank you!
I have also struggled with anxiety during these times. My husband & I have a 2 year plan to move closer to our daughter and her family(& our 11 month old granddaughter). We are part way through year one. We just sold our lake cabin of 18 years and many family memories. It was a place of such peace. Change is sure hard sometimes. The new owners have 3 young boys and they will make many memories there which makes us both happy.
It’s fun to see what is going on with your farm animals and busy family. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.
Oh, Laurie, I don’t know you in person but I almost got a little teary-eyed reading about you selling your lake cabin where your family undoubtedly made so many memories. Change IS hard, but isn’t it remarkable to look back and see how those changes have led us to even better things? Thank you for sharing.
Hi…. so sorry to hear about your dental issues…. my granddaughter just had her jaw re-aligned, and now at 6 weeks, she is eating some…. it’s been 6 weeks…. hope you are doing better…. of course, YOUTH does help…
DID I mess the cookie recipe at the top of the blog? they look yummy… can you send?
thanks
Phyllis
Hi Phyllis! I hope your granddaughter has speedy healing. That does NOT sound like fun! And I’ll be posting that cookie recipe Monday! It’s a good one!
Hi Mel,
I’m a long-time follower and maker of your recipes, but have never commented. I’m also an introvert, so much so that I rarely reach out even to comment. However, your mention of your gum surgery drew me in because I also had that surgery many years ago (the roof of my mouth took a good while to heal), and your mention of collecting books on racial equality and justice to donate to local schools spurred me to finally respond. I love that you are doing this with your kids. I’ve been especially burdened lately about these very things and have wondered what in the world I could do in these times to affect change. Purchasing books from black-owned businesses and donating them to schools is a wonderful idea. I feel like I was meant to read your post today and I just wanted you to know that I’m thankful for your voice.
Amy, thank you so much for your comment. Honestly, it meant a lot to me. I’ve felt those same burdens. It’s been uplifting for me to make small changes and involve my kids. Maybe it won’t change the world, but it is certainly changing us. Thanks again.
I think we all know what you are talking about! We all love our kids and husband’s but we do NEED our quiet time so we can recharge. I am so glad that you were able to go have a fun and escape for a little while! We loved riding the Hiawatha trail, alot of fun for everyone! We start school in a week and a half, the boys will be going! We love you guys and we miss you all! Tell your kids to stop growing, I tell mine all the time but they just don’t listen! Keep enjoying those cute pigs and rub their bellies for me!
Haha, I tell mine that, too! We miss you guys! For pete’s sake, we aren’t that far apart, we should plan something together when everything calms down.
Hey Mel. I’ve been following your blog for years and enjoyed your recipes along the way. I just want to say thank you for sharing your thoughts, and pointing out that we are all not alone in this “covid thing”.
Gord
Thanks so much, Gord!
Highly recommend taking the tine to watch this.
Just finishing up “Just Mercy” with a group from church. Discussions are disturbing (as they should be) & profound.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MyBfOX5OHRQ
Thank you for sharing that!
I’ve wanted to do the Hiawatha trail for SOOO long! It will probably have to wait a few years though since Andrew 100% flat out REFUSES to learn to ride and bike and he’s now too big to throw in a trailer behind me 🙁
Love the book project you are working on! Such a cool thing for your kids to be a part of.
My boys started school Monday! So far so good! They were so ready to go back and I was so ready for a little quiet time! I’m just praying that the next couple of weeks go well so that the rest of the schools in the valley can see that it’s okay to be in school.
Haha. Andrew. Little stinker. 🙂 I’m glad your kids are back at school and doing well! Crossing fingers things continue to go well for them!
I loved Boys in the Boat! One of the best books I have ever read. I am 71 years old and had never heard of this true story. I have been hoping they would make a movie of it, but it hasn’t happen yet. I was on a vacation while I was reading it and whenever anyone would see what I was reading they always said that they loved it too. One guy said he hates reading, but he loved that book! I have recommended it to many people and they always tell me the same thing, love it! The hardest part for us has been not being able to be around our family because of our age, but we have loosened up and we have actually had some great times with our family. The backyard works great with this time of year! Thanks for all your great recipes!
I’m glad to hear that! And it makes me excited to listen to the audiobook!
Redfish Lake is THE BEST!! That is my spot! Went there every summer growing up. Such great memories and a spectacular place. So glad you went and loved it.
Hang in there and keep healing!
I hope we can go every year! But man, it’s become so popular it’s hard to find a spot to reserve. But worth trying for sure!
I loved Boys in the Boat! I understand Krista’s comment about lots of extraneous info. However, in some ways it gave depth and background to the individuals. It was personally interesting to me because I lived 52 of my 62 years in Western Washington. Let us all know if you like it.
My husband has listened to the audiobook on our trip and he loved it! I’m excited to start. From the comments below it sounds like the audiobook is maybe a bit more captivating than reading the book?
I also get so quiet time with livestock. Mine have been bummer lambs . Even though they are weaned i have been known to still go out and just sit with them in the shade. They’re a little more manageable to love on than the baby calfs LOL
How in the world did you get away from your pigs to go RVing. Sounds like a dream. And maybe a little bit of mutiny on the teenagers part for the first week LOL.
I look up to you and admire you. You are I was so raw and real with us. Thank you for sharing about your anxiety. I am wondering if I have some creeping up as well. Sleeping at night has just not been happening. I’ve learned that can be very vicious cycle, and know that I need to get on top of it soon. (You being raw with us is why I don’t have skin cancer anymore. When my nose got looking like a pimple that wouldn’t heal I went in after thinking of you.) So looking forward to a vacation with one of my grown and moved out daughters. We’re getting away to Yellowstone and the Tetons for a few days in the near future. Leaving the livestock with the rest of the family while we’re gone.
Oh have so much fun in Yellowstone and the Tetons! That area is one of my favorites in the world; I grew up spending summers there and have so much nostalgia for that area. It takes a small army to help us get away with all of our animals. My sister lives near us and she has three boys and a great husband who step in and come over here 2-3 times a day to check on the animals. It’s a blessing for us! We don’t get away often but when we do, it’s nice to know we can count on them (and we have another family that we switch off watching each other’s small farms).
Oh Mel! You make me feel so much more normal. This is a wonderful post! One I need to go back and read many times. One that speaks truth and reassurance to my soul. My oldest left on his mission to AZ 2 1/2 weeks ago. He is happy and doing great even amidst all the changes, and his happiness makes my heart so happy. My middle schooler started in-person school on Wednesday and has done ok, even with all the mask wearing and protocols. My high schooler starts school next Wednesday at a new and much bigger school than he went to last year. We are all just hanging on to hope, washing our hands, wearing masks, watching the news as little as possible, trying to avoid FB as much as possible, and finding that nature is healing for everyone in our family… even the bug-haters . Thanks for the pic of the piggies and for your honest feelings about life. Hang in there, Mel!! ❤️❤️
Haha, even the bug haters. YES! Even my bug haters felt rejuvenated being in nature for this last week. It was amazing. You have kids in so many phases of life! That’s challenging for the mom’s soul. Hang in there!
I also can’t wait to hear about your pants and shoes. They sound very comfortable! I’m glad you’re feeling better and have been able to decompress a bit this summer. These last six months have been terrible and still are with everything going on and my anxiety has risen tremendously! We spent at week at the beach with no news at all and as the saying goes, no news was certainly good news! McCall and Cour d’ Alene are certainly some of the most beautiful spots in the world! So glad you could enjoy them with your family. I’ve just finished reading The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. Very good and emotional! I get emotional just thinking about it. I can’t wait for new recipes! Wishing you all the best!
Thanks for the book recommendation, Melany! I’ve read a few of Lisa Wingate’s other books and I’m excited to check that one out!
Glad you are healing well! So important for families to spend that quality time together!! Our family went to Breckenridge, CO and spent a week hiking many trails, boating in a nearby lake, enjoying our grown kids, their spouses and our grandkids. We played board games after the little ones went to bed and just reconnected. It was so important for our family to be together after all the shutdowns and time apart.
That sounds like an amazing trip, Elisabeth! I’ve heard that area is absolutely gorgeous. And what an amazing time to reconnect as a family. Love that.
Make a cookbook. I loved nightingale and boys In the boat (cried on that one.) will look into just mercy. Huckleberries planned for next year. Hubby had sinus Surgery and he’s a trooper but I still feel like I have a newborn. Lol schooling from home bc I can’t take the uncertainty.
Also Hiawatha is on our bucket list. Did glacier this year. So great
Good luck to your husband, Heather!
You’re not alone with the anxiety and craving alone time! I actually started therapy and it has helped tremendously. My kids are doing distance learning for the semester and started last week. I told myself not to expect things to go perfectly or even great and those lower expectations help. It’s just a hard phase of life for everyone and we probably won’t be thriving.
I’m so grateful to your website because when I need something to go the way it is supposed to, I search your recipes and bake or cook away and get a perfect result. It is very soothing. And yummy.
I love your idea of stocking the library at school and will absolutely be doing the same with our school libraries. What an awesome idea!!
Have a great weekend.
You are so sweet, Jennifer. Thank you! I’m glad the recipes have helped maybe a little bit. And also, what a great reminder to keep the expectations a bit lower. Honestly, that is helpful and I need to remind myself of that (also, yes to therapy – I agree that sometimes it’s the tool that can get us up and over the mountain).
That camper looks dreamy. Love YOUR guts. Im off to nap but will return to read all this useful info another day
Haha. Yes! Naps over reading blogs ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!
I 100% get the need to be alone and recharge. Today I told my kids, who are all teenagers, that I wanted them to leave the house and go have fun together so I could be alone. Maybe read a book, maybe sew something, definitely nap. Things didn’t work out quite how I wanted them to and I ended up leaving the house to get that time I needed. In this crazy stressful time we’re all living in, I’ll take what I can get.
I’m glad you ended up getting that time!!
YAY! I am glad you’re able to eat once again and healed. Those pigs are adorable!
I am an introvert too and when quarantine first started I was giddy. I was still in the office in the beginning, but that changed and I spent 6 weeks working from home. At first I liked it, then, because my space is in my dad’s basement office area, I found I really missed the light I have in the office. We have few people back in the office and I made 1 of the 2 people required in my group to be back until I got sick. This stuff is so scary, I had all of the symptoms, had to have the COVID test and then it came back negative. The flu I had took 2 weeks to get over and I worked from home during it.
I only have 1 kid, a teenager who will be 15 on the 26th, and he went from an C, D, F student to straight A’s and a 4.0 student with online learning. I was thankful he found a balance with me working at home, not seeing his friends, a cooped up 14 year old is not fun, and finding ways to entertain himself. He’s always been an artist, but he mastered faces, and kept a vigil on all of our baby birds. He did decide he wants to go back to school because of his Zoology class and Biology. I am thankful for the weekends after the initial quarantine was lightened up, that I took him and his buddy fishing and hiking in our UT mountains. I think nature for him was the best medicine.
Through all of these changes, we almost lost my mom twice, and it was terrifying when she would go to the hospital because none of us wanted her to get this. We weren’t allowed to see her and I think that was the hardest part of it.
Your RV trip looks like it just what your family needed. I know we have unplugged for many days just to not see the news and all the ugliness that is happening right now.
Stay safe and enjoy the ride!
Wow, Shanae, you have had some ups and some downs! Sounds like a roller coaster. But the fact that your son has thrived and done so well is amazing. What a blessing. I’m sorry you got so sick!! I agree as an introvert, I was super excited at the start of quarantine. Like, I’ve been preparing for this my whole life! But turns out, it’s so much more than that. All the decisions and highs and lows for the kids. You’re doing great! I hope your mom is doing ok…sounds like a scary situation for her!
Your comments on anxiety hit so hard right now! Anxiety is not a normal, everyday struggle for me, but has cropped up occasionally in my life (like when it took us 6 weeks to figure out our newborn had acid reflux, and that’s why she spent nearly every waking moment crying- really puts you on edge!), and has resurfaced these past few months.
I’m also an introvert, and have 2 small kids + 1 husband who’s working from home. I normally recharge 1x a week by going out by myself after my husband is done with work and go grab food, go shopping, to a movie, whatever, normally by myself. Since the pandemic i am almost never alone, but am starting again to at least go grab food by myself sometimes because I am finally realizing how much I need alone time to be a pleasant person, and to have anything to give to my family. I worry about covid-19, but mental health is soooooo important, too! Also i found out i apparently cope with lots of baking, and lots of chocolate!! Thank you for your post, it’s good to feel like youre not alone <3
I agree, Jacelyn – so refreshing to feel like we’re not alone. I don’t deal with extreme anxiety on an every day basis either which is why I’ve felt a noticeable difference as it has crept up. I’m glad you’ve found ways to still get out – getting something to eat by yourself or just taking a drive can be rejuvenating. Also, REALLY glad you and your sweet newborn got through the acid reflux nightmare. That is not fun!
I literally ended up in the ER thinking I was having serious heart issues but really was just having a panic attack. I felt stressed but I didn’t think I was “panicking”! My body was just done though… I’m a nurse and with all that stress from Covid plus homeschooling 5 kids and all the other things. This has been a hard, weird year. Love your guts right back!
I’m so sorry, Wendi! That is SCARY! Sending virtual momma hugs your way. You have so much on your plate!
Can I make two comments? Haha. As I read through these comments it reminded me of how important physical exercise is right now. I feel like it has been my saving grace through this terrible time. My latest discovery is Sydney Cummings on Youtube. She posts a new workout every day and gives you a life pep talk at the end of each workout. There are lots of days when I feel like I’m not in the mood or too tired but then I think about how great she makes me feel and how much I need her positivity everyday. Check her out or just get outside and move!
Physical activity is a must in a time like this! I purchased a spin bike before the pandemic and it was my saving grace during the cold months. Being outside in the fresh air and sun is so important for mental sanity. We all have days when we just don’t feel like working out, but once your moving you will be much happier. Sydney is great, I also use her workouts. YouTube is filled with free meditation, yoga, and all different level fitness classes, you will find something. Introverts we rule the world!
Such great advice, Marisa and Lynn! Thank you!
Definitely want to know about pants and shoes! Very quiet here in northeastern NC!
I’ll share soon!
Love a Friday Thought post! So nice to hear from you, Mel! We are knee-deep scrapping with our public school over their reopening plan. I think we are keeping our kids (6th and 8th grade) home- either using the school’s remote option, or homeschooling if that proves too dreadful. It’s heartbreaking for my 8th grader who misses her friends.
Thank you for the book list- what a fantastic family project!
We have been making an effort to sprinkle plenty of milkshakes, sailing, pizza, Dutch Blitz, old school video games and Star Trek into our staycation summer. No trips this year, but I love the idea of RVing. I just sent a link to the Hiawatha Trail to a dear friend in Idaho- amazing!
Your pigs are darling! Not an issue with breeding pairs, but we know several people who have not been able to process pigs after naming them and treating them like pets. No doubt you are already on top of this, having had experience with cattle. We’ve been raising Hereford/Tamworth crosses for about 5 years (great bacon pigs) and very much subscribe to the “one bad day” school of animal husbandry.
I was so discouraged and mad when we came home from our last school board meeting that I cried. It’s a very disorienting time, with no end in sight, and lots of loose ends. It’s hard to see other people making what look to you like bad decisions. No doubt, they feel the same way. What helps me get a grip is to focus on some small, concrete thing that I CAN control, right in front of me. Whether that’s a clean bathroom or a batch of cookies, a short walk, or reorganizing our food storage, I can usually get some perspective back. And even if I still feel unsettled, at least the bathroom is clean. Unplugging is helpful too.
Thank you for all you do, Mel!
Good luck with the school drama, Rebecca. Sounds hard! We took Dutch Blitz in the RV, so yeah, we’ve been loving that game lately. And yes, you are so right. There is no way on earth we could eat these pigs that have become very beloved to us all. If we raise any of their offspring for meat, we are going to have to have an alternate plan for raising them (as in, offsite somewhere). My kids have never gotten attached to our beef cows, but these pigs are different. (And I love that philosophy of “one bad day” – I hope we are doing the same as we raise our animals humanely but also for a purpose.) Thank you for your advice and thoughts at the end. That’s a great coping skill – just focus on what we can control, even if it’s small. I know there are a lot of people (in schools and such) trying to make the best decisions they can…it’s just hard when it affects others around them. I’ve been so frustrated with our school board, too. Hang in there.
There is no place like Montana. You are headed to a great state but watch out locals are not loving the out of staters and possible Covid spreaders lately! We go back to school in hybrid style. Not sure how this is going to work for us as we are and have to be a two working parents household. Half the kids go Mon and Wed and half go Tue and Thurs and no school on Friday. Distance learning in the off days. Those pigs are darling, we have about everything except pigs, wonder if my family will let me get some pigs.. . Safe Travels!
Everyone was pretty nice although we stayed pretty close to the outdoors/mountains/lots of social distancing. We didn’t do the restaurant or entertainment scenes other than finding a loaf of bread occasionally in a grocery store. Hahah. I’ve wondered how two-working parents are managing the hybrid home/in-person school thing. Are your jobs flexible enough for you to alternate working from home those days or will you have to find childcare?
Lived the boys in the boat! We start virtual school next week. Still in denial a bit about that. Really love your sun hat! Can you share where you got it?
It’s this one: https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
I wear it literally every day. I love it.
Hi! Where did you get your cute sun hat? I love it!
It’s from Coolibar!
Here’s the link: https://www.coolibar.com/women-s-tempe-sun-hat-upf-50.html
Are you working on a cookbook?! My binder of all your recipes would make a great published book! I’m with you on the anxiety. I’m normally pretty calm but this has been hard. I work from home so I’m not sure why. The monotony of everyday being the same, the kids being stressed, the husband working from home… I’ve been meditating, it helps. And not exercising nearly enough which would also help. I love what your family is doing for the libraries. You’re just the whole package.
I’ve actually started meditating, too. And although it’s hard for me to relax, I agree, that it’s helped (thanks to a meditating app). I don’t think you are off for thinking this all is hard. I agree that the monotony (even for someone like me that likes a schedule and a plan) is a killer.
That honestly sounds exactly like a trip I’ve been wanting to do with my family! I’d love it if you’d be willing to share your itinerary!
Hey Mandy! I posted a few quick instagram stories over on @melskitchencafe about it, but we really kind of just flew by the seat of our pants. As we were driving out of town our friends called and said they had extra days at Redfish Lake and asked if we wanted them so we headed up there for three days, then drove up through Cour d’Alene and did the Hiawatha trail. We wanted to head over to Glacier Natl Park but half of it is closed right now so we’ll probably do that another time!
This is my first time commenting and for that I apologize. lol I have been using your recipes for quite some time now and I must say they are the BEST!!
I, too, am feeling the anxiety of back to school and what that really entails. Our school was supposed to start Aug. 20, but last night the school board pushed it back to Sept. 10. My type-A personality that likes things to be organized has been stretched thin from March til now and I had my hopes pinned on that Aug. 20th date. Is the universe telling me, again, to calm the hell down and take things as they come? Or should I enroll in an online school so I at least know what the school year will look like? That’s what’s going on in my head right now. Ugh. Best of luck to us all!
Um, Rachel. Hi. Nice to meet you. We are living IDENTICAL school district lives. Ours just got pushed back to Sept 8 and now I’m in the camp of “what do I do now??” Good luck figuring out the best decision for you and your kiddos! I’m digging REALLY deep to just enjoy these next few weeks (haha, I’m kind of giggling as I type that out, but it’s a nervous giggle) and go to the frame of mind that “it will all work out.” Right? Right.
Hi Mel,
I’m glad to hear of your recovery from your surgery and can enjoy food once again. Did you lose weight, just wondering. Oh and I love your pigs, but then I love all animals.
I am retired and feel kind of guilty saying that I enjoy being home. I keep very busy with my small garden, cooking, and baking. Plenty of family and friends to share with.
However, my biggest worry is my daughter and her family in Texas, but I do find solace in God and prayer.
Take care and may God bless you and your family.
Don’t feel guilty about that at all, Perla! I honestly love when people can appreciate and love their circumstances – no use in comparing it to anyone else, right? You are amazing for enjoying where you’re at and staying busy. I hope your daughter and her family stay well! (Yes, I did lose a bit of weight during gum surgery recovery but lost no time in gaining it all back, haha)
Since this is therapy I had a couple of days a few weeks ago where I was maybe depressed. Maybe partially hormone induced, but I was in a dark, weird place and didn’t know what to do. I don’t know what triggered it and I pulled out of it quickly, but as a fellow introvert, this post not only resonated with me, but gave me some insight. Thank you for being a virtual friend and sharing yourself to help us. Maybe I need to insist on my walk/slow jogs sometimes being alone and not always have a buddy, just for self care. Love my people, but gotta love myself too.
Ah, thank YOU for sharing, Shannon. Really. I feel like the silver lining of these challenging few months is realizing I’m not alone. I’m glad you were able to pull yourself out of that scary spot. Recognizing it is super helpful (especially for the future)…you are so right we have to love ourselves, too, and sometimes that means taking time to ourself.
Love the pics especially the lake with the forest behind. Would love to see a post on your bucket list. Have enjoyed reading about your travels. We have a bucket list too.
I love hearing other people’s bucket lists as well!
I second another commenter with “The Boys In the Boat.” It was slow, with a lot of detail and we just couldn’t get through it. As for your RV adventures, we too went on a 5-week RV trip. We bought an RV in March with plans to sell everything and go full-time in the summer. But, once Covid changed everything to online we decided to leave right away and drove 9,000 miles, visiting 25 states. We also have five kids (4 boys and 1 girl, ages 13-18). We ended the trip because my oldest started online MTC. We have since sold the RV and our house and are enjoying a simpler life. Good luck with everything and enjoy the time with your family. (We also used to live in MN so I think we have a lot in common).
A 5-week trip! 9,000 miles! 5 kids! So fun! And so crazy! And so much work! But seriously, so fun. I’m envious of your phasing into a simple life. That’s amazing.
If anyone has to have that gum surgery you j just suffered through, they might ask the surgeon if she could use donor skin instead of scraping it off the roof of your mouth. A dead friend had it done both ways and highly recommends the donor skin. Roof of the mouth was sooo much more painful than the gums, she said. Just a thought……
I’m thinking you probably mean “dear” friend but correct me if I’m wrong. 🙂 I have heard cadaver/donor tissue makes for a quicker recovery. Unfortunately I wasn’t eligible for that (or at least the perio recommended against it based on some issues) but I totally believe it’s a great option if you can do it!
What timing! I just got the gum graft surgery on the left side of my mouth yesterday and am in a complete depression about the food. I have eaten yogurt and smashed avocado today but it’s just not the same without the crunchy piece of toast to go with it!!! I hope mine heals much quicker than yours. That’s a LONG time!!!!
You’ve got this, Karen! I should have been a bit more positive in my post. Honestly, looking back, it doesn’t seem so long, but going through it was a little bit rough. Did you have the incision on the top of your mouth? If not, you’ll heal a lot faster! I was definitely not eating anything semi-solid like yogurt on day 2 so you’re already ahead of me!
Hi there!! It’s been a little rough with my boys home but I do love it!! They are 11 and 14. Screen time is a constant battle and added mom guilt when I have to be in my computer a lot if the day. I work from home. I’m blessed to have a job and a wonderful home to be “stuck” in. I just need to get some more family time in so that our faces don’t shrivel up in front of a screen.
Thank you fir your post! Great photos!
Mom guilt, be gone! Sounds like we’re all trying to do our best. Hang in there with the working from home scene! That’s a balancing act for sure!
We also did an RV trip with Thor this past week. I have been very reluctant and my husband has tried to convince me for years to go. Well, we finally did it! The kids absolutely loved it and it was great to spend time off grid and in nature. We did a Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore loop. I’m still trying to walk straight and I’m so thankful for real bathrooms but I have to admit that I loved it too. I need some cooking motivation. After 21+ years of cooking dinner nearly every night I have hit a wall. I am ready to revolt! Do you have any tips for scheduling a dinner rotation with the kids & husband? I am a working mom and everyone has after school activities. Help! I tried your lemon chicken on the flatbread and we all loved it. I love the posts about the pigs.
Oh yay! So fun you just did the same thing!! Haha, I hear you on getting back to ground level and walking a little wonky (and barely fitting in the bathroom!). For dinner rotation, what’s worked best for us this summer is a straightforward assigning every person a dinner night. Sunday night we sit down and plan the menu so we’re all on the same page (i.e. the 8-year old may WANT pot roast and potatoes and homemade rolls but there’s no way she’s executing that by herself, so weeknight spaghetti it is) and then someone does the grocery shopping (ok, that’s usually me but you could assign it out) and the expectation is that dinner is ready and on the table at a certain time. I have younger kids so I help the two youngest, but the three older kids get it done by themselves. Oh, and they have to clean up, too.
Sounds like you have your priorities straight! Families are forever!!! As for us two old folks, we are remodeling our backyard.
Woohoo! Sounds like fun. 🙂
Four of my kids are back in school; two more will start next week (thanks to our district’s last-minute change with middle school going hybrid). Yesterday was the first day and I was a mess after kissing my babies goodbye over their masks. Part of me feels like I could be sending them off to die, part of me is SO grateful to have just two hours a day somewhat-ish to myself (kids are on alternating in-person/virtual days so someone is always home but it’s less someones). So so much guilt and anxiety wrapped up in this, and I already H A T E driving them to/from school (which took 42 minutes one way this afternoon…we live 1.3 miles from their school). Every choice feels like Russian roulette.
I’m so glad you are doing the RV trip! We spent two weeks earlier this summer camping in Wyoming and Montana (we live in Indiana and it was a loooong drive but I would do it again in a heartbeat!) and it literally saved my sanity.
Currently looking at real estate nonstop because I can’t take another summer of living next door to the neighborhood pool and watching the complete flouting of CDC guidelines while my kids look sadly at everyone else splashing.
Gah. Rachael. I’m sorry. And I totally hear you. Every choice and decisions and feeling is like a hundred different emotions wrapped up into one stick of dynamite. I don’t know how I feel half the time and it’s hard to know if what I’m choosing is the “right” choice. What a drive from Indiana to Montana/WY – but what fun! The mountains bring me a lot of solace. Ugh to the neighborhood pool issues – there’s so much discrepancy, it’s hard to understand. Like, in my area all the neighborhood pools are open as well as the huge water park in the big city down the road (and amusement parks are opening back up nationwide) – and yet, schools can’t open? I mean, I’m not making a statement either way…it’s just odd and I don’t get it. And that would be hard to live right there by a neighborhood pool and have to manage expectations and emotions of kids about it. Hang in there.
What is the cookie recipe in the first picture?
It’ll go up Monday! Peanut butter sugar cookie with chocolate frosting.
Great post, as always. What cookie is on the top of the page? If you identified it or linked to it… I missed it. Thanks!
I’m posting it Monday! It’s a peanut butter sugar cookie with chocolate frosting. In other words, it’s amazing.
Love the post! You look smashing and really, isn’t that half the battle? Life by a lake is all we need.
I have been purveying ripe peaches and love this crisp (made with peaches and a few raspberries). It is the best crisp I’ve ever made. I also made an apricot raspberry version that was tops. I highly recommend. It must be the egg that takes it over the top and crisps the crisp. https://cupofjo.com/2019/09/best-apple-crisp-easy/
I’ve also been sewing (piecing quilts) with abandon and writing my favorite recipes on cards and laminating them (though most of my recipes are digital or in notebooks). I think it’s fun to still have handwriting. I find I need to do things with my hands. There is a body-spirit connection it seems. A box like this: https://www.posiegetscozy.com/2012/02/recipe-box.html?cid=6a00d8345196d169e20168e6fbd584970c#comment-6a00d8345196d169e20168e6fbd584970c
Your family looks wonderful. Isn’t that the best!? Take care!
Before signing off, you should know we’ve made your Cheddar Jalapeño Turkey Burgers about 3 times now since I saw your repost. My husband (a proud beef eater) LOVES them!
Karen! That crisp sounds AMAZING. I have two boxes of peaches coming my way soon and a few raspberries on my pathetic raspberry plants. I’ll be making it. Thank you! I love your quilting and handwritten recipe hobbies! Love them so much. And I think you are spot on with the body/spirit connection (that recipe box filled with handwritten recipes is so fantastic). Also, I LOVE that your husband has embraced those turkey burgers. Yay!
Mel, we may be related. I also had that gum surgery about 20 years ago, and fear I need it again. I have been blaming Covid for my procrastination in making a dental appointment. We have large families; I have 2 adult sons, but 7 siblings. Fun! I understand your reluctance about school. I enjoyed teaching for 33 years, but have never been so happy to be retired as I am now. Good luck with that. Anxiety? Don’t get me started. What works for me? I am currently sitting on the deck in the shade, looking at the sun glistening on the lake, and listening to a squirrel trying to drown out a lawnmower. Stay safe, enjoy the outdoors and savour the everyday blessings.
Ah, thanks for the comment, Gloria! I’ll consider us soul sisters since we sound so similar in so many respects! I’m loving your alone time in the shade (and giggled about the squirrel drowning out the lawnmower…hahaha).
Oh my gosh, your comment about a detailed spreadsheet had me cackling! I hear you loud and clear on that! I’m such an organizer and this everything up in the air junk is seriously killing me. I have to take deep breaths and remind myself that this won’t last forever. (Right? Please? PLEASE!?). And I’m super envious of your huckleberry spot. My family used to have reunions in Oregon and huckleberrying was one of the highlights, but it’s been years. I’ll have to get back up there soon. Milkshakes sound awesome but they make the most divine pies as well!
Ha. Take some deep breaths for me, too. Maybe I’ll venture out and make a huckleberry pie this year. If it’s going to happen, it’ll be this year, since my mental cracks are starting to show. Haha.
Those pigs look adorable! Me? My introverted self has taken to meditative weeding. Sit in the shade and work on a spot, enjoy the outdoors, and let my mind wander.
Love that, Michele.
Oh and my coping strategies have really been to read scriptures, conference talks, stay away from social media and a lot of news, take long baths with bath bombs and Epsom salts, and bake and cook A LOT. The last one prob hasn’t helped my waistline so much, but my family loves it! Haha. I have also started gardening. This has been my few minutes in the morning and evening of “me time” where I can just hang out with my plants and have some quiet. I never would have guessed I would be gardening, but nothing about the last few months has been something I guessed would ever happen, so…
I love that you’ve started gardening, Rachel! What a fantastic hobby to pick up right now as it provides some much needed outdoor therapy.
School starts next week for us. I go back and forth between being excited for everyone to be gone during the day and being able to get things done, and being sad that maybe we didn’t do enough this summer and I’m not going to be motivated to do anything when my kids are in school.
Haha, you sum up my feelings every year at the end of summer. So are your kids able to go back in-person full-time?
I love the idea of renting an RV and traveling! Maybe next year. Things stre still so weird. I want to be able to see people’s faces and give them a hug. But… maybe next year. Mentally
I feel like I’m losing it sometimes, the kids need to go to school for a bit. But all in all, we’re well. The kids are starting here the week after next with hybrid learning, they’ll go twice a week. We’ll see how that goes.
Good luck with all of that, Cathy! I keep hoping “maybe next year” too but then realize that I probably just need to bloom where I’m planted, dang it.
Thank you for being so real! I love reading your posts and your blog is my recipe go-to.. This has been quite an…adventure. It’s been a rough few months and we are doing our best to survive. I have a couple of kids doing full-time homeschool and one doing BYU online high school/homeschool, another doing hybrid high school, and another doing hybrid middle school where she goes two days and is at home doing “online learning” three days a week. It’s going to be interesting, to say the least. Cheers to chips in sandwiches btw. The salt and vinegar chips are my favorite too!
Oh boy, Rachel, I could hardly keep all those details/schedules straight. Good luck! And also, maybe chips in sandwiches is the next new best coping skill? Yes, I think so. 🙂
You are amazing! I wish I was more diverse like you. I also love my husband and kids. But this spring was rough for me. I complained a lot until my husband pointed out all of the blessings we have received.: he still had a job and was busy, our kids all had jobs, we got to spend more time with our adult kids we wouldn’t normally get including a 4 month intermission with our son during his mission.. We have been so blessed and really have nothing to complain about!! Life really is good!
I’ve given up all social media (except my son’s missionary videos on Facebook.). Avoid most news stories. Read a lot of books, scriptures, and conference talks. Take walks in the early morning with friends or by myself. I bake a lot and share my food carefully with friends and neighbors because if my family ate everything I made we would be huge. AND I drink A LOT of Diet Dr. Pepper!. These are my best coping devices.
Thank you so much for being real and sharing with us. Also thank you for all of the delicious recipes. You are always my go to girl! Good luck this fall.
You’re right Becky – I need to take more of a pause and recognize the good and the blessings all around me! It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of it all. Love all of your coping skills! You’re amazing. XO
I just love your Friday thoughts. And that picture of your family on your bikes needs to be enlarged and on your wall. Love it! That’s on our bucket list. We miss you and your recipes when you’re taking a break – but so glad you get to reboot and recharge. We want to hear about the pants and shoes and all your favorite things, because you never let us down. Thanks for sharing. Your farm account on Instagram is one of my favorites to follow. Keep on sharing 🙂
You are so sweet Jill. Thank you! Hiawatha was so fun; I hope we can do it every year (that’s a dream…ok, maybe every other year!).
Lots of great thoughts! I had forgotten about your surgery. My oldest son has to have a gum graft surgery in September, but I’m worried that it’s only a few weeks before he starts MTC training (Eeek by itself!)
I know lots of people around here that pick huckleberries, in their own secret locations, but it’s a good 2-3 hours drive, and I wonder if it’s worth it.
We’ve thought about renting an RV, but fitting 8 people in one is proving difficult, without a huge expense, and I’m finding it’s not like renting a car, they limit you to 100 miles of travel a day or there is a surcharge 🙁
As for school, my kids are starting distance learning in less than 2 weeks. I have 3 kids in school (11th, 6th and 2nd) and 2 little ones that I will have to corral while the others do their classes. My oldest starts MTC training at the end of September so he will also be in virtual meetings all day for 2 1/2 weeks. I really hope the teachers are able to do the jobs they want to do, and that my kids will be physically going to school at some point during this school year.
Unfortunately my coping skills include hiding in the pantry with chocolate, or hiding in the bathroom while browsing in internet on my phone.
However we have also played lots of games, done lots of puzzles, made lots of goodies, gone swimming (we have a backyard pool), and played outside when the weather was bearable. My husband and I have tried to have date nights which mostly consist of grabbing some take-out and watching a movie after the little kids are in bed, and making the older kids stay upstairs until bedtime.
Emma, I can assure you that a 2-hour drive to pick huckleberries is most definitely worth it! Haha. Ok, I’m a little bit obsessed, but I have a friend who drive 9 hours every year so I feel ok about my 2 1/2 hour drive. Yes, that is true about the RV. I’m not sure it necessarily saved us any money (like, if I counted up the cost of staying in a hotel) but the convenience of all driving together like that was pretty fun. Ours slept 10 and it was about $200 a night (but we did go over on mileage so for a week, we’ll end up probably another $100 in overage for miles). Definitely a vacation to plan for since it’s not cheap! Oh man, bless you for venturing into the online schooling PLUS littles PLUS home MTC. Get yerself a good supply of chocolate, my friend. You can do this!
Wait! You’re going to leave us hanging on shoes and pants?!? Your recommendations are always spot on for me, and I’m going to be impatient until I get the updates.
From one introvert to another, good luck with the family time! We’re homeschooling this year and can I admit I sometimes miss sending my kids away?
Haha, I promise to do another Friday Thoughts post SOON and it will be dedicated to all the things that don’t matter but are super fun to talk about. Haha!
MEL!!! I’ve missed you !
First, I LOVE your shorter hair ! You rock it !!! Love it!
My husband and I have been relaxing watching
some. awesome TV.
We’ve recently fallen in love with orthodox and modern orthodox Jewish shows. ( yes, I can now speak some Yiddish ). Our favorites are Shtisel and Srugim.
I have just finished a wonderful feel good, warm hugs all around ( even if some of the book is about a Doctors experience counseling. cancer patients). Trust me, it’s beautiful and uplifting and wise. It’s called My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD
And I LOVED Boys in the Boat ! Great book. And for such a long time I thought rowing was an easy sport.
Haha
Good to hear from you and I’m so glad you finally healed from gum surgery! Does NOT sound like fun !
Thanks for sharing your thought Mel!
Linda T.
Loved your comment. Thanks for chiming in, Linda! Maybe I need some Jewish television in my life?? I’m going to check those recommendations out (as well as the book!).
P.S. I think I recommended this book before but just in case, I LOVED A Gentleman in Moscow ! LOVED IT.
And I loved The Glass Castle ( memoir by Jeanette Wells). It demonstrates just how resilient we all are!
And the Gentleman in Moscow is a novel but it’s about a man can’t leave a hotel for the rest of his life and the relationships he develops while there. So good.
NOT AT ALL TEMPTED to rent an R.V no matter how fun you make it sound. But my husband is very sad about that because he IS an RV type of guy!
Oh man! You are definitely in my head. The last 6 months or so have been unbelievably hard (internally and just overall) mostly because I can never just get a minute to be ALONE or catch up on sleep (2 teenagers, bed at midnight and 2 littles who wake with the sun). I feel every word of this! I realized too that I am short of good coping skills so desperately needed. Friends, walking at night, a good show to watch and a good book to read are my saving graces. But every day is still a struggle. Bless us all to survive. ❤️
Yes, bless us all, Chelsea. 🙂 I think it’s great that you know what you need to fill up your cup (sometimes it’s hard even identifying those things) – now the trick is to work it into an already hectic, sleep-deprived day. Hang in there!
P.S. That surgery sounds terrible and I hope you had good friends around to love on you. If I were closer I would have brought you a meal. Although it prob would have been one of your own recipes.
Haha. I would have loved every bite! (As long as I could have pureed it into mush)
Oh I loved this Friday thoughts!! I am not an introvert but it has been equally hard. Hello…people home all day. An RV sounds amazing. Every time I mention it to my husband he says “sounds like work”. I am still working on him. Your pigs are adorable!! I could definitely see them being therapeutic at the end of the day!!! Can not wait to hear about a cookbook?! Pants?! Shoes?! Yes! Do tell!! And don’t stress about limiting content. We are here for you and not going anywhere! Also, love the hair!!
Hey Renee! The RV is kind of a lot of work but in a fun way. And I don’t know, I loved it so much more than cramming in a car and staying in hotels or tent camping.
“As a verified introvert, I’ve been challenged big time since March. Listen, I love my kids and husband. They’re great. I want to live with them forever. And I genuinely would choose family time over just about anything else (as in, family night out over girls’ night out any day of the week). But all disclaimers aside, I am mentally rejuvenated when I have a degree of quiet alone time. And that has been noticeably absent the last little while especially since I’m in the parenting phase of early rising kids (who are too old to take naps) and late bedtime teenagers.”
This is exactly the words I was trying to get from my head/heart out my mouth yesterday when talking to my husband. Sometimes (daily) I have to go hide in my garden. I love them all so much yet I am dying from no personal space/time to refill my introverted bucket.
May the odds ever be in our favor as we struggle through this no-where-near-normal school year.
Thanks- from a fellow need a plan introvert of late teenagers, early rising youngers, mom of kids in 2 school districts that can’t make up their mind about starting dates
Thanks for chiming in, Suzanne! Seriously. It helps so much to hear from other women and moms feeling the same way. Makes me not feel like I’m totally crazy for feeling this way. I’m glad you have your garden as a getaway. Hang in there! We can do this.
I’ve had that surgery twice and it’s awful. The only thing worse is the recovery and childbirth with a useless epidural!
Love chips in my sandwiches.
I loved the book The Boys in the Boat. So, so good. A great lesson of it’s more about attitude, perseverance and working hard than your circumstances.
I was just telling my husband that I want to rent an RV for a vacation. Sounds fun!
These last few months have been filled with lots of love, a new baby, sleep deprivation, fun, fear and sadness for the state of the world and more specifically our country. There is so much hate that it does feel overwhelming. I’m trying to not let others get me down and usually that means avoiding social media. So many opinions on race, politics, covid, face masks, school, etc etc. The best thing I can do is be kind and respectful and teach that to my children through example.
Your last line is everything, Jill! I agree with that completely and need to try harder, for sure. The RV has been so fun. I think you should do it for sure! 🙂
I’m with you on Googling anxiety attacks…fortunately it’s been a while for me (mid-July). Escaping to a quiet beach for a week helped. We are back into school and work and it all feels very fragile. I cried dropping my kids off at high school. Seeing all the masks, teachers, admin, it was all just too much. Pictures of your little pigs bring great joy. Looks like you are on the best adventure even though there’s been plenty of quality time…a change in scenery will do a person good. Enjoy!
Fragile is such an interesting and good way to describe how I think I’m feeling, too. I just keep wondering if we’ll ever get back to what life was like pre-covid, or is this all the new normal? I’m digging deep for that resilience to accept whatever it might be.
Good luck with The Boys in the Boat. I love World War Two books but I just couldn’t get through that one. I tried so hard. The author just gives SO. MUCH. unnecessary detail that it takes forever just to get to the good parts of the book.
I don’t know if someone has already said this but we read a school version of The Boys in the Boat and I really enjoyed it. You get the story without all of the historical detail.
I agree. I ended up reading the easy reader version for book club and it was still pretty dull
Interesting, Krista! My husband just listened to it so I’ll have to ask him what he thought but that’s good info from Melissa and Christie, too!
There is a young readers version (of Boys in the Boat) that hits the high points and is easier to get through. I had my done read it one summer.
Oh how funny…I absolutely loved it! ❤️
I agree with this, it is a very slow moving book but the story is so worth the read (or listen) in my opinion.
Did you try the audiobook? My family all LOVED that one from my 13 year old son to my 66 year old dad. I thought Mel was the one who recommended it to me a few years ago
I felt the same way about Boys In the Boat! But I slugged through (a rarity for me if I’m not captivated by a book) and I will say I am glad I finished. I did end up liking it. But it is a little slower than books in the “great” category.
There is a younger readers version of the book that you should try. Still gives lots of detail, but not quite as much
I couldn’t finish it either! But I have that problem with lots of big books. 🙂
I read the YA version of Boys in the Boat and it was excellent! All the good stuff but without all the unnecessary details. (I had tried and failed to get through the adult version too!)
I loved Boys in the Boat, but I taught high school history so all the details were ok with me. I also audibled it and listened while walking every day. The reminder, MIB, was very important, and I carry that message daily, especially now. Mind In Boat, focus only on the task at hand and clear your mind of all the noise around you.
Anyway, I love this blog and catching up with an amazing and normal family.
I am teaching my 8 and 10 year old grandchildren so with fear and trepidation concerning fifth grade math, I carry on
Signed,
An extroverted introvert…who knew?
Thanks for sharing all that Mel! My husband and I and our two boys are all introverts. Solitude works itself out, even with my husband wkg from our dining room. I meet on FaceTime or Zoom with two friend groups every week. I’ve got my sweet dogs and cat for instant emotional support. My youngest started 8th grade 100% online in July and it’s going well. Not ideal, but well. And staff and kids are safe. Our school and school district absolutely rock! We got away on two short similar trips. Not the plan but wonderful anyway. Turns out kayaking is inherently a socially distant activity! We’re making lemonade as best we can. I practice a spiritual program that helps me not get sucked in too deeply by my anxiety. The future is *always* uncertain and sometimes things really have to break badly before there exists sufficient strength and determination to change it. Thank you again for your post. I wish you and your family all the best.
Interesting to hear your comment. It is one of my most favoritest books. Maybe because I live in the PNW so it felt close to home.
We lived in Couer d’Alene for three years and I still
Think of it as one of the best places on earth. I love it so much. My kids started school last week but it’s virtual. There are still no definite plans for when we get to go back in person and it’s not looking very promising right now. I too love having my kids home. I consider the last six months to be a blessing. However, I am definitely feeling like it’s been a very long time since I had a modicum of alone time. Thanks for this post. It was fun to see what’s been going on in your life. I hope you can continue to find peace. I need to take a page from your book and do some disconnecting!
Wow, Heather, I can’t imagine living somewhere so beautiful! I’m glad I’m not the only mom who is feeling kind of the same way. Good luck to you this school year. Sounds like we are in very similar boats.
I love this, Mel! You are such a wonderful wife and mom and I love that you put your family first. The world would be a much happier and better place if everyone disconnected and did that.
And yes, quality over quantity
I am dying to visit Cour d’Alene! Sounds spectacular!!!
Oh trust me, I’m not as wonderful as I sound. Haha. I’m rather selfish with my time, and writing out this post, it’s clear I have to intentionally make those priorities the top ones or else I’d hide in my room alone all day! I hope you can get to Cour d’Alene some day. It honestly is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I’ve ever been.
I can’t wait to hear about your favorite pants and shoes. . . I’ve read Boys in the Boat and loved it. I’ll have to listen to the other two you mentioned. I’m feeling excited and nervous for school to start. I wish my kids weren’t so old because I feel like this hybrid school schedule is harder on them than my younger ones. And my high school senior is already mourning so many losses. Ugh!
I keep dreaming that my house will one day get clean, and I’m ready to do some dejunking but worry it won’t get done with kids home 3 of the 5 school days.
We just bought a tent trailer and are headed to Yellowstone for Labor Day. But I’m totally adding Redfish lake, Cour D’ Alene, and the Hiawatha Trail to our list of places to go!
High school seniors last year and this year have had it tough!! I’m dreaming for the same clean house, if it makes you feel better. Haha. But I’m realizing I better push all that off until 2025 or else I’ll just be disappointed. Have fun on your Labor Day trip!!
Thanks for sharing! I have been a hot mess dealing with my husband’s lost job, wondering what to do about school, a ridiculous lawsuit, world turned upside down concerning organized religion and spirituality, being seriously scared for our country and its most vulnerable people, and not making healthier choices for my mind and body. It’s helped me to admit and say that it’s okay to lie in bed and cry and recognize that I’m not totally okay. Love your website and recipes and you! Thanks for opening up the non-food parts of your life to us!
Oh, Carm, I’m so sorry to hear about so.much.chaos and pain in your personal life. Hard, hard, hard. But what you said is SO true. I’ve given myself the same permission: it’s ok to grieve. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel like this is hard. It’s ok to admit that we’re cracking a little bit. I feel like that’s what I’ve been missing (and why I tend to want to disconnect from the online world even more) – I need more people in my life willing to show the cracks and the stains and not just the picture perfect stuff. I know I don’t know you in real life, but you are in my prayers FOR SURE. Take one day at a time.
I teared up at your sweet, hopeful response. And I smiled thinking how nice it is that I felt comfortable using your comments section as a personal diary entry. You’re amazing and the fact that you took the time to so thoughtfully respond means more than you could know.
I have to know what that cookie is in one of the first pictures! It is making me hungry I am the same way with needing quiet, alone time to recharge and rejuvenate. Life is hard right now with my husband and kids home all day every day since March and same… they stay up late and wake up early and don’t take naps so I feel like I’m going crazy!
Hey Torri! I’m posting that one on monday! It’s a peanut butter sugar cookie (no rolling or cutting out!) with chocolate frosting. It’s unbelievably good!
Just have to say, this? This is the most truthful statement in all the world.
“A Detailed Future Plan to Write Firmly in a Spreadsheet and Follow Daily.”
Me. I need this. Having nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that I can write down and follow? It’s the most unsettling feeling I’ve ever had. And I’m not built for this !!
Unsettling is the most accurate way to describe it. I’m not built for it either (insert crying emoji). But we’ve got this. Because we are capable and strong and we can learn to be flexible. Right? Right??? 🙂
Well I could never leave because – all the recipes! But now I can’t wait for the pants, shoes, and cookbook idea!
XOXO 🙂 Thanks, Carla!
Boys in the Boat is the best! It’s so inspiring how hard those boys worked for a college education!
Hey! Not sure what happened to my previous comment, but I’d love to know where you bought your sun hat!
I’m so happy you can get away for a while! We left for a weekend of camping and hiking last week and after we got home I was kicking myself that we didn’t spend more time disconnected from “real life” this summer. My anxiety level went WAY down and my kids were so happy.
I TOTALLY agree with this, Jamie! I wish we would have done the escaping to the mountains thing a bit more this summer, too.
Edited to say: problem is, EVERYONE is doing the same thing. Haha. It’s been pretty crowded everywhere we’ve gone, and we’ve gone to some rather remote places on this RV excursion.
Also I make your French Bread Rolls all the time still! Love them!
Trying to get organized for this upcoming school year from home. 2 of our kids are starting digital and 2 we have pulled to homeschool. Getting the ducks in a row is a lot! My work hours change in 2.5 weeks which have me arriving an hour earlier, so that’s going to take some adjustments, too. So glad to hear from you.
Erin! You have so much on your plate. And you’re right, it’s just a lot to get set up for and manage. Good luck!
Your trip sounds wonderful! I can relate on the anxiety front and I don’t have kids and do have a good job where I can work from home. So many good audiobooks out there! Some of my recent favorites are Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell, Nothing to see Here by Kevin Wilson and Tomorrow will be different by SarahMcBride.
Thank you for the audiobook recommendations, Lesley!
Love the update! Fully support your unplugging as often as you need to! We’ll still be here for your go-to recipes!
I’m one week into homeschooling my kids and I think it will be one of the hardest things I ever do…whether it’s one year or more. 🙂
Oh man, hang in there, Emily! We homeschooled for five months a couple years ago, and it definitely was one of the hardest things I’ve done (but also super rewarding).