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I am lacking energy to write out much this week. But here are three dog-related internet treasures:

Doga https://www.instagram.com/reel/CO3ENzJnptB/?igshid=18avobrsxhpdf

You need dogs https://www.instagram.com/reel/CNuRN1qnqq_/?igshid=1acowk348me96

“Can my dog eat this?” https://www.instagram.com/p/COyyrkvp6SK/?igshid=t72i05cz1g7b

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Hello Swipes!

I’ve been reading but not commenting the last few weeks. My husband’s brother ended up passing away a few weeks ago (at only 46) and we are having the “unauthorized” celebration of life this weekend. His technically-still-married-but-separated-for-15-months wife is NOT coming and told us we needed mental help for holding this event at a local restaurant (that does serve alcohol even though we are not serving it) because of the medical circumstances surrounding his death. So that’s neat (sarcasm font).

I’m heartbroken for my husband and his parents that are going through this and even more so considering all of the drama and difficulty with his wife. It’s so hard. We are leaning into time with family and sharing stories and memories and photos and trying to ignore the rest. I encouraged my husband to not even respond to her messages and taught him the “bless and release” which he says out loud now. 😆

That’s about all I have the capacity for today but I’m going to read through the comments because that tends to lift my mood.

Have a great weekend, all! ❤️

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I’m slowly savouring this week’s comments. I need pockets of peace and joy and you all fit the bill. My artist heart has been having a good week. I’ve been painting and chalk drawing and letting go of messes to give space for creative time. It’s been a long time coming and it feels so good. I’ve been so sad and mad and tired of hard stuff lately that art has been a good escape. Books have been good, too. I’m having a difficult time starting new books, but once I get into it I can escape for an entire day and not feel like I’m missing anything. My three kids are at the lake and living it up (only slightly jealous) while I’m here with my special needs daughter slugging through the days. Our province had a covid spike and our restrictions have tightened again, including back to distance learning, so I see all the kids in my neighbourhood and can’t help but miss mine. We are still waiting on foster placement for our oldest and I’m so sad about it but it also means that my other kids can’t come home until she is safely placed somewhere else. It’s complicated and hard. Anyway, we are finally getting some beautiful spring weather and my hammock calls!

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It feels like I haven't been here to comment in some weeks. Not sure why or how, if its just been how work has been buck-wild or my mood has also played a role, but here I am.

So here in MN we got the word by our Governor that the mask mandate is done. Initially this was going to be in July or when we hit 70% vaccinated (whichever came first) but, we have not made either goal (obv) soooo we are doing this because of the CDC guidelines. BUT we got the notification from our sons' schools that they have to wear masks until the end of the school year AND we got our 14 year old's vaccines planned starting next week. This makes me a little less uneasy since my county only has about a 51% vaccination rate based on 16+, I'm sure it will go down since now it can include 12+ -- Also, its interesting that the Mayor of Minneapolis is upholding mask mandates.

BIG shift in convo.

I shared this with some of my Swipe Sissssters, but I have been ramping up skin care......on my HANDS and you guys. It's a delight. I catch myself staring at my hands going "wow they don't look like hands of a Disney villain" -- I'm not 100% using skin care that I like for my face, but rather odds and ends of items I received for my face but didn't really like them for that purpose. Anyone else do that here? Buy something for one intention, not necessarily like it but then find another way to use it? That is my jam! The tops of my hands are loving the extra attention and I find myself marveling at them like Meryl Streep in that scene in Death Becomes Her when she gets the sample of the amazing age-defying serum* Of note, I still find it VERY rude that when this movie was made Ms. Streep was probably 42 and "old" -- Y'all I'm 44. But truly, skin care on my hands = joyful

*Video Reference: https://youtu.be/L_2cKWHXF8o

In other skin care news. Products I am loving and using regularily.

New retinol serum: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q301WXK/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I have only used this one night but I already like it more than my retinol in squalane from The Ordinary and better than a retinol serum I tried from Clinique that was in a gift box.

Still using this for my neck and loving it: https://amzn.to/2RbfO7X

Accountability request -- find me on IG ohemgeemn or email me at Mellemo@gmail.com

1. Knitting: I need to get back into it as a practice. I found it something I did more in winter months. I have a project list I want to attack. If anyone wants to remind me every now and again to get some stitching in, I'd love it

2. Writing/Journaling: I have been struggling with using guided/prompted journals or 30/60/90+ day devotional type practices. I think this practice when I am using it helps me to work out feelings that lead to stress I'm not fully managing and acknowledging which may be why I keep having some irksome sleep issues as of late.

Any assistance in accountability in these areas would be so helpful for my creative and internal sides.

I'm just hands up grateful to not have baseball this weekend. It's a gift. Last weekend was 12 hours on the baseball field, but I was so happy to reward the being on as a sports' parent was hitting up the Wine section of Aldi. $3 wine. Don't judge me for enjoying this on a very high level.

I hope everyone had a good week and has a wonderful weekend.

Mel

ps- Scuse me as I keep gazing at my hands LOL

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Happy Friday, fellow Swipes! The highlight of this week for me was getting a Mother’s Day gift of a (very small) telephoto lens that I can attach to my phone. Apparently I have turned into the Songbird Paparazzi and I am having a freaking blast! I have no idea why identifying & photographing birds is my new obsession but I am leaning into it HARD. No regrets.

Along those lines, I downloaded a bird call identification app and I’m so excited to (hopefully) memorize some bird calls. Here’s the link if you’re into this kind of thing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/song-sleuth-auto-bird-song-id/id968399159

Happy weekend, friends! May we all find our own weird little happinesses this weekend.

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Hello hello! It has now become my stupid habit to stay awake all night watching tv and playing creatively on the laptop until this group comes alive and I can check in with y’all before getting a nap. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thankfully, this week I have stuff to share!

First, the Trash.

We received my mom’s neuropsychological diagnosis this week: age-related dementia. 😔 This wasn’t unexpected but it’s still tough to see it written down. She’ll start taking medication to help delay the progression, and she’s very unhappy about yet another daily pill (why so many pills as we get older?!? 😩). The worst right now is the sense of losing her freedom. They told her to not drive anymore — she hasn’t for a while but also assumed she would get better physically and “return to normal.” That’s what I see as the greatest immediate danger, that she’ll start acting like her life is over because there will be deterioration as the years progress. She’s struggled with some depression since her stroke a year ago, and this is one more thing piling on. We did get to have a 4-hour conversation the night after the diagnosis and she was able to share some of her feelings, but there’s just very little I can do to help in this area except pray. I’m grateful to have this time with her and hoping the progression moves very slowly.

Now for Treasures.

The most important treasure of my week was Annie B. Jones. Not only did she lead me to my first two treasures below, but she also reminded me that I need to “take a frakking step back” (words by me, to me). Here’s how she responded to her mom’s suggestion to take tacos to her staff on Cinco de Mayo because it would be “FUN!” ... She replied to her mom: “‘Remember one of the staffers is vegan. And it's still COVID. What if people are too scared to eat together without masks? Welcome to my life where nothing can be fun.’ I looked up my text, and I really did choose to be this whiny and morose.” Annie did take the tacos (and chips and salsa) and saw that her mom was right. It was fun! ... I’ve chosen to stay whiny/morose and even convinced *my* mom not to eat in a restaurant with my sister for Mother’s Day. I’m not sorry about it (because pandemic and CDC guidelines and unvaxxed Texas), but I need to remember to chill the frak out and look for the fun again.

Treasures courtesy of Annie B. Jones:

1. George Saunders talking about story and storytelling with Seth Meyers. I’ve run across Saunders’s book twice, randomly, in one week, which obviously means I’m supposed to read it now.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kuek8HRt37g

2. Phoebe Reads a Mystery (“This is Criminal” podcast with Phoebe Judge). I collect podcasts but never seem to find the right time to listen – music is my better motivator – but I love audiobooks when I’m lying in bed not sleeping every.single.night. These are the kinds of classics I always intended to read but forget about. Perfect insomniac choices.

https://thisiscriminal.com/mystery/

During the rest of the week I was able to participate in the “Week in the Life” project created by Ali Edwards, and it was exactly what my heart needed. To slow my thoughts and see my life through the camera. I’m pretty good at capturing the mundanity and finding the stories hidden there, but this week held me a little closer and made me a bit more introspective. I hope I can actually get all the stories into a scrapbook this time; I’ve never actually finished the wrap-up portion in the past. There were no big revelations or epiphanies, but I did find myself thinking a lot about “why” I wanted these particular photos. This week I’ve been taking photos and telling stories that I want to remember when my mom is gone. I’m feeling mortality this year, more than ever. After my dad died suddenly 5 years ago, I’ve lived in expectation of losing the rest of my loved ones. I don’t focus on it, I’m not morbid about it, but I do hold everything and everyone more lightly than before. My heart is ready when the loss comes because I began settling myself into the reality of it years ago. It helps me live with greater awareness of Life (capital L). So I’m trying to keep a good record of what life is like right now, while everyone else remains. And if any of my nieces or nephews ever want to know more about my inner life, I want a record I can pass along. But if my family never cares, maybe my little journals will end up in a flea market somewhere to inspire another introverted gal to document her quiet life, too.

(I’m posting my Week in the Life stories on IG @phreneticmind, if you’re curious. 😊)

Another treasure came along just last night as I was led to the Reels of @smacmccreanor. I giggled for half an hour. Brilliant! My favorites are: “Dancing to the Lyrics vs Music”, the Different Types of Crosswalkers, and this guy:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CN5hdSQjlX9/?igshid=lo3pcy5jfpfy

Lastly, (and for all you Stupid Walk proponents out there), this video of learning to “see” the stories around us is the exact representation of my Enneagram 4 heart. Sometimes we need to be reminded to look closer and get out of our own thoughts (and out of my 5-wing mind). Next time you go for a walk, try some of these techniques.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/COzLc5UAU3T/?igshid=3te2wyoetwuk

Wishing you all a great weekend!

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Happy Friday internet friends! Happy to see all the good and not so good out there. Mostly happy to be a small part of this amazing community.

Treasures this week - Mother's Day weekend was fantastic and kicked off a pretty good work week for our little nonprofit that could. We need more funding, but we're getting the word Iout, so that's great! My son announced that he is going to propose to his gf in a couple of weeks! Eeek! So excited about that!

Turds - While the new CDC guidelines are great for all y'all, but for organ transplant recipients, or the immunosuppressed community at large, nothing changes for us until herd immunity is reached. It was hard to watch the Insta hoopla about not wearing masks anymore and knowing that just isn't me yet. Not because of this, but in general, I have never felt more isolated. Ugh. My friends are moving back to regular life, and I'm not there yet. I'll get there and I'm super grateful for every single breath I get to take and the nonprofit work is saving me and gives such purpose. Let's get to herd immunity and help all of us get back to something that looks like normal!

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Happy Friday lil swipes!!

🚘 I am typing this from the car, as we are 2ish hours into our 3.5 hour drive to see my in-laws in Central CA. I always love spending time with them, as it's always more calming and restful than spending time with my own family these days.

💖 This was already going to be a lovely weekend, but I found out my SIL (who recently moved to AZ) will also be there! She and my husband planned on surprising me (which hearing that made me all warm and fuzzy), but he ended up telling me last night, bc he knew that would be the only way to get me on the road at 6:30 AM. LOLZ 😂

💇🏻‍♀️ I am chopping off my long hair today!! My SIL's hairstylist is significantly cheaper than my guy in LA (who I love, but can no longer afford - I would much rather pay $65 for a cut + root touch-up than $100+, thank you 🥴). She did my hair in December and I loved it, so I am excited!!

💁🏻‍♀️ I have had my eye on the Beachwaver curling iron (recommended by Laura Tremaine) for a while and purchased it this week! I have never spent more than $20 on any kind of hair tool, so this was a BFD purchase for me. But I got a 20% coupon for Ulta & decided it was the right time! And y'all. I AM IN LOVE. I've never been great at curling my own hair. It takes forever and looks... fine. But this took me 20 minutes and I have gorgeous beachy waves! I could cry tears of joy. I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype, but BOY, I am a fan.

🤩 I got my eyebrows waxed this week (for the 2nd time ever), and realized they do have a nice shape after all! I'm debating about trying Glossier's Boy Brow - has anyone here tried it? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Also, now I can officially say I'm WAXXED AND VAXXED BABYYYY! 🤣

💅 Although I am an Olive & June convert, I bought myself a holographic nail polish from ILNP on Etsy that I've been eyeing. I freaking love it. It's so pretty!

May is my birthday month, so clearly I am using and abusing that excuse to buy myself prezzies all month long. 😍😂

I hope you all have a restful and restorative weekend! 💖

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Quick check in as we are en route to Anderson, SC to pick up our newest family member (the golden retriever) and you know my husband cannot drive without my full attention devoted to observation, ha! Enter my anxiety.

So only one of the kittens we got last week survived and yesterday started with a funeral. Y’all we were told these kittens were 6+ weeks old. Our vet said they might be 4 weeks, so long road ahead to keep the one going. And adding a 2 year old recently fixed and re-homed dog to the mix. But we have hope and nervously excited!

I hope all of you are easing into the weekend with enough hope to keep you moving forward!

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Hi everyone! A couple of treasure from my week:

• We Are the Champions series on Netflix >> I've watched most of the eps twice now because it just feels good to watch people be over-the-top passionate about things that I didn't even know were a thing. My fav eps are the one about people who chase a cheese wheel down a hill and the one about and the frog jumpers. Plus, Rainn Wilson's narration is hilarious.

• Homework by Julie Andrews >> a biography focused on her Hollywood years, starting with Mary Poppins. I'm a classic Hollywood nerd so it hits just right for me. Julie mostly sticks to kindness and the facts, but when she does spill the tea, it's in a very prim, English lady holding a cup and saucer kind of way.

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May 14, 2021Liked by Erin H Moon

It's Friday! Erin, as long as you send out something with an emoji in the subject line every Friday, I'm able to keep track of which day of the week it is. Don't be concerned about your content vacation, I just need the emoji. This is The Lord's Work.

My treasure: I'm halfway through my first Beth Moore Bible study, her most recent one on Galatians. I haven't done anything workbook based in years and years because 30 minutes a day has been unavailable to me until recently. But I've been wanting something more structured than "Read your Bible, pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow", and I want my kids seeing me interacting with my faith more tangibly. And my gosh, you guys, Sister Beth is where it's AT. I've been bored with the Bible for years, and I think she's talking me back around. I'm planning to do the David study next, if anyone wants to join me, DM me on insta @alpineflower.

My turd: we transplanted all our seedlings into the garden on Saturday because we'd had them on our window seat for almost three months and I needed them gone. It snowed on Monday night. Of the thirty we planted, I think only three survived. I'm a tough-love gardener - I'll help you get started, but if you can't hack a Colorado spring, that's on you, little tomato plant. But even I know if I'd waited a few days, I wouldn't be looking at now buying all new plants. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I'm blaming it on Covid winter, making me want to start seeds in early February when I should have waited until late March.

Our family has been super into Secrets Of The Zoo on Disney+. Baby cheetahs! Physicals for sharks! It's crazy how much those zookeepers love their animals (like, some of them have legit attachment issues and could stand to go to therapy). Now my kids (14, 11 & 11) want us to plan our summer vacation around the Columbus Zoo.

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Erin, I know you were worried about CFA sauce shortages in your stories, but I came here to say you can buy them by the 8oz bottle at the grocery store! At least at my Kroger... I bought a bottle of CFA Sauce and it has made my at-home turkey sammies v v good this week.

Turd: My 3yo son had ear tubes put in when he was around 18mos to help with frequent ear infections. They fell out about a year later (normal), and now, almost a year later, he has a raging double infection again after he had a mild one 3 weeks ago 😭 The doctor said he may need tubes AGAIN! Anyone had a double-tube kid before? Tell me about it...

Treasure: Watching the twins experience the water table/wading pool in our backyard for the first time last weekend. The went hard at them both, fully clothed. Made me laugh a lot. And Henry started taking a few steps this week! So proud.

Turd-sure: After an rough patch on Wednesday night, my husband and I decided to pull the trigger on marriage counseling for a pain point we've been putting up with for 7 years. I'm excited to hopefully make progress there with the help of a completely objective third party observer with absolutely no personal interest in the matter (😉 name that movie)

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Good morning, everyone!

This past week has mostly been okay. Then we got the sudden news that masks are no longer required in schools, by order of the governor. With no warning. I pulled my kids out at least until Tuesday when I have two weeks post-vax, since I’m high risk. But I guess after that we just have to hope for the best? 🙄 I really don’t want to be a homeschooler in the fall, y’all, but I’m considering it. Jesus be a young children’s vaccine.

Things I’ve enjoyed in the past week:

Finishing the book Dear White Peacemakers by Osheta Moore, which you should all order and read! Osheta is lovely and wonderful and her book is too.

Reading The Unhoneymooners, watching Shadow and Bone on Netflix, and The Secret Garden with my kids!

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I am sitting at my OB’s office, taking the 3 hour glucose test, and savoring all the treasures here. On one hand, making a pregnant woman fast for this long is a crime. On the other hand, it’s 3 hours without my children needing anything from me, so kind of a mini-vacation? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Treasures this week:

🌸 My Mother’s Day gift from my husband was a hotel overnight by myself at the hotel of my choice. Bliss. I picked the dates and hotel, he booked it all, and I am looking forward to a belated Fake Mother’s Day.

🎧 This week’s episode of The Holy Post was so so good. They discussed an article that talked about some similar ish my husband has been dealing with regarding his mom, and it was super helpful insight.

📚 Since I am not traveling interested anytime soon (COVID and 30 weeks preggo), I started reading Imagined London by Anna Quindlen and it has been such a fun trip through a city I’ve never really had a desire to visit until the last few years. Someday!

📺 After 5 seasons of the Masked Singer, I finally got a celebrity right! No spoilers, but I had guessed this week’s unmasked celebrity early on and was patting myself on the back.

I’m looking forward to all your treasures as I sit and await all my arm pokes! Happy weekend!

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May 14, 2021Liked by Erin H Moon

Good morning, my friends! I missed the comments last week, but ya girl is back.

I've had a really crappy couple of weeks with work that have led me to having multiple melt downs on Marco Polo to our beloved Bethany, who graciously hears all of my school drama. Due to some circumstances and trashy politics at one of my schools, I had to have a meeting with my boss (because I'm a district employee with Chicago Public Schools, my principals are not my boss - THANK GOD) and got re-assigned to a completely new school next year. It sounds like this school will be a better fit, but I'm cautiously optimistic and also exhausted at the thought of completely starting over with a new case load, new staff, etc.

I have not slept in what feels like a dog's age. It's been several weeks of either not being able to fall asleep, or waking up at 4 and not being able to go back to sleep and I. Am. Tired. I'm tired of being tired. I've had a migraine all week that has just floated in and out and I know it's sleep/stress related. Jesus be the end of the school year.

As always, I'm looking forward to watching Friday Night Lights and eating pizza while chatting with the lovely Danielle. I'm also going to eat at a restaurant tomorrow for the first time since all of the hullabaloo started.

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May 14, 2021Liked by Erin H Moon

Just this month, I have discovered all things Dr. Kate Bowler. So I may be on the back of this train.

But I read her Preacher's Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities and Everything Happens for a Reason (and the lies I've loved) - both were easy reads considering the mountainous topics she was tackling.

Especially in Everything Happens... I felt like it taught me how I can be more graceful and actually helpful in crisis and painful moments. I'm the ~let's fix this now~ and think our way out our feelings (where my 3s at?). Because of reading this book, I think I can be a better neighbor and friend.

It also introduced me to her Everything Happens Podcast and so far exactly what my heart is looking for. I randomly selected the epi with Father James Martin (voice sounds like Jason Bateman tbh) about "What good is prayer?"

My hurt heart needed this conversation and I hope it helps you too!

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