Welcome to “Dear Diary”, in which I write a quick blurb from every day of this crazy life. Our days deserve to be assigned an arrangement of words, after all. How else will we remember all the beautifully mundane? Read along as I write daily for 52 weeks!

Monday, May 12th, 2025

People are just really good at people-ing sometimes.

Exhibit A: A group of protesters sitting on lawn chairs outside Starbucks, yelling into megaphones, “Don’t cross the picket line! Go anywhere but here! Don’t touch that door!” (They even parked one customer in as “punishment” for getting their coffee.)

The reason? That particular Starbucks in unionized, and there was a change in dress code. All employees must now wear a black Starbucks shirt. Meanwhile in the coffee shop, one lady worked a 12 hour shift to cover her coworkers who were sitting on their butts yelling outside. They were in the process of closing early because of this.

I overheard her say to another coworker, “I will try my hardest to not hold this against them and work alongside them when they come back.”

Then there was the woman at the park pickle ball court who I was paired up with for a game. She was clearly near-professional while I simply flail around whilst having fun. Ultimately, I got both schooled and scolded several times. We lost with only three points to our credit….I take full responsibility. But then I was done playing for the evening. I shall remember her as “the fun sucker Karen lady.”

I could tell a few more stories from today, but I’ll refrain. Instead, I’ll say that the crab apple trees are beginning to bloom and it’s quite magical. The sunset was the color of orange creamsicle and the air was 80 degrees.

And as Addie tried eating a slippery sandwich that kept falling apart in her hands tonight, she said, “This sandwich is like my life….I’m trying to hold it all together and enjoy it at the same time.” We laughed and laughed.

Tuesday, May 13th, 2025

I needed to turn off all the noise and not “people” today.

I sat outside at the coffee shop and leisurely sipped my extra-frothy cappuccino as I studied the Bible and then cracked open a new book. I walked around Oconto hunting for spring blooms and came across the most magnificent magnolia tree. I stood underneath it for a long while because the scent was absolutely mesmerizing…the ground was blanketed in fallen blooms and branch tips looked as though they dipped their fingers in frosting. I was bewitched.

I stopped at the greenhouse and picked out the brightest fuchsia petunias I could find. They came home with me, along with a plump, ripe tomato.

At the end of the day, I felt alright again. A true full-day sabbath. That’s what today was. It was healing.

Wednesday, May 14th, 2025

I have this friend named Julie (HIIII JULIE! I know you’re reading this!) and she makes the most fantastic food. As we shared conversation and lunch over her table, I couldn’t help but marvel at the depth of flavors bursting in my mouth. Lettuce wraps that tantalizing should be a crime! She has so many gifts, and one of them is generously loving others so well. I’m grateful for her in so many ways.

Switching topics, I’ve become completely enamored with a niche subculture of people who participate in a form a dance called Northern Soul. It’s mainly a European thing (specifically UK), and I think it’s fantastic. People on the inter webs make fun of them because they don’t understand the historical significance and the sheer magnitude of FUN participants have (people say they look like homeschoolers doing a Charlie Brown dance, but I totally like their vibe). Yes, it does look weird at first, BUT I WANT TO JOIN THEM AND MEET THEM AND BE FRIENDS WITH THEMMMM.

They hold events and even all-nighters, have their own sort of style and look like they don’t give a crap about what anyone else thinks. They look like the most fun.

I looked into it, actually, and unfortunately people in WI aren’t into Northern Soul. The nearest occasional meet up happens 4 hours away from here.

I guess we have to move to the UK, then. I’m sure my husband will understand.

On a different, different topic, it was such a neat thing when Brooklyn exclaimed how in love she is with all the little things in life today. She let out a scream of glee when talking about getting into a pair of fresh pajamas, and I easily match that sort of energy. She’s writing poetry about it now, and I couldn’t be prouder if I tried.

Thursday, May 15th, 2025

John Davis looked me in the eye, and with complete sincerity told me my book made his heart feel comfortable, among other words. I think I will cherish his encouragement for the rest of my life. The things he described feeling while reading it were EXACTLY what I was aiming for through authoring. It was beautiful encouragement my heart needed today.

Other Thursday noticings:

• Why do so many people wear earbuds and headphones while grocery shopping? I guess while I like to engage with the general public around me, others do not share my aim…. LAME.

• We ate the BEST roast beef today at the most surprising location. OHMYGOSH. I still can’t believe it.

• I have a vase full of lilacs and lily of the valleys collected from three different locations. Your bushes are not safe around me, but I promise I will appreciate them THE MOST. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

• I smelled the wonderful, earthy scent of pine needles and approaching spring rain while on my walk an hour ago, and it was the coziest. I stood still for a moment, closed my eyes and just breathed….

  

Friday, May 16th, 2025

So I’m reading Fredrik Backman’s new book, and I’m simultaneously angry at him and completely enamored by his writing all in one swoop. Not many people have the ability to write AT MINIMUM one insanely profound sentence per page in a work of fiction. He drops these most gorgeous compilations of words down, and I’m just over here needing several moments to ingest each and every page.

Fredrik, how are you so deeply existential? How does your brain come up with such art? One request: profanity is not necessary next to all the brilliance. It would shine even more without such sprinklings.

Saturday, May 17th, 2025

I took a walk along the riverbed, checked on our collection of white lilacs (they’re just waking up), plucked some wild chives and stood underneath the crabapple tree in the spring drizzle. Last year, we were gone when it bloomed. I missed it entirely.

If trees bloomed more bountifully because kind words were spoken to them by grateful passer-bys, this particular tree has a whole collection to help it along. I lavished it with my spoken gratitude.

I just love imagining that trees have distinct personalities. Personification. I will spend my lifetime in this practice.