Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2026

Progress and Goals 2026 (May)


Since I didn't pick a Word of the Year for 2026 I had planned to just do a monthly progress report on some of the goals I am working on. Well, for the first part of the year, that wasn't happening! I finally got myself together to report on my progress a month ago and had to summarize four months worth. I'm a little more on top of the report in month five, but also there was a lot of movement on one of the two major goals.

The two main areas I wanted to focus on this year are: 1) Improve my overall health and fitness: and 2) Move to a home that suits us better than our apartment. 

During May it felt like I had a lot of trouble being consistent with healthy eating, but I tried to be conscientious about keeping a daily log in the app I use for my nutritionist program, and that did keep me accountable for how well I was doing. I managed to shave off a couple more pounds and my healthier habits are becoming more ingrained. That reminds me . . . I didn't log what I ate today . . . better do that now before I forget!

When I updated at the end of April, we had made significant progress in our plans to find and move into a new home. We had just entered into contract on the house we'd chosen and were waiting for information on what we needed to do next. So during May, there was a lot of "hurry up and wait" but the checklist looked a little like this:
-submit a whole lot of signatures and documents to our lender
-move funds into the appropriate accounts
-get inspections done on the property
-obtain homeowners insruance on the property
-give our written notice to our apartment management company
-submit more signatures and documents to the title company
-do a final walkthrough of the house pre-settlement
-wire the downpayment to the title company
-get to the realty office to do the in-person signing of all the final settlement documents



All of that completed as of May 29th! We probably should have been doing more packing earlier, but we're gaining momentum on it and we do still have a bit of time before we have to be completely cleared out of the apartment.

We actually take possession of the house sometime this week, and Saturday will be our main moving day. We'll have another week after that to finish getting any odds and ends out of the apartment and doing a final cleaning. Coming up, my checklist is pretty focused on getting all the change of address tasks looked after. And getting ready for vacation!

Here are some highlights from the merry month of May!

I had my hair done on the first weekend of the month, and decided to make a bit of a change. Switched to an assymetrical cut, which you can kind of see in the Mother's Day weekend photos. The first Sunday of every month is free at Franklin Park Conservatory for Franklin County residents, so we took advantage of that with our son and his family. Great day until I tripped near the end of our visit and banged up my knee and hip. Went to East Market for dinner and home to watch the hockey game. Spoiler alert: we spent a lot of evenings at home watching playoff hockey!




After the work week, I chose Yellow Springs for the Mother's Day weekend outing. We went there to hike at Glen Helen Nature Preserve with the kids and then had dinner at Ye Olde Trail Tavern.



new hair, same old me - hubby is far more cheerful
than this photo might indicate


On Mother's Day we got Asian takeout for lunch after church, had a very relaxed day at home, and of course I called my Mum.

Once again, the workweek didn't have any real standout unusual moments. On the weekend, we suggested our granddaughter pick a park and a place to eat, so we went on a nature walk in Delaware County, explored a little in town before eating at Wendy's, and then finished with a visit to the O'Shaughnessy Dam park.




The next week was a little bit busier. On Monday I had a dentist appointment, and then chorus rehearsal in the evening. On Thursday I took time out from work to meet a couple ladies from the chorus at our church. The chorus is looking for a new rehearsal "home" and my church is one of the suggested places.

On Saturday morning, hubby went to work for a little bit but he had a nasty cold and didn't feel good. He came home earlier than planned, and after some discussion with our friends (we were planning to go to their place for dinner) we rescheduled our get-together for Sunday instead. Sunday morning he felt better and we did make it to church and worship team as usual. We had a great time with our friends for dinner.

We had originally thought we'd spend Memorial Day getting started on packing, but hubby went to work for a little in the morning since he'd cut Friday and Saturday short. Then we accepted an invitation to lunch with another group of friends.

The short week of work started off with me feeling a bit iffy, but thankfully my cold didn't get as bad as hubby's. On Wednesday I left work a little early so we could meet at the new house and do our final walk-through.

Friday was another shortened workday. I was in and out getting to the bank and doing the wire transfer of the closing payment on the house, then meeting up at the realty office to do the closing and sign all the remaining documents. To celebrate, hubby and I went out to dinner at a favorite restaurant of ours - Anna's Greek Cuisine. Came home to watch hockey. A good day, but felt a little sad for hubby because his team was knocked out of the playoffs. 

This past weekend, hubby worked all day on Saturday and I did some errands and got a bit of packing done. Sunday was a quiet day as well. We had a good lunch after church, and long naps, then I putzed around the apartment and also did some rehearsing while hubby played hockey.



How are you doing with your goals for the year? Leave a comment and let me know!

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 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

Everyday Images #87


Welcome to my ongoing challenge and reminder to myself to take photos somewhat regularly. I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking everyday photos of things I find interesting or want to remember later, and I'm more likely to notice interesting things when I'm intentionally watching for them. Having some prompts that are open to interpretation has helped me pay a little more attention to what's around me. Here's how it works: Every two weeks I have a few words and phrases to focus on, and I try to find opportunities to take pictures of these things each week. The link-up post will be here every other Thursday, sharing my photos and offering a link-up for participants to share theirs. Right below the link-up is where you'll find the next set of prompts. 

April/May Prompts - Everyday Images #87
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Saturday scenery
current project (quarterly)
green
on my plate
miniature
tower
connected
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Saturday scenery - we were a little surprised by this scene in the yard of the Maryland house . . . this sheep belongs to the neighbors. Guess none of us minded a little help with lawn care.



current project (quarterly) - our project lately has been buying a house! Going through the checklist of all the documents and steps and preparation . . . it's been a couple of decades since we last did this so in a way it feels like we're first timers. Next phase of the project is packing and being ready to move, and getting all the change of address things done will be a project of its own.




green



on my plate - salad, pitas and hummus, and it doesn't show up very clearly, but Greek style roast pork and potatoes



miniature - going with the delicate miniature flowers of this jasmine plant



tower



connected - lots of connections of tracks and supports in the train garden connected to Franklin Park



And a few bonus photos:

A fun weekend trip to see the Maryland family





Apparently we have a new security system at work. I waited in my car until this guard and his partner had moved on. I'm scared of geese, not gonna lie.


Stocked up at Bath & Body Works, thanks to a gift card I had.


And a few more photos from this past weekend's visit to Franklin Park Conservatory . . .











I am sharing my photos every other Thursday, along with my prompts for the next two weeks. You can use all or some of the prompts for your own photo posts, or none of the prompts and just link up a post featuring your photos. Simple rules: Your posts must be family-friendly; the photos must be your own; and the post must be mostly photos. If you do share I'd appreciate a mention and link to A Fresh Cup of Coffee on your post.


The Everyday Images link-up is posted every other Thursday, and is open for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

May Prompts - Everyday Images #88
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building
selfie (quarterly)
vintage
arrow
handwriting
nest
in the kitchen


Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email

©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

 This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Currently . . . April 2, 2026


The "Currently" link-up at the beginning of each month is hosted at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa. Our hostess Amy posts a set of action verb prompts for the month and writers respond. So, without further ado, here are this month's prompts and what's happening currently . . .

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Planting or Hatching - Well, I'm not a gardener by any means. I do like having some plants and flowers outside the front door, but I'm not planting them myself as I prefer to have planter pots right now. In a more metaphorical sense, I'm trying to hatch ideas of which house to buy. Who knows, maybe I'll plant something at the new place once we're moving in. Or more likely, I'll ask my husband to plant something he thinks I'd like.

Cleaning (spring) - I'm so behind schedule with my spring cleaning already. I'm going to try and give my bathrooms a seasonal deep clean in the next couple days, and my fridge and pantry need a purge. I just started working on a list breaking down everything into small steps because I guess I should be packing as I go this spring in order to make the upcoming move go a little more smoothly. Again, when I'll find or make time for all of it is anyone's guess! 


Eating and Drinking - I have been doing a pretty good job of making healthier choices with eating over the past couple of weeks. I started meeting online with a nutritionist who is helping me with weight loss and health goals, and the accountability is helping me already. So my work lunches have been more like sandwich wraps, carrot sticks, yogurt, and cheese; and I've added a simple side salad to my dinner most nights. 

On the weekend I kind of took a break, since I was out of town at a Sweet Adelines convention, and I enjoyed a margherita flatbread for dinner one night, and tempura battered sweet potato fries for a late night snack! Other than that, I did pretty good there too, even sticking to cheese omelet and oatmeal for my breakfasts, despite there being pastries and waffles and more available. Yay me! And yes, I enjoyed some adult beverages as well.



Reading and Watching - Currently reading these:

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber
Oracle of Philippi by Catherine Ensley (ARC)

 

I got very little reading done in March, far less than I'd planned, and since Oracle of Philippi is an ARC I'm planning to review, I'm concentrating on that at the moment.

Currently watching . . . I don't want much in the way of TV or movies, so I can't think of anything I've sat down and paid attention to recently. We've had hockey on the TV quite a bit lately as we're watching the last bit of the regular season and how those playoff spots will settle. 

Loving - Things I'm loving right now include:

Apple blossoms, cherry blossoms, pear blossoms, dogwood blossoms . . . all the trees that have blossoms right now! And just signs of spring in general.



 I am loving the dreaming and browsing listings part of house hunting. The hard work part really begins next week, and then I'll be a bit more stressed, I imagine.

I'm loving that I have just a teeny bit more time in the mornings, since I don't have to worry about weather related traffic slowdowns or having to warm up my car or those things. Granted, I usually take a bit too much time!


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Here's a short Coffee Break Reading List . . . 


As mentioned above, I'm currently reading . . . 

A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber
Oracle of Philippi by Catherine Ensley (ARC)




More reading news and recent reviews are at Just A Second.

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Something fun found during coffee breaks:




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What's currently happening in your life? Leave a comment and let me know! 


This post will be linked at this month's edition of "Currently" hosted by Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email

 ©2006-2026 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat