Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

Happy Friday the Thirteenth.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Cake.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and every year I just enjoy spending time with Skylar. We sometimes take a road trip, or go shopping, but this year we decided to stay home and enjoy our backyard, while enjoying this small cake we bought the day before. After the last few mental health struggles, it was such a nice day to sit back, relax, and not put a lot of thought into having to be anywhere, go anywhere, or stress about anything. It was a good day!

2. This Display.

We went this week to IKEA to check out their new surfing display and items as part of their partnership with the World Surf League. We loved all of the great items and picked out a few for us that suited our lifestyle. We purchased the picnic basket, balance board, and handboards.

3. This Book.

This book definitely caught my eye, especially after Betty White passed away. I've been watching all seasons of The Golden Girls and pretending like they are all still alive.

4. This Salad.

We've been digging deep into some random salads and experimenting with what works well with certain salad items and what doesn't. It's been an interesting and delicious experience.

5. This Flat.

Had a day planned to work on our bus all day and was hindered by a flat on the Compass. Not exactly sure how it happened, but this city doesn't quite clean/sweep their streets as well as they should. Thank goodness this tire was under warranty, but it would be nice to be able to trust the city streets here, debris, metal, and even pot holes have caused us a lot of car damage.

Positive affirmations this week:

Have a nice weekend and a great Thirteenth.

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Lunch.

This week we had a lot of sunshine to soak up, but the temperatures weren't too bad, so it was the perfect opportunity to eat lunch outside. With our deck we built it's a nice area to sit and relax, too.

2. This Table.

We gave our picnic table a makeover and painted it black. I've been wanting to do the black painted picnic table for awhile now, and I'm so pleased with how it came out. We used Behr Waterproofing Wood Stain in Slate color for the table. Now to give our deck a new splash of color.

3. This Starling.

With having ducks the Starlings love any food left in the grass that they can peck at. We've seen a lot more random different birds landing in our yard since having ducks. It's interesting to see different species of birds come and check things out. This little Starling even sang us a song.

4. This Kitty.

Along with the sunny days we've allowed Eleven to play outside when we are out there. She is so curious about everything, but sticks close to me when we are outside. She's very clingy, but also very loving. She's enjoying the picnic table's warmth, too.

5. These Ducks.

Fern and Mallie are sure missing Happy Duck. They've been a bit less active the last few weeks and are mourning her death. It's hit all of us harder than we expected. She really was such a cool duck, so it's no surprise that the other animals are feeling that loss, too. We are giving them their space and allowing them to grieve without feeling overwhelmed. We even bought them some special treats to help them feel a bit better.

Positive affirmations this week:

Whatever you do that keeps you moving is medicine. Medicine isn't always pills, drops, or liquid prescriptions. It's also, getting outside, keeping our routine, moving the body, breathwork, being consistent with our selfcare, and taking care of ourselves the best way we can.