What I didn’t like about May:
Dandelions! No, I do not think they are cute misplaced little flowers. I spent 3-4 hours pulling them this month, which just put them briefly into remission. Every yard on our street is absolutely blanketed in yellow.
Had a nasty cold for a while and actually missed a day of work – super rare! Long since recovered, though.
My snacking caught up with me and it definitely shows! I am coming up with a plan for June. Sigh and double sigh!
Checkered lilies (fritillaria). Photo: easytogrowbulbs.com
What I liked:
To contrast with the dandelions, there is a lovely field of tiny bluets nearby.
I don’t plant any yellow flowers (not even daffodils) but I did have checkered lilies, grape hyacinths and tulips this month.
Still keeping up with fitness. I went skating 4 times this month of a possible 8. The rink is taking out the ice this week (summer break) so I’m done for the season. I didn’t improve my skating skills one iota, but it’s great exercise. I’m glad to take a break from it – during the winter, the rink was warmer than outdoors, but now, the last thing I feel like doing is going inside and being cold! A plus, though, is that you can wear non-athletic clothes like jeans, and not get sweaty, either!
So my workout tally for the month was 4 x skating, 7 x home workouts, and 11 weekday mornings I did nothing. Oops! But I added up all of my walking to and from work, and it came out to 86 km. The fact I’m gaining weight in spite of that level of activity shows you I’ve been snacking a lot.
Then I will add in the other fun things about May: special meals for Mother’s Day (I cooked for my Mom), my parents’ annual community dinner theatre, my nephew’s 13th birthday, and Rom’s birthday! We also went out to dinner another night and saw a local professional production of the Mary Poppins musical. So I have been very well fed, and conspicuously lacking in home made dinners. This happens every May so I should have a strategy, but it’s so much nicer not to.
My nephew spent a weekend with us and I got to be the puppet master for someone else’s kid; what fun! He is no trouble whatsoever. Of course we spent the whole time trying to get him off his iPhone. Rom suckered him into playing Magic the Gathering for many hours, and I made him sit with me and read a book. He spent the rest of the weekend watching Star Wars movies in sequence. He declined shopping. We had good meals and conversation, though. We’ll see if he offers to come back!
Chancellor Dar to the rescue! (Photo: newground.com)
I’ve completed my first year as a volunteer treasurer. It’s been good to apply some exactitude outside my own home! It was a steep learning curve (there was so much I didn’t know I didn’t know) but I have the hang of it now for year 2. I do on average 4 hours a week of financial wizardry (some weeks 2, some weeks 20, etc.)
So far the renovation project at work is on budget, too.
My personal budget, not so much. I bought 2 replacement workout tops and a replacement pair of rain pants (trousers!) to go with last month’s new rain jacket, and got a cute mallard/teal colour jean jacket from my favourite house of high fashion, Mark’s Work Wearhouse!
I enjoyed lots of reading this month. I’ve been dropping everything and just reading a book for a couple of hours, several times a week. It’s good for me to get offline sometimes, and I think it’s improving my attention span, as well!
How was your May?
An Exacting Life 
Delightful May there – I love the things you’ve planted! Nice work on the work outs – here i was thinking you were unstoppable with your mornings, but alas, I’ve found you too are human!! Seem you, me and Lycinda can hope June is better than our May!
I bought two work out tops too – on my one day off a month now (being this past Friday). Originally the two would have come to $75, in the end, they were $10 each! Steal! That unfortunately wasn’t enough for me to run well yesterday and spent the rest of the day in bed, snoozing and reading…
Been meaning to post/ask when and where you read? Whether there’s a chair, or before bed, or commuting etc (not now you walk of course).
I have a long list of excuses on the workouts: I was sick 4 days, we had a holiday and I slept late, and I drove my nephew to school early one day! Two of the other days, I had reports due, and left the finishing touches until morning because I was too tired to stay up late to finish them the night before! I have thought about a “back up plan” for when the mornings don’t work, but so far I am loath to work out in the evenings.
Wow, great deal on the workout tops – I did not fare so well – $20 to $25 each. I will confess to being very particular.
I have started reading at the kitchen table at lunch time and while making dinner. Otherwise, the couch. I do get drowsy, but not as much as when I try to read in bed!
I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen or heard of a chequered lily. They’re beautiful.
I would love to be able to do ice-skating for fitness. No wait – “skating” for fitness. (I am learning to speak Canadian!)
How was Mary Poppins? I love live theatre but almost never go. Must add it to the ‘To Do’ list.
I’ve adopted some of your reading suggestions. I took a book to work today and read it in the few five minute snatches I could spare throughout the day. Finished a whole chapter but even better…it completely got my mind off work for brief moments, which makes for a more calm teacher!
Mary Poppins was fun and of course I knew the songs. It was a good family show, although to be honest, I prefer my entertainment more adult!
I am ready to switch to in-line skating for the summer.
I always have an e-book loaded for times like that!
May has drifted by in a blur. This whole year seems to be dissipating so rapidly, but that’s a sign of age isn’t it? 🙂
I’m impressed with how industrious you are, perhaps if I were more so I wouldn’t be experiencing this blur of time.
Yeah, I feel it too. I suppose I’ve been through enough springs that without any major events, they start to blend together…
Well done on all the exercise! Snacking, I’ve said it before, is the health downfall of the Western world. So not fair!
I saw the Mary Poppins stage show in Sydney. Great dancing! Did Mary fly off at the end across the audience? And Dick dance up the side of the stage and upside down across the top in your version.
Ha ha, no, our show was less technologically advanced with just your basic flying across the stage!
Mr Sans shared my amazement that the ice rink is warmer than the outside temp! But of course, then it makes sense. Still funny for us to hear that.
I don’t know much about the mechanics of hockey rinks, but the ice surface itself needs to be about -4C while the air in the room is about 16C.
I kept thinking of the old Three Dog Night song, “I’ve got pieces of April, but it’s a morning in May.” Good song to hum all day. MAY your June be grand. My down side of May is pollen – so May is Claritin month. But, it has been a good one with son number one graduating college. Thanks for sharing, BTG
That reminds me, I was able to share all things Star Wars on May the 4th! Congrats to the grad (and to you). I hope the allergies don’t last all summer?
I am trying to learn to love dandelions, but it is so hard. It is also impossible to pull them all here. I especially love how they go immediately to seed after being pulled and before I can get them into a compost pile!
I have been very busy with planning and planting a large veggie garden. We moved almost 4 cubic metres of soil into it before planting! But sadly, the straw I am using to mulch with seems to have seed still in it, and now I am spending my time pulling wheat grass sprouts! I both wait anxiously for, and fear, the seeds sprouting – I am going to have a lot of processing to do if it all works out.
4 metres! That is one big garden. I replanted my lawn from seed almost 10 years ago. The top soil I brought in had field weeds in it, so I still get daisies, Queen Anne’s Lace, violets, wild strawberries, etc. poking through. No worries about biodiversity!
I can’t read in bed at all, it makes me so sleepy!
You have a much more productive month than I. Exercise has been non existent and so has weight loss. In fact it’s been weight gain…perhaps the two things are linked 😉
I have gained weight, too, and mostly only been productive in attending dinners out!
Sounds like a fun May…except for the cold!
Our May was hectic in good and bad ways. It marked the end of the school year, which comes with lots of projects. We sold our house in AZ and reaped some financial benefits. We started house hunting in Austin and put two offers in. Despite being the highest, neither went through, which was a HUGE bummer! Over all, it was pretty good, but the house hunting aspect is killing me!
Hi Megyn! Glad to hear you have one less residence! I can tell you’re in the Southern US to have a school year that ends in May. Hang in there – I’m sure you’ll find a house you’ll love.
Sounds like a great month (minus that sickness!) with a lot of fun stuff. My husband’s family has a similar clump of birthdays in the fall, and we’re usually out to dinner or at a party every weekend for about 7 weeks straight. Very enjoyable, but makes it super easy for me to eat too many french fries 😉
Woohoo to making it through your first year as treasurer!
Thanks, Amanda. My accounting knowledge is improving! Maybe I should have a few “default” healthy restaurant meals, and fewer splurges…
I think this is a good discipline to review the month– thanks for the idea!
We had our anniversary and MLane’s birthday;attended a potluck(brought homemade vegetarian burritos), held one dinner party for 6, attended an art museum lecture/reception, went to a political fundraiser, had 4 other dinners out with friends, made dinner here 18 nights (not usually out this much), went to one funeral, volunteered 4 mornings teaching 4thgraders in an environmental program. I still keep a Filofax with all this in it so fun to count up! I finished physical therapy on my knee and was able to garden and walk; I have mild arthritis, runs in the family, so I am scrupulous about my weight– one pound is like 8 pounds to your knees!
You had a very busy month,too! Interesting to spend time with a 13 year old these days. Sounds like a big job to be the treasurer, but that’s a good skill to learn–did you have some kind of accounting guide to use?
I
Wow, you had an amazing month! I like that you’re taking care of your knee and you’re able to do the things you want to.
The previous treasurer trained me in the job, but I still had a lot to learn since I didn’t have much knowledge to apply in that area. I am fine with numbers and math but ignorant of basic accounting principles. Still learning!
Oh, re: dandelions. I uproot lots of them, too, but they are one of the first pollen sources for honeybees in the spring which helps me think more kindly of them!
I’m glad you told me that – I’ll keep it in mind! No shortage in my neighbourhood.
I’m glad Lane mentioned the dandelions being 1st food source for bees in early Spring. I try to not touch my dandelions until I see other flowers blooming so the bees can feed. After that, they are fair game! 🙂
I am near a school yard which is blanketed by dandelions so I don’t hesitate to pull mine!
You would like my dog then, she eats every dandelion she sees!! My May was a mixed bag – I became unemployed, which was sad, but I am learning more about myself in contrast x
I suppose dandelions are edible enough for humans? I was sorry to hear about your job situation but at least you are still here!