Archives for June 2025

After writing this title I, of course, had to look up the song by the Small Faces. (Quick side note, when the boy was in kindergarten and they were starting to have these friendship books to write in (written by the mums, of course) he said his favorite band was the Small Faces and no one even knew the band. That is what happens when you listen to music with your father who has a big interest in British music from the 60s.)

Since I went to bed past midnight my morning was not the most energetic. I started by turning back over and sleeping a bit longer and then read a bit. No morning routine at all.

Again, I’m having high hopes for the upcoming week.

There was delicious breakfast and a nice conversation with my husband about the barbecue and the people there and then I took a much needed shower, wrote my blog post, did Duolingo and talked with my mother on the phone. I had quite a bit to talk about with my thumb (still getting better) and the swimming in the lake and all.

I helped a little getting the mange touts ready and chopping ginger and garlic and then folded some laundry before lunch:

After that I was very careful not to fall into a Sunday afternoon slump but, well, I was very tired. The plan was to help the boy tidy and clean his room but he said he would like to start on his own, just having me as backup. I could have cleaned the rest of the house in the time but instead I planned the week, then the month, and then spent quite a bit of time reading. Oh, and trying to clear downloaded ebook samples from my phone without the app crashing. So far it seems best to do it only a few at a time, maybe 9 or so.

I have now committed to a series of very sensible goals for July that will make me feel amazing. This time I will track all my habits, go to bed on time every night, exercise regularly and eat well. Also, write a lot and work towards publishing book 2 at the end of August. I mean, what could go wrong?

The boy finally managed to clear all the trash out of his room at a point in the day where I was so hungry thatI ate dinner without exercising first, then we did our bodyweight training session, I read a bit, then started writing this post, did my foot exercises and Duolingo and watched some C-drama. I’m at a point where I am watching partial episodes of three different series in an evening, no idea what that means.

And now we ride the wave of Monday fresh start energy!

No, I did not get enough sleep. Again. Is this extremely dumb? Oh yes, it is.

On the bright side, my thumb continues to get better. Phew.

Yesterday was spent mostly getting ready for the barbecue we had been invited to. Husband picked tons of stuff from the garden and we changed plans on what to cook and eat when several times. I had decided to skip running and call walking to and from train stations exercise.

When planning all the salads we also realized that we were lacking a key ingredient (we also lacked another one but didn’t find out until it was too late, oops) so I first walked to the health food store.

Then there was the washing, sorting and chopping. When you use stuff from your own garden it is often twice the work, at least. For example you have to wash each leaf of salad individually to get rid of all the bugs and dirt. We had to chase ants out of the zucchini blossoms as well.

In the end we could have done with more bulgur and black olives so this was our lunch:

I made up for the difference in chocolate.

Then we got busy making tabouleh and green salad and packed sun screen, bug spray, water, two bottles of alcohol-free beer and our swimming stuff.

In between the boy woke up, was very underwhelmed by what was offered for lunch, and when I told him that I could understand but that having delicious home-cooked meals just sitting there on the table for you is a bit of a privilege, he said that he would cook more often but that we didn’t have the ingredients. So I told him he was free to put things on the grocery list any time. And what he would want to cook in any way.

Turned out one of the things on his imaginary list was pasta with tomato sauce, so I told him to go and make himself some, we have everything in the house that’s needed for that.

And then I talked him into making himself lunch. And we got talking about herbs and spices and that he can’t expect everyone to have a whole cupboard stuffed with spices. In our house a lot of them aren’t even labeled, you have little glass jars of herbs that my husband grew in the garden, picked and dried and then you’re expected to know what’s in there by smell.

The boy told about visiting his friend last week and that they went out to buy him at least a few spices to cook with. That friend seems to be the kind of person who thinks adding things detracts from the genuine taste of the thing. Which feels weird when you grew up up in a house where sometimes the food is more green herbs than anything else. (That would be the boy, not me. My mother used to own a very small range of spices but has become a little more adventurous in recent years. That’s what watching cooking shows can do to you.)

My husband and I set out to catch train and were hit with a wave of heat. I felt very smug for adding freezer packs to our bags. The train ride went well, on the way we overheard a gentleman behind us talking with his son (I assume) and my husband said, I don’t know what that language is. It sounds like Indian but different, and the gentleman called over, „It’s Punjabi.“ A little embarrassing but also informative.

We walked from the train station down to the Wörthsee in oppressing heat and – were the first to arrive.

All in all things were very nice, as always with barbecues the fire was started way too late, and as always my husband and I seemed to be the only ones who were hungry but we just started on the salad early.

And then I wore my new bathing suit outside for the first time ever and went swimming in the lake for the first time in years. It was very nice. And cold. And – unlike my husband – I had even remembered to bring bathing shoes because it’s all gravel there, all the way into the water. Which reminds me that I have wanted to get nicer ones for a decade or more.

Meeting people is something we don’t often do outside of work so it always takes a bit of adjustment. There were only eight of us, most of them my husband’s age and also most of them went to school together. I sometimes find it baffling to hear how other people think about life and what kind of explanations they give for things. Like, „My marriage failed because I have Venus in Taurus, my wife and daughter are both Taurus but my Venus is all in 90°-angles to the rest of my horoscope.“ Sure. That explains everything.

We left pretty early because we still needed to trek up the hill and catch a train but there was still time for a short detour down to the lake:

At home we unpacked, very happy that we hadn’t need our mosquito deterrent, talked briefly, then I sat down, did not drink another real beer (the choices at the barbecue were warm, tepid water, warm beer or warm red wine, so I had a beer once our own reserves were empty), watched some Duolingo and turned the lights out past midnight.

I’ll be taking things slow today, methinks.

I went to bed too late yet again but this time I just slept, no waking up from thumb pain. So the new way of taping seems to be a good idea.

I did most of my morning routine but did not open the manuscript again. The idea that I might somehow write 7,000 words this week seems pretty funny in retrospect.

Husband and I talked a lot again, with mixed results. It was supposed to be less hot that day but when I left the house at noon to walk to the farther supermarket I got really sweaty.

At least I got everything I wanted plus extra chocolate.

50 minutes later I was back home. My husband had done the dishes and decided to make a simple lunch this time:

Instead of starting my weekly cleaning after that I took a shower and then it was time to teach. I had a one-hour break between students but did not manage to make myself clean anything. I did the Friday mystery puzzle and then ate a very early dinner.

Two more students and then I met the boy for bodyweight training. Our program said to do a 3-rep pyramid of 3 where you start with 3 reps of your current move, let’s say squats, then the next round is more difficult and the last one even more so. There is a progression of exercises that you can follow.

It was super interesting. I still can’t do anything even vaguely related to a pull-up and my injured thumb means I didn’t want to force anything. I just tried very hard to pull myself up by sheer willpower without using my left thumb and failed.

But I did do something almost looking like pushups and there are one or two exercises I will definitely upgrade for the next round. Very interesting and fun.

Then I started writing this post, did Duolingo, watched some TV and went to bed.

Today includes a change of plans, yesterday a friend of my husband’s called and invited us to a barbecue. Since we never go anywhere and this friend has a nice garden right next to the Wörthsee that’s where we’ll spend the evening. I think I’m skipping running today in favor of walking to and from trains, maybe a bit of swimming in the lake.

I didn’t sleep well, pain in my thumb and the heat kept waking me up. I started my morning routine, gave up after morning pages and that was it.

My husband was in a bad mood still and so we had a long, not uplifting at all conversation. We’re all better now, though.

The plan had been to bike to the farther supermarket but I decided not risking it with my dumb thumb. So I just walked to the nearby one and didn’t get about a third of what I needed. I made a new list after I got home of things we still need and am debating walking to the farther supermarket for them. Maybe today but probably tomorrow.

When I came back home lunch was almost ready. Mmh, chickpeas:

It was still super hot and I was very slow. I talked with the boy who was very excited because his new Warhammer figurines arrived two days early.

I started crocheting a potholder in the mistaken belief that crochet wouldn’t bother my thumb as much. Well. Also I need to look up how to do the Tunisian knit stitch. But the potholder will be pretty neat once I’ve made it. That will take a while, though. As will the dress in progress that sits on the coffee table in the living room next to my writing desk with the sewing machine, and the cotton cardigan and the pair of socks. But well, it is what it is.

Then it was time to teach which went very well. Right in the middle of a singing lesson there was thunder and lightning and the heavens opened wide. So much rain!

My husband’s student didn’t show up because they were busy installing a pump in their flooded basement and my student was stuck on the highway where nothing moved because of the rain. So we rescheduled for next week.

I talked to my husband briefly, seems we were good again, I ate dinner and read and then I ate a whole bag of peanut snacks. Yes, I just broke my rule of not buying that anymore. Ahem.

The boy did the dishes all day which was wonderful. I started writing this post, put all the fresh bread I bought into the freezer, did Duolingo and my foot exercises, watched some C-drama and went to bed.

I went to bed an hour too late which was not the best idea. I was in a worry spiral because of my injured finger and didn’t sleep all that well.

I woke up as usual and wrote morning pages, I even opened the manuscript for 15 minutes and found that I can type with only nine fingers just fine.

I really wanted to go on my walk/run and since it was very, very hot already at 8.30 I decided to run first and eat later. Which totally threw my husband completely off kilter. He also feels I am being a bit dramatic, he has been having finger pain for months now and no one talks about that. (Well, he keeps telling me it’s much better now, almost non-existent, and refuses to go to the doctor.)

I find sharp pain that wakes me up in the night and that is brand-new a pretty big concern, but well.

I went on my run but it turned out to be way too hot already. I shortened the whole thing and only went for 43 minutes instead of 57, so that I could stay off the shade-less field. I also did not run at all on my way back. Note to self: 9 o’clock is still too late when it’s that hot. 

Then I went home and ate breakfast. While my husband was blanching some celery. I think we both felt the heat and were super stressed so our interactions were not the best we ever had.

Husband then cooked a pretty elaborate lunch, I think he was inspired by the second cucumber of the year. From his garden, I mean. He had taken the first one with him to Italy:

You can’t see the cucumber because it’s in the zaikai. The zucchini is also home-grown. There was also tomato sauce but both the boy and I couldn’t quite figure out how that fit into the meal which made my husband feel even worse. He had gone to all the trouble and no one ate it. At least I made the zaziki:

My husband then left for a nap because he had enough. Oh, and in the heat of cooking this happened:

Some time in the evening the boy and I were looking at that mess, I tried taking the drawer out of the cupboard but failed and then my husband just reached underneath and slid the bottom to the front, problem solved.

The boy and I talked a bit, then it was time to teach. Only four students. The first one switches between guitar and piano and I was lucky because that was a piano week. My left thumb really hurts when I do certain movements but playing the piano is just fine if I don’t stretch my hand too much.

Then another piano lesson and then guitar. I told the student I wouldn’t play at all.

Well.

Did you know it’s possible to fret single notes on the guitar without using your thumb? Yeah, me neither. Then more piano.

I had asked the boy to do the dishes which he did, hurray! And then we did bodyweight training. I scaled everything back that requires hand strength but, interestingly, I can do passable pull-up like moves without using my left thumb as well. And the easiest version of the in-line pushing motion we do.

I ate dinner, talked briefly with my husband, started writing this post, did Duolingo and my foot exercises, watched some C-drama and went to bed.

I think today I’ll walk to the nearby supermarket, I don’t think riding my bike with a botched thumb is a good idea.

Also, not being able to knit is making me cranky.

I did go to bed almost on time and did my complete morning routine despite having not one but two appointments in the morning. I only wrote for twenty minutes but I’d say that was a win anyway.

There was no time to knit or talk after breakfast because I had a dental cleaning at 10. I was on time, it was way less painful and uncomfortable than usual and that seems to be due to a new electrical toothbrush and a new toothpaste. That sonic toothbrush cleans my teeth way better than the old one and the toothpaste makes my teeth less sensitive. Awesome.

On my way back home I went to the health food store and bought all the things.

I unpacked the groceries, talked briefly with my husband, finished the dishes he had started and washed my feet in a hurry because I had another appointment at noon to get measured for orthotics again.

Against all odds I was on time again (apparently I need less than ten minutes to that place if I hurry) and then I waited for twenty minutes. He started scanning my feet but then there were computer problems. So I waited a little more.

Finally my feet were scanned, I ordered the insoles, we had a nice chat about how to get rid of plantar fasciitis for good and off I went.

Back home lunch was almost ready and I was very good:

I only ate half of what you see there, I shared with my husband. As dessert I had one of the red currant muffins I made last night and some chocolate. The boy showed up and we talked briefly but then it was time to teach.

I taught my students with a brief break in between and at that point I was so exhausted that I just scrolled through stuff on the internet. After which I taught some more and more.

First thing after the break I taught guitar and I managed to hurt my left thumb pretty bad. I didn’t play guitar over the school break at all, the day before I only had a beginner student playing single notes very slowly, but yesterday I started with barre chords and such and that aggravated the joint in the middle of my thumb. I had very sharp pain that grew worse mostly when bending that thumb.

I continued teaching but accompanied the next guitar student on the piano because that was not hurting the finger.

After my last student left I went into research mode but with no real success. I did find a video about taping fingers with joint issues, I might try that next. I will definitely not play guitar this week for sure but I should be able to teach without playing myself. Seems I’m having another challenge.

On the bright side, knitting does not hurt unless the needle touches the joint directly from the side, and I can bend and stretch the joint as far as the one on the other hand. So I guess the problem was just an arthritic joint combined with too much mechanical pressure. Which means a combination of pain meds and not putting pressure on it should do the trick. And then I need to learn to hold my left hand differently when playing barre chords.

I ate dinner, did some more research, started writing this post, did Duolingo, watched some C-drama and went to bed.