Watt's Up? Maycember 2024 Edition

“Hey friends, welcome to Maycember. It’s like all the craziness of December, but without all the fun cookies and twinkle lights.

Do you remember…

The time of year we call Maycember

It’s the end of the school year 

It’s when her…

Calendar’s a calamity”

~Holderness Family Music, Welcome to Maycember 

When I heard this song at the beginning of the month, I laughed because my calendar was indeed full. The song is hilarious and describes my month. More happened this month than I can share in a blog post of reasonable length, but I hope you enjoy reading some of the highlights.

READING: I’m continuing to stay on track with my Bible-in-a-year plan! I’m also slowly reading I Shouldn’t Feel This Way by Dr. Alison Cook and Safe All Along by Katie Davis Majors.

WORKING: I am now mowing the lawn for my parents, and I love doing it. Pushing the mower is a good way to build upper body strength. I’ve also helped my mom plant flowers and have been mostly keeping up with weeding–weeds grow fast! Besides that, I volunteered at a community garden and helped to build vegetable beds. Using power tools is fun! I feel like it takes crafts to the next level. 

GROWING: Mom and I started herbs and flowers from seeds under grow lights in our garage, and Dad built us a small greenhouse to move the plants to. They are doing well in there, but we have to be very careful that the greenhouse doesn’t overheat. On the first day after he built it, the temperature rose to 100° F! My parents covered the greenhouse with a tarp that has kept it cooler, and we’ve learned that we need to keep the greenhouse door open during the day.

WATCHING: We have a lot of wildlife in our neighborhood right now. A few days ago, we were driving home and saw a mamma goose crossing the street with her goslings. We also see foxes in our yard almost every day. They like to rest in our mulch, and there are some baby foxes currently. Besides that, there are a lot of birds, squirrels, rabbits and at least one groundhog around. I don’t think of us as living in an area where there would be so much wildlife, especially geese, but it is fun to watch. Strangely, we haven’t seen any deer since earlier in the spring when they ate our tulips, but we’re not complaining. They have been very destructive to our gardens in the past.

LEARNING: Ben was home for a week this May, and we did a lot while he was here, including touring Kentuck Knob, a Frank Lloyd Wright house. The tour guide explained about the reasoning behind the architecture and design, and it was interesting. In the bedrooms, there were two beds pushed right next to each other because Wright said that the single bed would look too overpowering in the design of the room! The house and its location are beautiful.

EXERCISING: So far, I’ve walked/run 177.72 intentional miles this spring! We did a lot of hiking and some biking when Ben was visiting.

EATING: I ate a lot of good food this month, but I think why I enjoyed it so much was because of the people I ate it with and the scenic locations. I delighted in sitting on a blanket in the grass at Ohiopyle State Park with my parents and Ben and eating cold meatloaf and raw vegetables while hearing the water pour over the falls. I enjoyed watching the stars come out while eating smores at our campsite on the same night. I savored desserts while talking to friends at parties this month. There is more to a feast than the food itself.

WEARING: I graduated high school this month and a friend gave me a dark blue sweater that says WATT ACADEMY in white letters that glow in the dark. I’ve worn it a few times, and it makes me feel like a real graduate. 

BUYING: There are two thrift stores near where my grandma lives, and as long as they are open, we always swing by them when we visit her. I found a pair of work boots at one of them for $2 (they sell for over $100 new!) and a small cooler for $1. I also bought two shirts and some aquarium supplies for a total of $4 at a garage sale today. Buying used is the way to go! I’m thankful for good deals. 

Watt was up with you this May?