May 2026
I’m extremely baffled by the calendar, which tells me that it’s the end of May. Where has the month gone? (Oh, yeah, all of the gardening and getting ready for Summer Reading at work, etc.) It’s berry season in the garden! I’m harvesting at least 2 cups of raspberries every day, and usually more. It’s the kind of abundance that overflows into me attempting to pawn off berries on everyone I know, and possibly some strangers too.
I’ve mentioned before that I managed to get R into watching women’s hockey with me, a move that paid off when my favorite team (the Montreal Victoire) not only beat my least favorite team (Minnesota Frost) in the finals, but then went on to win the whole thing! I like several players on the team they beat (Ottawa Charge) quite a bit, so I’m sad for them, but thrilled for everyone on the Victoire. It was a tough season but they worked through it and I’m still buzzing, two weeks later.
Also, Detroit is getting a PWHL team next season. Depending on who ends up there, I’m fully prepared to switch allegiances!
Speaking of summer reading, the CSLP theme this year is Unearth a Story and we’ve been having fun getting into the dinosaur groove.
In other May events, we got through Mother’s Day by the skin of our teeth and a walk in our beloved wetlands. R also had a nice performance to celebrate the release of his latest album.
Making and Doing
Pottery: My last pottery class happened early in May and I picked up the finished pieces a few weeks later. It was an interesting experience overall, as I mentioned last month, but I’m pleased with how several of my pieces turned out.
Garden: As pottery was winding down, the garden took over! I’ve been doing a lot of planting, weeding, water, thinning, etc. To my surprise, the shrub in the back corner turned out to be a mulberry, which is delightful.
I’ve spent the past few years throwing as many perennials into the front yard as possible, given time and financial constraints, and it’s been fun to see that work blossom. (Pun very much intended). This spring saw the first comfrey and evening primrose flowers!
As I work in the garden, I’ve noticed something interesting about the way my sight shifts focus. On a first pass through a bed, I often think, “Oh, we’re good! There’s not that much to weed!” But when I’ve been working for a while, my vision shifts in what feels like a literal, physical sense, and I realize that there’s actually much more that needs attention than I initially thought.
Cooking: I do love my little projects, one of which has been cooking a few recipes from different cookbooks that I own. This month, I pulled out several from Smitten Kitchen Every Day, with excellent results! My favorites were “zucchini stuffed zucchini with sorta salsa verde,” “brick hens with charred lemon,” and “quick sausage & kale saute.”
Diabetes blog: Following on from both cooking + I love a little project, I’m starting a blog focusing on diabetes education, resources, and personal reflections! Type2Foodie will be live starting on Monday, with a post on using summer herbs. If you know someone who might enjoy an honest but joyful look at living with diabetes, please feel free to pass it on!
Other stuff
The cats have been extra cute lately, although they’re also waking us up earlier and earlier (why!?!). I call them the baby cats, but they’re not really going to be babies for much longer, as they turn one in June!
A beloved friend from high school recently sent us a copy of “Pirates of the High Teas,” a board game created by a friend of hers! We played it for the first time the other day and really enjoyed it. As R joked, between the nautical and tea themes, it was kind of made for me.
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Read these!
Which Patristic Era Thinker Are You? (I got St Ephrem the Syrian!)
Wishing you sunny days and gentle breezes,
Maureen