From the beginning of this blog, I wanted to have a balance of heaviness and easiness. The blog’s called Grief Nachos, after all – the title itself tells you its a juxtaposition of things terrible and wonderful.

Accordingly, I knew from the beginning that if I only wrote about the heavier things, I might never want to write, and folks may never want to read.

It’s been a particularly heavy year and a half. There will be posts and posts unpacking that, I suppose.

So, for today?

Introducing… Feel-Better Friday!

This is a series I’ll do weekly monthly on occasional Fridays (because alliteration is life) focusing on simple pleasures. Because really – those “little” things are really the big things that get us through the BIG, HEAVY things.

And because brevity is a)the soul of wit* and b)important, because my to do list isn’t going to handle itself, the debut Feel-Better Friday post will be picture-intense and text-light.

*Let’s pour one out for our homie, Polonius. Also, don’t hide behind tapestries, friends. #themoreyouknow

Let’s goooooo!

Seasonal Decor

Martha Stewart I am NOT. Like, at all. But fall is my favorite, because fall gives way to CHRISTMAS!

So, I busted out my modest home decorations.

Simple mantle. Again – NOT Martha.
There were more pumpkins before the great wind-pocalypse of this week.
There will be candles burning in my home October through December. HEAVENLY.

Though the following images are not home decor, I do sling nail strips on the side, and I have decorated my nails for the season. I will not apologize for sharing the cuteness. I feel like a total cluster 99% of the time, but at least my nails are on point. 😀

The black/white strips glow in the dark…!
100% Ricky Bobby “I don’t know what to do with my hands” here. 😀

Cute Kids

It’s been Red Ribbon Week, a time where, ostensibly, we encourage our kids to dress according to various themes in hopes that they will eventually say no to drugs. Have we collected any data to see how effective this has or has not been? I would like to hope that my glue-gun burns and various trips to craft stores have not been in vain. 😉

Regardless – the theme days have allowed chances for my kids to be extra adorable, so there’s that. And it’s good to focus on the adorable, because we all know that the ole womb gremlins are not always adorable, amirite?

Crazy Hair Day – behold, the purple octopus. I googled this, and I executed. KING KONG AIN’T GOT $#!T ON ME! 😉
My boy isn’t all that into pictures or costumes, so a t-shirt with cape will have to do.

I imagine I’ll write more about this at a later time, but this brave boy has had an especially challenging few months, but I am so thankful to report he is doing a lot better and has put on 10 VERY needed pounds. Superman, indeed.

Our girl had her book character parade today at school, and she is living her best life insofar as she’s basically had two pajama days thanks to this costume. Plus, I am dang proud of my creativity on this one…

Had to go full-size with this picture! An aside: these books are a hoot. Five of five stars.

Kind Gestures

While T.S. Eliot said, “April is the cruelest month,” I think that October, 2021 has replied, “HOLD MY BEER.”

I have a lot to say about this another time, but the summary: things are “normal” enough now in COVID world, yet we are still running on fumes and maybe just beginning the fathom the trauma we have endured since March of 2000. And yet – we’re somehow expected to press on as if we haven’t experienced any of said trauma. It’s ridiculous.

Kind gestures were never NOT in style, but they’re lifelines right now.

Luke had to have a spinal tap under sedation earlier this month. We are awaiting results on that.

More to say about that another time. But what I will say: it was exhausting. The process of the appointment and the after/waiting for what we learn.

I can’t begin to share how life-giving every text of support I got was.

But even better?

A gift card for this sweet ambrosia.

This post has cited Shakespeare and T.S. Eliot, but here’s a Lisa Roberts classic: “You can never, ever have too much Starbucks or fizzy caffeinated drinks.”

So wonderful.

Finally – my FAVORITE feel-good moment of the month.

This month we had a chance to go to a special needs family open gym event. One part of it was a large swing. Luke eyed it for a long time.

(Kate, of course, rode it immediately. I’ve always said her personality is Buddy the Elf + a dauntless person from the Divergent series. God help Jeremy and me, but that is neither here nor there.)

As is his way, it took him a long time to decide to ride it. He was reluctant.

I asked Kate to ride it with him.

He finally climbed in, and, well, he was reassured the whole time by this.

She held her sweet hand on his shoulder the whole time.

I could write thousands of words on how this makes me feel.

These two exchange very few words.

But in their own way, they have one another’s backs.

To conclude our first Feel-Good Friday:

  • Find beauty in surroundings, and if you can’t find it, add it!
  • Look to children for some goodness in the world. They have it figured out way better than we do.
  • Be kind to someone else, and accept the kindness of others.
  • Imagine the hand of someone you love holding onto your shoulder if you’re feeling worried.

Have a safe and fun Halloween weekend!