By and large, this was one of those weeks where you just hang on and manage as best you can as challenges race towards you like angry, purposeful drones. Three of my and Tom's remaining grandmothers have become extremely fragile in recent weeks, and one is being moved into hospice as I write. A father was admitted to the hospital and a tiny baby left his family suddenly, shockingly and entirely too soon; dear friends are struggling mightily with that loss. As someone who loves all of these people, I have been emotionally threadbare this week, tattered by really tough news (at times downright shitty) almost every day. My heart aches for my friend's losses and feels acutely the sense that my extended family will likely shrink at some point this year, though I know how lucky I am that my boys have gotten to know so many of their great-grandparents. Add to this the requisite tests and trials of life on any given day and...well, suffice it to say that I hope next week is better. I had a sitter this afternoon, and after running several errands, I took my runny-nosed self to bed and did not move for 2.5 hours. I did succeed in making a photo album which took a frickload of time but otherwise putzed around indulgently. Amazing how hard it is to tell yourself that it's OK to do nothing- to skip the gym, not tell the kids goodnight, not shower, not do anything "valuable" with your time. But sometimes, nothing is precisely what you need, and I decided to go for it. With relish.

20 minutes ago I managed to get up and consider supper. T suggested he pick up dinner on the way home and initially I agreed. But after a bit more reflection, I considered that even when I'm tired, cooking restores me in some ways. It's comforting, usually results in a better meal than pretty much any take-out, and it provides a sense of being in control of something when the world beyond your kitchen seems quite the opposite.

So, cinnamon and garlic roasted sweet potatoes are in the oven, beets alongside them though those will head into a salad with a horseradish dressing. I'd forgotten that I'd picked up a lovely baguette earlier; with some ricotta and honey dolloped atop grilled slices of that, well...that all sounds like an excellent start to a good meal.

Sending good vibes of health and love into the inter-ether right now.