A Hectic Monday Morning and Some Unexpected Sunshine

Hey everyone, happy Monday (or whenever you’re reading this)! I’m still recovering from this morning’s chaos, but I figured I’d sit down with a cup of coffee and share how my week started. Spoiler: it was a mess, but it got better. If you’ve had one of those days where everything goes sideways before 9 a.m., this one’s for you.

So, I woke up late. Like, embarrassingly late. My alarm didn’t go off because I apparently forgot to charge my phone last night, and it died somewhere around 3 a.m. I’m not even mad at myself because this is peak Maren behavior. I rolled out of bed at 7:45, which gave me exactly 15 minutes to get ready for a client call at 8. Ren was already gone for work, so I couldn’t even beg for help making coffee. I threw on a semi-professional sweater over my pajama top, splashed some water on my face, and prayed Zoom wouldn’t betray how disheveled I looked.

The call went… okay. I’m working on a redesign for a family in Cresthaven, just outside the city, and they’re super sweet but also very indecisive. We spent 40 minutes debating between two shades of beige for their living room walls. I’m not complaining—honestly, I love that they care so much—but I was silently screaming for caffeine the whole time. After we hung up, I finally dragged myself to the kitchen to make a pot of French press. I’m still obsessed with that Trader Joe’s medium roast blend, by the way. If you haven’t tried it, do yourself a favor.

Anyway, post-call, I had a mountain of emails to tackle, but I couldn’t focus because I realized I hadn’t watered my plants in, uh, let’s not talk about how long. My poor little fern collection was looking tragic, and the velthorn bush by the window was starting to droop. I swear, I’m trying to be a better plant mom, but it’s a work in progress. I gave everyone a quick drink and promised them I’d do better. (Do you talk to your plants? Please tell me I’m not the only one.)

By noon, I was ready to call it quits and just hide under a blanket, but then the day took a turn. The clouds parted—literal sunshine after days of gray—and I decided I needed to get out of the house. I threw on some sneakers, grabbed my reusable tote, and walked down to the farmer’s market on Elm Street. It’s not the big weekend one, just the little Monday setup, but I love it. There’s something so grounding about wandering past stalls of fresh veggies and handmade soaps, even if I don’t buy much. I did pick up some carrots and a loaf of sourdough, though, because I’m determined to make a decent stew this week. Fingers crossed I don’t burn the house down.

While I was there, I ran into Lissa, who was on her lunch break. We grabbed a quick lemonade from one of the vendors and sat on a bench to chat. She’s been stressing about her new job, and I’m just trying to be a good listener, you know? We also talked about the upcoming Thaw Fest, which is apparently happening in a couple of weeks. I’m not super into the whole “dance around the bonfire to welcome the longer days” thing, but Ren loves it, so I’ll probably end up going. It’s kind of a big deal around here—everyone brings a little bundle of last year’s dried herbs to toss in the fire. I’m not sure what I’ve got left in the pantry, maybe some old rosemary?

The sunshine and catching up with Lissa totally turned my mood around. I walked home feeling lighter, even if I still had a to-do list a mile long. I’m currently procrastinating on said list by writing this post, but hey, I’ll get there. Tonight, I’m planning to make spaghetti with marinara from scratch—nothing fancy, just some canned tomatoes and garlic, but I’m craving comfort food. Ren’s working late, so I might even pair it with a glass of pinot and an episode of The Office on Netflix. Self-care, right?

How did your week start? Any Monday disasters or little wins to share? I’m all ears. And if you’ve got a foolproof stew recipe, send it my way—I’m scared but determined. Talk soon, friends. Gotta go boil some pasta before I overthink it.

xoxo,
Maren