January 21, 2026
As I lay in bed last night trying to fall asleep, I started to think about how when I think about deceased loved ones, I think about a version of them, that is often not in sync with who they were when they passed away. For example, Dad is a younger, kinder version of himself in my memories. Even though I am aware that he was often cruel to Mom and others. Perhaps, this is a coping mechanism?
I heard a couple of ladies in the weight room this morning, talking about how much they love winter. For the record, I tolerate winter. I appreciate it's beauty and stillness but much prefer summer's heat. And being outdoors without layers and layers of clothing.
"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." – Albert Camus
January 19, 2026
National Parks are no longer free on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as of January 2026, following a change by the National Park Service (NPS) that removed MLK Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the fee-free holiday calendar, replacing them with other days, including President Trump's birthday. Another example of Trump's pettiness and egotism.
I asked Porter if she was off of school today because it's a holiday, and she said "no, it's just a day off." I then asked her if she has ever heard of Martin Luther King. She said "no, I think it is a pretend person." I acknowledge that preschool may be a bit young to be studying this part of our history. But apparently, Trump has the same knowledge level as a four year old when it comes to Black History.
I am back in the knitting business. Kathy took me to Hobby Lobby today for yarn. Let the needle clicking and yarn looping begin.
And it is cold. Temps are dropping as low as -10 degrees over the next week (and that is without factoring in the real feel of wind chill). Michigan, my Michigan....
January 18. 2026
Fortunately, I've rebounded and feel fine. If only it were 50 degrees warmer, I'd be a happier woman.
My senior center Fiber Art scarf project is on hold. I ran out of yarn. I am hoping to go to Hobby Lobby to pick up a couple more skeins tomorrow.
Kathy and I decided to resurrect plans to have a Pedit family reunion. I sent an inquiry to the first cousins I had email addresses for to gauge interest, and have heard back from the McShanes so far. Who, by the way, indicated interest. I also did a little research on banquet venues, and it looks like we may need to charge $50-$65 per person, which may be an obsacle for some people. Cheaper options exist - having something at one of the metroparks or even something at my house are also options. But also a lot more work.
January 17, 2026
I wish I knew for certain if I have a stomach virus or food poisoning. Because symptoms developed quickly, I am leaning toward food poisoning. Regardless, I spent an unpleasant night sitting on the bathroom floor vomiting my dinner into the toilet. My gut is still tender, but the cramping is gone. I am going easy on eating today - toast, half a bagel, a banana, and brothy soup with crackers. And I am trying to hydrate. I do not want a repeat of last night.
January 16, 2026
I stand with Denmark on this one. USA's latest world stage moments are in the WTF category. I hope that European countries know that not all Americans support Trump's illusions of grandeur.
Our new dresser was delivered today. We paid for the whote glove service, which includes setting up the dresser and removing all packing material. I was left with snowy muddy puddles on my hardwood floors, small styrofoam pieces everywhere, and packing materials left in one of the drawers. In fairness to the delivery guys, it's a snowy mess outside and tracking in dirty snow was unavoidable. But they also borrowed our drill and bits, which surprised me as I would think they would have the appropriate drill bits. I vacuumed and mopped and all is good, except Michael mentioned he's been unable to remove the drill bit from his drill. Oh well,,,
Kathy and I joined the Ann Arbor Senior Center yesterday. I signed up for a Fiber Arts class and attended my first session on knitting this morning. And am on my way to making a scarf. I was hoping the senior center would have a room where seniors could casually hang out but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'll have to be old somewhere else, I suppose.
January 14, 2026
I, with Michael's buy-in, made the decision to replace our tall dresser with a lower one. Today we moved the tall dresser to the guest room in the basement. And it was heavy. Very, very heavy. And Michael mentioned more than once he wished Butch was helping him, not me. I take no offense. I've selected a dresser from Gardner White and hope to finalize the sale tomorrow. My clothes are currently in neat stacks on my office floor. I see this as an opportunity to purge some clothing that is either worn or I don't wear anymore.
Not surprisingly, it is snowing again. And it's coming down hard.
"It was one of those bitter mornings when the whole of nature is shiny, brittle, and hard, like crystal. The trees, decked out in frost, seem to have sweated ice; the earth resounds beneath one's feet; the tiniest sounds carry a long way in the dry air; the blue sky is bright as a mirror, and the sun moves through space in icy brilliance, casting on the frozen world rays which bestow no warmth upon anything.” Robert Byrne
January 11, 2026
Three plane delays later, Kathy and I finally returned to Michigan. And snow. And despite leaving a temperate climate and Joe's southern hospitality, it is good to be home. I am unpacked and tackled several chores this morning. I noticed a fine layer of dust in certain areas of the basement related to our recent sewer job, so tackled mopping the guest room floor and wiping down appliance tops and a few shelves. Michael did a first clean-up so it wasn't too bad. Plants are watered. Beds are stripped and I'm on my second load of laundry. And plan to grocery shop today.
I return to the rec center tomorrow. I got some walking in while visiting Joe, but not as much as I would have liked. I also need to get back to my strength training routine and am looking forward to the strrength and balance class I have been attending this past year.
Routines, you gotta love them...
January 9, 2026
My mind has been swirling with thoughts about mortality. It hit me at Steve's funeral that it is now my generation that is dying. Both parents have passed away and my mother's brother Max is my last living uncle. And now it's me, my spouse, my siblings and their spouses, and cousins that are at risk. And while all seven of my siblings are alive, a few of us are now in our seventies, so I suppose it's only a matter of time. Tick, tick, tick...
We spent today visiting a hodgepodge of places including: Al's Diner, Paynes Antique English Stained Glass (very interesting place, by the way), Carolina Sunshine Alpaca Farm, J.R. Moore & Son General Store (moonpies and cans of pig brains), Ole Gilliam Mill Covered Bridge, Gravestone (for an evil buried TV), Bynum Bridge, Blackwood Station Outfitters, Allan & Son BBQ (great hushpuppies), and finally MOD (pizza).
We head home tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing the Doveman. And a big thanks to Joe for driving miles and miles and being an accommodating host. Kathy and I enjoyed our stay.
January 8, 2026
I love my country, but it feel like the United States has gone bonkers.
We did not go to Greensboro today; we went to Hillsborough instead. We walked about a mile and a half on their Riverwalk along the Eno River. And then walked the few blocks that make up their downtown area, stopping at a few businesses along the way. Afterwards, we headed to Chapel Hill to eat lunch at the Cosmic Cantina. Which was as good as I remembered it to be from prior trips. We also visited the Ackland Art Museum at UNC, which is just the right size for a quick art fix. They have a surprisingly diverse collection for their size.
I called Michael for a quick update on the sewer pipe replacement that happened a few days ago. I am glad we had it done - especially after hearing about some of the more disgusting details.
Well, back to my Mayberry R.F.D. moment. See y'all back in Michigan in a few days.
January 7, 2026
Joe, Kathy, and I attended cousin Steve's memorial service and burial today in Fayetteville. It was nice meeting his brother Mike Pate's wife Daysl, daughter Angela, and grandaughter Abby. Also in attendance were Aimee's sisters, Susan and Kim, who surprisingly recognized me. I had forgotten Steve served in the Air Force, and found myself quite touched by the grave site flag folding ceremony and the playing of taps. It was very solemn. It can be viewed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X4XPbKgtZNRLgAfjuxIg8dDj3Kz4Blmk/view?usp=share_link
Tomorrow, we may go to Greensboro. I am loving NC's city names - Pittsboro, Greensboro, Siler City, Mt Airy - makes me feel like I am in an episode of the Andy Griffith show. Golly...
January 6, 2026
Kathy and I booked aisle seats in the same row. When I got on the plane, a woman with a baby was sitting in my seat with two more little ones in the two seats next to her. I didn't have the heart to ask her to give up the seat. It turned out she was booked in the middle seat next to Kathy, so it worked out, but there were some awkward moments.
Regardless, we made it to North Carolina safely and have settled into Joe's home. We hit up a few thrift stores this evening before heading to Carolina Brewing for dinner.
Meanwhile back in Ann Arbor, Michael was dealing with Dynamic Drains as they broke up our basement floor to replace a broken sewer pipe. And a swarm of gnats was found under the floor, which for some reason sounds like a scene out of a horror movie.
Tomorrow is Stephen Pate's Memorial Service in Fayetteville. It will be interesting to see what family members show up. Admittedly, I am not close to any of them. But I am still curious.
January 5, 2026
Ollie or Oliver is a black cat that lives down the street from us. He likes to go for walks, not only with his owner, but also passing neighbors. Yesterday, one of the neighbor girls came by our house selling girl scout cookies, And Ollie sat patiently on our front porch waiting for her. Today, he was out for a walk with his owner wearing a little red plaid coat. It's hard not to love his personality. He visits our back yard often and always makes me smile.
I am mostly packed for tomorrow morning's flight to North Carilina. I am well aware that I overpacked, but I found myself unsure what to bring. Temps in the afternoons look like they will be in the 60's - maybe too cold for shorts and short sleeves? But too warm for sweaters?
Tomorrow is also D-Day for our sewer repair, which I believe is a major stress factor for Michael. And I am both relieved and feeling a little guilty about not being here. The idea of having our basement floor dug up is daunting.
There are a few things I try to avoid on this blog - a major one is politics. But I also try to be sensitive to family members feelings, which isn't always easy to do.
January 4, 2026
Lately, I find myself looking and feeling more tired than usual. I blame it on the weather. The norm for me when temperatures were comfortable enough to be outside, was sitting and reading in a sunny spot or walking. And I mentally and physically miss the warmth the sun provided in those moments.
I finished working on the last half of 2025's photo book. One more proofreading and it's off to Shutterfly for printing. And within the next few weeks, I'll kick off 2026's edition. I am well aware that my photo books are not works of art, but I find it personally satisfying to have a venue to organize my photographs and thoughts. And these books, along with this blog, both spanning back several years, are great resource materials when I am trying to remember when a life event occurred.
And for the record, it is still snowy. And a quote. January is the beginning of anything you want.
January 2, 2026
Today would have been my mother's 95th birthday. Kathy and I ate lunch at the Big Boys she used to go to in Livonia in her memory. Both of us wishing we could spend at least one more day with her. I still miss her. I always will.
We drove by the house on Lennane. It's looking a little run-down. I have a lot of memories of sitting on the front porch with Mom. We also took a trip down memory lane and drove down Beech Daly. I was surprised to see Mamma Mias is still open. I remember eating there in the 1960s and naively thinking it was a semi-swanky restaurant. Kathy and I added it to our 2026 bucket list. Which also includes visiting all 162 Ann Arbor City parks. And possibly joining the senior center.
Kathy and I are heading to North Carolina next week to attend Stephen Pate's Memorial Service. He is being buried at Camp Ground Methodist Cemetery. It seems appropriate that we will also be able to visit Mom's grave site. "Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything," - C.S. Lewis.
January 1, 2026
When Porter was here for Christmas, she asked me to remove the lamps from her bedroom because they were too "tempting." She turned them on in the middle of the night a few times only to then complain about difficulties falling back to sleep. And I smiled in amusement as I removed her room's dastardly tempting lamps. This reminded me that I would like to thank everyone that made me smile last year. Whether it was something you said or some small act of kindness, I thank you.
Kathy and I dropped by Butch and April's house today to see Paul and Fiona. They spent the night, so Celina and Michael could have an evening to themselves. Fiona was napping when we arrived and Paul was playing video games with grandpa. We were lucky enough to still be there when Celina and Michael picked them up, so we got to visit with them for a few minutes as well.
And snow flurries continued today.