Learning to be a Wife

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Life Lately: Week 42

This is what the past week looked like.

An 80 degree October day means I can't leave the lake, so my girlfriend came over and we floated the evening away.

Tuesday was likely our last (but very much appreciated) 80 degree day, so G and I soaked up one last float of the year...

And maybe our last swim of the year, too.

Urban magic.

My favorite salmon dish, hands down, is from People's Kitchen.

Tell me you need to grocery shop without telling me you need to grocery shop.

This guy had a big week between his annual vet visit, a trial day at boarding, and his arthritis flaring up.

On Labor Day, the lake was 81 degrees.

By Tuesday (a month later) the lake had dropped to 61 degrees - and now it looks like the last of the warmth has left the lake.

This video of Ella getting her costume together will never not be funny.

My neighbor let me try her pickle soup and I get the hype.

An impromptu wine tasting, and Jess proved she can tell the difference between New Zealand and California Sauv Blanc.

Selfie with my favorites.

A fun dinner with family friends visiting from California...

Featuring the ultimate carb-loaded comfort meal: my mom's famous lasagna and her cheesy potatoes.

Going, going, gone!

My parent's subdivision really knows how to go all out for Halloween (and Christmas).

Nighttime temps in the 30s... a FIFTY degree drop from just a few days ago.

This book had an intriguing premise only to be a complete nothingburger.

Favorite quotes:

"Everyone, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences."

"A burden shared is a burden halved."

Don't sleep on RHONY.

Sunday supper.

Deer spotting while picking up M from a little boarding trial (and it was a success!).

There's no place like home.

I asked Chat to decorate cake pops based on what it knows about me, and honestly, it's a little scary how spot-on it was.

Well, when you put it that way...

I am such a one.

Still thinking about this.

In elite company, and always happy to be in Leslie's company.

Such a fun idea!

Hahaha.

My girlfriend sent this to me, and it's a little too relatable right now.

A little laugh collage.

I feel seen.

This is extra funny because my mom and I were just reminiscing about the tears shed over math homework.

This is a great idea.

My dad and brother need this sweater.

For more life lately:

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Life Lately: Week 41

This is what the past week looked like.

I made chicken in the crockpot with corn and black beans, added rice, and made the dip from this recipe.

E.T., errr, Manny.

I'm honestly surprised at how well these flowers are thriving two weeks later.

In this week's edition of "What I Added Cottage Cheese To" (and it was amazing).

Spooky season is here.

Treated myself to a pedicure.

I'm more of a cute and cozy Halloween girlie.

Wine Wednesday with a sweet friend.

He prefers a morning dip while I prefer an afternoon dip.

10/10 recommend this wine.

This made me giggle because he is always out walking his dog.

October sunrise.

G and I took Friday afternoon off to extend our weekend and soak up one of the last boat rides of the season.

Boat rides aren't his favorite in his older years, but I figured he should join us for one of the last rides.

He understood the assignment and relaxed into the ride.

Michigan's fall collection is stunning.

The family joined us for one of the last rides of the year and we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.

Mary Poppins spotting? :)

Epic sunset.

These are definitely a repeat purchase for me.

Katherine Center is an automatic read for me, and while this wasn't my favorite of her books, it was still a cute and enjoyable read.

Favorite quotes:

"I want the details of a story to be endlessly surprising. My greatest hope when I start reading a new story is that it will take my heart on a Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride of every single possible emotion along the way. But - and this is essential - by the end I want us all to be okay. Better than okay, if possible."

"Falling in love bolsters your immune system. Love soothes anxiety, prevents colds, mitigates depression, lessens pain, and promotes healing. New studies on the biochemistry of love shows that experiencing loving feelings lowers stress. It counteracts the production of cortisol in the body, and it strengthens the vagus nerve - which calms and regulates mood, heart rate, digestion, and inflammation."

"A really well-done story of any kind makes you believe it's real. The best stories make you forget you're reading at all - and the boundaries between you and the characters dissolve. You emphasize so hard that you step into the shoes - even climb into the skin - of those people. Their story becomes your story. It's happening all around you - and to you."

"There's a reason we love reading love stories. They're good for us... One of the big lessons that the main characters in love stories learn over and over, story after story, is to choose love over fear."