Five Things Friday: just five things I’m thinking about or things that made my week, or things that I otherwise feel like sharing.
Yesterday Jon and I celebrated our 22nd meet-aversary and reminisced about the night when we met. To celebrate, we got Chinese takeout and ate on the couch. Haha. It’s wild around here on a regular Thursday night, let me tell you.
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Have you started decorating for fall/Halloween yet? We “cleaned up” our backyard last week as we enter – what we hope to be – rainy season. We had some sprinkles last weekend and then the temperatures soared back up to the 90s this week. Go figure. I am not feeling the fall vibes yet, but I think we might be getting some pumpkins this weekend. Maybe that will help. (I was extremely tempted at Target today to buy this super-cute ghost mug but I didn’t. I really don’t need any more – especially seasonal – mugs but it’s cute, right?)
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The topic of effective communication came up in a few different scenarios recently and to be completely honest, I am just so over it. I am trying to think of ways to improve this but I don’t know how to change other people. I almost feel like it’s a minor form of gaslighting (or at least that’s what it feels like to me on the receiving end because I start second-guessing myself, wondering if I am nitpicking – although people whom I asked for advice unanimously told me that I am not, and that communication was definitely lacking). How do you approach situations like that? Do you point out vague communication point-blank? Or, do you try to subtly encourage better communication with your response?
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Jon and I got out Covid boosters earlier this week. We jumped right on it when they became available at our local pharmacy. I’ve also started wearing masks again when I go to the store. I’ve heard about so many new Covid cases again recently and I am hoping this booster will protect us through the colder season. Are you planning to get a booster?
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Feedly-Update: As some of you have reported to me this week, my last couple of posts seem to have shown up in Feedly on time. So, maybe Bitninja unblocking the IP addresses was the final piece of the long-drawn-out puzzle? I really think that this was something that my hosting support should have been able to identify and solve a long time ago, but I really hope we got to the bottom of it now! (Keep updating me, if you notice anything weird, please!)
How was your week?
Lisa’s Yarns
October 6, 2023 at 4:30 pmAnother post showed up on time. So fingers crossed it seems to be fixed!! Phew! What a major headache for you!!
Your romantic comment in the first update makes me think of the financial review we will do tonight after the kids are in bed. Romance at its finest right! ;)
Man communication is tricky. My biggest pet peeve is working with clueless people who try to mansplain things or offer up suggestions without understanding the heart of the problem. So many internal eye rolls.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
October 7, 2023 at 5:21 amUgh effective communication. The exact problem is what you say, that the expectation is that you are going to change someone else. The only way that I know how to deal with these situations is to avoid them, which means that I just end up doing everything myself.
I’m going to get my booster in early December. I figure that will have my immune system at its prime point for the holidays.
coco
October 7, 2023 at 6:32 amchinese take out for anniversary sounds like my kind of celebration too. I think what I love the most about my husband and our relationship is low key, comfortable with each other doing little to nothing. going out for lunch alone is very special to us even. hahah…
oh communication. it’s hard. not sure you’re referring to work place or personal relationship. I find both challenging at the times. What worked for me sometimes is to reinforce the idea several times, especially after the “conflict” to clarify/avoid any misunderstanding… and most effective trick? just let it go. :)
Elisabeth
October 7, 2023 at 1:15 pmFeedly has been working perfectly for me. Not sure what happened and when but it does seem to be all sorted. Hooray! I was so frustrated for you. Oddly, it always worked in Old Reader, so that’s where I followed your blog for a while.
J
October 8, 2023 at 9:52 amMy biggest issue with communication is people that don’t listen/read. They hear what they think the issue is and reply, without paying attention to the rest of the information that has been presented. At least, that’s how it is at work. Personal communication can be a bit trickier.
I don’t use Feedly or any other reader, so I can’t comment on that.
We generally wear masks at the grocery store, but I went downtown to shop with my daughter yesterday, and I didn’t wear it inside Macy’s or Nordstrom. It was just too hot. I haven’t gotten my booster yet. I intended to last weekend, and intended to again this weekend, and ended up blowing it off. I need to do it next weekend I think. Then a week or two later, I’ll get my flu shot. I don’t want to double up, I’m afraid I would feel like crap.
Engie
October 8, 2023 at 12:06 pmThis post appeared on my Feedly feed on Friday on BOTH FEEDS. I think it’s fixed? Maybe?
It just cooled down here on Friday, so we did put up our Halloween lights. We have lights up going up the four pillars on our front porch, a lighted spiderweb in our front picture window various Halloween candles, and a Halloween nightlight. That’s basically all we do for decorations until closer to Halloween itself when we’ll carve jack-o-lanterns. I’m ALL in on Halloween now.
This probably won’t surprise you, but I’m incredibly direct in my work emails. I do a lot of bullet points and responding directly to emails. I mean, I don’t know what the actual communication issue is, but I’d rather be blunt and direct than misunderstood. But there are people who are impossible to deal with! (At my last job, there was a guy who would literally ignore everything I said and wait for my (male) boss to say it. It drove me crazy.)
Rachel
October 8, 2023 at 12:43 pmI usually try to wait untill closer to Halloween to decorate but this year I realized I can decorate whenever I want to – why am I waiting untill the weekend before halloween? Halloween decorations (mugs etc) bring me such joy, it’s a shame to only have it out for a week or two. My husband said we can get the decorations out after my son’s birthday on the 12th, which I think is fair.
Ugh, communication. I feel like I know the ways in which I don’t communicate well, but I agree that it can be exceptionally gas lighting. At my last job people always said the company didn’t communicate well and one time I actually raised this with leadership in a public forum – the director said “No, actually you’ll find we communicate loads more than other companies and it’s far more open here” and I was so annoyed at his response that I said “Maybe the fact that you feel you communicate effectively but those you’re communicating with feel it’s being done poorly is a problem you should be looking into?”. I was already applying for other jobs at this point but I was so annoyed that someone would tell me that we were all wrong in our perception – Ugh.
They aren’t doing Covid boosters in the UK for under 65 year olds so I am not getting one. However I just finished a 6 dose course of B12 jabs plus whooping cough so I feel like my arms can use a break from being poked.
I’m glad your feedly is working again!
Kristen | kristenwoolsey.com
October 8, 2023 at 1:03 pmI got this post on Feedly on what I think was the right day!! That’s got to be encouraging!
Stay well! There certainly have been a lot of germs floating around.
Darlene Cardillo
October 9, 2023 at 1:37 pmOur meet anniversary is Oct 25 – 27 years? I always forgot to celebrate.
My hubby & got our Covid shots right away… it’s still around. UI don’t know why folks hesitate. I also got my flu shot.
Jenny
October 9, 2023 at 5:21 pmI’ve decorated the inside of the house but not the outside yet, because it’s just so hot out. I can’t get myself to stand out there putting lights in the palm trees. But it has to happen soon- if I’m going to go to the trouble of putting up decorations i want to be able to enjoy them for a while! Also, I know- I saw a lot of cute mugs at Target but I have cut myself off from buying holiday mugs!
Happy Meet-aversary! Chinese takeout on the couch sounds perfect.
Nicole MacPherson
October 10, 2023 at 7:06 amHappy meet-a-versary! That’s so sweet.
We aren’t really decorating for Halloween, although I’ve put out my little pumpkins. We gave all our big lawn decorations to our old neighbour who my husband used to compete with. Now he is sending us photos of their decorated yard and it looks so great!
My number one communication pet peeve is that many people do not listen, they just wait to talk about whatever they want to talk about.
Ally Bean
October 10, 2023 at 10:02 amDo you point out vague communication point-blank? Or, do you try to subtly encourage better communication with your response? I do both. I ask people to define their terms, then I reply in a way that’ll make sense to them while advocating for something better. I aim for clarity and say so.
Stephany
October 10, 2023 at 5:55 pmI decorated for Halloween SO EARLY now that I think of it. But I was just ready for some fall decor in my home in September, haha.
I’m so glad the Feedly issues seem to have been fixed – just in time for NaNoBlogMo, too!
Tobia | craftaliciousme
October 15, 2023 at 8:40 amOur date nights look similar. Maybe a coffee while we wait for the tires to be changed.
I am sorry you continue to lack communication. It’s tough. I have no solution.