The high of my week was the German streusel plum cake that I baked with the Italian (Empress) plums. They’re usually in season for a few weeks in the late summer/early fall, and your best bet is finding them at the local Farmer’s Market. Trust me, you want to get these plums if you can find them. They’re superior to any other plums for baking, and the cake was absolutely mouth-watering delicious! I need it once a year!
The low of my week was all the continuing terrible news. I am living in a constant state of emotional dissonance these days, and it’s exhausting. I am not sure how we’re supposed to go about our daily lives, go to work, do our chores, take care of ourselves, all the while the world is falling apart around us. How are you holding up?
A podcast I recommend is Daily Beans with Allison Gill and Dana Goldberg. I listened to a couple of episodes last weekend (while driving to see my friend Susi in the Bay Area), and they nicely summarize the recent news, if you’re trying not to doom-scroll every day.
A blog post I could relate to was Kae’s thoughts on her parents + aging. Her post was supposed to first and foremost celebrate her mom’s 75th birthday (which they celebrated in style!), but the post turned in an unexpected direction when Kae started pondering time perception and thoughts of ‘how did we get here so quickly?’, and I have to say that I could relate to every single word she said. The thought of my parents not being here anymore at some point absolutely terrifies me. I try not to think about it too much, because, honestly, I know it would absolutely consume me, but having lost Jon’s mom recently, I definitely think about it much more often than I want to.
The best money I spent was on tickets for a Pre-Season NBA game (Sacramento Kings vs. LA Clippers), which will be a birthday gift for my Dad when he and my mom come to visit in October. I know he’ll be so thrilled. My Mom and Jon are not interested in going and will hopefully hang out at home, while I’ll be looking forward to some one-on-one time with my dad.
My plans this weekend include a Skype Teams Chat with Ingrid, a trip to Ikea, and participating in the SUMMIIT Stages Challenge with the Streakers365 team. I have previously participated in the SUMMIIT Climb and Stride events, but Stages is a new multi-discipline event that brings together cycling, running, and rowing in one challenge. I only pledged running and cycling miles, but I am sure many people will be pleased to hear about the addition of the rower as a discipline!
What are your plans for the weekend?
J
September 19, 2025 at 10:38 pmI have so many friends who have lost their mothers recently. I lost mine young, I was 42. So I never had this dread, it didn’t even occur to me that it could happen. But now a lot of people my age (59) are losing their parents, and it’s so hard. In a way I feel horribly for them, and in a way I relive my own loss.
I am so glad you will have a visit with your parents, I know you and your dad will have an amazing time at the game. I cherished one on one time with my dad.
Times lately are rough, and it’s hard to figure it all out. So many people seem to be just fine. Then again, maybe we seem just fine to others if they see us out and about in our lives?
Lisa’s Yarns
September 20, 2025 at 4:49 amI don’t like to think about a world without my parents. So I just block those thoughts out of my mind. My grandma lived to almost 101 so it’s my hope that my parents will have that kind of longevity! Fingers crossed.
The news is horribly depressing. I stay informed through podcasts and my local newspaper mostly and it sure feels bleak. I saw that Ted Cruise spoke out about the FCC’s comments about pulling licenses from broadcast companies. You know it’s bad when someone like him says ‘this is going too far’. I like to imagine the outrage if Biden ever tried to do something like this. Sigh. I really was hoping this version of the Republican Party would collapse but it’s hard to believe that will happen
Enjoy your weekend! I went to Paul’s soccer game last night. Today I will take taco to a truck event while Phil takes Paul to a twins game. And then tomorrow taco has a playdate with a daycare friend.
Nicole MacPherson
September 20, 2025 at 5:53 amI said to J just yesterday that there are so many things to worry about, but I am completely stuck on the Jimmy Kimmel thing. So blatant censorship is a thing now. I guess it has been leading this way for a while. I don’t even know what to say anymore.
I’m glad you had your plum cake! I know how much you love it.
Elisabeth
September 20, 2025 at 12:23 pmThat plum cake looks delicious and I’m so glad you were able to have it again this year. It’s nice to have anchors when everything seems so…adrift in the world right now.
Birchie is sitting in my living room and we did an almost 15 km hike earlier today and I am ready to VEG! I have a bag of new books from the library and I’m feeling tired but satisfied. So a good Saturday.
My parents are both alive, but definitely declining and it is HARD to think about a world/life without them in it :(
Michelle G.
September 21, 2025 at 8:43 amIt is so hard for me to watch my parents aging, especially because my dad is constantly talking about his funeral arrangements lately. I cry every time he brings up the topic! Even though I’m grateful that he’s making all the plans. It just sucks. Well, on a brighter note, your plum cake looks amazing!
Ernie
September 21, 2025 at 7:43 pmI’m so excited for you that your parents are coming for a visit. How wonderful. My parents are 85 and 83. My siblings and I are very involved and invested in their health. Lately it seems like every other day a new situation crops up. It is not easy. Mom has Alzheimer’s. I hope your parents’ health stays consistently good.
My weekend (commenting after one of the busiest weekend we’ve had in a long time) was hectic but we managed to get everything accomplished. Tailgating with mini at ND was definitely a highlight.
Melissa
September 22, 2025 at 8:32 pmI’m glad you got to make your plum cake while the plums were in season. Little mini-traditions like that remind us that life is continuing, what a mood booster. Your parents are coming to visit is so close now, that’s exciting!
i’m commenting after the weekend and we had S’s birthday celebration on Friday at a new wine bar near us, and Saturday I caught up with my sisters at a wine bar.
Suzanne
September 23, 2025 at 5:13 amThat plum cake sounds SO good. I think I say that every time you post about it, lol. What can I say? I love a plum cake!
How fun that you got tickets to see a game with your dad. What a nice way to treat him, and to spend time together.
Stephany
September 23, 2025 at 3:06 pmIt’s so hard to think of our parents aging, isn’t it? I already have anxiety about something happening to my mom, and every now and then, I start spiraling about my own aging process, which then leads me to imagining a life without my mom and… it’s just dark and not a place I want to go to!
The news is so bleak and depressing, and we’re only 9 months into this. Ugh.
Ally Bean
September 24, 2025 at 7:45 amYou said it: “I am not sure how we’re supposed to go about our daily lives, go to work, do our chores, take care of ourselves, all the while the world is falling apart around us.” Feel the same way, don’t know what to do either.
I’m sorry to read about your mother. Like J, I lost mine when I was young, before I hit 40. It was difficult then, makes me feel bittersweet to this day. My condolences.
Anne
October 3, 2025 at 12:20 pmTHIS THIS THIS: “I am not sure how we’re supposed to go about our daily lives, go to work, do our chores, take care of ourselves, all the while the world is falling apart around us.”
The cognitive dissonance makes my head spin on a daily basis. I escape by reading, right now.
Every time I talk to/email my parents, I’m reminded of how lucky I am that they are still here, and how terrified I am of the coming day when they will not be here. I’m so glad you’ll have time with your parents this fall – the b-ball game sounds like it will be so much fun. :)