The Weekly Ramble – April 3, 2026

Hello! We gotta start Good Friday with a pretty sunrise, don’t you think?

I remember as a kid not understanding why they called it “good” if that’s when Jesus died. Not growing up with Christian parents, it was many years before I understood. It was a good Friday, indeed.

I finished That Hideous Strength on Sunday afternoon and I rode on a high for a few days. I can’t find the exact section (I alternated between audio, kindle, and paper), but Lewis describes that inner glow one feels once aware of how loved they are by God. That thought has been such a comfort this week.

One night I fell asleep crying, the realization that death is not that far off. My kids are all in good places and I love them so very much. Relatively speaking, the end is probably in sight. I’m not going to live to 100, so life is more than halfway done.

It’s like we’re on one of our big trips. We’ve finally gotten over the jet lag and culture shock; we’ve acclimated to the new experiences and fully enjoying it. Yet, we know the trip will end. And it’s bittersweet.

Lewis says it this way:

But now that it’s so very nearly time for me to go, all this begins to feel like a dream. A happy dream, you understand: all of it, even the pain. I want to taste every drop.

No, I don’t have any premonitions or diagnoses. I’m just realizing that time is fleeting. And I better get a grip and enjoy it all while I’m here.

You’ll remember a few weeks ago when I read Rachel’s guide and started contemplating what I’m building. I’ve been chewing on that lately.

I started my Q2 journal and revisited my wins for Q1, one of the things that I do at the start of the month. When we moved to this house in 2023, it was with the assumption that it was the transition house. I called it the “launching pad” because I figured kids would be moving out quickly.

With rents as expensive as they are, with our family co-habitating as adults really well, with us liking our kids and their friends, we aren’t in any hurry for the kids to leave. Not because they can’t make it on their own; they very much can, but I don’t know that it makes sense, financially or otherwise. Especially if they feel independent though we all live together.

I know this departs from the norm of America since the mid-20th century, but honestly?

Isn’t that kinda how we roll? Having six kids, living on one income, and homeschooling through high school aren’t exactly the norm.

Now that we’ve all acclimated to the idea that ours may be a multi-generational home, especially if we stay in SoCal, “launching pad” doesn’t really fit. It doesn’t have to have a name, of course, but I like giving names to my goals, like the scallion in Veggie Tales.

I tried lots of different names and phrases, but kept coming back to HOME. Okay, Jessica, that doesn’t sound like new-news. We’ve been building a home for the last 30 years, haven’t we?

Yes, but somehow it looks different now. It’s not a home with toddlers and babies, or even one with homeschoolers any more. It’s a home for my people, all grown up, and someday with more people that they will bring home with them.

I want our home to be a place my kids want to come back to, even once they move away, and where they always feel nourished and nurtured and loved and have room to grow in, that’s what I want. Neither Bryan nor I had that with our families of origin.

So, I guess in a way, it’s home, but a multigenerational home. Never really experienced that but it was the only way of life for most humans for centuries. I guess we’ll see where this goes.

Here’s what else I’ve been doing, eating, listening/watching, and/or reading this past week:

What I’ve been Doing

I’ve continued with my yogurt experiments. I’ve made three different batches over the last two weeks: twice with powdered milk, once without.

It’s been delicious every time, but I noticed that I do like the texture better with the powdered milk added. Not required but slightly better.

I’m still refining my workflow. I found Weck jars on sale at Magnolia so I ordered several of the 1L tulip jars. If I find a pot big enough or buy a second heating pad, I can make a gallon at a time and that would be enough for a week.

Fun fact: Whenever I’m working on a new technique, I nerd out on a it a bit until I can systemate it. I think I’m close to having yogurt figured out.

Just need to choose a habit to stack it to. It’s a fairly hands-on process to scald the milk and then wait for it to cool to the right temp, so that needs to be an hour or two when I’m already in the kitchen.

(Yes, I know you can make yogurt in the instant pot, but I would need to learn a whole different process and buy a new rubber ring. I don’t want my yogurt to smell like chicken. I’ll think about it.)

Another kitchen technique that I’m practicing is baking pretzel rolls. I only buy them when they’re on clearance and even then they’re outrageously expensive.

On Sunday I was already rising hamburger bun dough, so I did a quick search to see what pretzel rolls entailed. Just boiling, slashing, and salting before baking at a higher temp. So, I did that to my hamburger buns and they were fabuloso!

I’ve made pretzel rolls twice and bagels once this week and I made a batch of Hot Cross Buns, so it’s fair to say I am on a roll! 😉 We’re going to have pretzel rolls again on Easter. I’ll post a recipe soon!

What I’ve been Eating

Besides yogurt and bread? I’ve been working on getting 25 grams of fiber every day. It takes some effort and I get really tired of weighing things out, so again, this is something to systemate.

• 1 cup of beans = at least 12 grams of fiber
• 1 cup of blueberries = 4 grams
• 1/2 cup oats = 4 grams
• 1 cup broccoli = 5 grams

I’m contemplating just having some set foods I have every day so I know I’ll hit it. I’m not saying that I won’t eat other foods, especially since 30 types of plants is recommended.

But, if I know I’m hitting the marks, then I can add whatever else I want without having to weigh everything. It’s so fatiguing!

Just one more thing…Anyone else feeling this?

What I’ve been Watching

Apparently two of the FishBoys had been wondering how long it would be before Miss 17 and I discovered Columbo. Did you know I’d never seen it before this last week?

I’ve heard of it, of course. I think my parents or their friends probably watched it when I was young, but I’d never watched an episode.

Our PBS subscription lapsed last weekend, so Miss 17 and I pulled up “live TV” on Amazon one day on our lunch break. (Old things new again??) Columbo, season 6, episode 2 was playing.

And we liked it!

How happy were we to discover that all the seasons are free on Prime! So, we’re set. They are long episodes, so it will take us two lunch breaks to get through each one.

One of the things that I love? I get all the nostalgic feels for the Los Angeles of my childhood. It really was a wonderful place once upon a time. Not the cesspool it is today. It’s so sad!

Columbo pre-dates me, of course. I was born in 72 and the first episode came out in 68, but it’s a fun peek into the past for sure. And so far, the writing has been excellent – season 1 and that later episode in season 6.

What I’ve been Reading

I ended up reading five books in March which brings me to 20 books for the year so far. Last year I surpassed my goal of 100, but I’ll have to scoot my boot if I’m going to match 2025.

Here’s my list of books read in 2026.

I finished The Art of Spending Money which was excellent, but it paled in comparison to That Hideous Strength which was unbelievably good. Last year’s best book I read was Mere Christianity and this year if for sure THS.

Right now I’m flip-flopping between a cheesy Christian romance and menopause research.

Overall, I feel this overwhelming urge to get my house in order so that I can enjoy it all so much more. This is not limited to my physical house, though that certainly needs a good spit and polish, but overall.

Everything needs a good reboot: my health, my physical surroundings, my bookkeeping, etc. I crave order in a very intense way right now, not to control things as I have in the past, but so that it will not gnaw at my attention.

If I’m to enjoy these last few decades, then I can’t have dumb stuff distracting me!

So, on that note, I’m going to clean off my desk. I hope you’ll delurk and tell me what you think about all the above and whatever else comes to mind.

Happy Easter!