The Weekly Ramble – August 7, 2026

Yes, I have trouble with my cuticles and I leave my tea bag in the mug ’til I’m done drinking. Not the most photo-worthy of images, but also very much the real me.

I’ve been a nail picker since childhood. That’s what I’m doing in this picture with Tommy Lasorda, picking my nails because I was stressed.

There have been some seasons when I had no fingernails at all. And there have been years when I was constantly clipping them because they were growing so fast.

Currently, I’m rolling out of a season of no fingernails and my cuticles are still recovering. It’s an interesting phenomena, stress.

For years I’ve heard about it as a bad thing, but stress can be good, especially when it forces us to grow.

If you had asked me over the last few months if I thought I was under stress, I would have said no. Clearly my nails have told a different story. They are my tell.

This week I’ve been doing a little stress detox. I woke up on Wednesday with an upset stomach and a new friend suggested that it could be related to my recent switch in routine, going from 24 years of homeschooling to this new normal.

She said, “I bet you are finally still enough to feel what your body has been carrying!! Thankful you have some space to heal up!!”

I hadn’t really considered that before. I thought it was the fact that I had accidentally tasted raw turkey the night before. lol

But, I’ve been sitting with that thought this week. Homeschooling six kids was kinda a big deal. And while the last two years have been rather chill with Miss 17 taking online and college courses, there was still the weight of responsibility. Not to mention transcripts, college applications, and chauffeur duty.

I didn’t start the homeschool journey with six full time students; I ramped up as babies were born and grew to school age. Likewise, there was a tapering off. But, it was still a 24-year journey that is now shifting.

Whether it was mild salmonella poisoning or a stress detox, I shifted gears Wednesday morning. I indulged in carbs like my favorite feel-better-brekkie, Pumpkin Spice Toast, basically cinnamon toast but make the cinnamon sugar with pumpkin pie spice. So good.

I also turned off all my alarms, letting the sun wake me up. That has been the best thing ever! Seriously, I’ve woken between 7 and 8 each morning, but it’s been so lovely to do it slowly. It won’t be forever like this, I’m sure, but letting my body sleep has been good.

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

What I’m Learning

I had some good conversations with my mother-in-law and a friend this week that have helped me process a bit what my post-homeschool days could look like. Both ladies are farther down the road than me so it was good to get some other perspectives.

I believe that there are two main aspects to Life:

• stewardship – how can I turn a profit on the gifts and circumstances God has given me?
• managing expectations – much of how we feel about life is based on what we expected from a situation or circumstance compared to how reality played out.

If I can find some resolve with these two lenses over my life, I will be in a good place.

I’ve been struggling to get a vision for the blogging business and what I could do to improve it. I make about half what I made four years ago.

Bryan doesn’t think I need to get outside work, so there’s no pressure there. We’re able to pay the bills and to save.

Yesterday I had a bit of an a-ha moment. Why not focus on faithfulness and let the chips fall where they may? I know that God honors faithfulness and until He makes it clear that we “need” more income, maybe I just be chill about it?

Currently, faithfulness looks, well, stewardship:

• taking care of the home
• managing the finances
• researching taxes and retirement
• planning and prepping meals

Once I’ve got those things handled, I’m kinda free to do what I want. This includes sleeping in, but it also means working on the business and trusting God with the fruit.

“Managing expectations” comes in when I hear online gurus sell the dream of making a ton of money on the internet. I’ve been doing this for 20 years and while we’ve not made millions, I’ve made enough to take the edge off.

It also plays a role in how I think about myself. Homemaking is an honorable vocation. And it’s one of the few that God gets very specific about.

I don’t know what Leaning into My Homemaker Life looks like in this season, but here’s to a new iteration.

What I’ve Been Doing

That said, I’m not going to be everyone’s maid. I’m on a mission to train everyone to load his or her own dishes.

My mantra to the kids has been, “I know we are meant to be spent. Do you want me to spend my life washing the dishes?”

We are still a work in progress, obviously.

What I’ve Been Eating

The only other food picture I took this week was this luncheon of fried eggs and veg. I’ve lost 4 pounds since I shifted my food plans. I don’t anticipate another big jump like that, but I’m trying.

We’ve done lots of dinners with chicken or turkey as well as pork loin. I’ve got fish and shrimp on the menu for the weekend. Also, we’ve eaten almost every fresh vegetable in the house!

Nothing to write home about, but all good.

What I’ve Been Listening/Watching

I’ve really been enjoying catching up on some podcasts, especially these:

• Stories are Soul Food
• Home Fires
• The Art of Home
• What Have You
• Good Content

Miss 17 and I are still working through older seasons of Death in Paradise as well as Gone.

What I’ve Been Reading

Look at me! I’ve been a reading fiend!

I’ve already finished four books this month and got a start on three more. Plus, I will finish the Bible in a couple weeks. Woot!

The Bookshop Mysteries, Book One – Self-published so not a ton of substance, but an easy read with very likable characters. I could easily see these made into an Acorn series. Started Book 2 on Kindle Unlimited as it’s a nice alternative to doom scrolling.

Manmade: Saint Antony’s Guide to Surviving the AI Apocalypse – Very good. I’ve not done a ton of research because I despise the widespread misuse of AI and don’t use it in writing or much of anything else. But, neither do I want to be ignorant. This book addresses it from a Christian perspective and suggests some guardrails that I appreciate. (also Kindle Unlimited)

The Mistletoe Mistake of Miss Grayson – This is a novella that is part of a larger series and is actually quite beautiful, not something you normally get from a novella or a series. I really enjoyed the story.

The Little Italian Hotel – I have enjoyed most of Phaedra Patrick’s books. I didn’t like the conclusion of this one, but the journey and the characters were really interesting to follow. I even cried, which I haven’t done with a book in awhile. (bought on sale for $2 last summer)

Alrighty, that’s it for me. Now it’s your turn. What are you learning, doing, eating, watching, listening, or reading?