A Cozy Day with Cookies and Constellations

The morning greeted me with its usual stillness, the kind of hush that settles just before the sky decides what kind of mood it’s in. I got dressed, wrapped in that quiet hush, and reached—perhaps a bit boldly—for my Necromicon tarot deck. The card I pulled was the Five of Swords. A warning, perhaps, that today might ask a bit more of me than usual. I tucked that thought away and braced myself with a deep breath.

loss of dispute. defeat. failure. unfavorable ruling. display of weakness. troubles. anxiety for the future.

With an iced coffee in hand, I settled in to edit and post yesterday’s blog entry. Once that was out in the world, I gave myself the gift of a brief rest—just forty-five minutes of stillness—before the day truly began. A check of the weather confirmed what the sky had already hinted at: more storms. The stand would remain closed, and the goats wouldn’t graze. Plans shifted. Dameion would stay indoors to help with clearing out the discard jar. Dinner would be simple and hearty—tonight, shepherd’s pie.

Next came the monumental task of organizing the girls’ schoolwork. What I thought would be a quick check-in turned into nearly two hours of sorting, prepping, and printing. The table was soon buried in worksheets, books, and little scribbled drawings.

aria walking harley

While I worked, Franklin slipped quietly into his morning routine, leashing the dogs and taking Aria with him for the first part of the walk. But rain came quickly, dotting the earth with fat, cold drops, so she was sent back in while he finished the final rounds alone. I got the grocery order placed just in time, and Aria was already asking to help with the sourdough. Of course, I said yes. Her joy in the kitchen is too infectious to deny. Together, we stirred and laughed and got our hands messy. Afterward, we fed Snappy.

snappy

I warmed a bottle for tiny Jezebel and got Aria dressed to help feed her. Franklin stepped in and guided Aria through the feeding, letting her care for the little lamb with gentle hands. With the world outside too damp for much else, Dameion took charge of the chickens and made sure Queen Bushka was content.

While waiting on Sparks to deliver our Walmart haul, Aria curled up with Pokémon and I tackled cleaning. Deep clean day had circled back around, and I still hadn’t finished the living room from last week. Everyone was up by then, so we folded the bed away and I headed straight for the bathroom. Scrubbing the new toilet was oddly satisfying—quick, easy, done. Breakfast was served while A Wonder Walk played softly in the background, and the girls munched on Pop-Tarts and sausage patties. Afterward, we watched a couple of short videos about constellations, following the stars from the cozy warmth of our living room.

The bathroom gleamed by the time I was done, freshly sprayed for bugs and ready for the week. I moved on to Cain’s room while the girls got creative. They wrote little poems, drew pictures of their summer dreams, and eagerly checked off their summer bucket list—adding more adventures as they went. We did a spot-the-difference sheet, a few rounds of bingo, and even sorted toy cars from tiniest to biggest. Then came lunch, and with full bellies and sleepy eyes, the girls drifted off for nap.

While the house quieted, Franklin dashed to Walmart for a few forgotten bits and pieces (and a few things he probably just wanted). I pressed forward with cleaning, finishing Cain’s room and spraying again for bugs. The carpet cleaner was acting up, which frustrated me more than I’d like to admit. Dameion had already tried fixing it twice. Still not right.

Franklin returned home with a new blender—our second this year, after yesterday’s unexpected demise. Meanwhile, Dameion and Charlie were elbow-deep in sugar cookie dough made from discard. The air filled with the scent of vanilla and butter, wrapping the house in warmth. I continued cleaning, making my way through the hallway and giving it a final spray for pests.

By the time nap ended, the cookies were cooling on the rack, and the girls were greeted with the sweet surprise for snack. We spent the rest of the afternoon diving back into worksheets—patterns, coloring, mini puzzles, memory games. Aria got more time with her beloved whale shark zoology box, beaming with pride.

Dinner was served, baths were drawn, and the girls were soon snuggled into bed with clean hair and tired smiles.

With the house quiet again, I tackled the last of my tasks. Dameion and Charlie got two batches of donuts tucked away in the fridge to proof overnight. I finished cutting out today’s laminate work and prepped a fresh pile for tomorrow. Then we all gathered in the kitchen to cook dinner—our shepherd’s pie, golden and bubbling, warm enough to keep the stormy night at bay.

We ate together, tired but content, and ended the day with full bellies, flour-dusted hands, and the soft hush of rain against the windows.