It’s another set of photos from the week – and since it’s time for the Finding Joy in Gratitude Collective (Elisabeth’s brainchild!), I’m including each thing I’m grateful for in this post.
January 31, 2026 – I had a lovely reading date with my friend Amber at the new President Barack Obama Main Library. I used to visit this library often when I was younger. I have so many memories! The new library is gorgeous, and Amber and I giggled, wondering how many people refuse to visit this library because of the name. I started reading The Age of Innocence during this reading date.
February 1, 2026 – A cute “stay cozy” note from my Starbucks barista. It was so cold this morning. My car even had a snowflake next to the temperature! I’ve never seen that before.
Today’s FIG: I’m glad my pantry and fridge are stocked with GOOD SNACKS because the prednisone hunger has hit me hard today.
February 2, 2026 – Look at my girls! They were posing so pretty in the morning light.
Today’s FIG: So many good things today! I won Suzanne’s giveaway for Nicole’s book, got some fun mail from Kim, and made myself a very excellent dinner.
February 3, 2026 – My triumphant return to the gym! Unfortunately, I did not feel great after this workout, so it was probably too much, too soon.
Today’s FIG: Even though the workout didn’t go as planned, it felt good to be back at my gym. I missed this place!
February 4, 2026 – My mom and I went to a sports bar for trivia night! It was just the two of us, so we weren’t sure how well we would do, but we did better than I expected! We definitely need people who are better at pop culture than us, especially as it relates to music and movies.
Today’s FIG: I am so grateful that my rheumatologist is letting me increase my prednisone dose. I started high and tapered down to 10 mg, and my pain started to return when I was on the lower dose. Womp. But at least I have a responsive and proactive rheumatologist!
February 5, 2026 – A lovely late afternoon walk. It was 55 degrees and windy, and I was so cold! (I was also laughing at myself because this weather would probably feel downright TROPICAL to my northern friends.)
Today’s FIG: I’m so grateful for the different walking paths in my new apartment community. I like a varied walking route so I don’t get bored, and there are so many options here! (Plus, there’s a great, longer walking path that I’m looking forward to using once I can take longer walks.)
February 6, 2026 – A lovely evening! I watched the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Eloise was enraptured for a good 10 minutes! I also worked on podcast outlines because Bri and I are recording a bunch of episodes today!
Today’s FIG: I am grateful that we have the Olympics to look forward to! Do I have complicated feelings about chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” right now? Sure do. But it’s nice to see everyone come together for these few weeks.
Nice figs! Yay for an Obama library! I don’t know what that dessert is, but I’m drooling.
If there is anything that I have learned from my winter travels in FL, GA, and AL (where I currently am), it’s that 50 degrees can be COLD! It’s a huge improvement over what we have at home, but it’s still chilly.
It was a shamrock pie – basically mint chocolate chip ice cream in pie form. Delicious!
I am loving the Olympics so far! Watching other people outside in the cold such a cozy thing to do on a winter day – haha.
They look so cold! And I am so glad I am not there. HA.
Aww! Stay cozy! That’s a cute message. It’s fun they do that now! What did you get to drink?
Thanks for the mention for the fun mail 🥰
Yay for going back to the gym! Did you come up with a way to alter it a bit so it doesn’t hit you so hard?
That is awesome you have so many walking paths! It looks lovely from the photo.
A peppermint mocha, of course! I’ll keep ordering it until they tell me they don’t have peppermint syrup anymore. Muahaha.
Right now, I’m going to stick to using the recumbent bike rather than doing any weights or anything strenuous. Now is not the time for fitness gains – gentle movement is key!
I’m surprised Trump isn’t trying to change the name of that library (if they name a library after him I will definitely boycott).
So many good things here! Well- some not as good things, but I love the positive spin. That’s what happens when we’re looking for FIGs!
Shhh, hopefully he doesn’t know about this library!
I love the practice of trying to find at least one good thing from every day! It’s so helpful.
Look at you taking walks and going to the gym!! Yay!! So glad your pain is better– this must be a huge relief. I love bar trivia- how fun.
IT FEELS SO GOOD! I’m so happy to be back at the gym, even if I can’t do my normal workouts right now.
If it were 55, I would break out my summer dresses and sandals. LOL. But in August, that would feel very cold, so I get it. Do you even own layers? Like, do you have a hoodie? Do you own shoes with toes? I feel like I would NOT if I lived in Florida.
HA. I definitely have layers and hoodies and closed-toed shoes. It’s a very small part of my closet, but it’s always fun to bring out the “winter” clothes when the weather dips below 60.
Wow, an Obama library! That is cool! And I bet he didn’t throw a hissy fit to get his name on the library. I find it so ridiculous that he’s holding back funding on projects unless they change the name – that’s what’s happening w/ Penn Station in NYC and Dulles airport in the DC area. IT’S MADDENING. I love that so many performers canceled their performance at the Kennedy Center once he slapped his name on that building.
But I digress. I have felt pretty unengaged from the Olympics. I need to change that. I’ve felt busier than usual this year? Plus our kids are at ages where we can’t sit and watch long stretches of it. Well, Paul could, but definitely not Will.
I haven’t been posting about my FIGs but I do have a page in my planner where I write down one thing/day.
I don’t even know the story behind why we named the library that, but I love that we have this in our community! It makes me very happy to see it. 🙂
I think the first Olympics I was excited about was 1996 when I was 8, so maybe it’ll be easier to get the boys to watch during the next Summer Olympics when Will is a few years older!
A President Barack Obama Library! Now that is a library I can get on board with 🙂
You had some great FIGs this week. I am so glad the prednisone is working and that you were able to return to the gym. And I love your walking path!
I love that we have this library in our community!
Your weeks sounds lovely. And filled with many F.I.G.S.
I didn’t participate because life. And that is probably why I should have. Oh well.
I also watch the ceremony and since than lots of olympic competitions. I love it.