I like to think I'm superwoman, capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound... while juggling 361 duties with ease.

Sometimes life smacks me upside the head and tells me I'm a doofus for thinking such things.

Right now is one of those times, and I have no choice but to cry uncle admit I'm juggling more than I'm capable of at the moment.

One thing I'm juggling is caregiving duties for Jim, who — more than a month after his emergency foot surgery — is still on crutches, still has his PICC line for the mega antibiotics fighting the foot-damaging infection he had. Which means I'm still driving him to and from work, to and from doctor appointments, still administering his IV medication each evening, still handling absolutely everything around the house because he can't put any weight on his right foot if we want it to heal correctly. (Which we truly do want, despite the hassle.)

And now, as fate would have it, the "around the house" stuff I face includes something neither of us has ever had to do, thanks to the July 28 hailstorm from hell that hit our part of town. It spared our windows and roof, for the most part, but demolished every living thing in my yard, leaving pine needles and more everywhere.

Other than a huge helping hand from Andrea on Friday that cleared at least the driveway and sidewalk, another from Brianna and Patrick on Sunday to manage some gutter and damaged shed situations, I alone — because Jim absolutely cannot put weight on his foot! — am completing the cleanup. 

And in between the caregiving and cleanup, I'm juggling a mother-of-the-bride duty, too. Andrea and Matt are getting married Monday, and though it's just a small ceremony at the courthouse, there are mother-of-the-bride duties I want to perform all the same. Making the cupcakes Andie requested for the reception is one of them.

So, I've been making copious cupcakes as I practice perfecting mini lemonade-flavored ones plus chocolate-peanut butter ones, per the bride's request.

 

Today I face my last practice round. I'm not happy with how those schmeared-top ones above look and will go ahead and make frosting thick enough for pretty swirl tops made with a pastry bag. I originally resisted thickening the frosting with more powdered sugar simply for looks sake as it's scrumpdillyicious as is. But after seeing the results, I will. So they look better. Because I want them to look better, not because Andrea grimaced at my practice batch.

In light of all the caregiving/cleanup/cupcake juggling, I've been unable to dedicate the time and effort I should — and want to — to my Grandma's Briefs blog. And that'll be the case for several more days.

So I'm taking a break from blogging.

For a week.

I shall return Thursday, August 11.

With a surely scintillating post of some sort. I hope.

And I hope to see you then.

(And possibly on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook between now and then.)

Cheers!