10 on the 10th: May 2024-Can vs. May & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #704

Another month has gone by quicker than ever and it’s time again for another round of Marsha’s monthly question and answer game. 10 on the 10th is a monthly series hosted by Marsha in the Middle and is open to anyone who wants to join. You can share your answers in Marsha’s link party if you have a blog or you can share your answers in the comment section. It is such a fun way to share more information about ourselves and to learn interesting new things about others. The questions posed offer a great way to start new conversations, make meaningful connections with new people, and have a good hearty chuckle every now and then.

For this month, Marsha has strayed from her traditional 10 questions format and instead is playing a little grammar game with us. As a self-proclaimed Grammar Queen, I am here for it! We are sharing 10 things that we can and may do in the month of May.

From Marsha: “I have lots of pet peeves, and lots of them have to do with word use and grammar. I tried so hard to get the difference between can and may through to my students. I’m pretty sure that was very low on their lists of things they learned and remembered! This month, we are going with ten different things you can and may do. If you’d rather do four of one and six of the other, that’s fine! Just make sure you have ten!”

So let’s get to the 10 things that I can and may do in May.

I’ll start with the Cans…

1. I can dance in May…

…but I cannot can-can. In fact, I was just dancing around my dining room yesterday (not the can-can) to some 80s tunes while I was making some raggery. If you can dance and even if you can’t, you should dance. It’s good for the body, mind, and soul.

2. I can paint my pantry/mud room in May…

…but I probably won’t. It is a really cool space, but it is also a hot mess and needs a major renovation. Before I paint the room, however, I want to makeover two old dressers that I am going to use for the food storage in the pantry section. I hate the wire racks that are in there now. They are hideous and completely impractical. I aim going to paint the room a similar shade of green but I am going to do the trim in either a barn red or a terracotta color. The white trim gets so gross and dirty. Then I am going to get super creative with my upcycled shelving ideas…hopefully, I can and will have it all finished by the fall!

3. We can finally get started on the chimney repair in May.

Remember the mushroom that is eating my house? Well, we met with the mason and he can repair the problem and rebuild the chimney for a mere $18,400. We have made a down payment and work is scheduled to begin on May 27. Fingers crossed that it is a smooth process because all the things seem to be needing repairs at once. My washing machine won’t spin and my dryer seems to have lost some drying power. They are 10 year old machines so they are definitely at their maximum lifespan, but Jeff is going to try his hand at some appliance maintenance this weekend and see if we can get a few more years out of them. Whether he can or cannot will soon be determined.

4. I can start an easy cardio exercise plan in May.

But will I? I really should. I need to. I have been committed to my daily morning yin yoga practice for years now but I have not been as diligent in maintaining the same level of dedication to high intensity workouts. Actually, my dedication to high intensity anything is pretty much nonexistent. However, my heart health is very important and at my age some cardio is necessary so I can live another half century.

5. I can become a quinquagenarian in May.

And if I live another 20 days, I will become a quinquagenarian. A true golden girl as I turn 50 on May 30. Happy Birthday to me!

Now onto the Mays…

1. I may have a sexy date with my husband on my birthday.

I am definitely having a date on my birthday with my husband. Whether or not our date turns sexy is wholly dependent on my perimenopausal body. My birthday falls on a Thursday this year so Jeff took the day off from work for a date with me while the children are in school. So I may be getting lucky on my birthday!

2. I may complete some more raggery projects.

As long as I have someplace to put the projects, I will keep making them. I was asked to remove all of my products from the flea market because “they weren’t selling.” When I went to pick up my things, they couldn’t find some pieces. I came to discover that most of my things were never even displayed. Instead, they were stuffed into a storage room for some reason unknown to me and then an employee told me she “accidentally” threw this light pink Shaggy Raggy Garland in the trash.

I do not understand how that could happen “accidentally”. The thing is 15 feet long and probably weighs 5 pounds. It’s not the size of something that gets “accidentally” tossed into a trash bin. And all I got in return was an insincere apology. I was so freaking angry and disappointed at first but life has taught me to take the loss and walk away. My peace is more valuable than most things and karma usually works her magic so I can just sit back and enjoy the show.

I am currently working on a custom order for my sister which will be completed in May. Then I want to make a curtain for my downstairs bathroom. It has a shower stall with no doors and the water is turned off so we use the stall as a storage closet. Except it’s not a closet so you can see all the stored stuff. I need to cover it all up with a rag curtain.

3. I may try to make some seeded rye sourdough bread.

My sister gave me a sourdough starter back in February and I am addicted. I have been making plain sourdough loaves, sourdough with chocolate swirls, and a nut filled swirly version, too. My family eats it quicker than I can make it. Because it is freaking amazing! I want to make a seeded rye version because it’s my favorite kind of bread. I may or may not get to that before the end of the month.

4. We may have a Memorial Day/Birthday Weekend cookout.

The last week of May is a very busy one in my house. Jeff’s 43rd birthday is Sunday, May 26. Memorial Day is Monday, May 27. The kids have a half day at school on Tuesday, May 28. My 50th birthday is Thursday, May 30. So I do think that some kind of celebratory sharing and eating of food should happen over that weekend. We are talking about it but have made no real plans yet.

5. I may do absolutely none of these things in May.

Because it’s up to me to decide what I want to do each day for the next 3 weeks. I do enjoy and appreciate some good ole couch sitting. I am so grateful for the blessings in my life including the flexibility to mostly do whatever I want whenever I want. And maybe I want to do nothing in May.

What about you?

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If you enjoyed reading about the things that I can and may do in month of May, be sure to check out Marsha’s post and her link party for more fun responses. And feel free to share your own answers in the comments. I would love to read them!

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

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