Memories in May & Asian Beef Skewers

Memories, even bittersweet ones, are better than nothing.

Jennifer Armentrout

Today is May 1. The sun is out, the fruit trees are blossoming, and summer is in the air! May brings us flowers after April showers! It also brings us recitals and the ending of activities we have been working towards all year!

For most people May allows you to open the windows and start fresh unburdened by the winter’s chill.

For me?

May is the month when the Facebook reminders start. In the next coming weeks I will be reminded of my Mom’s last Mother’s Day, my Mom’s last day at home, the day I found out treatment was no longer an option, the moment I realized this was serious and I had to call my Brother and Sister to tell them the news, and it is the month we buried my Nana and I saw my Mom’s face as she realized we would all come together for her funeral just one short month later.

It’s so weird… Grief. In some ways I hate the reminders and in other ways I welcome them. In some ways I don’t care because at least I get to see her, like it makes me closer to her to relive the memories. Sometimes I can’t remember specific things at all. But in May… I remember everything. In some ways I hate it! I want to delete my Facebook account and put my fist through my computer screen but then I wouldn’t have these memories and that makes me cry even harder.

A couple years ago someone hacked my Mom’s Facebook page. Of course we all reported it and they deleted her account. It makes me physically ill. All those times she wrote on my wall or told me she missed me… Gone. Just like her.

You know what’s not gone? The weeds. I hate gardening.

After Mom died… God I still hate saying that, I tried to keep up with her gardening, it was something she absolutely loved. I don’t. In fact I kind of hate it so today on May 1 as I sit here dreading/looking forward to getting all the memories of the next month… I garden. I take out my anger on all the grass that keeps on growing back every year! No matter how much veg paper I put down, rocks I put on top, and horrible chemicals that we spray… They keep coming back… just like the memories of her bald head, her noxious farts from the chemo LOL and her quiet acceptance of the inevitable as her eyes watched everything like she was imprinting it into her heart for all time.

One of the things I hate most about gardening is I never know what I’m going to pull up. I’m scared of worms, well not really worms but just not knowing what’s under the ground. HBear’s teacher asked them a question the other day, she wanted to know what they thought people’s biggest fears are. HBear asked me and I said automatically, death. She said, “you would think so but no. Number 1 is the unknown and number 2 is failure.” That makes sense because I don’t think you’re really scared of death, more that you didn’t succeed in life and the fear comes to a head when you think about the unknown after you die.

Gardening is a lot like grief. Sometimes you do it on your own but it’s easier with help. No matter how long you pull weeds it never looks like it’s going to end but you keep working at it until one day you look around and you can finally see the flowers 💛💐.

Ninja and I had a hilarious time podcasting the other night! We talked about our hall pass choices, cooties and vasectomies! Check out How Was Your Week, Honey Episode 62: Attack of the Coochie Critters HERE!

May is also a time to get the BBQ out and start grilling! This is an easy recipe for our favourite Asian Steak Skewers!

Grilled Asian Garlic Steak Skewers
Adapted from The Recipe Critic

Servings: 5 (2 skewers each)
NUTRITION: 421 Calories

1½ pounds top sirloin steak
1 red onion
⅔ cup soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ cup sesame oil
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cut steak into one inch cubes. Cut the red onion into large chunks and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger and sesame seeds. Add the steak and toss to coat in marinade. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Thread the meat and the red onion onto the skewers. Grill for 8-10 minutes until the meat is done to desired liking.

This past week was… Busy. Like, full swing work, activities, early dismissals, and dance galas! It was a shit show 😂

On Tuesday we had dance like usual! Unlike usual, dance day though I had to miss my class for the school board budget meeting and DPAC meeting.

On Wednesday my wireless earphones died while I was working! Thank goodness I have a wicked Sister that bought me a super cool Fannypack to hold my phone just in case I screw up and forget to charge my earphones 😜.

Wednesday was my super crazy day! Unfortunately we got off to a bad start when some “gentleman” slammed on his brakes in front of me and I spilled coffee all over myself! It’s a good thing I tried to stop the sprinklers in our backyard that had been running for hours! The hose wasn’t attached and water sprayed me everywhere! Granted it cleaned up all of the coffee from earlier in the day but it was so forceful I thought at first it broke my nose 😂.

After work I picked up SBean for early dismissal/student led conferences. SBean was a fabulous host and showed us everything she has been working on! Even Ninja snuck away for 10 minutes to check it out! MBesty had to work so I went to PSBesty’s conference as well! After I got her to her babysitter I quickly ran to get HBear from Gifted! Then we went to swimming and then back to the school for her conference!

SBean loves glasses! She is always trying mine on LOL I love this picture it shows off her sassy pants attitude so well 😂💛.

My favourite thing about the warm weather is that the Girls can play outside after school! They love riding their bikes up and down the back lane while I watch and cheer them on!

On Friday was HBear’s last KISU team practice of the year! They all got together and had their full Team picture and then after practice they walked to the park for a pizza party, cake and report cards. HBear moved up to mini squad gold!

After the party we took a walk on the beach! It was a gorgeous evening and there were people swimming, sunbathing and enjoying a barbeque at the public fire pits!

It was such a busy week that I won our step challenge work week hustle! Nobody needs to know that Ninja missed the cut off and was unable to compete this week 😂.

On Saturday SBean and I spent the day together just smelling the flowers and hanging out at gymnastics while Ninja took HBear to Peachland with his parents. Ninja’s Uncle and Aunt we’re passing through and they met up for a family lunch!

That night we went to the Kiwanis Dance Gala with Grandma 💃💕.

On Sunday SBean had a play date with her KBesty so Ninja and I took HBear toReady Player One. We all loved it!

When we got home HBear ~~geeked out~~ worked on her BB8 LEGO 😊.

On Monday SBean was awarded a certificate for showing good Common Sense throughout the year! She had no idea she was getting an award and she was very very excited to be called up in front of the whole school at the assembly! It was cute because as soon as HBear saw me she started fixing her hair thinking that she had won an award 😂. Nope not this time my Dear 💕.

We ended our week with a surprise! I had won, on the radio, a family pass to the Great Benjamin Circus in Oliver for Monday evening! Ninja and I took the Girls and boy did they have fun! It sure wasn’t the Shrine Circus of my childhood but the kids loved it anyways!