My first day of vacation was… nice. Nothing dramatic, nothing wild — just the kind of slow, easy start I’ve been craving.
I woke up at 9am (no alarm, thank you very much!), stretched out slowly. Breakfast was simple and nourishing — some fresh veggies, which somehow taste even better when there’s no rush to eat them.
The big event of the day? Sofa cleaning. We had the sofa cleaner over, and now the sofas are officially clean and drying. At first, we tried to make the most of the sunshine and left them outside. But of course, the weather changed its mind. Rain rolled in, and we had to rush everything back inside.
We left the armchair for last because Marley was sleeping on it. Helmī gently woke him up with a little massage, then moved him to another chair so we could finally clean everything.
I decided to go for a walk… and wow, that was a mistake. It was so hot, and I forgot to take water with me. I already drink too little, and that walk reminded me just how important it is to stay hydrated — maybe I’ll add “drink more water” to my vacation goals. Also, wearing a black oversized t-shirt in full sun? What was I thinking? The whole thing felt like a slow roast in an oven. And of course, to make it even better, I got bitten by a horsefly (more than 10!). Those who know, know — they hurt. And too much uphill…
Afterward, I went for a swim to cool off, and it felt amazing — exactly what I needed to wash away the heat and the crankiness of that walk. I ended up walking 10K today! I honestly struggle with getting that many steps in, but I did it, and I’m proud of that.
Right now, the room is a complete mess — sofa cushions everywhere — and I still need to wash them. I’ll share some pictures later once everything is clean and back in place. For now, the sofas are drying, and I’m happy… I can wait 🙂
All in all, my first vacation day was time well spent. Now if only I could manage to go to bed early… that’s another thing I struggle with. Maybe tomorrow?
Dinner: new potatoes in a ham gravy with tomatoes… And of course there are dills!
Ilze
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
Marley has the best life!! 😻 You do look cranky in the photo, Ilze, its no fun being hot and gritty. Helmi is a sweet young lady, kitty love! And, new potatoes? I suppose they are better than old potatoes…
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Not now the right term… how do you call the first potatoes – spring potatoes? 🙂
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Taters is taters! 😂
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Americans.. 😀
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You betcha! Born n’ raised! 🇺🇸❤️😎
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You know we all carry stereotypes in our heads 🙂
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Yes we do.
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The furniture is coming along nicely! Hope the bites were not too bad.
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Thanks! The horsefly bites were definitely ouch, but manageable. Do you have any favorite summer remedies for bug bites?
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Tea tree oil is quite good. Or I use Anthisan
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Oh, tea tree makes sense!
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I hope the furniture dries quickly so you can enjoy it!
I had horses in high school and oh my I know horseflies. Had to put stuff on our horses to keep them off them and stuff to put on us too. They do bite hard!
Sleeping in is amazing! Going to bed early is not fun, kind of like being a kid that is afraid they will miss something, I’m working on it too. 😛
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Wow, you had horses in high school? That must have been amazing — and I bet those horseflies were a real challenge! What was the trickiest part about keeping them off? Also, I totally get the fear of missing out that keeps you from going to bed early — do you have any tips for easing into a better sleep routine?
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The sofa and chairs are coming along great, puss looks happy with the comfort and the look of the new potatoes is very, very familiar and appetizing . . . we must prepare them the same way north of your border also 🙂 !
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Thank you! I’m glad the potatoes look familiar — it sounds like a shared tradition! I’m originaly from Salacgriva and my family is from Ainaži, it’s border town with Ikla 🙂
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And one of my favourite aunties came from Valk(a) – so not that far away 🙂 !
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I know Valka/Valga 🙂 One of the Jānis cousins lives there!
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Multiple ouches. I have never used an alarm clock – I have the gift of being able to tell myself what time to wake up – something I can’t do during the daytime
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It’s impressive that you can wake yourself up without an alarm! I have something similar, though I tend to sleep better when I use an alarm if I need to wake up at a specific time. Otherwise I’ll check it all night through 🙂
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Understood
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The potatoes look delicious.
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I forgot about these already 🙂 I think I know what to cook for dinner today 🙂
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