Lady Jupiter Podcast

Episode 21: Key Spousing & Nap Consolidation

August 29, 2020 Lady Jupiter Season 1 Episode 21
Lady Jupiter Podcast
Episode 21: Key Spousing & Nap Consolidation
Lady Jupiter Podcast+
Get a shoutout in an upcoming episode!
Starting at $3/month
Support
Show Notes Transcript

Welcome back! Episode 21 begins with our brush with Hurricane Laura, updates on last weekend's Zoom and kintsugi adventure, then asks for feedback regarding an upcoming blog post. I go on to recognize the top ten visiting countries to LadyJupiter.com this month, and a nod to five at the bottom. This week's domestic diversion isn't too unusual, and I have learned that changing toddler nap hours isn't the most fun - but we'll weather this storm too.

📌 Click here for the full transcript 📌

Related blog posts this episode
⚡️Picks of the Week, Index
⚡️Key Spouse Folio, Version Two

You can always email me at Podcast@LadyJupiter.com, and you can leave ratings on Apple Podcasts. Not all podcatchers enable ratings or reviews - so don't worry if you don't see that option. I'll talk to you on the first!

Support the show

Blog • Ladyjupiter.com
Email • Podcast@LadyJupiter.com
Facebook • Facebook.com/ladyjupiterdotcom
Transcript & show notes • LadyJupiterPodcast.wordpress.com

Episode 21: Key Spousing & Nap Consolidation (click here for the show notes)

Welcome back everybody! Lady Jupiter Podcast is the audio accompaniment to LadyJupiter.com a lifestyle blog where I write about my family’s military life, home stuff, my low maintenance beauty and fashion, and travel when possible. I’m happy that you’re here with me.
Today I’ll share an update on our life as affected by the U.S. military, follow on with a blog update, then wrap up with my most recent domestic diversion.

Today in our military affected lives I have nothing significant to update.
Mister Jupiter got a surprise half-day recently because of Hurricane Laura. For those listening in the future - that dates this episode to late August 2020; the year that the Bermuda Triangle began to Roomba itself across the planet. Pretty much all businesses on and off base closed up after lunch in preparation of a tropical storm in Central Arkansas. The Jupiter House experienced a lot of sideways rain, but that’s all. Parts of our town flooded, a few trees came down, but  far from us. Oh - Mister Jupiter did have to find a decorative shutter that we lost, but it was close and he fixed it before I even knew it was down.
We were ready for him to move planes if needed, but he didn’t need to. We are certainly thankful that the hurricane didn’t affect us too much. Personally, our family in Louisiana are okay - and that’s what really matters. It’s funny that this military life of ours gets us used to a certain level of uncertainty, but storms and other natural disasters are just as crappy for us as they are for civilian families.
Otherwise, last episode I said that I was going to host a Zoom Happy Hour for my squadron spouses, I did, and it was fun! I did try my hand at kintsugi and learned that my two part epoxy dries too fast when I have a lot of gold pigment in it, so it’s workable longer if I lay off of the gold. But I like the obvious gold…so I need to sample more epoxies.
The Zoom had a decent turn out! I crunched the numbers a moment ago and saw that I had 20% of my spouses attend! Granted, 60% were invited, because the remaining 40% either didn’t respond or couldn’t join us. That’s one of the tricky things about being a Key Spouse during a pandemic. I genuinely want to connect with others from my home, but I absolutely cannot when they don’t text back. I just hope that my unresponsive spouses know that I really do care about them. For the record - and mostly for those unaware - an Air Force Key Spouse (like myself) is a person who volunteers with their spouse’s squadron, group, or wing. We are not paid, and there isn’t a lot of infrastructure within the system to support Key Spouses. For example - I only know what a spouse or active duty member tells me. I don’t have access to any information about their family or previous duty stations…or anything that could help me help them. So it’s a tricky thing - and I really rely on them trusting my transparence, and hoping that they pop into our NEW! Monthly Zoom Happy Hours - and know that it’s coming from a honest place of me wanting to be there for them if they ever need me. And I am simply trying to build trust by hosting Zoom Happy Hours so they can meet me and their peers.

For today’s LadyJupiter.com blog talk…
I have only updated a few drafts, nothing new has been published since we last spoke. I’m writing a new Pick of the Week post that focuses on my pantry because I get really excited about food. Also I am drafting a post mentioned in Episode 19 about why we don’t live on base. I’m struggling with that one because I’m afraid that it sounds elitist about buying houses, and afraid that is sounds preachy about keeping and maintaining an excellent credit score. I do want to finish writing it because I think that other people would like to read it, but it’s just not coming out right. The short story is that we don’t live on base because buying homes off base is a better deal for us - it’s more affordable, often better condition, and we rent them out later and the renters essentially pay the mortgage. Luckily I’m under no particular deadline here, but I love writing about what I know. So if you have any suggestions I am open to hearing them! Email me at podcast@lady jupiter.com Subject line Episode 21. I look forward to reading your feedback or questions that I can answer in that post.
Since this is the last episode of this month I am excited to share the top 10 visiting countries (to LadyJupiter.com) this past month the top ten have been United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa, India, Germany, Philippines, and France! For the record 86 countries visited LadyJupiter.com so the top ten are just that - the ten countries with the most visits this month. I see you Ghana, Latvia, Zimbabwe, Barbados, and Qatar. You’re not the bottom five, but you each had one visitor - and I hope you found what you were looking for.

And now for my most recent domestic diversion -
I am proud to announce that the washer and dryer are both empty! The accumulated cardboard boxes have been collapsed, and Mister Jupiter’s car has even been aired out (the weather seals need replaced - the back is always damp after a big rain; more so after a hurricane).
I will also fully admit that those things all happened in one day…Mister Jupiter was home and being productive, so I was productive too. So the rest of the week the dryer was totally full of clothes, and boxes were taking up space (the only downside to having most of our meat and produce shipped to us). So before I helped Mister Jupiter clean up the house my domestic diversions were trying to write, and cranking out some show notes - so I’m not as behind as last week!
We’ve been transitioning Kid Jupiter to one nap, instead of two. This is great for morning errands and walks before it’s too hot, but it costs me an hour of cooking. Previously the Kid slept from 11am to one pm - I used that nap for my Spa Hour plus nap myself. Then he slept again from 3pm to 5pm - and I used that nap for cleaning and cooking. But now he’s waking up at 4pm, and the only way I can have dinner ready at 5pm is if I cook it around 3pm and keep it in the oven for two hours. There are more factors at play, but I’m not going to bore you with the details. So for at least a month, all of our dinners will either be cooked at lunch, microwaved, or delivered. Luckily it’s a temporary thing because the Kid can’t teethe forever - right?! Ugh.

And that’s it for today’s show!
Show notes and transcript will be available on LadyJupiter.com/podcast - scroll down to the link for Episode 21: Key Spousing & Nap Consolidation.
If you’re feeling generous - please leave me a review on Apple Podcasts! It helps other people find this podcast - well, those that you haven’t shared with directly. If you don’t listen via Apple Podcasts - don’t worry about it; not all podcatching apps enable feedback or ratings, so if you don’t see the option - don’t fret. Just send warm fuzzies to the universe and I’ll get them - promise.

Otherwise I’ll be back soon on the first, and I’ll talk to you then - bye!