February 2026 In Review

Hi everyone. I’m joining Natalie’s monthly wrap-up again, as it’s the last day of the month. Honestly, this month was a real mixed bag.

It was, of course, the month it finally dawned onto me that I’m actually declining. I have had this belief for years, but it’s hard having it confirmed by a doctor. Not knowing for sure what the diagnosis or prognosis is, besides it not getting any better, is quite frustrating. I still can’t fully wrap my head around what my physician actually said. I mean, yes, of course literally everyone gets older every single day, but old age, besides the fact that this obviously doesn’t apply to me yet at 39, isn’t a medical diagnosis.

The realization that I’m not getting any better and the thought that I may not even see 2034, has caused me an increased sense of urgency about getting out of life all that I can. Sometimes, this has led me to actually do things I enjoy more than I used to.

I did craft a few things. I also finally hopped onto the cottage cheese bandwagon and baked some goodies. No pictures, sorry. The first time I tried baking with cottage cheese, I added too much almond flour, so the bake became too hearty. I also added garlic powder and suffered heartburn from it all night. The second time, yesterday, I made a breakfast bake with blueberries. I actually enjoyed this.

I also cooked one main meal for my side of the home, another chicken curry. I’m still hoping to cook or bake more often in March, even if it’s just for myself, but I’m less optimistic about it than I was before.


I also, like I shared yesterday, had some days on which I was quite active physically. Early in the month, I struggled to get in any movement at all, so no perfect month for me on my Apple Watch.

I did manage to journal each day (except for today so far, but I’m going to do that after I finish this post). Most days, it was just a quick daily wrap using a template and I’m not so sure it actually helps me, but it doesn’t hurt me either. I only published eight blog posts including this one. That feels a bit disappointing to me.

Some days, and there are more of those than I’d like, my knowing that I’m declining leads to increased inertia. I hope that will get better as the days grow longer and the weather improves.

One last positive: I finally bought a Warmies stuffed unicorn. I have shared a few times about my microwave-safe stuffies that give off a lavender scent when heated. I used to have several, but the last one I had got damaged in the washing machine a few weeks ago. The Warmies ones though have a removable lavender filling. Now that I’ve got the unicorn, I want a few of the others too. By the way, I took the picture of this unicorn myself. I tried a dozen times to snap a better picture, but all of my other attempts were even worse than this one.

8 thoughts on “February 2026 In Review

    1. Thanks for your supportive comment. The brand of stuffies I have is called “Warmies” and I get mine at an online drug store here in the Netherlands. I’m pretty sure Amazon sells them too though.

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  1. I am glad you are enjoying things more than you used to but it is such a shame your health is declining. I have never tried baking with cottage cheese but have heard good things about it. That chicken curry looks so tasty! That Warmie is so cute! My eldest has a duck one and she loves it.

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    1. Thank you so much. I am indeed trying to do more things I enjoy. Re the baking, it’s a lot of fun even though I don’t believe in the protein hype and as such don’t really need to use cottage cheesse per se. It’s a fun way to try out foods I wouldn’t otherwise have tried though. I’m glad your eldest loves her Warmie too. I’m glad the picture turned out okay after all (at least that you could see how cute the unicorn is).

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  2. I am a little late to this party, been crazy busy. I am sorry it wasn’t a great month for you in February. I do love your warmies unicorn! I have a home crafted corn filled tube that is scented with cinnamon. I love to have it around my neck. Sorry to hear about your decline. It is hard to see no progress, even worse to find added issues or general decline. I have added a couple of new diagnosis to my mixed bag of ills so I understand. Hope March has more joys for you!

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind comment. I really love the unicorn indeed. Your handcrafted neck pillow sounds nice. Re the decline, I try to stay positive and realize that fretting over my deteriorating body won’t make things any better.

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