The Brochure on COVID Recovery, Gardening, and Weather
Tue Feb 03 2026
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Some weeks feel like a collage: a cough that won’t totally quit, a cat who ignores dinner when the heat rises, a dog who thinks every block is a parade, and a lawn that finally answers back with the thinnest line of green. This conversation sits right in that mix—COVID recovery that’s mostly there but not quite, and the tender work of reclaiming energy, taste, and laughter one small step at a time.
We get candid about what healing actually looks like when it doesn’t follow a clean arc. Tracy shares how she managed post-COVID fatigue, the odd flatness of flavor, and why masking and vaccines still matter. The thermostat ping-pongs between AC and heat, and the pets set the pace: insulin gets adjusted for a finicky, diabetic cat; the dog’s longer loop becomes the day’s quiet victory. Meanwhile, years of drought thinking meet a rainy season and a stubborn front yard. Seeding the lawn feels like a bet on the future, and the first sprouts reward patience despite canyon shade, crabgrass, and flying debris from next-door construction.
Grief and news fatigue land hard, too. The passing of Catherine O’Hara stirs memories of SCTV and the offbeat humor that shaped a personal voice, and it pairs with the emotional strain of watching relentless headlines. We talk about protecting empathy, setting media boundaries, and choosing where attention can actually heal. Through it all, the theme is steady: care for what is yours to tend. That might be a garden, a glucose meter, a hoarse laugh, or a half-mile walk that proves the lungs are learning again.
If this story speaks to you, follow Only Child Diaries on your favorite podcast app, leave a quick rating or review to help others find the show, and share it with a friend who needs a gentle nudge toward hope today.
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Send us a text Some weeks feel like a collage: a cough that won’t totally quit, a cat who ignores dinner when the heat rises, a dog who thinks every block is a parade, and a lawn that finally answers back with the thinnest line of green. This conversation sits right in that mix—COVID recovery that’s mostly there but not quite, and the tender work of reclaiming energy, taste, and laughter one small step at a time. We get candid about what healing actually looks like when it doesn’t follow a clean arc. Tracy shares how she managed post-COVID fatigue, the odd flatness of flavor, and why masking and vaccines still matter. The thermostat ping-pongs between AC and heat, and the pets set the pace: insulin gets adjusted for a finicky, diabetic cat; the dog’s longer loop becomes the day’s quiet victory. Meanwhile, years of drought thinking meet a rainy season and a stubborn front yard. Seeding the lawn feels like a bet on the future, and the first sprouts reward patience despite canyon shade, crabgrass, and flying debris from next-door construction. Grief and news fatigue land hard, too. The passing of Catherine O’Hara stirs memories of SCTV and the offbeat humor that shaped a personal voice, and it pairs with the emotional strain of watching relentless headlines. We talk about protecting empathy, setting media boundaries, and choosing where attention can actually heal. Through it all, the theme is steady: care for what is yours to tend. That might be a garden, a glucose meter, a hoarse laugh, or a half-mile walk that proves the lungs are learning again. If this story speaks to you, follow Only Child Diaries on your favorite podcast app, leave a quick rating or review to help others find the show, and share it with a friend who needs a gentle nudge toward hope today.