Hello, October 2022

October 3, 2022 By Carole

I’m starting something new here on the blog. On the first Monday of each month, I will welcome the month and then share some thoughts about it . . . things I want to do . . . goals I want to meet . . . feelings about life in general. I’m hoping this will be a touchstone each month, both for me in terms of slowing down the alarmingly fast passage of time, and for you in terms of offering something interesting to read and ponder.

So. Welcome, October ’22 . . .

I will take care of my spirit by doing my best to embrace your cooler temperatures by enjoying the coziness of my home. Lighting candles and twinkle lights. Cooking things that make my house smell wonderful. Fully enjoying the first fire of the year in our wood stove.

I will take care of my body by having my annual physical, a colonoscopy, a 6 month dental check up, and a massage. I will continue my yoga practice, strength training and riding the Peloton and I will do those things for the joy of doing them and without any intention of changing my appearance.

I will hang out with friends. I will go to work and attend meetings and volunteer my time when I’m able. I will knit (and finish!) Dale’s hat and my Icelandic cardigan. I will spend some time planning knitting projects for the upcoming season and I will work on my One Little Word, practice.

I will do my best to enjoy everything that comes my way this October.

Eye Candy Friday

September 30, 2022 By Carole

Let’s have a closer look at that bouquet I had in the camper last weekend, shall we?

It’s from the 4th week of my 4 week fall flower share and it was my favorite of the bunch. Dahlias and sunflowers and celosia and strawflowers . . . what’s not to love?

You know what I’m going to say now, I’m sure. I love the weekend!

Three On Thursday

September 29, 2022 By Carole

Coming at you this week with 3 random things . . .

Our oldest son Brant and his family live in Port Charlotte, one of the towns directly hit by Hurricane Ian. The last I heard from them was yesterday afternoon. They are at his mother-in-law’s house and are without power. There has been some damage to her house but they don’t know anything about their own house yet. They were not able to evacuate (read this piece from NPR on why evacuating isn’t doable for many people and for many reasons) and I’m a ball of anxiety regarding all of this.
Have you heard of phubbing? I do it. Dale does it. I bet you do it, too. It’s a fascinating phenomenon, particularly because we think when we do it that it’s not a big deal to the people around us, yet we’re full of emotions when others do it to us. I notice it in particular when Dale and I sit down for our Friday Night Snacks. I use my phone at that time to take a photo and post it to social media and I also use my phone to curate our playlist for the evening. I try to only use my phone for those two things but . . . you know how that goes. Dale often follows my cue and picks up his phone to send a text or an email or check his Facebook feed. And it bugs the crap out of me. I suppose it’s a double standard but I see my phone use during this time as essential because of the music and I see his phone use as . . . intrusive. Classic phubbing, honestly. Now that I know this behavior has a name, I’m going to work hard to avoid it.
I read an article the other day about doing a life edit in the fall. The idea is that you sit down and consider your life in 6 areas: digital, home, finance, wellness, mental, and relationships. Journal about each of these things extensively and then identify where you feel blocked or stressed and figure out ways to feel more at ease in each area. I’ve started the process and it feels great.

And that’s all from me for this Thursday. Add your link below if you wrote a post for this week!

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About that Camping Trip

September 28, 2022 By Carole

I’ve loved camping since the first time I went with Dale 26 years ago. I love the relaxation of it and the forced time outdoors, the campfires and the food and the reading and hanging out. It’s something I’ve pretty much exclusively done in the summer.

Until last weekend.

We planned this trip for a few reasons. One, it was an opportunity to get out there with Huck again and have it be just the two of us. Two, it was right after my birthday and seemed like a great way to celebrate. And three, Dale had a half day on Friday so he was home from work at 1 instead of 4. We stayed close to home (only 30 minutes away) and that meant we could stay over on Sunday night, too. Dale was a champ and got up Monday morning, drove home and did his morning bus run, and then came back and got me and Huck and brought us home.

It was such a great weekend. The weather was comfortable but cool with low humidity and blue skies.

We had our usual Friday night snacks by the fire.

We hiked around the campground. No photos of that, just use your imagination to picture me huffing and puffing my way up a couple of rather steep hills.

We read books and hung out.

We ate delicious pot roast that I cooked in a crock pot all day Saturday.

We watched football and hung out inside.

And we relaxed. A lot.

Getting ready for a trip is . . . work-ish . . . but it’s all worth it when you can kick back and hang out and just enjoy a beautiful weekend.

Read With Us: The Fall 2022 Announcement

September 27, 2022 By Carole

It’s the much anticipated announcement for our fall book! Kym and Bonny and I are beyond excited to tell you that we are reading . . .

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell.

I had the good fortunate of receiving a copy of this book from NetGalley over the summer and I finished it and reviewed it right before it’s release date. I shared my review last month, but I’ll share it again today:

Maggie O’Farrell is brilliant at taking obscure historical figures and writing fascinating stories about them and The Marriage Portrait is no exception. Her ability to create a setting that feels vibrant and alive with detail is my favorite thing about her writing. There were moments while reading this book that I felt the panic and confusion of young Lucrezia, I could see the paintings she made, and I swore I could taste the delicacies prepared for her to eat. O’Farrell has taken very few historical facts and turned them into a full fledged story of passion, deceit, and the struggle for power and survival in 1500s Italy. Highly recommended. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be perfectly upfront and say that I did not love this the way that I loved Hamnet. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a fabulous book and it’s got the potential for a wonderful discussion. Hopefully you can get your hands on a copy, either from a local book store or online or at your public library. We will be discussing it on January 10, 2023. I know that seems like a long way off but we didn’t want to try and schedule a Zoom discussion during the busy holiday season and this will give us all something to look forward to when the fun of winter is over and the drudge is about to descend.

I hope you’re as excited as we are about our new Read With Us selection!