Friday | Thank Goodness

Happy Friday, readers! Today is forecasted to be sunny and in the 70s while tomorrow will bring rain. I love how variable the weather can be this time of year! Today’s post is just a quick update on my life right now, which has been a strange mix of busy and quiet. I thought the opening picture was a good representation of that; I have been working away at my desk this morning and if I step away for one second, chaos ensues! The cats have typed all kinds of things in today’s post, so please ignore any typos that have slipped past me this morning.

Cleaning: constantly. Colton woke up with a minor stomach bug on Tuesday and was home that day and the next. Things got especially messy around here but we all made it through. I worked really hard on disinfecting and keeping him away from the other kiddos and no one else has experienced any other symptoms yet. Let’s hope it stays that way!

Reading: Tales of Burning Love. The opening chapter is the same as the first short story in Love Medicine but from a different perspective. Do you remember it? June eating the Easter eggs at the bar and leaving with the man in the truck? June is my favorite character in the Love Medicine series so I was thrilled to see her again! I’m excited to keep reading.

I finished The Transit of Venus on Thursday evening and immediately ran to the Fiction Matters discord group for help. What an amazing group of readers! I’ve learned that I have to read the book again, as predicted, to look for more clues to help me understand that ending. What a puzzle to put together!

Pondering: my notebooks. I’ve gotten caught up with my reading journal which was really helpful while finishing up The Transit of Venus. I have been using my Hobonichi Techo for daily to-dos and tracking finished books and workouts. I’ve been journaling in my Hobonichi Cousin and have been ignoring the weekly pages, but I miss having key information at my fingertips. I’m playing with ways to use those weekly pages that aren’t overwhelming. I don’t know why I feel like I have to fill in every bit of the white space in order to justify my life!

Seeking: more time to read and write. I’m looking for more quiet moments to put the pieces together, but that’s been hard to find. It’s to be expected and I know that sinking into the day-to-day is important for my creativity. And still – I want more!

Succeeding: with my focus on health. I have set low exercise goals with a higher intensity that I have been meeting. I’ve recently raised the weight I’ve been lifting and increased the complexity of my resistance exercises and it has felt good. My yoga time has been spent opening up my shoulders and hips, while lengthening and strengthening my hamstrings. That has also felt good. And time on my spin bike? Pure joy. It’s all feeling so good.

Releasing: guilt about my lack of stitching. By releasing that obsession right now, I am saving a ton of money and time and am able to experience success in other areas of my life. I don’t have the internal debate about what needs my attention in any unexpected free moment. Decision fatigue is real and gets in my way all of the time!

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And my time is up this morning! I hope your weekend is full of exactly what you need. Take good care!