tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2126391628935049582024-03-18T22:09:23.088-05:00Chair in the ShadeEnjoy the simple things in life- cook good food, read a book, make something.Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.comBlogger436125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-33399172776214857852022-01-26T08:05:00.002-06:002022-01-26T08:05:32.517-06:00Purposeful Slow Down<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_nAs_bIWcIuVJyu-imFE7VEya77hCFT_96wTyec6mhIsPmPZbaKa1eNGXyxjw-Tc5ln1nnseoWu79fj2lyxRBmDsCsj8YDNecWm9pBpTeqZglH6zQOX6L0okkPeDBjhu6xrFDrHSnm5MC-T-NpQrhdCzWS3JxomjDz0qm2kGO7oo3ct9JTChpu5wX=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_nAs_bIWcIuVJyu-imFE7VEya77hCFT_96wTyec6mhIsPmPZbaKa1eNGXyxjw-Tc5ln1nnseoWu79fj2lyxRBmDsCsj8YDNecWm9pBpTeqZglH6zQOX6L0okkPeDBjhu6xrFDrHSnm5MC-T-NpQrhdCzWS3JxomjDz0qm2kGO7oo3ct9JTChpu5wX=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There's this common belief that if you are not being productive 100% of the time, constantly learning new things, or perfecting everything in your life, then you're regressing. But human beings aren't made to be productive 100% of the time. We need down time, to evaluate how we're doing, reassess how we feel and what we want to focus on, and consider our next move. You need slow time in your life. </p><p>Slowing down doesn't mean you stay in bed and eat Doritos, and binge watching Netflix for a week, but it does mean actually slowing down. I used winter break for that. I started working on my bachelors degree last January while I was still finishing up my associates, graduated nursing school with my associates degree in May, took my NCLEX to become an RN in June, and have been working at the hospital as a nurse since then. Then, in August I picked back up working on my bachelors, through an online program. And everything just seemed to be running faster and faster. I was trying to learn all the things I needed to know at work, I was taking care of more and more patients, who were sicker and sicker. Covid started back up full force. School was three classes, but one was biochem- which was not my friend and I thought I was probably going to fail until we got to the biology part. My cat got sick and died. And then it was time to get ready for Christmas. I felt like I had more and more plates spinning in the air, and every time something slid off one of the plates, even if it was a little something- I forgot a quiz, I didn't remember something at work, I gained weight, whatever, I felt like a loser. And I was anxious that all the plates were going to come crashing down. I lost a lot of sleep, I quit exercising- because who has time for that when your mind is going a mile a minute and everyday feels packed. And I just felt overwhelmed.</p><p>Finally, when winter break rolled around, I decided that something needed to change. So I started getting outside to walk- even when the temps were in the single degrees, I decided to only take two classes next semester, and I decided to actually sit down and decide what I wanted. The main thing I wanted was less- less stuff in my life. Whether it be clothes, books, sewing supplies, stress, or anxiety, I wanted to get rid of a lot of it. I also wanted to be more purposeful about my days. More purposeful about how I spent money and what I brought into my house. I wanted to be a better friend. I wanted to celebrate just the every day. And I wanted to just be more in control of my time. </p><p>So, that's kind of been my focus so far this year. I have things I want to do as well, and plans made for things, but it's been so nice to just grind everything to stop and just stop and catch my breath and really think for a bit. </p><p><br /></p>Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-41297330242286306432021-01-31T12:15:00.000-06:002021-01-31T12:15:09.239-06:002021 Goals and January<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6Vf4AcB2osbFstLNWuO-hP22EEQK2RzNXAQp7RhA-i2e6O2Imbm3UhF7EcBGeDudru28dpLWvhXZP1VlrUW3MM_i7tdE153uy0PmaI7TqrzO8TiVJ9ud1Z8IqXabM7HZXJOaXt-ylOA/s700/2021GoalsJanuary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="700" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6Vf4AcB2osbFstLNWuO-hP22EEQK2RzNXAQp7RhA-i2e6O2Imbm3UhF7EcBGeDudru28dpLWvhXZP1VlrUW3MM_i7tdE153uy0PmaI7TqrzO8TiVJ9ud1Z8IqXabM7HZXJOaXt-ylOA/w400-h293/2021GoalsJanuary.png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>I still love making goals each month. I know the general consensus is that this is foolish during a time like now when there's so little we can control and so much stress, anxiety, and fear in the world. But, I think if you don't make a plan of some sort, you tend to just drift along with no real vision, and I don't like that. </p><p>I tend to make broad goals for the year, and then more concrete and manageable goals for the month. With school in full swing, I've been even more gentle with those monthly goals. But here are some of the things I'm aiming for in 2021.</p><p>For the year, I have more a dream list/ Most of these things I can't really cross off as done, but they're more ideals to strive towards:<br />-Travel more. Even if I can't be flying across the country or to Europe, there's still plenty to see that I can drive to, that is outdoors, and that is nearby.<br />- Send letters and spend quality with people important to me, and encourage those around me.<br />- Ignore the news and celebrities. I don't want to live under a rock, but I really don't need to spend time determining who the Kardashians are dating, which celebrity is canceled for saying what, and to some extent even following politics is annoying because this side says this, that side says that, they're fighting. It really doesn't matter what my view on an issue is. I'm not going to make my representative feel better if I agree or make them change their mind if I disagree. This probably sounds a little jaded. But if I am wasting time choosing sides when I could be spending that time loving those around me and giving them support and care, what's the good in that? In some sense I feel I have a duty to stay up to date on the issues, but honestly when they're causing strife in my friendships and family, it's easier to just focus on the things right in front of me that I can change. This isn't the right choice for everyone, but right now I feel like this is what I need to focus on.<br />- Use what I have: read the books I already own, try to not waste the food I buy, and get rid of those things I don't need. I've been using a capsule wardrobe since September, which is not very hard when most of your time is spent in video conferencing or wearing a uniform, but I have a lot of clothes packed up that I need to decide if I need to keep or need to let go.<br />- Fix up things that I can around the house- replace the worn out carpet, fix the flowerbeds, stuff like that.<br />- Take care of my physical, spiritual, and mental health: get enough sleep, exercise, be joyful and kind and don't lose my cool (which kind of goes back to ignoring the news). I've also been listening to a ton of good podcasts lately, which really helps.<br />- Find a nursing job, which really can't happen until I graduate and pass the state exam, but it's a goal for the year.</p><p><u>January Goals</u><br />- Exercise five times a week.<br />- Daily devotions.<br />- Get outside for an extended period of time at least once a week.<br />- Read 4 books.<br />- Read 15 minutes a day for fun (not textbooks).<br />- Blog four times.<br />- No buying anything besides groceries.</p><p><br />I did okayish on most of these. The month started out good, but then once school started, my compliance rate when down. I got outside a couple times to cross country ski. I only got through one book. I exercised most days. I didn't buy much besides groceries. I did get some Valentine treats and stock up on greeting cards. My devotional time got done most days but last week wasn't very good. I won't bore you with specifics, but I'd say I did better than if I hadn't actually wrote the thing out as a goal. So by being intentional about it, I did better than just letting myself float along. <br /> </p>Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-44658268992259066322021-01-20T06:01:00.002-06:002021-01-20T06:01:29.928-06:002021 Word: Community<p>I LOVE the new year. A fresh start. New planners full of promise. The allure of possibility that this, this could be the year that I get everything together. I always set resolutions, goals, and track progress. But I don't usually pick a word for the year. However, this year, with all that has been going on, and due to the fact that it keeps popping up over and over in things I read, I have a word in mind: Community.</p><p>Everyone talks about how America is so divided and it's true. We're divided on so many things, whether Covid 19 response, law enforcement's role, the economy, immigration, even religion. Christians can't agree with each other about issues. And I'm speaking as a Christian, who's very frustrated. But, no one wants to try and bridge a gap or listen to anyone who does not fall entirely in their circle. This year I want to do better.</p><p>And, I want to be a better friend. 2020 brought arguments about politics, social justice, and Covid 19 within my own circle of friends. Instead of focusing on what we do agree on, I think we get so narrow sighted and only see what we don't agree on. And I feel there's more common ground than I thought, so I want to try to work to repair some of those friendships. I want to listen more than I talk, I want to think before I speak, and I want to encourage everyone I come into contact with, whether it's friends, coworkers, or patients.</p><p>I've been reading a lot of Henri Nouwen lately. He's a Catholic priest who died in 1996, but his words are just as relevant as ever. He writes a lot about how everyone wants love, and we feel isolated, alone, and rejected. But really, God loves each of us, regardless of age, race, political affiliation, past wrongs, present short comings. He loves us. And, if God feels that way about me and everyone I meet, then I need to treat everyone I meet as if I truly believe that it. </p><p>God loves that patient that shows up in the ER every week for the same problem, God loves that patient with dementia who has forgotten where they are. God loves that coworker who is always humble bragging. God loves that friend who you watch make bad decisions over and over. God loves people you know are liars. God loves everyone on death row. I think we have a hard time believing God could love us unconditionally and that his love doesn't change based on how we act. But, we have no problem believing we're more deserving of love than those we think are "worse" than us. This year, I am really trying to focus on the fact that we are all loved by God. So many people just want someone to listen to them. They want to feel important and that they matter. So that's what I'm trying to focus on in 2021- listening, loving, and building that community where people feel safe to open up and really share.<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y-E_PZPwGF2V2Klor-dtZsktCHATAgrO3Adm2gW17kVhl7F5ERtM2qx7UlGUUBXgFE5z8kqFsRWgJVVgrmnZ4Ob-yVLAE44eTDioe2jtSci1vk4SpPRPyu-JTjDb17J7c93y-7nSgBs/s2048/community.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Y-E_PZPwGF2V2Klor-dtZsktCHATAgrO3Adm2gW17kVhl7F5ERtM2qx7UlGUUBXgFE5z8kqFsRWgJVVgrmnZ4Ob-yVLAE44eTDioe2jtSci1vk4SpPRPyu-JTjDb17J7c93y-7nSgBs/w457-h304/community.png" width="457" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-65700579578898961982021-01-05T07:38:00.000-06:002021-01-05T07:38:19.843-06:00Slow Down and Breathe<p>I've learned a few things for sure over the past few years. I am most definitely a morning person. I do best if I have a routine, even if it's not rigid. I need to exercise for my mental health just as much as my physical health. I need to get outside, regardless of the weather here in Wisconsin, at least a couple days a week. Seems simple enough- set up a daily routine, get outside once in a while, exercise, and all is good. Well, just because I know what I need to do doesn't mean that I always do it.</p><p>When you're in nursing school you have clinicals, which are days when you go to a hospital and actually work as a student nurse, you know, so you know what you're doing when you become a real nurse. You assess patients, administer medications, monitor vitals, and just work on your communication skills with patients. You do all this under your instructor's supervision and with a real nurse that you report to. So you're also supposed to be fluent with what medications your patient is taking, how they are administered, what the med is for, and any side effects to watch for or special things you need to know. So that means staying up late the night before, drilling yourself on all their meds, and then getting up early to get ready and get to the clinical site. Then, by the time you get done with your shift, you drive home, and at least in my case, you feel exhausted and maybe do some of your shift journal, scarf down some leftovers, and go to sleep. Consequently, the first things to get cut are devotions and journallng, reading for fun, and exercise. Not fun. For a while, I manage to maintain these on the other days, when I don't have clinicals, but then slowly and surely there's big papers to write, or an exam to study for, and gradually, all these safeguards to keep me happy and healthy fall away and I'm just taking my vitamins and trying to eat a salad once in a while. Doesn't really cut it.</p><p>This is part of the reason why I love winter break (and summer break). I go back and reestablish my healthy routines. I look at what's working, what I like, and what I don't. Even if you don't have a midwinter break, you can still do this, and I encourage you to. Take an afternoon and just be still. Put on some music that you like, drink some coffee, and figure out what you need to do to feel ready to tackle life. This isn't about making goals and plans. It's just about making sure you have the groundwork in place to keep you calm and ready for life. And we all could do with feeling a little more calm and relaxed. Do you need to start getting up half an hour earlier so you aren't running late every morning? Do you need to go to bed earlier? Exercise even though you hate it? Figure out what things would help you feel better and then come up with a plan to make it happen. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7OnAK4oSjlMCQlioOlAE7y0U5eTvn4R6yZErt95YDb8riiRtQWA6ZeeGvaUEO0jQUQlTfCy53kh8FMiNJDhhDkP4mIouSfy7TPsFgXm9Dd35Z-ls-8TmtzE8kGnmKo5dq5UWRkzsUeU/s1600/Untitled%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7OnAK4oSjlMCQlioOlAE7y0U5eTvn4R6yZErt95YDb8riiRtQWA6ZeeGvaUEO0jQUQlTfCy53kh8FMiNJDhhDkP4mIouSfy7TPsFgXm9Dd35Z-ls-8TmtzE8kGnmKo5dq5UWRkzsUeU/w500-h376/Untitled%25281%2529.png" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-22562371527375092682021-01-03T08:28:00.015-06:002021-01-03T08:36:21.396-06:00Reintroducing Myself<p> So, it's been a good two years since my last post. :) I had let my domain expire, and then of course someone snapped it up right away, thinking they'd flip it or get me to buy it back at a crazy high price or something. Which I had no intention of doing. I actually had thought about deleting the whole blog, but I didn't for some reason. And then I noticed earlier this week that the domain was back available at the normal price. So I bought it back on a whim of sorts. I had been thinking of starting a new blog, but I wasn't really sure about if I'd be posting regularly or not and was really just looking for a place to get my thoughts down, so this seemed as good as any.</p><p>I'm still Kaylee. I'm still married- going on fourteen years this year. That doesn't seem possible. Sometimes I feel like it's only been a couple years. Other times I feel as though it's been decades. I think that's how married life seems to most people though. I still have the same two cats. Still live in Wisconsin. A lot of things are the same. My love of books, coffee, sewing, traveling, setting goals- all still intact. <br /></p><p>The last two years have been fairly busy. I've been working on getting my associate's degree for nursing. My last semester starts this month. Once I successfully finish that (fingers crossed), in May, I can take the NCLEX, which is the exam to become an official, for real, RN. The first semester felt like a roller coaster of emotions, mostly anxiety and stress. The second was interrupted due to COVID, so it felt like I was just writing one paper after another. This past semester was better and I felt like it went pretty smooth for the most part.</p><p>I'm still working a little, but school definitely takes up most of my time. I'm only listed as casual at work, so they just call me if they need someone. It's definitely given me more free time over winter break than I thought I'd have, but that's okay. I finally made a valance for my kitchen window- after 14 years. I've gotten out cross country skiing twice already, which is two more times than I did last year. I've been cleaning, organizing, realizing how much stuff I still have. Just trying to get everything in order before the last semester begins.<br /></p><p>-K<br /></p><p><br /></p>Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-56064088916210523092019-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:002019-01-09T07:00:04.240-06:002019 Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoIHSdl-smbWlaVDdfvmUbvXBfQ4JjR0eWhP-WVlXze7e_CIyYkH23ivMl3_H9yHkRGmUmDSVQDD7Yh5wdf88n44W6B3tsyJ4U01Nr2D-CpLgPrbhIPgRNs6_26jmN0xvkBweYovGTPU/s1600/Do+Hard+Things.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwoIHSdl-smbWlaVDdfvmUbvXBfQ4JjR0eWhP-WVlXze7e_CIyYkH23ivMl3_H9yHkRGmUmDSVQDD7Yh5wdf88n44W6B3tsyJ4U01Nr2D-CpLgPrbhIPgRNs6_26jmN0xvkBweYovGTPU/s640/Do+Hard+Things.png" width="364" /></a></div>
<br />
2019 is here and while last year I felt clearly defined goals, this year was harder for me to put my finger on what I want to accomplish. This is partially due to the uncertainly of starting a new job, working a weird schedule and not being sure when I will be awake, or how awake I will be when I am up. And then there's school. This big blob sucking up time. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to siphon back from it. By the time fall semester rolls around in September of this year, I'll probably be driving nearly an hour one way several times a week for school. This is going to put work and lots of other things in a big question mark.<br />
<br />
But, I do know what I want to look and be like at the end of 2019. I want to be lighter- physically and mentally and I guess emotionally. I need to lose weight and if I don't get after it now, it's only going to get harder once school starts and I'm spending so much time in the car. I don't want to graduate nursing school even heavier than I am now. So, I want to get my weight down to 150, which is going to be a challenge, but it HAS to be done. My feet heart, I have heartburn, and I know it's not good carrying all this extra weight around. <br />
<br />
I also want to be less cynical. I am the Queen of Sarcasm. Sarcasm doesn't translate very well in blogging media, but if we hang out in person, you'd find out quickly that I am sarcastic and cynical and part of this is working in a broken healthcare system, but I've realized part of this is fear of looking stupid. Like, I don't want to give someone the benefit of the doubt and then be proven wrong. It's easier to be cynical and then you never get let down. But, life is full of let downs, and standing at the sidelines saying "I told you so." is no way to be living. So, I want to get past that and start to be encouraging of people. Giving chances, and not worrying about getting hurt.<br />
<br />
I also want less stuff in my house. I don't want to have to be responsible for so many things. Things that I don't even want or rarely use. So, I've decided to go on a spending freeze for 2019. Besides food, and things like toiletries, cleaning supplies, household projects like fresh paint, trees, or flowers, etc, I intend to limit myself to only buying three new things each month, That means a severe shutdown on the amount of books, clothes, notepaper, dishes, craft supplies, bags, etc that I bring into the house. I need to use what I have and be more picky about what I bring in to my house and life. This may seem extreme but I'm tired of stuff and I have plenty of it, so this seems like a good way to control it.<br />
<br />
Financially, I have a couple goals. One is to finally pay off the last of my old student loans from when I was attending University of Wisconsin online, one is to pay off a signature loan we got to pay for some remodeling on my rental and to consolidate some other bills, and one is to sell my rental before I start school full time in the fall. These are all really feasible. It's just going to take some time and being strict about my spending freeze for the loans to get paid off. <br />
<br />
Creatively, I only intend to read 24 books this year, but I also want to write a short story. Not for or about anything in particular, just for me. I also want to have a quiet time when I get up to set the tone for my day. And, maybe not creatively, but for my mental health I want to get outside and hike at least once a month, regardless of the month or weather.<br />
<br />So to recap in bullet point:<br />
<ul>
<li>Get weight down to 150 pounds.</li>
<li>Be less cynical (not sure how to measure this one, but just working on it daily).</li>
<li>Spending freeze for anything besides food, toiletries, etc, Only three new items a month.</li>
<li>Pay off old student loans.</li>
<li>Pay off signature loan.</li>
<li>Sell rental house,</li>
<li>Read 24 books.</li>
<li>Write a short story,</li>
<li>Hike monthly.</li>
</ul>
And that's wear "Do hard things" comes in. I don't usually choose a motto for the year, but this year, I wanted to remind myself that it's not going to be easy, and it's going to be hard, but I can do it, if I refuse to take the easy route and push myself. Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-19762731600541159102019-01-07T07:00:00.000-06:002019-01-07T07:00:06.260-06:00My 2019 BookshelfSo last year I loaded up my little bookshelf with books I wanted to read. I didn't get through all of them, and I didn't read only those books, but I did get a lot of those books read. I decided to do it again for 2019, so here are the books I loaded up for this year.<br />
<br />
I have so many books that it can get overwhelming to pick something to read after finishing a book can get a little overwhelming. By having a shelf set aside of books to read, it does make it a little easier, although there were books I read that I got during the year or that weren't on the shelf. But, a good starting point none the less.<br />
<br />
Usually I set a goal of 48 books a year, which I never seem to reach, but this year I'm lowering my goal to only 24. With school eating up a lot of my time, and wanting to get outside more, I just don't think I'll get anywhere close to 48. So, two a month seems much more doable. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1OWNrJV9KwX_Uox_4P991zQCLmIbztxX2CEonT9pRdo1iGZPq361x0fJ4QXL-O9hWeyMmH4vaZgEN1ZhlI3BlB-wEvT3mspyfVdzsh_urfqKUGXx91bisAofAmpmrVbENIK70Kf0PKw/s1600/2019+bookshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Books to read" border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="916" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1OWNrJV9KwX_Uox_4P991zQCLmIbztxX2CEonT9pRdo1iGZPq361x0fJ4QXL-O9hWeyMmH4vaZgEN1ZhlI3BlB-wEvT3mspyfVdzsh_urfqKUGXx91bisAofAmpmrVbENIK70Kf0PKw/s400/2019+bookshelf.jpg" title="2019 book shelf" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's a listing of what's on the shelf. An * indicates a book that was on my shelf in 2018.<br />
<br />
<b>You're Already Amazing</b> by Holley Gerth*<br />
<b>You Area Free</b> by Rebekah Lyons<br />
<b>Through Gates of Splendor</b> by Elisabeth Eliot<br />
<b>Mere Christianity</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>Literary Converts</b> by Joseph Pearce*<br />
<b>The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life</b> by Charles Haddon Spurgeon*<br />
<b>A Circle of Quiet</b> by Madeline L'Engle<br />
<b>Fall on Your Knees</b> by Ann-Marie Macdonald*<br />
<b>The Fox was Ever the Hunter </b>by Herta Muller*<br />
<b>South of Superior</b> by Ellen Airgood*<br />
<b>The Last Bookaner</b> by Matthew Pearl<br />
<b>When We Were Orphans</b> by Kazuo Ishiguro<br />
<b>Fiver Quarters of the Orange</b> by Joanne Harris*<br />
<b>American Gods</b> by Neil Gaiman*<br />
<b>The Terror</b> by Dan Simmons*<br />
<b>The Life We Bury</b> by Allen Eskens<br />
<b>The Great Alone </b>by Kristin Hannah<br />
<b>Fates and Furies</b> by Lauren Groff<br />
<b>Severance</b> by Ling Ma<br />
<b>Remembered Death</b> by Agatha Christie<br />
<b>Halloween Party</b> by Agatha Christie<br />
<b>The Redbreast</b> by Jo Nesbo<br />
<b>Finding Water</b> by Julia Cameron*<br />
<b>On Writing</b> by Stephen King<br />
<b>Reading Like a Writer</b> by Francine Prose*<br />
<b>The Magician's Nephew</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>The Horse and His Boy</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>Prince Caspian</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>The Silver Chair</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>The Last Battle</b> by C.S. Lewis*<br />
<b>Their Eyes Were Watching God</b> by Zora Neale Hurston<br />
<b>The Complete Storie</b>s by Flannery O'Connor<br />
<b>Selected Stories of O. Henry</b> by O. Henry*<br />
<b>Emma </b>by Jane Austen*<br />
<b>Rebecca</b> by Daphne DuMaurier<br />
<b>The Warden</b> by Anthony Trollope<br />
<b>Dead Mountain</b> by Donnie Eicher<br />
<b>In A Sunburned Country</b> by Bill Bryson*<br />
<b>We Took to the Woods</b> by Louise Dickinson Rich*<br />
<b>Cooked</b> by Michael Pollan*<br />
<b>How to Change Your Mind</b> by Michael Pollan<br />
<br />
What are you looking forward to reading this year? Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-28144713536208200782019-01-02T07:00:00.000-06:002019-01-02T07:00:09.433-06:00That Part Where Life Happens Unaware<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I figured I should probably give an update on what's gone on the past year or so to give some context with where I'm headed. So here's some of the highlights.</div>
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<u>Job</u></div>
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I was working at a nursing home here in town as a health unit coordinator and I did that for about a year and a half, but after crazy hours, stress, and just worn out feeling, I decided to go back to the hospital where I had worked prior. It feels weird to be back in the same place I left about two years ago. I'm working as a HUC and CNA. Mostly CNA. And mostly on overnights, which is a new "adventure" for me. When I took the job, I was told there'd be "some" nights. I was thinking about two a week, but in reality it's been mostly nights with a few PM shifts here and there. I'm not a night person. I'm normally in bed by 11pm, so it's been weird to be going to work at that time. I've gotten better about napping during the day and sleeping longer when I get home from a night shift. (When I started, I was lucky if I could make it till noon before waking up, now I can go till about 2pm.) But, as soon as I have more than one day off, my body kicks back to an awake during the day, asleep at night schedule. I don't hate it, but it's definitely not something I would have chosen. But, shift differential pay is nice and nights are either pretty mellow or pretty busy. There seems to be no middle ground.</div>
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<u>School</u></div>
I wasn't a CNA until about 6 months ago. There was such a shortage of nursing home CNAs that the state of Wisconsin would pay for your schooling if you agreed to work in a nursing home for six months afterwards. I really had no intention of going anywhere, but the stress got to me, so I left after my six months to return to the hospital. But, my instructor for the CNA program encouraged me to look into nursing, and I had been pondering it too, so I started with summer school to take a couple classes, took two more this fall, have two this upcoming spring semester, and then I should enter core nursing in the fall of 2019. I have lots of feelings about this and I'm not sure they're entirely trustworthy, so I won't get into it here and now, but it is a new adventure of sorts, that's for sure.<br />
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<u>Health</u><br />
Weird work schedules and stress have not been kind to my body. I'm the heaviest I've been- ever! And I have heartburn a lot, foot problems, and other problems that could be solved if I could get the weight off. Which I intend to do this year. It's an urgent problem that needs to be dealt with because if I don't set up good health habits now, by the time I'm in school full time in the fall, it's only going to get worse. I have a plan and I feel optimistic. <br />
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On the mental health side, my depression has been pretty much kept at bay so far this year. I feel like I do much better if I keep busy and feel like I have some control over life, so here's hoping. It's been almost a year that I've been off my antidepressants, which feels amazing some days and foolish others.<br />
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<u>Family</u><br />
Ah family. My husband is still working the same job. He's got some health issues too, but we're dealing well enough. My dad recovered from his heart attack last winter, but had back surgery around Thanksgiving. I guess he's recovering well from that too. My mom and brother are both doing fairly well. We all got together for Christmas which was nice, even if I had only gotten a couple hours of sleep beforehand.<br />
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<u>Hobbies</u><br />
Well, with going back to school, I had to make some adjustments. My reading time has been limited, and my sewing time was pretty much nonexistent. So, I moved my sewing related things- fabric, notions, patterns, etc. down to the basement or packed up into the closet in my office. It was sad, but also liberating, because not having the table and machine set up in my office made much more room and it was nice not to be reminded of the half finished projects waiting for me everywhere. I fully intend to get back to sewing some day, but a this time in my life, it just really isn't going to happen. <br />
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I do want to get back to writing more regularly. And, since winter break runs until January 21, I'm trying to get a lot of reading done, and get my currently reading list back down to just a few books.<u> </u><br />
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As far as traveling goes, it seems I never get to do as much as I want. I did get to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which I feel like is where I belong. A friend and I went for a couple days and we had a great time. I rented an apartment with AirBNB and we were a block from a Mexican restaurant, a couple blocks from a used bookstore, and a coffee shop was about a block the other way. So basically, everything my little heart needed was within walking distance. The area had horrible flooding while we were there, and it was very weird driving home. We stopped at Bond Falls, which is normally a nice peaceful, but large waterfall. This time it was roaring. Water was running down the steps and it just felt angry. But still beautiful. <br />
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So that's the gist of the last year. Nothing too remarkable, but looking forward to more adventures in 2019.<br /><u></u><br />
<u></u><br />Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-24172343174755210942018-12-31T07:00:00.000-06:002018-12-31T09:57:20.198-06:00Welcome 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2018 is leaving and 2019 is nearly here. For the first time I can recall, I'm not looking forward to the new year with anticipation of what may come, but more with apprehension. I guess that's how you know you've officially reached grown up status. Worries about health and money and time trump plans for self betterment.<br />
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I was gone from this little blog for most of 2018 due to job stress and school, and that stuff hasn't gone away, but I realized I'm just happier when I'm blogging. True, blogging can get stressful if you get wrapped up in your analytics and trying to make everything picture perfect, but if I just use it as a gentle push to meet my goals and try new things, and maybe as a bit of an online diary, it's much less intimidating. Plus, I "met" so many wonderful bloggers online, and I really miss that. I'd find myself talking about them to my IRL friends and really, they are like friends after a while. I want that back.<br />
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So, I probably won't be posting all the time. I'm aiming for about once or twice a week. But I'm really looking forward to catching up with everyone. I've been reading blogs while I've been away, but not like I did when I was blogging myself. And what can you expect to see here in 2019? Book posts, cooking posts, self care things, nature things, health, and maybe even a little minimalism. Sadly, probably no sewing posts since I packed all my sewing stuff up and moved it to the basement for the time being. My life is always a work in progress and you never know what's around the bend, but I'll face it head on. I'm guessing most of you feel the same way.<br />
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So here's to 2018, and what we learned and endured, and here's looking ahead to whatever it is 2019 may bring.Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-56517779749210481592018-03-25T10:40:00.001-05:002018-03-25T10:40:25.092-05:005 Things That Are Saving My Life ... Right Now This is that in between time of year in Wisconsin. Snow is melting, but we'll probably get at least one more dusting. It's too wet to start gardening, but floral graveyards of last year are appearing uncovered showing dead leaves, stems, and dirt. I planted some bulbs last fall, so I'm hoping they survived the squirrels and cold and will be coming up soon. On the plus side, we had gorgeous weather this weekend. Blue skies and forty degree temps. So nice in fact, that my cat tries to bolt outside anytime I'm going in or out the door. He wants to explore the yard and wander around the snowbanks.<br />
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I'm feeling more active on the weekends, but still pretty drained on weekdays. Here's what's is helping me stay sane right now.<br />
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1. <b>My weighted blanket.</b> When my depression was in full swing, I was frequently up at 2 in the morning for an hour, usually two (or more) and once I woke up, it was nearly impossible to get back to sleep. Even with antidepressants, I was still having problems sleeping through the night. It was so frustrating! I've never been a person that struggles with sleep, but I was tired all the time. For my birthday in February, my husband bought me a weighted blanket. It made all the difference in the world! I still occasional wake up in the middle of the night, but now it's usually around 4 (and I get up at 5 work anyway) so I either lay there for half an hour or so and fall back asleep, or if I have a bunch of stuff to get done, I just get up. At $200, it's a big investment, and I was skeptical, but it was seriously worth every penny.<br />
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2. <b>Cooking.</b> My husband is like the ultimate finicky eater, and while I used to make two separate meals, he's now on his own most the time. But cooking for one gets old. Especially old is eating leftovers for like a week straight. So, one of my girl friends and I came up with a plan. She works in the hospital below the nursing home I work at, so the days she and I are both working (she works days, PMs, and nights) I pack both our lunches. In return, she buys breakfast on the weekends if we go out. Having someone else to cook for has inspired me to try new recipes and eat healthier too. It's been so fun to get back in the kitchen and eat new things. Yesterday I made yellow curry for the first time. And the realization that I'm willing to make more of an effort for someone else than for my own body is not lost on me neither.<br />
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3. <b>My cat</b>. Sure he can be annoying. But he's the most fluffy giver of unconditional love you will ever see. He's sitting on my lap right now in my office, while I type this. He gets up with me no matter what time it is, and if I crash at 7:30, he's laying in bed right next to me. When my husband worked nights and I was home by myself after work, I would have been super lonely without the cats (we have two, but the other one is not nearly as much of a snuggler). Seriously, if you're depressed or anxious, there's nothing like snuggling a cat or watching a dog run around and play to boost your mood.<br />
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4. <b>The weekend.</b> I know, I know, everyone loves the weekend, but I've gotten a bit of a routine down that seems to really help me cope with life. I try to schedule any errands during the week, whether on my lunch break or after work. Then on the weekends, I just bunker down and spend the time at home. I get all my laundry caught up, vacuum, clean, and plan meals for the week. Then I just relax. Lay in bed, drinking tea and doing devotions, reading books, catch up on blog reading, send some letters to friends. I may meet up with a friend for lunch or a visit on Saturday, but I try to keep Sunday for rest and reflection.<br />
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5. <b>Medication.</b> Last, but certainly not least, I'm on prescription anti depressants, and I take two supplements for my anxiety/ depression. And I don't know what I would do without them. I remember days where someone would call in at work, and it'd just push me over the edge and I'd start crying, because I would be putting so much time and effort into the schedule and then one call in would through everything into a mess. We've had two nurses move to other jobs and have lost quite a few of the high school CNAs to the start of softball, but I've been able to keep my cool much better now. I know the medication plays a big part in that.<br />
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How about you, what's saving your life right now?Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-55625115360876795402018-03-11T19:11:00.001-05:002018-03-11T19:11:26.227-05:00Brain Bric A Brac So you may have thought I fell of the face of the planet again. Actually, I didn't, but I was very busy with the underbelly of real life that blogging friends don't really want/need to know about. But, I'll fill you in anyway to explain my absence.<br />
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1. I got sick. There's been all sorts of crud going around at work, so I'm considering myself fortunate that I only caught one bug. It did force me to miss out on a girls' weekend with my Mastermind girls. But, since I was puking, it was probably better they just went without me.<br />
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2. My parents got sick. I think they had influenza, but I spent some time out there trying to keep their dog exercised and make sure they weren't dying.<br />
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3. My dad had a heart attack. He's only 59. He's in pretty good shape for a dude his age, and he and my mom eat pretty healthy, so it was definitely not expected. They wanted to med flight him from here to a bigger hospital but the snow made that a no go, so he had to take a risky clot buster in the ER and then take an ambulance ride in a snowstorm, which thankfully worked with no side effects, and then spend a week or so in the hospital. He had quadruple bypass but is home now and resting as much as he rests.<br />
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4. Work got crazy. I've lost several nurses and CNAs in the last month, and a bunch of the high school CNAs are asking for reduced hours, which is making scheduling a nightmare. We're due for the State's yearly inspection any day now, and I feel like there's not enough hours in the day. Which has of course kicked my anxiety and stress back up. I'm trying to eat better and take care of myself but sometimes my brain just won't shut down.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Constant resting work face.</td></tr>
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5. So I did what any sane stressed person would do. I signed up for the nursing assistant program. It only takes a little over a month, and it'll be after work. I'm sure my body will think I'm nuts by week two, but it will come in handy with my job and if I decide to go on to anything further in healthcare- med tech or nursing, I need to have taken the nursing assistant class. While I don't have to be a CNA to be a HUC (which is what I am now- Health Unit Clerk) there's times it would be nice if I could help with residents more. April is as good as month as any, and I'm already trying to think of a fun reward for me after it's all done. My dad and I had planned a trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to watch the Copper Dog 150 dog sled race, but his heart attack happened the week before so that put the cabosh on that plan.<br />
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6. Goals are going okay. February is always a hard month, but I'm already getting some stuff knocked out this month. I played in my fabric stash this weekend and started some fun, new projects, and enjoyed just sitting among all my fabric and mixing prints and designs.<br />
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<br />Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-78680422678908808712018-01-18T16:45:00.000-06:002018-01-19T05:41:14.778-06:00New Year, New Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm still alive! 2017 was a weird year, and to be honest, I had no qualms with it ending. I know, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, blah, blah, blah, and you can start to change any day, but there's something so refreshing about a new year. New planners. New notebooks. 365 days to make new dreams come to true, to change who you are, and to magically morph into the person you were meant to be. I say this with sarcasm, but yet, I always buy into "This is year, I'm going to finally get my shit together.'<br />
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So let's just recap 2017 quick shall we:<br />
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I switched jobs (twice). I went from working as a health unit coordinator at the hospital, to being a bank teller, to being a health unit coordinator at a nursing home. I took a big pay cut to leave the hospital, but with unreliable hours available and staying that way for the feature, I felt like I had to. But, I learned being a bank teller is not for me, and gladly went back to HUCing, and the raise that came with it. <br />
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Then I learned maybe being a HUC in a nursing home was not for me neither. I ended up feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and eventually found myself crying in my bathtub at home, and then even crying at work, falling asleep at 7pm, only to be wide awake by 3am. A trip to my wonderful nurse practitioner fixed me up with some antidepressants, which are little miracle pills. I still have lots of feelings about medicating, but that's for another time.<br />
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I pretty much fell out of love with blogging all through the fall, and felt overwhelmed with not having fresh content, not having the right platform, not having a direction, not knowing what my direction was supposed to be, and just not having the time to commit to it.<br />
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I spent most the fourth quarter of the year sleeping and wishing a giant hole would open up in the earth and just swallow me up, but like I said, antidepressants are great, and I'm feeling like I may survive after all.<br />
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So instead of listing my monthly goals, I'm going to just give you a rundown of what I'm aiming for this year. I'm setting goals too, but maybe that's for another time.<br />
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I want 2018 to be a year where I am:<br />
<ul>
<li>More Productive</li>
<li>More Creative </li>
<li>Better Christian</li>
<li>Better Friend</li>
<li>Less Wasteful</li>
<li>More Adventurous</li>
</ul>
So that means, getting rid of all the clutter- physical, mental, spiritual. Using up what I have, whether it's salad dressing, paper, fabric, or books. Spending more time reading my Bible, practicing what I preach. Being thoughtful. Sewing more, reading more, not wasting so much time on the Facebook, Cooking healthy foods. And, getting out of the house. Trying new things. Traveling with friends or family or by myself if I got to.<br />
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So far I'm happy with how my year is going, but we're not even three weeks into it yet, so trying not to pat myself on the back too hard. What are you shooting for this year? How's it working for you so far?Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-42476573501952124042017-09-12T07:00:00.000-05:002017-09-12T07:00:06.538-05:00September Reading List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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September already! That means the year will be 3/4 of the way over in just a few weeks! I always feel like a year is such a long time, and have all these plans for change and how different my life will look after another trip around the sun, but it seems to stay mundanely the same. Maybe it's just that it's hard to notice change when we're still so close to it. Maybe there's not much to notice. But, anyways, there's still plenty of books I want to read before the year comes to a close, so let's get on to that.<br />
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In September, I'm aiming to get through some books that have been on my shelf for a while:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753865-the-passenger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Passenger</a> by Lisa Lutz had been on wish list, and I received it for a birthday present back in February. I honestly can't remember which blog reviewed it, that made me want to add it to my wishlist, but it's languished on my shelf for over half a year now, and it seemed like it was time to give it a read. I'm actually reading this one right now, and am enjoying it.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33917.The_Namesake?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Namesake</a> by Jhumpa Lahiri has been on my shelf for years! Years! It's time to either read it or pass it on.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26096.In_Praise_of_Slowness?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In Praise of Slowness</a> by Carl Honore is a nonfiction read. I listened to a TED Talk Honore did on slowing down, after I had found this book at the thrift store. I found it intriguing, but never got around to reading it. </li>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23341578-broken-monsters?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Broken Monsters</a> by Lauren Beukes is by the same author as The Shining Girls. I'm hoping for a little less gore, but I'm not holding my breath. I see someone on Goodreads describe Beukes still as paranormal crime noir, and while that sounds like a mouthful, it also seems accurate. I don't know how I'm going to feel about this one. The Shining Girls definitely held my interest, and I read it fast, but if I hadn't bought this one before I read the other, I'm not sure I would have brought it home with me. That seems contrary, but it makes sense in my head. </li>
</ul>
<br />
So, that's what I'm hoping to get through this month. What's on your reading list? Or do you have any insight to offer into any of the books on my list? Let me know.<br />
<br />
Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-23286635542758800302017-09-11T06:00:00.000-05:002017-09-11T06:00:26.481-05:00August Book Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhzCbSrjZUQAqxjRg161NiW_iF98bZXrBIo6CX0xw-dBMTgABasPmhdJFWyUDE7IJzpTjSKf2tlNfPcfDVb3PjfGYUmfs1_DcnrcSqSt8VeB-k4EpuUDs8Z5W0KMw5eWt5pB8FbnM6yI/s1600/august+books+read.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhzCbSrjZUQAqxjRg161NiW_iF98bZXrBIo6CX0xw-dBMTgABasPmhdJFWyUDE7IJzpTjSKf2tlNfPcfDVb3PjfGYUmfs1_DcnrcSqSt8VeB-k4EpuUDs8Z5W0KMw5eWt5pB8FbnM6yI/s640/august+books+read.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
August was a pretty slow reading month due to all the podcast listening. I don't know why I didn't consider that this would happen when I set my podcast goal, but oh well. I did manage to get a couple books read.<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1453294.At_Bertram_s_Hotel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1453294.At_Bertram_s_Hotel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">At Bertram's Hotel</a> by Agatha Christie was definitely not my favorite of her books, and I had no qualms tossing this one into the book destined for the thrift store when I was done. It's a Miss Marple mystery, but it was just missing something. The characters where ho hum, and the mystery just seemed far fetched and unbelievable.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3584199-god-speaks-tenderly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">God Speaks Tenderly</a> by Marie Shropshire was much better than I expected. I went into it not expecting much, but I really came away with some applicable insights. My job gets under my skin a lot. I've had more headaches, insomnia, and nausea than I can remember with any job, but there's perks too- I like the people I work with, I like the residents, I don't mind most of the work, so what do you do? Sometimes I feel like God puts you someplace to work on something in your life. Maybe it's patience, or empathy, or even your courage. I know there's plenty I need to work on, and you can't just quit something because it's hard, but sometimes growing feels like an impossible task.<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173403.Walking_in_this_World?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173403.Walking_in_this_World?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walking in This World</a> by Julie Cameron is a companion book to The Artist's Way. It stresses the importance of walking for getting the creative juices flowing, as well as giving insights into nurturing your work. It was a good read, although I will admit, it did take me a while to get into it, and actually a while to finish it. But, I am keeping it on my finished book shelf because I feel I may want to read it again in the future.<br />
<br />
And as far as what I added to my book piles? Nothing. I didn't buy a single book last month. That makes my totals at 25 books read this year and 22 added to my shelves. I'm aiming for at least five books read in September, because I really need to step up my game if I'm going to make my yearly goal of 48 reads.Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-79753412958958278822017-09-10T08:14:00.001-05:002017-09-10T08:14:47.650-05:00Podcast Challenge 37-50<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrGApgV6aeTau5oqkeZ1K9rR5iajzGuu2QuVyeUMUwz5T7I4oBWLm1WXKgMNwz-RPnnJztdojR50yByr2kXf7WrbEhlXnOW6ABo6bQmvb99mVeWagafqma6wRXDk8GBDo2d6j1k8WyOM/s1600/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrGApgV6aeTau5oqkeZ1K9rR5iajzGuu2QuVyeUMUwz5T7I4oBWLm1WXKgMNwz-RPnnJztdojR50yByr2kXf7WrbEhlXnOW6ABo6bQmvb99mVeWagafqma6wRXDk8GBDo2d6j1k8WyOM/s400/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, I didn't make my goal of 62 podcasts. I got to 50, and ran out of month. But, I still think that's a decent chunk of listening. I found some gems, so clunkers, and some interesting ones I probably wouldn't have tried without the challenge, but I must admit, I'm relieved that I'm back to listening only for fun, and not scouring the interwebs for new listens. Here's a recap of the last batch.<br />
<br />
37. <a href="https://player.fm/series/hold-on-with-eugene-mirman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hold On with Eugene Mirman</a><br />
38. <a href="https://www.revealnews.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reveal</a><br />
39. <a href="http://www.stufftheydontwantyoutoknow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stuff They Don't Want You to Know</a><br />
40. <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-twenty-percent-true-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twenty Percent True</a><br />
41. <a href="https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/youmustrememberthis?selected=KL9265836252" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You Must Remember This</a><br />
42. <a href="https://goodstuff.fm/grownups/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Guess We're Grown-Ups Now</a><br />
43. <a href="http://www.thepractical-minimalists.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Practical Minimalists</a><br />
44. <a href="http://www.howstuffworks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Stuff Works</a><br />
45. <a href="https://www.younghouselove.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Young House Love</a><br />
46. <a href="http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute-with-sam-sanders" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's Been a Minute</a><br />
47. <a href="http://lif-e.af/ter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lif-e.af/ter</a><br />
48. <a href="http://www.thehealthymaven.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">That's So Maven</a><br />
49. <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/podcast.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">For the Love with Jen Hatmaker</a><br />
50. <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Radiolab</a><br />
<br />
Favorite of this Batch: Reveal<br />
Best Surprise: Twenty Percent True<br />
Definitely Going to Continue Listening to: Radiolab<br />
<br />
Five Favorites of 1-50:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> Write Now</li>
<li>Stuff You Missed in History Class</li>
<li>Annotated</li>
<li>Reveal</li>
<li>Levar Burton Reads</li>
</ul>
<br />
And that folks, is a wrap for my August podcast challenge. While I enjoyed it, it really did cut into my reading time. But, I definitely found plenty of listening material for my walks and housework tasks. And if you still haven't tried podcasts, what are you waiting for? Just click a link and listen to one. You can do it right from you phone or computer. It's better than television, and easier than holding a book. And if you have a favorite that I didn't listen to in August, please leave me the title in the comments and I'll check it out.Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-73484441128719262982017-08-27T22:01:00.002-05:002017-08-27T22:01:26.171-05:00Three Loves for the End of AugustHere's a couple of the things I've been feeling lately... Because lists make me happy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWlaYukAH59US6lwoGP48Ja-RdFZc6We59C__fh2jE2-kQQ4BHLOJUAnx_oeIMHxkNi5onuDquPyIgk98Vz-c986YHZoGI9KkaMbf4Al-Vm_Zj80bgQC1rjK9CK1pw90E_H-7ROOLT4k/s1600/20170730_214712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hot drinks" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWlaYukAH59US6lwoGP48Ja-RdFZc6We59C__fh2jE2-kQQ4BHLOJUAnx_oeIMHxkNi5onuDquPyIgk98Vz-c986YHZoGI9KkaMbf4Al-Vm_Zj80bgQC1rjK9CK1pw90E_H-7ROOLT4k/s400/20170730_214712.jpg" title="golden milk" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
1. Golden Milk. This mixture of turmeric, coconut milk, and spices has this rich, indulgent taste that seems like it came from a fancy coffee shop instead of things that I threw together in a saucepan late at night when I can't sleep. (Any other insomniacs out there?) Here's the recipe I use from <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/5-minute-vegan-golden-milk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Minimalist Baker</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuqEKs3JxiKeApjmA8O6IzX22jNbXw5nsILYk2w9SMSy0DvcB4v1_Cg3ye1pgT_2emWslRikLBOaYxbaqmffM07SdkqFC6YVlbw11os04DpHd7uIvMDeve14TCOWfNQYysb1Z9eC7ZhI/s1600/20170714_190314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="salad" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuqEKs3JxiKeApjmA8O6IzX22jNbXw5nsILYk2w9SMSy0DvcB4v1_Cg3ye1pgT_2emWslRikLBOaYxbaqmffM07SdkqFC6YVlbw11os04DpHd7uIvMDeve14TCOWfNQYysb1Z9eC7ZhI/s400/20170714_190314.jpg" title="turkey meatballs" width="300" /></a></div>
2. Turkey meatballs. Confession of the not very scandalous kind- I never bought ground turkey until about a month ago. I'm not really sure why. But since I have, I've been making turkey meatballs and eating them on everything from rice noodles to salads. They hold their shape well and taste pretty satisfying.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3K0RzZGpyds" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
3. I am by no means a Taylor Swift fan. I mean, if I would have to describe my attitude towards her, it'd probably be "indifferent". I don't really dislike her, and some of her songs are catchy, but her new song has just embedded itself in my head and I kind of like it. I find myself singing the refrain under my breath. And while my default setting towards whatever is popular is to avoid it at all costs, I just can't seem to shake this song. Also, major props to her for standing up to the grope-y DJ in Denver and seeing it through to the end.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, certain things just resonate with you. I mean, I'm always
looking for a hot beverage to try on chilly nights- whether it be tea,
hot cocoa and butterscotch schnaps or just coffee, but mixing spices
with coconut milk probably wouldn't have been on my list to try until I
started having trouble sleeping. When you can't sleep, you're not above
resorting to weird home remedies, and while I haven't noticed better
sleep with golden milk, I have discovered I really like the taste.
Turkey meatballs just seem to have developed out of a desire to cut out
read meat. And Taylor Swift? I don't know, does one really need a
reason to want to jam out to Taylor Swift?<br />
<br />
Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-86734734095143968382017-08-21T05:51:00.002-05:002017-08-21T05:51:59.756-05:00Podcast Challenge 25-36<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEI3wXYcDWtwb_LUdmVwy5uQYnel35cP_-wLnjOY7erP4hY3onf0VP9DmXIWBseDwmxgd6rZVMX72DkDJAeL5nL5KvNelR0q4OYIC2tVySOwNWuNOax0Q4CvV8O6lveyBkzI0GBrxfZfo/s1600/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEI3wXYcDWtwb_LUdmVwy5uQYnel35cP_-wLnjOY7erP4hY3onf0VP9DmXIWBseDwmxgd6rZVMX72DkDJAeL5nL5KvNelR0q4OYIC2tVySOwNWuNOax0Q4CvV8O6lveyBkzI0GBrxfZfo/s400/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, I think it's getting harder to find straight up amazing podcasts, but every now and then I find a gem that I'm surprised I hadn't encountered before. And while a lot of this batch are smaller or more niche, there's been some that are real treats.<br />
<br />
25. <a href="https://fizzle.co/show" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Fizzle Show</a><br />
26. <a href="http://themythologypodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Mythology Podcast</a><br />
27. <a href="http://www.sarahwerner.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Write Now</a><br />
28. <a href="https://www.gonecoldpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gone Cold</a><br />
29. <a href="https://marcella.co/process/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Process</a><br />
30. <a href="http://www.spilledmilkpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spilled Milk</a><br />
31. <a href="http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stuff You Should Know</a><br />
32. <a href="https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Imaginary Worlds</a><br />
33. <a href="http://sweetteallc.co/indexes/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blog Fuel</a><br />
34. <a href="http://bookriot.com/listen/shows/annotated/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Annotated</a><br />
35. <a href="http://www.ttbook.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To The Best of Our Knowledge</a><br />
36. <a href="http://www.anunclutteredlife.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Uncluttered Life</a><br />
<br />
Favorite of this Batch: Write Now<br />
Best Surprise: Tie between Gone Cold and Blog Fuel<br />
Definitely Going to Continue Listening to: Annotated<br />
<br />
Five Favorites of 1-36:<br />
<ul>
<li> Write Now</li>
<li>Stuff You Missed in History Class</li>
<li>Annotated</li>
<li>Criminal</li>
<li>Levar Burton Reads</li>
</ul>
So, I've made it more than halfway! What do you think? Is there any awesome podcasts out there that you can't believe I haven't tried yet? And remember, if you want to follow along with my daily updates, check out my Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/lavender_kay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">feed</a> or Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chairintheshade/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">page.</a> <br />
Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-75259866561353656912017-08-15T05:14:00.000-05:002017-08-15T05:14:43.334-05:00Podcast Challenge 13-24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4N66-rmJYM8_divMdWdyPAPzwVRP2Bo7qX97JCpp4fyN3CTDUUYjs1KFM9jj_sgnACYL6p2qNj59eucxoBx5EDg7nQ9e4OgpfdrDj4S2ovDZ1YgiYYs5oXE6dAZSNk7yI7U39x8T1x0/s1600/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4N66-rmJYM8_divMdWdyPAPzwVRP2Bo7qX97JCpp4fyN3CTDUUYjs1KFM9jj_sgnACYL6p2qNj59eucxoBx5EDg7nQ9e4OgpfdrDj4S2ovDZ1YgiYYs5oXE6dAZSNk7yI7U39x8T1x0/s400/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Okay, so there's a lot of podcasts out there, but not all of them are winners. August 7-12 I listened to the following podcasts:<br />
<ul>
<li>13. <a href="http://www.nightvalepresents.com/aliceisntdead/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alice Isn't Dead</a><br />14. <a href="http://www.thepsychfiles.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Psych Files</a><br />15. <a href="https://www.patreon.com/historium" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Historium</a><br />16. <a href="https://toe.prx.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything</a><br />17. <a href="http://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stuff Mom Never Told You</a><br />18. <a href="https://www.hbmpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here Be Monsters</a><br />19. <a href="https://www.theallusionist.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Allusionist</a><br />20. <a href="http://www.storycentral.org/strangers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Strangers</a><br />21. <a href="http://www.sporkful.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sporkful</a><br />22. <a href="http://orbitinghumancircus.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Orbiting Human Circus</a><br />23. <a href="https://onbeing.org/cool/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creating Our Own Lives</a><br />24. <a href="http://99percentinvisible.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">99% Invisible</a></li>
</ul>
Favorite of the Batch: Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything<br />Best Surprise: 99% Invisible<br />Definitely Going to Continue Listening: Stuff Mom Never Told You<br />
<br />
Five favorites of 1-24<br />
<ul>
<li>Stuff You Missed in History Class</li>
<li>Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything</li>
<li>S-Town</li>
<li>Levar Burton Reads</li>
<li>Criminal</li>
</ul>
I have been listening to podcasts while I go for walks, while I clean, when I fold laundry, in the bathtub, when I'm cooking, pretty much everywhere. And what I've learned is that not all podcasts are amazing. I've stumbled across some that I listened to one episode tapped out as soon as it was done, but I've also found some really awesome new listens. But really, it's made me decide to keep looking for new ones (even after the challenge is done) and giving some a try even if I don't think they'll be my cup of tea. It's been a fun experiment so far. Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-41844597251469959362017-08-07T20:30:00.001-05:002017-08-15T05:14:53.037-05:00Podcast Challenge 1-12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2czTtspnKeLYwSGWDiW6Xr4Hb9Ntd9i5-kDnNg84t74q6nCqW2whC6ASM7po4X4bCxSfGGNQrybL4efgzlGSKVHcEwqmO7GWQbUe7Z5vqzQWKVDn49HfDBaq9x_hALoCDJXP31SRFsc/s1600/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2czTtspnKeLYwSGWDiW6Xr4Hb9Ntd9i5-kDnNg84t74q6nCqW2whC6ASM7po4X4bCxSfGGNQrybL4efgzlGSKVHcEwqmO7GWQbUe7Z5vqzQWKVDn49HfDBaq9x_hALoCDJXP31SRFsc/s400/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In the first six days of August, I've listened to so many different podcasts, that I've had to resort to keeping an Evernote list of the ones I've tried so far.<br />
<br />
So, here's the ones I listened to August 1 through August 5, in no particular order:<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://art19.com/shows/levar-burton-reads" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Levar Burton Reads</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thememorypalace.us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Memory Palace</a></li>
<li><a href="http://themoth.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Moth</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thisiscriminal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Criminal</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lorepodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lore</a></li>
<li><a href="http://southernhollows.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southern Hollows</a></li>
<li><a href="http://missedinhistory.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stuff You Missed in History Class</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Invisibilia</a></li>
<li><a href="http://howtodoeverything.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How to Do Everything</a></li>
<li><a href="http://kitchensisters.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidden Kitchen</a></li>
<li><a href="http://sidehustleschool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Side Hustle School</a></li>
<li><a href="https://stownpodcast.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">S-Town</a></li>
</ol>
Favorite of the batch: S-Town<br />
Best surprise: Southern Hollows<br />
Definitely going to continue listening to: Invisibilia<br />
<br />
I was kind of concerned about how I was going to find 62 podcasts to try out, but I've been coming across new ones on Twitter and adding them to the list.<br />
<br />
To follow along, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/lavender_kay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chairintheshade/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. I post every day of which ones I'm trying out. If you have a recommendation for me, drop me a comment.<br />
<ol>
</ol>
Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-90889693859613701852017-08-06T07:00:00.000-05:002017-08-06T07:00:10.131-05:00August Reading List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkh3JWuuvBZ8bjD_X_H3huuth6QuMQtrlAjLnOu9txqXCbEQuGiuWceq5AQz5vM1YJtSdDMV9eJFwg4dzWPBjhNuHRjsouBo9B8Z297u5287v-3qGm0l9QYYILg4XlpK7OGHqFDEWjn0/s1600/Augst+Reading+list.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkh3JWuuvBZ8bjD_X_H3huuth6QuMQtrlAjLnOu9txqXCbEQuGiuWceq5AQz5vM1YJtSdDMV9eJFwg4dzWPBjhNuHRjsouBo9B8Z297u5287v-3qGm0l9QYYILg4XlpK7OGHqFDEWjn0/s640/Augst+Reading+list.png" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
So it's time for another reading list. August is already here<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25074850-the-girl-in-the-spider-s-web?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Girl in the Spider's Web</a> by David Lagercrantz- I've heard good things about this "fourth book" of the "Girl with the Dragon's Tattoo" trilogy. So, I'm looking forward to catching back up with Lizabeth Sander.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8684015-the-temptress?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Tempress</a> by Paul Spice- The true story of a 1920s femme fatale? Interested!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1453294.At_Bertram_s_Hotel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">At Bertram's Hotel</a> by Agatha Christie- Because sometimes a girl just needs a little visit with Miss Marple.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3302985-the-zookeeper-s-wife" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Zookeeper's Wife</a> by Diane Ackerman- Another true story. The Zabinski's helped Polish Jews by hiding them in their zoo. Serving as a safe haven for many as they were smuggled out of the country. There's a movie coming out based on it.</li>
</ul>
What's on your August reading list? Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-22696846907315414392017-08-05T20:58:00.000-05:002017-08-05T20:59:31.953-05:00July Book Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaF15ahch3Hsk3Tt8Ao1ivpGQgNxiv63sc6l80u7qza6xXaNiKJr8-xBsy0vVkbHRQ64T6VJmt67kFvQno54RjA6PdCD1ykN7y5ySwu8SsA8kU8FG_qMYcQcWPY9eEW0XRw4Oiy2zAxQ/s1600/July+Books+Reads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Books Read in July" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1336" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaF15ahch3Hsk3Tt8Ao1ivpGQgNxiv63sc6l80u7qza6xXaNiKJr8-xBsy0vVkbHRQ64T6VJmt67kFvQno54RjA6PdCD1ykN7y5ySwu8SsA8kU8FG_qMYcQcWPY9eEW0XRw4Oiy2zAxQ/s640/July+Books+Reads.jpg" title="July Books" width="532" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
July was a decent month for reading. I didn't make my five book goal, but I did get through three books.<br />
<ul>
<li> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27002.First_Among_Sequels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Among Sequels</a> by Jasper Fforde is book five in the Thursday Next series. It had been on my reading list in January, but I just finally got it read. I think there's one left in this series, and while I've enjoyed it, I am ready to finish it. Does that make any sense? </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/779463.Three_Bags_Full" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Three Bags Full</a> by Leonie Swann was discovered in a thrift store on the shores of Lake Superior in June. This story of sheep solving the murder of their shepherd was not all what I was expecting. I did enjoy most of the sheep characters, but there was one or two existential sheep scenes and I wasn't sure what was going on or how they fit in the story. There was also some confusing parts where I had to go back and reread to see if the sheep were imaging something, really experiencing what the book said, or if it was a flashback. I don't know if something was lost in translation or it's just the authors style, but it wasn't necessarily a negative for the book. I was expecting a cozy mystery and it was more than that.<br /> </li>
<li> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5129.Brave_New_World" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brave New World</a> by Aldous Huxley was interesting. Not as scary as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984?ac=1&from_search=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1984</a>, but still disconcerting. Babies are not conceived and raised by families, but rather grown in jars. Monogamy is frowned upon and medicating any feelings of discomfort away is strongly encouraged. Also, it was originally published in 1932, and there is a ton of sex in this book. It's mostly implied, and it's not really gratuitous, but it still seems odd that it was wrote 85 years ago. I wonder what the original readers thought of it. The ending i also kind of sudden, but I think the author meant for it to be. It's one of those books I really don't think I'll ever read again, but I am glad I read it. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhkvHcJh_ZMhfgDzNHCd2-v53aAmniGC6OcfzDAg7DobuhEGOQA6SwRVcolbeaJ9QFxmVPysLixJOa4g_mczOZGlyQIYE9p14VmTLECuMDFJqKr63EJFLbR1BP0cMdo64i-ZDsxC1tRQ/s1600/July+New+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="New July Books" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1336" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhkvHcJh_ZMhfgDzNHCd2-v53aAmniGC6OcfzDAg7DobuhEGOQA6SwRVcolbeaJ9QFxmVPysLixJOa4g_mczOZGlyQIYE9p14VmTLECuMDFJqKr63EJFLbR1BP0cMdo64i-ZDsxC1tRQ/s640/July+New+Books.jpg" title="New Books" width="532" /></a></div>
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For July, I managed to only add one book. It's another book in Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7113818-nemesis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nemesis</a> is book four and I found it on Bookmooch so I had to snap it up in preparation of getting to it of the next few months.<br />
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2017 totals:<br />22 Books Read<br />
22 Books Acquired <br />
<br />Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-27175374759971624022017-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:002017-08-03T06:00:22.827-05:00Country Get AwayI think vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but so often we fill them with sightseeing, and eating out, and playing the role of tourist that we miss out on recharging our batteries and return even more tired than when we left.<br />
<br />
One of my friends and I were talking about how we just wanted to get away for a weekend and work on our writing and goal setting and just find some clarity. She said, "Let's do it!" and so, over breakfast at one of the local restaurants on Saturday, we booked an AirBNB that's only about an hour from where we live for the following weekend. It was a cute little cabin on a farm, complete with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sauna, and a little kitchenette. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CAM_XstwxPlgDuu0QS7NYcaEymiVGHXvv19kgWELKfhghDXSDhp13xzrscqJN6sRGf34Fk1ri9Dj2bLdZpVF-1oHXSEFAzPbnExcPWL3b9wZcNVS3Obr1suXk5X2tKcOHolTAN5gYkw/s1600/20170715_181805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CAM_XstwxPlgDuu0QS7NYcaEymiVGHXvv19kgWELKfhghDXSDhp13xzrscqJN6sRGf34Fk1ri9Dj2bLdZpVF-1oHXSEFAzPbnExcPWL3b9wZcNVS3Obr1suXk5X2tKcOHolTAN5gYkw/s400/20170715_181805.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Little Sauna Cabin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We loaded up on groceries, books, planners, and laptops and struck out Friday afternoon, after I was done with work. Our hosts were great and we had a great time just relaxing and recharging. I went through a lot of blogging and personal planning, made a lot of lists, read and snacked on apples and cashew butter a lot. We sat in the sauna both nights and just enjoyed have limited cell phone reception. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I ended up there again this winter.<br />
<br />
It was close enough to home that we didn't have to spend a day traveling, the price was reasonable, especially when you split it with a friend, the weather was beautiful, and it was so nice to just lounge in sweats and not worry about makeup or laundry or grocery shopping for the week to come or anything else. I came back feeling so relaxed and still had energy to clean my house Sunday afternoon. <br />
<br />Do you have a favorite spot to get away and just relax? <br />
<br />Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-30717159962315234192017-07-31T06:00:00.000-05:002017-07-31T06:00:54.916-05:0062 Podcasts in 31 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnqYP54VI90vBgJotcqNkycflFZtkhZcVNhLwZuszJLKIsfiEhQ6cQf1NMyEFx9N9ifjb0a_3NParYDk_IjaG7ZUKqclFRwUYotPqHlQ67cXhkAGhEVfdHAwPAmzkJs8AMytT_9zh12Q/s1600/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="31 Days of Podcats" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnqYP54VI90vBgJotcqNkycflFZtkhZcVNhLwZuszJLKIsfiEhQ6cQf1NMyEFx9N9ifjb0a_3NParYDk_IjaG7ZUKqclFRwUYotPqHlQ67cXhkAGhEVfdHAwPAmzkJs8AMytT_9zh12Q/s400/62+Podcastsin31+Days.png" title="62 Podcasts in 31 Days" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Remember "Serial"? That was my first Podcast, and I was hooked. I've written about some of my other favorites <a href="http://www.chairintheshade.com/2015/07/podcast-recommendations.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.chairintheshade.com/2015/05/why-podcasts-are-awesome-and-some.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. During my weekend in the country, my friend and I were comparing notes about podcasts we like, and I added a bunch of new ones to my list. My husband had also given me some recommendations so I checked some of those out too. And listening to all these new podcasts is just making me want to dig deeper and deeper into the world of podcasts. I listen to everything from fiction, to true crime, true story, creativity help, history, religious, and psychology. <br />
<br />
So, I've decided for August, I'm going to listen to 62 different podcasts in 31 days. Originally, I was thinking two episodes a day, and a variety of at least 25 different podcast, but I think there's so many interesting ones, I'd barely be scratching the surface at that rate. Want to follow along? I'll be <a href="https://twitter.com/lavender_kay" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tweeting</a> out the exact episodes I listen to each day, and giving weekly updates starting tomorrow. <br />
<br />
Have any recommendations? Please leave them below!Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-3728848513396493992017-07-27T06:00:00.000-05:002017-07-27T06:00:09.012-05:0012 Excuses Why There's No Blog Post Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdn6J5JDdLwGbp8O9ut4SrVzSgNvH__R3vkrw7o2FtxZQehqhrRKCH2DyyW3p_gGqj8Jk6sGrizfEBWfpcJDeIMzjjeBvsBOBepO83mx2dWvxl-vvWu8Xg3ogsNdWdTGJSttX_cEigOA/s1600/1%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Quit Making Excuses" border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdn6J5JDdLwGbp8O9ut4SrVzSgNvH__R3vkrw7o2FtxZQehqhrRKCH2DyyW3p_gGqj8Jk6sGrizfEBWfpcJDeIMzjjeBvsBOBepO83mx2dWvxl-vvWu8Xg3ogsNdWdTGJSttX_cEigOA/s400/1%25282%2529.png" title="12 Excuses Why" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Okay, in an effort to be more honest, I'm going to share some of the actually excuses I have told myself when I thought I should be working on blog posts, to convince myself not to. Try not to judge me by my ridiculousness.<br />
<ol>
<li>My camera doesn't take good pictures.</li>
<li>The lighting isn't good for pictures right now.</li>
<li>My life is boring. I don't have anything good to post.</li>
<li>I have nothing to say.</li>
<li>I need to clean my house.</li>
<li>I should really organize my closet.</li>
<li>I will after I finish this self help/creativity boosting/interesting book.</li>
<li>I should really read some other blogs for inspiration.</li>
<li>I don't want to be copying other bloggers.</li>
<li>I don't have anything unique to say.</li>
<li>I really need to clean my office before I start.</li>
<li>This really isn't the right time of month <or day="" of="" the="" week=""> for that post.</or></li>
</ol>
This is kind of my way of getting it out in the open, so next time I try to self sabotage, I can tell myself to knock it off. Does that make sense? <br />
<br />
So, for you other bloggers, what do you tell yourself that gets in the way of your blogginig? Or if you don't blog, what excuse have you used that can unravel your creativity faster than any other? I'm trying to be less self sabotaging, and have more self discipline, but it's a hard journey friends.<br />
<br />
Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-212639162893504958.post-81003776889856892092017-07-24T06:00:00.000-05:002017-07-24T06:00:14.148-05:00What to Do When Your Creativity is on Life SupportBrutal honesty here for a minute. I have felt like any creativity inside me has been pretty much dead for almost the past year. And it put me in a funk, big time. I didn't feel like sewing much, with the exception of the winter craft fair I did with a friend. I didn't really bake much because I'm trying to watch my weight. And I definitely wasn't getting any writing done. There were many factors, and I still haven't pinpointed what knocked the wind out of my creativity sails, but there are a few suspects, and it may very well be just a conglomeration of the three.<br />
<ul>
<li>Changing jobs (twice). I feel like anytime you make a big change to your routine, it has the potential to knock your creativity off its feet. I went from working second shift, to working first. My most productive time was always between about 8 am and 1 pm, but now I work at that time.</li>
<li>Winter. Winter puts me in a funk faster than anything. Oh it sounds quaint- Christmas carols, and white powdery snow, warm sweaters, and hot cocoa and toasty fires. But, if you live far enough north, you know what it's really like- shoveling heavy, wet snow, starting your car fifteen minutes before you plan on leaving so it warms up, ice, and darkness- so much darkness. It's dark when you get up, and the sun is already setting when you get done with work. You're cold all the time. Misery sucks the creativity right out of you. </li>
<li>Depression. Because once Christmas passes, you know what you're left with? Another two to three months of snow, more darkness, and nothing to look forward to. Sounds depressing? It is. Usually my goal is just to hold on to dear life and wait for the thaw. Usually spring whisks away my sad feelings just like the breeze that speeds up the melting of all the dirty snow banks. But this year, that didn't happen. I was in the middle of my second job change in just over six months and I went from depressed to stressed. I wasn't motivated to do anything besides consume carbs and drink coffee while eating European chocolates. There were little bursts of creativity but nothing that was able to catch fire in the artistic part of my brain.</li>
</ul>
But now, finally, seven months into the new year, I feel alive and ready to go again. I feel creative again, and energized and ready to tackle projects and make new things. So what's changed?<br />
<ul>
<li>My diet. My brother sells <a href="https://www.advocare.com/16098683/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Advocare </a>and I decided to give the 24 Day Challenge a try. And while I'm not saying you have to do the program to feel better, I do think cutting all added sugar and most carbs out of my life has helped me feel better. I'm only fifteen days in but feel better than I have in a long time. And that's after enduring a nearly 48 hour headache when my body realized there was no chocolate coming.</li>
<li>Morning pages. I've gotten back to writing three pages of whatever is in my head in the morning. This brain dump, that Julia Cameron swears by really does help. You can get all the things bottled up, out on to paper. And sometime I even find some truth in what I write. But, I look at it as getting some of the cobwebs cleared so I can get to the real gems underneath. And by the way, this doesn't happen everyday, but just doing it a few times a week really helps.</li>
<li>My attitude. Now this one is a tricky one because people say "change your attitude" like it's putting on socks, but it's not. I really recommend taking a day off and just unplugging from Facebook and Instagram and even the constant stream of text messages and getting out the pen and paper and writing what you want from life. Do you want more money, do you want more time, do you want more fun? How are you going to get it? Come up with a game plan. Once I really thought about what I want my life to look like, I feel like I got a lot of clarity about the here and now.</li>
<li>My plan. Or to be more clear, I made a plan. Life always feels better when you feel like you have some control. Make a list. Make several lists. Make a list of action steps you can take and then make some lists of how to conquer each action step. Make some action steps for conquering your goals. Bonus points if you have someone you can bounce your plan off. </li>
</ul>
So, while we think of creativity as this spontaneous thing that just pops up like one of those mushrooms that just show up in your yard, full grown, overnight, without any real rhyme or reason, but it's not. At least not for me. For me, creativity needs structure. It needs to be watered and fed. It's much more like a finicky house plant that you can't leave unattended for too long, or the leaves start to fall off and it shrivels.<br />
<ul>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoJY0CxCjZSr6sEQeppwhw2nrXkj0HzozzRTCOCBIlaS0bc3pPuQNveNHO5fvrUg1mmAR_apmrfYCBHdDv22S1Mj8VqQfBzFAyiZ0MVBb_hRiQpM_ihwQ0FmzjqoQ01hX_4Q6E5uqIuI/s1600/makealist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="make a list you'll feel better" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoJY0CxCjZSr6sEQeppwhw2nrXkj0HzozzRTCOCBIlaS0bc3pPuQNveNHO5fvrUg1mmAR_apmrfYCBHdDv22S1Mj8VqQfBzFAyiZ0MVBb_hRiQpM_ihwQ0FmzjqoQ01hX_4Q6E5uqIuI/s400/makealist.jpg" title="make a list" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Kayleehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09142271449900896939noreply@blogger.com0