Sunday News #47

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
Feeling

I’m finally starting to feel more like myself again. I thought I was ready to blog in February. However, due to some lingering symptoms from the antibiotics I was taking, I just didn’t feel up to doing much. Fortunately, I no longer need to take the antibiotics and I’m feeling less nauseated, dizzy, and headachy.

Sorry I didn’t comment on everyone’s posts last time. I really want to read and comment on other blogs. I’m just trying to get back in the habit now that I’m feeling better. Please bear with me.

Blogging

I haven’t blogged since February 5 so nothing to report.

Reading

I finally read something this past week! I read THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware and I’ll be posting my review tomorrow. I’m going to start reading THE LAST ANNIVERSARY by Liane Moriarty some time today.

I also finally finished listening to the ECLIPSE audiobook. I started listening to it last November. However, since I usually listen to audiobooks in my car and I didn’t really get out for while, it took me a while to finish.

Listening

I honestly haven’t listened to a lot of music this week because I focused on listening to the ECLIPSE audiobook. I did, however, listen to “Grace Kelly.” I first listened to the chorus sung by Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. Afterward, I listened to the original full song by MIKA because I’d never heard it before.

Watching

Corey and I are currently watching THE LAST OF US on HBO Max. We’re really enjoying the premise and characters. We also love the actors. We have a joke that Pedro Pascal likes to be in roles where he has to protect an orphan and help get them to wherever they need to go. LOL.

We’re also currently watching season 3 of STAR TREK: PICARD on Paramount+ and we love it so far. It’s fun to see the crew from The Next Generation in their different roles. I’m really excited to see where this season takes us!

We finally binged WEDNESDAY on Netflix. It was amazing! Jenna Ortega was perfect as Wednesday. I also loved her roommate at Nevermore. I also didn’t realize how tall Gwendolyn Christie is! We can’t wait for season 2.

We also saw the new Ant-Man movie, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA a couple of weeks ago when it first came out. I really enjoyed it despite its plot holes, which I didn’t notice while watching. Corey didn’t like it very much. He had way too many questions because of its plot holes. My favorite part was the second end credits scene, lol. If you’ve seen it, you can probably guess why.

I started bingeing THE VAMPIRE DIARIES this past week. I’ve always wanted to watch the series. I like it so far. I’m a couple of episodes into the second season. I really love the exploration of vampiric and supernatural lore. The only thing I could do without is the stupid love triangle. Because I’m required by love triangle law to pick a team *rolls eyes*, I guess I’m Team Damon. I love his character and I love that he’s portrayed by Ian Somerhalder.

Loving

I love The Fast and the Furious movie series. It’s one of my favorites, aka guilty pleasures. I know they’re way over-the-top and unbelievable, but I still love them, especially once they turned into heist movies.

The newest movie comes out in May and it looks like all the characters are returning for this one, even Brian (Paul Walker’s character). I’m very curious how they’re going to pull that off since Walker died nearly 10 years ago. One of my best friends loves the movies too so we started rewatching all the movies.

Wanting

I want the two new TWILIGHT books announced by Stephenie Meyer in February to come out sooner rather than later. I’m really excited she wants to focus on characters other than the Cullens and wolves. I can’t wait to see what comes of this announcement. I also hope this means Meyer will finally return to THE HOST world since she originally planned to make it a trilogy.

Needing

I need to get some of my crocheting and knitting projects finished. My friend and I are opening an Etsy store. We both love making amigurumi (crocheted stuffed toys), afghans, beanies, and other things. We’ve always wanted to see if we can make money selling them on Etsy so we’re going to try. I’ll share a link to the store when it’s officially open.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

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Sunday News #46

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
Feeling

I’m feeling thankful. January was a tough month for me. Even though we figured out most of my health issues and nothing significant really happened, my depression reared its ugly head, accompanied by a healthy dose of anhedonia. I didn’t feel like doing anything I normally loved doing–blogging, reading, journaling, building LEGO, drawing, etc. Besides spending time with Corey and a few of my friends, the only thing I seemed to feel like doing was play my Switch … so I did.

I met with Doug, my therapist, this past week and we discussed how I was doing and feeling. He told me not to get down on myself. People recently done with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) often go through the same thing I did. He said that when people feel in control of their urges, which happens after they graduate from therapy, they stop using their skills. At first it doesn’t seem like a big deal. As time goes on, however, we settle into our old patterns and behaviors. And, if left unchecked, we find ourself in crisis once again.

Fortunately, I didn’t let it get that far. I realized something was off and sought help. Now, I just need to keep using my skills, at least the ones I stopped using. (That “just” makes it sound so simple, lol.) Anyway, I wasn’t challenging my negative thoughts and urges. Instead of giving in to them, it’s much more effective to use Opposite Action and do the things I know help keep me in a good headspace, even when I don’t want to. So… here I am blogging again.

Blogging

I haven’t blogged since January 4 so nothing to report.

Reading

I’m hoping to start reading MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY by Frederik Backman in the next couple of days. It was my IRL book club’s pick for January.

Listening

I’ve been listening to my Faves playlist a lot this past week. One of the songs I always enjoy listening to is “Hearing Damage” by Thom Yorke.

Watching

Corey and I finished watching (rewatching for him) DEXTER this past week. I loved it. I loved the characters, the story, the relationships, and exploring Dexter’s nature.

We also watched DEXTER: NEW BLOOD this week (his first time too). I liked it, just not as much as the original series. I liked who Dexter’s new Dark Passenger took the form of and the overarching theme of the 10 episodes. We were very disappointed with the ending because it felt out of character for Dexter. I also felt like the ending undid all of Dexter’s growth in season 8 of the original series.

I really liked the actors in both. I think they all did a phenomenal job.

Loving

I really love my friends. I love spending time with them and I love being supportive. I hope I can always be someone they can count on to help them when they’re dealing with hard things.

Wanting

I want to learn how to build websites and blogs. I know a little html and css. I also know how to customize most WordPress themes. I want to learn how to build them from scratch, though. I really love working on my blog and I think out of all my options, building websites and blogs would make me the happiest.

Needing

I need to figure out what to do in regards to school. I don’t think school will help me reach my building websites and blogs goal. Besides, I’ve been in school for 8.5 years and I have 103 credits in random subjects because of the lack of direction in my life. I’m no closer to getting my Bachelor’s than I was when I received my Associate’s back in 1999. I made an appointment with a general advisor for tomorrow to talk about my options. Maybe we can piecemeal a degree together so I can finally graduate.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

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Sunday News #45

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
Feeling

I’m feeling excited because I’m FINALLY done with my blog redesign that I started back in September. I’ve had most of it done for a while. I just needed to update my images to match and I had a lot of them to do. I’m feeling really happy with how it all looks.

Blogging

I had a really good blogging week. I still have a couple of year end posts scheduled to drop this coming week. Here’s what I posted this week:

Reading

I started reading THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN by Emily R King. I’m also still listening to the ECLIPSE audiobook and I’m about halfway through now.

Listening

I’ve been listening to a few new-to-me K-pop songs that my friend Suey (It’s All About Books) introduced me to. My favorite’s “ILLELLA” by Mamamoo.

Watching

Corey and I are still making progress with DEXTER. We made it through season 3 and started season 4. I’m still enjoying it a lot. It’s getting even more compelling than it already was.

Loving

I love getting ready for school. I’m anticipating the first day of classes, which is next Monday (January 9). I have all my books ordered. I just need to wait for them to ship. My university doesn’t have a physical bookstore anymore so all book buying’s done online. It’s really convenient AND you have to do it ahead of time so everything arrives by the start of the new semester.

Wanting

I want to wish everyone a happy new year! I hope 2023 is a great year for us all!

Needing

I need to contact my doctor again. Friday morning was my last dose of steroids and my hives are already back.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

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Sunday News: Christmas Edition

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
Feeling

I’m feeling hopeful. I wrote an update on my health earlier this week. The Reader’s Digest version is my arm is much better, not completely healed but manageable. I’m also on a second round of steroids that will hopefully keep my hives at bay. Unfortunately, they came back after the first round of steroids. This round’s stronger and longer. I’ve decided that even if my hives come back, I still want to get back into blogging. I miss the community and reading how everyone’s doing. Bear with me as I try to get back into the flow of things.

We found out in November that Luci had an upper respiratory infection along with feline herpes. She was put on some antibiotics for the infection and the only thing we can do for the herpes is to help her stay calm. She’s vaccinated, but her mom probably passed the disease on during the birthing process. Our vet said she probably had a flare up because of how traumatic being adopted can be (moving from a place they know to the unknown).

Izzy was as sick as she was because of pancreatitis. The vet moved her to a low-fat prescription diet and, thankfully, she’s much better. She’s been on a prescription diet her whole life; the last one just had more fat in it than Izzy’s body could process. We also think she may have feline herpes. We’ve always thought her symptoms were due to seasonal allergies, but since they’re similar to a herpes flare up she’s being tested for herpes in January when she goes in for her pancreatitis checkup. If she does has herpes, it’s not because she got it from Luci. And, if she doesn’t have herpes, then she most likely won’t get it since we vaccinate our cats.

Here’s a picture of Luci and Izzy being their-goofy-selves this week:

Blogging

This week on the blog:

Reading

I actually read a book this week! Woot woot! I read IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren for my December book club. I’ll post my review tomorrow. Look at me go, lol.

I also started reading THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN by Emily R. King. It’s the final book of the year for one of my challenges.

Listening

I’m not a huge Christmas music fan, mostly because Corey’s not. I’m not saying he tells me what to listen to; I just don’t care enough to listen to it on my own. I do have a few favorite songs, though, so I thought I’d share one. It’s “Greensleeves” or “What Child is This” for Christmas. I prefer the instrumental version and I love this arrangement by Michael Dowdle.

Watching

Right now, Corey and I are bingeing DEXTER. He’s seen it before, but I haven’t and he wants to watch the limited series reboot from last year with me. We’re currently on Season 3 and it’s very compelling.

I also watched LEGO MASTERS’ Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular this week. It was one of Leslie Jordan’s last appearances before his passing earlier this year. I had fun watching the challenges, especially the snowmobiles and snow globes.

Loving

I love my IRL book club’s December meeting. I look forward to it every year. It’s so much fun because a lot of the stragglers come and we share treats and do a book exchange. This year’s was especially fun because I hadn’t been to a book club meeting since September. I’ll be posting about it in more detail this coming week.

Wanting

I want to wish a merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Happy holidays to all! And, have a fun and safe New Year’s celebration this coming weekend.

Needing

I need to get my end of year posts ready for this upcoming week. It’s one of my favorite times of year to blog.

How was your month? Anything exciting happen?

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Sunday News #43

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
Feeling

I’m feeling much better. Someone recommended I take turmeric to help with the inflammation in my arm. I bought some pills on Monday and my pain lessened about 80% of what it was by Tuesday evening. Honestly, I don’t know if turmeric’s the cause or if it’s just coincidence. I’ll take it, though!

Because I’m feeling a lot better, I’m going to start my NaNo month on Tuesday. By starting on Tuesday, I’ll be two weeks behind the original commencement and go two weeks into December, ending on the 14th. I think that’s doable!

Blogging

This week on the blog:

Reading

I started reading my book club’s pick for November this week. It’s THE MAID by Nita Prose. I’m still not really sure what I think about it as I’m not very far into it yet. I’m also still listening to the ECLIPSE audiobook. I’m about a third of the way in.

Listening

This week, I listened to an interesting cover of “We are Young” by Fun. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it on YouTube so I’m sharing the original instead. The cover I’m talking about is part of the soundtrack for the Netflix movie LOOK BOTH WAYS.

Watching

As I mentioned above, I watched LOOK BOTH WAYS, a Netflix movie starring Lili Reinhart, Danny Ramirez, David Corenswet, and Luke Wilson. I really enjoyed the idea of looking at how one decision could impact your life. I also loved the message of life being what you make of it (i.e., happy, fulfilling) even if it doesn’t turn out how planned it to.

Corey and I binged CELEBRITY JEOPARDY and got caught up this week. It was a lot of fun. Some of the actors / comedians are so quick-witted. They play off each other so well. I loved Wil Wheaton’s wager for Final Jeopardy. It was $1701, which references the number on the Enterprise’s hull on Star Trek.

We also saw BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER on Thursday. We were very pleased with it. I thought it honored Chadwick Boseman’s memory nicely while still moving forward into a new era. I got teary a few times. I’m excited to see what happens now.

Loving

I love watching Luci play, discovering the world around her, and interacting with Izzy. (For those who didn’t see the change I made to last week’s post, Corey and I decided that “Luci” fit our new kitten better. Her new official name is Luci McGonagall.) Luci’s fearless whereas Izzy’s a scaredy cat. Luci’s also a jumper whereas Izzy has a mental block and thinks she can’t jump. She can; she just chooses not to jump any higher than the couch or bed. Luci’s already getting on top of things Izzy “couldn’t” at 4 months old.

Wanting

Both Izzy and Luci are sick. Luci has a cold and Izzy has been vomiting and acting lethargic. Izzy seems to be doing a bit better today. We think she may be constipated, but we’re not positive. And, poor Luci can hardly breathe because she’s so stuffed up. They have an appointment scheduled with our vet Monday morning, but I want them to feel better now. I always feel so helpless when my furbabies are sick.

Needing

Even though the turmeric pills have been helping with the pain in my arm, it’s still tingling like it’s asleep whenever I do menial tasks. I need to talk to my primary care physician and figure out what’s causing the problem. Hopefully, it can be fixed without surgery. Corey thinks I’ll probably get a cortisone shot.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

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