Sunday News #39
Feeling
I didn’t really feel like blogging this past week. I was tired, worn out, and in pain (see below for details). I’m still not feeling like blogging very much AND I’m using my DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skills to act opposite of my depression urge of not doing anything. If I do this, my depression will lessen and I’ll want to blog again soon rather than force myself to.
Blogging
On the blog since my last post:
Reading
I decided to put WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens aside since I’m not really in the mood to read it at the moment. I started reading THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY by Megan Bannen instead. I haven’t read a lot, but what I have read is very interesting.
I also realized that listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks was really helping me with my emotion regulation after each exposure session for PTSD therapy. Since I finished the series a few weeks ago, I decided to start listening to the TWILIGHT audiobook. It’s helping and doing what I need it to do.
Listening
I haven’t really listened to a lot of music over the last two weeks. However when I did, I mostly listened to my Instrumental Favorites playlist. I’m sharing two songs from that playlist because they’re related.
One of my favorite songs is Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” which is the first song for those unfamiliar with it. The second song’s one I came across on Apple Music when I was searching for a good rendition of the original. It’s called “An Improvisation on Canon in D” by Robin Spielberg.
Watching
Last week I found ECHOES on Netflix and pretty much binged the entire 7 episodes in one night. It stars Michelle Monaghan as two identical sisters, Matt Bomer as one of the husbands, and Daniel Sunjata as the other husband. It was very addicting, suspenseful, and I wish it wasn’t a limited series because I’d love another season!
Corey and I’ve also been making progress on our bingeing of COMMUNITY. We have less than one season left. This show is gold, at least the first four seasons are. The last two seasons have some good moments too, but they are different. If you haven’t watched COMMUNITY yet, I definitely recommend it. You can find it on Hulu or Netflix.
We also watched the last three Harry Potter movies since I finished listening to the audiobooks a couple of weeks ago. I really have such a love/hate relationship with the movies. I love the actors and watching my favorite series come to life AND I really hate how some of the story’s adapted. #firstworldproblems
I learned in DBT that life is full of dialectics, or two opposing truths. In this case, the two opposing truths are: 1) I don’t agree with JKR’s stance regarding trans people, and 2) I still love Harry Potter.
Loving
I love my current manicure and pedicure. I decided to do both sets the same color with different decorations.
Wanting
I want the pinched nerve in my right shoulder blade to stop hurting. The pain is so intense and it’s radiating up my neck and down to my fingers. My arm feels dead and painful at the same time.
I took some Ibuprofen, my Fibromyalgia pain meds, and a muscle relaxer before bed. I’ve been alternating between a heating pad and ice. I also had Corey rub some Icy Hot (i.e., Bengay) on me and rub out the knot in my muscle, which hurt like hell! Hopefully, the pain will go away soon.
Needing Laughing
I’m laughing about something that happened on Monday night. A little bit after I got in bed, I noticed a good-sized black bulbous spider rearing next to my head. For those of you who don’t know, I have extreme arachnophobia so I flipped out! I scrambled out of bed as fast as I could, landed on my ankle wrong, and fell down in the process.
Corey heard me scream, fall, and start to cry in both fear and pain. I told him what happened and he pretty much turned the room upside down looking for the spider. He couldn’t find it. We concluded I must’ve dreamt it.
I’m still having a hard time accepting that it was a dream. It seemed SO real. My ankle’s nearly all better. It wasn’t funny at the time, but I can laugh at it now.
How was your week? Anything exciting happen?
Hope your pinched nerve is better soon. Stuff like that is no fun at all, and can definitely cut back on your desire to do other things.
Thanks, Mark! 😀 It’s so true. I haven’t wanted to do much since Friday. It’s getting better. The extreme pain isn’t constant anymore. It comes and goes every couple of hours. Hopefully, it’ll stop for good soon.
Hope you feel better soon. That spider sounds scary even if it was just a dream! Thank heavens for that. I’m not a fan of the arachnids. They belong in a Halloween tableau.
Thanks, Harvee! 😀 It was so scary. I agree that spiders belong in Halloween.
Hope you have a better week. Being tired so much can really take one out of you. Blogging though just energizes me and is my passion so I just push through it, you should try eating an apple. Gives you a good energy natural high. Love your nails. I need to go to the salon to get mine done this week, I am just debating on what I want haha The audio HP books are super well done.
I totally get what you mean. Blogging normally energizes me and is my passion too. I just haven’t read a lot lately due where my mind is because of PTSD therapy. When I don’t read, I don’t have much to blog about… And, when I get super depressed, I normally can’t make myself do things I once loved very dearly. I hope that makes sense. 😀
I will try eating an apple. I love most fruit and they do definitely give me energy and a natural high! Thanks for complimenting my nails. I hope you enjoy getting yours done this week.
I am sorry you are in so much pain! And I avoid crushing spiders. If I can, I just move them outside the house lol
Thanks, Sophie! 😀 Because of my arachnophobia, I can’t help crushing spiders if they’re in the house. It’s one of my fear responses. If they’re outside, I’ll try to leave them be. Corey will transfer inside spiders to the outside as well.
Your manicure is adorable! 💅 So proud of you for using your DBT skills to manage your pain. I know it’s not easy! Wishing you a gentle week of healing.
Thanks! 😀 I really appreciate your encouragement.
Pinched nerves are agonizing! My late husband had one in his neck and went to a chiropractor out of desperation. It did help although neither one of us are big believers in chiropractors. I’m glad you’re finding helpful coping strategies through films and books.
I love my chiropractor. I know he’s a miracle worker. I don’t always agree with all the mumbo jumbo. I do agree that with a stronger skeletal structure, you have less pain or problems. If my chiropractor was open, I’d make an appointment right now.
Oh no! What a rough week! Between the pain and the spider/dream. I hope you have a better week this week. I get what you mean about being in the mood for a book. I am trying to get some books I need read listened to as audiobooks, but sometimes I just need to be in the mood for an audiobook so I end up listening to songs on the way home instead. I also agree with you about the HP movies. I love them to death, but hate the way they changed things from the books. Although it’s been so long since I’ve read the books I need to do that again.
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2022/10/16/weekly-wrap-up-89-october-16th-2022/
Thanks, Lisa! 😀 Being a mood read is very tough when you have to read books on deadline. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t request ARCs or to be a part of book promotion events that meant the book(s) had to be read my release date.
Yes, some of the changed things in the HP movies make sense, but most of them don’t. Like the burning of the Burrow in Half-Blood Prince and no fighting while the Death Eaters left. It makes me so mad, lol. I also hate how they treated the Marauders and the Marauders’ Map. Such disappointment. LOL.
I hope you feel much better soon. I enjoyed the music you shared, it’s so pretty. I hope you have a great week ahead.
Thanks, Wendy! 😀 I’m glad you enjoyed the music.
Sorry it wasn’t a great week! I hope this next week is better and your ankle is all healed.
Thank you, Cindy! 😀 I hope packing, moving, finding a new place, and unpacking have been going well for you.
Thank you for sharing the Canon in D music video, it’s lovely.
I hope your ankle feels better soon! Spiders are so scary.
Love your pedicure. Hope you love your current read. I’ve been wanting to read it for some time.
Feel better soon!
Thanks, Sara! 😀 I’m glad you enjoyed the music. I’m feeling much better this afternoon. My ankle is only a little sore now and my pinched nerve seems to be doing a bitt better as well.
I’ve always liked Pachelbel’s Canon. I hope you feel better and more like blogging soon. It sounds like dBT really helps. And Echoes sounds really good.
Hope your pinched nerve is better soon too. and spiders- no thanks. Bed is the worst place to see one too- real or not. 🙂
Canon in D is so beautiful. I love it! I heard it for the first time when I was 14. It’s been a favorite ever since. 😀
DBT is so helpful. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. If you watch ECHOES, I hope you love it just as much as I did.
I hope this next week is better for you. Sometimes I just have to change to a different book if one isn’t working for me.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Thanks, Anne! 😀 I really appreciate that! And, I agree about changing to a new book often helps.
I’m sorry to read you’re still having some challenges Jenni. I hate spiders too so I can totally relate to your experience. I hope you have a better week ahead!
Thanks, Jodie! 😀 I really appreciate that.
I’m glad you only dreamed about the spider. I would not have been able to relax.
Thanks, Alicia! 😀 Me too! I wasn’t able to relax until he turned the room upside down. Since there was no trace or any spiderwebs anywhere, I was able to relax a little bit.
I’m very afraid of spiders and I would’ve totally freaked out, too! Happy to hear you weren’t too hurt with the fall. Your shoulder and depression makes it sound like a tough week for you, Jenni! I hope you feel better both emotionally and physically! Your nails look pretty. 🙂
My daughter told me I should watch ECHOES. I forgot about it. I should get to it soon.
Thanks, Rachel! 😀 It was a tough week and I’m feeling better. Sometimes, you just need a bit of break, right? I hope you enjoy ECHOES as much as I did.
Thoughts and hugs, if its ok. I loved the book you are reading now: https://sveta-randomblog2010.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-undertaking-of-hart-and-mercy-by.html ( no major spoilers I swear!)
I can understand the depression/ anxiety aspect of not wanting to do anything or talk to anyone or respond to anyone’s email. I wish you the best and I hope things will get better.
Thanks, Svetlana! 😀 I really appreciate that. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed THE UNDERTAKING OF HART AND MERCY. I’ll check out your review.
Sorry to hear about your trapped nerve, but at least you’ve managed to laugh this week. I would have fallen out of bed in exactly the same way if I thought a spider was next to me! How sweet of Corey to search the room for it too.
Thanks, Louise! 😀 It’s getting better slowly. My back, shoulder, and neck aren’t in very much pain anymore. My arm, though, is still really painful. I’m going to my chiropractor this morning to see if he can help.
I hope your shoulder is feeling better, that sounds so painful. I’ve had spider dreams also where I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to shake my comforter out and turn on the lights to make sure the spider isn’t in my bed…lol. It seems so real.
I hope you have a nice week ahead, sometimes a restful break is really helpful to recharge and reassess. I go off the grid too when I just don’t want to be bothered.
Thank you! 😀 My shoulder, back, and neck are feeling better. They still have some pain, but it’s bearable. My arm, though, is still very painful. I’m going to go see my chiropractor this morning to see if he can help.
Spider dreams are awful! I’ve never had one as real as this one was, though. I hope I don’t have any more.
Yes, I agree. Sometimes rest and taking a break from something is the best solution. 😀
Hope this is a good week for you! I keep seeing others say about the book Where The Crawdads Sing but I haven’t read it.
Thanks, Jamie! 😀 I’ve seen a lot of discussion about WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING too. I’m really enjoying it. I’m just not in the mood for it and I don’t want to sour the experience by forcing myself to read something I’m not in the mood for.
Ouch on the pinched nerve! I’ve been dealing with back pain since last Wednesday so I can relate. Hopefully we’ll both feel better this week! Love your mani… too cute!
Thanks, Tanya! Yeah, it’s so painful. I’m ready to go to my chiropractor or even massage therapist to see if we can fix this. I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I’m sorry you’re dealing with back pain too. I hope yours goes away soon. <3
I’m glad you have found that listening to old favorite reads is good for your mental health. That’s fantastic.
Love the nails!
Thanks, Deb! I am too. It’s been great. I’m really enjoying myself. 😀
I love your nails! Maybe I should get all my stuff out and do mine!
Reading favourite authors or rereading favourites definitely can help me when I am feeling down.
i hope that your ankle and pinched nerve are feeling better soon!
Thank you, Marg! 😀 I really appreciate it! Rereading favorites is something I’ve always loved doing. I’m glad I’ve discovered they help me when I’m down.
OMG that spider, be he real or from a dream, had no business hanging out on your pillow!!! Was he the cause of both the ankle pain and the pinched nerve????
LOL. Right?! 😀 Thanks! The spider did cause the ankle pain, but not the pinched nerve. The pinched nerve was from sleeping on it wrong on Thursday evening. 🙁
Sorry about your pinched nerve. I have that shoulder impingement which is doing much better with physical therapy but now the exercises to help that are hurting my back. Gah! it’s always something lol
I love your nails and I have been wanting to read that book!
Thanks, Karen! 😀 I’m sorry to hear about your shoulder impingement. That doesn’t sounds fun at all. I’m glad physical therapy is helping it. Sorry it’s hurting your back now, though. 🙁