Perhaps I Am Starting Too Many Things At Once.

Dear nerds, geeks, and fandoms,

It's my birthday, so would you please show & tell the pets you've named after your favorite character, show, book, or game?

I have two, creatively named by my husband.

Haun, named after Huan the great Wolfhound of Middle Earth. We had to adjust the spelling because people kept calling him Juan... And Rahir, which is a rough Quenya translation of "Lost and Found". Since he was a stray, it was very fitting.

Please enjoy tummies.

When my husband comes to bed, he makes little noises and inches back into me until I scratch his head lightly to relax him.

It's the little things. I love them.

As I read through this book, I am confronted over and over again with my mistaken understandings of terms and with how I do not really know myself.

I have adopted beliefs about myself from outside sources and ascribed that those are who I am. I haven't ever really taken time to get to know me because I thought others would know me better. I know it is not too late in my life for me to figure myself out and learn about myself... so I think I will.

October will be a month about myself (and my marriage). I'll be offline during October and whatever posts will be what is left in my queue. If anyone wants to keep in touch through October, please privately message me so we can exchange Discord information.

Blessings to you guys. All my love.

Tonight, I let go.

Of all the pain, despair, misery, and images that haunt me on this date. I release them to the wind, to the rain, to the earth and let them become nothing but distant memories of my youth. I move forward holding the love, the warmth, and the joy that those years with you brought me. I will celebrate the life of all of those I hold dear. I will not dwell in death, but I will flourish in the gifts you all gave me.

This day has held me hostage for my entire life, but I felt you today. I felt you in that moment where the rain picked up and you cried with me. I felt your acknowledgement of me, my love, and my promise to surrender my grief. I stood lighter, the world felt brighter- my ears even popped, and I could hear more clearly!

I will carry forward the happiness we created.

I am trying to start small and build my way up, but experimenting and adding new things in would work. I'm so hesitant because it won't be aesthetic but that's not the point of journaling, right? Thank you for your input! I appreciate you!

I have started to journal over the past month, but I use a simple hardcover notebook with lined paper. While I think it's very useful, I am interested in other types of journals like bullet journals and traveler's journals. I am not sure which would be best for me, though?

I don't really keep track of things like my water intake, what books I read, and daily tasks in my journal, but I do write a lot of my thoughts, my spiritual journey, mood at the start/end of the day, gratitude, etc.

I don't know how I could really work these all into a cohesive place and what type of journal to even begin with in the first place. I would love suggestions and insight from anyone who's had a similar problem. Thank you!

It’s not on a sheet pan, but it was made by a Texan. Texas Sheet Cake so I can have a taste of home. I’m so proud of myself for doing this from scratch! I have missed baking so much.

So when Careless Whisper comes on, do we all collectively just make as loud of a sound to mimic the saxophone as possible?

My focus/theme for the year of 2025:

Less is More.

My desire is to focus on being grateful for what I have and trying to break my terrible habit of wanting more. No more window shopping online, no more visiting store sites for "fun", no more tossing something because it has a scratch on it. Unless it is unusable, it will be cherished and used until it can no longer serve its purpose.

This goes for most consumables and long-term purchases. I want to be more purposeful with my purchases - I want to buy things that are good quality and meant to last. I don't want to be persuaded to buy something because it is an "upgrade" to what I already own.

I also want to fix the items I have and learn to repair them instead of simply tossing them without attempting to find out why it isn't working first.

I want to learn to be grateful for the things I have. I want to be more aware of my spending habits and what I already own. I want to be less of a consumer, honestly. In a reasonable matter.

"Remove shoulds from your vocabulary this year. Start your journey of self-love now." - Kelly Martin

In my restless dreams, I see that town.