Another Spin Around The Sun

My feelings about 2019 summed up perfectly.

I think most of us can agree 2019 was for the pits.

Mr. C needed major surgery (and we are still waiting on biopsy results);  my mother is in hospital while waiting for a nursing home (and rapidly declining while she is there), several other loved ones got bad news, my depression was bad and my anxiety started getting out of control. Between hospital visits and the like, I became exhausted and I stopped taking care of myself.

If you are reading this and can take just one thing away, please let it be this: self care is important. I learned this the hard way.

But 2019 had light spots along the way. We learned who our true friends were, D&D nights are the best way to spend time with friends, and our Greyhound is still coming out of her shell, even becoming a cuddle bug. We must be doing something right.

Thanks to a doctor I spoke to when getting a med refill, she referred me to mental health, and now I am doing a program called ICAN, which is helping me gain control of my anxiety. It’s forced me to take care of myself, and I am starting to feel like my old self again, a little at a time. (My couch is amazing. He’s helped me more then he could ever know).

The end of 2019 has had me gaining control and getting organized. While I have said before I don’t do resolutions for the new year, I do plan to continue my progress for 2020. Staying more positive, continuing to work on my anxiety, and getting back to the things I love. I have started a book club and have made a plan to get organized in the new year. Change and progress doesn’t happen overnight. But I am feeling pretty good about the new year.

Hello 2020, I look forward to meeting you.

New Year, New Goals

Last year I decided to set myself some goals for 2018. Get back to reading, increase how often I write, etc… I wanted to make another list for goals for 2019 and try to improve upon what I managed to do this year. There are some personal things I want to work on, but they won’t be on this list. They aren’t resolutions, just changes I want to make, and not because its the time of year everyone tries to improve themselves. These are things I want to do anyway.

So, here is my new goal list for 2019!

The Book Pile: I didn’t reach my goal of reading 15 books in 2018. I had some personal life crap that put me off of doing much. I can’t read or focus well when I am stressed. But I did get 9 or 10 under my belt, discovered a new author and binged on some great books. This year I am attempting to tackle this reading challenge from Pop Sugar. Right off the top when I read this list I have at least 11 books on my shelf that fit for it. I plan to set my goal again for 15 books, and hopefully this time I will reach it at the very least.

Blogging: I will be blogging book reviews again, writing topics and the like. I would like to make a schedule but instead I will aim for writing once or twice a week.

Writing:  One thing I really want to improve is how much I write and work on my projects. I want to spend at least 10 minutes a day writing. Which is better then what I do now. There are times I go months without writing, and I really want to change that. Plus I have too many plots in my head that need to come out. You know, to make room for more ideas I can’t keep up with. 😉

Other stuff: When I was looking back on my Facebook photos the other day, I forgot how fun this year was. From comic con to a mini road trip with my mom and sister, the good outweighed the bad. I want to keep that up. I have a few ideas for this year that I hope pan out. I also have small projects I want to get at, like some crafts and I have stacks of photos that need to be organized.

So, do you have any goals for the year? If so what is on your list?

Top Faves of 2018

Hey all! Well, we are about to say goodbye to another year. Since I started off this year focusing on the positive, I thought I would make my last blog post of 2018 on the same note. From books to tv and personal moments, here is my list of favorites from the year!

Book: While I didn’t read as many books as I had wanted this year, I did binge out on some great reads. It’s a hard thing to pick a favorite book, but I think for this list I am going with new-to-me author Candace Osmond and her Dark Tides series, which I have raved about here. The Devil’s Heart is the first in the series and it got me hooked! I am looking forward to reading more of her work in 2019.

Movie: Again, another hard pick. I watched a lot of great flicks and there were a ton that came out this year I didn’t get to watch yet. But I am going with Black Panther, which was a kick ass awesome movie! I loved every aspect of this movie, and I can’t wait for the sequel.

Song: I got hooked on a few new bands this year, thanks to my husbands great taste in music. The band July Talk is now on the top of my list of fave bands, but the song Roots by In This Moment is my binge song of the year.

Celeb Meet: Hands down, Manu Bennett. I met a few cool people and had a blast at comic con in Toronto, but he was on my bucket list for a few years and I was supposed to meet him a few years ago. He was an awesome guy, and I enjoyed chatting to him.

I was so happy meeting him I didn’t even care I looked like shite in this pic haha.

Life Moment: Adopting our greyhound, Foxy. It has been a much more rewarding experience then I could ever have imagined. Watching her come out of her shell has been amazing. She’s a hoarder of stuffies and she makes me laugh every day.

 

Bucket List Moment: Getting to see Bryan Adams in concert with one of my best friends. Mr. C surprised me with the tickets last spring. He wasn’t able to come with me but miss Tanya joined me for an amazing night.

This year was a good one. I hope 2019 is just as good. What are your favorites of 2018? I would love to hear what book, movie or moment is on the top of your list! 🙂

Summer Shenanigans

I haven’t been around much these days. Not since we adopted Foxy. I should mention here that she is doing really well and slowly coming out of her shell. We adore her.

That face tho. ❤ 

My goals for 2018 were going along wonderfully until summer hit. I always forget that the summer months can be a shit-show. I have gotten off track of a lot of things, but that’s ok.

I still write one positive thing in my journal each day. And I crossed yet another item from the bucket list: seeing Bryan Adams in concert. My best friend and I had an absolute blast that night. He played for two solid hours and came back for five encore songs.

What an amazing night!

A big part of why I haven’t been around is because work has been crazy busy. But that isn’t a bad thing! Also the humidity here was brutal for weeks, sapping my energy. Mr. C and I basically melted in front of fans and Lived on Mr. Freeze to cool down.

We’ve spent time in our neighbors pool and also at a local beach. Foxy loves the water and I think we will have a swimmer on our hands. 🙂

It’s hard to believe September is around the corner. It tends to be my time of fresh starts, or in this case, getting back on track. Hopefully.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and finding ways to beat the heat.

April Wrap-Up

Back in January, I set some hopes and goals for the new year. While it’s only the end of April, I am really happy with how things are going. This is the first time I have kept up with my goals so far into a new year. Each month I am making progress and/or crossing off items off my to-do list.

Writing: I joined Camp Nano this month. My goals were wide and flexible. As far as the writing part of my goals went, I edited a short story, wrote notes on existing ones and started a new piece. My Camp Nano goal was to log in 35 hours of  time, and I have managed to get in 36! So I am really happy with how things went.

Reading: Another part of my Camp Nano goal was to catch up on some articles and blogs about writing. I also read a collection of short stories by Sherry D. Ramsey as well as the newest novel in Candace Osmond’s Darktide series. If you want to check out either amazing author, you can buy their stories wherever books are sold. Some of Sherry’s books such as One’s Aspect to the Sun and Candace Osmond’s Darktide Series can be found on Amazon. (Links attached to book titles).

Blogging: I have been posting, sometimes more then I thought lol. This blog has been a great place for me, especially recently. Sometimes you just need a place to get out what you’ve been feeling. I have also been slowly learning new blogging tips. Either way, I am happy and thank YOU for being here.

The Book Pile: I have now read 7 out 15 books for the year. So I am almost half done according to Goodreads, and also ahead of schedule. Considering I barley read the last few years, I am really happy with how I have been doing.

Positive Vibes: Learning how to manage my negative feelings and focus on the good stuff has really come in handy. Even on a blue day or a day I feel like a writing impostor, I don’t dwell on what’s making me feel like crap. I allow myself to feel it, because that’s important. Then I am able to move forward. I still make a note in my journal every day, about something good that happened.

So, how was your month? I hope that May treats you all well!

 

March Wrap Up

This was a pretty great month! I managed to check off something I wanted to do this year, as well as check off something from the bucket list! And my goals for the year are still coming along nicely! 🙂

Writing: Writing has been slow, but that’s okay. I do have a finished short story that needs some lines edits. This month I came up with a few new ideas, so I have some plot bunnies growing. I also have been gathering ideas/images and putting them on a secret Pinterest board. So while my hands have been idle at the computer, my brain has been going non-stop.

Blogging: Look at me, being all consistent for three months. 😉 I am having so much fun being here, and I love being interactive with YOU in the comments. Also, the author of The Devil’s Heart, Candace Osmond, loved the review I wrote and shared it to her author Facebook page! Sweet! 😀

The Book Pile: I am still on track with my goal. I just started the third compendium in The Walking Dead series. Hubby got it for me at Christmas and I am finally sitting down with it. I will finish it soon and book six of the year will be under my belt.

Positive Vibes: I have added a lot of good things to my positivity journal. I didn’t take it when I went to Toronto, but I made notes and added them when I came home. My way of thinking has changed so much. I still have my bad days, but they don’t last as long as they did before. This journal has helped me with winter blues and my depression. This is one of the best things I have ever done.

Toronto Comic Con: This was on my personal list of big things to do this year. It was my first time there and I had so much fun! I now have ten comic cons under my belt. I hope I can get there next year as well.

Bucket List- The ROM: I have been wanting to go to the Royal Ontario Museum for the last five or six years. I was beyond thrilled when Mr. C was able to score us tickets for my last day in Toronto. Bonus: The Viking exhibit is happening right now, so we went to that first. I will be blogging about my time there soon. 🙂

So, how was your March? Tell me about it in the comments!

February Wrap Up

Check it out, two months into the year and I am actually keeping up with my goals. Woot woot! 😉 Today is also my momma’s birthday. She is an amazing woman and I love her to bits.

This month was good in a lot of ways. Winter hasn’t been nearly as harsh as usual, thinking more positive is making a big difference in me, and I am checking off goals and adding new ones.

Writing: I finished a short story which is now in the hands of my first round of beta readers. I am getting great feedback. The biggest thing for me is that my editing skills have improved a lot. Aside from some line edits, I don’t need to make any major changes. Now I am figuring out what to work on next: a fantasy novel I started a few years back, or finish a story I started last NaNoWriMo.

Blogging:  I have been keeping up with this little corner of my world. I love popping in here. It helps to organize my thoughts, and I love chatting to those who comment. 🙂

Positive vibes: This month has had some bumps. For instance, I have hit that wall where I just want my husband to be home. It isn’t easy that he has to work away. BUT, the way I view things now has most certainly gotten me through things. I still write at least one good thing a day in a journal, and when I feel my thoughts going down a bad path, I stop myself and can usually get myself back on track. I feel really frickin’ good, peeps! 😀

The Book Pile: I am now on book four of the year! My goal is to read fifteen, which is very attainable. If and when I go beyond that, bonus! Although I did break my reading rule. Instead of reading books only out on my table, I have been switching things up. But hey, i am in the reading groove again, that’s all that matters.

Other projects: I have been doing pretty good with keeping up on my pen pal letters. I have a couple to write, but they are newer. It feels good being more regular in my snail mail. I am hoping to make my own envelopes soon, or at least creating some mail art.

I hope you have had a great month. How are your goals coming along?

January Wrap Up

I started the year with a number of goals, wondering how far I would make it. i wondered how many of my goals I would keep working with. Today is the last day of the month and I am really happy with how things are going!

Writing: I was late in the game with this one but this past weekend I sat down and wrote 1100 words on my newest short story. This is for an anthology my writers group is putting together. i am really happy with how it is going, and I’m having fun with it.

Blogging: My goal was to write at least one new post a week, if not two. I am happy that I have been able to manage this so far. Thanks to my followers for sticking with me, and a big hello to those who found me this month! 🙂

Positivity challenge:  A big thing for me this year is to think better, and remind myself daily of something good. I have a journal and I write at least one good thing about my day or how I am feeling. I have kept up with it. My journal is on my coffee table and every evening after supper I sit and jot in a note.

The Book Pile: Again, I was late in the game with this one BUT the other night I sat down with Sherry D. Ramsey’s Dark Beneath The Moon. It is a sequel to her One’s Aspect to the Sun. It’s a sci-fi novel that features Luta Paixon, captain of the Tane Ikai, a woman in her 80’s but looks like she is in her 30’s. There is always one thing or another keeping her and her crew busy, both on and off the ship. I will be doing a review once I finish the book.

So, I am pretty happy with how the month is going. On a bonus note: another month under the belt until my husband comes home from working away. We have more then half of the time under us now, thank goodness.

How are your goals/resolutions going so far?

Hopes and Plans for 2018

I’m spending my New Years Eve home, in my pj’s with snacks. A perfect night in. After a hectic few weeks with work and the holidays, I am more then happy to stay at home tonight. I am about to have a marathon of The Strain. Love me some vampires!

I have been thinking all day of the things I want to do. I want to make 2018 a great year. I want to continue my personal growth, create some habits and have as much fun and laughs as possible.

I believe that telling people your plans makes you accountable, so I thought I would make my last blog post of the year about my plans (so far) for the new one. Hopefully this time next year my post won’t be about how all my plans went to crap haha. So, here are a few things I would like to do in 2018!

#1: Do at least two 100 day challenges.  I have been watching a lot of videos the last few days on Facebook about different challenges people have done, and I love the idea. Some people go to the gym, while others conquer their fears. Mine are not that fun haha, so no videos about them. I will start my first one in the next day or two, which will be no Pepsi or Coke. With the holidays I have been drinking a lot of it and I feel gross. My second one which I will start the end of March will be to write a page a day for 100 days. I have other writing goals, as well, but this will help me if I start to slack.

#2: Go to Toronto Comic Con. I found out the other day that Mr. C is flying me out to see him in March for a few days (hence not starting my writing challenge til spring…I won’t be writing a word those days), and while I am with him we are going to go to Comic Con! I can’t wait! I haven’t been to that con and I hope to see my friend Laura there as well. (Who I first met at Fan Expo 🙂 ) I hope to get to three comic cons this year. They are my favorite places to be. ❤

#3: Commit more time to writing. I am going to work on my writing three evenings a week. Some nights it might be editing, while others it might be working on new projects. I figure three nights isn’t too much pressure, and if I write more then that, bonus! Plus, I really want to blog at least once a week.

#4: Read. I have so many books on my TBR pile. I didn’t do much reading this year, and I hate that. I bought a lot so that has to count for something, right? 😉 I will review each one on here, even if it is just a few words.

#5: Savor every day. I am cracking out one of my journals and each day I will write one good thing about that day. I said in my last post that I want to have a lot more positivity in my life, and I want to keep track of that. It might be feeling good, a chat with a good friend or the feeling of spring sunshine on my face. Life is too short to let the days whiz by and not focus on the little things.

Well, that is my list. What do you hope to do this new year? Whatever you are doing tonight be safe and have fun!

Now if you will excuse me, vampires are calling my name. 😉

 

 

 

Positive Vibes For The New Year

I have been thinking a lot the last few weeks about the events in my life in 2017.

I have had some hard moments. My summer was filled with a lot of tears and sadness and by the fall I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

The last couple of months I have been ‘forced’ to think more on the positive side. My husband is away for a total of six months for work. The only way I have been getting through it is thinking of the good things to come from it, and in turn it is changing my way of thinking.

When you are in a rut, sick, or in mourning, it is easy to get stuck in a negative vibe. At least that is the case for me. When it rains, it usually pours.

I don’t really plan to make resolutions for 2018, but I want to carry on the good things I have taken from this year.

Taking part in Nanowrimo this year kicked started something for me. I had been in a writing slum for awhile. But now I am excited to get back to older, unfinished works, as well as having a bunch of new ideas for future stories. Yay! 🙂

Also, I want 2018 to be a much more positive year. I am going to savor the little things, and even on the bad days come up with something good. I might start a gratitude jar or write something in a journal each day.

2017 has kicked a lot of peoples butts this year, including mine. 2018 is going to be the year that I kick back.

I hope you all have a fantastic New Year’s and that 2018 brings you everything you want. ❤