Midlife Sarah

  Did June fly by in an astonishing hurry for anyone else? It did for me!  This month I did a lot of gardening, classes at the gym, took the kids places, hosted book club, and ran off to a Mat Kearney concert with Jeff.  The best show we've seen in years! Super interactive and they sounded great. I also turned 43, visited my Dad in Oregon, and then we all celebrated Jeff on Father's Day. So it was a full month. Probably why it feels like I blinked and it was over.  As for the books I read, i t was a "mid" month, with books that I really enjoyed and a couple that I did not. But hey, you can't win them all, and the bombs make the 5-stars all the more exciting. I  enjoy reading seasonally, so all are books that fit in that "summer reading" category. Here's what I ended up getting to. (You can click the image of the book's cover to be taken to its Amazon page. I don't make any money from it--just want you to have easy access if something sounds g...

One of the ways that I problem solve and figure things out is by writing down my thoughts. What follows is a think session that I had today. Maybe you are in a season of kicking butt and taking names, overflowing with ideas that have been working for you.  Maybe you're on the struggle bus with me, unable to get everything done but you'd still like to see me brainstorm. Maybe you're very uninterested in this topic and should skip this post. Ha ha. Anyway, here's my current think-tank result: I've been feeling stretched a little thin for a while; been waking up still fatigued in the morning. Part of that is related to allergy season, but I'm really having a hard time getting to all my work. Errands, chores, the garden, bills, personal care, gym classes, protocols for my health issue, one-on-one time with Jeff and the kids, elderly pet care, chicken chores, fun outings with the fam, etc. Every day is full to the brim. For over a month I've needed to swap kombuc...

Finally it feels like summer is here, with all its fun and possibility. We cracked open our first watermelon of the season, jumpstarting us girls with summer joy. We are brainstorming plans for picnics, roadtrips, playlists, and craft projects.  I love June so dearly!   June things I'm excited about: Wildflower scouting with Meg Turning FORTY-THREE years old Practice shooting my new gun (now that we've found a good place to do it) Disc golf lessons with Jackson A concert with Jeff Gardening Our community garage sale Lots of great books to read! And speaking of books that I plan to read, let me share with you! My June TBR list is a little ambitious, but most of them are audio books so maybe it's doable. We'll see! Here's what's on the docket: (Click the image of the book's cover to be taken to its Amazon page.) The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. This'll be my second time through this book in as many summers. I am hoping to get a kick in the pants ...

  May was a fantastic reading month! Without meaning to, I read SIX books that were told from multiple perspectives! I didn't know before I began them, but most are newer books so it seems like this is a writing mechanism that is trending right now. I don't know, but I loved  it! With multiple storytellers, I feel like I'm being allowed to dig deeper than typical storytelling allows, and then the truth becomes clearer. Also, it allows me to feel closer to the characters, seeing their view juxtaposed against others. Anyway, I had such good books this month! Here's a list of what I read: My Rating Key: DNF = Did not finish 1/5 = I hated this book 2/5 = I did not like this book 3/5 = I liked this book 4/5 = I really liked this book 5/5 = I loved this book Hello Beautiful , by Ann Napolitano.  I enjoyed this story so much! It's a New York family saga, told by several main characters over the course of 30 years or so, beginning in the late 1970's. At the heart of the...