2026 – November Onward

Hello November. September and October feel like I need to get a little more done and I am not ready for end of year but then November comes and I am so done done done. I feel like at this moment I am white-knuckling my way to the end of the year at this point. I need to make it to Thanksgiving week so I can rest and then just a little more so I can make it to Christmas break. I’d say I just want to make it there but I don’t just want to make it there, I also want everything along the way to go right. Jobs, schools, acceptances, offers, projects. Please universe just be good to us.

Big Goal: So the goal for November is to make it through the first three weeks successfully. That means some more submissions for the kiddo, a successful prep for ELS for me including organizing and presenting, a successful week for Sadie to be with a new sitter while I travel, and the other kiddo successfully making it home. And a bunch of other hard things that I have to make through that I don’t want to but alas no choice. And then, then I get to hopefully relax a tiny bit and for that week my only goal is to soak up my kids. To enjoy every moment I have with them. And outside of that snuggle time with Sadie, reading books with my eyeballs, and journaling my heart out.

  • Progress on the big five:
    • Y: I still need to sweep and I would like some plants but at this point it’s only if I can.
    • G: The only goal I have left is still just to put those final boxes away. But I’ve been sitting on it for months now so I am not holding my breath on it. Would be nice not to walk into December with them.
    • S: more appointments this month but that’s all.
    • Sa: we just have to survive the week away. So sad we have to leave her.
    • D: nothing this month unless the kiddos want to go somewhere.
  • Three Medium goals:
    • Order at least two christmas presents for each kiddo
    • Read three of my books.
    • Have the best time I can with A in NY
    • Chores:
      • Complete a really good preso.
      • Hang up new stuff in office
      • See the show we booked.
      • A appointments completed
      • Start xmas presents list
      • Finish prep for the work stuff for 2027
  • Start: planning for 2027.
  • Stop: beating myself up. all grace all the time from here to 2027 at this point.
  • Continue: documenting E, one more big push might let me be done here.
  • Brave: can i let even more of it go?

Here’s to another month. Paying attention. Loving my people. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.

Review: Trust Fall

Trust Fall
Trust Fall by Lynn Painter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t realize this was YA until after I started it but I still found it to be enjoyable.

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Review: Mestra

Mestra
Mestra by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love these short stories. I didn’t know about Mestra’s story so this was an extra gift for me to read.

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Review: Fallow

Fallow
Fallow by Sarah Anderson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was weird and funny.

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Review: Once, Again, Always

Once, Again, Always
Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was sweet. It won’t stay with me but I enjoyed it while I read.

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Review: Actually, Nevermind

Actually, Nevermind
Actually, Nevermind by Taylor Tomlinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Taylor. I am so sorry she can do no wrong in my book. I loved these stories especially on audio with her reading!

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Review: Labyrinth

Labyrinth
Labyrinth by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was fun and fast but also longer than it needed to be in my opinion. IT could have used an editor.

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Review: Peck & Peck

Peck & Peck
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know people had mixed feelings about this one but I loved it. I loved that there was a full book dedicated to poetry. I loved the characters and I loved the plot. Bonnie Garmus has my heart.

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Review: Music Against the Night

Music Against the Night
Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this. It’s mostly a deep character study. It was perfect for me. Perfect.

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Review: Home for the Homicides

Home for the Homicides
Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was fun but a bit on the sillier side for me. Enjoyed it nonetheless.

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2026 – Onward – October Review

Things were getting hectic with September but then they completely blew up in October. Applications were due, I took on some new work, D came to visit and I just dropped everything else because I had no bandwidth left. And apparently this site was one of the things that ended up falling off.

  • Progress on the big five:
    • Y: Did nothing on winter prep. Bought no more plants but my plants are blooming once again which is magical. I will see if I can re-plant the other ones in the next month.
    • G: final boxes are still sitting there undone.
    • S: just regular appointments this month, did them all!
    • Sa: visited the new sitter. she seems nice. Ready for November hopefully.
    • D: nothing new here.
  • Three Medium goals:
    • read them all, did all the feedback, tried to be patient.
    • spent so much time with D!
    • Did not restart some of the practices with healthy meals, yoga, and visual note taking.
    • did all the chores! but didn’t buy lights for the office, but bought other things!
  • Start: did not start a new book with D.
  • Stop: my sleep is all over the place sadly.
  • Continue: did not document more this month either 🙁
  • Brave: made some major progress on this yay!.

October was just insane. I will mostly just say that I survived it.

Here’s to another month. Paying attention. Loving my people. Savoring and living in awe. And taking steps to move onward.

Review: Sky Daddy

Sky Daddy
Sky Daddy by Kate Folk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ok this story is weird. Like super super weird. And even though it’s tender in the end, I do wish it had a bit more depth because there was more there and it could have been explored.

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