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 Year of Yes – 243
Don’t have much to say today. The day went by in a blue as I tried to debug some issue with my phone. Just a reminder that life is short and it flies by. Here’s to making the days count. Yes to life. #yearofyes #karenikayearofyes  Year of Yes – 242
We had a piece of our fence come undone earlier last month. A handyman came to look and said he can’t really do anything until we removed all the ivy clinging to it. So we called the tree trimmers, got our tree and the fence trimmed then today another handyman came to look at it and said he couldn’t fix it because one of the posts is complete rotten and it’s a big job and I need to call fence people. Since the pandemic started, I’ve had so much of this. Dishwasher breaking, tree dying, fridge dying, house needing to be painted, on and on. Every one of these things makes me want to curl up and cry. I hate the minutia of life and having to take care of it all. I was complaining to my mom a few months ago about how it feels like it never ends and if it’s not one thing, it’s another. And she said that this is life. For as long as we’re alive, there will be things that need tending to and to be grateful because it’s a sign that I’m alive. So today, after I got bummed about needing to now track down some fence people, I reminded myself to be grateful that I have a fence to begin with and that I have the means to fix it and that I get to be alive today to take care of this next chore. So much of life is about perspective. Yes to shifting my perspective. Love you, mom. #yearofyes #karenikayearofyes 
 Year of Yes – 241
This morning I woke up and decided to soften. I usually tend to live a relatively regimented life. I have daily routines and, for me, doing something every day is always the way to go. I am more likely to ride the bike 20 minutes a day every day than to do it for 45 minutes three times a week. When I do something every day it leaves no room for postponement. Every day means today is the day I do it because every day is the day I do it. Simple. And also sometimes a bit hard. Regimented. No wiggle room. Sometimes I can find that I am feeling constricted by my own rules. So this morning I woke up and decided it would be a holiday day. I acted like I was away on holiday and gave myself the day off. It was just what I needed. Tomorrow I’ll get up and go back to my routine. Yes to being flexible and yes to softening. #yearofyes #karenikayearofyes 
 Year of Yes – 240
Family photo day. Over ten years ago, I wrote an article for an online photography site. It was about how I take all the pictures in my family so I am never in any of them and that if something were to happen to me, my kids would not have photos to remember me by. That day I vowed to get in the picture more and started our family photo tradition. Ten years and more and we are still at it. My favorite tradition. Yes to photos. #yearofyes #karenikayearofyes
This was a rich, atmospheric mystery read. When a girl disappears in a small, religious town, everyone’s secrets slowly start surfacing. Not a lot of likeable characters in this story but they were all very 3-dimensional and I like that there weren’t plot twists just for the sake of shock value.
What a gem of a book. This story of a girl who has to fend for herself for 55 days while her mother is gone is an absolute gem. It’s full of heart and it will break your heart and slowly put it back together. It’s a fantastic read, highly recommended. Grief, coping, friendship, companionship, loneliness.
What a fantastically well-written mystery of a novel. This is about the aftermath of a bar shooting. You get to experience the perspective of those who die, a survivor, the mother of the shooter, and the wife of an injured party. The characters are rich and well-done. The story is layered and engaging and creates room for you to empathize with each character. Beautifully done.
super-fun light read about several women who, for different reasons, are experiencing break ups, separations, divorce or widowhood. They are brought together by a book club at their local book store and they support each other. Very enjoyable.
Tara Brach is right at the top of my list of people whom I can never read enough. I’ve listened to her classes for years, I’ve read all of her books and I’ve learned something new each time. I’m reminded of things I’d learned and forgotten already and things that I know I need to hear again and again. She never ever disappoints and I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a distillation of a lot of her stories, thoughts, encouragements, and lessons. As always, it’s told in her gentle style and it’s gold.
I am not going to rate this one because I don’t feel like I’ve read enough of it. At the 25% mark, which is about 160 pages in, I finally decided to put it down. I loved Doerr’s previous book and could not wait to read this one, but it just isn’t the book for me. At least not right now. I found myself skimming large chunks of it. The story switches around between times, genres and characters too much for me to get invested in any one character and I find myself feeling confused constantly. Many people loved this book so maybe I will give it another try in the future. with gratitude to edelweiss and Scribner for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. |
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