I'm happy to report that I've started to expand my audience a bit, here at Sweetie & Me. I've alerted my Facebook friends to my posts, and I've also checked in with a couple Spina Bifida groups I'm a part of, letting them know that this ol' blog exists and is up and kickin' again. I got some excited responses from a few people, so I am extra invigorated to keep writing and keep telling my truths. Yay, me!
But with that said... now what? I'm not sure what my next topic is. The pain I deal with on a daily basis is a pretty huge topic for me, but I've just written about that. No need to really go on too much there. At least not until there's more news on my nerve stimulator procedure.
This blog is called Sweetie & Me and, therefore, I should write a bit about Sweetie. But I've already explained that she is older now and I feel she's more or less an off limits topic. Suffice it to say, she is doing well. I have high hopes for this school year. She seems motivated. She has a boyfriend, from the same tough school, and they both seem envigorated this year to do good things and keep on top of their grades. This pandemic we're all experiencing may actually be a help there, since they are doing remote school for now and therefore don't see each other every day, per usual. But we do allow them to see each other on the weekends (that family is part of our limited bubble.) In Sweetie's case, she can only see him if all school work is caught up to the best of her abilities. I believe he probably has similar conditions from his parents. So - they are both motivated to keep up with school if they intend to also be able to see each other. Hopefully these conditional hang outs will continue to be able to happen, grades will be up, and all will be well.
Let's see, what else?... I could talk about my job (which I love), but somehow I don't think that's an appropriate topic. Suffice it to say, I've been employed at a particular job, full time, since the end of March, 2019, only to be put on extended furlough because of said pandemic, towards the end of March 2020. But, I immediately contacted my previous employer and they took me back with open arms - as a temp employee, with the understanding that when their own staff came back to work, those employees had first dibs on a place with the company and I may have to be ousted at that point. But, here we are in September and there remains enough room for me to stay as long as I wish. And it seems like my furlough is going to last awhile longer, probably through the rest of the year, so I'm very grateful to have a place to be. A place I love, with coworkers and management that I love. Honestly, I'd stay there forever if our family could manage it, financially. But we need more. So realistically, I'll most likely be moving back to where I was when the office opens up again. Or I suppose I could look for something else entirely? But I'm not sure how many well paying places with jobs I qualify for are hiring right now. And, honestly, with my back and general pain troubles, I don't feel like I'm in the best physical shape to be going out and about on job hunts at this point. So, this is where I am and that is most likely where I'll go back to, when able.
Something else I've been doing lately on my "couch weekends" is reading. I haven't read a full novel in months! I used to be in a book club, for years and years, actually, until I decided I just wasn't that into it anymore. So I left. And haven't read since. Except, I have downloaded a bunch of Kindle samples, and I've read all of them. But never continued on with the whole book. I even actually downloaded a full novel, with every intention of reading it. But... eh. No. Not so much. But now? I happened to find a real life, paperback book (imagine! not virtual!) in my mom's office bookshelf that I picked up and started reading, and I love it! It's one of those books that you just want to keep reading and reading, but you also don't want to keep reading because you don't want the story to end. It's called The Other Alcott, by Elise Hooper and it's about May Alcott, youngest sister to author Louisa May Alcott and inspiration for the character of Amy in Little Women. The Other Alcott is a fictionalized account of several years in May's life when she was discovering herself, outside of what it meant to be Louisa's Amy. I've read many other historical fiction novels of this ilk, putting a fictionalized twist on other historically famous people and, I gotta say, it's probably my favorite genre of book. I think... I also like, I guess you'd call them fantasy? Stories that seem real enough but then have some sort of fantastical twist to them. I can picture in my head the cover of one, but I'm sorry to say I can't remember it right now to give as an example. Suffice it to say, I just like to read interesting offerings.
I know there are other things I could do easily enough while I'm not able to physically be up and about much. Cross-stitch, for one thing. I really do like this craft and have created more than a few beautiful pieces in my day. But... I also get bored with them too easily. The one I'm currently in the middle of, that I honestly don't feel like I'll return to, is not colorful enough for my liking. Of course, I knew how colorful (or not) it was when I started it. But having it as an actual piece to work on... it's just not striking enough to keep me interested. And, I'm pretty sure I made a mistake in it also, which really drives me nuts and doesn't make me want to continue on with it. Which in this case is okay, because it was meant to be a wedding gift a few years back (yes, I said years. See? I get bored easily and leave things be too quickly). And I knew the color scheme would be appreciated by the couple getting married, if not me. But now, well, suffice it to say they don't need it anymore. I'm bored by it, the recipients aren't even still together, why even bother? But I could find another piece to start, I suppose. Maybe I'll take a look at my options. We tend to get a Stitchery catalogue every once in awhile. Maybe I will look into this...
Yeah! I love the idea of being creative. I love to be creative, through my writing, crafting, whatever. I'm so, so inspired by other creatives, and Hubby and I - and I dare say, even Sweetie - love to find YouTube or Netflix videos that speak to the importance of creativity and the profound ways that even the simplest acts of artistry - any kind of artistry - can affect not only your own life, but the lives of others. Many TedTalks are good for that. In fact, just yesterday morning, scrolling through YouTube, I happened upon an interesting title and accompanying thumbnail. Oh, how I could recommend so many videos! Vlogbrothers are always good for some lighthearted yet meaningful takes on all things not only creative but technological, innovative and educational. But back to that TedTalk from yesterday. It stars none other than actor Ethan Hawke. We were dubious at the start, but in the end I can't even describe how amazing this video was. I'll just give you the link here. Suffice it to say, it's well worth a watch (or two or three.)
Anyway, I guess that's going to be all from me today. I'm interested to get back to my book. I'm interested to see if there's a Stitchery catalogue hanging around somewhere in the house. Sweetie is away at her boyfriend's house this afternoon and I've got some time on my hands to just be. Not that her presence really takes me away from much of my own "thing" when she is here. She does her thing, I do mine. We get by. But often I do end up feeling bad that we ended up ignoring each other all day long, too involved in our own interests to say much more than two sentences to each other. But no - she's not even here anyway. No need to feel badly that we sometimes live too much side by side and not enough together. Maybe when she gets home - if it's not too late - we three will play a game, watch a movie, or something. Reconnect. But right now, it's honestly and truly my time. Hubby is both working in his woodshop and alternatingly coming up to cook in the kitchen. I can do my own thing, and I will.
Suffice it to say, for as boring and blah as I could say (and have said) life is these days, in a lot of other ways, it's actually pretty A-okay.
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