Another Foray into My Sleeping Brain

Photo by Nadi Lindsay on Pexels.com

GAAHHH I can’t seem to get my fingers to hit the right keys 🙄!

And it’s Monday…. again….. 

Although when you don’t have a job, it’s easy to lose track of days 😆😆😆. That’s what happened to me at the end of last week – I moved my hair appointment to Wednesday (use to be Thursdays) and I was off a day the rest of the week. Funny how one small change can affect your perception of reality 🤪.

Speaking of reality, would you like to hear about another f🤬🤬🤬ed up dream? Seriously, I wish there was a way to record my dreams (similar to a machine in Brainstorm) so that a) I can see how accurate my dream recall is and b) I could use it to enhance my stories 😁. Alas, as far as I know, no such machine exists SSSSSIIIIIGGGGHHH (patented and dramatic, as always 😆).

Jeez, now I can’t even spell exists on the first three tries and I typed far as fire originally – what is wrong with me today

Anyway, on to said dream. It wasn’t a long dream, but it was certainly strange. It starts with a beautiful spring day and I am gathering with other people for a tour of Georgetown SC. How did I know that was the place? For some reason my brain just told me that’s where I was 🤷‍♀️ (I’ve been to Georgetown, and this place wasn’t it…). The guide shows up and asks if we want to take a ride instead of walking, so of course we say “yes” not realizing we would be riding dinosaurs. Yes, there were 🦕🦖. I was assigned a brachiosaurus and for some reason I was riding on his neck, just below his head and because of my position, he promptly walked me into low hanging branches that smacked me in the face – kind of like my horse had done on occasion 🤔. After getting disentangled from the tree, we turned toward what appeared to be a small field that was just tilled. In the center of said field was a toddler sitting, in mud, near a water sprinkler that was soaking the field and having a grand time, while the farmer was trying to figure out how to get to him without getting soaked himself. As this is happening, I have somehow dismounted my ride and it is about 100 yards away from me. I watch in horror as a T-Rex sneaks up behind it preparing to attack 😱😱 (I don’t know why it was sneaking, but it was 😜). But before the T-Rex can pounce both dinosaurs turn into dark shadowy forms that dematerialize 🤯. And I wake up.

Now this dream happened on Friday night and that day I had been facetiming with my sister and youngest nephew who showed me his newest dinosaur so I’m going to take an educated guess and say that was the reason for their presence in my dream. As for the rest, I am stumped.

So that is just another foray into how my brain treats me while I’m asleep. As always, interpretations are encouraged in the comments, all wrong answers please 🤪.

An Over Due Book Post

Hey My Lovelies! I have been remiss lately in my book postings and I’ll tell you why – I’ve been in a bit of a book slump lately. It started last October and since then, I’ve only read two books, not counting half of Fairy Tale by Stephen King – more on that later. I’m hoping that the new releases coming out this month will jump start my reading juices 😁.

And although I read 3 1/2 less books (and 2200 less pages – gotta look at that math 🤔), I still managed a respectable list that I will share with you along with my thoughts! Let’s dive in, shall we?

At first glance, I had to look up at least one book and I couldn’t remember what it was about 😬. It was The Body Lies and while it was an ok story, I don’t think I’ll be reading that author any time soon 🤷‍♀️. The Family Plot also falls into this category. Also, I figured out the ending about 1/3 of the way in and had to wait for the characters to catch up 😆😆.

I also gave Carol Kepnes’ (of You fameProvidence a go but was not drawn in enough to try another. It left a few too many questions unanswered for me and I am not a fan of that 🙄. Another disappointment was for me was Truly, Madly Deeply. Very Lifetime movie vibe, which is ok for a movie, but lacked (for me) as a book.

However, I did read P. Dejeli Clark’s The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and although the characters were side character from his A Master Of Djinn I quite like his style of writing an look forward to reading more from him.

I was also happy to read Christopher Rice’s new novel Decimate, having discovered him from reading his Burning Girl Series, both of which I recommend. I also found Mr. Tender’s Girl (Carter Wilson) and Book of Night (Holly Black) truly gratifying 😊. Chuck Wendig’s Book of Accidents was a mixed bag, but overall, I enjoyed it.

But let’s talk a moment about some of my favorite new finds this year. First there were the magical realism authors I discovered specifically focused on witches/witchcraft: Erin Stirling (The Ex-Hex, The Kiss Curse), Lana Harper (Paybacks a Witch, From Bad to Cursed technically found end of 2022) and Boss Witch by Ann Aguirre. If this is your genre, give these writers a shot – they are nice quick reads with enjoyable characters.

Also in the magical realism realm is T.L. Huchu’s Library of the Dead series, which was a top pick for me seeing as I read the second one straight after the first 😁. This is more about mediums and spirits so if that’s your preference, give him a read.

Most of the rest of the list are books from series I’ve followed over the years, like Kim Harrison, Patricia Cornwell, Karen White, and Preston & Child. Of course, that’s not the only reason I read said books – I am very loyal to my favorite authors 🥰.

Which brings me to Fairy Tale by Stephen King (my absolutely favorite author). Let me start by saying, I am not a fan of fantasy literature – made up worlds with made up words that you are constantly trying to remember the meaning of. So, when I started Fairy Tale, which begins in the “real world” I really liked it but then it became about the main character and his journey into this fantasy/fairytale world accessed through a portal and I just lost interest. With the exception of The Talisman and its sequel The Black House, I generally stay away from his fantasy books like the Dark Tower Series and Eyes of the Dragon. I hope one day in the near future I will pick this up again and finish the back half, but there are no guarantees on that 😆😆😆.

So that is the round-up of my 2022 reading experiences. I share in hopes of a) inspiring people to read and b) introducing authors you may not have considered before 😊. 

📚 Happy reading all! 📚

NovelAuthor
The Ex HexErin Sterling
The Haunting of Tram Car 015P. Djeli Clark
Mr. Tender’s GirlCarter Wilson
Diablo MesaPreston & Child
Gwendy’s Final TaskS King & R Chizmar
The Book of AccidentsChuck Wendig
The Shop on Royal StreetKaren  White
The Library of the DeadT.L. Huchu
Our Lady of Mysterious AilmentsT.L. Huchu
The Family PlotMegan Collins
Book of NightHolly Black
DecimateChristopher Rice
Trouble with the CursedKim Harrison
From Bad to CursedLana Harper
ProvidenceCaroline Kepnes
Truly, Madly, DeadlyHannah Jayne
The Body LiesJo Baker
Boss WitchAnn Aguirre
The Kiss CurseErin Sterling
LividPatricia Cornwell
Fairy Tale (read 275/598 pgs.)Stephen King

Welp, Saging the House Didn’t Help 🙄

Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com

In the category of “Of Course This is Happening to Me” I discovered today that some part of my primary shower is LEAKING!!! 🤬🤬🤬 This house isn’t even two years old, and I have another problem with my shower.

How did I discover such a leak? Well, I walked into the garage and found a puddle of water, where there should be no puddle. Then I look up and see a huge water spot (with possible mold growth 😬) on the ceiling.  And what happens to sit above said ceiling? If you guessed my primary bath (and closet for extra points) you would be correct. Now I may not be Euclid, but I’m thinking that 1 plus 1 maybe, just maybe, equals 2 in this case. Again, not a great mathematician, but pretty good on my basic addition, so I’m thinking it’s coming from the bathroom – but that’s just a guess 🤪.

Now I have to move out of my ensuite bathroom, again, and try to get this issue taken care of asap! Which may include fighting with the builder, again (beginning with daily calls I think 🤭) This is really making me hate my house I gotta say.

On a completely unrelated note, if anyone knows someone that can scan me for curses and remove any they find, please drop a note in the comments 😁😁😁. I would be ever so grateful.

Hope your Monday is serving you better than mine 💜💜.

A Subtle Yet Big Shift

Photo by Thomas Cotton on Pexels.com

A few weeks ago, I decided to update my towel situation and Ollies just so happened to have very big, thick, fluffy bath sheets that I thought were perfect (especially at $8 apiece with 15% off 😁).  So, I picked some up and brought them home in the three paper bags it took to contain them. When I got home opened the door, dropped the bags inside, closed the door and ran to the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom, I proceeded to make dinner and watch a movie. At some point I remembered thinking I should take the bags upstairs then dismissed the idea as quickly as it came up (I mean, I was right in the middle of a movie after all🤷‍♀️). And there they sat, by the front door, for two days because I didn’t have to move them, until I was ready to take them upstairs. So subtle, yet huge for me.

Why is that such a big deal? Well for someone like me who lived with an anal-retentive person who used his OCD like a weapon, it was another reminder that I do not answer to another person on how my household is run. And it was LIBERATING!!! You see, there were (and still are) things ingrained into me that were not the “right way” to do things, so every little battle I win against the past is a step towards myself. 

I know it may seem insignificant, but for me it was a huge step forward in realizing that I get to make my own rules for my own life. So, when these events occur, I just have to share with you, My Lovelies, in hopes of encouraging those who need it and freaking out those who don’t like disorganization 😆😆😆.

Now if I could just work up the nerve to do something daring in the interior design realm for my house 🤔…

XOXO – Me

2023: Getting Rid of the Life I Had Planned

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi on Pexels.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Ok, now that that’s out of the way …. 😁. In all seriousness, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to leave your holiday bubble. I know it won’t be easy (I’m feeling it myself ☹️) but don’t worry it’s only 357 days until Christmas 😉😆.

As for my Christmas, it was a bit ho hum this (last?) year. I just couldn’t fully embrace the season and decided that was ok. I did the bare minimum to get by and I have no regrets 😊. I find that some years the spirit just doesn’t move through me, and I have accept that. No Christmas cards were sent (sorry 🤷‍♀️), and I basically told the adults in my life what they were getting (alcohol – the easiest gift in the world).

I did spend Christmas day with my family only because I love seeing my nearly 6-year-old nephew (kidding – mostly 🤪). I also quickly regretted giving him a pair of binoculars and he pointed them at me and pronounced “You’re HUGE” (yep, he really said that multiple times 🤦‍♀️😆). The unintentional shade is strong with this one 🙄😜. Such a stinker! What can I do, I love the kid 🥰.

New Year’s Eve was spent mostly alone with a brief visit to my neighbors as they were letting off fireworks for their girls. And the youngest has now renamed me Charlaleen for a reason none of us can fathom 😆.

Around 11:30 I started smudging the house to remove all the negative energy of 2022 and when the clock struck twelve, I opened the door to usher out the old year and invite the new one in, vowing that this is the year I truly let go of the life I had planned many, many years ago.

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” 

Joseph Campbell

Peace and love for you all in 2023 💜💜💜

The Unintentional “Shadiness” of Kids

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.com

Let’s honest – kids will always be unintentionally “shady” because they say (often out loud 😬) what’s on their mind without malice and usually from a place of interest and awe.

My youngest nephew is the king of shading me. Between his wicked side eye and him constantly agreeing with me that a) I’m old and b) I’m overweight, like it’s just a statement of facts. The kid kills me every time he does this 😆😆😆. And I never get mad because it doesn’t come from a mean place.

Then there was yesterday… I was grocery shopping and came upon a mom with her two children, a boy about 5/6 and a girl of about 4ish. As I walked past them the boy goes “She has white hair (😮)” and I could just feel his mom start to cringe, so I turned and said in a cheery voice “It is white, isn’t that cool?” with a touch of laughter in my voice to let his mom know I wasn’t offended in the least. Then the little girl chimed in with “was your hair green before?” and her mother said, “Why would her hair be green?!?”. I just laughed and said no it was a reddish brown. Then the boy jumps back in with “it looks like snow” followed up by his sister asking if it was snow ❄️❄️❄️. I said although it looks like it’s snowing when I shed, it wasn’t actually snow but that it would be fun if it was 😁. I then wished them happy holidays and we all went on our merry ways.

This is why I love kids and probably one reason why I don’t have them 😉. 

💜💜💜💜