You know how I was begging the universe for a normal week? That did not happen. I had a head cold and was out of work one day this week. No amount of decongestant seemed to provide adequate relief. My incessant mouth breathing led to temporary demineralization of my front teeth. Plus other chronic pain issues I won’t bore you with. In a word, January was relentless. But alas, it’s finally February. A new month that I hope brings fewer challenges.
R - Reading
Audio: I finished listening to Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee. I adored Lee’s debut novel, Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair and this book was equally funny, smutty, and delightful! It’s a sapphic romance featuring a childhood crush and winery rivals.
Now I’m diving right into a historical fiction novel you may have seen on a bunch of best of lists… The Frozen River by Ariel Lawton.
Kindle: I finished Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, the 3rd book in The Empyrean series. I LOVED IT and immediately started rereading the last 10 or so chapters to pick up any small details I may have glazed over the first time. I’m now enjoying scrolling Reels filled with hilarious memes and no longer afraid of seeing spoilers. I’ll continue to keep this a spoiler-free newsletter. It’s been a while since so many readers have been able to enjoy the hype of a new release at the same time and I want to be respectful to those who are savoring this story.
Now I’m cozying up in Scotland with Alexandra Kiley’s upcoming romance, Scot and Bothered!
E - Eating
My MIL made this Italian ravioli with spinach, artichokes, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was delish! I feel like you could easily add ground sausage or browned butter-toasted walnuts for a nutty balance.
P - Playing
XO Kitty, Season 2 on Netflix
Guster’s album Ooh La Luxe. I missed the Ooh La La debut so I’m glad the album with B-sides showed up in my music feed.
O - Obsessing over Observing
How much mental clarity and focus is possible when intentionally practicing mindfulness during small tasks and specific daily routines.
R - Recommending
Supporting a small business or local restaurant when you go out this week. We had a birthday party to attend yesterday and swung by our toy store in town to grab a gift ahead of time. It’s such an asset to our community to have a store that is expertly curated to find a unique gift instead of another big box store.
T - Treating myself to
A FREE date night to see Vitamin String Quartet: The Music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton, and Beyond with my hubby. I was surprised to win a pair of tickets through a local contest and it was an unexpected delight to be able to go out together and enjoy a symphony of some of my favorite songs. We ended up bringing home this album to surprise my daughter with!
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Hope you had a great weekend!
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Oh, wow, The Frozen River looks too good. Thanks for that rec! Best wishes for continued recovery -- February, we welcome you.
I've been loving instrumental music lately. That VSQ album sounds right up my alley!