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Friday Five – What Is Time

July 24, 2026 by Suzanne

This week has felt 14,325 days long. I even had Monday off work, but that feels so long ago, I can’t even remember what I did. 

Probably read? Probably cleaned? Maybe went to the library? Who knows?

Next week, I have Friday off to travel to the farm and help take care of some practical things for Mom and Dad. Then it will be August, and I’ll actually go back to working full weeks again (I’ve had a lot of time off in July, which has been nice). Maybe I’ll get to start working from home part of the time in August? Perhaps? We will see.

In the meantime, here are some things that have been helpful to me this week:

  • This may sound mean, but I’m so glad Nadia Bolz-Weber is bad at meditation. Me, too. But even stumbling at it is helpful, so I do it, even when I do it badly. “Not because after five minutes of breathing exercises the geopolitical situation improves. It doesn’t. But because it improves my spiritual bone density.” Well said.
  • In a reading slump? It happens. I had a big ol’ slump in April-May-June-ish. I still read, but not nearly as much as I wanted to. I just could not focus. Regardless of why reading slumps happen, though, eventually they subside. Usually. Sometimes they need a little push. Such as a Couch to 5K…but for reading. This is an amazing idea, and I love how detailed the plan is.
  • I am HEAVILY invested in the blossoming love life of Trenchfoot and Doughboy. Jessica introduced me to them, and I’m so happy. Team Trenchfoot. Doughboy needs to grow up if he’s going to be her baby’s father. Get it together, my dude. Riveted.
  • I have been planning to write a post about my summer bucket list for about a month. Reading isn’t the only thing that’s slumping in my world. So I’m just living vicariously through Joy the Baker’s lists – Part 1 and Part 2. I may still write my own (at this point, my list is just “Survive August in Texas”), but I also may just make a spin on her peach melba ice cream and call it a day. I think that’s good enough.
  • Speaking of sweet treats, this is on my list of things to try. It’s took hot in Texas right now to mail chocolate, but there’s a shop nearby that sells it. I feel an adventure coming up soon!

Edited to add: It’s National Tequila Day. Proceed accordingly.

I hope you have a good weekend, friends!

Posted in Food, Work, Books, Church, Seasons, Fun, Friday Five, Core, Mental Health, Alive | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – Beautiful Things

July 10, 2026 by Suzanne

This week, I puzzled out an issue and solved a problem that a transfer student had been worrying about all summer. I feel good about that. That’s my favorite thing that happened this week.

Also, smart people said/wrote some lovely things on the internet:

  • At the risk of turning my blog into a Mamdani fangirl account (sorry, not sorry)…his speech marking our country’s 250th.
  • Ann Patchett on Whistler, being a good literary citizen, and the best book coming out this year.
  • I love Andi’s piece on her evening routine – Plump Silence and Golden Light.
  • I want to print this out and hand it to every parent at orientation this summer – Gorgeous words on letting go by Addie Zierman.
  • Heather Havrilesky once again puts into words what I’m going through. Working with college students (and *ahem* also people in their 20s and 30s and sometimes 40s…when did I become the old person in the room?), I see them despair a lot, wondering if everyone is awful and everything is broken. Yes, in general, but also really no. There’s a lot of beauty and kindness below the surface. It takes some energy to see it, but if you’re already pouring vast amounts of effort into despair, maybe set aside a little of that for wonder and curiosity. It will make your life (and, dare to hope, your relationships) so much better. My life goal is to always remain curious about new ideas, new skills, and especially the people around me. 

Posted in Beauty, Books, Cozy, Friday Five, How to College, Mental Health, Work | Leave a Comment »

Reading Retreat!

July 9, 2026 by Suzanne

The Dewey Reverse Readathon is this weekend. What makes it reverse, you ask? It runs evening to evening (7:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., my time)  instead of morning to morning (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.), so that, at least once a year, we are accommodating our internet friends in different time zones for whom our morning start falls at weird times. 

As an added bonus, this also accommodates those of us for whom waking up and starting anything at 7:00 a.m. is a special kind of torture and not fun at all.

Or one can just treat the readathon like I do, regardless of whether it is a regular or reverse event – start Friday night and extend into Sunday afternoon-ish. Why limit it to 24 hours? I nap and snack at weird intervals, but it’s an intensive reading weekend. This year, I’ve even taken Monday off to give myself time to reacclimate to a reasonable bedtime/schedule before having to be a human at work again.

I have read ahead far enough for my book clubs that there are no pressing deadlines in the upcoming week, so I don’t really need to include those in my plans. The themes of my selections for this reading retreat are fun and library books. That is, I have a lot of fun books (mostly next-in-series romance) on my recent TBRs that I have put off due to finishing the book on hold for someone else at the library or the book we were discussing at the next book club. 

Also, I have a lot of library books out, and some have holds on them. It seems to be a perpetual problem. One might point out that this could be solved by just waiting for the hype to die down and reading all the books I have at home. One can hush. We don’t need that kind of negativity here.

[Aside: I think I need a fun-read year in 2027. Yes, still a few challenges and my book club selections. But mostly fun. *ponders*]

The book stack I will be choosing from this weekend (and by “this weekend,” I definitely mean I started the first book last night):

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Additionally, I have some poetry and design books that I might dabble in. Or a book that spontaneously catches my fancy. Really, reading weekends are for reading exactly what I want. Even if it’s 30 pages each of 20 different books. Or one long book. Or a lot of audiobooks while I work on a craft project. It could be very structured or a chaotic mess, and I love seeing how it plays out.

I’ve already got my easy meals and snacks set up, and I’m washing sheets and blankets tonight to make sure I have all the cozy comfort that I will want to be readily available to me. 

Now I just need to get through two orientation days, and I’ll be ready to read!

Posted in Books, Fun, Reading Challenges | 2 Comments »

July 2026 TBR

July 5, 2026 by Suzanne

If I were to become suddenly and inexplicably wealthy, a house with a pool might be one of my top five purchases. That’s really the only way to deal with Texas summers.

Other than the oppression of the outdoors, July looks pretty promising. There are some fun things on the horizon – i.e., a couple of live music shows I’m going to, a reading retreat, a few other fun bookish events, and maybe a trip to the farm.

And, of course, rampant reading. After a minor slump, I’ve been finishing books left and right. Hopefully, that will continue this month with the help of these reads.

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

Anti Brain Rot

Popsugar

  • The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – A book with “Pop” or “Sugar” in the title
  • The Bright Side Running Club by Josie Lloyd – A book with a character who runs a marathon (I think? Or she just starts running? We will see.)
  • Yes, Yes, Cherries by Mary Otis – A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title

52 Book Club

  • In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson – Author’s first and last name start with the same letter
  • Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix – Literary device: personification (maybe – can’t find spoilers to confirm)
  • Shark Heart by Emily Habeck – Inspired by the top-grossing movie the year you were born (Jaws, because of course it was)

Libro.fm

Nowhere

Overeducated Women With Cats

  • Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas – A book set in a fully invented world

Bad Bitch Book Club

Read Your Bookshelf 

I hope your July is full of joy and pleasant surprises!

Posted in Books, Fun, Home, Reading Challenges, Resolutions, Seasons | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – I Love a Day Off

July 3, 2026 by Suzanne

Happy July! I have the day off today, as I work for the state, and the holiday we would usually get at this time is on a Saturday this year. I’ll take it.

I’ve had a pretty easy week overall. In addition to having today off, I also took Monday and Tuesday off – just because – and I got a lot of reading and very little housework done and got to talk about books while in a pool on Tuesday. So…perfect days. I have a laidback party with some fun people this weekend, and then preparation for a reading retreat next weekend. Yay!

My seasonal depression is visiting. So far, it’s pretty mild this year. This is not a challenge, Derek (what I have named my seasonal depression. I feel like he would be a Derek. No offense if your name or the name of someone you love is Derek, of course. It’s just easy to yell in an exasperated manner.).

And yes, I do picture Derek from The Good Place when I yell it. Thanks for asking.

Here are some things that confused some of the summer sads this week:

  • Wednesday Adams is playing Klara in the screen adaptation of Klara and the Sun!!! And by Wednesday Adams, I do mean Jenna Ortega (which I had to google, because Jenny didn’t look right. Because it wasn’t). That is her real name. I’m too excited. I can’t be trusted to get names right.
  • One of my things-to-do-by-the-time-I’m-60 goals is to join an online book club. I should have been more specific. I have joined several. Technically, I am a member of at least three online book clubs, but I am having a hard time remembering to participate. I have online book friends and book groups, but I wanted to buckle down with one that reads and discusses a book each month. I was excited to discover that Kate Bowler has started one, and the first month is Shark Heart, which was on my radar to read for one of my challenges this year anyway. Added bonus – there are many ways to participate in this club. We’ll see how it goes!
  • One of these days, I’m going to give in and just make some Bala Baiana. It truly is everything I love in a candy.
  • “Obliterates” is a strong word, but I do enjoy Mamdani’s handling of the press. Almost as much as I appreciate that he actually does the job he was elected to do. The bar is so low, y’all.
  • Rachel Maddow’s concern about books that have been weeded is my favorite thing on the internet this week.

I hope you are doing well and get to do something fun this weekend!

Posted in Books, Cozy, Food, Friday Five, Fun, Joy, Mental Health | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – Action and Opportunity

June 20, 2026 by Suzanne

I was really looking forward to this being the first day I slept past 7:00 in what seems like a thousand years. I realize 7:00 is reasonable for many people, but when you naturally fall asleep (i.e., without sleep aid medication, which I don’t take unless I’m desperate) at 1:00-2:00 a.m., 7:00 is hella early. 

Guess when the very loud thunderstorm rolled through. 6:30. Six. Thirty.

Not cool, thunder. Not cool.

At least I didn’t have to get out of bed. I guess that’s something.

Here are some things on the internet I liked this week.

  • Today is Juneteenth, which marks the anniversary of the news of emancipation finally reaching Texas. To celebrate on this and any other day, please consider donating to the good work We Have Stories is doing in NYC. Also, please consider looking at your own community and joining in the good work being done there. Also, please consider starting the good work if you don’t find any being done around you.
  • I love this piece on Georgia O’Keefe.
  • This whole quote – “Things can be hot in a book boyfriend and an absolute red flag in a real boyfriend. This is the nature of fiction.” (This is the smallest example of that, but like in romance novels men are always tilting her chin up with their finger. Touch me like that?!?!?!?! Put your fucking FINGER under my CHIN to get my attention?!?!?! I’m sorry but I would karate chop your throat. Sexy in a book. Would drive me crazy in real life.) “ I feel seen.
  • One of my great joys is following professional dancers (specifically, partnered dancers, but I am a sucker for any kind of dance) on Instagram. Emeline Rochefeuille is one of my favorites, and this is so cute.
  • While my new position did come with a slight pay bump, it was definitely a downgrade in responsibility. I went from supervising a staff of 12 to not being a supervisor at all. HIGHLY RECOMMEND even a temporary career downgrade if you are feeling those signs of burnout (…or even if you just want to. Turns out, you don’t have to wait until you are already at your wit’s end to do something that makes your life better.). Even if it had been a lateral move financially, it still would have been worth it for all the added peace it has brought to my private life.

I hope your Friday was good, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Posted in Beauty, Books, Cozy, Dance, Friday Five, Mental Health, Revolution, Work | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – Here Are Things

June 12, 2026 by Suzanne

It’s Friday. We made it. Good job, us!

I sat here for five minutes trying to sum up the things listed below, but my mind is drawing a blank. Little byproduct of the summer seasonal sads, probably. Anyway, here are things:

  • Voted this week. Quick question: Does Mamdani have a friend who is looking to relocate to Texas? I’d like Denton to experience how it feels to have Mamdani as mayor.
  • Every week, I make approximately 2,435 new plans for the plants in and around my home. This week, my favorite daydreams are thrifting small dishes to use as drip plates for pots and making mint ice cream out of the extravagance my plant has produced.
  • Star Trek and its trailblazing ways.
  • I have a Rec League. I love the unabashed sharing of things people love. It’s a nice brain break in the middle of the day.
  • I am very close to finishing my Libro.fm challenge for the year. The prompt that’s holding me up? “Plan or join an audiobook outing.” Because…why would I want to do that. I meant to listen to an audiobook during the last get-together of my local Silent Book Club, but I got overstimulated that day and ended up not going. Maybe I’ll try again. Or maybe I’ll include listening to an audiobook in my car. Technically, that’s an outing, in that it’s outside my home. It doesn’t say it has to be an outing with other people. It’s a stretch, but I may get desperate.

I hope your weekend is fun and relaxing!

Posted in Alive, Books, Cozy, Food, Friday Five, Home, Mental Health, Reading Challenges, Revolution, TV | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – Feelings

June 5, 2026 by Suzanne

This week was meh. I did a lot, but I also had a lot on my to-do list, so it doesn’t feel like I did a lot because there are things that are still not crossed off. It’s possible my to-do list was unreasonable, but my feelings don’t seem to see it that way. Something to work on (making both to-do lists and mental expectations reasonable).

Here are some things that stood out to me on the internet this week.

  • This is the energy I want to see from lawmakers. No grandstanding, no fanfare. Just recognizing conversion therapy for what it is – medical malpractice – and allowing the appropriate consequences. Excellent work, Colorado!
  • In other words, NOT this nonsense. What exactly is the legal basis of a suit against a city that 1) informed the groups leading an event about the changes to their marketing and plan that this dumbass law requires, and 2) received immediate compliance from said groups? I know a lot of our Texas government folk get some well-deserved side eye, but Paxton acts like he’s trying to win the prize for most hateful and wasteful (of time, money, etc.). An embarrassment, indeed.
  • Deeply saddened by the death of Marjan Satrapi. Persepolis was the first graphic novel I really loved. Also RIP to Anthony Head, who will always be Giles to me.
  • Many of the authors I love own bookstores. Visiting them is definitely on my bucket list. Happy to see Nowhere got a shout-out in the comments.
  • We are doing art/crafts at church on the first and third Wednesday nights of June and July (and maybe August, if people want them). People are welcome to bring their own things to work on while they hang out, but we will also have a small project just in case they want to try something new. This week, it was pom poms. The next one is blackout poetry. I’m excited to see what people create. We all need a little whimsy and revolution in our lives.

I hope you get to experience some wonder this weekend!

Posted in Books, Bookshops, Church, Friday Five, Revolution | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

June 2026 TBR

June 2, 2026 by Suzanne

You know how June usually likes to flirt? Like…it’s warm but not hot? Sultry but not oppressive?

Not this year, apparently. *pants* It’s so unpleasant outside.

All the more reason to stay inside and read!

It’s Pride month and summer, and this month’s selections are a bit of a shoutout to both.

[Disclaimer – I am a Bookshop.org affiliate – I get a cut of the sales from most of the links below.]

Book Clubs

Cozy

Anti Brain Rot

Popsugar

  • Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner – A book that explores influencer culture
  • The Favorites by Layne Fargo – A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics

52 Book Club

  • The Rose Code by Kate Quinn – Author’s bio mentions their dog
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Written in the 1800s
  • The June mini challenge prompts? Stay tuned…

Libro.fm

  • Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders (narrated by Lisa Flanagan, Marisa Calin, and Sena Bryer) – Listen to an audiobook by a transgender author
  • Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (narrated by Harrison Knights) – Listen to an audiobook by an LGBTQIA+ author

Nowhere

Bad Bitch Book Club 

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Reread your favorite book from high school
  • One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon – A novel written in a genre the author has never explored before (i.e., Yoon’s first adult novel/horror/mystery after writing YA romance/family)

Alphabet Challenge

Read Your Bookshelf

Book Riot Read Harder

Happy reading, friends!

Posted in Books, Reading Challenges, Seasons | Leave a Comment »

Friday Five – Adventuring

May 29, 2026 by Suzanne

More Transfer Orientation today! I think I have the hang of these now. Just in time to start Freshman Orientation next week.

I started the year with a goal of 25 micro-adventures – quick things that I can do around town or within a day trip’s drive. I’ve only done a few so far, so today I am posting a list of things to inspire myself (and perhaps you, too) to get out and see the world that is right around me a little more.

  • I like a good crawl. Pub crawl? Classic. Wine crawl? Even better. I did a coffee crawl a few years ago, and that was fun. But something I’ve never done before is a book crawl. This would be a fun way to explore a cute area with lots of cafes or a neighboring downtown.
  • While I am not sure I want my adventure to be dictated for me, I love the idea of a mystery picnic. I do love discovering new places to get delicious treats.
  • I have lived near Dallas for over 30 years, and I haven’t heard of some of these places. May have to check them out sometime this year!
  • Bringing it even closer to home, there’s always so much to see and try right here in Denton. I stay pretty aware of my usual haunts, but it’s always good to keep an eye on this events page to step a little outside my regular proclivities.
  • And finally, if all else fails, you can always count on Reddit for some great ideas.

I hope you have a good weekend – and maybe a little adventure as well.

Posted in Friday Five, Fun, Resolutions | Leave a Comment »

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