My Thoughts
My thoughts , feelings and favorite things.
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My 2021 Reading Intentions
Please note, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hello there, friends. Let’s chat about books. My TBR (to be read) has 112 books on it currently, and I’m sure that does not include many new releases and backlists that I’m not aware of and will still want to read. I read 61 books in 2020, much more than I have in many, many years. All things considered, it was a great reading year and I’m grateful for that reliable escape during the last tumultuous twelve months the world experienced. Most of the books I chose through the TBR, what was available at…
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My Favorite Reads of 2020
What a year for reading. I went outside of my normal genres, intentionally paid attention to books written by people of color, educated myself on being an anti-racist, listened to more audiobooks than ever before and found that I do indeed have a love of romance novels and that they certainly have a place in my reading life. I read 62 books this year, surpassing my goal of 50 and really enjoyed it. I’m back to doing what I love again, and using reading as a form of escapism for stress relief, something I think most of us found ourselves searching for this year. Aside from escapism, however, I’ve returned…
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Reflecting on Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2020
There is fear, there is pain, there is darkness, but amidst all of these – there is hope, beauty and endurance.
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Finding Hope Now
When you come out of a flare, you see the marvels around you with a new lens. This is hope.
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One Thing Making My Day
A quickie post. Yoga with Adriene. If you haven’t checked out her YouTube videos yet, right now is the time to do it. They are free, and there is something for everyone. Ev. Er. Y. One. Including you! Try it. I promise you’ll feel better about your day. Just do it. She does a calendar of videos every month as well, I e been doing that too. I’m a couple days behind, but there’s no guilt. Find What Feels Good is the main mantra. Just breathe. And move. What are you waiting for? Go, now!
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Guilt and Remission
One day in and I want to give up. Trying to find the time to write a to do list is hard enough, carving out time to make this happen for 30 days is excruciatingly difficult. But it needs to happen. I can feel my jaw tighten at the end of the day because I am empty, empty, empty after giving it all away. I used to enjoy doing this. It used to give something back to me. Blogging. Letting the feelings flow from my fingertips to the keyboard and leaving it there. So, here I am, trying again. These posts are going to ramble, and be raw and real…
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November Thanks and Giving
November brings in a lot of oppositions. The colors have faded from the trees and there’s glimpses of snow, winter and holidays right around the corner. The cold brings a sense of cozy and thoughts of relaxing into warm blankets and flickering candles as you snuggle up with a good Netflix or maybe even (!) a book. Then you venture outside into the gusty winds and stomp through a freezing puddle soaking through your shoes and suddenly your shoulders are up to your ears as tears form in your eyes from the icy blast of air smacking your face. Thoughts of spending Thanksgiving with family and friends bring up feelings…
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Getting Married With IBD
How to Enjoy Your Wedding Day When You Have A Chronic Illness Originally Published June 4, 2017 I’ve received a lot of requests for this post over the last year, and figured our first anniversary would be a good time to answer those questions. Here are my top 5 tips for enjoying your wedding day despite a chronic illness. Make time for yourself. Eaton Rapids Wedding Photography – Millers Dairy Farm – Phil Black Photography The morning of our wedding was absolutely gorgeous. I spent some time alone in the morning before everyone arrived at the house doing yoga, sipping on a cup of coffee and writing a letter to my…
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World IBD Day 2017
My World IBD Day/Birthday Wish Originally Published May 19, 2017 My birthday wish this year is not for a cure for IBD. This year, I’m asking for something that might be much harder to accomplish: better care for patients. My wish is that no one ever wakes up post colonoscopy to be told: “You have a disease with no cure, come back in two weeks.” Instead, I wish for an IBD army of advocates to be in every hospital, with arsenals of accurate information and resources they are ready to provide to that new patient so they are filled with hope instead of fear. Let’s avoid the Doctor Google search and…
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Reflecting on 2016
Originally Posted on December 31, 2016 What. A. Year. Globally and nationally the world has seen a lot of tragedies and set backs, and there are a lot of people who are ready to put this year behind them and move forward with hopes that 2017 has to be better. It feels almost awful to say this due to the sadness I’ve seen across the globe, and please don’t view me as someone who doesn’t see these things happen and who isn’t affected by them. My heart has been broken over and over again and I can’t count the amount of times I’ve said I’m losing faith in humanity, or…
