Hello, friends. This is the latest I've ever written a blog post... it's Friday afternoon and this post is due on Monday. xD And I didn't start it until evening on September 30th. Soooooooo. ;) Let's see what happened this last month, shall we?
// Happenings //
// I found the Happy Color app and fell in love. It’s sooo much fun!! I did an awful lot of colouring this month. :)
// MY GRANDPARENTS CAME!! We had them with us for a little over two weeks. We had so much fun. Just hung out and made memories. And me and the two older girls did a photoshoot for my grandparents’ anniversary, which was a totally new experience but really fun and enjoyable. I ended up with about 200 pictures to go through and edit... XD
// Ate a lot of the World’s Best Doughnuts... Beignes aux Patates (Potato Doughnuts). Because Grandpa bought them several times. xD I also ate a lot of chocolate. 😇
// Read sooo many good posts on suicide prevention and things. And had my heart touched by it.
// Discovered how good Rebekah’s feed is. She is such a sweet heart.
// Enjoyed playing with the little ones. They’re growing up so fast... I’m particularly enjoying the three-year-old. He’s just sooo adorable.
// Went to IKEA with my grandmother and mother and the two older girls. I took another 200 pictures or so which I still haven’t finished going through or editing. And I decided that when I have my own house, I want to fill it with IKEA stuff. Also, I just love all the details in IKEA. And also, I get story ideas there. It’s an amazing place. *nods* You should go there.
Here's a sample of those details that caught my eye...
This little "house" just charmed me. It was almost perfect.
// Had some deep conversations with my bestie. Growing up is hard... but it teaches a lot too.
// Started a new system for my to-do list & productivity. It’s working pretty good! Basically I make a very detailed list and use a timer a lot. xD
// Wrote deep stuff. It’ve usually struggled to write things right out of my heart... but I did a lot of that this month. And you guys will be seeing some of it in a while. When I get them fashioned into decent blog posts. xP
// I got to see one of my counselors & one of my cabinmates from camp!!! I was sooo excited!! It was a really short visit but sooo much fun. I love those two people so. very. much. and they do me so much good. <33
// I challenged myself to write 100 words every day (double on Saturdays since I can’t write on Sundays), thanks to Brooklyne. It was amazing. I wrote more than 100 words, most of the time. And I just LOVE my new story. You’ll see it in a few minutes. And by the way, I have the best writing partners ever. Kassie & Ryana Lynn have my everlasting thanks for putting up with all my spamming about my precious babies!
// I started to wear my high heels again. (I don’t wear them in the summer since I don’t want to wear socks). I’ve really enjoyed it, haha. Especially since it doesn’t hurt as bad as it used to. Lol!
// We celebrated one of my brothers’ birthday. And we had Italian sausage for supper. It was supposed to be mild, but it was so hot than even the sausage lovers only ate one sausage (or less!) and our mouths were literally burning. 🥵
This was the cake & ice-cream after.
// I started school again. (We took a break when grandma & grandpa were here). And I finished my old grammar book and started French Grammar. And I’m enjoying it. A lot.
// We had lots of fried broccoli this month. I love fried broccoli. We also had homemade sourdough bread with mozzeralissima cheese and black olives in it. IT IS SO DELICIOUS PEOPLE. Especially with (mild 😄) Italian sausage and fried broccoli on the side.
Have you ever noticed how fun it is to have a food photoshoot?
// My special needs sister made a profession of faith. I’m hoping she really understood and meant it. 💗
// I received a memory journal from my great-aunt. A 5-year one. And I’ve been enjoying doing it! I have trouble doing a real journal... but I mean to try over again next year. xD
// I got a story idea for this book cover which I’ve had for ages but keep changing my mind about the story behind it. If that makes any sense whatsoever. xP
// I wrote approximately 10,707 words this month. That’s 7,707 words over my goal (3,000). My story is still going strong. And I love it. So, so much. It’s even deeper than Chords is. Here’s the cover, synopsis, & a snippet...
Nathaniel Kemp is drowning in the darkness that surrounds him. Alcohol, abuse, grief, and violence have buried him in a deep slough of depression and bitterness. When hitchhiking to see his sister for the last time before taking his own life, Nathan is picked up by two unusual brothers. James, the eldest, insists that Jesus Christ died to save Nathan from his sins and can give him a new life. As the years rolls on and Nathan continues to battle his past, he wonders... can there be forgiveness and healing even for him?
// I got the edits for a Christmas story from my proofreader (whom I 100% recommend!) and I did the final edit! I put it up on Dropbox to share it with you all but it decided to be cranky and I still need to figure out why it won’t work... ugh.
// Remember the wasps that were under our front porch? They stayed. And the exterminator came back. And so they moved to our front door. And they got in the house. And at 10 o’clock at night grandpa and me and mama were taking books off a bookshelf and taping up a hole in the wall so they wouldn’t get in our beds again. So the exterminator came back. And I think he finally won. #skeptical
// I read a lot of great Instagram posts and blog posts. I have wonderful friends, people. Friends who talk of the deep, serious things of life and don't shy away from it. 💜
// I got a lot of story ideas for “Broken” while listening to sermons. And I found out what the point of the story was, too. It’s so cool how that happens.
// I created a blog tag and a bookstagram tag. And I’ll be posting both of them in a while. (I really love the blog tag. 😉)
// Random stuff...
IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
This is our Camp NaNo cabin in a nutshell... xD
Yeah...
Convicting, huh?
// Books //
// I GOT REALLY EXCITED FOR FFF. And a bookstagram challenge that Brooklyne made.
// Read a ton. Like a lot. Like I read 3 books in one day and finished another one. Then I read two books the next day. And the day after that I finished two and read one. Basically a weekend Readathon without meaning to. xD
// I read 365 books. I reached my reading goal. And then I started reaching for my insanely high new one. We’ll see if I can do it... I’m hoping... xD
// I did a bookshelf tour live on Instagram, inspired by Kate. And I wheezed and sniffled my way though because #allergies. But it was lots of fun.
// I binge-read the Anne of Green Gables books... for the second time this year. Only I read them in English this time. And I laughed. And I smiled. And I cried. And I was just so happy. <33 They are sooo, sooo good. I didn’t get to read “Rilla” or the two “Chronicles” before October, but oh well.
// I finished a huge something of my to-do list... read through every one of the 590 pages in my favourite book. I started in August but I finished in September. And I remembered why I loved it so much.
// I grew my TBR something awful. And I mostly did rereading soooo... I’ll have to start a old book-new book chain. That’s a good idea!
// Buddy Read with Hannah & Ryana Lynn. We started Louisa May Alcott’s “Hospital Sketches” which is SO HILARIOUS.
// I reread lots of books. Which was amazing. <33 Because I love to reread. And I haven’t done it a lot this year.
// I did a lot of work on my reviews. Had them translated into French (the ones for French books). Posted a whole bunch—not only the ones I’d just written, but also the ones in my archives. I worked getting links for my Books pages on this blog. A lot of work, but the kind I like. ;)
Books read this month: 46.
Books reviewed this month: 48.
2 stars — 1 book.
3 stars — 12 books & short stories.
3.5 stars — 6 books & short stories.
4.5 stars — 5 books.
5 stars — 12 books.
5+ stars — 13 books.
Autumn Reading Challenge: 22/31 books.
// Blog Posts //
Real Heroes | Soldier Girl Stories
Where Were You? | Soldier Girl Stories
Sounds like you had a good month!! I love the scrabble letter and rings!! <3 <3 And I'm curious as to what fried broccoli is... I've never heard of it! :) (I'll have to google it ;))
ReplyDeleteI did! :) Oh, thanks! That’s a Pinterest idea. ;) Oh, fried broccoli is just fresh broccoli cut and fried in a pan :) it’s so yummy!
DeleteOh, Katja, I always enjoy these posts! And believe me, girl, the feeling is mutual ♡
ReplyDeleteIs it wrong that I love both of the posts from my blog that you featured? Honestly, I think those are two of my favorites. Maybe it's because they really dug into my heart...
Keep of the good work! Your blog is such a blessing!
Aw, thanks, Ry! That’s why I keep making them :) <3 I must have missed something... what feeling is mutual...?
DeleteNo! They were good posts! I love those kinds too.
Oh, thank you!! You are such a great supporter. <33
About being writing buddies, lol!
DeleteOhhh!! Haha! Yes! <3
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