Brand Names.

Growing up, I shifted from Limited Too to Old Navy to Loft-when-it's-on-sale. I remember one point, the first months of 11th grade, I bought one Guess? tee and one DKNY tank. I wore Mudd jeans and Delia's everything else. Otherwise, I don't remember caring much about brand name clothes or accessories. My dad bought me a sleeveless Ralph Lauren top and an RL jean jacket. I think I wore them out.

Banana Republic is high above me, but I do have a couple pairs of work pants from there--I call them money pants. Maybe I'll be able to wear them (I loved the stretchy Sloan fit) again someday as everyday pants. I also have a plum and lavender silk scarf I've used as a headband and an amazing multi-chain, multi-metal (silver, gold, black) necklace full of little skeleton keys.

I own a few items from Jones New York. When I had an interview at Borders many years ago, Mom bought me a gray shell and a pair of gray silk pants. Funny--we each had a pair of the pants but sort of shared the matching jacket. I also wore that duo to my first full-time teaching interview.

I love Steve Madden shoes. I've worn out several pairs of his shoes, especially the Madden Girl style. I'm having to say goodbye to a sensational pair of gray heels and of black heels. I wore them every week at work. I wore his bowling shoes for years--black ones, blue ones, and red ones.

I have two Kate Spade items. One is the beautiful journal I'm using now, with a painting of a stack of blue and pink books on the cover. The other is a collaboration between Kate Spade and Keds: slip-ons with magenta trim and all-over, multi-color glitter.

Of course, to say I have a weakness for prestige cosmetics would be an understatement. I've long loved Urban Decay and Too Faced, but I've also become interested in Marc Jacobs Beauty, MAC, and Fresh. I like heavy glitter makeup in whimsical, intriguing packages.

My other brand love is Betsey Johnson. But I think I've bought some faux versions of her jewelry on Ebay, and I'm okay with that. It's her style that I want.

So I'm a little more into brand names than I thought. Mostly, I think I try something, and if I love it, I can get obsessed or just loyal and excited.

Do you have any beloved brands? What do you think of that?

Nourish/Challenge: Week 4.

This past week was not my best. I didn't finish any books, and I came nowhere near my halfway point on my list. But the week was still interesting.

Josh turned 34, and I'm not far behind him. We went grocery shopping together, which I always enjoy. We ponder over which foods Oliver will actually eat. Josh and I also took a nap, holding hands. Holding hands is the greatest.

Our heat stopped working. The people at the office know me by my voice. The maintenance guy came quickly and stayed a long time. I was here alone, so it was a challenge.

I found (for 50% off) a beautiful trunk-shape decorative box with pink hydrangea on it! My tank top box is falling apart, so maybe I'll use the new box for tanks. Or for journals I want to use soon. The sight of those flowers gives me sustenance like pure sunlight.

I worked on organizing my jewelry. I have a lot of it, and almost none of it is real. I have so much fun with it. I feel happy when I see the pretty trinkets. I sometimes build outfits based on a necklace or pair of earrings.

Whimsical. I love the word and its meaning. I like whimsy in my life. I feel whimsical when I wear cute jewelry or use the Winky Lux Mer Kitten Eyeshadow Palette.

At Michaels, I bought a few cards of adhesive rhinestones. I stuck a green one by the corner of my right eye. I hoped Josh would like it. He did. Now where did I put those rhinestones?

Bruce and I went to see our third show of the season: Miss Saigon. I knew the plot but not the songs. We had an excellent cast and a massive ensemble. Our Chris had an astonishing voice. I need to see if he has an album. I'd love to hear him sing other showtunes. But the story is dark. Raunchy. Painful. Still--musical theatre tends to pry open my heart.

How I Feel about Office Supplies.

I've not worked in about four years, but office supplies are still important to me. Is it a writer thing? I know one does have to self-identify as a writer to obsess over pens and pencils.

In my first office as a full-time English professor, I barely personalized my space at all. I had a roommate, and I didn't want to be rude. But my boss was ordering pastel file folders, colorful sticky notes, and Precise VS RT pens in my favorite colors: purple and green.

I moved to a different office, and I decided to give some life to it. My roommate was a dude, but I didn't worry about that. I bought purple hanging folders, purple and aqua Poppin pens, matching stapler and tape dispenser, white desk organizers, and white metal pen cup and bookends. I even had a tiny chandelier (for a locker) under my hutch light. Everyone seemed amazed at the transformation, which surprised me.

I kept paperclips in a glitter snowflake votive holder. Silver paperclips were fine, but Target had purple and aqua--more fun for me and probably for my students. I brought crayons, especially glitter ones, to color through a withdrawn student's record to my grade book. It was much more cheerful than the depressing bblack-pen-crossing-out-my-retention method.

I got into sticky page flags when I started teaching literature. And I remembered a highlighter like a crayon that my mom used in her Bible. It never bled through, and it dried immediately. I recommended these gel highlighters to my students. Sharpie has them, but I like the slim build and the color choices of gel highlighters that are actual for Bible study. I've bought them for myself, for Josh, for Mom, and for Bruce.

I had some pretty page flags from Papaya Art (unfortunately, Papaya no longer sells the sticky flags), but I went wild over Girl of All Work's literary character flags. I have almost all the current sets, which include Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, and The Little Mermaid. I gave a couple of sets to Mom, who is much more of a reader than I am.

I'm all about special-effects pens, mostly glitter and metallic. I like to know how good all the brands are. Technology has clearly advanced; Gelly Rolls used to be my only way to go. But Pentel and Uni-Ball are catching up. I keep my pens in a series of pouches and mugs, some of which I've divided by color. I drain pens rather quickly. I pick a color and pen for each day.

When I left my job due to my illness, I took home everything I had bought. The desk organizers now hold makeup in my bathroom. The hanging folders hold a great many documents about Oliver and me. I bought those pens in pink and turquoise. I also have an emerald-shaped sticky note dispenser.

Office supplies, even tiny ones, can reshape the feel of a day. 

For more on office and writing supplies, go here and here.

Christmas Post Script 3: Greg and Susan.

On Saturday, Josh's parents stopped in on their way to hike at a national park. They are visiting every NC national park--a pretty cool goal.

As soon as they arrived, Oliver was going after a bag of small Reeses cups. We gave Greg a couple of plaque-style photos (these have been my gift of choice this year) and a photo mug that Josh designed. And we gave Susan two candles, a wine-themed Wallflower with peppermint refills, and a Grammy kitchen towel (which my mom found).

Greg and Susan gave Oliver some little art supplies, lots of graphic tees, and a set of shark pajamas. Zach and Cherylanne (and Harrison) gave Oliver a set of warm pajamas. He should be in much better condition with clothes now. Adam and Sarah gave us an Amazon gift card.

Greg and Susan gave us a large box of Lindt truffles (one of my favorites). They gave Josh some Charlotte Hornets merch. And they gave me a Bath and Body Works After the Snow candle (like a spicy campfire) and a journal with many funny cats, some dressed up. But here's the great detail: it's by Peter Pauper Press, and Susan remembered from my blog that PPP is one of my favorite (maybe the favorite) journal makers. I'd never seen that design before! I love it.

It was a brief but happy visit.

And there's Christmas.

Nourish/Challenge: Week 3.

I wrote a lot this past week. I responded to prompts I'd saved, some of which I may want to revisit and respond to again later in life.

I finished Louise Gluck's first book of poetry, Firstborn. I have a few more books of hers, so I'm now working on The House on Marshland. The new style is often a lovely challenge.

Going back through old issues of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, I was delighted to find the paper doll. I have always loved paper dolls. Several years ago, I was able to find and collect many of the fairy tale paper dolls I used to have. I want to look like that Snow White. I don't know what to do with them except gaze at them, and that's enough. But I would like to have a room wallpapered with beautiful paper dolls. Having these precious gems from my childhood nourishes me.

Bruce and I finished the Freakshow season of AHS. It does force me to think in new ways.

This past week, I kept up with my blog well. That was a challenge, but the required exploration and attention renew me.

On Saturday, Greg and Susan visited, and we had a good time. Social interaction with almost anyone is a challenge for me, but Josh's parents' warmth set me at ease. Plus, they gave a perfect combination: a candle and a journal!

Story Snippet: The Only Uzi.

I went to a large public school for my last two years of high school. I was mostly alone, but I found some younger people from my church youth group, so I ate lunch (Dad made me salami and American cheese on a hoagie) with them.

One of their friends, Evelyn, who was quite beautiful with pale skin and dark hair and eyes. I noticed that she always sparkled, around her eyes and down to her cheek. I was dazzled and had to ask what we was wearing.

She told me it was the eyeshadow Uzi by Urban Decay. And oh, as soon as I could, I went to Sephora and dropped 20 bucks or so for the silver shadow packed with silver glitter.

Urban Decay became my favorite prestige beauty brand, and I still love the glitter. Thanks, Evelyn.

Adult Language.

Grammar, word choice, and clichés torment me. I try to ignore them; I'm not teaching anymore. A decently-written blog post is all I can do. I was immersed in incorrect language for five years, trying to counteract the effect by reading. I try not to make the mistakes that would have driven me a little mad when I was teaching.

But I think I took on too much responsibility. I could nudge my students; I could lead by example. Ultimately, cleaning up English in general is not my job, and it is not my mission. I slowly peel away my death grip. I even loosen up with my own writing--dashes and sentence fragments appear often on my blog.

Ultimately, an adult decides how to speak and write, seeking help if necessary. I'm free of the massive load of constant proofreader and endless critic. I just have to remember that.

But I am happy to proofread and critique if someone asks me to. I can get back into that mode quickly.

Top Articles of Clothing.

Before I began teaching, I knew very little about dressing professionally or even casually. I usually wore jeans (Mudd, tight at the hips and oversized at the legs) with a tank top (such as Power Puff Girls) and Vans. My mom had to help me a lot and lend me a lot of her clothes. But I think I sort of developed a sense of style, and I enjoyed getting dressed for work. Now that I'm not working, I'm trying to have fun with clothes anyway. I'm an advocate and an individual. These are some of my favorite pieces right now.

• Emerald short-sleeve button-down top. This piece is not only gorgeous; it also has love attached. I've always loved the top that belonged to my mother. She let me wear it when I read at a graduating thesis reading. A few years ago, at a time of much pain, she gave the top to me. I plan to wear it to a show this season.
• Kut from the Kloth cuffed petite boyfriend jeans. I got these through Stitch Fix. They are so comfortable and always make me feel cute.
• Champagne knit cardigan. This 3/4-sleeve, pale cardigan is thick enough to warm me up, and it is covered with neutral glimmer. It's from The Limited, and I bought it well before Oliver was born. I loved it so much that I bought one for my mom too. If I could only have two cardigans (tears!), I would choose this one and...
• Charcoal gray sparkle open flutter cardigan. I found this at a Loft outlet years ago. I wear it with jeans or with a dress. It makes me feel like some kind of night fairy.
• Pinstripe leggings. These are from Loft (wait for those 40% off days!). They have an elastic waist but look like regular pants. They're comfortable, and I love pinstripes.
• Rose-pink velvet top with ruffled short sleeves and all-over glitter. I got this at Old Navy for $7! I l love pieces that really sparkle boldly, and the color is flattering.
• Baby pink sweater with white snowflakes. I found this on super sale at Loft. It's so pretty and cozy, and I'm way into pink right now. I've loved snowflakes since I was 12.
• Black hip-length cape. I bought this from Piperlime the winter after Oliver was born. I love the old-fashioned style. My childhood self would have wept with wonder to have this. I like honoring my childhood self when an opportunity arises.
• My lilac coat from Loft. I wore out my last coat, so I watched this one online until it was 50% off. The color is just lovely. The coat is heavy and war without feeling bulky. I no longer try to go out without a coat.
• Dark blue, Queen Anne neckline, white heart print dress. I love heart print, and it's so hard to find. I only had one heart-print cardigan, but then, my stylist at Stitch Fix found this dress! I'll wear it to shows and at any other time I can.

I'm thankful that lately, I've been able to buy some pieces that fit the current reality of my body. I feel blessed. Bigger sizes that fit well are so much better than smaller sizes that are miserable.

I'm figuring out how to be cute and comfortable just as I am.

Nourish/Challenge: Week 2.

Books are so often both challenge and nourishment. Bruce and I finished Acceptance, the last book of the Southern Reach Trilogy, this past week. I think we have read 18 books together. Amazing.

Counting Acceptance, I finished three books last week. I love it when that works out! I feel well-fed and ready to tackle this week's books. I read Mary Oliver's Winter Hours, which is prose and poetry, and Hint Fiction, full of tiny stories. I read an interesting range. To replace Winter Hours, I chose Sleep of Reason by Morrie Creech, who was my last small group leader at Queen's MFA program.

I've also been writing more than usual. I responded to six prompts, each of which will probably become a blog post. I responded to a prompt with a mini essay on mental illness, which became my first Water in a Wine Glass post in over a month. And I finished my red, polka dot journal. I filled it in just under a month, which is good lately.

I began reading the novel Sprite on my phone, I think I'll like it. I like reading something on my phone because it is always with me and because I can sometimes read while I put Oliver to bed.

I challenged myself to be a tiny bit more social, so I talked to a mom at Oliver's therapy office for half an hour. It was fun. I told funny stories about Oliver.

This last Saturday, Bruce and I saw Fiddler on the Roof. The choreography was my favorite part. I wore a burgundy dress from Stitch Fix with tall boots and my black cape. We have Miss Saigon in two weeks!

Josh's schedule allows him and me a lot of time together this semester. His presence, voice, and touch nourish me. I love our conversations and how we share silly videos. I hope we'll have some morning fires to sit by. I hope we'll get closer this semester.

I really had to push though the challenge of completing half of the goals on my weekly To-Do Wish List, but I got there on Sunday.

For this coming week, I want to hit the half way point of my weekly list--nourishment and challenges are built in.

Letting Go.

Though I was fairly submissive as a child, I've always been controlling to varying degrees. I pushed friends into making plays. I always had quite a vision.

This bossy attitude probably helped me handle teaching despite my introverted nature. But I noticed that everything was a little smoother when I calmed down.

I didn't like to share projects or ideas. I was usually confident in my abilities, and I rarely let anyone help me. This was especially true with Josh. If it was important, I wanted to do it myself. But one vivid memory I have marks when our relationship changed forever.

Josh had jut gotten laid off from the high school, and we were moving from a huge house to a tiny one. Almost everything was in the new house, so we were both cleaning the old one. He was upstairs, and I was cleaning the extra fridge downstairs. The electricity was already turned off. The heat and the smell of bleach were too much. I was about six months pregnant, and I knew I was doing something wrong, even dangerous to our baby. I told Josh I had to go to our new house, and that I needed him to take care of the cleaning.

I felt guilty and also struggled with relinquishing control over the situation. But Josh beamed. Once I was in my bed, we talked on the phone, and Josh still sounded so happy. He thanked me for letting him take care of something.

Since then, I've handed responsibilities to Josh and simply trusted him. I think it's been a gift for both of us.

My Obsessions.

My grandparents say that anything worth doing is worth doing to excess, and I think I've often lived that way.

One of my primary obsessions for most of my life has been musical theatre in general and The Phantom of the Opera in particular. For years, I played Broadway showtunes all day. It must have driven my parents crazy, especially since I sang along, but they were tolerant and even encouraging. I usually had a Walkman or Discman, so that helped.

If you look in the bottom drawer of my desk, you will see that I'm obsessed with pens and journals. In the past, no pen could really stand up to a Gelly Roll, but cheaper pens (and even the more expensive pens) have improved, so I loved trying new brands. You can read about journal shopping here.

I'm obsessed with movies. I'd love to study film--not the making but the appreciation. I no longer kick myself for wanting to watch a movie more than once, even if I'm watching it alone. I love thinking about the magic of certain elements of a film and how they affect the audience. I'm especially interested in the effects of horror films. What makes them interesting? I read a lot of plot summaries, but I am also brave enough to see scary movies.

I've been quite interested in learning about conjoined and parasitic twins for years. I especially think about how the twins would make life work for themselves. So many questions.

I love fairies, but I'm especially interested in mermaids right now. I have some books on them, and I want to read them all. I've always been more of a fairy girl, but in the last few years, I've become wild about mermaids. They have such dark and mysterious aspects.

I'm still crazy about snowflakes and statement necklaces and clothes that actually fit. I'll never get over those.

What are some of your enduring or of-the-moment obsessions?

What Oliver May Say about Me.

An optimistic take on what Oliver may say about me when he's an adult:

• My mom was weird and moody.
• My mom took a lot of medication but still struggled.
• My mom had collections of what she loved.
• My mom loved musical theatre and sometimes got obsessed.
• My mom scribbled so much every day.
• My mom read print and E-books daily.
• My mom had a lot of unique shoes.
• My mom could get stuck on her teaching years and my frightening birth.
• My mom moved slowly, as if her insides were especially delicate.
• My mom sang and danced for no reason.
• My mom loved all kinds of movies.
• My mom always told stories but sometimes got stuck or spoke too quickly.
• My mom liked to cuddle me because usually respected my space.
• My mom tried.

What I Most Want to Know about You.

I'm going to list the questions and then add answers. You can respond with your answers in the comments or on my Facebook link post. Or share with others! I believe that questions are love.

1. What are your top three favorite songs?
2. What foods make you feel peaceful?
3. What TV shows have really pierced you?
4. If you could wear any costume to a costume party, what would you choose?
5. If you could wear only one color for a year, what color would you choose?
6. What is your best garden- or flower-related memory?
7. If you had to kiss someone you don't know just once, whom would you choose?
8. If you could change one of your physical attributes, what would you change?
9. If you could suddenly possess one impressive skill, what would you choose?
10. If you could go anywhere in the world for two weeks, where would you go?
11. If you could hire a trained professional assistant, what sort would you choose?
12. What are your top three fictional characters?

1. What are your top three favorite songs? "Hysteria" by Def Leppard, the title song from Phantom, and Corrine Bailey Rae's "Paris Nights/New York Mornings."
2. What foods make you feel peaceful? Hmm...shells and cheese with broccoli, Mashhouse cheese grits, and Carrabbas Mezzaluna.
3. What TV shows have really pierced you? Black Mirror, Electric Dreams, X-Files
4. If you could wear any costume to a costume party, what would you choose? Hmm...probably Christine Daae in her costume and white robe.
5. If you could wear only one color for a year, what color would you choose? If I could wear colorful accessories, I'd choose black. If not, I'd choose green.
6. What is your best garden- or flower-related memory? My mom has always made beautiful gardens. I also have sweet memories of scribbling in a spiral notebook at the botanical gardens in Nashville.
7. If you had to kiss someone you don't know just once, whom would you choose? Probably Paul Rudd.
8. If you could change one of your physical attributes, what would you change? I'd be back to my pre-lithium weight. Perfect skin would be great too.
9. If you could suddenly possess one impressive skill, what would you choose? Playing the piano. 
10. If you could go anywhere in the world for two weeks, where would you go? The UK. England in particular.
11. If you could hire a trained professional assistant, what sort would you choose? Probably a cook. 
12. What are your top three fictional characters? Erik from Phantom, Anne from Green Gables, and Jane from Jane Eyre.

Christmas Post Script 2: Dad and Michelle.

After staying the night at Mom's, we had lunch with Dad and Michelle at a Chinese food and sushi place. I ordered crab rangoon since Oliver had (surprisingly) liked them in the past. He probably ate four of them. We know what to order now!

I gave Dad a hardcover anthology of short stories about robots and artificial intelligence (He has programmed and sold industrial robotics since I was little). And I gave him a big book of portraits of major comedians.

And I gave Michelle a lot of makeup, mostly types of eye makeup I've tried and liked. It's fun to have another family member who enjoys makeup.

Dad and Michelle had given our family a new laptop. I can easily do paperwork, research advocacy information, keep up with my blog, and watch movies. Dad and Michelle gave us some money for Oliver. Maybe we'll take Oliver to Target and just see what he likes. That should be interesting!

And when Dad told Oliver, "I love you," for the first time ever, Oliver said, "I love you" back.

Nourish/Challenge: Week 1.

I've finished my first week of Nourish/Challenge. I didn't finish any books this week, but I did read one-per-day-plus extra-short stories--Hint Fiction. I've nearly finished Mary Oliver's Winter Hours. I'm also almost done with the tiny-book-club pick Acceptance--the last book in a trilogy!

Right now, I feel the nourishment of reading more than the challenge, but staying on track is still difficult. I challenge myself to read for one hour without stopping. I'm usually so distracted even when I'm alone. I also need to push myself with my children's literature focus. I have chosen several books, and I need to get going.

I picked up 'Salem's Lot again after a long absence. I don't remember much, but the storytelling still draws me in. Right now, it's a treat.

I've been responding to many prompts in my journal--just ideas I write on the top of a blank page to address later. Many of my responses become blog posts. I think that challenging myself with some focused prompts is good for me. Some of the prompts come from questions or thoughts from other writers, so I feel they are challenging me.

I didn't make it halfway through my To-Do Wish List, but I worked hard at it. It's time to make a new list, a new challenge. I also need to watch for or create nourishment--scraps of time with Josh, talking and good TV with Bruce, phone calls with Mom, enjoying good magazines before Oliver shreds them, and reading something sweet.

Christmas Post Script: With Mom and Shane.

We visited Mom and Shane at their new house when Oliver was feeling better. The house is tiny, a cottage really, and it's adorable. The storage is amazing. Mom and I were quickly ready to open presents. Here are some highlights.

Mom and Shane gave Oliver a little fire station with a fire truck. He loves fire trucks.

We gave Shane some plaque-style photos, maybe for his office, and some caramel and chocolate.

I gave Mom a blush palette (since she's off the shadow), Stila lip glosses, and lilac luxuries (one of her favorite scents).

Mom and Shane gave Josh North Carolina-themed apparel and décor, which he always likes.

They gave me some theatre clothes: a gray skirt, black and purple floral top, and silver glitter top. Shane found a blue, white, and gold water bottle with a seahorse on it! I love it. Mom found mermaid notebooks and sticky flags. Mermaids have been a major theme this year, and I love it.

Mom agreed to watch The Space between Us, one of my favorites, and it meant a lot to me. She even liked it!

Mom had some magazines for Oliver to shred.

The weather was gloomy, but we were happy.

Christmas Day: With the Boys.

Because Oliver was sick, the boys and I ended up having Christmas at home, just us, for the first time. It was mostly relaxed. Oliver just lay on the floor by his presents when he got too tired.

He woke around 5 a.m., and around 7 a.m., we decided to go ahead, sit by our forlorn tree, and open gifts. We gave Oliver family photo plaques from Shutterfly--almost indestructible. We gave him a plastic helmet like Super Grover's. Oliver has liked hats since he was tiny. We gave him a wooden car carrier with emergency response vehicles. And we gave him a Super Grover pillow and a Super Grover tee with Oliver embroidered on it. He didn't seem especially excited about any of it, but we tried!

I gave Josh a couple of fun T-shirts, a couple of plaque photos for his office, an absurd retelling of a Muppets' Phantom, and a mostly-out-of-print collection of novelizations of Jim Henson films. I was pretty excited about the hardcover box set, and Josh did seem to like it.

Josh gave me several gifts; I'll just tell you about a few of them. He gave me silver star or snowflake dangly earrings from Loft. I love them! I like how they look against (or tangled in) my dark hair. He gave me Fragrant Jewels ring bath bombs, mostly for snowflake rings). He gave me a PaperBlanks journal (fancy!) with silver filigree over deep pink. I'd wanted it for years! And he gave me The Mermaid Handbook. So I had one mermaid book already, and now, I have one from Bruce and another from Josh. I'll have to make a goal to learn all about mermaids in 2019.

So we had a quiet day and didn't expect much of ourselves. We ate the dinner snacks we had bought for our guests, and Josh donated our big Cracker Barrel holiday meal. But Christmas wasn't over!

Restoration: Week 52.

This past week has been a little crazy. Oliver got pink eye and a stomach virus, and he was getting dehydrated. So Josh's parents didn't come as we'd planned. We had our first Christmas at home, and it was just us. We didn't mind.

On Friday and Saturday, we got to see my patchwork family (except my brother :( ). Mom and Shane have a charming, tiny new house. Mom showed me her beautiful bitsy craft room, which encouraged me to take my creativity seriously and reminded me of the importance of ribbon and glitter.

Mom agreed to watch The Space between Us, a movie I just love. And she liked it!

We had a nice lunch with Dad and Michelle. I gave Michelle eye makeup--presents don't get much more fun than that!

I wore pink and glitter during the whole trip!

A Bold Reader: Week 52.

This was my final week of the A Bold Reader series. I think I have become more confident as a reader. My goal was to read 50 books. I read 50 and increased my goal to 60. I read a total of 61! Compared to last year's 20-something read list, that is pretty amazing.

I'll still be ambitious with books, but I'm going to add reading updates to my weekly word-of-the-year posts instead of having two recurring weekly posts.

I didn't finish any books this past week, but I did make progress. Bruce and I will finish Acceptance soon, and he's already ordered copies of our next book. I like having that extra motivation.

It's time for me to set my GoodReads goal--50 books--which I hope to surpass. What is your goal?

Word of the Year: 2019.

Last year, my word was Restoration. I blogged about it weekly, and I think I made a lot of progress and discoveries. 2017's word was Delight, which was as much about paying attention as about finding or making new sources of delight. A few years ago, my word was Invest, and I put more effort and energy into becoming the person I want to be.

This year, I've decided to cheat a bit. I'm going to have two words but treat them as one motivator and dream. Some of you may have read my blog post "Nourish and Challenge." Now, Nourish/Challenge will be my double word. They are each essential to the other, and I didn't feel I should separate them. Here are some ways I can use the companion words.

• Read hard and often. Read tough and read delighted. Don't put off special or intimidating books. Reading can be both the nourish and the challenge. 
• Continue with my goals and rituals. The year is beginning with children's literature. The challenge is convincing myself to quit whatever I'm doing and read. Children's lit should be bright if I surrender to it.
• Finish reading the Bible. I plan to do this by my birthday. It's certainly challenging, but it's also nourishing in its hope.
• Pour out affection. Everyone needs it in some form. It's a challenge, especially since I'm kind of reserved, but giving always nourishes the heart.
• Challenge myself to exercise often and eat well. I need to take care of my body, and I hope to lose significant weight this year.
• Do creative work of some kind. Send some of it out.
• Nourish myself with movies, good shows, and musical theater. They seem to light up new parts of my brain and heart.
• Maintain and nourish my most important relationships.
• Check etsy for an engraved coin with Nourish on one side and Challenge on the other. A little reminder.

Please, tell me your word for the year!