If I Were Suddenly Rich.

 Here's what I'd do, not necessarily in this order:

1. Pay off credit card debt.
2. Pay off car.
3. Pay off Josh's student loans.
4. Pay off medical bills.
5. Buy second car outright.
6. Save a house down payment.
7. Buy the rest of the art I want, especially by Joy Laforme, Annie Stegg, Bella Pilar, and Amy Brown.
8. Buy pens, journals, and accessories from the Quirky Cup Collective (a very cool Australian stationery designer).
9. Set up trust for Oliver.
10. Made and send more comfort kits to the border.
11. Save more.
12. Buy Pottery Barn bookcases.
13. Buy new mattress for our room.
14. Buy a new couch: velvet in purple or green, probably.
15. Have a working fireplace.
16. Buy new dryer with no buzzer and give away our old one.
17. Buy Strand Bookstore swag.
18. Travel to indie bookstores in North Carolina and buy T-shirts.
19. Get a personalized bookplate stamp.
20. Get fancy therapy for Josh's PTSD.
21. Buy all the good Bath and Body Works candles and Wallflowers (on sale, of course).
22. Go on a massive BJ's shopping trip.
23. Plan a trip to New York.
24. Fly to Nashville to go to Parnassus Books and other indie bookstores in the area.
25. Take Josh to all the races.
26. Donate 1/10 to El Refugio, Red Cross, etc.
27. Set aside money for taxes.
28. Set up a savings account for Mom so she could work less.
29. Hire a respite care worker for Saturday mornings and one evening a week.
30. Buy CFRT season tickets.
31. Hire someone to clean twice a week.
32. Go to shows in Charlotte.
33. Buy a lot of the books and tools on my Writer's Wish List.
34. Go to Francesca Lia Block's in-person writing retreats/workshops.
35. Take all the creative writing classes that interest me.
36. Buy most of my books at indie bookstores.
37. Buy sparkly holiday season clothes at Loft.
38. Buy wide-calf, tall, gray boots.
39. Knock out my Atlas Stationer's wish list (mostly inks).
40. Buy a Sailor Slim Zoom nib fountain pen.
41. Get Chinese food once a week.
42. Get Panera once a week.
43. Have lunch and coffee alone at Barnes once a week.
44. Buy Josh all the books on his TBR list.
45. Buy all my favorite books in hardcover.
46. Buy fresh flowers weekly.
47. Go to Carrabbas with Josh once a month.
48. Take Bruce out to eat.
49. Buy an extra DPAC season ticket for Corey.
50. Pay someone to do occupational therapy at our house.
51. Self-publish beautiful books.
52. Go on two writing retreats (in person!) a year.
53. Open an independent book/coffee/stationery/yarn shop with the guys.
54. Direct a play just for fun and pay everyone.
55. Have a shallow pool for Oliver.
56. Have a small but deep pool for my treading.
57. Take Josh to sports ball games.
58. Buy a Madame Alexander Scarlett Cissy doll.
59. Be a patron for one of my favorite artists (kind of doing this with Amy Brown's Patreon!).
60. Buy a powerful laptop with no lagging.
61. Visit all the bookstores writers mention in My Bookstore.
62. Sponsor a library.
63. Buy a quilt or comforter to switch our each month.
64. Have a walk-in linen closet.
65. Really decorate inside and out for Christmas.
66. Buy Broadway show swag.
67. Buy a better printer.
68. Get a better system to deal with Oliver's bed wetting.
69. Buy a pull-out loveseat for the study (velvet in a fun color).
70. Buy Bruce all the yarn he could ever use.
71. Double date with Bruce and Corey.
72. Buy a lifetime supply of Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy lip balm.
73. Get my MA in children's lit.
74. Get my Ph.D in English.
75. Have a walk-in makeup closet.
76. Have a dressing room.
77. Buy a Pottery Barn Teen vanity.
78. Have a skating rink.
79. Buy a selection of wild rollerskates.
80. Buy personalized journals from Papier.
81. Buy several inks from the 2023 Diamine Inkvent calendar.
82. Have a walk-in pantry.
83. Buy a heated blanket for every room.
84. Buy Josh the finest vegan cheese and vegetarian meals.
85. Have a small closet just for candles and Wallflowers.
86. Have a soaking tub.
87. Have a walk-in closet just for journals and pens.
88. Build a perfect house with all of this.
89. Buy Shutterfly plaques of my special photos--no more glass.
90. Buy massive art books.
91. Take art history classes.
92. Support Josh in getting his MA in history or his Ph.D in English.
93. Go to New York City once a year.
94. Go to the UK with Josh and see shows in London.
95. Buy all the Bestsey Johnson jewelry I like and put it on display.
96. Have a small birthday party for Oliver each year.
97. Buy a new white dresser for our room.
98. Buy a second white dresser for Josh.
99. Enter all the writing contests.
100. Go to writing residencies.

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Self-Care for Difficult Months.

 March is a tough month for me. I didn't even recognize it this year until I had five panic attacks in three weeks. Bewildered, I finally remembered that March is full of difficult anniversaries for me. My mind hadn't remembered, but my body certainly had. Now, I'm through March, but May is another painful month. So, I started thinking, how can I prepare for and get through a difficult month?

• Stay aware. I don't need to dread March or May, but I should be conscious of them in case my body or moods have strange reactions.
• Light candles downstairs.
• Light a candle in our bedroom.
• Eat fruit.
• Eat vegetables.
• Capture morning sunshine, opening the shutters in my bedroom or sitting out on the front porch.
• Go for walks. Notice flowers.
• Do yoga with a soothing audio book (right now, I'm listening to Madeleine L'Engle's The Irrational Season).
• Ask for wing rubs. I've been storing a lot of stress in my upper back between each shoulder blade and my spine. That is where I figure my wings would sprout.
• Listen to a soothing book and do nothing. Don't worry about drifting off...I can always hit the 30-second rewind until I get to a passage I recognize.
• Go to bed early. It's okay to put a day, with all its frustrations and inadequate accomplishments, to rest.
• Shower early in the day. I'm terrible about waiting until afternoon or night; it's better to feel fresh longer.
• Look at art with Josh.
• Sit with Josh on the couch or love seat instead of alone in my armchair.
• Take a nap, bundled up or spread out.
• Take pain medication for persistent tension.
• Watch a favorite movie. I did this around Christmas (Little Women--the version doesn't matter), and it felt wonderful.
• Read Alexandra Stoddard, my favorite interior-designer-cum-philosopher.
• Allow myself to do nothing (not even listen to a book).
• Redirect sad or fearful thoughts. I'm working on that one.
• Give myself time to rest and heal, communicating with someone I trust or with a therapist.
• Tell Josh how I feel. It's not so hard. "I'm feeling...."
• Cut pretty images out of magazines.
• Get lost in a novel. I'm almost afraid to do this in the same way I used to be afraid of listening to Broadway showtunes--fearful of feeling too much or becoming too engaged. But why shouldn't I feel and engage?
• Look at my library. It's pretty great, full of potential, and some of it is in rainbow order.
• Take deep breaths. This sounds obvious, but it real does help me.
• Drink extra water.
• Take bubble baths and read, preferably an "easy" book.
• Pray.
• Have a conversation with a close friend, whether or not we discuss what's bothering me directly.
• Work on notes for what I can discuss in therapy.
• Put stickers in a journal, admiring my collections.
• Flip through magazines, just to see the pictures. I can read everything later.
• Wear bathrobes for simplicity and warmth.
• Work under my heated throw. Heat calms me.
• Show Josh my tickle itches (I'm addicted to soft, tickling touches, and I often want them in a specific place, like a spot on my back that I can't reach).
• Put on perfume. I so often forget this.
• Respond to writing prompts. Bella Grace Field Guide to Everyday Magic is a great source.
• Make lists. It comforts me (clearly).
• Read an inspriational gift book--just color and quotations or affirmations. Compendium makes the best ones.
• Work for at least thirty minutes. That way, I feel like I've done something even if I can't tackle all my tasks at once.
• Loosen jaw. I'm a terrible clencher.
• Eat a turkey, gouda, tomato, and pesto sandwich.
• Talk about what I'm reading (or about what I'm reading with Josh or Bruce).
• Transfer wish lists from my journal (usually the back page) to Amazon or GoodReads.
• Eat comfort carbs.
• Drink less caffeine.
• Concentrate on how many months or years have passed since the trauma.
• Boil eggs for breakfast, easy and filling.
• Concentrate on loving thoughts.
• Identify planks in the bridges of relationships I'm trying to repair.
• Sleep on fresh sheets.
• Learn an interesting new word, maybe in another language.
• Go to Barnes.
• Plan budgets for peace of mind.
• Look at blank journals (in boxes under my bed, in the linen closet, in the wardrobe...). I have so many beautiful ones just waiting.
• Read Somerset magazines (Bella Grace, In Her Studio, Art Journaling).
• Read Enchanted Living, especially the new book-lovers issue.
• Adjust air/heat, blankets, and clothes until I feel perfectly comfortable with the termperature.
• Wash dishes with warm water.
• Eat rock candy (a good distraction).
• Trim nails so snags or rough edges don't annoy me.
• Be naked whenever possible (those sweet hours between when Oliver goes to sleep and when he wakes up in the middle of the night).
• Take two Xanax and insist on going to sleep when panicked.
• Ask for deep kisses.
• Don't exhaust myself in the mornings. It's okay to take it slow.
• Don't focus too much on the chart (my list of goals I'd ideally reach every day). Track but don't count.
• Share something with Josh: an idea, an artwork, a song, a memory.
• Read poetry: really get into it.
• Read poems aloud to Josh, even if he falls asleep. Taste the words.
• Do one little task. Put away one object.
• Focus on making a single healthy or happy choice.
• Type my poems, which are languishing in my journals).
• Sit in the sun or turn on my SAD lamp.
• Wear my beloved star coatigan.
• Don't let a headache go on.  Take something.
• Ask for specific rubs. I'm sometimes tense in my lower back, in my wings, or in my neck.
• Listen to my body. Hunger, thirst, anxiety, fatigue...
• Turn of fans if the noise or cold bothers me.
• Focus on what IS real or genuine.
• Turn on more lights.
• Stretch ankles.
• Sleep in.
• Eat soup.
• Work in bed.
• Keep glasses on and up to avoid headaches.
• Listen to the wood-wick candle.
• Play a fireplace video, if only for the crackling.
• Ask for deep kisses.
• Choose to believe.
• Listen to a book or have a conversation during a shower (often a difficult task for me).
• Drink juice.
• Read love letters.
• Look at wild violets.
• Stand still in a hot shower.
• Write love notes.
• Look at photos of flowers (I have a few books, such as New York in Bloom). 
• Look at monochromatic or rainbow art. Grouped colors soothe me.
• Notice all the pink in a room.
• Drink from a wine glass.
• Request all-over tickles.
• Speak my truth.
• Give myself credit for the good I've done.
• Focus on good anniversaries and celebrations.
• Read my quotation books.
• Have and show self-compassion.
• Read something comforting, like one of those little novels about a bookshop.
• Make tea just to breathe in its steam.

Defining Elegance.

•  Graceful middle age
• Loving acceptance
• Forgiveness without resentment
• Pearls, especially gray ones
• Absorbing art
• Pegacorns
• A stack of journals with striking spines
• Painting
• Argyle sweaters and socks
• Sparkling water
• Sparkling juice
• Lilac candles
• Mermaids wearing gowns
• Warm Vanilla Sugar hand soap on a pedestal sink
• Peacoats
• Antiques
• Design books
• Scarlett O'Hara
• Architecture
• Opera glasses
• Capes
• Somerset magazines
• Jane Austen novels
• Chandeliers
• The Majestic Theatre
• Seahorses
• Reclining heated seats at movie theaters
• Emma Thompson
• Judy Dench
• Leslie Caron
• Fountain pens
• Couches with large scroll arms
• Sparkling hair
• Black gel ink
• The film The Fountain
• Slipper chairs
• Anne Shirley grown up
• Anything embroidered
• Light blue sequins
• Fairy queens and elfin queens
• A silver butterfly letter holder
• Mucha art/art nouveau
• Art Deco (though in a different way)
• New York City's skyline
• Heels that sparkle
• Dolls with trunk sets
• Glinda
• Pan au chocolat
• A cloche hat
• Wisteria
• High tea
• Chocolate eyeliner
• Star gazing
• All shades of green
• A consistent sleep schedule
• Alexandra Stoddard
• Drinking water
• Julia Cameron
• Madeleine L'Engle
• Upholstered bar chairs
• A well-read person
• White wood
• Cinderella
• A library
• Working at a white table
• Gray curtains with pink stars
• Anniversary cards
• Script
• "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"
• White roses
• Pink roses with baby's breath
• Any of ALW's music
• The book Wintering
• Dodie Smith
• A chilly breeze on the first day of spring
• Willow trees

What I Always Feel Good About Later.

•  Reading a novel for hours at a time
• Listening to an audio book while I drive
• Listening to an audio book while I do chores
• Listening to an audio book while I do yoga
• Listening to a audio book while I walk
• Taking a walk
• Buying someone a present
• Writing in pink
• Buying clothes that sparkle
• Reading in a hot bubble bath
• Reading Alexandra Stoddard
• Reading Helen Oyeyemi
• Reading poetry
• Writing five pages in my journal daily
• Writing a poem
• Writing a blog post
• Sending a submission
• Eating fruit
• Eating vegetables
• Eating soup
• Reading aloud to the boys
• Reading children's literature
• Running laundry
• Putting away laundry
• Organizing anything
• Responding to discussion board posts
• Clearing my work inbox
• Clearing my "Needs Grading" page
• Asking for tickles
• Taking a nap with Josh
• Turning in final grades
• Kissing Josh
• Talking casually with Josh
• Buying good lip balm (Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy!)
• Buying philosophy 3-in-1 gels
• Writing a story
• Reading diaries, including my own
• Making a credit card payment
• Subscribing to a magazine
• Setting up/skipping Amazon subscriptions
• Cutting up magazines
• Decorating or putting up art
• Making a collage
• Buying tissues with lotion
• Going to a bookstore
• Going to Michael's or another art supply store
• Going to Sephora
• Putting stickers in a journal
• Opening new stickers
• Reading a magazine
• Reading about books/bookstores/libraries/reading
• Reading about food
• Drinking a favorite coffee
• Lighting candles
• Making a to-do list
• Planning the remaining hours in my day
• Making a joyful list like this one
• Cleaning a toilet
• Cooking for Josh
• Listening to music
• Watching a movie
• Shopping for and buying art
• Shopping for and buying books
• Having a book budget
• Buying groceries
• Finding Oliver's Gatorade
• Cleaning and filling fountain pens
• Buying ink
• Wearing stars
• Wearing my tall black boots
• Dusting my hair with glitter
• Starting the dishwasher
• Being intimate
• Going to aquariums
• Staying at an Air BnB
• Sitting near a fire
• Buying scented candles
• Buying scented hand soaps
• Celebrating any little thing
• Buying Wallflower bulbs
• Buying something for Oliver's classroom
• Placing a BJ's pick-up order
• Walking around a town with Josh
• Getting Oliver to sing
• Meeting my step goal
• Meeting my stair goal
• Highlighting a goal on my chart
• Putting together comfort kits
• Deciding not to buy clothes I can't afford
• Looking at art: online, in person, in books
• Looking at Valentine's Day decor
• Going downtown
• Flossing
• Writing down quotations
• Highlighting or annotating a book
• Reading a book with Josh
• Reading a book with Bruce
• Cleaning my glasses
• Taking Tylenol
• Taking Xanax
• Taking my meds on time
• Finding something funny to send to Josh or Bruce
• Talking to my mom on the phone
• Submitting taxes
• Rereading a favorite book
• Rereading via audio books
• Sharing a passion
• Cleaning out the basket on Josh's desk
• Sleeping in
• Taking a nap
• Taking a shower
• Cuddling under my heated blanket
• Snuggling with my baby blanket
• Drinking out of my DPAC cups
• Buying pajamas
• Buying cute socks
• Sharing a wish list
• Carrying a big purse or tote bag
• Wearing Strand swag
• Turning on my little pink chandelier
• Closing closet doors
• Receiving a package
• Opening the blinds/shutters/curtains
• Opening a window
• Opening my car windows to get direct sunshine
• Taking sunshine naps or just lying down in sunlight
• Buying Kate Spade outlet items
• Wearing glitter on my skin
• Wearing my star coatigan
• Going to a show
• Bringing a drink in the car
• Drinking water
• Drinking Gatorade Zero
• Drinking apple juice
• Drinking a soda or apple juice when I first wake up
• Stretching
• Doing yoga
• Buying pens
• Finishing my Christmas shopping
• Getting a good massage
• Settling down to sleep
• Taking sleep meds
• Washing my face
• Using a Noxema pad
• Buying leather (boots, pen cases, bags)
• Wearing glittens
• Taking off my clothes at home
• Not wearing a bra
• Putting up trees or lights
• Buying used books
• Buying former library books
• Finishing a book
• Catching up with my reading goal
• Holding hands with Josh or Olvier
• Talking to my brother
• Calling my doctor
• Getting home
• Having time alone
• Picking up Josh
• Picking up Oliver
• Seeing Josh come home
• Getting an E-mail from Josh
• Changing the sheets
• Putting on lotion
• Sitting in the study
• Cleaning up our room
• Sharing a bed with Josh
• Snuggling with the blanket Bruce made me
• Talking to a friend
• Confessing
• Tutoring
• Meeting with a student
• Putting on socks
• Recording attendance
• Grading journal entries
• Spraying Febreze
• Listening to a piano
• Dancing
• Singing for myself
• Answering creative questions
• Asking creative questions
• Putting on my glasses
• Buying special journals
• Shaving, unless I cut myself
• Using tweezers
• Eating soup
• Eating sausage
• Eating pepperoni
• Eating salami
• Eating Gouda, brie, or feta
• Putting Parmesan on something
• Taking a break
• Letting Josh do something for me
• Remembering New York City
• Looking at a souvenir program
• Looking at my Facebook memories
• Buying a Peter Pauper Press journal
• Buying stickers
• Reading a library book
• Going to the library
• Writing neatly
• Writing a letter, postcard, or E-mail
• Talking to Megan
• Getting a text from Bruce
• Wearing sweatpants
• Taking off my socks at night
• Looking at my dolls
• Turning the calendar page
• Starting a new month
• Going to bed early
• Choosing my word of the year
• Clipping my nails
• Finishing a journal
• Finishing anything--a bottle of shower gel, a jug of water
• Buying artists' work on Etxy or through their websites
• Falling asleep
• Decorating with snowflakes
• Literally leaving sparkle wherever I go
• Reading late
• Wearing pajamas around the house
• Finding love notes
• Making travel plans
• Following a writing prompt
• Wearing fleece or velour
• Buying a new wall calendar
• Buying Betsey Johnson jewelry
• Starting a new journal
• Buying Papaya! art products
• Wearing a dress
• Buying Girl of All Work page flags
• Receiving presents
• Buying illustrated books, especially fairy tales
• Adding something pink to a room
• Wearing socks Josh bought for me
• Switching up my comforter/quilt with the seassons
• Putting Oliver to bed
• Enjoying the two or three hours after Oliver goes to bed
• Going to the Disney Store
• Going to Loft
• Reading a graphic novel
• Reading Neil Gaiman
• Putting up fairy art
• Culling Oliver's clothes
• Going to 2nd & Charles
• Listening to Broadway showtunes
• Using mouthwash
• Looking at a tree
• Arriving early
• Attending writing workshops or seminars
• Typing a poem
• Using something beautiful instead of saving it
• Writing descriptions
• Using a rainbow metal straw
• Arranging books in rainbow order
• Recycling cardboard
• Turning off a fan when I leave a room
• Completely cleaning the house with Josh
• Catching up on laundry or dishes, if only for a moment
• Switching to a new hand towel
• Listening to a wood-wick candle
• Putting up chandelier art
• Drinking lemonade
• Finding wisteria
• Finding wild violets
• Finding daffodils and pansies
• Paying attention to flowers at the grocery store
• Snuggling
• Paying attention to the changing of the seasons

Our Study.

I'll describe the study. I'm sitting on the loveseat, which is pink velvet with throw pillows. One pill is pink and says, She Leaves a Little Sparkle Wherever She Goes. That's a theme throughout the house. One is green and says, You Are Magical. Another is pink and says Merry Everything. The last is white with a painting from the Etsy shop A Thing Created: a girl with pink hair, wearing black and white, holding a book, and standing at one end of a library wall of bookcases, inset lights, and cushioned chairs. On either side of the loveseat is a small white end table with two shelves. One holds magazines (I'm so behind!); the other holds boxes of pens and a white basket full of more pens. The double window is behind the loveseat and looks out on the porch. It catches the morning sunlight. Next to each end table is a tall white bookcase. Both hold unread books. One holds a variety of books with decorative boxes on top (receipts, doll clothes, art supplies). One holds short story collections and various pen displays and has two Robin Woods dolls at the top: a dark-haired princess with a silky blue gown and a navy velvet cape with silver lining and trim--Mom gave me the doll and made the clothes for Christmas one year when I was younger than ten--the other doll is a Cinderella with a full trunk and wardrobe. She's wearing the pink gown she made herself. In front of the loveseat is a turquoise velvet ottoman with a turquoise and gold tray. 

The wall to my left is largely an opening from the foyer. The the left of it is a small canvas, light blue with So Many Books--So  Little Time in lettering by Risa Rodil. Beneath that is a hook for Josh's Camelbak. Our yoga mats are rolled up in the corner. The boys' backpacks usually end up there too. Above the entry from the foyer is a dark wooden sign that says Librairie: Rare Books & Fine Prints, 227 Rue Cler, est. in 1801. We found it at Target long ago. To the right of the entrance is a teal metal bar cart that I use for books, especially library books. Above that is a cluster of Josh's hats on hooks. In the center is a purple poster I made on Shutterfly many years ago. It says Read: Books Rock, and it has photos of Josh, tiny Oliver, and I interacting with books. Our weights are in the corner (yes, the study doubles as a gym). 

The wall facing the loveseat has a mint and peach canvas that says Be in Love with Your Life, another Target find. Next is a small accordion doorway to the kitchen. Josh has a chin-up bar there, and above it is a Charlotte Hornets locker room sign. Next is the huge desk Josh's grandfather made for him long ago. It's dark wood with gold drawer pulls for eight little drawers. On the desk is a two-foot faux white birch tree with white lights. Centered above the desk is a lavender Joy Laforme canvas. It shows a night sky and purple, pink, blue, and gray skyscrapers of New York City with a street full of taxis, red brake lights bright. You'd swear life is going on beyond some of the glowing windows. Clustered around the canvas are various sports-team pennants; a purple magnetic marker board; a small canvas in white, pink, and gold that says, She Leaves a Little Sparkle Wherever She Goes; a quotables card ("Life is a beautiful, magnificent thing." --Charlie Chaplin); a very old watercolor self-portrait of mine; three collages I made between the ages of eighteen and twenty (rainbow, pink/green, and purple); and a personalized print from A Thing Created with six of my favorite books: Jane Eyre, The Phantom of the Opera, Writing Down the Bones, Dangerous Angels, Sense and Sensibility, and Never Let Me Go. Next to the desk is Josh's dark wood, open bookcase, which currently holds nonfiction books I've not read yet in rainbow order. Above it is a canvas with pink French books on display as if in a sidewalk stall. 

The wall to my right is probably my favorite. In the center is the white secretary desk my mom and stepdad gave me for a birthday present several years ago. I decorated it with pastel crystal drawer pulls. Atop the desk is a pink vase of faux pink and purple hydrangeas and a lovely Madame Alexander Scarlett O'Hara doll in an elaborate green Christmas dinner gown. Above the desk is an ivory canvas with a gold chandelier dripping crystal. I'd like to have a chandelier painting (since, in most cases, I can't have a real chandelier) in every room. To the left of the desk is a skinny, pink and white five-shelf bookcase. On it are nonfiction books I haven't read in rainbow order. Above the bookcases is a pink Joy Laforme canvas of a pink New York City residential building with flowering trees and a dense, bright garden. Taxis line the street, but the overall effect is pink. Next to the canvas is a little note from long-ago Josh: You are the most beautiful girl. It's on notepaper with a Mary Engelbreit image of a boy with dark, curly hair riding a crowned seahorse. I looked at that image while I was in labor, counting details in my head during contractions. Off to this side is a wheeled desk chair--white wood and bright green upholstery. To the right of the desk is another skinny pink and white bookcase, holding unread fiction and poetry in no particular order. Above this is a painting we call "The Pink Lady." It is an antique Josh bought at Sleep Poet's antique store with a gift card from my mom. In a gilt frame on ivory and pink matting is a woman in a pink dress and fur stole. Her auburn hair is in a bun, and she's holding a bouquet of pink flowers. 

That is our study, the room in which we spend most of our waking hours at home together. It's busy, but it's bright and beautiful--just what I like: a fanciful display of both of us. 

Reading Themes and Goals for 2024.

My primary reading goal for 2024 is to read 100 books. But I have a lot of ideas about what kinds of books I want to read. Here are most of the themes, authors, and topics on which I want to focus.

• Journals and Diaries.
• Books on Journaling.
• Poets' Memoirs and Biographies.
• Books on Reading/Books/Bookselling.
• Books on French Lifestyles/Travels to France.
• Books on Food, Especially Poetry.
• Books on Writing Poetry.
• Books by Helen Oyeyemi.
• Books in Seasonal Genres (Winter: Children's Literature; Spring: Young Adult Literature; Summer: Short Story Collections; Fall: Nonfiction).
• 30 Books of Poetry in April,
• 31 Books of Poetry in October.
• Books by Alexandra Stoddard.
• Books by Jill Bialosky.
• Books by Joseph Bathanti.
• Books by Kay Redfield Jamison.
• Memoirs and Essays on Motherhood.