Hailey Hudson's Blog, page 17

Blogmas 2021 Day 19

I didn’t make it to church this morning; I was tired and kind of grumpy and needed a day at home. I had another quiet morning in bed researching hourly planners, reading, doing Scripture memory, etc. Around noon I moved to my desk and did a client analysis spreadsheet. I’m very happy with the amount of monthly retainer clients, my projected average monthly income, and my projected average number of work hours per month moving into 2022.

I tidied up the apartment and then had to go back to bed, where I watched YouTube and finished reading my book.

I tried to take a nap, too, but the novel I’m plotting was writing itself in my head. So I got up, took a shower, and settled down at my window to write for a couple of hours. I’m not planning to start drafting until the New Year–I still have brainstorming and outlining to do. But somehow, especially now that I’m in Christmas break mode, my brain has started drafting without my permission. This is normally why it doesn’t work for me to plot or outline–books just start writing themselves in my head regardless of whether I’m done planning them or not! Anyway, I did also get a lot of quality plotting done, and it’s exciting to see this story coming together.

yes, that candle did in fact almost burn down my blinds before I realized it wasn’t a good idea to have it right there. don’t be like me.

This evening, after finishing up a few household and medical things, I wrote some letters and Christmas cards and now I am collapsing in bed.

Today I’m grateful for: The perfect opportunity to donate all of the socks I cleaned out this week to someone who needs them.

Check out Blogmas Day 19 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 18 (Spider-Man: No Way Home)

I had a nice quiet morning in bed drafting book blog posts (and getting excited about all the awesome 2022 releases–again, this is the best part of Christmas break), scheduling some Diamonds social media posts, and reading. I was very tired from last night and from this whole week, but despite all of the walking I did last night, I was barely in any pain–this one new med I started a couple of months ago is amazing. (My cat didn’t enjoy the morning in bed as much as I did. This is what she does when she wants me to get up and open the blinds so she can look out. She sat there like that for a solid ten minutes.)

This afternoon Joshua and I went to see Spider-Man: No Way Home. Y’all, I cannot DESCRIBE my level of excitement for this film, especially after hearing rave reviews about it the past two days. I was really, really, really, freaking excited. And IT. BLEW. MY. MIND. I literally ugly sobbed through the last fifteen minutes. I have SO many thoughts I want to share, but I don’t want to spoil anything. So… just suffice to say that the critics who are calling this the best Marvel movie of all time are not wrong. This is the kind of movie that reminds me why I want nothing more than to tell stories forever.

Today I’m grateful for: My dad coming over at 7:30 PM to help me clean up my cat, who had a Situation that needed to be taken care of before I would let her on my bed.

Check out Blogmas Day 18 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 17 (Victorian Christmas)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year–the time when I put too many books on hold at the library for Christmas break. Lol. After a nice slow morning in bed, I got up and wrote a pet blog post, and then I was officially on Christmas break until January 3rd! (Which currently seems like forever away, but I’m sure the time will fly.)

I celebrated by cleaning out my sock drawer. I had 91 pairs of socks–which, yes, I was embarrassed by–and narrowed it down to ~50. (Which, yes, I’m still embarrassed by.) I was feeling really tired and rough after that. I finished writing a devotional for Chronic Joy and then rested in bed until it was time to get ready to go.

Tonight my dad and I went up to my favorite place: the Hardman Historic Site, which inspired the novel Things We’ve Lost that I wrote this fall. The site was having a Victorian Christmas event! We walked through the mansion, where there were actors in period dress portraying the 1800s family who used to live in the house, and around the property; my dad had just finished reading my book, and it was so fun to show him everything in the real life equivalent. Walking around was difficult and exhausting for me, and I was pretty unsteady and dizzy and glad to collapse into a horse-drawn wagon. We headed home early evening. It was such a cool event!

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Today I’m grateful for: My TWL beta readers who have been so helpful and encouraging.

Check out Blogmas Day 17 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 16 (voice lesson)

This week I’ve been waking up at 4 AM and not falling back asleep for a couple of hours, which has been amping up symptoms in the morning (although not as much as it would have used to, thanks to some new meds!) and causing me to get a slow start. Today my schedule got moved around some, and the only thing I was able to do before leaving was write an article on database cleanup.

In the early afternoon I went to my voice lesson. I hadn’t practiced much because of my cold, but I’m starting to work on Gimme Gimme from Thoroughly Modern Millie; we broke down the song, focusing mostly on the vibrato, and my teacher said I’m 75% done with it although today was basically the first time I’d sung it. So that was cool. On the way home I went to the library and the pharmacy. I was in the car for two hours total today; it was a sunny 70-degree day, and I had a great time driving around enjoying that beginning-of-Christmas-break feeling and listening to this playlist (I never do things late at night, so I never listen to it, but it’s a great playlist if I do say so myself).

When I got home I had two packages–the first Christmas gifts I’ve gotten this year! Tonight I listened to a webinar from Nadine Brandes and Sara Ella on perfecting your story’s intro.

Today I’m grateful for: Rediscovering my favorite pair of earrings that I used to wear every day and forgot how much I loved.

Check out Blogmas Day 16 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 15 (unexpected rest day)

I ended up having an unexpected (but much-needed) chill day today. I worked so hard earlier this week to get a lot done because I thought I was going to be dealing with last-minute medical stuff this week–but my hospital still hasn’t gotten back with me with a plan, so, today I was able to have a nice slow day at home.

Note the letter under her head–and there’s another one under her that you can’t see. Eye roll.

I started out by writing a data migration blog post, doing some Christmas card writing/online gift shopping, and writing an affiliate review page. Then I rested in bed for a while. When I got up, I practiced voice for the first time in over a week (my cold is almost gone and I have a lesson tomorrow). After getting sidetracked working on a Christmas project, I put up my laundry (combined with a dance party, obviously) and worked on brainstorming my next YA novel, The Art of Staying. Now it’s 8:00 and I’m going to bed with a book. Today was a really lovely day–the perfect pace.

Today I’m grateful for: Music and creativity.

Check out Blogmas Day 15 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 14 (time with family)

I woke up at 9:30 feeling very rough, and very glad I had canceled the guitar lesson I was supposed to have this morning. I still had plans to go to my family’s house, though, to hang out with my grandpa and family friends Mrs. Alvalee and Wiley. So after getting a slow start, I somehow managed to drag myself over there. We visited for a few hours, with a lot of hysterical laughter (well, from me, at least–I was very sleepy).

When they left, I got settled on the couch to write an AI article. Next I played the piano for a while (discovering an arrangement of Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy that I forgot how much I used to love) and pushed through major drowsiness to work on my Diamonds 2022 session. I hadn’t really worked on it much, but I basically finished it today, so that was great. (Mom didn’t like the way her face looked in that picture, lol.)

This evening I spent more time with my family, which was so, so nice. I got home around 8 and was ready to immediately fall into bed.

Today I’m grateful for: Grace Anne’s Tuesday Letter that was so exactly what I needed to hear right now (I was awake at 4 AM last night worrying about whether I’d feel well enough and have enough time to complete my majorly-long Christmas break to-do list–I literally got up and went in the kitchen to add more things to my list).

Check out Blogmas Day 14 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 13 (super productive day)

My cold got a lot worse last night and this morning I didn’t have much of a voice. I tried to stomach some hot tea while I made medical calls and sent several emails trimming down my schedule as much as I could for this week to make space for medical stuff (“thank you in advance for your understanding!”)–although, work-wise, the minimum I could get it to was 12 projects/articles, many of which are due in the next couple of days. Yeah… it was a stressful morning.

I wrote an AI article and finished a content distribution blog post. Then, after taking a break lying on the couch watching old Frey Life videos, I wrote a marketing trends blog post and an article on commercial real estate crowdfunding (with a break for Tom Holland’s Hot Ones interview in between).

I actually had a really good work day today and was happy with the quantity and quality of work I got done. Having hydration again, starting last night, really made a difference. I didn’t crash until 4 P.M. When the drowsiness hit, it hit HARD, but I somehow managed to make myself keep going: I listened to Christmas music while writing letters, stretching, and cleaning the bathroom.

I washed my hair and crashed in bed by 7:30. I bought season five of Boy Meets World on Amazon Prime; it’s one of my very favorite shows (and don’t even get me started on the perfection of Girl Meets World), but I haven’t watched it in forever, and it was so fun. Eric makes me laugh so hard.

I’m very tired and I still don’t know what’s happening this week, but I was very productive today and I don’t feel like I’m in survival mode anymore.

Today I’m grateful for: Grace and understanding from people when I had to cancel things or move out deadlines.

Check out Blogmas Day 13 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 12 (church gag gift exchange)

Today after the service, my church was having a Christmas lunch and a gag gift exchange. I’ve never been able to go to my church’s gift exchange before, and I really wanted to go–but I also knew it was going to be a very long day. So, I decided to skip the service so I could stay home in the morning and rest; skip the Christmas lunch, for obvious reasons; and just go in the early afternoon for the gift exchange.

I had a relaxing morning doing Scripture memory, watching YouTube, and journaling in bed, as well as planning my week (although I really have no idea what’s happening lol) and tidying up my apartment. Then I got ready and went to church.

I was very proud of the gift I took–dog butt magnets. I wasn’t quite as happy with what I came home with (a chicken-shaped glass bottle of hot sauce).

I was only at church for about an hour and then I headed home, yawning uncontrollably. I immediately got in bed and slept for three hours. Then this evening I laid in bed with YouTube, Gilmore Girls, and a book. I’m feeling very stressed about the week ahead and balancing medical stuff and work stuff. I am definitely in major survival mode right now.

Today I’m grateful for: Rest.

Check out Blogmas Day 12 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 11 (ER visit)

This morning I got a slow start listening to an episode of The Kate and Abbie Show and journaling in bed. Next, I was going to do some planning for next week/next year and then spend the afternoon at my family’s house, working on my Diamonds session and visiting with my grandpa who got into town yesterday. However, when I got up I discovered my feeding tube was clogged. And when I wasn’t able to get it fixed, I called my home health company–who said this was the kind of clog I couldn’t fix on my own, and I needed to go to the ER.

So, I packed my hospital go bag (there is NOTHING worse than being in the ER without a phone charger) and was in the ER waiting room by 11:30. As I thought about how my feeding tube had been behaving the past few days, I realized that at this point I had had zero hydration for three days and no nutrition for about a day–and I was definitely starting to feel it.

It was a different–and much nicer–ER experience to a) not feel totally miserable, and b) go in already knowing what was wrong. When I got into a room, my nurse got some IV fluids up and running and then went to work on my tube. I’ll spare you the whole complicated story of what’s wrong with it, but four hours later, basically he’d jerry-rigged something to get me through the weekend and told me to call my doctor first thing Monday morning for what will probably need to be a full tube replacement.

One nurse cracked me up with a catchphrase that has now been added to my family’s lexicon of quotes from doctors over the years that serve as inside jokes. The nurse was looking (unsuccessfully) for a vein and asked if I was a hard stick. I said yes and explained that my veins are small and they tend to roll. When she tried and failed again, she said, “You ain’t never lied about your veins rolling.” She said that over and over (as she continued digging around in my arm, wrist, and hand): “You ain’t never lied about your veins.” It made me laugh every time, and then she’d go, “I’m serious! You ain’t never lied!”

When I was discharged at 3:30, my dad picked me up and I went over to my family’s house. Once I got over being worn out from my unexpected adventure today, I had a great time with my family and my grandpa–laughing about things like throw pillows and how I carry my cat and the history of S’mores. (I am now an official Grahamite.) (I also had a major blood sugar crash because I haven’t been running feeds. I was suddenly starving and shaky, and ate food by mouth for the first time in two weeks–which I immediately regretted.) I got home from my family’s house at 7:30.

It feels like I’m *always* at urgent care or the ER; I guess that’s the “chronic” part of chronic illness. And this whole thing is also giving me a reality check, reminding me how dependent I am on my tube. It’s kind of scary. But we take the next step. And I’m ending today very grateful for a lot of things.

Today I’m grateful for: Seeing my grandpa–it made me so happy to see him, especially after today.

Check out Blogmas Day 11 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?

Blogmas 2021 Day 10 (Christmas tree farm)

This morning I listened to an episode of The Kate and Abbie Show, finished up an affiliate review page, and wrote a pet blog post. Then I got ready to go meet my friend Andrea. We rode together down to a Christmas tree farm (the same one we visited in 2018). In addition to greenhouses full of trees and plants, the farm has a giant barn that serves as a gift shop selling high-end (and highly expensive) Christmas decor.

We sat and talked in their cafe for a few hours–good conversation about relationships and personalities and convictions and more–then drove back to my car and exchanged Christmas gifts before parting ways (she got me wineglasses, a candle, and a cute laptop sticker; I got her a candle and a coffee shop gift card).

I drove home in the mist and fog feeling sleepy, but so grateful for our eight-year friendship, and excited about the future. This evening I got cozy in bed and watched a writing webinar from Nadine Brandes and Sara Ella on pacing yourself through NaNoWriMo, which got me excited making a word count schedule for my January-March 2022 first draft of The Art of Staying. Now I’m excited to read before going to sleep. (All kinds of excitement happening tonight.)

Today I’m grateful for: Picking up a fun Christmas gift package from Kenna.

Check out Blogmas Day 10 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?