Hailey Hudson's Blog, page 26
February 29, 2020
February 2020 Monthly Wrap-Up
I didn’t really do much in February. My health has continued to deteriorate and was very poor this month. The 103 fever that knocked me out for a week didn’t help–I have been permanently worse since then. My level of exhaustion, pain, and other symptoms is impacting my ability to function cognitively as well as physically. In February I was lucky if I was able to work 2-3 hours a day, and leaving the house is an enormous effort (I’m not really even supposed to drive, but, you know). However, February was the month I finally got in to some new specialists I’d been waiting to see, and we got several tests and procedures on the calendar plus some clarity and new diagnoses moving forward. I’ve been feeling a lot of emotions about chronic illness but I’m proud of myself for feeling them in a healthy way.
When I was able to, I went to voice lessons, dance class, church, and small group. We had the Wises over for dinner; I hosted the teenage girls from church for a Valentine’s party; I went to lunch with Brooke; we had the Coxes over for dinner; and I went to dinner with Kenna. Also, perhaps the most exciting thing in February: We had SNOW!!!! It only lasted a day, but it was so magical and fun. I also turned 21 this month, but I was so sick I barely noticed.
This month I’m…
Reading: The Gospel Comes With A House Key, Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, The Raven King, and Call Down the Hawk, Maggie Stiefvater. Shadow Spinner, Susan Fletcher (reread). What Is A Girl Worth, Rachael Denhollander. Tweet Cute, Emma Lord. Second Chance Summer, Morgan Matson (reread). A Heart So Fierce and Broken, Brigid Kemmerer. Nothing but Sky, Amy Trueblood. 11 total.
Listening to: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season one soundtrack. Crazy She Calls Me, Nat King Cole. Seven Nation Army, Postmodern Jukebox. Forget About the Boy and Not for the Life of Me, Thoroughly Modern Millie. What A Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong. We Don’t Talk Anymore, Charlie Puth. Forevermore, Futures. Long Gone and Souvenir, Johnnyswim. So Far from Pennsylvania, Island Song. Beach Baby, Bon Iver. Worst Behavior, Lvly. Dancing On the Waves and Holy Water, We The Kingdom. Smile, Maisie Peters (and all of her songs, as usual).
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Watching: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (rewatch–and on our snow day, which was so perfect). The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season one. Bruin Banter and UCLA Gymnastics: The New Era.
Eating: I didn’t eat much myself this month–I have about half a dozen “safe” foods these days plus my Kate Farms Standard 1.0 (although I was thrilled to find some dairy free mac n cheese that tastes good!!!)–but I made a lot of food for other people. Coconut pecan pralines, Valentine’s chocolates, homemade dog treats, a waffle bar, and a platter of chocolate-covered things were all on the menu for my friends and family.
Writing: I was able to work on my latest YA contemporary novel once or twice this month.
Grateful for: Friends coming by and leaving care packages on my doormat when I’m too sick to leave the house. Encouragement from a mentor and friend whom I’ve only known for a few months, but is always there for me. My kitty.
What did you do in February? Any snow where you live?
February 2, 2020
2019 Anticipated Releases: Did They Live Up To the Hype?
Last January, I published a blog post called 16 Book Releases I’m Excited For in 2019. Now that 2019 is over, it’s time to look back through the list and see what I thought of those books!
Romanov, Nadine Brandes (release date: May 7, 2019)
Romanov was, predictably, an awesome book! Unfortunately, though, my main memory of this book is that I was up late reading it the night before going to the ER last spring–so I need to reread it and create some better memories, lol.
Home, love, family. A legacy of life. A legacy of hope.
To Best the Boys, Mary Weber (March 18, 2019)
To Best the Boys was absolutely AMAZING! I’ve read it twice so far. I loved, loved, loved the characters, plot, setting (it’s a delicious story in which to immerse yourself), and the message that girls can be anything they want to be.
“But what if my dreams aren’t that simple? What if my dreams aren’t just one thing, but instead they are everything? Why can’t the future, past, and present all be my dreams?”
The Boy who Steals Houses, C.G. Drews (release date: April 4, 2019)
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Cait’s latest book was amazing–I loved it so much. I read it on Easter and it made me literally SOB.
I love Cait’s writing more than anything because it’s full of long light summer days and lots of food and even more banter (big families are just the BEST ugh), but it goes so much deeper too and has so much (too much! 
January 31, 2020
January 2020 Monthly Wrap-Up
In January, it simultaneously felt like I had nothing and everything going on. We came home from Mississippi and I got back to work. I went to (my new) tap class twice and had two voice lessons. Kenna came over for dinner; my family came over for dinner; I played with my favorite two-year-old a few times; Mom and I went to lunch; Dad and I went to dinner; I cut eight inches off my hair; and we started a new ladies’ Bible study at church.
I had the most amazing special weekend speaking at, being on staff, and simply attending the virtual Diamonds 2020 conference for Christians who are chronically ill. I’m so proud of the staff and speakers! The conference was a huge blessing and encouragement.
We ended the month by taking a trip to Tennessee with Mrs. Celeste, Josh, and Emma to see the national tour of Bandstand, which is SUCH AN AMAZING UNDERRATED SHOW.
My health continued to decline and was very poor in January, but we actually made more progress in three days than we’ve made in the last four years–getting one definite diagnosis, an additional probable diagnosis, and finally finding medical professionals who are helping me. This is only the start of the journey to further diagnoses and treatments, but I feel very hopeful about my quality of life potentially improving.
This month I’m…
Reading: Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis. Life Is Short, Don’t Wait to Dance, Valorie Kondos Field. Home Work, Julie Andrews Edwards. Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber. City of Savages, Lee Kelly. Serious Eater, Ed Levine. The Library of Lost Things, Laura Taylor Namey. I, Cosmo, Carlie Sorosiak. Inside Mrs. B’s Classroom, Leslie Baldacci. The Last True Poets of the Sea, Julia Drake. Across A Broken Shore, Amy Trueblood. In the Neighborhood of True, Susan Kaplan Carlton. The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater. Once On This Island, Gloria Whelan. 14 total.
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Listening to: Maisie Peters. Thoroughly Modern Millie. You Can’t Stop The Beat, Hairspray. Your Name Is Power, Rend Collective. Wanted – String Mix, OneRepublic. Take This Slowly, The Gray Havens. Fine Line, Harry Styles. break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored, Ariana Grande. Desert Song – Live, Hillsong Worship.
Watching: Spinning Out on Netflix. Izzy Kornblau and Kiara Madisen on YouTube. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (rewatch). Beautiful Boy. The Diamonds conference.
Eating: Sausage and rice. DF biscuits and cookies sent home by my grandpa. At many points, not much–and halfway through the month I switched over to a bland, soft, low-fiber, low-fat, mostly-liquid diet as recommended by the outpatient nutrition department of my hospital. Which is every bit as exciting as it sounds.
Writing: I had a few glorious sessions working on a new YA contemporary novel that I’m super excited to keep exploring. Beyond that, though, not much creative writing happened this month–my health has been a full-time job lately and so any creative energy I have gets put toward the freelance writing of my day job.
What did you do in January?
January 20, 2020
You’re Invited: Diamonds 2020
Diamonds 2020 is coming up THIS WEEK–and we want you to come!
Diamonds is an annual online conference, hosted by author and spoonie Sara Willoughby (who I’m so grateful to call a good friend of mine), that’s geared for Christians who are chronically ill. The conference is completely free and remote–all sessions are streamed live on YouTube (and then saved) so you can watch from wherever you are. This year, Diamonds is taking place January 23rd-25th–Thursday through Saturday of this week. The theme of the 2020 conference is Fighting Together: Relationships In Chronic Illness.
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What can you expect at Diamonds 2020? We have 17 speakers (many of whom are my good friends) who will be sharing sessions, ranging from well-known ministry leaders like Joni Eareckson Tada to normal everyday people who live with chronic illness (like me!). Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are jam-packed with sessions on topics such as:
Chronic illness in the workplace
How God can redeem your loneliness
The benefit of suffering
Relationships with people who are not chronically ill (this is what I’ll be speaking on!)
Many speakers will also be doing Q&A’s so you can get to know them personally. And at every session, we’ll have giveaways of products from companies like Vogmask (there are currently 42 Vogmasks sitting in a box in my living room), TeeSpoonie, and Abilitee Adaptivewear. It’s going to be three days of nonstop encouragement and fun! I’m on staff for Diamonds both as a speaker and in other capacities and have been working on our social media, company sponsorships, etc for months. But I’m also SO looking forward to being an attendee and watching the conference with a friend, because the realities of chronic illness have been really discouraging me as I’ve gotten sicker the last several months. The conference is just what I need right now and it could be just what you need, too.
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If you’re coming to the conference, you’ll want to make sure to grab a copy of our study guide. The Diamonds 2020 study guide is available on Amazon as an ebook for free, or as a paperback for just $5.99. Keep the study guide handy during the conference to follow along and take notes with each session.
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We even have a merch store this year that opens TODAY so you can purchase T-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and more with the Diamonds logo–a great way to remember what you learned at the conference all year long!
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Finally, I want to say that even if you aren’t chronically ill, you’re still welcome to come to Diamonds. The principles shared at Diamonds apply to all kinds of situations and relationships that you can use in your own life. The conference can also help you better support your chronically ill friends and family–because even if you think you don’t know anyone who is chronically ill, statistics show that you absolutely do.
And if you have a heart for this ministry and would like to help cover the costs associated with the conference–such as paying for the streaming platform, formatting the study guide, and helping with Diamonds 2021–you can donate to the conference here. Last year’s conference had hundreds of attendees watching live, with 23,000 people watching the saved videos throughout the year–so your donation is helping thousands of people be encouraged in their walk with the Lord through long-term illness, and they don’t have to pay a thing.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay on top of the latest updates. You can register for the conference and access the full conference schedule by visiting this webpage. I am so looking forward to Diamonds 2020 and am spending this week in prayerful preparation for everyone who will attend. I hope to “see” you there!
Will you be attending Diamonds 2020? Feel free to share about the conference with a friend or family member who might benefit!
December 31, 2019
2019: Books Read + Movies Watched
There’s nothing I love more than looking back at all the stories I consumed over the course of a year! This year I’m going to include movies in this post as well (although I didn’t watch that many, compared to books–in 2020 I plan to watch a lot more movies).
The official stats stacked up like this: In 2019 I read 154 books and watched 35 movies, equaling about 13 books and 3 movies per month or 3 books and 0.5 movies (lol) per week. For context, I read 153 books in 2018 and 135 in 2017–and while I’m not sure how many movies I watched each year, it was probably way less than 35.
Here’s how my reading statistics for 2019 break down!
Books
This year, I read the least books in June and August, when I read 11 books each (due to moving and fun plans, respectively), and the most in July and December, with 18 each (due to sickness and vacation). The first book I read in 2019 was a childhood favorite, The Cricket in Times Square; the last book of the year for me was a YA contemporary called The Whole Thing Together that I finished last night (it wasn’t that great). And if I got this correct, I think the authors I read the most this year were Brigid Kemmerer (5 of her books) and Elizabeth Enright (5 of hers as well).
I mentioned this last year, but I don’t do Goodreads challenges because I want to just enjoy reading and not feel pressured. So I don’t set reading goals–I just read what I want to read. The downside, though, is that I have to compile my own reading data instead of having it done for me. So, after many hours of work, here are some of my reading statistics for 2019.
First up is how many fiction books I read vs nonfiction. Thanks to a client where I reviewed nonfiction books, I fell in LOVE with nonfiction this year, and I read 44 nonfiction books on my own in addition to 116 fiction books. (The 48 books I read for this client are not listed in my total book count in this blog post, because they were for work–but if you did count them, I’ve technically read over 200 books this year.)
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I reread 50 books this year and discovered 104 new books, which is awesome. Finding new books to fall in love with is my favorite thing ever–well, except for rereading familiar old favorites.
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When you split up the 116 fiction books I read into age ranges, you get 27 children’s books, 14 middle grade stories, 72 young adult books, and three adult novels.
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I also enjoy dividing up my yearly reads by genre. Here’s the breakdown–I read the most contemporary books by far, with children’s literature and fantasy not far behind.
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Movies
When it comes to the 35 movies I watched in 2019, they span 11 genres, which is pretty cool–I enjoy all kinds of films, from action-packed sci-fi movies to cute rom-coms to fascinating documentaries. Nearly all of the action movies are Marvel movies; I was trying to catch up and watch all of the Marvel movies in order, but kind of gave up at some point.
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I watched 29 movies at home and 6 movies in the theater this year.
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I also watched 21 movies by myself and 14 movies with other people. (No offense to anyone, but I highly prefer watching/going to movies alone!) I included this statistic and the previous one because I think the environment in which you consume a story plays a huge role in your perception of it (this is true for books too, but I obviously always read books alone/at home, haha). It’s about the whole experience–like sitting on the balcony reading a light romance and drinking lemonade on a warm summer evening, or curling up in bed with an epic fantasy while cold rain lashes the window. (My reading/movie tastes definitely fluctuate depending on the season!)
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I re-watched 8 movies and discovered 27 new films. (I’ve been trying to fill in the gaps in my cinematic history. For instance, I’m 20 and just watched Jurassic Park and Titanic for the first time this year.)
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Finally, there were only two movies that I watched twice this year–Thor: Ragnarok and Mona Lisa Smile. (I highly recommend both.)
2019 was a fantastic year when it comes to books and movies. I’m so grateful for all these amazing stories I consumed and the things they taught me. In 2020, I’m specifically looking forward to continuing with my new passion for nonfiction, and also to watching movies more often!
What were some of your favorite books and movies from 2019?
December 2019 Monthly Wrap-Up
The first 25 days of December were documented in Blogmas, which starts here. Basically, work killed me, I did things like voice lessons and doctor’s appointments, and I was able to have a few fun times with friends. After Christmas, my family came to Mississippi to see my grandpa and have enjoyed things like seeing Little Women, visiting with my aunt and uncle, and shopping downtown with a family friend.
This month I’m…
Reading: Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (reread). The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls. The School Story, Andrew Clements (reread). The Astonishing Color of After, Emily X. R. Pan. The Moffats, Eleanor Estes. Gone-Away Lake, Elizabeth Enright (reread). Full Circle, Andrea Barber. Notes From A Young Black Chef, Kwame Onwuachi. Wildflowers of Terezin, Robert Elmer. Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich. Queen of Nothing, Holly Black. In the Kingdom Of the Sick, Laurie Edwards. Spin the Dawn, Elizabeth Lim. Heidi, Johanna Spyri (reread). Normally This Would Be Cause For Concern, Danielle Fishel. The Year of Learning Dangerously, Quinn Cummings. Sick Kids in Love, Hannah Moskowitz. The Whole Thing Together, Ann Brashares. 18 total.
Listening to: Maisie Peters. Christmas music. Audrey Assad. I’m Not That Girl, Wicked.
Watching: Captain America: Civil War. The Glass Castle. Elf. The Death Cure. A Christmas Story. The Aeronauts. Little Women. Natasha Bure vlogs, Abbey Sharp’s YouTube channel, and David Dobrik vlogs.
Eating: Burgers and fries. Ham and mustard sandwiches. Banana peanut butter smoothies during flare-ups. Baked potatoes and strawberries. Dairy free biscuits and chocolate pie.
Writing: Beyond plotting my ice skating novel a bit and writing one piece of fanfiction, I didn’t really do any fun writing this month. Work-wise, life was crazy because I started accepting new clients/projects again, and I had to cram four weeks’ worth of work into three weeks. But somehow it all got done.
What did you do in December?
December 25, 2019
Blogmas 2019 Day 25
Christmas 2019! We started opening gifts around 9:00 this morning. I gave my grandpa a mug with a music pun. I gave Joshua a street sign for his room that says Ultimate Blvd (because he loves ultimate Frisbee); a Hamilton calendar with a daily quote; and a Chuckit (for him and Sophie). I gave my mom a pizza pan; a pair of earrings made by the people group we’ve worked with in Colombia; and an outing to a Mexican restaurant and to watch a movie in January. I gave my dad a fill-in What I Love About Dad journal; some bacon popcorn; and the book The Year of Eating Dangerously (I addressed that present to me, too, because Dad doesn’t like to reread books–so after he reads it I’ll just keep it at my house, lol).
Besides the stuff in my stocking (socks, Jellie Bellies, a flashlight, etc.), I received a candle with my cat’s picture on it; an ASL curriculum; a Harry Potter apron and Ravenclaw kitchen towel; a Harry Potter mug; Harry Potter coasters; pearl earrings; and three books I have been dying to reread for years.
I also received money. I spent part of it on a set of twelve pretty magnets; a little gold necklace; Katherine Forster’s book Transformed by Truth: Why and How to Study The Bible For Yourself As A Teen; and a small journal with a Hadestown quote on the front. (All of that for $40 because I also got myself Amazon Prime!)
For lunch we had ham, crescent rolls, sweet potato souffle, baked pineapple, deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, and pecan and pumpkin pie.
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After lunch, we all went outside in the front yard (it was 65 degrees) for a while. I bought a longboard back in early October but didn’t have the extra energy to learn to ride it until today. Joshua and I both learned to ride it within 15 minutes (I taught him everything he knows). We were outside for almost two hours riding the longboard down the street. While it was definitely hard for me with the usual dizziness, high HR, and shortness of breath, it was so much fun; I really miss being outside and being active!
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When we came inside I was having a lot of nerve pain, and I showered and took a nap. Around dinnertime I dragged my groggy self out of bed and came home. I felt a lot better after the nap and eating part of my Chili’s leftovers from last night, though, and was able to have a nice evening getting things done around the house and now going to bed with a new book. We’re going to Mississippi for a week on Friday so tomorrow will be spent packing and preparing. Thanks for following along with Blogmas this year and merry Christmas!
Check out Blogmas Day 25 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?
December 24, 2019
Blogmas 2019 Day 24
I don’t know what possessed me to stay up until almost midnight last night; it was 11:00 today before I could drag myself out of bed with a headache and heightened nerve pain. I did a few things around the house like practicing voice, researching bullet journals, packing up, etc. and then I went over to my parents’ house.
My grandpa came today, and we’ve never been with him before on Christmas Day, so it’s really exciting! After a couple of hours reading and trying not to fall asleep, I got ready for church. We went to my parents’ church for the second Christmas Eve service. Afterward, we tried to carry out our usual tradition of eating dinner at Krystal’s, but they were actually closed–so we went to Chili’s instead (definitely fine by me).
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Now we’re home and I hope to stay awake for all of A Christmas Story, because it’s not Christmas Eve without it!
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Check out Blogmas Day 24 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?
December 23, 2019
Blogmas 2019 Day 23
I had a nice restful morning finishing Spin the Dawn (which I started last night and LOVED), eating breakfast, cleaning up. I also made this video. I came up with the concept a few months ago but didn’t have the creative energy until now; I absolutely love how it came out.
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Early afternoon I went over to the house to hang out. We watched Elf.
I came home around dinnertime; I wanted to work on my novel but was too sleepy, so I was in bed for the evening by 7:30. I picked up a TON of new library books today, but they were mostly nonfiction and YA contemporary books and I was in the mood for something with more action–so I chose a movie tonight instead. I re-watched Maze Runner: The Death Cure, and gosh I just love that movie. It’s definitely the best one in the franchise. And although it’s not meant as an allegory, I saw it in that way tonight–the line “the world is dying” stuck out to me, and then Safe Haven at the end that only some of the characters made it to (which, yes, made me cry a lot).
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Other things that happened today: I got my heart monitor off. Hallelujah.
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And also, I added more sticky notes to my pantry, where I keep some of my favorite lines from my favorite books.
Check out Blogmas Day 23 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?
December 22, 2019
Blogmas 2019 Day 22
Today was a cold, rainy day; I was exhausted and did absolutely nothing. Like, literally–I laid in bed and scrolled through Tumblr, did a bunch of math figuring out statistics from my business this year, put away some laundry, laid in bed some more and watched YouTube, practiced voice, worked on one of my novels, etc. And that was really about it. I was also really nauseous all day and couldn’t eat because I had a few Doritos this morning, but that was my own stupid decision because I know they have dairy.
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This evening I worked on my novel The Things I Didn’t Tell You for a while. (This is my ice skating novel, and I know Spinning Out—a new Netflix series coming on January 1st–will put me in the mood to write it, so I thought I’d do some outlining now and then I can just write in a couple of weeks when I’m feeling inspired. How prudent of me, right?) Hours passed without me noticing and I had an amazing time doing a lot of brainstorming, including coming up with a unique way to do one main character’s POV.
Check out Blogmas Day 22 2018, 2017, and 2016. What did you do today?
