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?
