May 2022 Monthly Wrap-Up
May wasn’t the greatest month? I spent a couple of weeks doing very badly health-wise, and the other couple of weeks stressed about life, and there was a lot of heaviness going on in the world too. But I enjoyed going to end-of-the-year baseball games, a graduation party, and recitals (including a voice recital where I performed onstage for the first time in three years–hard on my body but so much fun). (Enjoy these pictures which are mostly just mirror selfies of me on my way to the hospital 30 minutes away where I now get infusions twice a week. Fun times.)
This month I’m…
Reading: Sisters of Night and Fog, Erika Robuck. Secret of the Andes, Ann Nolan Clark (reread). Being Mary Bennett, J.C. Peterson. Strawberry Girl, Lois Lenski (reread). The Hundred Dresses, Eleanor Estes (reread). Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber (reread). Love Decoded, Jennifer Yen (DNF). Full Flight, Ashley Schumacher. All My Rage, Sabaa Tahir. A Spindle Splintered, Alix E. Harrow. Nowhere Girl, Cheryl Diamond. Paper Wishes, Lois Sepahban. Family of Liars, E. Lockhart. This Golden State, Marit Weisenberg. I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet, Shauna Niequist. Radar Girls, Sara Ackerman. 16 total.
Listening to: My May 2022 playlist. Ben Rector. Abbie’s stargazing playlist. Harry’s House album. Lament Songs by The Porter’s Gate. Not in a Huff with Jackson Huff podcast.
Watching: YouTube–The Frey Life, Life With Stripes, Monica Church, Kiara Madisen, Jordan Bauth, Joyish, Carrie Blogger. TV shows–Boy Meets World season five. Movies–Avengers: Age of Ultron; Captain America: The Winter Soldier (rewatch).
Writing: I wrote ~6,000 words in my novel The Art of Staying, trying my hardest to push through to the end. I did a lot of work on our Diamonds social media marketing strategy and began making lots of Reels, as well as volunteering with People Hope. I also did a lot of songwriting (“Crystal,” “Summer First,” “[redacted]”) and wrote letters, too.
Buying: A new backpack and a new laptop case (these have been great, I love them both). I replaced all of my makeup and found the sandals I’d been wanting. I also bought a comically big scrunchie, and went a little overboard at the stationery store.
Grateful for: Izze sparkling water, the clementine flavor. Good books. Sparkly gold nail polish. Benadryl. An opportunity to expand my business in a direction I’ve been wanting to go for a while. A lady at the infusion center who let me use her hotspot. Unexpectedly seeing old friends. My sweet kitty cat. That one friend who has a sixth sense about when I need someone to check on me. Receiving a handmade prayer shawl.
What did you do in May? I’m heading to the airport tomorrow, the last day of the month, for a flight–stay tuned for next month’s wrap-up to hear more!
