The bad: Its fucking freezing here (of course) (still): -2 degrees this morning on our way to work/daycare. Additionally, I live with a sick, complaining Husband. And also a sick, whiny, fragile toddler. I'm also still dealing with the emotional weight of my brother and his partner's miscarriage, my rift with my other brother, friends who seem to be disappearing down the rabbit hole of booze/drugs and/or on the verge of losing partial custody of their kids because they just can't seem to parent responsibly....sigh.
Its been a while since I've done a My Favorite Things post...but I need a little pick me up and thinking about things I'm loving is one of the best ways for me to pull myself up and dust off my pants.
Yeah, yeah. You've all heard about it. But truly. For a prolific reader like myself, it is kind of totally fantastic.
(Disclaimer: I am in NO WAY being compensated for reviewing this. I paid full price for the bastard.)
I've gotten over the buyer's remorse-type feelings that I always get when I spend any large amount of money on myself and have really started enjoying it. I've downloaded a bunch of free classics that I can't wait to read/reread: Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Jane Eyre...and there are lots more where those come from.
I purchased one book, just to try out the whole shop/download wirelessly thing and I've gotta say, it was pretty smooth. Also, my custom made cover arrived just a day after the Kindle did and it turned out so cute! I'm officially smitten.
And while this thing won't completely replace books for me- If I read something that I truly love and know I will want to reread/share I'll probably eventually purchase it in hard copy form. But for guilty pleasure reading (which I, ahem, do a lot of), I just don't see how this thing can be beat.
When I'm able to tear myself away from the Kindle for a moment, I'm also really loving the simple things:
Chamomile tea.
Walking home for lunch in the bright (cold) sunshine.
Long, rambling phone calls with friends.
Snuggling with my kid under the down comforter while the wind whistles outside.
Sorry that last post was such a downer. They were thoughts that needed processing- worries that needed articulating. After writing about it and talking with friends, I'm in a much saner place regarding my son's possible debauchery in a decade or so. (I never said I wasn't kind of nuts :-) He's only 2, and I'm a good parent, dammit. It will all be ok. Right? Right.
Anyhow. Its been a horrible week. We found out a couple days ago that my little brother and his partner miscarried and lost their baby. She was 9 weeks along. The pregnancy itself was unexpected but we were all excited and already embracing this new little life. The miscarriage came at a terrible time (well, what time wouldn't be terrible): While they were in the middle of moving. So they are stuck in a hotel, a rental truck wracking up charges and she is in a lot of pain.
I feel so helpless sitting here, hundreds of miles away. They are having to go through their own hell right now and it sucks that I can't just make everything ok for my little brother. We've been in touch and I've let them know that we're "here for them" but what does that really mean when you're in Wyoming and they are elsewhere?
* * * * * * * * * * * * (Warning; This next section might be TMI for the squeamish)
In other news, not so serious news, we had an AWESOME experience of P.I.B. last night. What's that, you ask? Poop In the Bath! Whee!! I was sitting on the (closed, thanks) toilet last night chatting with my mom about the little brother stuff while Otto luxuriated in the bath tub. Suddenly he stood up, started crying and yelling "Poop in the bath, Mama! I'm sorry!"
Sigh.
After assuring Otto that is was OK and not to be sad-" it was just an accident!", I yelled for the Husband to come help and together we awkwardly held Otto up while pouring clean water over him. Then I fished the turds out with rubber gloves and sanitized the tub best I could.
We all got to bed a little late, so I slept in and skipped my work out.
It totally rocked! Yay parenting!!!
(I'm sure this happens to everyone else too. Feel free to share your own P.I.B. stories in the comments. Whee!!)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Lastly, some fun news that I feel kind of guilty about- I'm getting a Kindle!! I've wanted one for a long time and we are getting a big enough tax return that the Husband suggested I go for it. (Mainly because I think HE wants a new acoustic guitar and doesn't want to feel guilty about it, heh.) We're still going to have plenty to pay off some bills (we're still paying for my varicose vein surgery I had in September and for Otto's broken arm) and replenish our savings a bit.
Anyhow, I've been perusing the free download-able content at Amazon and am super stoked: Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, Conan Doyle...lots of classics for free or cheap along with cheap bestsellers (9.99 on most)...but. Even though the Kindle is now $100 cheaper it still seems so expensive...it feels so indulgent to be spending that much on myself. Not totally in a bad way, I guess.
Also, I'm ordering a custom cover from Etsy (check out this shop!) which has been as fun as anything. I DEFINITELY need a cover because HELLO? Two-year old, puppy, tendency to drop things...And the proprietor of above shop is willing to do Velcro AND corner tabs for me, ensuring a very secure attachment of Kindle to cover. After much rumination, I chose the fabric below by Michael Miller for my cover and placed the order today. Squee!
So that, in a large nutshell is where I'm at. Grieving, cleaning up poop, (hopefully) regaining some sanity, and looking forward to ebooks. Its not all bad, but I'm ready for Spring in more ways than one.
I'll leave you with a favorite song of the moment:
Yeah, yeah. You've all heard about it. But truly. For a prolific reader like myself, it is kind of totally fantastic.