In 2022 I combined lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so this year has been a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was the year?

• January – the start of this year’s mission.
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November

Tarot Cards for November and December

I did a tarot spread for the full year and November’s card was Detail Details reminding me to look at the fine print of anything and everything plus accept things as they are. December’s card was Rock Bottom which encouraged me to surrender and a way will appear asking the question: are you willing to change.

I heard on TikTok that there are three key ages where your body changes. I forget the first one (maybe in your 30s?) but remember the other two were 60 and 78. It’s said that at these ages, your body has noticeable changes, and I have to agree.

I turned 60 last February and gobbled up the chocolate and sweets and tea. By the end of March I’d let go of most sweets and tea and feel better the majority of the time. I still dip my toe into both; err, as I write this on a Sunday, I’ve guzzled down one mug of caffeinated tea and love it. But I can’t subsist on sugar and caffeine alone anymore (and believe me, I’ve done that for a LONG time.)

My body takes longer to recover now, and is more easily injured. Sigh.

So yes, I’m willing to change and learning to change and practicing changing and changing and embracing change and loving change. I’m listening for clues from spirit and and reading the fine print where appropriate.

I liked doing the tarot cards for the year, liked doing the monthly missions so I’m already thinking about 2023. How about you?

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

Not happening. I wrote the first draft of a novel and went to the Lost Lake Writer’s Retreat instead.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. I lowered the price instead

Post Twice A Month On This Website

I did well with this mission and did post twice a month most months. I’ll carry on with this in 2023.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

For most of the year, I used my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media. I’ll carry on with this in 2023.

Have Fun

November and December have been fun-ish. At the beginning of November I was out sick for a bit and grieving the loss of a dear friend.

• In Spirit Zoom calls have been refreshing. It’s so nice to talk and meditate with friends.
• Same thing is true for the regular phone calls with the same people.
• My hair is still colored purple, teal, and dark blue. Every so often while out and about, someone will say, “I love your hair” and that makes me smile.
• I’ve had several craniosacral massages. Man, I love those so much!
• I went to the annual Christmas lighted parade. I stood close to a very vocal group of kids who shouted, “Merry Christmas” at the top of their lungs to every passing float. The kids were rewarded with a lot of candy. My reward was laughing a lot and enjoying the lights.
• It’s not necessarily “fun,” but I was happy to have an easy dental checkup and no cavities.
• There was Thanksgiving, right? That was a lovely day spent with family.
• It was fun to hear mom describe the beautiful bouquet I sent for her birthday.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel.

I turned in the first draft of my novel into The Write Practice over Labor day weekend. My reward was attending the Lost Lake Writers Retreat in October.

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping.

This goal is done and dusted! Check out the big secret goal reveal that goes into a lot more detail about what was completed in the back yard this year. I added two pear trees and one dwarf mulberry. At the end of the year I had the same company come back and plant a bunch of Allium, Tulips, and Hyacinths – all which will explode come spring.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. I have two more books to go and really, with two weeks, I’ll crush this goal!

• Living to Tell The Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
• The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
• Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper
• The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
• The INFJ Writer: Cracking the Creative Genius of the World’s Rarest Type by Lauren Sapala.

How About You?

How was your year? What big dreams and projects did you accomplish?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was October?

October’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and October’s card was One Ring Circus which celebrated independence and boundaries – and the need to let go of control.

October started with a big bang and lots of fun. There was the fabulous escape to the North of Michigan with the Lost Lake Writer’s Retreat. There was a book sale and the final weeks of the CSA for the year.

But then, on October 19, I learned that a dear friend passed away on the 15th – the very night I had felt an overwhelming pull to have a really nice dinner at a local restaurant. It’s fitting, I suppose, because Michelle loved good food. I’m working on a tribute post; I think it will be ready by next Monday.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

Not happening. I wrote the first draft of a novel and went to the Lost Lake Writers Retreat instead.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. I lowered the price, though!

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Yes! I did publish two times in October. There’s the October wrap up of September and the post about Lost Lake Writers Retreat.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In October I carried on using my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media.

Have Fun

October started with a bang with the local library’s annual book sale. Then I went on that fantastic writer’s retreat to Lost Lake. I had a fabulous dinner at a local restaurant on my own, met with meditation friends, and caught up with my sister at yet another yummy dinner.

And then, as I said, it went downhill. A close friend tragically passed away and that shook things up. Then I got sick at the very start of November and had to cancel a massage, hair appointment, meditation, and coaching call.

I’m better now but man, the last part of October and first part of November really sucked.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel.

I turned in the first draft of my novel into The Write Practice over Labor day weekend. My reward was attending the Lost Lake Writers Retreat in October.

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping.

This goal is done and dusted! Check out the big secret goal reveal that goes into a lot more detail about what was completed in the back yard this year.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read a lot. I was sick so I read and read and read. Some of these were finished more in November than October, but oh well. Here’s what I’ve been reading.

• The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames.
• Secrets of the Tides by Hannah Richell.
• Groupies by Sarah Priscus.
• Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
• The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
• The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
• The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Poor Man’s Feast: A Love Story of Comfort, Desire, and the Art of Simple Cooking by Elissa Altman
• The Little Lady Agency in the Big Apple by Hester Browne
• The Falcon’s Eyes by Francesca Stanfill
• Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan
• Memoir of the Sunday Brunch by Julia Pandl
• Fire Monks: Zen Mind Meets Wildfire by Colleen Morton Busch

How About You?

How was your October? Heck, do you even remember October now that Thanksgiving is staring you in the face?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was September?

September’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and September’s card was Metamorphosis suggesting that there may be some loss. As a result of that loss, though, I will love who I become. The card said, “even with temporary discomfort, beauty is revealed.”

Sitting here the evening before this post goes live, I’m not sure what the loss or discomfort was in my September. There was finishing up the first draft of a novel, meditating with friends, a craniosacral massage, a book sale, and a good visit to the dentist, too.

One Friday afternoon there was a work party at a nearby park; it’s the first time we’ve all been in one place since before the pandemic nonsense.

I was also on Jury Duty in September; my main responsibility was calling into a phone to see if I needed to appear at the courthouse for anything. And the only thing I physically did have to do was show up for a training on how to be a good juror.

I got my hair cut and colored; it’s now the natural dark brown and sparkly white plus purple, blue, and green. Think a purple teal party and that’s what the top of my head looks like. I even thrifted a pretty fuchsia blazer from the 80’s that -when worn in combination with a blue scarf- got multiple compliments. All that color!

My HelloFresh deliveries continued as did the weekly CSA pickups. The CSA is ending for the season in a couple of weeks, so most likely I’ll increase the number of meals I get in HelloFresh. It’s become an indispensable part of my life now.

See, no loss? Only warm sunny days.

Still, September is the 9th month of the year. It’s the month people return to the school year routine, and the air is definitely crisper hear in central Michigan. I finished bringing in house plants for the winter; they’re always sad to have to come into the house – most would rather be outside, except they’d all die if left outside over the harsh winters. Loss of summer and warmth, perhaps?

The 9 of September has a finality to it, an ending before October. That’s 10th month, the 1 and the 0 combining to create a new level. So I suppose things did ‘close’ or come to an end in September. October is always when I start thinking about the next twelve months.

In fact, the Mission 2022 emerged last year about this time. So you’d better believe I’m already thinking about next year. And I believe I’m gonna need another mission: this was fun, and gave me a sense of purpose.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

Definitely didn’t happen in the month of September. But it did other months because I finished the first draft of a novel!

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Welp, that didn’t happen in September. But at least there was September’s Mission post!

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In September I used my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media.

Have Fun

You did read the summary of things I did in September, right? It was a good month for fun 🙂

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel.

I turned the first draft of my novel into The Write Practice over Labor Day weekend. As a reward, I’m going on a writing retreat in October.

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping

This goal is done and dusted! Check out the big secret goal reveal that goes into a lot more detail about what was completed in the back yard this year.

PSST: I added two Asian pear trees and one dwarf mulberry to the back yard.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read:

• The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Not her usual sci-fi, but darned good writing. Who knew stones were gods and could talk?
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Even though the main character was more of a Harry Potter (err, Simon Snow) fan, it gave me all the feels given the re-emergence of the BCR into my life.
• Super Host by Kate Russo. I technically started this in September and finished it on October 1, but anyhow…close enough. Good character study of one man’s journey to finding his way in midlife.

I’m at 30 out of 50 books this year. That tells me working full time and putting hours into writing a novel every night seriously impacted my ability to read and read and read.

I have 20 more books to read to conquer this challenge… That’s 6-7 books a month in the next three months and (at least until snow flies and temps make it unbearable to be outside) I’m not sure I’m gonna make it. Thank goodness there was a library book sale and I bought all the books!

A Spell Is Broken

Going to the 45th Anniversary Celebration of Bay City Roller Day in Bay City, Michigan has me thinking of circles and cycles – endings and -by the same token- beginnings. By attending that event in August, I feel like a spell has been broken.

I feel like I spent forty-five years trying to be “cool” and forget that I ever liked that “uncool” band the Bay City Rollers. I was under a spell cast by society, cast by the pop culture that was unavoidable in my formative years.

Cool is now a state of mind for me, a way of being. If I want to bop to the Rollers I darn well can. In other places and times in this life that would have been (or would have felt) downright impossible.

Feel is everything to me. I feel like I’ve closed a loop and re-united a piece of myself that I tucked away in a dusty corner of a very deep closet in my soul. And now I can get on with what I want.

Which I’ve always done, of course. But knowledge gained from the experience guides my way. That, and spirit / god / the Universes as my co-pilot means it’s gonna keep getting more fun and interesting. October’s tarot card was “One Ring Circus” so whoa boy, what’s gonna happen?

How About You?

How was your September? What big dreams and projects are you working on for this year?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

Let’s start by reviewing last month. How was August?

August’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and the August card was Unexpected Visitors. This card asked me to expect the unexpected and the synchronicity that that can bring. There’s a reminder to adapt to shifting conditions by flowing, not forcing.

Whelp, that was definitely the theme of August – especially the very last week of August! I swear it was like the heavens aligned or something. I’m so grateful that I got over my reluctance to admit, indulge, and celebrate my teenage boy band: the Bay City Rollers. Attending the Bay City Roller Day celebration seemed to have unlocked a whole new level of excitement in my life, but more about that in the months to come.

August had me canning food, too – something I’ve never done on my own. I’ve canned carrot relish and a carrot cake jam so far. Beets and more carrots are next!

August had the first phase of a multi-phase change in my back yard, too. That’s made a huge difference when it rains: water collects in rain barrels that I can then use to water plants. And I worked in the back yard several times, too. More of that to come in September and October… Hint: because this work is done I can plant more stuff!

August also found me finishing up the first draft of the novel, which frees me up to work on other projects. So August was endings and beginnings…

September’s card is Metamorphosis – some loss but with the loss I will love who I become. To put it another way, even with temporary discomfort beauty is revealed. I wonder what this month holds?

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

This goal is happening thanks to Big Secret Goal #1: write the first draft of a novel. It already has tapered off because I’m not actively working on the book. But it will ramp back up again when cold weather sets in and I start on the second draft.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Nailed this in August. There’s the August Mission Update, a post that revealed backyard changes, and a post all about the Bay City Rollers Day celebration.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In August used my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media.

Have Fun

Looking at the calendar, most of August wasn’t that different from any other month. I got a couple massages, went to the dentist, meditated with friends. But the BCR Day Celebration was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Go read the blog post and learn why.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel

I turned in the first draft of my novel to The Write Practice over Labor Day weekend! Yeah me! And as a reward I get to go on a weekend writing retreat in October.

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping

This goal is done and dusted! Check out the big secret goal reveal that goes into a lot more detail about what was completed in the back yard this year.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. I snuck a couple of books in during August:

• The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal. This is the third in the Lady Astronaut series and I could gobble more up on a regular basis.
• Don’t Stop The Music: The Bay City Rollers on Record by Hannes A. Jonsson. Finally a compendium of all of the recordings of the group and various offshoots. There’s far more to this group that S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y. Night! I do wish the author had added a table of contents and index; a slightly different organization would helped, too, but I’m so happy to see this!

How About You?

How was your August? What was the best part of your summer?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals. But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined. So how was July?

July’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and July’s card was Gentle Gardner which admonished me to believe in limitless possibility, and reminded me that forgiveness is my most powerful restorative tool.

Speaking quite literally, I did some gentle gardening by pruning and plucking in July. And speaking even more literally, see Big Secret Goal #2 reveal below; there was nothing gentle about that gardening though. It was more digging and pulling and more digging.

I suppose I gentle gardened by giving away a few more things on the Buy Nothing app. That’s a hyper local app where you can offer “gifts” for people in your area. Someone claims the “gift” and they usually come to your house to retrieve the item/items. It’s a nice way to share abundance and meet people.

Limitless possibility appears every time I sit down to write. I think I don’t have anything more to add. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and ask the main character to tell me what happened next. It’s amazing how just that little pause before writing keeps me going.

P.S. August’s card is Unexpected Visitors – it’s all about expecting the unexpected and synchronicities that that can bring. I wonder what’s going to happen in August?

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

This goal is definitely being met thanks to Big Secret Goal #1 – I’m writing a novel. The deadlines imposed by the course at The Write Practice are just enough to keep me moving forward.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. Big Secret Goal #1 is the priority.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Did this in July! There was the July Mission Update and Artsy Weekend In Grand Rapids.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

No much change with this in July. I’m still using my Linux machine most of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media.

Have Fun

After all the activity in June, there was no way I could have so much fun in July. I caught up with some out-of-state friends in a Zoom session, had a couple of massages, and oh yeah – had my hair died teal, deep blue, and purple. I love the jewel tones mixed with my natural grey and darker hair.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel

Moving right along with this. In July I hit 50,000+ words, which puts me more than two-thirds of the way towards meeting my goal of 70,000 words. As I’m getting this blog post ready on August 7 I’m sitting firmly above 57,000 and set to cross the 60,000 word mark sometime this week. Hurrah!

Big Secret Goal #2: Backyard Landscaping!

Finally I can reveal this goal! I definitely had to hire pros because several areas in my backyard resembled a Midwestern jungle of weeds, unwanted trees, and other miscellaneous green stuff that had decided to live in my yard. As I said above, there’s nothing gentle about the process of essentially demolishing to begin building again.

This is the first of several phases that will happen over a number of years, too, and I’m delighted to have it underway. All the work the pros did in removing and then relocating existing plants has me enthusiastic for the next phases. More information and lots of pictures later this month!

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve only read one book!

• I’ve been so concentrated on writing that the only book I’ve managed to get through this month has been How To Tell A Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling From The Moth.
• I suspect August will be relatively book-read-less too because writing a book and working full time is taking up a lot of mental space.
• I do have The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal on deck; it’s the third in the Lady Astronaut series and man, I read those so fast and loved them that I may not be able to hold myself back. The other book I’m looking forward to is The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie; I loved her Ancillary Justice series and this is a brand new series for her. There’s also a new book coming from psychologist Sharon Blackie – Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life; it’s out in October and I already have it on pre-order. Her book If Women Rose Rooted explored Celtic mythology and the Heroine’s journey as a way to find authenticity; good stuff if you’re interested in personal development and spirituality.

How About You?

How was your July? What big dreams and projects are you working on for this year?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was June?

June’s Tarot Card

Back in January, I did a tarot spread for the full year and June’s card was Intention. The card asked me to review my intention and check motivations. The card shows an owl holding a dandelion puff standing on top of a huge egg which is perched upon a sculptured column or tower.

Intentions and motivations did become clearer in the last few weeks. I know that writing this book is important to me – it’s what I want to do, what I’ve always wanted to do. In fact, after this draft is done, I have a series that keeps bugging me.

I checked my intensions and motivations with Big Secret Goal #2, too. I have X amount of money I can spend on this, and there’s only so much that can be accomplished for that amount – all the sighs as I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all awesome immediately. Anyway, that X amount will still bring a needed transformation, and set a strong foundation for future changes.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

With the 100 Day Book program, I’m required to have 3,500 words done each Friday by midnight Pacific time. And for five weeks straight, I’ve hit that target! Hurrah me!

Will I hit the 14-week target and submit a complete first draft? Stick around to find out!

How do I track number of words? There are any number of programs that can do that; however, I settled on Dabble because the streamlined look keeps me focused. That and the Deep Focus music from Greenred on Youtube –>

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. Big Secret Goal #1 is a priority.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Made it! There were three posts in June:

• Mission 2022 that reviewed May and revealed a big secret.
• A look at my garden at the very end of May/beginning of June.
• What I learned after forty weeks of Hello Fresh meal delivery service.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In June I’ve carried on using the Linux machine for much daily fun browsing: checking email, checking Facebook, watching videos. deGoogling and deAppling will be much longer tasks.

Have Fun

Oooo! I did really well with this one in June. Most of the month I was at home; however, the very last weekend I had a getaway!

• I met up with a friend in Midland, Michigan, and had lunch then hit the bookstore.
• I went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and saw Beyond Van Gogh and Mean Girls. I ate good food and shopped till I almost dropped. I’ll tell you more about that later this month.
• For summer solstice I participated in a Despacho ceremony with Ashera Sefarty; I went to Peru on one of Ashera’s amazing fourteen day sacred valley experiences many years ago. During the ceremony, I created my own Despacho – an offering to the universe for the coming new cycle of summer. The flowers are from my yard. Each of the items has purpose: flowers for light and fertility, sugar for sweetness, quinoa for sustenance and abundance, rice as an offering to the spirit world, feathers for connection to the ether and sky. I let the Despacho sit on my desk for a day, and then placed it into the compost to regenerate and feed the future.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel

Oh ya! I’ve hit my target of 3.500 words each week and am more than half way to the end target of 70,000. Hurrah!

Big Secret Goal #2

This goal involves hiring pros. Met with the pros again and reviewed the design. I now a solid cost idea for the multiple phase project.

Am I really ready to make that time and money commitment? You bet I am, and fingers crossed I’ll have something to show you in August.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read:

• Owen 9 by George C. Wilson.
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
• The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
• This puts me at 24 out of 50 books this year.
• I’m finding that as I am writing I just can’t read as much. I usually gulp books down over a day or two, but now with working full time and writing every night, I barely read a chapter a night.

How About You?

How was your June? How are you making fun a priority this summer?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was May?

May’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and May asked me to release resentments and negative self talk. The card was Goblins, and it also reminded me that fear is an illusion and that I can always choose love.

I’ve really been working on that negative self talk. Though “work” isn’t really the word, it’s more a practice. If I catch myself talking negatively about myself, I stop, and correct the words. This way, I am slowly ceasing to berate myself for just being alive. I am sure I will be working at this the rest of my life – and I hope you start working at this, too.

That negative self talk does so much harm. And as women, we’re absolutely conditioned to think that we’re not good enough just the way we are. I am definitely amazing just the way I am, and so are you – but the way we talk with ourselves only reinforces the messages we receive from television, movies, books, magazines, social media… it goes on and on.

I wrote more about shoulding all over yourself in February.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

This didn’t happen, I don’t think it will, and I’m OK with that because I wrote 3570 words over last week. Hurrah! Read more about that in Big Secret Goal #1 below.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. I’ve got other things on my mind now.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

I made it – just barely. Squeaking by counts! There was the May Mission Update and a Big Secret Goal Reveal.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In May I continued to use my Linux machine for most everything. I still need to transfer files over from the old windows computer. Maybe I’ll get around to moving music this month?

• DeGoogling is much harder than I imagined: it’s everywhere and I use it for much more than email. I did stop using Google Calendar; I really, really like having a paper calendar so I can cross days off.
• DeAppling won’t happen until there is something other than Android as a truly viable option for me. Yes, there are some options out there that can run Linux like the Librem 5, but lead time is 52 weeks – yes, you heard that: lead time is ONE YEAR. I expect the market for Linux phones will improve in the coming years and when it does, I’ll be jumping aboard.
• DeMicrosofting is as good as it’s going to get for now; I use LibreOffice with no major issues; it is free and is a viable replacement for Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, etc. I still have a Hotmail (now Outlook) account; it’s the first email account I had, and I’m kinda attached. I use it as a ‘junk mail’ account when signing up for newsletters, websites, offers,

Have Fun

May really wanted to be warmer, but instead settled for being not so warm. At least it was warmer than April, and I got to wear shorts for the first time this year. I’m notoriously cold, so finally wearing shorts is awesome; as I write this, it’s June 5 and I’m going to be wearing a long sleeved shirt and long pants because it’s chilly and rainy.

• I watched the Central Michigan University graduation ceremony to see my sister receive her second outstanding teaching award. Congrats Leslie!
• I’m still enjoying HelloFresh, but suspect I’ll cancel or at the very least pull back on ordering as much every week once the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) starts up for the season. That should happen sometime in June and carry on for sixteen weeks of amazing veggies from a local organic farm. How many veggies? My weekly share typically covers my four-burner stove top!
• I did some genealogy work and updated the FindAGrave.com listings for some of my Wallace line. There was great-great grandfather Robert Wallace who brought the family from Canada to Cass City, Michigan (and was able to tie him to my great grandfather Alfred James Wallace, too.) Robert’s son William H. Wallace. My great-great-great grandfather and grandmother Thomas Wallace and Isabella Dickie Wallace. There was also Isabella D. Smallwood and her husband William and son Harold; Isabella’s mother (Mary Jane Wallace) was sister to Robert mentioned above – which makes her my 1st cousin three times removed. One of these days I may hire a genealogist working near Kilmarnock, Scotland to dig into further family history…or perhaps that can be a goal for 2023?
• My hair still has purple, fuchsia, and blue highlights: LOVE IT!
• I worked in my garden just a big, went to a couple thrift stores, and had two craniosacral massages, too.

Big Secret Goal #1: Finish the first draft of a novel

This is what that “write 250 words a day” goal was all about! Read more about how I came to this decision and hints at what the novel is about here. Every week for fourteen weeks, I have to hit my target number of words per week – 3,000. We’re in week one, and I sure did hit that target! Yeah me!!

Big Secret Goal #2

This goal involves hiring pros. I finally arranged to meet with the pros.

• It was fun to talk about the goal in depth, and to share the document I slaved over that is chocked full of ideas and measurements and colors and more.
• Now I’m in the “waiting for the pros to develop a design” phase. Then we’ll be in the “blend my vision with their design phase,” and then in the “I sure hope they can add this to their schedule” phase. And eventually we’ll get to installation and big reveal.
• I was hoping for spring (which is clearly not going to happen) and will be delighted if it’s fall.
• At least it will be done…and I can move on to other Big Secret Goals.

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read:

• Galileo’s Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simson
• The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
• I’ve read 21 books so far this year, which puts me 42% of the way to that mission of 50 books in 2022.

How About You?

How was your May? What big dreams and projects are you working on for this year?

In 2022, I’m combining lessons from the heart with some –cough cough – goals.

But I don’t like the word goals, so it’s a quest, a journey, a mission: that for which I am destined.

So how was April?

April’s Tarot Card

I did a tarot spread for the full year and April’s card was Coming To Life. It asked me to get out of my own way and let spirit lead. It was a reminder here to try to not coax or push the dream forward.

This was a month of wait and see. It was a month where I definitely allowed spirit to guide me. I was tempted so many times to take off to another town for the day to hit the thrift stores, but then realized I really didn’t need to do that. I was OK with staying at home (and I did hit the thrift stores here.)

The end of April always gets me excited about buying new things to plant outside. Unfortunately, it’s also the time when allergies attack. While daffodils and tulips and trees are busting out leaves, I’m holed up inside waiting for the trees to wrap up their leafing out. At that point, it’s nice and warm and all the plants that overwinter in the house are ready to go outside – me, too.

Write 250 Words A Day, 5 Days A Week

Still working on this one. Last month I said I’d have a chat with my inner child and we’ve come up with a plan. There will be words written in the coming months for sure.

And, to be clear, this is words each day for personal projects. For work I’ve been writing up a storm – and more than 250 words most days. 250 words, by the way, is about 15-minutes worth of writing.

Revamp WordStorm Casserole Poetry Book

Not happening. I’ve got other things on my mind now.

Post Twice A Month On This Website

Oops! April went by and I only posted one time.

DeGoogle, deApple, deMicrosoft – embrace Linux!

Why? Because Google, Apple, and Microsoft all track your every move online and that’s wrong.

In April I used my Linux machine all of the time for personal use: checking personal email, watching YouTube videos, checking social media. I used it to watch Star Trek: Discovery on Amazon Prime. I didn’t creep back over to the Windows computer at all; it hasn’t been turned on since March.

Though I have to say I haven’t been happy with the Linux genealogy program, Gramps; I guess I just prefer the program I’ve used for years – Legacy. I’ll have to see if it will work in a Windows emulator and/or dig into Gramps a bit more.

Have Fun

Sigh. It was sprinter: spring and winter, but really more winter. Brrrr.

• In that one weekend where spring attempted to gain hold, I spray-painted a table and lamp. Sadly, I did not take before or after photos, so this will not become a craft blog.
• I went to the Zonta rummage sale at the library and scored on a couple of cute pieces of clothing for summer.
• On Easter Sunday family gathered at mom’s house. First time we’d all been together since Christmas.
• I got massages, bought an air fryer, and colored my hair fuchsia, blue, and purple.

Big Secret Goal #1

Not very much hear. That will change over the next few months.

Big Secret Goal #2

This goal involves hiring pros. Finally got an appointment set!

What I’m Reading

On GoodReads, I have a 2022 Reading Challenge goal of at least 50 books. Since the last update I’ve read:

• The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy
• Birthright by Nora Roberts
• Write Away: One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and the Writing Life by Elizabeth George
• A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
• The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
• Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
• The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
• That means I’ve read 18 of 50 books for the year!

How About You?

How was your month?