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Monthly Digest | August - November 2024

From a not-so-recent beach day.

November is tied together with the heartstrings of gratitude. ~ Josiah Soto

Hello Friend,

It’s been a while, and I won’t bore you with all the minute details of everything that’s happened since I last shared my monthly digest at the beginning of August. Life got busy, really, really busy, since I started my new full-time job teaching and helping run the social media for the school I work at. Being out of the house five days a week and often not coming home until after 5:00 PM has taken some getting used to again - for myself and my family. On the weekends, I usually catch up on house chores, laundry, laundry, and more laundry, and also spend time with my woefully neglected husband. We try to spend a little time together, just the two of us, and will usually go on a breakfast or lunch date, either at one of our go-to restaurants or by venturing out and trying something new.

There are a few things worth mentioning, like the fact that our youngest, Ally, turned 16 at the end of September and is now a fully licensed driver. It’s been great for her to be able to take the car and hang out with friends without having to ask one of us if we can drive her. And it’s been great for me not being a mom taxi anymore.

There were a few hurricanes we had to watch and prepare for, but they ultimately missed us here in South Florida, and we got away mostly unscathed. (There were a few tornados north of us that wreaked some havoc.) Unfortunately, that was not the case for Ashley, who attends Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, and who still, to some extent, has to deal with the fallout from Hurricane Helene. She got very lucky and only lost power and water for a short time, considering that some places just recently got drinking water back. It will take a long time for Boone and all of the affected areas in Western NC to get back to “normal” - they lost a big chunk of the revenue from their tourist season, and from what Ashley tells me, there still aren’t many tourists visiting. Just before she came home for Thanksgiving break, Jason Kelce paid a visit to Boone and attended the App State homecoming football game to show his support.

Then there was THE concert in October - Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Miami - we went on night 2, which was epic. I will never be able to fully express how amazing it was to be able to be at one, let alone two, of her Eras Tour shows. The first time in Tampa, I took Ally and one of her friends. The second time, in Miami, it was both of my girls and I dancing and singing the night away. My favorite part of the Miami show was Florence Welch on stage with Taylor for their song “Florida!!!” - we were hoping she’d show up, and boy, did she.

I’m also coaching the cheer team at school again this year. We grew from 8 girls to 19, and while there’s a fair share of drama - to be expected with girls ranging from 6th through 11th grade - it’s also so much fun to see these girls grow together and do their thing. Cheer practice and then the basketball games we cheer at are usually the highlight of my day/week. It’s a lot, but it’s also so fulfilling in some ways. I fell into this role not knowing a thing, and while I still have a lot to learn, I’m so glad I was there to help out when the girls needed it.

And now here we are, Thanksgiving week… A well-deserved week off with all my chicks at home. It’s been a week of slow mornings, some nature, a little shopping, good food, and just hanging out.

I’ve read quite a few books in the past four months, some for work, most for pleasure. No matter how little time I have in my day, there’s always time to read for a bit. I rarely go to sleep without reading at least a chapter or two of whatever is my current book.

Over the past 4 months, I read lots of books for fun and also a few for work. I’m assisting in some of the English classes and thought it wise to read or reread the books that are getting covered in class. I’m not complaining; some of them have been on my TBR pile for a long time, and reading time is never wasted. My top three on this list are bolded.

1. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (for work)

2. The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan (for pleasure)

3. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (for pleasure)

4. The Sandwich by Catherine Newman (for pleasure)

5. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (for work)

6. The Odyssey by Homer (for work)

7. Romeo and Juliet (for work)

8. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (for pleasure)

9. The Women by Kristin Hannah (for pleasure)

10. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (for work)

11. Gilgamesh translation by Herbert Mason (for work)

12. Best Mistake by Nora Roberts (for pleasure)

13. Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts (for pleasure)

14. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (for pleasure)

15. Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Bowen (for pleasure)

16. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (for pleasure)

(* I have not read Verity yet and just started Madwoman.)

July and part of August were not TV or movie-watching months for us. Most of the shows we enjoy didn’t come out with their second seasons until later in the month or early September. This is a mix of binge-worthy shows (Netflix) and the more old-fashioned way of one episode a week (Apple TV+), and I feel there is a time and place for both.

• The Perfect Couple (Netflix) - I binge-watched this show by myself. Loved it.

• Nobody Wants This (Netflix) - Ally and I watched this one together, and we cannot wait for season 2. So good. Too short.

• The Diplomat (Netflix) - Another one I watch by myself. Season 2 was way too short, with only 6 episodes, but season 3 is supposed to be longer.

• Bad Monkey (Apple TV+) - Such a fun show, set in the Florida Keys and Miami and based on books by Carl Hiassan. Looking forward to season 2.

• Slow Horses (Apple TV+) - Love a good British “spy” show, and who doesn't love Gary Oldman?

• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - I almost forgot to add this to the list but remembered just in time. Ally and I enjoyed this show so much and were happy that it was renewed for the 5th season.

• Agatha, all along (Disney) - This was a family watch, and we enjoyed it, but it wasn’t one of Marvel’s better ones.

• Where’s Wanda? (Apple TV+) - I was so excited to see this show on Apple TV+ because it’s a German show with one of my favorite German actors. I watched it in German, but it’s also available in English.

• Shrinking (Apple TV+) - Working my way through season 2. This is such a wonderful show with a blend of humor and heartfelt moments. One minute, you laugh, and the next, you have tears streaming down your face.

• Bad Sisters (Apple TV+) - I just started season 2 of this Irish black comedy and cannot wait to see what the sisters have gotten themselves into now.

Sometimes, you have to return to your late teens and early college days and put on an alternative playlist, especially when you’ve had an especially rough day at work.

• Miami English is a new dialect emerging in South Florida.

• Are you an overthinker like me? Here’s something that might help stop the spiral.

• The sad reality of college students who don’t know how to read a book in its entirety.

• Some new thoughts and studies about intermittent fasting.

• Christmas trees are in trouble, at least one kind.

Thanks as always for stopping by to check my monthly digest! Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or clicking that little heart; it means the world to me!