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Loving… NaBloPoMo. I was on the fence about tackling this challenge again, but it’s been so fun and I’ve met new bloggers! I’m enjoying myself.
Loathing… Abby. That’s the name I gave to the abscess on my underarm. I’ve had a cyst in this area of my underarm for years, and every now and then, it gets a little swollen. This time, though, it turned into a huge abscess (it was 4 centimeters when my dermatologist measured it) that needed to be drained. I was lucky enough to see my dermatologist the day I called for an appointment (she’s usually booked out for months). The abscess was very painful and irritated, and draining it helped a lot. But it’s still not back to normal. The area is pretty red and I’m still doing warm compresses to drain it. Ugh.
Reading… Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, which has been a fantastic historical fiction book about Soviet spies. (Feels a little prescient to read it right after the election, too.) And I have about an hour left in my audiobook, The Very Nice Box by Laura Blackett.
Watching… not much these days. I’m trying to keep up with my weekly episodes of Survivor, The Summit, and The Floor. But otherwise, my time is taken up with writing and reading blog posts!
Listening to… Christmas music! Is it too early for Christmas music? Maybe, but I don’t care. I am ready for the holiday season!
Anticipating… birthsgiving! It’s fun when my birthday falls on Thanksgiving like it does this year. For my birthday, I have requested a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Too much?
Thinking about… how I want to approach goal-setting in 2025. I may even give up annual goals in favor of quarterly goals, which would be a wild thing for me to do. I love my annual goals! But a year is a long time and I always start feeling meh about halfway through the year about the goals I set. It’s just something I’m pondering, though.
Buying… Christmas presents! With a large order placed at Amazon, I will be nearly finished with holiday shopping. I just need to think about what to buy for my book club gift exchange and some other family members.
Grateful… for a new therapist. I feel so lucky to have found someone I click with immediately and don’t need to go therapist hunting. I have my second appointment with her tomorrow and I am looking forward to it!
What are you currently reading and watching?
I really enjoyed Our Woman in Moscow. Of course, I love books about war and spies and women, so it ticked all the boxes. Have you read Kate Quinn? She does a good job talking about those things and making a great story about it. I am reading Conversations on Love, which got really good reviews on GR, but to be honest, it is just okay so far. I am listening to it and it is done in an interview style, so I guess that is not what I expected. However, it is short enough that I will probably finish it fast.
I’ve read a few Kate Quinn books and totally agree, she’s great at writing historical fiction.
Happy Birthsgiving in advance. I like this term.
I’m currently reading The Address by Fiona Davis. I started it a few years ago, put it aside, but found it again and am liking it now so am finishing it.
Watching? Ghosts on CBS is back with a new season so am making a point to go old-school and indulge in destination TV each week. .
Oh, Our Woman in Moscow sounds GREAT! I’ll be looking for a new book soon- I’ll see if I can get that from the library.
I’m also loving NaBloPoMo! I’m already sorry so much of the month has gone by (Can we do it again for December? No? Darn.)
It is not too early for Christmas music! Listen all you want! I’m going shopping today and I hope the stores are playing Christmas music the whole time.
I was so apprehensive about the work that goes into NaBloPoMo but now I’m sad that the month is winding down! WAH!
Oof, Abby. That must be so frustrating to deal with (and uncomfortable). Here’s hoping she vacates soon! I’m also an end of November birthday and this year is one of those where it falls on the day after Thanksgiving – which I’m taking as a win because I have apple pie instead of birthday cake and now we only have to make one haha!
Oh, our birthdays are so close! I think I knew that from last year. Happy almost birthday!
So many great things.
It’s never to early to listen to Christmas music would be the motto my kids want me to live by 🙂
That’s amazing to be almost done shopping. I feel like it never ends this year? I’m also buying more than normal because I’m only getting things people really need or really want or I think they’ll really like. Turns out, there are a lot of things in those categories (plus, we have two extra people staying with us). No one person is getting too many things, but it sure adds up over time! But it’s fun, so I’m trying to enjoy it and not worry too much about the credit card statement. Also, a lot of them really ARE things people need, I’m just giving them a nicer version etc.
I don’t have a huge long list of people to buy for so that helps! And I got the easy people done first. The ones where I’ll have to think a little harder about what to buy are coming up next. Eeks.
I think it’s kind of you to request a Thanksgiving meal for your birthday. What if you requested lobster mac and cheese or something, and then no one else got their turkey dinner? Unless people hate the turkey dinner, in which case, OH WELL, it’s your birthday. <3
My sisters’ birthday is 11/29…I wonder if they’ve ever had a Thanksgiving birthday? Do you remember when Thanksgiving was the same as Hanukkah? That was fun. I loved this picture…SO CUTE.
I tried to link to the picture, but I linked to your blog post instead. Internet fail on my part.
Here’s the picture (I hope).
I guess it’s a setting on your blog. Here’s the picture, if the link comes through. Gosh, I’m DEDICATED to you seeing this cute little girl, right?
https://jellyjules.com/wordless-wednesday-thanksgivukkah-edition/
Nov 28 is actually the very last day that Thanksgiving can fall! Unfortunately, when it comes this last in the month, it means a shorter Christmas season. 🙁
I’m not sure what setting I have on my blog that caused the issue! I’ll have to check. But I also couldn’t see the picture when I went to your blog. 🙁
Weird, the picture was there when I commented, and now it’s gone. WEIRD. It’s so cute though, so I went and looked it up.
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/11/25/thanksgivukkah-the-unique-super-holiday-makes-a-comeback-125-years-later
I like the idea of quarterly>>>annual goals.
Yay for your new therapist. I’ve had a few misses in my journey, but so far it seems like the third one was the charm!
Ouch! How lucky your dermatologist was able to get you in so quickly for that abscess. It sounds really painful.
Also I’ve added Our Woman in Moscow to my library list. I love books about spies and espionage. And I’m envious of you almost finishing your Christmas shopping, I haven’t even started mine. I usually wait till December comes around. Oh, and how funny your birthday is on Thanksgiving, I hope you have a fun day and get to eat the full turkey dinner.
You named your abscess. I hope you don’t know anyone with the name Abby LOL so glad to hear you clicked with your new therapist. It’s such a hassle to find someone new and it’s wonderful when it happens on the first try!
I am not watching anything right now, and reading has been put on the backburner because I am trying to stay on top of all the blogs during NaBloPoMo, but the book that I’ve started reading in October was “Outlive”. (P.S. So happy you decided to join again this year! NaBloPoMo wouldn’t be the same without you.)
All of you people who have done your holiday shopping and ordered your cards are STRESSING ME OUT SO MUCH. That is all.
If it helps, I do not have a TON of people to buy for and the people I did buy for give me Christmas lists so I just pick some items and add to cart. Easy! It’s the other people who will be much harder.
So happy you found your therapist.
A holiday birthday. How fun. Every once in a while my birthday falls on Pentecost which is a holiday in Germany and I have an extra free day.
I have not done anything for Christmas. And my cards will again be late because I am supposed to mail them coming weekend and I have not even an idea on how I want them to look.
Birthsgiving! That’s fun! My birthday is in April and I’ve had it close to Easter – the Saturday, Easter Monday, Good Friday – but never once on Easter. If that ever happens I want an Easter egg themed birthday cake.
I have a friend who has a similar problem with an abscess, and it’s so painful for her. I am glad you’re feeling better!
I have been playing Christmas music on the piano but haven’t put on any of my playlists yet. That will be this weekend! The tree is going up!
Have you watched The Americans? I’m thinking you haven’t. It is worth checking out if you have access to it – I can’t remember where we streamed it from, maybe Prime? It’s about 2 soviet spies living in the DC area and it’s SO GOOD. The book you are reading made me think of it.
I’m reading “Wolf at the Table” which is solidly character-driven. Susie from Sarah’s BSL recommended it and I often likes books she likes. I think Sarah DNF’d it, though. It is a heavy, sad book, though. We aren’t watching anything right now – we just finished Will and Harper which I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND. That’s on Netflix. We’ll need to find something new to watch, though.
I’m so glad you connected well with your therapist!!
I haven’t watched The Americans. I will add it to my never-ending To-Be-Watched list. I’m still stuck on season 2 of Suits – I’m so bad at watching series TV!
Sorry about the pain, hope you heal up soon.