Helpful Hints

I enjoyed this article from The New York Times. It's entitled health tips Some are clearly health tips (e.g. minimize your intake of highly processed foods.) Other tips are more like life tips to me. 

One tip came from someone's second grade teacher. If something feels too hard to do, it just means that the first step isn't small enough. This is very good advice for someone writing (or attempting to write) a novel.

Another involves using "soft fascination"--doing simple activities such as washing the dishes or folding laundry--that require little mental effort giving the mind freedom to wander, make connections, and find solutions. Another appropriate tip for a writer.

A third tip involves giving yourself breaks--two to five minutes between tasks--because it gives you the sense of having free time.

I can use all of these tips and will. 

Off to a Good Start

It was a good feeling to walk with Jace today around 4:30 and realize it was nice out. It was 40 degrees which we hadn't seen in a while. More importantly, there was no wind. 

It sets the tone for this positive post. I'm happy with how 2025 has started.

Beginning January 2, I've been writing every day (from 223 to 587 words) for about a half hour to an hour-of-a-half. 

I've exercised every day beginning on the 2nd and gone to the gym six times. 

I've written eight blogposts. 

I've been changing up some routines and habits. The most important thing is writing in the morning. I've also changed Jace's walking schedule around. I'm switching up my gym workouts. I'm not spending as much time in the early morning on The New York Times games. That has been the most difficult routine for me to change. 

I haven't done much thinking about goalsetting. Instead, I'm actually doing things that will help me get to my goals.

I'm adding this following because I thought it was funny. It's a paraphrase from a collection of tweets--probably from the Huffington Post. 

                    I don't want a new year. I would prefer a gently used year. 

Time to Say Goodbye

 A week and a half into 2025, and things have settled in a more-or-less normal pattern. I realize that I haven't written a post about 2024 goals, highlights, etc. 

Spoiler alert: it's because 2024 was pretty much a total failure. 

Here goes: 

Dryuary Plus

Achieved.

Go to the gym 150 times. 

With 78 visits, I barely made it halfway to this goal. I was doing well with double-digit visits through March. I hit a funk in April, hurt my hand in May, had to deal with colitis (and am still navigating it to this day.) I was also away for a week in June and one in September. That doesn't fully explain my lack of visits from April through September.

Read 40 books.

I only read 27 books last year. The biggest reading month was June with six books. I wish I had at least read 30. I re-read four Preston and Child books as I waited for Angel of Vengeance (book 17.)

Write 150 to 200 blogposts.

I wrote 132 posts. I wish I had written more. On the other hand, I don't need to write more drivel.

Other writing/artistic work.

I didn't make any specific writing goals, and I barely wrote. The same with artistic work.

What We're Watching

Will all the TV shows, mini-series, and movies available, we are watching Dark Shadows. It's funny to admit that. I started a Dark Shadows rewatch about two-and-a-half years ago, watching in spurts. When we got to the Leviathan storyline, Jeff started to watch every episode with me. 

We didn't particularly like the Leviathan story, but were determined to get through it because the next storyline was Parallel Time was coming up. Years ago, Jeff and I watched a few episodes of Parallel Time, but the show suddenly stopped. Apparently, the provider didn't have rights to the following seasons. 

Recently, we've watched Parallel Time 1970 and The Destruction of Collinwood 1995. We're almost through 1840. After this, there's only one more storyline: Parallel Time 1841.

At this point, I guess we're just want to finish the series. I've been watching along with this website.by Danny Horn. Danny does a commentary on each episode beginning with Episode 210, when Barnabas Collins first appears. He lists the blunders of each episode, facts about the actors, and inspirations behind the storylines. Occasionally, he'll discuss other pop culture topics such as Dark Shadows films and comic books, Dr. Who, and comic books. 

Sundry Sunday Thoughts

I'm glad it's Sunday. More specifically, I'm glad tomorrow's Monday. I figure I won't have to remind myself what day it is several times a day. It's only been a week-and-a-half since Christmas; it feels like a month. New Year's Day feels like weeks ago.

We removed Jace's cone on New Year's Day. The vet's instructions gave a range of 10 to 14 days for him to wear it. New Year's Day was the tenth. Another reason to celebrate. He's recovering well.

I took down the Christmas tree and finished packing up the decorations. I decided that was enough for today. Plus I made waffles earlier. I got Jeff a mini-waffle maker as an impulse gift. I used a Bisquick mix, and they were pretty good, if a bit of a pain to make.

I've been wanting to take Jace to Cove Island or Sherwood Island, but that hasn't worked out so well. We haven't had good weather since the day of our NRVT walk. Of course, there were those ten days in the cone.

Now, we're in a cold spell. It's not worth driving to Stamford or Westport when I'll only be able to stand the cold for about 20 minutes. Oh well, it won't be cold forever.

It will just seem that way.

More About 2024 Books

I was dozing off as I finished my list last night, so I just posted it without comment.

I read 27 books in 2024. For the second consecutive year, I read fewer books than I had the previous year. I didn't reach my goal, but I'm not concerned about that. 

I was surprised that I only read three histories and two historical fiction, much less than earlier years. I read nine fiction, five mystery/suspense, four memoir, two pop culture, two short story collections.

My favorites of the year are The Blind Assassin and Angel of Vengeance. Education and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn were also good.

Books Read in 2024

1. American Brutus John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies by Michael W. Kaufman

2. The Second Chance Shop & Other Stories by Bette Bono

3. The Woman Who Ran for President The Many Lives of Victoria Woodhill by Lois Beachy Underhill

4. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

5. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

6. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

7. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

8. A Light in the Storm The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin by Karen Hess

9. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

10. Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog with Richard Erdoes

11. The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

12. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

14. Reel Art Great Posters from the Golden Age of the Silver Screen by Stephen Rebello and Richard Allen

15. Overboard by Sara Paretsky

16. Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky

17. Angel of Vengeance by Preston & Child

18. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

19. The Alienist by Caleb Carr

20. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

21. Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir

22. The Entertainment Weekly Seinfield Companion Atomic Wedges to Zipper Jobs: An Unofficial Guide to TV's Funniest Show by Bruce Fretts 

23. Love and Other Crimes by Sara Paretsky

24. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory

25. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

26. Educated by Tara Westover

27. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith