Category — Friday Blog Roundup

We bought our Halloween candy last weekend. On Sunday night, I told Josh I was opening the bag and having one piece. Thus started the slippery slide of eating through the Halloween candy before giving it out tonight.

Listen, it’s an enormous bag. The kids are not going to go without their treats. But I needed the Snickers. I needed the Almond Joys. I even needed the mini Butterfingers, even though they flake all over you when you bite into them, making them sort of annoying. The only thing that was not in this bag was my absolutely favourite: Three Musketeers.

Luckily, Halloween candy goes on sale this weekend. I can snatch those up for myself.

It’s hard to have candy in the house.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

And now the blogs…

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But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “#MicroblogMondays: I dreamed a dream…” (The Road Less Travelled)

Okay, now my choices this week.

All & Sundry has deep thoughts about how we get accustomed to new situations. And yes, the pain is still there after a loss, but it’s about the pain becoming manageable instead of being overwhelming and blotting everything else out. I especially liked this paragraph: “I am alone enough now that I often think about the differences of shared experiences and whether one state is intrinsically better than the other … There is such a huge difference between being lonely and being alone.” Yes, you’ll have to click over to read what comes in between, but start at the top because it’s a great post.

Lastly, Jewish IVF has a post about her final embryo transfer, a carefully orchestrated plan that went sideways when everything she put in place bumped up again people who hindered more than helped. The takeaway clinics need to hear: “I was so frustrated that no one paid attention to what’s important to me as a patient. There was no discussion between the clinic and the OR to communicate the limitations I had shared.” My heart hurt reading it.

The roundup to the Roundup: Don’t open the Halloween candy too early. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 24 – 31) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

We’ve been inside Buckingham Palace twice since they started renovations in 2017, and both times, we’ve been amazed by the care extended to the rooms and objects inside while modernizing the space. You can feel the history in every room while also knowing that once upon a time, the palace did not have lights. Modernization and historical respect, hand-in-hand.

You know where I am going with this.

I am super sad seeing the photos of the White House, and it makes me want to avoid the area downtown. I am glad I have photos from some of the rooms destroyed in the rebuild. It was the way I entered the White House the first time I went. (And the hallway the first time I met Bo.) I’m sad to see that history gone forever. You can’t build it back.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

And now the blogs…

*******

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “40 ans” (Des méandres aux étoiles)
• “Päckchen” (Elaine ohne Kind)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Phoenix writes about being an observer or an experiencer. She explains: “The Experiencer is the part of you that is experiencing a situation complete with your thoughts and your feelings and all. The Observer is the part of you that is removed from the situation and can see it without everything that comes with experiencing it.” She applies it to a thoughtless conversation with her mother, but it’s a useful tool to process any difficult situation or conversation. Go over to read about it in action.

Lastly, Finding a Different Path keeps back what she really wants to say after an insensitive assumption/comment. She doesn’t say anything at all, realizing that she doesn’t want to be flippant or explanatory. She writes: “I thought how I don’t really know two of the four people at the table, and did I really want to brandish my losses at the bowling Grand Hurrah? Was it necessary? Would it make life better for anyone? Nope.” Sometimes what we don’t say is as profound as what we do say. And yay to “adorable guinea pigs and a satisfying hobbit-y existence.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Can’t get it back. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 17 – 24) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

We just got back from visiting the kids, so I’m in that downward emotional slump that comes after a good trip. I keep reminding myself that it only hurts this much because we enjoyed ourselves this much. That this is the inverse — the price we pay for laughing that much and hugging that much.

We went up three mountains, got apples at a farm stand, visited a town I always wanted to see and never made time to do, explored a free Barbie exhibit, hiked to a brook that looked more like a river due to the rain, browsed books, ate ice cream three times, watched Taskmaster, and took hundreds of photos.

And then the long drive home, pick up the guinea pig, and unpack. Big sigh.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

And now the blogs…

*******

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

All & Sundry talks about the dissolution of a marriage. It is a weird term to use with a marriage because all of the artifacts and memories of the marriage remain; they don’t disappear into the ether. She has found a lot of peace in the afterward, and she writes: “There is nothing left but acceptance, and the love that helps build anew.” Amen to that.

Finding a Different Path had an anniversary surprise trip, which sounds and looks idyllic (with the exception of the grandparenting war). Click over for beautiful autumnal photos.

Jewish IVF is on her final embryo. She writes: “Whether it sticks or not, this transfer will mark the end of an era for us.” She is in a place of peace, hopeful but accepting of whatever comes.

Lastly, I echo Scientist on the Roof in wanting a break from adulting. Everything here sounds good: “I would like to eat snacks, read something for fun, and take naps. I would really like someone else to take care of meals and all kid-related activities. I would like the house to be magically tidy and organized (and pretty, too) without any effort from me.” I don’t think it’s too much to ask at all.

The roundup to the Roundup: The greater the trip, the harder the landing. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 10 – 17) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

Yesterday was Super Thursday, which is when many many many books are published in the UK ahead of the holiday season. In case you never noticed, the US releases new books on Tuesdays, and the UK releases new books on Thursdays. I’m sure we have something similar to Super Thursday in the US, though Googling “Super Tuesday” takes you to political articles, but I buy a lot of books from the UK, so I’m particularly excited to read all the book newsletters going out this weekend.

It kind of feels like a big online party for books.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

And now the blogs…

*******

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Phoenix marks 9 years of blogging. She writes: “Nine years and five days ago I took the plunge and published my first blog post. I had been thinking about blogging for awhile and decided to do it. I was extremely lonely and looking for connection. I hope what I have shared here has helped someone, but I think that what I have received here is exponentially more than what I’ve given.” It’s the same thing that drives a lot of us to set up our site, and I love our little corner of the internet. Congratulations, Infertile Phoenix.

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ has a post about childless perks. She talks about something I hadn’t thought about before: “The thing is, many of the perks that I used to think about are largely irrelevant now that I am older. On a daily basis, my life is not much different to those friends of mine who have children.” While it’s true that lives that diverged begin to look similar again, she still notes a difference and provides food for thought.

The roundup to the Roundup: Perusing the books this weekend. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between October 3 – 10) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.

I’m not a big clothing-shopping person, but I had such a positive experience at the Boden store (now closed) a few years ago, that I decided to give one of their sample sales a try.

I’ll start with the positive: It’s organized, everything is a flat price (e.g., all dresses are $70), and they have every size. So whether you are a size 4 or 14, there will be plenty for you.

But I sensed while I was standing in line to go in that sample sales were not my thing. The people around me were carrying their own full-length mirrors. That was my first clue that this was not going to be chill experience. I guess I would best describe it as people grabbing armfuls of items (the sale was many many many copies of the same 20ish things from their site, with a few single copies of a handful of items), racing to try on things, and tossing them aside if they didn’t fit. Everyone was lovely, but the whole thing felt like sharks in a feeding frenzy. No joy. Just all-consuming consumption.

It was kind of the opposite of the experience in the store. It’s a bit of a bummer that the brick-and-mortar store is gone.

*******

Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

And now the blogs…

*******

But first, second, helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. To read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Phoenix changed her last name a long time ago in anticipation of having the same last name as her future child. It was a change of heart from her original plan not to change her name with marriage. But a divorce and second name change later, and she comments on how, “Every application, every official form. They all ask for any previous names you’ve had. So I have to acknowledge my kids’ last name until the end of (my) time.” It was just a profound reminder.

The Road Less Travelled posts a picture from the dock of the cottage she was staying at, and it looks like my ideal place. It’s just a good reminder to take a step back sometimes and reconnect with people you like in beautiful places.

The roundup to the Roundup: I learned I am not a sample sale person. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between September 26 – October 3) and not the blog’s main URL. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week. Read the original open thread post here.