Simple Goal Check-In (September)

In January I wrote a post outlining the 24 #simplegoals I had selected to work towards in 2024, and I gave a longer update in June about how things were going at the half-way point. As we're entering the final quarter of the year (mind boggling!) I thought now would be a good time to check in on those and let you know where things stand. 

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

24 Simple Goals in 2024

1. Buy no new books. Two, maybe three books. Calling this a success! 
2. Read 48 books from my own shelves. DONE!
3. Use the treadmill. Walking six days a week since June 1st.
4. Put the phone down. TERRIBLE, but a work in progress.
5. Clean out and pare down. Some, but not as much as I was hoping to.
6. Save for a rainy day. Did well, had low income months, had to use it for bills.
7. Use cash for certain expenditures. Off and on.
8. Burn the candles. Two thumbs up! But...I also bought more. {Facepalm}
9. Create a repertoire of simple meals. Meh.
10. More fresh foods, less processed, sugary, high-carb stuff. Definitely working on this!
11. Avoid Amazon on bad days and late nights. Better, but room for improvement.
12. Say "yes" to something new at work. I just did, in fact!
13. Say "no" to things that don't add value. Much better at this!
14. Eat the food we already have. Working on this, but still room to improve.
15. Participate in teaching my newest driver how to drive. There's been a "pause" on that.
16. Save for a school trip in the '24/'25 school year. See "bills due, low cash months."
17. Host more meals with friends and acquaintances. There are seasons for this - yes and no.
18. Listen more. Talk less. I feel like I've improved in this area, but still room to grow.
19. Spend time with my parents. Time is fleeting. Been mindful about stopping by.
20. Give quality gifts, not quantity (next Christmas). Fewer gifts, for sure. Progress.
21. Build relationships with family. I think there have been some positive steps.
22. Write more. Shockingly, I've been faithful to write at least once-a-month on the blog!
23. Don't stress about what "might" be. I have been learning to let go faster.
24. Count my blessings. Work in progress.

Under the heading of each of these goals, I also set some sub-goals that give me baby-step achievements along the way. Something to celebrate and help with motivation. For example, when I set the goal of reading 48 books this year, I broke that down to reading at least four books a month. Obviously, there were months when I read more than that (and achieved my goal for the year sooner than expected), but setting that smaller monthly goal helped keep me on track and motivated to keep going. 

I did the same thing with using the treadmill, but I didn't figure out the sub-goals for that until the middle of the year. I had started out strong on the walking in the beginning (like most people when they set their New Year Resolutions), but then faded off after getting sick and having some calendar challenges. But in May, when I was fed up with my lack of self-discipline, I decided to set a goal for the month of June: Walk Every Day in June. About 10 days into it, after talking to a couple of my accountability partners, I decided to take Sundays off. So six days a week, I was downstairs, walking between 5-30 minutes a day. I gave myself a wide target to hit...making it easier to achieve my goal. I don't feel like walking...it's just 5 minutes. And usually, after 5 minutes, I would tell myself, "It's just 5 more, keep going." Which is how, most days, I ended up walking at least 20 minutes a day. 

In July I decided to change the target: Walk Six Days a Week, at Least 1 Mile. And I did it. In August, I decided to work on increasing my speed from a 20-minute mile, to less than 20 minutes. Didn't matter how much less, just that it was. By the end of the month I was regularly walking in the 16:50/mile range. Just by setting a smaller sub-goal to challenge myself, I was not only hitting my #simplegoals for the year, but getting a renewed sense of accomplishment each month as I checked off another goal. This month I decided I would take the first step to work my way up in mileage, by walking 1.25 miles every day, under 20 minutes. Not only is it good for my mental health, but I am noticing more stamina, less shortness of breath, and definitely better calf muscles. That's a win-win-win for simple goals!

How are you doing with your goals for the year?

Do you do a regular check-in to see how things are going?

It's not too late to set smaller goals for the remainder of the year!

The June "Simple Goals" Update

You may recall that when this year started, I set twenty-four simple goals for 2024. I've given a few updates along the way, but since I took one of those goals and broke it down into a monthly goal, I thought it was about time to update again on how things are going. As a refresher, these are the simple goals that I set back in January...and how it's going, six months in!

Photo by Ronnie Overgoor on Unsplash

1) Buy no new books. I was doing great until earlier this month. After I read The Worst Hard Time, I quickly added more of the author's books to my "Books to Remember" list. I had no intention of buying any of them before next year, but then I got on to purchase a book as a gift, and saw that several of his books were marked down (NEW) for 63% off...and, in a moment of weakness, I caved. In my defense (no, I know there's no defense here!), I did get some as gifts, but I will also be adding to my shelves, so...not counting it as a total fail (I made it six months!), but...

2) Read 48 books from my own shelves. At the time of publication, I have read 36 books from my own shelves (and a couple that were borrowed from my mother). Suffice to say, I am well on my way to achieving this goal.

3) Use the treadmill. I have had times when I have been faithful about this, and times when I have let it collect dust. In the interest of setting smaller goals, I decided to set a goal for the month of June: walk daily, for 5-30 minutes. If I successfully achieve this goal, I get a drink of my choice from Starbucks as a reward. I downloaded the HabitShare app to help me keep track. So far, I have missed one day when the Hubs convinced me to hang out with him instead, but otherwise, I'm on course to hit my goal.

4) Put the phone down. This has been CHALLENGING, but something I am daily ware of, and working on. I've been tracking my time usage each day and taking a screenshot of it to share with a friend for accountability. 

5) Clean out and pare down. This is a work in progress. But more has been going out than coming in. I think. It does seem, though, that no matter how much I clean out, there is always more. I'm not sure how that works, but I will blame the four kids who still live at home and move on. ;) 

6) Save for a rainy day. I set up several new savings accounts and have been slowly adding to most of them. Some are specific savings for things like our health expenses (so that is a continual adding too and paying from account), and home and auto taxes and insurance. Others are a general savings (for those "shoot, I need a little more in the checking to pay the bill" moments), as well as an actual Rainy Day Fund that I have been adding to (and titled "DO NOT USE"). I've been actively working on paying these accounts first whenever we get income.

7) Use cash for certain expenditures. The short answer to this is yes, on occasion. The longer answer is a little more complicated, so for now, let's just say that when we can use cash, we do, but we're not stressing over it.

8) Burn the candles. I have been very intentional about doing this, and I am loving it. In fact, as I type this, there is a "Peony and Apple" candle burning across the room and making our bedroom smell amazingly cozy. I even picked up a couple of new candles at TJ Maxx, on clearance, with the intention of burning immediately. When I finished the first candle, I turned the glass from it into a planter for a succulent I received for Mother's Day. Win-win.

9) Create a repertoire of simple meals. I'm better about this in the winter (thanks to my Crock-Pot) than I am in the summer, but we've been eating a lot of sandwiches and other convenience foods to help keep the desire to eat out at bay, and it seems to be helping. 

10) More fresh foods, less processed, sugary, high-carb stuff. Definite growth in this area. I've really been trying to stay away from the fake sugars, and have noticed an improvement in my overall health, but specifically my gut health. We've also been doing intermittent fasting for about three months now, and because of that, I find myself craving foods that fill me up for longer periods of time, since we only have a 4-6 hour window to eat. When I eat junk, I get hungry sooner. When I eat whole foods, the cravings are less. 

11) Avoid Amazon on bad days and late nights. It's so easy to hit that little Amazon app and quickly order something you "need" or have been thinking about, but I still see improvement. I think the focus on saving for specific things has helped with this. 

12) Say "yes" to something new at work. Not yet, and one thing I was considering I'm no longer sure I would say "yes" to, but I'm okay with all of that. If the stretch goal happens, great. If not, I'm totally fine.

13) Say "no" to things that don't add value. This is also a work in progress, but I have been learning how to say "no" when it doesn't work (or no longer works) for me or my family. I am working to prioritize certain things and people over other events, but more importantly, I'm learning how to be okay with that and not feel guilty for not being able to say "yes" to everyone and everything. Boundaries are a good thing.

14) Eat the food we already have. We had several months of doing this well, and then a month when I suddenly realized we were eating out 3-4 times a week! Yikes! So this ebbs and flows, but that's also why having a repertoire of simple meals is so important on the days when I'm tempted with takeout. 

15) Participate in teaching my newest driver how to drive. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure this one was going to happen. As a recovering control enthusiast...trying to teach a young and budding control enthusiast was not on the top of my "want to do" list. However, I will say that I have, in fact, gone driving with her, and we didn't kill each other. Yay, us! We still have a long way to go, though.

16) Save for a school trip in the '24/'25 school year. This is part of the savings project, and has its own savings account now, so I'm hopeful that this will happen. If not this year (just due to packed schedules, as well as money), at least next.

17) Host more meals with friends and acquaintances. We have definitely been more intentional this year about opening our home up more, both for meals and overnight guests. It's been good for us, and for our kids, to learn how to be flexible and say "yes" to people who need a space to be themselves and find encouragement. 

18) Listen more. Talk less. Work in progress. I like my words. But I'm trying. 

19) Spend time with my parents. Time is fleeting. This year, in particular, I have realized how true this is. As my father has been in the hospital a couple of times, and my parents are both getting older, I have been trying to make time in the schedule to stop by their house or meet them for lunch or just sit and talk. I know there will come a day when I can no longer do it, and I don't want to have regrets when that day comes. 

20) Give quality gifts, not quantity (next Christmas). I'm a year-round shopper, so I've been trying to keep this in mind as I've found things already this year for Christmas. I also set a lower budget this year, so that I really want to make the gifts count.

21) Build relationships with family. Towards the beginning of the year we took some steps towards this, but then life got busy and we haven't really made the progress in this area that I was hoping when I originally added it to the simple goals list. But I have tried to work on sending texts more often to those who aren't local. Baby steps. 

22) Write more. The very fact that I'm here, in the month of June, and I'm still writing, and, in fact, most months have written two posts, is proof of improvement in this area. The number of blog visitors isn't huge, but I think the difference this time is that I'm writing for me, rather than for the "reach."

23) Don't stress about what "might" be. There have been lots of "what if" situations this year, but I've been actively working to hand those over to God immediately, rather than letting my mind dwell on the things that "might" come about, or the conversations I "might" need to have. This, in turn, has lowered my stress level, and so I would give this a thumbs up (but also recognize I must be ever vigilant, lest I fall back into old habits). 

24) Count my blessings. At my work, they have a daily check-in to share things you're grateful for. This has become my place to share the good, the bad, and the ugly...and also how I am thankful for each of them. It helps me to refocus on what I can find to be grateful for in any situation, and to remind me that there is always a blessing to be found. I recently asked someone to tell me what they could be thankful for that day, and they responded with, "nothing." How sad. The sun was out, they were alive and breathing, they had a job, their bills were paid...and yet, nothing. Count your blessings. They are all around you.

 How are you doing on your goals?

Money's Tight (Another Fun Fallacy to Consider)

Fallacy (noun): a mistaken belief, especially one based on an unsound argument; a failure in reasoning which renders an argument invalid; faulty reasoning; misleading or unsound argument. 

Remember when I wrote the post about the fact that claiming you have no time for things was a common fallacy that many of us are ready to believe? I've been pondering this quite a bit over the last few weeks, and I believe I have another one: "Money's really tight right now." Before you get your knickers in a knot, let me explain. 

Yes, there are times when money just cannot stretch as far. Everything has gone up in price (I mean, seriously...groceries, gas, even the cost of used books is making me roll my eyes!). And there are definitely situations when you are wondering if it's time to look under your couch cushions and on the floorboards of the car to see if you can scrape together enough to pay the electric bill. We've all experienced lean times, and some of us are still there. And based on the shape of the country at the moment, I suspect it's going to get worse before it gets better. If it does. But I digress. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Whatever the future holds, this idea of "Money's tight right now" is also a prime example of faulty reasoning. Why do I say this? Because I've heard people say it, but their choices would indicate otherwise. Does any of this sound familiar?

• Money's tight? Nice beach vacation photos on Facebook. 
• Money's tight? I see you got your nails (or hair) done last week. 
• Money's tight? I don't see you giving up your $6 cups of specialty coffee. 
• Money's tight? Interesting since we ran into you while eating out. 

Lest you think I'm self-righteously pointing fingers, I'll be the first to point back at myself. 

• Money's tight. Let's grab pizzas at Little Caesar's tonight, because I don't feel like cooking. 
• Money's tight. If I stop at McDonald's their Diet Cokes are cheaper than a stop at Starbucks. 
• Money's tight. I need a few more books for school and I couldn't find them at my local used bookshop, so I'll just click that "buy now" button on Amazon. 

These are actual examples of things I've said, thought, or acted on in the last few weeks. Yes, we are all guilty of being hypocrites from time to time, so what's my point?

Just like it was with our time, it's all about choices. 

We have time for what we make time for (vegging out on YouTube or reading a book; snacking on the couch or walking on the treadmill), and for most of us who are reading this, we also have money for what we want to have money for. Oh, maybe not everything we want (or want to do), but how and where we spend our money is still a choice for most Americans. I choose to shop discount stores and grocery clearance sales, use coupons, and eat from my freezer and I save a lot of money that way. But I also chose to eat out more often than I'm comfortable admitting - even if it's "just" $7 pizzas.

Take a look at the list below and see if anything here hits home for you (some of these I do, some of them people in my life would consider "common" and "necessary" expenditures).

• Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBOMax, Spotify, etc.)
• Amazon Prime (and Prime Channels, like Britbox, Acorn TV, or PBS Masterpiece)
• Auto-refill on apps like Starbucks, Dunkin', or McDonalds
• Pricey monthly phone plans and regular phone upgrades to the latest iPhone
• Movie tickets (plus popcorn, candy, or drinks)
• More clothes (honestly, our closets are bulging!)
• Fast-food stops or ordering "To Go"
• Expensive birthday parties for kids and over-the-top Christmas mornings
• Yearly vacations to the beach, Disney, a cruise, flying somewhere, etc.
• Food that you'll never actually eat (grocery shopping when you're hungry gets you every time!)

All of which takes me back to my original statement: We have money for what we chose to have money for. And I suspect I'm not the only one who does, so let's chose our words wisely. We need to normalize saying and thinking things like: 

• If I don't have $20 for groceries, then I don't have $20 for my streaming choices.
• If I want to take a trip next year, I don't have money for [XYZ] now. 
• I can't afford lunch out, but I can invite people in for coffee or a bowl of soup. 
• I'm choosing to save for [a car, a trip, retirement, kid's college, etc.] which means I have to say "no" to other things.
• I have a lifetime supply of books I haven't read, so I don't need to buy one more. {ahem}
• Or how about getting into the habit of saying these three things, daily...

I have enough. I am blessed. I am thankful.

There's No Time For That (A Common Fallacy)

When I set my goals for 2024, I decided to challenge myself to read forty-eight books over the course of twelve months. Not quite one book a week. I wasn't sure if I could do it. After all, life is busy. I homeschool the four kids still living at home (three of them teenagers), and when school is done I Uber them to taekwondo, band, music lessons, babysitting, cleaning jobs, and more. When I'm not driving kids around or instructing them in the "three R's," I'm checking on my parents, helping my eldest navigate the waters of adulthood, filling a grocery cart to feed my family, making meals, hosting friends, doing laundry, supporting my husband, or squeezing in a few hours a week of proofreading to help pay for it all. A clean kitchen? What's that? 

Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash

So when I decided to aim for almost one book a week this year, I was a bit skeptical about the reality of that happening. But what I found was that I actually had quite a bit of dead space in my day between all those events. Waiting for kids? I've got time to read if I'm not running to the grocery. Everyone busy with their studies? I pull out my book at the teacher's desk, pausing to answer questions when they come. Rather than wasting time on social media first thing in the morning or at the end of the day, I now open a book or my Kindle app and "scroll" through the pages before starting the day or falling asleep. 

The point is...we have time for the things we want to have time for. 

Last month I made the decision to limit my scrolling on Instagram to one hour on Saturdays. I didn't think it would make that much of a difference, but the results have been stunning. Not only am I on my phone less, but I'm more productive in general, in addition to knocking my monthly reading goals out of the park. So before you say "I don't have time to do that," take an honest look at your day, track your phone time, and pay attention to how you spend your hours. You may be busy - in fact, you probably are - but make sure you're busy with the right things, the things that will help you meet and exceed your goals, simple or otherwise. 

Books from My Nightstand - March Edition

It took me the first five days of the month to finish my first book, but it was well worthwhile. I enjoy non-fiction, and I enjoy the occasional fiction book as well (as you'll see below), but I also enjoy books that challenge me to change, push me to think differently about things, and help me to grow as a person. March was full of such books, and others, that kept me on track with and even well ahead of my 2024 reading goals. 

And with the weather warming up, I'm already looking forward to some nice spring days, sitting under the newly budded trees, book in hand, to continue working towards the simple goal of getting back to my bookworm roots. What are you looking forward to as spring begins? What simple goals are keeping you active? What books are making you think and grow, much like the plants and grass and trees all around us? Hit me up in the comments with your book recommendations and spring dreams!

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

1. 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam - ★★★★ This book had been sitting on my shelf for eleven years because I hadn't "had time" to read it. Ironic, eh? I wouldn't say there was anything mind blowing in this, but it was a good nudge to really look at the ways in which you spend your time. Are you filling your 168 hours with mediocre projects or activities, leaving no room for the things that really matter? Could you cut out TV (a suggestion she gives time and again, much to my delight) in order to make more room for reading, spending quality time with your kids, or finally writing that book you've always said you wanted to write? Whether you fill out her forms and follow the process, or simply take another look at the hours in your day, I think there's something for everyone in here. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
2. The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith - ★★★ I wanted to like this. I love most of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books by the same author, though I did walk away from the "Isabel Dalhousie" series, and lost interest several books into the "44 Scotland Street" set. So maybe it shouldn't have come as a big surprise to have some disappointments here. The premise was interesting, and the writing flowed so easily (as all his books do), but there were some aspects of the story (while historically accurate) that I could have done without (the pre-marital kind, but in no way graphic). However, if these things are not a hangup for you, the book was a quick, enjoyable read. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
3. Delay, Don't Deny by Gin Stephens - ★★★★ I purchased this book back in 2020, when the weight first started to pack on. It sat on a shelf for the last four years until this month, when I was hunting for my next reads and stumbled across it. I'm giving it four stars, not because it's so well written (the author clearly states at the beginning that she was embracing a casual writing style - and she did!), but because of the encouragement I received from reading it. She isn't a medical doctor, but she shares her personal story with dieting and intermittent fasting, and she shares book recommendations by physicians who back up her experience. The timing of this book was perfect, as just two days prior I decided it was time to try fasting again, and then this confirmed it and gave me new steps to include. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
4. The No Spend Year by Michelle McGagh - ★★★★ Read this book in two days. McGagh shares her "no spend year" experience, what that looked like for her, what she learned from it, and then gives ideas that the reader can try (or not). She is British, so all the money is in £ rather than $, and the advice regarding home mortgages and retirement and saving plans are all pertinent to the U.K., but it would be easy enough to translate that advice and make it make sense for your location. Plus, since living in the U.K. at some point in my life is still on my bucket list, I appreciated the U.K.-specific insight. Not sure I can get my family on board for a "no spend" year, but maybe a "no spend" week or a month...we shall see. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link) 
5. Clearing the Fog by James C. Jackson, PsyD - ★★ The full title of this book is Clearing the Fog: From Surviving to Thriving with Long Covid—A Practical Guide. I first heard about it on Instagram from a woman who is living the nightmare of Long Covid. I don't doubt her story for a minute, nor the fact that she felt seen by this book. I, however, was looking for more medical research and outcomes, and less of the mental health aspects, so I think this is another case of misplaced expectations. Chapters 1-3 were more along the lines of what I was expecting, and chapters 4-10 were primarily mental health focused. Two stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
6. Death Beside the Seaside by T.E. Kinsey - ★★★★ This is the sixth book in the "Lady Hardcastle" mystery series. Like the rest of the series, this was a quick, easy read, and an entertaining story with well developed characters. In this particular book (filled with spies, government cover-ups, and intrigue), we get some additional background on Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong (explaining why Flo is so adept at physical combat). With the bonus of finding out how Ellie and Skins first meet (which you'd appreciate if you read the companion series "The Dizzy Heights Mysteries" - about a group of musicians who solve murders on the side). Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
7. Square Peg by Todd Rose and Katherine Ellison - ★★★ This was Todd's story, and my impression is that Katherine was the non-ghost ghostwriter. I could have gone with two stars as it didn't really follow through on the second half of the subtitle (My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries, and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers). Oh, it did cover his story (which is actually why I could also have given it four stars), but not so much the insight for raising innovators, visionaries, and out-of-the-box thinkers. As a mother and teacher of children who struggle with many of the things he discusses, I was encouraged to hear it from his side. As a second generation homeschooler, I was unimpressed that his only option was to "fix" the public school system using technology. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
8. Irena's Children: Young Readers Edition by Mary Cronk Farrell/Tilar J. Mazzeo - ★★★★★ My first "five star" book of the month, but man was this one heavy. I had wanted to read this for a while (although I still haven't read the original, adult version), specifically before I had my kids read it for school. Despite believing I had a decent grasp of WWII history, I was still stunned by the numbers in this book, covering the events in just one country. Over six million Poles (both Jews and Gentiles) were murdered during the Nazi invasion of Poland and ensuing holocaust. The torture, although toned down for the YRE, is almost more than my mind could grasp. I feel these are such important stories to tell, read, and remember, because forgetting will only take us back to that same place in the future. Five stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
9. An Act of Foul Play by T.E. Kinsey - ★★★★ This was officially my half-way book, taking me half-way to my goal of 48 books for the year. Feeling pretty good about that, if I'm being honest. And feeling pretty good about this fun little mystery as well. I always appreciate a book that surprises me with plot twist at the end, as this one did. I loved the addition of Flo's twin sister, Gwin, and the mixture of simple village puzzles and big city murders. Lady Hardcastle and Miss Armstrong don't disappoint in this 9th installment, and if you're looking for a quick, easy read on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I would recommend any of the books in this series, including this one (I've read them all on Kindle). Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)

So that's my nine books for March. I was hoping to finish up one of the two I have going right now to make it an even ten, but life got busy and with Easter weekend, that didn't happen. But in case you were curious about how many books are on my ever-growing "Books to Remember in 2025" list...drum roll please...the current total is: 88. Yes, I have a problem. 

See you next month, and happy reading!

February Books: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

I received a number of recommendations from several of you after last month's post. Thanks so much for adding to my "Books to Remember" list - I'm currently up to forty-nine books...and counting. 

This month was a bit rough when it comes to books (you'll notice several one and two star reviews). I finished several that I started reading, literally, years ago, and I was reminded (on many of them) why I put them down. And even though I am not a quitter when it comes to books (even if I'm really not enjoying it), I've almost doubled the number of books I've quit in my entire life, just in the first two months of the year - one last month, one this month. 

While I'm all about sharing the good stuff, I feel it's equally important to share the not-so-good reviews, and you can make up your own mind about whether you will try them or not. In some cases, the things that bothered me (say, the language in book #3) might not be an issue for you. Or perhaps you're just really, really interested in the politics of trains in Great Britain (book #2), in which case you might be intrigued to read more, even though it only received one star from me. 

For all of those reasons, if you skim to the bottom of the post this month. I'm sharing my thoughts about the book/series I didn't finish, just in case it's something you've been considering. I always think it's good to hear all points of view and various reviews, because we readers are a diverse lot! 

Photo by Claudia Wolff on Unsplash

February 2024 Book Reviews

1. Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman - ★★★★ I first started this book ten years ago, lost interest, set it aside, picked it up again at the beginning of the month and finished it in two days. I don't know what caused me to pause a decade ago, but I giggled my way through the last third of the book. Highly recommended for those who don't want to lose the original meaning of a word, English majors, editors, and general word nerds. Don't wait ten years to give this one a shot! Four stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
2. Eleven Minutes Late by Matthew Engel - ★ I wanted to love it. When I first heard about it, it was described as a "Bill Bryson-esque" book about train travel in Britain. There were small sections where Engel attempted to share stories about the rides he took, but he doesn't have the Bryson-like humor to capture the reader's attention. Bottom line: if you are super interested in the politics behind the train system in the U.K. this is the book for you. But I am not the correct audience. One star. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
3. The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald - ★★ If you've watched the 1947 film of the same name, you might assume, like me, that the book would be even better. Spoiler: it wasn't. In this instance, the movie was superior. Don't let the 1945 copyright fool you - I was surprised by the amount of vulgar language, misuse of the name of Christ, and other slack morals allowed in print at that time. All of that aside, the author is good at bringing stories to life and reminding us of - if not a simpler time, at least a more physically challenging one. Two stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
4. Prodigals and Those Who Love Them by Ruth Bell Graham - ★★ This one was all about expectations. I expected it to be a memoir of Ruth's experience as a mother of prodigals. It wasn't. Five brief stories about prodigals in history, and several sections containing hymns, poems, parental thoughts, prayers, and scripture. In the valley experiences with our own prodigal, I've found that God gives us what we need and it's very personal, not something found in a book. It's a song on the radio at the right time, a verse in the middle of your daily reading, the cry of your own heart when words are not enough. Some might be encouraged by this book, but it was not for me. Two stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link).
5. The Appeal by Janice Hallett - ★★★★ You might recall that I read the Christmas Appeal last month, and gave it three stars due to the writing style (entirely made up of emails, texts, letters, and WhatsApp messages). But as I had already purchased this book - in fact, it was my last book purchase of 2023, I went ahead and gave it a shot. I think it helped knowing, ahead of time, what the writing style would be like, because I found myself sucked into the story and finished it in a matter of a few days. Right to the end I didn't suspect the guilty party, so props to the author! Give it a shot. Four stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
6. The Plague and I by Betty MacDonald - ★★★ Since I already had the series on my shelf, I figured I'd give book #2 a try since I *thought* I knew about The Egg and I, but it turns out...the movie was better. With low expectations, I will say that the second book, covering MacDonald's nine-month stay in a TB sanitarium in the 1930s, was much more interesting. Be aware that she does misuse Jesus's name several times (quoting herself and others), but otherwise the book is clean. Although it's her personal story (told with flair and humor), I also enjoyed it from a historical perspective. Three stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link) 
7. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser - ★★★☆ I'm really not sure how to review or rate this one, because if you just take it on the writing and research alone, it's a solid four star book. But I have to take the subject into consideration, and honestly, while well written (and long at 515 pages of book copy - the rest is all notes), it tainted a series I have loved since I was reading my first "big girl" book in Kindergarten. I knew the stories were fiction based on fact, but that didn't make reading the real story any easier. And...Rose Wilder Lane was four-plus crazy. The Ingalls/Wilder families had hard lives, beyond the hard we see in Laura's series for children. If you're looking for the real story, from before her birth until well beyond her death, I would recommend this as a starting point. Three and a half/four stars. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

DNF: His Majesty's Hope (A Maggie Hope Mystery) by Susan Elia MacNeal. The premise of this book (and the entire series) was interesting. A young woman during WWII, drafted into MI-5, trained to use her skills as a spy in Germany. You should know, first, that I generally stay away from historical fiction. I don't mind fiction books, but I want my history to be real. Give me books like The Watchmaker's Daughter, The Monument's Men, or Boys in the Boat any day, with real people, who did real things, and made a real difference in the real world. History is interesting enough, I don't think we need to dramatize and fictionalize it. That being said, I was sucked into this series by the subtitle...a Maggie Hope MYSTERY. Personally, based on the 85 pages I read of the third book in the series, I would not classify this as a mystery. It's just historical fiction. I quit on page 85 after the third sexual encounter (two heterosexual, one homosexual). While not graphically described, they just don't add anything to the story for me. Additionally, I felt the writing was lacking depth. The premise was interesting, and it held my attention long enough to get 85 pages into it, but there are definitely better books out there. Which means it has the distinction of being one of a handful of books I have ever walked away from without completing. 

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Hit me up in the comments or find me on Goodreads or Instagram and let me know what you've been reading this month, what you loved, what you disliked, or share what makes you walk away from a book. After seeing my IG posts, one friend shared that if a book doesn't grab her within the first five pages, she walks! What about you? Five pages or eighty-five? 

The Bookshelf: January

One of my goals for 2024, in addition to not buying any new books (no matter how sorely I'm tempted), was to read four books a month. Because one of my other goals was to scroll less and put the phone down, by January 11th, I'd already reached my "four books" for the month...and so I kept going. I'm sure other months will be less cozy and less "reading-friendly," so I shall make hay while the sun shines...or rather, I shall snuggle up while the sky is overcast and it's cold outside. 

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

I've kept track of my reading progress on Goodreads (feel free to friend me there if you are so inclined) as well as giving little reviews on both my personal Facebook account and Instagram. And for those who might stumble across this little piece of online real estate, I've done a brief overview below. If you make it through, I'd love to hear from you in the comments about the best book you've read this month. I might have to add it to my "Books to Remember" list on Amazon. We're up to thirty-two after month one. This is not looking promising for 2025's book budget.

January 2024 Booklist  

1. Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose - ★★★★★ American missionary serving in Papua New Guinea during WWII, captured and interned for the duration of the war by the Japanese, endured incredible hardship, remained focused on the fact that God put her there for a purpose. It's well-written, but not a light book, definitely what I would call "heavy" reading, but certainly worthwhile. I just had my 13-year-old read it for a school assignment and she loved it as well. Five stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
2. Winter in Thrush Green by Miss Read - ★★★★ After the last book, I was looking for something a little lighter to fill the evenings, and picked up the second book in the Thrush Green series. It did the trick, transporting me to a 1950s English village, where a cup of tea and a cozy fire can fix just about anything. In some ways, it was harder to read this directly after book #1 because it felt so flippant after something so serious; however, that says nothing about the book itself, just my reading choices. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
3. The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett - ★★★ I saw someone on Instagram recommend the first book from this author (The Appeal - which is also on my "to read" shelf), so they were two of my last books purchased in 2023, before the ban on book buying. Cons: I dislike the writing style. The whole book is written as emails, text messages, and interview transcripts, which I didn't realize before buying. Pros: It was a fast-moving plot line, with enough twists and turns to hold my interest. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
4. The Watchmaker's Daughter by Larry Loftis - ★★★★★ This book wasn't even on my list to read (or my bookshelf), but I stopped by my parent's house to drop off books #1 and #2 for my mom to read, and she thrust this into my hand and said I had to read it. Two days later, I closed the back cover. I could not put it down. This is a fantastic historical account, not only of the life of Corrie ten Boom but also of her family and friends' involvement in the Dutch Resistance and those who found refuge in the secret Hiding Place. Heavy stuff, but absolutely worth your time. Five stars. (Amazon Associates Link) 
5. The Nineties: A Novel by Chuck Klosterman - ★★ The author and I come at events from very different viewpoints (not a deal breaker, just not as enjoyable), and his writing style jumped from topic to unrelated topic, though by the end, I noticed the pattern and was more prepared for the switch. I slogged through the first two-thirds, but the last third was better when he started talking about how 90s television affected cultural changes, the Clinton/Bush political climate, and how 9/11 officially ended a decade and a whole era of American life. Two stars. (Amazon Associates Link) 
6. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport - ★★★★ If you can overlook the fact that Newport focuses on Twitter/X in the final chapter, and the statistics he shares being five years out of date now, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book (go for paper over digital!). Screentime is taking over our life and our kid's lives, and we're not the better for it. If you've been feeling like something's off or if you've been around the next generations at all (glued to their phones), Newport would say you're on to something. Includes helpful ideas to help us regain control of this tool before it fully controls us. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
7. Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants by Lee Goldberg - ★★★ If this were going up against other books in the same genre (cozy mystery-esque) I might have given it five stars, but not compared to all other books in the world. If you enjoyed the television show, Monk, then you should try one of the books in this series. Pros: Written by the same guy who wrote the show, so he knows his characters. Cons: I dislike what he's done with Natalie (more whiny, more annoying, more sexual). Quick, easy read. Good for a "no deep thinking required" refresh between deeper books. Three stars. (Amazon Associates Link)
8. Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood - ★★★★ This is book #2 of 3 in the "Marlow Murder Club" series from Thorogood (who was also the writer behind the BBC mystery series, Death in Paradise, and subsequent follow-up books featuring DI Richard Poole). As I thoroughly enjoyed both the television show and the books, I decided to give this series a shot when he came out with the first book and was hooked. If you're a fan of the show, or of the DI Poole books, or if you enjoy a clean, cozy mystery (think Agatha Christie), I would recommend giving this a go. Four stars. (Amazon Associates Link)

And that's a wrap on January. Eight books is one-third of the number of books I read in all of 2023, so I'm pleased with the way 2024 is starting. My screen time is still higher than I'd like, but there's been a definite downturn in my mindless scrolling, and an uptick in my focused reading time, so win-win. Remember, if you've read any thing worth recommending this month, leave a note in the comments or come find me on IG and add to my "Books to Remember" list. 

Simple Goals Mid-Month Update

If you saw my 24 Simple Goals for 2024, here's a quick check-in on how some of those things are going. On Instagram, I simplified them even more. 

Without further ado, here's the update on my #SimpleGoals:

1. Stop buying books - So far so good. Even though I have already added 26 books to my "Books to remember" list on Amazon for 2025 or this year's Christmas wish list. 
2. Save for a rainy day - I haven't put anything into savings, but I'm not shopping or buying either, so it's a good step towards this goal. I also switched to cash for eating out, so when the envelope is empty, we're all done for the month. 
3. Make better food choices - I'm not snacking as much, and have been mindfully eating smaller portions, but as I sit here typing this out, I'm also eating a Stroopwaffle...soooo, there's that.
4. Simplify and clean out - I've made it 14 days into The Minimilists' 30-Day game. It's the 16th of the month, but I still see it as progress. And over the weekend, I took a huge load down to donate at Goodwill, which, quite possibly, gave me more of a high than buying it all to begin with. Download the free calendar (it helps). And don't worry, they don't spam your inbox.
5. Put down the phone - There has actually been a lot of progress on this. In order to help break this habit (or addiction, let's call it what it is!), I set up a bunch of Do Not Disturb (DND) boundaries and app timers, which have helped curb the "need" to check my phone every time it vibrates.
6. Start walking - Mentally, I was aiming for 5-6 days a week once the Hubs got the treadmill set up again in its new location. However, realistically, my weekly schedule allows for about three times a week. There are definitely ways I could do more, but for now, I'm looking at it as three is better than nothing.

Half-way through the first month of the year, I'm relatively pleased overall with how things are going. If you've set goals (or are still goal setting), how's it going for you? What's the number one thing you want to be different a year from now? What are you doing to make that a reality? Hit me up in the comments below or find me on Instagram and let's chat!

24 Simple Goals in 2024

It doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to be big. It doesn't have to be mind-blowing or world-changing. It just needs to be something to aim for. Something to work towards. Something to help you say no when you want to say yes...or yes when you want to say no. Simple goals. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

24 Simple Goals in 2024

1. Buy no new books.
2. Read 48 books from my own shelves.
3. Use the treadmill.
4. Put the phone down.
5. Clean out and pare down.
6. Save for a rainy day.
7. Use cash for certain expenditures.
8. Burn the candles.
9. Create a repertoire of simple meals.
10. More fresh foods, less processed, sugary, high-carb stuff.
11. Avoid Amazon on bad days and late nights.
12. Say "yes" to something new at work.
13. Say "no" to things that don't add value.
14. Eat the food we already have.
15. Participate in teaching my newest driver how to drive.
16. Save for a school trip in the '24/'25 school year.
17. Host more meals with friends and acquaintances.
18. Listen more. Talk less.
19. Spend time with my parents. Time is fleeting.
20. Give quality gifts, not quantity (next Christmas).
21. Build relationships with family.
22. Write more.
23. Don't stress about what "might" be.
24. Count my blessings.

What's on your list?

The Bucket List Cleanout

Last month I read the free ebook, 16 Rules for living with less from The Minimalists. This short book didn't take long to read and basically covers concepts related to clearing out the clutter from your house and life. I've seen their stuff before, so they're not new to me, but an idea that was thrown out there in the book caught my attention and has already resulted in, literally, hundreds of items leaving my house, bound for the firepit, junkyard, and thrift shops.

After reading about the idea of the 30-Day Game (or challenge), where you get rid of the same number of items as the day of the month, I decided to give it a try for the last 12 days of July. On July 19th, I purged 19 items from the house. On the 20th, 20 items found a new home by being donated or trashed. By the end of the month, 325 items had been removed from our house...and I couldn't even tell a difference. 

So on August 1st, I kept going. One item the first day; a shirt that I purchased this summer, but really didn't like the way it fit on me. I tugged and pulled and messed with it, and finally decided that life was too short to wear shirts that aren't comfortable. I also decided I couldn't waste time beating myself up over money spent on a shirt I didn't return and wasn't going to keep. Better to cut my losses, learn from the experience, and pass the shirt on to someone else who would wear it and love it. 

The second day I tossed another ill-fitting shirt, and a book that I read once, gave a three-star review to on Goodreads, and will never read again. On the third day, three music books for guitar, found while rummaging around in a cabinet, went out. We don't even own a guitar. And the purge continued.

• Dry-erase markers that were dried out.
• Dust-covered artwork that had been hanging on the walls in our bathroom for the last 20 years.
• Off-brand Miralax that had been languishing on our kitchen counter since a child was in need of it back in 2020. 
• A stack of half-used coloring books
• Two empty tin cans, once destined for a science experiment that never happened.
• A cracked, vintage Cool Whip container filled with the broken nubs of crayons from my youth (I'm in my 40s). 

While I'm not proud of any of this, I also don't think I'm alone in my clutter. Our homes are magnets for all.the.stuff. The clearance bin deals that grab us, the clothes that almost fit, the orphaned socks that are kept on the off chance that one day all their missing mates will be found...after the kid's feet have outgrown them. We keep boxes of tea we bought, tried, and disliked...simply because we don't want to be wasteful. 

But is that really any better? Instead of passing it on to someone who might use it, we waste it by letting it fill our drawers and cabinets, basements and attics. It takes up space in our minds because whenever we stumble across it, we feel guilty for not using it, drinking it, wearing it, or worse still, wasting money on it. So we stuff it back in the drawer, close the cabinet door, or move it to a box in the basement "for later." But later never comes.  

Shortly before the July purge, I was browsing around a local store, killing time while my kids were doing martial arts. I came across a little leather notebook, with the words "Bucket List" stamped into the leather on the front. The paper inside had that thick, handmade feel, and I immediately knew it had to come home with me. 

After I got home, I started writing down items in my notebook that I'd like to do before I kick the bucket. Some of them are simple, others will take a little more planning and money, and a few are pretty out there. But as I wrote down each item, I was struck by the fact that if I wanted to achieve any of the items on my list, I needed to unburden myself of the stuff that was getting in the way. 

Every day, I make little tick marks in my Bucket List book, noting the items that are leaving our home. I don't have a fixed number of items that need to leave, nor do I know how many months I'll do this. I just know that with every tick mark, I feel a little bit more free. And that's the biggest Bucket List item of all.

What's Up With The Name?

What's in a name? In this case, it's the feeling I got after cleaning out desk drawers and pen pots and finding what felt like a thousand pens - some which worked, and some that didn't. One thousand pens. And has owning all those pens stopped me from buying more? No, it has not. I continue to be drawn to them, like a moth to a flame. And, by the way, it's not my fault. As I recently learned, it's genetic.

Last year I helped my aging parents move out of their house of 28 years, and we went through all the stuff. One of the items that was purged from my parent's house was a pot - or more specifically, a coffee mug - of pens. My dad had kept them on the kitchen counter for as long as I can remember. He didn't use them, that I saw, he just added to them. It wasn't his only stash of pens, but it was the one that he handed to me and said, "Make it go away." Coffee mug and all. 

And so now it sits at my house, in our homeschool room. I'm slowly working my way through the pens. Some write smoothly and are a joy to scroll across the page, while others have that scratchy edge that I just can't stand, and they've gone straight to the trash. But even though some have been tossed, this has done nothing to help with my own purging. My own pen collection remains strong, which brings us back around to the name of this blog and how we got here.

In a future post, I'll share a little bit more about my Bucket List Cleanout (and the subtitle of this blog: Musings from the Junk Drawer), but for now, let's just say that I was forced to face my pen hoarding tendencies while working my way through my own office space. Pens and highlighters I've had since high school (I'm having hot flashes now, so that should tell you that high school was a while ago). Dried-out markers, cheap pencils that wouldn't sharpen without breaking if their lives depended upon it, pens that used to be "favorites" that fell out of favor, and the list goes on. 

One thousand pens. That's what's in my junk drawers...among other things. It's more metaphor than reality (though, if all my writing instruments were collected in one location, it might be sadly accurate). As a country (I live in the U.S.) our houses, apartments, and storage units are filled with things that we walk by daily. Our things sit there, waiting to be used or tossed by us...or by future generations. It's not just pens. It's storage bins, notebooks, bags, kitchen utensils, clothes we'll fit in again "someday," and so much more.

If you're tired of your stuff holding you hostage, then welcome! If it feels like you have a thousand pens, but you really only want a dozen, I hope you'll stick around, because I think we might be kindred spirits. Let's simplify together.