529th Friday Blog Roundup

I learned about the Love Actualized set of questions from a New York Times article.  If you click on that link, you can play them from your phone or computer.  It’s 36 questions of increasing intimacy that you ask back and forth with another person such as your partner or close friend.  You start out talking about whom you’d like as a dinner guest, and you end up dissecting a problem you’re dealing with by asking advice.

All in all, it’s pretty interesting — both the other person’s answers AND the questions the creators thought would help you fully understand the other person.

So there you go: 36 questions to use in a conversation this weekend (and don’t forget the staring part at the end — read the article to understand that).  You’re welcome.

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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 in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

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

• “A Call for Prayers or Good Thoughts for a Friend” (Midlife Momasita)
• “Acceptance in Infertility” (HuffPo)
• “10 Practical Ways to Prepare for IVF” (Amateur Nester)
• “On Being Discontinued” (Bookconscious)
• “Secrets” (A Half-Baked Life)
• “Tomorrow’s Hope” (My Perfect Breakdown)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Not a Wasted Word has a post about decluttering her house and getting rid of the things she no longer needs.  While it’s necessary work, it’s also scary because in doing so, she is getting rid of things that were once very important to her.  And if they’re no longer important now, who is she?  She writes, “Letting go of so many things that I acquired in the pursuit of some creative expression and healing has been difficult. I’m not sure who I am, or more accurately, who I am becoming, and that is a terrifying prospect.”  It’s a great post about reflecting on a life.

Torthúil has a wonderful blogoversary post explaining why her blog means so much to her.  I love the 4 reasons why she keeps writing.  But moreover, I love the idea of the room under the carpet.

Kveller has a post about keeping frozen embryos even after you’re finished with family building.  She explains: “But each year, when this envelope comes in the mail (and the kids look like angels as they sleep), I start to wonder. What would it be like to add another miracle to our family? What would he or she look like? Be like? This annual bill makes us take the time to stop and think about our lives and our children and talk about our family and our future.”  It’s a wonderful post about the decisions we make.

Lastly, No Baby Ruth has a post about getting the first period after a birth, and the emotions and questions it stirs up.  Especially since this isn’t a first step to trying again.  Their family building journey is done, and it brings forth the “now what” sensation of having your relationship with your reproductive organs change.  A thought-provoking read.

The roundup to the Roundup: Questions to ask your friend or partner 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 January 16th and 23rd) 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.