Category — Friday Blog Roundup

I realized something due to No Kidding in NZ’s recent post about being sick over Christmas and New Year’s. In olden times, when you were sick, you stayed home and maybe watched daytime TV. You intellectually knew that other kids were going to school or adults were going to work, but you were cocooned in your home, thoughts of what other people were doing far from your mind.

But now, we spend time while we’re home sick on social media, so we can see exactly what people are doing out and about in the world, healthy and happy.

Isn’t that strange?

You can always choose not to go online or avoid social media, but let’s be honest, we won’t.

I guess I hadn’t really thought about how being home sick had changed. Mali — hope you’re fully better.

*******

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.

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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.

A Separate Life gives great insights learned from three months of travel. The post is a gift, and I pulled out a bunch of thoughts to take to heart. Travel sooner rather than later in terms of wear-and-tear on the body; I think I would rather do short trips than long trips hearing the reality of being away; pack as light as possible; and get packing cubes. It inspired me to start jotting down my own travel advice that I’ll post soon.

Lastly, Scientist on the Roof points out some things that I didn’t realize about the number 2025 that made me like the year a little more. But I also loved this summing up of life: “Life is a mish-mash of happiness, heartbreak, sadness, frustration, fury, curiosity, wonder, and so much more: the only thing missing is balance (I wish!).”

The roundup to the Roundup: Beyond The Price Is Right while home sick. 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 Jan 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.

Facebook delivered a memory from 2014 on Wednesday about the Creme de la Creme. Remember that? I loved writing it, but this week was always super busy because a slew of new posts would be sent in after the first. Still, it was fun to see what everyone nominated from their blog and to see the community come together to celebrate the posts.

I miss the Creme de la Creme.

I hope your year is going well. All two days of it, so far.

*******

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.

AndMom writes about how COVID continues to impact her family. It is like living in an alternate universe. I feel very similarly to her, and I nodded as I read: “That’s the universe I live in; the one founded in thousands of studies all showing that this is bad and you should not get it. But the universe I watch everyone else live in says it’s a cold, no big deal, it’s fine.” But I love love love the end of this post. The alternate universe has a lot of pluses, and I love that she highlights them.

Lastly, Bereaved and Blessed writes about when her parents show up in her dreams. She explains: “As with previous dreams I’ve had of both parents since their deaths, I typed notes on my phone, while anything I could recall was fresh in my mind.” It’s a post about the ways people continue to touch our lives and bubble up in day-to-day interactions.

The roundup to the Roundup: Happy New Year. 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 December 27 – Jan 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.

Somewhere around this time five years ago, we first started hearing about this troubling virus. Back then, the only cases were in Wuhan, and it didn’t seem likely that it would reach the US. And if it did reach the US, it would remain on the west coast. By “likely” I don’t mean virologists — they probably had a very different understanding of the disease. I’m talking about the blissfully unaware state I was in this time five years ago.

What would that Melissa think if I told her that five years later, she would still be masking indoors?

*******

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.

Finding a Different Path explains the point of unhappy thoughts, kicking toxic positivity to the curb though a pack of slogan laden pencils with the best ending ever: “And that’s how the toxic positivity pencil met its well-deserved demise, shattered into a zillion pieces while 13-14-year-olds with pencil-murdering glints in their eyes looked on and cheered.” What is the story? Well, you’ll have to click over to read it.

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ proves the opening message that after five years, COVID is still around. She came back from an amazing trip and immediately fell ill. She shrugs her shoulders: “That’s fine. It’s the end of a long year, and I hope for you it passes peacefully whether you celebrate or not. I’m looking forward to the rest of summer (having missed the start of it in Europe), and health returning.” Here’s to better health soon.

The roundup to the Roundup: Five years of COVID. 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 December 20 – 27) 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.

A few weeks ago, we went to a screening of Love Actually with a live orchestra. It didn’t work as well as it sounds. Despite pre-paying for parking, we couldn’t find a spot, so we missed the opening.

And then, when we sat down, we were between a woman who laughed (at things that weren’t funny) and then declared to the person she was with that, “I’m laughing! That was funny, too.” Over and over again. And a man who was licking the inside of his popcorn container and unwrapping dozens of cellophane-covered candies. And in front of a man who asked questions about ONLY things that were sexual in nature. (“Are those two people having sex? Is it not real sex? Is it pornography? What did you say? They’re standing in for other actors in a pornography film? Are those two people thinking about having sex? Where would they even have sex?”) It was a lot. We walked out at intermission and went home.

When I told the ChickieNob about the experience, she mused, “I’ve never seen that film.” NEVER SEEN THAT FILM? We must remedy this. So I think we’re watching Love Actually tonight.

I will make sure to be as annoying as possible so she can experience a taste of the chef’s kiss we got to experience in the theater.

*******

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 points out the ways her family infantilizes women without children. It’s a heartbreaking post, but I love this sentiment: “I am enough and I don’t need to explain my existence or reasoning.” But that final paragraph is a gut-punch. Sending a hug.

Lastly, Middle Girl has a post about a strange dream that defies interpretation but is weirdly intriguing. And I loved this line: “I know not what any of these means. I do know that now I want kittens that I absolutely cannot have.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Love Actually tonight. 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 December 13 – 20) 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.

It’s Friday the 13th, which I always point out when it aligns with the Roundup. It happens at least once or twice per year, or 33 times since the Roundup began. 34 if you count today, which you have to do because it is Friday the 13th; the second one in 2024.

Josh and I are celebrating by getting matching COVID and flu vaccines.

How are you marking the day?

*******

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:

• “Advent Calendars” (The Road Less Travelled) — it counts 🙂

Okay, now my choices this week.

Infertile Phoenix sends a preemptive text to protect her emotional well-being. But the kicker is the person’s response the next time she sees them: “She literally said, ‘I know you said you didn’t want to see any newborn pictures, but do you want to see just one’?” Nooooooooo.

Scientist on the Roof made me laugh with her list of things that are never ending vs. things that we wish were never ending. Especially the final point about sleep and the “finale of a romantic-era music piece.”

Lastly, Finding a Different Path has a post about the messaging around ‘giving up’. She points out: “It is so hard to move forward from something when the chanting beat of never NEVER never NEVER EVER give up! Next time will work! You’ll never know if you don’t just KEEP GOING!” She leaves us with a better message instead.

The roundup to the Roundup: It’s Friday the 13th. 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 December 6 – 13) 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.