Category — Friday Blog Roundup

Last weekend, we drove to Canada for my best friend’s child’s Bat Mitzvah. It would have been over six hours to fly, and under eight hours to drive, so we opted to drive to give ourselves more flexibility. I had to keep remembering that as the hours dragged on the way to the border.

But then we were there and having a great time. It was so good to have this simcha amid all the terribleness in the world. There was also a Viking convention happening at our hotel, which added to the awesomeness of the whole experience.

We drove home eating a bag of All Dressed chips (bad idea) and candy (really bad idea), and we spent Monday with a nutrition hangover. The weekend was a small, good thing.

*******

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.

A Separate Life hopped on the idea of recording what she knows. You live life. You pick up understanding along the way. It’s kind of a brilliant way of capturing a point-of-view, and reading it is like temporarily inhabiting another person’s mind. Can’t wait for the series to unfold.

Lastly, Slaying, Blogging, Whatever… captures the catch-22 of blogging. When life is difficult and you could benefit from writing out your feelings, you also have very little time to sit down and unpack your feelings because people need you offline. Sending a hug for a hard time.

The roundup to the Roundup: Happy occasions. 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 November 3 – November 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 downloaded my media library, something I’d never done before. Technically, all the files exist somewhere, but this was a way to have everything neatly in one place. I found a bunch of old sound files of the twins at four, singing preschool songs (and at one point, singing a song about the flag and adding in, “I’m a baby goat!”) and performing their “podcast.” I wish we had made more of these random recordings. But I love having this one on my phone now. Sometimes, annoying tasks (e.g., figuring out how to download the library) lead to amazing finds.

*******

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.

It has been a long time since Mim’s last update on In Search of Motherhood, and this new one is not a happy one. She writes about her divorce, and she points out, “But once again, major aspects of my life are not mine to control – even fight to change. I couldn’t do anything to make a successful transfer happen and I couldn’t stop a virus. And I can’t stop this.” Sending a lot of strength and deep breaths. (P.S. It wouldn’t allow me to comment, so hopefully, you will see this here.)

The Road Less Travelled marks her 16th blogoversary. Beyond that being a remarkably long time, the other interesting thing is thinking about that first post—that decision to start a blog and begin writing. Congratulations!

The roundup to the Roundup: “I’m a baby goat!” 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 27 – November 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.

I haven’t been in the mood to write. Some of it is coming down from getting to see the twins. We had the best time with them; it felt like old times in many ways. Like nothing had changed except perhaps we were more aware that the time together was precious, and they sounded like older, confident versions of the kids we dropped off weeks ago.

Some of it is the ongoing situation overseas. It impacts us deeply on multiple levels, and while I don’t talk about it here, it is the only conversation happening offline.

Some of it is a constant stream of work that bleeds into the deep evening hours.

All of it adds up to a feeling that I don’t really feel like writing.

*******

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:

• “Your Friendly Reminder To Do What You Want” (Infertile Phoenix)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Bereaved and Blessed has a beautiful post about going through her late mother’s possessions, in particular, her shoes. She writes, “As I slipped my feet in her shoes and laced them up, the memories rushed in from when we were together and I was helping Mom by gently finagling each foot, adjusting her socks and then tying them up (with one knot, as she preferred).” Her writing put me in the moment, made me feel the love and care that went into those interactions. And this line both gutted me and lifted my heart: “Though navigating this new reality, in which Mom is dead, continues to be difficult and painful at times, allowing myself to feel how I feel helps me to find meaning, as I integrate what was then and what is now.” Sending a lot of love.

Lastly, Infertile Phoenix points out that moving can change everything. You don’t always bring your baggage with you. It can be about grabbing control and feeling happy in a new space. Great advice: “You might as well live where you want to live! At the very least, don’t live where you don’t want to live.”

The roundup to the Roundup: Not in the mood. 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 13 – October 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.

I’ve been quiet on social media — silent here about current events — because I don’t feel safe. I spent a short time on Facebook, reading the thoughts of people I thought of as friends, and I didn’t feel safe. I am grateful for Biden’s words, more grateful that he turned off comments so I could listen to him without subjecting myself to more hate, and I’ve removed myself from the online conversations. I am only holding them in real-time, offline, talking with friends and family.

*******

It’s Friday the 13th. I don’t know why I have a compulsion to always type that whenever the Roundup coincides with Friday the 13th. As you were.

*******

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:

• “Perfect Day to Say Goodbye” (Mrs. Spit… Still Spouting Off)
• “Gekommen und gegangen” (Elaine ohne Kind)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Road Less Travelled has a Thanksgiving post (Canadian Thanksgiving!). After years when she couldn’t get together with family, she writes, “I’m grateful to be here. Grateful that our trip here went smoothly. Grateful that my parents (aged 82 and 84) are still hanging in there, and that I can spend some time with them.” The smallest things suddenly feel huge. And the feelings that come out of them are warm and squishy.

Lastly, No Kidding in NZ has a post about being good with kids. I love reading as she unpacks her thoughts and finally comes to this realization: “Why should I feel that I need to prove anything, simply because I’ve suffered infertiity, or because I don’t have children? I don’t. Realising this today is liberating. I have nothing to prove.” Exactly.

The roundup to the Roundup: Hate gets me quiet. 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 October 6 – October 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.

We’re now in October, which means I’m officially closer to seeing the twins again than school drop-off. I’ve been living for this visit, trying to leave the schedule open so we can see where the day takes us. I miss them so much, and I will be able to hug them in a few weeks. I am trying to keep it chill. I cannot keep it chill. I do not have a chill bone in my body.

Did I mention I’m excited to see the twins?

*******

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.

PocoBrat outlines some good excitements and bad excitements. It’s funny how this one thing — excitement — can present so differently depending on context. And I love that the day ended on a good note.

Finding a Different Path speaks truth about work-life balance. As she points out: “Often the reason why work-life balance is so hard is because the job is just never-ending and we keep getting new initiatives to implement and new hats to put on and new crises to avert.” Cough. Though she is taking excellent steps toward a better day.

Lastly, Infertile Phoenix says goodbye forever to pediatrics work. I love this self-knowledge about what she has learned by returning to the work: “I have moved on in terms of what I want to learn, how I want to grow, and whom I want to serve.” Congratulations on the end of the era.

The roundup to the Roundup: I get to see the twins soon. 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 29 – October 6) 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.