Category — Friday Blog Roundup

Since the invention of Reddit, I have been anti-Reddit. I mean, I’m not actually anti-Reddit because I have no problem with the site itself, but I’ve not been a visitor of Reddit. Not even for an AMA. I do not even know who is or isn’t an asshole.

But all of that changed recently.

I was searching for information online, and Reddit kept popping up as having the most useful, concrete advice. Other people were asking the same questions I was asking, and people answered their questions. I bookmarked Reddit boards. So I could find them again. And read them when new topics are added. Who am I? Am I still Melissa?

I don’t know where my anti-Reddit bias began, but I’m clearly over it.

*******

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:

• “It’s Okay To Like Your Childless Life As It Is” (Childless by Marriage)
• “An Unexpected Family Outing’s Facebook Post” (Yes, a Facebook post)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Road Less Travelled has a post about making adult Halloween happen. It is definitely a holiday that can (and therefore, if you want to, should) be marked on multiple levels. And I am all for adults trick-or-treating.

Lastly, A Separate Life has a post about marking her birthday. At first, she wanted to do something big as she has done on other milestone birthdays, but after experiencing a milestone birthday out-of-sync timewise with loved ones, she went a different route: “I chose to celebrate with friends, with individual dinners and/or lunches (I still have one or two to plan). No gifts, no party, no fuss, just good company.” I love this. And happy birthday again.

The roundup to the Roundup: I’ve become enamored with Reddit boards. 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 21 – October 28) 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 remembered and forgot Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. Or maybe I remembered internally and didn’t remember externally is more accurate. I thought about lighting a candle, and then I didn’t light a candle. My corner of social media felt quiet about the day. I’m glad some people wrote about it.

Once upon a time, it was very important to me. I think it’s okay for people to change; for things that were once important to grow less important. I’m noting it because I surprised myself. If you had asked me ten years ago, I would have said that I would always light the candle.

Sending light and love out into the world for all who remembered this week.

*******

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:

• “Childless, Alone? What’s Your Emergency Plan?” (Childless by Marriage)
• “The Unknown Life” (Stirrup Queens) — thanks, Jess!

Okay, now my choices this week.

It’s Inconceivable writes about baby loss awareness week. This made me weepy: “Wherever you are in the world, my candle will shine brightly for you, your baby or babies and for those children you held only within your hearts.” Thank you. I am glad there are people like Bamberlamb in the world.

Not a Wasted Word asks why everything is so hard right now. She’s not alone in this sentiment: “This fall has been a tough one. Everything feels really hard. At the very least, everything is taking a lot of time.” Maybe something is in the air because I think many people feel this, too.

Lastly, Lavender Luz has sad and happy news. A terrible loss. A new book is being born. Many projects are happening in the adoption world. Abide with her as she remembers her nephew.

The roundup to the Roundup: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. 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 14 – October 21) 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.

Josh put the idea in my head of getting a guinea pig cam so the twins could peek in on Beorn next year. It would also help us if we were away from home, and I am known for being super lazy and would love a way of seeing that he’s awake while I’m still in bed. Who wouldn’t want Beorn 24/7, 365 days a year?

If you see Josh, please remind him that he promised me a guinea pig cam.

*******

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:

• “Complicated Choices Lead to Childlessness” (No Kidding in NZ)
• “Feeling Criticized and I’m Just Living My Life” (Infertile Phoenix)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Finding a Different Path talks about not making apologies for taking care of yourself. She has to decline a baby shower, and she writes: “I am getting better at sharing less (outside of this space, of course!) — no one is entitled to my story. I decide when and if to share any part of it in everyday life.” I also love Bryce’s distinction that easier doesn’t mean easy. A great post all-around.

Lastly, The Barreness has started treatments for colitis/Crohn’s, and I like her answer when the nurse asked if she has children: “no we don’t, we just have each other.” I love that framing of what she does have vs. what she doesn’t. Quite a solid dude, as she says (especially the end of the post!).

The roundup to the Roundup: Guinea pig cam! 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 7 – October 14) 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 went to Yom Kippur services online again. It was lovely and safe. At the end of Kol Nidre, we turned off the service and I played our favourite version of “Adon Olam.” I don’t know why it took me until this week to think of this, but I have the recording. I might as well use it and make myself happy.

The next day, after we recited the “Unetanneh Tokef,” the rabbi started singing Leonard Cohen’s “Who By Fire” up on the bimah. It took my brain about three or four seconds to catch up because it was pretty much the last thing I expected to hear in synagogue. Suddenly the service was in English and 100% more Leonard Cohen-y. But it was a nice moment of everyday life and holiday colliding. When I went online at night, a bunch of people in various parts of the U.S. posted that their shul did this, too, which makes me wonder if there’s a rabbi listserv out there.

*******

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:

• “Odds & Ends and Midweek Meltdowns” (The Road Less Travelled)
• “Lemon Juice Gets in Your Eyes!” (It’s Inconceivable)

Okay, now my choices this week.

Family Building with a Twist states in a very honest post, “I should probably delete all of this. It’s a vulnerable moment for me, and I dislike that.” Don’t worry; she changes her mind by the end of the paragraph. Which is a good thing because it’s a record of the ups and downs of a season. She’s getting through it, even though it’s hard.

Lastly, Bereaved and Blessed writes about her child turning 19. One of the amazing things about long-time bloggers is getting to see their kids grow up. She writes: “I appreciate it may not help a lot knowing what a wonderful person your mom thinks you are and I also believe that one of these days more of your peers will see in you all the amazing things that I do.” It got me feeling weepy. Happy birthday!

The roundup to the Roundup: Leonard Cohen when you least expect him. 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 30 – October 7) 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.

Klara’s post below is a nice contrast to this ridiculous story. On Tuesday morning, I walked into the bathroom and a cricket jumped on me. JUMPED ON ME. I have no clue how or when the cricket got into the house, but I ran from the bathroom, which made Beorn run as far away as he could get from the bathroom door, too. He was scared in solidarity. I stuffed a towel under the door and texted Josh at work. He came home, got the cricket (he admitted that this was a large, jumpy one), and went back to work. In the meantime, I sat with Beorn and shared how scared I was. He think he was nodding his head on the inside.

It is weird to be scared of something that is so tiny that cannot harm me. But I am. I can pick up wasps and bees — I have no fear of being stung. I always remove ladybirds from the home on a piece of paper. I’m mostly okay taking care of my own spiders. But crickets undo me.

I wish I could train Beorn to catch crickets.

*******

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:

• “It’s Okay to Quit” (Infertile Phoenix)

Okay, now my choices this week.

The Next 15000 Days talks about how facing your worst fears makes you fearless. She explains in this brief post: “The most terrible thing that can happen, has already happened. And now I am just not afraid of anything any more.”

No Kidding in NZ writes about frequency illusion, which I’ve definitely experienced. I see what is on my mind. What she notices around her has shifted from children and pregnant women to “elderly people needing care.” It is interesting what we notice at different points in our life, and how the world around us prepares us for what is to come.

Lastly, The Uterus Monologues passes along five things she learned in five years to celebrate her fifth blogoversary. I thought all of them were good, but this one was thought-provoking: “One unintended side-effect of more people talking about pregnancy loss is that it can add a layer of comparison where there wasn’t one before: How is it they seem so much more ‘together’ than you?”

The roundup to the Roundup: Crickets are scary. 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 23 – 30) 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.