Tag Archives: Reading

Fascinating Reading & Time to Go to Bed

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is now officially Friday morning and it is just after two in the morning Seattle time. Since I am not sure if I informed you all, my schedule changed. I, now work Sunday through Thursday which is why I have had the luxury of staying up this late reading. Reading a book that is fascinating. Fascinating because it is on a subject that I think could help with my recovery as well am maybe helping others if I feel comfortable enough to do it if others would be willing and wanting me to help them is this particular way.

The subject that I am reading about is to help better understand how to do it and incorporate it into my life and hoping other people’s lives are learning to read tarot cards. I feel like what I have been learning thus far can help me in my own daily life to help what direction I would need to go for day to day life but my life being recovery with mental health challenges. I know it may not be a traditional way of going about one’s recovery but recovery is nonlinear. I haven’t slept at all so far tonight just because I have been fascinated by the book I have for beginners of those who want to learn about reading tarot cards. Since I’ve been mainly reading all night, I am realizing I am getting tired and ready to go to bed.

I may be ready for bed and plan to go to bed after I am done writing this particular blog post, I am beyond grateful to have my cat Billie on my lap the majority of the time as I read. His body heat helped keep me warmer even though my heat is on due that the weather in Seattle is absolutely freezing outside. According to a weather app on my phone it is currently twenty three degrees Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius) in my neighborhood of Seattle. With it being so cold I am beyond grateful for my cat, Billie’s body heat to help keep me warm when I turn off the heat as my cat, Billie sleeps under the blankets with me when I go to bed and sleep.

Well, I guess I am not going to end this particular blog post so I can go to bed and sleep since I am tired and full of new fascinating knowledge. Before ending this particular blog post, I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader continue to read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Sleepless in Seattle Once Again

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am having a challenging time being able to sleep and it sucks shit. My grandma did five years ago and Valentines Day. Even though I never liked Valentines Day before my grandma passing away, her death just made me hate it even more. I just want one more hug from my grandpa however my cat Billie Dean gives me great hugs.

On to the hugs from my cat, Billie, he is helping with some art work. He is choosing what coloring book to color from and then the picture. So, I am hoping the picture I color that Billie chose comes out well.

On to a similar topic I ordered some crafty stuff. I ordered latch hook and cross stitching stuff to help ease my mind and do something with my hands. I figured I can learn new things like latch hook and cross stitching.

Something else I am learning is tarot cards. I am reading two books about tarot cards as well as the little bookletts in tarot boxes. I know I must sound nuts about learning tarot but if it can help with my recovery then I am all for it.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog post. I greatly appreciated it. I hope every has better sleep than I did. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Work
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Work
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Work
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Work
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Errands and household chores
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice with the Calm App
  • Daily walk while listening to a podcast
  • Blog
  • Spend time cuddling with my cat, Billie Dean as I read or watch movies

Sleepless in Seattle Type of Night

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It just after two in the morning Seattle time and I am unable to sleep. I have been awake since two thirtyish yesterday morning. As much as I dislike not being able to sleep, I am making the best of the situation.

I am making the best of it by reading. I am reading a book about Tarot Cards. In fact the book, I am reading is Tarot Cards by Lisa Chamberlain. I am reading it because I am interested in it and am hoping it will help me with some parts of my recovery with the mental health challenges I struggle with from time to time. I know it is not the usual way to help with recovery but recovery is non-linear and not a one size fits all.

One size may not fit all for recovery of any kind which is why, I am all for different ways to work on my recovery. Another way I work on my recovery is my cat, Billie. Billie helps a great deal with various symptoms the mental health challenges I struggle. He definitely helps me with anxiety and PTSD symptoms. I think I will cuddle up with Billie and read.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of the things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Plans to Get Back in the Swing of Things Regarding Blogging

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I know I have done this quite often and have either never started or have started but not finished but I am going to attempt to get back in the swing of blogging on a more regular basis. There are many ways I can do this and hope to follow through with what I plan on doing to get back in the swing of things in regards to blogging.

In fact, I have already started two different ways of getting back in the swing of things regarding blog. The first thing I’ve been doing is Weekly Plans every Sunday morning. Weekly Plans happen to be the plans I have for the week. The second thing I have been doing is Weekly Check-Ins every Saturday evening. Weekly Check-Ins on Saturday evening is just doing a check in about how the week went especially if I don’t blog at all during the week.

A thing that I am thinking about doing is doing a book review after reading a book. I thought about maybe blogging after every chapter but then I feel like that both reading and blogging would end up becoming a chore and I don’t want that. I don’t want that because reading and blogging is a form of self care for me. So, that means I decided to do a book review after each book I read. I’m thinking about maybe doing some form of review as I read a book but it won’t be after each chapter.

So the next idea I have is something that I worry about actually doing and completing. I am planning on doing free courses that WordPress offers through Blogging University. I plan on doing Finding Everyday Inspiration first as it is the longest course I am doing. It is twenty days and I am not sure when I am going to start this. I hope to start it within the next week or two. The next course I am planning on doing is Developing Your Eye I and it is a ten day course. After doing the course Developing Your Eye I, I plan on doing Intro to Poetry. It is also a ten day course. After doing Intro to Poetry, I plan on doing Developing Your Eye II. It too, is a ten day course. I want to do these four course to not only help me get back in the swing of blogging but to help you stay interested in reading my blog.

Hell, the whole reason, I am wanting to do everything I have mentioned is to keep you the reader interested in continuing to read my blog. I know it might be somewhat selfish on my end to be doing this so I don’t lose any readers. Not only that, I know what it is like to read a blog on the regular basis and then the blogger just stops or has big gaps which has me not having any interest in that blog.

Before ending this blog post, I do plan on continue to blog about everyday stuff. Everyday stuff such as something similar to this post or post regarding my sleep or work and other such stuff.

Well, that is all I have to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. I greatly appreciate you reading my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Play the flute for at least thirty minutes
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Play the flute at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Play the flute at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute while listening to a podcast
  • Work
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Twenty to thirty minute walk while listening to a podcast
  • Read
  • Artwork (color)
  • Play the flute for at least thirty minutes
  • As always spend time with my cat, Billie

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Hello, World!!! It is that time of the week where I do my weekly check-in. I’m not sure how eventful it was, if it was at all. Having a week being uneventful is a good thing. Since my week has been uneventful this will likely be a short and boring post.

If you read my blog regularly, you are aware that, I have been doing a mindfulness meditation practice through the Calm App every morning. I have been finding this quite helpful to start my day out. I have also been doing a mindfulness meditation practice mid-day when I am working and this has been quite helpful to decompress the stress of whatever may be going on with my job. I am glad that I started the mid-day mindfulness meditation practice this week. I am finding that I am in a good head space more often since starting my day with a mindfulness meditation practice.

Work is going great. In fact today marks one month since I started my job with the PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) team at my employer. I really enjoy my job. In fact I love it. I spend half of my day outreaching to clients and the other half of the day in the office doing notes or attending meetings. My colleagues on the team I am a part of are awesome and I am grateful for them.

Working full time has made me fully aware of how much I need to do self care. I already mentioned one method of self care I do which is doing a daily mindfulness meditation practice. One of the ways I do self care is volunteering at PAWS Cat City. I love spending time with all the kitties and helping them get furrever homes. Of course another form of self care for me is spending time with my own cat, Billie. I love my cat to the moon and back. Another form of self care I do is going for a twenty to thirty walk every day. Walking not only helps with my physical health but my mental health as well.

As, I realized this week, I need to not only schedule my self care but add more self care to my life. Self care that can be considered hobbies. Of course listening to music is key to my self care and I tend to do this when I am on public transportation going to and from work. Another thing I started doing today is doing artwork as I listened to a podcast. The podcast will vary as well as the artwork I do. Of course reading is on the self care list and I started doing that today. In fact I am reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I need to make sure I schedule these various self care acts so I can continue doing the type of work I do for my job.

So, that was my week.

So Far It Has Been A Good Saturday

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! So far it has been a good Saturday. It has been quite relaxing. I woke up feeling refreshed and eager to start another day. A day to relax and really do nothing but spend time with my cat, Billie Dean. Billie is a good kitty and I love hi to the moon and back.

I got up and took a shower. After my shower I made myself breakfast. Something I really haven’t done in quite some time. I made French toast and scrambled eggs with chocolate milk. I really enjoyed my breakfast. I had enough left over to give to a neighbor who was extremely “grateful for the breakfast.” I am always glad to be able to give when I am able to.

After breakfast, I decided to read for a while. I am reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. It is a great book and I hope to be able to give some form of book review when I am further into the book. I am also planning on giving you a book review when I am actually finished with the book. As I read, my cat Billie of course slept in my lap and a happy camper doing so.

After reading for about an hour, I decided to do some artwork. Specifically, the type of art I am doing is coloring. I am coloring a giant poster. A poster I hope to give to my mom when I am finished with it. As I colored, I listened to a podcast about philosophy. Specifically, I am listening to Philosophize This. I really enjoy doing art as I listen to a podcast.

Of course, I decided to go for a walk after doing some artwork by coloring a giant poster. As I took my thirty minute walk I continued to listen to the podcast, Philosophize This. At the end of my walk, I went to Subway and bought me a foot long sub sandwich.

When I got home from my walk and got my Subway sandwich, I ate half my sandwich. I am saving the other half for dinner. I then read another chapter of the book I am reading. Now I am writing this particular blog post. I think I am going to color some more after I am done writing the blog post.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things, that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

No Sleep for Me

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just after three o’clock in the morning Seattle time. I haven’t been to sleep yet. Thankfully, the lack of sleep isn’t due to insomnia. I’ve been up due to just getting lost in what I have been doing all night and having fun doing it.

So, I have been awake all night doing artwork. Specifically I have been coloring. I have been coloring as I listen to a podcast. The podcast I have been listening to is on philosophy. The philosophy podcast is Philosophize This. The coloring I have been doing is on a poster and it is coming along. In fact I am seeing a lot more progress than I had thought. Progress that I am proud of. Anyway, once the poster is done, I am thinking I’m going to give it to my mom. I’m also learning a lot from Philosophize This.

Besides coloring and listening to Philosophize This, I also have been reading. I am reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I am about to start chapter seven. Actually, I am going to start chapter seven later today when my eyes are not so strained. I think they are strained due to staring at a computer at work and being awake since five in the morning yesterday.

Before heading to bed, Billie my cat is happy that I have been paying attention to him most of the night. He is one happy camper. I am one happy cat owner. I love Billie to the moon and back.

I am now headed to bed. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. Have a good day ahead everyone. Peace Out, World!!!

It’s the Weekend

Posted on by Gertie

Happy Friday, World!!! The weekend is finally here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my new job and it’s hard to believe that I’ve been there a month now, it’s just been a long week at work.

Despite it being a long week at work, I am really enjoying the new job. A job that I am grateful for. My job consists of me outreaching most if not all of my clients at some point during the week. The team I am on is PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) and my colleagues on the team are beyond awesome. It appears that the PACT team members are a tight knit group of people and I like that.

As much as I love my job and enjoy the people I work with I am happy it is the weekend. I am planning on relaxing the entire weekend. My plans of course include me volunteering at PAWS Cat City on Sunday morning. I am also planning on spending time at home with my cat, Billie. I love my cat so very much and I know without a shadow of a doubt he loves when I am home. The weather this weekend in Seattle is going to be perfect weather to stay home and basically do nothing as it is supposed to rain all weekend.

With the weather being kind of yucky, I plan to just stay home and do nothing. By nothing I mean, I am going to do some artwork. Specifically, I am going to be coloring a poster I’ve been working on. As I color, I also plan on listening to a podcast on philosophy. Specifically, I will be listening to the podcast, Philosophize This. In fact as I am writing this particular blog post, I am listening to Philosophize This. I really enjoy this podcast.

Besides listening to podcasts and doing art, I am planning on reading. I am going to start reading Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I’ve started this book many times and have enjoyed what I read but never got even a quarter of the way through it. So, I am going to be setting out time each day to read. Reading helps me get out of my head and I enjoy reading.

Well, I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be writing my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you all have a great weekend. Peace Out, World!!!