It’s been a minute…

Hello friends! How have you been? It’s been a minute since I’ve been on here.

I’ve gotta be honest, folks, I’m in a rut. Work is going really well, all of the Babies are healthy and well, I’m healthy and well, but psychologically, I’m struggling. My home life has been a bit of a shit show the last many, many, many months. On the bright side, things are still really good with my sister, but there are other factors at play. I can’t get into the details yet – maybe one day, but not for now.

How is this rut manifesting itself? Get ready: I’ve only finished 4 books this year! I just can’t focus. I’m dreadfully behind in my reading challenge for the year, and my TBR pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I check books out of the library, renew them when I can, and then return them by their due date, usually without having cracked the spines. I continue to buy books when a title catches my eye – I’m officially out of room for any more purchased books. But I feel like I’m letting them down. They are my original friends, among my most loyal of friends, and I’ve turned my back on them. And I have an entire army of capable librarians ready to help me, so it’s definitely a user error situation, not a question of lack of supply; I can feel Susan, Allison, and Heidi trying to pull me back in, and yet, I struggle.

It hasn’t been all bad. There have been bright spots in my life: a much-delayed Christmas celebration with my best friend and her family; an evening with my oldest friends at a lovely cottage, eating too much and having many laughs; some new colourful flip flops; my first pedicure of the season; my thriving tulips; a new tattoo. And I can practically hear the rhubarb stalks filling out, reaching for the sky, my mouth watering as they grow. But still…

I am hopeful, however. I just finished my 4th book, and have made a respectable dent in #5. I am 22 books behind schedule for my self-imposed goal for the year – I doubt I’ll ever catch up, but I hope to at least make a decent showing.

Keep a good thought for me, friends. An end to the current shit show in which I am embroiled is still months (years?) away, but still we persevere. Because what other choice is there? At the very least, cross your fingers for me for an end to this reader’s block.