The Years Keep Coming
too many library books, just enough alone time, and never enough projects.
This week all of my Library holds became available to take away at once and I panicked and took them all, knowing that I won’t be able to get through 12 books in the three weeks I have them on loan.
Here’s a list of what I am going to be scrambling to read during the next couple weeks:
Animal by Lisa Taddeo
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Empty by Susan Burton
Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: a true (as told by me) story by Bess Kalb
NSFW by Isabel Kaplan
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkens Reid
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Particularly looking forward to Homegoing, Heavy and Animal. Starting with Hollywood Park.
Tucker has been in Costa Rica for the past week which means I’ve spent a good amount of time totally alone in our house. It’s been relaxing, and I needed it more than I knew. One big take away? I enjoy my own company a great deal. That sentence feels surreal to write, but it’s true. I spent most of my time making knitted beanies, watching movies, listening to podcasts and cooking. It was so wonderful, until yesterday around noon when I almost started crying because I miss him so much, which is great timing because he comes back today. Excited to incorporate more solitude into my day to day moving forward.
Speaking of knitting beanies, I bought this knitting machine and have opened up an entire world of inner child healing through practical crafting and the art of the handmade. 9 year old Chelsea is laughing her head off with joy and I’m so glad to have re-ignited my love of making to make all over again with a new medium. Many hats in my future — and if I can get sufficient enough, possibly a sweater.
Short But Sweet
I’ve been posting on Instagram at a higher frequency and trying to carve out some space for myself to feel joy over there again. Anyone else? Would love to know your experience.
No big resolutions this year from me except making space for more joy, and leaning into the fact that I know who I am and what I want. If I had to choose a word of the year, I’d chose the word fanciful. Fancy was a nickname my mom called me as a child, and as an adult it’s something I use as a north star. There’s a lot of joy in inviting the word fanciful into your life, I think.
Not buying many items these days because we are trying to ditch our habit of consumerism to cure depression and anxiety in the Francis household, but here are a few of my favorite acquisitions since we last spoke.
an unforgettable meal at Xiao Bao (you’ll have to try it when you come through Nashville or Charleston), Midnights on Vinyl gifted to me by my best friend Jess, The Le Creuset Dutch Oven of my dreams, though when it was purchased for me it was half off what it’s listed for now, and the Chani Astro Planner.
I’d also must say: my life has been changed by the airfryer my best friend Stephanie got me for Christmas. Who knew I’d be an airfryer girly? I am, loud and proud. I had perfect crispy fries for lunch thanks to the airfryer. I believe she got us this one, by Ninja
That’s all for today, trying a new format to get me to actually press send.
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