End of January Daybook

 For Today {Thursday January 30}

Looking out my window It's cold but the sun is shining- so the sunshine is a nice change. We had another snow storm yesterday afternoon.  I am pleased we are through the darkest days of winter!

I am thinking about my book club selections for the rest of the year. 

I am thankful that tonight's dinner is in the slow cooker- Bri Mccoy's Pumpkin Chili and freshly baked bread 

One of my favorite things Runs with my sister! We knocked out 6 miles together on Saturday- it was about 19 degrees and a bit windy.

I am wearing latest manicure...

I am creating I am hoping to finish my Sungold Blanket this weekend! I am working on the border now and feeling pretty happy about it. Except I am spending a lot of time untangling yarn as I get near the end of the skeins. 😖

I am feeling very jealous of the all the people who have already started the Canal Boat CAL. Hopefully I can start mine next week (about a month behind schedule :P)

I am reading I finished The Briar Club last week (on audio) and loved it! I'm still thinking about it. January has been a very good reading month! I had three 5star reads.

I am hoping tonight's run is better than Tuesday's 

I am learning I am enjoying The Bible Recap- I have finished 2 books of the Bible Genesis and Job

In my kitchen I made a new recipe (& did a LIVE video) on Monday.  It was delish! Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops and Veggies and I also served with copycat Red Lobster Biscuits.

Post Script I cam home to happy book mail after Saturday's run. The t-shirt is from The Well Read Collective- she has some fun bookish merch

Shared Quote

“Reka blinked. “Try what?” “Happiness.” Grace rose, smoothing her skirt. “It’s a choice as much as anything. Or you could choose to be angry, and if you stay angry long enough, it will become comfortable, like an old robe. But eventually you’ll realize that old robe is all you’ve got, and there isn’t anything else in the wardrobe that fits. And at that point, you’re just waiting to trade the robe for a shroud—or at least, that’s what I’ve always thought.” -The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

A moment from my day

Mid Month Check in

 How are we already more than half way through January?!  The weather has been very January and I am not a fan :P Snow and cold. But there is ice on the lake this year and the mister headed out today to do some ice fishing. 

How am I doing on goals...

• Keep up training plan including Long Runs! Have yet to get a long run in January- BUT am planning to run with my sister tomorrow!
• Purge wardrobe- planning to do this tonight and this weekend so I can drop off a bag of clothes in the donation bin at church on Sunday. I bought a hanging organizer to hopefully help with storing my sweaters. Stand by 😉
• Complete Daily Checklist in my Home Planner- hit or miss but I am trying
• Drink enough water! - why is this so hard? (takes sip of water)
• Hit steps 8000-10000 - on running days...otherwise falling woefully short
• Reorganize Mud Room - this is intimidating and I am trying to come up with a plan.
• Girls Night- Chinese and Wicked - YES! Last Friday Hannah and I went up to Mikayla's and partook in chinese food and watched Wicked.  We LOVED it 💚💖🎵🎶

11.67 miles so far

5 books completed

I am on track with The Bible Recap 

I am proud of myself for running last night! Even though it was shorter than the plan called for but I almost resigned myself to not running because of conflicts.  Mainly Thursday is the day Rhett works from home, and therefore home for dinner. Hannah had stage crew at 6:30. I had not planned a crockpot meal and was feeling like I needed to go straight home to make dinner. But I didn't feel good or peaceful about it, I felt grumpy and frustrated. 

Well- Hannah was not working so I enlisted her to make dinner so I could still run. And I felt pretty happy and proud about it.

Last night while I watched MMD Spring Book Preview I worked on starting to weave in all those ends. I got through maybe a third of them before I lost my needle (somehow I dropped it in my bed and it took my like half an hour to find it!) 

I walked away for a minute and came back to this...

Happy book mail yesterday! 

Because I am a sucker for a reading challenge- two bingo cards I am working on. One from Moody Publishing (which lead me to purchasing the two books pictured above! 😂) and one from my local library.

Here's hoping you stay warm and cozy this weekend and have time to read a good book 💙☕📖

more crochet progress, a book rec and puppers

Our January got off to a bit of a rocky start. I'm trying to reset my mindset today.

I spent a lot of time at this place this weekend- an my heart feels so happy about it. And I'll be back again tonight for Yoga 💖

Yesterday I finished Part 6 on my Sungold blanket! I am so excited that it so close to completion! I just have to weave in all those ends- which is gonna take some time- I seriously regret not doing it as I went along. And then the border and then ITS DONE! I can't wait! 

I already have the next project on deck ready to go- I am already behind as the crochet a long started Friday. 

I finished my first 5star read of the year! Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee.  It was so good! It is sent in the mountains of Tennessee in the 1940s and also 1970s - funnily enough I had to keep reminding myself when the 1970's part was set- I kept thinking in a modern mindset of cell phones and google. It deals with adoption, one of our main characters found out as an adult that he was adopted and is shaken to his core and now trying to find out more about his birth parents.  So good, an emotional ride and strong faith themes woven through out as well.  Also I just love the cover!

The boys keeping cozy today- 

2024 Reading Wrap up... 2025 Reading Goals

2024 overview via Storygraph

 2024 Goals! Well- it looks like a I didn't do so hot this year 👎

• Finish Middlemarch Nope
• 2024 52 Bookclub- (read 4ish a month to better keep up, be more intentional choosing)- Started off strong, fell off 2nd half of the year- scrambling in December to finish (again); but I did finish even though the final two took me into the first few days of 2025 
  
  
  
• Read one growth book each month to go with the attribute of identity I'm focusing on (ie January is STRONG- Rising Strong by Brene Brown) 4/12
• Read more of the books I already own (in 2023 I read 24 of my own books, 23% overall) 31 books; 26.3%- so I did improve slightly
• Read a President/First Lady book Nope- started a couple...
• A-Z Challenge- alas 6 short
• Goodreads and Storygraph goal set at 100- surpassed and hit my all time high at 118

Seeing all my 2024 covers makes me so happy- re-reads screws it up as goodreads apparently sees the first date read, not last.  So they are all at the beginning (4).  Otherwise I think they are mostly in order read this year.

Amy's 2024 book montage

Amy's favorite books »

Favorite Books of 2024 - 5 star reads 

1. The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs, Sharon J. Mondragón
2. The People We Keep, Allison Larkin
3. Only the Beautiful, Susan Meissner
4. The Roads We Follow, Nicole Deese
5. Funny Story, Emily Henry
6. Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt
7. The Women, Kristin Hannah
8. Still Standing, Courtney Joseph Fallick
9. How to Read a Book, Monica Wood
10. All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker
11. Across the Ages, Gabrielle Meyer
12. Once Upon a Wardrobe, Patti Callahan
    * The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady was a re-read so I didn't include it in the list- still an all time fav.

Some other 2024 stats

Over 60% of books from my library/libby/hoopla

Most read genres (this is from fable app, I started using because the faith & fables instagram bookclub decided to give it a go. I don't know that I will continue using to track books because I still love goodreads and storygraph and it feels like this is getting out of control.  BUT I kinda liked a couple of these graphic it created....)

Reading Intentions for 2025

• I set my goodreads goal at 100 again
• The 2025 52 bookclub - I want to try and do this 50% or more Christian books
  
  
  
• Avid Readers of Christian Fiction challenge  (Facebook group) 
  
  
  
• Read more non fiction (only 9 this year/8%)
• Read more faith based books (45% in 2024)
• Slow down, re-read when I feel like it, really pay attention to what I am reading