Saturday, April 16, 2016

Sunday Post: Inspiration & Airshows

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. 

I thought for sure we would all be blown across the park Saturday morning by the wind. Or at least my daughter, as light as she is. It turned out to be a lovely day, and we enjoyed our time at the park. Sunday will likely be a lazy day. There's a house that needs to be cleaned and I wouldn't mind getting some reading done. We'll see.

What are your plans for the day? How was your week?

Book Blogger Hop

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Where do you find motivation and inspiration for your blog? (submitted by Ana
My love for reading is my ultimate inspiration. Years ago I began keeping a reading journal in which I jotted down my thoughts about the books I read--how they made me feel and how I related to them. It gave me a chance to not only reflect on the books, but also organize my thoughts about each one. I felt a sense of closure in the process. That did not change when I switched to blogging about my reading instead. It's replaced my journal, in a sense. Or, rather, become my journal. What keeps me blogging about books is my passion for books, the enjoyment I get from writing about them, and the connection I have found among other passionate readers.

Other things inspire me as well. It could be a comment someone makes on mine or someone else's blog, another's blog post, something I read in a book, or even something that happens to me in real life. My daughter, certainly. My husband. You. Ultimately, it always comes back to the books. My blog is a book blog, after all. I have tried to branch out from that as some other bloggers have, but ultimately, I find I am most comfortable writing and talking about books.

You could also say I am most motivated by the books I read. Although, a lot of credit goes to the blogging community whose enthusiasm and support has made me feel at home. Even when I am at my lowest, wondering if it is worth continuing, someone says something somewhere--most often not even directed at me--and it motivates me to hang on and keep going. I long ago gave up looking at my blog stats, and I stopped following the advice of those "how to be a good blogger" lists. It was such a freeing decision and increased my motivation tenfold. Blogging when I want and how I want, not worrying about how many followers I have or how other people think I should blog has taken off some of the pressure and stress I was feeling. I am just where I need to be.

I cannot deny though that comments are wonderful. I love it when people take the time to leave a comment. It definitely helps motivate and inspire me--knowing someone is out there reading what I have to say.

What about you? What motivates and inspires you to blog?


What I Am Reading: I looked all over my house for my copy of Seraphina by Rachel Hartman and couldn't find it. I could have sworn I had a copy. I was anxious to start it, craving something in the fantasy genre. Here I had been telling everyone I have had my copy for years . . . Well, where it is it??  I ended up buying another copy--and expect the old one to show up any minute. But before that happened, I went ahead and started Nadia Hashimi's When the Moon Is Low, a fiction novel about an Afghani woman whose husband is murdered by the Taliban and flees with her children, hoping to reach Europe. Not fantasy, no. It is good so far though. Seraphina will definitely be next. 


What I Am Watching: I began watching the second season of Daredevil, although I have to admit it's not holding my interest much. The last couple episodes served as background noise more than anything else. Does anyone else watch Blacklist? I did not see that coming. Not at all. Do you think it's true? We watched The Pirate Fairy again. It really is a cute movie, but there is such a thing as watching a movie too much. Oh! And we are enjoying Doctor Who still. We are a couple more episodes in to Season 8. I really like the new Doctor even if he's rough around the edges. Listen was such a great episode.

We also got to see some of the airshow from my daughter's bedroom window this weekend. I am a huge Thunderbirds fan, and never tire of seeing them perform. I was glad to be able to share that with Mouse this year. I actually got to see them practicing, along with several other planes, this past week as they prepared for the airshow. My office is right next to the base where the airshow is being held.

Thunderbirds


Around the Blogosphere:


What's Going On Off the Blog: It is official. My little girl is enrolled in kindergarten. There is an parent orientation early next month. It's not at the most convenient time for a working parent, but it isn't like I haven't encountered that before. I also got her enrolled in an after school program. You may remember my mentioning touring a couple of those programs I was considering.

Last Sunday was our last visit to Disneyland for awhile. Our annual passes have now officially expired. We very nearly renewed them, but there are a number of places and things we would like to do this year, and having the money to do them will be nice.

Mouse at Disneyland

Saturday was the first soccer class of the new season. Mouse moved up in age groups, and she's back to being the youngest. The class is also at a later time, which means sleeping in (yay!) and hotter days (ugh!). She was very nervous, but in the end she had fun. I think she'll be happy to go back next week. Whew.

Mouse playing soccer

Work was a less stressful this past week. No lives lost that I know of, and I managed to get through to the weekend. I think my husband even had a better week at his office. 


This Past Week In Reading Mews:

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

46 comments:

  1. I really was windy last week here too. Kicked up all kinds of dust. Aww, the little one is growing up. It doesn't get easier. :D Have a great week!

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    1. Christy - I was glad I kept my windows closed this weekend with all the dust picked up by the wind at our house. Yes, growing up way too fast, which, of course, is all she wants to do. She just turned five and all she can talk about is how she's almost six. Ack! I hope you have a great week too!

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  2. I've thought about branching out too on my blog, in fact when I started I thought about it a lot, but I always kept coming back to books so yeah that's the way I went. Can relate. :)

    I need to watch more Dr. Who...

    I love airshows and the Thunderbirds are great!

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    1. Greg - Book talk is just where it is for us. With the occasional branching out. ;-)

      I wish we could have gone to the actual airshow, but watching from home worked as well. I hear the crowd was pretty thick.

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  3. I hope you'll get to Seraphina soon. I love that book <3
    And the community can be very inspiring to blog with their enthusiasm and support. :)

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    1. Signourney - Seraphina is definitely my next read. I'm anxious to get to it!

      Yes, the book blog community is great for that. :-)

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  4. I am behind on Blacklist and now you have me soooooooo curious!! I am pretty happy blogging just about books, I have added tips and recipes now and again. I think you should do what makes you happy. A lot of bloggers create a wonderful mix of their interests. Hope the week ahead finds you in a happy place.

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    1. Kim - I hope you are able to catch up with Blacklist soon. I don't know what to believe at this point.

      I agree! I think we all should do what makes us happy with our blogs. The one piece of advice I always offer new bloggers is to be themselves and do what is most comfortable for them. I guess that's really two pieces of advice, but you know what I mean. :-)

      I hope you have a good week too!

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  5. Oh, soccer sounds great and Kindergarten?! Wow! Exciting times ahead!

    I love that you're so inspired by books. I write about other stuff occasionally but it tends to vary according to my moods!

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    1. Deborah - She has a lot of fun with her soccer classes. I am hoping she'll be interested in playing in a league this coming fall. I think it would be fun. As for kindergarten, it's both exciting and kind of scary. We're entering a new phase in our lives, for sure.

      I used to be such a quiet bookworm, and now I'm more vocal. Book blogging and knowing there are so many others like me out there are to blame. ;-)

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  6. I'm glad you're enjoying Capaldi's Doctor too! Listen was pretty great! It gets even better once you get into the next season :)
    So glad it's been a little less stressful!
    And that is so exciting about Mouse - the kindergarten, moving up age groups in soccer: a lot of big things happening!

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    1. Annika - I've been hearing season 9 is very good. I'm looking forward to seeing it!

      Now the waiting can begin. LOL I am glad to have the registration stuff out of the way. I gave my current daycare provider notice this past week, which made us all feel a little sad. Mouse has been with her since she was 4 months old. :-(

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  7. I hope Mouse has a good first day (and year) of Kindergarten! :D

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    1. Eustacia - I hope so too! She doesn't start until the end of August, so we have a little time to worry and build up our anxiety. Haha! Seriously though, I think she will be fine.

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  8. What a treat to see the airshow from your window:). My daughter and her partner were caught up in the Shoreham Air Disaster last summer, so we won't be going anytime soon. I very much hope you enjoy Seraphina - I thought it a cracking read and very unusual. Hope this coming week is a good one for you and your family.
    This is my weekly wrap-up - https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/weekly-wrap-up-17th-april-2016/

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    1. Sarah - I am so sorry your daughter and her partner were caught up in the Shoreham Air Disaster. How frightening! I hope they weren't hurt. That was such a horrific tragedy. I can understand your not wanting to go to an airshow as a result. We stayed safely at home--mostly because of the crowds--but I was glad for the view of some of the shows from home. We were hoping we could see some of it from the park where my daughter was playing soccer, but the wind delayed several of the flight demonstrations.

      I hope to start Seraphina in the next day or so. I'm really looking forward to reading it! I hope you have a great week!

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  9. Some days I struggle to find the inspiration to blog but I just can't stop. I think it's become too much a part of my life, if that makes sense.

    I can't believe Mouse will be in kindergarten. I know it must be bittersweet for you but I have a feeling she's going to love it.

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    1. Kathy - I always miss blogging when I step away from it, so I know what you mean. :-)

      It is bittersweet, but exciting as well.

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  10. Yes, that wind was something this week, wasn't it? I think it is ushering in a warm spell. My patio chairs got knocked over, but no damage anywhere.
    I enjoyed reading your take on what inspires you to blog. Yes, for me too! I stopped checking stats and followers and "rules for blogging" and went for my own take on it. Now I enjoy it more. Sometimes I join other bloggers' features, and sometimes I do my own thing. I don't get backed into a corner with too many read for request titles, so I set my own pace. I'm enjoying blogging more!

    Both of your reading selections sound great. Seraphina for fantasy (love dragons!) and the other, When The Moon is Low, that one sounds fascinating to me. By the way, my hubs and I like to watch Blacklist, but I missed all of this season's episodes, so going to binge-watch them, but my hubs has been keeping up. I just love Red :)

    Enjoy!

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    1. Rita - I am glad you didn't have any damage from the winds. We didn't either, although they moved some of our patio furniture around. My daughter's trampoline seems to slide this way and that whenever it's windy. You'd think it was too heavy for that, but I guess not.

      Letting go of all those "shoulds" was definitely freeing for me as a blogger. And not reviewing my stats takes away any pressure I felt to gain followers--or feel sad when I lost them. It was too anxiety inducing for me.

      I love dragons too. I really want to get to Seraphina soon as I've been craving fantasy for awhile. I am really enjoying When the Moon is Low. Hopefully I will finish it in the next day or so.

      I really like Red too. :-) I have had mixed feelings about this season of Blacklist. I'll be curious to know what you think when you watch it. I hear there's going to be a spin off with one of the major characters. Not sure what I think about that.

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  11. We had a really windy day on Thursday, I think it was. I felt as though I would be swept up and carried to another place...

    Yesterday was better. Nice, even.

    Congrats on Mouse's kindergarten enrollment. I remember when my first went to kindergarten. We had just moved to a small town where my then-husband was teaching special education. I moved to that place under protest...LOL. But I was eight months pregnant with Baby No. 3 at the time, so didn't feel like I had a real voice.

    The town was literally out in the middle of nowhere...70 miles from the city where we eventually moved.

    So...long story short. The memories aren't the greatest. By the time my second went to kindergarten, things were better.

    Enjoy your week...I hope to read Terrible Virtue this week. Love Ellen Feldman.

    Here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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    1. Laurel-Rain - I was surprised my daughter didn't get blown away with the wind. I know it couldn't have been easy playing soccer in it. I admit I'm not a fan of the wind. It used to be worse when I lived right up against the mountain.

      I don't imagine I would be happy living in the middle of nowhere either--but then, some days I might quite like it. :-) Maybe just far enough away to be out of the way, but close enough to access services easily.

      I hope you are enjoying Terrible Virtue!

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  12. I’m working the nightshift so I’m having a slow Sunday evening before I have to work again.. I can’t wait for it to be Monday morning!!
    I love to read your answers on the Book Blogger Hop questions. What an awesome feature.. I have to check that one out.. Comments definitely also inspire me. And looking at all those beautiful books standing on my bookshelf always motivate to keep writing reviews and buying books! :D
    Have a great week and happy reading!!

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    1. Maureen - I hope you enjoying your Monday! I'm enjoying taking part in the Book Blogger Hop. It's something different for me--and simple to do. I do like receiving comments. :-)

      I hope you have a great rest of the week!

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  13. Wow kindergarten!! That milestone came so fast. I love that Mouse is progressing through soccer. Congratulations to her!

    I don't think I've ever watched the Thunderbirds fly but my husband has and he loves them too. We will be having an air show during the summer and I cannot wait for it!

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    1. Athira - It does seem like we're reaching the Kindergarten milestone too soon. I felt a little bad for Mouse at her soccer class. She went from being the oldest and fastest to being the smallest. She's suddenly very timid. I'm sure she'll get the hang of it as she goes and gains more confidence. Just as a mother, it pulls at the heartstrings a little, you know? She seemed to have fun though, and that is what matters.

      I hope you are able to go to the airshow this summer. I have been to a few over the years and always enjoy them. I love airplanes, especially the F-16 jets which the Thunderbirds fly. I also grew up watching the Blue Angels. I'm just in awe of what they can do.

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  14. Oh, I LOVE your answer to the BBH question!! Books are definitely the BEST sources of motivation/inspiration for all of us readers/book bloggers!

    How nice that you've always kept a book journal. And now, of course, your blog is your journal. Keeping track of one's thoughts about the books one reads is extremely important, in my opinion. This allows you to see how you're growing intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. But blogging about books also allows readers of your blog to share your insights and opinions about the books you read!

    Other bloggers are also a great source of motivation and inspiration, of course. You, for instance, have definitely been a source of both for me! Your SUPER nice comment on my own BBH post this week has been so heartwarming! It's helped me see that, even though I might feel discouraged at times, there are bloggers like you out there who make me want to push on! :)

    I've said it before, but I'll say it again: you are SO blessed to have such a lovely, wonderful daughter!! And I LOVE her nickname! So cute!! That picture of her playing soccer is great! And I also like the one where she's in Disneyland. She seems to be in a thoughtful mood there. And now she's officially in kindergarten! Before you know it, she'll be filling out college applications! (Well, not just yet, lol.)

    So you couldn't find "Seraphina"? The same thing's happened to me, and more than once, too. In fact, since hubby and I moved to our condo last year (gosh, it's been a YEAR already?!)I have bought FIVE books I already owned, just because I couldn't find them, and assumed they were in storage.... Sure enough, they turned up right after I had received the second copy in the mail! Lol.

    Thanks for being such a TERRIFIC blogger, and now, a GREAT blogging friend!! Hope all of you are having a WONDERFUL Sunday!! <3 :)

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    1. Maria - I agree. Books are my main motivation--especially since that's all I really talk about. :-)

      I like to take notes when I read, although I've gotten somewhat out of the habit since I started blogging. I sometimes do it still, but not as often. It depends on the book.

      Aw! That's so nice of you to say. I'm glad I inspire you. You inspire me too. :-) I think we all feel discouraged sometimes. It's nice to be surrounded by others who can help us pull through.

      I do feel very lucky to have my daughter. She's very special to me. She's such a sweet girl. Hopefully she'll still be that way when she's a teen. Haha

      I still haven't found my original copy of Seraphina. Maybe I gave it away without realizing it. At least I got to read it anyway.

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  15. Amen to taking the pressure off blogging helping with the inspiration to blog! I can't believe your Mouse is headed off to kindergarten! It has been so much fun to watch her grow up!

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    1. Lisa - Being more free in how I log certainly makes it feel less like a chore. It's definitely put some of the enjoyment back into it. :-)

      I feel like she's grown up with my blog--although technically my blog is older than she is.

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  16. Comments are great motivators as well as seeing what others put on their blogs.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog Hop Answer

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    1. Elizabeth - Commenters like you make it worthwhile to stay motivated. :-)

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  17. The wind last week was bananas! I kept getting dirt in my eyes. I've been loving the nice weekend, though. It's been nice, and the sun coming up earlier now is even better.

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    1. Tiffany - My daughter said the dirt got in her eyes while she was playing soccer. The dust kicked up on the softball fields was crazy. I agree though, having the sun come up earlier and be out later has been nice.

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  18. Such great photos of Mouse! What new things for Mouse - I'm sure she will take it all in stride. Have a great week!

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    1. Charlie - Thank you! She's very adaptable, and so I am sure she will. Better than me even. LOL I hope you have a great week too!

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  19. That's wonderful about the Kindergarten enrollment and the soccer class! I'm sure Mouse will enjoy her time there and making new friends as well. :-)

    I've had the same experience about not finding a book when I remember having it somewhere around the house. I'd buy a new one if the urge of reading it is huge but otherwise I'll wait and try to find it at my own pace. You know that "saying", things only appear when we least expect it, lol.

    Hope you've a great week!

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    1. Melody - All the pieces are falling to place! So much will change for us once she officially starts school. She's most excited about making new friends. :-) It's the one thing she's looking forward to while everything else kind of makes her feel nervous.

      If it hadn't been my TBR List winner, I would have gone on looking, but I'm not sure where it could be. I am sure it will pop up eventually.

      Have a great week, Melody!

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  20. It sounds like you have had a fairly eventful week.

    Loving your answer to what motivates and inspires you blog wise. I must admit comments keep me going and whilst I'd still blog without any comments it is lovely to hear others thoughts.

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    1. Tracy - Yes, this week is more normal, thankfully.

      I think I would likely keep blogging without comments too, but, I agree, they are a good motivator.

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  21. Since my blog is a blog about books and many other things, food included, you would think I am easily motivated, but lately I haven't been posting much. ?? I love Disneyland! We plan on taking our whole family--maybe next year.

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    1. Debbie - Sometimes that makes it easier to be harder on yourself I think. You blog about so many things, you'd think you always have something to say. Unfortunately that isn't always true.

      A trip to Disneyland with your family sounds wonderful! I hope you are able to do it. :-)

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  22. :) Yay for the sleeping in part of soccer practice! Glass half-full attitude always helps.

    Seraphina is on my list.

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    1. Jenclair - Sleeping in is nice. :-) Luckily the wind helped keep us on the cool side despite the warm temperatures on Saturday. There's a chance of rain this weekend, so we'll see how that turns out.

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  23. Great pics of Mouse, so cute! And Kindergarten, I remember those days! Cool pic of the Thunderbirds, it looks like a fun airshow to watch.
    The same things inspire me to blog, everyday bookish things and other bloggers too.
    Enjoy your week :)

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    1. Naida - Thank you! It's hard to believe we'll be sending her to kindergarten in August. I'm not ready!!

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