I have been Very Driven for the past couple years and realized that I have had virtually no significant down time in at least a year, but probably much longer. So I'm taking the end of June OFF. Just me and my Nintendo Switch and a stack of games I've been meaning to play. And July is gonna be pared way down. I have been all go for a minute, but I'm (almost) 52 and I need to rest, lest I burn out entirely.
My only reading plans are whatever books are still on my Kindle and plowing through the Dungeon Crawler Carl books.
I love this. Work hard, and rest rest REST! That's a fantastic thing to be looking forward to!
An earlier draft of this essay had a whole thing about how something terrible has happened in our family every single year since 2020 and that's why I need this summer to be ALL VIBES. So I'm with you on the resting thing.
I’m all in for the summer vibes. I heard the phrase ‘analog summer’ and thought “yep”. I bought a stock tank to use for soaking in the backyard. I’m naming it Cowboy Buddha after a margarita I had in Taos last summer. Summer vibes here I come.
I listened to Awake last fall and really loved it. But you are right, she does live a bit of a charmed life...
I got a book off libby a couple days ago when I needed something to read. I read through the kindle app on my phone. Not my favorite. But there is an actual library walking distance from my home and I have been wondering why i don't go browse the shelves more often. So that is a summer goal of mine. Mostly I just go pick up books I put on hold but I miss browsing books and instantly bringing something home. For free.
We lived walking distance from a library when the kids were in middle school and I went at least once a week to pick up and drop off books I had on hold. I have to drive to one now, but they have a good parking lot. LOL.
Ah, possibly! Though I think it might have more to do with the structure of the activity. There's a set pattern to fishing -- gathering the equipment, getting to the destination, prepping the bait, casting the line, etc. Yet within that set pattern, you still have the dopamine hit of anticipating a catch. The anticipation feeds the dopamine and keeps you engaged in the actual activity, even during the boring part of waiting for a fish to bite. That's my theory, because it's the same in gardening. There's a pattern to it that doesn't require high executive function, yet the thrill of watching things grow keeps me engaged throughout the season.
I feel like I read more than I ever have, but very little of it is books. Goal for the coming couple of weeks is to finish one that I’m about 1/3 through.
I don't always notice when I'm drifting away from long-form stories like novels or memoirs, but there's always some kind of wake-up call where I realize my own writing feel stale, and I can trace it back to attempting too much output without enough input.
I can get books through Libby on my Kindle. Just this minute added one. You panicked me a bit there! I have three print books by my chair, but for tripping (going to Canada tomorrow) and camping (low light) I like eBooks. I love having options. That said, I sometimes long for simpler times—which were not, of course, simpler.
And, yep, agree on Hatmaker's book (which I listened to in the car, where I spend mucho hours). Very entertaining, and a privileged life. I maintain, though, it's not a contest. She was brave, nevertheless.
Yeah, Kindles in general still work with Libby, mine was just super old.
Re Hatmaker, I did like her book in general. Having come from an evangelical childhood, I related to the conveyor belt of decisions she was on re gender roles, marrying young, lots of kids, etc. Personally, I was 29 when I got married, which was considered old in my circles. AND, I'd been to or participated in eleven weddings in the thirteen months leading up to my own wedding, so I was definitely feeling the pressure.
I only use hand-me-down Kindles for library books. Otherwise my library use is all paper books. I find I retain the info better that way. I bet someone in your circle has an old Kindle shoved in a junk drawer somewhere and would love to pass it on.
I have been Very Driven for the past couple years and realized that I have had virtually no significant down time in at least a year, but probably much longer. So I'm taking the end of June OFF. Just me and my Nintendo Switch and a stack of games I've been meaning to play. And July is gonna be pared way down. I have been all go for a minute, but I'm (almost) 52 and I need to rest, lest I burn out entirely.
My only reading plans are whatever books are still on my Kindle and plowing through the Dungeon Crawler Carl books.
I love this. Work hard, and rest rest REST! That's a fantastic thing to be looking forward to!
An earlier draft of this essay had a whole thing about how something terrible has happened in our family every single year since 2020 and that's why I need this summer to be ALL VIBES. So I'm with you on the resting thing.
I’m all in for the summer vibes. I heard the phrase ‘analog summer’ and thought “yep”. I bought a stock tank to use for soaking in the backyard. I’m naming it Cowboy Buddha after a margarita I had in Taos last summer. Summer vibes here I come.
omg I love that middle age is all about creating vibes without leaving home. 😂
I listened to Awake last fall and really loved it. But you are right, she does live a bit of a charmed life...
I got a book off libby a couple days ago when I needed something to read. I read through the kindle app on my phone. Not my favorite. But there is an actual library walking distance from my home and I have been wondering why i don't go browse the shelves more often. So that is a summer goal of mine. Mostly I just go pick up books I put on hold but I miss browsing books and instantly bringing something home. For free.
We lived walking distance from a library when the kids were in middle school and I went at least once a week to pick up and drop off books I had on hold. I have to drive to one now, but they have a good parking lot. LOL.
Thanks for these recs! *Awake* is in my TBR pile, too!
On the ADHD note, my kiddo really connects with fishing. I wonder if there's some part of neurodivergence that strengths really activate in nature?
Ah, possibly! Though I think it might have more to do with the structure of the activity. There's a set pattern to fishing -- gathering the equipment, getting to the destination, prepping the bait, casting the line, etc. Yet within that set pattern, you still have the dopamine hit of anticipating a catch. The anticipation feeds the dopamine and keeps you engaged in the actual activity, even during the boring part of waiting for a fish to bite. That's my theory, because it's the same in gardening. There's a pattern to it that doesn't require high executive function, yet the thrill of watching things grow keeps me engaged throughout the season.
I feel like I read more than I ever have, but very little of it is books. Goal for the coming couple of weeks is to finish one that I’m about 1/3 through.
I don't always notice when I'm drifting away from long-form stories like novels or memoirs, but there's always some kind of wake-up call where I realize my own writing feel stale, and I can trace it back to attempting too much output without enough input.
Same here! I’m glad it’s not just me.
I can get books through Libby on my Kindle. Just this minute added one. You panicked me a bit there! I have three print books by my chair, but for tripping (going to Canada tomorrow) and camping (low light) I like eBooks. I love having options. That said, I sometimes long for simpler times—which were not, of course, simpler.
And, yep, agree on Hatmaker's book (which I listened to in the car, where I spend mucho hours). Very entertaining, and a privileged life. I maintain, though, it's not a contest. She was brave, nevertheless.
Yeah, Kindles in general still work with Libby, mine was just super old.
Re Hatmaker, I did like her book in general. Having come from an evangelical childhood, I related to the conveyor belt of decisions she was on re gender roles, marrying young, lots of kids, etc. Personally, I was 29 when I got married, which was considered old in my circles. AND, I'd been to or participated in eleven weddings in the thirteen months leading up to my own wedding, so I was definitely feeling the pressure.
Yikes.
I only use hand-me-down Kindles for library books. Otherwise my library use is all paper books. I find I retain the info better that way. I bet someone in your circle has an old Kindle shoved in a junk drawer somewhere and would love to pass it on.