Newsletter no. 3
The life update edition:
I woke up this morning and…I couldn't breathe. Probably because I was lying on my back, and I can't breathe when I'm lying on my back anymore. (Hoping to fix this on September 4th!) But I also couldn't breathe because I have a summer cold, my least favorite souvenir. (Thank you, Florida.) But, likely, most importantly, I was slightly breathless in another way. This time it was with anticipation. And fear. And worry because I am now the mother of middle schoolers. As in, I no longer have children in lower grades…I am a middle-aged mom of middle schoolers now. My youth evaporated on command at the thought. I kid. (Kind of?)
While I could absolutely wax poetic about how this is the latest of my existential crises, I won't. I'm going to keep things pretty high-level and well-spirited today! So here's a quick life update in four quick “things.” (I'm honestly worrying myself by how often I keep saying “quick,” as in: there's no way this is going to be quick.)
1.
Writing
I thought about saving this update for last, but that would just be cruel. This is what you're here for, am I right?
Well, guess what? I have very little update. Sometimes life is just a little too good, a little too busy. It can be hard to write and get in the mindset when the world around me is moving 90 mph. And I have to admit that life has been good lately. I don't mean it in a boastful way. But if I share the bad, it only seems fair that I share the good, too.
So my life is neither falling apart, and I am not falling in love…but maybe soon.
2.
Vacationing
After a rough go at the first half of summer, we decided to take a last-minute vacation. The whole thing was planned in one day, two weeks before we were leaving. (As an anxious person, this is almost unheard of for me.) But as life goes, it's short. My kids are only going to moderately tolerate me a little bit longer, and I have to admit, it was one of our better vacays.
Quick highlights were: Brian, our tour guide at Universal. Parlor Doughnuts is a 10/10. A quick side trip to Cocoa Beach for the day where I was able to keep the sand exposure to minimal levels. (I hate sand.) Buttttt the real highlight of the whole trip was paddleboarding at Rainbow Springs. We went with Otter Paddle, and I can't recommend them enough.
3.
Consuming
Watching: I finished The Gilded Age and The Buccaneers. (Feel free to email your thoughts if you finished either of those!) And I'm in the process of finishing Downton Abbey finally. It's my comfort show, I only watch it when I'm sick, and well, I've been sick this week…So I've finally made it to the final season!!!
Reading: Mary Balogh's backlist and Scarlett Peckham's, too. I even reread some of Lisa Kleypas' backlist because I think she might be my favorite. (I've pretty much stopped reading anything in the genre I write. At least for now.)
4.
Scouring
Inspiration is everywhere, but Pinterest and Spotify are two of my greatest resources.
Listening: The standout is Heroin by Jessie Murph. Ughhhhhh. Go. Listen. Now. Full Stop. Every time I listen to it, I cry. I mean… “You look at me, I look at you. You kill me slow, I get you through.” Dagger to the heart. Now, I'm not saying this is coded towards any two characters….but I'm not not saying it... (Obviously, it's Emmaline coded.)
Other standouts are Not At This Party by Dasha and Man Of The Year by Sam Barber. Have a listen to Emmaline’s budding soundtrack on Spotify.
Peeping: Well, see for yourself.
And, that's all she wrote! Hope to be back with more updates soon!
Hope everyone has a great back-to-school season (you know, if you're doing that sort of thing,) or a great early fall!
xoxo,
