Monthly Catch Up: July 2021
By Jessica Marie Hello and welcome to another personal journal style update from me. June was a really busy month, but July is shaping up to be a good month for getting out and about. Things are opening up here in Maine and events are happening again. My parents happened upon a horse race the other day, people are having more yard and estate sales, and things are slowly returning to normal. It took me a long time to accept and adjust to the shut downs from the pandemic but I am happily bouncing back to some of the normalcy we had pre-pandemic. If not appreciating the more home-body nature I have adopted. Personal Update I have realized some of my mental thought processes and issues come from anxiety. Which are just untrue thoughts. So, when I find them popping up I immediately try to combat them with something completely opposite and more truthful. I’m not perfect at it, but I am trying and willing to try and lessen my anxiety any way I can (that is healthy). I have really been leaning into slow living. Which, after research is exactly that, living slowly, in the present, with intention. Putting aside thoughts and “shoulds” in favor of being present, peaceful and happy in the moment. Spending time just sitting outside in the sun with my pup (he *loves* to lay in the sun no matter how hot it is), simply watching the hens and guineas walk and scratch around the property, enjoying the bloom of a flower. It helps me to see and enjoy the beauty that is all around me. To put aside the hustle of modern life and live just a little more simply. Brand Update I have found a good routine for my brand. How much I can get done in a week, what is a reasonable amount of work that I can keep up with and not get burnt out. I have, for now, decided to come back to social media. I am still taking a ‘if it brings me joy’ approach to my posting. But I have found a schedule and posting idea that brings me joy. I am also working on something big with my family that we will be debuting soon. It is something I have wanted to do for awhile now, but everyone is on board so we are going to give it a shot. Stay tuned for the big news! Writing update The beginning of June I spent most of my time focusing on my short story for the competition. I didn’t work on my novel or other projects as much except for when I was waiting for feedback. I had five beta-readers for my short story and they were so incredibly wonderful! They had such great feedback and insights to help me make the story that much better. I am feeling very confident about this short story and my chances in the competition. I will let you know how it goes as soon as I find out the results. I have found a pretty steady routine in my novel writing. Write some of the story, then go back to back story. I move from one to the next every couple of weeks. I have also come to accept that I do not write every day. I have a lot on my plate with this brand, my work, and running our small but ever-expanding homestead. I used to beat myself up mentally about this fact. With thoughts like “a writer who doesn’t write isn’t a writer” or “you’ll never be a real writer with a schedule like this”. But I have been working on it, and seeing posts from published authors saying, ‘those voices are a lie, you can be a writer no matter how you write, just do what you can’ has been very encouraging. My stories are in my mind constantly and I do write 4-5 days a week. But I also take days off to rest and recuperate so that I can come back refreshed and ready to tackle the story. I do not want to become burnt out on writing. I would rather work at a slightly slower pace but retain excitement about the process, than overburden myself and lose my joy for writing. I am also working on writing another eBook workbook. It is going to be the second of a two part workbook and I want to release both at the same time. The first one is complete, once I finish the second one I will begin to edit both workbooks. Homestead Update I have decided that homesteading, having always been a dream of mine, is a part of my life now and so I am going to update on it. We are a very small wholistic homestead at this time. But that is how all homesteads start. Or at least it is the best way to start, slow and steady. For now, we have 30 hens. 25 Rhode Island Red, 3 Partridge Cochin, and 2 Blue Wyandotte. Plus, the Rhode Island Red rooster named Richard Roo. We also have 4 guinea fowl. One was attacked by something, we aren’t sure what. We have quarantined him to give him a chance to rest and get better without being picked on by the others. Or be attacked again as an easy target. No major injuries luckily, just a lot of pulled feathers. We completed the garden in June. We built the garden close to the trees, which we found drop slugs in the summer. So, every day we go on ‘slug runs’ to catch them before they can eat the plants. We also ordered drip line hoses which is really helping us save water and keep the weeds down by only watering what we want to grow. We laid straw down over the rows to help keep weeds down and keep moisture in the soil. We have mulched the walkways. We are not using chemicals in the garden so we are doing everything naturally. Books I read in June reviews: The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron: This was a fun book! If you have ever read Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising this book had a similar feel. I am a sucker for Arthurian legend stories and this was a good read for that genre. There is something about the older fantasy stories that don’t have all the fluff of modern books but are full of heart, with prose that feels old but is still easily understandable. I loved the adventure of this story, how everything tied together in the end. The authors note was a great touch as well. I had to take a few days off after finishing it as I knew I would be missing the story and wasn’t yet ready to start another. This book followed the very early years of Merlin, from birth to about 12 years old. How he gained the name Merlin and learned to use his magic. If you are looking for a fun, short read and love Merlin as Arthurian legend this book will not disappoint. Earth and Other Ethics: The Case for Moral Pluralism by Christopher Stone: This was a difficult read but overall, a good one. He speaks at a very high-level and educated tone, which I think is required for the topic he is covering. But to get the idea to the masses and general public this book would fail. It is not a quick read and takes concentration, but if this is a topic of interest you will not be disappointed. He begins with our current legal system and how it would and does attempt to incorporate Earth and its other non-human inhabitants. But our current system is overall ill-equipped for such issues. He then guides the reader through philosophy and how that can guide us to a different moral stance and thus a legal system that could be better equipped to deal with non-human interests, rights, and morality. A truly fascinating read and I do recommend. One I will need to read more than once, but I would like to think on and try to incorporate more of this into my thought processes. American Melancholy by Joyce Carol Oates: If you follow politics and science this is a good read. She delves into historical moments and explores them in poetry. I particularly loved her segments on old psychology experiments like Little Albert and the monkeys with wire mothers. She considers the humanity of these tests, what wasn’t published but what else we may have learned about humans and the mind by the very fact that we conducted these experiments. Overall, it is a rather dark and melancholic series of poems, but a well written reflection on American values. Note: All books I purchased myself. I read and reviewed of my own accord. I was not paid, prompted, or promoted to read or review these works in any way. I do not receive any money or other stipends from these reviews. Books I am Currently Reading: The Iron Tower: The Dark Tide by Dennis L. McKiernan High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver Podcasts I am Binging Right Now: Be There in Five with Kate Kennedy The Definitely Not Simple Life with Angela, Renee, and Mandi I hope your summer is treating you well, that you can stay cool and hydrated. Read a good book, relax but still work toward your goals, be present, and enjoy the little things. In the end, it is the little things that make up the whole of our lives. Much Love, Jessica Marie
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AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
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