Mellon and I got our nails done today! I got red gel polish and they got purple base coat with super sparkles. It was his idea and it wasn’t too expensive.
I’m reading The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen.
She’s one of my favorite authors of what I would consider soft urban fantasy and/or feminine fiction. It’s not hard core or gritty; no leather clad ménage à trois sex scenes or obsessive vampires. But soft magics found in the ordinary world. Characters who are wisened crones that give away little every day objects or women with broken hearts that bake cakes to call loved ones home.
Much like another favorite author of mine, fellow Jew Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen likes making magic part of the every day.
Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.
Invent a holiday? Okay.
It’s called “Readmormass”.
It starts with you spending a cold, quiet day, like the first Monday of December, reading something from your TBR (To Be Read) pile.
You have to sleep in at least half an hour on Readmormass. Just enough to get some extra rest and wake feeling refreshed.
You hydrate, go about your regular morning rituals, take your meds, break your fast, and pull out your special Readmormass comfy clothes. A nice soft pair of sweatpants or leggings and your favorite soft shirt. I favor leggings and a hoodie I permanently liberated from my partner’s closet.
Readmormass is also a gift holiday! Find a used copy, if you can, of your favorite book and gift it to a friend. They can gift you their favorite book in exchange. You can spend time with your favorite reading friend or spend Readmormass alone.
But, wait, there’s more!
And then… you read! Read a paperback or hardcover or listen to an audiobook or scroll through an ebook. Consume your media how you wish to for Readmormass. Munchies and snacks are optional, but always welcome!
When it’s lunchtime, take a leg stretch walk around the house. Eat something small and light, or continue snacking! Then head back to reading after about a half hour. Don’t strain your eyes!
If you’re not ready to read more, throw in a load of laundry and take a nap!
Once evening falls, and you have to turn on the lights, call your reading bestie. You know who I mean. If they’re not over already, due to being all the way in another state, video call them.
You then spend an hour or more together ranting about how much you love/loathe/can’t put down the book to said friend over a simple dinner of meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies with some crusty bread. Video chatting counts! The point is to rave about the book of choice, be it positive ranting about amazing writing or pointing out plot-holes the size of Saskatchewan with your book bestie.
After dinner? Some hot, milky tea and more reading.
Fondue, for a dessert course, if you’re one of the bougie types. Regular oven-broiled s’mores or some sugar cookies if you’re a delightful plebeian like me.
Maybe you made a decent dent in that book. Maybe you didn’t. Maybe you stay up to finish reading it because you’re like me and devour books when the mood strikes. In any case, you read! And ate! And talked with a dear one!
Today is a high pain day. Like a solid seven and a half out of ten. My hips are screaming, my knees hurt, my hands hurt too much to crochet. I can knit, as it takes different hand positions and is less painful, but man does it suck to be me today.
Date day, this morning, kicked off about an hour after it was supposed to. We both slept in till almost eight. We were trying to be on the road sometime after seven thirty.
I skipped dinner this evening. My stomach is kind of upset for some reason, though all I’ve had today is a fairly moderate-sized salad with blue cheese dressing.