May Pointless Lists

Life update:
We lost Eric's cousin Aaron to cancer on the 17th. He's been battling lung cancer (and no, he wasn't a smoker) for the past few years. I kind of hate how we say "battle" and either "won" or "lost" when we're talking about cancer because that implies that if you try hard enough, you can beat it. That's not how cancer works. Never mind, I have no energy for this rant.

So we're sad. He was only 42 and it just sucks. I'm not sure what else to even say about that. Maybe some of my lame posts make more sense now.

Books read:
Like last month, I picked a book and stuck with it: My best friend Mara is an author, and she asked me to read her latest novel, written during NaNoWriMo last November. She'd posted a couple of excerpts on her blog, and based on that, I was intrigued and excited to read her book.

And OH EM GEE, as Johanna would say: It is FANTASTIC. I'm not going to say more than that because it's not out yet and there's no point in enticing you with something you can't get, but wow, I loved this thing. I called her up demanding to know what happens next, but she's one of those annoying writers who doesn't know what happens until she writes it. I NEED A SEQUEL, MARA. Throw a girl a bone, jeez.

P.S. When she gets this one published, it's going to be copies for everybody!

Art update:
Remember this picture I posted of Johanna's artwork?

It's now in the possession of my Aunt Ann, who saw it on the blog and worked out a deal before the night was through. (She's terrible at math, though, because she could have just had it for her birthday. Ah, well. Johanna's college fund is now a little richer.)

So that was kind of exciting. Maybe I should post Jo's stuff more often. ;)

Work update:
Our Saturday the 23rd edition contained a letter to the editor complaining about the fluff articles I write (i.e. my "spotlights" on members of our community who do awesome things but would never make it in the paper otherwise); on the 20th, I had a story in about a new local business and that lady is so thrilled she keeps emailing me to thank me. Life in a nutshell: I suck, I'm the best. That is actually fairly accurate, now that I think about it.

Can't believe I'm admitting this but I'm totally admitting it:
Abby is binge-watching Supernatural on Netflix, and I've sort of been sucked in. I don't think she appreciates my running commentary throughout the shows -- because come on! There is some weird shit going down that deserves to be commented upon -- but anyway, I'm totally intrigued and enjoying it very much, even though supernatural horror stuff ain't really my bag. (Example: I tried to read Cujo in tenth grade, and stopped three pages in because TOO SCARY.) I haven't caught all of the shows, but we're in season two and pretty soon they'll be in Oregon. THAT one I really want to see...

Light update:
This month, I decided to just be kind to myself. This was a rather pleasant undertaking since there wasn't any part where I could beat myself up for failing. Because I couldn't fail. Sometimes I am a genius.

I think the best part was that I made it a point to do things for myself that were outside of the house. I went places is what I'm saying: Book talks, farmers' markets, presentations, and all during the week. I know, right? I came home and then left again. Weird.

I feel rather refreshed by the whole ordeal if you want to know the truth. Enough that I'm going to tackle the pictures stored on our computer next, which is going to be a bear. Maybe choosing a project where you're forced to sit indoors isn't the best idea for a month that could potentially be pretty great weather-wise... but eh, we'll see what happens. June in Oregon is kind of a crap shoot.

Posts I really enjoyed this month:
How to Engage in Purposeful Decluttering, Be More with Less: Great tips for everyone, whether you're just starting out or you've been at it a long time.

21 Surprising Statistics That Reveal How Much Stuff We Actually Own, Becoming Minimalist: That's an apt title. I was surprised. And kind of horrified.

Your Minimalist Wardrobe Questions Answered, Slow Your Home. Yes, yes, yes!

This Season's Must Haves, Slow Your Home.  More yeses! Great perspective on "must haves."