It's been a long time since I did a Five Things for Friday post! It feels good to do one again!
1. I live in puffer vests during the winter. I found out recently that Martha Stewart is selling a shortsleeved puffer vest. 😮
When I first saw it I thought that it was silly, but the more I think about it and look at it, the more I like it! I think I'm going to take a fashion risk and try this out! I plan to get one in navy and one in black. I'll report back about what I think about it in a future post. I'm sure you can't wait. 😆
2. I also recently saw this dress that I love, but I have nothing to wear it to. I wish I did. I want it!
Isn't it pretty? Navy is my favorite color to wear and I like the navy dress too, but I think the pale pink one is prettier.
Somebody please get married or have a fancy party so that I can wear this dress to your wedding or party. Oh wait--my brother literally just proposed to his girlfriend yesterday!! So maybe I'll get the dress. (Also, I'm so happy for him!)
3. My book-reading this year has reached new lows. 😔 I always have a reading goal for the year for the number of books I want to read that year and I almost always easily make it, but this may be the first year that I don't make my goal. I've been reading the same book for over a month and that hardly ever happens. I blame it on this difficult year of divorce and being more tired, stressed, and distracted than ever before. Reading is one of my favorite stress relievers but I've been too tired to even read at night before bed. So I'm hoping to pick up the slack in the next few weeks and read a lot, especially the week after Christmas. I want to get my reading bug back, and I will. There are too many good books out there not to!
4. This is my favorite time of year and I've been enjoying it! The house and tree were decorated by the beginning of December, present shopping and wrapping are pretty much wrapped up (pun intended 😉), I'm taking time to do meaningful things each day, and I'm enjoying watching my collection of Christmas movies and listening to my favorite Christmas songs. I love all of it! I still need to write out and send my cards, which I've been dragging my feet about doing a little because I still have friends from afar who will find out that our four-person family has become a three-person family, which is sad. But I just need to get it done and trust in the love and support of the good friends and family that I've been blessed with in my life. (The cards turned out nice, too.) I love that this difficult year (and every difficult year) ends in the beauty and significance of Christmas. There's a lot of meaning and symbolism in that for me personally.
5. Quick life update: things are proceeding at a glacial pace with the divorce. I don't like how long it takes and it will be several more months until it's final. But I can be patient and continue to endure. I've grown used to living with underlying stress over the last few years. I think I'm managing pretty well right now (knock on wood) and on a near-daily basis I feel peace, comfort, joy, and an underlying sense of hope of better things to come. Even though this isn't what I wanted, I feel happier and lighter than I have in a long time. I know that living my life as best I can blesses my life and the lives of my children. I'm far from perfect, but I try hard to do well according to what I believe is true, and it makes a big difference. So overall, I'm happy to report that I'm doing well. 😊
