Busy or Lazy, that is the question...

It feels like I've been busy without a moment to spare, but when I look back over the last few weeks since I last posted here, I feel like I haven't done anything other than laze around.  So now I have to think back on what I did to trick my mind into thinking I've been productive. 😂  Don't get me wrong, at work I'm probably the most productive person on my team and potentially in our department, but at home, I have so much going on that my brain jumps from thing to thing to thing and it seems like nothing gets done.  For example, I get up at 4 AM every morning intending to get through all of my personal, "quilty", and coding emails (yes, I have 3 different email addresses just to stay organized lol) but by 6:30 AM, when I need to switch my personal brain off and turn on my work brain, I realize that all I've done is surf through quilt blog after quilt blog, or I've scrolled through Audible and Chirp looking for audiobooks, or I've updated the checkbook register but not cleaned out the emails associated with the bills I paid.  

The 2-year-old grand has since greeted the daylight and bugged nanny for the last bit of her "free time" and now it's time to get ready for work.  So for now, I wanted to share that I'm so giddy because as of midnight last night, the audiobook I've been patiently waiting for has dropped into my Audible player. I finally got to continue the story of Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar, from the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas.  I made it through almost an hour of House of Flame and Shadow, only 28 hours and 44 minutes to go!

Be Productive and have a fantastic day!

Kerensa

2023 #AudibleStats

 It's that time of year again...time to get all those 2023 stats from Audible, Kindle, Spotify, etc. It's so neat looking back at what I listened to and read over the past year.  Here's my #AudibleStats for 2023.  Not too shabby.

Stay warm and cozy out there.

Kerensa

Yes, I'm still alive...

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've posted, life just seems to get in the way, we can all relate, right? The last time I was here I played around with my page, made some updates, and found what I liked but then had to stop for a while.  What you see is what you get right now, but I'll eventually get back to finishing it up.  I've since finished book 5 of the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and now I'm impatiently waiting for the next book, I need to know what happens next in one of my favorite fantasy true love/soulmates series!  I'll update my book reviews when I have a bit more time.  It's almost time for me to clock into work lol.  

I've also started watching a new anime series that my son recommended to me.  I'm a huge Vikings fan, accurate historical and not-so-accurate stories created around it, particularly around Thor and Odin, Ragnarok, etc. So he told me to watch the series Vinland Saga on Netflix.  So here I am this morning when I should be getting things ready for our 5-day cruise on Saturday, watching it, and checking out the awesome Audible audiobook sale for Cyber Monday/week.  Should you wish to check out the series, here is some info on it:

Plot Summary from IMDB

Thorfinn pursues a journey with his father's killer in order to take revenge and end his life in a duel as an honorable warrior and pay his father an homage. A young man named Thorfinn finds himself in a quest for revenge against his father's killer. Firstly indulged in the apparent greatness of war and honor, Thorfinn quickly changes as he endures having to survive alone and then alongside the man he vows to kill, developing conflicting emotions towards the causality of his past and present life. Thorfinn vows to kill the man who took his father's life. But the life of a hate-filled Viking comes at a heavy cost; will Thorfinn succeed and finally kill Askeladd, or could his rage be his undoing? Only Odin himself knows the answers, and Valhalla awaits those waiting to die in battle. —Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187

Well, that's it for now, time for me to log into work and get some real work done so I can earn a paycheck. 😊

Have a great day!

Kerensa

Another Audiobook Bites the Dust....

I finished book 4 of the Blood and Ash series, The War of Two Queens this morning!  I'm onto book 5... but first I must go get ready for work.  Until next time, here is my review:

The War of Two Queens audiobook review

Have a great day!

Kerensa

I did it!  I finished another book, well in Audible Audiobook format anyway lol.  I love holding paper/hardback books, I love the smell, the feel, and the weight of them, but I often have little time to curl up with a good book, especially with my almost 2-year-old grandson living here with us, as he demands ALL of Nana's attention. 😂 So the only way I get to "read" is when I am driving, or in my office/quilt room doing other things I need to do, like paying bills/balancing the checkbook etc. So I finished book 3 in the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved the first 2 books so I've purchased the rest in the series, including pre-purchasing book 6, which is supposed to be a companion guide for the series, which I normally don't bother with.  I've posted my reviews of book 3 on Goodreads and Audible if anyone is interested and included the links below:

Blood and Ash series, by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book 1:

From Blood and Ash, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Review on Goodreads

From Blood and Ash, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Amazon

Book 2:

Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Review on Goodreads

Kingdom of Flesh, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Amazon

Book 3:

The Crown of Guilded Bones, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Review on Goodreads
The Crown of Guilded Bones, by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Amazon

Until next time, 

Kerensa

What I've been up to lately

Hello once again, my wonderful bloggers, who have had so much patience with this ADHD, OCD, post-menopausal, crotchety old lady, who keeps putting off things she should be doing for herself, such as sewing and reading, to take care of everyone else, adding their worries on top of her own.  🙅 But life does go on.  I'm currently trying to catch up on my "Currently Reading" list, knocking them out as quickly as I can, while still taking the time to enjoy the stories.  I've finished another one and will post the link to my review below before I sign off for the night.

I haven't sewed anything yet, other than a small coster for my desk (I'll take a picture and share it later) but I have printed out the patterns for the first couple of blocks for my Dear Jane quilt. The first block is A-1 Pinwheel Gone Awry. I'm using my own copy of Electric Quilt's Dear Jane and Susan Gatewoods' Dear Jane site, where she graciously shares her own progress.

I really, really, really want to start working on my Aves BOW (Block of the Week) quilt, I am paying for it after all. But I haven't purchased the fabrics yet and I don't want to pull from my stash because most of my stash is fat quarters and half-yards.  I certainly don't have enough of each fabric to pull for the requirements.  So I am purchasing the fabric a little at a time, fabric is VERY expensive don'cha know, and when I have the required amounts of each, I will begin.  Until then, I am saving all of the instructions and blocks in my OneNote Aves file as well as backup copies on my external hard drive. Did I ever share an image of what it can look like if done in the colors that first caught my attention? If not, well here it is, and if so, well, sorry, you get to see it again. :)

Oh my gosh, isn't it gorgeous? 

I've linked the picture to the site where you can register for the next round that may be offered. One day, soon I hope, I will finally get to start working on it.

Let's see, what else?  Oh yeah, I went fishing with the hubby.  He caught a fish, and I caught a photo of a turtle sunbathing on the dock:

We installed a couple of Roku outdoor cameras and found a new friend...  Such a cute hummingbird who visits the camera every day.

Last night we drove down to the beach for a presentation and before we came home we stopped and tried out some rolled ice cream.  Not too bad.

And finally, I bought myself a most adorable gnome, my "Dunkie Junkie".  It fits my personality so well.  Love my Dunkin' cold brew. 

Now that the basic updates are all done, I'll let this be the end of my entries for today. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day/night (as applicable lol).  Thanks for stopping by.  Come back soon now, ya' hear?

Book review time...you can choose which site you would like to read my review on. 

My Review on Goodreads of The Quiet Room, by Terry Miles
My Review on Amazon of The Quiet Room, by Terry Miles

Side Note: Minnow Beats Whale Podcasts - You should check out the podcasts created by Terry Miles and Nic Silver.  I guarantee you'll get addicted!

Kerensa

Just a really quick post today before I have to unplug from my personal life and plug into my work life. I know I've been slacking. I haven't been doing too much lately, to be honest.  Quite disappointed with myself about it.  I just can't seem to get motivated to do much of anything.  I haven't been learning to code, I haven't been listening to my audiobooks since I finished the last one, and I haven't been reading for pleasure.  I know I have three books I need to finish and submit reviews on, and I'm so very, very late doing that. I just have to find my inspiration to kick me in the kiester and get me going again.  I know my depression has been overwhelming to me for almost 3 years now and I really don't want to go back on the medication again, but it's starting to look like I may have to.  I need a life again, well more life than sitting on m fat kiester watching TV.

Speaking of TV, I found out that my very guilty pleasure show "The Only Way is Essex" is on Amazon Prime, ALL 17 seasons!  I did not know there were that many seasons.  I got hooked on it years ago, back in 2010 when it came out on regular TV but I never got past season 1 because life got in the way. So every morning, when I wake up early (3:30-4:30 AM) I come into the office and plug into my show.  The episodes are short, around 25-30 minutes long, and I've made it up to Season 2 Episode 1 this morning.  I watch it on the computer while I organize my OneNote with all my quilt patterns, writing and book reviews, etc.

Other than that, I plan on sewing for an hour or two this evening after work, as I plan every day, but never do.  I really need to push myself to do it.  Well, time for me to plug into work and get ready to clock in.  

Stay cool my friends,

Kerensa