LoveRundle

My to-be-read list is growing so much. I have been listening to books on Libby and must admit, I get so caught up in the story that I'll forget what I'm doing. Ann and Sue are reading a lot of the same books and think I would enjoy them. I like more fantasy than suspense. They like the stories that don't have vampires and fairies.... I think that's nuts. The world is too real as it is. I want to be captivated by stories that are a little unrealistic.  I'm listening to Taylor Spratt's "Poison Penitentiary Series" book 2 right now. It's so good. When I listened to book one, I was thinking, "Is this a reverse harem?" Yes. Yes, it is. I really love the world-building. It's like Prison Break but with fantasy creatures. I am really enjoying the story, and I think Taylor Spratt did a really good job.  I believe Emory might like these books. He's the one who got me addicted to Laurell K Hamilton. He's reading a book right now that he ...

I had the craziest night! I was chilling at 11:20pm and thought I heard screaming. We're on a busy street, so there is always noise.... but it was late, and every once in a while someone needs something. I stood up to look out the window and noticed that I had left something on my patio that I'd rather bring in.   I opened the sliding glass door, walked out, and noticed the usually loud street was eerily quiet. I'm on the second floor, and the street we face is NEVER quiet, not even when you really wish it would be. Before logic pieced itself together in my wee brain, a very bright light zeroed in on me.  A police helicopter had me in its spotlight.  That's when I realized it was so quiet because traffic was blocked off. Cops were combing the area with K9s. A firetruck and an ambulance came onto the scene. Emory came stumbling out of the bedroom, half asleep, and asked, "What are you doing?"  I was still dumbfounded. I had no idea what I was doing, but when th...

Emory and I are going to have to get waterproof hiking boots for Alaska. I'm so happy there are so many options. We're going to need waterproof gloves, too. I can't believe I'm actually planning a trip where there will be snow and cold. I can't even stand getting into the freezer. I don't like the sound of ice crunching underneath shoes.... I'm thinking I might need my headphones for certain aspects. 👻 We got back from Sedona, Arizona. I bought so many crystals, and I bought a vortex rock. Apparently, vortex rocks have an aspect that makes them magnetic, so they are drawn to each other. Not all vortex rocks just stick to each other, so you have to look for a pair that are drawn together. I also bought oracle cards because you can never have enough.  I should have bought some sage. I want to get into drawing runes on my candles and need the supplies for that. I might also need to stock up on herbs.... I need a shopping list. We had a writing session outside ...

I am still building my Galentine baskets for my lovely ladies, whom I want to throw a party for. I was told that these Ioni tweezers were the best, so I bought six of them for my basket. I can't wait to use mine, but the point of these baskets is that you make one for everyone, including yourself, so I can't use anything until the party. I'm making the cut off about $5 a girl, so each girl would buy 6 items that are $5 or below. I think my gift is almost $10 a girl, but I really hope I'm doing a good job picking things out, because I'm really not good at making a theme.  I'm thinking of buying roses for the girls to take home and maybe a pretty balloon, as long as the prices haven't gone up at Dollar Tree. I think they said they might be $5 a balloon, which is a little too crazy. I'd rather put all that money towards flowers. I'm thinking of putting shot glasses at the door with something special in them, but I'm looking for non-alcoholic drinks ...

I had to really scour the fridge for chocolate. I think my headache is either from hunger, lack of coffee (only 1 cup so far), or I've been staring at screens too long. I have been trying to juggle a lot, so maybe it's also stress.  I finally wore the migraine mask that Ann got me, and it felt so good coming straight out of the fridge. I went to the commune and had to ask Sue where she keeps her migraine mask, and she keeps it in the freezer. That's the first time I had a brain freeze that started from the outside of my body instead of inside (when you drink something super cold). I keep my mask just in the fridge, NOT the freezer.  Next year, there are some book conventions in Arizona that I really want to go to. The High Priestess wants to go too, and she said that she'll plan it for us. I'm so excited.  I miss the Romance Times book convention. That was a blast. There were themed parties every night. At the end, we had tons of books that were constantly being giv...

 This is going to be a busy month. I have so many little meetings. I'm doing a writing session with my bestie. I love these moments because I get some of my best work done when I'm being timed. I'm supposed to be working on a short story, but it took 2000 words to get where I'm at, and I just don't feel like this is going to be very short. I have a phone meetup with my childhood friend. She lives in Arizona. It feels like everyone I know lives in Arizona, except for the commune out here. I would miss Sue a lot if I moved. She's fun. It's hard to make her laugh, though.  I just had a blood test, and all the results were pretty good! I had a feeling when I woke up that morning that they might want a blood test, and I just sort of ate anyway. That means I had to let them know that it wasn't a fasting test. I think the results were still pretty good. I'm in the green for 98% of the tests run.  I hate needles, but I'm getting better at it. I asked the...

We finally did the Salt Cave meditation. It was so peaceful. Everything was salt, including the floor. We had to take our shoes and socks off, and at first, walking on the salt was a little difficult because it wasn't fine like sand. It felt a little jagged at first. The guided meditation was beautiful. There were two sisters and their mom there. They were trying to take a group photo, so I took it for them, and then there was a couple that I think were on a first date. Emory told them I could take their picture too because "she loves taking photos." I do! I'd love to learn how to say, "coffee and photos" in every language one day. That would be my genie wish. Just kidding. But I do love photos and coffee a lot.  Afterwards, we walked around the area because it was in the center of everything. We ended up getting Indian food, which was fabulous! I love curry, and I forgot the name of the bread that was gluten-free and vegan, but we got that too. We did end u...

This is Black History Month , and I've been reading about some amazing people in history who really should be in the textbooks. Let's talk about Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey. In the 1840s, these enslaved women were experimented on to treat childbirth injuries. They were not given anesthesia when they were treated for a fistula after giving birth. The experiments helped develop techniques that saved lives, but one can only imagine the suffering they went through, and it was barely documented. They never gave consent. This is real horror. I can't imagine their fear and pain. I will acknowledge these women and always hold a place in my heart for them. They truly are the "Mothers of Modern Gynecology." I didn't realize until I went to the grocery store with Emory to pick up more coconut whip cream and chocolates, that maybe I ate all the chocolates that he really liked before he got a chance to really eat them. I know this because of the shocked look on his face when ...

Just so we're clear, in this household, we do NOT like Ice or currently the government. We're grouchy about everything happening. My faith in the system has depleted. I'm constantly scared and I feel like we're living on coffee and stress.... Jeffrey said he really liked the banana bread his mother made when he was a kid. I went to his brother and asked if he could find the recipe. It didn't take long to get a picture text back. Wow! The handwriting is a little hard to read. Jeffrey and his mother write almost the same way. 😂 I am going to make this bread for him. Jeffrey comes from a fairly big family, so I'm not sure if this recipe is to feed the whole family, but I plan to follow the recipe exactly.  I am so bummed because there is a Marvel stage show that I really want to see, but I think it's in London. The bits of the show that they film for Instagram are so awesome. It looks like it's a lot of fun. They said that in a few years, they might be tra...

I debated posting because everything going on right now has me pretty stressed and depressed. I feel like America has lost the plot.... But I will give an update: I went back to Solvang with Sue. It's a bit of a drive and we stopped in at my favorite bakery that sells vegan/gluten-free items. I got a cookie which was fantastic! They ran out of scones so I couldn't get Emory a scone. I did finally get to wear my new sari. I wore heels which I thought would be difficult to constantly walk in, but that wasn't so bad.  We went to two wineries to pick up Sue's membership wines. One of the wineries we actually stayed and had a drink at. I love this one so much and it's kind of becoming a second home.... just kidding. I go probably three or four times a year when I get an invitation to get up there.  I did ask a group of women on a birthday celebration if they wanted a group photo and they really jumped at the offer! I love taking photos of people enjoying these moments. I...

The drive to Paso Robles was nice, but a third of the drive was in thick fog. That made me nervous, but thank Goddess, the road wasn't curvy. The hotel was so incredibly nice. It came with a breakfast bar in the morning and a ticket for a free drink at night. We did bring Mr. Mozart, and he loved the long walks and all the hotel guests wanting to love on him. He got so many pats on the head, and a few people said he was such a good dog. I think he's just too old to really be bothered to bark.  We went to a winery and did a sidecar motorbike tour. It was so much fun, and we learned so much about the vines and how the wine was made. I guess all wine is white, but red wine gets its color from soaking in the peels.  There were 14 owl houses on the property to hunt the little critters that get into the  field. I got to hold owl vomit. It sounds gross, but it was mostly dirt and bones.  The day was warm, and the drive around the fields was exhilarating. I guess either all ...

Sue is up at Roseville (about 5 hour drive from the valley), so I haven't seen her all week. She's having drinks with her friends. She's usually the only reason I leave the house as much as I do (besides leaving in the morning to work out with Emory), so it's been pretty quiet. I'm getting so much writing done and a lot of doom scrolling. Emory and I made plans to go to Sedona, Arizona, with our friends in a few months. The little cabin that we're staying at is not too far from Slide Rock. It's so pretty there, and it's hard to explain Slide Rock. It's this area that people go to swim at, but the natural rocks are smooth, and you can actually use them as slides. I enjoyed it a lot as a child, but even in the summer, the water is freezing, but then again, it's Arizona.... we're used to it being burning hot and our pool water to be as warm as bath water. Sedona, Arizona, is known for its vortexes. I'm so excited to explore. Emory and I hike...

Emory and I wanted to go to Cambria for the weekend, but the hotels are pricy. Maybe it's not too bad for most people, but I can't justify spending that money in our economy right now. I'm so scared, for more reasons than I can count. So we decided to try Paso Robles. It's cheaper, and there are some cool things to do. We're trying for a dry January, which means we're not drinking, but that's like going to Napa Valley and not drinking. Paso Robles is known for its wineries. Farmer Bill (Scottsdale Commune) and Sue (Porter Commune) said that Paso Robles has really great wine festivals. I think I saw that in November, but I really want to be careful how much I drink in general. I've already thrown up 2x in 2025 from drinking too much.   Jeffrey had surgery to fix a 3-point bone break. He's in good spirits. We laughed because I told him he could never do anything half-assed. He has to go all the way. He said if he's going to do something, he's g...

We made it! It's the new year. I am hopeful. I have a list of resolutions ready to go! I will only share one: I need to write more. I've been slacking.  It's been raining all week, but that didn't stop the fireworks. Emory and I did manage to stay awake until midnight for our New Year's kiss. Then we crashed. We already went shopping at a few places. Sue bought me a Halloween puzzle. She saw me looking and asked if I really needed another puzzle. I told her it was Halloween. She said she'd get it for me, and she did! Such a sweet woman. In one of the stores we went to, they had Martha Stewart on a Self... like Elf on a Shelf. She's so stinking cute! Emory says there was a Snoop on a Shelf, too. I would have bought both, not that we need more stuff, though. The communes on all ends have their New Year's traditions, so it's pretty funny getting pictures in group chats.  I bought a heated shawl for when we start traveling. I want to go to Alaska this ye...

I have to wear an "event" monitor for 14 days over my heart. The doctor said he already knows the fainting doesn't have anything to do with my heart. It's just to see if my heart is reacting to the fainting. I already hit the little button twice, but I felt too horrible to actually document it on the log.  I went a little past Solvang to hang out with Sue. It was such a fun day, and we visited two of my favorite (out of three) wineries. I wasn't feeling much pain until the next day. Yes, major hangover vibes. Good thing Emory was there to help me along. He made me electrolyte drinks, and when I could eat, he made me something light for my stomach. Awesome companion. Great best friend. The electricity in my veins... (if you know, you know). Emory and I went to Oxnard for Christmas, though it was a little scary to drive because Ventura is having flooding with all the storms that came through. There are three ways to get up there, and one of the drives had fallen tre...

Emory and I drove down to Glendale to see Madam Scrooge the Musical. It was fantastic! The masks the actors wore were a little different, but I think they added to the eeriness of the theater. I feel like I dressed a little too brightly. Most people who came to the theater dressed in darker colors. There was a decorated room at the theater and this was amazing, so we had to take a picture.  The show was fantastic. This is the second Scrooge play I saw in a month, so I thought I would be done with the story, but I'm so amazed by the singing and dancing. Both shows were very different and yet so familiar. We're now watching Scrooge, the television series on Disney. This version is extremely dark and gruesome.  Sue called me to say she wanted to go for a leisurely drive. I'm not so sure where we're going because the connection was horrid. I heard "leisurely drive... wine... lunch."  Our wine rack came in! It holds about 24 bottles of wine. We just need 6 more bot...

I've decided that I'd like to have a spiritual adviser. I did talk with the High Priestess, and it was so fulfilling. She gave me a beautiful little white heart stone that I can keep until I see her again, and we'll keep passing it back and forth as we charge it with our energy. What a wonderful concept.  I went to Arizona for four days, and I really missed Emory a lot. It was really busy. I spent the night with Jeffrey, and I actually crashed a little early, but woke up within a few hours. The weather wasn't too bad, but it is getting a little cold out in the desert at night. We watched Christmas light challenges, and a lot of the houses that won were in Arizona. I would love to have seen these homes in person. Friday night, we went to Stir Crazy and saw Stoner Rob. He called our row out. I couldn't stop laughing because he asked what I did for a living. He also asked Steven what he did, and of course, Steven's job is pretty advanced, so it's hard to sum up...

Mozart's hair appointment was cancelled. The little groomer was sick. I told them not to worry about it. Plus, now that it's winter-ish.... I say that so loosely- Mozart might want his fur coat. We're heading to Arizona with him dirty. I FINALLY watched Marvel vs Zombies. It was dark, like I thought it would be, but it was fun watching it with our moon family. I think it gave me nightmares, though. I definitely could see some similarities in my nightmare. I'm watching Peacemaker now. EEEEEEHHHHH!!!!! I'm such a fan girl. He's such a jerk, but in a lovable, doomed sort of way. I think I'm secretly in LOVE with Harcourt. Her anger and rage make her so doomed and so incredibly hot. I think I am secretly in love with angry people. What does that say about me? I found a Halloween coffee mug. We have enough, but this one was only 50 cents, so how was I supposed to pass it up? I should have bought all of them so I could give them as gifts. I'll have to do that ...

I found so many sweets for my Friendsgiving. Nothing I can eat because it all has wheat, but why punish the whole house? So we found cinnamon rolls, two pies, blueberry muffins, flavored nuts.... Sue came by to pick up the last of what we're taking out to Arizona. That's still a week or so away, and it's just the two of us going. Emory has to stay with the pets.  I spoke with Steven, and he said he would take me to a themed coffee shop that's in Phoenix, AZ. I'm so excited. Now, I think they offer tons of things, but I just want a coffee and to see the atmosphere. I think it's Harry Potter-themed, and I'm on the fence about the franchise. I don't know how people are feeling about the author. Her world really got tons of children reading, and people just love what was created.  I hope there is time to go. I have two communes to visit and a few houses to go to. I have events scheduled with everyone. I have presents that I need to wrap right away. It's ...