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Hi, my name is Bethan and welcome to my Dreamwidth! Here you will find mostly me writing about mental health, mindfulness and gratitude, books I have been reading and video games I am playing.
I enjoy chick-lit and historical fiction, as well as non-fiction books about history and auto/biographies and memoirs.
The games I mostly play are Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley & Story Of Seasons.
I also enjoy memory planning, junk journalling and scrapbooking. I enjoy jigsaws and word puzzles. I enjoy swimming and love watching gymnastics and swimming. I am an enthusiastic beginner cook who loves one pot recipes, and I am trying to teach myself to cross-stitch albeit not very successfully!
A lot of people think I am boring because of these interests, and because I do not watch TV (other than gymnastics/swimming but I mostly watch those online now) but I would honestly rather be playing a game, doing a puzzle, or reading a book. I enjoy them.
Right now I am mostly playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Feel free to friend me! I'll also sub and grant access, and all my posts are public.
Slow-cooker sausage casserole
Jan. 14th, 2023 08:07 pmOne of my Christmas presents last year was a slow cooker and I have used it for the first time this evening to make a sausage casserole recipe that I found on the BBC Good Food recipe. It was really tasty and I thought I would share the recipe
Slow-cooker sausage casserole
Serves: 4
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low
Ingredients
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 carrots, cut into fat pieces
12 chipolatas, each halved1
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
400g tin tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée or tomato and veg purée
1 thyme sprig
1 rosemary sprig
1 beef stock cube or stock pot
1 I do not know what chipolatas are or if I like them, but the page 'You can use your favourite type of sausages' so I used normal pork sausages
Method
STEP 1
Fry the onion and celery in the oil over a low heat until it starts to soften and cook, about 5 mins, then spoon it into the slow cooker. Fry the carrots briefly and add them too.
STEP 2
Brown the sausages all over in the same frying pan – make sure they get a really good colour because they won’t get any browner in the slow cooker. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sweet potato and tomatoes.
STEP 3
Put the purée in the frying pan and add 250ml boiling water, swirl everything around to pick up every last bit of flavour, and tip the lot into the slow cooker. Add the herbs, stock cube and some pepper. Don’t add salt until the casserole is cooked as the stock can be quite salty. Cook on high for 4 hrs or on low for 8 hrs, then serve or leave to cool and freeze.
Slow-cooker sausage casserole
Serves: 4
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low
Ingredients
2 red onions, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil
4 carrots, cut into fat pieces
12 chipolatas, each halved1
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
400g tin tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée or tomato and veg purée
1 thyme sprig
1 rosemary sprig
1 beef stock cube or stock pot
1 I do not know what chipolatas are or if I like them, but the page 'You can use your favourite type of sausages' so I used normal pork sausages
Method
STEP 1
Fry the onion and celery in the oil over a low heat until it starts to soften and cook, about 5 mins, then spoon it into the slow cooker. Fry the carrots briefly and add them too.
STEP 2
Brown the sausages all over in the same frying pan – make sure they get a really good colour because they won’t get any browner in the slow cooker. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the sweet potato and tomatoes.
STEP 3
Put the purée in the frying pan and add 250ml boiling water, swirl everything around to pick up every last bit of flavour, and tip the lot into the slow cooker. Add the herbs, stock cube and some pepper. Don’t add salt until the casserole is cooked as the stock can be quite salty. Cook on high for 4 hrs or on low for 8 hrs, then serve or leave to cool and freeze.
As much as I enjoy Christmas, I like having a couple of days off work to spend with family and relax, I do not like being out of my routine. I am much more relaxed now that life is back to normal after the festive season and my schedules are back, which makes me much less stressed as well
I wake up between 07:00 and 07:30, wash and brush my teeth, do my skincare, get dressed, brush my hair, have breakfast and take medication. On the days I'm going swimming, I grab my bag and walk to the pool. If I'm not swimming, I generally get out of bed a little later.
I get to the pool about 8 and swim until 8:30. I shower and walk to work. I work until 1 and have my lunch, then work until 5.
I walk home from work, change into more comfortable clothing and cook dinner. I eat, wash/dry/put away the dishes, do any small household chores that need doing and then the evening is free for crafting, gaming, reading, whatever I feel like doing until about 22:00
At 22:00 I start by night-time routine - I make a hot drink and take evening medication, I brush my teeth and wash my face, do my skincare, put my pyjamas on, and do my wind-down activity until I'm ready to fall asleep.
I am working on fitting blogging in to my evening and so far it seems to be going well.
I wake up between 07:00 and 07:30, wash and brush my teeth, do my skincare, get dressed, brush my hair, have breakfast and take medication. On the days I'm going swimming, I grab my bag and walk to the pool. If I'm not swimming, I generally get out of bed a little later.
I get to the pool about 8 and swim until 8:30. I shower and walk to work. I work until 1 and have my lunch, then work until 5.
I walk home from work, change into more comfortable clothing and cook dinner. I eat, wash/dry/put away the dishes, do any small household chores that need doing and then the evening is free for crafting, gaming, reading, whatever I feel like doing until about 22:00
At 22:00 I start by night-time routine - I make a hot drink and take evening medication, I brush my teeth and wash my face, do my skincare, put my pyjamas on, and do my wind-down activity until I'm ready to fall asleep.
I am working on fitting blogging in to my evening and so far it seems to be going well.
Connecting with people
Jan. 12th, 2023 07:57 pmI am enjoying starting to blog and writing a little about what I am doing. I think I am now ready to start reaching out, commenting on other people's posts and maybe starting to build friendship and community with like-minded others. It is both an exciting and nerve-wracking thought and I am uncertain of what the etiquette is - do people appreciate random comments from strangers?
I have found some friending communities where you post a 'wanted' advert, essentially and people comment based on whether they want to be friends with you.
I have also found some book blog 'link-ups' where there is a weekly theme or question and everyone leaves a link to their answer and everyone comments on each others posts which sounds a lot of fun.
Poking around Dreamwidth, I am keep to take part in the![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
snowflake_challenge which describes itself as
Wish me luck?
I have found some friending communities where you post a 'wanted' advert, essentially and people comment based on whether they want to be friends with you.
I have also found some book blog 'link-ups' where there is a weekly theme or question and everyone leaves a link to their answer and everyone comments on each others posts which sounds a lot of fun.
Poking around Dreamwidth, I am keep to take part in the
snowflake_challenge which describes itself as an annual event to highlight the best parts of Fandom and the people who make it that way. It's a celebration about all of us and all the creative things we do, all the ways we touch each other and make a differenceand while it started on the 1st, there does not seem to be any time limit or deadline for taking part. It looks like a lot of fun!
Wish me luck?
ADHD & Sleep
Jan. 11th, 2023 11:28 pmAs a person with ADHD I have a lot of difficulty getting to sleep.
I am not the only one - 3/4 of all adults with ADHD report difficulty falling asleep, with an inability to shut their brains off. A neurotypical person takes about 15 minutes to fall asleep but for people with ADHD it can take much longer
I know for me it is because lying in bed waiting to fall asleep is boring! and can be uncomfortable and stressful which makes it even harder to lie there and wait for unconsciousness. There were many many nights especially when I was younger and did not know many tips and tricks on how to manage where I would actively avoid going to bed and was permanently exhausted.
The main trick I have had for falling asleep is to find an activity that gives the right level of stimulation and rewards my brain with some happy chemicals. I find having a good evening/night-time routine where I spend some time doing some papercrafting or colouring is really soothing, I will then get into bed and either listen to some soft relaxing music (I'm enjoying 'brown noise' right now) or I will fall asleep watching some TikTok - mostly junk journal ASMR videos
I am not the only one - 3/4 of all adults with ADHD report difficulty falling asleep, with an inability to shut their brains off. A neurotypical person takes about 15 minutes to fall asleep but for people with ADHD it can take much longer
I know for me it is because lying in bed waiting to fall asleep is boring! and can be uncomfortable and stressful which makes it even harder to lie there and wait for unconsciousness. There were many many nights especially when I was younger and did not know many tips and tricks on how to manage where I would actively avoid going to bed and was permanently exhausted.
The main trick I have had for falling asleep is to find an activity that gives the right level of stimulation and rewards my brain with some happy chemicals. I find having a good evening/night-time routine where I spend some time doing some papercrafting or colouring is really soothing, I will then get into bed and either listen to some soft relaxing music (I'm enjoying 'brown noise' right now) or I will fall asleep watching some TikTok - mostly junk journal ASMR videos
WWW Wednesday - 11 January 2023
Jan. 11th, 2023 08:29 pmToday I am participating in WWW Wednesdays, at Taking on a World of Words. Here is how it works:
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
I Love Paris by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #3)
What did you recently finish reading?
I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #2)
What do you think you’ll read next, and/or what are you eagerly awaiting? I do not think this is going to be a surprise:
I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #4)
I have also picked up a copy of
England and its Rulers, 1066-1307 by M.T. Clanchy which I am quite excited about and will probably read when I finish the I Heart series
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
I Love Paris by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #3)Angela is in the city of love -- but romance is taking a nose-dive! When Angela Clark's boyfriend Alex suggests a trip to Paris at the same time as hip fashion mag Belle asks her to write a piece, she jumps at the chance. But even as she's falling for the joie de vivre of Paris, someone's conspiring to sabotage her big break. And when she spots Alex having a tete-a-tete with his ex in a local bar, Angela's dreams of Parisian passion all start crashing down around her. With London and her old life only a train journey away, Angela can't decide if should stay and face the music or run away home!
What did you recently finish reading?
I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #2)Angela Clark can’t believe her luck… she’s an English girl living in New York with a dream job at hip magazine The Look and a sexy boyfriend.
Her latest assignment takes her to Hollywood to interview hot actor and fellow Brit James Jacobs.Thrown in at the deep end she heads west with best friend Jenny dreaming of Rodeo Drive and Malibu beach.
Soon Angela discovers that celebrity life in Hollywood is not all glamour, gloss and sunshine. Despite his lady-killer reputation, the only person who seems genuine is James.
Then a paparazzi snaps them in an uncompromising position and suddenly Angela is thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons…
Can she convince all those close to her – especially her boss and her boyfriend – not to believe everything they read? And will Hollywood ever win Angela’s heart?
What do you think you’ll read next, and/or what are you eagerly awaiting? I do not think this is going to be a surprise:
I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk (I Heart #4)Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She a Brit who’s conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she’s also a Brit who’s lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a new job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn’t think her boyfriend Alex will be keen.
A girls’ weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it….
But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – right?
I have also picked up a copy of
England and its Rulers, 1066-1307 by M.T. Clanchy which I am quite excited about and will probably read when I finish the I Heart series This is an updated and expanded edition of a classic introduction to medieval England from the reign of William the Conqueror to Edward I.
Includes a new chapter on family and gender roles, revisions throughout to enhance the narrative flow, and further reading sections containing the most up-to-date sources Offers engaging and clear discussion of the key political, economic, social, and cultural issues of the period, by an esteemed scholar and writer Illustrates themes with lively, pertinent examples and important primary sources Assesses the reigns of key Norman, Angevin, and Plantagenet monarchs, as well as the British dimension of English history, the creation of wealth, the rise of the aristocracy, and more
Reading Challenges
Jan. 10th, 2023 07:29 pmI have signed up for a reading challenge this year and I am challenging myself to read 100 books in 2023. I think I read a lot compared to most people I know but I do not know how many books I actually read so for the first time I am going to be tracking them.
I have signed up for storygraph where I can track my reading progress and add books to a TBR, and it tells me if I am on track for my goal. It also gives me stats on my reading which is always very cool and gives me a profile as a reader.
Based on the two books I have read so far this year, it tells me I mainly reads fiction books that are lighthearted and funny. Typically chooses medium-paced books that are 300-499 pages long and I am interested to see how that changes as I read more through the year.
So far this year I have read I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk and I am reading the second book in the series which is called I Heart Hollywood. I have almost finished it and will be starting reading I Heart Paris which is the third one. There are eight books in the series and I am planning on reading them all one after another.
I have signed up for storygraph where I can track my reading progress and add books to a TBR, and it tells me if I am on track for my goal. It also gives me stats on my reading which is always very cool and gives me a profile as a reader.
Based on the two books I have read so far this year, it tells me I mainly reads fiction books that are lighthearted and funny. Typically chooses medium-paced books that are 300-499 pages long and I am interested to see how that changes as I read more through the year.
So far this year I have read I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk and I am reading the second book in the series which is called I Heart Hollywood. I have almost finished it and will be starting reading I Heart Paris which is the third one. There are eight books in the series and I am planning on reading them all one after another.
I went for a swim before work this morning. The pool is half a mile walk from my flat and I try to swim for 30 minutes and I like to go three times a week. Looking at the new year timetable, I am aiming to go Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings, from 08:00 until 08:30. I then walk to work which is another half a mile.
I enjoy swimming because it doesn't make me all hot and sweaty, but I still get a really good full body workout. Did you know that swimming uses all the muscles in the body? Also exercising in water makes your body work harder and that means 30 minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes on land.
I find swimming to be relaxing and it helps me maintain my mental health getting regular exercise. I sleep better when I swim in the morning as well and I feel more energised for the rest of the day.
I enjoy swimming because it doesn't make me all hot and sweaty, but I still get a really good full body workout. Did you know that swimming uses all the muscles in the body? Also exercising in water makes your body work harder and that means 30 minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes on land.
I find swimming to be relaxing and it helps me maintain my mental health getting regular exercise. I sleep better when I swim in the morning as well and I feel more energised for the rest of the day.
Meditation
Jan. 6th, 2023 10:27 pmOne thing I have always wanted to be able to do but thought was going to be far too complicated is meditating. I thought you had to have affirmations and chant and be able to sit still for hours and empty your head all of which sounded very intimidating. I am not great at sitting still!
I have tried using the apps like calm but I found myself zoning out and not listening to the voice. I think that is kind of like meditation but it did not feel relaxing because I got stressed and upset with myself for not doing it 'properly'.
But I've been practicing for a couple of weeks now and I am starting to get the hang of it. The basics are actually quite simple!
1) Take a seat
Find place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you.
2) Set a time limit
If you are just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.
3) Notice your body
You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, you can sit loosely cross-legged, you can kneel — all are fine. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while. I sometimes even lay down!
4) Feel your breath
Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out. I find I end up breathing much deeper and steadier and it feels really good
5) Notice when your mind has wandered
Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered — it doesn't matter if it is a few seconds, a minute, or five minutes — simply return your attention to the breath.
6) Be kind to your wandering mind
Do not judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
7) Close with kindness
When you are ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
That’s it! That’s the practice. You focus your attention, your mind wanders, you bring it back, and you try to do it as kindly as possible.
I have tried using the apps like calm but I found myself zoning out and not listening to the voice. I think that is kind of like meditation but it did not feel relaxing because I got stressed and upset with myself for not doing it 'properly'.
But I've been practicing for a couple of weeks now and I am starting to get the hang of it. The basics are actually quite simple!
1) Take a seat
Find place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you.
2) Set a time limit
If you are just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as five or 10 minutes.
3) Notice your body
You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor, you can sit loosely cross-legged, you can kneel — all are fine. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while. I sometimes even lay down!
4) Feel your breath
Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out. I find I end up breathing much deeper and steadier and it feels really good
5) Notice when your mind has wandered
Inevitably, your attention will leave the breath and wander to other places. When you get around to noticing that your mind has wandered — it doesn't matter if it is a few seconds, a minute, or five minutes — simply return your attention to the breath.
6) Be kind to your wandering mind
Do not judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
7) Close with kindness
When you are ready, gently lift your gaze (if your eyes are closed, open them). Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
That’s it! That’s the practice. You focus your attention, your mind wanders, you bring it back, and you try to do it as kindly as possible.
2023 Mental Health Goals
Jan. 5th, 2023 11:05 pmI am ready to set some goals for 2023 for things I can do for my mental health.
2023 will be the year I
prioritise my mental health
I have a really good job who actively encourage a good work/life balance, who understand that work is a thing we do because we need the money to pay bills, who make sure we aren't working silly hours. I even feel safe and comfortable discussing my additional needs - and getting them met.
be kind and loving to myself
It is really easy to be kind and loving and symphathetic to a friend who is having a bad day, or struggling with something. I would not talk to another person the way I talk to myself. It is ok that my brain does not work the same way as everyone else's - it does not mean that I am wrong, just different.
let go of self-doubt and comparison
I do not actually want to be like other people. I am not interested in the same things or have the same hobbies yet I still compare myself to other people. I do not want to be married or have children but society still makes me feel like I should. It is not fair on me to compare myself to people who have different paths and want different things. I am happy being me and that is what matters!
2023 will be the year I
prioritise my mental health
I have a really good job who actively encourage a good work/life balance, who understand that work is a thing we do because we need the money to pay bills, who make sure we aren't working silly hours. I even feel safe and comfortable discussing my additional needs - and getting them met.
be kind and loving to myself
It is really easy to be kind and loving and symphathetic to a friend who is having a bad day, or struggling with something. I would not talk to another person the way I talk to myself. It is ok that my brain does not work the same way as everyone else's - it does not mean that I am wrong, just different.
let go of self-doubt and comparison
I do not actually want to be like other people. I am not interested in the same things or have the same hobbies yet I still compare myself to other people. I do not want to be married or have children but society still makes me feel like I should. It is not fair on me to compare myself to people who have different paths and want different things. I am happy being me and that is what matters!
Even though life is pretty stressful right now, with the cost of living crisis and everything getting more expensive, and the cost of energy, and the NHS being in a state of near disaster, I always try to find things to be grateful for. Sometimes it can be a small thing - the important thing is to find it because if I keep trying to find it, my brain will get more practised at remembering the good, rather than than the constant onslaught of bad.
Mostly I am grateful to be alive, even though the world is in a terrible place. I am alive, I am relatively healthy, I have a job, a roof over my head, I can afford to eat and to heat my flat. I recognise that this puts me in a very privileged place.
Disease, poverty, famine and drought kill thousands of people every year. I am very lucky. I get to live, to survive, exist, and dream.
I am grateful for my life
Mostly I am grateful to be alive, even though the world is in a terrible place. I am alive, I am relatively healthy, I have a job, a roof over my head, I can afford to eat and to heat my flat. I recognise that this puts me in a very privileged place.
Disease, poverty, famine and drought kill thousands of people every year. I am very lucky. I get to live, to survive, exist, and dream.
I am grateful for my life
Focus on the things you can control
Jan. 3rd, 2023 10:21 pmI have moderate anxiety, it is something I am actively working on recovering and healing from and I am trying to remember to focus on the things I can control and try to let go of the things I cannot control.
I can control:
My sleep routine
How I speak to myself
Who I interact with on social media
The boundaries I set
What I eat and drink
When I ask for help
I cannot control:
Public transport
The number of of people in a place and their volume levels
The weather
What other people think of me
I can try to problem solve, but continuing to go over and over a situation before it happens is only going to stress me out. This is starting to help me and I am noticing a reduction in my stress levels when thinking about going outside.
I can control:
My sleep routine
How I speak to myself
Who I interact with on social media
The boundaries I set
What I eat and drink
When I ask for help
I cannot control:
Public transport
The number of of people in a place and their volume levels
The weather
What other people think of me
I can try to problem solve, but continuing to go over and over a situation before it happens is only going to stress me out. This is starting to help me and I am noticing a reduction in my stress levels when thinking about going outside.
I am terrible at remembering to drink. I am chronically dehydrated because of it but I do find keeping adequately hydrated to be difficult.
One of my goals for January is to consciously try and drink more but it's tricky because I have bad interoception and don't always get the signal that I'm thirsty. I also have sensory issues around the temperature of drinks - cold drinks have to be ice-cold, and hot drinks have to be (according to some friends) the temperature of the sun, but then cool to the right temperature. So one of those giant bottles of water that you drink all day doesn't work for me. And I forget that I have a drink, leading to half-drunk drinks all over the place.
I have set up some alarms on my phone using an app called Randomly Remind me which will, as the name suggest, remind me at random intervals throughout the day to 'drink something'. It's set to go off 8 times, between 7am and 9pm.
I do not know if it will work, or if I will just ignore or forget that the reminder has gone off, but it cannot do any harm. And it is never too late to try and start a healthy habit
One of my goals for January is to consciously try and drink more but it's tricky because I have bad interoception and don't always get the signal that I'm thirsty. I also have sensory issues around the temperature of drinks - cold drinks have to be ice-cold, and hot drinks have to be (according to some friends) the temperature of the sun, but then cool to the right temperature. So one of those giant bottles of water that you drink all day doesn't work for me. And I forget that I have a drink, leading to half-drunk drinks all over the place.
I have set up some alarms on my phone using an app called Randomly Remind me which will, as the name suggest, remind me at random intervals throughout the day to 'drink something'. It's set to go off 8 times, between 7am and 9pm.
I do not know if it will work, or if I will just ignore or forget that the reminder has gone off, but it cannot do any harm. And it is never too late to try and start a healthy habit
Looking forward to a new year
Jan. 1st, 2023 05:57 pmI love new beginnings - new years, new months, even a new week (I do not hate Mondays unlike everyone else). It is a new start, a fresh page in a journal or notebook to create something new.
January the first has always excited me ever since I was a child. I loved getting to stay up late, see in the new year, and watch the fireworks. I do not like how tired it makes me the following day but at least the change in routine is generally not a problem because the whole week is out of sync because of Christmas. And everyone else has the same attitude towards the new year as which makes it even more exciting and full of possibilities.
I am hoping that 2023 is going to be less stressful for the world than the last couple of years have been. I am looking forward to having a sense of normalcy and stability, and hoping for a lack of unprecedented times. I would like my 2023 to be very precedented.
I am looking forward to reading lots of new books - and re-reading some familiar ones too.
I am looking forward to spending more time on my islands and farms in my games. There are new Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games coming late in the year too which is exciting.
I am looking
I am looking forward to learning how to practice mindfulness & gratitude, learning how to blog, and learning how to cross-stitch.
In summary, I am looking forward to having a really positive, but calm, 2023. I am looking forward to a gentle year, one of intention - one step, one thing & one day at a time
January the first has always excited me ever since I was a child. I loved getting to stay up late, see in the new year, and watch the fireworks. I do not like how tired it makes me the following day but at least the change in routine is generally not a problem because the whole week is out of sync because of Christmas. And everyone else has the same attitude towards the new year as which makes it even more exciting and full of possibilities.
I am hoping that 2023 is going to be less stressful for the world than the last couple of years have been. I am looking forward to having a sense of normalcy and stability, and hoping for a lack of unprecedented times. I would like my 2023 to be very precedented.
I am looking forward to reading lots of new books - and re-reading some familiar ones too.
I am looking forward to spending more time on my islands and farms in my games. There are new Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games coming late in the year too which is exciting.
I am looking
I am looking forward to learning how to practice mindfulness & gratitude, learning how to blog, and learning how to cross-stitch.
In summary, I am looking forward to having a really positive, but calm, 2023. I am looking forward to a gentle year, one of intention - one step, one thing & one day at a time
