This Perfectly Imperfect Life

My #bookmail haul from this week! A Gentleman In Moscow was a treat to myself. The Marriage Lie is from the #southernlit chat with Deep South Magazine and author Kimberly Belle - thank you to Book Sparks sending the book! What books found homes on your shelves this week? #winterreads #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookish #fiction #historicalfiction #womensfiction #suspense #wonontwitter #readinglife #frommyshelf 

As my struggle with mono continues, I'm saddened by the passing of a friend & fellow resident manager, the one who essentially got Big the RM job we have here (which includes our home)*. It was sudden & unexpected. We're all devastated & I cannot imagine what his family, especially his wife, is going through. 💔 He & his wife worked together full time at their property for 21 years & were married even longer. (We're here 11 years already). We attended his service this morning & I have been resting uneasily since we returned home. Journaling some, unable to read much. I don't want this to be us, Big & I, one day. I know I have to get through the mono first, then recover, but things must change. I know what I need to do, it's a matter of figuring out how to do it having such an uncooperative body. For now I digress... #upheavalintorevival #myheart #perspective #rebuildingmyselfin2017 #restorerenewreplenish #jojosmonodiaries #spoonie #spooni

Stillness & rest are today's #hibernateretreat2017 themes. Both of which, after yesterday's continued mono diagnosis, I'm in need of. (Just shy of 4 mo's & counting - at any age it's not easy, but this 3rd round in my 40s, on top of advanced rheumatoid disease, is the worst so far). My upbeat attitude which came w/the new year has taken a hit. I'll get it back eventually. I'll also eventually begin asking again, "what's the lesson here?" Plans need adjusting, my Wellness Recipe does too. But not today. Today is for kitty snuggles, lots of tea, & nourishing comfort food. (Lentil Dahl pictured). Maybe some reading if I'm able, catching up w/this week's Hibernate. (I'm behind). *No medical advice please, thanks kindly! XO  #spoonie #spoonielife #monosucks #rawarrior #jojosmonodiaries #livingwithrheum #livingwithchronicillness #upheavalintorevival #rebuildingmyselfin2017 #restorerenewreplenish #foodie #lunch #yum #comfor

The bloodwork results are in: I *still* have mono. Not entirely surprised, but I'm upset regardless. I realize the older one gets the harder it is to shake it, and being immuno-compromised on top of isn't going to help matters, but, I didn't expect to surpass the last 2 times I've had it. I won't retest until the 3rd week of March or April. So... fully moving forward is on hold... #monosucks #spoonie #jojosmonodiaries #livingwithchronicillness #livingwithrheum #rawarrior #spoonielife #toooldforthiscrap #upheavalintorevival #myperfectlyimperfectview #thisperfectlyimperfectlife

#FridayReads! How could I forget?! What are you #reading this weekend? #bookstagram #booknerd #bookworm #bookblogger #historicalfiction #fiction #netgalley #arc #readinglife #frommyshelf #bookish #winterreads #januaryreads #simplepleasuresgreatestjoy #myperfectlyimperfectview #thisperfectlyimperfectlife 

So it's four days into the new year and I still hadn't settled on my first read of 2017. I'd been testing the waters right along, but nothing took. And then I received notice from @netgalley that I was approved for The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan, coming out next month, and I'm so excited! I met Jennifer at SIBA / #READSavannah in September at the Hilton lounge and had such a lovely chat with her, about her book, writing, and readers in general! The cover is gorgeous in person and I cannot wait until it comes out & I'm able to actually get a print copy. Books in hand are my preference (but I've learned to appreciate my kindle, especially when my eyes are acting up). Time to get reading!  (Apologies for not showing the NetGalley page for the book! I had technical difficulties and couldn't get it to load). #bookworm #booknerd #bookstagram #bookish #bookblogger #reading #januaryreads #winterreads #historicalfiction #fiction #readinglife #from

😴yawn😴 Good morning! Been up way before dawn and my alarm. But I also crashed yesterday at 4pm and slept until 6:30p then was back asleep by 10:30p. Ah spoonie life! Anyhoo, since I'm not exactly bright eyed & bushy tailed 🤤😂 I've been snuggled up on the couch with Mama kitty, oodles of tea, my journal, and several reads, trying to pick my first read of the new year. The neighborhood is waking up, the crows have finally settled back down, and the garbage truck has come & gone. May your Wednesday be a gentle one 🙂  And yes, the tree is still up, and will be until Epiphany (Three Kings Day aka Little Christmas) on Friday unless I've the energy to take it down sooner.  #goodmorning #spoonie #spoonielife #rawarrior #monosucks #jojosmonodiaries #traditions #christmastime #ephiphany #january #winter #cozy #muglove #cuppa #bookish #readinglife #bookworm #booknerd #kindle #furbaby #calico #cozy #thejoyofhome #simplepleasuresgreatestjoy #myperfectlyimperfectview #thispe

Well hello Tuesday that feels like a Monday 🙄 lol Part of operation Rebuilding Myself In 2017 is keeping the breakfast routine I've had while Big has been home during the holidays. I've never been a big breakfast person, not even as a kid. Maybe never being a morning person is part of the reason 😂 But I do love my morning ritual cuppa tea. And I need to feel better physically, especially once the mono is finally finished so I can recover, and I figure this can't hurt. So I'll make an effort to have an actual breakfast each morning (not a large one mind you, that's just not me).  #rebuildingmyselfin2017 #restore #renew #replenish #upheavalintorevival #welcome2017 #goodmorning #myperfectlyimperfectview #thisperfectlyimperfectlife 

Wishing you a safe, healthy, abundant, Happy New Year filled with blessings in 2017!  I will be stepping away from my personal social media, except for instagram, beginning 1/3 in order to better focus on rebuilding myself in 2017, (incl creativity, writing & blogging, and reading), and recovering from this latest bout of mono, once I finally kick it that is. (Certain updates will continue to post here automatically until I decide what to do about my good ole blog here & the whole app situation).  I couldn't narrow this new path down to one word for the coming year, so my words for 2017 are: #restore #renew #replenish Here's to fresh beginnings! #upheavalintorevival #spoonie #happynewyear #countdowntonewyear #myperfectlyimperfectview #thisperfectlyimperfectlife