It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for Tuesday Topics, which I host with Jenn from Runs With Pugs. This week is a free topic, so I’m talking about FIGS (Elisabeth’s Finding Joy in Gratitude Collective).
I don’t want FIGS to end with February! Can’t we keep it going? We won’t ask Elisabeth to keep doing the FIG roundups, because that’s a lot of work for her. But we can keep looking for and posting about FIGS, right???
This week, I had an unusually large amount of FIG-ish moments. Little things, like looking up at the moon and noticing that it looked like a smile, feeling a light breeze on my skin, or appreciating the whiff of bergamot in my tea. It was like I was hyper-aware of small pleasures. Of course there were bigger FIGS as well, like…
THE WEATHER. I’m sorry. I’m very sorry to anyone experiencing yet another winter storm or cold temperatures. I was sitting in Starbucks yesterday and the man next to me was talking on the phone- I heard him say “I’m in Florida- people are happy here.” It reminded me to appreciate our great weather while we have it! We’re having a few days of lovely cool mornings and beautiful afternoons:
NICOLE’S BOOK. I’m almost done! Here’s the funny thing- if I didn’t know who wrote it, but you told me it was someone I knew, I would immediately guess Nicole. There are Nicole-isms on every page, and I love it! Yes, it’s a romance, which I don’t normally read (wouldn’t it be EVEN BETTER if Michelle’s ex-husband were found with a knife in his back, and she had to solve the crime… no, stop it, Jenny! It’s a ROMANCE!) I love that the main character is my age (ahem, almost) and has a teenage daughter. AND, the story takes place around Christmas! It’s fun, and relatable, and a page-turner.
Here’s the other thing I love. In this post, Nicole talked about how turning 50 gave a certain amount of urgency to her life, as in, don’t put off those big dreams because we don’t know how much time we have left. I love the fact that when I’m holding Inhale Exhale, I’m holding Nicole’s “big dream” in my hand. Writing and publishing a book is a huge, daunting task, and SHE DID IT.
THE CATS. Muffin is doing so well. Here she is… so close to cuddling on the couch with Foxy and Sylvie.
SLEEP. On Sunday, while the Olympics were coming to a close, I had my own personal Olympics of sleep. I slept until 9 am, and THEN, I fell asleep on the couch in the afternoon and slept for two more hours. This, my friends, is how Sundays should always be.
Join us next week —> What does “springing forward” mean for your mindset this year?
Link Up With Tuesday Topics
Welcome back to Tuesday Topics, as Jenny, from Runners Fly joins Jenn at Runs With Pugs to co-host this link-up! Please join us every week for a new topic! Write on our weekly prompt or choose your own topic! Make sure to add your post to the link up, link back to your hosts, and comment on the other shared posts!
Top photo by Heather Barnes on Unsplash
32 Responses
That’s so nice to hear about Nicole’s book! There’s something really special when a writer’s voice is so clear that you’d recognise it blind.
That’s hard to fake and harder to teach and it means that her writing is authentic.
All you need to do now is to convince Nicole to turn her next book into a murder mystery!
Sleep is part of your ultra training, Jenny! Nice job!
Ha ha… I’m PRETTY SURE Nicole won’t want her next book to be a murder mystery, but I’ll suggest it : ) i agree that her writing is authentic.
I’m trying hard to prioritize sleep, at least more than usual. Sunday was a stellar day!
Great week! I’d join the cats in that snuggle puddle!
I read Sky Daddy, and though well- written, I just wanted to throw the protagonist into therapy. So not a fan. ( note to Elisabeth- don’t read it! Don’t fall for the hype!)
I’m hoping the mystery you suggested is more my speed.
Enjoy your gorgeous weather!
Birchie told me it wasn’t safe for Elisabeth – haha!
Ha, well- I can’t disagree. She definitely needs therapy.
Ha, well- I can’t disagree. She definitely needs therapy.
Love these FIGS posts.
It’s important to look at the positives.
I was lucky with my Florida weather. Cool in the morning. It warmed up but never got hot.
Snow snow. Now cold and wind. Not happy.
I have never napped. I want that skill. lol.
I know- some people can’t nap, or hate napping. My sister is not a napper either.
You were definitely lucky with your Florida weather! The mornings are a little chilly this week (but I like that). Afternoons are beautiful though.
We are getting warmer here and will probably hit 90 degrees in a few days, which feels too early, but at least there’s no snow! I heard a group of older women (probably snowbirds) when I was finishing up my run yesterday talking about how it’s gonna be so hot soon, and I’m like, well yeah, it’s the desert! If they think 90 is hot (I mean, it is), they definitely can’t handle living here year round.
I’m glad you got a lot of sleep on Sunday! I strive for at least 8 hours nightly and usually get 9-10 on weekends.
Arg, 90- I hope we hold off hitting 90 for a while still. I know 90 is nothing for you desert dwellers though!
Your FIG basket overfloweth! I especially love the Olympics of Sleep. C’mon Muffin, just a little closer and you’ll have a three cat pileup!
Sigh, I will finish Nicole’s book soon, and I don’t want it to end. I wouldn’t mind if the ex got a knife in the back…maybe in the sequel?
Ha ha… yes, that could be the sequel.
So many ways you’ve found joy recently, Jenny! And I agree with the man on the phone, people are happy when they’re in Florida (at least in the winter when escaping cold weather back home).
I love seeing the kitties getting friendlier with each other!
We get a little cranky in the summer- and especially in the fall when everyone else has beautiful weather and colorful foliage. But now is our time to be happy!
1000x YES to guessing Nicole wrote the book. I loved being able to spot her “voice” throughout the book. And I literally laughed out loud when I read this: “wouldn’t it be EVEN BETTER if Michelle’s ex-husband were found with a knife in his back, and she had to solve the crime… no, stop it, Jenny! It’s a ROMANCE.” HAHAHAHAHA.
I do feel like the door has been left open for a sequel, so maybe it will wind up being a murder mystery after all!
I love all these FIGs. I would definitely be happier with your weather than I am with mine. We have YET ANOTHER SNOW DAY. We got so much snow. Ugh. It’s white and it’s pretty, but it’s such a nuisance 🙁
At least the snow is pretty! Prettier than brown, dead grass.
I’m picturing Nicole reading these comments and thinking “PEOPLE. I am NOT writing a murder mystery! No one is getting stabbed in the back!!!” Ha.
Sunday’s sleeping in + nap combo sounds amazing! I don’t want FIGS to end either. It really does help reorient my brain to look for the positive.
I know- I want to keep the FIGS going year-round.
I AM NOT GOING TO WRITE A MURDER MYSTERY
Lololol this cracked me up, thank you Jenny! I’m so glad you like it!
I think we can totally keep the FIGS and gratitude going year-round, although as you say, not for Elisabeth to do the roundups (OMG so much work!). But I think it’s a lovely idea to just…keep figging!
“Just keep figging” will be our motto!
I have not been great about participating in FIGS this year. I don’t know what the deal is but it hasn’t come naturally to me and I haven’t pushed myself to write things down since the start of the month. I’m sort of on the struggle bus this month, maybe because I am back to traveling for work which has been an adjustment (I’m on a plane as I type this). But there have been good things! Like time with my friend! Seeing Brandi! Warmer weather a week+ ago (which feels like a distant memory after getting 8” of snow followed by a cold snap).
I can’t wait to read Nicole’s book! I have library holds to get through first but then I will read it! I probably should bought the ebook as it would be easier to read when traveling. But I wanted her book on my shelves!!
Yes, you want the physical book on your shelves! I’m keeping it forever.
It seems like you do notice good things in your life, even if you’re not labeling them as “figs” or making it a formal practice. : )
Am I allowed to complain about this winter being too cold? Probably not. I just finished Inhale Exhale too and loved it!!
No, you’re not allowed to complain, lol. It has been an unusually cold Florida winter. I like it, because we’ll be super hot again soon enough.
This is such a cheery post, Jenny! I’m so glad you’ve had so many little joys in your life. Those three sleeping kitties make me LONG for more cats. A PILE OF CATS, PLEASE.
I giggled at your reimagining of Nicole’s book. I wouldn’t mind if someone stabbed Paul, that’s for sure.
If anyone in the book would be stabbed, it should for sure be him. And… you too could have a pile of cats! You may have to gradually convince your husband, like I did- but it can be donw.
Lolol, I am IN for the ex being found with a knife in his back in Nicole’s book, even if it stayed a romance, because fuck that guy.
I love the Runs With Pugs name – it reminds me of when we used to do bar trivia in support of a pug rescue and our group name was the Pugnacioius Six and we slayed.
I don’t begrudge you your beautiful weather even though winter is kicking my ass right now. Florida would be too hot for me a lot of the time. Although at this point in my life I’m almost ready to trade that for all the goddamned eternally falling snow.
Well, Florida is too hot for me (as I age, sigh) so I really try to appreciate the great weather when we have it! Plus, I would shrivel up and die if I had your weather right now, so there’s that…
these are great! I also loved Nicole’s book AND her post on the process. I am very jelly of your wether. It was freakishly warm here for a week (which felt good but made me nervous) and is now cold again, and the cold feels EVEN WORSE after the warm. Bah.
ALL THREE KITTIES ON THE COUCH. I am squealing with glee. SO MUCH CUTENESS.
Count me jealous of your Florida weather, too. Oh, well. We all make choices about where we live, I guess. (*tells husband to start looking at jobs in warmer weather locations*)
OMG THE KITTEHS!!! Sylvie is so teeny tiny and I cannot handle it.
I loved getting a small cold front this week. I think it’s all downhill from here, wahhhh.
I think I’m going to keep FIGs going with my Saturday photo posts after February is over. It’s been fun to include some gratitude!
Yessss to continuing the FJIG quest! I made a comment in my final wrap-up about how I may not post daily rundowns, but I’m going to keep my eyes open even more than I used to for these treasures 🙂
Look at those sleepy kitties!