Weekend Roundups

Weekend Roundup, January 6, 2018: Fourteenth (But Really Thirteenth) Anniversary Edition

01.05.2018 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

Our thirteenth wedding anniversary is on Sunday. Thirteen years is something to get excited about, especially since one of us is an INFJ and the other is an ISTP. All the same, I admit to feeling blah about this one. For some reason I thought our fourteenth anniversary was coming up and fourteen is nearly fifteen. Thirteen is sort of a letdown compared to fifteen. Who am I kidding? Every year is worthy to celebrate, even and especially year thirteen since it was a killer of a year. So celebrate we will, Star Wars style. You know you’re with the right person when they’re willing to share their anniversary with Luke Skywalker. The Last Jedi was a letdown for some, I’m aware of it. But I happened to love the latest in the Star Wars franchise. I cried through the entire movie when Steven and I saw it on New Year’s Eve, yes I did. Even my snack-sized bag of Sour Path Kids was a distraction. And nothing stands in the way between me and my Sour Patch Kids.

Anyway, I’m going to try to keep this brief. Emphasis on try. Brief isn’t what I do well, but every week I try. If it’s your first “Weekend Roundup,” all you need to know is that a Weekend Roundup is what happens when I share the work of my friends at Hope*Writers, an online writing group I belong to. Much to my surprise, all five posts kinda-sorta have to do with the New Year or at least winter. I love it when randomness forms a pattern.

First off is an organizing-gone-wrong story by Karen Gauvreau. It’s the perfect read for a snow day. Here it is for your enjoyment. Since organizing-gone-wrong happens to be the story of my life, and if I actually knew Karen outside of Hope*Writers and Facebookland, I’d want to meet her once a week at Starbucks. We’d go there to laugh about our parenting fails over lattes or whatever it is that Karen drinks.

Moving on.

Are you the kind of person who chooses a word for the year? I am. It’s been my practice since college, before choosing a word was a thing. It’s worth mentioning that I never really choose a word. The word always finds me, and I don’t want it initially, especially 2017’s word. You can read about it here. Anyway, I wanted to write about my word for 2018 but haven’t had the chance. I was set to spend Tuesday writing in my comfy leggings and the raspberry sweatshirt with the thumb holes, the one like Amy’s from Old Navy. It was going to be the epitome of cozy writing time. And it was until I logged onto Facebook at 10:15 a.m. Much to my horror, the vast amount of back-to-school posts clued me in to the fact that Tuesday, not Wednesday, was the first day back for our district. Parent Fail. (I should share this story with Karen at Starbucks, but I’m not a stalker.) By some miracle, we made it to school by 10:50, which is impressive since Emily and Lauren were still in their jammies and I had three lunches to pack. Good thing I received a few CC beanies for Christmas — showering wasn’t an option. In the chaos of it all, I forgot to write about my word and ended up at Target once the Twedtlings were safely deposited at the elementary school. So you see, I’ve got nothing to show for my word for 2018. However, Dorina Lazo Gilmore wrote a splendid essay on her word in Embracing a Sense of Wonder for the New Year. Check it out.

The following essays deal with having the right approach to the New Year. Jenny Howell writes about having a fresh heart perspective in January. Here you go. Niki Hardy took another approach in New Year No Thanks. You can’t hear me, but I’m shouting Amen and Hallelujah in response to both pieces.

I know it’s a stretch, but the final essay is also winter-related, well sort of. Who doesn’t need a little help in the self-care/soul-care department going into the new year? Emily Sue Allen kicks off a brand new series over at Kindred Mom about self-care. According to Emily, the series “explores various facets of how mothers might invest in the health of their whole family, beginning with themselves.” Warning: this isn’t a post or series about escapism in the form of bubble bath. You can read the first essay of the series here.

That’s all I’m going to link to today. I need to jump in the shower at some point. It’s true that my new CC Beanies and dry shampoo cover a multitude of sins, but at a certain point, showers are no longer optional. Have a wonderful winter weekend everyone!

Weekend Roundup, December 8, 2017: I Should Be Writing Our Christmas Letter Edition

12.08.2017 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

Oh look! Wesley Tingey was nice enough to put a letter T above the fireplace before snapping a picture of it. There’s even a stocking, actually two stockings, with letter E! We all know T is for Twedt and E is for my daughter Emily. This is practically my mantle!

Here’s our actual mantle minimally decorated for Christmas, which is the way I like it. If I get around to it, I’ll hang the stockings. Darn ugly television. The Christmas print is available as a downloadable here from Jones Design Company. You’ll need to sign up for it though.

By the way, an alternate title for this blog post could easily be “Weekend Roundup: Procrastination Edition.” Or this: “I’d Rather Clean The Bathroom Than Write Edition.” But I’m partial to “I Should Be Writing My Christmas Letter Edition.” Yep, it’s December 8 and I’m feeling meh about writing our family Christmas letter, my usual favorite holiday tradition. But I haven’t put together a Weekend Roundup since a few weeks before Thanksgiving so I’m doing this instead. It’s as good of time as any and it will keep me from writing from my heart, which sounds terrible but is the simple truth. I’m resisting the urge to bare my soul through our family Christmas letter because this year, like last year, has been a hard one and I’m not ready to go there just yet. 2017 was also a splendid year filled with glories and breakthroughs deserving proper attention. The Christmas letter will happen when I’m feelin’ the Christmas letter love.

Speaking of Christmas, I thought it would be fun to share our top three worst Santa pictures because PROCRASTINATION.

This is Emmie’s first date with Creepy Mall Santa. She wasn’t impressed. She burst into tears the second the photo was snapped. I hardly blame her.

The next photo is from the Historic Santa Train. We thought Steven would love the Santa Train from North Bend to Snoqualmie. The train ride was a hit. Santa was not. Steven is throwing a tantrum as Emily patiently waits for him to get over it. He never did.

Other than the fact that our dog looks like a weasel, or an unnamed wildlife creature, this one isn’t bad. Unless I tell you the story behind the Santa photo which involves poop and puke. Let’s save the story for a rainy day. I have to make a pumpkin streusel pie to take to a Christmas party and I do not want to associate poop or puke with pumpkin pie, given its color.

Back to the Weekend Roundup, which was the whole point of this post. If you’re new around here, the Weekend Roundup is a collection of essays and blog posts from around the web. To be precise (because I always like to be precise) the essays are by my friends at Hope*Writers, an online writing community I belong to.

The first essay up today is by Vanessa Hunt (not the Vanessa Hunt I know in real life). Initially, the essay grabbed me because of the photo of the mason jar advent candles. It’s kinda-sorta like the one I made this year in my quest to simplify and purge the decorations I don’t really love anymore or what not longer works for us. I’m glad I decided to actually read Vanessa’s essay. It’s absolutely hysterical. I don’t want to give too much away. I’m going to stop right now so you can check out Vanessa’s website. Here you go.

Welcome back. Wasn’t her Advent story hilarious? And tender too.

This next one is also funny. Mary Carver writes about hosting a Cheesy Christmas Movie Watching Party. Here’s the link. The introvert in me cringes at the thought of another Holiday party, but with a little planning I think this would be a hilarious way to kick off the season next year. On the other hand, who needs an official party? The Cheesy Christmas Movie Watching Party has been my reality every night for the last few weeks, party of two. A certain someone in my family has a fondness for Hallmark Christmas movies, the ones that find their way to Netflix and Amazon. Since I’m not one to throw my husband under the bus, that’s all I’m going to say about that.

The last link is a wee bit different. Instead of an essay or blog post, I’m linking to my friend Dorina’s website. Once there, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a special 4-part Behold Advent experience. Who doesn’t like free stuff? On a serious note, I’ve taken great comfort in Dorina’s writing about grief and hope this year. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us for Advent. Here’s the linky-link for you at www.DorinaGilmore.com.

It’s time for me to go. In a few minutes I’ll need to get ready to pick the Twedlings up from school. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

P.S. I shared this older post on Facebook earlier this week. This mini-essay is all about the intersection of trendy Hygge and motherhood. I originally shared it last winter as a Mentor Moment for my MOPS group. I’m not sure if my blog was “live” at that point.

P.P.S. This word of hope found its way into my inbox this morning as part of my friend Faith’s newsletter. Fatih originally wrote this piece last year for those who are grieving or going through a particularly challenging season. Go on and give it a read. You’ll be so glad you did. I promise.

Weekend Roundup, November 17, 2017: Thanksgiving Countdown Edition

11.17.2017 by Nicole Kristin Twedt //

Well, howdy. It’s been a long time since I’ve put together a “Weekend Roundup.” The last one went out before Halloween and it’s practically Thanksgiving. Not that it matters. The best thing about this writing gig is that I’m the boss of me. I’m also not getting paid, so there’s that.

I did post something on Monday, something fun and carefree. But really, I started working on it well before Halloween. That’s how long it took to push publish. When writing about nothing of substance is overwhelming, it time for a wee break. (It was a “favorite things” post, by the way. You can read it here.)

I’m going to be honest and just come out and say it: It’s been dicey around here lately. You may recall our middle guy’s story. If not, I’m happy to share it here and here. With the excitement of Halloween, or maybe it was the cooler, rainier weather, whatever the reason, Steven-in-the-middle has had a rough time of it. When he’s having a hard time, binge watching The Americans on Amazon trumped writing every single time. Also, I was getting sick of my own voice.

Enough of the self-loathing; it’s unbecoming! Who needs a Debbie Downer? I’m thankful for this space. And honestly, even the simple act of sharing the “favorite thing”post this morning on the Hope*Writer Facebook page was a huge pick-me-up. It’s good to be back. (Happy sigh.)

For the newbie around here: “Weekend Roundup” is what happens when I share the work of fellow Hope*Writers. Hope*Writers is one of the online writing communities I belong to. I usually write a little ditty about each essay. I’m going to try to hold back so I can get to the good stuff. I have book club tonight, after all, and dinner won’t cook itself. That’s a lie, when have I ever let responsibilities such as dinner, laundry and dishes cut into writing time?

The first piece is actually a poem by Linsday Hausch. Oh man, God is good. Talk about meeting me exactly where I’m at. Lidnsay’s poem is for kids about making choices. I’m going to share it with Steven. I needed it too. Anyone who’s heart needs a bit of calming will appreciate Lindsay’s beautiful poetry. You can read it here.

I love, love, love this next essay by Kristin Vanderlip. It’s about giving thanks when life is hard. Boy life is hard sometimes, beautiful yet hard. I tend to be a glass half-full kind of gal. Except when it isn’t (insert eye roll). Here ya go.

Are you waiting for a miracle? I am. Lea Turner writes about waiting for a miracle for her little boy’s heart. So great! I’ve written a bit about waiting for the restoration of Steven’s eyes and Lauren’s ears, and my own hearing. I don’t have the time and space for all the links. If you’re curious, check out the “Eyes and Ears” section of the blog. But first, check out Lea’s essay, “What I Learned While Waiting For A Miracle.” I’m glad I stumbled upon her words. Be encouraged.

The next essay is by Glenna Marshall; it’s for the Christian who battles anxiety. Like Glenna, my own anxiety (and I suspect Steven’s) doesn’t always have a trigger. My neck gets tight, pinched even, and my shoulders throb, my body telling me I’m stressed. But I can’t put a finger on the stressor because life is going well and I don’t feel weird about a single thing. I applaud Glenna for bravely writing about anxiety in hopes that in doing so, anxiety will lose its stigma, especially for men and women of faith, those who trust God with their whole hearts yet still… Anyway, I’ve linked to tips and tools for anxiety before, but I especially appreciated this one. Glenna’s essay is water to a dry and weary land. I included it here.

One of my favorite people is B. B and I both have boys in third grade. One of the ways she encourages me along in my parenting and faith journey is through all sorts of book recommendations. B’s suggestions are gold. I’m always running to the library to pick up something from the reserve shelf. Once the book finds its way home, I have two special baskets on the bottom shelf of the white bookshelf in the living room exclusively for library books. Unfortunately, my library basket is out of control and I rarely make it through all of the books, even after renewing the heck out of them.

One of the books B told me about is Mother & Son: The Respect Effect by Emerson Eggerichs. But I never had the chance to crack it open. You might wonder where I’m going with this. I have a point to make. Trust me. You see, today I happened upon Karen Gauvreau’s blog post, Moms and Sons: Respect is the Secret Sauce. Karen is hilarious. She summed up Eggerichs’ book quite nicely, which works well for me since I forgot to put another request in with the library.

I love lighthearted yet serious blog posts. And I love anything by Mary Carver. Each time I read something by Mary, my mind wanders to American author Raymond Carver. They aren’t related, not that I know of. I met Raymond Carver’s widow, Tess, on a chartered boat to Victoria B.C. from Bellingham, WA, back when I was a college student at Western. This is a random point to make, even for me. Back to Mary’s essay. I appreciate Mary’s wisdom. Her post is about boundaries, healthy boundaries, a particularly helpful concept to sort through before the holidays. Heck, boundaries are always healthy and necessary; it’s just that I suck at them! I have the tendency, a twisted obligation, to fix everything and help everyone even though I can’t and shouldn’t. Then I get burned out and can’t help anyone. Onward and upward or whatever.

I hope you enjoyed this almost-Thanksgiving edition of the “Weekend Roundup.” Dinner’s ready, and if I don’t get to it soon, I’ll be late for book club (again). Have a lovely weekend!

Edited to add: It is Saturday. Emily and I are going to see Into The Woods in a few hours at a tiny yet magnificent local theatre just north of Seattle. Dorina Lazo Gilmore, shared a link to an essay this morning on Hope*Writers and Glory Writers. I couldn’t resist adding it to the “Weekend Roundup.” Dorina writes about the intersection of grief and hope. This particular essay was featured on (in)Courage. Dorina’s essay is about the first few Thanksgivings after the death of her husband to cancer. I dare you to read “An Unexpected Feast: When Grief Meets Gratitude” without Kleenex. I’m still feeling all the feels, having read it this morning while my coffee was brewing. Well done, Dorina, well done! (Hint: Dorina’s not a Debbie Downer. Her writing is infused with hope!)