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April 2020 archive

In Case You Missed It…

While we are cooped up in our homes, there has been no shortage of incredible content online these days. Late-night talk show hosts are doing their monologues from their living rooms. I miss the audience’s laughter, but the jokes are still right on target. Disney did what they do best – a sing-a-long. Even news anchors are going off-script and saying what they really feel. I nearly spit out my iced tea when Wolf Blitzer called our president a chicken for not answering questions at the press briefing after telling people injecting disinfectants might be a cure for the virus.

While the world is going through a tragic period, there are some gems like these that bring a little normalcy and even a smile to life in quarantine. Here are a few more you should check out.

Have you heard of Amber Ruffin? She is a writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Seriously, she should have her own show. I like her so much better than Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and her Easter Quarantine Parade, should be all the proof you need.

Do you like mixing Broadway hits and politics? If you’ve seen a Capitol Steps show, you don’t want to miss Randy Rainbow. His most recent video is my new favorite–but if you have time, there is so much more out there.

And last but not least, The Holderness Family. I was first introduced to them when they did an original snow day song and video. The content they are churning out about being in quarantine is top-notch.

https://www.facebook.com/TheHoldernessfamily/videos/658360924947854/

On a personal note, I am heartbroken about the people who are suffering and have lost their lives to this virus. Every day, the news has a grim outlook on our world and some leaders are just infuriating to me. And it may seem like laughing is not appropriate right now. But, our mental health is just as important to me. And laughing with our families as we sit around the tv may be just what the doctor ordered.

So, what have you been watching lately that makes you smile?

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A Gift Among Chaos

 

One true gift this pandemic has given all of us is the gift of time. Before COVID-19, time flew by and now I realize that I was wasting some of it on things that were urgent, but not important.

This quarantine period has given me an opportunity to pause, look inward and figure out what’s next. My biggest question is what does my writing life look like going forward? What’s my niche? Where do I go from here?

I have ideas, but never had the time to sort it all out and make a plan. And now, I have nothing but time.

For example, this blog needs a makeover. I want it sleek yet creative; fun but meaningful. What that looks like I’m not exactly sure. Luckily, I have friends I can talk to and learn from their areas of expertise. At some point, I’d also like to monetize the blog, but I haven’t quite figured out how just yet. I’m also excited to tell you that I’m planning to take the best of Life Without A Manual and putting together a book of personal essays. Reading through old posts has been a fantastic trip down memory lane, and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

Most of all, I want to keep writing. My writing coach, Rachel, says my niche is letting people know through my stories and my strange sense of humor that they aren’t alone in their life experiences. Whether I write about parenting, panic attacks or a pandemic, I certainly hope that’s true.

If I had a tagline for this blog it would be – Life Without A Manual: Ordinary. Relatable. Human. Whatever is next in my writing career, I promise not to lose that niche.

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Celebrating World Book Day

Yesterday was World Book Day, a day to appreciate reading and publishing. In my life, every day is World Book Day, but I was happy to mark the occasion with the newly-published book “I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf” by Grant Snider. Mr. Snider is an illustrator who I follow on Facebook. He has this uncanny and original way of reaching into my soul as a writer and a bookworm and putting my love of books into his drawings.

I read his book from cover to cover yesterday. You would think it would be a quick read because it is a book of drawings. However, each illustration is thought-provoking as well as entertaining, and I absorbed it all.

And for the record, my bookshelves are real, and they are spectacular. 😉

I only wish I had one large bookshelf to display them all. Right now, my books are in different rooms around the house. I have a small set of nice crates in my bedroom closet that serves as my “go-to” shelf for my next read. These crates are home to trendy novels like “Daisy Jones and The Six”; professional development books with titles like “The Myth of the Nice Girl”; and writing guides which include my absolute favorite “Writing is My Drink.”

Across the hallway in Jenna’s room, I have books that I have read, enjoyed and can’t bear to part with yet. Some of these books include “Tumbleweeds” by Leila Meacham and “Firefly Lane” by Kristin Hannah. I keep these books are close by so I can visit them and reminisce, but far enough away so as not to distract me from the books on my “to-be-read” shelves.

And then, there are the books downstairs in our home office–the purgatory for my books. These will eventually be donated or given away. Most of them are Dilbert anthologies and parenting books that have served me well. I was a huge fan of Dilbert when the comic strip first came out. It made me feel that I was not alone in the workplace. I still look at them, but my love has faded because now I just nod and say “yep, that’s true.” As for the parenting books, they were wise and witty when my kids were younger, but not much use to me now.

Home organizer and author Marie Kondo wrote in her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” that we should only keep things that spark joy in our lives. I 100 percent agreed with her until the chapter about books. She recommended keeping no more than 30 books in a collection. I understand she has since clarified this statement for us, highly-offended bibliophiles. But now that you know all about my bookshelves, I am sure you can guess which one her book is on.

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