wordless wednesday...a dirt road edition...

September 25, 2019 Arlene Giddings

whatcha readin'? 2019 {book 14::goal 25}

September 23, 2019 Arlene Giddings

I wanted to love this book.

I really did.

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time,
you probably know that I like books like this…
I like how to’s and suggestions and lists and motivation.

What I did like:
♥ her no-nonsense suck it up deal with it this-is-up-to-you-to-change attitude.
I like people who are little bit tough love.
somedays. somedays…I want to throat punch them.
It’s a fine line.

♥ Her references to the wizard of oz and Dorothy

♥ That she talked about the struggle of quitting diet coke…
Uh….yeah…I get that (as I pop a can in the freezer just now so I can have it before bed).

♥ Her red converse sneakers

♥ She’s kinda adorable.

What I didn’t like:

It was a little too religion based for me.
This was not her fault…it was an oversight of mine.
I didn’t realize when I got it that this was a large part of where
she was coming from. And I am not against religion…it’s just…
not my thing…
That was pretty much it….I mean…some of it is a little cliched..
but no more than any other book in this type of genre that I have read.
I went into it expecting that to some degree.

All in all…I enjoyed the book. I felt like I got something out of it.
If I feel I have to take notes while reading something, then…that
feels like a worthwhile read to me and I definitely did take notes while
reading this. I do recommend it. Just go into it with an open mind.

3.5 out of 5 ♥♥♥♥♥’s
NEXT UP:: WHERE THE PAST BEGINS - AMY TAN

friday i'm in love...the weird and random edition

September 20, 2019 Arlene Giddings

♥i just realized i could probably do a whole album of
middle of the road
photos. I might just do that. :)

♥the northern pikes are playing in moncton.
i just literally belted out teenland just now
and realized i’m just a girl with a problem
(haha…not really, that’s just next in the playlist)

♥i love the internet
i know there is no secret in that.
but i absolutely love the small connections that can be made.
i was talking to someone today that i have not met yet in person,
just in the virtual world….
happy meals became a topic of conversation, as they often do
when conversing with me…and he said “i still have the happy meal
muppet baby toys” I was like, “me too!” and excitedly snapped
a photo of baby gonzo (missing his trike) to show him…
meanwhile…he sends me a photo of ALL FOUR muppet babies
STILL IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING….
and didn’t even have to look for them…
had them right there at his fingertips!!
(so then i had to try to one up him with my 119 smurf collection
but, honestly?
i was totally jealous of his muppet babies.)

♥this artist….i am in love with these.

♥this hits home right now…know someone struggling with anxiety?
it’s hard to watch…you feel pretty helpless. This was a good read.

♥i kinda can’t wait for this…and now i want to re-read the book

♥i seriously want to do this…preferably with someone who has
maybe done it before or at least knows what a coywolf is…
but…wild horses, you guys!

♥and i can’t tell you how much i love how many comments,
emails and messages I got about my 50 before 50 post….
that totally made my day. Every time I release something to the universe
via this website or social media, I cringe a little inside thinking
”well. you’ve done it now. people are going to officially think you are weird.”
and then everyone is so sweet which really only encourages me more,
you know that, right? Heehee. But seriously…thank you for that.
:) :) :) :)

50 before 50....

September 19, 2019 Arlene Giddings

the weekend dorian
hit PEI
with hurricane force wild winds
and pounding, pouring rain,
i turned 49.

my age has never really bothered me too much.
i have always rounded up by 5 years
because
a) i’m bad at math
b) when i hit the “big” years, it doesn’t even matter to me…
i’m like “meh…i’ve been 50 for five years now”

and, if i am going to be painfully, brutally honest
this past year (or more) has been a little rough.
i could focus on all the ways things are not
where i thought they would be when i hit 50

i can say whatever…and make myself a list…
cause
i love a good list. :)

so i have LESS than one year to do the things on this list…
cause
i also work better under pressure.