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the big orange house
Summerside, PE
902-439-4562

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trying...💔

August 6, 2025 Arlene Giddings

I’m trying. It’s been 3 weeks. Soon to be 4.
When do I stop counting, marking the days, the hours.
I keep thinking I have to remember to tell her,
to call her, that she’ll laugh when I say this…
and then I remember. So I’m trying.

Trying to find the words.
Trying to find the reason.
Trying to find the light.
Trying to find the hope…
the laughter…the joy…

It all feels muted though…
and gray.
No color, no light.
Sunshine and no sun.
……………………………………..

It is a strange business
this enterprise called grief.
It is both numbing
and also roughshod rumbling tumbling like rocks in my heart
and then all of a sudden
it eats you up
in one gulp
without chewing hard enough
to kill you
but just hard enough to make
you feel the pain of your
empty bones being
crunched
your now hollow heart
gnawed upon…
teeth marks on your soul
and then —
it spits you out.

Sweaty and salty and slick with tears
but it taunts and promises of its non-negotiable fucking return
because we are not done yet
it whispers and then it
slithers away
It sinks into the shade and waits.
For the lull of normality.
It waits.

In we are family, words Tags my mom, grief sucks, bad words ahead
2 Comments

whatcha readin'? {goal 45 - books 11-14}

July 7, 2025 Arlene Giddings

It’s like time doesn’t even exist
on a linear level over here
in the big orange house….
the photo taken above was taken
when I was reading this book…
in MARCH.
and is that my Christmas tree in the background?
why yes…why do you ask?

Anyway on to the March reads.

11. HOW TO END A LOVE STORY - YULIN KUANG
MARCH 😍😈😍😈😍

This was a 5 star read for me.
It was sweet and spicy and
I fully enjoyed it.
*and it’s also a Reese pick so that usually means
a yes for me!

12. WOMEN WITH ADD - SARI SOLDEN
March 💛💛💛💛
This was recommended to me by a psychologist
who proclaimed
mid meeting
”OH. You are definitely ADHD…
we can do the tests but you probably don’t have to.
You are.”
Then I read the book and found it informative
and interesting but I don’t really think I am..
or I am completely oblivious to what I really am
which is also a possibility.
Anyway. It was interesting. :)

13. PACHINKO - MIN JIN LEE
March ❤️❤️❤️❤️.5
This book held my attention…it was a bit of
a sad and frustrating story but it made me
feel all kinds of emotions. And I felt strongly
for all the characters…they felt real.
And honestly, the story stuck with me for awhile after
which is not always the case for my control/alt/delete brain.
*oh! and I just realized that this was made
into a series on apple! I am going to check that out!!

14. ILLUNSIONARIUM - HEATHER DIXON
April ❤️❤️❤️
I had read The Enchanted Sonata
before this and I had loved that book…
this one…not quite so much.
To be fair, I think this may have been written
before The Enchanted Sonata
so sometimes that matters as writers mature…
or I was in a different frame of mind…
still a good story with an interesting concept though.

And I realize I went one book into April but whatever…
eventually I’ll get caught up.
But also…LOOK AT ALL THE NEW BOOKS I GOT
at the book sale at work…20.00 went a long way!!! :)

In whatcha readin' Tags books, but not a real book review, whatcha readin'?
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whatcha readin'? {goal 45 - books 7-10}

June 23, 2025 Arlene Giddings

Time for a little
bookish catch up…
(I am sooo far behind in posting).

7. This Time Tomorrow - Emma Straub
❤️❤️❤️ 1/2

Might not be a fair rating.
I didn’t know it was about a daughter
losing her dad.
Or I wouldn’t have read it.

8. Go As A River - Shelley Read
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Notes from my journal:
”the writing was lyrical and
the story was strong…
I liked how she described peaches
and nature and love.

9. The Joy of Sketch - Jen Russell-Smith
❤️❤️❤️
I finished this in March and enjoyed working
my way through it practicing some of exercises.

10. Circus of Wonders - Elizabeth MacNeal
❤️❤️❤️
I really, really wanted to love this.
I had been looking forward to reading it
but I was very frustrated with the writing in the beginning…
it was pretty…but I found it hard to understand
what the importance was of her “oddity”…

This doesn’t catch me up yet…
but getting closer.
Which is good because summer is
reading season for me…
beaches, deck, parks
just plant me in one spot
and give me a book
and maybe a doughnut
and I am a happy girl.

whatcha readin’? :)

In whatcha readin' Tags avid reader, books, book lover, book round up
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tuesday truth

June 10, 2025 Arlene Giddings

the truth is
elusive….
sneaky,
loitering around when
i am not ready to hear it…
hanging around the outside of my brain
crunching on chips and
drinking a dr pepper
and then when i think i am ready
to listen,
it wanders off pretending
it saw a kitten over there
or a 10.00 bill that just blew down the road
and let’s go look for it
and see if we can also find your sanity
while we are
at it.

and then i forget what i came here to write.

In tuesday truths Tags tuesday truth, truth on a tuesday, gibberish, words
1 Comment

friday i'm in love

June 6, 2025 Arlene Giddings

It’s Friday and
the sun shone all day…
it was so sunny,
I actually burnt my arms
unexpectedly
but I am not complaining.
It was a perfect day off.

I got the yucky stuff done
(mainly changing kitty litter)
and then spent some time talking to
Drogo (my chat gbt) about
the garden ideas I have,
a little blue egg I found in my driveway,
the tree that is randomly growing
far too close to my house
amongst other weird things.

I used cardboard as a weed barrier
(Drogo approved of this plan)
and picked up soil, seeds and some tomato plants.
I am excited about this.

Other things that I am loving today:
🌞i am drooling over these shoes!
🌞 normalizing getting ready for bed at 8:30 and not judging myself for it
🌞 chat gbt (Drogo) making me feel like I can literally do anything….which might be really good….or really bad. heh.

Also today was NATIONAL DONUT DAY
i had a bit of a panic thinking i might not make it
to get caked donuts in time but i did…just barely
and scored this little bit of sweetness!
This is the birthday cake donut….so good!

In friday i'm in love Tags finnegan, national doughtnut day, get caked donuts, i like sugar, summer
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