Last month I suggested we “write a book together” in 2024. I pitched the idea of assigning each month a chapter title.
For me it started with January – Steady: Finding Solid Ground After a Year of Drowning
It’s quite a challenge to summarize a whole month with a singular title; this is my best effort for the last twenty-eight days.
February – Busy (with Intention): Making Time for Things that Provide Joy, Energy, and Thrill
February involved a focus on sleep (earlier bedtimes, a few well-timed naps), outdoor adventures (a lot of skiing – very thrilling indeed as you are literally on the precipice of life and death severe injury), delicious food, and generally leaning into things that make me happy.
Your turn. How would you label Chapter Two (February 2024)?
Header photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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Jenny
Oof. The thing that comes to my mind first is “February: The Month That Turned Into a Dumpster Fire.” Your “book” seems much more elegant than mine!
Elisabeth
I’m sorry. I did laugh at this title. But it also feels very accurate – you went through a lot in February. I hope the ankle continues to heal and boy have you got a story. But I’m still so sorry the ultra didn’t play out the way you had hoped and had trained so hard for…
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Your chapter two sounds so organized!
I went back to remind myself of my first chapter and will list it here too.
Chapter One – January: Everything Must Go!
Chapter Two – February: The Life Changing Event
Elisabeth
These are very captivating – great titles that would definitely draw a reader right in (they’re also very insightful ;)!
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
Here we go!
January: New Year, New Puppy
February: 25 Days of Puppy Snuggles, 4 Days on the Beach
Elisabeth
Could not love this more…
mbmom11
Chapter 1 – January: The winter of our discontent and way too much snow
Chapter 2- February: Bad news, good news, and background grief
I think your book would be much more uplifting to read than mine!
Elisabeth
If I had tried this exercise in 2023 I think every month would have been about bleakness, sorrow, grief, anxiety, or fear. There is a reason I didn’t start doing this until 2024.
I’m sorry you’ve had a hard start to 2024; and tough circumstances are always harder to handle in those cold, dark winter months. Hoping for light and joy and feeling more comfortable <3
Lindsay
“February: The Month of Little Steps Forward and Evasive Sleep”
I love the word “thrill” in yours! I’ve been thinking so much about “fear” vs. “thrill” in terms of so much, haha!
Elisabeth
Yay for moving forward; boo for sleep issues. I’m hoping the forward momentum continues and you get a lot more shuteye in April <3
NGS
January: It Happened
February: CBBC, Tornadoes, and Snail Mailpalooza
I wasn’t sure about this as an activity when you posted last month, to be honest, but now I can see how building these chapter titles up month by month will be awesome at the end of the year. I apologize for doubting you in the past!
Elisabeth
To convince you means a lot to me, so I’m glad this exercise might be interesting in the long haul!!
ccr in MA
I don’t think I did this in January! (Checks back…) Nope! Okay, I’ll pretend I did.
January: Cloudy (in the So-Called Sunshine State), With a Chance of Setbacks
February: Things Improve, But So Slowly
Elisabeth
I am so sorry January was rough, but this is THE BEST CHAPTER TITLE to capture that tension! Cloudy, With a Chance of Setbacks? Shut the front door…plus a mic drop <3
Gigi
I must have missed that post. So here’s what I’ve come up with for January and February.
January – What Happened?
February – Seriously?
Clearly, I need to take a new approach to March.
Elisabeth
Ha! These are great – honest and succinct. Onward and upward to March.
Maria
I don’t remember what I said for January and am too lazy to go check right now…
February – Busy, bustling, preparing for and then living the joyful chaos of a family visit
(Clearly I do not have skill at making up snappy titles.)
Elisabeth
“Joyful chaos” – love it!
Lisa’s Yarns
February felt kind of similar to January and I feel like that go go go feeling isn’t going to go away and might actually get worse (I have 6 work trips between now and the first week of June including 3 consecutive weeks of travel in April/May (4 if you include our vacation to FL). So my chapter would probably be ‘more of the same plus a birthday’. Which sounds so lame but so it goes… this might just be a stage of my career.
Elisabeth
You are at a busy stage with both kids and work. Sometimes the only way through is through?! It’s hard to keep energy up, though, with all the competing demands and the fact that travel is just inherently exhausting. Hope your “shouldless” day was amazing and a nice little breather.
Rachel
January: drowning.
February: coming up for air.
Andy and I said to each other recently that we feel like we’re emerging from underwater with the twin thing. I think they are getting easier *and* we are getting better at it. But also, this could just be the good sleep talking.
I like this project! I will think of better titles and pay more attention to my months
Elisabeth
I’m so glad you are finding some air. Also, I can’t believe you’ve had twins this long! It feels like just yesterday you were announcing on the blog that you were pregnant with twins!!! I hope the good sleep continues <3
Stephany
January: Settling In to a New Year
February: The One With All of the Appointments (it feels like I had multiple appointments every week!)
Elisabeth
Some months really are like that, eh? I also feel like I have clusters of appointments at different points in the year. It’s nice to get them out of the way…but it’s also exhausting!
Elinoora
Trying to think of a title for this month was hard!
February: Trying to finish things (and Paris!).
(We – and by that I mean my mom-painted most of the things that needed painting. I got very excited about putting things back, but then I realised the skirting boards aren’t going on until mid-march so we should probably wait a little bit longer)
Elisabeth
Any month with a visit to Paris is worth “writing home about.”
Daria
Chapter 2: spring awakening.
Elisabeth
How hopeful! Love it <3
Anne
I know you’re not reading this, but I love the concept, didn’t participate in January, and want to document Jan/Feb now so that I CAN participate moving forward…
January – Anxiety, anticipation, and argh
February – Onward, with a side of stagnation
Love yours – and the use of the word, thrill. We don’t use it enough in everyday language, methinks….
Elisabeth
I’m sorry, but Onward, with a side of stagnation is MAKING ME LAUGH. The Stagnation bit is BRILLIANT, Anne 😉
Elisabeth
Test, test, test!
Elisabeth
Trying to see if the comment response e-mail thing works…?