The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Books + Quotes (December 2023)

I am so “behind” on posting about the books I have been reading! So here is a big book/quote dump from the last month or so of my reading life. I’ve been coming to…

Quotes, Reading
Dec, 16, 2023
30 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 15 December

I want to start today’s post by acknowledging that the Christmas season can be the least happy time of the year. I attended a funeral last weekend for a 16-year-old. She was an accomplished…

Wrapping Up My 2023 Goals

I’m going to blink and 2023 will be over. For the first time in a looonnnggg time, I’m not planning to set any goals for myself for an entire calendar year. This feels like…

Goals
Dec, 14, 2023
34 Comments

Favourite Things: December 2023 Edition + Top Picks

I thought I’d start with a quick roundup of recent favourites and cap things off with a summary of my favourite items/moments from 2023.

Who’s ready to do this?

YOLINK WATER SENSORS

If you’ve been reading along…

Paris Day Three: Van Gogh, a River Cruise, and a Magical Light Show

Today’s post covers Day Three of our trip to Paris in 2019. I had scheduled this recap weeks before the recent attack. I don’t know what to say/do in light of the current tragedy….

Paris, Travel
Dec, 12, 2023
18 Comments

Top Five/Bottom Five: Christmas Movie Edition

If there were feelings about music, I suspect there will be F.E.E.L.I.N.G.S. about movies.

There is something so festive about holiday films; I could watch Les Misérables or Beauty and the Beast any time…

Christmas, Holidays, Top Five/Bottom Five
Dec, 11, 2023
50 Comments

Saturday Bonus <> A Nova Scotian Holiday Movie

Thursday – after school – we grabbed cozy blankets, made cups of hot cocoa (coffee for me), and started to watch a new Hallmark movie. Colour me SHOCKED to discover it was set in…