It seems like we’ve made it through the coldest and darkest days of winter! We still have snow here in New England but there has also been sunshine, for which I’ve been thankful.
With the change in seasons, here is my quarterly post about a few of my favorite things along with a bit of what I’m reading and learning these days! Your mileage, as always, may vary.
Feel free to let me know any fun things you’ve been up to in the comments below!
Bethany’s Best: Winter 2023
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Reading
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
I just finished this book and it was a wild ride! Hell Bent is the sequel to Ninth House (so start there if you’re interested!) in Bardugo’s adult, dark contemporary fantasy series set at Yale university.
The books are darker than the YA fantasy reads I usually gravitate towards but I was glad I gave them a chance! I very much enjoy Bardugo’s characters and way with words. Once again she’s created a fascinating world, compelling story, and multi-faceted morally gray characters that I loved. I’ll be looking forward to whatever Bardugo writes next!
Playing
I’m still playing word games and I’m not even sorry 🙂
Sort of like wordle mixed with a crossword puzzle: you have a set number of turns to rearrange letters to find five interlocking words.
A boggle-like board where you have to find a set number of hidden words. Bonus words and hints also available!
These two daily word games have been my go-to when I’m waiting for my kids to get off the bus. I don’t always finish the puzzles (which is a good exercise for my perfectionist self in letting things go!) but it’s fun to play around with words! And if you have any favorite word games, feel free to share them below!
Learning
Did you know there are a million different variant ways to play sudoku?! This is a whole new world to me and it is fascinating!
The hosts of Cracking the Cryptic do a good job of walking you through each puzzle and there are a variety of difficulty levels available. No way I could get through all of the puzzles but it’s been interesting to dip my toe into the waters of this new puzzle!
Watching
Cold nights are perfect for curling up with some tea and a movie!
I recently rewatched the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy and realized it had been YEARS (like, years and years) since I had watched it last. They are so good. Classic. And then, of course, it’s hilarious to watch them with the experience of having read hundreds of LOTR memes in the back of my mind 🙂
Baking
I made two cranberry pies this season and I loved them both!
Crustless Cranberry Pie from Allrecipies
This crustless pie is super easy, perfect for making the night before a party, and has a nice nutty flavor. It’s almost similar to a coffee cake or tart in a way but since it’s in a pie dish it feels extra fancy.
Cranberry Pie with Pecan Crumble by Smitten Kitchen
This pie definitely feels extra fancy especially if you put the powdered sugar on top! It’s a very pretty pie with the bright red berries and it has a nice clear contrast between the tart and sweet flavors.
Creating
My recent creative time has been focused on songwriting! The past few years in February I’ve been participating in February Album Writing Month (FAWM) which is basically a songwriting version of NaNoWriMo. The challenge is to write and record 14 songs during the month of February.
So it’s been a musical month for me!
While I don’t have any plans to be a professional musician any time soon, it’s been a fun and enriching way to challenge myself and stretch my writing muscles in new ways.
It’s a good reminder to me to try to new things, to be okay making bad art, and to let my creative muse play a bit.
Interruption for a cute cat picture.
Writing prompt:
Pick a color and write a scene featuring it.
Wellness prompt:
Apparently we are just like houseplants!
How are you doing with light and water today? Emotional wellness? Rest? Which one can you add a bit more of to your day?
Creativity prompt:
If you could work on any create project for 30 minutes, what would it be? What is stopping you from doing it today?
What about you, what have you been reading and learning in the last months? Happy writing and wellness to you! <3
