Megan Byrd

Writer

share four somethings

Share Four Somethings: November 2020

We’re almost through 2020! I know circumstances probably won’t change too much until the middle of 2021, but I’ll be happy to enter a new year nonetheless. This month is supposed to be about family, friends, and gratitude. That didn’t end up really working out for us, but I still found things to celebrate. Check out my high points below. And, if you want to join me in Sharing Four Somethings, like up your own post over at HeatherGerwing.com.

Something Loved

My husband introduced me to the Pause app. He is reading through the connected book, but you don’t need the book to use the app. The app invites you to stop several times per day and spend some time in guided stillness and prayer. The app offers pauses of 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes, but you have to use each time period three times before the longer amounts are unlocked to you.

I’ve been using the app for about six weeks now and I love it. I struggle to stop and rest normally and this has been the perfect opportunity to make it more of a daily routine. The app will notify you at specific times you set. The photos are beautiful nature pictures, the music is calming, and the voice is reassuring. I love this free app and highly recommend it.

Something Read

I haven’t had any luck finding an outstanding fiction read this month but you’re welcome to check out what I did read (@meganbyrdreads). I did, however, very much enjoy Always a Guest by Barbara Brown Taylor. I was initially skeptical about a book of sermons from BBT’s guest pastoring experiences, but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her takes on well-known Bible passages. I liked that some of the messages were from specific parts of the Christian calendar like Lent and Advent but also covered cultural topics like election years. A great book that I would love to return to at specific times of the year to re-read BBT’s words.

Something Treasured

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) where one tries to write at least 50,000 words toward a new novel in these 30 days. If you follow me on Instagram (@mbyrd24), you’re probably quite aware of how it’s been going for me this year. (Spoiler alert: I hit 50,000 this past week and also finished the first draft of the manuscript.) What I appreciated last year and treasure even more this year is the Facebook group of writers who encourage, support, and offer advice throughout the month. Funny writing memes are posted along with questions about myriad topics and daily writing stats. I appreciate having a place to go where others understand the funny, frustrating, and exciting things that happen while writing a novel. It’s been especially good this year since I haven’t been able to do any in-person writing meet-ups.

Something Ahead

One thing I’m looking forward to this December is visiting the Biltmore and checking out its cheery Christmas decor. We went last year (pictured above) and all of the trees just made me so happy. I can’t wait to see them again! (The joys of living in Asheville.)

I’m looking forward to our family traditions as well – driving around to look at lights, watching all of the Christmas movies, putting puzzles together, baking cookies, etc. December is a time of joy and happiness in our household and we are going to create as much of it as we can this year.

Did your Thanksgiving look a little different than normal this year as well? Share how you were able to stay thankful and make memories anyway. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Share Four Somethings: October 2020

It seems hard to believe that we’re more than halfway through October. This has been one strange year. I’ve enjoyed the changing leaves and the cooler weather which have been great for hiking. It’s hard to believe we’re close to getting swept up in the rush that is the holiday season. This has been an enjoyable month. I’ve had more (safe) socialization and am connecting more with others. My daughter got to start her musical/acting group and spends her afternoon getting songs stuck in our heads. Before I get sucked into the rush that is the Thanksgiving/Christmas blitz, let’s take a minute and appreciate some good things about October.

Something Loved

I’ve tried to share something tangible each month that others could enjoy as well. This month’s tangible love are fun socks. I’m a pretty conservative dresser, but I always enjoy having cute socks that make me smile. I wanted some short socks to wear with skinny jeans and found some adorable ones online at Target. I have a bunch of longer length fun socks, many holiday-themed. I especially love socks with cats, books, or about writing. Do you like silly socks?

Something Read

I’ve had a pretty good month of reading. I also stopped reading two books that didn’t interest me because I’m an adult and can do that. I’ll continue the two book review that I started last month because it was very hard to pick! If you want to hear more about my reads, check out my Instagram review page @meganbyrdreads or my Goodreads page.

This month my nonfiction book of choice was I’m Judging You: A Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi. It was fantastic! It was funny, series, irreverent, convicting, and thought-provoking. She covered a wide variety of topics about things people do that they need to stop and even admitted when she was talking about herself.

My fiction read was Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I have read all of his books and thoroughly enjoyed most of them. This is high up on my ranking of his books. A failed bank robbery turns into a hostage situation at an apartment open house. When the police fail to find the suspect after the hostages are released, they have to figure out who is telling them the truth and who is lying. I love how he ingratiates all of the characters into your heart, revealing little bits of them at a time. So fun and alternately funny, heart-breaking, and heart-warming.

Both of these earned five stars from me. Other five star reads this month: Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things No One Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon, The Powerful Purpose of Introverts: Why the World Needs You to Be You by Holley Gerth, and One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London.

Something Treasured

My in-laws came for a weekend visit this month. The guys went fly fishing one morning. We went out to one of my favorite restaurants to celebrate birthdays. We visited Looking Glass Waterfall and took a foggy drive on the parkway, had an Oktoberfest-themed dinner, and showed them the Lego sculptures at the Arboretum. It was a very enjoyable weekend and I’m glad we could do some sight-seeing with them.

Something Ahead

My son’s birthday is next month. He likes experiences and sharks so we’ve decided to visit an aquarium and spend the night at a hotel with an indoor pool to celebrate. I may be looking forward to the adventure as much as him. I hope it’s a great memory for our whole family. It’s nice to have something fun on the horizon.

*****

And thus concludes this month’s Four Somethings. Feel free to share your own in the comments or join the link-up at HeatherGerwing.com.

Share Four Somethings: September 2020

We’re nearly to the end of September. It has been an interesting month with a full month of school. The kids have done pretty well with their virtual classrooms. This coming Monday, things will switch again as they begin to go to their school building two days a week. I know they miss seeing kids regularly so hopefully it will benefit their mental health (and mine too having a break) while keeping them safe and physically healthy.

If you’d like to participate in the blog link-up, visit HeatherGerwing.com. Otherwise, check out my four somethings below for some highlights from my month.

Something Loved

I got into a funk this summer and was struggling to eat well and exercise strenuously. I missed having a gym to go to and my motivation was severely lacking. Enter the MyFitnessPal app. It’s been a signal to myself that I’m serious about doing better. I use it to track my daily calories. If I know I have to record everything I put in my mouth, I tend to do better about making sure I really want to eat it and that my portions are under control. Sometimes I use it to figure out how many calories are in certain foods before preparing meals so I know I have enough to use to stay under my daily number. I’ve been using it since August and it has kept me on track. It’s a love/hate relationship because I hate tracking calories, but it yields the desired results.

Something Read

I decided this month to talk about one non-fiction book and one fiction book. I read quite a bit in both genres and have had some enjoyable books come through my hands. The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi is my non-fiction pick this month. There was a lot of buzz online about the book (apparently there’s a podcast by the same name) so I decided to check it out and wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed the reminder that we can’t do everything perfectly, so it’s important to be strategic about what we focus our energy on and not worry so much about the things we let slide or do just enough to get by.

My fiction read is Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch. Cleo is 37, a single mom, and a Senator who is considering a run for the presidency. Her advisor wants to make her more personable to voters and suggests she confront some regrets from her life. Cleo’s used to being in control, but agreeing to the task means surrendering to the consequences of facing some of the not-so-perfect parts of her past. I loved the concept of the story and was very engaged in Cleo and her journey.

Something Treasured

The church Life Group I’m hosting over Zoom started this month (no, that’s not my house; it’s a fake background). It’s made up of new friends I hope to form deeper relationships with. We’ve had four meetings so far. I now look forward to Tuesday nights when we can be face-to-face over the computer screen and share about our lives and what impacted us from our book (Being Brave: A 40-Day Journey to the Life God Dreams for You by Kelly Johnson). I am really enjoying these women and our study and grateful they’re in my life.

Something Ahead

A friend invited me to join a book club. I haven’t ever been part of a fiction book group, but have wanted to for a long time so I was thrilled with the invitation. We’re supposed to meet outdoors mid-October to discuss The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I’m excited about meeting the other participants and possibly make some new friends.

*****

Tell me something good about your September. Do you have anything you’re looking forward to in October?

Share Four Somethings: August 2020

The fourth Saturday in August really snuck up on me. In fairness, school started this past week so we were trying to squeeze in final bits of summer while also figure out what the school year was going to look like. Next week we’ll have our first full week of virtual school and should receive a better idea of what things are going to look like. In the meantime, check out some highlights from the month and visit HeatherGerwing.com to add your own or read some others.

Something Loved

I don’t usually watch a lot of TV alone. Most viewings are with my husband as I prefer to read for entertainment. However, I’d heard so much about Schitt’s Creek that I decided to check it out and see if it lived up to the hype. I ended up thoroughly enjoying it and watched the final two seasons with my husband who had initially watched it without me. It was funny. heartfelt, engaging, and thoroughly endearing. I fell in love with the Rose family and am glad I checked it out.

Something Read

I thought about reading Beach Read when I was at the beach but I didn’t want to risk ruining the lovely cover. I was initially intrigued by the description that it was about two writers who accept the challenge to write in one another’s very different genres. I’m always interested in reading about another author’s description of the writer’s life and this one did not disappoint. For non-writers it’s also about a daughter coming to terms with her father’s secret and there’s some romance. I quickly felt empathy for the main character and enjoyed the scenes, storyline, and characters. Very engaging. I read it in just a couple of days.

Something Treasured

I was able to have a couple of porch chats with women this month and it was so lovely. It was nice to have face-to-face interaction and learn more about others. I hope to be able to continue to have these chats once we get a handle on the virtual school schedule. I truly appreciate time with friends and don’t get as much as I’d like (though I’m sure that’s still a problem for most people).

Something Ahead

I signed up to lead an online book study group at my church. I’m still not ready to commit to regular face-to-face hangouts inside with medium-to-large groups, but am willing to endure the awkwardness of virtual meetings if it means gaining more community. I have chosen a devotional written by an online friend of mine (Being Brave: A 40-Day Journey to the Life God Dreams for You by Kelly Johnson) and hope the other participants will enjoy it. I’m a little nervous no one will sign up, but am choosing to be optimistic that people will find their way to me and the book.

*****

Tell me something good about your August. Also, happy (early) birthday, Dad!

Share Four Somethings: July 2020

July normally involves a lot of hanging out with friends and family. It has been particularly lacking in socialization for me this year, for obvious reasons, and I have felt the dearth of time with people. I hope that there will be a remedy soon, but am not particularly optimistic. In the meantime, I can still celebrate the small joys I’ve experienced this month. This post is part of a blog link-up organized over at HeatherGerwing.com. Please join us in sharing some of your month’s highlights.

Something Loved

I have a favorite chocolate shop in town and it was closed for several months due to the coronavirus. It opened again recently and my family had the pleasure of perusing its shelves for some of our favorite sweets. While they aren’t making as many varieties of truffles as they used to be, I was able to find my favorite which made me happy. If you’re also a chocolate lover, the good news is that The Chocolate Fetish ships their chocolates all over the country! I actually placed an order while the shop was closed to help support it and the chocolate arrived as delicious as ever. If you’re ever in Asheville, stop in and check it out. I highly recommend After Midnight truffles and Dark Chocolate Pistachio Frogs if you are a dark chocolate fan.

Something Read

When I really enjoy a book, I often look for other books by the same author. Such was the case with Jasmine Guillory. I have read all five of the books in her Wedding Date series and her most recent one, Party of Two, has been my favorite. Obviously I’ve enjoyed the others since I kept reading through the series. I love that side characters from earlier books become main characters in later books. If you enjoy the contemporary romance genre, I would suggest checking out the books, starting at the beginning. Or be a rebel and start with book five. It’s your reading life.

Something Treasured

At the beginning of the summer, I asked the kids to come up with a few things they wanted to do this summer since it was going to involve a lot more time at home than usual. One of the things we put on there was visiting Mount Mitchell. It’s the highest point east of the Mississippi and about an hour from our house. This weekend we drove up there and checked it out for ourselves. The higher elevation meant cooler temperatures which was quite welcome. The observation tower wasn’t open, unfortunately (thanks, Covid), but we still got a nice view and were able to do some hiking.

Something Ahead

I really struggled with this one. We don’t really have anything going on next month. School is supposed to start, but I have mixed feelings about that. Early this month I did have a Zoom call with a friend and we said we’d do it again in August so that is what I am currently looking forward to. If anyone here wants to chat over video or the phone, I am up for it. I definitely have a deficit of quality time with friends right now.

Those are my four for July. Do you have any highlights you’d like to share? Have a favorite local shop you’d like to give a shout out to? Read an awesome book I should add to my TBR list? Are there any cool sites to see near where you live? Are you getting enough social time with friends and family? Let me know what’s going on with you!

Share Four Somethings: June 2020

School is finally out which means our home days are less structured. We’ve all enjoyed not having an agenda each weekday. We’ve spent a lot of time outdoors – riding bikes, visiting various gardens, taking walks, and going to the pool. It still doesn’t feel quite like a normal summer because we won’t be flying out to visit my family, but we’re trying to make the most of what’s available to us here in our new town. Scroll down to read my Four Somethings and feel free to visit HeatherGerwing.com to check out the highlights of others!

Something Loved

Several years ago I learned about Create Hope Cuffs and have loved the variety of options available – thick cuffs, skinny cuffs, shredded wraps, etc. I especially love that I can customize the bracelets with words and phrases. Recently, the site started a monthly earring subscription service with a twist. It’s called The G.A.L. Club which stands for Get A Little. Give A Little. In addition to receiving several pairs of earrings, a few other items, and some dark chocolate in a themed box, part of the $30 cost of the box is donated to a good cause. There’s also something included in the box that we are encouraged to gift to a special someone in our lives (in May to a mother, in June to a graduate). I’m always excited to open up my box, see what’s inside, and look at how I can share some of what I’ve received with others to spread the love. It’s so much fun being able to both give and receive!

Something Read

This month I read me and white supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad. It’s a very in-depth book to help people with white privilege see what that means and how that affects people without it. There are twenty-eight days of reading and journaling through various topics within white supremacy to help the reader think critically about racist ideas they have held and ways they have participated in white supremacy, either purposefully or inadvertently. It’s not a quick read but very worthwhile and one that ought to be reviewed regularly for those wanting to be antiracist.

Something Treasured

My family loves spending time at the beach. We hadn’t been able to get away to the coast for two years and we were feeling it. We decided on a last-minute quick weekend to our closest beach, a four-hour drive away. We spent the better part of three days in the sand and water, soaking up the sights, sounds, and too much sun. It was fast and furious, but thoroughly enjoyable. I will treasure the memories of my kids’ first boogie boarding experience and their first real memories of the Atlantic Ocean.

Something Ahead

In July, my husband and I will celebrate fourteen years of marriage. We don’t have any big plans, but it offers me the opportunity to reflect on our nearly eighteen years together and reminisce about some of my favorite experiences together (the Jack and Ben concert in college, our island adventures, skiing at Bogus, winning an ALTA City Championship, becoming homeowners and parents, etc). Here’s to making many more memories together!

I’d love to hear a highlight or two from your month. What has brought you joy in the month of June? Do you have anything fun planned in July?

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