I am writing to you today, dear reader, from my favorite hot spot Books-A-Million. Sometime last night, my Wi-Fi router decided to conk out for good. Therefore, since it is Sunday and our internet provider is closed today, my household will have no internet service until tomorrow afternoon. And, that is if our provider has the items we need (router and modem) in stock, and I can figure out how to put everything together and activate my new router and modem. Aah, the joys of modern technology!
Today marks the end of March and the end of the first quarter of the year. What a whirlwind of a month! Slowly, but surely, I am clearing out the front bedroom. The closet has been cleared, cleaned, and the baseboards inside it finally painted. As soon as the room is cleared and cleaned, it will be repainted and a ceiling fan and crown moulding will be installed. It would be nice if I could complete this project by the end of April. I’m itching to get some scrapbooking done prior to my annual convention in June.
Andrew is officially registered to attend Southeastern in the fall. Over the Mardi Gras break, he applied for housing and just this week selected a roommate. Thankfully, Dane is a friend from high school and someone he has known since Pre-K. Andrew also applied and was accepted to the Honors Program and scheduled his orientation for June. In four and a half months, my baby will be officially moving into his dorm and starting his college career.
March ushered in Daylight Savings Time and was a month of birthdays for some important individuals in my life, including my hubby, some awesome friends (two turned 50…Jeff and Georgia), and Sophie (our German Shepherd). She turned 11 years old on the 27th. For being an old lady, she is still a beauty.
In Other News:
Since our evenings now have more daylight, I have been walking almost every evening with my BFF Shelly. Sometimes, her hubby walks with us. If we cannot coordinate our schedules, then I walk by myself and listen to the latest episode of the podcast Levar Burton Reads. Yesterday, I listened to an excellent short story called “Jackalope Wives” by Ursula Vernon and read by Levar Burton.
As for my 19 for 2019 list, I completed:
#16 Take a voice-over class. At the beginning of the month, I attended a voice-over class with Marc Preston. It was an introduction to voice-over with a ton of good information. I am interested in studying with Marc during the summer.
#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. For March, I chose Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin. I am a fan of Rubin’s writing and her new book did not disappoint. It is a terrific little book chock full of advice on how to declutter your home, office, etc. and create a happier environment. The suggestions that Rubin gives are practical and easy to follow. Before I even finished the book, I had already started implementing some of her tips. For example, “follow the one-minute rule” is one of my favorites. If you can do a task in less than a minute, then do it at once instead of delaying it. This book, along with Marie Kondō’s book, has gotten me even more excited about decluttering.
In two months, it will be summer break and a chance to catch my breath before helping Andrew get ready for college. However, the next two months are going to be busy for both Andrew and me. In the midst of all the excitement, dear reader, I will continue my quest to create outer order in my home so that I may achieve inner calm in my life. Happiness!
“Once outer order emerges, take the opportunity to enjoy it, to experience the ease, space, and growth that come from inner calm. Revel in it! Take time to pause and feel happy.” ~ Gretchen Rubin
by Shonda Rhimes, which I loved. I’m a huge fan of children’s literature, so I always read a couple of books per month in that category. I read Paddington: Here and Now by Michael Bond. I adore Paddington Bear and his adventures. When Andrew visited London last year, he brought me back a Paddington Bear figurine which I keep on my bookcase. I completed the Magisterium series by reading The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. All excellent book choices. You can follow me on 
Since my last post, I have officially turned 50 years of age. My fantastic friends at school started my birthday celebration off with balloons, flowers, lunch, cards, and sweet treats. The next day was the shindig with family and friends from near and far. Son #1’s talented friend Tyler made delicious homemade pizzas for everyone in attendance. My BFF Shelly baked an amazingly scrumptious cake with a bra on top of it. And, my gifted cookie maker friend Darleen made incredibly yummy cookies for me to hand out to my guests. What a delight to celebrate ME surrounded by some of the most awesome people in the world! Although my birthday month will soon be over, my year of 50 has just begun.
In January of 2017, I started listening to Chris Guillebeau’s podcast Side Hustle School. Chris Guillebeau enjoys the freedom that comes with being self-employed and a side hustler. He has written a few books on the subject over the years about his experiences and the experiences of others who prefer to make a living in a nontraditional way. Being my own boss and having more control over my time appeals to me; therefore, when his book was published last year, I decided to read it and see if I could obtain some information that would move me closer to developing my own side hustle.
Yesterday morning, I set up a Google Photo account (#3 on my 18 for 2018 list) to help me win the constant battle I have with my iPhone over storage. Setting the account up was effortless. What I find praiseworthy about opening this account is I can access my photos on my computer which will make ordering photos for my scrapbooking projects super easy. I still need to explore all of the features this account has to offer. One ability I hope I have is uploading photos directly from my account to my blog or to social media. I’ll have to play with it. I’m not tech savvy, so figuring this out on my own is kind of exciting.
The Kat Files 