u/MoreToday

Inspired by this post from u/cIitaurus - I just finished Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson and it was so good! Courtesy of my library options, I chose the audiobook version and I'm glad I did, the narrator did an excellent job with accents and all the different voices/tones/ages. There were a few times where I almost felt like I could've been listening to one of my aunties.

This story was so sweet and bittersweet and hit home for me in so many ways. My mother left Barbados when she was in her early twenties under less than happy circumstances and many of her older siblings ended up in England as part of the Windrush generation. My sisters and I have had to slowly tease info out of her and her siblings over the years. There are so many relatives and so much family lore we still don't know! Even though this was a work of fiction it was really heartening to read about a family trying to so hard to relearn who they all are.

Suppose my next step is to look up some recipes and try baking my first black cake! Anyone else out there with Caribbean roots, have you read this book?

Inspired by this original post in r/CPTSD that discusses silly triggers:

A silly win for me is:

My underwear and sock drawers are so organized! My underwear drawer is organized by a dark to light color gradient and my sock drawer is organized by color, size and season. Quite possibly the dorkiest thing I've ever done, but I smile every time I open either drawer.

My childhood home often felt chaotic and I often struggled to get dressed in the morning and usually had to rush to school. Getting dressed became this confusing and weirdly scary experience. Having the complete ease now to know exactly where all my clothes are, that they all fit, that they're all in good condition, that even my most basic pair of socks or underwear will be in the right place when I need them is such a great win. My underwear and sock drawers make me smile. Silly, small, but a great win nonetheless!

Let's celebrate some silliness.

I've finally hit the part in my novel writing where it's less of a breeze and more of an uphill slog. I figured this would happen at some point if not in the first draft then definitely in the editing process. Here I am, no where near hitting my previous daily word count, but I'm still writing so I'm still winning.

Like, an uphill climb is still forward movement. And! I'm way better at being kinder and gentler with myself than I used to be. No more mentally beating myself up for not doing 'enough'. So, double win.

I'm frustrated that the writing doesn't feel as easy as it did last month and it's ok to just own that. If I write one sentence a week I'm still writing.

How are you all feeling about your current projects?

I just spilled some out of a coconut. Pretty sure I mopped up the spill but since it's clear liquid I won't really know until the area is dry. Anybody know if fresh coconut water can stain?