Tag Archives: Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge

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The saddest book I’ve ever read was The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

It was a dystopian horror tale about a man who was trying to keep his young son alive in a post-apocalyptic version of Earth in which every plant and animal they found had died.

The writing itself was decent, but there were so many awful things that happened during the course of the plot that I really struggled to finish it.

If you decide to read it, I strongly recommend reading some spoiler-y reviews first or asking someone who has already read it to warn you in advance about certain scenes. Some of them were pretty disturbing, and that’s coming from someone who read horror for years.

I don’t read books like this one anymore. My tastes have since shifted to require more hope in plots and endings, but kudos to those of you who enjoy this type of horror.

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The photo I included in today’s post is of a fantasy world. If only it were real!

My perfect vacation would include plenty of time out in nature, especially if it involved beaches and mountains. It would be marvellous to be somewhere that made it possible for both of these things to happen in the same day.

Nature is incredibly soothing to me. I love hearing the tide lap up against the shore or leaves rustle in the wind.

There’s nothing like seeing the majesty of sharp mountain peaks reaching up to the sky after hiking for an hour or two.

Ideally, I’d convince my parents, siblings, sister-in-law, and nephews to join my spouse and I on this trip. I’m quite lucky to have a family that all gets along with each other well. We could rent a couple of houses next door to each other so everyone could find the perfect balance of alone time and family time since many of us are introverts!

What would I do during this trip?

• Build sand castles with my nephews and whomever else wants to join in
• Swim
• Hike
• Create Land Art from leaves, rocks, shells, and other natural materials
• Eat whatever delicious meals my sister-in-law made because she loves to cook and is wonderful at it
• Splurge on a professional massage one day
• Sing or share stories around a bonfire at night
• Laugh at old funny family stories
• Nap (Vacation naps are the best ones ever!)
• Visit nearby historical sites or museums with likeminded relatives
• Have an alcoholic beverage or two. I virtually never drink, but sometimes the family will recommend or make something sweet that I enjoy a little bit of

In my experience, the best vacations are the simple ones that you allow to unfold as they will. There’s no need to spend a ton of money on specific excursions or events every day to make me happy.

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This entire post could be summed up into one word: massages.

There is nothing I enjoy more than getting a gentle massage from someone who has a lot of experience giving them.

It’s one of the most relaxing things I can possibly imagine. I carry tension in my back and shoulders that sometimes translates into pain, so it’s glorious to have all of those knots gently loosened and sorted out.

Years ago, there was a massage studio somewhat close to my house that offered back massages at a pretty reasonable rate.

They’ve since closed, but I will be keeping an eye out for future massage opportunities once this pandemic has ended and it’s safe to get them again.

(And, no, that isn’t my dog in the photo in today’s post. I simply wanted to share a photo related to massage that was G-rated for anyone who reads this at work. Some of the massage photos on stock photo sites can be a little risqué!)

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This was one of those topics I could discuss for hours. If any of us ever meet in person, ask me this question if you want to see me poke my head out of my shell! (I’m often a little quiet and shy at first with new people).

Character: Anne Shirley from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series

Why: I adore it when talkative, extroverted people make the first gesture of friendship, especially when they’re as personable as Anne. Our personalities couldn’t be more different from each other, but our shared love of books and baked goods would give us all sorts of things to discuss.

Character: Sankofa­­ from Nnedi Okorafor’s Remote Control. (My review is here).

Why: She’s the sort of character who needs friends who move slowly and are highly respectful of her boundaries. I’m excellent at both of those things. It would be cool to have a chance to ask her about how her powers work and what she plans to do next in her life.

Character: Yetu from Rivers Solomon’s The Deep (My review is here).

Why: Our personalities are so similar! We’re both quiet, easygoing folks who enjoy learning new things and exploring. There’s definitely something to be said for companionable silence sometimes. Maybe she could teach me some new swimming strokes, too.

Character: The hobbits and the Entwives from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

Why: Honestly, who wouldn’t want to have a dinner party with hobbits? They’re peace-loving, jolly, and kind folks who are also fantastic cooks. I’d want to meet the Entwives because I’ve wondered what really happened to them ever since I read this series. In my opinion, they survived and eventually reunited with their husbands, sons, brothers, and other male relatives.

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Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.

There are so many things I enjoy doing outdoors.

Nature Walks and Light Hiking. That is to say, I’m happy to walk or hike for a few hours, but I wouldn’t want to do it for multiple days or weeks in a row like some of my relatives do! I like coming home to my warm, soft bed at the end of the day. LOL.

Bird watching. I will also happily watch squirrels, dogs, and just about any other animals that cross my path.

People watching. Humans are fascinating. I love observing how we interact with one another when it’s possible to watch strangers in socially-appropriate ways.

Bicycling. It’s been ages since I did this, but I do enjoy bike rides quite a bit. They’re even more interesting if you can do them somewhere quiet and close to nature.

Canoeing. My last canoe trip happened even longer ago than my last bicycle ride, but there is something incredibly peaceful about skimming over a calm pond or lake in a canoe.

Going to the Beach. I especially enjoy building sand castles and walking up and down the pier there.

Swimming in Chlorinated Water. I prefer swimming in places where I know there isn’t anything sharp or slimy at the bottom of a pool. Occasionally, I will swim in a lake, pond, or ocean, but I try to wear protective footwear in those cases.

No, I’ve never had a terrible experience with getting cut or bitten or anything. It simply weirds me out to unexpectedly touch things with my feet in cloudy water.

Picnics. It’s so relaxing to me to pack or buy a meal and then eat it outside on a nice day. Somehow, food tastes a little better when the wind ruffles my hair and I can see birds flying by.

Visiting Cemeteries. Does anyone else enjoy reading headstones and seeing how the art and inscriptions on them has changed throughout history? Cemeteries are such peaceful places, and they’re generally filled with a lot of nature to observe as well if you remain quiet and alert.