What I'm Reading

My 50 State Road Trip Challenge

Exploring the United States via books is an excellent way to leave home without leaving the comforts of home. The 50 State Road Trip Reading Challenge that I have mentioned in a previous post has been one of my favorite yearly challenges. Not only have I discovered authors I haven’t read before, I have explored the US from East to West and North to South. I have even traveled to Alaska and Hawaii, as well as some of the U.S. Territories.

The Goal

The goal is simple: to read a book set in a specific state and to travel all 50 states and Washington, DC thru books. For example: I chose the entire McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers because the entire series is set in Alabama. However, if a book has several settings, you can check off each state the book has a scene in.  Example: Identity by Nora Roberts has scenes set in several states and I chose to check those states off. That particular rule has helped me more than once when I was having difficulty accessing a book for states like Delaware, North/South Dakota, Nebraska, etc.

This is my completed 50 State Road Trip Challenge list for 2026:

Alabama McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers Bailey, Robert
Alaska Northern Lights Roberts, Nora
Arizona A Different Dawn Maldonado, Isabella
Arkansas The Witness Roberts, Nora
California Implied Consent Powell, Keenan
Colorado Not Our Daughter Zunker, Chad
Connecticut Peg and Rose Solve a Murder Berenson, Laurien
Delaware The Innocent Coben, Harlan
Florida The Whistler Grisham, John
Georgia High Noon Roberts, Nora
Hawaii Aloha Alibi Webb, Jasmine
Idaho Chasing Fire Roberts, Nora
Illinois Digging In Nyhan, Loretta
Indiana Cold Cold Heart Hoag, Tami
Iowa This Is How I Lied Gudenkauf, Heather
Kansas The Winter Widow Weir, Charlene
Kentucky The Queen’s Gambit Tevis, Walter
Louisiana Identity Roberts, Nora
Maine Homeport Roberts, Nora
Maryland Identity Roberts, Nora
Massachusetts Three Sisters Island Trilogy Roberts, Nora
Michigan Sniffed Out Benning, Patti
Minnesota Cold Cold Heart Hoag, Tami
Mississippi Cemetery Road Iles, Greg
Missouri Identity Roberts, Nora
Montana Chasing Fire Roberts, Nora
Nebraska Identity Roberts, Nora
Nevada Identity Roberts, Nora
New Hampshire Catch of the Day Bennett, Virginia K.
New Jersey Year One Roberts, Nora
New Mexico The Law Is a Lady Roberts, Nora
New York The Second Son Gervais, Simon/Steck, Ryan
North Carolina Under Currents Roberts, Nora
North Dakota Paradise Valley Box, C. J.
Ohio Year One Roberts, Nora
Oklahoma Killers of the Flower Moon Grann, David
Oregon Her First Mistake Elliot, Kendra
Pennsylvania The Key Trilogy Roberts, Nora
Rhode Island Every Precious and Fragile Thing Davis, Barbara
South Carolina Identity Roberts, Nora
South Dakota Black Hills Roberts, Nora
Tennessee Between Black and White Bailey, Robert
Texas Not Our Daughter Zunker, Chad
Utah The Secret Witness Methos, Victor
Vermont Identity Roberts, Nora
Virginia The Widow Grisham, John
Washington River’s End Roberts, Nora
West Virginia No Filter Gilbert, Heather Day
Wisconsin Buzz Off Reed, Hannah
Wyoming Angels Fall Roberts, Nora
Washington, DC The Night Agent Quirk, Matthew

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Feeling Better Journey

Getting Strong: My Fitness Journey Begins

Getting strong has never been a top priority for me. As I discussed in an earlier post, I am not one for lifting weights and building muscles. With that being said, I now realize that I probably should get stronger. Especially if I want to truly enjoy several “bucket list trips” I am planning.

The Choice of Gym for Getting Strong

I spent two weeks researching every local gym/fitness center that also have facilities close to my family in Georgia. A gym with an indoor pool so I could swim laps or take aquatic exercise classes was preferable. Other wants included a sauna or steam room, access to personal trainers, a wide variety of class options, and opening early since I prefer morning workouts. After considerable research, I chose to join OneLife Fitness.

I made the call and went in to tour the facility with Nadia and discuss membership options. After touring the facility I sat down with Nadia to sign the dotted line and set up my evaluation. That’s when I met Talent, the fitness director and a personal trainer. Talent’s job is to evaluate the client, discuss their fitness needs and goals, then match them with the right personal trainer.

Evaluating What I Need for Getting Strong

Now I will admit to being out of shape and having little to no strength. So during the exercises Talent had me do during my evaluation, I let him know my muscles were calling him very ugly names. It was a laugh thru the pain or cry situation. I chose laughter. Afterwards, we sat down together and discussed my goals and nutrition. I’m sure the look on my face when he told me I needed to consume a minimum of 90 grams of protein and approximately 1400 calories a day would have made most people cringe. Talent didn’t bat an eye at the look I gave him. It was that moment when I knew I would prefer Talent to be my personal trainer and that I had made the right choice.

The Work Involved in Getting Strong

My first real work out was two days ago. Talent walked me thru several exercises for building strength. One particular exercise had me wondering why I didn’t know we had muscles in our armpits. Did you know? I thought he was kidding when he said, “now, as you bring the bar down to your thighs I want you to really squeeze those armpit muscles”. My reaction was, “We have muscles in our armpits?” Trust me when I tell you I had to actively THINK about those muscles.

By the end of the workout, my leg muscles felt wobbly. And even though I had worked my shoulders, arms, and armpit muscles, they felt ok. Two days later all the muscles I work are calling Talent some extremely ugly names. Especially my armpit muscles!

I know I made the right choice for me when it comes to my choice in gyms. Do I have a long way to go when it comes to getting strong? Absolutely! But there is plenty of time to achieve the goals Talent and I set for myself. And I know all the work and temporary pain will be worth it when I take my first “bucket list trip” in January 2027.

What I'm Doing

Planning Family Adventures and Creating Memories

 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I know that is not cool. However, life happened. So this post is all about what I’ve been up to since I last shared anything with you. From winter school break trips to matron of honor duties to bucket list trips, I’ve been busy. Planning everything out in advance via my google calendar for easy access has made keeping it all straight easy.

Winter School Break

I took my daughter and grandkids to Wilderness at the Smokies in February. We chose the resort because it is only a 3 hour drive from my daughter’s home and was a great way to “get away” for 3 days for some fun. My grandson and I played black light putt putt golf together, played in the indoor waterpark, and challenged each other in the arcade. While my granddaughter is still too young to appreciate the magic of such a place, I still enjoyed spending time with her and watching my daughter play with her in the wave pool.

I’m the Matron of Honor

After getting home from spending time with my favorite people, I had to get serious about helping my friend with her wedding. To be more specific, as the Matron of Honor, I needed to plan a bachelorette event. The problem was/is, my friend travels a great deal and nailing down a weekend she had free was almost impossible. After she finally gave me some dates, I set up a weekend at Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, VA. The weekend included massages, spa treatments, good food, and a champagne toast in my room. The hotel and spa staff were absolutely amazing and some of the most courteous and friendly people I’ve ever met.

Bucket List Planning

After those two trips, it was time to get serious about planning a “bucket list” trip and creating a plan to get in shape for that particular trip. To that end, I booked a trip to see the Aurora Borealis via Alaska Rail. The website has several options for tours, but I want to see the Northern Lights at their best, so I will going in January 2027. More to come about that in future posts. I also joined a gym and have had two session with a personal trainer. I will be sharing my the journey of getting stronger in future posts as well.

As of today, thing are pretty much back to normal. And after the wedding, which is next week, I will readjust my schedule to include a more consistent work out routine and blog posting while still traveling to see some shows on Broadway, visit family, and take a couple of getaway trip with my Hunny Bun.

What I'm Doing What I'm Reading

Reading Challenges Helped Expand My Reading Book Selection

Reading challenges have helped me expand my reading habits over the last few years. Being a Kindle owner, I found the Kindle Reading Challenges by accident while scrolling down the home page looking for books to read. It started with simply wanting to get credit for reading each day. Then I started wanting all the “virtual bookmarks” associated with their challenges. All of a sudden, I was participating in the yearly challenges in the group I joined on Goodreads, as well as the Goodreads yearly challenge.

A – Z Book Title Challenge

This yearly challenge opened me up to authors and genres I would never have tried before because I had to actively seek book titles beginning with each letter of the alphabet. That’s more difficult than you might think for certain letters. As a result, I found myself giving thrillers, dystopian and fantasy titles a chance.

A- Z Author Challenge

Another yearly challenge that I had to actively think about. Of all the challenges I participate in each year, this one that truly opens me up to new options. I now have a list of authors that I truly enjoy and authors I won’t ever read again and that’s ok.

50 State Road Trip Challenge

So this particular challenge is rewarding and irritating for me at the same time. And this may be the last year I participate in it. Have I complete this challenge before? Yes, I have completed this challenge for the last 5 years. However, if it weren’t for the fact I can use the same book for more than one state, I doubt I would have been able to complete the challenge. My favorite part of this challenge is the 2026 Reading Map I created in Google Maps to keep track of all the place I visit in books.

I’ve covered the three main yearly reading challenges I participate in every year. Do you participate in reading challenges? If so, what challenges do you participate in each year? Have they helped you expand your reading preferences? Let me know. And come back for a more in depth post on each individual challenge I am participating in this year and how I keep track of all my reading.

Uncategorized What I'm Reading

The Crimson Moth Duology: A Review

As a rule I do not like “retellings” or “reimaginings” of the classics. I don’t need an updated version of classic literature. However, every once in a while I will give a “retelling/reimagining” a chance. The Crimson Moth Duology by Kristen Ciccarelli was one of those “reimaginings” that I took a chance on and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the story very much.

The Scarlet Pimpernel For A New Generation

There is absolutely no mistaking that Heartless Hunter and Rebel Witch are an updated version of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy for those of us that have read those stories. With that being said, I did like how Ms. Ciccarelli swapped the genders of the two main characters. Instead of Sir Percy Blakeney, we get Rune Winters. Citizen Chauvelin is replaced by Gideon Sharpe.

Rune is a beautiful young woman with a secret. In public she is a socialite with nothing more on her mind than the latest fashions and gossip. In private, she is “The Crimson Moth”, a witch helping other witches escape being purged. Gideon Sharpe is the most successful witch hunter of the Republic. But one witch continues to evade capture, “The Crimson Moth”. So it is one adventure after another as each tries to get the upper hand in a dangerous game.

 

 

 

 

About Uncategorized What I'm Reading

Every Precious and Fragile Thing: A Review

Barbara Davis has wowed me again with another story of love, loss, and second chances in Every Precious and Fragile Thing. It’s a story of relationships broken by secrets and tragedies. This is a story that made me look at my own relationships with my mother and my daughter in a different way.

This book has a lot going on regarding relationships and how they are broken or healed. I totally connected with the characters in different ways. Mallory’s pain and resentment come from her mother not being present enough. Her mother always seems to put her job before Mallory. Her mother’s job also forced them to move quite a bit while also inviting rumor and speculation. Being the new kid in school is always tough, but dealing with that and gossip is bound to cause a child to resent the parent. Having buried that resentment and hurt deep so she could “move on” is starting to surface in unexpected ways. If Mallory doesn’t go home and deal with her past, she’s headed for a meltdown.

Helen walks on eggshells around her daughter, Mallory, in an attempt save what little relationship they have left. However, the time has come to share with her daughter a secret she has been keeping for decades. Will their fragile mother/daughter relationship dissolve completely when Mallory finally learns the truth about her mother? Helen is afraid to find out, but knows she must find the courage to tell.

Estelle spent her life presenting an image to the world. But now she is dying. Does she have enough time to help her son thru his despair after an accident derails his brilliant career as a concert pianist? She’s angry. But with a little help from Helen, Estelle begins to see the mistakes of her life in a new way. Maybe she will have enough time to mend some relationships, not just with her son, but with Helen and Mallory who were victims of her vicious tongue in the past.

I enjoyed this book on several levels and couldn’t put it down. Each character has my sympathy in a different way. They also irritated me in different ways. But in the end, the truth was revealed and relationships were changed. As a mother and daughter, the victim of vicious gossip, and the child of a mother determined to see her child’s talent developed to its fullest potential, I identify with each and every character. And I believe most would be able to connect with at least one of the characters.

Would I read this book again? Yes. Would I recommend this book to others? Absolutely! It’s a wonderfully emotional exploration of the fragile bonds between mothers and their children.

About Feeling Better Journey What I'm Doing

Goals: Reflecting on Yearly Achievements

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of each year I set goals for the upcoming year as I reflect on the one coming to a close. The questions I ask myself are: Did I meet the goals I set for myself this year? Did I exceed the goals I set? Do I need to adjust my goals up or down for the upcoming year? I think these three questions are all I need to ask myself as I reflect and look forward. So how did 2025 go for me?

Reading Goal

I originally set my reading goal to 300 books for the year and set up a detailed spreadsheet for tracking. Not only did I meet that goal, I got there on May 25. At that point I adjusted the goal to 600 books. Where did I end up? I read/listened to 767 books. However, some of those books were omnibus volumes and if I were to add the total number of books in each of those volumes, the number goes up to 839 books. That’s a lot of reading and I enjoyed every minute. With that being said, I don’t plan on reading that much in 2026. I have other goals and plans for 2026 that will, out of necessity, mean less reading. So, I have set my reading goal for 2026 for 500 and can always adjust later if needed.

Fitness Goal(s)

I totally bombed on my fitness goal(s) for 2025. I stopped paying attention to what I was eating and I didn’t exercise near as much as I wanted to. My goal for 2026 is, simply put, to do better. With that in mind, I have set reminders to log my food on the two apps I have on my phone and I have signed up for virtual challenges. The fitness challenges designed to get people moving. You don’t have to be a runner/jogger, you just have to move. The first challenges are the One Day At A Time and Invincible 2026 challenges via Run Motivators. The second challenge is the Walk The Year challenge via Run the Edge.

For 2025, Reading and Fitness were all I set goals for. As the year progressed, I realized I  had some things I would like to do. As a result, I started this blog and have signed up for some online courses for skills I would like to improve. In 2026, I will spend more time improving skills and writing. I am not setting a specific “number” to reach, my goal is simply to get better at specific things and write more.

So far, 2026 has not started out to good. But as of today, I can honestly say I have started the journey to meeting the goals I have set for myself. Those goals will more than likely change as the year progresses, but for now I have a starting point and a end goal in sight. Do you reflect on the previous year when setting goals for a new year? How do you set your goals? And do you adjust the goals as the year progresses? Let me know!

What I'm Reading

‘Christmas by the Book’ by Anne Marie Ryan: A Favorite Christmas Read

I started a new Christmas tradition for myself a few years ago, reading only Christmas stories between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Yes, I have read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, the story of the Nativity in the Bible, and other stories. However, I had never made it a point to keep my reading specific to the season until a few years ago.

I discovered a few favorites once I began to actively look for such stories. ‘Christmas by the Book‘ by Anne Marie Ryan is in my top five favorites. Is it a holiday rom-com full of spicy sex scenes? Absolutely not! Is it a holiday comedy? Nope! Is it a holiday mystery? Not even remotely. What it is is a story of hope, charity, and courage.

The Premise

Nora and Simon own a small bookshop in a small village in the Cotswolds of the UK. Theirshop is struggling. The village is struggling. The people in the village are struggling. And its Christmas. How will they keep the Christmas Spirit alive when so many, including themselves, are desperately trying to just keep their heads above water?

After a random customer comes into the shop looking for a specific book for his very ill grandson, Nora and Simon are inspired to run a contest via the internet. Nominate someone you know is having a difficult time this Christmas. The bookstore will randomly choose six to send a book to. As Nora and Simon wait, they choose six books and wrap them up along with an invitation to their Christmas Eve party. And we, the readers, follow along with the intertwining stories of Nora, Simon and the recipients of the books.

 

Now, because I despise spoilers, I hope I have said enough to pique your interest. As stated above, ‘Christmas by the Book’ is in my top favorite Christmas reads. I highly recommend this book. Especially if you’re trying to rediscover the meaning of Christmas for yourself. I can almost guarantee everyone can relate to at least one character in the story.

 

Feeling Better Journey

How I Survived Menopause Naturally

I am not any kind of health professional. This blog post is simply about how I did a huge amount of research and found my own path through the three stages of menopause without HRTs or other medications. It is also about how I paid very close attention to my body and found the solutions that worked for me. Also, please note that I did discuss everything with my medical professional. I also talked with friends that had gone through or were going through menopause. I did not travel the menopause path alone and neither should you!

First, no two women are going to experience the three stages of menopause exactly the same. What worked for me may or may not work for you. And what works for you may or may not work for others. No two women will experience the exact same symptoms (hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, etc) in the exact same way. The very best thing you can do is pay attention and research, research, research solutions. Don’t be afraid to try something. The worse that could happen, that particular solution doesn’t work for you so you have to try something else.

My First Hot Flash

I had my very first hot flash at 45 years old. The problem was, no one ever told me that hot flashes could happen in your feet. That’s right, my feet felt like I had just stepped into a mound of red ants. While totally freaking out and trying to understand what was happening, I ran out onto the concrete balcony of my 17th floor apartment in 24 degree temps to cool my feet off. As I stood bare foot on the balcony shivering, I realized what was happening to me. That moment of understanding sent me into serious research mode regarding menopause and its many symptoms.

My Hot Flash Solution

After considerable research, I found that foods and drinks in my diet could trigger a hot flash. I also found several “hot flash relief” recipes I could make at home for instant relief. I made a peppermint essential oil and coconut oil recipe for relief and started paying very close attention to my body waiting for the next hot flash. It came 15 minutes after I had a glass of red wine with a friend. Luckily I was at home and had my homemade solution close at hand. The peppermint and coconut oil rubbed into my feet worked. Hot flash was over almost as soon as it began. I gave up red wine. My 3rd hot flash came after I had a bag of M&Ms. Once again, the homemade solution worked. I gave up M&Ms. I have never had another hot flash in the 10 years since that first one.

Insomnia and Night Sweats

While many women experience insomnia and night sweats, I did not. What I did experience was waking up earlier than usual because I couldn’t breathe easy due to my body temp being high. I did not wake up damp or drenched. Once again I dug into research on the subject, Imagine my surprise to find out that yes, some women don’t have insomnia or night sweats but do have trouble staying asleep due to high body temperatures. Was this caused by something in my diet? Was it my sleeping environment? I wasn’t sure what the trigger for this particular issue was, so all I could was experiment.

My Sleeping Hot Solution

I started with my environment. Setting the thermostat as low as my Hunny Bun could handle it helped, but it wasn’t a solution to the problem. Cooling scents via essential oils in a diffuser didn’t help because those scents are also energizing scents. Cooling tech fabrics were of no help at all. I was stuck and thought I’d surely have to ask my doctor for a drug which depressed me. Then I ran across an ad for a ChiliPad by Ooler (now SleepMe). After talking to my Hunny Bun and doing some research on it, we decided to spend the $600 and give it a try. They had a money back guarantee so what we could lose? It worked! Via the app on the phone, I can set a schedule that adjusts the temperature of the pad as I sleep. This allows me to sleep all night long and feel truly rested when I wake up.

Mood Swings

I can honestly say that I only had one major mood swing that sent my Hunny Bun running for safety. To be honest, I did not see anything in my research that helped me with avoiding mood swings except for outdoor exercise. Working out in a gym was not a good fit. Running, indoor or outside, is not a good fit for me. However, I live in one of the most walkable cities in the world. I started heading out on the Mount Vernon Trail that runs along the Potomac River daily. Walking from 3 – 10 miles a day and seeing the sun rise every morning is what I believe saved my sanity and prevented severe mood swings. I know not everyone can do that, but I do believe that just getting outside every day can’t hurt!

Conclusion

There are many symptoms of menopause and not all of us will experience all of them. I only experienced three, but you may experience more than three symptoms. We are all different, Even within families, we are all different. Both my sisters and my mom needed a little help from science. There is no shame in reaching out for help and/or advice from medical professionals. But I’m here to tell you there are natural solutions for each problem. All it takes is some research, paying attention to your body, and some trial and error. You can do this! You can make it thru menopause without ending up in a psych ward.

I have been post menopausal for five years and am in excellent physical and mental health. Paying attention to my body and continuing to research issues related to my age has made the difference. Getting out with Athena before the sun comes up for long walks, laughing at the silly things my Hunny Bun does, and playing with my grand kids all contribute to my physical and mental well being.

Have you gone through menopause? If so, what did you do to get through it? What advice would you give? Was your solution science or nature?

 

 

What I'm Doing Where I am

#SmallBusinessSaturday Shopping

In 2010,  American Express created campaign to support small businesses known as #SmallBusinessSaturday. Their idea was to encourage the average consumer to forego large retailers the weekend after Thanksgiving and spend their holiday budget at small retailers who were struggling. The movement took off and over the years, more and more consumers make it a point to shop at small local retailers the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

As an introvert, I prefer to avoid interacting with people in person. However, I will go out during the holiday season to support individual artisans, small businesses, and mom and pop restaurants. This year was no exception. I told my daughter last night that I would be going up to Main Street today for #SmallBusinessSaturday. She decided to go with me.

There were lot more people than I expected out shopping on Main Street. I was unexpectedly shocked, however, at how many store employees didn’t know about #SmallBusinessSaturday. I do not understand someone working in a retail establishment not knowing about #SmallBusinessSaturday? Especially when that establishment is not a nationwide chain and has fewer than 500 employees (the standard definition of a small business)?

One store, out of several, had employees that understood the value, and mindset, of the #SmallBusinessSaturday shopper. That is the one store I will visit again. I may or may not visit the others, but I will go out of my way to visit the one. Why? Because, as a consumer, I want, need, and expect the employees of any establishment I visit in person to understand I could have stayed home and ordered what I wanted instead. The employees of that one store got that! Small businesses rely on repeat customers. I will go to the small business that understands their customer over the one just wanting my money.

Do you go out of your way to support small businesses? If so, what do you expect from the employees when you visit?