Oh my lands. People, what is up with this? I’m actually on time for my October Review? Say What?!? The last Month Review I posted was in the middle of August and was for the month of July. Goodness is it good to be back in some kind of routine! 

What I Focused on in October:
1. Lots of wedding prep, plus ya know, being a flower girl/bridesmaid in that wedding
2. Getting back into the rhythm of being a writer after a five-month unofficial sabbatical
3. Visiting family (in Florida, etc…), and Young Adult Retreat with church

Reading Update:
Fiction – 9 (Or more?)
Nonfiction – 0
Audiobooks – 1

Traveling:
11 Nights. New places? None.

Goals:
1. The wedding = YES
2. Begin editing again = YES
3. Proofread GTW = YES
4. Begin beta reading Dreams = YES
5. 10 Sit-ups a day = YES
6. Begin blogging 3+ times a week again = YES
7. Church Young Adult Retreat = YES
8. Get out winter clothing = YES

What I’ve Been Learning:

Goodness folks! It’s good to be back in the land of blogging. And editing. And beta reading. And writerly things in general. This year has been a huge one for learning things that I didn’t even realize I didn’t know. Since I’ve not posted a Month Review since July, some of these “things I’m learning” might also compass the last few months a bit.

• I knew I had the tendency to choose “safe people” – those who I feel comfortable around – and then seek them out during times when I’m extra anything: Tired, happy, overwhelmed, emotional, etc… These people are mostly my family or people who I have spent a lot of time with. Yet every once in a while someone I don’t know slips into that core group of people and it’s amazing and pretty much perfect.
• Being in two family weddings in five weeks takes a lot of emotional energy. Emotional energy is also not limitless, which means when you’re giving all of it to certain things you have to take it away from other things. A big part of growing up turns out to be learning how to figure out what’s the most important thing to spend your energy (emotional and physical) on. And it’s tricky my friends. Tricky but rewarding.
• Caffeine makes me feel like I can keep going, going, going. Yet it’s kinda really bad for me, so limiting caffeine (aka, not drinking it except on days when I’m at the coffee shop) means I have to take more naps, but it’s investing in my health so I’m okay with that.
• Sometimes it’s okay to say “Not Now” or “No” to your goals when life happens. It’s not failure, it’s changing what you want for something better. (Aka: My garden was a patch of weeds and I didn’t run the half marathon.)
• Writing. Folks, there’s never a time when you’ve learned all there is to know about writing. There’s always something new to learn, work on, or discover.
• When you mix exhausted and stressed, a side of me that I’m quite unfamiliar with emerges.
• I really, hugely, totally love my children’s church children. I started teaching children’s church in February and have learned so, so much through the process! I had to pass the duty off on to other people for several weeks because of the weddings and when I finally came back I was delighted at how much I’d missed the kids.
• Last weekend our Young Adults group at church had a retreat. It’s a delightful time where we get to focus, learn, connect, and hang out. We all turn off our phones and put them in a bucket so we can totally focus, and it’s utterly amazing. The sessions

Other:

Yo, folks, I’m pretty sure October lasted like 238 days this year. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it thoroughly, oh so thoroughly! But so, so much happened in the month. I’m not even sure where to begin because it’s not all stuff I can put a finger on. Just when I think back to September it feels like it was ages upon ages ago.

• In October I got to be a flower girl. You know, where you walk down the aisle before the bride sprinkling little flower petals? Yep, that was me in my twenty-six-year-old glory. (Yeah, I had a birthday at the end of September but was too busy with wedding stuff to post about it.) Being a flower girl in my twenties was fantastic and whimsical and a dream come true.
• We had a lot of company in October. That means a lot of visiting in the evenings which is pretty epic. As our “at home” family gets smaller and smaller, I find myself welcoming guests more and more. 😉
• One of the guys who visited did me a humongous favor and somehow figured out to convert a file for me from my Gmail to my computer. This might seem like a big deal until I mention that I hadn’t worked on that particular book for a year because of the issues I’d had with not being able to convert it the correct way. (And I only had the file on my Gmail because the computer I had written the book on was stolen.)
• Hanging out with Chadwin (aka my lawn mower) in October is generally a rather exciting experience which more times than not means bundling up with a coat, gloves, and scarf, and being in awe that this is the life I get to live.
• Y’all! I got to proofread the new edition of my most favorite writing book ever! I was beyond honored to be asked and hope to write a whole post about the book soon.
• The last four days of the month I got to spend with my grandparents in Florida. I’m so glad I was able to visit with them again and spend quality hanging out and listening to their stories and playing games. (Fighting a cold put a bit of a damper on the trip, but it has still been amazing.)

And that folks is a quick look at October! What was your favorite part of this wonderfully glorious (and beautiful) month?