new beginnings | #CuriousWrenCurrentAdventures

Currently:

Today is a snow day of snow days (which means getting to stay home from work & sleep in) and everything outside is white + wild + beyond freezing cold. But inside the house it’s cozy, and I’m nestled in my favorite corner of our vintage couch. There’s a fluffy cat wrapped around my shoulders, and she’s begging for attention which means I have to stop typing every few minutes and give her pats or I get nothing done. At my elbow is a mug of mint hot chocolate with a candy cane perched jauntily on the rim–it smells like happiness. By mutual consent of everyone in the family our Christmas tree still stands, and the glow of its colorful lights add an extra layer of hygge to my surroundings.

(*note: I’m scheduling this post for tomorrow morning so this all pertains to monday afternoon)

Thinking about:

My future, a simultaneously thrilling and terrifying subject // the marvelous fact that baby bears exist + they are ridiculously adorable. my youngest sister has been watching a nature show (narrated by David Tennant using his Scottish accent!) so I have bears, seals, and sea otters on the brain // food, because I’m getting peckish and I still have some ramen stashed in the kitchen. It mightn’t be the healthiest life choice but it tastes, oh, so delicious // how important it is to portray healthy friendships in entertainment media… I think there’s going to be a blog series on my favorite friends in books, etc, sometime soon // comedy done well is a GIFT (see P.G. Wodehouse and Charles Dickens // refusing to worry about missing a day of work since I’ve been trying hard lately to re-cultivate a mindset of embracing life in the moment and not letting stress eat away my peace of mind or affect my enjoyment of small, simple pleasures. It’s an on-going battle, but it’s important for my mental health and how it affects the people around me.

Reading:

Pickwick Papers. Since it’s a giant book I’ll probably read Anne of Ingleside simultaneously. I’m following my winter TBR list closely which I’m happy about since usually when I make TBR lists I forget all about them after a few days. It’s taking a bit of time to re-adjust to Dickens’ writing style, but I’m starting to remember how much I enjoy his books (it’s been ages since I’ve read one of his doorstoppers). I’m only a couple chapters in, but the misunderstanding between a gentleman and Mr. Winkle that nearly resulted in a duel had me in stitches. Have I mentioned how much I adore the oddity of Dickens’ characters? It’s too delicious for words.

Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash

Listening to:

A playlist for my book about a young mute girl and her magical cat– there’s songs from the Piano Guys (What Makes You Beautiful, Over the Rainbow/Simple Gifts), lots of soundtrack music (mostly from Pixar + Dreamworks movies & Paddington), and a goodish amount of playful Kdrama OST selections. The playlist as a whole has a cheerful, mischievous vibe with a hint of melancholy. It reminds me of summer & ice-cream cones enjoyed at a zoo & the sound of rain pattering on rooftops & how tree leaves glow bright green when seen from underneath on a sunny day.

Words percolating:

These verses from the beginning of Proverbs chapter 3; “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” There’s such love and comfort in the beautiful promise these words hold. I’ve been clinging to them lately since this new year has shredded my confidence in some ways and revealed insecurities and fears I didn’t even know I had. Feel free to pray for me if you think of it, lovelies.

Photo by Anton Kraev on Unsplash

Mood:

A cat when they’re snuggled up on a minky blanket and nobody is bothering them.

Loving:

Over-the-knee cabled wool socks // the breathtaking beauty of a snow-clad landscape // the fact that my entire family (including my Grandma) now shares my love for Kdramas–quality TV shows FTW // the way a stranger’s face lights up when you sincerely compliment them // my tiny niece when she slips up next to me after church and asks for a story-telling session // Christmas lights–I refuse to say goodbye to the festive season // books that crack you wide open and make you cry // songs that feel like home // this article about coffee shops in Ireland. the wanderlust is real and I want to go // impromptu meet-ups with friends you haven’t seen in months // unexpected mail // expected packages // when a sunday school student shyly gifts you a handful of pebbles they thought you’d like. excuse me while I have a melt-down over the sweetness // people who let you go ahead of them in the line at grocery stores // wandering in bookshops //

Thankful for:

Warm blankets, socks, hot chocolate, and hoodies the color of a Floridian sky // music // my laptop, even though I need a new one // being able to write books // we finally have snow! and lots of it // that my Heavenly father never gives up on me no matter how stubborn I am.

Anticipating:

New beginnings. I have a lot of plans & hopes for this year, and important changes that I’m already starting to implement // birdsong. even though I’m not ready for spring by any means, I do miss hearing the birds sing in the morning // the ramen I’ll be eating for supper in a few minutes // also after this I’m going to write a card to a friend which is always something to look forward to // a trip I’ll be taking in February. it’s just a little jaunt over a few days, but hopefully it’ll soothe my longing to travel for a bit.

What are your current happenings & adventures? Let’s chat!

hefty tomes + cozy children’s books // the Curious Wren’s winter TBR tower

Whenever I write my seasonal TBR lists I usually have a few books that, to me, are most suited for specific times of the year: The Wind in the Willows for spring, The Phantom of the Opera for autumn, etc. Winter, on the flip-side, is the only season when it’s not so much about specific books (although, I do re-read A Christmas Carol every December) but rather literature that’s quintessentially cozy + hearty. The biting cold + howling winds are perfect for making me want to burrow in a nest of blankets while I indulge in hefty classics, and children’s books that I’ve loved since I was a tiny munchkin. I’ve already re-read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and, even though they’re not written on the list, I’ll also be enjoying Agatha Christie mysteries (when am I not) and Angela Thirkell’s slice-of-life British stories.

winter TBR tower

(optimism and enthusiasm intensifies)

– Les Miserables (Victor Hugo). I’ve promised myself I’ll finish Les Mis this year. That sounds like I’m struggling to read it or not enjoying it when I do, but I promise you when I pick the book up it’s amazing. The problem is I haven’t been reading it steadily and every time I tuck it back on my shelf I forget about it. Maybe I’ll have to lug it everywhere with me (never going to happen since it’s a massive doorstopper) or keep it somewhere conspicuous in our house.

– The Great Divorce (C.S. Lewis). I’ve never read any of Lewis’ nonfiction books even though I’ve wanted to for years. Nonfiction (particularly the theological sort) intimidates me and makes me feel very smol + as if I possess only a single braincell. BUT I realise discomfort in growth is an important part of the process so I’m being brave this year. My plan is to read TGD in as hygge-like a setting as pos. (think cozy blankets, spiced apple tea, and fairy lights) because if my mind is wrestling with deep books I am absolutely going to be comfy whilst doing so. And after The Great Divorce, I have a whole list of intellectual reading to dive into.

Every time I discuss my plans to read nonfic books, I feel like Emma Woodhouse, “… so that I might not be so uneducated compared to Jane Fairfax.”

– Sugar Creek Gang series (Paul Hutchens). ack, these books! I love, love, love them. They’re deeply relatable, humorous, easily devoured in one day, and probably taught me more about friendship + people + life truths growing up than anything else I read. It’s one of those series that’s so close to my heart, and influenced me in so many ways it’s difficult to put into words. I gifted myself a goodish portion of the series after Christmas–thus far I’ve already re-read two books and been bowled over by the happy feels.

– Louisiana’s Way Home (Kate Dicamillo). Just thinking about reading another DiCamillo book gives me warm fuzzies. I’ve already heard such high praise for Home from my sisters (also this lovely) and I’m only waiting for the perfect day to make a cup of decadent hot chocolate + crack open my copy (it’s signed by the author. yes, I cried happy tears when it was gifted to me).

– The Pickwick Papers (Charles Dickens). Good, old Dickens. I miss his books like missing a dear friend when you’ve gone months without a meet-up. Since I’ve never actually read Pickwick (I can hear Certain Friends of Mine sputtering in disbelief as I type this) I think it’s high time I change that before my badge as a Dickens fan is taken away.

– A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens). No explanation required, but let me say that Sydney Carton breaks my heart, and this book is a masterpiece I will cry over for the rest of my life with no regrets.

– The Wonderful Garden or The Three C’s (E. Nesbit). E. Nesbit’s books are the epitome of coziness + childhood nostalgia with lovable, heart-warming characters everywhere. I’ve only ever heard the audiobook of Three C’s (which is pure magic) on LibriVox, however, one of my sisters owns a copy which I’m going to stealthily transfer to my bookcase as soon as I have the opportunity.

– Anne of Ingleside (L.M. Montgomery). I finally finished re-reading Anne’s House of Dreams in December (hopefully next time reading it will be less arduous) and Ingleside is next up in my read-through of the Anne books. It’s one of my favorites in the series–the children are all darlings–and the shenanigans and humor are wonderful. Montgomery’s books are a gift to this world, lovelies.

– The Thief Lord (Cornelia Funke). This is here primarily to please my two younger sisters. They’ve been telling me I need to read it and I keep on forgetting the book exists so on the list it goes to remind me. I like Funke’s writing style and the Inkheart trilogy (Dustfinger! Be still my beating heart) and since Thief Lord is set in winter it seems apropos. also if I don’t read it soon I might never be heard from again, and you’ll know who the culprits are.

– The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett): Have I ever mentioned how much I adore this book? It’s another of those childhood books that I’ve read multiple times, heard on audio during car rides, seen various adaptions of, and sat listening breathlessly with my siblings while Mother read it aloud. It’s woven into my soul in a special way that only books that came alive to you in your childhood can be. Technically it’s a book that ought to be read in the springtime, but I miss it. (If you’ve never read or owned Secret Garden before, gift yourself a copy of the edition illustrated by Tasha Tudor. They’re perfection.)

What books are you enjoying right now? Do you have specific reads you re-visit every winter?