Category: What I’m Into

what i’m into – keeping me sane {november 2018}

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The first time I linked up with Leigh Kramer’s What I’m Into posts was October 29, 2015. And I was sadden when she decided to no longer host the link-up.  She encouraged us to continue writing the What I’m Into posts, however.  

I had the pleasure of meeting Leigh during Anne Bogel’s author event at Parnassus last month.  I told her that I missed the link-up and asked if I could be responsible for continuing the practice.  She encouraged me to continue my version of it so now I invite everyone to share your link to your What I’m Into blog posts in the comments.  We’ll do this every month and we’ll share our next list on Tuesday, January 2. And please spread the word to others. I would love for the community to live on in this space.    

I have been pondering rhythms recently.  Ebb and flow.  In and out. Especially as it pertains to the seasons of the year. the fall, the earth slowly sheds its weight – trees shed their leaves, crops are harvested, the earth becomes fallow.  The earth rests.

I have seasonal affective disorder.  During the fall and winter, I am easily moody and depressed and generally unenthusiastic.  Gray cloudy days are the expressway to gray and cloudy thoughts. Until I started thinking about the seasons of the year, I thought I SUFFERED from SAD. I am beginning to think that isn’t the case.  Perhaps, it’s my body signaling the time for rest.  I have a friend who goes into “hibernation” this time of year. That may not be such a bad idea.

So what’s keeping me sane right now? The fact that I am not into anything really.

I completed the wedding; it went well. And after that, it was a trip to my parent’s condo in Florida where there was absolutely no agenda besides watching my Daddy’s alma mater, Bethune Cookman University, play their final home game of the season.  That was really cool because I got to see the band. They call them “the Pride” of BCU because the 300+ member band is one of the best bands in the country.  They have been in commercials and in movies.

I had heard this band practice every time my family visited my grandparents, who lived across the street from the University.  It was such a pleasure and so fulfilling to see them performing live. And the Florida sun does wonders for SAD.

We came home to temps in the low 40s, high 30s. Cloudy and rainy.  Just the thing to set SAD off.  But I have turned on my solar lamp, streamlined my agenda by making a list of what absolutely has to happen and ways I can enjoy this season this year, and I am focusing on that. I can become alive again in the spring: new life, new energy, producing new things, accomplishing stuff.

What are you into?

enjoy life…

what i’m into – keeping me sane {october 2018}

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Whew! What a busy month!

  • The Buddy Man turned 4-years-old. I can’t even believe it. As Gretchen Rubin says, “The days are long but the years are short.” We had a Blippi-themed birthday party and it turned out very well.  My extended family was in town and the Buddy was thrilled beyond belief.  The cake was amazing!
  • I was so happy to assist a friend with the planning of her wedding this year (stepping back in an old life as an Event Planner). The wedding is this upcoming weekend. Yay! But it’s been a world-wind of preparation.
  • I rose to the challenge and participated in the #write31days for the month of October. The series, This Bookman: Meditations & Miscellany was a lot of fun. Thank you for reading!
  • I ran the 15th annual Liz Hurley Ribbon Run. I didn’t participate last year and I hated that.  I am so happy that I chose to participate this year. Even though it was cloudy.  It was cold.  It was raining.  It did reignite my love of running in races. I’m already thinking about my next one.

I stayed sane by focusing on the priorities and letting go of things that would have taken my focus away. It was hard and I had a few lapses. But I am proud to say that, for the most part, I was able to do it. I think the 5:30 AM runs and pretty good eating habits helped.

AND I met the Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and the author of the book I’d Rather Be Reading. It was awesome.

What have you been up to? What’s keeping you sane?

enjoy life

what i’m into – keeping me sane {september 2018}

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This month has gone by in a blur of active non-activity. I have had a sense of rushing from time and place but then looking back, realized that in a physical sense, I wasn’t that busy.  I guess this feeling of disquiet, rushing, draining is coming from emotional experiences over the past month.  This month is not so much what kept me sane but what I have been up to.

  • I attended the 4th Annual Mompreneur event in my city of Huntsville. It was a place to meet and greet other moms who are out doing their thing.  It was inspiring and invigorating but as an introvert, incredibly draining at the same time.
  • I have been preparing for the Liz Hurley Ribbon Run which involves many many 5:30 AM runs. I had been very consistent for the last month and a half, up until last week, where my body was begging for rest.  The old Shannan would have been afraid of the rest and that I wouldn’t be able to continue the training but that has not been the case.  After a few days’ rest, I ran faster than I had been previously running. Rest is good.
  • A friend and I started a group of Facebook called Obligers and Friends – the two of using quintessential Obligers. The purpose of the group is to provide accountability and a community to form the foundational habits that I essential to life. This month we completed the ½ Gallon/Gallon Challenge, where, for 21 days, we helped each other drink the water we all know that we need to drink. The support has been amazing. Let us know, if you’d like to join.
  • I watched the newest movie on Netflix, Nappily Ever After. As a woman of color, the drama surrounding hair has been a very real thing in my life that was comically portrayed by Sanaa Lathan. And when she cut her hair (she actually shaved off her real hair on camera in one take), I understood the liberation that she was feeling. The reflection of my hair journey was an emotional one.
  • I read Anne Bogel’s newest book of reflections, I’d Rather Be Reading, which spurred my own reflections of my reading journey.  This was also an emotional experience.
  • This month I had the pleasure of meeting one of the members of our virtual book club in person and discussing books and reading. Always fun. She was kind of enough to give me two novels, one I discussed in this month’s Quick Lit. I would love to have more personal encounters with fellow bookmen.
  • Until I can make those happen, I must continue engagement via social media and on this blog. To that end, I will be participating in #Write31Days in October.  What does that mean? I will be posting to my blog every day for the entire 31 days of October.  I can see you are incredulous –  I have not been known for the consistency of my posts. But I feel this is the catalyst that I need to become more of the writer that I want to become.  I look forward to seeing you here.

What have you been up to? What’s keeping you sane?

enjoy life