The city of Oceanside recently hosted a “Write On” event, as part of a day devoted to all things writerly.

We’re in October now, but back in August I did get to see my beloved Counting Crows for the eighth time. And it just might have been my favorite. Although I probably say that for all of them, this one did have a little extra something.

The thing I love most about Frankenstein is how different it is from anything you might have pictured before reading it. It was such a surprise to me.

Continuing the exploration of my favorite books, inspired by National Book Lovers Day on August 9, I simply must highlight A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It’s in my top 3 books of all time (as is Peace Like a River, from last post), and one of the few that I actually re-read. Because the experience of reading this book is nothing short of sublime.

In honor of one of my favorite national days (I’m a fan of national days in general), I thought I’d do a little series on some of my favorite books.

It was a wild and crazy apricot season, with my little tree netting 75 jars of jam. This meant picking apricots daily, checking the ground (some of which is the community greenbelt) for fallen fruit usually twice daily, and making 3 batches of jam per week. It was, by all accounts, exhausting, but the jam is delicious.

It’s amazing how much a place can mean to us—to me. I remember being a teenager and sending letters to a sibling living abroad about things that had changed in the house, also noting those that were still the same.

I also like that I’ve returned to writing, after taking an extra long break. The breaks I reward myself with after I finish writing a book, and while the breaks feel like a relief after so much creative output, their length makes the return of writing feel particularly novel and fresh.

The crown jewel of Spring though, at least in North San Diego County, is the flower fields in Carlsbad.

But it’s what I can do for them, short of adopting them all—which I cannot do. I will say this a second time, more for me than for anyone else: I CANNOT ADOPT ALL THE CATS. Yet I find this small bit of service to be so much more rewarding than you might expect.

It was slow going (and still is even after much improvement), but to think that I went from being sure running was impossible for me to running a half marathon—a full 13 miles without stopping—is truly amazing to me. It made crossing that finish line, and every step along the way, mean more than it probably does to most other half finishers.

And just like that, Auntie is officially launched! The launch signing at Warwick’s was a perfect way to start, and I enjoyed connecting with friends, family, and strangers all afternoon.

In any case, I’ve been looking for things to keep my post-holiday spirits up, and a new year is always a deliciously optimistic proposition to me. Because anything can happen.