Katie Update: All The News That’s Fit To Print

Hi Friends,

It’s been a while since I checked in. Here is what has going on in Katie World. I made this update as a bullet point list so that it is easier to digest.

• We celebrated Preschool Nugget’s birthday this past weekend. I can’t believe he is now 5 years old. I plan to write a post about his birthday and my thoughts on it but I haven’t done it yet. Stay tuned.
• I am ahead of schedule on my 2023 goal of reading/ listening to 25 books this year. I just finished my 6th book of the year. Libby and Hoopla have been instrumental in my success this year and they are both available to me for free with my local library card. I understand that not everyone has access to Libby and Hoopla with their card but other great ebooks and e-audio resources are available with a local library card. I recently helped my aunt get signed up for a cloudLibrary account that she has access to with her library card.
• This is a little off topic but if you do not have access to your local library for whatever reason, I recently found this article about public libraries that have awesome e-resources that will accept you as a member for a relatively low fee where you can get access to Libby, Hoopla, and cloudLibrary. I kind of is interested in getting one of these cards so I can have expanded ebook access. I most likely won’t do this, however, spending $50 on an out-of-state library card seems like a bargain when one considers how much each ebook costs on Amazon. A reader could recoup their costs quickly if they usually purchase their e-books.
• Three books I have read since the beginning of 2023 have been Lord John Grey’s historical mystery novels. The author of these books is Diana Gabaldon, the author of the Outlander Series, which is how I came to know about the books. I am digging them, they have made me realize that I like reading mystery novels. Reading Diana Gabaldon has also helped me realize that I like reading historical fiction. However, I feel like I have been overdoing it a little with John Grey because certain aspects of the series sometimes annoy me. So I am going to take a break from this series for a while.
• The next book I will read is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. I already started listening to it tonight. I am very much enjoying this thing I am doing where I listen and read a book. For the most part, I do not do them both at the same time. I like to listen while I am walking, driving, or dealing with the dishwasher. I like to read in my bed at night or when I am in a waiting room or the living room while I am ignoring my family. I find doing both, but not at the same time, helps me understand what is going on better than just doing one or the other. Plus, listening helps me get through the slower parts that might have tripped me up if I were just reading it.
• Okay, here is some news that doesn’t have anything to do with books: Mr. Katie and I were notified that we were selected to participate in the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. We had to enter a lottery in early February to be selected to participate. On February 17th we received word that we were selected. It is a 10-mile run and one of the largest road races in the United States. I have run more than 10 miles at a time before but am still nervous because this is the largest race, with the possibility of as many as 40,000 runners, that I have ever participated in. The Broad Street Run will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023. According to the race website, April 30th is only 60 days away. I am training and looking forward to it but also nervous because it is a large, well-attended event.
• Mr. Katie and I have been training in our free time and on weekends and are excited to do this together. I am not fast by any means so participating in this race is not about earning a personal record for me. I am more excited about doing it because it seems like a cool experience. Philadelphia is a majestic city. I remember when I first moved to eastern PA in 2006. I loved going to the Philadelphia Art Museum and walking along Boathouse Row. I attended the Independence Day parade my first summer in the area and saw the Mummers march in it. My friend Jeremy and I wanted to see the fireworks that night, but because of a rain delay we had to leave and catch our train home.
• I look forward to this race because I want to run with my fellow runners and experience Philadelphia on foot. I am nervous though about how sometimes people have died running this race. Also sometimes I think about the explosions at the Boston Marathon in 2013 and I worry that that could happen during this race too. However, I also have to remind myself that I cannot live my life in fear. I cannot allow terror to dictate how I live my life. This might be the only time I ever get to participate in the Broad Street Run so I will do it this year.
• In March, I will start filling out the paperwork to register Preschool Nugget for kindergarten. Previously, we had not been sure if we were going to register him and instead give him another year in preschool. However, in February we had the opportunity to speak with many of Preschool Nugget’s teachers and they have been very encouraging with us concerning Preschool Nugget’s school readiness. It is funny to think about him riding a bus every day to school. His teachers have encouraged us to challenge his boundaries and they think he might be ready to take the next step. So this is both scary and exciting for me. I will keep you updated.
• Mr. Man presented a Science Fair project to his class about celery, colored water, and capillary action. He enjoys watching science shorts on Youtube was excited to share his knowledge with his classmates.
• I have been enjoying reading my Cousin James’s blog. It is called Stylish. He inspires me to keep writing because I enjoy reading about the goings on of his life.
• I have been finding that when you let people into your life and you share your life with others, the universe rewards you with friendship and social connection. Friendship and connection are more valuable than all the jewels in the world. Reading James’s blog helps me to understand how being vulnerable with one another is such a rare and powerful thing. Too often in life, we miss out on opportunities to open our doors to the outside world. Thank you dear friends for letting me share my life with you. Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket.
• That’s all the news that’s fit to print for now.
• How are you all doing?