ChrisChat’s Pondering

March 22, 2023

Happy birthday to my mom and brother

March 15, 2023

Plants. I bought more baby plants. I’m on track for not being able to keep a Boston Fern alive and well, but right now my Spider plant is fighting me. Normally, I can keep a Spider plant thriving. Baby Philly is growing and so is the Ivy. Cactus and succulents…no luck, although the Christmas Cacti aren’t dead. I have 2 Shamocks, green and purplish…okay, technically they’re Oxalis. And that’s my wondering mind’s pondering this morning. I might want a baby Boston Fern and Spider plant and a Goldfish plant. Spring is in the air

March 8, 2023

Today was about health, dental health, and review the work I need done since the cancer. When will I get to the point of not having to think back on the aftermath of that time? Teeth and hair are the only parts of me that are still coming back from that time and it irritates me. It’s these little things no one ever talks about and it’s different for everyone. Moving forward, still. At least I’m moving forward 🙂

March 1, 2023

As I’m writing this, in the early hours of the next day, I don’t know how I would review my first day of March. I didn’t accomplish the goals I have for every Wednesday; however, I don’t feel the day was a miss. We all have days that will be interrupted with anything and everything and not even much at all, we only need go with the flow and do our best.

February 22, 2023

My area is expecting an ice storm. My area is under potential power outage warnings. My plan? Pay bills online before it hits. Write. Read. Play. Read. Write. Play. Watch the weather from the safety of my bedroom window. Make time to enjoy any day that’s delivering the “uck.”

February 15, 2023

The wind is howling outside right now, 3:03pm et. The sky is molten patches of cooled grey with spots of bright blue instead of fire red. This greyness is inching along with the power of the wind. The air is warmer than it should be. The sun blasting through in its game of peek-a-boo. In the time it has taken to write this the clouds are drifting apart in a strip tease. And that’s my day so far.

February 8, 2023

Has anyone ever reviewed candy? I’m writing this as I just looked for a piece of candy to snack on. How silly would I be to add candy reviewing to my long list of ideas?

February 1, 2023

The month of love. The month of love-themed movies which have me diving for my blood and guts slasher movies. I’m not a romantic which is why reviewing romance is a bit of a challenge. I have and some I’ve even enjoyed, but my strength is recognizing when I’m not connecting and knowing that others probably will. So, for the month of February, I’ll be searching for the darkness of blood to counteract the love-red hearts around me.

January 25, 2023

Tried watching a newly revisited movie on a favourite childhood TV series…crap. I know we want to revisit past favourites. I know we don’t all agree on how it should be done or not done. Maybe it’s just something we shouldn’t do. There’s so many new stories out there, new characters, new ideas, why do we keep going back to redo? There are diehard…and not just that movie franchise…stories and characters that work being revisited – Sherlock…?…?…yeah, I’m drawing a blank. I don’t know many who want and like being spoon-fed and even more who are tired of the same old thing…so why don’t we demand more new? Or, is it that we need the safety more now than the new?

January 18, 2023

Late today, I’ve been reviewing old files on my laptop and deleting and cleaning them. That was a rabbit hole to be travelled and lose hours on. It zapped the energy, too. Every so often it’s what we need to do…like hunting under-the-bed-dust-bunnies. Have you cleaned/checked your computer files?

January 11, 2023

Does anyone read magazines anymore? I was in the drugstore recently and stopped at the magazine rack and was hit with the want to buy almost everything in front of me. The past fun of flipping through glossy pages, reading gossip, comics, shorts, just looking at pictures filled my memory. Mom and Dad used to buy me comics when I was in bed sick. Game magazines…puzzles, mazes, word searches…pencil or pen? I love books, but the pile of magazines had such a pull for me. Some now cost the same as a paperback, but I miss magazines.

January 4, 2023

Simple start to the new year…read more!

December 28, 2022

Wow, way too many ideas flying through the mind right now…revamp the websites to move the Ponderings to the other side of the page…move all the year’s ponderings to a different page and tab…continues them down the page as is…commit to a certain number of books to read in 2023. Heck, I’m writing them here so I have them somewhere to find. Others party and celebrate the year’s end; me? I clean or set my home in order ready to start fresh, even if a bit tired. I don’t do resolutions, but I do want to read more. You?

December 21, 2022

Holiday resolution….read more. You only get 1 guess what next week’s New Year’s resolution will be 😉

December 14, 2022

Slowly getting over this coughing cold…slowly. I’ve managed to find my review notes and set up the next in line.

December 7, 2022

Reading while sick is impossible. Back to bed I go

November 30, 2022

I had hoped to have more read and more reviews written, but I’m letting myself down. Last day of November and time to review my work habits

November 23, 2022

Reviews are starting to feel too repetitive, too much like a formula writing and I want to break that habit writing. This has slowed down my writing of the backlog of reviews. As I mentioned last week, balance, working on finding the balance of style and freshness.

November 16, 2022

I missed reading. I’m a reviewer and I fell away from reading for a bit and I know that makes no sense, but there it is. I need to find the balance, again.

November 9, 2022

Simple truth…I miss those authors I previous reviewed and their next book that didn’t materialize anywhere either due to publisher change, out of print, not writing anymore, lost among the multitudes, and simply just gone. Writers, you are missed.

November 2, 2022

New month and new set of review reading happening. Want to get caught up by end of the year, but the books just keep getting added to my list…not going to complain 🙂 Only complaining is the shortness of time.

October 26, 2022

The weather has turned back to fall. The sun is hiding up there behind the rain clouds keeping the temperatures lower and damp. Logically I know we need the rain and there are times I enjoy a solid rainstorm, but mix it with the lower natural light and my mood pulls in and goes down. I have lightbox, but the mind is taking time to adjust and believe in it…books are so much easier to fall into. Hoping to reconnect to a few.

October 19, 2022

Not happy with the lack of progress I’m making through this cold. Is it the lack of sunshine or just being sick, still. I went and bought a light lamp and will let you know how if anything changes with it.

October 12, 2022

There are many reasons to feel down when sick, not having the energy to read is one of them. Mindlessly watching movies and not grasping what you’ve watched is another. Missing out on the small moments of fun is a major one…going through a choking cough, now that really dampens the mood for anything. Stay healthy and look for the day’s fun.

September 28 – October 5, 2022

Uhm, I thought I lost my review notes. Uhm, I changed the notebook I was using. I found it. I misplaced it. I found it, again. I’m blaming the season changing and my brain not sticking with the program.

September 21, 2022

I could say it’s the struggle to restart today, but it’s more the memories of this being my parents 60th wedding anniversary and missing dad.

September 14, 2022

If you follow any of my other sites, you know this is my birthday week. Taking it slow and easy. Reading and watching campy movies.

September 7, 2022

Who said better late than never? I think that’s become my newest mantra and the most annoying one. Being late was the one personal habit my parents drilled into me as not being one to have and I think I’ve taken to cultivating it. At least when it comes to doing for me. Well, the good news is this is the first Wednesday of September, so maybe I’ll break it here 🙂

August 10, 2022

I’m not one to read the last page of any book or to read ahead to find out what’s coming or happened. However, I can’t say the same for movies or TV series. I’m currently watching the Spanish series The Longest Night, Netflix, and it’s a thriller, in a prison, Warden’s children…had to check that they children were going to be okay. I’m still watching. Do you ever do this?

August 3, 2022

It’s actually too hot to read. My concentration is sitting beside zero-energy and droopy-eyes. You would think now would be the perfect reading time…chair, a/c, cool drink, doing nothing but immersing in someone’s creative world following…okay, think I’ll try again.

July 27, 2022

Finally! I figured out how to copy my charts back into the website and update them. It took a…too long…and far too much frustration on my part, along with some swearing at the programs, but the charts are updated. The only thing I forgot…update the missing genres. And, then, get their pages ready for reviews 🙂

July 20, 2022

I’m adding books to my reading pile…why? I already have what some say too many…can you have too many? Nah, that’s a silly notion.

July 13, 2022

Do your reading habits change with the seasons? My writing habits do, but I still tend to read the same genres no matter the weather. Now, my daily timing of reading, that has changed. On average, I’m a day reader.

July 6, 2022

Been spending more time watching middle of the road Shark monster movies and have been surprised at a few for being better than I expected. Have you been surprised by any B, C, or D movies?

June 29, 2022

There’s a light rain happening right now and as much as I want to write and do other work it feels like a reading day. What weather fits reading for you?

June 22, 2022

It’s high humid and low air quality today…time to sit and veg out with B-D movies. I’m too hot to read 🙁

June 15, 2022

There are times we need to review our lives and all that we keep in it, whether they are things or even people.

June 8, 2022

No matter what anyone says keep your dreams and goals alive. It doesn’t matter what a critic or reviewer or reader/watcher anyone says. Everything starts with you for you.

June 1, 2022

New month, new beginnings…time for new stories? Of course.

May 27, 2022

I couldn’t show up on Wednesday, there was too much pain coming from my neighbouring country. There will always been pain for those who loved the ones no longer with us, may the memories eventually help.

May 18, 2022

Anyone else want to sit outside and read all day? I’m feeling the urge to take my reading totes and do it. I also know I’ll spend most of the day just listening to life around me and probably end up dozing.

May 11, 2022

Finally, picked up a fiction book and read again. Have had a health issue, again, and the first thing that leaves is my reading ability. That hurts me more than the illness.

May 4, 2022

Does anyone read reviews?

February 9, 2022

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way speaks about taking ourselves on an artist’s date. I need to devote, at least, one hour to nothing but reading your books. I’m failing us both if I don’t.

February 2, 2022

Hi. The weather outside is ick heading to nasty, or so they tell us, that means I can either keep my working hat on or just curl up and read the rest of the week away. Problem with that is I talk books no matter what or who I read, so does that mean my working hat is always on? Maybe I should change “working” for “critic”? I really don’t like that word…critic…sounds too much like I’m looking for holes to tear apart. Opinion…thought? Both sound really weird with “hat” tagged on. How about we just stick with reading hat 🙂

January 19 2022

Revamping. I feel the need to revamp my sites. Maybe if I walk away the feeling will go away? There’s a lot of work involved in a revamp, but I don’t believe I’m using this space to its fullest…yet. Having been away from my sites over the summer and basically, Covid mood, I have some relearning to do…updates to the behind the scenes stuff. Stay tuned as this could get interesting