Hailey Hudson's Blog

June was a pretty good month. There were a lot of times when it was simply fun, happy, and I felt excited about life. I don’t remember the last time I could say that about a month; it’s probably been over a year. I worked a lot–in fact, I hit an income number that I’ve only hit one other time in my entire career–and slept a lot. But I was also able to spend a lot of time with friends and family. We celebrated Father’s Day and Joshua’s birthday (with a professional whiffleball game), and took a quick trip to Tennessee for Will’s wedding (!). I got to see the world premiere of Basura, a new musical at the Alliance. And I said goodbye to Emma as she prepares to move to Switzerland in a few weeks.

This month I’m…

Reading: Counterweights, Shannan Martin. Meet the Newmans, Jennifer Niven. The Shippers, Katherine Center. Wombat Waiting, Katherine Applegate. (Yeah… once again, that’s a whopping total of four. Who am I? I also did read a heck ton of fanfiction, if that counts for anything?)

Listening to: My summer playlist (which is really good btw). Maisie’s new album.

Watching: YouTube–Sailing Zatara various family member channels. TV shows–Off Campus; the Tony awards. Movies–Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one (rewatch).

Creating: I did a bit of work for my volunteer roles with my church and the Diamonds Conference; dabbled in watercolor (no pun intended) and writing fanfiction; and prepped my Oley Conference session, plus getting in some good songwriting.

Grateful for: Friendships where I just walk in their door without knocking. Queen Anne’s Lace. Nathalie Lete stickers. Delicious salt and pepper potatoes. Rocco’s CUTE LITTLE FACE. June sunshine. The gecko friend in the garden. Watercolored for the first time in months. Found brand new CPAP headgear in my cabinet. Summertime drives listening to Maisie Peters. Feeling well rested! Doing character work on Jo March. Seeing lots of fireflies! Cathead biscuits. Dancing with a lifelong girlfriend at a wedding. Larkspur. A public piano painted with the Monarch lifecycle. Washing and cutting berries. Getting paid by a client. How writing fiction always feels like coming back to myself, no mater how long it’s been.

What did you do in June? Are you enjoying summer? I don’t want it to ever end.

There were so many wildly different things packed into the month of May. At first, I was just glued to work stuff 24/7. I was also dealing with something in my personal life that spanned the entire month and ran the full gamut of emotions. Then, the weekend before Memorial Day, I unexpectedly ended up in the hospital for five days with buried bumper syndrome (a rare, serious complication where your feeding tube migrates into your abdominal wall). It was the most physically painful thing I have ever experienced. I recovered just in time to go on a girls’ trip to Savannah and Tybee Island with my friends Ari, Lydia, Michaela, and Mariia. We had such a fun, special time together that I am so grateful for!! And then I came home and threw myself right back into work, because I’d gotten behind thanks to being admitted.

This month I’m…

Reading: Stay With Me, Anna B. Faithful: A Theology of Sex, Beth Felker Jones. Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeleine L’Engle (reread). (4 total) (who am I? Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever read this few books in a month in my entire life!)

Listening to: My spring playlist. Noah Kahan’s new album. Maisie Peters’s new album (and her old stuff, in preparation). My friends’ road trip playlist.

Watching: Movies–Michael; Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (rewatch); Miss Congeniality; Pirates of the Caribbean.

Creating: I did a ton of sewing during the first half of the month (microwave rice packs, tooth fairy pillows, luggage tags, etc); I’d intended to post a bunch of hand-sewn items for sale on social media before leaving for Savannah to earn souvenir money. But when I ended up in the hospital, that didn’t happen. And honestly, not much else happened in this area in May, either, because I was so busy with work and other things. I did enjoy some photography, some music, and some Postcrossing. And I’ve been closely following all of the fun coverage from TONYS SEASON!!!

Grateful for: A thunderstorm. Dried lavender. Old Lizzie McAlpine. Good advice from friends. The snapping turtle I saw on the way to church! An opportunity to help a friend. IV morphine. Compassionate clients. Being CLEAN! Got my first international Postcrossing postcard. Having enough TPN for the trip because I had leftover from being in the hospital. Road trip jams and dance partise. Putting my feet in the ocean. Having a DSLR to play with while traveling. Girlhood. Bookstore with cats!!! A friend’s Godly wisdom. Being able to walk along the riverfront. It feels like summer. (I also apparently wrote on May 1st that I was grateful I “haven’t been in the hospital in so long,” so… we can all see how that one ended up.)

What did you do in the month of May?

Yes, I realize 2025 is a distant memory by now LOL, but as a disclaimer: I wrote 97% of this post–all except for the conclusion and maybe a few sentences here and there–at the end of December. I just somehow never got around to actually hitting publish.

2025 was a wildly unexpected year. It was characterized by a life-changing trip to Charleston and going into intestinal failure, the second of which led to starting TPN. I also ran out of money for the first time in my adult life because I was struggling to work due to malnutrition. And my family went through (and is still going through) an extremely difficult situation.

There were also so many beautiful moments this year, like being a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding, getting back into sewing, and expanding more into science-heavy medical writing. God’s provision was absolutely the theme of 2025 and I grew a lot as I saw Him work. I’m so thankful for all the ways He sustained me.

2025, month-by-monthJanuary

Not much happened in January, I don’t think. We had a snowy weekend. I cried about my new health insurance. Annabelle and I had a great night at a Kelsea Ballerini concert. I also stayed cozy reading a lot of good books, going to my favorite coffee shop as often as possible, and picking up a (hand) sewing project for the first time in probably 13 years.

Notable quote (from my journal, blog, or other writing during this month): “Despite the privilege all around me, my body still traps me into a life-or-death situation. And I am so exhausted of dealing with it.”Art that impacted me the most in January: Impossible Creatures, Katherine Rundell (book); The Briar Club, Kate Quinn (book); Swan Lake, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (music); Kelsea Ballerini’s musicFebruary

In February I had some fun Valentine’s-themed events, such as hosting a Valentine’s Day party for one of my friend groups and planning an outing to The Swan Princess ballet for 20 girls and women from my church. I also enjoyed really digging into voice and songwriting more than I have in a while. And the cats made a lot of progress with meeting new people, which was fun! But I ended the month stressed about work and about health (a weakness episode, a blood clot in my central line, weight loss).

Notable quote: “When I look in the mirror now, I no longer see a teenage girl but a woman. I’m not sure exactly when that happened.”Art that impacted me the most in February: Jupiter Rising, Gary D. Schmidt (book); Season 2 of Friends, MaRynn Taylor (song)March

March is always my least favorite month of the year, and March 2025 certainly did nothing to endear itself to me. My family got some shattering news just a few days into the month, creating a life-changing, complex, and emotional situation that’s not resolved even now (July of 2026). And many people close to me were also going through hard and heavy things. Pair that with me committing to way too much work, which made my body feel absolutely terrible, and I wasn’t sorry to see March go. But I still enjoyed books, kitty snuggles, music, vintage postcards, coffee shops, spring dresses, and spring flowers.

Notable quote: “… Valleys don’t last forever. I know it feels like it right now. But keep walking. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. There is something at the end of the valley.”Art that impacted me the most in March: Barbara O’Connor’s books; Maybe Happy Ending (musical)April

In contrast, April is usually one of my favorite months of the year! Everything in north Georgia is so GREEN. Unfortunately, this month my health was really struggling, and I felt very stressed about work and finances. But I was so sweetly reminded that the Lord will provide. I enjoyed some special days with friends and family, including a wonderful weekend for Ari and Isaac’s wedding, in which I was a bridesmaid. And there were plenty of flowers, poems, and lavender matchas.

Notable quote: “I felt like Mary after this weekend, just quietly, privately treasuring it all in my heart.”Art that impacted me the most in April: The Lord Will Provide, Passion (song); The Sun Is in Your Eyes, Jacob Collier (song); Oh, What A World, Kacey Musgraves (song); The Wild Robot (movie)May

I started out the month trying to rest before summer craziness kicked in, but then got stressed as clients began assigning me a lot of work for June, but I couldn’t actually start working on it yet because of the nature of the assignments. Luckily, May was also filled with amazement at God’s provision, and many beautiful memories with the people I love. We had the sweetest long weekend celebrating Emma’s high school graduation, and my church had our local mission week (although I unfortunately had another family emergency in the middle of it).

Notable quote: “All my problems are still here. But I know God is going to take care of me. I’m seeing Him take care of me, right in front of my eyes.”Art that impacted me the most in May: The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, Jennifer Weiner (book); Aperture, The Head And The Heart (musical album); Doggy Paddle, Shallow Alcove (musical EP); Thunderbolts/The New Avengers (movie)June

June 2025 changed my life. I took a 10-day trip to Charleston, a new city for me. First, I attended the Oley Conference, a conference for people who are on feeding tubes and/or TPN. I learned so much and made invaluable personal and professional connections. (Separately from the conference, I also had the unexpected opportunity to tour The Norris Lab at MUSC, which is well-known for its patient-scientist model and for specifically studying Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.) Then, Grace Anne and Michelle came into town for a girls’ trip and we spent time catching up and exploring the city–shopping, beach, a (somewhat) spontaneous tattoo for me, everything we could squeeze in without completely dying from the heat. Overall, God used this trip in so many ways to grow me and to show me His provision, His faithfulness, and His plans. And it was just plain fun! Every moment of those 10 days was truly so full and abundant, and I think about Charleston often.

Before leaving for the trip, I spent the first half of June cramming in a lot of work, including ASCO coverage. I also performed at Sing & Strum and spent time with my family. When I got back from Charleston, I quite literally slept for four days straight.

Notable quote: “… Four years ago this week I was watching YouTube videos to learn how to use my pump, still in post-op pain, wondering if this huge life change was going to be worth it. Now? Night two of the conference, I found myself starting to cry as I told someone, ‘It’s so much more than I could ask for.’ All of it, all of it, all of it.”Art that impacted me the most in June: tethered, lighthearted (song–this was my #1 listened to song in 2025 and I cannot listen to it anymore because it takes me right back to that magical 10 days that I’ll never have again); Heart Problems, Blue Water Highway (song); More Than I Could Ask For, Ben Rector (song); Fairview Feeling, Caamp (song); What I Carry, Jennifer Longo (book)July

Unfortunately, after Charleston, my year kind of went to crap. In July I sustained a trachea injury (…okay, yes, it was self-inflicted–long story) that seemed to trigger a new respiratory condition. I did eventually get an accurate diagnosis, but until this happened, I experienced multiple terrifying episodes where I was gasping for breath on the floor at 3 AM, trying to decide if I should call EMS. July was also the month where I finally realized (and/or admitted) that I hadn’t been tolerating tube feeds for several months, had lost a concerning amount of weight, and was getting badly malnourished. I felt a lot of Big Emotions about chronic illness. But as always, there was still good this month, too: Sing & Strum fell on the Fourth, which was really fun; I did a lot of junk journaling/art journaling to process those Big Emotions; and I watched some vibe-y summer TV shows.

Notable quote: “I miss my brain. // there’s just so much I want. // don’t you ever feel lost? // in my head I do everything I want.”Art that impacted me the most in July: Circles, Mac Miller (musical album); Doggy Paddle, Shallow Alcove (song); Sally, When The Wine Runs Out, Role Model (song); Eat Your Young, Hozier; effortlessly, i feel everything, The Man The Myth The Meatslab; We Were Liars (TV show)August

In August, I spent a lot of time thrifting and crafting. I got a jump start on homemade Christmas gifts and enjoyed a lot of nice quiet days at home with my crafting and hobbies. Other than that, it was a pretty average month–appointments, work (although that area was fairly slow), church events, time with family. I was trying to recover from being super sick in July, but I was getting a lot sicker in other ways.

Notable quote: “Fight hard to not lose those other parts of yourself. It’s too important. I feel like I can say this, because I’ve been there: No matter how sick you are, just really try to hang on to those other things that make up who you are–whatever you’re passionate about, whatever you love to do, even if it’s only in a really tiny way right then… just whatever small way you can cling onto it.”Art that impacted me the most in August: Erase Me, The Harvard Opportunes (song cover); MARVELOUS, Mitch Wong (song); Man I Need, Olivia Dean (song); The Names, Florence Knapp (book); The Listeners, Maggie Stiefvater (book); The Parent Trap (movie, 1998)September

September found me very sick. The malnourishment was really kicking in, and my symptoms related to (what we think is) CCI were also bad. I was regularly having “drop attacks” in the shower or sleeping 20+ hours in one go. By now, I’d also run completely out of money–and I was too sick to work much at all. I had nothing left. And I wasn’t sure if my insurance was going to cover TPN. I felt completely hopeless and couldn’t see any way out of this dilemma. For the second time in my life, I was starving to death, except this time my body was starting from a more unstable place, and I was facing systemic and financial barriers that I didn’t have the first time. I tried my hardest to consider it joy. But I also couldn’t quite remember what I was even fighting for.

I pushed through the physical symptoms to visit Grandpa in Mississippi for a week. We also did a family staycation in Atlanta and went to a Braves game and a Ben Rector concert. I enjoyed going to a book fair with Brooke, and helping with a baby shower at church; and was excited to get a DSLR to use, and my own sewing machine, both for the first time in years! Despite everything, I somehow still felt that unique, explainable September magic woven throughout the month.

Notable quote: “I am just so tired. I don’t want to fight… And this year has just opened up a whole different/new side of chronic illness/life to me, that I was privileged to not experience before, and has made me feel so cynical… I’m just really, really, really tired and don’t want to do this anymore.”Art that impacted me the most in September: Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End, David Gibson (book); Spectacular Things, Beck Dorey-Stein (book); How to Live, Del Water Gap (song); Consider It Joy, Son of Cloud (song); Olivia Dean (musical artist)October

October very quickly took an unexpected turn as my GI doctor told me emphatically at the beginning of the month that I could not wait anymore: She was very concerned about my health and thought I needed to be admitted to the hospital to start TPN; we’d worry about insurance when we got there. (My insurance did end up covering TPN with no issue.) I ended up being admitted for 10 days. Some days during this admission were good: friends came to visit me several times, I had some great nurses, my mom and I made lots of silly TikToks. Other days were harder: I had some traumatic procedures, annoying new GI doctors who popped up out of nowhere, and overall felt emotionally numb. I truly never dreamed I would stop tolerating feeds and need TPN (we believe I am likely in intestinal failure).

Once I was discharged, I pretty much just spent the last two weeks of the month physically recovering from the admission, adjusting to TPN, and working a lot. I still felt pretty terrible. Many days, everything felt so impossibly hard. But I was so thankful to have my brain functioning better and to be able to take on more work.

Notable quote: “Summer was a very long time ago. I’m afraid insurance won’t approve TPN and I’m afraid they will… Everything just feels so impossibly hard. Will everything ever stop being so incredibly hard?”Art that impacted me the most in October: Dare You to Move, Adam Doleac (song cover)November

Throughout November, I felt pretty rough, too. My body was continuing to adjust to TPN, and I was also still recovering from the admission and from another neck injury I’d sustained during a procedure. Migraines and fatigue were especially debilitating. I pushed through as much as I could and tried to focus on work. Outside of work, some things I enjoyed this month were listening to/writing/arranging music (thank you TPN for giving me the brainpower to do this again); watching Dancing With The Stars for the first time; visiting the Avanos headquarters to film a video about my feeding tube journey; and taking myself to see The Outsiders Broadway tour at the Fox (the best experience and most perfect day).

Notable quote: “I think I am dissociated from my entire life right now. Emotionally numb… I actually want to feel something.”Art that impacted me the most in November: This Homeward Ache, Amy Baik Lee (book); We Fell Apart, E. Lockhart (book); Talk About, Yana (song); Big House on a Mountain, Annika Bennett (song); (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano, Sampha (song); The Outsiders (musical)December

I spent the final month of 2025 working (mostly ASH coverage); going to medical appointments; making homemade Christmas gifts (up until 3 AM Christmas Eve morning!); and falling asleep on my couch (can you tell why?). I feel like I struck a good balance of keeping up with normal life stuff, but enjoying the holiday season, too. I was feeling the urge to hibernate a little bit: I reread the Nevermoor series, drank a peppermint matcha at every opportunity, and got in lots of kitty snuggles next to my miniature Christmas tree. And we had a quiet Christmas with just the four of us–something that hasn’t happened in many many years, and that I really enjoyed.

Art that impacted me the most in December: Nevermoor, Jessica Townsend (book series); Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season two (TV show); Because of Winn-Dixie (movie); The Hand, Annabelle Dinda (song); Center, Bethel Music and Abbie Gamboa (song); Heathers (musical)The best and worst of 2025

When I think about the best moments of 2025, there are many that come to mind. Off the top of my head, my favorite days/memories this year include:

The day before Ari and Isaac’s wedding, when the girls spent the day playing with flowers and making matcha runs and getting our nails done, and then everyone reconvened for the evening and I read a liturgy that I’d asked Isaac’s mom if I could share during the rehearsal dinner, except I quickly found I couldn’t look at Ari and Isaac if I wanted to get through it without breaking downEmma’s dance recital day; I had gone to the afternoon performance fully intending to go home after, but of course I got talked into staying, and it became a whole thing with the evening performance and a big family dinner and Josh driving me home at midnight, and it was all just the sweetest dayIce cream social night at Oley, when we ended up sitting in a circle on the pavement in the thick lowcountry heat long after our popsicles were gone, laughing and talking about anything and everything–wheelchairs, feeding tubes, TPN backpacks, a dozen fast friends who had met only a couple of days beforeOur beach day in Charleston; we sat on Folly Beach for hours in the afternoon (I fell asleep and got a wicked sunburn that I still have a tan line from), and then we cleaned up in the beach house (my hairbrush broke in two because the salt air did such a number on my hair) and headed to a tattoo shop I’d found on Reddit, where I got a tattoo representing God’s provision, and then we went to Sullivan’s Island to the cutest little beach town area and got changed and did our makeup in the car while we waited for a table, and then had a late dinner outside with pasta and pizza and drinks and gelato. Absolute perfectionA family night we had at church in August; I had been around town thrifting (with a matcha in hand) and then I went to church with watermelon and flowers for the table, and after we ate I held the baby and we sat on the stone steps of the chapel and watched while everyone else played bucket golf in the deep grass, but then a late summer storm popped up and we were driven inside to play musical chairs instead (which I did in fact win)Going to see The Outsiders tour at the Fox; I’ve been obsessed with this show since it first opened on Broadway in spring 2024 and was SO excited for it to come to Atlanta, and I went by myself to see the tour and sat on the floor level of the Fox (instead of the balcony) for the first time ever–so close to the stage I could hear the actors breathing durig the rumble–and then stage doored after, also for the first time ever, and I was feeling physically decent for maybe the first time since starting TPN and I was either beaming or muffling full-out sobs throughout the entire show and it was just a perfect day

Many of the worst days involve others’ stories, not just mine, so I won’t go into detail here. But there were days when I cried on friends’ shoulders in their front yards after getting news that had also just made me cry all the way to their house; and days when my bank account was lower than I’d ever see it in my life, making me feel panicked because I was getting sicker, not better, which meant my brain was only able to work so much; and so many days when I felt utterly trapped, unable to see any way forward with TPN/insurance issues and just thinking: I already did this once (watched my body go downhill and fought as hard as I knew how for nutrition). I wasn’t supposed to have to do it again.

2025, In Summary

You can read here about how I did on my goals for 2025, and what goals I have for 2026. (We won’t talk about how they’re going.) At some point–before the end of this year–I’ll put up my post on books I read in 2025.

But that was my 2025! Like I said, it was a hard year in a lot of unexpected ways. And at the same time, there was so much good in it, too. If you made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope your 2026 is going well!

How was your 2025? (if you can remember by now lol) Any highlights or lowlights?

This April didn’t April like April usually Aprils. My car was in the shop for nearly three weeks total, with three separate issues; I had to have it towed twice. The car issues led to financial worries, plus a lot of time at home by myself working. I fell back into some old obsessions/hyperfixations to a harmful degree (and discovered some new ones, too!!!). It wasn’t ideal. But in-between all of that, there were also cats and flowers and sewing and music. And a few other things I enjoyed: a day with Karina doing a singing volunteer project + coffee shop date, organizing an area of my room that has been a mess for a solid two years, and Ian’s backyard concert/cookout birthday party.

This month I’m…

Reading: The Astral Library, Kate Quinn. Theo of Golden, Allen Levi. My Own Two Feet and Henry Huggins (reread), Beverly Cleary. Collective Wisdom, Grace Bonney. Revelle, Lyssa Mia Smith (reread). Water, Water, Billy Collins. (7 total)

Listening to: My spring playlist. Noah Kahan’s new album. Musical theatre in general (LOST BOYS!!!).

Watching: YouTube–Broadway.com vlogs (Schmigadoon, Lost Boys) and Outsiders cast lives, lol. Movies–Back to the Future; Project Hail Mary (in theaters).

Creating: I did very little with my church role and got behind on The Artist’s Way. But I performed at Sing & Strum, did a volunteer music event at a cancer hospice home, and enjoyed other music and songwriting, too. I did a ton of sewing projects: coasters, lavender sachets, catnip kickers, bookmarks, microwave heating pads. I half-did a couple of NaNoPoMo prompts and signed up for Postcrossing. I was also invited to speak at this year’s Oley Conference and began preparing my session!

Grateful for: It’s April. I feel saturated in music lately. All the ways a friend and I just really understand each other. Clean carpet! Dreaming. Made a lot of sewing progress. Azaleas. How books change us. ALEXIA POTATO PUFFS! Vintage 90s scrapbook paper. So many new things blooming to discover in the library garden. Getting my car back on Noah Kahan album release day. Two cats who sleep in bed with me every night. Clover hair accessories from a four-year-old friend. Riley Blake seashell fabric. SO MUCH LOST BOYS CONTENT. $2 blueberry ube matcha. My geranium.

What did you do in April?

March is, historically, never a good time for me. And as the month started out, I wasn’t doing well. Lots of things added up (“processing my own mortality,” my first ever feeding tube infection, bad memories, etc) and I felt like I was being crushed. I had an upswing in the middle of the month (friends, movies, SPRING, sewing, MUSIC) but got bad again at the end of it. Some of those emotions returned, and between my own life + some of the media I was consuming (a sad book, the majority of the remaining OBC leaving The Outsiders, etc), I got back into a bad mental place. So, yeah… that was March. But I enjoyed things like Grandpa visiting, going to a sewing expo, and a weekend of watching movies at Ari and Isaac’s.

This month I’m…

Reading: Clinging to the Cross, The Daily Grace Co. Ralph S. Mouse (reread) and A Girl From Yamhill, Beverly Cleary. Holy Disruptor, Amy Duggar King. The Bodyguard, Katherine Center. My Friends, Fredrik Backman. (6 total)

Listening to: The new Mumford & Sons album. The Outsiders. And, by the end of the month, my spring playlist.

Watching: Movies–Pride & Prejudice (2005); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (rewatch).

Creating: I continued my volunteer church role and my group doing The Artist’s Way (although I fell quite behind). I also did my usual singing and songwriting, and some watercolor and junk journaling, although not much of those latter two. I fit in several sewing projects this month: a luggage tag, a drawstring bag, corner bookmarks, some dog bandanas. And I also created and presented a talk for the Young Writer’s Workshop about freelance writing.

Grateful for: Hearing my favorite baby behind me during church. Donating a ton of my extra medical supplies to the Humane Society. Finally meeting my new cousin-in-law. Feeling so creatively inspired by the AMAZING art quilts I saw. Recognizing how much expertise I’ve earned. Fresh sheets and an everything shower. Windows down and Alessia Cara. Being young in this season with my friends. Homemade matcha. My friend giving me her sewing stuff (that I’d been saving to buy). German Christmas tea. How good it makes my brain feel to arrange music. PUPPIES! Saw a bluebird!

What did you do in March? Happy spring!

I’m really bad at watching movies. I don’t know why. I really do love watching movies. And while I certainly watch a lot of TikTok, I personally think my attention span is fine; just last night I opened a new book and didn’t look up again for two hours. Anyway, it’s a real problem for me: In 2024 I set a New Year’s resolution/goal to watch at least one movie per month. I ended the year having watched 16 total films. I thought I’d gotten into a habit, so I set no such goal for 2025… and watched exactly four movies the entire year. Yeahhh. So, my self-imposed monthly movie is back for 2026. And considering it’s the end of May and I’ve watched 11 movies so far, I’d say I’m doing pretty well! Here are my thoughts on the movies I’ve watched so far in 2026!

This blog post may contain spoilers for any and all of the following movies:

The Cutting EdgeBridge to TerabithiaPride and PrejudiceHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanBack to the FutureProject Hail MaryMichaelConfessions of a Teenage Drama QueenHow to Lose a Guy in 10 DaysMiss CongenialityPirates of the CaribbeanThe Cutting EdgeSports/romantic comedy, 1992

“I am at the bottom of the barrel.” “Then find another barrel.”

I was struggling to get off the ground at the start of the year with my 2026 goals—one of which was to watch at least one movie per month. I hit play on this movie at 2:00 AM on February 1st. Buuut we’re counting it for January anyway. I was snowed in, and the Winter Olympics were about to start, and I wanted something to match the aesthetic (lol)—and this movie, which I’d never seen before, perfectly fit the bill! It had one of those classic sports movie trajectories, with an enemies-to-lovers romance to boot. It made me laugh out loud several times. I enjoyed it a lot for my atmospheric snowy weekend, although it did bother me that there were several small things mentioned but then never really fleshed out (like Doug’s desire to change their music, or his trip to Boston), and that the pacing/timing seemed kind of weird in some places.

Bridge to TerabithiaFantasy drama, 2007

“I don’t have as much time as I need to see everything, but that is what makes it so special!” 

“Mind like yours wide open, you could create a whole new world.”

(yes I did in fact hit play on this movie—my “February” movie—at 12:05 AM on March 1st… sigh) I had been avoiding watching Bridge to Terabithia for years because I thought it would be too sad. But really, I didn’t think it was that sad it all—I personally felt like the ending of the movie kind of skipped through Leslie’s death and Jesse’s grief about it, and focused more on Jesse and Maybelle’s relationship before abruptly ending. But I’m so glad I finally watched it, because I loved it! Jesse needed to be seen, and Leslie did that for him. More than that, she showed him how to see further—and their escapism to their imaginary adventures made them braver and better in their real lives, and isn’t that after all what stories are for? I was a little confused sometimes about how/where the film chose to incorporate the magical realism elements. But all of the scenes in the forest had the most beautiful, warm, well-done lighting. And Bailee Madison was just so stinking cute when she was little! 

Pride and PrejudicePeriod romance, 2005

I recently had multiple friends who were horrified to find out I’d never seen any version of Pride and Prejudice, so one of them finally showed me the newer one. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to write down my thoughts afterward, so I don’t have a very comprehensive review. But I definitely liked it! Lovely lighting, it was surprisingly funny, and the soundtrack was stunning (although I already knew that; I used to listen to it years ago while writing fiction).

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (rewatch)Fantasy, 2004

My friends are watching the Harry Potter movies through for the first time, and I joined them for this one. Again, I don’t have a lot to say about this movie—partially because I forgot to make notes directly afterward, and partially because I’ve seen it multiple times before. But it’s one of my favorite HP movies! The Time-Turner stuff hurts my brain, though!

Back to the FutureFamily/sci-fi, 1985

“If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything you want to.”

I love the Back to the Future Broadway musical, but I’d never seen the movie, and I’ve been meaning to watch it for months now. I loved it!! I don’t really have anything introspective or profound to say about it, lol—it was just a classic, thoroughly enjoyable watch on a Friday night. And now I can appreciate the musical that much more! I liked it enough that I do think I want to watch the second and third movies, also.

Project Hail MarySci-fi/adventure, 2026

“Bravery isn’t a gene. You just have to find someone to be brave for.”

I saw this movie in theaters with Joshua. I’d only heard good things about it before seeing it (and I liked The Martian). I enjoyed it! It wasn’t a new favorite and I probably wouldn’t watch it again, but I definitely enjoyed it. The music was good, the ending was really nice, and I thought Eva Stratt’s character was particularly complex and interesting (particularly in the karaoke scene). And of course, I went down a rabbit hole afterward trying to figure out how much of the science was real.

MichaelMusical drama, 2026

I saw this movie in theaters with my dad. I enjoyed it, especially seeing a bit of background on how Michael created some of his most iconic dances. However, it was a little odd because it turns out (I discovered afterward) they reshot/changed the plot of the third act—so the first part of the movie kept foreshadowing things that ended up never happening. The storyline of the movie ended in 1988, and apparently there might be a sequel or there might not; they’ll decide based on the response to this film. I guess they were trying to avoid all the controversial, unsavory stuff.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama QueenTeen drama, 2004

“Dreams are important. When you’re not even looking, they find you.”

I watched this movie when I was in the hospital, barely able to stay awake; I needed something “easy” that wouldn’t be too hard to follow. It was good! I enjoyed it, and liked the theatre tie-in.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (rewatch)Rom-com, 2003

Gosh, I just LOVE this movie. It’s one of my top five, top three, all-time favorite films! Such a good plot creating tension between the two characters as they work toward their separate agendas, and such a good payoff when they finally admit they’ve found a real connection and fallen for each other. I rewatched this with friends on a girls’ weekend; I’d put “You’re So Vain” on our playlist in the car the day before (and we were also talking about our celebrity crushes… hellooo young Matthew McConaughey) and when it became apparent that 2/5 girls had never seen it before, I insisted we watch it. I loved watching one girl in particular and seeing how much she enjoyed it. (We also picked up a couple of inside jokes from this movie that lasted the rest of the weekend. #FrostYourself)

Miss CongenialityAction comedy, 2000

We watched this movie on the same night of our girls’ weekend—one of the other girls discovered that 2/5 girls (including myself) had never seen it and insisted! I loved it and thought it was a great film.

Pirates of the CaribbeanAction/adventure, 2003

The last night of our girls’ trip, we watched the first Pirates of the Caribbean (we’d been to a pirate-themed restaurant for lunch, were singing sea shanties in the car, one of my friends was horrified to find out I’d never seen the movies, and… you get the drift). We started the movie late and I was exhausted from the day, so I didn’t totally follow everything. But it was a great film! I loved the soundtrack (especially how the beats and sounds of the swordfights and other combat lined up with the music) and how Will and Elizabeth were continually willing to sacrifice themselves for each other, and there were so many good, funny scenes.

And that’s it for now! How many of these movies have you seen? Which one is your favorite? What’s the last movie you watched?

I feel like I didn’t do very much in February. I was still struggling a lot with motivation and exhaustion. I kind of just sat on my couch and worked a lot (although I did land some exciting new clients this month). For my birthday, I went to the aquarium with Ari, which was very fun and something I’d been wanting to do for years… but then woke up horribly sick the next day. But this month I also got to meet my friend’s new baby; go to an Ash Wednesday service; go to a Mardi Gras dog event with my dad; and go to Bible study at Ari and Isaac’s. Besides that, though, it was just the usual church (when I was well), voice lessons, and a couple of medical appointments. Nothing terribly exciting.

This month I’m…

Reading: Check & Mate, Ali Hazelwood (reread). The Mouse and the Motorcycle and Runaway Ralph, Beverly Cleary (both rereads). Hello Stranger and How to Walk Away, Katherine Center. A Prayer Journal, Flannery O’Connor. Bottom of the Pyramid, Nia Sioux. Unseen, Molly Burke. (8 total)

Listening to: My winter 2025 playlist. Hadestown. The Harvard Opportunes album.

Watching: Movies–Bridge to Terabithia.

Creating: I did my usual volunteer work for my church; continued working through The Artist’s Way, although I am admittedly behind; and spoke on a Diamonds Conference panel about singleness in chronic illness. (Also, the videos I filmed with Avanos last fall came out!) I performed at Sing & Strum but wasn’t super productive with music stuff the rest of the month. For a sewing project, I made burp cloths for my friend who had the baby. I also finished making watercolor Valentines (which I enjoyed so much!), and junk journaled for fun. And I did a very nominal amount of work on my book and on those darn end-of-the-year blog posts.

Grateful for: Finally getting the dishes done. Driving and listening to music in the sunshine. Getting a $45 pair of earrings for $1.50. That everything is going to be (and already is) so good. Learning Phrygian mode. Getting to go out with friends. Butterfly flannel. Rediscovering Hadestown. Famotidine. Puffin zoomies. Rocco sleeping on my pillow with me. Getting out of my reading rut. A friend bringing by tissues, flowers, and catnip when I was sick. God’s great mercy. That no day is wasted. KATIE DAISY POSTCARDS. Mardi Gras beads. Landing a dream client! I GOT THE OUTDOOR BAR AFTER ALL!!!

Let’s not talk about how late I am getting this blog post up… I’m trying my best to catch up lol. Anyway, I got a notification today (April 8th) that it’s my 10th anniversary with WordPress and now I’m all nostalgic because who could have ever guessed all of the good that would come from this silly little blog!

My goal right now is to have the absolute coziest winter possible. It was COLD this month!!! I was snowed in twice on consecutive weekends, first with a half inch of ice and then with about 3.5 inches of dry snow. I did so much crafting in January. If I could have spent the entire month doing nothing but sewing (and watercolor), I would have. But there was also the usual medical stuff; an ER visit (at 2 AM on the 3rd, so the very beginning of the year), an urgent care visit, my first round of Botox for migraines, a canceled MRI because of the ice, an ear infection, met my deductible AND my out-of-pocket max. And it was a good work month that, I think, set me up well moving into the year. So that was pretty much my January… a lot of cozy crafting. (I also got new glasses and a new winter coat, and I still barely recognize myself in the mirror.)

This month I’m…

Reading: Carrie Soto Is Back, Taylor Reid Jenkins. Small Things Like These, Claire Keegan. About Grace, Anthony Doerr. Stag’s Leap, Sharon Olds. When My Heart Joins the Thousand, A.J. Steiger (DNF). The Poet’s Dog, Patricia MacLachlan. Stuart Little, E.B. White (reread). We Might Just Make It After All, Elyce Arons. (8 total)

Listening to: My winter 2025 playlist. Ragtime (the new 2026 cast recording).

Watching: Movies–The Cutting Edge. TV shows–Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season two.

Creating: I did my usual church role (but not as much this month) and started The Artist’s Way with Caroline Lunne’s group that is doing it. I performed a fun themed set at Sing & Strum, and started prepping another themed set for next month’s show. I junk journaled, worked on some end-of-the-year blog posts (hopefully coming soon), and started learning how to paint with watercolors (and made lots of watercolor Valentines, which I’ll show next month after they’ve been given!). And as for sewing projects, I finished a hand-sewn felt ornament and did a hand-sewn felt envelope; ran up a quick cat toy; made some potholders; designed a luggage tag; sewed a baby name garland; and started on Valentine’s bookmarks. (And bought so, so much fabric.) I was also supposed to start working on my book Still Good again, but I… didn’t.

Grateful for: A friend who doesn’t usually do gifts sending me a thoughtful gift. My adorable new sewing washi tape. A client confirming consistent weekly work for the year. That God is gracious toward me. My Internet finally being fixed. My voice feeling more back to “normal” (as in, pre-ILO). All the great books I’m going to read this year. Beautiful new winter decorations at church. A productive work day. Possibility. Getting to see a friend briefly before she left for two weeks. Registering for Oley! My friend having her baby! Fabric destashing Facebook groups. Insurance approving a procedure at the nth hour. Woodland fabric. Inbound leads. How bright the stars were. The feeling of going to bed the night before it’s supposed to snow. How much fun I’m having learning to watercolor.

What did you do in January? Were you affected by the winter storm(s)? Do you enjoy Valentine’s Day as much as I do?!

I spent December working (mostly ASH coverage); going to medical appointments; making homemade Christmas gifts (I was up until 3 AM Christmas Eve morning finishing up!); and falling asleep on my couch (gee, I wonder why?). And that was pretty much it. But I feel like I struck a good balance of keeping up with normal life stuff, and enjoying the holiday season, too. I was feeling the urge to hibernate a little bit: I reread the Nevermoor series, drank a peppermint matcha at every opportunity, and got in lots of kitty snuggles next to my miniature Christmas tree. And we had a quiet Christmas with just the four of us–something that hasn’t happened in many many years, and that I really enjoyed. (Unfortunately though, the last week of the month I was really sick with new chronic illness symptoms, and felt cheated out of the second half of my Christmas break.) For more details on my December (probably way more details than you ever wanted!), you can read my 2025 Blogmas starting here.

This month I’m…

Reading: Haphazard by Starlight, Janet Morley. The Sustainable Solopreneur, Jenni Gritters. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow (reread), Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (reread), and Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, Jessica Townsend. Good Bones, Maggie Smith. Together We Burn, Isabel Ibanez. (7 total)

Listening to: My winter 2025 playlist. This orchestral Christmas playlist, and this Santa’s Symphony album by the Avalon Pops Orchestra. The PJO podcast Aryan Simhadri did after each episode.

Watching: Movies–Because of Winn-Dixie. TV shows–Percy Jackson and the Olympians, season two!!!

Writing: I did my usual volunteer work for my church role, and worked on singing and songwriting (I’ve been really engaged with music lately, which feels so good). But really, all of my spare time and energy was focused on handmade Christmas gifts! Some things I made or finished making this month: a hand-sewn felt baseball garland, a painted tray, a painted lamp, hand-sewn felt ornaments, a jar lid collage magnet, potholders, a bandana (I used a sewing machine for the first time in probably 15 years!!).

Grateful for: Central heat. Nevermoor. Rocco picking out his own toys from the toy box. The sun coming out for the first time in days. Cute pins on my TPN backpack. Feeling like I’m brimming with creative ideas to get out. Conversations during songwriting lessons. Parking lot bouquets. Finally being able to do the dishes. That my home is full of things that inspire and enable creativity. Getting into a flow state when arranging/transposing music by ear. Jellie Bellies and a good book in bed on a Friday night–one of life’s finest pleasures. Brainpower from TPN to learn to SEW! Taking communion. My little brass octopus. A friend coming over to look at my car in the 20-degree weather. Butter on waffles. All of the beautiful vibrant watercolor colors. Rocco curling into a circle and napping on top of whatever pillow I’ve tossed onto the floor.

And that was pretty much my December, and now it’s 2026! How was your holiday season?

I don’t set goals every year. Sometimes I make a list of specific objectives I want to accomplish or focus on during the upcoming 12 months. Other times, I don’t. It usually depends on where my health is at right then and how much energy I have to think about those kinds of things—and, honestly, how long of a Christmas break I have that year to take time to reflect on my desires and plans. It’s probably no surprise that I enjoy setting goals. But if I don’t get a chance to, I’m not broken up about it. I have defined values and dreams and overall life goals that I always live by, and I don’t really struggle with discipline (although my obsession of the moment can change very quickly, lol). So it all tends to somehow work out.

For 2025, I didn’t set any major goals. (I also didn’t really have a Christmas vacation, and didn’t publish my big 2024 wrap-up post until February… coincidence?) That year-in-review post read, “I just need to be more disciplined with the things I’m already working on—getting over that final hump to finish the first draft of my book, actually doing my physical therapy exercises every day. I’m interested in continuing to explore doing different kinds of art or making other creative hands-on projects. And I already have some big fun plans on the calendar I’m excited about.” According to my one-year-ago self, “As my body has gotten sicker, I find that setting a lot of big goals really far in advance doesn’t work great for me anymore. So I plan to just keep moving forward, taking things as they come and being faithful month by month, week by week, day by day in every aspect of my life.”

This is true: Increasingly, it is much easier for me to focus on smaller chunks of time. But it’s also true that finishing the first draft of my book and actually doing my PT exercises each day are two of my top goals for this NEXT year, too. So. Ha. Is that because of a lack of discipline? Maybe. Is it because of my 2025 being unexpectedly characterized by going into intestinal failure, becoming extremely malnourished, and being physically and cognitively unable to do things like these? Certainly. I know that any of my goals can always be upended by life events like chronic illness… but regardless, I’ve set several goals for 2026, anyway.

These goals stretch over virtually every area of my life. I don’t find it helpful to silo them into categories like work, spiritual, relationships, health, creative passions, financial, etc because everything is so intertwined.

I did struggle with deciding where to focus my energy when it comes to creative pursuits, because I’m spread pretty thin. When it comes to more “serious” pursuits, you have writing (which encompasses my nonfiction book, my novels, poetry/personal essays, etc) and music (voice, piano, songwriting, a small amount of performing, recording more music at some point in the future). And then I also enjoy hobbies such as junk journaling (and any kind of papercraft—collage, snail mail, etc) and, more recently this year, painting and sewing.

To get the best results while being realistic about the limitations on my time and energy, I felt that I needed to choose one “pursuit” and one “hobby” to focus on. I’d set specific goals around each one, prioritize them most highly, and then fit in the others as I could. I prayed about it for a couple of weeks and eventually felt drawn toward focusing on finishing my nonfiction book (which I was essentially unable to work on in 2025 due to the cognitive effects of malnourishment), and on sewing (which is an area where I’d like to push myself in learning new skills and techniques so I can make things to bless others). I reminded myself that I can always reevaluate these decisions after the first quarter or the first six months of the year.

With ALL of that being said, here is my (current) list of goals for 2026:

Have a minimum of two solid work sessions per week on “Still Good” (my in-progress nonfiction book on the goodness of God)Read the Bible (vs. a theology book by another author) every dayDo my physical therapy exercises a minimum of five days a week Fully commit to The Artist’s Way group (that I’m doing from January to July), including weekly “artist dates” with myself however often is possible Complete one “big”/challenging sewing project per monthTake an in-person sewing class or workshop (if you’re local and can recommend one, do!)Keep up with quarterly Dream Days (I think the last Dream Day I had was October 2024, so… I have been SLACKING, and I don’t even have an excuse)Write for more trade pubsEarn a minimum average of $____ per monthPut a minimum of $____ in savings Watch at least one movie per monthTake at least one girls’ tripSchedule an upright MRI (out-of-state medical evaluation I’ve needed for a while)Be intentional about reaching out and inviting people inBe okay with imperfect consistency and slow progress—you’re going to get where He’s taking you.

I’ll revisit these goals as I’m planning out each month and each week. I don’t usually do a word or “theme” of the year—that’s something the Lord typically makes clear to me toward the end of the year, actually (with 2025’s being “provision”… more on that to come)—but looking at this list of goals, if I had to choose a word for 2026, I’d say “creativity.” Which makes me excited! And that’s good, because so far my 2026 calendar is pretty much just white and blank—void of any “big events”—which doesn’t make me particularly excited, lol. But I know that even with whatever hard things inevitably will happen, there are (still ) so many good things and happy days to come.

I wished on this dandelion in September for many more good things to come

If you’re interested in doing the (18-page!) Annual Life Review that I worked through, you can access the Google Doc here. This template is something that Evie Rupp McLeod shared on Instagram several years ago. I love it and find it extremely helpful in reflecting on the previous year and preparing for a new one. Working through this review helped me realize some things about 2025 that I’m looking forward to sharing in my wrap-up post (whenever I have internet again… long story).

I’ve also loved what two of my favorite creators, Phylicia Masonheimer and Caroline Lunne, have had to say this week about setting goals. On her Instagram Story, Phylicia reminded us:

“My goals should be things I’m working toward with the Lord. And they should be areas I can control. I can’t control everything… What areas am I failing in? What areas do I need growth in? And what reasonable small daily steps can I take to achieve this greater end?… Goals are to keep you on track with your intention so you’re moving the direction you want to go. Goals should be measurable, connected to your overall focus, and bring you joy!”

And in Caroline’s newsletter, she touched on why we set goals in the first place: to fulfill our God-given desires, and to become the person He wants us to be in the process of doing it.

“You are not your goals or accomplishments, but you must listen to your desires! They are nudges from heaven,” she wrote. (Yes, yes, yes!!!)

So, as of right now, these are the goals I plan to focus on in this upcoming season of life. Let’s all take imperfectly consistent action in 2026 to move in the direction the Lord wants us to go!

Do you set yearly goals? If so, I’d love to hear a few of yours for the new year! If not, what’s something you’re looking forward to in 2026? More yearly review posts to come as soon as I get a new modem and am no longer restricted to typing on my phone! Sigh…