outta mind outta site

Where you can find me these days

Hello, friends! I am probably popping up like a little friendly ghost in your RSS feeds. The last time I posted here was about two years ago. By now, most of you have hopefully followed me over to other platforms, but in case not...

• I'm now a teacher, writer and life coach. I teach sensitive women to stop overthinking, conquer fear and increase their confidence so they can unapologetically set and achieve goals in career, love and life. You can find more out at my website.
• I post on my Instagram a lot -- resources, photos of my travels, etc.
• My main content platforms are my newsletter and podcast, The Sunday Soother. These are a newsletter and podcast dedicated to self-reflection, compassionate personal growth, and intentional living. They're on summer hiatus now but returning in mid-August. 

Hope you are all well! 

2018 in review

I forgot to do this in 2017, but I did it in 2016, and figured it was time to re-up! You know I love me a good reflection.

1. What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?

A fair amount of things! Got two tattoos. Did reiki. Traveled to Sedona. Started and kept going a successful newsletter. Did a silent meditation retreat. Bought a car by myself.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?


I don't think I actually made resolutions in 2017. I might have been on a little bit of a goals burnout. But I'm back on that resolutions train for 2018. Some of my goals:

• paint living room and guest room
• frame and print new photos
• clean out closets, kitchen, drawers
• rearrange guest room to become an office
• Take one mental health day or wfh day every six weeks
• schedule hikes once a month
• Keep Sundays are sacred (no evening plans is basically what I mean there; sets my week up better to have those nights to myself
• Get reiki every 6 weeks
• Schedule monthly reviews/journaling sessions for reflection

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?


Nooooo....? Hope not! Guess they're not that close to me if so.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit? 

I normally go abroad at least once each year but this year I did not make it out of these United States.

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

A weekend cabin home in the woods.

7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 

No particular dates.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
 

Continuing with my newsletter and growing it to 800 subscribers. Planning a lovely family celebration for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. Being a really good aunt. Learning to work against my inner critic. Trusting the process.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Too many occasions of self doubt. Not getting out in nature enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? 

Nothing serious, thankfully.

11. What was the best thing you bought? 

A car!!! And I invested in a year-long coaching course to get certified as a life/career/integral coach. Excited to be offering these services in 2019 once I'm certified.

12. Where did most of your money go? 

A car!!!

13. What did you get really excited about?

The aforementioned coaching course, and all of the writing I did for the Sunday Soother.

14. What song will always remind you of 2018?

Uhh Thank U, Next?

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:


– happier or sadder? about the same
– thinner or fatter? Fatter, damn this aging metabolism 
– richer or poorer? A bit poorer because of the tuition for the coaching course and the car purchase. But they were worthwhile investments.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
 

Risk taking. Nature. Hiking.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Doubting myself and my capabilities. Aimless fucking around on the internet.

18. How did you spend Christmas?

 With my delightful family out in the burbs and my sweet sweet nephews and niece. 

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Killing Eve was pretty fun, though I thought it sputtered out a lot in the second half

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

I read 57 books in 2018 which you can see here. I really enjoyed Circe and Eastern Body, Western Mind, and the Maisie Dobbs series.

21. What was your favorite music from this year?


LOL like I listen to music anymore.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Definitely Crazy Rich Asians. I think it might be the perfect movie. Good romance, a fabulous visual style, stunning scenes, and beautiful people and outfits.

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 38 and went out to a lovely small dinner with friends.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Trusting myself. MOAR NATURE!!! (2019 Catherine, you better take note of the times I mentioned nature in this recap and do something about it.)

25. What kept you sane? 

Meditation.

The Sunday Soother: The best things we bought and tried in 2018

Cross posting from the Sunday Soother...

The Sunday Soother: Ask me anything

Cross-posting from my newsletter...where I do all of my writing these days.

My Summer List So Far

Four months ago I wrote a blog post about creating a list of 16 magical things to do this summer. As we approach Labor Day, how have I done on my list? Let's take a look. 

"Make ice cream from fresh fruit": Check. I picked up a lovely boatload of strawberries from the farmers market, churned them away with cream and sugar, and had some delightful ice cream. That same evening, though, I left my apartment with my friend to go to a party and... left the ice cream on the counter and DIDN'T REALIZE IT TIL THE NEXT MORNING. Adios, strawberry ice cream, we barely knew ye. 
 

"Swim in a body of water that's not a pool": Check. During my five-day silent retreat, I snuck away during one of the scheduled meditation sessions and wound my way down to the Rapidan River, where the center provided tubes for you to float on. I tubed my way down to a flat rock, dipped myself in the water, and set out to dry. Five minutes later, I heard rustling on the banks and the large dark movements of... something large and dark. "BEAR!" my mind flashed, not really understanding that we don't get like, grizzlies or anything in Virginia, and there was no need to panic. So I launched my body, like an Orca aiming after a seal, on to the tube and paddled frantically away. As I looked back at my predator-to-be, I saw on the bank a small black cow chewing cud and staring confusedly at my thrashing.
 

"Catch fireflies with my niece and nephew": Let's give this one a semi-check. Halfway through the summer, it dawned on me that they're not quite old enough to stay up past when it actually gets dusky in the summer, so, therefore, no fireflies. Instead, I took my two-person tent, brought it to the basement of my parents' home, and told them we were going "camping." I insisted on making them s'mores that night too, in my parents' firepit, the use of which my mom is apparently convinced is going to start the Great Eastern Seaboard Wildfire. While I roasted marshmallows on sticks and my niece and nephew screamed at me that I was getting it wrong by letting them catch on fire, my mother nervously stood by with a hose and a bucket and put out the fire 10 minutes after it started. I ended the night getting them to go to bed by watching YouTube videos in the tent. Sigh.
 

"Get a tattoo": I've false-started this one about 17 times. I'm nervous. It hasn't been helped that I had a dream a few weeks ago that I went to the most prominent tattoo artist in the country, who started tattooing me without talking to me, but because she was so proficient in her field I assumed she had my design and she knew what she was doing. When she stopped, I sat up to find she had tattooed onto and around the whole of my left calf the American flag. There was much dream screaming to be had. 
 

All this to say, the list is going... okay. And as imperfect as the items above have been, I certainly wouldn't trade them. I got a couple great bowls of strawberry ice cream that I made with my own hands. I won't soon forget the peace and silence of floating entirely alone on a river with the bend of trees up ahead. My niece and nephew were eventually enraptured with their first s'mores, and the tent may as well have been a magical castle to them. My tattoo? Well, we'll see about that one. I'm working about it. And I've also managed to kayak, camp under the stars, eat softserve ice cream, go berry picking, seen some blockbuster movies on opening night, and more. It hasn't been a perfect summer of wonder, but it's been more than good enough. Now, off to tackle the rest of that list...