April 2023 Depth Year Update

Man, you guys, I have absolutely screwed the pooch on some of my no-buy categories this month.  Don’t worry, there’s no guilt involved, just amusement. More than anything I want to learn about myself and ways to live better, not to judge myself for my habits. 

I’ve added a couple of new things to this month-end post that I want to talk about.  Hopefully you’ll find it entertaining if nothing else!

No Buy categories:

Books – None! Still going strong, yay!

Washi tape – None.

Miniatures – I got a lot of supplies and a couple of pieces there was no way I was going to build myself, notably the toilet.  Toilets are shaped very weirdly and frustrate even long-time minaturists.  I found a 3d printed one on Etsy for less than ten bucks and said YOINK!      

Food delivery – Y’all I am still fighting this one and losing.  In fact I did worse this month than I have so far this year!  I had a few really shitty depressive days that ended with UberEats bringing me an Impossible Whopper or a gigantic molten cinnamon roll, and overall just did not control my spending the way I intended to.  But my bills are paid and there’s gas in my car, so, it’s not a tragedy.  I shall persevere!   

Dollhouse Progress: 

I finally got the back wall spackled, painted, and installed, and I put in wooden beams in the “rafters” to hold the upstairs walls straight.  They won’t really show once the roof is on but they’ve made that whole floor rock-solid.  I’ve built a wardrobe for the bedroom TWICE because the first one came out so poorly.  And I’m working on turning an old Kerrygold butter tub (acquired from a nonvegan friend, lol) into a bath.    In May:   Finishing up the bedroom, work proceeding on the bathroom.  Get the back wall covered in stone, grouted, color washed.  Add moss to allllll the outside walls.  If I’m feeling particularly frisky I’ll start on the roof.

Writing Progress:

I have nearly three chapters of the 8th Shadow World book written!  It’s such slow going, mostly because I’m waffling on what order to place things in on the timeline.  I’m also trying to get into the head of the newest character, but I don’t feel like I’ve “caught” her yet.  I’m a character-focused writer so I need to be able to speak in the character’s voice, figuring out how she ticks. I don’t know what other writers call it but I call it “catching” the character.

Obviously I’ve been blogging a lot more than I have in months, which is awesome – I’ve really been enjoying talking about my own odd little religious stew.  I’ve been fretting over whether to try and write a book about it for a long time now, but I think just going for broke and putting it all out there blog-style is the way to go for now.  I watch all the new books coming out in the Pagan world and I feel like, what exactly do I have to add to all of this?  When I wrote my first two books I felt like I was helping to fill a gap.  I’m not sure there are any gaps now!

Favorite Things in April:

1. Hiki deodorant – Let’s be practical:  When skin folds over other skin, it sweats and can get manky.   Underarms and crotches are the most obvious examples but when you’re a large person you may have additional folds to tend to.  I’m making more effort these days to deal with the reality of my fat body without casting judgment over it, and one thing that’s helped is this deodorant made for skin folds.  It really does make me feel fresher and more together.  I’m definitely sold on Hiki!

2.  I asked my roommate to buzz my hair off again.   I think I need to just admit that I hate having hair to tend to.   Almost all “girly” things just make me tired and honestly, I’m a middle aged fat woman in yoga pants and t-shirts, who’s even looking?  LOL Anyone who does and thinks “oh god that’s awful” is of no interest to me.  That’s another thing I’m internalizing in my 40s – the divine and sacred power of “Oh fuck off.”

Things to Do in May:

1. Drink a ton more water

2. Finish the two books I’ve been in the middle of for most of the year

3. Keep blogging!

4. Research how to start a CUUPS (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) chapter

5. Get Ch4 of SW VIII drafted

6. Come up with more ways to really wriggle into the whole “depth” part of “depth year.”

What are you up to this May? Travel, adventure? Naps? <–me

March Recap – Depth Year Update

Time for a review of March’s Depth Year efforts.  I have to say this month went a lot better than February, though I’m clearly still a work in progress (in all things!).  

No Buy categories:

I did great in all but one! 

Books – None

Washi tape – None

Miniatures – None (just supplies)

Food delivery- Sweet baby Jesus,  I’m still really struggling here.  I had some really bad brain days this month, and it’s almost impossible to properly feed myself when I’m in the Shit Pit.  I think barely being able to get out of bed is an acceptable circumstance for food delivery; I just need to cut out all the other occasions, like, “Because it’s Wednesday.”  I did manage to stanch the bleeding in the second half of the month which I’m hoping is a positive trend.  

Winnowing categories:

Tarot decks and oracles – not yet

Books – not yet

Cookbooks – not yet

One of the bedroom miniatures, submitted without comment.

Clothes – I gave away three entire grocery bags full of clothes!  My closet is literally half empty.  I was extra relentless – if I hadn’t worn it in a year it went in the bags.  If it didn’t fit it went in the bags.  I gave the whole lot to a woman on my local Buy Nothing group

Altar stuff – not yet

Art supplies – not yet

Also this month I made some progress on the dollhouse (I’m going to do a big tour soon, I just want to get the top floor back wall on so you’re not looking through the house at my roommate’s chair) – I got her altar and Witchy shelves made and installed and they look SO COOL.  

And, I started/completed another unrelated project, an apothecary/library style jewelry cabinet.   There’ll be a separate post on that too.

The altar and Witchy shelves; I made most of it, including the candles.

So……How About April?

This month I’d like to:

1. Continue improvement on the whole food delivery thing, preferably not do it at all.  

2. I didn’t get back on my meditation/ritual wagon as much as I’d like in March either, so that remains a goal.  My hope is to do meditations of 20 minutes (or so) at least 3 times a week, and sit at my altar (for any reason or just to chill) at least once a week.   Amazing how quickly life gets in the way of that!  I do things rather sporadically but I need to make it a habit again.

3.  Keep moving on the decluttering!