It’s been years since I’ve made a proper post to this website, but that’s not going to stop me from posting something new right now. I’m not saying “I’m back!!” and that I’ll be posting again on a regular basis, but yesterday as I was reviewing the month of January 2026, I realized that despite the month’s many ups and downs, it was not entirely irredeemable, and that in fact a lot of good things did happen for me.
So! Feeling compelled to share some of those things, here they are, in no particular order:
I read the book Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker. On the surface, about “The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol,” but oh…it’s so much more. Focus on the word “Radical.” The entire tone of the book is revolutionary and feminist, encompassing what is wrong with both history and the current culture, and also suggesting ways to overcome and stand firm against all the BS.
I am only a casual drinker, but lately I’ve been wanting to cut back even further, recognizing that there is nothing “healthy” in alcohol that you can’t get somewhere else with less detriment to your body. So the “health” aspect of being sober greatly appeals to me, but what probably appeals to me even more about this book is the in-your-face recognition that the entire belief system about not only alcohol, but also so many other things, is completely screwed up. Holly Whitaker has given me an extra boost of courage to buck the system, to stand proud and tall as a person who is not afraid to buck the status quo. So this is not just a book for people who want to stop drinking, but also for anyone who wants to improve their autonomy and life from the inside out. This book can give you the push you need to quit hiding behind alcohol, or whatever other “drug” of choice you use to help deal with the disaster that is the modern world.
Now, having said all that…this doesn’t mean I will never drink alcohol again. I find there is too much danger and drama in the word “never.” I’ve already pretty much cut down my drinking to two to three times a year and currently have no plans to drink again…until a certain big, beautiful event arrives, sometime in the near future. I am so looking forward to a toast and an alcoholic buzz as part of my celebration when this particular moment happens. But when I imbibe, my imbibing will be all the more special, because it happens at a unique moment, for a unique event, not just “It’s Saturday night, let’s get loaded!” So I have blended Holly Whitaker’s call to out-and-out “Quit” with my own personal philosophy and intentions, to form a plan that works best for me.
I have been fairly consistent with my new gym habit. Last summer, some back issues sent me to Physical Therapy for eight weeks, and ever since I’ve been working much more intently on keeping my body in better shape. I can now feel that my muscles are stronger than before, and overall I am simply more comfortable in my body. Last November I joined Planet Fitness, just to use the cycle and treadmill. Let’s see…November, December, January…at this point, I think it’s safe to say I’ve developed a HABIT. I don’t go every day, but at least four or five times a week, and for the moment, that’s good enough, until I’m ready to slowly take the next step in improving my health, whatever that might be.
I took my blood pressure a few times in January and the readings were not too bad. Borderline high blood pressure has been an issue for me for several years now. I used to take readings all the time, but somehow fell out of that practice. But now that I am exercising, and committed to eating healthier, I am also committing to lowering my blood pressure as well. Starting from a place of “not too bad,” rather than, “oh, this is a problem…” makes me less anxious about the whole business. And being less anxious, of course, lowers my blood pressure! A win-win!
In January, I started a daily practice of circular breathing. I try to do it every morning upon waking, a few more breaths before each meal, and also at bedtime. I figure if I just remain consistent , eventually it will become a habit. The thinking is that deep breathing activates the vagus nerve, which is good for the parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing is so essential to life, and a healthy parasympathetic nervous system so essential to a good life. This practice is so easy, so organic, it just seems a complete no-brainer to work it into my schedule.
On January 1st, I cracked open the book A Year with C.S. Lewis. I first met Lewis in college, and he quickly became one of my favorite authors. Even now, I frequently go back to re-read his books. A few years ago, I found this daily devotional guide at the local library bookstore, read a few passages here and there, yet somehow never took up the task of reading the book, day by day, cover to cover. Well, now is that time. Most of the readings are extremely clear and comforting. So far, I’ve found a few that feel more challenging. But even when challenged, this is a lovely way to come into the presence of God. I’ve just made it through the entire month of January and hope I can find the quiet time each morning to make it through the rest of the year.
I have found several new local charities for my donations. I read recently that large centers like Goodwill sometimes throw your donations in the trash. I don’t know how true this is, or how much of an issue it might be in my area, but since I’ve been trying lately to think more locally, I’ve identified a couple of smaller area thrift stores, with hopes that my items will actually make it to the shelves. At the same time, I’ve also identified some consignment shops where I might take some nicer, higher-valued items. I still have more research to do on all this, but I’ve made the first moves in potentially a new direction.
This month, I cut my hair into a bob. YES! I’ve always loved the bob. Whenever I look at hairstyles, my heart is always captured by the bob. It’s timeless, classic, and low fuss. (I’m all about low fuss.) The longer my hair got, the more unruly, the less attractive. I was also feeling like I needed to go back to bangs, but long hair with bangs simply doesn’t look good on me, so I finally decided to take the plunge back to a full banged bob. And now I am so much happier.
I’d recently seen some You Tube videos encouraging older women to not buy into the assumption that as you age you have to wear your hair short. Defy the status quo! I’m all about defying the status quo and would love to wear my hair long, like some of these women on You Tube…but the truth is, I don’t have thick luxurious hair that looks good that way. So I finally decided to defy the “defy the status quo” attitude by doing what actually works for ME. And I repeat: And so much happier.
We finished watching What We Do in the Shadows. OMG! LOVE this show! We’ve been watching it season by season over the last couple of years, and finally got to the end a couple of weeks ago, and overall, this is one of my all time favorite comedies. Now I’m free to look online at interviews and commentary, without having to worry about being spoiled. So a whole new chapter of my enjoyment of this show has just opened up. Not to mention, I’ve just started re-watching it, with captions on, so I don’t miss any of the jokes. And jokes there are!
I recently saw an interview with actor Matt Berry (which unfortunately I can’t find now) but basically he said he signed onto the project because he recognized that the show was absolute escapism, total “tomfoolery.” And that about sums it up. Non-stop humor and tomfoolery. I’m on board. Just what the doctor ordered.
I am currently in the middle of editing a fan fiction to be posted at AO3. I go through phases where I am very active in writing creatively and also reviving my old stories to add to AO3, and then there are times when I simply am not. I wish I had more consistency in my creativity, I wish in January I had written a completely new story. But I didn’t, so right now, I am simply celebrating my efforts to tweak an existing story in hopes of making it better than before.
Finally, I made the decision to stop posting to The Marvelous Zone. For the past 14 years, I’ve kept a blog called Adventures in the Marvelous Zone: A Modern Girl’s View of Marvel’s Silver Age. Even though I’ve contributed to this blog only sporadically over the years, the site now boasts 193 posts. This retrospective had just begun to explore the comics of February 1966, but alas…I’ve run out of steam. My hope had always been to continue the journey to the end of the Silver Age, which is approximated to be in 1970, but I finally decided the logistics of keeping up this endeavor could very well take me another 14 years, and with so many other things going on in my life right now, I’ve had to prioritize, and sadly I’ve decided this blog does not make the cut. It’s been a good run, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done, but it’s time to move on.
I haven’t announced an official end on the website itself, because it’s always possible I’ll get re-inspired to post a few more entries now and then. If that happens, great! But if not, I don’t want this to feel like another obligation hanging around my neck. So it’s settled…but not really settled. But I need to think of it as settled, so that mentally I can get on with other things.
And with that said, I will mention again that I feel no particular compulsion to start posting here again regularly. Though I might. But in this moment, I am simply reveling in the fact that despite its many low points, there was still a silver lining peeking out around the edges of January.
