Amy Scott's Thoughts

Here marks one year of keeping track of my books on the blog, as well as the things that made me happy each month. It’s been fun to document each month and share the simple things that made an impression on me. Now that we are wrapping up 2020, I can say that I surpassed my goal of reading 100 books this year and landed at 137 as of this afternoon. Obviously, books mean a great deal to me, but never before have they matter quite as much as they did in 2020. Books took me to new places and introduced me to new people during a time where I was told to stay home and limit my social circles. Books were my entertainment as well as my distraction. This year has been unlike any other and books kept me going. It’s no surprise I read so many. 2020 afforded me plenty of opportunity to read. So here’s to 137 books!

What I’m Reading:

• Out to Canaan, A New Song, A Common Life, Shepherds Abiding, In This Mountain, Light from Heaven (books 4-9 in the Mitford Series) by Jan Karon – It took me a while to get into the pace of the Mitford series, but after a few books I was sold on the characters in this charming small town. I’m a huge fan of reading a series and love having book after book to dive into. This series took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
• Home to Holly Springs (book 1 in the Father Tim Series) by Jan Karon – This series picks up after the Mitford series. Father Tim is still the main character, but this book finds him outside of Mitford and revisiting his childhood hometown. Throughout the Mitford series you would get glimpses into Father Tim’s traumatic childhood, but only small bits. This book pulled back the curtain and shared the raw truth of Father Tim’s past.
• The Home Edit Life by Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin – I follow these home organizers on Instagram. I read their first book and recently watched their series on Netflix. I love the pictures in this book. I love the step by step instructions. I love home organization. These ladies inspired me to take it up a notch with my organization this Christmas season. I enjoyed having a project and I loved the book so much I bought my own copy with Christmas money.
• The Happy Camper by Melody Carlson (not pictured – Kindle library book) – Reading a book by Melody is like watching a Hallmark movie. After the pace of the Mitford books, I wanted a book that I could sail through. This story about about a women who fixes up a beat up camper was sweet.
• The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson – I read this book right before Christmas and it was perfect for celebrating Christmas week with a Christmas book. Again, I enjoy the Hallmark plotline that is fairly predictable, but heartwarming. Melody’s books are like comfort food for me!

What I’m Loving:

• Baking – Other than reading, baking was my main project this month. I made five different kinds of cookies. Two of the recipes were an experiment to find a chocolate cookie recipe that Owen would approve of. It was fun to make some Christmas classics like cut-out cookies and gingerbread, but it was also fun to try something new! Bonus, my sister got me a cookie decorating book for Christmas, so more cute cookies are hopefully in my future!
• Christmas – I needed Christmas this year! I needed books, movies, decorations, crafts, outings – the works! Christmas gave me a something hopeful and exciting to focus on. Currently in Washington state, our COVID restrictions are tight. With so much time at home, Christmas was the perfect distraction. I’m so thankful for the Christmas season we got to celebrate as a family. Even though it was very different than our usual experience, it was a unique gift.
• Home Organization – I’ve had some fun tweaking my home organization. I picked up more storage containers, rearranged our books by color, and replaced broken or worn household times. It was a fun project to focus on the house and fine-tune our systems. After a year spent mostly at home, I can see how our home has changed. The boys’ rooms now display more artwork and things that matter to them. Toys are played with often. The kitchen and laundry room are well-used. A well-lived-in house calls for practical systems of maintenance. I’m a nerd, but I love it!
• Playing UPS – One of the highlights of my month was our gift delivery days to our families. We got to see the people who matter most to us even if the visits were short, distanced, and in masks. I miss long, leisurely visits with my people, but seeing them in-person for a short time did my soul good.