What is happening - May 2020

Month's Reflection

1. What was a moment of celebration in May?

Even though this past month was full of sadness and grief over numerous issues, I was able to celebrate my brother Chris graduating from college. Congratulations, Christopher!!!

2. Name something you're reconsidering as a result of the last 30 days.

Based on the past month, I am reconsidering how I engage with challenge and conflict. I know that I tend to avoid social confrontation, however, I notice more frequently that I also avoid many uncomfortable situations. Part of my coping strategy includes either undermining or over compensating my responses in situations that appear to me to be unmanageable and out of my control. 

3. What is one thing you'd like to start doing in June?

To continue from my previous answer, I would like to start to recognize when I am coping more quickly. I hope that this will help me be more mindful and authentic in whatever situation seems tough and challenging at the time.

2020 Reading Challenge

Last year one of my New Years resolutions was to become a committed reader to books outside of music education, and I did enjoy quite a variety of books throughout the last 12 months. To give me some structure for this goal, I visited Anne Bogel's, Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge (MDRC) with a friend. Looking through the challenge topics and thinking about which books I may want to read developed anticipation and excitement for making reading a priority for me.


My initial hope for this post included attaching a first draft of possible books to complete the MDRC in the 2020 year. However, if I am being realistic about my time to read, I'm not sure how recreational reading will fit in this year's schedule. While I want to continue my recreational reading, I also have quite a few established commitments for how I plan to spend my time outside of work this year, and I wonder if the MDRC in its entirety is an attainable goal.

Processing through how I plan to read this year is not finite, but I like being able to take time now in  the beginning of January to think about how reading may fit into my life this year. This is a priority to read, and even if I do not get to take on the MDRC like I did last year, I still want to get excited about the books out there waiting to be read by someone.

Read more from Anne and the challenge at her blog post: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/reading-challenge-2020/

I plan to extend myself lots of grace with the reading list below, but maybe will have more time to read these books than I currently suspect. Enjoy taking a look at my 2020 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge list:

• A book published in the year you were born - Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto
• A debut novel - A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman
• A book recommended by a source you trust, The Next Right Thing, by Emily P. Freeman
• A book by a local author - Your Kingdom Come, by Melissa Zaldivar
• A book outside your genre (comfort zone) - The Reason for God, by Tim Keller
• A book in translation - The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida
• A book nominated for an award in 2020 (I chose Nutmeg Awards to connect with literature that my students may experience) - Trombone Shorty, by Troy Andrews 
• A re-read - My Best Yes, by Lisa TerKeurst
• A classic you didn't read in school - Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
• Three books by the same author - Tiffany Aching books, by Terry Pratchett
• A Hat Full of Sky
• Wintersmith
• I Shall Wear Midnight