Mackenzie Carose

Taking Back Control

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

I dusted off my computer before I flipped the lid open. An old screensaver greeted me as the power coursed through to the plastic screen. I pulled up my blog but had to pause before entering my log-in because I honestly couldn’t remember any of my personal information.

And then I arrived here.

Hello. Hi. Bonjour. My name is Mackenzie. I used to blog here in my personal space, until 2020 overpowered me and I succumbed. I am sure many can relate and there is comfort in that. Hope as well. It is nice to know that we are not alone in this crazy world, to know that we are all feeling a collective weight and that we are truly all doing the best we can with what we have.

Which brings me to here, right now. This minute. I am back here on my personal blog, back here to my space where I can share words, and stories, and epiphanies. Oh, the epiphanies. I can’t tell you how many I’ve had just in the last two months, and boy are they some big ones! One such enlightening moment revolved around this blog. I missed connecting with fellow bloggers and it felt important to me to get back on track with that.

I have also made important personal changes in my life which I feel that I need to put out there in the universe. I am working on that blog post and it should be up in the next week or so.

Thanks to all that has encompassed this crazy year, I know now what is important and what is not. I know that there are things out of my control and my anxiety has to continually be okay with that. That every day is a new day to try again, to continue to learn from my mistakes.

That in the end I am going to be okay. It means that I am taking back control of my life and that “survival mode” is not a way to live. I am changing and maybe 2020 was a catalyst for that change, who knows. But I know that I can’t stay the same and that is a GOOD thing.

As The Page Turns: May Edition

By Mackenzie 14 Comments

Last month I did not have a reading post because mama’s reading was sporadic at best and I was lucky if I finished a paragraph. I am slooooooowly getting my reading mojo back. Also, I realized that there were two books that I had finished pre-quarantine, that I never did a get a chance to share, so that is on here as well 🙂

To Shake The Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins

This book was really interesting although I realize it might not be for everyone. Jenkins rode his bike all the way from Oregon down to Patagonia which is the very southern end of South America. Yes, you read that right. On a bike. With only what he could carry on his person. This book is his account of the trip and I found it to be a good read. It had some laugh-out-loud funny moments but also some deep soul-searching ones as well. Crisis of self is real. Some go to therapy. Some take a bike ride.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

I have read this one before but I am participating in the Agatha Christie book of the month reading challenge on Instagram and for May, it is this book.

It’s not every day that an elderly couple wakes up and finds a dead body in their library with no idea who the person is or how they got there. If you haven’t read this Miss Marple mystery yet, go check it out!

The Fall of Richard Nixon by Tom Brokaw

Yes, my reading was/is all of the place. I finished this particular book pre-quarantine, but heck, it sure is relevant to all the craziness going on right now.

This book is not a play-by-play of how the break-in went down. It does however, go in to the subsequent chaos that became “Watergate” and it details Brokaw’s remembrances of that particular era and his time as a reporter, specifically a White House reporter. It passed the time just fine. If this is a subject that interests you, you might want to look into this book. But if not, don’t worry, you’re not missing anything.

That’s it from me! Any good books that you can recommend? 🙂

In The Quarantine Kitchen

By Mackenzie 2 Comments

Not sure what day of quarantine we are currently on, but it seems like baking and just making something from scratch are one of the cures in not losing your mind 🙂 I find that baking takes my mind off of whatever is going on and I just focus on what I am making.

Before I get to the sweet stuff, I did make two more healthy items 😀

I made Black Bean Hummus which is one of my favorites. You can just literally eat it by the spoonful. Or with chopped up veggies, whichever you prefer 😉

The other healthy item was Simple Oat Bars. Only five ingredients and easy to make. Both of these recipes are from Deliciously Ella.

Now on to the slightly more decadent items! I made both Blueberry Muffins and Strawberry Muffins 🙂

YUM!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies anyone?

For those wondering if I am able to zip up my jeans, I am! I didn’t make all of these in one week 🙂 Quarantine has been in effect for almost two months over here in my neck of the woods, so this is just what I have made during that time.

Have you been creative in the kitchen during all this hoopla? Let me know in the comments! 🙂