BMBR: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

 A lovely romance story where even death can't get in the way of personal growth and the love that arises from it. 

As usual, TJ Klune masterfully weaves his tale in such a way that you feel like you are right there in the teashop, and that you know the characters personally.

Wallace, a man no one loves, and whose death brings this story to mind (and a quick verification search lead to this one), dies alone, at work, and finds love after death. 

Not as depressing a story as it sounds, and is in fact quite beautiful.

The moral remains, though: there is more to life than your work, and if not, at least don't be an asshole about it.

Planner Prompt Week 42: Reflect on a time you were relaxed.

 This week's planner prompt is to reflect on a time that you truly felt relaxed and at peace. What contributed to that feeling? How can you bring that feeling into your everyday life?

Well, it was probably when I was well rested and had a massage and chiropractor visit on the same day. Any day where I don't have to clean the house. Days where I feel like I've accomplished my to-do list. Oh, I went for a hike last weekend, just me and my dog. No whining kids. No other people around. The first 3.5km were great. Quiet, peaceful. The last 2km I may have been a bit whiny (seriously, how many uphills can there possibly be at the end of a hike?), but the feeling of accomplishment afterwards was worth it.

Every day, though? I could see myself trying to check off more daily tasks. Not all of them, but pick one that will be satisfying to complete each day, even if it's just walking the dog. Maybe I'll put myself in a time-out for five minutes each day.

Or maybe I'll just take a moment to sit in the car for a minute before driving (it is warm-up-the-car weather right now), and eat a chocolate that no one knows about.