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A Mom's Year

Creating a comfortable life one moment at a time

January 15, 2021

Coming to Bainbridge Island

I met my first friend on Bainbridge Island a few days after we arrived. We’d taken a break from unpacking to explore the downtown area of Winslow. The woman who rang up our purchases at one of the gift shops had a familiar accent. Sure enough, she grew up in Kentucky, practically down the road from my in-laws in West Virginia. As we chatted, I explained we were brand-new to the island. She told me she and her husband and their kids had visited Seattle and Bainbridge three years earlier and, when they got home, decided they had to live here. Three months later, they packed up their lives and moved.

It’s a common story.

[Read more…] about Coming to Bainbridge Island

Filed Under: Bainbridge Island Shannon 1 Comment

January 7, 2021

Something to Listen to: The Magnus Archives

Magnus Institute illustration by Lexie Taylor

Do you listen to podcasts? I’ve just started my first and, surprisingly, it’s in the horror genre. Horror is my least favorite thing, but my girls love it and so, over Christmas break, we gathered most nights to listen to the Magnus Archives podcast. The series, described as one of the world’s most popular horror podcasts, is set in modern-day London and “details the supernatural cases under investigation by the Magnus Institute and its archivists.”

It turns out that, while the series is filled with all the scary elements horror lovers expect, the great storytelling captivates even chickens like me. Especially chickens who love mysteries. The main character, Jonathan Sims, has taken over as head archivist after the previous one died under mysterious circumstances. The archives are a disorganized mess, so Jon (grumpily and skeptically) begins to put the statements of people’s supernatural encounters in order. At first, the statements seem to be unconnected, but we soon realize something bigger—and scarier—is going on.

Lexie’s gone back to her apartment in Bellingham, but we’re still “meeting” to listen to the podcast at the same time. She drew this image of the Magnus Institute and it perfectly captures the podcast’s spooky mood. What happened—or will happen—to this person who’s about to record his tale?

If you have a favorite podcast, please share!

Filed Under: Life Shannon 1 Comment

January 5, 2021

My New Year’s Resolution 2021: No More Tsundoku

Never in a million years did I imagine one of my New Year’s resolutions would be to read more books. But here we are. It’s not that I’m not reading. Last year, I must’ve read about 5,000 essays and articles (most of them political, probably). But when it came to books, other than my steady stream of before-bed Anne Perry and Rhys Bowen mysteries and Rosamunde Pilcher novels, I bought books only to let them pile up.

Turns out there’s a Japanese word for this phenomenon: tsundoku. The word literally means “reading pile” and describes the art of buying books with the intent of reading them later.

[Read more…] about My New Year’s Resolution 2021: No More Tsundoku

Filed Under: Life Shannon 4 Comments

December 31, 2020

New Year’s Eve “Celebrating the Year” Printable

[Read more…] about New Year’s Eve “Celebrating the Year” Printable

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December 19, 2020

Gingerbread and Eggnog Trifle

The girls and I love to watch “The Great British Bake Off.” We enjoy the mix of drama and humor, getting to know the contestants, and learning something new about baking every episode. Most of all, we love the camaraderie in the tent and how the bakers are always willing to help each other. A baker on a different show—”Nailed It!”—best explained this type of competitive philosophy: “As a Hufflepuff, I want everyone to win by me winning.”

[Read more…] about Gingerbread and Eggnog Trifle

Filed Under: Food Shannon Leave a Comment

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Welcome

Hello! My name is Shannon Taylor. I'm a long-time writer and editor from Minnesota surprised to find myself on an island in the Pacific Northwest. I'm sharing this adventure with my husband, four kids, and two dogs. I “published” my first newsletter when I was nine, and I’ve loved sharing ideas, stories, and information ever since. I hope you find something here to inspire you and help you create a comfortable, cozy life.
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