I am so appreciative of the support Praying Through it All has already received. I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends and readers, that’s for sure! I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but it’s quite a scary thing to put something personal out in the world (it’s a big reason I haven’t done much marketing this time around!).
I’ve created a Google Form for local folks who would like to order a copy directly through me. To be fully transparent, this option is best for the author. I’ll also be sharing an Ingram direct link this week (hopefully!). Basically direct orders allow me to keep more of the royalties.
I have a new book…and it’s out today! Praying Through it All is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that weaves humor and heart for all mothers. This book was such a joy to put together, and I just cannot wait to share it with readers. Praying Through it All is available on Amazon or directly through me.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my current reality of preparing to go back to work after spending time as a stay at home mom. It’s been quite a journey! Once again I’ve been blessed to share my feelings on the website, Her View From Home.
I’ve managed to keep off of Facebook and Instagram for a little over a month now. It feels AMAZING to untether myself from that addiction. But how will I connect with readers and provide updates? Hopefully from here, which means I’ll need to be much more intentional about this space.
My plan is to update the website more regularly. So what have you missed since my last post? Well my first self-published book, THE LINN COUNTY FAMILY OUTDOOR GUIDE, is out and in the community. What a fun adventure this has been! I have another library visit in the works, so check back here for more information in the coming weeks.
Are you local and interested in ordering your own copy? Check out Swampfox, Next Page Books, Scout, or the Marion Chamber of Commerce. You can also order directly through me at a discounted price: https://forms.gle/yuTP1PwFzSoc47hL6. Non-local orders are still available through Amazon.
So what’s next? I’m currently revising a cozy romance novel set in Iowa during the farmer’s market season. And yes, the research has been just so fun and delicious.
Are you interested in reading a bit of my new project? Email me! I’m looking for a couple of beta readers to offer timely and honest feedback. You can write me at BriannaBaranowskiWriter@gmail.com.
I think that’s all for now. Enjoy the last fleeting moments of summer, rest assured glorious fall is almost ready to arrive and wow us all.
In two days we get to celebrate not only the first day of spring, but also the official launch of THE LINN COUNTY FAMILY OUTDOOR GUIDE! This resource is perfect for families and visitors of Linn County. Find a new place to visit, try completing a bucket list, or check out specific places based on your interests (fishing, places to bring your dog, creek stomping-I’ve got you covered!).
You can buy the book directly through me, Ingram (retailers only), Amazon, and soon at a few of your favorite local bookstores.
After months of research and writing, I’m so proud to announce that THE LINN COUNTY FAMILY OUTDOOR GUIDE will launch on March 19th (the first day of spring)!
THE LINN COUNTY FAMILY OUTDOOR GUIDE is a family-friendly resource that encourages readers to take their kids outside and enjoy local nature. Focusing on Linn County, Iowa, this book provides comprehensive research on all Linn County parks, Iowa state parks within Linn County, and Linn County trails, preserves, and natural areas (with several bonus areas highlighted as well). It also weaves a motivational narrative meant to be relatable and uplifting. I believe that a book like this is needed in our area, especially in a time when American kids are spending less than ten minutes a day outside.Â
Stayed tuned here and on Facebook for more information, as I’m still currently logged off Instagram for lent.
To love someone with an addiction is to have your heart broken time and time again. You mourn them while they’re still alive. As their cheeks hollow and their soul slowly simmers to sour, you know part of them is already gone. And I know it sounds negative to say this next part out loud, but even their recovery is a million opportunities to be ripped open at any moment’s notice.
Recovery from addiction is a fragile, delicate thing. It’s a hatchling too close to the edge of its nest, thinking about jumping before its feathers have arrived. It’s a bead of condensation slowly slipping from a glass left outside in the heat. It’s a snowflake that lands on your finger, displaying all its intricate glory for mere moments.
But unlike the snowflake, or the water drop, or the defenseless state of the bird, recovery doesn’t have to be temporary. It can be permanent. Solid. As forever as an infinity symbol or God’s love. The only problem is, we never know the outcome of a loved one’s journey to getting (and staying) clean ahead of time. We never really know if this time it’s going to stick. And that uncertainty is the biggest gamble on heartbreak I can imagine.
Because when do you know it’s time for tough love? Or time to turn away from who they have become? How do you dare yourself to celebrate their milestones towards sobriety while relapse stares you down from behind them? When do you decide to allow yourself the chance of pain and disappointment in order to love and support them with open arms and hope abound?
I sure don’t know the answer, but I do know that the people in your life who love an addict are wrestling with these questions daily.
I’ve witnessed people pull themselves out of the pits of despair and get themselves clean. It wasn’t without setbacks, but it happened. And I love people who I thought for sure would never backslide, only to know they’re active in their addiction again. I’ve lost loved ones because of their addictions, feeling the weight of pain but not of surprise or disbelief. I’m mourning loved ones who are currently very much alive, even if I know I can’t recognize them right now.
Again, I don’t know the answers. And if you’re in recovery, I think you’re the strongest kind of person that can exist. You should be so proud of how far you’ve come. Or, if you’re hoping to get clean, I don’t know the best path for your journey. But I know it’s possible, and life giving. And I also know it can’t happen while you’re living under the same circumstances that brought you down. You can’t be clean and still hang around addicts. You can’t be clean and think you can handle this alone. Please, for the people who already miss you- find your support, cling to a healthy routine, and free yourself from what holds you hostage.
How confronting winter elements head-on helped quell my Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms
When deciding to attempt the #1000hoursoutside challenge, I knew winter would be my Everest. How could I possibly spend time outside during the months that made me want to curl up and hibernate until May? The mere minutes I was spending between getting out of my SUV and into my work building were barely tolerable. I even hated ‘winter’ when living in California (which yes, seems ridiculous now, but it’s a thing!). This was an especially risky move after the darkness of last year.
I experienced a deep seated period of resentment about living in the Midwest last spring. It had been a frigid winter and even though the calendar was saying positive messages like ‘April’ or even ‘May,’ it just seemed to remain an eternally dreary and damp season. I begged my husband to move us back to California more than a few times, if only to feel the heat of the sun on my skin again.
Truthfully, I was worried for winter to arrive this year. I was bracing myself for another episode of sadness and hopelessness.
To say the outdoor challenge came at the right time is an understatement I contemplate often. Here I was, preparing to deal with the after-holiday lull of gray January, and I had decided to venture outside. Silly! What was I thinking? But confronting the elements was exactly the perspective I needed to not only appreciate, but enjoy the beauty of an Iowa winter. For suddenly I was spotting bald eagles and startling a herd of deer and discovering the cutest little fungi clinging to the trees. My eyes were twinkling at the multi-faceted splendor of ice encasing a magnificently alive forest. It’s been the best medicine (here is my disclaimer that I’m not suggesting nature is a cure-all for depression. I am not a doctor, obviously).
So as March rolls in and spring eventually makes its debut, I’m ready to welcome it with open arms like a friend I haven’t seen since, well, last year. I’ll stomp in puddles and delight in freshly sprouted buds. I’ll probably complain about the bugs and fickle nature of the rain.
But for the first time, I’ll also be a little bit sad to see winter leave.
We’re now 28 days into our 1,000 hours outside challenge. And while we’re far from quitting or giving up on this lofty goal, we also have to make peace with a slower start than one might expect. An equal distribution of 1,000 hours over twelve months would be about 83 hours per month. We’re clocking in at more like 25ish. That’s…not great.
But it’s also completely okay. Because in all honesty, 25ish hours outside during a Midwest winter is probably about 23 hours more than I’d usually be putting in.
These extra hours outside have brought a wealth of benefits. We’ve gone sledding, walked several trails, explored nature, and just had a lot of fun. More importantly- slowly, but surely, we’ve picked up some small positive habits along the way.
It’s been weird noticing this, but I’ve caught myself wishing I could get outside while at my day job. There’s even been a few occasions during my prep period that I’ve bundled up and walked the perimeter of the school before going back in to do my actual prepping. On one of these walks, I came up with a new story idea! Now whether or not I have time to work on yet another WIP is a whole other thing…
I’ll admit, I’m someone who grabs a new interest and squeezes all the life out of it until it’s no longer new and shiny to me. That’s, of course, a possible outcome for this outdoor challenge. But I’m confident that the micro habits I’ve been establishing the past four weeks will stick. Like when it’s almost dusk and dinner is prepped and the boys are playing with the neighbors, you might find me reading a book on the back deck. Or, if we’re planning to get together as friends, don’t be surprised if I suggest a hike instead of a coffee shop (though I do love me a coffee date…maybe we can combine the two!).
My point is, not all resolutions or grand plans need to be all-in all the time. Maybe the point is to build a sturdy foundation that enriches our lives and brings us closer who we want to become. The key to building that foundation? One small step in the right direction.
Brianna Baranowski 