Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I look back on the past week to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted and the goals I’ve completed.
| This Week by Proxy: 29 June – 05 July 2020 |
This week will be a little different to the ‘usual’ offering because, yes, I’m back! After two years away from book blogging – far too long a time if you ask me – I’ve decided to resurrect Books by Proxy and continue to share my love of books and reading with this amazing community.
It seems that time, as for many people, is my most precariously balanced commodity and life tends to run away from me before I even realise. During these uncertain times, where nobody has come away unaffected by Covid19, we are given just a little space to stop and think about what is really important to us and what really makes us happy – Reading and this blog have only ever made me happy.
Whilst unearthing Books by Proxy, it was an absolute joy to see so many familiar, friendly faces and avatars pop up on my screen, and to explore their wonderful, much-loved blogs once again. It was almost like I had never left – and I truly wish I had not left it so long.
So in the spirit of returning to my love of lists and weekly memes, the following post will be a short and sweet re-cap of where life has taken me over the past two years.
I hope you have all had a wonderful week and I cannot wait to catch up with everybody’s blogs!
| 1. |
30
The big 3-0! In 2018 I reached that age where I should finally feel like an adult. Alas, the clouds didn’t part and wisdom certainly didn’t come beaming out of the heavens and mystically transform me into a ‘proper grown-up’. Consequently, I have revised that estimate to 40.
| 2. |
Study, Study, Study
Almost the entirety of 2019 was absorbed by copious amounts of coursework, revision and exams. Whilst working at my current job, I had been simultaneously undertaking my professional qualifications in Architecture. My evenings were spent working, my weekends were spent working and my holidays were spent, you guessed it, working. But it was all worthwhile because at the end of 2019 I…
| 3. |
Graduated from my Professional Degree in Architecture
Huzzah! After working as close to one as possible for the past five years, I can finally and legally call myself an Architect. With a capital A, of course. The graduation ceremony was a glorious, tipsy, glitzy affair at the RIBA headquarters in London and was my favourite graduation to date!
| 4. |
Bought my First Home
After two and half years living in our lovely apartment, my partner in crime and I bought our first home together, and it is a dream. A beautiful village in the countryside, a wonderful community spirit, pubs at the end of every road, and an historic house with a Victorian shop front – hello Charles Dickens! Just in time for a prolonged period of lockdown…
| 5. |
Reading and then More Reading
While in the past two years I haven’t read half as much as I had in previous years (I’m looking at you exams!), I’m finally getting back into the swing of things. I bought a new Kindle, I’m giving myself the time and space to read and, although an inordinate number of my books remain at my mum and dad’s house, post-lockdown I fully intend to buy some much needed bookshelves.
And a library ladder… it can’t be a dream house without a library ladder…
Stay tuned for my post… My Top Ten Books of the Past Two Years| 6. |
Game, Game, Game
As some of you may know, one of my other passions is gaming and oh boy have I played a lot of games. Having just completed everything there is to do on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (and I mean everything), I am feeling some serious post-game blues and have resorted to filling my gaming time with rounds of Apex until I’m ready for my next big thing.
Stay tuned for my post… My Top Ten Games of the Past Two Years
| 7. |
Working From Home
Like so many others in lockdown I too have been working from home, and for me it has been a vast improvement in terms of a work-life balance. The lack of travel time, being able to see my other half in the morning (yes, he works very strange hours), and being out of the city centre have created a little hope in what is a protracted, stressful and worrying time.
| 8. |
Making Things Grow
During lockdown, I have been working on making a little potted front and back garden, and I am genuinely surprised at how much joy it brings me – I guess I am turning into my mother after all!… Which is absolutely fine because Mamma Proxy has impeccable taste in literature.
| 9. |
Netflix and Chill
Nothing says lockdown like binge-watching an inordinate number of series until you wake up at four in the morning with the TV on standby as it’s starting to go light.
Stay tuned for my post… My Top Ten TV Series of the Past Two Years
| 10. |
Bunnies!
After moving into our home at the end of 2019, we rescued two bunnies that had been found, several months apart, wandering the streets of the north west. Sadly, I’m not sure they can make much of a contribution to my blog but they are very much loved all the same. Welcome to the Book-o-Blogosphere Bjorn and Torvi Ironside (Yes, from Vikings).
What have you been reading this week? Have you accomplished any goals?
Welcome back! I’m glad you decided to start blogging again. And oh my those bunnies are the sweetest!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tammy! 😀 They are such funny little characters!
LikeLike
Has it really been two years?! While we’ve missed you, it does sound like you have been doing some great things in that time: graduating as an Architect (well done!), buying your own home, becoming a fury babies momma and turning 30 (I also turned 30 in 2018). I really look forward to your upcoming posts about the last two years. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jessica! Happy (extremely) belated 30th!!
It has been a rather busy two years I must say… It definitely feels good to be able to enjoy my hobbies once again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back:)). I was delighted to see your return and huge congratulations on all you have achieved since your absence! I love those rabbits… Have a great week, Proxy and I hope you have some great books lined up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!! 😊
LikeLike
Welcome back! 🙂
And, wow! Congrats on your advanced degree in architecture!! I think that’s pretty cool. It’s a subject I try to teach myself sometimes.
And congrats on becoming a homeowner too. That’s really great!
And becoming 30 (I turned 30 that same year too and was a little disappointed that I wasn’t immediately wiser and more of an adult lol).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 😀 It has been a pretty whirlwind two years if I’m honest! And happy 30th for 2018! Long may the pre-official-adult celebrations continue!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahhh welcome back!! Looks like a LOT has happened for you. Many many many congrats on the Architecture degree and the new home! And I feel you on the gaming blues. I’m waiting for The Ghost of Tsushima to drop this month and I’m super excited 😀
Will be looking forward to your top ten lists!! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Here’s hoping the AC Odyssey melancholy doesn’t last quite as long as my Kingdom Come Deliverance one did! I even started to grow my own herbs so I wouldn’t feel the loss of my herbalism skill so keenly! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha I know that feeling! For a while after playing Fallout 4 I had this urge to do DIY projects using random materials around the house. Ah, video games.
LikeLiked by 1 person
See – this is why video games make us more productive! 😛
LikeLike
Welcome back to blogging! 🙂 Sounds like you’ve been achieving so much excellent stuff, though. And spoiler, but 40 doesn’t seem to be ‘that age’ either 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I was hoping someone would say that 😉 I am quite happy for my estimate to be revised every decade!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back! Sometimes a little hiatus can help us gather fresh energies and a new way to look at things, so I will look forward to your next posts! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I certainly hope so!! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
BUNNIES! We have three — Biscuit, Eclair and Hulk. I use Biscuit as a random-choice-generator if I can’t decide what to read, so I guess she contributes to my blog in that way. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my 😍 that is precious! I would have to let Bjorn do the choosing as Torvi loves to throw any paper/card/boxes and I’m not sure my books or kindle would survive!!
LikeLike
Haha – I’m so happy to read all this. Congratulations on becoming an architect and buying your home – such fantastic news. No wonder you didn’t have time for all the reading and blogging but hopefully, now you’re settled in with your bunnies and pot plants (and your other half of course) you can share some more of your thoughts with us on what you’ve been reading.
As you can see, by my delay in visiting everyone this week, I’ve also been working on projects and becoming so involved that blogging and reading has slipped for me. Catch up time.
Welcome back 😀
Lynn 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay Lynn!!! Oh I am so happy to see your avatar face!
Thank you so much 😀 it has certainly been a strange and busy time!! But it feels so good to be settled properly in somewhere of our own… and be able to pick up where I left off of course!
Good luck with your projects too! I’ve been enjoying your SPFBO updates and was delighted to see two previous finalists make my top ten books of the past two years hehe! Can’t wait to catch up on everything else! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ditto. I was well pleased when a notification popped up with Proxyfish 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person