mymagicalmusings1

Impending Changes

My blog may be undergoing some alterations between now and the end of December. I’ve been kicking around some ideas that I may implement in 2023. Nothing is certain just yet, but I am considering various options at this time. I hope everyone has a great start to their December this week!

Kew Gardens

The photos I’m sharing this week are of Kew Gardens in January of this year. I was over the moon about the ice and frost that covered the plants. I have many more photos than these, but I wanted to highlight the majesty of the cold. The steaming earth enchanted me. The birds sliding aroundContinue reading “Kew Gardens”

Hampton Court Palace: Interiors

This week is a continuation of last week, but this time we move inside the palace. I apologize for the quality of my photos. My camera filled up, and I had to switch to my cell phone, which doesn’t take the best pictures. Still, I couldn’t pass up the chance to snap the empty rooms.Continue reading “Hampton Court Palace: Interiors”

Hampton Court Palace: The Grounds

This week’s collection is from the palace of Henry VIII, taken in January of 2022. There was almost no one there besides me and my fiancé. It was great. Recognize any of these from Harry Potter? And, yes, I did stagger through the hedge maze, calling, “Danny!” One person somewhere deeper in the maze laughed.Continue reading “Hampton Court Palace: The Grounds”

Visa Saga Update

The UK Home Office finally got in contact with me this morning. I sent them a message asking for help when they were over a week late for their extra-month-extended reply to my appeal. Their reply, by the way, was “We can’t help you, but make sure YOU’RE not late when we message you.” WhyContinue reading “Visa Saga Update”

Photo Blog Month

I’ve decided to give NaNoWriMo a shot this year. I did it a few times in years past and won two or three times, but that was a long time ago. Time to try again! That being the case, I’m going to blog for the next few weeks the same way I did last week:Continue reading “Photo Blog Month”

And now for something completely different!

I didn’t feel like going with my usual format this week. I’m not sure why. Instead, I’m going to share photos I took in one of my favorite places of all time: Queen Mary’s Gardens in the Regent’s Park in London. These are from trips in 2016 and 2017. Any description beyond what the imagesContinue reading “And now for something completely different!”

My Weight Loss Journey

I lost fifty pounds between January and June of this year. I just recently got a new doctor, who was SO EXCITED when I told her that my main weight loss strategy was counting calories. She said, “THANK you! You should be my poster child for ‘calories in, calories out!’” At first, this response madeContinue reading “My Weight Loss Journey”

Slow Steps

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, a day for global mental health education, awareness, and advocacy against social stigma. This is a topic near and dear to my heart, as I and many people in my life have grappled with our mental health at some point in our lives. Depression and anxiety are huge presencesContinue reading “Slow Steps”

My Teachers, My Inspiration

World Teachers Day is Wednesday, and in honor of the profession I once had, I thought I would share a bit about what I once taught. My specialty was a survey of British literature. I started each text with an overview of its place in history. After all, context matters. We would then read theContinue reading “My Teachers, My Inspiration”