mymagicalmusings1

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

A tradition they have in London that we really don’t do where I come from is Advent calendars. I’ve seen them in stores before, but I don’t know anyone who has mentioned using an Advent calendar when we’ve shared holiday traditions. The concept is simple enough: open the little door labelled with the date toContinue reading “Tidings of Comfort and Joy”

Cheersgiving

I enjoyed the Halloween playlist so much that I decided to make a Yuletide one too. It consists mainly of retro Christmas classics (Nat King Cole, the Carpenters, etc.) but with a fun sprinkling of rock-classical instrumentals, modern covers, a couple parodies, and songs from holiday movies. These are the songs I grew up listeningContinue reading “Cheersgiving”

Spooky Music Time

I love music. I always have music playing with the occasional break for ASMR or Game Grumps. The holidays are no different. This led me to stumble upon an event going on in London for Halloween: candlelit “spooky” classical music performed by a string quartet. I love the idea! But for $40+ per person, IContinue reading “Spooky Music Time”

Small Victories

Small victories are the best we can hope for sometimes. Sure, it would be great if we could complete a masterpiece in one fell swoop or finally flip the switch in our brains that lets us speak another language flawlessly, but that’s not how achievements typically work. We have to work for them. This meansContinue reading “Small Victories”

Touches of Whimsy

I’ve seen people criticizing “romanticize your life” and “be the main character in your life” as hedonistic and toxic, and I can’t help but think there has been a misunderstanding somewhere along the way. First, I will concede that some people will use any excuse to feed their own selfishness and narcissism. It’s easy toContinue reading “Touches of Whimsy”

Colds and Creativity

Everyone in the house is sick. Nothing serious. Just colds. But three adults bumbling around, sniffling, sneezing, and pinching the bridges of their noses must be a sight. We’re all red-nosed and bundled a little more warmly than may be necessary. Oranges, vitamin C, and cold meds are scattered around the kitchen because we allContinue reading “Colds and Creativity”

Just Blew into Town

When I decided to make the move a reality, I knew there would be a long road ahead. Besides applying for the proper visa (with a rather user-UNfriendly website as my primary resource), I would also have to figure out how to uproot my entire life. I’m in my mid-thirties, so I had a decentContinue reading “Just Blew into Town”