Personal Digest Saturday: December 19 – December 25

Life news this week: 

• It was a pretty wild week because not only was Christmas coming, but . . . Ash turned two! On Saturday we went to Sarasota to visit Dad's side of the family. I got to see my grandparents as well as Dad and Connie, and we ate Carrabba's food. Little Ash was obsessed with a Jason Mraz song that's been repackaged for Sesame Street, haha. When we got back home I made his birthday cake and went to bed.
• Sunday was Ash's second birthday and we celebrated at Lettuce Lake Park. There were bees in the shelter so we just sat at a picnic table. Ash lost his balloons in a tree almost immediately. We ate Publix sandwiches and hung out catching up and playing with the kids. And the apple bread cake with whipped cream icing was enjoyed by most. Ash just seemed to like the whipped cream. :D After I got home from that and had a nap, I did my decorations for Yuletide while chatting with Meggie on the phone. Yay!
• Monday was a longish work day because I had a project to do. Then I went home and had a surprise dinner at Mom's with my visiting sister and family. We ate stir-fry. I didn't do much else with my evening because I was sleepy.
• On Tuesday I worked and didn't see my family, and made/posted a video.
• On Wednesday I had Jeaux Day and we couldn't exchange gifts because the thing he ordered for me wasn't in yet. Boo. We ate at Five Guys and in addition to talking about feminism and cartoons we also discussed racism and dreams. Wow we're really changing it up here. I baked cookies for my family after he left.
• Thursday was Christmas Eve. I had to work in the morning though. Jeaux's present for me came in so he ran across the street and we exchanged gifts. He got me a Steven Universe-themed blanket--instant hit, obviously. I went home after that and my sister L picked me up for Christmas Eve at Mom's (with her nutty dogs in the car). We hung out at my mom's and later sister P joined us. We all had a lovely dinner and opened our presents and had a fire (even though it's completely unnecessary in Florida). They had gotten a tree too, for free. We ate the cookies I brought too.
• Friday was Christmas and I spent that at my mom's too. It was just us sitting around playing with the baby, eating Chinese food, and making cinnamon rolls (well, that was mostly my sister; I just helped with some dishes). I drew a bunch of comic panels while chilling over there and talking to my family. It was a good time even though I had to squeeze to get my comic posted when I got home.

New reviews of my book:

• Laura gave it four stars on Goodreads.
• Also I think I missed Bethany's review from earlier this month, where I got a five-star review.

 
Places featured:

• Convergence 2016 ran an article that included an interview with me.
• Someone seems to have written Asexual Tony Stark fanfiction which involves the character discovering my book and crediting it with saving his life? Interesting.
• Teenink.com includes a personal piece that mentions my book and discusses asexuality.

Reading progress:

• Completed reading: George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl. Two-star review.
• Currently reading: The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Paul Zindel.

New singing performances:

Here I'm singing "Tonight and the Rest of My Life" by Nina Gordon.

 

New drawings:

Webcomic Negative One Issue 0554: "This Simple."

New videos:

Letters to an Asexual #32 is about the tired old comment suggesting we're "unfit" if we don't want sex because it means we won't reproduce. Hahahaaa.

 

New photos:  

Got a lot this week because of all the festivities, of course!

We visited my dad in Sarasota and they had this little Christmas tree. Here's Ash beside it.

Sometimes Ash gets a little distraught and responds well to music.

I bought the Steven Universe Funko Pop! toys online but they had stock issues so my shipments were delivered separately. The first one to arrive was my Pearl figure. :)

Ash's second birthday! I got to make his cake, which was apple bread with whipped cream icing.

Birthday boy under the Happy Birthday sign.

Ash is ready for his big boy cake.

My Steven Universe Pop! figure collection is complete now. Yay!

At Mom's, Ash is enjoying the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.

Ash is enjoying raisins with his parents.

My sister Patricia took this one of some of the family on Christmas Eve about to open presents.

Hey it's me with my stocking on Christmas Eve.

Sister Lindsay with her stocking on Christmas Eve.

Ash is enjoying his new caterpillar toy from one of his favorite books.

Ash is enjoying his new personalized train cars from a very special auntie. ;)

Yusuke and Ash are having some sweet togetherness time on Christmas Eve.

Ash is enjoying one of his new toys: a motorcycle.

The watermelon consumer has arrived.

This kid loves a good story about ABCs.

Ash sometimes plays doctor. That means that sometimes Grandma gets covered in Band-Aids.

Ash sometimes plays doctor. That means that sometimes Mommy gets covered in Band-Aids.

The perfect cinnamon roll. Made by my sister.

Social media counts: 

YouTube subscribers: 5,246 for swankivy (no change this week), 545 for JulieSondra (no change). Twitter followers: 720 for swankivy (1 new), 1,194 for JulieSondra (no change). Facebook: 286 friends (no change) and 184 followers (no change) for swankivy, 627 likes for JulieSondra (lost 1), 55 likes for Negative One (no change), 116 likes for So You Write (no change). Tumblr followers: 2,313 (3 new). Wow it's a slow week for social media.