Category: Personal

Christmas Has Come to Our House! – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Ah, Christmas. My favorite time of the year. Not because of the presents, but because I get to spend time with my family and be surrounded by the decorations that we have collected for years, while also making new memories.

We spent today getting up most of our decorations, and I have to say, it looks lovely.

We have garland decorating the pictures and artwork, making them sparkle. Around one of our lamps are beautiful wooden ordainments, bought by my father in Bethlehem before I was born (I’m not joking). He was in the Air Force and briefly sent to Kuwait, and travelled around the Middle East during the late 80s.

In the kitchen, we’ve done something new this year. We used fun ribbon to “wrap” the upper cabinet doors, adding a fun pop of color to the white of the room. On mom’s China cabinet (thank you IKEA), we’ve draped this long surviving bit of present garland, which always looks cute and because a question piece.

Outside, we added some lights to our tiny patio, mostly because I’ve wanted to for years and the lights are annoying our upstairs neighbors. They don’t flicker, they don’t change, but apparently they are bothersome. I may add more. (I’ll explain another day, I swear.)

Our fake tree is up, standing tall and already lit. We won’t be decorating it until tomorrow because Mom have a rule – she must have one day to fluff it and pick at it and make me turn the thing fourteen times before it’s back in it’s original position looking beautiful as ever. (Mom, if you’re reading this, I’m being sarcastic, I swear.)

Only three items on our list haven’t been completed yet. One is our Christmas Village, which will take all day tomorrow (when I’m not at my final book club of the year). That’s fine, though, because taking our time means that we can make it perfect. I also have to finish the Christmas LEGO builds, as some of them end up in our Village now, or on the table, or just decoration.

The last thing is our windows, which I normal dress up with lights and clings. It’s a project for Monday, when I finish work and OT. It’s one of those things that can get skipped if absolutely necessary. I don’t want to, though, so I’m gonna get them done as fast as I can.

And honestly, there technically is one more thing. A few of us at work decided to decorate our desks, so I may take the time to dig out a few decorations and bring them in to make my desk all festive. But that’s a “if I have time, yikes the hours are slipping away from me,” type deal.

Happy holidays!

A Day of Rest – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen, but it did.

For reasons I cannot explain (seriously), I went from feeling fine and peppy at work to feeling like a truck hit me. Went home sick and still feel that way.

So, no true Blogmas post today. Gonna take tonight to rest.

[Full disclosure, I typed this up on Wednesday the 10th. Because of how poorly I was feeling, what with the near fainting at work and having to drive home and all that, I forgot to hit publish. It is technically backdated to the draft date, I just didn’t make it readable. I’m feeling much better, but I didn’t want any confusion. Thank you!]

Broadway in Hollywood! Seeing Three of the Best Shows from New York… In Los Angeles – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I was brought up loving the theater.

Back in Florida, Mom and I made it a point to see at least one show a year. We’ve seen multiple shows in New York, including Equus and 42nd Street, both of which were phenomenal (not that the others I’ve seen weren’t those two just stand out, along with Spamalot).

Upon moving to California, one of our goals was to see more Broadway touring shows. And of course, our timing was horrible, so we didn’t get started until late December of last year. As of now, we’ve seen three shows, with tickets for others already waiting for us (and the possibility for move very soon). Our theater of choice is the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA, a building with so much history built in, it makes every moment inside worth it.

So, in no particular order, these are the three shows we’ve seen at the Pantages.

Wicked (December 29, 2024)

Like many theater kids of my generation, seeing Wicked is a right of passage. I have wanted to see the musical on Broadway since it opened in 2003. We tried to get tickets whenever the tour would come to town… and never managed to score any.

I wanted to see the show so badly, I actively refused to see Wicked the movie in theaters, or when it came to steaming. I needed to see the show first.

Then last Christmas, Mom got us tickets. This came out of literal nowhere. I swear I cried for like ten minutes. Seriously, I had tried myself, and failed yet again! So she pulled off a major magic trick.

The show was glorious. The cast was on point, the young woman playing Elphaba stole every scene she was in. It deserved the thunderous applause it got with the end of every number.

And here’s the thing, I didn’t know what happened. Sure, I knew a few of the songs (what theater kid didn’t at least know of “Defying Gravity”?), but I didn’t know the plot. I knew the twists because I’d figured them out, but Mom didn’t. (She cried at one, it was great.)

It was surpurb, it was amazing, and it was a dream come true.

(The film was also amazing, we watched it the next weekend. Haven’t seen For Good yet due to Mom’s dislike of movie theaters post-pandemic, but as soon as it hits streaming… it’s coming.)

Hadestown (October 26, 2025)

Just… wow.

First, I should make something clear. I found out after the show that the show was actually non-Equity, which I know that many people have a massive problem with. I want it noted.

But holy shit.

I went into this show somewhat blind (knowing only the very basic premise… and again, a song, “Wait for Me”). This was another show I knew I wanted to see, but I didn’t know what I was in for.

The answer to that, by the way, is Megan Colton, who blew the show right out of the park. Playing Eurydice with a beautiful, haunting voice… Her solo in “Wait for Me (reprise)” is something that has still not left my head.

I need to see the show again.

Suffs (December 7, 2025)

And then there’s Suffs.

Suffs is probably one of the most important musicals currently touring right now. That’s not an exaggeration, that’s the cold hard truth. The show deals with the women’s suffrage movement, the historic wins and tragic losses, leading up to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in the USA, which granted some women the right to vote.

This show frankly blew my mind. I saw it last night and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. There are so many parallels to what is happening right now in 2025. Every song and moment were gripping.

The entire cast is women. They portray some of the most courageous woman, as well as some of the most insufferable men.

It’s a thrilling show. It may be the best thing I’ve seen in 2025. Just. Wow.

In Conclusion…

I need to see more shows. I may be seeing Stereophonic at the end of December. And Spamalot again. And Beauty and the Beast next year.

Enjoy the Broadway shows, friends, they are worth it.

Oh How I Love Advent Calendars – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I have always loved Advent Calendars. From the beautiful one that has always graced my family’s wall each year to the newer ones bought each year, I have come to appreciate them.

This year, I’m doing several. Some that are advertised as Advent calendars, and others that… well, okay, it’s more like a series. But it counts!

Lego Star Wars 2025 Advent Calendar

For the past few years, I have made it a point to do a Lego Advent calendar. In 2023, it was the Lego City calendar, and last year was the Lego Star Wars one (mostly because it included a minikit! I couldn’t pass that up!)

This year I had been planning on returning to the Lego City calendar, but it has been sold out since mid October, I swear. So, instead, I’m “settling” with the Lego Star Wars one, as the other themes don’t do it for me and I’m too lazy to come up with something for myself, at least like this.

Each day comes with either a Minifigure to put together or a little set that is Star Wars themed. They are very adorable to look at and the Christmas theme, while not exactly Star Wars appropriate (as besides several Lego Star Wars movies, Christmas doesn’t exist in Star Wars to my knowledge…).

A Heart For Christmas by Sophie Jomain (A Advent Romance)

Thanks to the magic of random internet browsing, I happened upon a novel designed to be read as a chapter a day. Of course, being myself, I didn’t bother to read the reviews (not exactly great…) and instead just bought it and have been impatiently waiting to read it.

From the first chapter, I’ve met the main female character of this romantic (apparently young-adult) story, who is eighteen and spending the Christmas holidays in the Alps with her father, two years after a heart attack left her with a donor heart. I’m curious to see if the story takes off into unexpected directions or if I’ll be reading the same old tale again… We shall see.

Disney’s Twisted Tales Advent

Ever since I saw the first book in Disney’s Twisted Tales series, I’ve been wanting to get into them and enjoy all that is within the pages. Of course, every time I think “this is it”, something comes up and I never crack open that book.

This summer, I happened upon an official Advent Calendar for the Twisted Tales, originally released in 2023. I scooped it up… and then promptly forgot about it until yesterday, when I was starting to set up for Christmas and found it again. So I decided I would do a tale a day… until discovering that there were only ten actual short stories, and the rest were diaries, coloring pages, and other random things. And THEN (I promise this will be the last one, I swear), I found out that a second Twisted Tales Advent was released in the UK in October. So that will get here when it gets here, and until then I’m doing two. The short stories are spread out enough to accomidate that, or so I hope.

This might be the only one that I’m behind on come the end of December.

A Manga a Day…

And finally, my own kind of Advent calendar, based entirely on my feelings for that day.

Over the past few years, my manga collect has massively expanded. I’m reading series that I would have never though to touch before (including a horror series, and I hate horror! And I love that series!). There’s long ongoing series, short ones that I have collected complete, a few that I’m in the middle of because of printing issues (In/Spectre, why are volumes 5 and 6 still the only ones out of print?!)… All over the map at this point.

Because I have so many unread volumes due to life and other obligations, I decided that each day in December, I’m going to read at least a volume a day. It doesn’t have to be from the same series (for example, on December first I finished Aria the Masterpiece and then volume 13 of Otherside Picnic, two wildly different manga). My reason for this is two-fold. I have so much left to read… and I desperately want to pad my Goodreads total for personal reasons. Yeah, that’s happening.

And Of Course, The Classic

The final Advent calendar is the one that hasn’t actually been put up yet, because this year we’re behind in our decorating.

Many years ago, I think before I was born or the year that it happened, my parents were gifted a beautiful Advent calendar from my aunt. Yes, I think it was from a catalogue, and yes, it’s old, but we hang it every year and fight where to place all but a few of the pieces (certain ones have their own special place, because I said so).

No matter what happens, no matter if we have ten Advent calendars or one, this will always be that one. And that’s what makes it all that more special.

Once the month draws to a close, I’ll rate and discuss which one were worth the money, and which ones weren’t (hint, it’s probably the book, based on the reviews alone, from people I trust, haha).

Until then!

It’s a Holiday Surprise! I’m Back for Blogmas – Blogmas 2025

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a long time coming.

No, really. I’ve been wanting to sit back done and return to this blog, but it’s been hard. There’s a lot that has stopped me, both in my life and mentally. But I decided today that it was time. A habit takes, what, thirty days? And though I only really want to blog once or twice a week, let’s just go full throttle throughout December to Christmas, because why not.

There’s a lot to talk about. I’m going to make the time to do so.

The basics: I’m 35 now. Spent my last birthday celebrating at Disneyland, staying at the Disneyland Hotel (thanks Mom!), having the time of my life. I still have my job that I don’t talk about, been there now three years. Even though each day is taxing, I know what I’m doing is helping people, and that’s what my main goal is.

I’m basically out of the writing and fandom scene. I don’t really write much anymore, completely burnt out thanks to the BS of the last fandom I was in. I’m toying with some things that I may put to paper, but it’ll be a long time coming before anyone sees a glimpse of anything. As for fandoms, I watch stuff, I read more, but I don’t engage. After the fiasco of The Old Guard 2‘s release (yes it came out, yes we’re gonna talk about it), I’ve firmly stepped back. Primarily to protect myself, secondary because I just don’t feel like fighting strangers on the internet.

I’ve joined a bunch of book clubs, and left most of them, mostly due to interpersonal drama and/or clashing personalities. I just don’t see the point of taking part when all opinions can’t be heard or discussed without being told “nah, this is the only thing.” The ones I’m still in are great, fine, calm, and the people there are sweet.

Still reading, still with my insane reading goals. The full thing will be a post on it’s own, but I’ve been doing two reading challenges this year, and I’m about to complete them both. It’s satisfying.

Still gaming, completely in love with Disney Dreamlight Valley, and about to restart Animal Crossing New Horizons because of the surprise 3.0 update coming in January.

And really? Just living. Just getting up every day, doing my job, slowly breaking out of the shell I forced myself into the past couple years when everything seemed to be crumbling around me. It’s going to take some more time, more exploration of myself, before I’m the “me” I can be fully happy with, but it’s a journey. I’m on that path, and it’s healing.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Taking an Official Long Term Hiatus

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well. This wasn’t how I wanted to start 2023.

As can be clearly seen, I’m taking an official hiatus from a lot of things right now. I stepped away from this blog unexpectedly in December and just never got back to it. Then I started stepping back all together.

I made the decision to go on a near total social media hiatus as of February 13th, 2023 (or 14th on Twitter, because I forgot to upload the TwitLonger until after midnight). The reasons for this are many, but basically circle back to my mental health. I’ve been in a bit of a spiral for almost a year now, with many aspects of my life feeling out of my control. With issues cropping up in my personal, professional, and social parts of my life, something needed to give.

As of the 13th, I am taking a break from posting or actively interacting on most social media sites, including Tiktok, Twitter, and Reddit. I’ve unfollowed and blocked anyone or anything that was causing me distress or harm. Tumblr and Discord will follow at the end of the month, once Febuwhump 2023 wraps up and I finally, officially, end all commitments to the 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star fandoms.

Let me be clear here, I’m not saying that only one group or fandom or reason has caused my stepping back. There’s a lot of reasons compounded together. But I’m also aware that I was unconsciously seeking out the same things that were causing me issues on all sides. By stepping away and cutting as many ties as possible, I’m hoping to heal and move forward in a more positive manner.

I plan to take my time away and use it in a productive manner. I had a personal goal for 2023 to move every post from this blog over to another and use this one as a host for my fanfic should I decide to remove them from AO3 (which, if that happens, would be far in the future). I’m slowly going to be doing that, starting with the earliest posts. Once I get a few up, I’ll update this post with a quick link to direct you there. This post will stay up until everything is moved and/or I return from hiatus and post something different. Beyond this goal, I am also getting back to my love of reading and hoping to work on some projects that I’ve been putting off.

This isn’t a permanent hiatus. I will be back in the future. I have plans for when I return. I just don’t know when that will be just yet. Taking this time away is important.

I’ll see you soon. <3

Holiday Traditions – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

[Quick note: my apologies for the late posting of this post. Time got away from me as it always happens to during the holidays with too many things to do and not nearly enough time to do what is necessary.}

The holidays have arrived, and with them are some of my favorite family traditions.

For 2022, my Mom and I decided that we were going to try to do several of our holiday traditions that have been on the backburner for several years now, either because of the move or time or money. It’s all possible this year, so here we are.

Tradition One – Decorating Inside and Out

Given that we now live in an apartment, we have had to get a little creative with this one. Our goal is to have all of our decorations up by the 10th, barring the tree if we’re getting a live one. Our decorating is mostly aimed at the main living areas: the living room, dining room, and kitchen, though I do also usually put up a small fake tree in my room as well.

This year, we went all out. To satisfy the “outside” component, we decorated the windows with gel clings in different holiday shapes and added lights. Over our sliding door to the patio, we also added lights and I put snowflakes up on the glass. (We’re one of the only apartments that doesn’t have a plug outside due to an electrical issue, so we have to make due with putting things inside.) I also lined the window sills with little toys and knick knacks that are all holiday themed to add to the fun.

As for inside, we have garland and silver bells hanging, as well as snow globes from Target and a massive assortment of Santas. Our fake tree is up and decorated, ready and waiting to be surrounded by presents in the coming days. One bookshelf was sacrificed to become a vertical “holiday village” with light-up buildings and figurines and snow.

The holidays have arrived.

Tradition Two – Christmas Lights Viewing

I’ve already confirmed with Mom that we will be continuing our favorite Christmas Eve tradition.

Something that we’ve done since I was a small child is that we drive around on Christmas Eve and listen to Christmas music and look at all the Christmas lights and decorations. When I was growing up, it was a way to get me to fall asleep easier (so that Santa could visit, of course). Now, it’s a great way for Mom and I to spend some time together uninterrupted and explore our town and see just how creative people get.

We also do a smaller version of this before Christmas Eve, where we walk around our apartment complex in the evenings, but that can only be done sparingly due to some health issues.

Tradition Three – Christmas Cookies?

Okay, this is the tradition that is most possibly going to be skipped.

Every year we make grand plans to make sugar cookies and decorate them, and every year we completely forget to do so until the last second. Growing up we loved making them, but in the past few years we’ve just run out of time to get them done in a timely manner.

We’re hopeful this year because we’re actually ahead of schedule, as we’ve already finished all of our decorating and shopping and all we have left is wrapping and any last minute gifts.

Wrap Up

There’s of course other traditions that my family takes part in, certain shows and films we watch, and certain things we do. But these are the things we really like to try to do during December.

Until next time!

Skip Day – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Hey all,

Today’s Blogmas post will be held until tomorrow as I’ve been dealing with a migraine on and off. I almost forgot to post this at all before midnight my time.

Tomorrow’s post will be instead the post I’d planned for today, my Writer’s Month Wrap-Up. It should go live tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks for understanding. I’m still getting used to what triggers my migraines and all.

Until next time!

What’s With Us And Thanksgiving Anyways? – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I swear my family is not allowed to have a normal Thanksgiving.

For 2022, my family and I made the decision that it was finally safe enough to open up our doors to allow a family friend to visit for Thanksgiving. This was discussed for a good long while before we made the decision to go ahead and let this friend visit. We knew of the risks involved, but we figured it should be safe enough. He knew our rules and what we did to stay safe.

Well, we were sure as hell wrong.

I’m not going to discuss the entire trip – that would take entirely too long and wow I don’t feel like being that negative this early in the holiday season. I will say that I’m purposely skipping on thing that happened on Thanksgiving, but I’m saving that for a good reason.

So, Thanksgiving dawned bright and cold. Mom and I got an early start on our stuffing for our bird, with our guest continuing his bout of making rude comments about our cooking skills and generally getting in our way whenever he felt like it. We got Herbert the Turkey in the oven right on time with no real issue.

During the open period between turkey in and putting the extra stuffing into to bake, the guest decided to go take a nap in my mom’s room (she offered). This worked to our advantage because we were able to get a jump on prep. We got the stuffing in and moved steadily right along.

That is, until I noticed smoke coming out of the oven. The butter that we use in the stuffing had leaked from the little stuffing packs and was dripping onto the bottom of the oven, burning and smoking up the entire main living area of the apartment. We quickly got everything out and threw flour over the smouldering butter to kill the potential for fire and quickly got the smoke out of the apartment.

Well, Thanksgiving dinner was obviously going to be canceled, right?

Wrong. Mostly because of Mom. Well, something that she likes to say.

Summer last year, we bought a grill finally, a small two burner gas grill for our little patio. It was just large enough to fit the turkey, leaving just enough room for us to baste and also bake a few extra stuffing packets as well. It was tight, but it worked.

Thanks to the scramble and the delay of getting the turkey and everything back on, we had the mad scramble to make and finish all the side dishes all at once. While my uncle sat at the table patiently and nibbled on the biscuits we put out, dear guest kept coming in, opening the fridge, trying to stick his fingers in the pans (without washing his hands) and just generally ended up getting enough four letter words thrown at him that I think I would have been adopted as a sailor if I had wanted to be and no one would have been the wiser.

We did get everything on the table on time. Barely. And the turkey got a little overcooked (cooking on the grill is a whole other beast). But it was good! Dear guest flat out said ti was tasteless, but he wouldn’t know good food if it came and bit him on the ass.

The rest of the night passed with cleaning and basically putting Thanksgiving away, and generally ignoring the TV since dear guest wouldn’t turn off one of the few shows Mom explicitly asked not be watched with her around. The request wasn’t honored.

(He also got us very very sick, so sick in fact that I’m still feeling the effects to this day, but that’s a story for another nightmare.)

I swear, I should just cancel Thanksgiving next year. It’s just not worth it at this point. I just can’t win.

Until next time!

It’s a Holiday Miracle, Charlie Brown! – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

There was a point today that I thought I wouldn’t get anything posted and I’d start December behind. Luckily, the flu-induced dizziness abated for just long enough for me to knock this out, so we can get December off to a much better start.

It’s December 1st, which means, it’s time for Blogmas! For me, Blogmas is usually a time where I set myself a goal during the next 25 days. Sometimes it’s to watch a different film or television show a day. Other times it’s to attempt something new and post about it.

This year… I’m taking it easy.

I’m starting December out getting over a very nasty cold that has had me down since Thanksgiving. Instead of having our apartment already mostly holiday decorated, we’ve only just gotten started. Instead of having my tiny little silver tinsel tree out set up next to my desk, I still have my pile-o-mess that takes over for the other eleven months.

This month, my goal is simply to make sure I post something every day. Will it always be holiday-themed? Nope. Some days it will be writing challenge wrap ups, other days it may be show reviews. As long as I’m posting daily, it counts for Blogmas 2022.

I don’t really have much planned besides attempting to stay on top of my work, continue to finish up my outstanding fanfiction (I was too sick to finish what I had wanted to before Thanksgiving, so I’m paying for it now), maybe read a few good books and write a lot of reviews. Besides having a blast setting up the apartment for Christmas and quietly making space for my PS5 that I’m getting on Christmas Day, it’s going to be a pretty chill year.

I hope you’ll be around for the ride!

Until next time!

(P.S. I am doing a sticker advent calendar this year. I’ll be including a pic of each day’s sticker at the end of each day’s post! It should arrive on December 2nd (packing delays, it happens), so this message will be updated with the pic when I’ve got it!) I actually got the sticker advent calendar and I’m not impressed with it, so I’m not going to be showing it off. For being a “holiday advent calendar”, it only had Christmas or Christmas colors featured, in an uncomfortable manner so… Nope.