Nine Years
Thank you.
This unwanted hiatus has been brought to you by the letters POTS and EDS, and the vocabulary words colitis, brain fog, and fibromyalgia, and apologies.
The short version is that I am, and have been, the sickest and most impaired I have ever been. I have also been the most frustrated I have ever been. I haven't been able to create. I haven't knit, crocheted, cross-stitched, written, or podcasted this year really at all (except for talking to Princess on Bye, Punkin about the madness of the America's Next Top Model documentary, because, well, just look at it all the ridiculous mess. And it's Princess). I'll go into it in more detail later, but, for now, please now this hiatus has been unwanted and unintentional. I've missed talking to you and telling stories and researching. And and and.
I am getting my energy back, my hands are not trembling the way they have been, I can concentrate more fully for more longer periods in the manner needed to research and write and speak clearly, my memory and recall has greatly improved...so I'm back, knock on cupcake. If you are still with me, thank you immensely. If you are new, welcome, and please pull up a chair. I am so happy to see you.
Some good news on this front: UVA has opened one of the only Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome centers in the United States, and I have been referred. They are now scheduling; I have been told to expecting my phone call for an appointment in the next week or so. I cannot wait. Some people get excited about concerts or travel; I cannot wait to rock out with this clinic. I understand how odd my life can seem.
Despite all this, I am stubborn, and therefore...There Might Be Cupcakes has now been around for nine years. That's ancient in podcast years. Thank you for listening, for supporting the podcast by using links to Bookshop and becoming paid members so that you can receive ad-free episodes, by leaving reviews, and by letting friends know about it. Every click, review, and mention means the world to me. Plus, shopping at Bookshop.org and libro.fm through my links supports independent bookstores (general info at NPR), and there are now 70% more independent bookstores than there were six years ago, according to the founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, Andy Hunter. Every click helps; at the time of this post, Bookshop.org sales have raised 47 million dollars for independent bookstores. Buying books through my Bookshop.org and libro.fm links specifically support Books & Books, Judy Blume's bookstore.
Immediately upcoming episodes:
- House of Leaves continuing series
- Pretty in Pink (related back to books as usual, really!)
- five-star books from this year so far (here's my five-star reads from 2025)
- an incredible story of connected American axe murders
- a third Boo Without Goo: Scary Movies for the Squeamish list (first two linked below)
- ...and more to come...
I'll leave you this mini celebration for nine years, my nine favorite episodes of the podcast, in no particular order:
- This Girl Just Had a Bad Date (trigger warning for sexual assault) Podchaser, Goodpods
- Boo Without Goo: Scary Movies for the Squeamish Podchaser, Goodpods
- Boo Without Goo, Volume Two Podchaser, Goodpods
- Nine Days and Two Car Seats (trigger warning for child death) Podchaser, Goodpods
- The Children Are Not Alright (follow-up to Nine Days and Two Car Seats) Podchaser, Goodpods
- Elegant Nastiness Podchaser, Goodpods
- Exquisite Mayhem (sequel to Elegant Nastiness) Podchaser, Goodpods
- Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Legged Beasties... (my true ghost stories) Podchaser, Goodpods
- ...And Things That Go Bump in the Night (sequel to Ghoulies) Podchaser, Goodpods
- Bonus: Beloved: The Chaos of the Needy Dead Podchaser, Goodpods
