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Showing posts from 2018

On Cabin Fever

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Cabin Fever, the ailment from which I am currently suffering.  Winter has lasted way too long this year.  We didn't take our annual trip to Hawaii to break up the cold and darkness of the long Alaskan winters, for which I am truly in a state of regret.  We are still under about two feet of snow, probably more in select spots of our yard.  Yes.  The sun has returned, but that doesn't make the cold leave. I'm tired of going from the car to a building and back to the car and back to a building.  This routine is getting OLD!!!  I want to be outside, which yes if I bundle up I can be, but I HATE THE COLD.  I don't have any desire to be out in it, trudging through the snow, pretending I love winter.  Nope.  No Way.  Not at all.  I'm over it and ready for some summer!!! I've had a number of people say getting a "happy" light helps.  Maybe it does, but it's no substitute for sitting on the porch sipping iced tea and listening to the birds.  Yep, I ha

On Living in Alaska

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WARNING:  This could offend those that love living here. We've lived here just over six years.  Do I love it here?  Nope.  Will I ever?  Nope.  Let me clarify, I don't hate it here, but I'm not staying for life.  I know there are millions of people watching reality tv shows, itching to live the "Alaskan Dream", but let me tell you there is a HUGE difference between dreaming about living it and actually doing it. Since we've been here we've seen a lot of people move in and move out, less than a year later.  People up here tell stories about newcomers and those that can't hack it here.  There's the guy who sold his motorcycle because he heard there were no roads in the Interior.  There's the one about the couple who didn't realize it got so dark for so long here in the winter.  There's the wife that wouldn't move here because it's too far to do any "real" shopping.  And there's a zillion stories about the people

The House That Isn't There

by Stacy Petersen (written 23 July 2008) From the street, Three steps climb a small hillside, To a yard that is still mowed. The frail driveway, Worn by weather and time, Guides the way, To a garage, Rundown with neglect. Yet there is no house, That a family would have shared. No path to a front door, That could have been.   Not even a foundation,  To reflect where the home stood. Where did it go, The house that isn't there? Lost to flames, Claimed by a bulldozer's angry rage, Or was it the victim of a dream gone awry?

On Writing More

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What exactly does that look like?  I'll be honest, I don't know.  For now possibly just more posting here.  Perhaps writing something to submit somewhere later on.  Feasibly some more short essay-style pieces.  If I'm truly honest, I don't know how long this desire will last. I've craved and reveled in writing since I was young.  I wrote stories on my electric typewriter in Junior High.  Later in High School, I took both a short story and a poetry class, neither of which ended up being what I imagined they would be.  I've submitted a few pieces to short story contests, but that never went anywhere.  Looking back, I'm sure it was because I was writing high school quality work to send into a magazine with adults submitting a much higher level of work to the same competitions. Later in my adult life, when we lived in Missouri, I was part of a writing group for a very short amount of time.  Just as I was starting to get back into writing, I got a much-needed

100 Days of Photos - Week 4 - The End

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I can hear my friend Amy calling me a rebel as I write this.  I really can't make myself do anything that  doesn't make my heart sing.  I made is 24 days into a 100-day project.  Let me just point out that I need to stop trying these things.  I NEVER complete any of them.  I didn't complete Inktober a couple of years ago.  I failed at the 30-day color challenge... and now this.  I must stop!  So here they are the last few shots that took us to day 24. Day 21 : Selfie, no makeup, and messy hair. Day 22 : Kitten paw. Day 23 : Lemon Kitty. Day 24 : Dinner.  Eating my stress with mac n cheese and fries with a glass of red wine. The End.

On Being a Pet Momma

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Let's get one thing out in the open, right up front.  I have four children.  No, I did not give birth to them.  No, they are not human.  They are children none the less. We currently have four girls, two dogs and two cats.  We talk to them like they are human and treat them better than some people treat children.  The sleep in our bed, they get on the couch, they make us crazy.  We buy them treats, toys and even clothing when needed.  I worry about them as if they are children when we leave them with a sitter for the weekend. Our youngest has bad manners and is headstrong.  She loves to "taste" everyone who comes to the door.  No biting, just a bit of doggie mouthing and gumming.  She gets very excited when people come and she loves to talk.  She's the Houdini of the group.  Can get out of most anything that she finds confining.  She loves treats, being free and sleeps on her back under our bed at night.  Hedy is a mixed breed rescue dog, part husky, chow and rott

March Currently

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Listening :  I've been listening to a variety of things as of late. The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher Chasing Creative Podcast The Spa Radio channel on Pandora Using the Noisli for white noise Reading :   I'm about halfway through reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin .  I'm trying hard to finish this one, but I'm not sure it's gonna happen.  I could really do without the excerpts that are comments from her blog readers.  There have also been a few spots where I just want to shout - "get to the point already".  I think I can honestly say at the halfway mark, I won't be reading any more of her books.  Her writing style really isn't a good fit for my reading style. Exploring : I'm exploring how my personality type - INFP.  I took the Meyers Briggs test online at 16personalities.com  to learn my type.  Now I'm focused on trying to figure what changes I need to make to fit my type and my life better. Lea

100 Days of Photos - Week 3

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Day 14: I'm a daily journaler, usually at the end when I crawl into bed. Day 15: Feet up and hair down, end of the day. Day 16: Morning view, with green tea and more journaling. Day 17: My favorite pen, goes everywhere my Midori Traveler's Notebook does. Day 18: Indian for lunch. Day 19: Historic brick of tea, from an exhibit at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, AK. Day 20: Knitting in the car.  Only 80 more days to go!

On Being Married

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...and they lived happily ever after.  Okay, but what did that really look like?  The boy gets the girl and they ride off into the sunset, but then what?  No one ever tells you what a truly happy marriage is about.  It's not about the end of the love story in a movie, it's about all the stuff that happens after that sunset.  It's about... Repeating favorite one-liners from movies and songs, all the time. Doing the laundry and never folding it. Cooking, hopefully together like we do in our house.  Cleaning the kitchen and taking out the trash.  Talking about mundane things from your day.  Funny pet names.  Silly grade school humor, including fart jokes.  Riding in the car and not talking for miles. Being comfortable in silence together.  Having someone to travel with.  Adjusting bra straps and sinching up suspenders.  Accepting the clutter and the habits of the one you love.  R

On Not Having Children

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It's really simply amazing the thoughts people think about women who don't have children.  It's also simply amazing how rude other women are about the whole concept.  Now that I'm 40 no one is asking me about having kids anymore, thank heavens, but when I got married at the age of 29 that was a hot topic of conversation.  I used to come home from work at least a few times a week and complain about the constant topic of children.  My husband always said it had to be a female thing. Let's face it, men don't go through the barrage of questions women do.  It all starts with "why don't you have a boyfriend", then you get a boyfriend.  Next, they ask "is there's a wedding in the future", you become engaged.  Next, come the questions about a date for the "big day", finally a date is set and you tie the knot.  Questions don't stop there, they always move on the badgering you about when are you planning to start a family, to

Raw Thoughts

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What if I wrote what I really thought?  No really.  What if I actually wrote all the things I think.  All the raw uncensored emotions that run around in my head.  Would you read or would you be a troll telling me how stupid I sound? I'm always full of questions and unrequested advice.  Sarcasm and words often flow out of my mouth without much thought.  I talk too much, which magnifies when I'm wound up in anger, frustration or on the edge o tears.  I'm jampacked with opinions that are mostly unwarranted and judgments no one is ever seeking.  I come off sharp and even mean at times without really meaning too.  I've been told my whole life that I'm loud and bossy. Again I ask, would you read it if it wasn't censored? I have the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor.  I make my Marine husband proud because I have a mouth that would make a church lady blush and a Marine welcome me to the chow hall.  I don't have a college degree, and no I don't want o

100 Days of Photos - Week 2

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Here we are in week two!  Here's hoping I can keep the momentum going in week three. Day 7: I have a small thimble collection, that I've had for years.  I have a few vintage one and some wooden ones with a smattering of ones my mom gave me. Day 8: This ring brought together two special pieces to capture some sacred memories.  On the left a piece of sea glass from our honeymoon and on the right the original garnet from my engagement ring.  Made by Meg Jewelry created this custom piece and I wear it nearly every day. Day 9: Is there really any better way to eat peanut butter than straight from the jar? Day 10: Adding to my essential oils collection.  I recently singed up for the Recipe Box from Simply Earth .  Each box includes a few essential oils, recipes and everything you need to make the recipes they include. Day 11: Friday night drink after a long week.  Don't judge I work around teenagers. Day 12: Saturday Night Date Night.  Pub steak

On Building New Habits

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Are new habits that hard to build or are the old ones just too hard to break?  Think about that a minute. Sip your coffee or tea and we'll come back to that in a minute.  I recently turned 40 and started thinking about a lot of things, especially my habits and that very notion popped into my head. We all have habits, good ones, bad ones, big ones, small ones.  Some of us are creatures of habit, some of us don't even realize we have habits.  We even refer to some of our habits as routines.  I think everyone is trying to change their bad habits and build good ones.  Often we let society dictate what our good habits and bad habits should be. I'm totally a creature of habit or routine as it may be.  I like to get up and enjoy my first cup of coffee before I really engage in too much conversation.  I like to be awake for a while before I eat breakfast.  I want a shower, every morning.  As of late, I've made morning Yoga part of my day four to five times a week.  I'

On Friendship

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Source - Pinterest Friendships are such a unique dynamic thing.  They come in all phases of our lives, are constantly evolving, ever growing and sometimes only last for a season.  At a certain point in your life, much like romance, age won't matter. I have friends that are 20 plus years older than me that I just click with.  Many of these are friendships that happened in unlikely ways but have bloomed into friendships I treasure dearly.  These are the friends that have no inhibitions and are totally the people I discuss those things no one else thinks is dinner conversations. Then there are the friends that are more than 20 years younger than me.  Several of these friendships started out almost in a mentorship way and with time grew into friendship built on common interests.  They're the friends that keep my heart young and challenge me to look at the world in new ways, the friends I push to be strong and grow their dreams.  Friends that I support and reassure, lendin

Book Review

Title:  Author:  Type:  From the back of the book:  Why I picked this book up:  My thoughts on the book:  Excerpts from the Book:  In Conclusion:  *Please note this post does contain affiliate links*

What is Sexy?

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What is sexy? Does that question conjure up images of thin, well toned, barely clad women?  That's what society has influenced us to think and to believe, but what is it really?  We're lead to believe that it's about how we look.  I asked if I was sexy and I was told yes.  I asked what made me sexy and the list he gave included things I never thought about.  Things that are who I am, not how I look.  Then he asked, "don't you understand that?"  I had to answer no.  I'd never thought about or considered what makes someone sexy is their mind, their heart, the kind things they do.  I'd been drinking the stereotypical cool-aid of the media, thinking that sexy was about being thin, having long hair and big boobs.  Go ahead and laugh, but the next time you're standing in a grocery store checkout line look at the magazines and tell me that's what sexy is portrayed as. I've struggled with my body image for years, and while I think I'm w