tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40719871599073663962024-03-17T03:22:14.174-04:00Life According to StephDaily triumphs and tribulations of a full-time worker/part-time domestic diva on a soapboxSMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-35233280590261824742024-03-08T15:00:00.000-05:002024-03-09T09:38:15.235-05:00Niche Strategies For Precise Audience Targeting In Business Marketing<span id="docs-internal-guid-23ceae1a-7fff-5fd1-d55d-85e231e3bcbd"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Imagine this: You’re throwing a dart in the dark, hoping to hit the bullseye on a board you can’t see. That’s what it feels like trying to nail your marketing strategy without knowing who you’re aiming at. But there’s no need to be afraid because we’re about to turn on the lights and show you how to throw that dart with the precision of a seasoned pro. Here’s the lowdown on some smart, yet surprisingly overlooked tactics to ensure your marketing message hits home, every single time.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 416px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="416" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/UBYdTOGOjmBdSDOBZzIYIIikeroy77xllBAHaNT9LbgSQBHuT0IV0DkbAQSRnJc0gEge67HobkN8NH9KOJ80zdXHNTRjleWtJ0fCKwzDhPm4e4tP1FHszO5sUpgvOv926mUajYBE-vYjh1fJD_bItXQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Via </span><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-laptop-computer-on-table-7357/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pexels</span></a></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Embrace The Power Of Niche Networking Events</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Let’s kick things off with networking events, but not the usual ones where you’re stuck listening to someone drone on about their “revolutionary” app. Nope, we’re talking about niche events where you’re so in sync with the crowd, that you feel right at home and actually want to make small talk with everyone there. These are gold mines for businesses looking to connect on a deeper level with their audience. For instance, if you’re looking for a </span><a href="https://www.inoviopay.com/blog/billing-solutions-for-credit-repair-businesses" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">merchant account</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> for credit repair businesses, then you should be looking for events specifically tailored to the financial industry or fintech gatherings that attract a crowd interested in innovative financial solutions, not just any random business expo. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Curate Collaborative Content Initiatives</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Next up, let’s talk about content. But not just any content - we mean the kind that’s so good, it gets shared faster than the latest celebrity gossip. The secret? </span><a href="https://www.shopify.com/uk/blog/collaboration-ideas-boost-small-business-sales" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Collaboration</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. When a small business reaches out to an influencer or another business that complements its offerings, magic happens. Picture a boutique clothing brand teaming up with a popular lifestyle blogger for a series on sustainable fashion. Or imagine a local bakery joining forces with a nearby coffee shop to showcase the ultimate breakfast combos on Instagram. This strategy is all about creating win-win situations where everyone involved gets to shine, reaching audiences in a way that feels organic and genuine. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leverage Advanced Data Analytics For Hyper-Targeting</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now, onto the high-tech stuff: data analytics. Now you may think you’ve heard it all before, but this isn’t about creeping on your audience; it’s about getting to know them like you know yourself. By </span><a href="https://www.designrush.com/agency/digital-marketing/trends/small-business-data-analytics" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">digging into the data</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, businesses can pinpoint exactly who’s interested in their services, from the night owl browsing for tips on how to fall asleep at a decent hour to the early bird looking for productivity hacks before the crack of dawn. It’s about sifting through the mountains of online behavior to find the golden nuggets of insight that tell you not just who your audience is, but what they need, when they need it, and perhaps most importantly, why they need it. This level of detail transforms your marketing from a broad-spectrum broadcast into a precision-guided conversation. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Foster A Community, Not Just A Customer Base</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Finally, let’s talk about creating a community, because who needs customers when you can have a fan club? This is where your brand stops being just another company and starts feeling like a club for the elite, but without the snobbery. It’s about transforming your audience from mere purchasers into passionate advocates who’ll champion your brand at every turn. When you manage to turn your brand into a community hub, the magic really starts to happen. Your brand’s values and mission become the glue that binds everyone together, creating a vibrant ecosystem where engagement is natural and loyalty is a given.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In conclusion, remember, the aim is to connect with your audience on a level that feels genuine and engaging. By zeroing in on niche events, collaborating on killer content, mining data for insights, and building a community, your message won’t just be heard; it’ll resonate. So, let’s ditch the generic and embrace the strategies that speak directly to those who matter most to your business—your customers.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>***</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>This post was written with Life According to Steph readers in mind</i></span></div></span>
<img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" />SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-88467097194485493612024-03-06T16:43:00.006-05:002024-03-06T18:44:35.720-05:00Things I've been meaning to tell you 3.6.2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Items of interest from last weekend: My first do nothing weekend and non-working weekend of the year. It's been a battle out here, I am already 12 full days over for the year that I have to flex somewhere. My niece and nephew came over Friday night and MFD, Jared, and I took them to Nifty Fifty's. I was on the couch all day Saturday and it was fucking glorious. Sunday was a repeat with just some more laundry and organizing and blondies. I finally placed an order to update some wall photo canvases we have in Philly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh340PvB25ksndIeb-PREWviYKeAo3rCmIy3T4zhyphenhyphenx7apLcBHJlV5Cgrxt3T5B_EoyZxblgJoAcUPYFAShKv2YPhyphenhyphenUJ65FMDLe2hc8RaiIXZDdV4kLqBK58H4yoIhU2Wrb3aw3ETEp7eDiMPBH7-9B2a7XxxP-m6PB5k8BSFUfahmJUFVo3xrKnTYN6o/s3264/weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh340PvB25ksndIeb-PREWviYKeAo3rCmIy3T4zhyphenhyphenx7apLcBHJlV5Cgrxt3T5B_EoyZxblgJoAcUPYFAShKv2YPhyphenhyphenUJ65FMDLe2hc8RaiIXZDdV4kLqBK58H4yoIhU2Wrb3aw3ETEp7eDiMPBH7-9B2a7XxxP-m6PB5k8BSFUfahmJUFVo3xrKnTYN6o/w640-h640/weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. A moment of appreciation for these fantastic athleisure shoes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqTEax5RKZ1LXJXKhwKVySkaR9QoWp1iQ_GPsJl8WWqPGW7a0u9I9c7SkNMzz5Fv7pZuPgAJrb9GPTQTXkIDql-LmM5V14FMJanBwkP8padh521ry5wyOVI0LmWwH8kp5vIzHTjD9Y3efSs-w-LuCS9MaZFDPyxBsjTAxglh2J5F8lp5qWN2y_Zn6sEs/s3264/shoes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="3264" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqTEax5RKZ1LXJXKhwKVySkaR9QoWp1iQ_GPsJl8WWqPGW7a0u9I9c7SkNMzz5Fv7pZuPgAJrb9GPTQTXkIDql-LmM5V14FMJanBwkP8padh521ry5wyOVI0LmWwH8kp5vIzHTjD9Y3efSs-w-LuCS9MaZFDPyxBsjTAxglh2J5F8lp5qWN2y_Zn6sEs/w640-h394/shoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Flowers for all of us here in America on the heels of Super Tuesday. I don't think I've ever wished more for two alternative candidates for president. And yes, folks, there are only two candidates who have a chance to win in November. I found this on my phone and have no clue where to attribute. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa3iqzaUZ_UVW22TWtGOnJkVMTCYuow7v2ldnoJFWlxg3Eox1mUM8WJfw9QWIv3oiKgutn29yC__pQ0fYpEXP3uQfao-saQ41kQoC46YndQZLvtvpzv9Mg-1OfKQ-UIgEnQJsXf8z3_hlUKUkm3skM78ltPRzdnxvsqiyEV0sHMkEPTLkXCCNrZIAyn4/w610-h640/IMG_6729.JPG" width="610" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Things I miss the most overseas: iced coffee. American eggs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB6DuFAxjFsNSAZQBUCexadPJRs5Vt-aXa7-YAUM4BVrkuiaBwYJIERIWjR19GsvIkap7Eeqp7S8TpqVSM3ON-Nw8a7frsWbNYCSMuqd8-Hezwmlv1GLILCGpRjj73lAeuJjWRi64NjXmweNe4V5B6jgYQOErLNYoXRuokMFF0kf8UdKImLX7KcR-9BM/s3264/food.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="3264" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB6DuFAxjFsNSAZQBUCexadPJRs5Vt-aXa7-YAUM4BVrkuiaBwYJIERIWjR19GsvIkap7Eeqp7S8TpqVSM3ON-Nw8a7frsWbNYCSMuqd8-Hezwmlv1GLILCGpRjj73lAeuJjWRi64NjXmweNe4V5B6jgYQOErLNYoXRuokMFF0kf8UdKImLX7KcR-9BM/w640-h394/food.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Spotted in transit. Flaubert for fun? Grow up. Also look, Air France, an airline I was never supposed to be on but ended up on thanks to Air Canada's shit assery stranding they still will not address with me.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYbMemdVKgbBRffCvf31tzUpfke1P-0AuTZcVV6up5FroOC0AeybxQ-r-vGU1vjS0siHn4n3OVYRcnQVtGWZwk1vnF9SZMUXDbyufhkX2W9LfiAKUSxvZhyMDqhOSOlV7FCucgm7YPBJALAk569YOsPvQ_V-6uIG4vO_bRjchaMcmeKN47A3Q6UsaYE/s4032/IMG_6865.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveYbMemdVKgbBRffCvf31tzUpfke1P-0AuTZcVV6up5FroOC0AeybxQ-r-vGU1vjS0siHn4n3OVYRcnQVtGWZwk1vnF9SZMUXDbyufhkX2W9LfiAKUSxvZhyMDqhOSOlV7FCucgm7YPBJALAk569YOsPvQ_V-6uIG4vO_bRjchaMcmeKN47A3Q6UsaYE/w480-h640/IMG_6865.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Photos I take of my husband vs photos he takes of me. LOL Just kidding on the middle one but really. Redeemed by the end one. I almost returned that pink dress and it was my favorite. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XgS18Q-2PrXUcTHIrLAan_QgWYLpHtJEhIB6LIW1HVMFcSDl_EiOpsAHlGoynxljcKfMxUZt-7svC2G-gYNs9hPbf1BylVYKlXCeSEfN31uyOTKhqabHo3UWZvXgFlk0IglRtmnUYujetzbQDcRCPDK4KxKEKLOp-uBqB8_V_UwqRJAo1FUtP4h7H2M/s3264/morocco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="3264" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XgS18Q-2PrXUcTHIrLAan_QgWYLpHtJEhIB6LIW1HVMFcSDl_EiOpsAHlGoynxljcKfMxUZt-7svC2G-gYNs9hPbf1BylVYKlXCeSEfN31uyOTKhqabHo3UWZvXgFlk0IglRtmnUYujetzbQDcRCPDK4KxKEKLOp-uBqB8_V_UwqRJAo1FUtP4h7H2M/w640-h282/morocco.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>7. Many people asked and no, I did not plan this trip. We went on a tour with Exottica so the route was set and it was fine - we did everything we wanted to do, in the amount of days we wanted to do it in. It would have been nice to have a full first day as planned but that's on Air Canada. I am happy with the decision to not go to Morocco on a DIY trip - there are a lot of customs and interactions/payments expected etc that we relied heavily on an english speaking guide to help us navigate. There are guides who do small group tours and individual tours if you want to go that way, but if you are going and traveling around the country I'd definitely lean on a local guide, or get a local guide in each city.</div><div><br /></div><div>8. What I brought home:This fucking fantastic hand done copper and metal mirror with leather backings. A little art piece from a village. Pottery from the art school in Fes. Protective hamsas for all. A baller bracelet I haggled the shit out of. Beauty products including prickly pear cactus oil. Rocks from everywhere and sand from the Sahara. Not pictured: a super thin "rug" that I'm using as a topper for our bed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka6xJ_yuzgqUf2e8OR527CvgTd0hyphenhyphenqR0ntegzeWx61U0sIkCO3HMoH-5sMXfaPzmmNZHcoriwXE2OiRmX19K7p4NHtS4mAOB6CNf0gQmBrnwFxuv_pvuSVa7dh9WfmoQMEB3r9RBja-Aqk5uxIvUU3XYA8lbvFIRp0Rn2teJnAYZ8cVw_O28ylDqx1No/s3264/morocco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2990" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka6xJ_yuzgqUf2e8OR527CvgTd0hyphenhyphenqR0ntegzeWx61U0sIkCO3HMoH-5sMXfaPzmmNZHcoriwXE2OiRmX19K7p4NHtS4mAOB6CNf0gQmBrnwFxuv_pvuSVa7dh9WfmoQMEB3r9RBja-Aqk5uxIvUU3XYA8lbvFIRp0Rn2teJnAYZ8cVw_O28ylDqx1No/w586-h640/morocco.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>9. Since I just returned from a trip, it's about time to plan the next one - heading out west in the fall! It's been right about nine years since we've been out that way. </div><div><br /></div><div>10. I'm dying to get back to the shore, but I had to be in the city yesterday and back tomorrow and Friday and I have something here on Sunday so that'll be on hold until next week. Not that it would be enjoyable with this fucking hideous rain. Relentless out there today.</div><div><div><br /></div><h1 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: georgia;">SMD</span></h1><br /><div><br /></div><div><img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" /><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-42586039916447472732024-03-01T07:23:00.001-05:002024-03-01T07:23:20.657-05:00February 2024 Reads
<img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZoiIXZKSd5A72OPkx7EGhucnIFbX7DWD7WoAej9wxd6r0yvoL_EQ-9H1f6LEdhOzf408R19qjNAyIq1lvs8lbBjkhOyZM8laR18Lq0cJtXveTDj_J1TN9cZiO1dxz-ya5ojY3fwQJAGoyX4W4RTCP21Mrq2XreSjhJrXvjyKU5kJNaGp2nUja8oLKos/s1200/2024%20READS%20FEED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZoiIXZKSd5A72OPkx7EGhucnIFbX7DWD7WoAej9wxd6r0yvoL_EQ-9H1f6LEdhOzf408R19qjNAyIq1lvs8lbBjkhOyZM8laR18Lq0cJtXveTDj_J1TN9cZiO1dxz-ya5ojY3fwQJAGoyX4W4RTCP21Mrq2XreSjhJrXvjyKU5kJNaGp2nUja8oLKos/w640-h640/2024%20READS%20FEED.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I'll be going back to my regular long-format monthly reads post, but not this month. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is what I read in February - lots of advanced copies from Netgalley mixed with some library books. I've got two author events coming up in March and I'm pumped!</div><div><br /></div><div>What have you read and liked lately?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wrUEVMwePfJ89oCcol_0IN5LgPDbRMa3zbm1-FYLSL6xVn85_9HEZSuU-NALDHhg29WMbs-3sztNH_1tV0OKqbW7CH7KFt2g7boH-df5g6ue9iqLupXaYPy9i0ZeeMb_F4tN6nlf26CU_a7ET8Nz9SY-3-gJwmq3hJnU2npYtV07GEHW6a4hGpmy22Y/s2752/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="2752" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wrUEVMwePfJ89oCcol_0IN5LgPDbRMa3zbm1-FYLSL6xVn85_9HEZSuU-NALDHhg29WMbs-3sztNH_1tV0OKqbW7CH7KFt2g7boH-df5g6ue9iqLupXaYPy9i0ZeeMb_F4tN6nlf26CU_a7ET8Nz9SY-3-gJwmq3hJnU2npYtV07GEHW6a4hGpmy22Y/w200-h120/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-4773781811050847292024-02-14T19:37:00.004-05:002024-02-15T08:32:38.606-05:00Things I've been meaning to tell you 2.14.2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look who's back, back again...</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>1. Items of note from last weekend: It is amazing how much lighter and happier I feel after a few hours spent with a BFF. Thanks to Laura for driving down to visit for lunch...where I sat directly across a man I filed against in small claims court for fucking insane window shenanigans. A man who told me he was dying the last time I spoke to him. Surprise! He survived. LOL. And thanks to MFD for driving down to get the dogs and fill up my tires so I could run around doing some work shit Sunday. I finally went to a coffee shop I've been meaning to go to - <a href="https://www.jessiesoflinwood.com/" target="_blank">Jessie's of Linwood</a> - and got a smashing red velvet muffin. I saw Buddakan with her skirt on for the Lunar New Year. Your woman was invited to a lacrosse tailgate by literal children. Despite having a face that discourages interaction, I continue to be invited to interact. The tie dye flower my brother got me was still alive in the fridge in Philly weeks later. These <a href="https://youtu.be/x_dAqVRLWT4?si=bdjsfMRHKwH5CFFy" target="_blank">buffalo chicken sliders from Bluff City Grub </a>were super easy and delicious. Shittah finally made it onto the corner ladder shelf. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yFKuNI4do_rLNnCI2jsGCEYeaIoDUfGQ3qoaagicjwt_51xN0D0HGbmNHnqyK3IP5fpd7HgkAkiqJG5FPXStZ7JeRM35qiY_C8FS2LCf9AexS2T58IxvgrxztbRtWCKIV-BchFHA8yv0rNiPUu__-5c6MNddZJcqkLTQMyRKiAW9241Riizk6qQW4_I/s3264/beach%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="3264" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yFKuNI4do_rLNnCI2jsGCEYeaIoDUfGQ3qoaagicjwt_51xN0D0HGbmNHnqyK3IP5fpd7HgkAkiqJG5FPXStZ7JeRM35qiY_C8FS2LCf9AexS2T58IxvgrxztbRtWCKIV-BchFHA8yv0rNiPUu__-5c6MNddZJcqkLTQMyRKiAW9241Riizk6qQW4_I/w640-h426/beach%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>2. Okay what the hell. Who has seen this? This is fucking insane.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXCuodoi7QfKodytgFgLwZCrH0mXY082kqZkjXO1MNfxoiRnHe3tTD3hQohxTKmIu9ITn-aPcVuMr1C6JnCj2PurizaDc7BSuVCwLNeqVtKgutdIO3rjIBHHrWKpXcbPjGlp8wOcjKAbx2w4BS6o7oKqUopzRHUi_Pq1ZtTeHG2WqKFS_V4XUc__phAc/s630/IMG_6413.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXCuodoi7QfKodytgFgLwZCrH0mXY082kqZkjXO1MNfxoiRnHe3tTD3hQohxTKmIu9ITn-aPcVuMr1C6JnCj2PurizaDc7BSuVCwLNeqVtKgutdIO3rjIBHHrWKpXcbPjGlp8wOcjKAbx2w4BS6o7oKqUopzRHUi_Pq1ZtTeHG2WqKFS_V4XUc__phAc/w458-h640/IMG_6413.JPG" width="458" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>3. Shore side tables I picked up at a thrift store in November are in progress. The middle shelf is for books, I swoon over these tables. I've found three over the past year. Both of these use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1KNZC97/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">All in One paint in Thistle</a> as a base coat. The sherbert orange one is that mixed with<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BSVM8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details" target="_blank">Modern Masters Metallic paint in burnt orange</a> and the other is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050BSPII?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details" target="_blank">Modern Masters Metallic paint in tea</a>l.I leaned into mixing with the orange to soften the color up and not so much with the teal, because that metallic was the color I wanted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErvcEidZq9MrtZxo9IsnQh3JkG28WTWRoIkLae1cFswYZHRPB8fHIOqpR34Sq-RwvovPlah0O6HB4SdahpOFA2DzCDfOuX63-6EHK7fwE7VcjeVk-sVN3tlRRKjlVBfq6h34-jSWcWa3nJI8GqHVeIlJznHMDpKduu2hfiO1a4hxrfdXXvIHncotK0dw/s3264/beach%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="3264" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErvcEidZq9MrtZxo9IsnQh3JkG28WTWRoIkLae1cFswYZHRPB8fHIOqpR34Sq-RwvovPlah0O6HB4SdahpOFA2DzCDfOuX63-6EHK7fwE7VcjeVk-sVN3tlRRKjlVBfq6h34-jSWcWa3nJI8GqHVeIlJznHMDpKduu2hfiO1a4hxrfdXXvIHncotK0dw/w640-h284/beach%20(6).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>4. I do not like or celebrate Valentine's Day, but I love love in all of its forms. If you need to hear any of these from someone today and haven't: I love you. You being out here alive and kicking matters in this world. You complete you. You can buy yourself flowers. Along with picking up a divine dessert, giving someone who deserves it the middle finger is a cheap way to treat yo'self.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgfZEfE2lyiDqqJR969HVw176rN1Ko_hvtXdVhjC9aYOddCyjXRBkWcqa41OyIqALVFEhYeyul-MUH1A-TGwKfwNi8I7Sf_nsFZr9WXbnKbFtwXazVOblbbo0C9LMDQ-WgaOgxk6U2Q7hvUp_ub6592GGsB4wyYHc-B5mqDKiaEB3nj8CR2OEFLAmu78/s700/treat-yoself.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="700" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgfZEfE2lyiDqqJR969HVw176rN1Ko_hvtXdVhjC9aYOddCyjXRBkWcqa41OyIqALVFEhYeyul-MUH1A-TGwKfwNi8I7Sf_nsFZr9WXbnKbFtwXazVOblbbo0C9LMDQ-WgaOgxk6U2Q7hvUp_ub6592GGsB4wyYHc-B5mqDKiaEB3nj8CR2OEFLAmu78/w400-h220/treat-yoself.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>5. Related, from my soapbox: There is no reward in this life for putting every living thing before yourself or turning yourself inside out for someone else, whether that person is a love interest, child, friend, parent, sibling, whoever. Take care of you, then everyone else. Many women in particular need to read this to understand it, not read to gloss over the words. There is no award for putting yourself last. There is no award for depleting yourself to where you are a puddle on the couch. There is no award for setting yourself on fire to keep someone else warm. This applies to romantic love, children, family, friends, etc etc. Take care of you, then everyone else. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Slowly but surely making changes in Philly. I have too many belongings for someone who is rarely there, so every time I go home, I pare down. I've gotten rid of a decent amount of stuff over the past few months but am literally just scratching the surface. We've got a new roomate in Philly - Jared, who is basically family to us, moved in last month, so I cleared out a bunch of shit in the bedroom he's in and while I was at it I went through the closet in my office where old luggage and Halloween costumes go to die. The shit pit room in the basement is <i>allegedly</i> being turned into usable space, cleared out by MFD. Step one of that was putting Shittah's bathroom behind closed doors. This room has always been the recipient of shit people unload from cars and forget about, or where we put things we need to figure out what to do with. For a minute it was a bedroom for my mother in law, then an office for me, and I want that office back but we're in negotiations over that right now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pSCSis9bCsoL5GZ9mTz0I77SsrBzVam_Zr_wAX0QOs8T79kpGgLctTpuvBIwzIgXUsOGf5w_f6XFwzb6AZTnJCFiXHZ4PnEWmhzLctUZ47sX1VnvusM_tJfY6QQEnT2w0PBrwfBNWjsZUb-B0gIePgd1CnIi6DzUjMphpBXIY371fW_-4ay0sTpLkP0/s4032/IMG_5879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pSCSis9bCsoL5GZ9mTz0I77SsrBzVam_Zr_wAX0QOs8T79kpGgLctTpuvBIwzIgXUsOGf5w_f6XFwzb6AZTnJCFiXHZ4PnEWmhzLctUZ47sX1VnvusM_tJfY6QQEnT2w0PBrwfBNWjsZUb-B0gIePgd1CnIi6DzUjMphpBXIY371fW_-4ay0sTpLkP0/w480-h640/IMG_5879.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>7. A few weeks ago Laura called me the Menopause Captain and I humbly accept this title. We can speak about perimenopause and menopause openly and not sotto vocce like they're taboo topics. Periods too. Get comfortable being uncomfortable if you talk about these things in a whisper behind a hand because they impact the daily operating lives of over half of the global population and this shit is uncomfortable and maddening enough without having to put a cherry on the top of a shit sundae to ease others around you.</div><div><br /></div><div>8. What I also struggle with every day and appreciate the words of Zoe Lister-Jones on: the idea that we cannot hold space for both peoples. We can. Actually, fuck can. We must. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisohSTohnoKHcH6b5FcN9LV2UTHZmDkNhijlyr-ic0vfveQqrP9IVKahdasvhiocckuZ2gUjCT-wcqTqTA9tkhhYYm9qJc2iRRQSV2417nHD-J-CYVUGALqWOmWOBDxsTFcR_YNlOv_hSOMYR6AKAIZ6_9lOAO9_oGEL5Ld2h0nOoXkMMQBOmvNRWLQO8/s2080/8E90D31A-F217-41E6-AD15-6C2BC976FC9A.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisohSTohnoKHcH6b5FcN9LV2UTHZmDkNhijlyr-ic0vfveQqrP9IVKahdasvhiocckuZ2gUjCT-wcqTqTA9tkhhYYm9qJc2iRRQSV2417nHD-J-CYVUGALqWOmWOBDxsTFcR_YNlOv_hSOMYR6AKAIZ6_9lOAO9_oGEL5Ld2h0nOoXkMMQBOmvNRWLQO8/w360-h640/8E90D31A-F217-41E6-AD15-6C2BC976FC9A.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>9. I don't want to hear about more mass shootings because I don't want there to be any more fucking mass shootings. Nothing more American than a mass shooting on the day of the Super Bowl parade, coinciding with the anniversary of two previous mass shootings that did not rock the country enough for any tangible action to be taken. It's a goddamn fucking disgrace. </div><div><br /></div><div>10. The beach recently. Lots of heavy skies, which I don't mind. Not a lot of sea glass, but I found four pieces yesterday. That's how it goes. Just me and Ben down here from Monday night to tomorrow night.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T6D2roUEzH4qkFsrt0XcPWzJf1T49nAkItVjH1D76GntIkf-ZHbBvXQ1rmQcsDIvpgZg5Ku72xrAh5wV4P-om1yGE0LdtLjEVkCNhzLW1ofEiUnOQ6VOnDh25dwVpafl72-N_BXp7UWvH6aCzcC_8hZeDlOrZxNUTcg1XLAnQtHy-Q4FwW33i5Z52ho/s3264/beach%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T6D2roUEzH4qkFsrt0XcPWzJf1T49nAkItVjH1D76GntIkf-ZHbBvXQ1rmQcsDIvpgZg5Ku72xrAh5wV4P-om1yGE0LdtLjEVkCNhzLW1ofEiUnOQ6VOnDh25dwVpafl72-N_BXp7UWvH6aCzcC_8hZeDlOrZxNUTcg1XLAnQtHy-Q4FwW33i5Z52ho/w640-h640/beach%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We leave for vacation Sunday. I am absolutely unprepared to do so, and am trying to get right with it. I'll probably do like I did when we were in Europe, and do an IG feed post a day and a reel. That was a good way for me to remember our trip myself. If you want to follow along, you can find me on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/" target="_blank">here</a>. MFD is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seekpeaceinthelight/" target="_blank">here</a> and hopefully he doesn't lose his phone like he did the second he stepped off the plane in Switzerland this summer. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXxthKdS6CN6IZD-q9qB9_jSptCRNXN0SLRe_rKUTWzSdfvgqZNMZsmslzCwDS27Mck86vYvggTVgtM9OIbertESzNMeiG2Oa1qgTsxEDPZUFe5j7joLd92EDDj-YZeZhEnhaM8C9nyN6-AbWFj84VLwig3oGO52YkwHqyfT4zobTrmO8gC94DO8tG20/s2752/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="2752" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXxthKdS6CN6IZD-q9qB9_jSptCRNXN0SLRe_rKUTWzSdfvgqZNMZsmslzCwDS27Mck86vYvggTVgtM9OIbertESzNMeiG2Oa1qgTsxEDPZUFe5j7joLd92EDDj-YZeZhEnhaM8C9nyN6-AbWFj84VLwig3oGO52YkwHqyfT4zobTrmO8gC94DO8tG20/w173-h104/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" /><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-11692161238466651932024-02-07T14:40:00.007-05:002024-02-07T15:48:56.583-05:00Things I've been meaning to tell you 2.7.2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTjw0FyaqgQIobCdnhE5UeImkNEY3VEn9nyr-yi4owTsDi8KXevhQo1aZKSj_Yw8nuo593dmY35AWksr0AF096kUrteEED-zeB_GEA_nx8hEQqSHKJ4QFbg6glpFjyhJ8vBYp-V4KAIVnqzVtTwzxQAGtWZmlp__E66E-w48RJph7Ue5jEdN0rF3130I/s3264/weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTjw0FyaqgQIobCdnhE5UeImkNEY3VEn9nyr-yi4owTsDi8KXevhQo1aZKSj_Yw8nuo593dmY35AWksr0AF096kUrteEED-zeB_GEA_nx8hEQqSHKJ4QFbg6glpFjyhJ8vBYp-V4KAIVnqzVtTwzxQAGtWZmlp__E66E-w48RJph7Ue5jEdN0rF3130I/w640-h640/weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>For years I was blogging four to five times a week, then three, then committing to still documenting weekends and monthly reads, then a substack post here and there, then stopping even the weekends and monthly reads the weekend after Thanksgiving…and I stopped with no regrets. I didn't want to sit at my computer any longer than necessary. I didn't feel like I had the capacity for it. Since then it’s been like having all the things I shared regularly for so long bottling up in my brain causing a traffic jam. I never thought <i>not</i> putting a blog out would add to my mental load instead of subtract from it, but that's what happened. I am a creature of habit and continued adding any little unimportant thought that flew through to a mental list until my brain felt like the scene in a movie where a pillow bursts and the asshole down feathers that are a PITA to clean up are everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going to try for a weekly round up, which I will start immediately with no expectations and achieve with varying degrees of success. Let us begin.</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>1. I’m so glad Tracy Chapman is getting all her flowers for Fast Car. Now let’s do Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Then let’s actually have a revolution where the needs of actual every day people are met over the need to return profits to shareholders or fund the military industrial complex, which America does without care for how it impacts and erases actual every day people, scorches the earth, and does lasting damage to our shared humanity. Too many of us do not realize our entire lives are attributable to the luck of being born where we were born. Related: let's Make America Go Back to When Congress Produced Things Aside From Sound Bytes Again. Do nothing motherfuckers owned by corporate and/or foreign interests, the lot of them</div><div><br /></div><div>3. White women powers, activate! Form of: the same shield around Black and Brown women - celebrity or not - we use to surround Taylor Swift. This isn’t a dig on TS, it’s a reminder to us white ladies that white supremacy AND patriarchy are not the shark, they are the water we swim in. And a lot of the time, us white ladies are the lifeguards who focus so hard on some swimmers that we’re just letting non-white women drown. Plenty of Black women have more to say on this than me, and plenty of white women are slamming the door on it because they are sick of the beating Taylor Swift has taken because the NFL shows her on the screen which, ladies, I’m with you. Two things can be true at once. If you read shit like this and get defensive, stop and discuss with yourself. I immediately stop and ask why I’m getting defensive. And as a rule and lifelong commitment to my authentic self, I am ruthlessly honest with my answers. It is okay to change your thought process or to have a realization that sparks a change in how you see the world at any time. If you find yourself stuck, you might be dead.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Some of you right now: <i>Back on her bullshit, why did I start reading this</i></div><div><br /></div><div>5. I spent two hours on a combo of live chat and phone chat with the bastard Xfinity this morning to lower our shore internet only cost from $160 to $102. How the shit they justify Internet Only at $160 when it was $85 in 2020 is one of the world's greediest mysteries. The cost of utilities in general is absolutely insane globally. Also why isn't Internet fucking free. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Free deodorizer for dog beds, blankets, etc: sunshine. The same thing that kept the Ingalls family from smelling like old crotches through most of the winter. Have you ever read <a href="https://littlehousebooks.com/books/9780060581855/the-long-winter-full-color-edition" target="_blank">The Long Winter</a> as an adult? If not, recommend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCviUhQKNOpvE19Yxak0sdA9Uey7gOzgDeq_CdEjJ0pDZ7el6o1TiOBPXOjneK6WN2MFYNvF_VxZtq1-uuxAgrbe-YuzPighA_vNglUueSdyDC13YtrnduJ-X7Y74mI58wG8fW3O6g407thi68EiebWOu5xwK6f_pQC-80BJ7WwNMEqRb5AvBDvMLcyQ/s4032/IMG_6237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCviUhQKNOpvE19Yxak0sdA9Uey7gOzgDeq_CdEjJ0pDZ7el6o1TiOBPXOjneK6WN2MFYNvF_VxZtq1-uuxAgrbe-YuzPighA_vNglUueSdyDC13YtrnduJ-X7Y74mI58wG8fW3O6g407thi68EiebWOu5xwK6f_pQC-80BJ7WwNMEqRb5AvBDvMLcyQ/w480-h640/IMG_6237.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>7. I'm thrilled with how table originally purchased for $20 from ReStore turned out in Philly - this is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3F7QSZN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details" target="_blank">Modern Masters Metallic Paint in Amethyst</a> over <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C1KNZC97?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details" target="_blank">All in One Paint in Thistle</a>. My niece critiqued it while it was in progress, prompting an additional coat I was not going to do but she was correct. I still need to add a lacquer top coat. More metallic painting shit coming this weekend at the shore. Who knows how that will turn out, because I'll be damned if I'm letting the rest of the thistle go to waste so it will be the base for the two smaller tables I'm doing at the shore as well. Different metallic paints are going on top of that but they are not in the same color family so the end results will be a surprise to both you and me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMFwmIJ9aDtZDFjCmxDZauu7DOOn5nQEIukOXtGQAbEiJrd9g2MnyYmudISdr1YRbQvEdl9_8MkPuc92qawy0uoIH8GlkyB-4AJRa1Og6TfI_hYVGC-tM452zQjdU2oFLwc5QNyErtFI70gAxo8WP_Sjl96D_qT4GfkFZ4mSBo_JYbkBqZieVsGjuiVA/s3264/table%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMFwmIJ9aDtZDFjCmxDZauu7DOOn5nQEIukOXtGQAbEiJrd9g2MnyYmudISdr1YRbQvEdl9_8MkPuc92qawy0uoIH8GlkyB-4AJRa1Og6TfI_hYVGC-tM452zQjdU2oFLwc5QNyErtFI70gAxo8WP_Sjl96D_qT4GfkFZ4mSBo_JYbkBqZieVsGjuiVA/w640-h640/table%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div>8. Items of note from last weekend: Mr. Rooney's first $$$ emergency vet visit. Face time with a good friend is always comforting and fantastic. Bruce is back on his coffee bullshit. A two hour walk on a windless Sunday in February feels like an amazing dream.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TJmJxQ3V5UosGZWKgOvhE2rB4cwYeZwsCXiZmNSoYuZLW4KX7Y6fL0NRP1g0tfdY21h4tUBr6Uj_gi1tQb6mgZT5RS3kq5Mp2us3hTrrH2RlJ8litEVEbWCr_FxMhdVltikT2HZo8WGCy1o0yZLT3D5bIIEq2Vejc67soJoGJt9sYRkFiyE6_C25lNM/s3264/weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="3264" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TJmJxQ3V5UosGZWKgOvhE2rB4cwYeZwsCXiZmNSoYuZLW4KX7Y6fL0NRP1g0tfdY21h4tUBr6Uj_gi1tQb6mgZT5RS3kq5Mp2us3hTrrH2RlJ8litEVEbWCr_FxMhdVltikT2HZo8WGCy1o0yZLT3D5bIIEq2Vejc67soJoGJt9sYRkFiyE6_C25lNM/w640-h308/weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>9. Have I mentioned I'm putting my feet in the water every day I'm at the shore, winter included? The water's not bad, really. I need to ground myself in all seasons, and also I'm a pisces what do we expect</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl9UpBf9_bmQJguLzDEHrPCVp4lJ42imqvPDBwRNz6YzTtwpbSV3MEcRZt3csyr70mFHJio36q3LeQQAiODWdtX5rewazwmv-mb8RX6Ml4V4gVfi_swCGhpTT0zAFiG2GYkxnxnhyphenhyphenXJljb9QXY-y7oR2D0EHRtg88Yxq7u-KBtN7gJH9mb-Z28d99YBk/s3264/water.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl9UpBf9_bmQJguLzDEHrPCVp4lJ42imqvPDBwRNz6YzTtwpbSV3MEcRZt3csyr70mFHJio36q3LeQQAiODWdtX5rewazwmv-mb8RX6Ml4V4gVfi_swCGhpTT0zAFiG2GYkxnxnhyphenhyphenXJljb9QXY-y7oR2D0EHRtg88Yxq7u-KBtN7gJH9mb-Z28d99YBk/w640-h640/water.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>10. Woman who is always saying, "I rarely watch movies," has recently watched movies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi308U0S8HYfJ62dwVsZMVuqqypnd4GqY8mhRGTbzhK-0aAaD_9a0LDjalmjkMyNVr1qXc7f-ynR6j1E-XFROmKqsMB_hdkkz4WFRrHuYoze63krpfM9By_8X2FEq24aWTVamvBWyxmPlqtFvB9ROhlQa1JfgsIKod1IapS0wT3TKN1yB98X4AiyOuBdwc/s3264/movies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1679" data-original-width="3264" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi308U0S8HYfJ62dwVsZMVuqqypnd4GqY8mhRGTbzhK-0aAaD_9a0LDjalmjkMyNVr1qXc7f-ynR6j1E-XFROmKqsMB_hdkkz4WFRrHuYoze63krpfM9By_8X2FEq24aWTVamvBWyxmPlqtFvB9ROhlQa1JfgsIKod1IapS0wT3TKN1yB98X4AiyOuBdwc/w640-h330/movies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm coming back next week, I swear.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXxthKdS6CN6IZD-q9qB9_jSptCRNXN0SLRe_rKUTWzSdfvgqZNMZsmslzCwDS27Mck86vYvggTVgtM9OIbertESzNMeiG2Oa1qgTsxEDPZUFe5j7joLd92EDDj-YZeZhEnhaM8C9nyN6-AbWFj84VLwig3oGO52YkwHqyfT4zobTrmO8gC94DO8tG20/s2752/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="2752" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXxthKdS6CN6IZD-q9qB9_jSptCRNXN0SLRe_rKUTWzSdfvgqZNMZsmslzCwDS27Mck86vYvggTVgtM9OIbertESzNMeiG2Oa1qgTsxEDPZUFe5j7joLd92EDDj-YZeZhEnhaM8C9nyN6-AbWFj84VLwig3oGO52YkwHqyfT4zobTrmO8gC94DO8tG20/w173-h104/IMG_6238-EDIT.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" /><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-91143997613739874082024-01-17T14:57:00.008-05:002024-01-17T15:04:38.957-05:00The moving mistakes you will want to avoid<div><div>There is no doubt that moving house is a stressful and often emotional process to go through.</div><div>There are lots of tasks that need to be completed, so it is inevitable that people make mistakes</div><div>when moving home (especially as people do not generally move often). It is helpful to be aware of what these common mistakes are so that you know how you can avoid them. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can simplify the moving process and increase your chances of settling quickly. Things rarely go exactly according to plan, but you will want to avoid these mistakes when moving home.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>No Plan</b></div><div>The most common mistake that people make is not creating a plan. As mentioned, there are many tasks involved in moving home, and you do not want to leave everything until the last minute. Fortunately, you can find handy <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-ultimate-moving-checklist/" target="_blank">checklists online</a> that will break down each task and tell you what needs to be completed and by when.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Not Using Professional Removal Companies</b></div><div>It is easy to see why people will try to move everything across themselves, but this can create a lot more work and stress than is needed. Professional removal companies can handle the loading, transport, and unloading of all of your possessions, which is the hardest part of the move. With professionals taking care of the heavy lifting, you can turn your attention to other aspects of the move. You can also save money by comparing quotes from long-distance movers online. You can <a href="https://www.shiply.com/us/long-distance-movers" target="_blank">get a quote</a> from several reputable companies to find the best option for your budget while ensuring that you are using a trusted company.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>No Inventory</b></div><div>Another common mistake is not taking an inventory. You want to make sure that all of your possessions arrive safely in the new home, so you should create a list of each item and note what box they are in - this can also make it much easier to unpack.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rushing The Move</b></div><div>Many people will try to complete a move in just a few hours, but this creates a huge amount of pressure and stress. Instead, you should try to spread the move out and take your time. This can significantly reduce stress and ensure you can take time with each task. You could even take a few days to get everything done - you can always put possessions into storage if needed.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Not Establishing A Budget</b></div><div>Finally, you should always set a budget when moving home. There are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/moving-services/common-moving-expenses/" target="_blank">numerous costs involved</a>, so these can quickly add up if you do not have a figure in mind. You do not want to add financial stress on top of the stress of moving, so try to control your spending during the moving process with a bit of a buffer.</div><div><br /></div><div>These are common mistakes that you will want to avoid when moving home. The process of moving home will always be difficult and stressful, but you can simplify the process and settle quickly when you avoid these mistakes.</div></div><div>*********</div><div><i>This post was written with Life According to Steph readers in mind</i></div>
<img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" />SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-80740501647699879492023-12-31T08:00:00.020-05:002023-12-31T08:00:00.134-05:00December 2023 Reads<img id="id_44b3_4d04_8d8f_8e46" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R0vq8euKgGpjmKyXOCmNldd6KRtZo-1XSWwRzAFL2LWbygiFH2E0Ww7BJRi0z-iyz-Nt4aVfvHXvofwRWp61JM9K2RQZsmiGNmVak6bRtVCh8KN1peHXTyGNb88Rp7XB_3ZbkE8bpK8-ION8yXQchjD48Ez3LXcf4ybMse0hq8XNR89EKl4jYtWfhds/s3138/IMG_3519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3138" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R0vq8euKgGpjmKyXOCmNldd6KRtZo-1XSWwRzAFL2LWbygiFH2E0Ww7BJRi0z-iyz-Nt4aVfvHXvofwRWp61JM9K2RQZsmiGNmVak6bRtVCh8KN1peHXTyGNb88Rp7XB_3ZbkE8bpK8-ION8yXQchjD48Ez3LXcf4ybMse0hq8XNR89EKl4jYtWfhds/w616-h640/IMG_3519.jpg" width="616" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here we are at the end of the year again. I finished a book last night and likely won't start one today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>What I read in December</i>: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Engrossing Reads</u></span></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27870563-the-shark" target="_blank">The Shark (Forgotten Files #1) by Mary Burton</a> - I devoured this one, which is always a happy thing when you've purchased it because you got a series book from Netgalley and it is against your religion to read a second when you know there's a first. <i>Kindle copy</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30168629-the-dollmaker" target="_blank">The Dollmaker (Forgotten Files #2) by Mary Burton</a> - I enjoy the characters and setting of this and the previous Forgotten Files - I would read more of them! <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil29YPwJzfsGCuR9yoMJSMH7jaVC44hYHD0Ni217eqEk6fhP06ohBEhsO-pGy3ljNpiyRW_Gzs3VkGnerldng7xzzSRCXKNCYdap5sVSRDfM0rqzgJb72mZIJtA4LMoufME569jAEAgrgWQeMCEfcPpRXk-m1pN-Q9AjcsaDWm2Evm34C69PJq0W41rLQ/s4032/IMG_3332.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil29YPwJzfsGCuR9yoMJSMH7jaVC44hYHD0Ni217eqEk6fhP06ohBEhsO-pGy3ljNpiyRW_Gzs3VkGnerldng7xzzSRCXKNCYdap5sVSRDfM0rqzgJb72mZIJtA4LMoufME569jAEAgrgWQeMCEfcPpRXk-m1pN-Q9AjcsaDWm2Evm34C69PJq0W41rLQ/w480-h640/IMG_3332.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201036168-face-her-fear" target="_blank">Face Her Fear (Detective Josie Quinn #19) by Lisa Regan</a> - Great job by Regan while taking her series outside of a typical setting - I am not always into that but I think it worked here and serves as a good clear the air bridge for the transition of the Denton PD core team. <i>Thanks to Netgalley and Boukouture for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - since this series is a favorite, I also pre-ordered a copy! Book publishes January 30</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBnWQUcrxcHWl-UeU9lPRan1vE1qNtAOZ2rlrVwYDJ-XiZ8Y0QAIwQYTAWnEff8mJXFHoLOPw0xfofNVJMQ7_9GsAQaECyAMuNeV13dGLtF2xTdo7Hi98hsa5Uh9wJUAAL4CylkdvC4ghFaafSFpQKWHyPilrhjEFIpgcyp9gd2TFjcPsYqq0s206jqo/s4032/IMG_3692.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBnWQUcrxcHWl-UeU9lPRan1vE1qNtAOZ2rlrVwYDJ-XiZ8Y0QAIwQYTAWnEff8mJXFHoLOPw0xfofNVJMQ7_9GsAQaECyAMuNeV13dGLtF2xTdo7Hi98hsa5Uh9wJUAAL4CylkdvC4ghFaafSFpQKWHyPilrhjEFIpgcyp9gd2TFjcPsYqq0s206jqo/w480-h640/IMG_3692.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55739079-the-weight-of-water" target="_blank">The Weight of Water by W.A. Schwartz</a> - Rounded up from a 3.5 - I liked this even though it was overfilled with things during the 1970s POVs that ended up superfluous to the story which might have been better spent providing more context to some of the players and depth in general in the other two timelines around Katrina and present day. Also, this is sand and not dirt on my feet which drives MFD crazy but sand doesn't bother me LOL <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9ZP-D89Q1QNYzwnrwA4Qm8I-gGiCzv3FgJBu3we3XNSQZs6w5-Xtbkwg6f21cwAhq5fghgBgz7ma7D5mjgiswNbaNc7Oe2FJCchuVBnUEKNdqVWjq64am7S4nomMiK9ULcOM_jOlURI3qZNk3rNEiLxQQLwF6AI8HzzJC8zwX5PtD9bs5xVe0piLNOg/s4032/IMG_3550.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9ZP-D89Q1QNYzwnrwA4Qm8I-gGiCzv3FgJBu3we3XNSQZs6w5-Xtbkwg6f21cwAhq5fghgBgz7ma7D5mjgiswNbaNc7Oe2FJCchuVBnUEKNdqVWjq64am7S4nomMiK9ULcOM_jOlURI3qZNk3rNEiLxQQLwF6AI8HzzJC8zwX5PtD9bs5xVe0piLNOg/w480-h640/IMG_3550.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Passed the Time Just Fine</u></span></b></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159302356-the-hidden-life-of-cecily-larson" target="_blank">The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson</a> - Started slowly and picked up around the middle. Layered and interesting with possibly like one or two extraneous plot threads that could be thinned to make the pacing better. <i>Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book publishes Feb 20</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/178811842-things-that-cause-inappropriate-happiness-216" target="_blank">Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness by Danila Botha</a> - I don't always read short stories, but when I do I like them to be a little on edge and these were - you can take that a number of ways and it's meant a number of ways. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, collection publishes April 1</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63132652-the-woman-in-me" target="_blank">The Woman in Me by Britney Spears </a>-<i> </i>Sound the alarm as the woman who never listens to books has listened to a book thanks to several multi-car accidents on a rainy December Sunday returning to the shore. The book itself did not set anything on fire, but I would set the possessions of Britney's parents and sister on fire without thinking twice. These people are abusive, criminal grifters and this woman paid the price while the world watched. Michelle Williams was an excellent narrator except I was caught up on tour. My accent means tour rhymes with your. Michelle says too-or. <i>Spotify free audible</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122750713-keep-your-friends-close" target="_blank">Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen</a> - A super quick read that felt a tad bit off-center? I would have liked it more I think if it was primarily Willa's POV. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes Feb 20</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123266566-the-magic-all-around" target="_blank">The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman</a> - Nothing wrong with a little bit of magic! This didn't pick up for me until about halfway through, so something to know going in if you are not in the mindset for that. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes January 16</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80342210-the-guest" target="_blank">The Guest by B.A. Paris </a>- Did I not say the last time I read one of their books that I should stop? I should have stuck. These characters are maddening. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review - book publishes Feb 20</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Not for Me</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123167557-please-tell-me" target="_blank">Please Tell Me by Mike Omer</a> - Like, did Mike Omer actually write this? The writing itself was awful, the pacing was off, and the story was not good. <i>Kindle first reads</i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55688315-silenced-girls" target="_blank">Silent Girls (Agent Tori Hunter #1) by Roger Stelljes</a> - A good concept. My beef with this book is mostly editorial issues, both for grammar and content. I might give another in the series a go to see if it was just poor timing for me on this one, and if I can get over using boisterously twice in the span of three pages. LOL why am I like this. <i>Kindle book</i></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b>Did Not Finish</b></u></span></b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63277431-the-seafarer-s-secret" target="_blank">The Seafarer's Secret by Carol Ann Collins</a> - Netgalley, publishes January 30</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52424055-her-last-summer" target="_blank">Her Last Summer (Veronica Lee Thriller #1) by Melinda Woodhall</a> - Kindle first</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;">What have you been reading?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div>SMD</div><div>
</div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-41408871112848603202023-12-30T10:21:00.001-05:002023-12-30T10:21:06.102-05:00Favorite Reads of 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIbM77OrMnjyW3AkIA_TcwF7U50IQNSw696fSGF-jC5EDiO_c6OU9Tnoie9yOZQv8sh4GUuQ5nUbyB0rrtjDw6q48V7_GyAPmgbON54HybKWcipJRhlEncjCPWEv3Y__hzJzjmIyp8-ocEs-Q9q3vnJZUqFP5kOPWRBIH3EYIAgAbXpu1X0olrrgPC5c/s1200/2023%20reads%20feed%20post%2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNIbM77OrMnjyW3AkIA_TcwF7U50IQNSw696fSGF-jC5EDiO_c6OU9Tnoie9yOZQv8sh4GUuQ5nUbyB0rrtjDw6q48V7_GyAPmgbON54HybKWcipJRhlEncjCPWEv3Y__hzJzjmIyp8-ocEs-Q9q3vnJZUqFP5kOPWRBIH3EYIAgAbXpu1X0olrrgPC5c/w640-h640/2023%20reads%20feed%20post%2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-80147606389226819722023-11-30T08:23:00.012-05:002023-11-30T08:48:27.598-05:00November 2023 Reads<img id="id_44b3_4d04_8d8f_8e46" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLt7aDe1asyKWrl9BRWte0elJMb1aO-IHlT38nuoMMR0s2X4XJ9w-6meGYo6jvLU0Jh2RVuV9v0SCCzm2KODiU1SVyJcLXWYmszSNBNzMsz2w1NDdrdXZbNq0gs7ME4NxX82Binvqst-9tkZ76rsk7GNhCOnwC13L4dZAW_2uj974tu_QZoh3Of3Xkns/s2316/IMG_2703.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2122" data-original-width="2316" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLt7aDe1asyKWrl9BRWte0elJMb1aO-IHlT38nuoMMR0s2X4XJ9w-6meGYo6jvLU0Jh2RVuV9v0SCCzm2KODiU1SVyJcLXWYmszSNBNzMsz2w1NDdrdXZbNq0gs7ME4NxX82Binvqst-9tkZ76rsk7GNhCOnwC13L4dZAW_2uj974tu_QZoh3Of3Xkns/w640-h586/IMG_2703.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>What I read in November</i>: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As we are in a buying season, I wanted to say out loud again <span style="text-align: left;">please avoid buying books from Amazon unless they are unavailable elsewhere. Our indie bookstores need us if we're buying books, and Amazon does not ever need our book money. Buying books from Amazon or Target is killing the small local bookstores. If you are not near a local bookshop or can't get there for whatever reason, you can order on <a href="http://bookshop.org">bookshop.org</a> and choose a bookstore to support, or just have your purchase support a small bookstore in general as every purchase donates money to local bookstores. Buying from a small shop will cost you a few extra dollars and/or extra shipping, but it keeps bookstores alive. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Purchasing books from Amazon kills bookstores, flat out. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CECUz13gbdZ/?igshid=1qxhgaadco6i6&img_index=1" target="_blank">Here's a little more info on that.</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">If you're not buying but are reading (which is what I'm doing most of the time), there's also my lifelong favorite the local library - it is free for every single person and it is never too late to get a library card. You can also check out <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">Netgalley</a> for advanced copies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Thanks for coming to my Don't Buy Books </span></i></span><span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #ff00fe;">from Amazon or Target TED Talk.</span></i></span></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Engrossing Reads</u></span></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57795665-the-locked-door" target="_blank">The Locked Door by Freida McFadden</a> - A yearly shore rental guest dropped a boatload of Frieda McFadden books off to me in October and I've just started making my way through them now. I feel sort of like they are an assignment? LOL I've avoided this author thus far, not sure why. I liked this one. <i>Paperback, gifted</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDB17wFQ_MWvd1gMtLg5hqrVXCF8ui8YgBTyT4HSnlHlrwQPEu1hRtVdR6GygIqghXNITJChjitp7rOgehs2z9OppH74FWmMD3oNQ5F0RN1xkRyaTrYPShpGVJYPOAPMAPvHSCsZQQfuQ2gVosvQYlDGqwbc5nEMouy2Jqxsbr9OFY3lEba_7KfcpYZjk/s4032/IMG_2855.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDB17wFQ_MWvd1gMtLg5hqrVXCF8ui8YgBTyT4HSnlHlrwQPEu1hRtVdR6GygIqghXNITJChjitp7rOgehs2z9OppH74FWmMD3oNQ5F0RN1xkRyaTrYPShpGVJYPOAPMAPvHSCsZQQfuQ2gVosvQYlDGqwbc5nEMouy2Jqxsbr9OFY3lEba_7KfcpYZjk/w480-h640/IMG_2855.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200773116-till-new-year-s-day" target="_blank">'Till New Year's Day by Breonna Brownlee</a> - As you all know by now, I am not a standard romance reader but I do like to pepper mysteries and lit fiction with romance and I love to support a fellow blogger (am I a former blogger at this point?). This novella was the perfect hour read before bed for me. Also loved Bre's novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59349790-two-too-many" target="_blank">Two Too Many</a> - check that out if you're looking! <i>Kindle, purchased</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/131068071-the-spy-coast" target="_blank">The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) by Tess Gerritsen</a> - That rare Amazon First or whatever they're calling the monthly free book now that actually slaps. I don't know what future ones in the series might be like but I'll try them if she writes them because I like the characters assembled here. Also loving me some main characters in their 60s and beyond who are still actively living not solely reflecting on the lives they've already lived. Well done, Tess.<i> Free Amazon First or whatever reads, digital </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n5A7-mwmPihuBGnGcc-nubOI_9KVtDXEk16KWmikZOXMHGF01sDEdEJs5SxJvKuofFwd40m3hCoUQfVqZSrD9U5JtwjywDzB9mLkcjBY89_8pj24naMue18eAmGfcXtBEU8TtH412eQplnSfDOhx3F3_RzqKmKkRdUOYh-BfnIgranJAWQxKSdHSk4k/s4032/IMG_2233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n5A7-mwmPihuBGnGcc-nubOI_9KVtDXEk16KWmikZOXMHGF01sDEdEJs5SxJvKuofFwd40m3hCoUQfVqZSrD9U5JtwjywDzB9mLkcjBY89_8pj24naMue18eAmGfcXtBEU8TtH412eQplnSfDOhx3F3_RzqKmKkRdUOYh-BfnIgranJAWQxKSdHSk4k/w480-h640/IMG_2233.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126919284-the-heiress" target="_blank">The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins</a> - Quick and enjoyable. One of those layered try to figure it out reads with a few red herrings that were clever. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes January 9</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaKtbIgAjTIOn58h1mOLl2-Q4VESnfc815PMbY4BnrWR-flSChnAUvIuyvrLXjWKX9ylYOdyBCtHi2fcFba2amCKJ1CMLqWqNdy6Rub6mNYmpKVl_1lLT2lDSeQB6NAUOK_ALheDZBl7QBfvP6EsD3vp_YeLpBWBhyphenhyphen0iLpslOM_eTGMnIUgeFr9Dm-40/s4032/IMG_2101.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaKtbIgAjTIOn58h1mOLl2-Q4VESnfc815PMbY4BnrWR-flSChnAUvIuyvrLXjWKX9ylYOdyBCtHi2fcFba2amCKJ1CMLqWqNdy6Rub6mNYmpKVl_1lLT2lDSeQB6NAUOK_ALheDZBl7QBfvP6EsD3vp_YeLpBWBhyphenhyphen0iLpslOM_eTGMnIUgeFr9Dm-40/w480-h640/IMG_2101.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86497148-the-lies-you-wrote" target="_blank">The Lies You Wrote (Raisa Susanto #1) by Brianna Labuskes</a> - I didn't see that coming. I'm glad to see this is a #1 - I liked Raisa and will definitely read more, hoping this becomes a series. I wouldn't mind seeing Kilkenny as the supporting character in future books. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes January 1</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAyFg1Cb4s3BxBjuAPNmhmM_zYkulOnLUm2l5sAD9-94Oy41WV-QWmfFtlIvE2Gjv2EdJrJbL7kZk2lZwehbsrgLBAoZis4VUae2m6kjOU5Hsw4KfJHkJpIP35Sgmb_gfYNGGYLIdxBa83jUuuUKrvQvCdxSYwRDG-ecoQU9fyyM-g8S8xEV2XL-wSA0/s4032/IMG_1770.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAyFg1Cb4s3BxBjuAPNmhmM_zYkulOnLUm2l5sAD9-94Oy41WV-QWmfFtlIvE2Gjv2EdJrJbL7kZk2lZwehbsrgLBAoZis4VUae2m6kjOU5Hsw4KfJHkJpIP35Sgmb_gfYNGGYLIdxBa83jUuuUKrvQvCdxSYwRDG-ecoQU9fyyM-g8S8xEV2XL-wSA0/w480-h640/IMG_1770.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122494785-christmas-presents" target="_blank">Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger</a> - I got sucked right into this - quick moving and a little scary at times - one of those books that is not winning any literary accolades but is getting an A+ for keeping me invested <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62713116-all-the-little-truths" target="_blank">All the Little Truths (Finley O'Sullivan #3) by Debra Webb </a><i>- </i>I’ve read all three in the past few weeks and have really come to love these characters. The books are simultaneously easy and intense and kudos to Webb for pulling that off. I’d definitely read more of these <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cbMKe592dZT9_8mMEeVl8ZTTYGu37thvk929rMJ173R9ddPaG_OTFbADSXqOdQOZjjS22a8c3wMgTP6h0UIW_eZ2gzRquX6L8esbpge7ofaOkZNE2dIDQz3HgMJF92q8bUbp3lTh35lRd2OVKuT0evpkx9VDgIssstFgrIxo8yJZLepWog8yUBFrKHc/s4032/IMG_1584.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1cbMKe592dZT9_8mMEeVl8ZTTYGu37thvk929rMJ173R9ddPaG_OTFbADSXqOdQOZjjS22a8c3wMgTP6h0UIW_eZ2gzRquX6L8esbpge7ofaOkZNE2dIDQz3HgMJF92q8bUbp3lTh35lRd2OVKuT0evpkx9VDgIssstFgrIxo8yJZLepWog8yUBFrKHc/w480-h640/IMG_1584.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241104-tom-lake" target="_blank">Tom Lake by Ann Patchett </a>- Already sung about this from the rooftops in Instagram stories, but big, big love for this book despite standardly not having big love for Ann's novels. I read a copy from the library and then bought myself a copy for Christmas. As I get older, I buy less physical books with plans to keep them because I do not want shelves and shelves of books I didn't love - I only want to keep the ones I really loved. This was purchased with plans to keep. <i>OCNJ library hardcover, now own a hard cover copy</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZGIaTpL1L61p5yzc2KUQviVNKdSSgK4wBaybt2F2FYBj8uNsHAlFjAdNPWdOgxepNo6sHsaeMw88z5mhk_9ekeVO7DuSMo-CrVwcgh4mw-GalMpQGNpszsizWpQIY4B0C-rdMxlQ29Ww7Hv4sKs4IOKZ_ChbQQsXc-QvZhnE-R7mIxeUQmGkktDJUOs/s4032/IMG_1465.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZGIaTpL1L61p5yzc2KUQviVNKdSSgK4wBaybt2F2FYBj8uNsHAlFjAdNPWdOgxepNo6sHsaeMw88z5mhk_9ekeVO7DuSMo-CrVwcgh4mw-GalMpQGNpszsizWpQIY4B0C-rdMxlQ29Ww7Hv4sKs4IOKZ_ChbQQsXc-QvZhnE-R7mIxeUQmGkktDJUOs/w480-h640/IMG_1465.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Passed the Time Just Fine</u></span></b></div><div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62080187-never-lie" target="_blank">Never Lie by Freida McFadden</a> - The thing about these is that I can read them in a few hours, which is good? Totally fine way to pass a few hours. <i>Paperback, gifted</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnI4slGXgVsvaaoV7urnj0GiKhYpf0zlcQed9jSrm17IGK4Hvs11FadNnmPSDmHMpWIdpkgeQTlY2SKpMZXz9WVLGMkGnJT7Mq14WOVI1WSP5kGFB6zULtYK4cHOJuQJ4W5tNaVspk0LuHr6oVxUyl03CpONvLrChrrNcndZzR0w-kIDyOAlam2FWjQ4/s4032/IMG_2573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnI4slGXgVsvaaoV7urnj0GiKhYpf0zlcQed9jSrm17IGK4Hvs11FadNnmPSDmHMpWIdpkgeQTlY2SKpMZXz9WVLGMkGnJT7Mq14WOVI1WSP5kGFB6zULtYK4cHOJuQJ4W5tNaVspk0LuHr6oVxUyl03CpONvLrChrrNcndZzR0w-kIDyOAlam2FWjQ4/w480-h640/IMG_2573.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60891867-only-if-you-re-lucky" target="_blank">Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham</a> - I'd clock it at a four, rounded up from 3.5, if we're going by a five star standard. Very passable and readable, but I did not devour this like I did her other two novels, probably because this was very slow out of the gate and also read younger to me and also had a similar setting to a book I just read and loved. I liked how things tied together throughout. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes January 16</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6rue3o5_LWX-p1uCnTyzZ_wKwo8pa0-vB_AV2H9rIHuqhOkYVR5fmGvVXQlIydDSKZ7vNOQMCyCbVem_ALJhn0rbcmIVQCmjRZiv1Binh28PGI4yo5vJjUNwguS4BQnaxnNbBNtcZSAtUaIC6RlKKrEygKzODkQkFtYSvqe1ESFyzh_11YQ6BM4-K2w/s4032/IMG_2215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6rue3o5_LWX-p1uCnTyzZ_wKwo8pa0-vB_AV2H9rIHuqhOkYVR5fmGvVXQlIydDSKZ7vNOQMCyCbVem_ALJhn0rbcmIVQCmjRZiv1Binh28PGI4yo5vJjUNwguS4BQnaxnNbBNtcZSAtUaIC6RlKKrEygKzODkQkFtYSvqe1ESFyzh_11YQ6BM4-K2w/w480-h640/IMG_2215.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75339201-today-tonight-forever" target="_blank">Today Tonight Forever by Madeline Kay Sneed</a> - Whew! I knew nothing about this going in and for some reason thought this was a light romance and it was absolutely not LOL. It was a lot. Some heavy AF topics in here, people dealing with deep shit that felt a little surface at times because there was so much going on, to go in depth on all of it would have been like three books. I was not prepared.</div><div style="text-align: left;">I loved the introspection of each character and the bits of overlapping perspective in POV shifts. Also loved the Deacon and Mollie characters immediately and fiercely. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Not For Me**</span></b></u></span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">**This usually means if I knew now what I knew before I started it, I would not pick the book up in the first place</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125068694-held" target="_blank">Held: A Novel by Anne Michaels</a> - First, this book is absolutely beautiful in both its writing and its undercurrent of despair. Second, it begins after WWI and I tend to avoid that time period for some reason? It does span many years after though. Third, it reads like a college lit assignment and I feel like I should be sitting around with others trying to discuss themes and appear intelligent. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes January 30</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101144405-what-we-kept-to-ourselves" target="_blank">What We Kept to Ourselves by Nancy Jooyoun Kim</a> - Again, beautifully and carefully written. Again, undercurrent of depressing and despair. I’d read a whole book focused entirely on Sunny. The plot, eh, the kids, eh, husband, eh. The best parts of the book were the Sunny parts. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review</i></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43531101-the-ex" target="_blank">The Ex by Freida McFadden</a> - What the hell was this, really. At the end I was like say what now? You want me to think what happened? <i>Paperback, gifted</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52616342-the-perfect-son" target="_blank">The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden</a> - This was a little too boring and obvious for me and felt like a phone-in. <i>Paperback, gifted</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW02r2z3jN5LZlNEZEST87Evt47PGlSFf_eYTy07Vd81Apj1SVTxIkL78PyY0x3oH7P7NEDRdsoCUwwcANBqBnl0l_ejywBq1U8V528ujSTqMQD6pQHgJjZBI2ArRz6xKUplOnaZVlbJ0WLKTKdiYZkDL2vEWkuWd80cDehOYIwfv4-NBMGbqyOEKDDo/s4032/IMG_2993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW02r2z3jN5LZlNEZEST87Evt47PGlSFf_eYTy07Vd81Apj1SVTxIkL78PyY0x3oH7P7NEDRdsoCUwwcANBqBnl0l_ejywBq1U8V528ujSTqMQD6pQHgJjZBI2ArRz6xKUplOnaZVlbJ0WLKTKdiYZkDL2vEWkuWd80cDehOYIwfv4-NBMGbqyOEKDDo/w480-h640/IMG_2993.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b>Did Not Finish</b></u></span></b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199279830-hide-me-away" target="_blank">Hide Me Away by Lauren Street</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123025972-the-other-half" target="_blank">The Other Half (DI Caius Beauchamp, #1) by Charlotte Vassell</a> - Netgalley </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60625528-people-to-follow" target="_blank">People to Follow by Olivia Worley</a> - Netgalley </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145621145-clover-hendry-s-day-off" target="_blank">Clover Hendry's Day Off by Beth Morrey</a> - Netgalley, publishes January 30</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;">What have you been reading?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div>SMD</div><div>
</div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-92080871752404419412023-11-20T19:20:00.004-05:002023-11-20T19:20:58.508-05:00snippets of the weekend 11.20.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCNjKy8NdGcMOegUyYYMCPjzCunZFzDjcWC_TRb5UKgh8mNfxtz8UQITXRD5A9CUWdKSa3PV98LlNGWW-d4jwFeEOEbDVdi-z4rfhe0J6o05h0iLJcocd9jktUNeLWele1ACj9qad3vJ1i0w-WaS1GsfqXb4hrZ1ToMR2McIalKGFtvZy-T2QuSnqchA/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2751" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCNjKy8NdGcMOegUyYYMCPjzCunZFzDjcWC_TRb5UKgh8mNfxtz8UQITXRD5A9CUWdKSa3PV98LlNGWW-d4jwFeEOEbDVdi-z4rfhe0J6o05h0iLJcocd9jktUNeLWele1ACj9qad3vJ1i0w-WaS1GsfqXb4hrZ1ToMR2McIalKGFtvZy-T2QuSnqchA/w540-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>To wake up on a Friday in mid-November and have it be 60 some degrees is insane and amazing. I had to take a walk down to the beach before work. I had massive tech issues Friday and had to call Xfinity which made me rage. I got my nails painted during that though - this is the red from this year's OPI Holiday Collection - Rebel without a Clause. It's a really good red.</div><div><br /></div><div>After work walk was a good one. Mr. Rooney ends up in a bag on the way back when we walk far, which we did Friday. We had soup for dinner and watched reruns of The Office. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRHFvthVsTDi9264ngu_Mb1FKowCO1IHhvkCXh64UN2JkNtc_55D8gTYMYFFFbq3fv7ixN7onK3SWJW6leQXZ9iAaKZPq9vBHrgkLUAVts7R8iPh50FQP5NgwiMWaJ-6vkJQZvSyjrawZ2xnft5JeqVnvOgmgbTaHxIDAGgBvA1C8Wo3tJvlgcWbu7pw/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRHFvthVsTDi9264ngu_Mb1FKowCO1IHhvkCXh64UN2JkNtc_55D8gTYMYFFFbq3fv7ixN7onK3SWJW6leQXZ9iAaKZPq9vBHrgkLUAVts7R8iPh50FQP5NgwiMWaJ-6vkJQZvSyjrawZ2xnft5JeqVnvOgmgbTaHxIDAGgBvA1C8Wo3tJvlgcWbu7pw/w640-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We got going early on Saturday for a fun day along Route 9. We hit <a href="https://www.treasurespast.com/" target="_blank">Treasures Past</a> first, where I picked up two tables for bedsides that have a bookshelf under them. I got one from there last year and was thrilled to walk in 20 minutes after they opened to find these for $12 each. A freaking steal, and they were just dropped off that morning. I will paint them as I did with the one I got last year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next we popped into <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/CoHo-Antiques-100075855353109/?locale=pa_IN" target="_blank">CoHo Antiques</a> before heading on to historic <a href="https://hcsv.org/" target="_blank">Cold Spring Village</a> - we thought the grounds were open despite the buildings being closed but that was not the case. We took a quick walk around the perimeter before heading out again to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/treehouseantiquescapemay/" target="_blank">Treehouse Antiques of Cape May</a>. Wonderful owners, great conversation, and two mid century mod dining chairs I am obsessed with. I only wish there were two more! We popped in to Aldi on the way back and that was that. A successful day out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAvFlFOIhLy4tVHnb0gAAPy7DDEjf1FNtvAmuHHJYvuqOA-s8QXKuX7VNIm9pQa-MFjbBqoSVlqEwd-jO0PbIKn-Zw4llh468bPS5cs1WHWwCPzepJELnx5WUyZBhfVkq0yOhW3aHo1VDgYa2J2DyJTBhwFt1bPlnUn8UTBymNONODgbb8WnfIRno9vI/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAvFlFOIhLy4tVHnb0gAAPy7DDEjf1FNtvAmuHHJYvuqOA-s8QXKuX7VNIm9pQa-MFjbBqoSVlqEwd-jO0PbIKn-Zw4llh468bPS5cs1WHWwCPzepJELnx5WUyZBhfVkq0yOhW3aHo1VDgYa2J2DyJTBhwFt1bPlnUn8UTBymNONODgbb8WnfIRno9vI/w532-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><div>When we got back, we took a family walk to the beach then came home to watch Beckham. Doesn't Mr. Rooney look like a muppet dog?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4kJPUMkdQyRS5B7qBtZSgSEK4RH60ec8N95srbX8YIaKG7v0akIj5Ur-DWsonJvYx5m7SY1QNZvmapHzK26bOcBfh54uIxOFGEv_wfiXKrz83yvhW_0p7zC12qNZewlAYleLyeSa7VWYzmMoGM4LLevNrJaFoql3yZdtFoRA03UInb0DO5ibF6JB9lg/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2738" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4kJPUMkdQyRS5B7qBtZSgSEK4RH60ec8N95srbX8YIaKG7v0akIj5Ur-DWsonJvYx5m7SY1QNZvmapHzK26bOcBfh54uIxOFGEv_wfiXKrz83yvhW_0p7zC12qNZewlAYleLyeSa7VWYzmMoGM4LLevNrJaFoql3yZdtFoRA03UInb0DO5ibF6JB9lg/w536-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><br /><div>Sunday MFD headed back to Philly and I had a nice slow Sunday - lots of coffee, read a book, took a long walk in the afternoon that included a Kohr Bros cinnamon/pumpkin twist, thundering waves, surf watch, and sunshine. I made steamed broccoli and salmon for dinner and stayed up later than normal watching Bakeoff. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazqtqaogtdWUmwPGcVPayF0httzgarvPdrwkbGgvycEl1BpZ3QP96AZdW2nfShbgDhVBpRoFPZCr48h435-LzomiYWQi_Z2C3Dstf5L90PjTBezzmvCxCj3Z4tKEn-u3Vzo95AK4sTqohfB5747Xg1lnoJYTYSfwIlu43ePyFi44rBpoNu4DVX3t_ua4/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3058" data-original-width="3264" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazqtqaogtdWUmwPGcVPayF0httzgarvPdrwkbGgvycEl1BpZ3QP96AZdW2nfShbgDhVBpRoFPZCr48h435-LzomiYWQi_Z2C3Dstf5L90PjTBezzmvCxCj3Z4tKEn-u3Vzo95AK4sTqohfB5747Xg1lnoJYTYSfwIlu43ePyFi44rBpoNu4DVX3t_ua4/w640-h600/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-33716438048363673672023-11-13T18:36:00.001-05:002023-11-20T18:46:54.848-05:00Snippets of the weekend 11.13.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kXiWGWeuWwv9Ca7ej8f9Vja8aav1dBNSTneWMwYCxu9SWiD7QX1dCCl0pgL_AbvuIhGlptcAG_Fx-VGGy1r7ELi8gcc8OIpOAdYyih0TWOjflc82aNS3mow09XViuwfRS9JMCRId5AZeh2sbQeQGNc_N1KQKHhm2kGy0om2BNEUWiO_mf0sPB4k_BAA/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kXiWGWeuWwv9Ca7ej8f9Vja8aav1dBNSTneWMwYCxu9SWiD7QX1dCCl0pgL_AbvuIhGlptcAG_Fx-VGGy1r7ELi8gcc8OIpOAdYyih0TWOjflc82aNS3mow09XViuwfRS9JMCRId5AZeh2sbQeQGNc_N1KQKHhm2kGy0om2BNEUWiO_mf0sPB4k_BAA/w640-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Friday was raw, and consequently the first time in over a week I didn't hit my 10k steps goal. We had dinner at Jon & Patty's, then home to read, watch Witches of Eastwick, and lounge.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday I did errands on foot to Lisa's Bakery and Bennie's. I did a run through Boyar's but they didn't have the rolls I wanted to off to ACME. I put together a chair for the living room, made <a href="https://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/2015/01/veggie-soup-for-soul.html" target="_blank">veggie soup</a>, <a href="https://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/2017/10/when-i-dip-you-dip-we-french-dip.html" target="_blank">french dip</a>, and <a href="https://dwardcooks.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/137/print" target="_blank">indulgent mac & cheese from dwardcooks</a>. Friendsgiving was a lot of fun as always - I love being with these people and have for over 30 years. Hallmark Christmas movie bingo happened this year!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTw-u3WhGO_cTf4q5QJG3k29Bz8Tyjs3b5pQdP8si7BNpq7pxnc4lx4MiHBdCwSkd5E53w6URBjrnxtss4cK8uQ_bGFS-9fHG_-8XTSrchJNjfGNsj1KReKUN5jS7UqUYD-yrFPPsKu23EVorrq2h6S1uYeWzChOIhNmoR64ZUVw2Ashg3jeBhLL460Q/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2912" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTw-u3WhGO_cTf4q5QJG3k29Bz8Tyjs3b5pQdP8si7BNpq7pxnc4lx4MiHBdCwSkd5E53w6URBjrnxtss4cK8uQ_bGFS-9fHG_-8XTSrchJNjfGNsj1KReKUN5jS7UqUYD-yrFPPsKu23EVorrq2h6S1uYeWzChOIhNmoR64ZUVw2Ashg3jeBhLL460Q/w570-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>Sunday we lingered over coffee and I think Amanda and Frank were the last to leave around 1? I lay down for several hours and didn't move LOL. A walk to the beach, finishing a book, and leftovers for dinner did it for me for the day. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianSYWf7QlCVDGJ8tfzXaDlBoX2IWKuPrh5Rkd8drQcWtyuhWCzFynrZi7yN-usbgTLtu_IL4d45742cjQu0bmJAVo29KVd68ryJbWSb23p6P_Q5NcVlggBdFJKuJ3ZSuLTH2PYtHuKCddL1OazrjMbIrxGQTkKjIADdhpEZ51c3KAIYPf9YPbCR43LWE/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2938" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEianSYWf7QlCVDGJ8tfzXaDlBoX2IWKuPrh5Rkd8drQcWtyuhWCzFynrZi7yN-usbgTLtu_IL4d45742cjQu0bmJAVo29KVd68ryJbWSb23p6P_Q5NcVlggBdFJKuJ3ZSuLTH2PYtHuKCddL1OazrjMbIrxGQTkKjIADdhpEZ51c3KAIYPf9YPbCR43LWE/w576-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-29174537694679705312023-11-06T11:37:00.001-05:002023-11-07T16:30:23.616-05:00Snippets of the weekend 11.6.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first weekend not hosting or hanging with other people, traveling, or doing turnover shit since well before Labor Day</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday I picked up some groceries, walked around after work and hit the library and the bay, and finally got Ben to sit on the same couch as Mr. Rooney.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM7vkIdlKqxldZxB-0GDhZG_3sJdXRIZrQUfo8KsvcGKu1UO5DtDQCMZ92uGAmrKJfy9Vc4jx_aNWV4ZFa9SbPQfCm-1cBqqUpSQDO37TXqO2y7xwqsKXkSkTZBHahJmp3f7kTFCP29rTMBPZ4jZaJbVOhQzCgxxiNAV0pO1Gw4EOxvRcRfdlQZOSwEI/s3264/friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVM7vkIdlKqxldZxB-0GDhZG_3sJdXRIZrQUfo8KsvcGKu1UO5DtDQCMZ92uGAmrKJfy9Vc4jx_aNWV4ZFa9SbPQfCm-1cBqqUpSQDO37TXqO2y7xwqsKXkSkTZBHahJmp3f7kTFCP29rTMBPZ4jZaJbVOhQzCgxxiNAV0pO1Gw4EOxvRcRfdlQZOSwEI/w564-h640/friday.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>Saturday I did the sunrise with Ben, leisurely drank coffee and had a bagel and read, popped over to HomeGoods, hit the beach in the afternoon, set the house to rights upstairs, and read. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4PHlk5tgFBVuEV8z_G_bP918swMkpbUC-bKhfjX_KbSeoldIJVJTPatxp7-dEgmBDxY0m2loXgczHFKruec4-9q0qr84-mWfeQXjfwWoBmvIXCIU6iSzl6NZ1Fmi55l1ukWzkFJbl1f-x39VBMjdNxPlhVXmsRVZ3fz0Hv-kbH1vX0H9BYUDUOssXeU/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4PHlk5tgFBVuEV8z_G_bP918swMkpbUC-bKhfjX_KbSeoldIJVJTPatxp7-dEgmBDxY0m2loXgczHFKruec4-9q0qr84-mWfeQXjfwWoBmvIXCIU6iSzl6NZ1Fmi55l1ukWzkFJbl1f-x39VBMjdNxPlhVXmsRVZ3fz0Hv-kbH1vX0H9BYUDUOssXeU/w564-h640/saturday.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>Sunday I went to another HomeGoods, purged and reorganized MFD's outdoor crime scene of a closet and the under bed tool box, threw out all sunscreen that will expire before next spring, dis some cooking, took Ben to the beach for sunset, showered, did a face peel, and read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar7twGQI97Eft3Dakvs0VZY2AqtGsX35xZvoBiLUHrz7QsdQczoVaFSSEWOYXspxNP_gpyEvle8ZCQum7aPybdMQ5onPmH84Plk11MyA2eQF3cYVRDhKa1d9jDT_UBGTNC6DVvBYhKCeHrhlfBx3yRKAm88vIEPNkeP-RptQdtpIXlepRRaZUq2shH_0/s3264/sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar7twGQI97Eft3Dakvs0VZY2AqtGsX35xZvoBiLUHrz7QsdQczoVaFSSEWOYXspxNP_gpyEvle8ZCQum7aPybdMQ5onPmH84Plk11MyA2eQF3cYVRDhKa1d9jDT_UBGTNC6DVvBYhKCeHrhlfBx3yRKAm88vIEPNkeP-RptQdtpIXlepRRaZUq2shH_0/w564-h640/sunday.jpg" width="564" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perfect puttering alone time weekend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-50244448360532962682023-10-31T16:51:00.001-04:002023-11-07T16:33:56.893-05:00October 2023 reads<img id="id_44b3_4d04_8d8f_8e46" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtX7y1xlTCcA2ZfOS39ZB39Thr7hVAwunW4-X2JyfHpkN8c_ChC4oYDhlS24BF5O3LXOysl9NXwNPBmNPHf9XYmUAM_njGpBOWr4YBXb4k0wDZqXv7xQ15-l6MrXlOUyDXXNa0_AdqgKUmMCO0vfH_O6ZpPhEn6BwII-4WgdwfrP3CJWPDeRQysWGY2U/s1200/2023%20reads%20feed%20post%2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtX7y1xlTCcA2ZfOS39ZB39Thr7hVAwunW4-X2JyfHpkN8c_ChC4oYDhlS24BF5O3LXOysl9NXwNPBmNPHf9XYmUAM_njGpBOWr4YBXb4k0wDZqXv7xQ15-l6MrXlOUyDXXNa0_AdqgKUmMCO0vfH_O6ZpPhEn6BwII-4WgdwfrP3CJWPDeRQysWGY2U/w640-h640/2023%20reads%20feed%20post%2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been on overload personally and professionally and the state of the world is not conducive to reading right now. I've been falling asleep exhausted. Many others too, I'm sure. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>What I read in October</i>: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Engrossing Reads</u></span></b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/66087062-the-unmaking-of-june-farrow" target="_blank">The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young</a> - Really good and hard to put down. I liked this much more than Spells for Forgetting. <i>Netgalley free advanced copy</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59490869-the-last-lie-told" target="_blank">The Last Lie Told (Finley O'Sullivan #1) by Debra Webb</a> - First in the series because I have three from Netgalley so I had to go back for the first two. Pleasantly surprised to be into it. <i>Kindle, own</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61260879-the-nature-of-secrets" target="_blank">The Nature of Secrets (Finley O'Sullivan #2) by Debra Webb</a> - Even more pleased to sink deeper into this one. I sort of hope the third is not the end of this series. <i>Kindle, own</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Passed the Time Just Fine</u></span></b></div><div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65646968-mother-daughter-murder-night" target="_blank">Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon</a> - I hemmed and hawed about putting this in this category or not for me, so that's that on that. The Grandmother was fine, the daughter annoying, the granddaughter mildly annoying. <i>OCNJ library hard copy</i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123387633-deadly-tides" target="_blank">Deadly Tides (Misty Pines Mystery #2) by Mary Keliikoa</a> - A solid second entry in this series. I still really like the characters, side characters also. Would definitely read more <i>Netgalley free advanced copy</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Not For Me</span></b></u></span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b>Did Not Finish</b></u></span></b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;">What have you been reading?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_1821_c36a_c59a_93e3" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a>
<img id="id_b9fd_dc6d_3996_e187" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div><br /></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-45965767742255307442023-10-30T16:35:00.001-04:002023-11-20T18:14:56.562-05:00Snippets of the weekend 10.30.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was supposed to go to the shore Thursday as Mom & Rich were headed down, but we picked up Mr. Edward Rooney from his foster fam on Thursday. Friday we realized he had an infection and took him to our vet. He did much better after he got some antibiotics. I headed to the shore after work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_GyCL5c0AxksuAn92PPX55tXv5WhlfvT6eYYvENU0mRuPTI1SCVPfDSbUXmPl4YWJDLCSSBZu5TcFvVc53JLUih5CmjCjGtlSZrRMqw8ocp47Lqtf1kq7ws1aVjYMI90dwwBfTC7YB-XFu3UbgZEAMc9JQJa2-EmoPLy3gARQQdfI5rp7ldha6_diB8/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="3264" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_GyCL5c0AxksuAn92PPX55tXv5WhlfvT6eYYvENU0mRuPTI1SCVPfDSbUXmPl4YWJDLCSSBZu5TcFvVc53JLUih5CmjCjGtlSZrRMqw8ocp47Lqtf1kq7ws1aVjYMI90dwwBfTC7YB-XFu3UbgZEAMc9JQJa2-EmoPLy3gARQQdfI5rp7ldha6_diB8/w640-h396/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Saturday Mom and I walked the boards while Rich was on a bike ride and walked back along Asbury. We waited for him to get back then headed to the beach. Absolutely stunning warm day, and a full moon at night. Just perfect. We had Durham Deli goods for dinner and sat out on the porch enjoying the weather.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Vf7X6-pXv6ClFWwy68uvM9v0Or3Syqso4g9LSHxqnV4cZr1kv0JOuDrGWkJuQz-DTtferWDSTI_er56h3qMawgEnW37lfl9IUaDwGvZIVyBgic-oZ4b7mbseXdHzYQwp2C0yiiNgDR87VKrw4dcqOiDirsXxdlZLHaAA1uZchoRfdlD0eUrdphApubI/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Vf7X6-pXv6ClFWwy68uvM9v0Or3Syqso4g9LSHxqnV4cZr1kv0JOuDrGWkJuQz-DTtferWDSTI_er56h3qMawgEnW37lfl9IUaDwGvZIVyBgic-oZ4b7mbseXdHzYQwp2C0yiiNgDR87VKrw4dcqOiDirsXxdlZLHaAA1uZchoRfdlD0eUrdphApubI/w640-h640/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Sunday more hanging and walking - thank God my mom was there because I dropped dog poop bags somewhere and she ran back to the house for replacements LOL - soccer on the telly, MFD arrived in the afternoon, and Mom and Rich took us to dinner at the Anchorage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvY-tnUDCcjOWyDQv-gMD6T_Nmc1uDiLX9yWGhikL3hPuWFP5gKegl0OdPC1MZ4b6ZWwpmjsadCqSp_TxUze0O5ex74Yuuc4kF6GiwFEoLs_u0xiVrFCBASVJ7HdY67XeJ37xsXf0gPG5wN_BZHb3waYhHWrhyyo0_HvsstBVlo3SJ9rhmvlEimI530w/s3264/BeFunky-collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2175" data-original-width="3264" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvY-tnUDCcjOWyDQv-gMD6T_Nmc1uDiLX9yWGhikL3hPuWFP5gKegl0OdPC1MZ4b6ZWwpmjsadCqSp_TxUze0O5ex74Yuuc4kF6GiwFEoLs_u0xiVrFCBASVJ7HdY67XeJ37xsXf0gPG5wN_BZHb3waYhHWrhyyo0_HvsstBVlo3SJ9rhmvlEimI530w/w640-h426/BeFunky-collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>It was a good weekend and a nice visit, much nicer than it would have been if they came down the monsoon weekend in September as originally planned. </div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-80269126455894679632023-10-23T15:44:00.001-04:002023-10-30T16:30:37.694-04:00snippets of the weekend 10.23.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cousins weekend! Amazing light on Friday night. Everyone trickled in and got settled, and Stephen & Aub made dinner for everyone. Phillies loss but fun to watch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03HEXbuBNRAEB5qd2C0rjjvIIFXvVDIb1O5XS_brpouLLB_QUZDWIBt2I8vqQ6qHgqh-wxF8p1rLB7Wt_BhxSmE_nk2QyYva4_b2_BOKq8vAhNjc0I4pFRJbIhmP-dsJSMi0coQpWUnymFHTbre1Yr8ZCc_r-TN1wbSvCWifOLWFYFtgNjGcvyyDve0M/s3264/friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1751" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03HEXbuBNRAEB5qd2C0rjjvIIFXvVDIb1O5XS_brpouLLB_QUZDWIBt2I8vqQ6qHgqh-wxF8p1rLB7Wt_BhxSmE_nk2QyYva4_b2_BOKq8vAhNjc0I4pFRJbIhmP-dsJSMi0coQpWUnymFHTbre1Yr8ZCc_r-TN1wbSvCWifOLWFYFtgNjGcvyyDve0M/w344-h640/friday.jpg" width="344" /></a></div>Saturday we ate Courtney's sausage balls for breakfast that were amazing, and trickled out to the boards for a walk, some arcade, saw Santa and dogs in costumes, Brandon bought everyone pizzas for lunch, and back to the house to eat and relax. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-HnAP4mH32A-0c8TInlGRjNEK-cJdP2dadhZHZ30_MO5lBka5OErsVNPWOqniPpVVKF8X3lFP5fgNE2oMg2qiVwTVd3abkpEPMU5tRZlLGuP2rPip5-jqiHmtE2W9w-FYmcJL-QxtIg_evyHDVLUGjttpeAPF5kkSqEW_lx_V7tRqGHnK-atvAPluUA/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3204" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-HnAP4mH32A-0c8TInlGRjNEK-cJdP2dadhZHZ30_MO5lBka5OErsVNPWOqniPpVVKF8X3lFP5fgNE2oMg2qiVwTVd3abkpEPMU5tRZlLGuP2rPip5-jqiHmtE2W9w-FYmcJL-QxtIg_evyHDVLUGjttpeAPF5kkSqEW_lx_V7tRqGHnK-atvAPluUA/w628-h640/saturday.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><div>We went out again, me and Mike to the beach and some folks to the not very good Howloween parade, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0N1Nu-QVF85bcrBFvX31pc2eXc9Pw_sQEiMCwrHxj1Vj1mrPrKYLNr6jwFwpqYRjIoiwlxuQRbas_gy8jPCZohS9Cpf38BWNpPtJeJpKOFJG-TpFSH9_L9lF61uLN7Y8FzaVrzAXwVxk2azxJKK2w06mOVfKPf0aQNuU8H_cF6CckZMELSjLdDjYSA24/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2744" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0N1Nu-QVF85bcrBFvX31pc2eXc9Pw_sQEiMCwrHxj1Vj1mrPrKYLNr6jwFwpqYRjIoiwlxuQRbas_gy8jPCZohS9Cpf38BWNpPtJeJpKOFJG-TpFSH9_L9lF61uLN7Y8FzaVrzAXwVxk2azxJKK2w06mOVfKPf0aQNuU8H_cF6CckZMELSjLdDjYSA24/w538-h640/saturday.jpg" width="538" /></a></div><div>before reconvening for dinner made by Stephen & Aub again, parlay, Phillies win probably due to our superstitions - good vibes helmets, Tommy in the kitchen, etc. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRT1QporxUfUEk7RAscP_2aI9YbfmgHUbOE7jz63jW007m8-F6F7MtfihlUToXuQP62VFa7WQBkyj1siPcE5kVbXa4YHKuRSGnR8Dk5wuIiLVfguOzHATj0kbosCEV99y01KPKQ0uv1DqNnSOy3siSdbnu1q8gvsci4kyfznazjh3zwlG2zXGpVSdC-k/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="3264" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRT1QporxUfUEk7RAscP_2aI9YbfmgHUbOE7jz63jW007m8-F6F7MtfihlUToXuQP62VFa7WQBkyj1siPcE5kVbXa4YHKuRSGnR8Dk5wuIiLVfguOzHATj0kbosCEV99y01KPKQ0uv1DqNnSOy3siSdbnu1q8gvsci4kyfznazjh3zwlG2zXGpVSdC-k/w640-h606/saturday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Sunday everyone was gone by 1 and I lay around with my teeth in my mouth for the rest of the day as I spent all of my social capital and was rendered mute. <br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAVrCMPOPThmPoU7IgskW426JnDvgQJGYPMzu1IR78o6qjbk8qlqFOhdbwjRAuUCZcwncIrjgTxReZ0wt5Xow05wITplpXEFkVu5X-2psFh2smCORmUeTlsyTzmC_o_OMWx_P_PobSYZ9DRd84SM5ubpvozYgWnyHb2CGk4U8bcpXWw9aUppHOnxYQBY/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1632" data-original-width="3264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAVrCMPOPThmPoU7IgskW426JnDvgQJGYPMzu1IR78o6qjbk8qlqFOhdbwjRAuUCZcwncIrjgTxReZ0wt5Xow05wITplpXEFkVu5X-2psFh2smCORmUeTlsyTzmC_o_OMWx_P_PobSYZ9DRd84SM5ubpvozYgWnyHb2CGk4U8bcpXWw9aUppHOnxYQBY/w640-h320/saturday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm glad we made this weekend happen spread across states and ages! It was nice. Missed Tracy & fam and Gabby!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-77547443482303471232023-10-16T15:18:00.003-04:002023-10-30T15:44:10.954-04:00Snippets of the weekend 10.16.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday I did school dropoff and pickup for my niece and nephew, with showering and a work trip to Swarthmore in between. I browsed my work BFF's favorite store for a magic pin and some other treasures, and she gave me my birthday gift. After school pickup we went to the Halloween store, and to Friendly's for dinner, back to my house to watch a movie, then on home to theirs. </div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai1ssz_QIWmEwJorlOyyuO5Y1viXQenou7xwNugy284BVsDdYQx2coQDhgCI920grkaDwIlgsG3j9lXha9rQM-8yFew6LYfUVOPNHH_vb-WItXymaAjD-kznjKEWqv9pxAgtsCE4la7NQ_ank4NxE2PcieATRLdl909cF0ukEU-qAqrwKcJElfBKRwq4/s3264/friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiai1ssz_QIWmEwJorlOyyuO5Y1viXQenou7xwNugy284BVsDdYQx2coQDhgCI920grkaDwIlgsG3j9lXha9rQM-8yFew6LYfUVOPNHH_vb-WItXymaAjD-kznjKEWqv9pxAgtsCE4la7NQ_ank4NxE2PcieATRLdl909cF0ukEU-qAqrwKcJElfBKRwq4/w640-h640/friday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Saturday was lounging, laundry, lazy because it was raining. It cleared up in time for Brenna & Nick's wedding sail on the Delaware. Loved the costume party and the super cool skull thing they made themselves! I got zero photos of them aside from one on the table. It was nice to see everyone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOwzCFAjg333M4WlkFroEyOj_2EGWunER94Ie3rNdQJ0tUjtcFyCN6qDJ01nFVz3ezMs-6jah55jluCh5h1llrjLTVRkQkodoBqXo9hp0QnsvyGUOESPtJKlSx2_sN6-nMqNkFFgrrnKcbRi9s4FK_j8raV8Bd4Qtm3_MHOxSz-71IcQ-7b07tjqI8FM/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2098" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOwzCFAjg333M4WlkFroEyOj_2EGWunER94Ie3rNdQJ0tUjtcFyCN6qDJ01nFVz3ezMs-6jah55jluCh5h1llrjLTVRkQkodoBqXo9hp0QnsvyGUOESPtJKlSx2_sN6-nMqNkFFgrrnKcbRi9s4FK_j8raV8Bd4Qtm3_MHOxSz-71IcQ-7b07tjqI8FM/w412-h640/saturday.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>Mrs. Roper era in full effect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5kyF7pfpiqyYEha_wdpI8LQaxTROqgV5vge47qwbYK0vy_fF4XohSA6e5df0AR_IKMHLW1BPoruw_n0C_aZLuDQ6ugtU1NsMt8j4nPAscaUisUdWn_gdcFXyamceDOuq14wNhtOezmMuM7ACwjJP1HbfNpinh740X6REj4xvsv4qGnJPDwYQkEUlEBI/s3264/sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1327" data-original-width="3264" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5kyF7pfpiqyYEha_wdpI8LQaxTROqgV5vge47qwbYK0vy_fF4XohSA6e5df0AR_IKMHLW1BPoruw_n0C_aZLuDQ6ugtU1NsMt8j4nPAscaUisUdWn_gdcFXyamceDOuq14wNhtOezmMuM7ACwjJP1HbfNpinh740X6REj4xvsv4qGnJPDwYQkEUlEBI/w640-h260/sunday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Good times and home by 11!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouwhUS_P6sdfd3TMLSkMC9-CrIucx9v4LynXqKkeNA5uuuflfCEuJn73CmA4jTlzg_VwsumEaBk1wuYOgQKF32vkHB59q6GZcIHonDnL51a0V4rhcAMjFTjWJEay2spvRKJ71v5OL-4OsaVfGIf4NgNqi2uLlkH3NviNIZ6z5wm0yqDBzjCv16OC0t1I/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2499" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouwhUS_P6sdfd3TMLSkMC9-CrIucx9v4LynXqKkeNA5uuuflfCEuJn73CmA4jTlzg_VwsumEaBk1wuYOgQKF32vkHB59q6GZcIHonDnL51a0V4rhcAMjFTjWJEay2spvRKJ71v5OL-4OsaVfGIf4NgNqi2uLlkH3NviNIZ6z5wm0yqDBzjCv16OC0t1I/w490-h640/saturday.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>Sunday I was back in Old City to pick a few things up from my office before heading home to clear surfaces in the kitchen and dining room, cut up veggies, and lounge and read.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM-T96K-LKshUuTXOCFlG5gJTYlbkVU_A3cjUhfjd7VfrcaF82DkqlbVfPZTuBSQYcPpAKlkTaLEzbDvdD18MaUk4A9Nhi-KKguyfywNN5-OGlELYXqmvgZ68-aNT3Q1sh1zJXoqn3QteLE5wj0eu3S5XGODaGOXb6PkZYSEyu2sXqRohvpgUZWe9KyY/s3264/sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2889" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRM-T96K-LKshUuTXOCFlG5gJTYlbkVU_A3cjUhfjd7VfrcaF82DkqlbVfPZTuBSQYcPpAKlkTaLEzbDvdD18MaUk4A9Nhi-KKguyfywNN5-OGlELYXqmvgZ68-aNT3Q1sh1zJXoqn3QteLE5wj0eu3S5XGODaGOXb6PkZYSEyu2sXqRohvpgUZWe9KyY/w566-h640/sunday.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-48121107167270197882023-10-13T10:50:00.005-04:002023-10-13T11:03:44.322-04:00snippets of the weekend 10.9.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Out of office Friday - nail painting in some fall colors, Asbury shop day and lunch at OC Cafe with Lori and Carrie, a small rest, the Stephanies arrived, boardwalk night for Angelo's and seasonal pumpkin/cinnamon Kohr Bros and The Islander, Melissa arrived. Full and lovely day.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX7DcqIGmfgJa6IV1kUxfEEcvhQVyfIj9cPKtl54fWieLeH3ShpakXhrIAr7ydbotlxgHdNCIUQ2f-VneBA4YuVWgevkc8qGU3m2-8UQEIZWvSByTcUQxFLWKU5y3EkJ5QuYlaGbht16fbdsapyduMnC37lNrSoFdQ2At4MLCq9ibOpjn9EvsWAsn4KY/s3264/friday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX7DcqIGmfgJa6IV1kUxfEEcvhQVyfIj9cPKtl54fWieLeH3ShpakXhrIAr7ydbotlxgHdNCIUQ2f-VneBA4YuVWgevkc8qGU3m2-8UQEIZWvSByTcUQxFLWKU5y3EkJ5QuYlaGbht16fbdsapyduMnC37lNrSoFdQ2At4MLCq9ibOpjn9EvsWAsn4KY/w640-h640/friday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday Block Party Day! A great up and back, moving right along, a few purchases, a delicious hotdog, lots of time to chat together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaP0dSuVIZXkz7rHRoWzGgtFVb44uWHll6e8TmvI66zude1KSV5kHIMvU0bAIWTLnTVWmO37b_qKEdCekHWwUNRi3ctbBQThJEPSaVbXtSKEp1lINq9_ip_sel5iFHcja76Woz7pRf3X4Iqu-8WR4NnUBBxSH89KS_OckSOtHtCDmWMGe-iO7pBadajg/s3264/saturday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3046" data-original-width="3264" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaP0dSuVIZXkz7rHRoWzGgtFVb44uWHll6e8TmvI66zude1KSV5kHIMvU0bAIWTLnTVWmO37b_qKEdCekHWwUNRi3ctbBQThJEPSaVbXtSKEp1lINq9_ip_sel5iFHcja76Woz7pRf3X4Iqu-8WR4NnUBBxSH89KS_OckSOtHtCDmWMGe-iO7pBadajg/w640-h598/saturday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVF_rZyiKaidOOrkvVTY_hfr4AZkNRb3IlOOvn0nBMBJe9USsdaD6-8oAiKjsmEK55AOAcWIN-EPa5gWAQh7LiTsch2jqJCr1Upor0dVv7akG6xzoRkiD8EpnJB2Ac8AlWNNfaTP0gYEvbbHPuP3eElz0ck0hv9Dv8aYAJRTyJxOsNISfrbGFWoMMc5k/s3264/saturday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="3264" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVF_rZyiKaidOOrkvVTY_hfr4AZkNRb3IlOOvn0nBMBJe9USsdaD6-8oAiKjsmEK55AOAcWIN-EPa5gWAQh7LiTsch2jqJCr1Upor0dVv7akG6xzoRkiD8EpnJB2Ac8AlWNNfaTP0gYEvbbHPuP3eElz0ck0hv9Dv8aYAJRTyJxOsNISfrbGFWoMMc5k/w640-h226/saturday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday donuts on deck! To share. The Stephanies and Melissa left, and I worked for a few hours. Lori, Carrie, and I took a beach walk later in the day. They left Monday and the house was spic and span for people coming in this week - THANK YOU Lori & Carrie!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM1wqejLqUdWJL5YR8x9isxzio3MmwE_AAvv6KbuYpOa-4PmcRBv9IlsJgktz4VF38OZ_UTRkMS0uVWoBlFjQLYn0wuDBDS7jZlUquKjWxqTG9b0-sX92Lr7wOqlF8VFL-kl492HxsDhWbfpozKWz9VxozDOb6RMu2aZPxlw3Nrqwrw713B_sw9F2doo/s3264/saturday.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2832" data-original-width="3264" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNM1wqejLqUdWJL5YR8x9isxzio3MmwE_AAvv6KbuYpOa-4PmcRBv9IlsJgktz4VF38OZ_UTRkMS0uVWoBlFjQLYn0wuDBDS7jZlUquKjWxqTG9b0-sX92Lr7wOqlF8VFL-kl492HxsDhWbfpozKWz9VxozDOb6RMu2aZPxlw3Nrqwrw713B_sw9F2doo/w640-h556/saturday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite annual weekends to spend time and laugh and chat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This week though, this week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I held many thoughts for Aunt Carrie Saturday, as it was her life celebration. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Monday was John Bender's sixth birthday. I was missing Mae, we always celebrated their birthdays together. And my forever friend Melissa celebrating her Rocktober birthday Tuesday!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Red October. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't hear the full brunt of news until later on Monday morning. Just an untenable and unimaginable situation in the Middle East. My head has been down in my neck ever since, and I don't know what to say, just hug emoji'ing my Jewish friends out there and feeling grossly inadequate in my response. The attacks on Jewish people are extremely frightening given the rise of antisemitism globally - and quite shamefully here in our own country where vile people have shown out with Nazi flags and graffiti and engaging in anti-Jewish hate speech - in recent years. Add to that Holocaust deniers and people who would like to gloss over the real history or rewrite the history of seemingly everything right now in this country and around the globe and what the fuck are we doing here, everyone? What the fuck are we doing. What are we <b>doing</b>. Dehumanization of <u>ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE</u> is not the way and never has been. <i>It never has been. </i>Have Jewish people as a group not suffered enough?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As in all violent acts of terrorism and war, innocent people suffer. Innocent Jewish children. Innocent Palestinian children. To be alive in a time when you can watch the suffering unfold minute by minute is really a mindfuck. The fucking kids! The people parenting and caring for the kids and trying to keep them intact in the face of extreme aggression and violence. I hate feeling helpless as people try to survive unimaginable situations and we sit on screens watching. The naked humanity calls out to the humanity in every one of us as fellow humans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">War is hell. Terrorism is hell. Oppression is hell. Human suffering is hell. Suffering because of where you happen to be born or live or because of what your government is doing is hell. Our consumption of the human suffering of others on small screens we can watch 24 hours a day is hell. Trying to rationalize shit like this is hell. Sitting with your teeth in your mouth feeling the crushing weight of this violence and instability while your heart breaks for innocent people in the crossfire is hell. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point in our evolution, should we not be past war? Past killing innocent people. Past hating each other because of religious beliefs or culture or looks. Past oppressing people. It is a deep, deep punch to the gut that leaves me breathless and without any real words when I realize we are not past these things. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sending peace and love to everyone who needs it in this world. Stay human. Recognize the humanity in others beyond religion, borders, looks - recognize hearts. Be a soft space when you can and lean into soft spaces when you need to. I'm holding space for the humanity, healing, dignity, liberation, and opportunity for <b>all</b> people to live free from violence and fear. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-62680267221169993012023-10-03T20:56:00.003-04:002023-10-05T21:39:31.344-04:00snippets of the weekend 10.2.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a super soul filling up weekend with my BFFs of 30+ years. We ate, drank, made merry, and we even left the house which some years we do not do LOL. That's all about that, because girls' weekend is girls' weekend and it's for us. No one has to be any other role than what they are, and that is just us together for a weekend. And it's glorious.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLDmKVBdbChj2Om9XRm62gr951l5Zxbwa-QEKLUV5RUO43Me-wqC5YF7pYgVeYmGNOIQbiszHRxiTrjVKM9XChN7SL4DYvw6nRL6j32U4jTc6QzhToL_nxbCk4DLxyrI3oxMhCJAPqXbDRaxgEaAXgGSHeY_ZF0SfeJyNvgt0HCATcTBi4DznmcFAawc/s3264/oktoberfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzLDmKVBdbChj2Om9XRm62gr951l5Zxbwa-QEKLUV5RUO43Me-wqC5YF7pYgVeYmGNOIQbiszHRxiTrjVKM9XChN7SL4DYvw6nRL6j32U4jTc6QzhToL_nxbCk4DLxyrI3oxMhCJAPqXbDRaxgEaAXgGSHeY_ZF0SfeJyNvgt0HCATcTBi4DznmcFAawc/w640-h640/oktoberfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxvFjOtCGOhot8NwfCzO6TOMvW8Gd7nBgA9YWQ5jLxYFih-kHx06N89j9SRDiYC9jrx03bpWZePuGd3oK5JRZQUrqoxnQtHg3Os0cJx21KTSHb5ofxj9YM5Ftpk_oaKZ3bqC8B_uGF2a6X8wlWEHEqohINTP6okg9_jpeAAyZB0_AuRoGhBsTusjLhaI/s3264/oktoberfest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3172" data-original-width="3264" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxvFjOtCGOhot8NwfCzO6TOMvW8Gd7nBgA9YWQ5jLxYFih-kHx06N89j9SRDiYC9jrx03bpWZePuGd3oK5JRZQUrqoxnQtHg3Os0cJx21KTSHb5ofxj9YM5Ftpk_oaKZ3bqC8B_uGF2a6X8wlWEHEqohINTP6okg9_jpeAAyZB0_AuRoGhBsTusjLhaI/w640-h622/oktoberfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I wish we had an old old of all of us, but this we think is in 2000 at Melissa's mom's house. There is nothing that replaces someone who has grown with you through all stages of your life. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLv1TeobwPuSXPczHCVR0QEJP0G-DG-CAgA9zSU6XQSdMUMqNMhZQKuBBKl2DX7zzFX0MJPTB5BFYXw1ZVLX3h5PyDCZk_IxfiYZnuRJZaIgIpwRvGrTDb7YgGbWBsD57_28rk5jyvyxakFSwD_dUGpZmqqts82UONeVWcc8U52Swy8OIaNg13xxy8fEc/s2080/7126AF01-64E6-41CE-BDBD-D6EDA5A76508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLv1TeobwPuSXPczHCVR0QEJP0G-DG-CAgA9zSU6XQSdMUMqNMhZQKuBBKl2DX7zzFX0MJPTB5BFYXw1ZVLX3h5PyDCZk_IxfiYZnuRJZaIgIpwRvGrTDb7YgGbWBsD57_28rk5jyvyxakFSwD_dUGpZmqqts82UONeVWcc8U52Swy8OIaNg13xxy8fEc/w360-h640/7126AF01-64E6-41CE-BDBD-D6EDA5A76508.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">All good things must come to an end, including GW. Sunday was out to breakfast and making brownies and the first half of the Eagles game before I said goodbye to the last leavers and headed to the beach to read. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqao3xvfpHHhJODc9U6T3SfcT6o9EZ5lRG1N4kookBY-piDkRLLXarOjNkhHKneRj7I7yZeZLw8PVn4YuZv6FDqIkXih7DWVG7oWgw8WvLi7miXMqi25YL_Wucenwc8QblAcZFXnk1Qc8noBbuKlY6OgKTSSJjY9pCa_UkvR-kyyiWrTAwzy3zyIL1Oyc/s3264/oktoberfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqao3xvfpHHhJODc9U6T3SfcT6o9EZ5lRG1N4kookBY-piDkRLLXarOjNkhHKneRj7I7yZeZLw8PVn4YuZv6FDqIkXih7DWVG7oWgw8WvLi7miXMqi25YL_Wucenwc8QblAcZFXnk1Qc8noBbuKlY6OgKTSSJjY9pCa_UkvR-kyyiWrTAwzy3zyIL1Oyc/w640-h640/oktoberfest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did not win the powerball but we certainly won the lottery in the friendship department. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy birthday to my niece Lola Jean! Happy Rocktober to Melissa and Jim!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-16440962577896110822023-09-29T00:30:00.003-04:002023-09-29T00:30:00.139-04:00September 2023 reads<img id="id_44b3_4d04_8d8f_8e46" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqlmlSO5F85OVBbkOnHurqjFZ8o3mB_t4hshRfqAdDFw3FmgQjE6Ihl3yWvbO8QlS0n8C-LOzoCBrmRERQfc5vcR44NDdHf7e73DCHnCGxJ67QWFd07fdVm0Cv9oreqJEa90f033jb_RKohxXRaDMm4o8CARGc3sSEazAci-qZbDWfLzChKDRUtCf3bQ/s3766/IMG_9029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3766" data-original-width="2824" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqlmlSO5F85OVBbkOnHurqjFZ8o3mB_t4hshRfqAdDFw3FmgQjE6Ihl3yWvbO8QlS0n8C-LOzoCBrmRERQfc5vcR44NDdHf7e73DCHnCGxJ67QWFd07fdVm0Cv9oreqJEa90f033jb_RKohxXRaDMm4o8CARGc3sSEazAci-qZbDWfLzChKDRUtCf3bQ/w480-h640/IMG_9029.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The annual Girls Weekend with my BFFs of over 30 years is upon us, so I am quite certain I will not start and finish another book today or tomorrow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>What I read in September</i>: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Engrossing Reads</span></b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123087784-the-comfort-of-crows" target="_blank">The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl</a> - I've read VERY few nonfiction books this year. Here's one! This was beautiful. I pre-ordered a copy to own before I even finished and plan to read it as in like read that season as we enter the season: it has 52 chapters that follow the natural world through the year. <i>Free advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review, book comes out Oct 24</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101124639-bright-young-women" target="_blank">Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll</a> - This was powerful, smart, and very well done. Very different reading experience than her first novel for me. Good writing and characters. A surface good story, and deeper a social commentary on so much! Lots to unpack on feminism and sexuality and violence against women and what is acceptable to society through the arc of the book. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iKVkSjeF0RbNwrEBRkneSP60L3eZWkv5AvGnNW6U0U2FZeV68aQU0_cadmKbgMvvTecT06Lv1e2kgnvUDFOLj17RO92WxkCWXc6X5x1Svbv3-VLHhwIDCkE0cS-wqafLhoodZzf8yhdbnzg2FT8IOJf2voq7EmO5Tkvig8JEg4jQQ-YbZvSTnAAhvP0/s4032/IMG_8683.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iKVkSjeF0RbNwrEBRkneSP60L3eZWkv5AvGnNW6U0U2FZeV68aQU0_cadmKbgMvvTecT06Lv1e2kgnvUDFOLj17RO92WxkCWXc6X5x1Svbv3-VLHhwIDCkE0cS-wqafLhoodZzf8yhdbnzg2FT8IOJf2voq7EmO5Tkvig8JEg4jQQ-YbZvSTnAAhvP0/w480-h640/IMG_8683.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i> I bought the book to own and saw the author in conversation with Kate Baer in September! </i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_AcfRLkm8x9UAOa3UBEhaxBaTGhfp6_FtiFhuC7L1qYkyo5kRLWS-YCxvcqwP85ILb9NIDkreUxzvG9CLvx_k4mCSJ_PLyHxk6GJXeLq1mwbDrG8lQF0m4UWl4IjcfM5lpZCWlTYp5-eSYXHKc5MY-xU-1xyb8_l7xVxn20duKwdwpCYRRq2MxQx5UM/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="3264" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_AcfRLkm8x9UAOa3UBEhaxBaTGhfp6_FtiFhuC7L1qYkyo5kRLWS-YCxvcqwP85ILb9NIDkreUxzvG9CLvx_k4mCSJ_PLyHxk6GJXeLq1mwbDrG8lQF0m4UWl4IjcfM5lpZCWlTYp5-eSYXHKc5MY-xU-1xyb8_l7xVxn20duKwdwpCYRRq2MxQx5UM/w640-h268/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also saw Jennifer Weiner in September on tour for her latest - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85175319-the-breakaway" target="_blank">The Breakaway</a> - which I had an advance copy of and read in July. Check it out! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPxIYeMZwZHpJoWJ1IDEe8fRMmcGNdxX8PCKWoLu90VJdI77JE7L_pGXzkBx_VlYHQnujt6Aex6MXzsf8XfpdBZY0b1OCmPPeqNZVQtEKHdO8ITqN9AUhSJGkGZoV-nlwry0o3pj8B-IjotCLXR5VLFsbZ7WAZ0p23nGjtlMtCzvciVPzQmNaC7QefuU/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="3264" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPxIYeMZwZHpJoWJ1IDEe8fRMmcGNdxX8PCKWoLu90VJdI77JE7L_pGXzkBx_VlYHQnujt6Aex6MXzsf8XfpdBZY0b1OCmPPeqNZVQtEKHdO8ITqN9AUhSJGkGZoV-nlwry0o3pj8B-IjotCLXR5VLFsbZ7WAZ0p23nGjtlMtCzvciVPzQmNaC7QefuU/w640-h268/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u>Passed the Time Just Fine</u></span></b></div><div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61815336-the-connellys-of-county-down" target="_blank">The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange</a> - A very passable family drama, quite messy and across the line in some spots, but a good reading experience overall. <i>OCNJ library hardcover</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273353-the-summer-of-songbirds" target="_blank">The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey</a> - I'm not sure exactly what I thought this book was going to be, but it wasn't this LOL. I ended up liking it, as I do most books about friendship even when one of the friends is possibly in line for several punches. And you romance lovers will surely like it I think. <i>OCNJ library hardcover</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpXiVRwy3ysmnIina088oGZUwNJdD_GgG6_iFrfHypFfUdGcHeXpKHmMaQZRjuv3is0fgXnNi19iX80FA-Srg4nqGNipkpoVnBt-RhyFM8H_RC8CW2Ld7uUphOkSE1leUSONLFJL1n3BZx6PQz8Z6XbTsSG1hJsGqPCtWDtMeDaEk4_rH19oIHkZEOKw/s4032/IMG_8312.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpXiVRwy3ysmnIina088oGZUwNJdD_GgG6_iFrfHypFfUdGcHeXpKHmMaQZRjuv3is0fgXnNi19iX80FA-Srg4nqGNipkpoVnBt-RhyFM8H_RC8CW2Ld7uUphOkSE1leUSONLFJL1n3BZx6PQz8Z6XbTsSG1hJsGqPCtWDtMeDaEk4_rH19oIHkZEOKw/w480-h640/IMG_8312.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62952130-the-vaster-wilds?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_7" target="_blank">The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff </a>- Do you ever read an author and recognize their mastery of their craft but consistently do not actually enjoy the books they put out? I think that is me and Lauren Groff - cannot say a bad thing of her writing, but damn I do not enjoy reading her books. This book in particular was hard to swallow - the pain of surviving, the agony of existing is a main character throughout. It is quite compelling, but that comes at a cost. <i>OCNJ library hardcover</i></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4LrveXaeve8xNEEN2T2FBhBkdU34CCa8LCPRgVQFUMS_Q-bDKOBlUyuW2riUIE1hNn3pLbJyiA3AQKcwAa_P1mIrXzxHbVSxNN83dD18b6wkDbiToEcwaQiOIvR-F7FgIWO5kInvettPxu_zBXdHVir3cJe0GgAw4RDw9L3VRFw1chbl9zDNye6MsQQ/s4032/IMG_9585.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4LrveXaeve8xNEEN2T2FBhBkdU34CCa8LCPRgVQFUMS_Q-bDKOBlUyuW2riUIE1hNn3pLbJyiA3AQKcwAa_P1mIrXzxHbVSxNN83dD18b6wkDbiToEcwaQiOIvR-F7FgIWO5kInvettPxu_zBXdHVir3cJe0GgAw4RDw9L3VRFw1chbl9zDNye6MsQQ/w480-h640/IMG_9585.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Not For Me</span></b></u></span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123261975-the-last-exchange" target="_blank">The Last Exchange by Charles Martin</a> - I know a lot of you are fans, but his books are not really for me. I was bored throughout, everything was so obvious, and I think I'm the outlier here. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book comes out 10/3</i></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54675872-athena-s-child" target="_blank">Athena's Child (The Grecian Women Trilogy #1) by Hannah M. Lynn</a> - This was an engrossing read, then a passed the time just fine read, then a not for me read. How far things can fall in one book read within a few hours. Lots of promise, an abrupt change of direction in the middle with literally zero connectors, and a super abrupt ending, like one was needed as an afterthought versus part of the novel, make me not want to read anymore which I assume there will be since this labels itself as #1. <i>This was courtesy of Netgalley, apparently originally published in 2020 and is now out again as a reworking?</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpUU5T6ApdUT2NqmWrmcT2MC_baOmicuB5BRzpvWEAELCrZJJ7RcV9tB_5FwHtRLIBeMpYcq2Mi0yUQmI3jmxuQmOaKqm00nhkGc4rgZjEvpVYmbjH3FWdbDu9Lettzvknu-DaR_Fd0Cq9-h9lf1ffmDtbSsWlx9PBa9l1Yc7I_ZfACcHHvjWEpzXoUU/s1793/IMG_9243.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpUU5T6ApdUT2NqmWrmcT2MC_baOmicuB5BRzpvWEAELCrZJJ7RcV9tB_5FwHtRLIBeMpYcq2Mi0yUQmI3jmxuQmOaKqm00nhkGc4rgZjEvpVYmbjH3FWdbDu9Lettzvknu-DaR_Fd0Cq9-h9lf1ffmDtbSsWlx9PBa9l1Yc7I_ZfACcHHvjWEpzXoUU/s320/IMG_9243.PNG" width="209" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63139946-everyone-here-is-lying" target="_blank">Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena</a> - I need to stop reading her books. I feel like she has carte blanche to put out stories that aren't even good. <i>OCNJ library hardcover </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yRrc86OVz8UH-cAl-acGyKEn3_zoW3w84J6F4aPdXh8kyV43uDQVdFYuUeACRucLkC2JBJTYsZil8AXSm1mLX56kVAXwbAtIhd7iRfT50g1Qg13WI1m2TXvp3Lh9FMBd6TiVIw-10rjf8GrWtOryDms73vjalqHbwDl_eD1u4YLCjenvg-RMnvLy6z8/s4032/IMG_9203.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yRrc86OVz8UH-cAl-acGyKEn3_zoW3w84J6F4aPdXh8kyV43uDQVdFYuUeACRucLkC2JBJTYsZil8AXSm1mLX56kVAXwbAtIhd7iRfT50g1Qg13WI1m2TXvp3Lh9FMBd6TiVIw-10rjf8GrWtOryDms73vjalqHbwDl_eD1u4YLCjenvg-RMnvLy6z8/w480-h640/IMG_9203.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83668030-good-bad-girl" target="_blank">Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney</a> - I need to stop reading her books. I feel like she has carte blanche to put out stories that aren't even good. <i>OCNJ library hardcover </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu3Z6jsgx6vWRr3aEmak0IYSWritnVMZK7op3yUSzCN9gWYIcq1E_XHuMHYP7jiNwDVOd6eN__K7v4Zees6Z7LXSAJr4DP08JJLYep5Zf30QLtm5GGqNFJBc1Pbm39z56Q4bRjWsTxEVRQATl0HndN_43SpWkCdO9ZU092gl3Bb67t1kcsl1qqHIyXdc/s4032/IMG_9142.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu3Z6jsgx6vWRr3aEmak0IYSWritnVMZK7op3yUSzCN9gWYIcq1E_XHuMHYP7jiNwDVOd6eN__K7v4Zees6Z7LXSAJr4DP08JJLYep5Zf30QLtm5GGqNFJBc1Pbm39z56Q4bRjWsTxEVRQATl0HndN_43SpWkCdO9ZU092gl3Bb67t1kcsl1qqHIyXdc/w480-h640/IMG_9142.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62059957-one-last-kill" target="_blank">One Last Kill (Tracy Crosswhite #10) by Robert Dugoni</a> - I've read all the Tracy books and usually enjoy them, albeit less so once she moved to cold cases. They're typically subtle on the political bend of people. Dugoni doesn't need to introduce talk of wokeness and defunding police, but he leans on it more in this latest. This is the only standard police procedural series that I read that's gone that way, and I hate it. We can have differences in opinion on police funding versus all other community funding, but if you use the term woke like it's an insult the chasm is too wide. <i>Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review, publishes 10/3</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSaZAO3GyPVv57gLaBy9FV3HEsO3XU9h28v3tceBYPZPSr7ROsNIKJF5x-JJU3Emdkfz0DzG2bpIpHd3SWe0yp9ccBkb38b-EaM172qwyqvR-NEV1Ou-Km8jDvKWmfnkc1ETurMqh6HD2I3AOt88HC2o9GvCeVJm3txOZ_duaiJN-ZjyMJp9ragDIt-E/s4032/IMG_9636.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSaZAO3GyPVv57gLaBy9FV3HEsO3XU9h28v3tceBYPZPSr7ROsNIKJF5x-JJU3Emdkfz0DzG2bpIpHd3SWe0yp9ccBkb38b-EaM172qwyqvR-NEV1Ou-Km8jDvKWmfnkc1ETurMqh6HD2I3AOt88HC2o9GvCeVJm3txOZ_duaiJN-ZjyMJp9ragDIt-E/w480-h640/IMG_9636.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><u><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><u><b>Did Not Finish</b></u></span></b></u></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43911487-family-lore" target="_blank">Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo</a> - Whew, I wanted to but this was just a no for me. <i>Free advanced copy from Netgalley </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63007045-cities-of-women" target="_blank">Cities of Women by Kathleen B. Jones</a> - Super pumped by this title. Actual experience, not so pumped. <i>Free advanced copy from Netgalley</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187860124-the-lost-girls-of-penzance" target="_blank">The Lost Girls of Penzance (Cornwall Murder Mystery #1) by Sally Rigby</a> - I tried to give this a lot of leeway to settle itself as what appears to be the first in a series and the interactions between the characters were grating to me <i>Free advanced copy from Netgalley</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZhUWgcKJlWzeoxCwKahiplPU2vyXhIsdgyPSRlVzrQv7ZpSYfWYyU5WbgffXWSw-M9LdRfOSB1rLVZS99WBxnwh_Avgj0Ug85TcCaY2jVJcAw7AXEtO1RAg5J_1gNYXSCol1DEP4rDMlPBqG9zjlwaN8dZD632TW7UCtggkGedGOwtT86ue_Krg8lDk/s4032/IMG_8763.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZhUWgcKJlWzeoxCwKahiplPU2vyXhIsdgyPSRlVzrQv7ZpSYfWYyU5WbgffXWSw-M9LdRfOSB1rLVZS99WBxnwh_Avgj0Ug85TcCaY2jVJcAw7AXEtO1RAg5J_1gNYXSCol1DEP4rDMlPBqG9zjlwaN8dZD632TW7UCtggkGedGOwtT86ue_Krg8lDk/w480-h640/IMG_8763.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;">What have you been reading?</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div>Happy birthday to my cousin Tyler today!</div><div><br />
<a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_1821_c36a_c59a_93e3" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a>
<img id="id_b9fd_dc6d_3996_e187" srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 0px;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div><br /></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-27100618949331632442023-09-26T16:00:00.000-04:002023-09-27T11:23:42.567-04:00Making the most out of a Tampa trip<span id="docs-internal-guid-06c96d36-7fff-f038-0a19-0407ea64936d"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If the shimmering waters of Tampa Bay or the aroma of Cuban cuisine are calling out to you, you’re in the right place. Tampa is an absolute gem on Florida’s west coast and has quietly made a name for itself over the last hundred years. And for those who know where to go, it’s a cool experience filled with culture, nature, and history waiting to be explored. Here are some travel tips and must-do experiences to remember if you’re heading that way for a trip out of town. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 351px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Iw49SNbFEqnRBQvY1S_X4BEnO2pS1LWspqCjk7GIHebblez7cOHJzgKHpX7jIxUjeEMwTQytAC6tlBnAWsduKsBUFgGUgR5-3jHFMOYKYoPis5ioq0NEgOK7sJj2TL3Oc1cIHPja6-XZ_Ww3q70_uTM" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Via </span><a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/palm-trees-on-beach-18363514/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pexels</span></a></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Things To Do And Places To See: Highlights</span></h2><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Exploring Ybor City Is A Must</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Situated in the heart of Tampa, Ybor City is the embodiment of rich Cuban, Spanish, and Italian influences. When you walk along its cobblestone streets, you are transported back in time. If you’re looking for an interesting activity, you have to check out the Ybor City Museum State Park. It would be a sin not to indulge in a traditional Cuban sandwich at Columbia Restaurant, Florida’s oldest eatery. Remember to take loads of pictures and make awesome memories. If you’re interested in the cultural influences of the Tampa Bay area, then it will be worth your while to visit the </span><a href="https://www.myroost.com/extended-stay-hotel-tampa-florida/tampa-bay-history-center" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tampa Bay History Center</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. They have really interesting exhibits that tell the story of the area. </span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Strolling The Sands Of Tampa</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While Tampa might be more known for its urban allure, its beaches should definitely not be overlooked. If you’re looking to dip your toes in the Gulf Coast’s golden sands, you’ll find a multitude of options. For travelers with furry friends, Tampa has many awesome spots that are dog-friendly; they need to enjoy vacations too. Check out spots like Picnic Island Park; they have a designated dog beach. Thank me later.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Do A Dolphin Cruise </span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The waters around Tampa Bay are filled with playful dolphins. Several operators offer </span><a href="https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Dolphin+Tour&find_loc=Tampa%2C+FL" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">dolphin-watching tours</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, ensuring you get up close and personal with these intelligent creatures. As a bonus, you’ll also witness some of the best sunsets that Florida has to offer. </span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Travel Tips To Make The Most Of Your Tampa Trip</span></h2><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Be Weather Wise</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tampa can get hot and humid, especially in the summer. So, plan outdoor activities in the early morning or late afternoon. Remember, the early bird catches the worm, so get up early, don’t miss the sunrise, and make the day your own. If you do visit in Summer, remember that you might face the odd thunderstorm more regularly. </span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pack With Your Destination In Mind</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Light clothes, sunscreen, a </span><a href="https://floridahatco.com/products/ladies-big-brim-anchor-hat" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">wide-brimmed hat</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and comfortable shoes are the keys to enjoying Tampa Bay. Oh, and don’t forget your sunglasses. The sun doesn’t hide from Florida. Another important thing to remember is bug repellent; you wouldn’t want to be caught without it down south.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 16pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Remember To Be Safe</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As with anywhere you travel these days, just make sure to have your wits about you when traveling around the Tampa Bay area. Not that there are specific safety issues, but it would be wise to do so nonetheless. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tampa is a place well worth visiting; it’s full of old-world charm and modern appeal. Whether you’re chasing its culinary adventures, diving into its diverse culture, or simply taking in its natural beauty, you’ll have a good time. So, pack those bags and set sail for the Gulf Coast.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>*****</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>This post was written with Life According to Steph readers in mind</i></span></div></span>
<img srce="http://i1290.photobucket.com/albums/b536/lifeaccordingtosteph1/signature_zps02921869.jpg" />SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-76560696516309759032023-09-25T09:51:00.005-04:002023-09-25T10:09:03.952-04:00Snippets of the weekend 9.25.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tropical Storm Ophelia made it quite a different weekend than intended. Mom and Rich were supposed to be at the shore for the weekend, and I was supposed to head down Friday night after work but none of that happened. There was so much shit going on through the shore towns this weekend, I feel bad for all the fucked plans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSeX8aKYmS_0vO6Wfnz4JvOS_zD4fXNEzF7_4ZzsXMKRzyTWKCbaN1oqVCaCHkE22eIDpb9-PZXIyJbFTY3jb9MsJ4Jt5v6u88dZ0pMPBDeNYYlKbNkvrgidx3hkLsd9LriaVNIfP9qdLoroohqDs6NV1GRXN0dx4Y_YkBfbYZiLJES3PJNrFulAll34/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2772" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSeX8aKYmS_0vO6Wfnz4JvOS_zD4fXNEzF7_4ZzsXMKRzyTWKCbaN1oqVCaCHkE22eIDpb9-PZXIyJbFTY3jb9MsJ4Jt5v6u88dZ0pMPBDeNYYlKbNkvrgidx3hkLsd9LriaVNIfP9qdLoroohqDs6NV1GRXN0dx4Y_YkBfbYZiLJES3PJNrFulAll34/w544-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>Friday I was out of the house by 8 for a work photoshoot, picked up some groceries on the way back home, finished out the day, did laundry, and watched my niece and nephew at night. We caught an awesome parking lot sunset and got ice cream. <div><br /></div><div>I slept 11 hours Friday night and it was fucking amazing. Saturday was a super slow day - I did a catch all blog post for the last month, went to Sam's (fucking kill me in the line after checkout line, for real) and Aldi, filled my car up with gas, ate leftovers, finished a book, packed up for the shore, decided not go to when the flood waters didn't clear in the early evening after high tide, and zoned the fuck out in front of GBBO for hours. Sunday I got to the shore by 11:30, unpacked, went to the library and HomeGoods, and walked down to the beach to see Ophelia leaving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96ksgIt3z7zm-tVsBVta5I6MGF8WMynOIepkRlt8AMvvyCANNSCOEAeyvZO9eqT5v0gTmn8LMKn8M8jxYOxXzG5IBYyRkT0HjlX1-vxc2hPadVROuPwlrAE_9t3OcvLRTW1dbvG0_bd5Ecpceo_RfdryDbvFOfdpA1sPG17DXT03_6NvlJvaEygcn0YA/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96ksgIt3z7zm-tVsBVta5I6MGF8WMynOIepkRlt8AMvvyCANNSCOEAeyvZO9eqT5v0gTmn8LMKn8M8jxYOxXzG5IBYyRkT0HjlX1-vxc2hPadVROuPwlrAE_9t3OcvLRTW1dbvG0_bd5Ecpceo_RfdryDbvFOfdpA1sPG17DXT03_6NvlJvaEygcn0YA/w480-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today is our 13th wedding anniversary, the date we confirmed with each other last week as we are not big anniversary people - we still out here! 22 years together this month, and we've known each other for 33. In the words of Steve Miller Band, time keeps on slipping slipping slipping</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy happy birthday to our BFF Amanda today as well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-89865151764004332992023-09-23T14:59:00.005-04:002023-09-23T15:29:38.546-04:00Miscellaneous shit from the past month Vol 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a long hiatus from doing concerts and all via Covid and just general disinterest due to life stage, it felt good to be back this year since I intentionally tried to make it The Year of Live Music that turned into the Year of Live Things in General. I saw Jagged Little Pill the musical in January, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoPtED6usVa/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Bruce & the E-Street Band in Atlanta in February</a>, missed the goddamn Gin Blossoms in February due to Covid but they were booked, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5GgJUu9UE/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Harlan Coben in March</a>, music in the park in Langhorne at the end of May, Elin Hilderbrand in June, Bare Naked Ladies/Del Amitri/Five for Fighting in July, and of course I saw <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwmQbyUuI72/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Bruce at the Meadowlands</a>, which was a bucket list concert for me, with Melissa and Tris the week before Labor Day weekend. Bruce was scheduled for Philly too with my Dad & brother but that was postponed until August 2024. Today is Bruce's birthday. Happy birthday to the boss!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEydFT8B7S5d9lxcX4F432QrB9PvI6wP-HvXKDEiKlukEtzHcac7k8iPZkYRFD-5HVq1jnBXnhEThzJaR17iJ04fxIAJ18GhgmQNNClfNiEBcRmMxh16QFKIqZ24N7x-8riQuypn0p5IeQXL6TYwXV4SOz52Ogbdy31-Wqz3qQJbt0V3adI-OAiu2g84/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2929" data-original-width="3264" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHEydFT8B7S5d9lxcX4F432QrB9PvI6wP-HvXKDEiKlukEtzHcac7k8iPZkYRFD-5HVq1jnBXnhEThzJaR17iJ04fxIAJ18GhgmQNNClfNiEBcRmMxh16QFKIqZ24N7x-8riQuypn0p5IeQXL6TYwXV4SOz52Ogbdy31-Wqz3qQJbt0V3adI-OAiu2g84/w640-h574/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Anyway the Year of Live Things concluded its booked portion this week with Ray LaMontagne at the Met and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxb5LiFOdoP/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Kate Baer in conversation with Jessica Knol</a>l at the Northampton Library. I also saw <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw6clwWOtdw/?img_index=1" target="_blank">Jennifer Weiner at Bucks</a> the Thursday after Labor Day, and had dinner with my mom after. I'm on the hunt for some live music/things to do for the remaining three months of the year, preferably around the shore since I'll mostly be there with a few spots of Philly intermixed. The live music/event doesn't have to be famous so if you have suggestions especially near the shore, let me know</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d9E-HduljqOH3gLYodv4g9I_bkj3yROt1PsZQgwL2zJmBB_G6jb1Usui9dkq_u7h05LHxyef7iNKkC0pnG_JAlW0WR2kuYCbEtuTdszPCnsK3S8QzVb6TYo13EEC848OaAQuVV0FBEX8Gg75eiACYhAI1fcLn1843nd3onNyiWycox3hJauqBouGp1w/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="3264" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d9E-HduljqOH3gLYodv4g9I_bkj3yROt1PsZQgwL2zJmBB_G6jb1Usui9dkq_u7h05LHxyef7iNKkC0pnG_JAlW0WR2kuYCbEtuTdszPCnsK3S8QzVb6TYo13EEC848OaAQuVV0FBEX8Gg75eiACYhAI1fcLn1843nd3onNyiWycox3hJauqBouGp1w/w640-h268/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginD3MVhxE8LXRea6h8gMRiir-biBxE2DMbCl8--Rk4eNqvuicKd6w1uMb-rmCya3yYNqYtbFdNUY37bK9cuUkZs254BVvKUD82PnVQm9gEb46E1YrtIMn92_1JCAMH0aGDwJU5UL1jh8KoD1DDoOg_y-s6oxdm9qn8nMVUO4OCl9G8bXIVoKyiJttHZM/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginD3MVhxE8LXRea6h8gMRiir-biBxE2DMbCl8--Rk4eNqvuicKd6w1uMb-rmCya3yYNqYtbFdNUY37bK9cuUkZs254BVvKUD82PnVQm9gEb46E1YrtIMn92_1JCAMH0aGDwJU5UL1jh8KoD1DDoOg_y-s6oxdm9qn8nMVUO4OCl9G8bXIVoKyiJttHZM/w640-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0RpeJeYUOKGTewQWv69FzfJUuK5ojuB1Btpx4hHdNwPUjIK1mhv0OBttGJrVnOhy9iJfuNBOMhKU-x7oTAF2FjHbaR3S8ynTmYN492it9D4wvIUdxF1dB9DMUFy98WxhXKF-6gzcgGmZe4_D5iWx1svik_fswoOmVPRY2mc60kYpAyuZdrtqyXkWXqQ/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="3264" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0RpeJeYUOKGTewQWv69FzfJUuK5ojuB1Btpx4hHdNwPUjIK1mhv0OBttGJrVnOhy9iJfuNBOMhKU-x7oTAF2FjHbaR3S8ynTmYN492it9D4wvIUdxF1dB9DMUFy98WxhXKF-6gzcgGmZe4_D5iWx1svik_fswoOmVPRY2mc60kYpAyuZdrtqyXkWXqQ/w640-h268/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The end of summer at the shore was good - MFD’s fam was down, mine over Labor Day, his Aunt Maureen spent a few days with us and it was nice to visit with her. Mom and alRich were supposed to be down this weekend but switched to end of Oct due to weather. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Have I mentioned stilt people are at the top of the list with clowns of things I do not ever want to encounter?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifncfnx6nRwPia8fKahCCMwdmAAhizqxsIDqOTu0In4DmvtqXf9EHleoDaVY3gqK7EE_zzVeUktzwJiwNo-quE5aB9CRRGPNHX9JSj8UqxAMHqejNQ7nZx3Ogr-reSB44iv4GVA0UVmElOADHpb99t3t7plGrAN9IQVK0uqxaddAF7Fc7cnEs1VGIxHHQ/s4032/IMG_9175.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifncfnx6nRwPia8fKahCCMwdmAAhizqxsIDqOTu0In4DmvtqXf9EHleoDaVY3gqK7EE_zzVeUktzwJiwNo-quE5aB9CRRGPNHX9JSj8UqxAMHqejNQ7nZx3Ogr-reSB44iv4GVA0UVmElOADHpb99t3t7plGrAN9IQVK0uqxaddAF7Fc7cnEs1VGIxHHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9175.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Isn't she a beaut? I actually got one of those Brads deals things in my signature color. This was a fucking steal. It's quite a bit bigger than the yellow one from Aubrey I've been rocking the past few years and will likely continue to use for my shorter beach trips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1L651OaJeiU0RHES7_QymM3lkrpexxDgFjCQ3CyA_Sbt8dixu87y3T81Ghtp8_1nE-dXR8oVyNF8touq5s9G9HX6LyKK4rN5SPxx22wnEuq3zoDZI7r6x5TTv7D8S3IPxACCpEUokIjNgmp4XIR-Paud3fiBMcwVbyGlCvZUu4Z2Y5P_5WqQPhX9b8I/s4032/IMG_8773.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1L651OaJeiU0RHES7_QymM3lkrpexxDgFjCQ3CyA_Sbt8dixu87y3T81Ghtp8_1nE-dXR8oVyNF8touq5s9G9HX6LyKK4rN5SPxx22wnEuq3zoDZI7r6x5TTv7D8S3IPxACCpEUokIjNgmp4XIR-Paud3fiBMcwVbyGlCvZUu4Z2Y5P_5WqQPhX9b8I/w480-h640/IMG_8773.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I just need to leave this here.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlWEjWubtgJmPJdURjVedwU-2Vq1L8d48jP-yzb9o3rrDfUhftx7Safuonp4NsjkZBRaz7W_f3T0qiWYwSGWN1aghZYGHOXzXmNnt8j9nGCFCecIYVwWLnPf_6PkRcbVCPakB2SFHJvI0WCSzaWvcCWYEge1sW9HcUlzqHClByZqiVDSENg7egBs3_yY/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlWEjWubtgJmPJdURjVedwU-2Vq1L8d48jP-yzb9o3rrDfUhftx7Safuonp4NsjkZBRaz7W_f3T0qiWYwSGWN1aghZYGHOXzXmNnt8j9nGCFCecIYVwWLnPf_6PkRcbVCPakB2SFHJvI0WCSzaWvcCWYEge1sW9HcUlzqHClByZqiVDSENg7egBs3_yY/w516-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="516" /></a></div>This will never go out of style. Fuck him and everyone excusing him and everyone on the fascist down escalator to hell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cfFetD7GUKfBCFgsEkhJaOvUF2Ra3P6gqJRB4q4CrS-cTOSW-XgTw8Hbm_V2pmd-e1fn20DI0SkLZ5QYllSQujpuT90UZGWRqlBuVCzkR8jw-CKHJfp3jMUChtr0N0dek8vZ592HkEvMckKsq8J52vo_XLORgI3LCLou0po3LhXkxxMBVGKfLmco4qI/s4032/IMG_8115.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9cfFetD7GUKfBCFgsEkhJaOvUF2Ra3P6gqJRB4q4CrS-cTOSW-XgTw8Hbm_V2pmd-e1fn20DI0SkLZ5QYllSQujpuT90UZGWRqlBuVCzkR8jw-CKHJfp3jMUChtr0N0dek8vZ592HkEvMckKsq8J52vo_XLORgI3LCLou0po3LhXkxxMBVGKfLmco4qI/w480-h640/IMG_8115.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Random things that have been kicking around in my head.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBI50BfL3BJD6nDm50BgSmc-rwwyYM3QbLyXADfgFqKJ-fATzGGiAWapG5AuyR-L0Oznm3oJWEtA2Y0CkIaZY6dRxmul7HjVDNhn8-ZbPdn_9OYtikuzCaHvy8akNU8heRqWO9pxkkLBFSp-MnmbtX-ufX4LCgD2Ybrj47mezqI8ziq4QTj7KC3VCJKWg/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBI50BfL3BJD6nDm50BgSmc-rwwyYM3QbLyXADfgFqKJ-fATzGGiAWapG5AuyR-L0Oznm3oJWEtA2Y0CkIaZY6dRxmul7HjVDNhn8-ZbPdn_9OYtikuzCaHvy8akNU8heRqWO9pxkkLBFSp-MnmbtX-ufX4LCgD2Ybrj47mezqI8ziq4QTj7KC3VCJKWg/w480-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>My hand is raised.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem8o2CCVcNfFmzgWYI_fdIJKHhLul3P7xxYGBu15RyrHNFNEOg5B3V-vitc-bO860GRCFDBaPdPPCymHXNhex7w1ECZiwLbZ8KiHC0ZqIESvpcNPu3PC_2qHdk3zQW4FUQ1PpJzp9if0Tv5uUv8MtaOQPHt68XmOZogiZEN4zSHBlV8IuC3lmFINf_ls/s764/IMG_9210.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="764" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem8o2CCVcNfFmzgWYI_fdIJKHhLul3P7xxYGBu15RyrHNFNEOg5B3V-vitc-bO860GRCFDBaPdPPCymHXNhex7w1ECZiwLbZ8KiHC0ZqIESvpcNPu3PC_2qHdk3zQW4FUQ1PpJzp9if0Tv5uUv8MtaOQPHt68XmOZogiZEN4zSHBlV8IuC3lmFINf_ls/w640-h640/IMG_9210.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>In the past week the dogs went back to Dog Beach and loved it - still another week before they are allowed back on our regular beach - and Shittah went to the vet and hated it. He refuses to be in a carrier so he went on his harness. He was pissed regardless.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPUB-5AIl7dVUgLcS7RQ33zjMt8XJXoMCQGdrhjapmRkJmyRkLYUPphsnK_gfGUUqVG2s-HY7S_Ba1lkS-iRIIsby7fHLLrkWOgCLRvm-FbhPz7R31TEnwWhWtX9CVVBQMnKUatVh1fnhP0Ps5a2pE93zt7u64WrF7k5iPIx6vTD8ieLiTxcXUqoT6AI/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhPUB-5AIl7dVUgLcS7RQ33zjMt8XJXoMCQGdrhjapmRkJmyRkLYUPphsnK_gfGUUqVG2s-HY7S_Ba1lkS-iRIIsby7fHLLrkWOgCLRvm-FbhPz7R31TEnwWhWtX9CVVBQMnKUatVh1fnhP0Ps5a2pE93zt7u64WrF7k5iPIx6vTD8ieLiTxcXUqoT6AI/w480-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Covid pause killed all of my creativity including cooking but I'm feeling like I'd like to do it again. I made greek chicken bowls recently, and ground chicken with a cauliflower veggie mix and some sesame oil and soy sauce to clean out the freezer. On the last day of summer (yesterday) I finally had two really good pieces of corn on the cob. I feel like I didn't get enough fresh farm food this summer. Also Snoop has cereal and it's not good. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmkjYoRUNb-HGJ-0UA7O2hPNUP7Tb1_Qck_Gso9hMy8kJEPQASrtF7wqo8Nehe62OPyNHmtGCGjuMWBzEGllIPM_lt9OfEqWboRVZPX5h4L8DLf1KOSrrnR73IElWSCu19kKapFRry0OAL8YAX0oippi-e510LLhEKkjJUhhWvb3EDNBOCnH0krQGUWY/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmkjYoRUNb-HGJ-0UA7O2hPNUP7Tb1_Qck_Gso9hMy8kJEPQASrtF7wqo8Nehe62OPyNHmtGCGjuMWBzEGllIPM_lt9OfEqWboRVZPX5h4L8DLf1KOSrrnR73IElWSCu19kKapFRry0OAL8YAX0oippi-e510LLhEKkjJUhhWvb3EDNBOCnH0krQGUWY/w480-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>We cannot get enough of topo chico in the glass bottles with a little lime over ice. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5J7Btk0ybagruxQIZo15nn5K-Lk89E7T9ebagsIYRfHxtrQYeQ12ubCIBlPgnIEKPU6RUZN3sSKfsvauRLlLn1KvF3MFCSVZ3xqvj4VcTJXFTKzYyq_cFDiXz0y5sNCXDbRLM5WsKSSO_cav3RiFe-mcmn1CbZ-VO7bXAwfeXp0HZmEsH94wE7xq1y8/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1714" data-original-width="3264" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5J7Btk0ybagruxQIZo15nn5K-Lk89E7T9ebagsIYRfHxtrQYeQ12ubCIBlPgnIEKPU6RUZN3sSKfsvauRLlLn1KvF3MFCSVZ3xqvj4VcTJXFTKzYyq_cFDiXz0y5sNCXDbRLM5WsKSSO_cav3RiFe-mcmn1CbZ-VO7bXAwfeXp0HZmEsH94wE7xq1y8/w640-h336/for%20post.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Adult level joy is finding the tart cherry juice you flavor your water with on sale for half price.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9tMQMkTyXB7GluO_8K7LHQ9S2U37g5MhE37eDQ5k9pXXjIHKzmm9EtCuRxlXD4pd32L-wFJo4QxjoEW6YtHSjl4k5smFwCiVvoO3n17jTrv6IDNnfcMB0oaLRLM5vW1ayLMI-D80RUdkY6AWFk05Bdt99c4ZjrRDhvvCmwA1LkWz-2LS1OAOnHd4n84/s4032/IMG_8678.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9tMQMkTyXB7GluO_8K7LHQ9S2U37g5MhE37eDQ5k9pXXjIHKzmm9EtCuRxlXD4pd32L-wFJo4QxjoEW6YtHSjl4k5smFwCiVvoO3n17jTrv6IDNnfcMB0oaLRLM5vW1ayLMI-D80RUdkY6AWFk05Bdt99c4ZjrRDhvvCmwA1LkWz-2LS1OAOnHd4n84/w480-h640/IMG_8678.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>The only time I would ever touch Hunt's ketchup is to purchase it for a blind ketchup taste test happening this fall. Heinz only, <i>FOREVER</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmtGqOT16Q9xYvaKfCMQtyWXzmWFxG5C-UilRFp6uqxCBBuRvaorb20JspiefnaNUTQSc8uIF_idslOgPruVjVe_lnVsUNtzs618_Bm_C937jFCKWCclqfWkjFgFVez8cBU54w9AKrdDKha0bw2naOjgeQA0UXvWdbGzTogH8fngB_kuGXRIm8jSncFU/s4032/IMG_9454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmtGqOT16Q9xYvaKfCMQtyWXzmWFxG5C-UilRFp6uqxCBBuRvaorb20JspiefnaNUTQSc8uIF_idslOgPruVjVe_lnVsUNtzs618_Bm_C937jFCKWCclqfWkjFgFVez8cBU54w9AKrdDKha0bw2naOjgeQA0UXvWdbGzTogH8fngB_kuGXRIm8jSncFU/w480-h640/IMG_9454.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><div><div><div>Are we all loving connections as much as me? I do Wordle, connections, and a daily crossword all on my phone (I also do crosswords by hand still obvi). Gotta keep that aging brain fresh to death</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-N5tm_WWbu_TiYD57aWFzchH94OUv9WgCyyqRAHGTzyxQFGIDMe0KkwyDfnACD4phixqUsoRTXDqjhUq1992MW__bVBYChOwbx4BVKHPnyRmSNLRCbdAfMqAju9f9SsZr5SA2k1dhrV4LTWk-gA7jWeA8-NpEQ2y7m1CNQzRJzvdiIekizqk6grSCf4/s3264/for%20post.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3016" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-N5tm_WWbu_TiYD57aWFzchH94OUv9WgCyyqRAHGTzyxQFGIDMe0KkwyDfnACD4phixqUsoRTXDqjhUq1992MW__bVBYChOwbx4BVKHPnyRmSNLRCbdAfMqAju9f9SsZr5SA2k1dhrV4LTWk-gA7jWeA8-NpEQ2y7m1CNQzRJzvdiIekizqk6grSCf4/w592-h640/for%20post.jpg" width="592" /></a></div><div>This is my perimenopause headshot. Do you like it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7CAsNdiBdOHh-NaSn6k1rS-2fBrIYciz1d_j7mZ5Ynbry5jIYlitsNh9zlEV6-ngL9GsLSnFtQSq_9JPlbPamD000tMz5o9boln_vbCBnF5BSzUTlSNLjCs_ZlYSS7cqCXrZsX1HKv7ZpEfLFqeeYKD1gMpbF2PZSWFtY8q-s4rR2Lc-GAUFTo41HRI/s720/IMG_7821.WEBP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="720" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7CAsNdiBdOHh-NaSn6k1rS-2fBrIYciz1d_j7mZ5Ynbry5jIYlitsNh9zlEV6-ngL9GsLSnFtQSq_9JPlbPamD000tMz5o9boln_vbCBnF5BSzUTlSNLjCs_ZlYSS7cqCXrZsX1HKv7ZpEfLFqeeYKD1gMpbF2PZSWFtY8q-s4rR2Lc-GAUFTo41HRI/w640-h336/IMG_7821.WEBP" width="640" /></a></div><div>We are one main mini split and one window AC unit down at the shore. We are in the make a list of things to do portion of shore time.</div><div><br /><div>Happy first day of fall. This is my favorite type of pumpkin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYrTxrfSNt-j2A8Ajcq8L4XTWPlooACttVUwGAmxaa9q9fSFpc2dQ1pFh4TQ-1KyaJrXvFyWXOJ9SqjTrDgHN8kNUSpRBGgLHrZOWQqrpR4ZDkwLJTWyuVQsmbSx55PtlC9n6fzREjKuiZBcxWSGExMnnFdqvuyLoI2K1vDoCJLArzEARg3DJlonsqEw/s4032/IMG_9355.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYrTxrfSNt-j2A8Ajcq8L4XTWPlooACttVUwGAmxaa9q9fSFpc2dQ1pFh4TQ-1KyaJrXvFyWXOJ9SqjTrDgHN8kNUSpRBGgLHrZOWQqrpR4ZDkwLJTWyuVQsmbSx55PtlC9n6fzREjKuiZBcxWSGExMnnFdqvuyLoI2K1vDoCJLArzEARg3DJlonsqEw/w480-h640/IMG_9355.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My weekend plans were changed due to rain so I figured I'd use the time to catch up on random shit I like to keep on the blog. Hope you're well</div></div><br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-39779049978764458452023-09-18T15:01:00.001-04:002023-09-21T09:10:14.489-04:00snippets of the weekend 9.18.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last weekly guest of the season came in Friday, so in the morning we were doing the last minute house stuff which for me included putting out some sheets folks were borrowing, happening upon a mirror that fell off the wall (back hinge to hang it came right out of the mirror, glad this happened outside of a rental), and doing the standard towels out stuff. After work I headed to the beach for a while to read and wave watch surf from the passing Hurricane Lee. I finished Good Bad Girl in bed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BfZeCSqelVZHFQYh_zr4JV9xWLjbIa8Ujc6-ghWTdw_sn7KbAKzilkYghjXMzTjN0n2kPbIh1vrG1ouh4wu9w1ppeM5YbX-619EN06gocOboy8A8qp7-jhmBglypMo3cFsjojYPHG8ncVbyxxNWyWKXxKUZbNDRJEiudo9vRGeHvi4_qpHpInGdMuYc/s3264/friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2964" data-original-width="3264" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BfZeCSqelVZHFQYh_zr4JV9xWLjbIa8Ujc6-ghWTdw_sn7KbAKzilkYghjXMzTjN0n2kPbIh1vrG1ouh4wu9w1ppeM5YbX-619EN06gocOboy8A8qp7-jhmBglypMo3cFsjojYPHG8ncVbyxxNWyWKXxKUZbNDRJEiudo9vRGeHvi4_qpHpInGdMuYc/w640-h582/friday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Saturday I read Everyone Here is Lying in its entirety. We took a bike ride on the boards to watch some surfers and get a coffee from Locals. Greenheads in the afternoon so I stayed on the couch reading and relaxing in advance of a hectic oncoming week.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YswLnKZ96Bfwlw-HeAXaTcLKs4YTJj7oAIHFBaaeLWnbumfIVlZ4UHHlWWErrzbq86b_heklCu3KClUQDbfHENIEQ48njq6rKeBv69MnEDZUeMmeSHjxoc8B-DObvi6oPMKExBpU73X6JXnmNlqfw60G5FRtvh86T8dWmdBaYnt-8T8em1K5E10-OSw/s3264/saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2732" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YswLnKZ96Bfwlw-HeAXaTcLKs4YTJj7oAIHFBaaeLWnbumfIVlZ4UHHlWWErrzbq86b_heklCu3KClUQDbfHENIEQ48njq6rKeBv69MnEDZUeMmeSHjxoc8B-DObvi6oPMKExBpU73X6JXnmNlqfw60G5FRtvh86T8dWmdBaYnt-8T8em1K5E10-OSw/w536-h640/saturday.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>Sunday was slow - we caught the air show on the beach in the afternoon, with MFD getting whistled out of the water, and I painted my nails and packed up my stuff throughout the day and evening for a return to Philly. I read another book through completion, Athena's Child. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwLaTXGQl2W_hk3sXimCamdxDraw3_8Pxth8XJ0p3qXs6WyYZglQHL4PPHlbJzM8nYgl5GklAbzl44nL7xPQ0P15D616NPfXUZE6y8F-Cgn-YdscFTW25jHOEpMdIthLLNgIWME1MVVXlxA3ScxAHb16O2kbo3VXXB76LeHewxphzFsgvx9PxSPK1Nz4/s3264/sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3034" data-original-width="3264" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtwLaTXGQl2W_hk3sXimCamdxDraw3_8Pxth8XJ0p3qXs6WyYZglQHL4PPHlbJzM8nYgl5GklAbzl44nL7xPQ0P15D616NPfXUZE6y8F-Cgn-YdscFTW25jHOEpMdIthLLNgIWME1MVVXlxA3ScxAHb16O2kbo3VXXB76LeHewxphzFsgvx9PxSPK1Nz4/w640-h594/sunday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today is my oldest friend's birthday - happy happy Jen! And happy birthday to my youngest brother Sean and oldest nephew Drew tomorrow!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-56818847016297841132023-09-11T10:08:00.002-04:002023-09-11T11:44:28.327-04:00snippets of the weekend 9.11.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday my niece and nephew got dropped off and it was a whirlwind from then on including a trip to Friendly's, playing school, accidentally playing Forgot about Dre with the F word all over, living room fort, etc. I took them back home and was home myself by 11.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPXuy8cRFTFz9Sqm_N12QL3zEXX3MXnqqC22x2bFsEgilxuREAI7uqlsAJbKyoWi0jn1_7OIiNPmObqDf27HsmymQhLA2lzVqEktep3ALP3ikBP3O9IDS45WtaXiPf66k94RvUhbhv7TvEjzp8ohEN44RMfGB7RZNJ7nyEOhQd8gMm7o2-P1Hz49TClc/s3264/wkn%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPXuy8cRFTFz9Sqm_N12QL3zEXX3MXnqqC22x2bFsEgilxuREAI7uqlsAJbKyoWi0jn1_7OIiNPmObqDf27HsmymQhLA2lzVqEktep3ALP3ikBP3O9IDS45WtaXiPf66k94RvUhbhv7TvEjzp8ohEN44RMfGB7RZNJ7nyEOhQd8gMm7o2-P1Hz49TClc/w558-h640/wkn%201.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday I ran errands including printing return labels and returning assorted shit and going to HomeGoods where I had the audacity to look at candles despite being overly familiar with my own busting at the seams candle collection. I purged and reorganized my home office which I have been meaning to do since June, and after a few years finally maximized the cabinet space which I just had shit shoved in since the original middle shelf is missing. We also tag teamed to wash the couches and reassembling them is the dreaded chore from hell. I lay down on one of said couches at 6:30 pm, turned on The Great British Baking Show, and fell dead ass asleep until 2:30 am. I let the dogs out and went to bed and read until 4:30.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday I got up at 9:30, showered and donned the team apparel - not a huge football fan, even less of an NFL fan, but totally a fan of the Eagles players and culture and of course game day food. I got a pedicure, returned shit to Target and popped into ShopRite, cleaned the bathroom and wood surfaces, vacuumed, put shit away, etc. A quick reading and wooder ice break before loading the car up and heading back to the shore. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaCFs1hF4AkXbtif8YkJ9jxcPIX0zhCazYGnlRt4bEUyuTkLZl8QUzxs4XQjYk704XP3P6AH-IBYtz97SLaSVuPfvUYz2JtfovieCLBQuTo6lMUqAYOomorizK_3nJyrb54oVyY8lxKfq0NBgX1hR-FQJlVoaV_mDqBmopB-ZrlM66_HTYSCmUp0D7oo/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2848" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEaCFs1hF4AkXbtif8YkJ9jxcPIX0zhCazYGnlRt4bEUyuTkLZl8QUzxs4XQjYk704XP3P6AH-IBYtz97SLaSVuPfvUYz2JtfovieCLBQuTo6lMUqAYOomorizK_3nJyrb54oVyY8lxKfq0NBgX1hR-FQJlVoaV_mDqBmopB-ZrlM66_HTYSCmUp0D7oo/w558-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>Weekend renters left at 8, and I cleaned the main house until 10:15. In addition to the main floor air conditioner being down, one of the window units is dunzo as of this year too. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I missed two family weekend snippets posts which my Type A made me go back and do, which are <a href="https://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/2023/08/snippets-of-weekend-8282023_28.html" target="_blank">Aug 28</a> and <a href="https://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/2023/09/snippets-of-weekend-962023.html" target="_blank">Labor Day Weekend</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">September 11, 22 years gone. How much has changed in that time, and how much has stayed the same. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071987159907366396.post-65689425305937609782023-09-06T10:40:00.001-04:002023-09-11T11:22:24.454-04:00Snippets of the weekend 9.6.2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday was MFD's 46th! He was out boating and fishing all day while I took care of shit around the house. We went to dinner at the Tuckahoe Inn with my dad & Carol and Cindy and Jamie, froze out back having a nightcap, and went back home for ice cream cake with the fam. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGBcHFouMNozm4hPijYLRzRfJmKHtYvX-ZYeDB_A_aT5f69b211c-6g5meq_2OQxpZXkGYhF_tguAwa1WhBqv0JCv9yJVt8-NLvPamSzrIXL8ocMx7rc-fC_UDJj3WCjgVL84TqDWvjSvp6MelKzikKbhUcu4UnkuYwSWboz7VKa9B-LIkZZdOZfalW8/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3202" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGBcHFouMNozm4hPijYLRzRfJmKHtYvX-ZYeDB_A_aT5f69b211c-6g5meq_2OQxpZXkGYhF_tguAwa1WhBqv0JCv9yJVt8-NLvPamSzrIXL8ocMx7rc-fC_UDJj3WCjgVL84TqDWvjSvp6MelKzikKbhUcu4UnkuYwSWboz7VKa9B-LIkZZdOZfalW8/w628-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="628" /></a></div>Saturday Dad & Carol made a big breakfast. Lunch was Farmstand on the beach. Frank and Amanda and Eva joined the crew and we had a grand old beach day. AJ and Kim came over later and we all hit the boards which were crowded AF. I expired early after several nights of shit sleep and nearly murdering MFD for his driveway music volume. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrORd8Vu8JAD1rO3uiSOiYzWUqF_FFKboEnA04YJ4kNRPVlmt9oWp6vTk5psh7WIiR0hDl_wD_SnCBJ5P2ZLLoRf6aZcMqW1LYK_eatreXn284kHNS6C7UBhlqXMvsof3RTo8EEnGHx2oPOEtXOFUWBUHCBeMcJsMX2c48NnqYM-QibRPW_bXstFoxL4/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2613" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrORd8Vu8JAD1rO3uiSOiYzWUqF_FFKboEnA04YJ4kNRPVlmt9oWp6vTk5psh7WIiR0hDl_wD_SnCBJ5P2ZLLoRf6aZcMqW1LYK_eatreXn284kHNS6C7UBhlqXMvsof3RTo8EEnGHx2oPOEtXOFUWBUHCBeMcJsMX2c48NnqYM-QibRPW_bXstFoxL4/w512-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvLC0quOvturZ-pkkm-Mv6jEzeFjcNdcpd4S6Q1XcDahXFWAxBOscWBQY_FqbfowG_RY7mbn4ZmksrfwAgkPiQS2NQxCmZx0v1WZi6X9hdzQWggfGhpb_y3DBBh3qhC-VmzFiHbfMzLmsXW-yjsPgP4B5N-j5fjkWd32cH_Ejz7AHB12fglrQ78KOr_o/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3240" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvLC0quOvturZ-pkkm-Mv6jEzeFjcNdcpd4S6Q1XcDahXFWAxBOscWBQY_FqbfowG_RY7mbn4ZmksrfwAgkPiQS2NQxCmZx0v1WZi6X9hdzQWggfGhpb_y3DBBh3qhC-VmzFiHbfMzLmsXW-yjsPgP4B5N-j5fjkWd32cH_Ejz7AHB12fglrQ78KOr_o/w636-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="636" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE9r8brupybczAa1QMcA6tGzwYeYVJJJPeJrDxkExQvRwNhBtu-3-AG7ZqSu9nqRFOSVsBHYiWkE7kZqUv1y9eRcohxTyfCzyLUgZms8JEDIUskgZMz9bNRVSBL-QML-k1UeQLEVZ3302HGlumLLFcW6-so07kZi1bAQSDhH6yitNgvrRxsdPqasr5F0/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2786" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjE9r8brupybczAa1QMcA6tGzwYeYVJJJPeJrDxkExQvRwNhBtu-3-AG7ZqSu9nqRFOSVsBHYiWkE7kZqUv1y9eRcohxTyfCzyLUgZms8JEDIUskgZMz9bNRVSBL-QML-k1UeQLEVZ3302HGlumLLFcW6-so07kZi1bAQSDhH6yitNgvrRxsdPqasr5F0/w546-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>Sunday was more fab weather. Drew joined the crew, and AJ and Kim and the kids in the afternoon. We stayed late on the beach and had our Fourth Annual Great American Smokeout with driveway party games from our Activities Coordinator Carol and her assistant, my Dad. We all had suggestions for next year as we'll do a Best Of for activities. Jared also did a blind taste test of six foods and he was a great sport about it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VpSLfRnBB9MoDMr_earBgVPE1jkx-No2EyeUeQzmQpg2k8pcgX7oHXtVWTN1SsyQ1GSevZuxs9kxfby6xIx8fpItvrZFF9mRV5WxndAdw504fRz0-4VNqJD9PJ2_5M2o3DF60x3ICqqJO99F089tc4zfTHU_Jacgu7o2Gqtxx1ndbwIbtrvy0TcegB8/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VpSLfRnBB9MoDMr_earBgVPE1jkx-No2EyeUeQzmQpg2k8pcgX7oHXtVWTN1SsyQ1GSevZuxs9kxfby6xIx8fpItvrZFF9mRV5WxndAdw504fRz0-4VNqJD9PJ2_5M2o3DF60x3ICqqJO99F089tc4zfTHU_Jacgu7o2Gqtxx1ndbwIbtrvy0TcegB8/w532-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWxXvOKkX1y-i-8DqwsxzanAGczpy9Bs7ZPGwZ3h-S20Os0Qly66ElkiQP8WS7Ot1VkLYCYKQcQnTNKKLl3RqBX8oFshe75jyz1oK348flmAAJbjr6nzc2hjpKIuJOqn9K0tnBJebHMyKCmYiHLlxvqQZhaM6p6ynvANWwBA0oIMszNins3_vjvQgiWw/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWxXvOKkX1y-i-8DqwsxzanAGczpy9Bs7ZPGwZ3h-S20Os0Qly66ElkiQP8WS7Ot1VkLYCYKQcQnTNKKLl3RqBX8oFshe75jyz1oK348flmAAJbjr6nzc2hjpKIuJOqn9K0tnBJebHMyKCmYiHLlxvqQZhaM6p6ynvANWwBA0oIMszNins3_vjvQgiWw/w640-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Monday was another burner with brutal sun, a land breeze, and absolutely ferocious blood sucking green heads even Deep Woods Off could not deter. We packed it in before 4 due to that but a great day for the water and boogie boarding! Everyone took off except Dad and Carol. I did a Target pickup, we got all the trash out, pizza delivery for dinner, and I was in bed by 8:30 pm. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ8jLVH_OAhlR6wRqZY75FwECDZ15Wu1v0wJDVVqFP4HRZgvoOzBbvOvjZLgwtTwtyyKsk0f32a0RMjIe-4mD7fX0AJldKhK9kZZYvAQyVAUbyp7bK2gOXHFna70iRpk-YMbeLdvX3R1hMpTtwWebqAvre6gf1X8jruzKlIe-IS5DJZiGjURixO4Ee0s/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="3264" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ8jLVH_OAhlR6wRqZY75FwECDZ15Wu1v0wJDVVqFP4HRZgvoOzBbvOvjZLgwtTwtyyKsk0f32a0RMjIe-4mD7fX0AJldKhK9kZZYvAQyVAUbyp7bK2gOXHFna70iRpk-YMbeLdvX3R1hMpTtwWebqAvre6gf1X8jruzKlIe-IS5DJZiGjURixO4Ee0s/w640-h478/wkn%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Tuesday I was off. Even the dogs were beat from the weekend. Dad and Carol and I did our new Tuesday after Labor Day tradition of lunch at Kessel's Corner. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qwtZNfE7CuGNEYGnkB6qbxh3H4N8Y7y3MLS-bGgGerWnBzIr3Ol6oEqWWgfYTLNXPuClVQb3f3zzKGdYmbg3ojSbTDLuz1CtrboO_bRMTxkMLaTkZfotFdG1Qs-NVWaxtmC6ROL8uWsRhpkk1WtBrwC2OE-zdVlh9mkqLMyoHRCIlZD5ejlGt0LabYM/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="3264" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4qwtZNfE7CuGNEYGnkB6qbxh3H4N8Y7y3MLS-bGgGerWnBzIr3Ol6oEqWWgfYTLNXPuClVQb3f3zzKGdYmbg3ojSbTDLuz1CtrboO_bRMTxkMLaTkZfotFdG1Qs-NVWaxtmC6ROL8uWsRhpkk1WtBrwC2OE-zdVlh9mkqLMyoHRCIlZD5ejlGt0LabYM/w640-h298/wkn%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>They headed out and I lay in a dark room all afternoon reading to escape the heat and land breeze, then we went to the beach at 5:30. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmgDbkfnwyZsoWMWA8Fwq2xXxLjaL9geBLJGUkdDEzO05wNa9C-_uugD0NlAwotYAKURKGtVhKgRdgV3oBijPPJO0SY916boikbeE0_J-W3Lo8p9v4eNrlkpYgFFI6RZn5RYz6KQg_SmMxm1OpDqYgSEP_Qc8u8TCQeUNBTjToeOljhRiqOx_g0eazfE/s3264/wkn%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2206" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmgDbkfnwyZsoWMWA8Fwq2xXxLjaL9geBLJGUkdDEzO05wNa9C-_uugD0NlAwotYAKURKGtVhKgRdgV3oBijPPJO0SY916boikbeE0_J-W3Lo8p9v4eNrlkpYgFFI6RZn5RYz6KQg_SmMxm1OpDqYgSEP_Qc8u8TCQeUNBTjToeOljhRiqOx_g0eazfE/w432-h640/wkn%202.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/s1702/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1702" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm56TTBcojLk-amzJOlZ3KbOtGFs1F2_nGpQLGXNzpC6MuMXQnhjpcUXlVbGMZaJuaSowZksTMNUZijIhPzPT_AJS9e4Wlde0q46c2_t4cZSwRyvD-pTWOH3xZ-jUZ0c0SUM_Qd1nypiHtU1-GyTkUZqExSWiwaCyHzLsSxe5m3Rkcv02h7FIq7yXN/w640-h236/snippets%20of%20the%20weekend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lifeaccordingtosteph/reels/" target="_blank">weekending reels on Instagram</a> - current favorite weekend look back mode.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had planned to go home Wednesday or Thursday but got an email Tuesday night that sent me back earlier than planned, so I got back to Philly around 10 on Tuesday night and slept in the basement since the air was off throughout the heatwave and that was the coolest place once I turned it back on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://imgur.com/VQ2K2hu"><img height="189" id="id_48af_904f_db6a_13ab" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ2K2hu.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 200px;" title="source: imgur.com" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div></div>SMD @ lifeaccordingtostephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09884611147965544589noreply@blogger.com0