Thursday Thoughts - everybody has a reason to begin again

Embracing the weeks leading up to the winter solstice and getting hygge with it. Lights and candles to bring the light in when the outside does not provide. Reflection, intentions, sitting deep into the coming winter and myself.

Waiting for Billy Cat to destroy something. He is the cat version of the Grinch slinking himself around my decorations. Excuse the blurry shots, they are taken from video. But you get the drift. 

Loving seeing everyone's menorahs

Making my list and checking it twice. I have no fucking idea what I do and don't have for Christmas. 

Staying longer in Philly that I originally planned to when I came up yesterday. I will probably stay through Sunday morning to get some shit done that I put off every time I come back here. I'll be doing more of the back and forth through December while the temps make that possible. If we're to keep the shore house open, we need to be down there on the frozen days. 

Romping on the beach every day we're there. We love the warm days but we go on the cold days too.

Knowing who my most listened to will be before Spotify even wraps. One does not name their dog Bruce Springsteen without listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen, you know? 

Raging over the comments by Roberts and Kavanaugh on the Mississippi abortion case. Like, don't talk to me raging. Not able to discuss raging. Go fuck yourself raging. Abortion on demand without apology or explanation and not anyone's business

Failing to see how this is a thing even though people are very much trying to make it a thing every time anyone says happy holidays on the internet. If I didn't see it in comments myself I wouldn't believe it because it is possibly the only thing stupider right now than let's go brandon said in a way that implies the rest of us don't know what it means which makes me laugh uncontrollably which is the opposite of what they want I think. Is Christmas not a fucking holiday? Why the fuck do you care if someone says happy holidays and you say Merry Christmas? The fake fragility and bravado for defending Christmas which needs no fucking defense makes me want to scream. Go away. Do things that actual Jesus would have done like care about the sick and poor people and love everyone. 

Digging this as far as processed shit goes

Entering Ben cold season. He follows the sun, I put the heat on for him, and he has an electric blanket which he shares with Mae and Cici. Constantly cold, constantly refusing to wear a jacket. 

Listening to Long Walk Home by Springsteen. A favorite. 

Watching Yellowstone. I caught up this week. I forgot what it's like to watch a show episode by episode. It sucks. It is still hard for me to wrap my head around Rip being Billy in Good Will Hunting.

Eating pork tenderloin and salad are on the menu for tonight. Maybe a veggie type of casserole tomorrow night. I need to see what I have.

Delighting in following DesignMom on Instagram, love her stories of renovating the Tall House. Big fan of Twitter by Design Mom on there too.

Identifying with this more than I'd like to

Needing to wash my hair

Reading A History of Wild Places. I mowed through a few netgalley books earlier this week when I was solo at the shore. I also have a new novel by Shelby to beta read! I have to print that out today.

Reminding us all via Blair Imani

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Long Walk Home by Springsteen

Thursday Thoughts - Start running the banner down, drop past the color come up through the summer rain

Appreciating the last full week of calendar summer, but not the fact that the sun is gone by a little after 7 now.

Failing the nightly skincare routine test of adulthood

Agreeing with Aja Barber on the AOC dress at the Met Gala. Click through that link on her name and read her latest three instagram posts though, starting three back and moving forward (so start with dress can be a form of protest). What are we doing to each other out here, people? 

Wondering where all the people defending this when it happened have scuttled away to. And why they're not up in arms about the National FOP posting propaganda then deleting it. Where are all the people who bitch constantly about Philly wasting money on things they don't think are worth it like art or removing racist ass statues? Everyone okay with this $2 million expenditure on something that never should have happened? That was well beyond one person, lied about in unison, and posted by the freaking national FOP? The irony in this is that they created this incident of disorder and anarchy and lied about it and now the City of Philadelphia has to pay for it. 

Failing to grasp ferocious anti-vaxx sentiment especially from people who have the smallpox vaccine scar that saved many people from looking like the left. Grabbed this from cousin Caitlin yesterday and it hits so many points I feel like screaming over. I am sick to death of hearing bullshit conspiracy things and flat out misinformation surrounding this vaccine from people who have no qualifications and think they've figured out a grand fucking government or big Pharma secret. Misinformation and conspiracy theories have no place in my orbit. I am simply done.

Liking this perspective. I have absolutely zero tolerance at this time in this life in this world for any hustle culture be a boss crush it shit but I do like to be able to salvage days that get away from me when I need them not to. Like when on a deadline. 

Running errands today - dropping some laundry off, picking up printed material, post office, Target pick up, ALDI...The Christmas Tree Shoppe just for perusal, not need

Living in Animal House, or Animal apartment as depicted below then expounded in two more bullets. The old dogs are back in Philly with MFD as of Tuesday night and the three Bs - Bruce, Ben, and Billy - are holding down the fort at the shore.

Visiting Dog Beach daily now that summer is over. Dogs can go there all year long, but summer is brutal with parking and people. We'll hit it daily until people beaches are open to dogs, then we'll do our walks there and head to Dog Beach to shell intermittently or when I feel like a five minute drive.

Getting used to life with a cat. Billy Hicks is more and more a dog cat daily. He plays fetch with Ben, wants to go outside when the dogs go, joins the chorus of animals demanding food twice a day, pounces around causing mayhem, sleeps in bed, wakes up when the dogs do and goes to sleep when the dogs do. He also likes to read. 

Listening to August and Everything After by the Counting Crows, which turned 28 this week. I was listening to it since it came out and I saw them for the first time in 1997 at the Bob Carpenter Center while at the University of Delaware. I am not a whole album person, an that's true with this one too, I always skip one song, but I will listen to the majority of it, always have and still do almost 30 years down the line. Coming from me, that says a lot.

Watching Nine Perfect Strangers. What a fucking weird show. 

Eating Food other people make. Dad and Carol are at the shore and Carol made Mississippi pot roast this week and it was so freaking good. 

Wishing Shelby of Big Hungry Shelby a happy birthday today - she has a short story coming out next week! 

Reading on the porch, finished the newest Kimberly McCreight at midnight last night (passable, but my least favorite of hers so far) and started Buses are a Comin': Memoir of a Freedom Rider this morning since Bruce got up at the ass crack. Thanks to those who joined us for Show Us Your Books on Tuesday. 

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Omaha by Counting Crows. 

Thursday Thoughts - You arrived like a day and passed like a cloud

Appreciating this sentiment. There are a lot of people out there feeling like this is too much. This, that, everything. Like we are not supposed to feel this. But we are. Life is not great all the time. You can't out mindset everything. The cult of positivity is a racket, and hustle culture is killing us. This feeling too much though? This is being human. It's not just you. 

Waiting for the last weekly guests of the summer to check out. Tomorrow at noon. Tick tock. Then one more Wednesday - Sunday rental next week and we're framily only until next year. I know everyone is all fall but we're now in my favorite part of summer - the last month of calendar summer - and my windows are open, I have shorts and a cardigan on, and the ocean water is warm for swimming. Labor Day has always been my favorite of the summer holidays at the shore, long before we bought this house and now more than ever. 

Keeping everyone in my area hit yesterday by Ida-born flooding and tornados in my thoughts, as well as everyone south in her path. We had no issues in Philly and not even a drop of rain at the shore. We were thankful for that after flooding this weekend and Monday - this is Monday night after a quick passing storm. But seriously...climate action now as the east is under water and the west is on fire. We are watching the effects of climate change happen before our eyes with worsening and increasing incidents of severe weather no one has insurance for - when are we going to demand the government take serious action to halt this as best as we can?  

Going out for MFD's birthday dinner tonight. We stayed close to home last night because we were expecting rain. We had Bennie's takeout last night instead. Always solidly delicious.

Inviting every know it all patronizing motherfucker who has ever argued with me about women's rights and said Roe could never be overturned - and you know who you fucking are - to come dine at my table while we discuss steps forward. Those who thought the unqualified idiots installed on the Supreme Court last presidential term would observe precedent are also invited. I'll be serving shit pie. Eat up, motherfuckers. The door is open for other states to effectively outlaw abortion, cutting Roe off at the knees. This does not happen without repercussions in other areas either. If you really cared about women and children, the focus would not be on outlawing abortion but making it easier for both to thrive in this world. 

Ordering groceries for delivery for the weekend. One of the best services ever. 

Enjoying Animal House living. Billy thinks he is a dog. 

Reminding us  

Wishing Mark a happy birthday today! 

Reading Tearing through the latest Lisa Jewel that comes out Sept 7 and picking up my next read at the library Tuesday.

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Talk of the Town by The Pretenders

Thursday Thoughts - I was nowhere in sight when the church bells rang

Opting out of the ol' morning scroll. My alarm goes on my phone, then the only thing I use it for at least an hour after getting up on the weekdays is taking photos or the timer. My days go so much better. If you are an immediate scroller or consumer of social media or news, try switching that up and see what happens. Mug from HelloLemonZesty.

Signing up for a CSA share delivery this summer through Flocktown Farm. $2 delivery to Bucks.

Pulling over for glimpses of sunsets. Always. This is outside of my high school on the way home from my brother & Aubrey's.

Limping along with a battery deficiency this week. I drove back from the shore Tuesday night with no phone charger. Not a damn one in this Philly house. I used my car charger a little while running errands and also used my brother's yesterday. 

Playing Ghost Busters with my nephew using other toys. Imagination is awesome.

Asking if you have your sunscreen on daily. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and skin cancer is America's most common cancer. Fortunately it is also one of the most preventable. 

Picturing Winnie using portrait mode

Spending a few days of fam time with Mark, Sarah, and Harry earlier this week

Searching for curtains for tiny windows. Like 18 inches but not a valance. 

Picking new paint colors because the goddamn paint I picked does not work for fiberglass doors. 

Asking what's my age again. 

Cleaning up after dogs. This shattered lantern from our wedding was fun as it was the same color as the floor. I spared you the two...TWO poop incidents of Gus's that involved middle of the night sheet changing.

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day, in whatever capacity you are one

Hugging anyone who finds Mother's Day hard for any reason - because yours isn't here, or you don't have a good relationship, or you want to be a mom but aren't, or you are struggling as a Mom, or you've lost a child, or any of the big or small things that might make the day hard

Watching nothing but I'm about to get into Mare of East Town or whatever it's called. Gimme that Kate Winslet Delco accent.

Reading the newest Jennifer Weiner coming out May 11, and starting something new TBD today. I've been reading almost exclusively on my kindle due to plowing through a bunch of advanced reader copies from Netgalley, so I'm about ready to hold a book. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday!

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to when I'm starting this - this week is Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross

Thursday Thoughts - Big wheels rolling through fields where sunlight streams, meet me in a land of hope and dreams

Eating sushi like I always do when I come back to Philly (no good place I know of at the shore). We ordered in from Osaka in Feasterville. It was delicious. My mom dropped off a pork roll pretzel and coffee this morning too. 

Visiting with my mom, who had a big fan group as she was eating

Operating a day behind all week. I have known the date (rare for me) but thought Wednesday was Tuesday, keep thinking today is Wednesday, etc. 

Painting my nails green (OPI Envy the Adventure) and brownish (Essie On the Bright Cider). I need to start moisturizing stat. 

Getting my hair done by the fabulous Kristi. Bye blonde, all auburn now. This is the only photo I've taken. 

Living in dog town as always

Waiting for the cabinets to be done in Philly. The house, which I have not occupied full time since April and will not be re-occupying full time at this time, is a giant shithole mess that needs to be completely cleaned out with a lot of work coming up inside. This is step one. We used a local woman cabinet painter and she's great! This is the primer and first coat on the backs. She takes the doors. I'll do before and afters when it's done but what a huge difference.

Preparing for winter at the shore. It's been pretty cold this week. Fleece lined leggings and long sleeve tees to replace short sleeve under cardigans, you're up.

Listening to Land of Hope and Dreams by Bruce Springsteen. (it's the lyric after the hyphen in the title). As usual, I listened to mostly Bruce Springsteen this year. 

Watching The Undoing. I watched all of it this week. I've also caught some of The Crown since MFD is watching it, and I ask questions incessantly and I think he hates it. But I'm actually watching TV. New TV, not reruns of something I have watched 420934820 times. I think I might be getting back into it.

Reading I read a book in a few hours Sunday night, but have bounced around since. I couldn't get into the next one. I'll start another one tonight. Show Us Your Books is Tuesday. The Favorite Reads of 2020 Show Us Your Books is Tuesday, December 29.m

Reminding us all that nothing's wrong with you if you never buy into the magic of the season in December, or if you usually do but aren't this year 

Ecarding - all of us at some point this year, am I right?

What's new with you?