TWTW - the no dayer

Friday I worked until 6:30 and we ate out inside a restaurant for what was my second time since March 2020. I packed a bunch of shit for the weekend and fell out around 12:30.

Saturday Up at 6:15 and out of bed at 7. I changed the sheets, loaded the car, and we were on our way to the shore by 8, gassing up along the way. We talked to our departing guest for a long time and then they were late leaving, but we still did everything we needed to do before and after our cleaning crew left and got back on the road by 12 to make it back to Philly by 1:15. We picked MFD’s car up from getting inspected, I picked up soft pretzels, and after yelling because we have extremely different leaving for a trip styles and keys lost, we were headed north by 3:15. We drove through every storm hitting the area and arrived at the lake by about 6. Notice my stuff and dog stuff all ready by the door in the top middle and MFD's entire life emptied out of his car not prepared at all to leave. These were taken at the same time and his clothes were not yet packed LOL

We drove through every storm hitting the area and arrived at the lake by about 6. Lori and I got groceries and I put in four hours of work work. I showered and read until 11:30.

Sunday I was up at 5 but not out of bed until 6:30. I worked from 7-11a and 5-9p. Nothing says the Fourth of July like Capitalism! In between we got more groceries and whiled the afternoon away outside with dogs and books. I painted my nails. We were outside all the live long day and the weather was absolutely perfect. Jack grilled and we had a delicious Fourth meal on the new bar on the deck. The entire renovation is just fabulous. MFD went out fishing in the kayak and at night him and Jack went out on the boat. We saw fireworks from couches and from bed after I got out of the shower. And Gus walked into the lake three freaking times requiring three separate drying off periods of which he was not a fan.

Monday Lori and I left at 8:15 for the Montrose  Festival on the Green and to stop in a few small shops. I love this little town. It always feels like the promise of America to me - a place for the community to gather, dotted with a square of small businesses. We can live up to this promise for everyone. We just have to choose to.

I worked a full day even though we were closed in observance of the Fourth. Deadlines are a B. At least I had a picturesque setting in which to work. MFD fished and swam and we set out for home at 7:30 and were back in Philly before 10. 

I am usually driving but got to take drive pictures this time. Pennsylvania is beautiful, and I love the Endless Mountains region. I'm glad Lori & Jack live there or I probably would not have been so many places in Bradford & Susquehanna counties. 

I should have brought my second screen, and I was going to. If I had we probably would have stayed through my deadline Wednesday LOL. It is beautiful and quiet and relaxing and we all love it there, especially the dogs. Thanks to Lori for always welcoming all of us, dogs included, into her spaces. It was a wonderful weekend and we're trying to figure out when to return this summer. 

Show Us Your Books is a week from today!

How do you record your travels?

The driving reason I have maintained this blog since 2011 in whatever posting frequency fits my life at the time is so it serves as a digital journal. The first few years I did this, I had no real notion of anyone reading it aside from me for myself, and the few people who knew I kept it. I obviously don't put everything here because I have personal boundaries between me and whoever might read it, but it has served well for me as a digital journal or planner of sorts. The best thing is that literally anyone can do this, keep a  digital journal of daily (weekly? monthly?) life. It's also a great place to store recipes and travel itineraries and such without the need for a bunch of papers or word docs. As I try to wrap my mind around traveling again in this big beautiful world, I am already thinking ahead of how I use my online tools to plan but also to remember trips to come. 

Blogging

Creating an online journal is really simple. Free platforms such as Wordpress (I do work sites on WP) or Blogger (I keep it simple personally here and use blogger) give you the opportunity to create a blog to store your memories. WP is much more customizable than blogger, but there are definitely plenty of ways to customize on either. They both provide storage as well although I don't really use blogger for that. If you are only journaling for you, not for the world to see, you can set your settings to private. Of course, if you change your mind and want to share, you can always switch those settings and share your life and travels with the world. 

Storing online

If the thought of creating a blog to store everything on doesn’t float your boat, you can just organize your itineraries, reservations, travel photos, etc online using storage. Of course you lose the opportunity to add little stories and memories that accompany the pictures. However, if you are hyper organized, you can manually change the names of the photos and add little stories that way in google photos. I find it annoying to do that, but maybe you don't. The frustrating thing about this can be the amount of duplicate photos that you discover. If you read the post about removing photos, you will learn how to remove those duplicates and free up some space. Of course, sometimes I keep all of those 50 photos of the sunrise but whatever. Dupe photo removal is on my To Do list this year. .

Write that book

They say that everyone has a writer inside them, so why not take advantage of that? Using free software like Google Docs, you can easily create make a trip you take into a book. In this format, you may be tempted to fill the page with more writing than pictures but at least there is an option to include both. It's easy to keep track of days on trips like this since you can open a fresh doc everyday, label it with the date, and capture your experiences and thoughts. One of the reasons I love to travel is the way it expands my mind and worldview, and I am someone who likes to jot those down as I go. I have done this for most of my life with a travel notebook, which I still bring along, but I also keep notes on my phone during trips now. Some phrases pop into my head and are gone in a blink if I don't write them down.

Create a digital scrapbook

Hang on, isn’t that what we have been talking about this whole time? Yes and no. The thing about scrapbooking is that it is a specific craft that combines a series of elements to tell a story. Some of those elements are the photos, but it also includes pieces of memorabilia and a specific theme or mood. Adding those elements such as cute backgrounds and digital stickers are kind of hard to do in Google Docs, especially if you want to create a scrapbook vibe. Sites such as Canva allow you to mix all of the traditional scrapbooking elements into a digital format. And if you really like what you have, you can get it printed into a photobook. I used to be a physical scrapbooker but lost my taste for it. 

Try a digital diary

There is an abundance of sites and apps that are designed to help with the journal process. These places are about more than throwing words and photos at a screen. They can be programmed to help you write about different things too. Some of these apps have the option to add the temperature or the weather, as well as the option to share it. The sharing options can also allow other people to add to your journal and share their memories about meeting you. I'm considering doing this on my next trip.

YouTube

Video journaling is a perfectly valid form of recording your travels. Some might argue it is the best way. When we say YouTube, the last thing we think of is using it as a journal. As we use video more and more, we need a place to store our stuff. YouTube offers unlimited storage for free, and you don’t have to make your videos public. Instead, you can set them to private or share. This means that you can send the link to your friends and family but don’t have to share it with the world. Of course, you could edit some videos into interesting highlights and make them public rather than share your entire hour-long ramble. 

Voice notes

Am I the only person who has wanted to carry one of those small pocket reporter recorders around forever but has never actually done so? Yes? Anyway voice recording is a great middle ground between writing and videos. You can sit down at the end of the day and ramble on about what you have seen or done. You can talk into the mic while walking. Hell now you don't even need the cool little pocket recorder because most phones have a voice recorder and access to cloud storage. This is you recording your own personal audiobook. 

There ar so many options when it comes to creating a digital journal for your travels. The beauty of digital means you can mix and match these with ease. You can add photos and voice notes to your writing, embed videos into your blog posts, and even print everything off if you want to make a physical backup copy. The opportunities to create a unique digital travel journal are almost as endless as the places to travel to. 

It's so nice to think about travel and trip planning again.

Happy Friday! Where are you thinking of traveling to next? 

Thursday Thoughts - Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me

Trying today but Bill Cosby out is sending me and my rage is spilling out everywhere. I understand why he's out but I am sick of living in a system that does nothing for women or Black people. How in the fuck can we expect people to report rape and other abuse? I read this on Jennifer Weiner's Instagram yesterday and this is it,: "The system is rigged. It was not built by women, it was not built for women, and it's not serving women well. I am so angry, and so frustrated, and I don't know what to say except that I stand with survivors, today and always. I want my daughters, and all of our daughters, to live in a better world, and I'm committed to doing whatever work I can, to telling whatever stories I can, to getting us there." 

Experiencing a Marshalls Miracle. If you know, you know. A while back I found a table for the porch at the shore at Marshalls that was perfect. The porch is super tight and this is small, infinitely moveable, and folds up. I wanted another and put a plea out on Instagram. I freaking found another, two weeks later. Scouring the same Homegoods. Far away from where the first one was. I felt the benevolent and electric hand of the universe tap me on the shoulder. 

Buckling under the weight of work this week. It is not easy for me to do 11-12 hour days for sustained periods of time with a pandemic brain, and I don't say post-pandemic because we're still in it and also I don't think anything will change going forward. Like people hold over things from the Depression, we'll surely be holding over things from this.

Wanting to know why no one is talking about Old Navy removing the super popular for eons printed poplin (summer weight) pajama pants from their site for women this year? Are they planning to carry that through the winter? You'll all be bitching when you want your matching Christmas jammies, mark my words!

Having dinner with my family last night at my brother & Aubrey's to mark the end of an era. My Dad and Carol closed on the sale of their house yesterday, which has held our family for 25 years. It's the last place I lived in before I moved out on my own. I was going to make a final visit, but what I love about it there just moves with the family and it's time for that one to give shelter and solace to another. 

Sitting with my old boy. He's still out here farting around, pooping where and when he pleases. 

Eating summer foods. Aka foods that require me to do basically nothing.

Looking for cotton summer weight quilts. I hate the synthetic feeling shit. Shore bedding is taking an absolute beating this year. Remember when Marshalls used to have a ton of bedding? Now everything is white. In a vacation rental home, no thank you. Not in mine anyway.

Bidding this shitfuckerdickholeassholebrokendownidiotmachine washer adieu today. Fuck you and your persistent unbalancing issues and constant and incessant refilling three to four times wasting so much water. If I had a sledgehammer I'd go Office Space on your ass as they drug you out of here. I'm going back to an old school agitator. Fuck off and good day to you and your Samsung appliances brethren.

Reading The Therapist by B.A. Paris, an ARC from Netgalley. Not a favorite. I always read BA Paris books even though I'm usually eh over them.

Reminding us all. In this heat and in this world where whatever you are comfortable in. Period.

Here we are in fucking July. Half a year gone.

What's new with you?

What appears beyond the hyphen in Thursday Thoughts titles is what I'm listening to or most recently heard when I'm starting this - this week is Last Christmas by Wham!

TWTW - the late June one

Friday It was the work week from hell and at the end of it I took a long walk, ordered dinner, and read a book pretty much in its entirety, staying up to finish.

Saturday I slept in until 8 then had a typical summer Saturday: turnover hauling 2389429348 bags of bedding laundry to the car, and doing my tasks before and after my cleaning crew came through. The folks leaving were great and I hope they return. I did some cushion cleaning and tried to battle driveway sand and lost as usual. I hit the beach for a few hours to read after that and ordered dinner from Boyar's. MFD and the old dogs arrived around 10 and I finished book two of the weekend.

Sunday I was at the beach by 9 after painting my nails OPI I Just Can't Cope-acabana and Spare Me a French Quarter?). I got a bowl for breakfast and it was delicious. MFD joined me around 11 and we stayed until 1:30 then came back to lay around and escape the humidity. I finished my third book of the weekend. We took B and B to Dog Beach to cap off the weekend. I found a fishing knife on our walk which MFD will keep for fishing and of course had to photograph it to document we found it and the date in case it comes up in a future murder investigation. My murder book reading knowledge is put to good use all the time. 

Another busy work week ahead, my Dad & Carol move out of the last parental home I lived in before I lived on my own, and we're already coming into the freaking Fourth. How?

Happy happy birthday to my brother-in-law Marcus Aurelius today. 

How was yours?

3 Creative Crafting Ideas

Happy Saturday friends! Since you know for sure I am not a crafter, enjoy this post from Maggie Hammond, who is the proud mama to two little people and has one too many furry friends. She is passionate about alternative medicine, education, the great outdoors, and animal welfare.

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Many people consider themselves creative people and just have a way of approaching things in a really special way. They say creativity is something that comes naturally but, for some people, it seems a little easier to tap into. If you’re the type that would love to try crafting but aren’t sure you’ve got the creative chops to give it a go, it’s time to think again. Sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right craft that suits your skills, interests and natural talents. Here are three creative crafting ideas that could be perfect for beginners.

Start Painting with Acrylic

Painting is among one of the most creative hobbies and outlets a person can embrace. Not only can it be relaxing and allow you to create your masterpieces, but there is no right or wrong way to do things. The whole point of painting is that you call the shots - you decide the subject matter, the colours, the composition, texture and the size and scale. There’s no need to feel nervous about your skills or wonder how you get started, as anything you paint will be fabulous.

If you want to put together an acrylic painting starter kit, the essentials you'll need to include are:

• Paintbrushes

• Acrylic paints

• An artist palette

• Painting surface (paper, canvas, wood, or any other material you choose)

• A small jar of clean water

• Paper towels or rags

• Varnish

Once you become more comfortable with painting, you can start to expand your kit and add more advanced essentials.

Learn Embroidery

Here’s a wonderful and creative craft that you can use in many ways. Embroidery simply involves adding decoration to an existing fabric by using a needle and special embroidery thread. You can embroider anything you want and get as creative as you like. It allows you to customise the décor in the home, add unique touches to your clothing and show off your personality and style. You can work with a pattern or embroider free-hand, whatever you feel most comfortable with.

To get started, be sure to check out an embroidery shop London for the essentials and you can refer to online tutorials or pick up an introductory embroidery book.

Become an Amateur Photographer

Another creative outlet that you can embrace is photography. While not exactly a craft, it is still a creative hobby that can be transformed into a craft through such things as photo walls, photo albums/books, customised calendars and so forth. It’s all about getting comfortable with your camera and stepping outside the box when it comes to framing your photos. Even the most seemingly mundane subject matter can look beautiful and interesting when photographed in the right way. Photography is an art form and can be a wonderful craft to embrace.

Tapping Into Your Creative Side

Each of these ideas gives you a way to tap into your creative side and allows you to explore what you’re capable of. Besides the satisfaction that it gives you, you’ll also be able to come up with some really beautiful pieces that are perfect for your needs, your home and even for gifting.