I have planned the perfect excursion for three to Boston, Massachusetts. It only took me four months! We leave in less than a week, and I am almost packed. I have been intermittently obsessing about this trip and how to pay for it, and now that it's almost time to go....
Do travel agents even exist anymore, in this day and age of the internet? They should! Do you know how many travel sites there are? This includes air, hotel, car rental, dining options, and all combinations of the above.
First you have to get there, so start with air travel. You can go through any one of many travel sites, or book directly with the airline. Both seem to let you choose a package option of just one or two items, such as flight and car or flight and hotel. Of course, you have to make sure you are getting the very best deal, so you come back on different days to see how the prices fluctuate (and they do!), and try different combinations of days and times. Oy! At some point you have to just bite the bullet and hit submit! Try to avoid the temptation of going back after the fact to make sure you got the best price!
Where do want to stay? What lodging amenities are important to you? Do you need a blow dryer in the bathroom? A coffee pot (always a hard yes for me!)? Free Wi-Fi? Breakfast service included? Shuttle service from/to the airport? All these things matter, given the hotel choices available. And how do you even know if the neighborhood is good? I know where many of the hotels in my local area are, and a few of them I would NOT want to stay at! And once again, there are the multitude of sites to check out...or you go directly through the hotel.
Now you may need a car to get around. How long will you need the car? What size can you live with? Where will you go in said rental? Where do want to pick it up and drop it off? Fortunately (?) this is the one part of the trip relegated (mostly) to the car rental companies site...mostly.
All of these options are dependent on whether or not you belong to any discount clubs or travel clubs or rewards programs and the like. All of these must be factored in and weighed against all the other information as to when and how you book. Some of them are tied to others (Sky Miles to Car rental to hotels) so you have to try out all the options.
So much clicking! Unless you have moderate to severe control issues, like I do, you may want to turn over the searching and choosing to a travel agent (if they still exist, that is. Did we ever figure out the answer to that?)! For my trip, the other two involved basically turned over the planning to me, and so it goes. No pressure!
I'll let you know how it all worked out once the trip has happened. Still, so many unknowns, mostly involving where we're going to eat on any given day! At least I know how and when I am getting there, and where I will sleep and how I will get around town. I have to take a deep breath and just let the rest happen as it will.
Bon Voyage!
Friday, May 6, 2016
Friday, April 8, 2016
Where does the time go?
I've heard it said that the older you get, the quicker time seems to slip by. Could it be true? I AM getting older (which I suppose beats the alternative - at least I keep on getting one more day!). And I did just realize that I let the entire month of March slip by without one blog post.
Today I am sitting at my desk addressing envelopes to mail out my one and only child's college graduation announcements. COLLEGE! And she rushed that through, too. She's graduating with a BS in Psychology after three years! As I am trying to make sure I don't forget anyone important, I am realizing just what a crazy journey it's all been, especially since at the end of the address book I just found a picture of her as a baby.
Of course, this is all just the beginning of a new chapter in her life. She just turned that magical age - 21! No more life-changing birthdays, besides all those that end in five or zero, until retirement! Oh, yeah...and that age when she's no longer eligible to be insured under her parents health plans. And that age when she's able to rent a car without special consent. What other unusual milestones are out there?
College graduation is a big deal, don't you think? Not everybody who graduates high school goes to college, right away or ever! She went right out of high school, started at a private Liberal Arts school in Virginia that went bankrupt (btw - do I have to pay back those loans?!) after her first year, found another small college in New York (whose alumni include, I like to point out, Leland Stanford. YES! That would be the founder of Stanford College!) and applied herself to get her degree in three years.
It turns out that to do anything valuable with a degree in psychology, it behooves one to continue on to a Masters and/or Doctorate degree. So that is the next phase of her education. Well...that and employment!
As time marches on, as it inevitably will, I still have a few tasks to complete in the planning of our journey back East to attend this momentous occasion. Perhaps this is how March slipped by without a post here! I was told to book my hotel for this sooner than later, and one piece of research led to another and another and here it is - April! I booked hotel at three points along our journey, airfare and bought a Groupon for a fun excursion along the way. As my rental car search begins (is there by any chance, a Trivago for car rentals?!) I keep getting distracted by Finger Lakes winery searches!
Speaking of time - it's time for lunch! No clock needed to confirm that. Just listen for the sound of my growling tummy! Wonder what leftover I can turn into another tasty meal for lunch?!
Today I am sitting at my desk addressing envelopes to mail out my one and only child's college graduation announcements. COLLEGE! And she rushed that through, too. She's graduating with a BS in Psychology after three years! As I am trying to make sure I don't forget anyone important, I am realizing just what a crazy journey it's all been, especially since at the end of the address book I just found a picture of her as a baby.
Of course, this is all just the beginning of a new chapter in her life. She just turned that magical age - 21! No more life-changing birthdays, besides all those that end in five or zero, until retirement! Oh, yeah...and that age when she's no longer eligible to be insured under her parents health plans. And that age when she's able to rent a car without special consent. What other unusual milestones are out there?
College graduation is a big deal, don't you think? Not everybody who graduates high school goes to college, right away or ever! She went right out of high school, started at a private Liberal Arts school in Virginia that went bankrupt (btw - do I have to pay back those loans?!) after her first year, found another small college in New York (whose alumni include, I like to point out, Leland Stanford. YES! That would be the founder of Stanford College!) and applied herself to get her degree in three years.
It turns out that to do anything valuable with a degree in psychology, it behooves one to continue on to a Masters and/or Doctorate degree. So that is the next phase of her education. Well...that and employment!
As time marches on, as it inevitably will, I still have a few tasks to complete in the planning of our journey back East to attend this momentous occasion. Perhaps this is how March slipped by without a post here! I was told to book my hotel for this sooner than later, and one piece of research led to another and another and here it is - April! I booked hotel at three points along our journey, airfare and bought a Groupon for a fun excursion along the way. As my rental car search begins (is there by any chance, a Trivago for car rentals?!) I keep getting distracted by Finger Lakes winery searches!
Speaking of time - it's time for lunch! No clock needed to confirm that. Just listen for the sound of my growling tummy! Wonder what leftover I can turn into another tasty meal for lunch?!
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The tipping point
Are you a tipper? A big tipper? A generous tipper? Or are you a very scrutinizing, begrudging tipper? Who even understands tipping etiquette anymore? You know - who to tip? when to tip? how much to tip? Allow me to share some thoughts on this tipping practice....
First and foremost, it is my personal feeling that tipping should be completely optional! I think we have been societally conditioned to tip workers in certain industries because we are expected to. And they have come to rely on - and expect - our tips. Unfortunately, the bosses, the guys upstairs in the big corporate offices, have felt the wages of these certain employees do not need to be a livable wage because of the 'extra' (AKA expected) wage from tips.
Would we feel as obliged to tip a restaurant server if we knew they were being paid a decent wage? Would service improve or suffer if servers didn't feel they were working for the tip? Anyone who's worked in the restaurant industry can probably tell you a few horror stories about the customer who stiffed them, or tipped way over the 'prescribed' amount. They most likely have stories, too, about their base salaries, or more likely, the lack there of, and how the tips are crucial to their survival. I know I've heard a few doozies!
I work in a wine tasting room at a winery. Yes, we do sell wines by the glass and by the bottle and have seating available for our guests. Are we a bar? A restaurant? No, we are, first and foremost, a wine tasting room. The other stuff is part of the perks of visiting us. Do I work in a tippable environment? That's open for debate, probably going back to the theory that tipping is optional. Do I work in the hospitality industry? I'd say yes, without a doubt. Who typically gets tips? The hospitality industry (think about who you tip - servers, bell boys, valet drivers, cab drivers, hairdressers/barbers, bar tenders, etc.). Do I expect tips? Not typically. Do I appreciate tips? You bet I do!
Maybe we've gotten so used to tipping that much of our population doesn't even realize who is getting tipped. Or if the people who deserve the tip are getting it. Think of the behind the scenes people in a restaurant - the food preparers, the dishwasher, the bus boy...without them, the 'back of the house' people, the face of the restaurant, the 'front of the house' people, don't function well. Yet, those are the ones we tip. We can only hope the rest of the crew is getting paid what they ought to be, or that the servers and host/hostesses are sharing the "wealth" at the end of their shifts.
Does the bell boy/girl or parking valet make a livable wage, or are they relying on tips to make ends meet? How do we know? Do we tip them because they managed to park our car without scratching it? Because they loaded our over-packed over-weight bags onto the trolley and brought it to our room? Are we tipping them because they did an exceptional job, or because we are expected to? Aren't they just 'doing their job' and doing it well? OH! So many questions!
Go to www.emilypost.com for the general and quick answers to tipping etiquette, but as you read it, ask yourself two questions: first - what is in the job description and what is above and beyond?, and second - are you doing it because you WANT TO or because you THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO?
Tipping, as I see it, should be because you want to and because you think it is deserved.
Ideally, all employees are paid at least minimum wage (see that word - minimum? - hello?) and what ever they earn in tips is an unexpected, unnecessary, much appreciated bonus. Workers in the tippable industries should all know their jobs duties and do them well, and treat all customers equally well (remember, this is in my perfect work environment!). Would the world be a better place if we could just interact on a level playing field and not have to worry about if we're supposed to shell out an extra buck or five because you treated me better than that table over there?
So much still up for discussion here on the issue of tipping. Surely not our most pressing issue, but maybe worth having a conversation about.
First and foremost, it is my personal feeling that tipping should be completely optional! I think we have been societally conditioned to tip workers in certain industries because we are expected to. And they have come to rely on - and expect - our tips. Unfortunately, the bosses, the guys upstairs in the big corporate offices, have felt the wages of these certain employees do not need to be a livable wage because of the 'extra' (AKA expected) wage from tips.
Would we feel as obliged to tip a restaurant server if we knew they were being paid a decent wage? Would service improve or suffer if servers didn't feel they were working for the tip? Anyone who's worked in the restaurant industry can probably tell you a few horror stories about the customer who stiffed them, or tipped way over the 'prescribed' amount. They most likely have stories, too, about their base salaries, or more likely, the lack there of, and how the tips are crucial to their survival. I know I've heard a few doozies!
I work in a wine tasting room at a winery. Yes, we do sell wines by the glass and by the bottle and have seating available for our guests. Are we a bar? A restaurant? No, we are, first and foremost, a wine tasting room. The other stuff is part of the perks of visiting us. Do I work in a tippable environment? That's open for debate, probably going back to the theory that tipping is optional. Do I work in the hospitality industry? I'd say yes, without a doubt. Who typically gets tips? The hospitality industry (think about who you tip - servers, bell boys, valet drivers, cab drivers, hairdressers/barbers, bar tenders, etc.). Do I expect tips? Not typically. Do I appreciate tips? You bet I do!
Maybe we've gotten so used to tipping that much of our population doesn't even realize who is getting tipped. Or if the people who deserve the tip are getting it. Think of the behind the scenes people in a restaurant - the food preparers, the dishwasher, the bus boy...without them, the 'back of the house' people, the face of the restaurant, the 'front of the house' people, don't function well. Yet, those are the ones we tip. We can only hope the rest of the crew is getting paid what they ought to be, or that the servers and host/hostesses are sharing the "wealth" at the end of their shifts.
Does the bell boy/girl or parking valet make a livable wage, or are they relying on tips to make ends meet? How do we know? Do we tip them because they managed to park our car without scratching it? Because they loaded our over-packed over-weight bags onto the trolley and brought it to our room? Are we tipping them because they did an exceptional job, or because we are expected to? Aren't they just 'doing their job' and doing it well? OH! So many questions!
Go to www.emilypost.com for the general and quick answers to tipping etiquette, but as you read it, ask yourself two questions: first - what is in the job description and what is above and beyond?, and second - are you doing it because you WANT TO or because you THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO?
Tipping, as I see it, should be because you want to and because you think it is deserved.
Ideally, all employees are paid at least minimum wage (see that word - minimum? - hello?) and what ever they earn in tips is an unexpected, unnecessary, much appreciated bonus. Workers in the tippable industries should all know their jobs duties and do them well, and treat all customers equally well (remember, this is in my perfect work environment!). Would the world be a better place if we could just interact on a level playing field and not have to worry about if we're supposed to shell out an extra buck or five because you treated me better than that table over there?
So much still up for discussion here on the issue of tipping. Surely not our most pressing issue, but maybe worth having a conversation about.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
In praise of leftovers
Admit it - you look forward to Thanksgiving not only for the great meal you'll be sharing with friends and family, but also for the promise of leftover turkey! Turkey sandwiches for lunch and maybe some turkey tetrazzini for dinner. Leftover dressing and/or stuffing for a mid night snack (or dressing waffles! Yeah...it's a thing!). Maybe some leftover mashed potatoes for potato pancakes the next morning. But what about the other 364 days of the year? What about those leftovers?
Leftovers are not always a bad thing. The trick to embracing leftovers is to get creative with them, not just reheating them a few days later. In my travels through life, I've realized that not everyone feels as I do about leftovers. Someone once told me that her husband won't even eat anything that's leftover, except maybe pizza. Really?
I know I am not the only person out there who gets excited about not only the roast chicken we're having for dinner, but the chicken enchiladas we'll be having a couple of nights later, or the chicken salad sandwiches I'll be enjoying for lunch. Or, best of all, the breakfast of chicken and gravy over a waffle with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Oh. Yum.
I've been known, on many occasions, to be half way through dinner, eyeing what's potentially leftover, and declaring how it will be, with a fried egg, perfect for breakfast the next day. I actually tell people, if it can't be served for breakfast the next day, with an egg, it may not be worth keeping. There are exceptions, of course - salad comes to mind. Just save that for lunch or a mid-day snack.
The trick to using leftovers is to create a whole new dish with the leftovers. Many times, the protein and veggies can be combined. It doesn't take a lot of effort either. Some creativity, sure, but it shouldn't be any more complicated than the original meal. Chicken, pork chops, pot roast, rice...most everything can be reimagined into another meal. Want to hear some of my tried and true uses for leftovers?
Chicken. Leftover chicken, besides being used for the aforementioned enchiladas and sandwiches, can be added to rice dishes (Chicken fried rice or Chicken and veg risotto) and pasta dishes (Chicken Alfredo, Chicken and cheese rigatoni, or in a Carbonara) very easily. Make a chicken stir-fry. Chicken tacos! And don't just use the meat - take the seasoned skin off the chicken and fry it up! Hello chicken 'bacon'!
Nearly all those ways to use leftover chicken can be done with leftover pork chops or pork roast. I've never turned leftover pork into a sandwich filling, a la pork salad (chopped with onions, mayo, and relish, for example), but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Beef really depends on how it's ben cooked for me. As long as it's been cooked to a rare or medium rare, it's easy enough to repurpose. If it's ben cooked well-done, I usually just end up using it sliced in sandwiches. If it's rarer, it's fabulous in a stir fry. Cut up the meat into strips, add it to a plastic produce bag (again, reusing what's already I the kitchen) of seasoned flour, give a good toss and fry it in a pan of hot oil for a tasty coating which also help thicken the sauce. Add the other ingredients - onions, broccoli, carrots, whatever you feel like using, and some water or beef broth or red wine or beer and some soy sauce, and serve it over rice or chow mein noodles or eggs noodles. Voila!
I'm full of ideas on how to repurpose your leftovers! Got something you can't figure out how to use? Go 'head! Try me!
Leftovers are not always a bad thing. The trick to embracing leftovers is to get creative with them, not just reheating them a few days later. In my travels through life, I've realized that not everyone feels as I do about leftovers. Someone once told me that her husband won't even eat anything that's leftover, except maybe pizza. Really?
I know I am not the only person out there who gets excited about not only the roast chicken we're having for dinner, but the chicken enchiladas we'll be having a couple of nights later, or the chicken salad sandwiches I'll be enjoying for lunch. Or, best of all, the breakfast of chicken and gravy over a waffle with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Oh. Yum.
I've been known, on many occasions, to be half way through dinner, eyeing what's potentially leftover, and declaring how it will be, with a fried egg, perfect for breakfast the next day. I actually tell people, if it can't be served for breakfast the next day, with an egg, it may not be worth keeping. There are exceptions, of course - salad comes to mind. Just save that for lunch or a mid-day snack.
The trick to using leftovers is to create a whole new dish with the leftovers. Many times, the protein and veggies can be combined. It doesn't take a lot of effort either. Some creativity, sure, but it shouldn't be any more complicated than the original meal. Chicken, pork chops, pot roast, rice...most everything can be reimagined into another meal. Want to hear some of my tried and true uses for leftovers?
Chicken. Leftover chicken, besides being used for the aforementioned enchiladas and sandwiches, can be added to rice dishes (Chicken fried rice or Chicken and veg risotto) and pasta dishes (Chicken Alfredo, Chicken and cheese rigatoni, or in a Carbonara) very easily. Make a chicken stir-fry. Chicken tacos! And don't just use the meat - take the seasoned skin off the chicken and fry it up! Hello chicken 'bacon'!
Nearly all those ways to use leftover chicken can be done with leftover pork chops or pork roast. I've never turned leftover pork into a sandwich filling, a la pork salad (chopped with onions, mayo, and relish, for example), but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Beef really depends on how it's ben cooked for me. As long as it's been cooked to a rare or medium rare, it's easy enough to repurpose. If it's ben cooked well-done, I usually just end up using it sliced in sandwiches. If it's rarer, it's fabulous in a stir fry. Cut up the meat into strips, add it to a plastic produce bag (again, reusing what's already I the kitchen) of seasoned flour, give a good toss and fry it in a pan of hot oil for a tasty coating which also help thicken the sauce. Add the other ingredients - onions, broccoli, carrots, whatever you feel like using, and some water or beef broth or red wine or beer and some soy sauce, and serve it over rice or chow mein noodles or eggs noodles. Voila!
I'm full of ideas on how to repurpose your leftovers! Got something you can't figure out how to use? Go 'head! Try me!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
On birthdays and un-birthdays
Perhaps the Mad hatter said it best in "Alice In Wonderland," when he explained to Alice the reason for celebrating one's 'un-birthday.' I believe it goes something like this:
"There are 364 days of the year that aren't your birthday. Those are un-birthdays."
The way I see it, MY birthday is the day to celebrate MY arrival into this mad, mad world. MY un-birthday is an open invitation to everyone to celebrate getting through another day in this mad, mad world. So....what's the difference between the two?
BIRTHDAYs require presents. Don't be that person who insists on 'no gifts, please.' It's your birthday, that one special day to honor YOU, and that day should be acknowledged! Acknowledged with birthday greetings and celebratory hugs and presents! The presents don't have to be expensive or spectacular (admit it, though, they'd still be acceptable if they were expensive and spectacular!). They should be thoughtful.
BIRTHDAY parties are nice, though not required. A party could be an impromptu gathering of a few friends, or a huge blow-out celebration. Sometimes the party style is dictated by the age one is celebrating - a 21st birthday calls for a certain type of soiree, while a 37th birthday calls to mind nothing as specific. Any birthday ending in five or zero (and that all-important 21st birthday) feel more significant to me.
BIRTHDAYs are a signal of a new beginning, much like your own personal New Years Day. It's your day to reflect on the year that just passed, and a time to plan for the new year ahead. No matter what age you are about to celebrate, every birthday matters.
UN-birthdays are all those days in between birthdays that need a little recognition. UN-birthdays are your reason to celebrate the joy of NOW! UN-birthdays don't require gifts, but the occasional unexpected gift is always nice to receive! UN-birthdays don't require a party, but lunch with a few friends can turn ito a party, so don't overthink it!
UN-birthdays only require you to celebrate something! Even if it's just paying homage to making it through another day without anything bad happening! Celebrate Tuesday! Celebrate the rain! Celebrate friends!
Here's to birthdays! And here's to un-birthdays! Eat! Drink! And find some reason to celebrate today!
"There are 364 days of the year that aren't your birthday. Those are un-birthdays."
The way I see it, MY birthday is the day to celebrate MY arrival into this mad, mad world. MY un-birthday is an open invitation to everyone to celebrate getting through another day in this mad, mad world. So....what's the difference between the two?
BIRTHDAYs require presents. Don't be that person who insists on 'no gifts, please.' It's your birthday, that one special day to honor YOU, and that day should be acknowledged! Acknowledged with birthday greetings and celebratory hugs and presents! The presents don't have to be expensive or spectacular (admit it, though, they'd still be acceptable if they were expensive and spectacular!). They should be thoughtful.
BIRTHDAY parties are nice, though not required. A party could be an impromptu gathering of a few friends, or a huge blow-out celebration. Sometimes the party style is dictated by the age one is celebrating - a 21st birthday calls for a certain type of soiree, while a 37th birthday calls to mind nothing as specific. Any birthday ending in five or zero (and that all-important 21st birthday) feel more significant to me.
BIRTHDAYs are a signal of a new beginning, much like your own personal New Years Day. It's your day to reflect on the year that just passed, and a time to plan for the new year ahead. No matter what age you are about to celebrate, every birthday matters.
UN-birthdays are all those days in between birthdays that need a little recognition. UN-birthdays are your reason to celebrate the joy of NOW! UN-birthdays don't require gifts, but the occasional unexpected gift is always nice to receive! UN-birthdays don't require a party, but lunch with a few friends can turn ito a party, so don't overthink it!
UN-birthdays only require you to celebrate something! Even if it's just paying homage to making it through another day without anything bad happening! Celebrate Tuesday! Celebrate the rain! Celebrate friends!
Here's to birthdays! And here's to un-birthdays! Eat! Drink! And find some reason to celebrate today!
Monday, January 11, 2016
On ageing and moving forward
I recently realized, as my daughter pointed out, that she and I are reaching milestone ages in 2016. She will be the all-important 21 in February, and I will turn half a century (50, for those who'd rather not do the math) in August. I told her I planned it that way, but I'm pretty sure she didn't believe me! Not sure I believed me, either! But, accidental or not, that's pretty cool, right?!
SHE keeps me updated with how many days until she turns twenty-one and all the things she'll get do do now. Funny how I don't seem to have the count down to fifty going! I will do my best to embrace the BIG 5-0 with grace and amusement. All the while, I'm sure I'll be wondering what kind of 21 year old things she's doing back east in NY at college.
On the plus side, she will now be old enough to add to my champagne and scotch collection on Mother's Day and my birthday and Christmas. We are a family that admittedly likes our alcohol, so gift giving for the whole clan just became easier for her!
As I approach 50, I try to focus on all the great people who hit their stride in life and careers at 'an older age' and hope I can be on that list someday. I do still remember when I turned 21 (all those years ago!), and the perceived attainment of 'adulthood' at long last. At this point, I still don't always feel 'grown-up,' so maybe those 21-49 years have been more like on-the-job training for being an adult! And in only 15 short years, unless that changes, I may qualify for senior citizen discounts! Yee-haw!
Age really (well, mostly) is just a number, though, right? A state of mind? A chronological acquisition of experience and expectation? Of course, there are legal attachments to certain ages - the right to vote, to purchase and consume alcohol, to drive, to work, to be POTUS, to receive medicare and Social Security, to this and that. All those other ages are seemingly insignificant (except maybe the ones ending in zero and five!). ALL birthdays deserve recognition and celebration, though. NEVER take a birthday for granted, my friends!
So moving onward, we go bravely into these new ages! She with a snese of adventure and empowerment, me with a sense of adventure and new found optimism. And if today, or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow is your birthday - well then - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
SHE keeps me updated with how many days until she turns twenty-one and all the things she'll get do do now. Funny how I don't seem to have the count down to fifty going! I will do my best to embrace the BIG 5-0 with grace and amusement. All the while, I'm sure I'll be wondering what kind of 21 year old things she's doing back east in NY at college.
On the plus side, she will now be old enough to add to my champagne and scotch collection on Mother's Day and my birthday and Christmas. We are a family that admittedly likes our alcohol, so gift giving for the whole clan just became easier for her!
As I approach 50, I try to focus on all the great people who hit their stride in life and careers at 'an older age' and hope I can be on that list someday. I do still remember when I turned 21 (all those years ago!), and the perceived attainment of 'adulthood' at long last. At this point, I still don't always feel 'grown-up,' so maybe those 21-49 years have been more like on-the-job training for being an adult! And in only 15 short years, unless that changes, I may qualify for senior citizen discounts! Yee-haw!
Age really (well, mostly) is just a number, though, right? A state of mind? A chronological acquisition of experience and expectation? Of course, there are legal attachments to certain ages - the right to vote, to purchase and consume alcohol, to drive, to work, to be POTUS, to receive medicare and Social Security, to this and that. All those other ages are seemingly insignificant (except maybe the ones ending in zero and five!). ALL birthdays deserve recognition and celebration, though. NEVER take a birthday for granted, my friends!
So moving onward, we go bravely into these new ages! She with a snese of adventure and empowerment, me with a sense of adventure and new found optimism. And if today, or tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow is your birthday - well then - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
Monday, January 4, 2016
Happy New Year (four days late!)!
It's the time of year to do that resolution thing. We've all done it. Next week is the time when we seem to start letting those resolutions slip away! I tried to do resolutions quarterly, thinking I could maybe keep them for three months at a time, but that didn't go so well, either. I have a friend who had decided to do her resolutions on a monthly basis - one a month. I have decided that this year - 2016 - will simply be the year of MORE and LESS.
No hard and fast YOU MUST DO'S or DON'TS. Hopefully being a bit vague will help me to live within the parameters I am setting. The ONE hard and fast rule I am setting for myself is to resurrect this blog. Hopefully, you will all be reading posts from me weekly, or at the very least, twice a month. I have two very important events happening this year - my daughter turns 21 in February, and graduates from college in May. Both will frequently talked about and/or mentioned as they approach.
But I digress. Back to those more and less New Year's Resolutions (and hoping that putting them in writing and out into the Universe, you will all hold me accountable help me achieve them.)
MORE: treadmill, painting (I'm adding watercolors to my portfolio this year!), writing, being nice (especially when I'd rather not!) to people, being me (not the someone I think people need me to be), focus, appreciating what I have, 'why not's,' and continued learning (about all things I find that pique my interest).
LESS: watching TV, commenting on my daughter's driving, harping on my husband about how much beer I think he's drinking, negativity, wanting what I do not need, 'what if's,' splurge spending and doubting my abilities.
Easy list, right? I'll check in regularly to re-read them and see how I am doing. Let me know if y'all see me slipping! Go to Facebok, like my Ness Drinks and Eats page, and stay in touch! I'll see ya'll in a week, or maybe even less!
It's the time of year to do that resolution thing. We've all done it. Next week is the time when we seem to start letting those resolutions slip away! I tried to do resolutions quarterly, thinking I could maybe keep them for three months at a time, but that didn't go so well, either. I have a friend who had decided to do her resolutions on a monthly basis - one a month. I have decided that this year - 2016 - will simply be the year of MORE and LESS.
No hard and fast YOU MUST DO'S or DON'TS. Hopefully being a bit vague will help me to live within the parameters I am setting. The ONE hard and fast rule I am setting for myself is to resurrect this blog. Hopefully, you will all be reading posts from me weekly, or at the very least, twice a month. I have two very important events happening this year - my daughter turns 21 in February, and graduates from college in May. Both will frequently talked about and/or mentioned as they approach.
But I digress. Back to those more and less New Year's Resolutions (and hoping that putting them in writing and out into the Universe, you will all hold me accountable help me achieve them.)
MORE: treadmill, painting (I'm adding watercolors to my portfolio this year!), writing, being nice (especially when I'd rather not!) to people, being me (not the someone I think people need me to be), focus, appreciating what I have, 'why not's,' and continued learning (about all things I find that pique my interest).
LESS: watching TV, commenting on my daughter's driving, harping on my husband about how much beer I think he's drinking, negativity, wanting what I do not need, 'what if's,' splurge spending and doubting my abilities.
Easy list, right? I'll check in regularly to re-read them and see how I am doing. Let me know if y'all see me slipping! Go to Facebok, like my Ness Drinks and Eats page, and stay in touch! I'll see ya'll in a week, or maybe even less!
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