Does your travel game need an upgrade?Do you struggle with packing toiletries?These Cadence pods may be the step up you’re looking for. For years I have been disappointed in the travel toiletry containers I have purchased. My hair gel and argan oil were absorbed into a silicone tube that was, as promised, leak-proof, but apparently…
Laugh
Even the gods love jokes. — Plato
Life changes
Bartlet, the Cockapoo-in-Chief at our house, just turned one this Spring. In two weeks, it will be one year since he came home. Where has time gone? And where did my previous life go? So, here’s the thing: I didn’t have that much of a social life to begin with. But, ever since getting a…
You are your purpose.
When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career. Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. – Chadwick Boseman
Healthier(ish) chocolate chunk cookies
And yes, I do feel better about life eating these. I’m doing it. I am actually trying to eat healthier. This isn’t a New Year resolution; this is a change. But, I still need a little decadence. Enter Half Baked Harvest and a slew of other blogs. So, what makes these cookies healthy? No added…
Living with the Cockapoo-in-Chief
For 21 years I lived alone. Four weeks ago I got a puppy. My, how things have changed. Let me begin with, I love this little guy. I really do. That said, living in this little dude’s world is like being stuck in an episode of “The Brady Bunch,” where I’m Alice. Except instead of…
A little late to the puppy party
My world is about to flip upside down, but in a good way. I’ve finally done it. I’ve committed to a puppy. Growing up, we always had dogs on the farm. Free to good home dogs. Dogs that just showed up at the farm and stayed. Dogs that needed a family. Dogs from neighbors’ litters….
The goodness of Guatemala…
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of my first solo international trip, when wanderlust outweighed patience. As they say, “If you always wait for the time to be perfect, you may find yourself waiting a long time.” My wanderlust has not always fit into my friends’ calendars. For years I had waited for the time…
The solid “click” of a well-built pack. Boundary(s) welcome.
Keen modular design, Bluesign® sustainable materials – Boundary Supply deserves consideration. Kickstarter. It all started for me on Kickstarter in 2017. I was on a quest to find the ideal travel backpack for my needs, combining space for my camera equipment, laptop or tablet, chargers and cords, books, headphones, etc., all in a relatively compact…
From outdoor fireplace to a pizza oven… I hope.
ISO ideas for revamping my existing outdoor fireplace into an oven. Let me pick your brain… My 1971 ranch home has an existing outdoor fireplace. I would love to convert it to an outdoor oven for pizzas, breads, etc.. But, I have zero experience in this area. This post may be wishful thinking, but I…
Send the teachers wine.
As a teacher, all I can say is 2020 is one wild ride. Well, I think my classroom is as ready as it is going to get this year. I went in this morning and made sure: desks are spaced as much they can be all fabric and cushioned chairs are in storage surfaces aren’t…
Good company or the best?
“My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.’ ‘You are mistaken,’ said he gently, ‘that is not good company, that is the best.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion
Too many cookbooks? Is that possible?
I love cookbooks, but they can take up a lot of space and be quite expensive. I love cookbooks. I read them like novels (see “Cookbooks that Read Like Novels”). But, at $25-35 a pop, it doesn’t always make sense to buy the cookbook just to read it or try a recipe or two. So,…
Listen.
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” ― Ernest Hemingway
Travel journals
Most seasoned travelers I know keep a journal of their trips. But, no two travelers journal exactly the same way. I think a traveler’s journal reveals much about the traveler. My first trip to Europe, and my first “big” tour ever was in 2005. I was a teacher, co-leading a group of teenagers on a…
Schlepping Life 