All posts by Rhonda

I'm a 57 year old lover of life, family, friends, and creative writing (amongst numerous other activities, people, animals, big ideas, and things). I am a native Minnesotan now living in my happy place of "Minnesconsin". I was a case manager/social worker for many years in Wisconsin and am now ready for my new chapter in life as a writer. I enjoy writing about my day to day (mis)adventures, the people I love and those that inspire me, places I've traveled to, music that makes my world go 'round, politics and current affairs, and general observations and ideas about life and ideas on how it could be improved. My hope is that my blog will be interactive and uplifting.
Art, Arts and Crafts, Blogging, Creative Writing, GenX, Humor, Imagination, Intentionality, Mindset, Time

Do You Need Time?

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This was the question posed by the WordPress wizards in a recent daily prompt that I didn’t respond to.

I resisted the urge, until now, to provide my response to this question.

Which, of course, was “Duh!”

This, folks, could be looked at as a dumb question or it can be looked at as a question which was in dire need of context. Or, it’s a question that stoners ask each other when their high is ratcheting up and they’re lying in the grass next to each other, waxing philosophical about it.

The argument I make here is that it’s a foregone conclusion that I, along with every other human being on Planet Earth, needs time. I think the far more pressing question for us all, is if we had the time we wanted to have, what would we do with it?

True confession from the era in which I was working full-time and raising two young kids with Mr. NOA: I would sometimes fantasize as I was driving to and fro during my workday that I’d get in an accident. Ironically, I struggle with driving anxiety, but when it was just me and the open road, the fantasy would come through, completely unbidden. The car accident I’d have would not be a major one, mind you. Just enough to put me out of commission for say, a week. A week to recover. To physically and mentally rest. To not be a responsible adult for a bit. To read books and flip through magazines. To give myself a manicure. Stuff like that. To re-charge and return back to my normal routine refreshed. As this was a fantasy, I didn’t have to consider that I might be in pain or completely immobile and unable to care for myself physically.

It’s been years and years since this fantasy has made an appearance.

Yet, I have a rather long list of things I want to do rattling around in my head if I had more time. We all do, right? I think the trick is to accept that there literally isn’t enough time in the world to do every last one of these things. To find peace with it. I believe it’s really a matter of making time for doing the things that light us up the most. The things that bring us joy and positive energy. To be intentional about it.

Writing is that thing for me. Well, the biggest one anyway. I’ve been doing a lot more of it via The Artist’s Way workbook, though not for this blog. The blog has fallen by the wayside, but that’s ok. After 8 years doing this, I’m still into it, but I know that taking a sabbatical from it was most certainly not the end of the world.

Back to what I’d do if a magic “Time Fairy” granted me a boatload of time?

A short list:

  • Learn how to play my ukulele
  • Crafting (you would not believe how many Facebook reels I have saved of various creatives showing me how to make the cutest holiday crafts)
  • Treasure hunts at local thrift stores
  • Join a book club

How about you? What would you do if time was more plentiful in your life?

Now for a song by the spectacular Cindy Lauper, who just so happened to be inducted (about time LOL!) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last weekend. This makes my Gen X heart so happy!

America, American Politics, Chicago, Diversity, Storytelling, Travel

Another American City

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I’m talking about Chicago, folks. Probably one of the most fun cities to visit, in my opinion.

And the evil regime in the White House has directed their troops to invade it. It’s shocking, isn’t it? And as it happens more and more (and it will, though eventually I do believe their luck is going to run out based on “we, the people” pushing back with all we’ve got). But let’s not let the shock wear off. That’s what this administration wants. Let’s not let this ever become normal. Because it’s not, and it should never be.

Now that I have that off my chest, let me share a few anecdotes about my relationship with this great American city.

I have close family there. People I love. I’ve visited them there both when I was younger and when I was older. With my family of origin and with the family I made with Mr. NOA. I’ve visited there with a girlfriend of mine, taking the Amtrak to get there, and staying with her childhood friends who live there. The friend we stayed with was living her best single life, in her own condo right in the heart of the city. The view from her floor-to-ceiling windows was spectacular. The four of us ladies had a night on the town like no other. It culminated in us, drunk and happy, traipsing through an “adults only” store (you know the kind), giggling like a bunch of 13-year-olds.

Another time I visited this great city was with Mr. NOA. At Christmas, his gift to me (a humongous surprise), was a weekend in Chicago to celebrate the New Year (it was probably 2008). We went out on the town, getting all gussied up, me in a fancy black dress and heels, Mr. NOA in a handsome gray suit with a lavender button-down underneath. We had a very fancy schmancy seafood dinner and later many, many alcoholic beverages to ring in 2000-whatever it was.

I drank far too much that night. More than I possibly have ever in my life. The next morning was rough as hell, a sobering reminder of the nightmare of being hungover, which I hadn’t been in years. We had tickets to see “Addams Family, the Musical” at a theater downtown for that afternoon. I rallied, but not after sipping cold water while sitting as still as possible on our hotel room bed, watching “Shameless” on cable. Ironic, I thought at the time, that I’m watching this show for the first time, a show which, it could be argued, features the city of Chicago as one of the main characters.

I was hooked on that show from that point on. Upon our return home, I proceeded to watch each and every season that was to be found, and when new seasons started, I devoured them like a fiend.

I can’t help but wonder what the Gallagher clan would think, or more interestingly, how they would respond to the ICE insurrection happening in their beloved city right now. They’d surely be raising holy hell.

My wish for the people of Chicago is that they don’t back down from this fight. Not that they should try to cosplay what Kevin, V, Carl, Ian or myriad other characters of “Shameless” would likely do (because I suspect it would not be pleasant for the insurrectionists; not that there should be a goal of keeping these ICE insurrectionists comfortable with what they are doing). I like the subversive sort of trouble that I’ve seen in the news recently in Portland, where ICE has also set up shop, where folks don their blow-up costumes and dance in the streets alongside these ICE goons. To me, that’s the secret sauce to changing the tide in this country, in particular when it comes to our lively, diverse American cities which are being undeservedly harassed at the direction of the occupants of our White House.

Fortunately, the citizens of Illinois have a tough, common-sense, benevolent Governor, JB Pritzker. He is a leader. He is a helper.

It just so happens that the very first concert Mr. NOA attended together, back in about 1988, was “Chicago”. This was a band that I have enjoyed ever since I can remember. We booked a bus trip to the Twin Cities for this concert. We were by far the youngest people on this bus, which we found hilarious.

No doubt you know which musical artist is going to be featured at the end of this random blog post today, but this is one of my top favorites from this band. I think the line “listen children, all is not lost all is not lost” feels especially apropos for this particular timeline.

Art, Blogging, Creative Pursuits, Gratitude, Intentionality, Self Improvement

Unplugging and Opening Up

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I unplugged last week, for the entire week. I rejected the chatter outside of myself by not checking the news on my laptop in the mornings and throughout the day on my phone. By not scrolling social media during commercial breaks on the t.v. By not reading my latest book of choice at night before bed. And it was revelatory. I found a sense of peace and calm within myself that led me to be more present in my life.

The reason for this “unplugging”, my friends, is that it was “reading deprivation” week for the Artist’s Way course I started earlier this month.

I apologize to any of you who have not yet done Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way”, as I recognize that I just shared a spoiler. So just get it out of your head if you can while I wax on for a bit more about this experience I am having.

I’d been quasi-familiar with “The Artist’s Way”, thinking to myself that “someday” I’d actually do it. Well, it just so happened that one day last month, I saw an upcoming “Artist’s Way” online course, hosted by a blogger/creative I’ve followed and admired for several years. In one impulsive moment, I signed myself up for it, and promptly ordered the book online.

I’m hesitant to get into the details of my experience thus far with this creative project, because I, for better or worse, am wary of jinxing myself. I prefer the notion, shared with me by a former co-worker, which is “under-promise but over-deliver”. Writing this out loud, in the open, feels scary to me. But it’s the truth, Ruth.

I can say for certain that I will be repeating “The Artists Way” again, and possibly again, and again and again, in the future. It’s given me the permission I didn’t realize I needed to hyperfocus on my creative spirit. As I work through each chapter and the accompanying exercises, I gain more clarity and focus. It’s lit a fire within me and I’m grateful for that.

This is why I’m keeping this blog post short and sweet. I just want you all to know that I’m still here, still in the “game” of blogging, but making way for my creative spirit to more fully blossom via “The Artists Way”. It’s simply a bigger priority for me right now, and for that reason, the frequency of my blog posts will likely continue to be relatively low.

But you never know. My arms are wide open to the creative spirit now, so I may surprise you (and myself) by jumping on here and sharing, lamenting, and/or pontificating more frequently.

Big Important Question for you all:

Have you participated in “The Artists Way”? If so, what were your lasting impressions of the experience? Your takeaways?

Please enjoy this beautiful ballad by Sarah McClachlan, the woman behind “Lillith Fair”, which I attended with my bestie and our two husbands in 1998 (or 1999?). I recently watched the documentary about “Lillith Fair” on Netflix and this song hasn’t escaped my brain since.

But first, a pic of the event that I just found:

Fun, Humor, Intentionality, Joy, Playfulness

8 Bits of Joy

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Early on in 2025, I published a blog post about cultivating joy. I maintain this is a worthy pursuit for me AND for you. This, combined with a blogger I’ve followed for years, who, earlier this summer, published a post sharing pictures of herself in joyful moments, leads me to want to share the things that have been providing me with joy during these last gasps of summertime.

A recent picture of me in a moment of joy at the local Rutabaga Festival!

I didn’t catch his name, but one can assume it was “Rudy”, right?!

Please do me a solid and share in the comments what is bringing joy into your life right now. I think in these times, focusing on and sharing our joys could be quite beneficial, don’t you agree?

Off I go:

  1. The charcuterie board-making class that my SIL and I participated in back in July. This brought together three things I love: creative self-expression, food, and quality time with my slightly younger sister. Here’s what I created that night:

2. Ilena Tovia, who creates video content on Facebook (and no doubt other social media outlets) of herself cooking in her kitchen. I think she can best be described as “that goofy cooking lady on Facebook”, because she has an authentic goofiness to her and she never fails to crack me up.

3. Feeling uninspired by the offerings on any of the streaming apps we have on our t.v. the other night, I clicked on an episode of “The Great British Baking Show”. After hearing about this show for years, I finally watched it. What an absolute delight! The contestants and judges were kind to each other and clearly having a ball using their creative spirits to come up with often beautiful, edible works of art. I’m not big on reality/competition shows in general, so this surprised me. I think I found my new happy show!

4. At work last month, one of our awesome volunteers randomly called to ask if we all wanted some free sweet corn. He had just picked it. We took him up on his offer, and he arrived within a couple of hours with several bags of the most delicious sweet corn I’d had all summer.

5. When I’m futzing around in the kitchen, I often want to listen to music. Lately, I’ve been telling Google to play the music of the band Lake Street Dive. The main singer, Rachel, has a voice that is just something else. She and her band do a phenomenal job of covering other artists songs as well, bringing their own twist to it. Here’s a prime example:

6. French fries. One of my all-time favorite foods. And I am quite talented at making them at home in my air fryer, if I do say so myself. I wash up two or three Russets, slice them thin-nish, plop them in a mixing bowl, drizzle some good olive oil on them, and season liberally with Penzey’s Florida Seasoned Pepper, and a few shakes of corse sea salt. Let the air fryer do its magic for about 20 minutes, and it’s *chefs kiss* perfection for this french-fry enthusiast.

7. This video I saw online last week. In my opinion, Bohemian Rhapsody is high on the list of “Best Rock Songs Ever”. If you agree and want to experience a bit of joy, I hope you watch it.

8. This song. Do yourself a favor today and take a few minutes to enjoy this video!

My hope is that each one of you reading this today will make time to ponder what is bringing you pure, unadulterated joy!

Travel, Washington DC, White Privilege, American Politics, America, American History

I Love D.C. AND Hate What’s Going on There

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I’ve had the incredible fortune of visiting our nations’s capital on several occasions over the last 15-ish years. The majority of those times, it was on account of Mr. NOA being a federal employee who, from time to time, has to attend work meetings in D.C., and I’ve tagged along. Most of those visits have produced blog posts.

As an American who loves this country in spite of its flaws, I am sickened that the rotten-to-the-core tRump administration has chosen to use military force to take over the city of Washington, D.C. under the guise of combating crime. It wasn’t necessary nor requested, and it’s not cool. The DOJ actually reported not long ago that crime in this city is at its lowest in the last 30 years. The real motivation for this action is , of course, to instill fear in the people of our nation’s capital and to assert control over American society. To live out their fascist fantasies.

The times I have been in D.C., I’ve got out on my own, whilst Mr. NOA was busy with work, to explore the city using the Metro. I always feel safe there; both in the Metro and navigating the city. Now, I understand that my white privilege likely contributes to that sense of safety. Yet, I am a woman. One not trained in karate and who doesn’t carry a weapon or even pepper spray in her bag while there (or anywhere else for that matter). And while traipsing around D.C. on my own, I’ve never felt the need for any of those sorts of “reinforcements”, if you will.

It appears that soon, the monster in the White House is going to send a pack of his acolytes to review the exhibits in the Smithsonian’s museums, to determine which pieces are “woke” and therefore not to his liking, so they can be removed. This seriously pisses me off. They are literally attempting to whitewash history, depriving visitors from learning the realities of American history. This evil regime has attacked DEI and dismantled the US Department of Education, so it tracks that the Smithsonian would also be in their crosshairs.

Have you visited Washington, D.C.? If so, what did you see or do there that enlightened or amazed you?

As a fan of “good trouble”, I’m hoping to see my fellow Americans who are working, living, or just visiting D.C., in this perilous moment of American history, bring their subversive, creative selves to the table in opposition to this madness. I’m thinking something like a peaceful, dancing flash mob (perhaps to the tune of Twisted Sisters “We’re Not Gonna Take It”) on the National Mall. Or a pop-up improv group performing anti-fascism sketches outside the Smithsonian. Perhaps an outside interactive art installation highlighting our uniquely American experiences. I know, I know, these types of resistance activities will not solve the problem of our beloved Smithsonian being ransacked by these evil goons, but I’d sure love to see footage of these kinds of things. To boost morale, you know what I mean?

I firmly believe that We The People will prevail in the end, but just in case tRump gets his way with messing with our beloved Smithsonian, here’s a little photo collage of pics I’ve taken during visits there of “woke” exhibits that educated and inspired me. I’ve included a few other pics of other places I’ve had the pleasure to check out in D.C. over the years as well.

I hope you enjoy this collaborative cover of one of my favorite protest songs because “we’re right, we’re free, we’ll fight, you’ll see”!

Adult children, Blogging, Clarity, Dogs, Grandparenting, Intentionality, Lifestyle, Love, Simplicity

Perfect Timing

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Daily writing prompt
What brings you peace?
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Hey, blogger friends, regular friends, and creatives behind the scenes at WordPress 🙂

The timing of this writing prompt is weirdly perfect for me on this calm Tuesday morning here in Minnesconsin.

I haven’t published a blog post in a couple of weeks or so for a million good reasons, none of which are that I haven’t wanted to.

But right now, in this moment, I feel at peace. The house is quiet, the doggies are too (which is liable to change any second now).

The only sound I’m hearing this morning is the soft snoring of the little babe right next to me.

Yes, I’m watching our 6-week-old grandbaby Levi today while his Mommy goes to work (her second day back after maternity leave) and his Daddy attends to some important personal business until later this afternoon.

Watching him is absolutely mesmerizing to me. Those little fluttering eyelids and occasional smiles as he enjoys his sweet baby dreams. The little bit of drool escaping his perfect little rosebud lips. Those soft cheeks that are getting chubbier by the day.

Any thoughts I had upon waking this morning about what needs to get done on my ever-evolving “to-do” list have evaporated. This babe with spit bubbles forming on his lips is all that matters right now, and I’m going to soak up this beautiful peace this morning and let things be.

Blogging, Camping, Dogs, family, Grandparenting, Lifestyle, Relaxation, Summer

What’s Up

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Our newest grandson, Levi, was born healthy and beautiful on 6/28. He’s got the cute little nose gene from Mr. NOA’s side of the family. He’s got blond hair, like his daddy and his 11-year-old brother. He is simply precious and so very loved.

On the day Levi was born, our oldest grandson (the 11-year-old) and I took our kayaks out on the lake for the first time. One thing checked off my summer bucket list! The kid was a natural in his kayak. Me, not so much. But I did not, to my surprise and delight, tip mine over, despite how wobbly I was for the first 15 minutes in that thing.

We “hosted” our daughter’s family’s puppy, Dash, for a couple of weeks while they settled in at home with baby Levi. They have another dog, the scrappy daschund/pug mix, Max, and the two of them together in a house with a new baby and two other kids is a lot for them to handle. Mr. NOA and I made it clear to the kids that we are open to keeping Dash for good. He and Radar get along well, and Dash really benefits from having an older dog around to model how to be a good boy.

Dash in a rare moment of rest
Radar, the OG

A couple of weekends ago, Mr. NOA pulled the camper out of it’s space next to the “We Shed”, after it sat unused for the better part of three years. We cleaned it from top to bottom, inside and outside. We took it, along with Radar, up to the Northland to visit family and friends last weekend. It was so good to reconnect with the people we love and soak up the natural beauty of our surroundings.

Dash stayed with the kids while we were away. While it went well for them, they did ultimately decide that Dash is better off staying with us for good.

So, now we are a two dog household!

As far as blogging goes, I’m taking things in stride. Life has been more eventful (clearly) as of late, so publishing posts here has been sporadic. I suspect it will continue to be so throughout the remainder of this summer.

A few pics from our trip to the Northland:

Instead of my usual song at the end of this post, I’m sharing a video I took on my sister and her husband’s property last weekend. I’ve gotten slightly better at taking videos with my phone, but I do apologize for the speed at which I moved it as I was capturing this footage. I hope it’s not too jarring. I recommend having the sound up so you can better appreciate the soothing sounds of the babbling Baptism River.

Baptism River July 2025
4th of July, America, democracy, Diversity, Hope, Mindset

It’s the 4th of July

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And I’ve got some thoughts and feelings to share.

I’m hesitant to celebrate this day, because I’m just so disappointed in where we are as a nation. My heart feels heavy and my natural optimistic tendencies are waning.

As you all are likely aware, the bill that strips the poor of their health care, will likely lead to the closure of rural hospitals (like the one my newest grandson was born at), takes food away from families that rely on SNAP, greatly increases spending for the ICE thugs to kidnap and disappear both law-abiding undocumented immigrants and American citizens alike, while giving billionaires tax cuts that will surely not “trickle down” to benefit working folks like you and me, passed in the Senate yesterday.

My fellow Americans, the country we grew up in is not the same. It’s been reshaped by greed and cruelty. We have fallen so far. Our nation’s people have been monumentally manipulated by power-hungry, evil actors.

My biggest hope is that we’ll somehow get ourselves out of this horrific mess. A revolution, powered by the people of America, is needed now. I sense it is coming. I pray it will be peaceful, but I recognize that is unrealistic. There’s too much anger (the righteous kind) amongst our populace and we’re scrappy…right? There’s so many of us that did not consent to this baloney.

Suffice it to say, I’m unable to muster any sense of pride in America today.

The best I can do is continue to speak out, stand up for what is right, and focus on the America that could be. The America that celebrates the immigrant. The America that feeds the hungry and lifts up the poor. The America that stands for due process and the freedom to love, live, and pursue each citizen’s own version of happiness. The America that works to preserve democracy, the health of our planet, and the well-being of all the people living here.

So, Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate and those whose heart is just not in it this year.

I may not be proud of America at the moment, but I love her anyway.

Dogs, Grandparenting, Lifestyle, Simplicity

What’s on your Summer Bucket List?

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The thing about summer is that it’s so fleeting. It comes up so fast and before you know it, the leaves are changing and the temps are dropping. Boats are put away for the season and kids are getting back to school.

Here in Minnesconsin, it is just now starting to feel like a proper summer. We have had so much rain it’s ridiculous. And if it wasn’t raining, it was in the high 90’s. As a result, we’ve been spending more time indoors than we had hoped to.

Today, however, it’s in the mid-70’s with nary a cloud in the sky. Mr. NOA and I are planning to take a cruise on our pontoon once he’s done with his workday.

I have a history of being that person with lots of grand ideas about cramming as much fun into the summer season as possible. I’m determined that this summer, with our newest grandson about to be born (daughter is being induced on Friday!), things will be less frenzied than summers past.

There’s no big travel plans on the horizon, save for a few days visiting my side of the family in northern Minnesota. We are, for the most part, staying put.

But staying put doesn’t mean fun isn’t going to be had. The fun, however, will be localized and simple.

Things like making homemade ice cream with the fancy machine my awesome SIL got me for Christmas. As many pontoon rides as possible. ‘Smores over the campfire. Putting ice cubes in the kiddy pool for Radar and our kid’s two dogs to play in on a hot day. Drinking wine on the patio at our local winery. Seeing a summer blockbuster movie in the theater. Playing croquet in the yard with our 11-year-old grandson. Gardening and further beautifying our outdoor space. Getting out in our kayaks.

And of course, rocking that baby.

I’ve created a Spotify playlist for our pontoon excursions this summer. It’s filled with “yacht rock” style music, mostly from the 70’s and 80’s. I’ll be adding this one as soon as I hit the publish button on this post.

Please share what’s on your summer bucket list in the comments!

Arts and Crafts, Creative Pursuits, family, Grandparenting, Gratitude, Lifestyle, Love, marriage

For the Love of Quilt

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Over the course of my life, I have been fortunate to be the recipient of several quilts and afghans.

My mom, Bonnie, was so creative. I am a creative spirit as well, but the execution of my creative ideas is historically pretty spotty. One of Bonnie’s creative pursuits was sewing quilts and making afghans. They are some of my most prized possessions.

I am in awe of those who can create in this way. I never had the manual dexterity nor the type of brain required to create works of art such as these. In fact, I vividly recall back in about 8th grade being unable to finish the sundress I was supposed to make in Home-Ec class. My BFF, who had decided to sew herself a sundress alongside me in this class, also had a mother who was a talented seamstress, I wound up relying on her to finish my pitiful project. God bless that woman. Don’t ask me why I didn’t ask Bonnie for help, because I don’t recall. I imagine shame was involved.

This is all to say that I cherish the quilts and afghans that have been bequethed to me over the years because of the love, artistry, and tedious work that was put into them.

If you’ve been reading this little blog of mine for a bit, you may recall that Mr. NOA and I recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. There was one very special gift we were given as a wedding present.

It was this quilt.

It was made by Paula, the wife of Mr. NOA’s boss at the time, a man named Ken. Mr. NOA, who is a bit more than 3 years younger than me, was in his last year of college when he was hired by Ken, who ran a small vending machine business that stocked vending machines on our college campus and the larger community. Ken was blind and needed someone to not only help him with the manual labor of stocking the vending machines but he also needed a driver.

The fact that Paula, whom I believe I only met once or twice, sewed this quilt for us to commemorate our new marriage, really touched our hearts.

This quilt has been laid on by drooling babies (our daughter being the first). It has kept us warm while we laid under it on our tent-camping trips. It has served as protection for us as a family from the rugged ground it covered as we watched the fireworks on the 4th of July or enjoyed live music outdoors.

For the last three years, however, this quilt has been quietly taking up space in the trunk at the foot of our bed.

As I got a wild hair the other night and decided to pull this beauty out of its hiding spot, Mr. NOA and I talked about its future.

I think one of two things ought to happen: I find a local seamstress who can restore it to it’s former glory (if you zoom in, you can see the rips and tears here and there), OR I find another creative who can repurpose it. I’m thinking they would carefully cut it up and place it in a shadowbox frame. Maybe a couple of them, so baby Levi (who’s coming soon!) can have one hanging in his room too.

Mr. NOA, on the other hand, said he thinks we should just…let it be. Keep it in it’s current form and use it as we always have. Maybe we could lay it out in our yard late at night and gaze at the stars with it underneath our outstretched bodies. Maybe it could be cover for our 11 year-old grandson when he’s sleeping overnight with us in our camper. Maybe we pull it out for Levi to rest on when he’s at our house and it’s “tummy time”.

Knowing myself as I think I do, I feel a sense of urgency to decide this beloved heirloom’s fate; otherwise there’s a damn good chance it’s going back in the trunk and forgotten about while my brain comes up with yet another creative repurposing idea that may never come to fruition.

~As always, I have a song to share that fits the vibe I’m in while writing this piece today~