Category Archives: Happiness

Grandparenting, Happiness, Humor, Joy, Storytelling, Summer Fun

The Alphabet Game

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Over the 4th of July weekend, my daughter, 10 year-old grandson and I went on a road trip together to visit family and friends.

As we were making our way up to the “Northland”, my grandson was immersed in playing games on his tablet in the backseat. After a while, I could hear the voice of one of those young adult “gaming bros” on their YouTube channel going on in their annoyingly enthusiastic manner about whatever game they were playing.

The grandma in me decided I had enough of that business. I suggested, with no actual confidence that this suggestion was going to be embraced by the kid, that we could play the “alphabet game”.

You know this one, right? I can’t imagine it was just my family (actually, me and my Mom, Bonnie) that played this on long car rides.

Anyway. It’s a simple game. All you do is start with the letter “A”. You “spy with your little eye” that one simple letter. You might find it on a sign. Or on the license plate of the vehicle that just passed you. Then, of course, you loudly exclaim “I found an A!” and proceed onto the letter “B” and so on until you get to “Z”. The first person who gets all the way through the alphabet wins.

Thankfully (or perhaps not, as it became a bit of an obsession over the course of the weekend), the kiddo latched onto this suggestion of mine with gusto.

Playing this game with him on this road trip was a huge highlight of this grandma’s summer. The “Alphabet Game” did the following wonderful things: it gave this bright boy a mental challenge. It gave us an opportunity to interact with each other for a sustained period of time. It got him off that obnoxious “gamer boy/man” YouTube channel so my daughter and I didn’t have to suffer through it any longer. It gave me a great memory. My hope as this boy’s grandma is that he was imprinted with a great memory too.

Baby, this kid is a firework indeed.

Gratitude, Happiness, Lifestyle, Relaxation, Simplicity, Summer, Words

Lollygagging Season is Here

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I love the word “lollygagging”. I don’t know where it came from, but let me Google it to satiate my curiosity.

For me, it means lazing about. Taking one’s own sweet time. Such a luxury when we can do that, right? Just going at our own pace without the pressure of having to get something done in a set amount of time.

Yep, I’m right. It’s akin to dawdling or dilly-dallying (two other words I adore). It’s an Americanism that first appeared around the 1860’s.

From dictionary.com: “To lollygag is to dilly-dally, dawdle, loaf around, or goof off. If you’re lollygagging, you’re wasting time by moving slowly or doing something less important than what you should be (or doing nothing at all).

Lollygag is primarily used in the United States. It is synonymous with the very similar spelled lallygag, but lollygag is more commonly used. Both are very informal.

Example: Coach yelled at Spencer for lollygagging at practice.“

I’m so damn good at doing lollygagging. It’s like a skill of mine. Only it’s not useful-though it could be argued that it’s useful on a personal level in that it calms me. It gives me a sense of peace. Especially if there’s no other human in my midst to disturb my dawdling, lollygagging joy.

My favorite and most natural space in which to lollygag is in the early-ish morning hours while I’m still in bed. I’ve never been one to jump out of bed, ready to rock when the alarm goes off. My body is completely relaxed. I’m by myself (Mr. NOA is a life-long early riser), so I can do a big ‘ol stretch and not push anyone to the floor in the process. Sometimes, my brain is still hanging on to the last images from the dream I just had. The opaque sheers are blowing slightly against the bedroom windows, prompted by the air coming through the floor vent underneath it, as if breathing. The room is quiet and semi-dark. I’m sleepy and beginning to vaguely ponder what the day may have in store for me. I yawn and glance towards the end of the bed, where my beautiful boy Radar is laying and yawning too.

It’s luxurious and blissful and quite possibly my favorite part of the day.

On another (musical) note, let me share with you a song I heard recently for the first time. It is certainly going on my summer playlist to enjoy when we’re out lollygagging on our pontoon.

Happiness, Lifestyle, Live Concerts, Music, Rock and Roll

A Bottle of Red, A Bottle of White

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Guess who I’m seeing live in concert on Friday night?

Any of you who are fans of this artist can likely guess this based on the title of this blog post.

It’s Billy Joel! The “piano man” himself!

A significant benefit of living here in Minnesconsin is our proximity to the Twin Cities, which allows us to easily attend concerts and other happenings in Minneapolis or St. Paul. It’s not much more than an hours drive away for us.

Months ago, my wonderful sister-in-law purchased the tickets online for us and Mr. None of the Above. SIL is also a big fan of BJ’s and had seen him perform live several years ago and told us it was probably the best live concert she had ever seen.

To top it off, Stevie Nicks is on this tour as well. I’m so curious about what songs (his or hers?) they will perform together (assuming they do this at all, but they will, right?!).

Side note: I cheated and googled these two artists and learned that at other venues on this joint tour, they performed “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, Stevie’s song with Tom Petty. I’ll let myself be surprised by whatever other songs they perform together on Friday night.

Let me just tell you, I have been a huge Billy Joel fan since I was probably 12-years old. In fact, “52nd Street” was one of the first vinyl albums I purchased to play on my turntable in my bedroom. I remember reading the liner notes, singing each song along with Billy. Before long, I knew all the words of all these songs by heart.

In fact, the first album I bought when Mr. None of the Above got me my requested gift of a turntable for Christmas last year, was “52nd Street”. My original copy is now in possession of another, as I donated it to charity along with the rest of my vinyl collection and old turntable many years ago when we were downsizing in preparation for a move.

The song I’m perhaps most excited to hear live is “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”. It’s always been a favorite of mine. I recall sitting atop my yellow gingham-checked bedspread with the canopy above it, listening/singing to this song. It would get me dreaming up a romantic rendezvous with a young, dark-haired stud at an Italian restaurant in NYC. It was just one of those songs that painted a specific picture for me, one that was, of course, fueled by teenage-girl hormones.

Really, all of Billy Joel’s songs tell a story, which is why I am so drawn to his music.

Have you ever seen him live? If so, tell me all about it in the comments! If not, share your favorite song of his instead. I’d love to know what yours is!

***Header image courtesy of https://quotefancy.com/quote/1228037/Randy-Harrison-Storytelling-with-music-is-a-really-powerful-device***

Americana Music, Baking, Gratitude, Happiness, Lifestyle, Recipes, Simplicity

A Sweet Tuesday

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The Tuesday before last, while Mr. None of the Above (my husband, AKA my “hubs”) was out of town for work, I had myself a lovely day.

My work schedule (it makes me so happy to type those words, you guys) is 9-4 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This means on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am free to do as I please, especially when the Mr. is out of town.

I was so grateful for that day.

That Tuesday was the first day of the fall season here in Minnesconsin that felt like fall. It was overcast and about 60 degrees out.

A perfect day to do one of my very favorite things in the world: bake.

This past summer, I published a blog post about the rhubarb patch in my front yard. I found some great recipes for said rhubarb, which included a delectable and simple-to-make rhubarb sauce. In that post, I mentioned a recipe I found for orange bread. It was handwritten by my mom, bequethed to her by her father. Grandpa Frazer, it turns out, was quite the baker. I wrote about how I’d like to make that orange bread “one of these days” and pair it with the rhubarb sauce.

A slice of the finished product!

So, on that sweet Tuesday, while listening to some chill tunes on my Google nest, I did just that. Gosh, it was such an enjoyable experience. A simple pleasure. Very K.I.S.S. of me.

The bread, as well as the rhubarb sauce, was delectable. It was a beautiful pairing of sweet and tart.

Here’s the recipe:

Mix together 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon shortening. Add 1 egg. Add in 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Once that’s all mixed up, add 1/3 cup (and per my mom’s instructions, add water to make 1 cup-or just add 2/3 cup of water-ha ha!). Grate some orange peel and add it to the mix. Once it’s all nice and mixed up, put it into a greased and floured bread pan and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Now, for the rhubarb sauce:

There’s not much to it at all, as you don’t need to do much measuring.

Put 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced rhubarb, a little sugar, a little water, and a bit of orange or lemon juice. Cook it up on the stove, smooshing the fruit as it cooks (unless you like chunky fruit in your sauce). I added some sliced strawberries for a little extra sweetness, but it’s not necessary.

As I said earlier in this post, while baking that Tuesday (I made banana chocolate chip muffins that day too), I enjoyed listening to some chill tunes. Along with some of my favorites (The Avett Brothers and Dawes), I hummed and sang along to songs from the great Minnesota rock band, the Jayhawks.

Here’s one of their best songs, IMHO. Enjoy!

Fall, Gratitude, Happiness, Lifestyle, Photography, Summer Fun

Wrapping up Summer and Forging into Fall

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My new reality began yesterday, as I’m back in the workplace after a sweet hiatus (aka Gap Year). I prepped myself ahead of time for a few days by setting my alarm for earlier and getting my butt in gear within a more reasonable amount of time. My closet has been over-hauled as a new job means work appropriate clothes needed to be excavated.

I get to wear my nicer clothes again! One of the simple things to be grateful for.

I think this job is going to suit me very well. My new co-workers welcomed me with open arms. I was given a new magnetic name tag which made it more real. I’m excited to go back tomorrow!

Fall doesn’t “officially” begin until September 23rd. Yet, with the leaves beginning to morph from green to gold and reddish hues here, along with starting my new job, it is starting to feel like fall to me.

All of the time I got to hang out with family, friends, and neighbors these past few months made for a great summer.

I’ve been aiming to include more photos in these blog posts. Due to struggles with getting our internet to comply with my frequent “save to drive” attempts, I don’t have as many photos as I’d like for sharing. Just a little downside to this country/lake lifestyle. But here’s a few showing the highlights from our first full summer here in Minnesconsin.

My Splashing Strawberry from a “Sip and Paint” experience at Dragonfly Winery
Mr. “None of the Above” (formerly known in this space as “Hubs”) and me riding the bus to the Minnesota State Fair
Weird Barbie at the Minnesota State Fair
View of our lake on our maiden voyage with the new pontoon
Five frightened baby raccoons climbing a tree in our backyard
Floating and Motorboating with the fam, Labor Day weekend 2023 (Jimmy Buffet was on repeat all day) #RIPJimmy

My daughter and I will be meeting up with my sister and one of our cousins next weekend to visit family in central Minnesota. We’ll be staying overnight at our uncle Jim’s cabin. This has been an annual trip for my sister and cousin. Every single year, as we were always living too far away, I was envious of them for getting to go. No more!

There’s other things happening in these parts over the next several weeks as well. Namely, a couple of fall festivals to check out. I’m looking forward to enjoying these with my family and neighborhood friends.

A few blog posts ago, I mentioned that I was making a list of all of the local places I want to check out here in Minnesconsin. I got a good start on that list and intend to get cracking on it ASAP. Cross your fingers that I will be able to capture great pics and memories to enjoy and share in future posts!

And now, I present to you my favorite, well one of my favorites, Jimmy Buffet songs.

Changes, Empty Nesting, Frugality, Gap Years, Grandparenting, Gratitude, Happiness, Home, Lifestyle, Self-Reflection, Work

The One Year Anniversary of House Number 8

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Last Saturday was our 1 year homeowner anniversary.

If you’re new to my blog, here’s the story of why I refer to it as “house number 8”.

What an enlightening year it’s been. Another “Gap Year” for me (a year in which I was unemployed). Similar, yet different, to the “Gap Year” I enjoyed when we moved to Colorado in 2016.

Hubs and I got to experience a full 4 seasons here, for which I have much gratitude. Here’s a few images of the seasons in this beautiful place that we get to live in.

The primary difference between these two “Gap” years is that the one I’m in now is quieter. It didn’t start out that way, with me caring for our grandson while he was struggling with emotional and behavioral challenges. Over time, gratefully, his village of supporters grew and he began to thrive.

The more recent calm and quiet of my day-to-day life has given me the opportunity to pause and reflect. To sit with my thoughts and get curious about them. It’s led me to more fully embrace “K.I.S.S.”, my favorite mantranym, which, in this instance, stands for “Keep It Simple Sister”.

What does that look like? How am I consiously keeping things simple?

It looks like making meals at home that don’t have an inordinate amount of ingredients or steps. It looks like breaking up household chores in smaller increments. It looks like planning and executing un-fussy get-togethers with our neighbors. It looks like leaning into a more frugal lifestyle by consciously spending less money and time shopping. It looks like not over-committing socially, to allow for time to marinate in the peace and quiet of this country/lake life.

I realize this might sound boring to you all, but it works for me as well as my Hubs. A simple life=a happy life for me and mine.

As we celebrate our 1 year ownership of this home, the “Gap Year” that I’ve been in, here in Wisconsin on the edge of Minnesota (aka Minnesconsin), is drawing to a close. Employment is coming to me soon. I’m ready for it.

I start a new part-time job as an office assistant in a local non-profit next Wednesday. I feel really good about this new chapter of my life.

The most gorgeous flower bouquet ever, courtesy of my wonderful in-laws to congratulate me on the new job

These lifestyle changes I’ve made (and there’s more yet to be made, mind you) in the last year are sure to serve me well as I make my return to the work force.

I am grateful, grounded, and geared-up.

Happiness, Inspiration, Life, Planning, Positivity, Psychology, Self Improvement

Happiness is Having Something to Look Forward to, Part 2

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I published a blog post almost 5 years ago in which I wrote about happiness being having something to look forward to.

The reason I’m revisiting this concept now is because it still feels relevant to me. I also believe it could help you.

Here’s a simple exercise I invite you to do right now. Or, if your time is limited today, maybe it’s something you could ponder for a bit and circle back to later.

Take a pen and paper and write down the following question: what am I looking forward to?

I caution you to not overthink this question. Ironic, coming from me, as I have a tendency to overthink things, sometimes to the extreme. Sometimes to the point where I have to pivot in my mind and shake things off. Turn my attention to something completely different or just journal like a madwoman to release the anxiety.

Anyway, the point is to keep it simple. Use the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sister-or Sailor, or Son, or Silly-whatever works for you).

Simple like the image that inspired me to write the original post.

“Looking forward” in our minds, I think, releases endorphins and puts us in a frame of mind of excited anticipation. It can help us to get on with it and do what it is we need to do to prepare for the event, whatever it may be. It gets us to look up, towards the future, and not down, where the past is collecting dust.

A crucial part to having something to look forward to, cultivating the positive feelings that it engenders, is planning. It’s taking charge of what we want to do and coming up with a plan to make it happen.

As Dr. Alex Lickerman says in a Psychology Today article I read, “when I’ve looked for the difference between my happy days and my unhappy days, I’ve noticed that the former are frequently filled with thoughts about something I look forward to, while the latter are practically empty of them”.

Think about that for a minute. Can you relate?

Dr. Lickerman further states in this article “anticipatory pleasure is so important to my sense of well-being, in fact, that I now plan my life in such a way that I almost always have something to look forward to”.

As a planner and an optimist, this statement from Dr. Lickerman reflects how I’ve been living my life.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to in this moment: Taking myself out tomorrow for a little shopping in the sweet little town 15 minutes away from me. The temps have gone up, much of the snow has melted, and I feel joyful at the thought of driving the country roads to get there with my music cranked up and finding some treasures to zhuzh up my outdoor (and possibly indoor) space.

Here’s a song to get you motivated, if you need to find something to look forward to in the days ahead. Because “yesterday’s gone”.

Friendships, Happiness, Home, Lifestyle, Positivity

Home is Minnesconsin

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In several of my recent blog posts, I’ve talked about living in “Minnesconsin”. I just popped it in there on my blog posts since we moved back to Wisconsin from the Denver metro. No real explanation at all.

So this is a blog post to explain it. It’s important to me to share with you all the love I have for living where I do. Because “Minnesconsin” is my favorite place to live. My happy place.

I think people should know about this beautiful area of the U.S. and all that it has to offer.

Do you love where you are live like I do?

From the time we got engaged and moved in together (1989), until 2022, Hubs and I (and our kids many of these times), have moved 10 times. We have lived in 5 states in that span of time: Minnesota, Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Colorado.

This fall, my BFF and her husband came for a visit. This was the first time they had seen our house. Their visit reinforced for me why it was such a good decision for us to settle in this area: our friends only had to drive a bit over 2 hours to get here. We haven’t lived this close to these dear friends of ours since I was pregnant with my second kid and we all lived in the Twin Cities metro. Many, many moons ago.

Minnesconsin is a very particular geographic location in Wisconsin (or Minnesota for that matter) that is a mere 35 to 60 minute drive to Minnesota (or Wisconsin). It’s like the best of both worlds to me.

If you’re interested, you can click here for the urban dictionary’s definition of Minnesconsin. It provides a bit more detail.

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have my heart. You see, I was born and raised in Minnesota but spent many years of my adult life living in Wisconsin. Minnesconsin is where I was supposed to land all this time. Hubs feels the same way; that’s why we’re so happy here. It feels good and right.

Before we left Wisconsin for Colorado (2016), my friend Stacy (also from Minnesota originally), gave me a framed piece of art with the shape of the state of Wisconsin on it with the word “home” written on it. When I first saw it, I said “oh, cool, that’s the state of Colorado” (got a big old D in college geography, folks), then we all had a big laugh. At the time, I wasn’t thinking that we’d end up back in the state, at least not any time soon. I was hyper-focused on moving to and living in Colorado at the time.

Now we’re Minnesota Vikings fans in Cheesehead Country. We’re Wisconsin Supper Club fans from “way up in da northland”. We’re people from the “land of 10,000 lakes” who love the country/lake life in Sconny.

Our house is just a hair over an hour drive to the Minneapolis airport. Just over two hours to Duluth, near where I was born and raised. Yet, in Wisconsin near my in-laws, and now my daughter and grandson.

Minnesconsin is also a great place to visit, especially in the summer. There are small town festivals going on most weekends. Lots of lakes to boat and fish on and places to rent boats and other water toys. Beautiful trails to hike on and great little hole-in-the-wall bar/restaurants as well as the aforementioned supper clubs to dine in.

If you like snow and are not adverse to very cold temps, Minnesconsin is a fun spot to visit in the winter. About 20 minutes from our house, there’s a skiing and snow-tubing place. There are snow and ice-sculpting festivals happening on the weekends in the winter months around these parts. And, of course, opportunities for ice fishing on many of our lakes.

I’m looking forward to exploring more of Minnesconsin as time goes on as well as sharing tales on my exploits with you!

***Header image courtesy of https://untappd.com/b/hop-and-barrel-brewing-minnesconsin-lager/2402108 and Hop and Barrel Brewing

Blogging, Celebrate, Dancing, Fun, Happiness, Joy, Laughter, Playlists, Positivity, Spontaneity

8 Things I do for Fun

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List five things you do for fun.

This was the daily prompt from WordPress and I’ve decided to go with it.

I am a fan of having fun. I think putting a pause on our adult responsibilities to be playful is good for our spirits.

Also at play here is that my birthday is coming up very soon and I’m excited to celebrate it with my family. My brain is in party mode!

I’m going to share not just 5, but 8 things that I do for fun. Because 8 is my lucky number, folks.

What do you like to do for fun?

Fun for me is:

  • Playing group board games like “Ransom Notes”, “Apples to Apples”, or “Scrabble” with family and/or friends. This is a guaranteed way to share laughs together. I love the feeling of relaxation in my whole body after some good old fashioned belly laughs.
  • Dance. Sometimes alone in my kitchen. Sometimes with my grandson when he challenges me to “dance-offs”. The more spontaneous the dancing is, the better. That’s where the joy is.
  • Creating music playlists. My method is to think of a mood I want to create or a genre I want to re-visit, then search online for songs under that category. While this is a more introverted way to have fun, often the end result is that I get to share these playlists with the special people in my life.
  • Thrift store shopping. It’s a surprising treasure hunt every time and freeing as well, as it’s guilt-free. I don’t come out of a thrift store with my purchases feeling bad about spending money, because I never spend that much. Even better, the money I spend often goes toward a cause that supports and lifts others up.
  • This. Blogging. Interacting with all of you in the comments.
  • Decorating my house. Using home decor I kept from our previous house in new ways. Finding just the right spot to put that cool piece of pottery I found at a thrift store. It’s a simple and creative activity that just tickles me.
  • Photography. Now, I don’t claim or even aim to be a professional photog necessarily. It’s just fun for me to capture shots in the day to day with my cell phone.
Karl the cat, when he came to visit last week
  • Spending time on the water. Trolling for fish in a boat while the sun warms my skin. Looking forward to doing this on our pontoon (the one we plan to buy in the next few months) this summer!

Gratitude, Happiness, Home, Home Decor, Lifestyle

It’s Wednesday and I’m in Love

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Hubs and I are in the new house and mostly settled, at long last.

This is me, coming up for air.

This is also me, who has made a self-promise to not overthink the writing of this post.

So.

I am in love with our new house. I’m deeply into the “nesting” stage of this process and I’m enjoying the hell out of it.

I’m going to avoid the temptation to regale you with the saga that was working with our moving company, and the relocation services company that I overpaid to hire them. I say this not only because I’m more dedicated than ever to find and celebrate the good, but this saga began at the end of April and ended, thankfully, at the end of August. And I’m so over it.

Let me just tell you about the “nesting” process I am currently basking in.

It’s reminiscent of 30 odd years ago when I was about to give birth to my first baby. It’s this burst of energy coupled with hopes for the future and it compels me to organize, decorate, and bake.

I’ve been shopping a lot on Wayfair and Etsy, in search of just the right things to craft this joint into our dream home. To get the aesthetic right. It’s fun to get packages most every day; it’s like Christmas for me!

I feel so fricking blessed, lucky, and deep-in-my-bones happy right now.

In the spirit of efficiency with your time and mine, here’s a few pics of the house at the moment. I’m determined to keep things simple these days. Plus, I have zucchini muffins to make using the zucchinis in our garden today.

My new kitchen
The hutch mmahttps://pollyannaspath.com/2018/06/27/the-story-of-the-traveling-hutch/
Our little sunporch
Front Door
Garden!
Butterfly garden out front