Category Archives: Positivity

Adventure, Hope, Intentionality, Positivity, Spring, Travel, Writing

Re-Re-Re: Number 5

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What comes to mind when you hear the word “renew”?

If I’m being honest, when the word “renew” is uttered I cringe a little. Because “renew” makes me think of things I have to do. Things like renewing my driver’s license, car insurance, tabs on our truck. And library books (check out this cool article I read a few weeks ago about an artist who uses old library check out cards for her pieces). The things we do, perhaps begrudgingly, as responsible adults.

Not very “pollyana-ish” of me, is it?

Time for me to shake off the cringiness and consider alternate applications of the word “renew”. I mean, it’s springtime after all, and isn’t this season all about renewal anyway?

The ground beneath our feet is in it’s renewal era at the moment. Here in Minnesconsin, the multiple inches of snow we got earlier this month has melted entirely. The ground is soaking up that moisture as we speak , beginning a state of renewal. Soon, our yard and gardens will come alive with new growth. I anticipate my interest in spending time outdoors and doing the work required to nourish this new growth will be renewed.

What does renewal look like to you? What does it feel like?

Maybe you’re feeling that you want to renew your sense of adventure. Try things altogether new. Visit places you’ve never been. I’m doing this by obtaining my very first passport, ASAP. It’s not going to happen for a while, but Mr. NOA and I will be traveling to Canada. My hope is to meet and learn more about my dad’s side of the family from Quebec. The DNA sample I sent in to an ancestry website earlier this year ought to be processed soon, and I’m looking forward to the adventure of discovering who is all in my family tree.

What steps might you take to renew your sense of adventure?

Perhaps you’d like to renew your sense of hope. Hope for your future and your people’s future. Hope for humanity. I would wager that we can, if we are intentional about it, find glimmers of that hope stuff. It’s so easy these days for our attention to stay with all of the awfulness happening in our world. While I think it’s important to keep oneself aware of what is transpiring within our governments, locating bits of hope here and there helps to balance things out a little and makes things feel less bleak.

A quick google search led me to this article about youth in California banning together to advocate for reducing the amount of pickleballs and tennis balls going into landfills. That is just one little bit of positivity happening here in the U.S. amidst the mayhem our government seems hellbent on creating. There are still people doing what they can to make things better in this country. We musn’t lose sight of that.

What renews your sense of hope?

I’ll leave you with a song I’ve always found to be breathtakingly beautiful. It wasn’t until I was 30-something that it occurred to me that this song originated as a hymn sung in church.

May you seek the renewal that your heart desires.

Arts and Crafts, Creativity, Intentionality, Mental Health, Mindset, Positivity, Words, Writing

Re-Re-Re: Post Number 4 on St. Patrick’s Day

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The word I’m feeling right now that begins with my favorite prefix, “re”, is “reframe”. It means a couple of different things to me. One is that it’s a mental health trick that I’ve used to my benefit over the years. It’s when you hear yourself lamenting about something, (which is perfectly human and normal and acceptable), but you know you don’t want to get stuck in it. It’s a way to readjust your attitude.

An example could be if you’re thinking “I don’t wanna work, I wanna play on the drums all day“. You turn that off and allow yourself a deep breath and then do a little reframe. Like, perhaps, “I get to go to work. I get to see other people who I care about and have conversations and make a little money to spend when I’m not working”.

This trick ‘o mine (hey it is St. Patrick’s Day today after all. I might even share an original limerick at the end of this post) may seem oversimplistic. It might be, but it helps me when I am stressing or feeling crummy towards whatever the thing is that I don’t want to but must face that day. You should give it a try!

The other meaning of the word “reframe” for me is about pictures and art. Repurposing things I see and putting them in frames is the most recent creative instinct pulling at me. I even bought picture frames at Goodwill the other day. One is for a specific person that I will pick just the right photo for as a gift for an upcoming summer holiday. The other frames-well, I’m choosing to trust that the universe will point my eyes towards the images that belong inside of them. It wouldn’t hurt to revisit (ha ha but seriously I’m by no means done with revisiting things) the old gray plastic tub ‘o photos in the basement laundry room space I just finished reorganizing.

I think the commonality between these two things, reframing art and reframing our thoughts, is that they change the way we see things. They are about vision and forward motion through an intentional lens.

Now I told you all that I was going to share an original limerick in this blog post and in the process of google-searching all about limericks, I learned that May 12 is National Limerick Day. That’s because the person who invented limericks, Edward Lear, was born on that day. Bet you didn’t know that!

Here goes nothing:

There was an old crone who called herself Polly

who tried to always keep things jolly

One day she wrote her first limerick

and hoped with her readers it would stick

and delight with her in that folly

What might you endeavor to reframe in your life? Maybe something simple like a picture, or an attitude towards someone or something?

Now, as a lifelong fan of the Beatles, I can’t pick a favorite. I resist any silly quizzes online that demand I do so. But, I can say for certain that Ringo is in my top 4. Ha ha! Here’s a tune from Ringo (who just turned 85 and actually released a new album if you can believe it) that I’ve always found to be such a bittersweet, yet catchy, little ditty.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

America, American Politics, Hope, Imagination, Positivity

Re-re-re: #2 in my series

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The meaning of the prefix “re” (my favorite one, as referenced in my last blog post) is “again”.

What do you suppose would be something you’d want to circle back to in your life? To begin again with the wisdom you’ve gained since your last attempt? Or maybe there’s nothing appealing to you about re-imagining a second try at an aspect of your personal life. Perhaps for you, it’d be more a re-imagining of our world, or of the country you live in, for the better?

Those are some big questions, I know. But we all have this thing that no one can take away from us. It’s in our soul; it’s part of our spirit. It is our imagination.

Yes, the “re” word I’m choosing for this entry in this blog series is “re-imagine”. At the risk of ridicule from any readers who might think I’m skipping around in a fantasy land wearing rose-colored glasses, I’ll have you know that my glasses are actually purple. My point is that I’m choosing to re-imagine a brighter future for this country that I love. Because I have faith in and love for my fellow Americans.

It seems worthwhile to stop and think of it like our current power-holders and the people working at their behest have with their “Project 2025”. Only our version would be the people’s project: “Project 2029”. A re-imagined America.

The fact of the matter is that Mr. Trump is not going to live forever, and more damning truths are coming out every day (credit to independent journalism #epsteinfiles). It seems clear that this iteration of American governance is not sustainable. And I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of Americans want to be done with this current administration and move towards something better.

That begs the question: what’ll be next? What do we, the people, want our government to look like when this is all over? After we’ve surveyed the damage, cleaned up the debris, and processed what we have been through for the last decade?

This of course does not mean I don’t acknowledge that getting from here to there is likely going to be a hellscape of unprecedented proportions. But we Americans are scrappy, and we have political humor and springtime and puppies and new babies and other joys that ground us and keep us sane. This is what will get us through to the other side.

Because I believe this is an important conversation for Americans to have, I invite you to respond to the list I’m about to share and add your own wishes for a re-imagined America. Know that this list is not comprehensive, but it’s a start.

In my re-imagined America (Project 2029), we’d have:

  • Universal Healthcare
  • Legal Abortion
  • Billionaires taxed out of existence
  • Experts back at their federal government positions and a restoration of all federal workers fired during this administration’s reign, starting with FEMA
  • Great financial investments in education, job creation, and addressing climate change

I think if we all ponder what might be on our lists of what a re-imagined America would look like, we could then look for the leaders who are in alignment with our wish lists and support them in whatever way we can.

Or maybe just think of this exercise as a happy distraction from the daily yuck. Looking for the helpers is what we’re supposed to do in times like these, according to our friend Mr. Rogers, right?

Black History Month, Connections, Diversity, Grandparenting, Music, Positivity, Respect

Re-Re-Re: 1st post in a series

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Alright, my word nerd friends: do you have a favorite prefix-a short couple of letters that precede a word that changes that word’s meaning?

I do. It’s “re”. There are are multitude of remarkable words that start with this prefix, which is why I’m saying with uncustomary confidence that this is the first in a series of blog posts about “re”.

But first.

I’m going to start with a word that begins with the letters “r” and “e” but isn’t the prefix “re”.

That would be the word “respect”, or as Miss Aretha crowed “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” She also belted out “re-re-re-re” in that iconic song, which has been firmly lodged into my songbrain since at least last week. The best line in that song is one in which Aretha demonstrates how she has respect for herself: “I’m about to give you all of my money. And all I’m asking for in return honey is to give me my propers when you get home.” A woman clearly stating what she expects and why she deserves it. That, I respect.

Another artist I respect and appreciate is Roberta Flack. She is most certainly in my top 5 of all-time favorite female singers. I caught the portion of the 2026 Grammys where she was honored (she died one year ago today, actually) and it occured to me just how much I love her voice. Her song “Killing Me Softly” breaks open my heart every time I hear it. The vulnerability in the lyrics and how she delivers them is nothing short of breathtaking. Rocking my 7 month-old grandson the other day, I found myself playing Roberta’s songs on Spotify and was reminded of the duets she did (like this one) with Donny Hathaway. Doing a little bit of googling for this blog post, I learned that the two of them met as students at Howard University. I found this interesting article about Roberta’s lasting influence at Howard and her musical partnership with Donny. You can check it out here.

In the course of my online exploration of Roberta’s life and music, I found myself wondering if Aretha and Roberta’s paths ever crossed. Answer: they did.

They took the stage, along with Sarah Vaughn and Peggy Lee, in 1973 to honor Duke Ellington. I’ll share the video here, though it’s pretty grainy. Those gowns, right?

As it’s Black History Month, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention other black artists whose talent I respect.

There’s the iconic Prince, born and raised in Minneapolis, a city dear to my heart. His passing, almost 10 years ago now, was such a shock, wasn’t it? He was a one-of-a-kind artist who was unapologetically and beautifully himself.

The powerhouse vocalist and performer Tina Turner. The strikingly handsome, talented change agent Harry Belafonte. Bill Withers, who lifted us all up with songs like “Lovely Day” and “Lean on Me”. The man who also gave us that perfectly soulful and funky song “Use Me” and the classic “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

It appears it’s time to make myself a new Spotify playlist so that I can marinate in these wondrous, passionate black voices and share their talent with the young ones in my life.

Ambition, Home Improvement, Intentionality, Lifestyle, Mindset, Positivity, Wisdom

Rewards Can Come From Slow Progress

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Before I launch into a regular routine of dancing in my rec room, as I mentioned in a recent blog post, I’ve decided to work on a project in the space adjacent to my basement rec room: organizing my laundry/storage room.

The madness of the Christmas season had its way with this space, and it became quite the hot mess. Christmas decor strewn about, haphazardly tucked into plastic bins, many of which had no lids. I bought several very large bins with lids last fall, as I anticipated this moment of reckoning would come.

So, for the last week I’ve been piece-mealing my way towards having a clean and organized space down there. There was a time in my adult life where it would have driven me nuts to just do a small portion of a task such as this, leaving more to be done another day. I would have obsessed over it in my head and said unkind things to myself about my work ethic.

However, as a result of age and the wisdom that sometimes accompanies it, now I’m embracing the practice of moving forward without judging how much progress I make each day. It’s a great mind trick that I highly recommend. I figure that at the end of this project, when everything is neat and organized in that space, I can celebrate with a solo dance party.

What struck me as I was doing this is that there’s this little, unexpected reward that comes out of this endeavor: uncovering things I forgot I had. Things I actually still like and have use for. That’s along with things I knew I had but didn’t know where. Like the three pieces of Valentine’s Day home decor I found two days ago. Perfect timing.

The sweet, unexpected reward for doing an organizing project like this is that it naturally evolves into a treasure hunt!

And I do love a good treasure hunt. How about you?

Given a list, or making up a list, of things to search for is exciting to me. It gets me moving and puts me in a forward-thinking state of mind. It’s motivating and playful. Like when I go thrift store shopping (one of my most favorite hobbies) with a little list tucked into my purse. It gives me a little hit of dopamine whenever I find just what I was looking for.

Dopamine is a thing to appreciate in these times, don’t you think?

The difference between that type of treasure hunt and the treasure hunt I’m doing now in my basement is that in my own space, there is no list. It’s primarily just surprise after surprise, which makes the whole thing fun to me. And it motivates me to keep going. It just goes to show that there are rewards, even simple ones like finding lost treasures, to be had from consistently moving forward, regardless of your pace.

Adventure, Creative Pursuits, Creative Writing, Creativity, Dance, Imagination, Intentionality, Overthinking, Personal Growth, Positivity

New Year, New Project? Perhaps.

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Have you ever heard of this thing called the “100-day project”?

I hadn’t either, until recently. It was an idea sprung from Yale graphics design professor, Michael Bierut, who randomly decided to embark on a quest to draw one thing each day inspired by a photo in the New York Times. I believe he ended up doing it for a year. As a result, he decided to task his students with doing one personally fulfilling, creative project every day. To pick just one thing and take maybe 10 minutes every day to work on it for 100 consecutive days. His students by and large embraced it and during the Covid-19 pandemic it became quite the phenomenon (one which apparently passed me by).

Ever since learning about this, I’ve been toying with doing it myself. I’m non-commital about the whole endeavor, but I do think it’s a fun idea to play with, don’t you?

My first 100-day project idea: find every single intact greeting card (including envelopes) in this house. This can include postcards. Write and send one every single day for 100 days. Figure out a way to make it happen. Answer the following question: what’s my response to a potential time within these 100 days in which major obstacles could arrive, unbidden? Do I have the option of doubling or tripling up the next day? So it “averages out” to be 100 times? But is that not killing the spirit of this thing? To do it daily? I think I’d have to be quite stringent about this. Unless I’m totally incapacitated, I’d do it every single day. To address the possibility that I could become totally incapacitated once I started this project, I could write extra letters ahead of time, so I’ve got a stash ready to go for someone in my life who understands they need to be mailed every day.

How’s this for ironic? As I was writing the above, the song that randomly came on was “Please Read the Letter I Wrote” from what I consider to be my all-time favorite album: Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Allison Krause. Is this perhaps a sign from the universe? Also ironically, just the other night I read something on Facebook about a country singer who was famous back in the late 80’s, before I really started paying attention to popular country music (that was a distinct era for me in the early 90’s). His name was Keith Whitley and he died when he was only 34 of acute alcohol poisoning. I did a little googling and learned he was a great songwriter as well. He wrote and was the first to perform the song “Nothing at all”, which I had assumed was originally done by Allison Krause, because that’s the version that came into my songbrain when I read the song’s title and the first couple of lines.

More than likely, I’ll be putting a pin in doing this 100-day project for now, but that doesn’t mean coming up with ideas for it and then overthinking each one of them ad naseum as I did in this post won’t be happening.

It’s possible, actually, as I read in an article about this project, that the 100 days could be spent coming up with and then writing down ideas for this project. And then, apparently, never picking just one idea and doing it. I think I’m too neurotic to actively come up with ideas for this project with no intention of following through with any of them as my actual project. It’s also true that as I hung in for 78 days total doing The Artist’s Way course last fall, I likely have the bandwidth for a 100-day project. I think the caveat for me would be to keep it to myself, not writing about it here or anywhere else, until the 100 days have passed. No sense in jinxing myself!

Time will tell, I suppose.

If you were to commit to a 100-day project of your own, what would it look like? I would love to know. Or, if you have done a 100-day project, how did that go for you? What did it consist of? I would also love to know that.

Here’s a video I found on YouTube of a young man, Ely Kim, who chose dance as his creative medium for his 100-day project. I love that he shared it on social media. So much joy!

    Creative Writing, Education, Positivity, Sharing, Social Media

    Did You Know?

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    It occurred to me recently that a lot of us on social media tend to rage about those things in society which we are against. It is good and right, in my view, to express our righteous indignation about those things that don’t square with our values and harm people. I would never suggest in a million years that any of us ought to stay quiet and comply in the face of injustice.

    Yet don’t you agree there is value in expressing that with which we are in favor of? The things we are “pro” instead of “con”?

    The first thing that comes to mind when I think of something I am “pro” is education.

    I don’t think I need to go into great detail here as to why that is, especially given the fact that I’ve got smart readers who no doubt consider themselves to be pro-education. I will say that critical thinking is something I value deeply and education is the key.

    Now comes the part where I answer the question posed in the title of this little blog post.

    You can take classes online at Harvard for free!

    I learned this from someone I recently met. As a person who knows for certain that if I won the lottery, I’d waste no time applying to colleges to get my MFA (or maybe my MBA. Or a Master’s in Sociology or Psychology), this really intrigued me. I love learning. Always have, and always will.

    Naturally, I had to check it out. There is quite the bevy of classes available, which was a sweet little surprise. I haven’t made the time to actually attempt to register myself for any of these free classes so I can’t vouch for what the process would be. There weren’t any classes available that really jumped out at me but it’s sure nice to know that this is a potential option. Though one I saw about omens, oracles, and prophecies sounds interesting.

    Now, it wouldn’t be as much fun, perhaps, as I can imagine it was for a former client of mine from back when I was a social worker, who regularly “audited” college classes at the local university. He’d mosey over to the nearby state university and sit amongst the enrolled students (though in retrospect he may have been creeping on them) and listen to the professor’s lectures. No need to take notes or run to the campus library or the local coffee shop to do actual homework. I wish I could recall what classes he audited.

    Please share in the comments if you have taken any of these free online classes via Harvard, or, if you happen to take a minute to peruse the offerings, which class or classes you’d be liable to take.

    As always, I shall end this post with a song. It’s a favorite of mine from Steely Dan. You might want to get your dancing shoes on for this one!

    Blogging, Blogging Community, Gratitude, Intentionality, Joy, Positivity, Self-Reflection, SNL fans, Valentine's Day

    Blogaversary Number 8

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    Saturday, February 8th, 2025 was a snow day for us here in Minnesconsin. We adjusted our plans and hunkered down inside.

    As I was sitting at my dining room table, peering out at the snow falling down outside my window, I saw a WordPress notification congratulating me on 8 years of blogging.

    With 8 being my guiding number, I can’t pass up the opportunity to share my thoughts about this blog-aversary.

    First off, I’m in a different place than I was 8 years ago, physically and mentally. At that time, I was living a more free-wheeling life in Colorado with Mr. NOA. My responsibilities at the time were minimal and I had oodles of free time. Just for fun I decided to start this blog. My aim was to put myself out there and see if I could find like-minded souls who appreciated my ramblings.

    Fortunately, I did. And I appreciate every one of you. And I miss the ones who wrote some of the funniest, righteous, and heartfelt writing I’ve ever read. The ones who, in some cases, for no known reason, stopped blogging (on WordPress anyway).

    I wrote a lot of sub-par posts. I didn’t have any grand plan when I first started out. I still don’t.

    I wrote about wins and losses. I wrote about what I think about the state of the world and the state of my life. I wrote about vacations I took and books I read. I wrote about interactions I had and my dreams for the future.

    I shared in this space stories of my personal failures and misadventures and my passion for music and comedy. I wrote about work and I wrote about my friends and family.

    I feel good about the fact that I’ve stuck with it.

    But I don’t want to keep waxing nostalgic about this milestone today. That’s because I’m grounded in the present and, frankly, I’m boring myself. It only stands to reason that I’m probably boring you right now as well.

    So here I go, switching gears.

    *Cue the sound of a record being scratched*

    8 Good Things To Share

    Disclaimer before I proceed: I am in no way forgetting the fact that America is essentially on fire and the American people are suffering and by God I will do whatever it is I can to minimize the damage. But, on this day, I’m leaning into my Pollyanna-ish inclinations.

    1. My work hours have increased. Meaning instead of working M-W-F at my lovely local non-profit, I’m working M-W-Th-F. Tuesdays are all mine! She says greedily. The reality of working more hours, however, is that I’ve inadvertently challenged myself to ramp up the focus on that one little word I declared allegiance to when I was feeling slightly shinier about 2025. That would be “intentionality”. As in, how am I choosing to spend my downtime? Which gets to the heart of the word itself. Note to self: say a prayer of gratitude for the luxury of having downtime to begin with. You’re a lucky broad.

    2. SNL 50 Homecoming Concert: the music, the laughs. What a surprising and terrific Valentine’s gift to me and all the other lifelong fans of the show. Kate McKinnon introducing Brandi Carlisle and THEN watching Brandi and her phenomenal band (even the sisters playing their strings!) perform perhaps her best song ever: “The Joke”, made my heart soar.

    3. Speaking of Valentine’s gifts, Mr. NOA (for those new to this blog, it’s my nickname for my husband, Mr. None of the Above) surprised me with a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Yes, they smell as good as they look. I think this guy is a keeper.

    4. Circling back to music: The Fire Aid concert, which was to benefit those who lost their homes in the recent California wildfires. Wow. Blew me away. Do yourself a favor, unless you hate music: find this online and watch it. Highlights? Let me test my memory here. Alanis Morissette traipsing her cool self all over the stage like a boss while reminding us all what a gift her voice is. Sheila E banging her drums. And, well, so much more. I’ll share a video of the best performance at the end of this post.

    5. Our grandson turned 11 recently. He celebrated on Saturday with family and three of his friends snow-tubing and eating pizza. His Grandpa and I gave him an itinerary of the overnight we’re taking him on this Spring for his birthday. That is something for us all to look forward to.

    I hope you all have something to look forward to these days. Or the motivation and ability to find something to look forward to, however small. It’s important.

    6. The sight of Uncle Sam (as in L. Jackson) at Kendrick Lamar’s SuperBowl halftime show last Sunday. I loved the subversiveness of it. Good trouble.

    7. The movie “A Real Pain”, on Hulu. It was the right combo, in my view, of sweet and sour. It did not have a convoluted or complicated storyline. It was very well-acted (Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg…and Jennifer Grey, my fellow Gen Xr’s). It was sweet and sad and funny at the right times. If you like sweet but not saccharine, relatable relationship stories with humor in your movies, you’ll agree this one is a winner.

    8. The queen on her throne singing a most meaningful and bittersweet song at the FireAid concert. I’m not a big crier, but this performance brought tears to my eyes.

    BingeworthyTV, Entertainment, Humor, Moods, Positivity

    Finding Joy in the Tube

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    When things feel dreary, happy little distractions can help.

    Whether the dreariness you feel is a result of the current American political landscape, the now leaf-less trees under a gray November sky, or the dread of the upcoming holidays, unwinding in front of the tube can be a temporary balm for what ails you.

    Wouldn’t you agree?

    Allow me, a person with a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to at-home viewing options, provide you all with my best recommendations.

    These are the t.v. shows and movies that have recently captured my funny bone, taken me on adventures, and/or given me the warm fuzzies. Also known as “feel-good” viewing.

    • Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. Zoey is a super-smart twenty-something who works as a coder at a Google-type company. Her Dad is dying and she, along with her Mom, brother, and his wife are coping with all the big feelings they have about it. Zoey has an MRI (don’t worry she’s fine), after which she has the ability to deeply feel how others are feeling and thinking via song-and-dance numbers performed only for her by others in her life. There’s so many sweet romantic moments and lots of surprises (who knew Mary Steenburgen and Lauren Graham could sing?). If you are a fan of Rachel Bloom’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” you will enjoy this too (and bonus! Greg from that show is on this one!) This show is an absolute delight. You can stream it on Peacock or on NBC.com
    • The Voice. It’s good fun in my book. I appreciate that, unlike American Idol back in the day, it doesn’t include snarky judges and a spate of horrible singers being publicly humiliated. I think it’s especially fun to see the contestants take on a wide variety of songs and add their own flair to them. The camaraderie amongst judges Michael Buble, Gwen Stefani, Reba McIntire, and Snoop Dog is super cheesy, light-hearted fun.
    • Unsellable Houses and HomeTown on HGTV. These are the shows I watch when I can’t make up my mind and I just want to decompress. Unsellable Houses features twins Lindsay and Leslie who live in the Pacific Northwest, who fix up homes with a team of carpenters, artists, and other professionals, so that the sellers can get the most bang for their bucks. It’s amazing to see the transformations. HomeTown is similar to that, though it features the husband and wife team of Erin and Ben, who fix up houses in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi for buyers. Erin is an artist and I almost always love whatever she comes up with (custom wallpaper and original wall art, oh my!) Ben is a master craftsman and seeing the pieces of furniture he can create in his massive workshop is fascinating.
    • Quiz Lady on Hulu. This is a movie starring Sandra Oh and Awkafina, who play odd-couple sisters who work together (after quite the struggle) to get Awkafina’s character on a game show so she can win money to pay off their mom’s gambling debts. It’s absolutely hilarious and quite heart-warming.

    What are your “feel-good” viewing recommendations? Please share in the comments!

    Lest I forget, today’s song choice:

    Adventure, Art, Books, Lifestyle, Positivity, Reading, Travel, Washington DC

    Reading and Travel: Past and Soon

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    I’m at about the halfway mark with my self-imposed challenge for this year of reading 24 books. Not as far as I thought I’d be at this juncture, but I’ll get there.

    One of the books I very much enjoyed is “Life in Five Senses” by Gretchen Rubin.

    Essentially, Gretchen, a writer in NYC who pens self-reflective non-fiction, has a moment in her eye doctor’s office that gets her thinking about how she takes her eyesight for granted. This gets her pondering about her sense of hearing, touch, taste, and smell. As a result, she decides she’s going to do a deep exploration of her five senses and document her findings along the way.

    She decides to start, naturally, with her sense of sight. She proceeds to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a daily basis. She often did it solo, which is how I most enjoy visiting museums. I felt a kinship with her along with a little slice of envy. She noticed different things on various pieces of art as time went on. Depending on the time of day she was there, the light would hit differently and change the way she saw them.

    The Envy Part: I’ve never lived in NYC, nor have I even visited there. I hope to, someday (visit, that is). As a teenager in the ’80s, I would fantasize about living in a NYC brownstone, working as a journalist for Rolling Stone, and meeting up with friends after work for happy hour in one of the many chic nightclubs there. To have the ability to take myself to the Met whenever I pleased as she did for this book-well, I’m envious.

    The Kinship Part: The last time Mr. NOA and I traveled to Washington, D.C. together (me as his “plus one” as this was a work trip) was in December of 2022. I took the Metro into D.C. from Silver Spring, Maryland, and visited some Smithsonian museums. It gave me so much pleasure to walk around and check things out that I was interested in at my leisure. I wrote a blog post about it, which included pictures I snapped on my journey while Mr. NOA was busy with work meetings. Yet I never published it.

    In fact, I tried looking for it in my “trash” folder but poof! it’s gone. I guess the trash eventually takes itself all the way out, right?

    I have no great reason for not publishing it. Maybe it was due to the vibe of the city feeling off in my mind, as the U.S. was coming out of the Covid-19 era and so many businesses had shuttered. Climate change was evident as there was nary a flake of snow on the sidewalks and the temps were strangely mild. We even saw some roses still blooming. It was just a different experience for me than the last time we had been there (December of 2019). The energy was just so subdued. I always like to stay positive in my blog posts, and I guess I just couldn’t muster an acceptable level of positivity to warrant publishing that particular post.

    Here’s one picture I took during that trip.

    From the Smithsonian American Art Museum-I love this truism: “We are Made of Stories”

    Next month, I will be joining Mr. NOA on another work trip to our nation’s capital. I am hopeful and jazzed about this trip. Hope is in the air, as we appear to be on the cusp of moving forward with our country’s leadership. You might think me naive, but I believe the energy in our nation’s capital will reflect this sense of hope. I’ll spend time between now and then researching online what new exhibits I can explore solo at the Smithsonian and elsewhere in D.C.

    Any suggestions you have for me (of either the books to read or sites to see in D.C. variety) in the comments are most appreciated!

    As a grateful American as well as a fan of The Chicks, who is fascinated with the history of the intersections of pop culture and American history, I leave you with this outstanding version of The Star-Spangled Banner.