Random Musings

Here are some random Sunday musings for you!

We are in a heat wave here in New England! It seems like just yesterday everyone (including me) was complaining about the cold and now....::bam!:: We've gone straight into full-blown summer. Mother Nature occasionally withholds spring from us New Englanders, which is a major bummer. [see meme below for proof 😀)

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When I can't have spring outside, I make it happen inside! 

I love seeing this candle in the master bath every time I go in there. Mind you, I could do without the scent, but the container is so springy and bright and makes me happy. And apparently my happiness can be bought for a whopping $5.97 (pre-clearance.)

Speaking of things that make me happy. These are AH-mazing:

Granted, I'm the only one in the house that things they're ah-mazing, but hey...more for me. 

Related, these are also ah-mazing (do you see a flavor pattern forming here?):

What else? We are in trip planning mode here, although it seems to have calmed down a bit. The flurry of list-making & research happened in mid/late April. Last year we went to Savannah for our anniversary and this year we talked about a California trip (LA/San Diego) or Vegas/Grand Canyon. 

You can see what won out. It took a bit of convincing myself that there were enough non-gambling activities in Vegas to make it worthwhile. Not that I don't enjoy slots, but I don't think I'd do well in debtor's prison. 😂

And yes, I am old school. I get Fodor's (or Frommer's) guides out of the library to do planning. It's just how my brain works (apparently I have a 90-year old brain in my 54-year old body.) We have our Vegas hotel booked (Mandalay Bay) and our Grand Canyon hotel booked (Maswik Lodge). Watching flight prices (hoping we can use credit card rewards to book) and still need to book our rental car for the Grand Canyon portion of the trip and a hotel at the airport the night before we leave. Oh and restaurants! We need to make our reservations, especially for our anniversary dinner. Since John is a sangria lover, considering Jaleo. Any and all recommendations appreciated!

It seems as though there are lots of exciting sports events happening....none of which I'm interested in...lol. 

• Congrats to the Knicks on their NBA championship!
• Stanley Cup Game 6 is tonight. Carolina is up 3-2 against Vegas. I have no horse in this race, but some minor connections- my dad enjoyed watching Carolina's Sebastian Aho play and former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was Vegas' coach until March when he was fired.
• World Cup soccer is happening in Massachusetts. I know Scotland beat Haiti and beyond that? 

2026 In Review ... 60 Days In

March 1st already, people! Can you believe it? Personally, I can't. Especially since there's still a ton of snow on the ground here (and it was flurrying earlier today. 🙄) Let's see what's been going on so far this year...

In the world of reading, I have stopped reading TWO books already. This is a lot for me. I *maybe* stop reading one book per year, if that. 

I'm sure these are great books, but just not for me and not now. I read maybe 50 pages of each and decided that was enough. They're both pretty heavy topics (Nazis and Columbine) and honestly, they're a bit too close to present day reality. I think I've come to the point in my life where I want to read books that make me laugh and smile, for the most part. (A perk of aging!?!)

The weather's been ridiculous. I feel like we're paying for the last few winters when we didn't get much snow at all. There's only one "person" in this house that enjoys the snow. Here's a hint: he has four legs.

Now if only we could teach him to use the snowblower vs. project managing his father.

I will say it looks beautiful on the trees, though.

What else? I'm loving Spindrift sparkling water. I've tried to wean myself off of soda (and I've been successful for the most part) but still need something flavored that isn't caffeinated (if I drink a Diet Coke or an iced tea at lunch I'm up until 2AM 👎). I tried seltzer but it's a bit "harsh" for me (for lack of a better term.) Then I found Spindrift sparkling water. No caffeine. No fake sugar and very little added sugar. I love the Berry Belli-no, the Island Punch, and the Cosnopolitan. Highly recommend!

We just finished watching THE most hilarious series- How to Get to Heaven from Belfast on Netflix. If you loved Derry Girls, you'll love this new series by the same creator/writer, Lisa McGee. Trust me. There are some familiar faces from Derry Girls in the series, but it's altogether a different type of story. The main thing that connects them is the humor. The religious humor is some of the best. Go watch it. Now!

Is it Spring yet? 😆

Can You Meet Your Doppelganger Sight Unseen?

I am here to tell you that YES- you can!

(Before I launch into this long overdue blog post, Happy New Year...and happy all of the holidays that I've missed since my last post!)

Let's get back to the topic at hand- meeting your doppelganger without seeing them.

My reading goal for 2025 was 72 books- and I met that goal! The last book I read to round out the year was Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas. I'd not read anything by her previously and didn't know much about her other than she'd written a few other books and had written for prestigious magazines (New Yorker, Atlantic, Esquire). 

My friend Andrea (we seem to be on the same wavelength about a lot of books) said she'd read it a long time ago and enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to ending the year on a high note.

In a nutshell, the book is the tale of Ms. Laskas and her partner (who has a poodle- but it's a standard poodle, not "...one of those little yappy things..." as is frequently repeated throughout the book) and their quest to leave the city of Pittsburgh and live on a farm (fifty acres) and all that entails. 

After reading this paragraph on page two, I texted Andrea and told her I was convinced I'd picked the right book:

"In fact, I was a person who liked to go to the mall. I was a person who had no conflict about liking to go to the mall...I used Clinique products on my skin, mainly because I was a sucker for the free stuff you could get during Clinique Bonus Time. I had a formidable tower of Stouffer's Lean Cuisine in my freezer, and I harbored little or no fear of processed foods. I believed very deeply in the power of air conditioning, microwave ovens, and very many things you plug in."

I love the mall! When we bought our house, I told John I'd rather border a mall than a state forest! (This is somewhat of a misnomer...I haven't been to a mall in ages. It's more that I have an affinity for shopping. My mall loving days were in high school and college.)

I've used Clinique skin products since college.

I've eaten a LOT of frozen food in my time. I'm not a great cook, so while I was in college/lived on my own, I frequently ate hot pockets, Stouffer's, etc...

The next paragraph? She talks about the TV show Green Acres! I'm sold! She says how she has a "farm dream" not unlike Oliver and Lisa in the 60's TV comedy (hence the foundation of the book.) She finds herself singing the theme song...which admittedly, I often do.

The similarities continue...

Her partner Alex has two children from his previous marriage- a boy and a girl (samesies).

She and Alex get married on...September 13th! (This is when things got real for me and started to freak me out a bit- that's John's and my wedding date.)

As I was making my way through the book, I told John the similarities and how crazy it was. I even said, "They have two dogs, but neither is a Golden." 

Next chapter?

You guessed it- they get a third dog and it's half Golden Retriever!

So, while there are some definite "non-doppelganger" things, i.e., actually wanting a farm and going through with buying it being the biggest one, I'm still floored at the likenesses between us.

While I'm sure we look nothing alike (I honestly haven't looked up a photo of Laskas, as I think I'll be over the top freaked out if we DO look alike), we are fraternal and spiritual doppelgangers!

Early 90's Teenage Angst vs. Mid 2020's Political Angst

It's really no contest. 

I'll take crazy fashion/crazy hair mixed with some rich kid teenage angst in the early 90's ANY DAY over present-day political angst.

So yes, I'm re-re-watching Beverly Hills 90210. 

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This photo is from the Spring Dance episode in Season 1 and it's so angsty. Both Kelly and Brenda like the same dress but once realizing that's the case, they both renounce it until... you guessed it, they each go back and buy it and then proceed to discover this only when they're getting ready to leave for the dance. Kelly says it's going to look like they planned on going as the Bobbsey Twins. Moments later, Jim Walsh (Brenda's father) comes in with his camera to take a photo and proclaims, "You look just like the Bobbsey Twins!"

This is only one moment of many Kelly/Brenda angsty exchanges. 

Yup, I still choose this over today's political lunacy.

Nothing to do with angst, but did you know that certain episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 aren't available for streaming? This in general is due to music rights. Take "Wildfire", Season 2, Episode 8 for example:

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Apparently, Neil Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a tightly guarded piece of music, as I had to watch a random YouTube recording of this episode. Honestly, it's one of my favorites. Kelly, Brenda, Donna & Emily Valentine (!) perform the song in the "Hello Day" talent show at West Beverly High. They were going to perform a spoof on Addicted to Love (Addicted to Clothes) but thought they'd do something more meaningful. 😏

Silly, but yes, I am still choosing this over the news/current events.

The best part of the show? Brenda and Dylan's relationship. SO MUCH teenage angst. SO MUCH drama. SO MUCH ooey gooey teenage love. SO MUCH heartbreak. The big audience drama was whose team were you on- Brenda and Dylan or Kelly and Dylan? Team Brenda and Dylan all the way. (You can imagine my chagrin when Dylan told Kelly they were soulmates. Pfft.)

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The Halloween party episode! Brenda and Dylan as Bonnie and Clyde. How fitting- they were trouble in their own way just like Bonnie and Clyde.

Still choosing early 90's fantasy land.

What are you doing to maintain your sanity in today's world?

Just the Facts Ma'am

Fact #1a- The accessible version of the White House website is no longer in existence.

Fact #1b- Just over 7 million people in the US have visual impairments and thus are candidates for using a screen reader, which only works on accessible websites. {credit: National Federation of the Blind}

Fact #1c- In college, I interned at a non-profit (Federation for Children with Special Needs) and eventually became full-time staff. During the almost four years I worked there, I learned about many disabilities and their related accommodations/assistive technology. I specifically remember creating large print materials for the conference I helped to manage and visiting another non-profit in our building to see how various assistive technology worked.

Fact #2a- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are no longer present at White House Press Briefings. See letter from National Association of the Deaf.

Fact #2b- About 11 million people in the US identify as deaf or hard of hearing. {credit: National Deaf Center}

Fact #2c- My stepdaughter Grace has Down syndrome and she has a hearing impairment. She's completely deaf in her right ear (NOTE: if you ever meet her, sit on her left!) and has partial loss in her left ear. When she was born, my husband and Grace's mom along with other family members learned ASL (and Grace learned, as well) in order to communicate with her until she could speak.

Fact #3- On February 25, 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave a briefing. At approximately the 5 minute/40 second mark, in the context of the President being accessible, she said,

The president, and this entire White House, are committed to ensuring the American people continue to receive this same level of historic transparency, access and visibility. In fact, we want to double down and give even greater access to the American people. 

{credit: briefing transcript, briefing video}

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Searching for the Light

 

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I don't know L.R. Knost other than what the Google machine tells me, but based on this alone, she is a wise woman.

Some people thrive on chaos, but I am not one of them. 

I am trying to shut myself off from the news because inevitably every time I look at it, there's something new that causes upset, anger, and sadness. 

This is less about politics and more about humanity and morality. And empathy. 

This is circulating and I'd have to say it's pretty accurate, at least for me:

Are you able to avoid the chaos and achieve some semblance of peace? 

If so, do share your methods.

It's Me...Hi...I'm the Problem, It's Me

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I don't consider myself a Swiftie, but Taylor's lyric rings true for this blog. 

I'm the problem. It's Me. 

I wrote ONE stinking post last year. ONE. Was I so busy that I had absolutely zero time to write more? No. The answer is no.

I was "busy" being nosy on Instagram, getting a look into "celebrities" lives. Well, that problem is solved. I deleted my IG account. Buh bye.

I was "busy" scrolling Facebook- reading restaurant reviews, monitoring my small town's FB page for drama over trash & recycling, and so, yeah. Really "busy." 

I was "busy" watching cult/real-life drama documentaries- from The Program to The Vow. Extremely uplifting topics (NOT).

Will I do better this year? I hope so. I seem to have run out of depressing documentaries to watch. My IG account is disabled. It's Facebook that's the main time suck, although based on the crap they're surfacing in my feed, they might be pushing me out the door.

In the words of Aerosmith, "Same old story, same old song & dance"...

Now that we have that out of the way... 

• We're expecting a "big" snowstorm here in New England- 6-10". I hope everyone has their bread, milk, and eggs! I've agreed to get a lesson on the snowblower, so at the ripe old age of (almost) 53, I could run it if I had to. (But only if I really had to.)

• I cleaned out the spare bedroom closet. I may have a blanket/duvet/quilt addiction. I'd completely forgotten about some of the bed linens that were in there. I'm satisfied with blanket and cover on my bed, so I'm hoping I can put a stop to any near-term purchases in that realm.

• We did make some good recipes over the past year or so (I say "we" but really, I was the idea person and John executed). Here are a few:
• Goat Cheese Prosciutto Quiche
  
• Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings
  
• Easy Cherry Crisp
  
• Fancy Nancy Chicken Salad (Chicken Salad Chick Copycat)

• I went on a fabulous trip with my Mom- a river cruise on the Danube! Loved Budapest. Loved the people we met on the cruise. Had good food, good drink, and got to see parts of the world that I might not have otherwise had the opportunity to.

• We (again with the "we" 😉) re-did our main bathroom! It was a HUGE project and John orchestrated it all- doing some himself, working with contractors, and then dealing with my obsessing over which of the three shower curtains I bought would work. We make a good team! That deserves its own post- stay tuned!

Have a great long weekend!

We Interrupt This Lull in Blogging to Say, "Happy New Year!"

 

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Happy 2024! (A Mary Engelbreit illustration ☝always makes an occasion happy!)

Our New Year's Eve was fairly laid back, as John's been sick. We did appetizers- fancy cheese & fancy crackers, French bread, veggies and dill dip, Mongolian meatballs, and crab & artichoke dip. The last two recipes were "new to us," and they were honestly very good!

We normally eat on the coffee table, but with a four-legged nudge in the mix, we had to cobble together some end tables that were a bit higher and sort of out of his reach. 

A co-worker mentioned the TV series Six Feet Under as being good, so we started that over the weekend and watched a few episodes yesterday afternoon. It's been a while since we've found a show that makes us both laugh out loud!

I wasn't sure I could make it to midnight, but we both did and per our usual tradition, we toasted the new year with the flutes from our wedding. 

Murray was very confused as to why we were up so late, but he made it, too.

And then today we had the pleasure of going to urgent care- turns out John has strep throat. What a way to start the new year! (But, as we've learned, it could be much worse and the old adage applies, i.e., this too shall pass.)

Cheers to 2024! 🍷

London & Paris: Where We Stayed

This is the second of my posts about our trip of a lifetime. You can read the first post here!

Where did we stay? Well, for those that don't know me that well, let me tell you that I am a researcher. (It's the librarian in me. 😏). So, we considered many sources when determining where to stay- advice from family/friends, TripAdvisor ratings, and recommendations from Fodor's & Frommer's travel guides. I may be the only person left that takes hard copy travel guides out of the library & reads them pretty much front to back! 

At one point I sent this photo to my stepson (for the sole purpose of sharing the Two Chicks drink) and his response? "How many travel books did you get?" 😂

London:

• Thistle Trafalgar Square- For the first two nights in London (before we left for Paris), we stayed here. It was very convenient- maybe a three-five-minute walk from the Trafalgar Square Underground station. (I found that most hotels were close to Underground stops- there are so many.) It was on a side street (almost an alley) off of Trafalgar Square itself and because of this, I found it to be quiet. If we headed out of our door and took a right, we'd be headed toward Piccadilly Circus. If we headed out of our door and took a left, we'd be in Trafalgar Square. Another small perk was being directly across from a convenience store where we could grab bottled water and snacks. The hotel and the room itself were not fancy by any means but were clean, in a good location, and the staff was pleasant. If you're looking for a "no frills" place that's reasonable, I'd recommend it!

• Resident Hotel Soho- When we came back to London after Paris, we stayed here. We were slated to spend four nights until we departed, but due to stupid COVID, ended up staying another four nights. This hotel was also centrally located near Soho and Chinatown. It was down a small side street, as well, although I'd call it an alley. The room we had for the first four nights was very spacious with a king bed. The hotel also offered a free glass of wine in the evening to residents (although we didn't end up taking advantage as we were out and about.) I really liked this hotel- I felt like it had a similar vibe to the Thistle but was a step up in terms of frills.

They were also VERY gracious and accommodating when we realized we'd be there for a second stay and need to quarantine. We did have to change rooms, however, and let's just say that this one was a tiny bit (tiny the operative word) smaller.

 

 

Yup- that's the shoebox with the FULL-sized bed that we spent four long nights in. They dropped off towels and sheets outside of our door and would ask how we were doing regularly. 

• Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3- This was an unexpected stay! We decided that it was going to be a nightmare getting up super early and getting to Heathrow for our plane home considering we still weren't feeling great. John suggested we stay at the airport so we could easily get to our terminal. Luckily, we could walk to our terminal from this hotel. (BEWARE- there is more than one Hilton Garden Inn at Heathrow, however, and we went to the wrong one first...) The hotel was clean, staff was pleasant, and compare to the shoebox above, our room was a palace! If you need to stay at the airport, highly recommend this hotel.

Paris:

• Hotel Bradford Elysees- This was a GEM! This was highly rated on TripAdvisor AND in Fodor's Paris guide, so I felt that this was a good choice and boy was it! It's in the 8th Arrondissement (neighborhood), a quick walk from the Champs d'Elysees (aka the Rodeo Drive of Paris). It had very funky common rooms on the main level - a sitting room, a breakfast room, and a lounge. This is the lounge:

It seems as though Lady Bradford, the hotel's namesake, was a big fan of birds, as you can see the birdcage light covers. There were fake birds/birdcages throughout the hotel. One might think it was tacky, but I felt like it fit right in. We were supposed to have a regular old room but ended up getting upgraded to a room with a terrace. It was really lovely. They even put rose petals on the bed and left us macarons.

Here's a panoramic shot from the terrace. It was such a cute neighborhood.

And then...the piece de la resistance. The hotel clerk took us up to our room (in the elevator from 1800 something, which he assured us was inspected regularly!) and was proud to tell us we'd been upgraded and wasn't this a lovely room? But, wait...there's more. He said, "How do you say in America? The show must go on!" He then proceeded to open the door to the terrace/balcony and proudly pointed out the "view" of the Eiffel Tower. John and I both looked at each other and thought, "Really?" We stepped out onto the terrace and we could see a teeny tiny point far off in the distance. 😆 We both said "merci" multiple times and said how grateful we were for the upgrade and the view. Once the clerk left we both smirked at each other. View of the Eiffel Tower? Sure! (It was SUCH a great view that I took zero pictures of it. John recreated the view:)

Honestly, though, if you're looking for a quaint, boutique-type hotel in a quiet area, I'd recommend it. It wasn't right next door to a Metro station, but a quick walk in multiple directions brought us to one. I didn't want something that screamed "American hotel chain" but rather something that quietly said, "You're in Paris." Hotel Bradford definitely did that.

Next up- what we ate in London & Paris!

London & Paris: Planes, Trains, Automobiles & Feet!

This will be the first of four planned blog posts on our trip to London & Paris. This one will cover the modes of transportation we used. The second will cover the places we stayed. The third and fourth will go over what we did in each city.

NOTE: This post turned out to be longer than I thought...

Planes:

• We flew on Delta, direct from Boston to London. We had enough points on American Express for basically one ticket free, so that was the driving factor in choosing that airline. We sat in the main cabin, which was OK on the way there, but on the way back, it seemed a lot smaller (could've been the fact that we were coming out of COVID and just wanted to get home!) John is over 6 feet tall, so if we could afford it, next time I'd look into the next class up/more space.

• Funny story- I had been saying for a few days before leaving that I was going to have wine on the plane (to me this is a luxury!). Even if I had to pay for it, I was getting it! The flight attendant came by and I boldly said, "I'll have a Chardonnay." She jokingly said, "We have white and red. Oh, and it's your lucky day, the white is Chardonnay!" She then asked if I wanted small, medium or large. I'm so naive. I thought she was serious! I said, "How about medium?" She said, "How about large?" 😉

So, I accepted my large wine and was happily enjoying it. As was bound to happen, John had to go to the bathroom. I got up, juggling my glasses, my Kindle, my wine, my fleece. I'm guessing you see where this is going. Yup. Wino in row 47. Spilled it on my shirt and pants. ::sigh:: So, I headed back to the bathroom to try to mop it up. After my sorry effort, I came out of the bathroom and saw the flight attendant that had served me the wine. I said, "Thanks for the large wine!" She said, "Oh, we have a fix for that." She grabbed a pad (I don't mean paper, I mean a sanitary napkin), peeled the label off the sticky part, stuck it on my hand, dipped it in soda water and said "Blot away!" Hilarious! (It worked to some degree but I still was damp.)

Trains (we took lots of them!):

• The first train we took was the Heathrow Express, which took us directly from the airport (Heathrow) to central London (Paddington Station). While it wasn't the cheapest option, it was the quickest. There were ticket sellers walking around, so one can easily purchase the tickets. I'd say if you don't want to deal with your suitcases and the Underground (see subsequent bullet point...lol), this is the next best option. 

• After getting off the Heathrow Express in Paddington, we had to make our way to our hotel using the London Underground (or Tube). We found the Tube easy to use- the lines and stops are clear and if you have Apple Pay on your phone, you can simply tap it on the readers at the turnstiles. What was not easy about the Tube? Accessibility. Very few stations have elevators or even escalators. We got to Trafalgar Square (where our hotel was) and realized we had to take our (large) suitcases up two (long) flights of stairs. I could only get mine up a few steps before having to stop. So, John ended up carrying his suitcase up to the top, I'd walk up and stand guard by it and he'd then carry mine up. Not sustainable. It really shocked us that most of the stations we were at during our time in London didn't have elevators. How do wheelchair users get around? The other issue- "minding the gap." John had heard the phrase multiple times when listening Ricky Gervais, but he didn't know the true meaning of it until we actually got onto our first subway train at Paddington. Not only is there an actual gap between the train and the platform, but in many cases, the train is higher than the platform. I thought for sure I'd be the first to trip. Nope- while trying to pull a suitcase onto the train at Paddington, John fell straight into the subway car. Ugh! Lesson learned- mind the gap (both ways!)

• To get from London to Paris, we took a Eurostar train. This was super easy! Arrive at St. Pancras Station (which we got to by taxi after learning our lesson with the suitcases at Trafalgar Square) 90 minutes early, go through Customs (which was fairly smooth), board the train and a few hours later, you're in Paris! I would highly recommend this. I think it's a lot less hassle than dealing with the airport. 
• SIDE NOTE: We were concerned about our luggage and thinking we'd have to stow it above our seats on the train, we knew we couldn't lift them that high. So, at the last minute, I found Left Luggage where we were able to store one suitcase and only bring one large one to Paris. Using Left Luggage was easy. I booked it online. We went to the counter, checked it and then picked it up on our way back.

• The equivalent of the Tube in Paris is the Metro. We found this system more complicated than the Tube. Even buying tickets was complicated! No tapping our phones to use Apple Pay. We stood at the ticket machine and were thoroughly confused. We ended up going to the counter and buying 10 round trip tickets each. A theme we saw play out in Paris was no air conditioning and the Metro trains were no difference. They had windows open in the train cars, but it was HOT. 

Automobiles:

• As noted, we ended up taking a taxi to St. Pancras Station in London for the Eurostar after struggling with our suitcases. We took one coming back from Paris, from St. Pancras to our hotel and from our hotel to Heathrow (that story will follow in the next post.) London taxis were clean, efficient, and had machines to use Apple Pay or credit card. I'd recommend if you're not up to taking the Tube.

• Not knowing how accessible the Metro would be in Paris, we ended up taking a taxi from Gare du Nord (train station where Eurostar goes) to our hotel. While we were in the queue waiting for one, we were chatting with two couples behind us. I asked if they knew if Parisian taxis took cards. One of the gentleman said, "I'm sure they do." Huh. We got into the taxi and the first thing we said was "Do you take cards?" Drive said, "Cash?" We said we only had cards (which we did) and he just asked us for the address and drove. I was thinking- is he going to drive us to an ATM machine? Turned out he took cards but preferred cash. So, don't be fooled into thinking you can't use a card in a Parisian taxi!

Feet:

• We walked A LOT. Anywhere between 20-30K steps per day. Both London & Paris are great walking cities. Wear comfortable shoes/sneakers and just be prepared to blow up the step counter on your phone...lol.

Taking My Own Advice

 

In my last blog post, I talked about how a group of citizens in Washington state are trying to get their library shut down due to the fact that they feel that inappropriate material is available to children/patrons. (Inappropriate according to them.) I tried to express in my writing that just because they feel that there's one issue with the library doesn't mean that the whole thing should be abolished/shut down (i.e., throwing the baby out with the bath water.)

I find myself currently in a situation where I need to take my own advice. John & I recently went on our "trip of a lifetime" to London and Paris for our 20th anniversary. I say "trip of a lifetime" because we haven't traveled a lot (I've never been to Europe and John had been once) and we spent so much time planning it (OK- I spent a lot of time obsessing over restaurants...lol). And you know what? It was a trip of a lifetime. Well, at least up until the day before we were scheduled to come home.

We were walking between 20-30K steps per day in both cities, which is way above our normal step count, so it was natural that toward the end of the trip, legs were sore. But then, it was more than legs being sore. Ugh. 

We were supposed to leave London to fly home on September 21st. The day before, John tested positive for COVID. We're not talking a faint line, either. We're talking lit up like a Christmas tree. Double ugh.

(SIDE NOTE: We were both lucky to have avoided COVID until this point.)

We weren't sure what to do. There are no formal regulations saying you can't fly but how could we sit on a plane for 5+ hours (masked)? After deliberating and consulting with a doctor close to John, we decided we'd need to stay in London and isolate for five days. 

It's a good thing we did. That night, John's temperature spiked to 102 and it was not a pretty scene. There's no way we could've gotten up to get on an early morning flight the next day. I ended up testing positive a day or two later. However, I won't bore you with the details of our isolation- that will come in a later post! 😂

Now that we've both tested negative twice within 48 hours and we feel 90% back to normal, I can start to reflect back on the trip and smile. Up until now, I have to admit- the memory was blemished by stupid COVID. I didn't even really want to think about the trip because that would lead me to thinking about testing positive, our symptoms, being sick in a foreign country, and isolating in a hotel room the size of a shoebox. (Sorry! I said I'd hold those details for another post. 😎)

I've been trying to remind myself that our trip was the "baby" and COVID was the "bath water." The "baby" doesn't need to be "thrown out"/blocked from my mind just because of (stupid) COVID. I know it will take some time and I've already made progress (changing my Facebook profile and cover photos to trip photos) and will continue to (drafting blog posts about the trip in my head!). 

I am here to say- don't let a negative completely cancel out a positive. It may take some time and you should give yourself some grace to move past the negative. Keep the bigger picture in mind. This photo is indicative of my bigger picture.

I got to sit on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower with the love of my life eating French pastries. 

Does it get much better?

Throwing the Baby Out with the Bath Water

If you throw the baby out with the bath water, you lose the good parts of something as well as the bad parts, because you reject it as a whole instead of removing what is bad.

Collins Dictionary

I spend some time each week reading library industry articles for my work. It helps me to keep apprised of trends in the industry and how they might affect my work/the work of my company. Last week I saw a link to a Seattle Times article. I read it and was flabbergasted (for lack of a better word.)

In a nutshell, a small group of citizens are trying to get the public library in Dayton, WA closed due to placement of materials dealing with gender, sexuality or race. Jessica Ruffcorn, who is leading this charge, says the library is, "...targeting kids with sexualized content." The library compromised and moved the materials in question to the adult section of the library. Ruffcorn said, "We do not trust their motives to move the books." 

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I'm sorry...WHAT? (That quote just blew me away. I'm still picking myself up after that.) As a librarian, I find that statement insulting. But wait...it gets even better.

In the voters' guide, the proponents of shutting the library down say, "The public library is an irretrievably compromised entity, and it needs to be removed from our midst."

This is where a double mic drop would come in handy.

I'm blown away. Flummoxed. Angered. Saddened.

I used the phrase "throwing the baby out with the bath water" because it's all I could think of to describe this situation.

These citizens want the library shut down because of what they consider to be the "bad" parts, completely ignoring the good parts. 

Libraries are not just a brick & mortar building to house books. Libraries provide programming (storytime, language classes, author talks, etc. etc.) for the enrichment of their patrons. Libraries provide food for those struggling with food insecurity (see article here). These are just a few of the services that public libraries provide to their community.

All of these things will go away if the library closes. (NOTE: This library serves the entire Columbia County, so not only will the 2500 residents of Dayton be out of luck, the additional 1500 residents of the other towns in the county are also out of luck.)

I liken it to this- let's say I was against makeup for young women/girls (I'm not, but for the sake of this discussion, we'll go with it.) I went into Macy's and was horrified by all of the makeup counters and how easily accessible the makeup samples were to anyone of any age. I then decide because of this Macy's needs to be shut down and I go on a campaign to do so.

Hold the phone. 

    A) I am not the only person that shops at Macy's, so what gives me the right to prevent others from shopping there if I am able to shut it down?  

    B) Macy's doesn't just sell makeup. What about the clothes? What about wedding registries? 

Throwing the baby out with the bath water. 

I respect other citizens' right to their own beliefs. However, I do not accept it when others' beliefs infringe on mine and others. I hope the citizens of Dayton that respect and value the library (from the mother bringing her kids to the children's room to the 85-year-old using the computer) stand tall in November and let their voices be heard. 

Closing a public library is an extremely dangerous precedent and one that I as a library professional will not standby and allow to go unnoticed.

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Best Foot Forward

It's tough getting old. At age 51, I am paying dearly for all of the "cute" shoes I wore when I was younger- especially those that were a half size too small. 🙄 (Yes, I'm talking to you purple "velvet" flats with tassels from Fayva.)

I have a bunion on my right foot that over the past five or so years has gradually caused more pain and discomfort and severely limited the shoes I can wear for more than a block without crying. I finally went to a podiatrist a year or so ago and she gave me a list of sneaker/shoe brands that she recommended.

I started with Allbirds, specifically the Tree Runner. I really liked that I could take the soles and laces out and wash them. (I had a pale pink pair that got pretty dirty.) While they're good for my bunion, the material is very pliable and doesn't rub against it, the arch support is not great. (My podiatrist even mentioned that most people need inserts when wearing the Allbirds. When I had my appointment, I had just gotten them, so of course I was like- "Nope- don't need inserts.) 

Murray the Golden then met my Allbirds up close & personal. ::sigh:: I ended up getting a new pair- this time a darker gray color called "mist."

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In light of vacations being planned that will involve a lot of walking, I decided to take the plunge and go for Hoka's. A local independent shoe store (Red's Shoe Barn) was having their spring sale with $10/$15/$20 off (depending on how much spent). I figured I couldn't do much better than that discount, so I went for it and got the Hoka Bondi 8 in the "Summer Song" color/design.

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I wear a size 8 regular width, but decided to try on the wide width. OH.MY.GOD. It was like walking on a pillow. The extra room really helps with my bunion- I don't feel the material rubbing up against it all and I have less pain after wearing them.

So, there you have it. A post about feet. A post about what sneakers are best for an old person with a bunion 🤣

Do you wear Allbirds? Hoka? 

Do you have another brand you'd recommend?

2023 New to Us Restaurant #2 of 5: Grove at Briar Barn Inn

Last month, John & I paid a visit to The Grove at Briar Barn Inn or simply "The Grove" in Rowley, Massachusetts, a few towns over from where we currently live.

This is restaurant #2 of 5 of part of my New Year's "Resolution" to visit new restaurants. (You can see my first review here.) 

Let me set the scene. You know when you drive through a neighborhood of ranch-style houses and then smack in the middle is this random McMansion? That's how I view the Grove. We used to live in Rowley and it's a lovely little quintessential New England town. Not flashy and not metropolitan, so this fancy restaurant is somewhat unexpected. It's part of an inn (obviously, based on the name...), so I think it aims to attract visitors from afar that want a unique New England getaway.

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The building on the left is the Grove restaurant and the building on the right is the inn. It has a very small/tight parking lot. Luckily, we had early reservations and didn't have trouble parking, but I've heard from others that they haven't been able to find a space, called the restaurant, and the person that answered asked if the customer could park their car on the town square and walk. While it isn't a long walk, it's not a hop, skip & jump. Another oddity (think McMansion among the ranch houses) was that they were offering valet parking the evening we went. Again, teeny parking lot with half cordoned off for valet parking- strange. And the parking is pretty much right where the photographer of the above picture is likely standing. That IS a hop, skip & jump.

I've noted a few oddities here, but honestly, once we entered the restaurant (barn), I was captivated.

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It's a gorgeous restaurant. You can't really tell from this photo but up in the rafters are all sorts of antiques to gaze at. It's very open and airy with the tables not close together at all. They did a really great job with the decor that lends itself to an upscale, but not pretentious atmosphere.

We started out with our "usual" drinks- a Cosmo for me and red sangria for John.

They were a great start to the experience- delicious!

We rarely get both an appetizer and a dessert, but we went all out here! To start we got the fried pickle appetizer. I'd have to say that while this wasn't bad, per se, it was average and I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to get it again.

They came with an "everything" sauce (which was similar to a Big Mac sauce) and were tasty.

Our entrees were AMAZING. Remember in my last review when I mentioned John said his Bolognese was the best he's ever had. He may have retracted that statement. 😜 He now tells me that they are equally good but different.

I had a really hard time choosing what to get and was torn between the pork chop and a fish special they had (I can't even remember what it was at this point- possibly salmon.) I generally get fish when I go out, so decided to try the pork chop- a little outside of my comfort zone. I am so glad I did! The sauce on the chop made it so moist and tender. The fingerling potatoes and veggies were a perfect complement.

Lastly...the piece de resistance. CINNAMON BREAD PUDDING. Oh.my.god.

To say we scarfed this down in no time flat. I'd say this was one of the best desserts I've ever had.

I realize that at the beginning of my review, it may have seemed like I was taking a negative slant, but between the food and the atmosphere in the barn, I'd give this an A-!

March & April: You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

I can't believe it's already the last day of April! I had planned to write this post in March, but that month flew by, too!

March and April are bittersweet. So many positive anniversaries & milestones, but also a sad one.

March

My maternal grandfather would've been 100 on March 26th! He accomplished so much in his life and I honestly don't think I was able to appreciate it all until I was an adult. 

A son, a brother, a husband, a father (to my mom & her two siblings) and a Papa (to my cousin & me). And so much more! He was an accountant by trade but to me the most impressive part was his service in WWII. 

The town that he lived in/my mom grew up in did a yearly project in which junior high and high school students interviewed town residents and told their stories. The title of his report was, "“Marauder Bombardier – Navigator World War Two." He was proud of his service and throughout the years went to many reunions of his squadron. He was the marshal of the Memorial Day parade in town.

My mom has been living back in Massachusetts for a year as of March! 

This photo was taken on March 11, 2022 after we'd packed up her condo in Florida. We still had miles to go before she was officially a resident of Massachusetts, literally and figuratively. We drove her car from Florida to Massachusetts through some sketchy weather, which as we know, Southerners do not know how to deal with...lol. She flew up and stayed with us briefly before the moving truck arrived with her possessions. Soon enough she was all moved in and has really made the condo her home. (She's really good at that- she was HGTV before there was HGTV!)

I am extremely thankful to have her close by, as John and I both enjoy spending time with her. I haven't done the math, but I'm guessing I've seen her more in the past year than I had in the 30+ years since I left for college!

April

On April 9th, 2022, a funny, cute, fresh Golden Retriever came to our house and stole our hearts. Over the past year, he's settled into his role in our family and established daily routines with us. He's a good boy and we are so lucky to have him in our lives. Even though he's currently in desperate need of a bath and smells like Fritos, he brings so much joy to us. He makes us smile, laugh, and yes, sometimes shake our heads. 

(Yes, I was shaking my head in the above one.... but also laughing hysterically)

Sadly, April is also the month I last saw my dad. It's hard to believe two years have gone by. When John & I drove back to Massachusetts in early April 2021, I fully expected he'd be there when we returned six weeks or so later. I look back at my FB messages with him and I think I was willing him to hang on until we got back. 

For all intents and purposes, this is the last photo I have of him. (I took one a few days later, before we left, but it doesn't look like him/how I want to remember him.) The two most influential men in my life. So different in many ways, but so similar, too. (Both use/d laughter as a tool and are/were very good at it, sometimes to my dismay 😵) 

Even though my dad felt like crap, he still got out when he could and walked as far as he could. I can't thank John enough for his support during my dad's sickness. Not only did he emotionally support me, but he supported my dad and my mom and I am forever thankful for having a rock during that time.

It's somewhat fitting that I post this on the day of the Bruins' game seven in round one of the playoffs. Best regular season and can't close out the first round in less than seven. My dad would have SO MUCH to say about this. (During game six I could clearly see him vehemently shaking his head in disgust.) He hated pressure moments in sports, so part of me thinks he would keep an eye on the game from afar and only tune in if they had it in the bag. 

Let's go B's!