Hi Reader, This week’s been full of tiny interruptions. Not the dramatic, derail-your-day kind, though. More like soft pings and at times constant background distractions that slowly chip away at your focus like death by a thousand paper cuts. 😳 So here’s the thing: This week wasn’t hard, exactly. But it was… interrupt-y. My mom had hip surgery (she’s doing great so far! ✨), and even though I’m not physically there & about ~1,300 miles away, the constant group texts, check-ins, and family...
16 days ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader, For those of you wondering: I'm sad to report that Peanut the chipmunk didn't make it. 😔 We all tried, and it was looking positive for the first couple days, but it apparently had internal injuries that couldn't be fixed & a concussion. At least it was as comfortable/safe as possible for its passing... 🤷♀️🙈🪦 In other news, something I've been noticing a lot lately is a feeling of not-enough-ness due to comparison, or cycles of imposter syndrome & burnout on repeat. I was justing...
23 days ago • 9 min read
Hi Reader, This week I was walking Luna 🐶🦮 near our house & found a chipmunk 🐿️ in the road –which is not at all unusual for New England because they're everywhere. Just like with squirrels, these little guys are a dime a dozen, but they're much cuter than squirrels somehow. 🤭 It didn't look dead, but this chipmunk wasn't moving as we walked closer to it. I shortened Luna's leash as we got even closer & it still wasn't moving, –because, hound dog vs prey? Not a thing I wanted to participate...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Hi Reader, obligatory grad pic Yesterday, I was *rudely* informed (via a random classmate's post on Facebook) that it was 20 years to-the-day, of when I graduated high school. 🤯 The person who posted this (on her own profile –I just happened to see it), was sharing an official-looking grad portrait in her Valedictorian robes, tassel, hat & whatever else, –and I thought 2 things: She looks GREAT! Hasn't aged a day. 😃🤔 ...quickly followed by: Wait ––do I even have any pictures of myself from...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, Luna waiting on fresh cut grass With all the rain we got over about a solid week, –when the sunshine finally came out our grass POPPED up out of nowhere practically overnight! My husband mowed one half of our yard on Monday, and yesterday I mowed the other half in Luna's fenced yard. It took about an hour. I made that first pass around the fence line, getting as close as I could with the mower. I had my AirPods in to literally plug my ears & block out some of the loud noise of the...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hi Reader, Batching content is a great way to get 'more done faster', –if you're doing it right. I always thought it meant do a bunch of similar tasks in the same time period, but specifically do them each from start to finish, back to back. So I'd write down a bunch of ideas for new posts/content one day... and then when I was ready to work on those, I'd write one whole post, make the graphic, schedule the post, and then start over for the next one, –over and over again in that cycle. Later...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, Luna 'sunbathing' Last week I mentioned building a fence for Luna, our ~80lb coonhound dog. Yesterday, we were putting the stakes in along the new fence line, which help hold the wired fencing down to the ground & keep 'critters' from trying to bend it upward & get in or out. Luna's not motivated to do that herself, thankfully, but we do have wildlife in the area, including a few black bears, moose, skunks, raccoons, foxes, gophers, deer, etc. and today I think I even saw a beaver...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Me with 1 of our horses My husband & I both grew up on farms with livestock, pets and lots of open space, so we're both familiar with the hard work–DIY–mentality. The 'pull yourself up by the bootstraps,' 'hard work' is for everyone, and 'figure it out' along the way, types. Increasingly, as I get older, I'm more & more thankful for that experience growing up though, because it does make some things easier for me as an adult. If I want the yard mowed, I can go to the barn, take out...
2 months ago • 6 min read
Hi Reader, When we decided to move out of the southeastern US, it was because we missed snow from our time in Wyoming attending college out there, and we wanted more than 1.5 seasons. That's why we love living in Vermont, because it actually has four real seasons. It's that time of year where winter is finally winding down, the sun starts to come out more often, the days are getting longer again, and the air is warming up enough to start seeing a little green grass & buds on trees & bushes....
3 months ago • 4 min read