Month: November 2020

Travel Update!

I safely arrived at Mother Fran’s yesterday morning at 10:30AM! The ride was uneventful and I exercised extreme caution on my three day drive. My initial plan as I shared in my last post, In The Cautious Category, I had planned to stop at my sisters for a quick COVID style visit. You know the type – where you wear a mask, keep 6 feet apart and stay outdoors as much as possible. A couple of days prior to hopping in the car, I had doubts and ended up cancelling this part of the trip. My final destinations was my Mom’s house and I was determined to not take any chances that could risk bringing the virus to her.

Image by badafest from Pixabay
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In the Cautious Category?

Remember back in February when everyone advised each other to stay at home, wear a mask, wash your hands to avoid spreading the virus? I don’t know about where you live but things here had improved quite a bit and the number of daily cases was quite low.

In New York State, the numbers are rising again and I don’t hear the same concern from people. We are hitting over 5000 new cases per day across the state – up from around 1000 in August.

You don’t need a crystal ball to see what is going to happen in the coming weeks with Thanksgiving and Christmas approaching. I am no fortune teller but I absolutely expect a big spike and a lot of unhappy post holiday isolations and quarantines.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
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Life in the Burbs

Why are some people so obsessive about their lawns? I don’t get it. I mean, I like our lawn to look nice; it gets mowed and occasionally weed wacked. But it often looks shaggy with its share of dandelions and weeds. In my humble opinion, lawns are not meant to look manicured! If I wanted manicured, I would live on a golf course.

The guy who lives behind us works on his lawn all of the time. I left the house the other day at 7:00 (still pretty dark out) and he was out there raking the handful of leaves that had fallen overnight. Every time I manage to mow my lawn or simply tidy up the front yard, my next door neighbor comes out and does his. Just once I would like to not have the saddest looking yard on the street.

They sure are pretty! Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
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How Times Change

Isn’t it funny that when we make a purchase there is often a surge of excitement that courses through us? It is like happiness is created by spending money to get clothes, electronics, toys and stuff. But that happiness is short-lived and we quickly move on to the next thing that catches our attention, hoping to generate happiness again. This is like a wheel that keeps turning. Stuff will not bring long-term happiness. The thrill wears off quickly and the need for something new and shiny takes its place. The last purchase is stuck in a closet, moved to the basement or stored in the garage to make room for the next shiny object.

I jumped off of this wheel a long time ago and that helped my finances considerably. I stopped spending money on stuff that I didn’t love and need. It also helped me emotionally by guiding me to find other outlets for my anxiety and my boredom. Now when I engage in retail therapy it is at the Thrify Shopper or Salvation Army. I prefer a walk in the woods or spending time with my loved ones.

He looks pretty bored… Image by naniwa23 from Pixabay
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