Inconsequential Journals

 Fall is the time of year when I turn to cozy activities. As the sun sets earlier and earlier, I enjoy spending the evening making a meal, reading a book or watching a movie with my family. In fact, movie nights are one of my favorite ways to create an easy and inexpensive way to have some fun.  The internet is full of ideas to help with your planning. Any quick search will bring up food pairings of all sorts to accompany a large vary of family friendly films. Yet there are, suprisingly, much fewer suggestions for films enjoyed by mainly adults. This gives us a great opportunity to create some of our own couplings in our journal. Imagine watching Dracula while feasting on a rare roast beef with garlic buttered potatoes and a lovely red wine. Consider making gyros or having lamb and viewing My Big Fat Greek Wedding or one of its sequels. Include some Ouzo if you like. As the season moves forward, don't forget to pick up supplies for sugar cookies and hot cocoa. Hallmark Christmas

      We recently returned from a week away. You know what that means...laundry, giant piles of it. Due to poor planning and life's little surprises, I had neither the time nor the energy to deal with it as I normally do. So, I broke some rules. Shirts and pants went into the same load as did lights and darks. (A color catcher was used. I'm not that reckless.) It was so freeing. The piles disappeared much more quickly and my sanity was saved. Did it really matter that I didn't follow intructions handed down over the generations for the proper way to clean? Certainly not. Sometimes we need to take a little risk. This idea leads right into our journal topic for today, breaking "the rules" of good housekeeping.  Make a little list of all the times you threw caution to the wind and perhaps didn't pre-rinse your dishes or let the dog eat the spilled pasta in place of cleaning it up. It may even give you a little thrill to know that you are a bit more of a rebel tha

 July is the month when many take to the road to get away from the daily grind. As we cross the nation's highways, we will surely stop at the occasional roadside attraction, t-shirt shop or gas station. Who can resists the call of a salty sweet snack or a magnet to add to a growing collection? Think about your travels near or far and list some of the most iconic of your stops. Did you cheer as you arrived at South of the Border? Enjoy a cup of orange juice at a Florida Welcome Center? Take a selfie with an extraterrestial at Alien Fresh Jerky?  Get lost in Wall Drug Store? I bet a good number of you have been to a Buc-ees. Even if you're only going to work and back, think about your favorite place to stop for gas or an occasional treat. What makes it the best place to go? Let's celebrate our time in the car. 

  The summer heat arrived earlier than normal this year. We broke several long standing records. Some people love the heat, some do not. Regardless of our preferences, we all still need to eat. Admittedly, my menu changes drastically during these warm spells and suddenly everything is a salad or sandwhich. The word "baked" is not to be considered. Ripe fruit and crisp vegetables take up more room on the table so there is a healthy element to the change. The upcoming holiday week makes me think about all the various dishes I've eaten or made for summertime get togethers. What is your favorite dish bring to the neighborhood potluck when the heat index is on the rise? Do you carefully carve a watermellon bowl or empty a bag of baby carrots next to some homemade hummus? I still remember a popular recipe that made the rounds at summer cookouts when I was a kid. It was basically vegetables and cream cheese. What's not to like? In your journal today, take a few minutes to wr

 Do you ever feel overwhelm? Many of you are probably saying something along the lines of 'last night, this morning, right now, of course I do'. Work has been very time consuming for me this week and I feel like I've been tumbled a few too many times in the wash. I would have liked to cut down on my obligations, said no to a couple of things. However, it simply wasn't possible. Yes, I know that boundaries are important and that I should advocate for myself and think more about self-care. But, as I am sure you can all relate, I live in the real world. Our journal, however, does not. We can do whatever we like here. So, today I am writing out all those nos I wish I could have said. Unleash it all and don't hold back. Hopefully, we'll all feel a little better when we are done.   

    Summer is on our doorstep! The kids are getting out of school. The sun shines bright into the evening hours and we all have the urge to get outside. It's not just the humans feeling this way either. In fact, I have spied many more woodland creatures of late as well and that is the subject of our post today. Be they sweet or slimey, large or tiny, viewing the animals that share our environment is a great way to enjoy nature. I am often greeted with birds in the morning, bunnies in the evening and hoping toads at night. On occassion, we are visited by foxes, deer, and owls as well. Make a page to record all your sightings and fill it with as much as possible.  You might even consider narrowing your focus to a particular time or day or type of animal (think warm vs. cold blood etc.) Don't neglect the ones you see daily either. Sure, some critters may seem very ordinary but when you put them all together you might be surprised and a little delighted with your collection.