tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-706804174791170642024-03-15T21:11:57.584-04:00Gals In Blueelisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.comBlogger300125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-61684247321210027372024-02-19T20:59:00.001-05:002024-02-19T20:59:53.014-05:00May 2/3rds Come True<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FsceWy3v3TbQ2ObM-0hNxYQGN5l23U-gz8FmrL3-hrjEgG0FAB3I3-7xv5yCyp8cm8-__bOUg4DyOYRsDOIEdwiLeNW0ogh3NMSow55ttYpYphNXFawY6e1EZseyf7sPi1mZKCSSK8NKoem7EDQ5PMcsEtkgtPR6X6_SCmJTyup7gbzspYaRiEyPzA/s2668/two%20thirds%20goals%20-%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2668" data-original-width="2472" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FsceWy3v3TbQ2ObM-0hNxYQGN5l23U-gz8FmrL3-hrjEgG0FAB3I3-7xv5yCyp8cm8-__bOUg4DyOYRsDOIEdwiLeNW0ogh3NMSow55ttYpYphNXFawY6e1EZseyf7sPi1mZKCSSK8NKoem7EDQ5PMcsEtkgtPR6X6_SCmJTyup7gbzspYaRiEyPzA/w361-h390/two%20thirds%20goals%20-%201.jpg" width="361" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sounds goofy doesn't it? I was listening to<b> Trevor Noah's podcast What Now?</b> - the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3FaxoMvEF4r1585ToMVuac">Grammy's behind the scenes episode</a>. One of Trevor's pals said he tells people that he hopes 2/3rds of their dreams come true. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why? 2/3rds is better than half, it's still <u>most</u> of your dreams. Also, not having 1/3rd of your dreams done (yet) means that you can still chase those remaining dreams without seeming insane. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Their words, not mine, but it's definitely stuck in my head. Partial credit, if you will, for where you are right now, and motivation to keep moving forward.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a great episode, especially if you love awards shows :-) but if you want to skip to this specific discussion, start at the 23 minute mark.</div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-83339107937100815322024-01-18T14:23:00.001-05:002024-02-19T20:32:51.307-05:00Distraction Action<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OglWfiSaOyOAA0sVdXUYkAfhykO3u9rrhGrhuRY8fj7DBmHxEYvnkYFFTDwpQ0-wH8SNOkAT7ctXllMAdtcBeVl8U4RcFWOw3IFkfK7f-n4Cd66OgxnzB6dn6wghFaWx4rPoN_DGpf1OMb-qFLyogG1KOBPJ5pEJvfjLgXs-D-c-dL5cJ1SnRXIeEg/s2722/IMG_1976%20(1)%20distraction.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="2722" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OglWfiSaOyOAA0sVdXUYkAfhykO3u9rrhGrhuRY8fj7DBmHxEYvnkYFFTDwpQ0-wH8SNOkAT7ctXllMAdtcBeVl8U4RcFWOw3IFkfK7f-n4Cd66OgxnzB6dn6wghFaWx4rPoN_DGpf1OMb-qFLyogG1KOBPJ5pEJvfjLgXs-D-c-dL5cJ1SnRXIeEg/w396-h396/IMG_1976%20(1)%20distraction.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aren't these beads gorgeous? The are handmade glass by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kabsconcepts/?hl=en">Kerry Bogert</a>. They're even more precious because she's not making beads right now. I was looking for something in my office and saw them, literally bright shiny objects catching my attention. My imagination lept ahead to a project - disassemble these pieces and put them into a single long necklace so that I can better enjoy the colors while wearing them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is classic <b><u>distraction action</u></b>. It's a new term I learned on the Faith Adjacent podcast (the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faith-adjacent/id1347735219?i=1000641275420">NOs of Resolutions</a> episode, starting at about 28 minutes in, to be precise :-)). In the podcast, Jamie shares the sage advice from her therapist to assess actions as necessary, or action (no matter how valid) that is a distraction from a more important task.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I realize it is rarely clear what is the most important action and what is really a distraction (I mean, who wouldn't want a new necklace with these pretty beads?) but alas, there is other stuff I should be doing right now. But I'll get back to this project soon, for sure!</div><br /> <p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-40009882394306669312024-01-08T13:22:00.001-05:002024-01-08T13:22:58.419-05:00The Best Resolution<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZxpMdyKW0iyp1ymuSarIL31eKQo019vBgVcm-IzU0T5FuSC97QzDCh1HwtFX8vZXzr7gdrD0x7z2p8rH7jnARppp_T7tO4FcwEj2Z2FlBw5cCSdeZ89RJLE56susfsQLt03CWuLU9ChkHTFKA5SquKEd4eQNyFQNk8SE7QHFfVok06I4YAiRA0XKSw/s2722/IMG_1509%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="2722" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZxpMdyKW0iyp1ymuSarIL31eKQo019vBgVcm-IzU0T5FuSC97QzDCh1HwtFX8vZXzr7gdrD0x7z2p8rH7jnARppp_T7tO4FcwEj2Z2FlBw5cCSdeZ89RJLE56susfsQLt03CWuLU9ChkHTFKA5SquKEd4eQNyFQNk8SE7QHFfVok06I4YAiRA0XKSw/w379-h379/IMG_1509%20(1).jpg" width="379" /></a></div><br />I have a love hate relationship with new years resolutions and also the first half of January. Dark, gray, party-less, blech. I used to find putting away the Christmas decorations and the weird emptiness left where the Christmas tree used to be kind of a bummer. But for some reason I am digging it this year. I love the lack of clutter and sudden spaciousness around the house. <p></p><p>After a fun couple of weeks with loved ones, it's definitely very quiet. But I am appreciating the mental white space to make plans, and to really think. Between now and December 31st, 2024, what will that look like? </p><p>The list is long, and probably unattainable, but a wise woman I know said that <u>purpose and follow through were more important than perfection</u>. It's such a simple idea, but it has really stuck amongst the many open tabs in my brain. It's permission to start and to finish, without worrying if the result will be perfect.</p><p>Now, go!</p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-3319947202118013642023-11-09T11:31:00.000-05:002023-11-09T11:31:20.602-05:00Lessons and Laughter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfHPZuWnFQtqbqbY8f618qDh6c3jmHnrqNAkygRAwdZLoqsqZePoRn9YMXDt5oaZ87bddpK-2Mt7K2gOxlYrGByKbEpf4b_QVEgdFYFX8AALjXsPbZz0Gp9q6NPxMOMTH2cmP4zMirzpnjEE53hyphenhyphenPSNdX6tDoLstIEMtj78kXSgSafwodSVAK4KwgGQ/s1509/IMG_1446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="1509" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfHPZuWnFQtqbqbY8f618qDh6c3jmHnrqNAkygRAwdZLoqsqZePoRn9YMXDt5oaZ87bddpK-2Mt7K2gOxlYrGByKbEpf4b_QVEgdFYFX8AALjXsPbZz0Gp9q6NPxMOMTH2cmP4zMirzpnjEE53hyphenhyphenPSNdX6tDoLstIEMtj78kXSgSafwodSVAK4KwgGQ/w378-h378/IMG_1446.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><br />We just got back from visiting Yosemite National Park. It’s stunning, and actually very accessible if you’re traveling with babies or parents that aren’t up for hiking El Capitan.<p></p><p>Talk of Yosemite on our family zoom brought up a memory from my mom and aunt about taking my dad’s and aunt’s parents to Yosemite when my mom and dad were first married. Travel and the outdoors was more of my mom’s family interests, but my dad’s parents? Not so much. Apparently the overnight in the tent cabins was a bit of a disaster and tears were involved. It was a treasure for me to hear the story from the before-me times. </p><p>There are lessons to be learned, even now:</p><p>- If you can laugh at what seemed like a disaster, then maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. And maybe applying that lens to my own minor disasters (like those sneaky negative memories that wake you up at night randomly?) would be a good way to reframe things.</p><p>- One disaster does not a relationship make. My mom had a great relationship with my dad’s parents, and my brother and I very much benefited. I’m so glad their Yosemite trip wasn’t allowed to do permanent damage.</p><p>- Everyone doesn’t have to like everything their family and friends are in to. My grandparents, parents, in-laws, aunts and uncles and my own kids love, enjoy and excel at very different things. And I am richer for it.</p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-51825136435552264242023-10-16T09:39:00.000-04:002023-10-16T09:39:48.596-04:00Goals, Time and New Projects<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxltHoOe9LShemp8eY0EC_-T4ulePpAEhsKBJPITgTgOMFiI-u9GbtEJZapck-K62niYZmpzjnPN5LzrzFzm_XqtgbBMLy4225HykPMdqEzG8AYDFoI9DfU71rLXhqzHKNV8L93i8LAsgjHTejRcMcY9ErMVj8b8Kqz11nFU5Mc3-4Ihc_KxgwwasCvg/s998/BeFunky-photo%20messy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="998" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxltHoOe9LShemp8eY0EC_-T4ulePpAEhsKBJPITgTgOMFiI-u9GbtEJZapck-K62niYZmpzjnPN5LzrzFzm_XqtgbBMLy4225HykPMdqEzG8AYDFoI9DfU71rLXhqzHKNV8L93i8LAsgjHTejRcMcY9ErMVj8b8Kqz11nFU5Mc3-4Ihc_KxgwwasCvg/w383-h383/BeFunky-photo%20messy.jpg" width="383" /></a></div><br />Perfectionism gets a bad wrap, right up there with micro managing, but <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/059332952X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power</a> by Katherine Morgan Schafler dismantles the negatives as a way to help relieve stress and use the power of perfectionism for good in your life.<p></p><p>Schafler defines 5 types of perfectionism and one is me to a T: "Messy perfectionists are in love with starting...nothing brings a messy perfectionist more joy than beginnings. Messy perfectionists are optimistic and start happy but they struggle to maintain momentum unless the remainder of the process feels as exciting and as energizing as it did in the beginning...their's are the Instagram profiles featuring half a dozen vague and grossly unrelated job descriptions in the bio." Ouch. Note, I used to use emojis in my Instagram profile so I could fit in more words - ha!</p><p>There is hope for me though. "Messy perfectionists take over the world when they learn how to channel their enthusiasm into single, intentional missions they can execute in dynamic ways."</p><p>I am a 50-something empty nester, and have way too many ideas with what to do in this third act of my life. Here's to paring it down to something reasonable and achievable!</p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-30671319859080050002023-09-17T14:38:00.000-04:002023-09-17T14:38:03.258-04:00There's More Room<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM14VsAyk__X8quYjcbyjzNmh7JnYVPmjcznrHMSJ5-0bbI-zkxGxYiJSjolQiza6AhImiXW9mxR26yYLtiUo52IjEhkEdheXcm2zMuAO__Se9M8oon_VEA_lBCkldwdnmKk_xt8GDOcFuxRq7_yLVd9A_kTnmjpDtJNsjnH-1Cnrda501nZuRsyhoA/s1280/BeFunky-photo%20more%20room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaM14VsAyk__X8quYjcbyjzNmh7JnYVPmjcznrHMSJ5-0bbI-zkxGxYiJSjolQiza6AhImiXW9mxR26yYLtiUo52IjEhkEdheXcm2zMuAO__Se9M8oon_VEA_lBCkldwdnmKk_xt8GDOcFuxRq7_yLVd9A_kTnmjpDtJNsjnH-1Cnrda501nZuRsyhoA/w363-h363/BeFunky-photo%20more%20room.jpg" width="363" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love a good story about someone choosing their own way. As someone who often feels like a square peg in a round hole world, I admire those that lean in to their individualism with confidence. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You should check out the September 9 article in the Wall Street Journal, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/trad-wife-housewife-fashion-trend-87f36a1d">"Dressing Like a 1950s Housewife Is Not Just for ‘Trad Wives’: Bright-red lipstick, curled hair, high heels, full skirts: Feminists and ‘trad wives’ alike are embracing the midcentury look"</a>. Some women interviewed like the mid-century style because it's an un-ironic expression of their conservative values. But most interviewed just liked the how the style looked and enjoyed thrifting and sewing their outfits -- "it was “rude to assume” anything about their values based on how they dress." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The end of the article is really what got my attention, though: “Why can’t I have a career and still wear pink sundresses? Why can’t I be a feminist and still want to stay home with my children?” she said. “Why is there no more room to be more than just one thing?”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I couldn't agree more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You should check out two women I admire who are exceptional creators of their own looks while also having many other roles: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/flashbacksummer/">@flashbacksummer </a>and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/janinekspendlove/">@janinekspendlove</a>.</div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-8764429373687639542023-08-31T14:24:00.001-04:002023-08-31T14:38:37.963-04:00Don't Press the Bruise<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3asS_S1F-TS676gmbI0GjVGgQiechPSzjefGd7SH_9OmjTE4wnlvI7yZw239ec63VLg8JPBVcNoQue9LGpdKfYunFGAiAj1Z5utpU3suECbbNVRVIdrFyoOuoZMLOPikTaL-uicz_o_og3hmEpJKGjgKsUXDPwoYf9D0pwrovdKeTVqGvrodELc7sg/s1212/BeFunky-photo-9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1212" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn3asS_S1F-TS676gmbI0GjVGgQiechPSzjefGd7SH_9OmjTE4wnlvI7yZw239ec63VLg8JPBVcNoQue9LGpdKfYunFGAiAj1Z5utpU3suECbbNVRVIdrFyoOuoZMLOPikTaL-uicz_o_og3hmEpJKGjgKsUXDPwoYf9D0pwrovdKeTVqGvrodELc7sg/w416-h416/BeFunky-photo-9.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><br />When I have a morning to myself, I'll flip on the Today show while I eat breakfast and read the paper. Very old school. But occasionally in the background noise a gem pops out, like <a href="https://www.today.com/video/how-to-help-your-kids-turn-setbacks-into-valuable-lessons-191797829973">the interview August 29th with author Michelle Icard</a> about her new book, <b><a href="https://michelleicard.com/books/">8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success</a></b>. <p></p><p>I haven't read the book, and my kids are pretty much adults now, but her steps for getting through and growing from failure would apply to just about any phase of life: Contain, Resolve and Evolve. </p><p>- Contain: Do whatever it takes to limit further damage</p><p>- Resolve: Take action to fix the wound, not just stop it from bleeding</p><p>- Evolve: Deliberately start to put failure in the rearview mirror</p><p style="text-align: center;">Another way to say evolve? <u>Don't press the bruise.</u> </p><p>Oh man, if only I had heard this years ago. My poor children. In my worry and in an effort to know that we had weathered some storm, I am sure I asked 1,000,000 times how things were going with whatever the issue was. I wish I had done more to keep that to myself. Luckily they are pretty awesome and turned out ok anyway - ha!</p><p>For those still in the thick of middle and high school, I highly recommend following Michelle Icard on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/middleschoolrelief">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/michelleicard/">Instagram</a>.</p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-28818974617085585422023-08-06T20:04:00.001-04:002023-08-06T20:04:24.752-04:00The No Plan Travel Adventure<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpFGdkKXa2u9rGmD_tpVkFcxNNfsdVc2CnYyBQM6ttaZG9fojf1y12TV4H0tcphIt5J-ba3e7FbTLC_RIlkH2XEl1-4eH7kEKWWR8aA0Pvlt2fyg6E7RQbRm7g-053DEs_vDbyM9eppTgLBk97AIeiFC5lqF7E9hMyn-L49VbHXDNe5Q0s4OOCtcM2Q/s3024/No%20plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpFGdkKXa2u9rGmD_tpVkFcxNNfsdVc2CnYyBQM6ttaZG9fojf1y12TV4H0tcphIt5J-ba3e7FbTLC_RIlkH2XEl1-4eH7kEKWWR8aA0Pvlt2fyg6E7RQbRm7g-053DEs_vDbyM9eppTgLBk97AIeiFC5lqF7E9hMyn-L49VbHXDNe5Q0s4OOCtcM2Q/w379-h379/No%20plan.jpg" width="379" /></a></div><p></p><p>Back in April I asked my son if we could take a trip over the summer, just a weekend, to somewhere neither of us had been to before. He agreed, but one upped the challenge...we wouldn't pick the city until we got to the airport. We can do this relatively easily because my husband flies for Southwest, and as family of an employee we can fly standby for free. We actually don't use this perq too often, because it's a big roll of the dice when you have a specific time and place to be, but it's tailor made for this adventure.</p><p>We rolled into BWI at about 4:30pm on Friday afternoon. We weren't super interested in going somewhere hotter than DC, we only wanted to take one hop, and it had to be a city we hadn't been to before. Pretty quickly we settled on Milwaukee or Portland ME. The earlier Milwaukee flight had been delayed, so we headed to that gate first to see if there were any open seats. There were, the Gate Agent was incredibly helpful, so off we went.</p><p>I paid for WiFi on the plane and then got to work finding a place for us to sleep. Weirdly I was having a hard time finding a room - AirBnBs were a bust also. I checked Priceline, Booking.com and Hotel.com. I definitely didn't want to rent a car - we wanted to stay downtown. The usual chains were just as expensive as the <a href="https://www.saintkatearts.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwib2mBhDWARIsAPZUn_mAlquqwnKMWA8ffsdYzk4S8l4a9GrHu7tYjCCBz1ottanEnCuLKtsaAhL3EALw_wcB">Saint Kate Art Hotel</a>, which looked far more interesting. The Saint Kate deal also included breakfast, so we decided to go for it, and it did not disappoint. Our room came with coloring supplies, a ukulele, a record player and records, and very comfy beds. We loved it. </p><p>I felt like every other person we passed as we walked around the River Walk that night was wearing high-end running shoes. Turns out Milwaukee was hosting the 3-day US Triathlon Nationals. Fun to watch and explained the hotel room deficiency.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv107jwDx3-QBdGDWxwY_xg4QtS7zkE0OWa4FYz7sPma-fXeswWY_BU68Eg8hsM-V5SG6d3ddzsMpNaXwkconV3ZMM0a_FckBA0RTGcBdr7uld704mlf1Jp9PtJUXNIbKve76nZJ-ALZBqf1WhsDn_-PH6r-1FkZ05DK7oNBvEjRzCCrTFrBx6QaX6A/s4032/71295347567__1BC9EAAB-438E-4244-BC79-B236FCB38805.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv107jwDx3-QBdGDWxwY_xg4QtS7zkE0OWa4FYz7sPma-fXeswWY_BU68Eg8hsM-V5SG6d3ddzsMpNaXwkconV3ZMM0a_FckBA0RTGcBdr7uld704mlf1Jp9PtJUXNIbKve76nZJ-ALZBqf1WhsDn_-PH6r-1FkZ05DK7oNBvEjRzCCrTFrBx6QaX6A/s320/71295347567__1BC9EAAB-438E-4244-BC79-B236FCB38805.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Saturday we enjoyed the completely wonderful Saint Kate brunch, then headed out to the <a href="https://mam.org">Milwaukee Art Museum</a> which is right along Lake Michigan. It's a gorgeous building, and was a great find. The coffee shop was incredible - believe it or not these drinks are not cocktails!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIp6tL2r_mw8n76kOHLfejz5zYS0aY5xprlQH-UmYLY_Ewyr7vZEsoSVJ_ZplFZtLq04CnWXKbbRQmLlOloiB70oxEukebVZBL_-GbsZdzQPwGmmPfT669tcpXm0GxmPp1njN_9iA2ZKS63LFR_hJWCJIxKRs9BYuhBwJBIkkCpNO5NnNds2Ese2JNg/s3264/BeFunky-collage-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="3264" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIp6tL2r_mw8n76kOHLfejz5zYS0aY5xprlQH-UmYLY_Ewyr7vZEsoSVJ_ZplFZtLq04CnWXKbbRQmLlOloiB70oxEukebVZBL_-GbsZdzQPwGmmPfT669tcpXm0GxmPp1njN_9iA2ZKS63LFR_hJWCJIxKRs9BYuhBwJBIkkCpNO5NnNds2Ese2JNg/w464-h464/BeFunky-collage-2.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While googling things to do, Mike found a quirky park he wanted to see - the <a href="https://www.mitchellparkdomes.com">Mitchel Park Domes</a> - but it was a bit off the beaten path. We found local rental bikes (<a href="https://bublrbikes.org">Bublr</a>) and we were off. It was a beautiful day, and the domes were worth a visit, they were filled with incredible gardens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq6O1IWaBnFe0eMEQPV-U3ZhvsY9bTLNDB859eXXgUnqECFjttqYWdK8H72WoaARkIMC0j6KPHu70Hg7Y01xvenOklYWd9wn5ccM7ytzI5xr1eQl4oNHdAy2Q-UXvp-c1he0JRuwkV78D2CRy_TtERq5nfzXlp4W2gINBfoZz1kVaQBzL5-v-il9_qg/s3264/BeFunky-collage%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2464" data-original-width="3264" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq6O1IWaBnFe0eMEQPV-U3ZhvsY9bTLNDB859eXXgUnqECFjttqYWdK8H72WoaARkIMC0j6KPHu70Hg7Y01xvenOklYWd9wn5ccM7ytzI5xr1eQl4oNHdAy2Q-UXvp-c1he0JRuwkV78D2CRy_TtERq5nfzXlp4W2gINBfoZz1kVaQBzL5-v-il9_qg/w467-h354/BeFunky-collage%202.jpg" width="467" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We capped off our day with dinner at <a href="https://madersrestaurant.com">Mader's</a>, a 120-year old restaurant that is "the best German restaurant in America." Good but a teensy bit touristy. Maybe because it was filled with noisy and hungry triathletes - ha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We headed back the the airport Sunday morning and got seats home on the first try. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thanks Milwaukee for the wonderful weekend!</div>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-34683032179556791672023-07-23T15:25:00.004-04:002023-07-24T09:44:28.333-04:00Groundbreaking<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19APyCIcTwCpiWeWA65i_7RXyp7xpYlEUWxsD4sA1IpmoVuhiN2hDvKTIJEKH7aZhTuHXD17nbf6cfp1q9prhI0ufeWZ7aD2jZt8-LFwvjc8WmRwDhQR3NYyiy5eJqNK5qFx2Fm1fqSJVq1tbWPEr5SS1EdqoC6GXGzfMZUXHLyAG6VkD-zCdvfwHNg/s1000/mp,840x830,matte,f8f8f8,t-pad,1000x1000,f8f8f8.u35.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19APyCIcTwCpiWeWA65i_7RXyp7xpYlEUWxsD4sA1IpmoVuhiN2hDvKTIJEKH7aZhTuHXD17nbf6cfp1q9prhI0ufeWZ7aD2jZt8-LFwvjc8WmRwDhQR3NYyiy5eJqNK5qFx2Fm1fqSJVq1tbWPEr5SS1EdqoC6GXGzfMZUXHLyAG6VkD-zCdvfwHNg/w458-h458/mp,840x830,matte,f8f8f8,t-pad,1000x1000,f8f8f8.u35.jpg" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(<b><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/i/photographic-print/Groundbreaking-by-linds-riley/33022701.6Q0TX">source</a></b>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love a Women's World Cup summer, don't you? What I wouldn't give to be </span>flying<span style="font-family: inherit;"> back and forth between Australia to New Zealand seeing the US Women's Team and their fierce competitors. (side note: check out the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things-with-glennon-doyle/id1564530722">World Cup episode</a>)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recent article in Wall Street Journal, <b><a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/soccer/australia-womens-world-cup-matildas-467cb02d">This Performance Coach Once Helped Patrick Mahomes. Now He’s Working With Australian Women’s Soccer</a></b>, was one of many giving a peek behind the tournament. But this para made me smirk:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-style: italic;">None of it would have happened without the initial realization that trying to run a women’s program with the same approach as a men’s team was a mistake</b> (emphasis mine).<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>It required an understanding of different biological factors, including menstrual cycles and a potentially higher predisposition to knee injuries. And the rapid professionalization of women’s soccer over the past decade meant that players in their late 20s now have seen their number of matches and practice sessions explode since they were teenagers, simply because leagues are better organized and fewer players need to work jobs on the side to make their soccer careers viable.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“We were really putting them in danger, particularly given their age group and where their training age was,” Steinfort says. “All of a sudden, in the space of three or four years, we might have doubled the number of matches they’re playing per season. That’s a significant spike. And it’s not necessarily a huge surprise, there are more injuries.”</span></div></div></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>We should train men and women differently because they are, in fact, different.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>GROUNDBREAKING.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am incredibly proud of the enormous changes in policies in the short 9 years since I have been retired from the Air Force regarding polices that adversely impact women. It turns out, body armor and other important safety gear designed for men, even in smaller sizes, doesn't fit women properly. The requirement to wear long hair in a bun impacts the efficacy of helmets. The policy to cease flying the moment a female pilot receives a positive pregnancy test (even though it is safe to fly during the second trimester) adversely impacts careers. The height requirement for certain aircraft results in significantly reducing the pool of women that can qualify to fly them. These are things that are finally, finally changing thanks to the <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/AFWIT/">DAF Women's Initiative Team</a></b>. Awesome!</div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-23989663185948647992023-07-19T13:43:00.001-04:002023-07-19T13:43:06.254-04:00Summer List - Part III<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P22i24rrW7deui2I0yp56h6p1H8Mv3woMlydG4eojAaRD34OQxjDZ76zY-0aiqYIntPWrRuSk7qgZKrYmtm-ci_-z0Q_f3ducNbS1wghHo3uIbXBT0kmQlnAFENLkzemoRCFaf4Uib3lMFz1wGQlogXh5YGNVsuK6Ud7nhLXmvr5J0TPnTkKQsmxPA/s1275/BeFunky-photo-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1275" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P22i24rrW7deui2I0yp56h6p1H8Mv3woMlydG4eojAaRD34OQxjDZ76zY-0aiqYIntPWrRuSk7qgZKrYmtm-ci_-z0Q_f3ducNbS1wghHo3uIbXBT0kmQlnAFENLkzemoRCFaf4Uib3lMFz1wGQlogXh5YGNVsuK6Ud7nhLXmvr5J0TPnTkKQsmxPA/w364-h364/BeFunky-photo-7.jpg" width="364" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the 1,000 streaming services right now - get a group of folks together and we ask "What are you watching?" Our girlfriend weekend was no different, although this time we wrote things down. Mega hot weather and smokey skies mean indoor time for a lot of us, so you might </span>appreciate<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>some<span style="font-family: inherit;"> suggestions on what to watch. Most of these have been around for a while, but maybe you missed something that's worth seeing. Enjoy!</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.hbo.com/boardwalk-empire" style="color: #954f72;">Boardwalk Empire</a> (HBO)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Season-1/dp/B089XWNZ4W" style="color: #954f72;">Bosch</a> (from the series of books, Amazon Prime)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hell-On-Wheels-Season-1/dp/B0064JGWZS" style="color: #954f72;">Hell on Wheels</a> (Amazon Prime)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80002479" style="color: #954f72;">Peaky Blinders</a> (Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.usanetwork.com/race-to-survive-alaska" style="color: #954f72;">Race to Survive Alaska</a> (USA)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiKuPGC_sD_AhUDEFkFHUciCEgQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fshow%2Fsilo%2Fumc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice&usg=AOvVaw0YOrDh2mIdlSKRRA82fZ6I" style="color: #954f72;">Silos</a> (Apple Plus)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjslJWf0sH_AhVGLFkFHWS1DWcQFnoECDAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fshow%2Fted-lasso%2Fumc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy&usg=AOvVaw0PiBr4c9__kaolsWr1bHWp" style="color: #954f72;">Ted Lasso</a> (Apple Plus) – worth many re-watches!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8TR2QV5?ref=DVM_US_DL_SL_GO_AST_SHPL23_mkw_s-dc&mrntrk=pcrid_661333345179_slid__pgrid_148685834766_pgeo_9008187_x__adext__ptid_kwd-300122811960&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk96lBhDHARIsAEKO4xYGCjVSZcvJqafLgvZ0QRVaMjYmP4STR7S2T3E9rufHn0rZMhi4sDgaAjV6EALw_wcB">The Bear </a>(Hulu) - I think I'm the only person who </span>hasn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> watched this show.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81288983" style="color: #954f72;">The Diplomat</a> (Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/the-gentle-art-of-swedish-death-cleaning" style="color: #954f72;">The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning</a> (Peacock) - it's uplifting, really!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80117542" style="color: #954f72;">The Great Hack</a> (Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us" style="color: #954f72;">The Last of Us</a> (HBO)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.history.com/shows/men-who-built-america" style="color: #954f72;">The Men Who Built America</a> (History channel, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Hulu)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Toughest-Race-Eco-Challenge-Fiji/dp/B08F6W65KD" style="color: #954f72;">The World’s Toughest Race</a> (Amazon)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/TURN-Washingtons-Spies-Season-1/dp/B00J5U9SIQ" style="color: #954f72;">Turn: Washington’s Spies</a> (Amazon and Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.hbo.com/were-here" style="color: #954f72;">We’re Here</a> (HBO)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Movies/Documentaries:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/AIR-Matt-Damon/dp/B0B8Q3JMCG" style="color: #954f72;">AIR</a> (Amazon) and the<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjVp-ja0sH_AhXqE1kFHYoeBXMQFnoECDAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmusic.apple.com%2Fus%2Falbum%2Fair-amazon-original-motion-picture-soundtrack%2F1680251125&usg=AOvVaw0lzIS2FJpe7vFXVVKx34IQ" style="color: #954f72;"> soundtrack</a> is pretty kickin’ if you, ahem, were alive in the 80s<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+men+who+built+america&crid=2NPWPJKWHWQTN&sprefix=the+men+who+built+america%2Caps%2C75&ref=nb_sb_noss_1" style="color: #954f72;">Bikes of Wrath</a> (Amazon)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiQu_r-0sH_AhVhFFkFHXRGC-wQFnoECFMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftv.apple.com%2Fus%2Fmovie%2Fcoda%2Fumc.cmc.3eh9r5iz32ggdm4ccvw5igiir&usg=AOvVaw3UVOghfCmO_-6MzLny7OVr" style="color: #954f72;">CODA</a> (Apple Plus) - and Oscar winner that you must see!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80168079" style="color: #954f72;">Icarus</a> (Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-shape-of-water-cbf0aba3-ab8f-4fc7-a595-3bb44cc2f6bb" style="color: #954f72;">The Shape of Water</a> (Hulu and Amazon) - another Oscar winner!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224" style="color: #954f72;">The Social Dilemma</a> (Netflix)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8TR2QV5?ref=DVM_US_DL_SL_GO_AST_SHPL23_mkw_s-dc&mrntrk=pcrid_661333345179_slid__pgrid_148685834766_pgeo_9008187_x__adext__ptid_kwd-300122811960&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk96lBhDHARIsAEKO4xYGCjVSZcvJqafLgvZ0QRVaMjYmP4STR7S2T3E9rufHn0rZMhi4sDgaAjV6EALw_wcB">Shiny Happy People</a> (Amazon Prime) - it's about the Duggar family, not the REM song :-) Also highly recommend the <a href="https://thebiblebinge.com/shinyhappypeople/">July 13th Bible Binge podcast</a> on the show. </span></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-72919638774165938412023-07-04T12:35:00.001-04:002023-07-04T12:37:05.296-04:00The Summer List - Part II<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXrQKWv26SqiNI9gSJpIOAlnCn8Mc51VIE_4x30hNkWf2w6f6xI-PCnxjXmSFGefQM9KTQ-KWrIhchOXRYCYT5YrEBfrIQsEF0pv79YZxhToW7HqSpr-1xG8ImLE0SV0QJxMAKyikOVXfwtWzvd_4e5mKzjeKojVl65Ui023opC_cSKy35tCN_inYw/s1857/BeFunky-photo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1857" data-original-width="1857" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyXrQKWv26SqiNI9gSJpIOAlnCn8Mc51VIE_4x30hNkWf2w6f6xI-PCnxjXmSFGefQM9KTQ-KWrIhchOXRYCYT5YrEBfrIQsEF0pv79YZxhToW7HqSpr-1xG8ImLE0SV0QJxMAKyikOVXfwtWzvd_4e5mKzjeKojVl65Ui023opC_cSKy35tCN_inYw/w392-h392/BeFunky-photo-4.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe podcasts are not your jam - never fear! The girlfriend list is ready to tee up some books for you to enjoy. Besides, July and August are the perfect time to stay inside where it's cool and dive into a great story. Re-reading the list I see we are all over the place on genres - but that's what makes it fun!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Moscow-Novel-Amor-Towles-ebook/dp/B01COJUEZ0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=372TRMDBNYEAS&keywords=a+gentleman+in+moscow&qid=1686680881&s=digital-text&sprefix=a+gentle%2Cdigital-text%2C69&sr=1-1" style="color: #954f72;">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> by Amor Towles (soon to be a series on <a href="https://www.sho.com/a-gentleman-in-moscow">Showtime</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything by <a href="https://www.davidsedarisbooks.com/" style="color: #954f72;">David Sedaris</a> 😊<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guncle-Steven-Rowley-ebook/dp/B08H17JJCK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686679443&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">Guncle</a> by Steven Rowley (his newest book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Celebrants-Steven-Rowley-ebook/dp/B0B9WRWFH6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1688486813&sr=8-1">The Celebrants</a> is great too - different vibe but I loved it)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Modoc-Story-Greatest-Elephant-Lived/dp/B000OA6C5S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2482DNDZBSF60&keywords=modoc&qid=1686679671&sprefix=modoc%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-2" style="color: #954f72;">Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived</a> by Ralph Helfer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Remarkably-Bright-Creatures-Shelby-Pelt-ebook/dp/B09BNH4TLW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=1DGS2M3BICHXZ&keywords=remarkably+bright+creatures&qid=1686680954&s=digital-text&sprefix=remar%2Cdigital-text%2C81&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFKMFRGVTNXTEQwWkQmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NDY1OTIzVTBTMU5RWjJJVVIyJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0NDU5NDhZOVJBMzBNTUZCWEcmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl" style="color: #954f72;">Remarkably Bright Creatures</a> by Jenna Pick<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spare-Duke-Sussex-Prince-Harry-ebook/dp/B0BCP3JP6F/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686684311&sr=1-1" style="color: #954f72;">Spare</a> by Prince Harry<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Echo-Novel-Harry-Bosch-ebook/dp/B000SEVYSA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3OM74QW7IYAD3&keywords=bosch+book+1&qid=1686679818&s=digital-text&sprefix=bosch+book+1%2Cdigital-text%2C64&sr=1-1" style="color: #954f72;">The Black Echo</a> (Harry Bosch book 1, many more in the series) by Michael Connelly (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chapter-One-Tis-the-Season/dp/B089XPDDMW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2UZH8LL3QWIRD&keywords=bosch+tv&qid=1688486905&sprefix=bosch+tv%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-2">also on TV</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference-ebook/dp/B000OT8GD0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686681096&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">The Tipping Point</a> by Malcolm Gladwell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption-ebook/dp/B003WUYPPG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686683255&sr=8-3" style="color: #954f72;">Unbroken</a> by Laura Hillenbrand (do not watch the movie!)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/West-Giraffes-Novel-Lynda-Rutledge-ebook/dp/B088FF4S7Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686679536&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">West With Giraffes</a> by Lynda Rutledge (goes well with <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Highway-Novel-Amor-Towles-ebook/dp/B08WRH53MY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q6HT3BLDK2UY&keywords=lincoln+highway+book+kindle&qid=1686679627&sprefix=lincoln+hi%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">Lincoln Highway</a> by Amor Towles)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radium-Girls-Story-Americas-Shining-ebook/dp/B01N7KMS7X/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1688487392&sr=8-2">Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women</a> by Kate Moore</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Maisie-Dobbs-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B004J4XA6E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1688487467&sr=8-5"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maisie </span>Dobbs</a> by Jacqueline Windspear (it's first in a series, Maise is a WWI nurse turned private investigator)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For those of you who prefer audio books or are roadtripping, give these a try. We think these are really better in audio:<b style="text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anything by <a href="https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=David+Sedaris" style="color: #954f72;">David Sedaris</a> 😊<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Project-Hail-Mary/dp/B08GB58KD5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3997CVJBNGKLO&keywords=project+hail+mary+audiobook&qid=1686681153&sprefix=project+hail+%2Caps%2C83&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">Project Hail Mary</a> by Andy Weir<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bomber-Mafia-Temptation-Longest-Second/dp/B091J2CP5X/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1686681006&sr=1-1" style="color: #954f72;">The Bomber Mafia</a> by Malcolm Gladwell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/The-Power-of-Now-Eckhart-Tolle-audiobook/dp/B00005AAPL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35SSTBXR2CBO3&keywords=the+power+of+now+by+eckhart+tolle&qid=1686682831&sprefix=the+power+of+now%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1" style="color: #954f72;">The Power of Now</a> by Eckhart Tolle <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, if you are an e-book reader check out the <b><a href="https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby">Libby app</a></b>, I am a new fan. They also have audio books. For those of you with ties to the DoD, did you know there is an <b><a href="https://dodmwrlibraries.org">DoD MWR Library</a></b> accessible by Libby that is huge? You just need your DoD ID card number to verify and you are in.</span></p></div><p><br /> </p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-51938187201162019242023-06-29T12:04:00.001-04:002023-06-29T12:16:22.430-04:00The Summer List - Part I<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogbg9vBWDNrcU5haqAMCiV2oDK9leENWl-SVYE252McnarLRhgTwcy0chvIahKQjOPYyYeWXPv-a-Z1QlsPhhFP6IHVa1L_L-8hibUucO6RKYbhGBJJljst7SAS_KUxgU6aPTpBTOna6M4dSk01BPO8tQ6JJBvsawIqh-tGXk_XyJzs-rstlchhMd7Q/s997/BeFunky-photo-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="997" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogbg9vBWDNrcU5haqAMCiV2oDK9leENWl-SVYE252McnarLRhgTwcy0chvIahKQjOPYyYeWXPv-a-Z1QlsPhhFP6IHVa1L_L-8hibUucO6RKYbhGBJJljst7SAS_KUxgU6aPTpBTOna6M4dSk01BPO8tQ6JJBvsawIqh-tGXk_XyJzs-rstlchhMd7Q/s320/BeFunky-photo-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A couple weeks ago I got together with some long-time friends and over the course of the weekend we discussed all things making us happy - podcasts, books, TV and movies and various other things making life enjoyable. Of course we wrote it all down because a: we like lists and being organized and b: so we would remember - ha! The list is nearly two single-spaced pages long, so I decided to break it down by category into a couple blog posts (see 'a' above).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">So let's talk podcasts!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">First - two I've listened to lately that were amazing:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Arm Chair Expert - t<a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/jonas-brothers">he Jonas Brothers episode</a>. Wow. Why am I always surprised when pop stars are thoughtful and have incredible emotional intelligence? The more recent <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/kelly-clarkson">Kelly Clarkson episode</a> is also very awesome.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Bible Binge - <a href="https://thebiblebinge.com/lgbtqia/">the LGBTQIA+ episode</a>. This is not an episode full of judgement, but rather 4 friends talking about growing up with certain beliefs and how those beliefs evolved over time. Also, the episode asks and answers some questions maybe you are not sure how to articulate: "This episode intends to define terms, explore the clobber verses, and casually look at the past 2000 years of sexuality in the church."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are the other recommendations of the gals:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/dateline-2" style="color: #954f72;">Dateline NBC</a> - Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://stuffyoushouldknow.com/" style="color: #954f72;">Stuff You Should Know</a> - If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime, and Rosa Parks, then look no further.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.tablemannerspodcast.com/" style="color: #954f72;">Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware</a> - Jessie Ware hosts a podcast about food, family, and the beautiful art of having a chat, direct from her very own dinner table. With a little bit of help from her chef extraordinaire mum Lennie, each week guests from the worlds of music, culture and politics drop by for a bite and a bit of a natter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily" style="color: #954f72;">The Daily (from NYT</a> - Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise and powered by New York Times journalism.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.thefp.com/witchtrials" style="color: #954f72;">The Witch Trials of JK Rowling</a> - An audio documentary that examines some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p style="font-size: 13pt;"></o:p></span></span></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-33662319483952758802023-05-20T12:07:00.000-04:002023-05-20T12:07:07.378-04:00One Way to Get a Helicopter Ride<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskKLQfn-rEyKAp8cWhkjxqCM776HyNd1fVptcIDAapjhR76L1sGpMmocsNyg-3Waal5K38KXkBaeXid8OIEU2kRdzZW5YbfhWMqS2d_8GQI3sQIB6XRjKV58DoQQvjj9uO6gob61rPcNpuFa67bcbQ3whwgpTjy62aJLrBiTWXn-rF_qBEqNzaFI/s2722/helicopter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="2722" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskKLQfn-rEyKAp8cWhkjxqCM776HyNd1fVptcIDAapjhR76L1sGpMmocsNyg-3Waal5K38KXkBaeXid8OIEU2kRdzZW5YbfhWMqS2d_8GQI3sQIB6XRjKV58DoQQvjj9uO6gob61rPcNpuFa67bcbQ3whwgpTjy62aJLrBiTWXn-rF_qBEqNzaFI/w372-h372/helicopter.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last week my husband and I joined 2 leaders and 7 other hikers on a four day hike of the Grand Canyon. We were prepared, we'd hiked a bunch to get ready, tested all our gear and made adjustments, we consulted frequently with our Appalachian Trail-hiking son, the weather was glorious, and we were excited! We spent most of the day like class nerds, right behind the group leader, asking lots about the trail ahead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then it all went wrong. I went from hiking on the trail to face down, like I had been picked up and thrown down by some unseen force. I had an alarming cut on my forehead and my wrist was in bad shape - my watchband was quickly becoming a tourniquet. How could this happen? I was doing everything right - I fell forward on the established trail. I knew right away that our dream hike was now over and kept repeating "I'm so sorry" to my husband. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then everything went right. The hiker from Alaska who was especially feeling the Arizona heat found a flat spot in the shade for me and kept handing me water to drink. The quiet Californian who earlier had said he was retired "from public health" was actually a doctor and dug stuff out of his pack and the various first aid kits to patch me up. The hike leaders and my husband pooled resources to get word to the National Park Service to get me out. My gear got divvied up amongst the other hikers and amazingly, everyone was completely calm. A plan came together to continue to the camping area where we'd be met by a helicopter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The helicopter crew was completely badass, and made room for Greg and our gear, solving so many problems for us. The closest ER was in Flagstaff, a 90 minute ambulance ride (another first). It turns out, when you arrive by ambulance, you get a lot of immediate attention, and I was treated well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VqcsMscGvyi_mFYbfqou9TDCb2OJGYiKOwaQFiMlhwSQd8Pg5MBryI8EXfVdV712ZueQFPAb5OEfndUp3p5pYho39Ox6WKqUXXNyWUI17O9D3AkSreT8wUewjvlTqMx7hvgR8BVno94_YV1JD_cSIqexq3r4vTeIZW7h9IPTLY9kzOm-5AQz-dg/s4032/F1EB28B4-1921-4FA3-9BD4-0ED5E5C8213C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VqcsMscGvyi_mFYbfqou9TDCb2OJGYiKOwaQFiMlhwSQd8Pg5MBryI8EXfVdV712ZueQFPAb5OEfndUp3p5pYho39Ox6WKqUXXNyWUI17O9D3AkSreT8wUewjvlTqMx7hvgR8BVno94_YV1JD_cSIqexq3r4vTeIZW7h9IPTLY9kzOm-5AQz-dg/s320/F1EB28B4-1921-4FA3-9BD4-0ED5E5C8213C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's very rare to see your loved ones respond to a crisis, <u>when you are the actual crisis</u>, and I am incredibly thankful for Greg, Emma and Mike. Funny (now) side story - when we hit the SOS button on our GPS tracker, they called the house to confirm it was an actual emergency and Mike answered. He got minimal info other than an accident had happened. He kept his cool, provided what he could to help, then called Emma to confer. We had spent a lot of time talking through what to do if something happened to our 14 year old pup Layla, not realizing this plan worked for other crises. We made contact once back at the South Rim and had cell service.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the way, taking our GPS was last minute decision - a "we have it, why not use it" kinda deal (we knew the trek leaders had a satellite phone) but it ended up being the most direct way to get help. We're never leaving it behind now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We will return to the Grand Canyon, for sure, this can't be the end of our story. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But not this specific trail, I'm good :-)</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBiaDj5AUl6M7cdo8CFAXaZGd65Jev-Ta4Amk5f3tN61GviBDbhPXbn1PEE3_gaybaH2Otk-SLDwb-odtmvNgqHHF91qK8Pw3AuNIrX0kDfE5-OCy1CUWorMMpyOz8Wv4owJ15v4EkZxyBnypUtK60JiIpkhoVBhJjTRGyFzKgOwW2MjBlB7I7wI/s4032/IMG_4212.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBiaDj5AUl6M7cdo8CFAXaZGd65Jev-Ta4Amk5f3tN61GviBDbhPXbn1PEE3_gaybaH2Otk-SLDwb-odtmvNgqHHF91qK8Pw3AuNIrX0kDfE5-OCy1CUWorMMpyOz8Wv4owJ15v4EkZxyBnypUtK60JiIpkhoVBhJjTRGyFzKgOwW2MjBlB7I7wI/w460-h612/IMG_4212.jpeg" width="460" /></a></div><br />elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-35634765299195528002023-03-19T15:58:00.003-04:002023-03-19T16:11:11.323-04:00Eat the Frog First<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pzS8dXcHjsWLaEjZ5JERDIZZ4p73tqAbVxuqRiDxqyqoentvKLY16uAsw-1f9fzwuyUPAgJdxNkPYD4jzn2RGMjDW58JbaUESy1YLwikEc2drnANs1zLQBpd9aKOVEegX3rfH3-cNBrqosW8kLtli4iwBN68HADkDKc02DFFWU0TjX_nS9m-lEI/s3286/IMG_0579%20frog.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3286" data-original-width="3286" height="405" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pzS8dXcHjsWLaEjZ5JERDIZZ4p73tqAbVxuqRiDxqyqoentvKLY16uAsw-1f9fzwuyUPAgJdxNkPYD4jzn2RGMjDW58JbaUESy1YLwikEc2drnANs1zLQBpd9aKOVEegX3rfH3-cNBrqosW8kLtli4iwBN68HADkDKc02DFFWU0TjX_nS9m-lEI/w405-h405/IMG_0579%20frog.png" width="405" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I heard this on Glennon Doyle's We Can Do Hard Things podcast. The episode was <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/life-hacks-strategies-to-suffer-less/id1564530722?i=1000597655838">Life Hacks: Strategies to Suffer Less</a>. I don't remember much from the episode, other than this sage advice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What does this mean? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you start your day, pick the one thing you are dreading the most, and do it first. It's not a productivity thing, but a removing dread from your day thing. It doesn't mean on Monday eat all the frogs. It doesn't eat 365 frogs today. Just the one that you are dreading. By eating the frog first, you remove yourself from the dread that comes with it. You can finish the rest of your day lighter and happier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's something I NEED TO DO on the daily, and haven't been great at lately. Procrastination feels so much better at first - but not at the end of the day - right?<br /></div><br /> <p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-54888616617190687442023-03-08T16:42:00.000-05:002023-03-08T16:42:23.374-05:00I'm Not the Last<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8VxN5hFQMF_PkvNRmg6rtjF4Weyko0JbApEjAuLqylkMIsdu_OO1J_VsCTS6Qd6K-T5t_kdcoASInZVF51FZM6EFD8ubBbc_2CGQUIWGstMykIeRMzlQJPu29zD1e6DeqG7-UoiWZzMhJPzvZp-JQ2zL8q03lMH-j7xeEyjpw5ME7vGPitakE94/s1102/BeFunky-photo%203-8-23-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1102" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8VxN5hFQMF_PkvNRmg6rtjF4Weyko0JbApEjAuLqylkMIsdu_OO1J_VsCTS6Qd6K-T5t_kdcoASInZVF51FZM6EFD8ubBbc_2CGQUIWGstMykIeRMzlQJPu29zD1e6DeqG7-UoiWZzMhJPzvZp-JQ2zL8q03lMH-j7xeEyjpw5ME7vGPitakE94/w396-h396/BeFunky-photo%203-8-23-3.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy International Women's Day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I saw a great <a href="https://www.today.com/video/meet-the-1st-black-woman-behind-the-world-s-largest-naval-base-164700229506">interview on the Today show</a> with <a href="https://cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/About/Leadership/Bio-Detail/Article/2965123/co/">Captain Janet Days</a>, the first African American female commander of Naval Station Norfolk. Man is she impressive! In the interview, she was asked, "What does it mean to be the first?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Her answer: "It means that I am not the last."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amen sister!</div><br /> <p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-31101546733519610162023-01-23T22:44:00.001-05:002023-01-23T22:44:06.078-05:00It's All Good<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZySaBLxifX3jF2z5wTqBbYGjbQDcxTKHC76WWLQ7vU3vGRMv9drC31gRfNyKd75WFFT2AfA-p-R4G6AESPiGk3rFp5TMmZvBgbNiWJkzP6jIIDb3xZkT_AHRJnn5rEeEYcS-rHUSQd3-Yu-ekwYes5K2tCPIJrl3G_cNKBY2rcOLTrxRKSZpCbes/s3024/success.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZySaBLxifX3jF2z5wTqBbYGjbQDcxTKHC76WWLQ7vU3vGRMv9drC31gRfNyKd75WFFT2AfA-p-R4G6AESPiGk3rFp5TMmZvBgbNiWJkzP6jIIDb3xZkT_AHRJnn5rEeEYcS-rHUSQd3-Yu-ekwYes5K2tCPIJrl3G_cNKBY2rcOLTrxRKSZpCbes/w369-h369/success.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I guess collecting awesome mantras I what I am all about these days. What can I say - I love words. When someone puts them together in a way that makes me think, I want to share with everyone.</p><p>These sage words are from Stacy London, queen icon of favorite show <a href="https://www.galsinblue.com/2022/08/re-watch-what-not-to-wear.html">What Not to Wear</a> in a recent Fast Company article, "<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90829965/stacy-london-career-advice">Stacy London's Post-Pandemic Pivot Was Inspired By a Mistake She Made.</a>" </p><p>I'll bottom line it for you: her mistake was staying in a job too long because it was comfortable, and it took getting fired to get to a place that was actually right for her.</p><p>Here's the kicker, the advice that my younger self needed: "We cannot look at life as this trajectory where you choose one career path and then you’re stuck. I’m going into my fifth career. That does not mean that I was not successful in the other four, it means that I am allowing myself to evolve to what gives me meaning and purpose and a reason to get up every morning...If you play it safe because you’re uncomfortable with change, you will never know what else you are capable of."</p><p>This sounds impossible for someone in the military, who often receive a one sheet "career pyramid" when they are a lieutenant (do THIS and you will have a successful career). The secret they don't tell you is that there's far more wiggle room than you think. </p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-73470660509541304012023-01-13T16:13:00.000-05:002023-01-13T16:13:37.018-05:00Messy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMs8ug2hk21dC6BDZo2Btf_Xcj28BOLqNpAZLWTO_3-1bWI2ItBf5A5HsHQ1EusXiPLQBFPjzV9vP9nX-zFP9wWxOxyPJTBGigGbbUzYJ5C1EcC_S4-yDyKtwJuHJ6OmJrkR2p3Lgfz8_Ow1AwwbyWOdKdfUVeG5Doxnqnn_eFxUgi3Jj0U8Ea-g/s2722/messy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="2722" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMs8ug2hk21dC6BDZo2Btf_Xcj28BOLqNpAZLWTO_3-1bWI2ItBf5A5HsHQ1EusXiPLQBFPjzV9vP9nX-zFP9wWxOxyPJTBGigGbbUzYJ5C1EcC_S4-yDyKtwJuHJ6OmJrkR2p3Lgfz8_Ow1AwwbyWOdKdfUVeG5Doxnqnn_eFxUgi3Jj0U8Ea-g/s320/messy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>This quote is from a Wall Street Journal article, "<b><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-having-it-all-means-its-all-falling-apart-11673187652">Some Days, Having It All Means It All Falls Apart</a></b>." <div><br /></div><div>"Shouldering many roles, from dad to dog owner to team leader, makes us happier, says Yael Schonbrun, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Brown University, though it can also make some situations harder. 'When we have a life that has a lot of meaning and purpose, it's often quite uncomfortable,' she says."<p>Funny that the quote says "dad" even though all of the examples in the article were of women. But I digress. The article's steps to take when messiness happens were on point:</p><p>1. Pause. Take three breaths.</p><p>2. Reach out to a peer first (so you are not constantly bringing crises to your boss); then bring your boss some possible solutions.</p><p>3. Try and find the silver lining.</p><p>What's hard in the moment is feeling like you are the only one that doesn't have their shit together. I wish I had figured out when I was much younger that I wasn't the only one on the struggle bus from time to time. </p><p>I can certainly appreciate now how often a shared eye roll, a kind word, or a helping hand made all the difference -- fellow moms and battle buddies that provided invaluable support. Not to discount my awesome husband, but sometimes we needed more than the two of us to keep the plates spinning. That's what makes those messy times good stories to laugh about now.</p></div>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-88734312133270723892022-12-22T11:42:00.003-05:002022-12-22T11:42:45.243-05:00Holiday Mantra<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBBPGntVsv_X1c_5FnQo0J6GKZjvHI_LfzS8faq6YqXElesOiENvpd-hc5rSQehqwaUUpkftyDS78inq_GoHqdSP2wIZkna6f2oAVSVQqzD41CV9VXE1v7HoyluLSIyltgMX5KaMaq3e1_saEsxXICp8ZWWmLbehKL13C0t0ktcNUnxoj726lGkI/s3024/don't%20over%20think.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBBPGntVsv_X1c_5FnQo0J6GKZjvHI_LfzS8faq6YqXElesOiENvpd-hc5rSQehqwaUUpkftyDS78inq_GoHqdSP2wIZkna6f2oAVSVQqzD41CV9VXE1v7HoyluLSIyltgMX5KaMaq3e1_saEsxXICp8ZWWmLbehKL13C0t0ktcNUnxoj726lGkI/s320/don't%20over%20think.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yesterday I came home from Costco with a carton of 90 eggs. Did I need 90 eggs? Eventually, but not right now. They had either the 90 eggs package or nothing. Could I have made another stop at the grocery to get a "regular" amount of eggs? 100%. Why didn't I? Because my new and improved holiday (and soon to be 2023) mantra:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Don't Over Think It</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We'll use the eggs, and I saved myself a stop at another chaotic location - a grocery store right before Christmas and a pending massive winter storm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the record, I tend to over think (and re-think) EVERYTHING. It's the #1 thing I would like to change about myself. I'm not advocating abandoning common sense and other rules and regulations that keep the chaos relatively in check. I just want to reduce the "dither" and not constantly review the past for ways I should have done it better. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Does it work right now with the information you have? Yes? Then do it. Done.</div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-86378712382559918812022-12-05T16:54:00.000-05:002022-12-05T16:54:39.001-05:00Beauty Advice I Can Get Behind<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh75I0Av1skV6e9j1vTpPawgUPCVaPzz-22_YZm46tzdOT9FBRADMYuP0l3Mis3t05egmkY5lwbPmtgX8pc_shCxskuXCnUMyUDOKyMhmA1eFug18VjO49704_FVwng9AfdbbTueOP4dZBRsPRCd8Mf-YD4HPlLtTh2PNx-pG6PuJTYTLTlCk4Is4/s2453/BeFunky-beauty%20routine.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2453" data-original-width="2453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh75I0Av1skV6e9j1vTpPawgUPCVaPzz-22_YZm46tzdOT9FBRADMYuP0l3Mis3t05egmkY5lwbPmtgX8pc_shCxskuXCnUMyUDOKyMhmA1eFug18VjO49704_FVwng9AfdbbTueOP4dZBRsPRCd8Mf-YD4HPlLtTh2PNx-pG6PuJTYTLTlCk4Is4/s320/BeFunky-beauty%20routine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I did not say this. I have a beauty routine. My routine is getting sucked into Instagram ads and their ridiculous promises, which then floods my feed with even more ads, and buying whatever "no more wrinkles ever" face lotion catches my eye at Costco.</p><p></p><p>The entire quote is "I do not have a beauty routine. My life is too inconsistent and I have authority issues. Life changes. We change. That's OK. We don't have to be so strict about things."</p><p>Who said it? Can you guess?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Jared Leto. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Bet you didn't guess that. </p><p>To be honest I think he's a bit of a weirdo (See: accent he used in House of Gucci and also every red carpet appearance since then). But I do agree with this sentiment. We don't have to be so strict about any kind of routine thing.</p><p>Last March I decided, after going to an Anne Lamott reading, where she extolled the virtues of pen and paper over writing on a computer, to start a daily journal. I've always thought those that journaled daily for a lifetime were sooooo cool. Consistency when establishing a habit is tough for me, so this would be a good challenge on a couple fronts. I've been pretty good, but lately it has been more of an every-three-days habit of journalling. Gah! </p><p>This goofy quote was a great reminder to not be so strict sometimes. I am still writing more days than I am not. Giving myself a little leeway is a good idea, especially because being strict is the best way to abandon things altogether. </p><p>Side note - did you know Jared Leto played Jordan Catalano on "My So Called Life?" Mind. Blown.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ljk2zL8ZticD1T-DnOtcD235WH0cysb4NOkqicUqgEUZw-KYWj6I1XsXu0n7rkHYoeX9BBrFUsSaq5cSTPTNBdrAOkFfnU_OPx38P4A7eh5CKttp0UWlS0twnlfbWigUomiA2KT9bFeumb6VdGqMWuKXCaYBuBul5AHYyggAY8tvEHYCQZP5oWY/s1240/comp-ke-twin-up-feat-1.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1240" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ljk2zL8ZticD1T-DnOtcD235WH0cysb4NOkqicUqgEUZw-KYWj6I1XsXu0n7rkHYoeX9BBrFUsSaq5cSTPTNBdrAOkFfnU_OPx38P4A7eh5CKttp0UWlS0twnlfbWigUomiA2KT9bFeumb6VdGqMWuKXCaYBuBul5AHYyggAY8tvEHYCQZP5oWY/s320/comp-ke-twin-up-feat-1.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-47614449676726329212022-11-01T20:06:00.001-04:002022-11-01T20:42:46.089-04:00How to Do All the Things<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ0j8gRpnlftCBYnhqNEFw1dzyuMBPvm8IWNTSI64kTxQ3AX9t4-BtPlEkNwCsu6PbRrQ_203ZgX9dhvQFM1793JpocxLCoS7KxPJeF5WpPsnugPlDgYeAS53gmhCm61F1IEvzwE0MDRsaTfIUsddcz-tp22J7zWKq8IE_cvgi22SzyYlwvcF3Sg/s2942/BeFunky-balance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2942" data-original-width="2942" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ0j8gRpnlftCBYnhqNEFw1dzyuMBPvm8IWNTSI64kTxQ3AX9t4-BtPlEkNwCsu6PbRrQ_203ZgX9dhvQFM1793JpocxLCoS7KxPJeF5WpPsnugPlDgYeAS53gmhCm61F1IEvzwE0MDRsaTfIUsddcz-tp22J7zWKq8IE_cvgi22SzyYlwvcF3Sg/w366-h366/BeFunky-balance.jpg" width="366" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I was searching through the stock photos on <a href="https://www.befunky.com">this app</a> using the term "balance" - and this is one of the images that came up. <div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">WTF.</div><div><p>Obviously some kind of photoshop trickery, yet I can't stop looking at it trying to figure it out. I bet if you look closely at the cat print hanging on the wall, it's rolling its eyes - ha!</p><p>After finding this picture, I wrote a sigh-filled post about the ephemeral attainment of balance. But I didn't hit publish. What gave me pause?</p><p>Partly it was not wanting to post something whiney. Because "in the world we live in" (<i>not a phrase I like to use to be honest</i>), whining about how to get all the things done is a problem of someone privileged to not have to fight daily for basic survival.</p><p>But also because, the more I thought about it, <b>f*#k balance.</b> Really. There is always more work, more tasks, more needs, more wants and more desires than a human can accomplish at any one time. Trying to strike a balance means you are doing a couple things ok-ish when maybe something truly deserves 100% of your attention. Like maybe following up on a gift card for your mom's birthday on or near her birthday, so you don't forget, and then she doesn't end up paying for a meal months later that she thought had already been gifted. For example (whoops).</p><p>So here is my challenge: push stuff off of your mental kitchen counter like a cat left alone for the day, leaving only what <u>needs</u> your attention most, or what <u>you</u> need most. You can pick up the other pieces later. Maybe some of them will even go away. This is your official permission slip.</p></div></div>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-86148401022951596892022-08-25T15:49:00.000-04:002022-08-25T15:49:30.619-04:00Re-Watch: What Not to Wear<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t2rwJYp0tc9wX2DJmUyfsGsmAmY0HdahUeqRiPq6bdEw-5oTX5NKTpsffZ7vzq2s0mf4S2oVHzh0YAv8GYVmd6fzkLlq8u2Swo-0GTE32Y8d-UmmWjWfnqEY-12X8-sqtQAEQcoQ1V86s4KJ_mes0DogshwwFxl6A82I0MI8Ir1TXA3XqsjAfJo/s1192/wntw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1192" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t2rwJYp0tc9wX2DJmUyfsGsmAmY0HdahUeqRiPq6bdEw-5oTX5NKTpsffZ7vzq2s0mf4S2oVHzh0YAv8GYVmd6fzkLlq8u2Swo-0GTE32Y8d-UmmWjWfnqEY-12X8-sqtQAEQcoQ1V86s4KJ_mes0DogshwwFxl6A82I0MI8Ir1TXA3XqsjAfJo/w351-h351/wntw.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are 1,000,000 different shows to watch - across all the apps. But I feel like so many of the "hot" shows are dark, deep and cerebral. What I need now is light brain candy. I have already re-watched Ted Lasso many times, also all of Top Chefs and Great British Bake Offs. Then I discovered all 12 seasons of <b><a href="https://go.tlc.com/show/what-not-to-wear-tlc">What Not To Wear</a></b> on <a href="https://www.discoveryplus.com">Discovery+</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My friend Stella asked me what I learned by rewatching, so here goes:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. EVERY SINGLE WOMAN - of all ages and sizes, in every season of life, has some aspect of their body that they dislike and are convinced makes it impossible to find well fitting clothes. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Why are we all unhappy? That's a question for another post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. A good bra is worth its weight in gold. Your body changes, elastic doesn't last forever, so a refresh at a store that does bra fittings is a good idea. I've been digging <a href="https://www.soma.com/store/">Soma</a> lately, Stella prefers <a href="https://www.thirdlove.com">Third Love</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. If you do have a body that is tough to fit, buy something that fits the biggest part of you and then have it tailored. This is less expensive than you might think - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCmnX-QO-E4">fashion icon Tan France also preaches this.</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3.a. My personal tweak on this - when you find a brand/size that fits you, lean in. For me Old Navy curvy fit (now called pop icon) <a href="https://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=481401012&cid=3008595&pcid=3008595&vid=1#pdp-page-content">skinny jeans in size 12</a> fit me really well and are often on sale - I have bought them all...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Buy clothes to fit the body you have, not the body you were, or want to have. Clothes that fit well always look more put together, even your work from home outfits. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. A good haircut is also worth its weight in gold and make-up for a non-celebrity can be done in 5 minutes. Just trust me on both of these.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right now you are thinking - <b>what. the. hell.</b> Who needs added pressure to look nice when we are still figuring out how to live in this post-pandemic world? I hear you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But when I went to pack for a trip this summer and looked through a stuffed closet with clothes that don't fit, or no longer make me happy, or I will never need to wear again (I'm looking at you office attire) it stressed me out. So I plowed through it all, donating anything that I couldn't see myself wearing ever again. It felt great.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For inspiration on de-cluttering, check out <a href="https://thehomeedit.com">The Home Edit</a> on Netflix. Capsule wardrobe creator <a href="https://www.instagram.com/outfitformulasofficial/">Outfit Formulas</a> ("shop your closet first") is also great. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you are looking to do some shopping after decluttering your closet, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/costcocasual/">Costco Casual</a> is so awesome. I mean, you are there already, right? Also did you know you can thrift shop from the comfort of you own home? Check out <a href="https://shopthesalvationarmy.com/Browse/C160719/Clothes-Accessories">Salvation Army</a> and <a href="https://www.thredup.com">ThreadUp</a>. Hot tip on ThreadUp from my friend Angela: click the "new with tags" filter - she finds awesome shoes that way.</div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-80750195215248916512022-07-25T18:52:00.000-04:002022-07-25T18:52:04.254-04:00You Do You<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw-txPDmCy8hbktPpM6mq1wQG0f09ylY3ib76Wz7nmzO2JZyGoIeih2nmSiZxgj9lNt1cOz1CKfZ5pfMa_ZZGKGzisJ6qWzEHV2StdZI8ogtcC0-Bnv_0tI_EDDTFlHoCp1oEAfgFV5Kxyc9DqjyfpTJz5jT3qtdXwxJdgXD_UkgfMphDibcFeaM/s1920/you%20do%20you.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw-txPDmCy8hbktPpM6mq1wQG0f09ylY3ib76Wz7nmzO2JZyGoIeih2nmSiZxgj9lNt1cOz1CKfZ5pfMa_ZZGKGzisJ6qWzEHV2StdZI8ogtcC0-Bnv_0tI_EDDTFlHoCp1oEAfgFV5Kxyc9DqjyfpTJz5jT3qtdXwxJdgXD_UkgfMphDibcFeaM/s320/you%20do%20you.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you look for book recommendations amongst my blog posts, you will see I recommend <b><a href="http://www.jenniferweiner.com">Jennifer Weiner</a></b> again and again. I have read all her books and would consider myself a HUGE fan. I dream of becoming a published author and if I could become a writer with 1% of her gift and success I would exceed my wildest dreams.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She is a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/jennifer-weiner">guest columnist for the New York Times</a> and normally I enjoy what she has to say. But her latest column, <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/opinion/jlo-jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck.html">J-Lo Is Now Jennifer Affleck. Why That Matters</a>,</b> kind of pissed me off.<b> </b>She takes issue with J.Lo referring to her self by her new husband's surname: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Ms. Affleck may be surrendering to the power of love with this, her fourth marriage. But given the cringe-y history behind the practice, a woman taking her husband’s last name feels to me like a submission — a gesture that doesn’t say “I belong with him” so much as “I belong to him.” And at this fraught moment for feminism in America, a woman like the former Jennifer Lopez deciding to change her name feels especially dispiriting."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH (also, note the dig "this, her fourth marriage")</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought fighting for everyone to have choices, to be able to make their own decisions without fear of retribution or punishment, is what progressiveness is all about. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jennifer Weiner writes: "Maybe the question of whether or not a pop star-slash-global-brand changes her last name feels unimportant...But these gestures matter. Names confer identity. And married women continue to give theirs up, while married men rarely reciprocate."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really don't care what name anyone goes by - keep your name, change your name, hyphenate your name, use a symbol -- do whatever makes you happy. My choice doesn't mean your choice is wrong -- it's just a different choice. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But this constant requirement to navigate the "right" choice among all the potential choices, of all the very many things we need to worry about, in a way that doesn't upset others or worst case, "cancel" you, is exhausting. </div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-45105556136738324002022-07-03T13:48:00.000-04:002022-07-03T13:48:21.903-04:00Travel Diet Advice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnOj6jHsjqjiJ6aj-TI4dZFN2l03yGZ6x6i2KIT6xdBm4hPTBeuQ6xIvl1rCGDwG72xXuuK2IMfNqL2GkWqlq19fz1jztQGyP64bTOQtWFErsIzm2fgLJsvRvZmVL76tgrne-IeUTsE1iOuuJarOGK5tUq4iGFhH9M3yeaLzOPCp25NhanWWUaJE/s1152/BeFunky-photo%20over%20under.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1152" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnOj6jHsjqjiJ6aj-TI4dZFN2l03yGZ6x6i2KIT6xdBm4hPTBeuQ6xIvl1rCGDwG72xXuuK2IMfNqL2GkWqlq19fz1jztQGyP64bTOQtWFErsIzm2fgLJsvRvZmVL76tgrne-IeUTsE1iOuuJarOGK5tUq4iGFhH9M3yeaLzOPCp25NhanWWUaJE/w413-h413/BeFunky-photo%20over%20under.jpg" width="413" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love to "collect" quotes, especially ones that I agree with :-) This one from Jon Acuff perfectly articulates a great way to approach two kinds of travel. When you travel for work, you may end up going on lots of group meals, have conference buffets, and find candy bowls on everyone's desk. It's easy to over indulge, so you should aim for the opposite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But on vacation, when you (might) have total control over where, when and how much you eat, you might have a tendency to worry over all the calories. Umbrella drinks, dessert with every meal, and lots of treats you don't normally eat at home, yummmm. But oh, the diet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As Jon says, "You don’t have to go crazy on your vacation and undo all the good work you’ve done at home, but you also don’t need to ruin your vacation by counting each calorie in the DisneyWorld ice cream cone." It's no fun for you, and kinda puts a damper on spontaneous donut shop and other local gem stops for others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Emma Bombeck has another favorite quote of mine: <b>"Sieze the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic that waved off the dessert cart." </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's all about keeping perspective and balance, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note: I'm not a donut connoisseur, just travel with donut lovers (apparently). Here are two spontaneous donut shop stops in very different locations that are SO WORTH IT: <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jellyfishdonuts/">Jellyfish Donuts</a></b> in Ketchikan, Alaska and <b><a href="https://www.bakeshophawaii.com/pages/our-visitor-center">Punalu'u Bake Shop</a></b> on the Big Island of Hawaii.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Second Note: If you would like to get Jon Acuff's "5 Ideas to Shout About" Friday newsletter (it's free) <a href="https://acuff.me/newsletter/"><b>sign up here</b></a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-83418754451310945742022-06-26T12:32:00.001-04:002022-06-26T12:33:35.465-04:00What to Say?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIsgEE-b43wywuzXxx0x8CxhX12ctd1HydqIaNs0KP4gvLgCdWYPXPfz6Bfjv0pgXEaqRX3Hz7_RB4DBBlNBhzttA_2TKC7kS8hsmcoIBBLLPY95pOXBZIrWQVdvCAzAjxQVh0yeR20-vjAhJdkiDM6JvP1FjBmXlerIpJImdhdH-Pjh1A5vyTVk/s2094/IMG_1532%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1937" data-original-width="2094" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIsgEE-b43wywuzXxx0x8CxhX12ctd1HydqIaNs0KP4gvLgCdWYPXPfz6Bfjv0pgXEaqRX3Hz7_RB4DBBlNBhzttA_2TKC7kS8hsmcoIBBLLPY95pOXBZIrWQVdvCAzAjxQVh0yeR20-vjAhJdkiDM6JvP1FjBmXlerIpJImdhdH-Pjh1A5vyTVk/s320/IMG_1532%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since my last post has a March date on it, I clearly haven't figured out how to say what pops into my head lately. A lot about America right now is just too much it seems. But also, I don't feel like the world is coming to an end. Being sad about everything is exhausting, but being happy about everything sounds tone deaf. And since I am somewhere in the middle, I feel stuck. I caught even the Memoji on my laptop sighing or rolling its eyes -- I feel you buddy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I feel like I've written this post or had these thoughts a zillion times (see <a href="https://www.galsinblue.com/2022/03/the-antidote-to-doomscrolling.html">here</a>, <a href="https://www.galsinblue.com/2021/03/rethinking-lost-year.html">here</a> and a 2020 classic, "<a href="https://www.galsinblue.com/2020/06/2020-is-dumpster-fire-too-kind-term.html">Is Dumpster Fire Too Kind a Term?</a>"). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So how to (continue to) navigate this newest iteration of weird times? I brush past 24/7 news channels and many social media posts and turn to critical thinkers, like <b><a href="https://thecorners.substack.com/about">Nadia Bola-Weber.</a></b> She has a great post called "<b><a href="https://thecorners.substack.com/p/if-you-cant-take-in-anymore-theres">If you can't take it anymore, there is a reason</a></b>." Can you guess the date? Almost a year ago. Newsletters from <b><a href="https://www.theskimm.com/daily-skimm">The Skimm</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.morningbrew.com/daily">The Morning Brew</a></b> and the <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/series/us-morning-briefing">New York Times Morning Briefing</a></b> are also less shouty ways to consume the latest news.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My other anecdote for weird times (or traveling, or traveling during weird times - ha!) is some engrossing fiction. Something between literary fiction and Harlequin romances. Fun characters, happy-ish endings, but not air-headed. There is a new (or new to me) wave of fab books that have much more diverse characters and stories, without feeling like what I am reading is "work," i.e., The Scarlet Letter or any other English-teacher assigned tome (apologies to my friend Rosie, who I am sure makes high school English way more fun that when I was a student).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are recent faves:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GVZRNC3/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Flying Solo</a></b> by Linda Homes - the second novel from a fave member of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510282/pop-culture-happy-hour">Pop Culture Happy Hour </a>podcast team. Her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evvie-Drake-Starts-Over-Novel-ebook/dp/B07HWVV38L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1656260668&sr=8-3">first book</a> is great too. A return-to-your-small-home-town story that is much better than a Hallmark movie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09969JBFG/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">The Summer Place</a></b> by Jennifer Weiner (really anything by her, but this is her latest). This one is about the bumpy road to a family wedding, and all the secrets uncovered along the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HNDHJLS/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">By the Book</a></b> by Jasmine Guillory (check out all her books too! This one is slightly different that her other novels -- a modern take on Beauty and the Beast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KWHP3CG/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Get a Life, Chloe Brown</a></b>, <b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y8DL7CY/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Take a Hint, Dani Brown</a></b> and <b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B089SYX5F5/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Act Your Age, Eve Brown</a></b>, a trilogy of books about three sisters, by Talia Hibbert. Love, love, love series of books on siblings, and this trilogy of books is amazing. Definitely something to check out if you love England but the Regency era Bridgertons are not your thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J4LPZRN/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Red, White and Royal Blue</a></b> by Casey McQuiston. What would happen if the Prince of Whales and the President's son had a fling? So interesting, and definitely appeals to those with DC knowledge and royal family curiosity (ok, that person is me :-)). Her other book <b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FZB4B6F/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">One Last Stop</a></b> involves time travel and found families - also excellent.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <b><a href="https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MGS7HF1/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title">Unhoneymooners</a></b> by Christina Lauren. The Maid of Honor and Best Man who hate each other end up taking the honeymoon the Bride and Groom don't take. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reading not escapist enough? Turns out the classic fashion show <b><a href="https://go.tlc.com/show/what-not-to-wear-tlc">What Not To Wear</a></b>, all TWELVE seasons, is on Discovery+. Even though the show started in 2003, it turns out their fashion advice is pretty timeless. Highly recommend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70680417479117064.post-22786654547983958622022-03-24T17:32:00.003-04:002022-03-24T17:46:25.163-04:00The Antidote to Doomscrolling<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPO7wlQMRa8KbPunrNGXCsY-evBVYo9Qjq4avPzTwagXFIQxLjpkXe-Kbooa7sa7MExzhQVznn3HC8NTxFbSTDkOKUR3Y6oMkfYCuF0nF6TiGABJlLObXCEaFWZRUZOzOMXryH35jRb0gYbPF-022WjCnE7wPHCBzArzpvQ89d9lCafWJinLAn1c/s1153/BeFunky-photo%20joy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="1153" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPO7wlQMRa8KbPunrNGXCsY-evBVYo9Qjq4avPzTwagXFIQxLjpkXe-Kbooa7sa7MExzhQVznn3HC8NTxFbSTDkOKUR3Y6oMkfYCuF0nF6TiGABJlLObXCEaFWZRUZOzOMXryH35jRb0gYbPF-022WjCnE7wPHCBzArzpvQ89d9lCafWJinLAn1c/s320/BeFunky-photo%20joy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we are in March 2022. The last two years are why we now have the term "doom-scrolling." It doesn't feel like we should be joyful, not when there is so much suffering in the world. It feels wrong. But, ever so gently, I would like to disagree. It's when times seem dire that you should squeeze every awesome good thing out of life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In an article from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-can-feel-joy-even-when-the-world-seems-bleakbut-you-have-to-try-harder-11647650585"><b>Wall Street Journal this week, You Can Feel Joy Even When the World Seems Bleak</b></a>, Lynn Bufka, a clinical psychologist and associate chief, practice transformation at the American Psychological Association had this to say: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">“'It doesn’t diminish someone else’s pain for us to feel happy or good about something,' she says. Instead, feelings of joy and happiness make us feel more connected to other people and can give us <b><i>the energy and perspective to help others</i></b>, she says (emphasis added)."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Interesting isn't it? Joy builds our ability to help others. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This <b><a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-happiest-countries-2022-wellness/index.html">CNN article on the </a></b><span><b><a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-happiest-countries-2022-wellness/index.html">World Happiness Report</a></b>, a publication of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, agrees. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"'The big surprise was that globally, in an uncoordinated way, there have been very large increases in all the three forms of benevolence that are asked about in the Gallup World Poll,' John Helliwell, one of the report's three founding editors, told CNN Travel.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"'<b><i>Donating to charity, helping a stranger and volunteering are all up</i></b>,' especially the help to strangers in 2021, relative to either before the pandemic or 2020, by a very large amount in all regions of the world,' said Helliwell, who is a professor emeritus at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia (emphasis added).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joy is good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you need a jumpstart on feeling some joy, take a look at one of my all time favorite pictures of my kids :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__b3CWfpEHssNk9cSZYAID6RmTrIEabLDSKWO0yBgBcyk1W7hOlmOoktKwRcMKReXZJl_37QC0AmRfsCCCCi0pULfZddM7UuTwuevqODV3pelShbaWjaOnJL8Ca3A9GGosv1o5hipANHJJYmW0aZC3l2_OfEJt1zyO2roVvEuU2mhlT2HPaLos_k/s1757/IMG_0278.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1757" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__b3CWfpEHssNk9cSZYAID6RmTrIEabLDSKWO0yBgBcyk1W7hOlmOoktKwRcMKReXZJl_37QC0AmRfsCCCCi0pULfZddM7UuTwuevqODV3pelShbaWjaOnJL8Ca3A9GGosv1o5hipANHJJYmW0aZC3l2_OfEJt1zyO2roVvEuU2mhlT2HPaLos_k/w400-h283/IMG_0278.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>elisabeth http://www.blogger.com/profile/05529131319364988260noreply@blogger.com0