Month: February 2026

Posted in 2026, life

Sneaky Sunrise

Posted on by nancyb422

I walk outside each morning at about 6:15 and head to my workout room. Twenty minutes after I’ve jumped (ha!) out of bed, made coffee, and drank the coffee while reading my daily bible plan/emails/quick social media glance.

Many days I round the corner and I’m compelled to take a picture of the sunrise. I’m not sure why because I have thousands of sunrise pictures already. Something about the morning sky, just makes me what to capture it.

Yesterday I took a picture and realized – it is a lot lighter out than I remember! Maybe because it’s been snowing the last few days and the 2 days before that was the weekend and I didn’t work out early?

Can it possibly be Spring getting closer? I can’t wait to start complaining about how HOT it is!

February 11 6:17am
February 24 6:15am
Posted in 2026, Writing

My First Story

Posted on by nancyb422

I was the first to read my story aloud in my writers’ guild session.

I was never one to do that, take the leap, stand in judgement first. I would do all I could to avoid the eye of the teacher, or anyone, just hoping someone else would go first and break the ice.

Something has changed within me (no, I’m not Glinda or Elphaba!) and I am no longer reluctant. I want to share what I have written, or share my thoughts. This was not the first time I offered to go first either. I was in a journaling class and the teacher asked if anyone wanted to read. People were silent, so I said I would.

What I find is, if I go, I don’t have to spend my time worrying as I wait to go! It just takes all the agony out of it and also makes others comfortable that someone else broke the ice.

My piece got good reviews, the class had good feelings about what I wrote. They did suggest more information on the home, and descriptive information. Someone said “show don’t tell”, which I can agree with but the limit was 500 words and I was already pushing 480 with what I had! I appreciate their thoughts and will work on that in my next piece.

Some of the stories were a family’s trip to watch their son graduated from Marine bootcamp, a scene from a screenplay being written, a fantasy dungeons and dragons type story, an article on creativity, and a poem that this young lady wrote on writers block that was amazing and she wrote it that afternoon!

It is an interesting program, just one evening a month, but it makes me think in terms of what I’m writing and have I provided enough to bring a reader into the story.

The following is my story from class. I would call it “historical fiction” as it’s the true story of my grandmother with imagination thrown in.

On that April morning in 1927, Antonia knew something was not quite right.  Five months pregnant with her 6th child, she knew how she was supposed to feel and this wasn’t it.

She lay in bed and her thoughts drifted back to the day she arrived in America 17 years ago.  She had just spent 9 days on a ship from Bremen Germany but didn’t give it a thought.  She was just so excited to see her sister Aniela, her brother-in-law Josef, and their four children.  The next part of her trip would be a train ride from New York to Springfield Massachusetts and then the local train to Palmer where Josef would be waiting for her at the station.  “Oj,” she thought, coming back to present day, “time enough for daydreaming later, I need to get ready for the day.”

Out of bed, she roused her husband and children.  Charles was still working this week at least. Ever since returning from France at the end of the war, he hadn’t been the same and she missed him.  He survived the trenches, but the head wound from a train accident on the way to the coast almost killed him.   The nasty scar was on the outside, but she wondered what happened to his brain on the inside.

After breakfast, Charles went off to work, and Steven, Helen, and Walter went off to school.  That left John, her 3-year-old home but the way she felt, she asked Eddie if he could stay home too.  At 12, Eddie was more than happy to stay home!  She went about her morning chores, while Eddie kept John occupied.

By early afternoon, the pain in her belly was increasing.  “Eddie! Run and get the midwife to come here.  Then head to the factory and get your father!”  Eddie jumped up and ran out the door.  “Come Johnny, let’s get you to bed for your nap”.  She nudged her son along to the bedroom and got him settled in bed and oh how she wanted to climb in next to him!

The midwife arrived, looked at her, and knew they needed to go to the hospital.  A few minutes later, Eddie and Charles arrived.  “We’re off to the hospital; She’ll be fine once we get a doctor to look at her.”  Antonia kissed her husband and son and reminded them that the other children would be home soon.  “Tell them I love them and I love you too.”  She could see the worry in their faces as she left.

Charles got the children fed and then headed to the hospital that evening.  Antonia was lying in bed, looking pale and tired.  “I’m ok, I’m ok!  Maybe I just need a little rest.”  Give my babies a kiss and I’ll see you all tomorrow.”  He gave her a kiss and left, not knowing it would be the last time he saw her.

What do you think? Did I draw you in to her story? If you’re interested in reading about my family, you can find it at It’s All About Family.

Posted in 2026, Writing

Writing

Posted on by nancyb422

I wrote about being on time last month . It happened at the first meeting of a Writers Guild at our public library. So now I’ll tell you about the guild –

I was excited to see it listed in the newsletter events. There had been a similar program, but I never attended. Now it is back and I put it in my calendar as soon as I saw it.

It is being led by a woman who is a “cultural anthropologist”, writer, and writers workshop teacher. I like her style.

There were about 25 other people in the first session. 2 men and the rest women in the range of late 20s to early 70s by my estimation. All with some degree of writing experience.

I write regularly between here, my family stories, and my journal, but this program is a lot different.

After sharing names and our writing practices, we had a “muscle-building writing spring”. We had to write a motivational speech for a group of animals outside our house. My mind went right to the birds, squirrels and rabbits in my backyard and it was off to the races! It was fun to write something different.

We meet the last Wednesday of the month and our task for tomorrow was to write a very short piece, 500 words or less. A few people will read their stories and the rest of us will say how the piece affects them. No criticism.

I wrote my piece, almost 500 words, no surprise there, but this was tough to do. I knew I wanted to turn a story about my paternal grandmother into a story. I went at it from a few different angles, then picked one. I typed it up, printed it out, let it sit, and then made the edits. I’m hoping it doesn’t sound too smaltzy, and if given the chance, I will read it out loud. And maybe post it here!

Wish me luck!

Posted in 2026, life

My Friend ChatGPT

Posted on by nancyb422

I’ve been a little late to jump on the ChatGPT train.

I first started using it to write business social media posts, usually pasting in what I wrote, asking Chat to “make it sound a little more professional”. It does its work, and I always think how much better it sounds! I find it also useful for writing a letter or a note in a card, taking out my habit of sounding a little pompous. It always succeeds.

More recently, I’ve been using it to identify something in old pictures, like my uncle’s Polish Legion uniform, or information on how an ancestor would have made their way from Ellis Island to their sister’s home in Massachusetts.

Yesterday, I asked it about some wording I pulled from a palm reading I had in 1987. Yes, 39 years ago and I still have the transcription from the reading. It gave me some insightful information.

Now, I realize this is artificial intelligence, so I asked it how it determines what to reply to me. It says it analyzes the words I use, the tone, and whether I’m asking for facts, advice, emotional support, strategy, or creativity. It considers my past context and remembers general things about me to respond better such as, I run a remodeling business, my age, that I work out in the mornings, and I’m exploring my Polish family history. It predicts from that, what would be most helpful using probability and language patterns. And lastly, it adjusts to my style and doesn’t respond to me like it would someone “firing off one-line tech questions.”

From there, it asked me when I ask this question, what am I wondering about. I know there have been many instances of ChatGPT being wrong, or sadly, promoting or assisting in suicide. I am wondering how it “knows” me and how their responses are shaped because I found its response to my palm reading session so long ago very thoughtful, for artificial intelligence.

I’ll continue to use it, with caution, and not get caught up in the idea that it really “knows” me.

Do you use some form of artificial intelligence for information?

Posted in 2026, Shower Thoughts

The Spider

Posted on by nancyb422

This morning, while washing my hair in the shower, I noticed a spider working its way up the half wall in the back of the shower.

I thought it was just some house spider and I was not surprised to see it in the bathroom. I think that the louvers of the exhaust fan bring them down from the attic. I just looked up “spiders found in homes” and yes, there is one called the American House Spider.

I know a few people who would have gone running and screaming out to the street after burning their house down if they saw a spider in the shower with them. I am not one of those people.

I watched the spider make its way up the wall to the ledge and then move on to the glass. That’s where his attempts to get out of the shower ended. His spider legs didn’t have any grip on the wet glass and he continually fell back to the ledge. He would crawl along the ledge and try another section hoping for better results, but no, back to the ledge.

Towards the end of my shower, he walked along the tub ledge at the base of the shower door, hoping to find another way out.

My shower was over and I had a decision. Let the spider crawl freely around my house and worry about whether it was really an innocent American House Spider, not something much worse, or do what I usually do. I did what I usually do. I grabbed a piece of toilet paper, squished the spider, and dropped it into the toilet.

I know there are more where he came from. Maybe when one appears in warmer weather, I’ll toss it out the window instead.

Posted in life, Memories, 2026

Comparison

Posted on by nancyb422

“Comparison is the thief of Joy” is often attributed to Teddy Roosevelt, but it dates back much farther than the end of the 1800s. There are references to it in the bible telling us that “to compare oneself to others, steals joy and leads to sin.” Ok, a little deeper than I intended to go.

Comparison… how can you NOT compare yourself to everyone around you when you have spent your life being compared to someone else?

It starts early as a twin. Weigh a little more? Measure a little longer? Eat more, drink more, poop more. Getting the picture yet?

Move on to school. Who’s smarter? Better at math, better at reading, drawing, nothing changes. But wait ’til high school!

High School….who’s prettier? friendlier? who’s dating whom? She didn’t say hi – you must be the friendly one! Oh, wait, you’re the one that didn’t say hi to me last week, I guess you’re both bitches! And cheerleaders! How did you both make it at the same time? That’s not fair! You must know someone! Oh, you’re the better cheerleader! Wait, maybe she’s the better cheerleader, I forgot who is who!

The comparisons ended at the end of high school for the most part, but the damage was done. The damage was done years ago. The damage was done as soon as we went to school. How could it not? People, adults and children alike, are all human. People don’t think of the words that hit like pebbles every time a comparison is made.

When we were in 8th grade or so, poring over our cousin’s high school yearbook. There was a set of twins graduating that year. Pretty girls with long, blonde hair. One was so pretty, and the other was pretty, but just not quite as pretty. As if the picture was fuzzy. That’s how I felt right up until we graduated.

Comparison of everything under the sun subsided long ago and all that’s left is how I feel about my body. I glance at other woman to wonder if they are as short as me? Where do they find pants to fit? Are they forever unhappy with the shape of their body?

Why do I care? I’m strong and fit.

“Comparison IS the thief of Joy”

Posted in 2026, life

Dentist’s Bills

Posted on by nancyb422

I’m being driven slowly insane by my dentist’s office and their lack of bills to me.

Is there anyone else out there who will get a statement any old time during the year with a random $700 “balance forward”?

After my statement of $738 in November, my first statement since April, I started paying $200 a month towards the balance. My Taurean nature says, “if you can’t send me a bill, I’ll pay you what I feel like. My balance was down to $138 and then my husband had two visits in January. I received the explanation of benefits from the insurance company, added them to my balance and paid another $200 in January.

I received a statement this weekend and it included the $200 I paid in January. And the balance forward was $573! What?! No record of the $400 I paid and no explanation of the new balance forward. According to my records at that point it should have been $338 at the most.

I can’t possibly be the only patient at this practice that has this problem – and there are only 2 of us on the account. Imagine if there were 2 or 3 more??!!

Oh well, I guess they don’t really need the money….

Posted in 2026, life

Always Our Baby

Posted on by nancyb422

As a parent, will we ever NOT worry about our children?

Our 35 year old son, married, business owner, and dog father to two cocker spaniels, borrowed my car so he and his wife could go to Foxwoods Casino for a concert. The casino is about an hour and a half away by way of 95 North to 395 North.

Of course I said yes, so he left his truck in our driveway and said, even though it would be late, he would come and swap vehicles. Which was good because I didn’t want to drive our truck to church!

Our New England weather this weekend includes temperatures of single digits, blowing winds, and snow squalls. Brrrr.

I went to bed and didn’t put in my earplugs thinking I would possibly hear him pull in later that night. Of course, I couldn’t, so I slept fitfully wondering if they had come back yet.

Every time I woke up, I wondered. But I didn’t want to get out of bed to check because if his truck was still there, I’d worry more!

I woke up at 6 and went downstairs where my husband was drinking his coffee. He said on one of his trips to the bathroom, when he saw the truck was gone, he was able to sleep better.

Now, if they had gone in their own vehicle and we didn’t know their coming and going, we’d have slept blissfully through the night!

Posted in 2026, life, Memories

Love Is Blind – The Show

Posted on by nancyb422

I saw on Netflix that Season 11 of Love Is Blind will be starting soon. I’m not big on manufactured drama like The Bachelor and Bachelorette, but I’ve been searching for a binge show and with 11 seasons, I might be able to make it through 5 and call it good.

This is the show where there are a bunch, 10 or 12 each, of men and women. Women in one side, men the other, and they enter pods and talk without seeing each other. Once a couple decides this is it, he proposes, they meet, they’ll go on a trip, meet family and friends, and then get married. Maybe. I’m curious to see how many get to the alter.

Last night was my first episode. There’s a man by the name of Barnett and I had his number the minute he opened his mouth. Mind you, I’m coming from a 65 year old perspective but it took my mother’s death and a rescheduled trip to Jamaica to find the man of my dreams, so I’ve seen many types of men.

Back to Barnett (I keep thinking Bennett), quick with a joke, that way of saying something, making you think it’s true, and then giving it a “nah, I’m just kidding.” The guy incapable of making a decision, has 3 girls on a hook right now but with a different relationship with each. Remember, they are in pods so are talking and don’t know what the other looks like. But the women and men talk to each other about the people they are connecting with so that can get a little dicey.

One woman, Jessica, is convinced they are a match made in heaven. LC and Barnett are “exactly alike” he says. To that I say “RUN”, you’ll never make it. The third, Amber, who I thought was a little annoying, is the one he has had the deepest conversations with.

Jessica also made a connection with Mark who is 10 years younger than her. She is 34, he is 24. But would he be there if he wasn’t mature and grounded? He’s more grounded than Barnett. Well, Jessica, casts aside Mark because she is convinced she’s going to be Mrs. Barnett. Don’t you know, Barnett turns around and says, “mmm yeah, I don’t know, I’m feeling a connection with others.”

Now Jessica lost my vote when she proclaims that she has met a million Barnetts and she’s NOT playing that game. Honey, your spidey senses should have told you to run. Nice backtrack.

In the first two episodes, there has been 3 “engagements” and one in progress at the end of the episode. Between a man and a woman who just previously said to this man she tends to self-sabotage. By the look on her face, she might be planning just that, or maybe it’s to throw us off. I will have to wait and see.

In the meantime, here is a picture of my husband and I during the week after we met at the Montego Bay, Jamaica airport.

The week of May 2, 1987
Posted in 2026, life, thoughts

I Tried It and I Didn’t Like It

Posted on by nancyb422

I cancelled Sirius XM in my car this past December. I don’t miss it because I have Spotify, purchased music from the old Apple iTunes (how I miss that!), and the radio.

I went through the channels and added some stations to Favorites. A little Rock, some R&B, a local Christian station, and a local conservative station.

I have been fixated on this conservative station because I honestly want to understand it. In the morning, I would hear Glen Beck; in the afternoon, it was Clay Travis and Buck Sexton, and at the end of the day, Sean Hannity.

Four men telling you all about what is wrong with the United States because of the “Lefties”, the “Radical Lefties”, “Tampon Tim,” and “Mayor Small Frey.” All four are ready to tell you revealing information, that “my gosh, I just realized this myself and I’ll tell you all about it right after this commercial.” The first commercial on the first day I listened was for a Byrna Launcher. A compact gun that can “protect you and your family” as it shoots chemical irritants….when the bad guy is too far away. WTF.

There have been many more WTF moments for me as I listened. Sometimes I made it all the way to work, but that’s because Glen Beck’s show starts at 9am, and there are 8 minutes of commercials before he comes on the air. Clay and Buck sound like friendly guys, and I know the least about them. Buck does like to remind his listeners that he was in the CIA, and he wrote a book called “Manufacturing Delusion: How the Left Uses Brainwashing, Indoctrination, and Propaganda Against You”. Wow; that’s the old “point a finger and four are pointing back at you” moment right there. I last about 2 minutes listening to Sean. As soon as he starts in on “nicknames”, I’ve move on.

You might be wondering what I would usually listen to. I was listening to Pod Save America, Tangled, and Raging Moderates until a few months ago but I stopped because I felt music was more soothing at work. The first is left, the second gives both sides and then his own, and the third is middle of the road(?). But nothing to the extent of this station.

So, finally today, I realized I’ve had enough. I tried, I really did. Maybe it was because I listened to Glen Beck before he turned a corner, and maybe because I already dislike Hannity, but there are no redeeming reasons to listen.

I changed the channel to our local Christian station and I heard someone reading the Bible. It was from Mark and Jesus calmed the waters while he and the apostles were out in the boat. It was followed by a song by Michael W. Smith. I felt at peace. I’ll be taking that other station out of my favorites tomorrow.

Edited this morning to add: That Christian station was not for me either. I know there is a station that plays contemporary christian music and I will continue to search until I find it. In the meantime, I guess I’ll stick to my iTunes music.