Category: thoughts

Posted in 2023, life, thoughts, Writing

I’m Already Here

Posted on by nancyb422

What does your ideal home look like?

I had a running joke with some long ago friends that if I won the lottery I wouldn’t move to a house larger than my 2 story barn style colonial. It had 4 bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and 1-1/2 bathrooms but it was only 960 square feet.

My house when I was growing up

No, my answer was, I would add on and make it a larger house. After all, we’re on just short of a half acre and there aren’t many of those in our town where you are within a mile of the center of town.

Well guess what, we didn’t win the lottery, but we added on two years ago. A family room, we moved the half bath out of the middle of the kitchen and made it a full bathroom, and remodeled the kitchen.

It is a dream come true. So yeah, ideal house? I’m in it.

Inside my house
Posted in 2023, life, thoughts, Writing

The Land of Many Pens (and Pencils)

Posted on by nancyb422

I accumulate pens and pencils. At times, I will pull 4 or 5 out of my work bag. I don’t know how they get there because I only use it to transport work I bring home and back to work untouched.

I might be working on my computer at the counter, need a pen and go get one, only to realize one was by me already.

I have pens I love so collect them at every chance I get – Webster Bank pens! – and they have to be clicker pens! No stick pens with caps for me. Those are the first pens that tossed.

I love #2 pencils with a point so I sharpen them constantly. They have to have an eraser so I automatically add an eraser to them.

I developed a thing for mechanical pencils and bought them and their respective replacement leads. Then I discovered disposable pencils and they populate my drawers.

Watching Project Runway, I discovered erasable pens! I know there already were erasables, but I didn’t like them. These are awesome! Pilot FriXIon clicker and it comes in a variety of colors. I now have a set for home and work. I make sure I don’t use them at work for check writing or anything of permanence.

I know it’s not just how the pen feels in my hand but also how it flows. It has to be medium flow and definitely not skip. That gets tossed directly into the trash can with no second chances!

Something about a good pen makes me slow my writing down and really form the letters, and really enjoy the handwriting process.

In my desk
On my desk

Posted in 2023, life, thoughts, Writing

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Posted on by nancyb422

What’s your favorite time of day?

I love early morning seven days a week.

It started when my son was born. He woke up at 7am every morning on the dot so if I wanted to work out or be showered and dressed before he woke up, I had to get up, I had to have a plan.

I started waking up at 5am and working out to exercise tapes for 45 minutes to an hour. I knew the routines by heart so I didn’t need too much volume. After my workout, I’d take a shower and be dressed before he woke up.

Was it my FAVORITE time back then? Probably not, but it started the day off right and this habit was born. 33 years later I have the alarm set Monday through Friday for 5:15. I have my coffee and then go and work out. On weekends, if I’m feeling awake, I’ll get up and just drink coffee and relax and read.

It’s quiet, it’s peaceful. When I walk outside to go to my workout next door, I see the moon or the sky getting lighter. I look at my flowers or just admire the yard. No one’s around, no lights are on and it’s just me.

Posted in 2023, life, Music, thoughts

A Sunday Rage

Posted on by nancyb422

Yesterday was a strange, strange day.

Was it because I was worried about my niece? Did the Barbie movie I went to on Saturday fire me up? Or, was it the movie bag of Ike & Mikes I ate while watching the movie?

Whatever the case, it was fortunate for us both that my husband went for a motorcycle ride because while I was home alone, I was just in such a mood. Little things set me off like, “I CAN’T BELIEVE HE THREW OUT THE WATER BOTTLE THAT GOES WITH THIS HIKING FANNY PACK THAT I HAVEN’T USED IN FIVE YEARS AND I HAVE A CAMEL BAK THAT HE BOUGHT ME ANYWAY” or “I CAN’T BELIEVE THERE IS NO GROCERY MONEY LEFT IN THE DRAWER WE KEEP THE EXTRA IN BECAUSE I HAVE TO BUY SOME THINGS HE WON’T GO TO WALMART FOR!”

It was insane. Our poor dog who was already roaming the house looking for my husband as he always does, was looking at me like I had lost my mind.

So I took myself out for a nice long walk. I set my Peloton app to record it, I found a Spotify walking playlist (remembering to download it first), put on my work out clothes and just walked for and our on a simple route around town. Boy, did that help!

It cleared my mind, and maybe it got the rest of that sugar from the Ike & Mike’s out of my body. Whatever the case, by the time he got home from his ride, I was feeling like my better self again.

Posted in 2023, life, thoughts, Writing

This Is What I Look Like

Posted on by nancyb422

How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you?

If I needed to describe my physical self to someone who can’t see me, I would start with – I’m short! 4’11” to be exact. If you could see me you might think I can’t be the age I give you. I think it’s just my height that throws people off.

I have an average face. It’s nothing that would make you do a double take if you could see me! I have blue eyes that are behind glasses every waking moment.

I have light and dark brown hair with streaks of blonde from the sun. It’s a mix of colors if you know those colors and the length changes depending on my mood.

I have fair skin that has seen too much sun over the years. If you could see me outside, I might have a hat on to shade my face.

Since you can’t see, that is me.

Posted in 2023, thoughts, Writing

Who Looks the Friendliest?

Posted on by nancyb422

If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?

My decision to bring back one dinosaur would be based on – who’s going to hurt us the least?! Those crazy T-Rexs or running, screaming bird-like things were a little to scary and wily in Jurassic Park for me!

I had to do a little google search for an answer. I found that this Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum which is a Sauropod. It has the longest neck of all of them!

If their necks are far enough away from our heads….??