Decisions: Is there a good formula?

 Oy vey! My guess is the answer is no.

The decision spectrum meanders through a path of frustration on one side and what was I thinking on the other. In the middle of the route is the cow trail of Meh. 

Big decisions can take a long time because there are so many issues to consider. Add emotions as a rich part of the consequences, decision making becomes good weather over our life parade. 

Decisions means change. The recent fun list to write down 5 ways to improve yourself is a light hearted project. 

Procrastination isn’t just about not getting things done. It is also about not thinking about the things that need thinking about. So, when I begin my list of 5, I start thinking about decision making instead. 

Some may say that’s a distraction. Nah. I am clearly putting off listing 5 ways to improve myself. 

Thus, not in order of importance, time is up, here goes:

• Treat paperwork tasks as an office I go to for an appointment. Always open mail on the day received. Calendar all yearly renewals, and due dates. 
• Music. Have at least 2 hours of music playing every day. Set an alarm for serene music to play within 15 minutes of waking up. 
• Radio. During meals and snacks especially, (to create an at table with friends atmosphere), listen to a local public radio station. Make a list of radio podcasts. 
• Food. Make having daily fruit into a small ceremony. Sit at the table, have a place mat, a special dish or bowl, and use a fabric napkin. Tradition grounding, I feel, can enhance confidence.
• Meditate

The list could go on.

😎

Day 228 in Week 33 of August 2026

Well, the local Dollar General now sells banana pops. Banana pops, (frozen flavored sugar water)is my favorite frozen pop flavor. For sherbet, pineapple is my favorite. And for ice cream, since childhood, coffee is my favorite flavor. 

Feeling not so great for a few days, I’m doing better. Except for. My fingertips hit the grocery cart edge, pushing my healing broken wrist hand, (now out of the splint) too far back. It hurt. A lot. 

I saw a male goldfinch land on a long shrub branch, causing it to bounce and bounce. He flew away after a few rides.  I think birds like the bouncing branches

Have a great week!

Mail yourself a thinking of you greeting card

Bake an orange-cranberry drizzle cake

Buy a straw hat

Draw a crowd of people at a county fair

Write down 5 ways to improve yourself

Tell a door knob a funny story

Buy yourself flowers

Summer Time

Summer Above & Below

A storm system that rolled through yesterday had spectacular cloud formations. Along Route 7 going north out of Middlebury, the vista is quite far enough to see a huge sky cloud garden. I waited to stop for pictures until I reached a turn off area in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.

Field and woods
very low clouds moving eastward

Pull over near Rt7 & Rt 22A
I stopped there to take photos.
Looking southward

Looking northward

And then, arriving home the resident toad greets me.

In the summer, subjects to photograph are as good as any perfect autumn day. Yet, when I scan through photo folders, there are far more fall pictures than any other time of year.  

As an amateur photographer, a seasonal balance hasn’t captured my attention. A autumnal moody forest interesting me more than a muddy trail with bare branches in spring, is the balance I naturally achieve. Although I see the beauty in both, the vibe of fall fills my soul. 

However, autumn use to be my very favorite season, but it is giving way to the warmth of summer. Old bones needing life less cold is my guess on that. 

How about you? Does one season over another capture your attention more?

What a sieve does

First thing this morning, I am happy to know today there are errands to do. The same errands that I mis-thought I had to do when I woke up yesterday, Sunday. (Saturday is a blank.)

Weekends are sieves the week falls through. 

I had 3 errands to do today. After doing the first two, I forgot to take care of the third one. Once home, I am not keen on going back out. Age, not fit enough or both, I always feel exhausted after errands. 

Doing errands is a part of life that I believe is more important as we age and/or our social circle becomes smaller.  Out and about we see people, catch up, make new friends, see interesting things and in general, contribute to as we absorb the community atmosphere. Value in that, I feel, is immense whether we are readily aware of it or not. 

• Plan errands for efficiency
• Make a list if need be
• Always check before going out the door that you have everything you need. There’s no sense returning a book to the library when you left it at home. 😎

A Saturday in August 2026

Big clouds, breezy, hazy blue horizons, today in this just about northern part of Vermont and Upstate New York, it is a day to be out before the a storm passes through the Champlain Valley.  

After a short trip to Middlebury, I decide to take pictures of boats on Lake Champlain from Fort Frederic at the Crown Point State Historic Site.  I haven’t been out much this summer not wanting to drive far. Well, scrap the usual by the lake photo taking.

Today and tomorrow is a special event for The French & Indian War Reenactment  from 9:30 AM to 4:40 PM, Free admission and parking. 

I briefly stopped at the visitor’s center before deciding the heat and I aren’t compatible on this day. The drive was nice though. I did take a few pictures.

On the way home, I passed stopping at two yard sales. The thought of bringing anything home when I need to get rid of so much, is giving me the discipline I will never have with buying cannolis. 😎

Hope your weekend is going well

Thank you for stopping by

Fort Frederic along Lake Champlain
Upstate New York

Lake Champlain in August