Chasing the Dust

The November Woods
Carlisle Massachusetts

Thanksgiving this week is a mind shaking event when I realize that Christmas is only 29 days and 10 hours away (as of this posting at about 2:25 PM EDT).  

Do we ever tire of noting how fast the months are flying by? Methinks not because I myself post about it so often. It is a community whine that must be maintained to round out how we share things with each other. An element of cozy it be.

So, what has been going on around here. Cataract removal healed, dental extractions healing, catching up with laundry, and decluttering is progressing well. Instagram provides entertainment as my YouTube video enthusiasm wanes.

And there's a rub. I notice that on social media it isn't easy for algorithms to catch the hint. You can have a good line up and then it changes to stuff you don't care much about. I care about feeling connected. That is a benefit of social media.

I'm there to laugh, enjoy seeing art and how life moves on for others. It matters not to me if the image is AI generated. It does matter when events are AI generated, and videos are staged to gain attention/numbers. 

When the humor is good, it is good. A favorite is the face-off between the cat holding the ball staring at the dog that wants to play with it. If you ever want to see a face that defines determination on the No Scale, then that cat rules.

On YouTube I'm into watching Christmas ornaments being made. I love crafting ornaments, especially from natural materials. The majority of videos are good tutorials. However, some of the things made are downright ugly. There is nothing cute about a toilet paper flower tree, IMHO. 

Most of my time is spent chasing dust. Last night as I looked across the room, I thought to myself, minimize! Removing things where dust can fall will decrease the surface areas dust can rest on. With holiday decorating this Friday, it will be easy to bag up and box up things. 

Catch Up In September

Recently. An appointment stress slowed me down on blogging. I am glad to report I found a way to manage the anxiety surge by having a spa day like attitude a few days before the appointment. The problem is afterward, I am so emotionally exhausted, I am very sleepy the rest of the day, even after a power nap. 

It’s always something.

Products. If I find a drink, for example, that doesn’t upset my system, give me an acid stomach then I will buy it in moderation until I read the ingredients. The same for packaged food except for cupcakes and such. I know they aren’t the best food but a rare treat is all right as long as rare means once a month or longer. 

Social Media. Jokes go around about too many hours spent watching video shorts, reels and such in Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram. 

From my experience, Instagram is the biggest time devouring monster!

Hours go by. The algorithm is good though because my interests are not assaulted with weird stuff like a sad story from a woman that looks like she fell out of a porn channel or a guy that thinks a bare chest is a hearing aid. Farmers and ranchers working in fields shirtless is task appropriate. 

Not much of note is going on in my life to blog about. The YouTube channel project is progressing well. The first episode is decided. The next step is to record with audio. 

Voice. We all have a variety of voices that sound different but still sound like us. My before coffee can be rugged. My after coffee cruises into bland land. My Bible reading voice is rather elegant. What my audio voice will be is surely going to feel weird. 

The soon to arrive end of summer weighs on my mind with a frosty edge. Stocking up on hot chocolate and broth are on my list. This year I’m making homemade hot chocolate mix to use up the cocoa (before it expires).

Are you preparing for frosty weather?Are you making homemade hot chocolate mix? 

This Is the Day

Telling myself that my small voice won’t change anything is a truth that I can rely on. 

Writing a controversial post is not easy when retaliation is a real fear. I usually delete or revert them to Draft. Fascism is real in America.

Observations, watching shorts on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook have left me feeling worse than I already do since January despite the  many positive uplifting videos. 

There are also an excessive amount making fun of people and guilt tripping boo hoo you videos. As funny and clever as the jokes are, I find myself too often asking for God’s forgiveness that I laughed. 

Fort St Frederic in August 2025

Moving on to August sunshine, I had an exceptionally good day yesterday visiting places that I’ve been neglecting because I have not wanted to go anywhere. Depression does that, bullies you into numbness, and staring out the window instead of doing healthy things like being outdoors. 

I have not painted or sketched outside at all this summer. No trip to Massachusetts and the Atlantic Ocean. No beach. No diner. Yesterday is my best day of the season so far.

I plan to visit the Shelburne Museum as my big summer excursion. I bought the ticket online to be scanned from my phone. The ticket is good for 2 consecutive days. For bad knees old ladies like myself, that is good. 😎

The weather up here in northwestern New England is cooling down a bit as it does in August. I have the feeling, however, that hot weather may return. It is good to rule the days mainly with happiness not weather. 

Fields at Dead Creek 
Rt 17 Addison Vermont

Osprey Over Lake Champlain
Upstate New York