L. O. P.

July 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Got your attention, did I? I know, I know, you might just be reading the title and wondering what in hell I’m rambling on about now. Read on.

Trust me, there’s nary a ramble to be shared. Not really.

The Husband is now semi-retired and the projects have been stacking up for a few years since he’s been around our homestead more frequently. Honestly, I’m not really complaining; we built our home some thirty-seven years ago, a major undertaking, and several “honey do” projects ended up languishing on life’s back burner.

That has changed.

All these years later, the process first involves extensive research on YouTube, or consulting with several contractor friends, prior to heading over to Home Depot or Lowe’s. In fact, if The Husband doesn’t check in with either home-everything center weekly, they call to check up on him. It’s a symbiotic relationship.

Last year, the cedar siding on our home was repaired (effing woodpeckers), re-caulked, hand-sanded and…re-stained. The bastard birds tend to peck away at cedar in need of staining/sealing; the attraction wanes, even disappears, once the refinishing is complete. In case you were wondering, yes, he sanded the entire house, stem to stern, using a hand sander. Yes, I applaud his brilliant work but question his sanity. Daily.

Attention was recently turned to our front entrance and railroad tie walls. Keep in mind, more than 35 years ago, wood was treated with creosote, as such, it has survived these past years very well, with a few ties in need of replacement, and restaining. One idea begot another and we now have railings on our lower entry steps, topped off with charming solar lights on each handrail post. I share, for your admiration, a photo of TH’s brilliant work.

By the way, L.O.P. stands for Long Overdue Projects; at this moment, I shudder to think what lies ahead. He’s back on YouTube again.

From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop: Show us a recent photo you took and let it inspire your blog post.
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Endless sleep…

June 22, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Writing, anything, often sends me in different directions, especially when my focus is distracted.  In some ways, that tells me that I wasn’t all that invested in the subject matter in front of me at that moment.  Moment…became the operative word surrounding a tragedy and the loss of adventurers, likely at 7:08 this morning, somewhere near Newfoundland.

Part of me understands the need to find out more about historical events, that’s why there are museums, libraries and other sites in place for our explorations.  My family and I stood on hallowed ground at the 9/11 Memorial site here in New York, finding ourselves wrapped in the eerie moments of silence, still unable to move past the horrors of that heartbreaking day. How much different was our experience from this Titan voyage? We witnessed the smoke from the collapse of the World Trade Center, we had friends and family caught in the terror of that day, we joined millions of others in prayers and tears.

What I disagree with is this business-oriented, human invasion, of the resting place of over 1500 souls via submersible tours, available to those willing to pay a hefty price for their voyeurism. So much has already been recorded and salvaged from the Titanic and the ability to peer through photographs and documents is readily available.  The need to trespass into this particular graveyard, to me, is a lack of respect for those who perished in the freezing waters of the Atlantic.


Sadly, five people have now become another page in Titanic’s history.  I hope they offered a prayer for all who perished in 1912…just as we do now, for them, at this moment, as they drift off in their endless sleep.



From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Write about a news story that has currently captured your attention.


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Slow ride…

June 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Seasons pass more quickly than they used to, it seems.  Perhaps these fleeting days are just the mortality clock, with its ominous ticking, in the background of our lives.

Once, it felt like winter would never release its icy grip as we waited for spring to awaken, followed by summer’s warm embrace.  Autumn would wrap our world in magical colors and we so looked forward to the first snow of the year.  We knew that our ride on the carousel of seasons would continue.  What we didn’t realize was how our perspectives would change as the years suddenly moved faster and we wished that ride went slower.

As we age, we experience time differently having seen and done so many things as time has passed; emotions get in the way of an accurate perception of time. Whatever the case might be, as we get older, our focus remains on the rapid changes surrounding us at a time when we just want life to be in less of a hurry.

Ferris Bueller reminded us when he said “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.”

From Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop…Write a blog post in exactly 9 lines.
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