Or spending a few days away from home can be both refreshing and recharging. Mr. Carrington recently spent a few days away from home to focus on work projects and take a breather away from the regular day to day. He was nice enough to bring us along, too.

Check out the first of the three vlogs here:

The cottage is just the right size. The village is picturesque. Frankly, it reminded me a lot of those English murder mysteries. 🙂

Sometimes I think we forget how just getting away from home for a few days can be so beneficial. In this case, the benefit of being an arm chair traveler is immeasurable.

Enjoy!

Upheaval of any kind tends to make folks hunker down and cling onto the known. The thing is that when life tends to be chaotic it provides us an opportunity (or two) to discover alternatives.

I’ve known folks who have lost everything to some sort of disaster and, once the dust has settled, every one of them has found new ways to move forward in their lives. As odd as it might sound, the opportunity to change a pattern and go in a new direction provides a life that might never been dreamt of.

Some folks are terrified of change but the reality is that change is a normal part of life. Without it there is no life. Change might be scary but it might also provide a way to explore new opportunities, learn new things, experiment with possibilities. Things that might never have been contemplated if the requirement had not occurred.

That is not to say that there won’t be some sort of trauma involved. Fear is an ever present companion as we tread life’s journey. It is there for a reason but we must be diligent about not letting fear control how we move through our lives.

The interesting thing about embracing change and moving forward is the discovery of things we never thought about before. Good or bad, new stuff/things/experiences/places/whatever makes our journeys interesting and exciting.

Not sure where to start? Start small. Go for a walk. Try something new. Play with a new color or texture. Once your comfort level eases, move ahead with another new thing. Keep a journal about your experiences. It doesn’t have to be a huge endeavor, just a few notes. In a few months refer back to it and see what stands out to you.

A friend reminded me that life is a series of pendulums. Each one swings to extremes but they all return to the middle. Everything changes an each movement is a learning experience.

Slow and steady.

Or, how to indulge in games to ease your stress

I’ll share a secret with you…the last few weeks have been extremely stressful around here and as much as I would like to say that I can handle all sorts of stuff, lately I’ve found more relaxation playing games.

Solitaire, Jewel, things like that… They allow me to focus most of my mental attention while allowing the rest of my brain to ease and relax. It is even better when I have an audiobook or the TV playing in the background.

I have found that by indulging in this for a few minutes at a time, I can contemplate whatever issue is on my mind at the moment while keeping my hands busy. Somehow this seems to work…

Some folks knit. Some folks crochet. Others do needlework or play cards. Me? I move a cursor around a screen… No shoot-em-up-bang-bang, just some relaxing collecting of colors and/or patterns.

My point here (and there is one) is to find whatever works for you that isn’t detrimental to you. Give yourself some grace and time to put yourself first.

One step at a time…

One more Holiday to go before the new year begins.

Sending hugs your way.

See you next year!

Let’s be honest, we are entering heavy duty munching season. We might want to call it tailgating, and in some cases it is, but with the televised ball games, return of our favorite (or new favorite) shows, and the end of the week family/friend night marathon where we embark on whatever the group is into, Relaxed Munching is an opportunity to dive into snacking.

If you are just embarking on the idea and not sure where to start, why not browse the snack and frozen sections of your favorite markets? Look for things that you can mix with a variety of crackers, veggies and fruits. Chicken wings or tenders are always on the list but what else can you find? Sausages pair with cheeses and crackers.

Anna over at Cooking The Books recently posted a collection of party dips from the 1970s. Click HERE to watch. While you are there check out the other vintage recipes Anna has tried.

There are lots of recipes for dips and snack foods that are easy to put together and don’t require a lot of effort. They lend themselves to game nights or watch parties. Have fun trying them out!

Is a cup of coffee, a tasty munchy and the comics.

When the world becomes a bit chaotic, or the noise is just too much, there is a blessing to be had while sitting down with the goodies noted above and spending a little time to enjoy each in its own way.

Hallelujah!

I know many of you are in the midst of Back To School. I wish you well. Along with a lot of peace, quiet, and calm. Which will come eventually. LOL!

After weeks of 95+ degree heat (and yes I know it is the end of July beginning of August Dog Days of Summer) we have finally had a break that might (fingers crossed) include some rain. A welcome break indeed!

Yesterday I spent some time browsing my local market on Instacart and found some things I had not seen before. So, I ordered a few of them. My goal is to get back to a more sensible eating plan which would include more fruit and veg. I currently have some luscious seedless green grapes occupying a place of honor on my kitchen counter. Right where it is easy to grab a few for a quick munch. 😀

I’ve been thinking about that White Sauce recipe I posted earlier. There are so many opportunities to use it. Double it for a wonderful cream soup. Add some cheese to make a luscious cheese sauce. Drop in some sauteed mushrooms and before you know it you have a lovely mushroom soup. Want to make it extra rich? Use evaporated milk instead of the regular milk. It is an easy fix: If you need 1 cup of milk, combine 1/2 cup of water to 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Easy and the results are rich and tasty with the added bonus of saving some money, too.

In my craft room I am looking at a variety of projects. The problem is that I am just looking. LOL!

I was thrilled to see an update on Sola over on YouTube. It made me smile. What a lovely dog!

Also on the Enjoyment List is MeTV Toons which I am watching via FrndlyTV. Yes, I would have preferred to have the channel via antenna but that hasn’t happened and I would be surprised if it did anytime soon. We still don’t have access to MeTV+.

The lineup has changed a bit as shows run through episodes and move to the next in the time slot but overall the experience has been great. I really enjoyed their salute to Bugs Bunny’s Birthday.

Overall, the end of summer has been reasonably enjoyable. I hope you can say the same, too.

I caught Glen and Friends over on YouTube recently and decided to have a bit of a binge. One of the things I most enjoy is the array of interesting vintage recipes and the occasional “Now, why didn’t I think of that!” moment.

I’ve long been a fan of old cookbooks. One of my favorite features of the channel is when Glen unboxes cookbooks he has been sent in the mail. There have been lots of goodies in those books!

While he provides a wide variety of recipes and ideas, Glen also provides a lot of history, too. Win/Win for sure!

Check out the video above to see this great baking twist and, if you are inclined, subscribe to the channel for more great ideas for your next Kitchen Adventure!