-
Date Night in Baldwinsville, New York & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #133
Jeff and I haven’t had a date night since our anniversary in January. And the stars seemed to align perfectly when I received an email from Bandsintown early last week informing me that Yonder Mountain String Band was playing in Baldwinsville, New York, on Saturday night. The in-laws were in town so we didn’t need to scramble for a babysitter and everything was super easy from a planning perspective. That, in and of itself, is a blessing. So we grabbed hold of the opportunity and headed out Saturday afternoon for the one and a half hour drive south for dinner and a concert. Neither of us have ever been to…
-
The Best of Times in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #132
Have you ever visited Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania? It really is one of the coolest little towns in Pennsylvania. It is a small mountain community in Carbon County with a total area of less than 15 square miles and a population of under 5,000 people. Yet it draws tens of thousands of tourists each year because of its picturesque Victorian beauty and quaint romantic atmosphere. The narrow streets bustle with people dining at the many provocative eateries that offer an eclectic array of culinary choices. There are all sorts of shops imaginable and the local residents who run the businesses in downtown Jim Thorpe all welcome you into their establishments as…
-
My Bluegrass Summer & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #131
It seems that maybe I have caught the bluegrass bug. Or just a festival bug in general. It just so happens that I have been stalking bluegrass festivals in my area in the hopes that I can see my favorite band perform live. I described my first experience seeing Fireside Collective perform a few weeks ago and now that I have had that experience, I want more. All of the time. On a whim, I decided to attend the Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival in Berkshire, New York, this past Saturday. The location was just about two hours from my house and I was hesitant about driving by myself and then…
-
My Asheville Experience & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #130
My experiences are generally about the people. The people we meet. The people with whom we make connections. We all exist within a different context depending on the people around us. The chemistry is different with each and every relationship. The structure shifts depending on our environment and what and whom surround us at any given moment. We are relational beings and as such we exist directly within the context of each relationship. Whether it be a brief encounter or a long standing friendship, our relationships with other people contribute to the definitions of us. Last week, I wrote about my experience traveling to Millheim, Pennsylvania. While much of that…
-
Welcome to Millheim, Pennsylvania & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #129
I know. I know. I know. I said I was taking a blogging break. And what happens when I finally say it? I get inspired. And I cannot ignore the inspiration when it hits. Any creative person knows this. We live for that moment. We wait for it. We seek it out in all corners of our existence. We exhaust ourselves trying to tap into it. We get tired. We take a break. And it is right inside those breaks where we find our inspiration. You can’t fight against the universe. You just have to succumb. And when you finally do, she delivers in spades. So that’s what I did.…
-
The Benefits of Altruism & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #127
Did you know that practicing altruism benefits the giver as much as it does the receiver? Maybe even more. Caring about other people and acting in the interest of others with no expectation of reciprocity fulfills and energizes us in a unique way that no other behavior really can accomplish. While it is proven that exercise releases dopamine which helps to improve our moods and make us feel happier, the act of giving and helping others unconditionally also releases endorphins that activate the part of the brain associated with trust, happiness, and social connection. When you perform a good deed for someone else, it really does make you happier. This…
-
The Perplexities of Social Media & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #126
Humans beings are social creatures. Even the least social among us still require community and interaction to survive in the modern world. Sure, there are some people who choose to live off the grid, but it is only through social education that they have acquired the skills to survive such a remote lifestyle. Social media at its most basic level has been integrated into human societies as far back as ancient times when the first postal services were created as a means of long distance human communication. Probably few of us even consider ancient postal services as a form of social media in the context of the modern world and…
-
My Blogging Life (with Five Local Business Plugs) & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #124
If you are a blogger, you know that everywhere you go you are constantly on the lookout for photo opportunities. Yes, I plan outfit photo shoots on mornings when my husband and I are available to drive somewhere and sneak a quick shoot in before the day begins. But then there are those days, like weekends and holidays, when family time becomes the priority. But as a blogger, you still have photo ops on the brain! So yesterday, my husband and I decided to load the kids up in the car and drive to Clayton, New York, which sits on the Saint Lawrence River near Lake Ontario with Canada just…
-
Some of My Favorite Things & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #123
As I said in yesterday’s post, I have so much to say (always…I talk a lot) but nothing to share, so I am going to use today’s post to share some of my favorite things recently. Dresses with tights and boots. This look is kind of working for me lately. Mostly because it is still cool enough to wear tights and not overheat. And even more so because my left shin has come down with a bad case of eczema that is rather unsightly. (Ew). These new floral cowboy boots from Country Outfitter. I have them in gold as well and I get a million compliments every time I wear…
-
Salty But Sweet & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #122
I know, I know. I am still wearing sweaters, boots, and gloves. It is still really cold here. We have had a few intermittent days of Spring weather, but the reality is that you are not going to see my bare legs for at least another week or two. Temperatures are mostly hovering in the 40’s and 50’s with the occasional drop into the 30’s at night. This is Spring in the North Country. Or as we North Country folk more aptly call it, Mud Season. As the ground starts to thaw and the rain persists, there is literally mud everywhere! I think I have officially ruined my pink velvet…
