“The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Real Things
7
Monthly Archives: September 2025
Fall Bucket List
Have you started your fall bucket list? What are you waiting for? Here’s the start of mine.
Decorate for fall.
Bake some pumpkiny goodness.
Unplug from my phone.
Catch up on my reading.
Hike!
Take my meals outside when possible.
Rewatch Stranger Things season one
Try some new soup recipes.
Go to bed early. Rest is restorative.
Make homemade trail mix.
Buy flannel sheets to match my new blue bedroom.
Go somewhere I’ve never been.
That’s not a bad start!
Presque Isle Lighthouse
There has been a lighthouse on Presque Isle since 1873. Built five bricks thick, it is a little over 57 feet high and has an attached dwelling that provided a home to the keepers and their families until 1944.
Today, visitors to Presque Isle State Park can pay a few bucks to go inside the home and climb the stairs for a bird’s eye view of the island and Lake Erie.
We decided to give my knee a rest and just admired this beautiful lighthouse from the ground. We also each left behind a few bucks in the gift shop to benefit their operation.
While things function much differently today, this remains a functioning light to aid navigation. Learn more here!
Sunday Regrets
In my world, weekdays are for work, weeknights are for home, Saturdays are for adventure and Sunday is for home. I find this a nice balance and one where I get a powerful mix of rest and chores at home with something fun to do on the weekend.
That has not been the mix lately. Last week left me so busy and sick of the world that I actually took a nap on Friday after work. A nap!
This is not who I am.
So yesterday, after lecturing all do you dear readers about the importance of getting out in the world for adventures, I did the unexpected.
I stayed home.
It was nice to sleep in, rest the knee, fix a good dinner, do a few chores, and finish the book I was reading. I even had two meals on the porch! All the same, I was super annoyed to squander what was a great road trip day.
Oh, the fun I could have had!
I’ve been jonesing for a trip to the big antique mall at Springfield and a morning roaming around Yellow Springs. A day roaming downtown Marietta is always fun and a boxed lunch on the Valley Gem would be delightful. I’ve been wanting to visit Hawthorne Hill in Dayton. That was the home of Orville Wright and it’s open for tours. It was a little warm for a hike but I could have managed.
I’m still babying the knee a little so rest is good but a gal can dream.
Sigh.
The good news is that I got some rest and saved my money for adventures ahead. There’s fun on the calendar next weekend and I have plans for my annual October vacation. I’ll need my energy and money for all of that!
How did you spend your Saturday?
Adventure Day
It’s Saturday which means it should be Adventure Day. I hope you are out experiencing something fun, interesting and fabulous.
Life isn’t meant to be spent in a cocoon. You owe it to yourself and your mental health to shake things up as much as you can – even if it’s just a different route to the grocery store or a walk around a nearby town that looks interesting.
Do something enriching every chance you get. Life is for the living and it’s hard to tell how many more Saturdays you have left. Do not waste them.
This mural is from Pittsburgh’s famed Strip District. It’s so vibrant and full of life, I find it mesmerizing! Plus, there’s a black cat!
Happy adventuring, friends! Get out and go!
Revenge Is Best Served At 6 a.m.
I was relaxing on the couch with a book the other day while Scout napped at my feet. I shifted one foot just a fraction of an inch, thus disrupting his sleep and causing him to stir.
Who knew you could ruin someone’s day so easily?
He yawned big, gave me a look and jumped off the couch and onto the floor where he could stare at me pitifully. All was lost and the nap was ruined.
What was he to do?
Notice that in this picture he can hardly stand to look at me. His disappointment is clear.
Fast forward to about 4 a.m. the next morning when we both were awakened by a noisy car going by. As I attempted to drift off to sleep, he was digging through the bathroom trash can to locate a discarded q-tip which he brought to bed for some raucous play time.
I never did make it back to sleep. And you know something? When the alarm went off and I was headed to the shower, he was curling up with his head on my pillow and his tail wrapped under his nose.
When you’re a cat, revenge is a dish best served on your human’s pillow at 6 a.m.