Category Archives: Happiness

Home From A Much Needed Vacation

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When I left Ohio two Saturdays ago, my jaw was clenched tight and my white knuckles held the steering wheel like I was the only thing preventing it from falling off the car. It had been too long since I got in a quiet car and headed out for a longer adventure. 

My attention span had been short and my fuse perhaps a little shorter for a while. I live in a world governed by emails, agendas and a buzzing phone. I hate the sound of my phone and the word agenda is one of the most obnoxious in the English language. 

To be on the road and out adventuring without a real plan is one of the best parts of traveling. 

It took three days for my jaw and fists to relax and another day to spot the wild haired, bright eyed Brandi that thoroughly enjoys the world. 

And then I woke up in the Berkshires of Massachusetts where the mountains feel almost like a cradle for anyone needing nurturing and calm. 

Let me tell you something, friends. It took some coaxing to get ne to leave.

There’s a sensibility about that area that appeals to me. There’s a combination of wealthy transplants, tourists, and generational blue collar residents who keep everything working. People seemed mostly fit and happy, enjoying active lifestyle hobbies like walking, hiking, bird watching and kayaking. There’s also a rural sensibility that appealed to my own ways and made me wish for more time. I was there with my eastern travel pal and we agreed that we needed more time because there was so much we wished to to do. 

Where I live, even country folk have big yards that are mown right up to the road like small golf courses. In that area, you see a lot of country houses where there’s a break in the trees for a driveway to a house that’s reasonably close to the road but disguised by a tree row or a thicket of wild looking shrubbery. There’s no need for a giant lawn that invites attention from the road when privacy is clearly valued so much here. Yet, short driveways make sense in a place that averages six feet of annual snowfall. 

Norman Rockwell made his home here for the last several years of his life. He came because his wife was sent to Stockbridge for medical treatment. He stayed because he found most of his inspiration here. 

And I can see why. 

The town streets are tree lined. People are just naturally welcoming and seem to genuinely want you to enjoy wherever you are and what you’re doing. They are not overtly friendly, in that fake nice way that you get in a lot of places. They seem genuinely glad to know you traveled a long way to visit their community. 

Everywhere you look in Stockbridge, there’s a pocket park or a set of chairs inviting you to stay a while.

Being there past Labor Day meant that we missed the high season so it was quieter than a summer tourist might experience but it was also cheaper. While it was still busy enough, it was quiet. 

It felt a little fall like for most of our visit and we even had a nice gloomy day that ended with rain showers one evening.  Consequently, there were places we could spot patches of yellow and red leaves, hinting at the beauty that is just around the corner in New England. 

We did lots of things in the Stockbridge area. We also rustled up some fun going to and from. After all, it’s a long trip by car from my friend’s Pittsburgh home and we both tend to believe the journey is the destination.

In other words, driving a straight line isn’t really our thing and we’ve never met a situation that didn’t call for a trip around the block to see what’s what. Sometimes she just rolls forward a foot or so at a traffic light so we can get a better look at pretty buildings like this house in Altoona.

Something tells me that this trip’s stories will be bubbling up for a while. I already feel the calm and the embrace of the Berkshires dissipating from my consciousness like an early morning fog. Luckily there are pictures and memories to help me revisit those moments from time to time. Plus, I have stories to share with you, friends. 

Treat Yourself

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Today is Friday. We have made it to the finishing line before the long holiday weekend. At least, I hope it’s a long weekend for you. Wherever you are, I hope you will celebrate the completion of this week even if it’s just a little bit.

Buy yourself some grocery store flowers like the sunflowers I bought for myself a few weeks ago. Take a long walk in the woods after work. Stop by your favorite local bookstore and buy some fabulous book to kick your feet up with. Take a long, hot bath. Grab your favorite sandwich at the local deli. Pack a bag and take an impromptu road trip. Close the curtains to keep out the heat and have a Harry Potter movie marathon.

Do something that will bring you joy or peace or relaxation or excitement or whatever it is you need to help you say “it was a long week but I managed the stress and I am still standing.”

You deserve it. Now go.

Hello, September (It’s About Time)

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Everyone talks about how short the summer has been and how they can’t believe August is already over. As a person whose summer has dragged and feels like August was nine weeks long, I am so excited to write these words:

Welcome September!

I tolerate summer. I don’t enjoy it no matter how hard I try. It’s an annoying season and, at times, oppressive. It’s too humid and hot to actually enjoy the outdoors. People I know who say they love summer don’t spend nearly enough time out in it to justify actually liking it.

The humidity makes my straight hair curl and frizz in ways that I don’t approve the minute I walk outside . Summer clothes are ugly. Plus, because the days are longer we are expected to keep pace with the sun and be active longer so as not to waste day light.

What’s worst though is that I do suffer from Summer SAD. It’s the same as the kind of seasonal depression others experience in the winter only mine is because there is too much light. I can feel this loosening its grip a little more every day and I look forward to the more balanced days of September and October.

In southern Ohio, September is still very much summer but it’s usually less intense than August.

So, bring on September with its cooler mornings and somewhat more moderate days. Hello to the month that gives us fresh apples, pumpkin spice and an excuse to indulge in all things maple. Let’s all breathe a little better with humidity levels starting to recede. Let’s stand in the woods and drink in the smells and sights as leaves begin to turn and as the start of Fall approaches.

It comes but once a year and I will rejoice!

The photo above is from last year at this time on Presque Isle in Lake Erie. That place is a little slice of paradise if you ever get to visit.

A Year Ago

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A year ago today, I was celebrating Labor Day weekend with my Pittsburgh pal. We did some fun stuff in her city and took a whirlwind trip up to Erie, PA for some book shopping and outdoor exploration at Presque Isle State Park.

What a lovely time that was. We saw gorgeous views.

Learned about history.

Ate seafood.

Shopped for books.

Saw boats.

And simply enjoyed life.

It was such a fun and joyful time that I hope to repeat the experience someday. Meanwhile, I have memories to enjoy and other adventures ahead!

Here’s one more photo – we cruised around Presque Isle one last time before leaving town and found a kite club!

Friends, it’s always worth a second look and another loop around. Labor Day is late this year so you still have time to plan a little adventure. How will you spend your holiday weekend?

Around Here: Sleep Edition

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Around here, this week has been busy.

Dentist, hair and chiropractor appointments early in the week, busy days at work, a blood drive donation, and an excellent concert one night kept me hustling and on the road a lot. I also got a new phone which has caused another layer of complications.

Unfortunately, I had some sleepless nights too.

Around here we value sleep as a means for overall wellness and it just wasn’t coming. In addition to the tired, I have felt dehydrated and off balance.

This is not a great combination.

So I had a chat with Scout last night. As I carried him to bed, I explained how badly I needed to get some rest. Could he please play quietly if he woke up before me?

Would you believe I didn’t hear a peep out of that little cat for fourteen hours? Long story short, I slept till after noon today – something so rare I can’t recall the last time it happened.

And I’m still kind of tired.

So around here today, I’m thinking it’s going to be a hot shower and fresh pjs kind of day. I am going to light a fall scented candle (because if I don’t go outside it can be any season I want) and curl up with books (maybe even something with illustrations) and pretend that feeling rested and reading is my only job.

Have a great Saturday, friends! At least what’s left of it!

Be Like Dolly

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Photo courtesy holler.country

Celebrity culture has never been my thing but I always thought of Dolly Parton as more than just a celebrity.

She held a lot of her opinions close but her actions spoke far more loudly than words ever could. She had fame and fortune but chose to use it largely to help others. She led by example and chose kindness, actively avoiding saying anything nasty or harmful in public.

Rather than follow in the path of other billionaires who build themselves up while tearing down everything good around them, Dolly was a builder of others, a helper, a philanthropist, a songbird, a philosopher, a savvy business woman, and so much more.

She used what she had to contribute rather than take.

When the Smoky Mountains burned from wildfires, Dolly supported hundreds of families who lost their homes. She supported hurricane relief and funded cancer research. Scholarships for local kids and free tuition for her employees’ families are just a few ways she helped people better themselves.

She believe that being a big name was no excuse for making others feel small.

Interestingly, in a country prepared to argue over every last thing, it seems like everyone liked Dolly Parton. That’s saying something.

But the thing I appreciated about her the very most is the work she did to promote literacy. She started her Imagination Library in 1995 to honor her father who never learned to read or write.

Each child registered receives one age appropriate book a month from birth until they turn five. She has given over 300 million books to children across the U.S., Canada and the UK.

Dolly understood the value of giving children their own books to hold and keep. She understood the value of using books to inspire kids to expand their imaginations and to dream. Humans who read are more empathetic and they’re better at critical thinking. Stepping inside the shoes of another through their character in a book is how we learn and grow.

She turned her father’s hardship into an investment in children everywhere.

From Imaginationlibrary.com:

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.

The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Dolly Parton

What she did for the world by giving away books to children is one of the most remarkable acts of generosity I can imagine.

Today as we tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen to pour ourselves a cup of ambition, we will do so in a world that was made a little smarter and a lot better by a country singer who understood she could leverage her assets into tools for helping others.

Maybe we could try following in her footsteps, even just a little. Volunteer in your community, buy a book for a child, read to a child, recommend a book to a friend, support your local bookstore, find some way to contribute that would make Dolly proud.