You Make Your Own Day

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Yesterday I found myself standing in front of a cashier in a big box store. She looked to be about sixty and had a pleasant demeanor. As is my habit, I asked if she was having a good day.

She said yes and then she launched into the story of WHY she was having a good day. In a nutshell, she said the quality of your day is up to you. It’s up to you to make it good regardless of your circumstances.

She admitted that she had just had knee surgery and her knee was hurting but she talked about how fortunate she is to be in her seventies and for that to be her only complaint. She listed the blessings in her life – her kids, grandkids, a roof over her head, a job – and no other ailments besides that knee.

She wished me a very good day and sent me out into the world feeling better about life.

Note that she is about fifteen years older than she looked and I am convinced that this attitude has kept her youthful and healthy. Internalize stress and it will ruin your life. Be able to acknowledge there are things in this world you cannot change and suddenly other people’s bad attitudes are not your burden to carry. Everything you have is suddenly enough.

The theme here at Make The Journey Fun is “you’ll be as happy as you make up your mind to be.” This is more of a mission statement than anything for me but this lady is the living, breathing embodiment of the idea.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep trying.

To Sit

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Is it just me or do you think it would be lovely to sit here and rest for a moment? I picture a tall glass of something icy and fruity on that table. Maybe a book or a notebook on my lap.

I can almost hear the waves lapping at the shore.

I wouldn’t need long. Maybe just a day or twelve to rest my tired spirit and collect my thoughts. Not long at all.

It’s Friday, friends. I hope you find time this weekend to give your mind and body a break. Even if for just a few minutes.

In case you’re wondering, this scene is from Mackinaw Island in Michigan a few years ago. I had forgotten the picture but remembered the solitude of this chair. Mackinaw is well worth a visit if you get a chance!

Rainbow Over Shoshoni

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Last October, my Wyoming pal and I found ourselves worrying about the dark skies ahead on a lonely stretch of highway somewhere between Casper and Cody.

We did run into some rain but it wasn’t bad at all. As the shower was ending, we stopped at a convenience store in Shoshoni in search of a clean bathroom and road snacks. When we stepped outside, we saw this rainbow.

We admired it for a moment and I grabbed a couple of photos because rainbows are special and beautiful no matter where they appear.

But I came home and looked at the photos with an honest eye: the street, vacant lot, and power lines really don’t make a great backdrop. I mean, I went all the way to Wyoming and this rainbow couldn’t have shown itself over a mountain or something?

Good gravy.

But I stand by my belief that rainbows are special everywhere and that even an ugly spot can be made nicer with help from nature. And what’s wrong with appreciating the world for what it is? Perfection is boring. Flaws create interest and spark conversation.

This isn’t a cheesy AI generated image or a carefully posed Instagram photo.

This is real life. While not always perfect, real life is pretty great.

Light and color illuminate the world and make the ugly bits that much nicer. And if we can’t appreciate the good when it’s improving a place, will we truly appreciate the good when it’s in just the right spot?

I’m going to stick with appreciating pretty things like rainbows wherever they may appear. Perfection is overrated!

A Pittsburgh Walk

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A walkable neighborhood with cool stuff to look at is one of my very favorite things. Pittsburgh has a lot of fantastic neighborhoods and I found some photos last night from the day we visited Randyland a couple of years ago.

We left the car near Randyland and walked down to City of Asylum Bookstore. Along the way, we saw some great doors.

We also saw this imposing lion as well as a mate that isn’t pictured.

Two of my favorite things are pictured here – a great old theater and a corner bookshop!

Here’s a closer look at that theater sign.

And a look inside that bookstore. I really like this one and was charmed by the variety they offer.

Haven’t been to Randyland? You’re missing out as it is a feast for the eyes and the mind. Click here for the story about it. Here’s a look at one corner.

Where are your favorite walkable neighborhoods?

Pausing Prime

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One of my projects this year has involved calming my life, ridding my body of inflammation, and trying to get back to the basics of what matters to me. As I recently mentioned, I traded travel for a bathroom remodel this year and had more time at home to do some thinking.

I have been trying to view everything as an opportunity to exercise decision making skills. Do I really need to buy something or can I get creative and use what I have? Should I let my body rest or should I do the planned chores? Should I buy a prepared food that saves time or make something with simpler, anti inflammatory ingredients? Do I really want noise in the house or would I be happier reading?

You get the gist.

So when I was working on my August household budget and realized it was time for my Amazon Prime to renew, it was time to make a choice.

When I started with Prime, it was well under $50 annually but the cost today is almost triple that.

For many people, this is a bargain because there are benefits like free and allegedly faster shipping, streaming services for music and tv/movies, discount ebooks, and even a Whole Foods discount.

But, as you may have surmised, I’m not most people.

I don’t watch a lot of tv and the few times I try to watch something with Prime, what I want to see is either pay to play or not available. I like the show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel but it’s over now and I don’t need to couch rot on reruns all the time. Also, the fact you can’t actually buy and own a physical copy of the show feeds into a whole other conversation about what happens when they decide to stop streaming something and the possible loss of culture when it’s not accessible.

The music app limits your listening choices unless you have an additional subscription. It wasn’t that way in the beginning and they didn’t grandfather in longtime users to which I took offense.

Ebooks are not for me and my nearest Whole Foods is ninety minutes away and the few times I get to go, I always forget to use the discount.

Shipping was once super fast but has gradually become two days or whenever they get it to you. A lot of my buying lately has been for work, stuff for the now completed bathroom project, or good old fashioned impulse buys.

Worst of all, that free shipping combined with their aggressive targeted social media advertising makes it hard to fight those impulse buys even when you are combatting the idea that your main value in this world is as a consumer.

I try not to buy things online that I can get locally because I would rather keep the money and the tax dollars in the region. After all, Amazon doesn’t give a gosh darn about your town beautification project or whether or not your kid’s school fundraiser is a success.

With his $284 Billion net worth, I seriously doubt Jeff Bezos will miss me as much as the app tries to convince me to believe and I’m certain I will feel better forking over less money to them.

If I need something from Amazon, I can still shop and shipping will be free on orders of $35 or more. Scout’s cat litter can only be bought online but I’m wondering now if Chewy sells it.

In that vein, I’ll try to do more of my online buying with other retailers and focus more of my spending with brick and mortar stores. I actually like walking into a store and shopping around. Nearly every article of clothing I have bought from Amazon has been returned due to inconsistent sizing, poor construction, or simply not being what was described so I end up back at Marshall’s anyway.

I will admit that I did just pause my Prime rather than cancel. That will hold it for a year and give me time to see if I miss it.

This decision seems to have worried a lot of people in my life who can’t understand how I will survive without Prime. I find it equally bizarre that this company has worked its way so far into the habits of Americans they literally think they can’t live without it.

So, we will see. I very well could cave in under a month or I could be happy as a clam looking for alternate ways to get what I need. Only time will tell and I promise to keep you posted.

The Mushroom Houses Of Charlevoix

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This year has been mostly void of travel so I have spent more time reminiscing about amazing sunrises on the road and charmed days of discovery. Recently, my brain has been on a loop of Michigan fun with my cousin Sherrie a few years ago.

That trip was defined by gorgeous sunsets, classic cars, and a willingness to go where the wind blew. I wrote about many of our adventures but realized this week that I never told you about one very special place we visited.

Have you heard of the Mushroom Houses of Charlevoix, Michigan?

Charlevoix is a charming lakeside town of about 3,000 that benefits from the many visitors who wish for a quiet vacation on Lake Michigan.

Once upon a time, one of those residents was a self taught architect named Earl Young who designed and built what are now referred to as “Mushroom Houses.”

These whimsical homes are built of native stone with sort of wavy rooflines are reminiscent of the cap of a mushroom. They look a little like they just grew out of the ground and are some of the most picturesque storybook cottages you’ve ever seen.

We didn’t see them all but did see several during our morning walk around the neighborhood. There are about two dozen in total so we just parked the car and went for a stroll.

Mind you, these are private residences but the neighborhood is accustomed to folks on organized tours and those of us armed with self guided tour maps roaming around to appreciate the uniqueness of their homes.

Because they are low to the ground, these houses do look a little like they grew out of a hill rather than dominate the land like modern homes tend to do. I appreciate the way they become part of the landscape and they remind me a little of hobbit houses for this reason.

According to the Charlevoix Historical Society, they were built by Earl Young and the endeavor began with a home he built for himself.

Charlevoix’s “Master Builder in Stone” Earl Young was born March 31, 1889, in Mancelona, Michigan and moved to Charlevoix with his family at age 11. An insurance and real estate agent by trade, this self-taught builder began his craft in 1919.  His first project was his personal home located on Park Avenue. He would continue to build for the next fifty years, completing 26 residential and 4 commercial properties, most of which remain today.

My desire to respect the privacy of the residents outweighed my desire to snap a bunch of photos but I did get some. Honestly though, I am dying to see inside one and desperately hope it feels as much like a gnome’s home on the inside as it does from the street.

This was about the extent of our visit to Charlevoix other than a stop at the public beach and a chat with an employee at the thrift store. We accessed the beach by walking down these rustic steps.

We did agree the town would be a nice place to return to for a lemonade and a rest along the shore. Some of the Mushroom Houses and other neighborhood homes were available on Airbnb at the time and it seems to be like a delightful place for a rest with a stack of books and nowhere to be. Although, we all know this is not how I travel so it’s foolish to think I would stop to rest here any better than I do other places when on a trip.

Charlevoix is less than thirty minutes from Petoskey, another town that I wrote about a good bit and would return to in a heartbeat. Honestly, that whole area is gorgeous and there’s a lot to do as well as friendly people to meet. Sleeping Bear Dunes was a favorite stop. We also went up to Mackinaw Island and came home through Frankenmuth. We loved it all. Use the search bar to find some of those stories.

Perhaps I’ll make it back someday!

Visit the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page to see a few more pictures from the neighborhood.