The Porch Postscript

Listening :  I've been listening to a variety of things as of late. The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher Chasing Creative Podcast The Spa Radio channel on Pandora Using the Noisli for white noise Reading :   I'm about halfway through reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin .  I'm trying hard to finish this one, but I'm not sure it's gonna happen.  I could really do without the excerpts that are comments from her blog readers.  There have also been a few spots where I just want to shout - "get to the point already".  I think I can honestly say at the halfway mark, I won't be reading any more of her books.  Her writing style really isn't a good fit for my reading style. Exploring : I'm exploring how my personality type - INFP.  I took the Meyers Briggs test online at 16personalities.com  to learn my type.  Now I'm focused on trying to figure what changes I need to make to fit my type and my life better. Lea

Day 14: I'm a daily journaler, usually at the end when I crawl into bed. Day 15: Feet up and hair down, end of the day. Day 16: Morning view, with green tea and more journaling. Day 17: My favorite pen, goes everywhere my Midori Traveler's Notebook does. Day 18: Indian for lunch. Day 19: Historic brick of tea, from an exhibit at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, AK. Day 20: Knitting in the car.  Only 80 more days to go!

...and they lived happily ever after.  Okay, but what did that really look like?  The boy gets the girl and they ride off into the sunset, but then what?  No one ever tells you what a truly happy marriage is about.  It's not about the end of the love story in a movie, it's about all the stuff that happens after that sunset.  It's about... Repeating favorite one-liners from movies and songs, all the time. Doing the laundry and never folding it. Cooking, hopefully together like we do in our house.  Cleaning the kitchen and taking out the trash.  Talking about mundane things from your day.  Funny pet names.  Silly grade school humor, including fart jokes.  Riding in the car and not talking for miles. Being comfortable in silence together.  Having someone to travel with.  Adjusting bra straps and sinching up suspenders.  Accepting the clutter and the habits of the one you love.  R

It's really simply amazing the thoughts people think about women who don't have children.  It's also simply amazing how rude other women are about the whole concept.  Now that I'm 40 no one is asking me about having kids anymore, thank heavens, but when I got married at the age of 29 that was a hot topic of conversation.  I used to come home from work at least a few times a week and complain about the constant topic of children.  My husband always said it had to be a female thing. Let's face it, men don't go through the barrage of questions women do.  It all starts with "why don't you have a boyfriend", then you get a boyfriend.  Next, they ask "is there's a wedding in the future", you become engaged.  Next, come the questions about a date for the "big day", finally a date is set and you tie the knot.  Questions don't stop there, they always move on the badgering you about when are you planning to start a family, to

What if I wrote what I really thought?  No really.  What if I actually wrote all the things I think.  All the raw uncensored emotions that run around in my head.  Would you read or would you be a troll telling me how stupid I sound? I'm always full of questions and unrequested advice.  Sarcasm and words often flow out of my mouth without much thought.  I talk too much, which magnifies when I'm wound up in anger, frustration or on the edge o tears.  I'm jampacked with opinions that are mostly unwarranted and judgments no one is ever seeking.  I come off sharp and even mean at times without really meaning too.  I've been told my whole life that I'm loud and bossy. Again I ask, would you read it if it wasn't censored? I have the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor.  I make my Marine husband proud because I have a mouth that would make a church lady blush and a Marine welcome me to the chow hall.  I don't have a college degree, and no I don't want o

Here we are in week two!  Here's hoping I can keep the momentum going in week three. Day 7: I have a small thimble collection, that I've had for years.  I have a few vintage one and some wooden ones with a smattering of ones my mom gave me. Day 8: This ring brought together two special pieces to capture some sacred memories.  On the left a piece of sea glass from our honeymoon and on the right the original garnet from my engagement ring.  Made by Meg Jewelry created this custom piece and I wear it nearly every day. Day 9: Is there really any better way to eat peanut butter than straight from the jar? Day 10: Adding to my essential oils collection.  I recently singed up for the Recipe Box from Simply Earth .  Each box includes a few essential oils, recipes and everything you need to make the recipes they include. Day 11: Friday night drink after a long week.  Don't judge I work around teenagers. Day 12: Saturday Night Date Night.  Pub steak

Are new habits that hard to build or are the old ones just too hard to break?  Think about that a minute. Sip your coffee or tea and we'll come back to that in a minute.  I recently turned 40 and started thinking about a lot of things, especially my habits and that very notion popped into my head. We all have habits, good ones, bad ones, big ones, small ones.  Some of us are creatures of habit, some of us don't even realize we have habits.  We even refer to some of our habits as routines.  I think everyone is trying to change their bad habits and build good ones.  Often we let society dictate what our good habits and bad habits should be. I'm totally a creature of habit or routine as it may be.  I like to get up and enjoy my first cup of coffee before I really engage in too much conversation.  I like to be awake for a while before I eat breakfast.  I want a shower, every morning.  As of late, I've made morning Yoga part of my day four to five times a week.  I'