Things that are making me happy

There are a few things making me happy lately.

Strong Women.

Young Love.

Football.

A new hat.

 

And Donald and I sharing a look and a giggle when one of us says, "$83 million!" Ha! hahahaha!  😄😅😆🙃😛😝

EIGHTY-THREE MILLION!!!!

Okay - Moving Along - - -

I love strong women, so just knowing E. Jean Carroll and Taylor Swift are on this earth makes me happy.

If you weren't familiar with E. Jean Carroll until recently, please do a little bit of research.  This is an amazing woman.  

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Jean_Carroll

Strong. Smart. Fierce.

A woman we all strive to be and would love to have as a best friend.  You know she'll have your back.

And she should be recognized for more than the fact that she won her lawsuit(s) against the man who raped her.

She could be the face we see when some of us look in a mirror.  

A woman who was stripped of SO much by a monster.

A woman who ultimately decided to fight to get it all back.

I watched this segment on Rachel Maddow's show last night.  It was enlightening, and the interview was one I enjoyed.  It left me smiling.

Winning this case is the beginning of getting her voice back.  May it be loud, may it be heard.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-he-is-nothing-e-jean-carroll-on-the-biggest-surprise-of-confronting-trump-in-court-203204677654

I lift a glass to E. Jean Carroll.  And wish I could lift it in person to say, "Thank you, Ms. Carroll, for all you've done."

And here's to that other strong woman I love - Taylor Swift.

This woman rocks in a beezillion different ways.

Again, Strong. Smart. Fierce.

But a certain segment of people are scared to death of her.

Another enlightening news segment - take a look:

https://www.msnbc.com/inside-with-jen-psaki/watch/-are-you-all-okay-maga-meltdown-over-taylor-swift-says-a-lot-about-gop-203202117782

It's crazy!!!

She is, without a doubt, a very powerful woman, but I think the MAGA crowd might be reaching a bit.  😜 😲 😵 

You Need To Calm Down

Yes, Put me firmly in the "I'm a Swiftie" group.

And, yes, she has brought me back into the game of football.

I had forgotten how much fun it is to have a favorite team to cheer for, and I am completely besotted with the Kansas City Chiefs.  Admittedly, Travis Kelsey being so damn easy on the eyes was an incentive as well.

He is an amazing athlete, loves his family, is a loyal friend, has just enough silly about him to make him irresistible, and a heart as big as the moon.  What's not to love?

Yep.  The Chiefs are making me happy.

Travis and Taylor together are adorable.

I love 'em.  

They're making me happy.

https://fb.watch/pSVVyOm83g/?mibextid=UVffzb

I wish them lots of love and laughter.

In the meantime, let's win us another Super Bowl!

That'll make me happy.

Y'all, life is good.

$83.3 Million

 

Here's to you, Ms. Carroll!

Life is Good

New . . .

 

New pashmina, new hat -

Life is good.

My new hat is the replacement for the one I lost somewhere between Paris and Meat Camp.

I am not as in love with it yet, but . . . here's hoping.

The gorgeous pashmina is a gift from my pal Hank Phillippi Ryan.  Have you read her book THE HOUSE GUEST?? 

Better grab it, it is fabulous!  AND her new book, ONE WRONG WORD is hitting the shelves February 6.

A Perfect Day

A pot of homemade soup simmering,

 

And the latest J. D. Robb

Life is Good

Sunday at Lesa's

 Lesa Holstine has honored me by inviting me for an interview at her very popular long running blog, Lesa 's Book Critiques.

She asked some fun questions and I get to tell about pet chickens, pet turtles and a goldfish named Arthur Godfrey.

 I hope you'll drop by!

ANOTHER Snow Day!

Home Sweet Home

We're having a very snowy January here in the North Carolina mountains!

Here's what it looks like from our back door today

Looking out a front window down our driveway

From our sunroom

From our bedroom

Our pond

A snow day staple at our house

And today's snow day reading, thanks to St. Martin's!!

The release date for this is in May.

I am a very lucky Nora Roberts fan

Life is Good

Another snowy day in Meat Camp

 

Lesa's Book Critiques

 Lesa's Book Critiques will be gaining some new features since its mistress, my pal Lesa Holstine, retired from her long career as Super Librarian.  

One of the new features will be Sunday Spotlights.  

I'm lucky enough to be her first Spotlight guest. 

https://lesasbookcritiques.com/sunday-spotlight-kaye-wilkinson-barley/

Musing . . .

 

I rarely, very rarely, watch the news any more, but I do stay up with things through my personal choices in written news outlets (no, Facebook is NOT a reliable source for news, although probably is at least as reliable as Fox).

My quick and concise (well, as concise as I can be . . .) reactions to and thoughts regarding news bits (both serious and less serious) I've read recently are as follows.

First though, let me just say I miss Walter Cronkite and his honest delivery of the news without a personal slant.  We need that now more than ever.  "Unbiased News" is, imo, an oxymoron.   Admittedly, I'm way more on the liberal side of issues than the conservative side - you all knew that, right? 😁 😆 😊and yes, i will always choose MSNBC as my go to spot for news, fully aware of their liberal slant.  At least they didn't have to pay $787 million dollars for lying to their viewers . . .

 I read an article where Michelle Obama admitted to being terrified regarding the 2024 election.  Me too.

When the leading Republican candidate says he hopes the economy tanks this year I kinda think well, there's one more really stupid statement from a really stupid man.  That's actually not nearly as bizarre as some of the other shit he's said, but it does show a lack of basic common sense understanding of how this country's government works in relation to the rest of the world that you would think Republicans would find unsettling, if not alarming. 

Some dude on Fox wants us to believe that Taylor Swift is a government operative.  Bless his heart.

I love Anne Lamott, but I wish she had kept her thoughts about Taylor Swift to herself.    

Who do I love for what they have to say?  Heather Cox Richardson, Connie Schultz

Who do I wish would shut up and go away (in addition to the obvious)?  Aaron Rodgers, Megyn Kelly

There's plenty more on my mind, but if I think about it all too long and too hard my head feels like it might explode.

So.

With that I shall return to looking out the window and appreciating the peaceful magic of a quiet snowy day while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate topped with too many mini marshmallows while reading an ARC from NetGalley written by one of my favorite authors, Ruth Hogan, The Phoenix Ballroom, to be released in June.

Today in Meat Camp

 Ice

Ugh

Fingers crossed we don't lose power, but I'm not overly confident.

Good things?

A pot of vegetable beef soup simmering away and smelling fine.

Plenty of coffee brewed.

Some ARCs from NetGalley by some of my favorite authors.

A sweet pup asleep in my lap.

A sweet husband close by.

Life is Good.

Snowing in Meat Camp

 

Life is Good

Oops - Shopping Moratorium FAIL

I made it exactly 3 1/2 days before succumbing to a 40% off sale plus a 20% off coupon at Frank & Eileen's.

However.

Rather than giving up after falling off the moratorium wagon, I'm gonna reset and restart.

1, 

2,

3,

GO!

Moratorium

 

Dictionary

Data from Oxford Languages

mor·a·to·ri·um

[ˌmôrəˈtôrēəm]

NOUN

moratorium (noun) · moratoria (plural noun) · moratoriums (plural noun)

1. a temporary prohibition of an activity
2. 
   

*  *  *

 I don't think I chose a word last year, but it probably would have been a word expressing positive action on my part.

I'm thinking this year's word is one of positive action via inaction on my part.  

Particularly in the area of spending.  

And more particularly in the area of spending when it comes to clothes.

No New Clothes in 2024

I mean it.

 

And i will hold myself accountable by admitting publicly if I break my 2024 word.  Oh, the shame of it . . .

Cross your fingers for me!!!!

Believe me when I say there will be no suffering caused, to anyone, by this proposed promised (Lord, help me) action of non-action.  There may be a few favorite on-line shopping sites that will miss me, but it's doubtful they will suffer.

(Caveat:  UNLESS I find a replacement for my lost hat ! ! !

I miss my hat 😶 )

Meanderings and Muses, like its Mistress, has boundaries

 

Whiny argumentative negative angry people are boring and toxic and I have done my best to run away from them.  

Unfortunately, even blocking them at social media outlets isn't always enough to remove them from your life.  They can seek you out, find you, and try to rope you into a conversation.  Don't do it!  It's a trap!

After watching these pitiful souls tear at mine and other people's joy for no other reason than because they can, I am not about to engage.

When I'm done, I am done.

And that's all I have to say about that.