Author: Lake Girl

Do You Melt?

Do you let the weather determine your plans? Let’s go kayaking next week. Let me check the weather first. Let’s go for a bike ride. What day is the rain going to let up? Do you want to have a picnic? No, it is going to rain.

Once upon a time, I was getting together with a friend to check out the sand castles on a beach in Maine. I was getting ready to go and the weather looked a bit iffy. I called my friend and asked if she still wanted to meet up as it looked like rain. Her response was…

Do you melt?

I don’t Melt!

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Schedule It!

The long winter of 2017 is over and spring has been pretty wonderful, although a bit rainy.  I managed to plant my small garden several weeks ago which is pretty early for this area. I have tomatoes, basil, parsley, scallions, and peppers. I have been doing lots raking, weeding and planting in my own yard and with others.

Not my house, not my garden!

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Blah, Blah, Blah

Do you ever get the sense that blah, blah, blah is what people hear when you are speaking?

Do you try really hard to listen to your co-worker, your boss, your friend and your honey but they might as well be saying blah, blah, blah? Continue reading “Blah, Blah, Blah”

Are You On a Slippery Slope?

Deliberately choosing health, wealth and happiness has become my mantra, my go to approach, my new way of life. I strive to make the right decisions that keep me on the path of health, wealth and happiness. With that in mind, I am nowhere near perfect and sometimes making the right decision is a struggle that occurs in my head with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

Who should I listen to today?

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Another Milestone Passed

There are some rather big milestones built into our life that we pass through as we grow and mature into adulthood and beyond. Think “Terrible Two’s”, “Sweet 16”, gaining the right to vote at 18, the right to drink at 21,  and the ability to collect Social Security at 65.

This week, I got to experience another one of these milestones that it is often neglected. The right to have a colonoscopy at the age of 50. Personally, I waited until age 51, this was not a right of passage that I was looking forward to or one that got me excited.

Time for a tantrum

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$43,000 Bucks Is Not Enough!

For the last few years, I have been reading several early retirement and financial blogs for inspiration. As I have already passed the BIG 50 milestone, extreme early retirement is not really feasible at this point but I love the concept nonetheless.

The blogs I read are written by people who maximized their income, minimized their expenses and saved like crazy. They worked incredibly hard for a period of time and socked away their money so they could retire in their 30’s. Go Google “early retirement blogs” and spend some time reading for inspiration!

Unfortunately, I do not walk in their shoes!

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Weeding Out Problems

Spring is in the air. The trees are budding, flowers are blooming and the grass is turning beautiful shades of green. I love spring! It is 5:25AM and I hear the sing song music of cardinals, robins and a few other birds I can’t identify. It sounds very busy outside my living room window.

I was out walking Fenway the other day and was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Back in March (when it was still cold and grey) I received a few phone calls from prospective yard work clients. I said “YES” to every request and my calendar has been booked pretty solid for April and May. I have never been one to take on more than I can handle but I guess Spring Fever had taken hold of me by my freshly spiked hair and gave me a good shaking.

Spring Fever grabbed me by my spiked up hair!

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Waste Not, Want Not

Did you know:

According to the USDA, the average American throws away over 200 pounds of edible food every year. Yes, I said 200 pounds.

The USDA also reports that over 13 million children under the age of 18 live in households where they are unable to consistently have access to nutritious food.

Think about those numbers for a minute. 13 million children in the US have difficulty obtaining healthy food.  13 million. After contemplating that statistic for a minute, I literally teared up. If you have even 1 drop of empathy in you, I imagine you did too.

Don’t tell anyone but I cry really easily!

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A Piece of My Mind

You know when Facebook asks “What is on your mind”?  Well I have a lot on my mind but have been too busy to get it written down and posted on My Little Blue Kayak! Here is a snapshot of what I have been thinking about. Don’t be surprised if some of these ideas become posts in the near future!

I have been thinking how foolish it is to waste food. I used to be one of those people who would buy fresh fruit and vegetables but didn’t always consume them before they went bad. I would never in a million years throw $5 bucks into the trash so why would I toss $5 bucks worth of fruit away?

Find a way to use it. Don’t toss it.

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I’m Not Cool, Are You?

Where do you stand in regards to technology? Do you love owning the latest and greatest? Do you rush out to buy the newest fads as soon as they are released? Do you use the newest, hippest apps to pay bills, get a ride, order a pizza, and track your steps? Or are you still using a flip phone, cashing your paycheck at the bank and using an instant camera?

I enjoy taking advantage of shiny new toys that make life easier but I don’t need the latest and greatest technological gadgets. As long as my stuff works, I don’t generally feel the need to upgrade.

I have an iPhone 4 that I bought refurbished 3 years ago for $100 bucks. I figure if I get another year out of it I will have spent $25 year to own a phone. I wonder how much an old rotary phone cost back in the day? I am certain it was less than $100 and it lasted forever.

Remember these?

Continue reading “I’m Not Cool, Are You?”