Currently... (Vol. 45)

Counting...  down the day until Christmas Break.

Acknowledging...  that the above statement is absolutely  pathetic given that I just returned back to work from having 3 days off for Thanksgiving last week.

Feeling...  like I had no break because I spent most of the break sick as a dog (Norovirus).

Watching...  The Dublin Murders on STARZ.  It's a very intriguing show, but I inevitably have to watch each episode twice in order to catch everything.

Listening to...  no audiobooks at the moment.  I did start Demi Moore's autobiography, but when I got sick it fell to the wayside.  I'll have to restart it at a later time.

Reading...  nothing at the moment either.

Making...  my book selection choices for Book Challenge by Erin 12.0.  If you are interesting in joining, check out the link.

Hoping...  to figure out a way to see Poison, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard during their stadium tour next summer.  They're coming nowhere close to me, so going will take some planning on my part.

Still dealing...  with elbow issues, which is why my blogging has dwindled considerably as of late.  Typing fatigues my elbows and forearms something awful, so after a typical day at work, where I've completed Medicaid billing, IEPs, evaluation reports, etc., the last thing I want to do when I get home is do more typing for my blog.

Laughing...  at this:

Agreeing...  with these:

October and November in a (two) snapshots:

1) Sunrise one October morning, watching Dear Evan Hanson, Phil Collins in concert.
2) Backseat full of cookie cake, colors of autumn, leafy walk
3) Great day - second lane opened on ramp from 64 to Watterson Expressway!,
field trip with Jax, my work roommates and me on Halloween.

1) Two year anniversary at Simpsonville, hiking Long Point trail in WV, my hiking companions
2) My buddy when no one else is around, abandoned resort from 20s and 30s,
my "Wildcard Prize" from Book Challenge by Erin 11.0.
3) GIANT leaf, crop circles on my skin (courtesy of cupping), decorating the ugly boxwoods.

What have you been up to lately?  

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season!

Linking up with:

How to Be Me for Halloween

How to be Ericka for Halloween

What You Will Need:

• A loose-fitting t-shirt; preferably one that features the Chicago Cubs, Marshall University, Teddy the Dog, or some travel destination.  If it's chilly, pair with a dark colored, Columbia fleece jacket.
• Loose-fitting athletic pants, preferably either Adidas or Under Armour.  Yoga pants or leggings will not work.  If you are in a pinch, bootcut jeans will suffice as long as you wear them with a basic brown or black belt. 
• A tube of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (to be kept in your right pants' pocket.)
• A Fit Bit Zip (to be kept in your left pants' pocket.)
• A pair of running sneakers, preferably ASICS.
• A can of Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry.
• Either a crossbody purse or a student-style backpack with flags of foreign countries all over it.

How to Pull Off the Character:

• Wear no makeup.  None.
• Your hair can be dried and ironed straight.  For a more common look, should be allowed to dry naturally so that it has unruly, "beachy" waves.
• Have a resting bitch face.
• Wear minimal jewelry - a simple necklace, silver wedding band, maybe a simple bracelet on left wrist.  Earrings should be simple studs.
• Speak with a deep voice.
• Laugh in a free-flowing, hearty manner.
• Possess knowledge of random 80s trivia - especially of pop culture, music, and movies of the 80s.  Knowledge of "one hit wonders" and Bon Jovi discography are a must.
• Know very little current popular culture - especially TV shows, music, celebrity gossip, and most things on Instagram.
• Have little dark bruises on your upper forearms (evidence of the dry needling sessions you've recently had to treat your tennis elbow).
• If at a party or some other gathering with a lot of people, hang out along the perimeter of the gathering so that you can observe people and their interactions.  
• Once you are in a smaller group, quick whit is essential!
• Be VERY expressive with your facial expressions - this is something you are known for!
• Decline straws.
• Don't allow foods on your plate to touch one another.
• Love, love, love the color purple.

Phrases/Vocabulary the Character is Known For:

• "Y'all"
• "Let me think about it."
• "Gotcha."
• "I'd love to travel there."
• "Well, shit fire..."
• "It poured the rain."
• "Really? Really?"
• "You're killin' me, Smalls..."

Have a very Happy Halloween!

Photo Credit: Matheus Bertelli from Pexels

Inspired by Steph and Allison

Forest Giants in a Giant Forest at Bernheim

Approximately 20 minutes south of Louisville, KY is Bernheim Forest, a 16,000 acre arboretum that is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.  To celebrate, Bernheim collaborated with Danish artist, Thomas Dambo, to construct three giant sculptures throughout the arboretum using recycled wood from the region.  The sculptures depict three giants: Mama Loumari, Little Nis, and Little Elina.  

Mama Loumari

Mama Loumari, who is pregnant with her third child, is seen relaxing and enjoying nature while her two children are out and about exploring the forest.

Little Nis

Little Nis is the youngest and smallest of the Forest Giants.  He likes to explore and is excited by his newest discovery - his reflection!

Little Elina

Little Elina is the older sister of Little Nis.  She loves rocks and is building the outline of a feather with them.

The family arrived at Bernheim in March of 2019 and they are expected to reside in the arboretum for at least 3 years.

If you go:

• Bernheim Forest is located approximately 20 minutes south of Louisville in Clermont, KY, which is also home to the Jim Beam distillery.  
• Bernheim is open daily, 7am - 7pm, but is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
• The admission to Bernheim is a $10 per car donation.

Linking up with:

Random-osity

Sharon's Souvenirs

Whims and Fancies

& 

Shooting Stars Mag and Not In Jersey

Currently... (Vol. 44)

Anxiously awaiting...  autumn's arrival.  Autumn technically started about a week and a half ago, but here in KY we're still experiencing the summer that just won't quit!  Seriously - 90s in October?!?

Ready...  and I mean, REALLY READY for crisp, chilly mornings; cool walks in the park; and the AC not running all day long.  I'm ready for summer to exit stage right.

Craving...  a caramel apple and a funnel cake!  Don't ask me why...

Missing...  my weekday morning walks in the park.  This working thing is really cramping my style and my workouts!  LOL!

Watching...  The Masked Singer on Wednesday nights. 

Realizing...  how ignorant I am about current popular culture.  Last week I got lucky and correctly guessed who The Egg was on The Masked Singer (Johnny Weir).  I had absolutely no idea who the The Ice Cream was, even after he took off his mask (Ninja...  some famous gamer).

Reading Listening...  to the audiobook Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag.

Receiving...  acupuncture and dry needling treatments to treat tennis elbow.

Thinking...  that it's kind of funny that I have tennis elbow and I haven't played tennis since 1983 when I took a week's worth of lessons and lost five cans of tennis balls, at which point my mom said that tennis was too expensive of a sport for me to play.

Looking...  forward to seeing Phil Collins next week!  Seeing him has been on my bucket list for a while.

Laughing...  at this:

Agreeing...  with this:

September in a Snapshot:

1 & 2) Me watching an exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum of Art, 3) my 20th first day of school as a public school SLP.
4) Pennywise on the freeway - YIKES, 5) Giants at Bernheim Forest, 6) giant turkey buzzard in my backyard!
7) making a therapy schedule...  ugh, 8) sunrise from my parking spot, 9) 100F on September 30!!!

What have you been up to lately?

Linking up with:

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books with the Numbers 1-10 in the Title

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell

Four to Score by Janet Evanovich

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

BONUS:  11/22/63 by Stephen King

I will admit that I was very tempted to use the first ten titles of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series for this prompt, but where would be the fun in that?  LOL! I have read or listened to all of these books, with the exception of the bonus book,11/23/1963, which has been on my TBR forever.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

My Happy List - What I Enjoyed in July, August, and September (Vol. 10)

In keeping with my plan to periodically "check-in" and share some of the things that have brought me enjoyment, (ENJOY is my word of the year, after all), please allow me to share a sampling of the things that I enjoyed in July,  August, and this month.

I enjoyed...

July 3...  celebrating my anniversary with R at a new (to us) restaurant.

4...  being back home in WV and enjoying my family's annual Independence Day cookout.

8...   spending the evening with my best friend, C, while watching her daughter play in a state softball tournament.

9...  exploring a new hiking trail with my aunt.

13...  having dinner out with R and two of our friends.

21...  binge watching Stranger Things because I was stuck inside due to it being way too hot outside.

23...  the much welcomed, cooler temperatures (high 70s, low 80s) after several days of a yucky heatwave.

24...  eating lunch with one of my former work roommates. We spent 5 hours at Panera laughing and catching up.  It was nice.

25...  a long overdue phone date with my best friend.  Yes, we were able to see each other earlier this month, but we weren't able to talk freely and at length.


August 6...  spending the day with my uncle and 87-year old grandfather.

8...  spending the day with my mom at the WV State Fair.

10...  the breakfast that my 86-year old grandmother prepared.  It's been years since I've had "Granny Biscuits."

14...  listening to Bruce Springsteen's autobiography, Born to  Run, while walking in the park.

17...  the Salted Caramel Blondie ice cream from Ben and Jerry's in Freeport, ME.

19...  my authentic Maine breakfast - pancakes with Maine blueberries (which were on the underside of the pancakes) and Maine maple syrup.

20...  watching the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park.

23...  a long overdue lunch date with one of my closest friends from college.  We live in the same city, but only get to properly catch up in person about once or twice a year.

30...  completing the 175 Mile Summer Challenge.  (I walked 175 miles between June 9 and September 2.)

31...  playing in the mud (Rugged Maniac obstacle course race) with one of my speech path buddies.


September 2...  seeing the "No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man" exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum.

8...  exploring the Forest Giants at Bernheim Forest.

12...  having dinner with Ci and Jo, two former coworkers and teammates who have become longtime friends.

14...  attending my friend's gender reveal party.  It's a boy!

21...  binge watching season 1 of Mayans MC on Hulu.

24...  sitting out on my deck enjoying the break from the unseasonably hot weather.

27...  the unplanned, but blissful nap I took during my acupuncture session (more on this soon).

Happy Monday and have a great week!