At the start of this year, I announced my intention to make this my "year of magic." That can mean many things, of course. This post is about a very particular kind of magic. Long ago and far away, I taught film classes and I hit upon the idea of centering the class around different science fiction films (any excuse to introduce students to…

The administration asked the court to clear the way for President Trump’s order that creates “state citizenship lists” and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot.

President Trump hid in an airport catering cart and was taken to a military jet for a secret flight out of country after the NATO summit last month.

At the start of this year, I declared that this would be my "Year of Magic." I wasn't sure what that was going to look like and I'm still not positive. I'm not interested in learning stage magic - card tricks, making a coin disappear, that sort of thing - but I am interested in being more present in my life and noticing the things around me that make life seem "magical."

I have written before about the importance of whimsy as an Essential on the Diva path. (Remember, you can search for all the Essential posts by using the search bar.) However, I think it's a great time to re-visit that with a bit more detail and discuss the importance of keeping a "whimsy list." It can be hard - very hard!

For years, I had a quote by Samuel Johnson painted on my fireplace mantel - "To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition." When my Beloved and I moved to this house, I didn't paint that on this mantel; I like to think I've worked to inscribe it on my heart, but some days I wonder.

Taking a slight break from painting. It's been more than 100 days since I worked on a puzzle, so I took some time this weekend to do that. A friend and I took advantage of the clear, hot days to meet up for chat and ice cream in the nearby town of Boiling Springs (aka "Bubblin' Waters") where we discovered the old and the new. Just look at that mosaic! And I am REALLY curious about that time capsule!!

Building the life I want to live has taken - and continues to take - time. I find that it is valuable to take a beat to occasionally stop and look around at how the landscape looks. On Thursday, for example, I celebrated one year at my "new" job. They seem quite happy with me and I know that I am delighted with them.

TikTok video by Kelley Quinn

Today's OGT was feeling appreciated at work. I'm taking a long weekend to celebrate my 16th wedding anniversary with my Beloved (for some truly bizarro reason, wax is the traditional gift. Not sure about that one. Maybe I'll receive a bag of Babybel cheeses), so I was trying to resolve as much as I could before leaving. Of course, I didn't get it all done, but these folks got along fine before I stepped onto the scene.

ALT: a man in a cowboy hat says hey where the white women are

In the last week or so, I've had several new things that are designed to make it a little easier to have touches of elegance in my everyday life arrive. I consider all of these Good Things, so I'm grouping them into a single post - why not? First, I have irises in gorgeous full bloom. These irises are especially memorable because they come from…

Every now and again, I add a post here that centers on something I consider to be an "Essential" in the Splendor journey. (You can search for all of these Essential posts using the search bar, if you'd like to read more.) This post is one of those. You see, I thought it was High Time to write about Pleasure…

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

I swooped in to Aldi's garden week to grab two raised beds (hopefully more on that this weekend) and treated the Furred Ones to a spring scratch house. Aldi does these several times a year and the spring theme is a definite win - not only does it have cat-head-shaped entryways, but it has awnings! AWNINGS! Seeing the house kindle discover the catnip-laced floor was a show in itself! Definitely a good thing!

As I continue actively searching for "moments of magic" in my everyday life, I'm learning quite a bit - including that, in some traditions, the start of spring is viewed as the start of the year. I like that. Spring begins with the Vernal Equinox, where day and night are balanced. Daylight gets a little longer every day from then until the Summer Solstice, which marks the start of summer on the longest day of the year.

This is my monthly weekend with Dad. Since I took this new position back in June, my schedule has changed - I used to stack my classes in Tuesday/Thursday blocks so I could drive up on Thursday and stay into Monday. That's not the case now, although Friday is a half-day for me, so I can arrive in time to pick up groceries and unpack before picking up Dad from the local senior center.

A full-length sourcebook for the Hard Wired Island tabletop RPG.

I have completed my walk around Paris! For these virtual challenges, you set your own rules, so I counted walking and biking, but not everyday steps. I especially enjoy getting my virtual "postcards" when I reached milestones on the virtual walk. These tell you about sights and history along your journey. Oh, you'll find killjoys who will tell you that these sorts of challenges "don't count." To them, I say it got me off the couch during the doldrums of winter and they should just lighten up a bit.