When the flotsam and jetsam of my brain don’t warrant a whole post of their own.
Book Festival
Our local Public Broadcasting station and an area university celebrated literacy and the love of books this past weekend by hosting a Book Festival. It did my heart good to see the large number of people at the event. Yes, there were a lot of gray heads in the crowd, but also a decent number of young people, making me a bit more optimistic about the future.
Crazy for Chocolate
I don’t know where I first heard about Dubai Chocolate, but the combination of rich chocolate, creamy pistachio, and a crisp pastry layer sounded delightful… until I saw the price: about $15 for a 150g bar. As I was looking at the store display and wondering who was crazy enough to pay that much for chocolate, a young lady walked by, grabbed a bar, and said, “Wow, I have never seen these this cheap!” So, of course, I had to buy one too. And, yes, it was yummy, but no, I’m not crazy enough to buy another one.
Delivery Options
An item my husband needed was only available online from a big box home improvement store. He had three options of how to have the item delivered: 1) It would be delivered to the store for pick-up, shipping was free but it would arrive in several days; 2) For an $80 shipping fee, the item would be delivered either the next day or a day of his choosing; 3) The item would be delivered to our door the next day for no shipping cost. His choice was obvious… I wonder if anyone chose option 2?
The 80/20 Wardrobe
We are in the middle of a house project that required me to empty my closet. I am lucky to have a large closet, so normally it is fairly tidy, but now my clothes and shoes are stowed all over the house, stuffed in other closets and piled on various flat surfaces. In addition to feeling twitchy about the disarray, I am confronted with the fact that I have far too many clothes. Some of them are now in my “to be donated” pile, but I realize that I need to be much more realistic about what I’m likely to wear going forward. Like many, I probably only wear about 20% of my wardrobe and, especially in retirement, comfortable and casual wins. I have no illusions that I can offload 80% of my clothes, but I’ll be busy this weekend seeing how close I can get.
How about you? Any fun plans for this weekend?
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Just today I was thinking about donating the last of my business suits. That would leave me with no suits at all. I have two dresses and the rest are pants, tops and coverups like sweaters or hoodies. I haven’t worn any of the suits in the last 14 years since I retired so it’s really unlikely I’ll wear them in this lifetime.
I don’t have any suits left but I have a few dresses that I will likely never wear again. Also, several pairs of nice slacks that are nearly the same color. A) I seldom wear nice slacks (perhaps I should get out more 😊) and, B) How many black or brown slacks does one really need? They fit and they are in good shape so they keep going back into my closet.
I try to keep a black and navy pair of nice pants (that I never wear) in my closet. Sometimes I switch it out and buy new because of sizing issues (stuff can shrink or grow in my closet) but I feel better if I have them. My one suit is a real one (matching skirt and jacket). It says funeral or church to me yet when I go to a funeral I tend to wear something more comfortable that doesn’t require panty hose. I am of the old generation. I don’t like my bare super white legs showing under a skirt. They could be seen from the International Space Station.
I used to worry about my white legs but not anymore. It’s one bonus about getting older… no one cares. I haven’t worn panty hose in ages either… do they even sell those instruments of torture anymore?
Yes they do. I was cleaning a drawer and found a package (they came individually wrapped) that had never been opened. Probably from the 90s at least! I wonder if the elastic still works.
Oh my, I picked up a box of Dubai Chocolate Cones at my grocery store last week. They were on an endcap by the register and looked and sounded so good. They are good! I have no idea how much I paid for them though. I just tossed them in my cart and I like them so well I’d like to get another box when I finish this one. Now that you pointed out how much the bar was I’m not going to hunt up the receipt to find out how much I paid. ☺️I am just going to enjoy the box I have.
I started a bag of clothes to donate but, I’ve already pulled out two of those items. I’ll never get down to just the 20% of clothes I actually wear but, I’ll keep trying. I do buy a lot less since retiring.
I’m birding in the morning, and we’re still figuring out what we’d like to do this week-end. We stay very close to home on this holiday.
Deborah
I have a feeling the price will come down on Dubai chocolate when the TikTok influencers find something new to hawk. I think it’s great to treat ourselves now and then so I hope you buy more.
Haha! I’ve raided my donate pile in the past. Somedays I’m in a “get rid of everything” mood… then sanity returns.
Enjoy your birding – I hope your get some fabulous pictures! I had forgotten that it’s a holiday weekend. That means the tourists will soon be gone and we can reclaim our beaches and restaurants.
Books are one of my favorite topics so I applaud anyone is search of a good read, and good chocolate is something to be savored. I’ve never paid $12 but on your and Debra’s recommendation, I just might. 🙂 As for delivery charges, the first thing I do after searching for an item is hit the Prime button to make sure it’s free. I’ll gladly pay for an item I need, but I won’t pay to have it delivered because I’m guessing it has already been factored into the price. 🙂 I will also hang my head and acknowledge the 80/20 wardrobe. I do a point or two for having gotten rid of all my business attire quite a while ago because I never wanted to match a suit with shoes and purse ever again. 🙂 Hope the project goes well and you have success with the paring down of clothes. Now, I should go do the same thing. 🙂
I think this particular type of chocolate is enjoying its moment of fame. Like many things that are social media sensations, it will probably lose its luster soon (especially at $15 a bar). I hope they still offer it at a lower price, though … it’s pretty darn good.
Those delivery options were nuts. We both had to look it over carefully to be sure we weren’t missing anything. Nope … no charge and it was delivered the next day.😊
I’m glad to hear the book fair was well attended. I’m cheered that my 19-year-old niece enjoys reading, even classics! I recently gifted her my mother’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.” I think it’s in good hands.
No way would I regularly buy a $15 chocolate bar!
Why didn’t they just offer option 3 and be done with it? Silly.
I think my wardrobe may be the reverse of yours, 80% wear. Still, can stand to cull a bit more.
The weekend is mostly about avoiding the Harley crowd that roars in here every Labor Day weekend, but I do have lunch planned with a friend on Sunday.
Your niece is very lucky to have been given such a treasure! I had those books as well as all the Wizard of Oz books when I was young… I wish I had them now.
I was shocked when I read the 80/20 ration but when I looked in my closet, I could see that as being the case. I don’t mind having a few specific, little-worn items for rare occasions (weddings, funerals, etc.) but I have too many clothes that, if I’m being completely honest, I will never wear. Out they go!
Yikes, it sounds like it will be very noisy in your area this weekend. I’d get as far away as possible too. Enjoy your lunch!
I tried a mini version of the Dubai chocolate that was by the cash register at my grocery store. I didn’t think it was all that great. I do love Dick Taylor chocolate from Eureka, Ca. They usually ship free!
I’m torn about the clothes. I have one suit left and a couple of skirts. I tried them all on last week, and they look great. I haven’t worn them in eight years, but I just can’t part with them, either. A few years ago I contacted one of the groups that provides professional clothes for disadvantaged women, but they only wanted large sizes. Plus, what I have is probably outdated, anyway. But I would wear it!
So, they stay in my closet. Dumb, but I can’t quite quit them.
I just looked up Dick Taylor chocolate and it looks really good. I have a friend who makes high-end chocolate in Healdsburg but I haven’t tried it. I know it’s not very sophisticated but I prefer milk chocolate. 😊
I understand how hard it is to get rid of clothes that are still in great shape and fit well. It makes it a bit easier if you can donate them to a good cause.
I have way too many clothes, too. I must really find an excuse to do a clear-out like you’ve done. But, since the school year just started, it feels like something that will go on my “next summer” list. This weekend I do have fun plans. When we were in (The Republic of) Georgia this summer, we took a cooking class of Georgian classics (khachapuri and khinkhali, especially). This weekend we are going to make both of those things and a Georgian cake recipe I found online. It will be a Georgian feast!
What a fabulous way to spend your weekend! A lot of times those cooking classes get wasted because the participants never make the dishes again. I’m glad you are giving it a go (and, hopefully, will blog about it).
We’ve actually made a couple of the dishes before (as practice). I think it’ll probably be blogged about in the Travel-Inspired Baking post about the Georgian honey cake. That is, if the cake is blog-worthy. I’ve never made it or had it, so we’ll see…
Books and chocolate sound good, especially when the chocolate has nuts. We do need to treat ourselves every once in a while.
I try to get rid of clothes I no longer wear and am usually quite good at it, but there are a couple of things still hanging in my closet that I just can’t seem to part with. Good luck with your wardrobe downsizing.
Books, chocolate, and a rich cup of coffee. It can be hard to find really good chocolate in the US and it’s often pretty expensive (but $15 is a bit much).
I think having everything out of my closet will make it easier to cull items as I put them back (I think Marie Kondo recommended this). Having a big closet is nice but things get lost.
That’s some expensive chocolate! I do love pistachios but maybe not enough to spend $15. I’m putting aside the moving hell I find myself in and spending time with my 2 daughters doing something fun
Since there isn’t anything you can do about your missing moving pod, best to enjoy your time with your family. I hope your TV segment lit some sort of fire.
Exactly. Can’t just sit here and wonder what or when.
Good luck downsizing your wardrobe!
Thanks. It’s challenging but needs to be done.
That’s great that so many young people are at a book fair Janis. I recently heard a news story that Americans reading for pleasure fell dramatically and so I went back to find the stats … fell about 40% between 2003 and 2023. So, that is good that people are getting real books (as opposed to digital versions) and reading at all. I took the bus to my downtown Detroit job for decades and was an avid reader and trying to get back to it. If I start a good book and can’t put it down, there goes getting other things done. 🙂 I have never tried that chocolate before – it looks interesting but ridiculously priced. I do buy Lindt (or Ghirardelli) dark chocolate (boring but healthy). The writer and/or proofreader for those three shipping options needs to go. I need to weed out my closets of work clothes that can’t be repurposed into casual wear too. I loved my work clothes and getting dressed up for work, with accessories, etc., but I look at the pumps I used to wear and say “no way!”
It is so hard to imagine being without a book to read. I usually have one that I’m reading downstairs during the day and one that I read before going to sleep at night. It makes me sad that so many people have lost – or they never had – the desire to read for pleasure.
A lot of times when I go through my clothes looking for items to donate, I find myself asking “who am I kidding?” when I think I *just might* have an occasion to wear them again. Sometimes I wish I had a brutally honest older sister to help me decide what to keep and what to toss. 😊
I agree Janis – when you are immersed in a good book, you just shut out the rest of the world. I have never had two books “on the go” at the same time – I will have to try that this Winter. Also, I’ve never been able to read in bed, even when I was young. I’d just get too comfy and nod off. I wanted to read on my exercise bike, but find I can’t concentrate and miss things.
I hate to part with my clothes too and I also need someone to shake me and say “you’re too old for that now Linda.” 🙂
Oh, so much me too! Although I firmly believe that we should wear what we want regardless of age, I think I sometimes lose sight of what actually still works for me. That brutally honest big sister would be very helpful.
We do think alike Janis!!
If you have professional oriented clothing, most major metropolitan areas have a “Dress for Success” shop. I donated half my business clothes there when we first moved to Portland. Now 5 yrs later, I no longer want to hold on to all the rest because of 1) wedding or other party requiring something more formal than jeans and tee shirts (haven’t been to a wedding in years and tend to avoid large gatherings); 2) funerals/memorials- no one gets dressed up for these anymore (and I have black jeans and black tees). They just look so sad hiding there in the back of my closet; I’ll get rid of all but a handful before year end.
I gave away a lot of my business suits to Dress for Success several years ago. What I have now are just too many non-casual items (slacks, skirts, blouses) that I’ll probably never wear again. Like you, I haven’t attended a wedding in ages and most other events tend to be pretty casual (and black jeans work in a pinch, if needed). Everything fits in my closet but I’d love to see more empty spaces.
Hi Janis
That looks like a great book fair. We organise a big book fair once a year for our village. Last time we sold about 10.000 second-hand books. Here in England, people still read, as is the case in most countries of Europe. In nearly every house I am invited I see quite a library.
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
I was so happy to see crowds of people attend an event focused on books and reading. I get most of my books second hand or from the library, but there is something about opening up a brand new, never read book. I love that you see well-stocked libraries in people’s homes. I have a friend who has a huge wall of books in her living room and she always encourages me to take a few home (and return them, of course 😊).
Janis, our daughter, Morgan, brought two bars of that chocolate as a gift for Malcolm when she returned from a trip to Bali. We ate one piece and pretended to like it while the other is still in the refrigerator. It was made in Qatar and she bought it at the airport. Who knows what she paid? Now I feel bad knowing how expensive it is.
Sometimes we go for a coffee at our local Barns and Nobel. It is always nice to see young people still enjoying books. What a wonderful thing your community does to support literacy.
As for the closet, I am due for a major overhaul. I have too many travel clothes and gym clothes that look much the same as my day clothes, a few nice dresses, black and navy slacks, and lots of out-of-date blouses. I have my ‘fat girl’ clothes (stretch waist bands) and my skinny jeans, which I refuse to give up – just in case. I’ve done the mental sort, now I just need to start the ‘donate’ pile. Thanks for bringing up the topic.
The chocolate you ate might have been closer to the “real thing.” The one I bought was “Dubai style” and made in Germany. Chances are, that will be the last of that type of chocolate I’ll buy (unless I see some really, really discounted) so I won’t have anything to compare it to.
Although I have been settled on my current weight without much fluctuation for a while, I still have a few over and under items “just in case.” One never knows when that teeny piece of cheesecake will magically add ten pounds. 😊
That Dubai chocolate would not only have to taste great, but it would also have to take out the trash, wash my car, and give me a back rub before I’d consider shelling out $15 for a bar!
Ha! I did feel a little foolish buying it but I had to find out what all the hype was about (turns out, not much).
I would have bought it too!
My family is away. I plan on seeing movies, reading and organizing my desk
That sounds heavenly… enjoy!
Yay for the book festival! I have seen a lot of hype for Dubai chocolate but never actually tried it, though the ingredients all appeal to me. I shall certainly check the price before being tempted! I spend a large chunk of my life in jeans and t-shirts so I suspect MORE than 80% of my wardrobe is superfluous. The thing is, when I take the other garments out I like the look of them and think “oh I must wear that again” but I rarely do. *Sigh*
Yep, that’s pretty much me too. I think that in the future, some mythical event will take place that will require me to wear that particular dress/skirt/pair of pants/etc. Of course it never happens (yet… one never knows for sure). We used to attend an annual dance-focused event and I have a couple of dresses that are prefect on the dance floor – very twirlly. We haven’t attended since Covid and I doubt we’ll go again. Getting rid of them makes sense but it would feel like I’m getting rid of my past. *Sigh* is right.
Ah well, last Christmas I did get rid of my one remaining “party” dress! Baby steps.
I’m scouring the photos and don’t see the sea of grayheads at all. At least not as a dominant feature of the crowds! YaY! And such enthusiasm for books: the real deal. 🙂 Funny about that Dubai Choco Bar…however expensive!
It was so nice to see a wide age range at the festival. Lots of kids too so I hope they are being taught the love of books young. They had a nice variety of events for just about every literary taste, and some great speakers (Stacey Abrams!) and discussion panels.
No plans for us – just more of the same!! (I love retirement.) Oh, I guess there is football tomorrow. Can’t quite believe it’s that time of year already.
I love Dubai chocolate. Found some at our local chocolate shop and decided to try it. I would definitely buy more. I think ours was $10 for a box of 4 squares.
Retirement is the best gig ever! Even though the temps are starting to heat up a bit here (we tend to get our hotter weather later than the rest of the country), after Labor Day, the tourists thin out and we locals can enjoy empty(ish) beaches and restaurants. It does seem weird to be watching football now, though.
I’m glad you enjoyed the chocolate. If I found it a bit cheaper, I’d buy it again too.
Hi Janis, My wardrobe is bare minimum and gets smaller every time the cat jumps on my lap and ruins either a blouse or pair of pants. I can’t cut her nails often enough. Nonetheless, I have tons of things I never wear. I look at them every day, and think, uh, not today.
Our weekend plans are minimal. I’m still revamping my website so that I have an author page for each book. That is taking far longer than I had planned.
Haha! Cats sure can do some damage to clothes. Did you do a big purge of things before you moved? We’ve been in our home for over 30 years so clothes, tools, and stuff in general have piled up. Even the “One thing in, two things out” rule isn’t enough.
Revamping your website sounds like a lot of work. I keep thinking that I need to update mine but then I take a nap instead. 😊
So funny, Janis. I got so tired, I did take a nap! LOL! I created two pages, and rewrote two more pages. I still have a couple to go, but they can wait. I have lots of other chores looming.
That is expensive chocolate but I bet it was worth it for one time. Good luck on downsizing your clothes. Maybe if I had to empty my closet I would put less back in; I have way too many clothes I don’t have occasion to wear anymore. We plan to see a comedy this weekend – “Lend Me a Tenor” – at a local theater. We need something light.
I think it’s important to treat ourselves now and then. Fortunately, my husband has a bit of a sweet tooth so he was all in (although I did have to share).
Your weekend plans sound great. I just looked the play up and it sounds like a lot of fun.
Brilliant Janis! I should just push my partial drafts and thoughts out there and why not!? Speaking of books, I just dropped off a box of book donations to the local indy book store that runs a non-profit to fight against book banning (that means I’m in Texas now.) I found an on line recipe for those chocolate bars, but I bet the ingredients are also expensive. I’d not heard of that Lindt flavor, but sounds interesting. I will be unpacking and hanging artwork over the weekend, plus catching up with some old friends.
I “stole” the idea from several other bloggers. I can’t always put together a whole post on one topic but I want to share a few things. 😊
It sounds like you are busy making your new house a home. That and seeing friends is a great way to spend your weekend.
Hi Janis! We just got back from a 2.5 month trip to Europe with two small bags and two carry-ons as you know. That experience always helps me remember I need far, far less clothes than I ever use most of the time. Although I must admit I did get a little tired of basically wearing the same clothes over and over. Oh, and two pairs of shoes and one pair of sandals. Now that we’re back I’m trying to wear things I haven’t seen in a long time…but I still tend to wear my favorites over and over!
As for chocolate! We love Lindt dark chocolate which we were able to find most places in Europe but when we got home saw that the tariffs are definitely increasing the price to $6 a bar. No way would I spend $15 no matter how good!!!
Good for you for scaling back clothes that you aren’t wearing and don’t need. I’m sure they are in great condition and someone else will love and appreciate them when you let them go.
Talk soon? …. ~Kathy
It’s amazing how little you need when you travel. Absolutely no one cares (or notices, probably) if you wear the same rotation of clothes all the time. I should get some new travel clothes, though, since when I look at my travel pictures taken over the years (Mexico, Europe, Canada, US), I’m often wearing basically the same thing. 😊
I read that there are several factors impacting the cost of chocolate, including a cocoa shortage, crop disease, and climate change. That and tariffs and pretty soon $15 a bar might seem cheap.
Book fairs always restore my faith in humanity! And yes, my closet is also full, and I don’t wear half of it. But then I try something on and realize it still fits, so I put it back in my closet…. I usually give away lots of clothes, but every once in a while I have trouble doing that. But this, too, shall pass!
When I’m in a “get rid of it” mood, I try to make as big of a dent as I can. Like you, sometimes I hold on to things just because they fit and look good. If I won’t wear it, it doesn’t matter how well it fits.
These are some fun tidbits, Janis. This is a great idea for future “observations” blog posts!
Two thoughts: I wonder if that woman walking by exclaiming how cheap the chocolate bar was, was an employee or one of the chocolate saleswomen. 🙂 And, I certainly wear more than 20% of my clothes. If there is an item that I haven’t worn in a year, it would have to go. Well, I use my stuff over and over that it gets discarded into the “cloth” cabinet when too many holes appear, haha.
Haha! We wondered the same thing about the woman picking up the chocolate. 😊 It was just the nudge I needed to grab one.
You definitely have living light down to a science. Bigger closet, more stuff.
I did a rabbit hole – looking up reading festival and ended up not coming back to comment! Reading is good, but $15/bar Lindt is too expensive. And it looks like milk chocolate, and all I eat is super dark. As to deliveries, I am, and always will be, a store person. Getting deliveries in a rural setting is just a pain in the … good thing, my neighbour and I are friendly, so I can text and let her know I got another one of her packages. As to clothes I am not average there. As an Operating Room Nurse I didn’t own dress clothes so have like 2 super casual dresses and 2 sort of dressy enough for weddings. I weed and thin regularly with the rule “1 new thing in 2 old things out”.
I think Dubai chocolate can be found in both milk and dark versions. But, you are correct, it’s probably more expensive than makes sense. Chocolate in general is getting more and more expensive due to environmental factors. Maybe someday, $15 won’t be out of line.
Good for you for keeping your wardrobe in check. I still have clothes that I bought many, many years ago. If I haven’t worn them for a long time, I probably never will.
Yes as a huge fan of chocolate I did an entire post about the causes of the price increase and how that should, in theory, make me eat less!🤔😏😕
I love that in retirement we can scale down and downsize our lifestyle, homes, and definitely our wardrobes. Any less time spent washing and doing laundry is a bonus.
This weekend, I am getting ready to go away for a few days to celebrate an anniversary!
Perhaps with some chocolate!!
Happy anniversary! Ours is coming up mid-September so I should probably plan something, although it’s not a milestone year. Of course, anytime you can celebrate a happy, healthy marriage, it’s reason enough. Enjoy your time away!
Thanks so much!!
I enjoyed this catch-up post, Janis! Kind of like our lunch meetings, talking about random things! Keeping it short…
chocolate yes ✔️ donate more clothes YES ✔️✔️✔️✔️ tourist season over…not here but when we go to Yellowstone in two weeks.
Crazy about the delivery options. Hope he got what he wanted! Glad all is well. Have a great weekend!
I’m glad you like the format. I’ll probably do more of these… it helps me keep my posts more regular without the stress of writing on one subject.
I have never been to Yellowstone but it’s on my must-see list. I bet this is a great time to go. I want to hear all about your trip. How long will you be there?
Have a great weekend too, Terri!
Just a few days, Janis. I hope to get some great shots!
The first things to go once I retired were most of my ties. I have always thought of ties as cousins to ‘nooses’. I did have to wear one recently to the funeral of my Aunt. Further linking ties to nooses in my mind. Neckties — the corporate hangman’s handshake. 👔
Ties for men, pantyhose for women. Pure torture, and absolutely useless. Good for you for getting rid of your nooses. For men, maybe instead of “retirement” it should be called “untierment.” 😊
Untirement!!! Perfect! 💥
Hi Janis…this is a fun catch-up post! I definitely have a lot of catching up to do, both on my blog and with my blogging friends. Glad to know you’re doing well. I’ve been intrigued by Dubai chocolate but that price holds me back. However, all good chocolate has gotten crazy expensive! And it’s one of our primary food groups, lol.
Hey there, stranger! So good to see your comment! If you see Dubai chocolate in the store, try to treat yourself once. That may be enough to satisfy your curiosity and not break the budget too much. 😊
I hope to see a catch-up post from you one of these days.
I enjoyed your post and never heard of that chocolate but then saw it again since I left your blog post! How to make homemade Dubai chocolate
https://iamafoodblog.com/dubai-chocolate/
Thank you for the link! The author describes the recipe as “easy” but I guess ease is in the eye of the beholder. Although I may never shell out another $15 for a chocolate bar, I would do that before I made it myself. 😊 It was really interesting to see how it was made, though.
well there are times when we just have to fork over the money to try a novelty item – or something new – and so I am glad you decided to try it – and then share about it here on your blog.
I am looking forward to trying it and I have had pistachio chocolate before so I am wondering if it is similar to that. I have also seen the dubai chocolate have different sizes and some seem way thicker than others. 😊
We have numerous choices of chocolate here in the UK, but my favourite has always been (and will always be) Cadbury’s. I usually buy it when it’s on offer, and in large quantities, so after Halloween, Mother’s Day, Christmas, and Easter. Keep me going until the next holiday is over.
I find decluttering to be very beneficial, not just for donating items to charity, but also for my mental well-being. It always gives me a boost, so I declutter a lot. There is always a charity bag on the go.
I like Cadbury too but I just learned that US Cadbury was different from UK Cadbury. I’d love to do a side-by-side taste comparison.
You are so right about decluttering in general. I always feel better when I’ve unloaded extra stuff and I seldom regret getting rid of anything once gone.
I’ve heard that some people think UK Cadbury chocolate is superior to its American equivalent. But I’ve yet to taste a bar of American Cadbury’s. One thing I have noticed over the years is how much smaller bars of chocolate are getting. Apparently, it’s called ‘Shrinkflation.’
I’m spending this holiday w/e at my son’s (4 hrs away) & attending a FREE!! folk fest featuring one of my favorite artists, JJ Shiplett. A delightful way to end the summer. I definitely wear 20% of my clothes 80% of the time. Like Leisbet, the clothes are worn until they’re only fit for the rag bin after they’ve served their purpose as outside “work” clothes. In retrospect, I’ve never wished for a donated/discarded piece of clothing after downsizing. I was introduced to a used book store in Dawson Creek (Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway) called Faking Sanity. I picked up a book my Miriam Toewes – Fight NIght. A chuckle on every page. Love reading, love summer.
It sounds like you are enjoying a fabulous weekend! I hadn’t heard of JJ Shiplett before but just looked him up. Very nice!
I love the name of that bookstore! I’m not sure I’ll ever get up that way, but if I do, I’ll definitely check it out. Also, Fight Night – as well as other novels by Miriam Toewes – looks good. (Your comment had me doing a lot of internet searches 😊)
Your home sounds exactly like mine. I just had new carpet installed in our bedroom and closets so everything had to come out. What a job! Now I’m working on putting everything back together. Not an easy job. Good luck to us both on having more room in our closets when everything is put back.
Ah, yes, new carpet. We did that a little over a year ago, which prompted a first big decluttering of my closet. It’s hard to believe that now I have even more stuff to offload. Soon, after the current work is completed, we’ll be ready for a carpet cleaning which will delay repopulating my closet. It’s enlightening, though, how easy it is to get along with a limited wardrobe.
My closet is stupidly overstuffed. I really need to get serious about paring it down. I have so many clothes that I really love, but for some reason never get around to wearing.
The price of chocolate, candy, & cookies has taken a huge leap. People whine about the price of gas, but I think the percentage of the price hike of sweets far exceeds the price of gasoline.
No plans for the weekend. I usually stick close to home on holidays.
“Stupidly overstuffed” is the perfect description. I am even giving a few things away with tags still on them. What was I thinking? Since I no longer have to buy gas, I guess I can treat myself to overpriced sweets now and then. 😊
Prices are crazy and as much as I love chocolate, I
with you! Small items now are being effective as of today ugh.. poor Etsy amongst others and now my vitamins are coming
late which disrupts my adherence-:(
When I first redid my closet I was awesome and now I’m back to my old ways! Good luck!
🍀
You must be referring to the de minimis tariff exemption ending? I’ve read some conflicting opinions about them but it will hurt so many small businesses. I don’t think a lot of people realize how much more expensive things are getting until it directly impacts them.
I know how easy it is to slide back into old habits. Fingers crossed that I will remain strong. ☺️
I’m a bit nervous about all the gray heads I see at local protests but then I remember that younger people are working, busy with family and have to keep their heads down in these troubling times. Like you, I tried the Dubai chocolate and once was enough.
I have felt the same at many of the protests but the last one – No Kings Day – had a pretty good mix. Hopefully the ones scheduled for October 18 will have a more diverse attendance.
After seeing the large displays of $15 Dubai chocolate bars, I expected to see some half-off deals soon after. Unfortunately, not.
A fun post to catch up on your adventures and projects, Janis. I, too, feel encouraged when I see young people exploring books. It gives me hope. And literacy festivals are huge fun. I could relate also to not buying more expensive chocolate, though it sounds yummy. And “duh” about the delivery options! Lol. I had to laugh a bit about your wardrobe – same here. If I wear 20% of my clothes, I’d be shocked. You inspired me to do some donating this weekend. ❤
Hi Diana. Somehow I missed your comment. I am really proud of myself for all the clothes I’ve offloaded so far. As we move towards fall, I imagine I’ll have more to give away. I had a lot of “who am I kidding?” discussions with myself as I considered particular items. I hope your donating session was a success too!
Lol. I need to have those “who am I kidding,” conversation with myself. That’s good advice.
Bummer – my comment disappeared. You’ll probably find it in your spam folder. 🙂 xxx
It wasn’t there! Sorry that your comment got lost in the blogosphere. I used to get a lot of spam, now I don’t see any. I think WP gets rid of most, if not all, before I have a chance to see if they truly are spam. Oh well… at least I don’t have to see all the gross stuff I used to get. 😱
That’s true. I quit allowing comments on posts that are over 30 days old. That stopped a lot of the spam. I thought maybe it would show up. A lot of times when someone tells me their comment was lost, I get two of them back to back.