Today’s brew of the day is Cafe Bustelo. It apparently has more caffeine than I am used to in my coffee. So if I get a bit off topic and rambly today, blame the Bustelo!
This past weekend Billy went camping and Wyatt and I had a quiet weekend at home. Which was nice, we watched movies and read books and took some walks including one along the riverfront. When Billy got home though, he seemed to bring chaos with him (thank you Lisa for this description lol). He hadn’t been home for an hour when the hose on the washing machine broke, flooding that area of the basement. Then about 20 minutes later, we heard a loud bang from outside somewhere near and then the power went out! A transformer blew and took out our neighborhood’s electricity. I had to race around putting towels on all of the gecko tanks to try and trap the heat in and was stressing about what we would do if the power was out for a long time since it is so cold right now. However, our city manufactures its own electricity and they had a team out to fix it right away. They are usually quick like that if an outage occurs but it made me think about getting a generator! The three of us and the cats could always vacate to my mom’s house but I don’t see us lugging the five lizards and their setups out with us too! Lol. Billy ran up to the store and bought a replacement hose and fixed the washer so that is all taken care of as well.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and watch a few YouTubers that I really like and want to support, even in a tiny way. So, I budget a few dollars a month for Patreon and choose a few to subscribe to for a while. Recently I switched them up and started being a patron of The Night Owl Podcast, and Alexandra Roselyn, a booktuber who always picks the best middle grade reads. I love to read middle grade, as a preview of books for Wyatt but also just because. She reads a lot of other genres as well, but I mainly started following her for the MG content. Anyway, she just launched a Patreon and she has put so much thought into it! It is designed with a whole secret society theme, and even the most affordable tier has a ton to offer, with two book clubs, liveshows, printables, a discord (whatever that is, can someone please explain to this Gen Xer? ) , and just a bunch of goodness. All for $3. I am sort of excited about this. She has set it up like a little story, a “club” name, it is just really cute. I am not sure if the middle grade book is designed for parents/educators because her YouTube seems to target that demographic, or if it is for actual kids, but I will be participating in the Adult Cozy Reads book club.
So I have that going on. And just in time for tea season! I have been stocking up on teas, from our favorite indulgences to our normal everyday tea. In our case, that is Red Rose tea, my favorite. I am so distressed though that the little ceramic figurines are no longer included in every box! You can still get them by ordering tea online from them but it makes me sad. For me, it was the adult equivalent of fishing the toy out of the cereal box. Apparently not everyone appreciated the little ceramic figurines so they moved it to this situation, but…it’s the end of an era I guess.
I decided to switch up some artwork this past week as well. I found a box of frames in our basement that I had forgotten about, left over from an old photography show I did, and put them to use! I framed my grandfather’s library card, my grandfather’s swim team picture (he is bottom row, second from left), and a painting Wyatt did of a butterfly. I also framed my grandfather’s report card but I gave that to my brother as a gift.
Edited to add: About a year ago I started listening to a podcast called Your Own Backyard produced and written by Chris Lambert, an investigative journalist. The podcast focused on the disappearance of Kristin Smart, who went missing after a party in 1996. Lambert’s work on the podcast and investigative abilities renewed interest in her case, and also produced evidence and witnesses. The energy of this podcast kept the case moving and yesterday, Smart’s family received justice after 26 long years – Paul Flores was convicted of Kristin’s murder. The podcast is very sensitive, compassionate, and well thought out, without the sensationalism that comes with some true crime podcasts. I hope that today Smart’s family has some sense of closure, and I hope that they continue to get answers.
And that is about all I have this morning! I am going to go read a few blogs, and drink my coffee and eat my apple pie for breakfast before starting our morning for real. I hope you all have a lovely day!
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
I love your framed pieces! That’s a really terrific idea and I never thought of it! We had an 11-day power outage that covered huge parts of Lansing/East Lansing/Okemos in 2013. Rick and almost all my neighbors were without; I was one of two streets in the ‘hood that had it so was a charging station, spare bedroom for friends and such. Awful. I never knew about the Red Rose figurines. Interesting!
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Thank you Jeanie!!! I was so very pleased with them honestly. I love walking by them in the hallway. 🙂
And wow!!! That is a long time to be without power!! I am glad that at least you had it and could help everyone out!
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I love framing things that tell stories about people we know. Great photos! Enjoy that apple pie. Now I’m craving it. LOL
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Thanks Laurel Rain!! I was so happy with the way they turned out. And that pie was so good!
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We used to have a transformer near us blow every few years. It certainly is loud and gets one’s attention! If you don’t want to invest in a big generator, you could get a power station like the one we use in our RV. We have a Rocksolar Nomad. A couple of those might work for the gecko tanks. Just don’t use it for anything like an air fryer or hair dryer! We learned that the hard way. 😉 It’s now on it’s way to the company for repairs.
I love your framed items. Great idea for family heirlooms!
Apple pie for breakfast is one of my favorite things about fall.
Have a great week, Erin.
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Oh thank you!!! I will look that up! Because I really didn’t want to invest in a big giant generator. LOL. I just need something for keeping the heat lights on above the geckos. 🙂
And thank you!
Oh a kindred spirit!!!! Apple pie for breakfast is definitely one of the best things about fall. 🙂
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What a way to end your weekend! Doesn’t that always seem to be the way…everything at once? I have heard YouTubers refer to a discord, too. I don’t know what it is either…when you find out, let me know! I googled it and still don’t understand! I guess that makes me officially old! I love the idea of framing personal things like this…goodness knows I’ve got gobs of frames!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
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Yes lol! I was like what is going on here!!
I know, Billy explained it to me and I don’t get it. I will be brave and log in or whatever it is you do to a discord and report back!
I have no idea why I didn’t do that sooner. I have always had my grandpa’s library card propped on a shelf and I love it so much more now framed.
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What a shame about the figurines. I love your framed memorabilia, I wouldn’t have thought of framing anything other than pictures/photos. We have my a ration book that belonged to my grandparents – I may take inspiration from you and find a frame for it.
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It really bummed me out!!
Thank you Louise! Oh my goodness, what a treasure you have! I think that would be quite nice in a frame!
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It definitely did seem like Billy brought the chaos home with him! Like it was a calm weekend, he walked in and all hell broke loose.! Lol!
I can’t believe the Kristin Smart case was that long ago! Someone needs to do a podcast on the missing woman near me so her family can finally get closure. Her ex is freaking scary, though, so I wouldn’t do it.
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That’s how it felt too! LOL!
I know, it is so upsetting to realize that it was that long ago and they are just now getting some sort of justice. A lot of stuff came up during the trial, including other women that Flores has assaulted these past 26 years. It is awful and I am glad that he will finally be off of the streets.
What is her name. DM it to me. A few podcasts that I listen to often request cases.
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Nice catching up with you. I love the framed items, That was a great idea and a thoughtful gift for your brother.
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Thank you! I always had my grandfather’s library card propped up on a shelf and I realized I could just frame it. And I was so happy with the result!
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