Things To Do for Fun 2026

 

Everyone has a different idea of what is fun.  That makes sense because what may be considered fun to one person may not necessarily be fun to another.  I have been making the effort this year to do more things that are fun to me.  It might be boring as hell to you, but it's fun to me.  Since I last updated you on this, I have been to the theatre, finished a book, eaten locally, tried a new recipe, visited my hometown and spent time with some wonderful people. 

Last month, Stephanie and I went to see UNCG's production of Frankenstein.  That was just a fun evening.  We started with dinner at Don Japanese on Tate Street with Steph's ex-husband, their son and several others.  If you live in Greensboro and haven't been to Don Japanese yet, I highly recommend it.  Stephanie and I had been there before when we went to see Side Show and it did not disappoint.  The company and conversation at dinner was delightful.  Then we met up with a few more people and almost filled up a row of seats at the show.  The show itself was interesting.  Jim Wren directed the show.  Jim was one of my acting teachers way back when and I was in his productions of The Coconuts and As You Like It. This show definitely had Jim's stamp on it.  It was edgy but in a very intellectual way and not just for the sake of being edgy.  However, the script was very imbalanced.  Obviously, the Creature was the main focus but almost every other character was left undeveloped, and I don't feel like some of the actors were up to that challenge. But it's educational theatre so that is to be expected.  The young man that played the Creature was phenomenal.  I have never in my life seen a performance like that. He was completely mesmerizing and will definitely make a name for himself one day. 

I finished reading Tim Curry's autobiography, Vagabond.  If you are a fan of his work, then this is a great book to read.  It focuses mainly on his career, and he gives great insight into his process.  I have tried several new recipes this year and one that I particularly enjoyed was a tater tot casserole.  It's basically like your average hashbrown casserole only with tater tots.  Still, very filling.  Not the healthiest thing I've ever eaten but delicious none the less. 

On Valentine's Day, I took a day trip back home to Monroe.  It was the anniversary of Mom's passing, the 30th anniversary, and I just felt like visiting the cemetery.  I met up with Larry and Brenda Robinson for breakfast at a place called The Village Grille.  The food was absolutely wonderful and if you're in that area and are looking for a good breakfast, go there.  The staff was super nice and did not pressure us to leave even though they were super crowded.  We'd finished our breakfast but spent a long time visiting and catching up. It was great to see them and I hope to see them again soon.  When Mom died, we had visitation at our house.  Mom's philosophy was that she didn't live in the funeral home and she didn't want people to come see us there.  We listened to her wishes.  Anyway, Larry was one of the first people I remember seeing that day at the house and so it was very appropriate to spend quality time with he and Brenda while I was in town to see Mom.  It was a good day.

These are the kinds of things I do for fun and I am happy to be getting more of that in these days.  I'm not getting any younger so grab the brass ring while I can!

Thought of the day

 I have mentioned on here before about taking time away from social media from time to time. Every few days, I simply do not go there.  I avoid it on the computer at home, the computer at work and my phone.  I find it very refreshing to not get myself mired down in staring at the screen for hours on end.  And the older I get, which is happening every day, I am discovering that I do not need to explain my actions or defend them simply because I choose to do this.  It is my life and I can do what I want without question.  Part of this is because I am old fashioned and I am getting better at finding other ways to occupy my time. 

However, even though I do not feel the need to explain myself, it does get frustrating because many people just do not understand how I can or why I would want to walk away from that world from time to time.  The people that actually know me have a much better grasp on it but people who only know me through social media don't always understand. Taking a break every few days has also lessened my time on social media on days when I do get on those websites.  I spend my entire day at work sitting in front of a computer answering a phone.  The last thing I want to do when I get home is spend hours sitting in front of my computer and looking at my phone.  That is not to say I do not do that, but I definitely do it less than I used to.  I think I am finally waking up from the pandemic quarentine in that sense.

I rarely answer messages on Facebook.  People often get frustrated about that, but I do not apologize for that. I actually get frustrated with it because it shows me that whoever is continually messaging me and getting more passive/aggressive about my lack of response have clearly not even looked at my profile where it states my lack of desire to get right back to you.  Ah, well.  In the end I find it comical.  I also refuse to answer messages that ask questions that are clearly answered on my profile page.  When someone's first question is "Where do you live?" or "Are you single?", those questions go unanswered.  You're either a bot or lazy.  Or both. 

Even though I have done a little explaining here, it's a good feeling to not feel that need to do that anymore.  Take me or leave me, that's your choice.  But if you take me, just know what all comes with the package.  That is all. 

Cristofori's Dream - David Lanz

 Wanted to start out my morning with a beautiful piano piece by David Lanz.  This was always one of my favorite pieces to play.  Maybe one day I'll pick it back up!

Today's Moment of Mindfulness

 

Practice breath awareness whenever you do something like brush your teeth or put on your socks.  When we interrupt automatic behavior, we give ourselves the chance of being in the present moment and remembering that we have choices. 

One drawer at a time - pots and pans

 

Sometimes it can get overwhelming to go through each and every drawer and cabinet, but I am going to keep at it and go forward.  In the long run, I know it's good for me to have things better organized and to give a proper home to as much as I can without overcrowding my spaces.  And I do enjoy it, truly.  It's just that sometimes it can be hard to motivate myself into action LOL

I am about halfway through the kitchen.  My next cabinet will be where all of my pots and pans are.  Well, at least that is where more than half of them are haha!  There really is not a great way, at least in my experience, to organize pots when you have limited space.  A hanging pot rack is not an option based on how my kitchen is laid out and I'm ok with that.  I would probably just walk into the pots and hit my head anyway.  I do have one of those pot racks in a cabinet where I can hang them, but the cabinet is so narrow only two small pots and pans fit in there.  Ah, well.

One thing that is nice is that I don't have more lids than pots.  Every lid has a base to it.  Whew! But there are a few pots that I need to find a new home for.  One is an old stock pot.  This was Mom's.  It's just old and worn and I have since gotten new pots that suit my needs better.  I will probably put this out in the garage and hopefully find a fun use for later.  I want to repurpose it for something.  I'll have to do research on that!  The other pot is a cast iron Dutch oven. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this piece, I simply do not use it.  It's heavy and bulky and just takes up space.  Luckily, this was a Christmas present to Michael and me from his brother. So, this will get boxed up and put into the Michael space of the garage. Now, I just need to get off my butt and do it!

The process works for me and it does make an improvement in things.  That makes me feel better.  It's the little things, people!

Recipe of the Week - Garlic Shrimp

 

Shrimp is one of the staples of my cooking canon.  I absolutely love it and am always on the lookout for new shrimp recipes.  This one did not disappoint.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

Garlic Shrimp

2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

kosher salt

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Toss shrimp with 1 Tbsp olive oil, creole seasoning and paprika.  Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan and cook shrimp until pink and curled.  Remove from pan and wipe the pan clean.  Add 2 Tbsp butter to the pan and melt over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, lemon zest and pepper, cooking til fragrant.  Pour in the wine and let simmer 2 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, shrimp and remaining butter.  Cook until butter is melted and shrimp heated through.  Salt to taste and top with fresh parsley.

I served this over vegetable rice and it was delicious!

Christmas music

 

When I was growing up, Christmas music was never played in our house until after Thanksgiving.  Of course, that was back in the day when stores waited until the Christmas season to begin blaring the music everywhere.  It's just how things were back in the day. In my personal life as an adult, I do not follow that philosophy LOL  I listen to Christmas music all the time. It makes me happy and it relaxes me.  I have a huge collection of Christmas vinyl that I have amassed over the years and I'm always looking to add to it. They have become a part of my listening canon, and I enjoy them all through the year.  Now, I only do that in private because I would not want to subject anyone else to Christmas music outside of the season.  That is unless they were a Christmas music junkie like me.

 I also enjoy Christmas podcasts all year round as well. I have probably 15 different ones that I listen to.  Some are focused on music, others on Christmas literature.  Some are about holiday foods.  Some are just overall Christmas joy.  I love each one of them.  Christmas is such a special time of year that I want to carry a part of that feeling with me all year long. It's not for everybody but it works for me. And that is what counts.  So, if you want to hear some Christmas tunes or listen to a fun holiday podcast, come on over!