So today has been an emotional one. A year ago today my sister died after a long battle with cancer. Today, her granddaughter brought her first great-grandchild – an entirely new generation – into the world. Isn’t that magical? She was due last week, but she waited several days to arrive on the most perfect day she could. So forgive me for not describing much, it’s hard to see the screen through tears, though they are more happy ones than sad ones.
Gidge is my favorite person in Second Life and among my favorites in my first life, too. So, it’s no surprise we sometimes think alike and dress alike. Our mutual love for this dress from Nylon Outfitters was unplanned, but you know, I thought about reshooting with a different color, but I changed my mind. I like the black one best, and really, it’s a case of great minds thinking alike. By the way, if you like this dress, get yourself over to Collabor88 now because it’s the last day.
I don’t like candy corn, but these critters crack me up. One of my favorite items from The Arcade this month. It’s amazing how they with their simplistic form still manage to express emotions. There’s some popcorn for all the drama from Lost Junction and a fun plastic table and stools from PLAAKA – all at The Arcade.
So, I love to laze about and read. This lovely Boho bed from DRD at The Arcade is big enough for lots of layers.
My lazing cottage is the Daisy Cottage from HIVE for The Arcade. It has a lovely window that is perfect for some plants or pillows if you like hanging out front. In the background you can see a gramophone from Contraption, some artwork, a lemon tree, and The Secret Stores gorgeous vintage desk.
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It’s a good think I got this gorgeous rare bed from the DRD gacha at The Arcade because it’s perfect for lazing about and so are some of the new releases from Collabor88
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Cajsa built us a gym on our islands, which really feels even better than my converted bathroom for working out. There is something to be said for getting away from your life and selfishly focusing on yourself for a little. It calms me, it helps me better at focusing on other people when I get that time away. It makes me WANT to get back inside my own house and I feel a little joyful about it when I’ve put everything into a hard work out.
I love it. Continue reading
Epictetus wrote in the Enchiridion, “The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered.” We control our own actions, words, opinions, what we like, what we don’t like, and what we want. If we stick to what we control, he suggests, we are free of restraint. It is when we try to influence the things outside our control that we are trapped. It’s good advice. The difficulty is figuring out what we can control.
That’s been on my mind a lot. There’s a lot I don’t like happening, but what can I control? I can choose despair or resistance, that’s up to me. I need to focus on what I can do, not what I wish would happen. So even though I feel like kicking more than an exercise bag, I will instead focus my mind and my heart on resisting despair.
Collabor88 is inspiring us all to find our inner peace and get the lead out this month with their theme of GYM CHIC. I suppose the feeds are going to be full of folks working out, thus count me among them. Yet, it’s not a bad idea after all. Keeping yourself centered and focused and healthy should be a priority. Perhaps if we focus on it for our avatars, some will bleed over to our typists? Continue reading
Portland is on its third day of snow. We are a city ill-suited to snow. Most people don’t know how to drive in it. We have lots of hills that are quite steep and can get slippery, we have bridges that get icy, and we have snow so seldom, there is no huge fleet of snow removal equipment nor deep knowledge of living with snow. I hunker down and so does my best friend, and we are both from snow country. She’s from Buffalo, I am from the Northwoods of Minnesota. We know snow.
I remember the first snowfall after I moved to Oregon. I was living way up in the Cascades, in a river valley, closed in my mountains, a deep canyon that ranged from 1/4 to a few miles wide. There were places where the road was carved into the canyon cliffs, with a fall down into the river below and there were wider valleys that made room for truck farming, but life centered on logging. It was rural, so I was surprised when I got a call saying school was closed and there was just a dusting of snow, barely two inches. I thought it was a prank and went to school anyway, discovering it was closed. Deciding to take advantage of a weekday off, I decided to drive to the State Capitol and take a tour.
It was then I discovered why they closed school for a light snowfall. Driving up one of the big hills, the traffic was so slow the cars lacked the speed that would keep them from sliding backwards, pulled by gravity on the slick highway. It was quite frightening, more frightening than anything that had ever happened to me in a car before. I managed to avoid them as I chugged up the hill, but it was nerve-wracking. I am sure they thought I was a speedster, but really, I just understood the laws of physics.
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My mom once said you can always tell how close someone feels to you when you visit them. If they sit you down in the living room, you’re not that close. If they sit you down at the kitchen table, you’re just like family. Of course, that presumes you live in a home with a kitchen big enough for a table of guests and not in an apartment with a kitchen that feels crowded when the cat comes in to watch you cook.
The kitchen table is the heart of the home, and the countertops are its backbone. It’s where we gather to cook, eat, chat, and sometimes even work. A sturdy, spacious kitchen countertop can make all the difference when it comes to preparing meals and hosting guests. While granite and marble are popular options, many homeowners are opting for the warmth and charm of wood countertops. Not only do they provide a cozy and inviting feel, but they’re also highly functional and durable. With proper care, wood countertops can last for decades, making them a smart investment for any home. So why not consider adding some custom wood countertops to your kitchen and create a welcoming space that truly feels like the heart of your home?
Fortunately, Barnesworth Anubis’s henlopen cottage from Collabor88 is big enough for kitchen friends. I added the beautiful cabinet from DRD’s Arcade gacha in the kitchen. It was a white white which made my kitchen walls look faded, so I tinted the wood. I love creators who let us do that.
The Arcade closes at midnight tomorrow so get going and get pulling because your time is running short.
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I knew what I wanted before I found it. I wanted windows. I wanted sleek and square and modern. Luckily Barnesworth Anubis had already created it so it was there for the rezzing. I can’t decide how to decorate and I’m partially considering not putting out anything old in it. Well, I’m considering it.
I probably won’t. In fact even as I was decorating this morning I did already yet – I kind of love the thought. Fresh clean start for the summer is appealing, you know? Continue reading