An Important Commercial Message

If you're trying to set off a bug bomb in your bedroom and the chemicals in the can spring forth like a perfect water fountain instead of spraying like hairspray, it's probably not working right.

This message has been brought to you by Those of Us Who Do Everything the Hard Way!!!!!!!!!

-b

Backpacking In, Around--and way outside of--Tennessee

www.tennesseebackpacker.com

There are some great photos at the above site, and I just happen to know these two clowns pretty darn well. My person is one of them--I'm too old to call him my boyfriend. The other is one of his best friends. If you're similar to me and you like to camp vicariously through other people, then you might like what they're doing over at their brand new site.

-b

What Have You Got to Lose

My brother visited back in June and stayed for a few weeks.


While he was here, he challenged me to take three risks by the end of the month. "Do three things that make you uncomfortable," he said. "What have you got to lose?"


'Makes you think, doesn't it?

-b

p.s. As it turns out, this was one of the best dares ever.

Everyone Has a Story

So, I was sitting at lunch the other day with five women I'd never met before this week. Each one was accomplished in her field and that was only side of them I'd seen until lunch.

I sat there on the end and took in the conversation. One woman has been married for 16 years and is raising two small children. Another has been divorced for eight. Her husband made a series of bad choices and she had to pick up the pieces and start over without him. The woman at the end of the table was a cancer survivor. The woman next to me has been in her second marriage for two years and may not choose to have kids. The other woman talked about how she and her husband opened their home to an exchange student, who as it turned out, really needed a 'second' family.

I couldn't help but think that if we could all see each other's scars and know each other's stories, we might be kinder to each other.

-b

Repercussions

Someone made fun of me for having a slinky today.

You know who you are.

You are dead to me.

-b

Worth Day

My friend Rory told me today that they don't call them birthdays in their family. They call them "Worth Days." He said that he always wanted his children to know they were worth something.

I like that.

Today is my Worth Day. And, when I look at the volume of friends and acquaintances who took a second to send a good wish, I have to assume that I'm worth something to a few people (outside my family), at least.

That's a nice feeling.
Being worth something to somebody.

-b

Hint

My mother makes the best pumpkin bread.
I'll be home in a few weeks.

Hi, Mom.

-b