New Year – New Blog

January 1st

Welcome 2025

I’m not great at making resolutions. This year, I am trying again. My resolution is to write more often. So, once again I’m going to attempt posting daily on my blog. Some may be a few words, or a photo, or an actual post. They will all be unedited and rough writing – as a means to write daily. So don’t look at spelling or grammar J

My inspiration will come from a calendar I received for Christmas. “Everyday is a Holiday’

So, for today – Happy New Year!

What resolution are you making?

January 2 – Drinking Straw Day

My position on drinking straws is a YES please. There is a lot of controversy on plastic drinking straws, not good for environment and sea creatures. I hear the concern. But the plastic straws work the best. (Thank you, Starbucks, in most locations for listening to this.) The paper straws disintegrate, and I need to use many to finish one drink. With paper costs on the rise – save some trees and stop making these stupid straws. There is an argument for the reusable straws. Let’s face it these are ok for a few uses if you remember to only use the same straw for beverage type ie. Specific one for water, one for tea, one for soda etc.  The maintenance and the cleaning are a nuisance, so easier to toss and use a new one – not really saving anything. Well except maybe the turtles.

Do you use drinking straws?  What type do you like best?

January 3^rd – Festival of Sleep Day (not to be confused with World Sleep Day)

We all know that sleep is good for us. But yet so many people don’t get enough sleep. I am not ashamed to admit that I need my 8-9 hours (or more) a night. I also love taking naps, not that my schedule allows for them often.

As children, most parents set up a bedtime schedule and routine for us. It may have included a bath, brushing teeth, a glass of water, and a bedtime story. It is recommended that adults create a bedtime routine for themselves; one that includes ‘wind down’ time, self-care, and a consistent bedtime. There are many apps now that can help with the wind down and to clear your mind. I used #Calm for a while and enjoyed bedtime stories; until I stayed awake to hear how they ended.

Many of my friends play games on their phones in bed or watch videos on TikTok. This is counter productive to all the sleep suggestions of ‘no screen time’ for 2 hours before sleep. I guess the blue light from cell phones can disrupt the release of melatonin. It is more likely that the information being watched is causing anxiety or stimulating your brain instead of relaxing. Maybe we should try looking at cute pictures of sleeping puppies or babies?

Just writing about sleep is making me want to take a nap. Where is my blanky and my puppy? Do you have a proven sleep routine?

January 4th – Spaghetti Day

And it isn’t Wednesday! (Some of you will get the reference.)

I will go on the record that Spaghetti is not one of my favorite dinners. It does have its good points- inexpensive, easy, and quick. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion on how in Italy pasta is eaten almost daily yet, Italians don’t gain weight. I heard it is in how they cook the pasta. If cooked el dente the carbs and starches don’t expand as much. Additionally, if you eat cold pasta, the starches are converted to resistant molecules and make the pasta healthier to eat and lower in carbs. More information is available in this article. https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/12/is-pasta-healthier-when-its-eaten-cold

However you enjoy your spaghetti – be sure to eat up today in celebration.

January 5^th – National Bird Day

Birds are known to indicate different predictions depending on culture or religion. In some cultures birds are bad luck, in others significant meanings. For most, it depends on the type of bird and where/when it appears. Most agree that a black bird or group of black birds indicate a bad omen or death (a group of Crows for example is called a Murder).

Owls indicate intelligence, knowledge, or wisdom. The ‘wise old owl’ is a common metaphor. When an owl flies directly at you it could be a warning.

Bluebirds represent friendship. Doves love. Hummingbirds happiness, and past memories. Eagles strength and power.

The bird that my family connects with is the cardinal. We believe that a cardinal is someone visiting us from heaven. I often talk to the cardinal as if it is the person I feel is visiting. I love that they mate for life and they visit year round. Nothing is more cheerful then a beautiful red bird appearing on a cold gray day. Warms my heart.

January 6th – National Cuddle up Day

As a single person, it is a tough day to celebrate. I learned that you could hire someone to cuddle with you for $30 – 300 per hour. I had to look into this a bit more, as it sounded a bit strange to me. Cuddling with a stranger? There are several ‘well known’ websites including Cuddlist and Cuddle Sanctuary.

I looked at one of the websites and it is bunch of head shots with short bios  – think dating profiles –  to select a professional cuddler. These professionals must be certified from a company that ‘sponsors’ cuddlers and they can pay anywhere from $500 – $2000 for certification. The average salary in North America for a professional cuddler (in 2024) was $63k. The average age of the cuddler is 32 and most are female.

Reading comments from some people who have used a professional cuddler, it is mixed. Some found comfort and relaxation in the experience. Others found that they feel lonelier after having a cuddle then they did before.  Others questioned how paying for a cuddle was different then hiring a prostitute. As both are seen as ‘intimate’ interactions. And some people came out and said they do the cuddle as a side hustle to the escort services.

There are Eventbrite options to sign up to attend Group Cuddle Parties throughout the US. These are gatherings of several people who cuddle in twos or multis or some even just talk without touch. Sometimes there are snacks (no drugs/alcohol) or movies too. They normally last for 3-4 hours and are hosted by a trained professional cuddle therapist. There is one coming up in Mass in about a week. Here is the link.   

Professional cuddlers started popping up in the early 2010’s. The timing is interesting and would require a lot more research to draw adequate correlation to the connection of cuddler and use of social media. Social media tends to keep people isolated in their own space (physically and emotionally) while also establishing strong FMO and inadequacy. Then came covid and most people were feeling isolated and alone. Both have contributed to the rise in professional cuddlers and cuddler agencies.

If you decide to try the professional route, let me know how it worked out. For me, I will get some cuddles from my pup.

January 7th – Old Rock Day

When talking about old rocks I would normally discuss Islands and my favorite island vacation locations.  This time I am going to talk about something very different.  Over the holidays, my sister brought up a historical rock in our home area. This is a rock I hadn’t thought about in years and honestly hadn’t really paid all that much attention too when I lived there.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=59781

This rock is located on the side of Main Street in Keene NH. Across from the admissions building to Keene State College.  I drove by it almost daily for years. I never stopped to think about the ‘history’ it represented.

The inscription reads

This boulder marks
the site of the old fort
built in 1738
by the early settlers
of Upper Ashuelot
as a refuge
from the Indians

This prompted me to think about a few things –

1. I always thought a fort was something used in battle, not a refuge. In this case, the fort was a place where early European settlers in North America could seek safety and protection from Native American tribes.
2. This led me to think about the Indian tribes itself and what was the level of conflict.  From what I learned, the tribe were Ashuelot Indians or Abenaki belonging to the Wabanaki Confederacy.  There is history that shows they left or assimaliated into the community in the 18^th century.  This tribe itself would migrate seasonally within the state most likely for food supply and shelter. Toward the coast in warmer months and inland for cooler. Misleading the colonists into thinking they had ‘scared the Indians away’ which was not necessarily the truth.  Many Abenaki choose to assimilate into the colonist way of living, and inter-marrying. These Indians ‘hid in plain site’ by transforming their life and giving up their culture and language.  I have always known that I had Native Indian in my history, but never knew which tribe.  I am wondering now if it is due to this practice of confirming to the colonist ways.
3. The next thing that got me thinking was what is this ‘Upper Ashuelot’? Turns out that someone in Massachusetts gave the land to the English Colonists as part of a land trust.  This area was previously part of Massachusetts.  The town was change to ‘Keene’ just before the start of the French and Indian War.  The Indians did not see the transfer of land to be valid, since it had never been owned by Massachusetts in the first place.  This led to the colonists fleeing south for safety during the war.  Any building/farms that had been started were burned to the ground.

The dedication of the fort did not take place until the early 1900s and depicts a much kinder relationship between the colonists and the Indians.

January 8th – Bubble Bath Day

Hello. I am a day late in this post. Better late then never.

I love the idea of Bubble Baths. They always look so relaxing in photos or movies. The warm water, the big tub, the fragrant bubbles, the candles, the wine… ahh.

In reality, I find them stressful. Before I can take the calming bath – I clean the tub.

I fill the tub in an attempt reach the right balance of hot/cold water.

My tub is not big and luxurious, there is no place to put candles to create the soft glow, the shower curtain gets scrunched up and looks weird from the tub, the wine well that part is usually ok as long as I carefully place it in a location that I can reach but not tip over while getting into the tub.

Then I finally get into the water, and start to relax and WHAM

My brain starts going to – OMG you just washed the tub with a bunch of chemicals and now you are sitting in the chemicals. I can feel the chemicals start to tingle my skin and make me itch. By this time the water is getting cold and I have barely touched my wine. Of course I have moved the location of the wine glass so that when I jump out of the chemical infested water, I spill it on the bathmat.

Now I need to dry off, clean up the spill, and re-wash the tub so that there is no residue for me to slip on when I take a shower. Then take shower to wash off the chemicals.

Phew, I am stressed and need to take a relaxing bubble bath.

January 9th – Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Thank you for stepping in on what is normally someone’s worst day.

January 10th – Clean Off Your Desk Day

Well this day couldn’t have come at a better time. My desk is a disaster. Some background – my desk is an antique drop leaf desk. It wasn’t made to hold a computer. But since Covid sent me home to work remote (which I do love) it has become my home office location. To accommodate a 2nd monitor, I moved an antique telephone desk beside my drop leaf.

I really like my two unique desk items. Not that they are most effective for work from home environment- hence the disaster of desk top. Below is the before picture – I hope to be able to post an after picture later in the day.

Took longer then expected but it is an improvement So glad it is recycling week! Happy clean off your desk day

January 11 – Milk Day

For National Milk day I got to thinking about how many types of milk are in the store now. You have the normal full fat 2% and non fat varieties. Then there are the lactose free kinds (that’s what I use) and soy oat almond coconut quinoa and hemp all in different flavors and fat levels.

The description of milk is Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food.^[1] (Wikipedia). Based on this the trendy new plant based beverages don’t qualify as milk. So why do we call them milk?

In 2023 the FDA ruled that any substance that has similar feel and flavor to dairy milk can be called milk. However unlike dairy milk they must clearly identify the source of the milk and include nutritional information to ensure that customers understand the nutrients are not the same as dairy milk.

Interesting to note that the entire Milk industry is declining in volume and increasing in revenue. Oat milk has had the strongest volume and revenue and almond milk is the fastest declining in both. Dairy milk is down in volume and leveling out in revenue as pricing has stablized while milk alternatives pricing has increased significantly. https://www.bevindustry.com/articles/96742-2024-state-of-the-beverage-industry-total-milk-looks-to-stabilize-volume-declines

Next time someone asks you “Got Milk?” What will you say?

January 12 – Work Harder Day

I’m not rally a fan of this day. I guess it is suppose to be inspiring so you can push yourself to do more and reset the bar. I’m more of a fan of work smarter not harder.

Maybe because today is Sunday do NFL Wildcard Weekend the work harder can be aligned to the teams who work the hardest not just today but all season, and they will see results of efforts today.

My team is not playing in the post season and honestly they didn’t work hard enough to earn it. I am staying within my division for support. So Go Bills!

(Bonus Meme)

January 13 – National Rubber Ducky Day

There isn’t much else to say in this day. (And if I play this video again my dog is going to loose it)

January 14 – National Dress up Your Pet Day

As a dog mom to a small adorable pup, I do often dress her up. BUT not as much as other people I know. I have a friend who has an adorable little dog. The dog’s name is Delia. Delia has her own bedroom (think size of a kids room). Her own full size bed (which I don’t think she ever sleeps in). A closet overflowing with outfits, with matching hair bows. Many of the outfits have been ‘bedazzled’ or ‘zhuzhed’ by her mom to make them unique and flashy. This little dog just goes with the flow.

January 15 – National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

I am sitting freezing with the temp in low 20s and feel like temp barely in the double digits thinking about what to say about Ice Cream. So here goes – everyone who knows me knows I like ice cream. But I rarely eat Strawberry. It is usually the last in the Neapolitan container to be eaten.

My mom likes strawberry ice cream – but only when she doesn’t feel well. Not sure how that didn’t get passed down to me. I am sure it has something to do with her being served ice cream as a child and associating comfort with the flavor. I remember my gram ( her mom) always having ice cream but normally it was vanilla or maple walnut served with warm maple syrup. Now that is a comforting memory.

How do you enjoy ice cream? Do you have a flavor that is comforting to you?

January 16 – Nothing Day

So nothing

January 17 – Ben Franklin Day

January 18 – Winnie the Poo Day

January 19 – National Popcorn Day

January 20 – Penguin Awareness

January 21 – Squirrel Appreciation Day

January 22 – Answer Your Cats Questions Day

Wouldn’t it be great if we knew what our pets were actually saying? Then again my dog talks a lot so it may be hard to keep up!

January 23 – National Pie Day

Don’t confuse with PI day – 3.14. I did look at the key lime in the store today but didn’t break the diet!! Grab a slice and enjoy.

January 24 – National Peanut Butter Day

January 25 – National Opposite Day

January 26 – Spouses Day

January 27 – National Chocolate Cake Day

I can’t believe I missed celebrating this day. I didn’t eat cake!

January 28 – National Daisy Day

Awhile back I wrote a piece about Daisy’s. It is part true and part not – and based on a location in Donegal.

January 29 – National Puzzle Day

About 10 years ago I went to the beach with my sister and her family. Her kids – in their teens – had never put together a puzzle. Since we were at the beach, it rained of course. So I found the 1000 piece puzzle on the shelf in the AirBnB and dragged it to the island counter. I proceeded to sort out the ‘edges’. Both kids looked at me strangely, and couldn’t understand why I was doing it. I explained, and they dove into the box with me to sort.

I was only with them for 4 days, and when I left everyone had taken a turn at looking for a piece to fit into the puzzle. (well except my sister, not her thing she gets to stressed) I did ask how the puzzle ended, but it did not get completed. Watching the ‘kids’ get absorbed into the process of putting together a puzzle was a joy in itself. I am glad that the art of puzzles was not lost on them. Of course, COVID brought puzzles back into mainstream.

If you are looking to try your hand at putting a puzzle together – head to your local library. They have several to choose from.

January 30 – Bubblewrap Appreciation Day