Creative Time, Better Sleep, and Substack

Sometimes you just have to kick things aside and create the time. So I did that amidst a string of laundry, sheet changing, kitchen cleaning, and even after some reading, and a devo and a Bible Study. So a good mix of a day and my HAPPY METER is off the charts. Yay. I was going to make some bread too but we were out of yeast. Oh well.

I did get my new YouTube Vlog topper done. That was a big win. And honestly it didn’t even take that long. AI helped. It was something that I put off because It has to be a certain size and then you have to insert grid lines at certain “ruler guides” to know that your scene will be seen on phone, computer and also iPad. I watched a YouTube video before I started. But got it done. AI created the scene of my desk with a Mac and Maddie and Dexter. George said, “my picture is a little small honey” – lol. Maybe I’ll find one of him and change it up eventually. I was just messing around and once I got this one done I liked it.

Also I got the blog topper changed to a fall scene. I will need to start working on the Christmas one. It was super easy so now I know I can do that so easily, I might change it more often just to spice things up.

I just loved all of these fall pics so I made a banner out of it on Canva.

So when you visit the channel or the blog, you will have new toppers!

Better Sleep

Well, sometime last week I decided I would NOT have the daily alcohol of a glass of wine or cocktail – one of which is supposed to be medically ok, and possibly even good for you. But for some reason I wasn’t feeling good last week and did without it for a day and had the best night of sleep ever. I tried it again and ding ding – another score in the 90’s. This is after months of trying to find sleep scores in the 90’s, and only finding myself to be in the 78 to mid 80’s range.

So I did have beer on Saturday as we’d planned a brewery stop and also had wine with dinner. But all the other days I did not. I’ve not had any alcohol this week. And while not every night is in the 90’s, most of time it’s high 80’s to mid 90’s. The days when it’s in the 80’s the best I can tell is when we have either eaten later, a heavier meal, or had a dessert. So alcohol and digestion do play a part. Everyone said so, so it is not a new thing, but I didn’t want to believe it and didn’t want to give up my 5:00 p.m. delight that I looked forward to every day. I also realize that on many of those days, I had more energy and clarity – either because of the no alcohol or better sleep – not sure. And enjoyed the feeling on some days of having a flatter, less swollen tummy. (Much of that was changed though in recent days due to the key lime pie and pumpkin bread leftovers from life group.) But good to know that things can be manipulated some aka, changed.

Substack

I don’t know if any of you read articles on SubStack app? I had looked at it before. But then decided not to publish on there. I had assumed you had to charge a subscription and I didn’t want to do that. But some of the YouTuber’s I have followed are now doing Substack. And so I joined so I could read their articles.

I have been wanting to find a blogger app but gave up trying. But I’ve enjoyed reading articles from others on there and supporting them – mainly during commercials when I’m watching a show, lol. The people who charge for their articles, I only read the free ones. They try to share the juicy stuff behind the paid wall of subscription and while it’s tempting, I don’t really want to pay to read about someone’s juicy life when there are already juicy things to read and see everywhere else. What am I saying? I don’t even like juicy stuff. When I say juicy, I just mean the raw details. Sometimes you do wonder what the real deal is though, I admit. But I’m not paying.

That said I considered doing blogs or articles on there. I wouldn’t do them as paid. You never say never though. If I had to I would but I mean come on, no one would pay to read my juicy details. I usually just blurt them out for free anyway. I kinda feel the same way about YouTube Memberships. Like anything, you never say never, but I don’t like paying for a channel, so I don’t offer any paid community on my channel. Have you all ever done that (pay for a channel membership)? It’s hard to even think about. Like if I were starting a sailing channel and didn’t have income I might offer a subscription membership to those who want to support the travel – but I can’t see offering memberships to secret vlog clips or anything like that. Again, never say never, but that is how I feel currently. What do you guys think about that? Yes it is costly to produce the videos when you add it all up but I still have an issue with charging for special material on YouTube. I am ok with the gifting during a live feed, which is nice. I’ve never done a live and don’t plan to until we reach a more substantial subscriber base. There again I might be convinced to do it earlier if there was a reason to.

But all that said, I may start posting on Substack in 2026. What that would look like, I don’t know. I know I’m NOT going to be stopping this blog though. So no worries about that. I have to think about it more, but perhaps I would just do some writing on there, some articles, or just random thoughts. It’s also like a social feed too. I’m still discovering some on there. Mainly just reading for now.

Yesterday

I took Mom out to eat lunch and we ate at Jonathan’s and ate on the patio. We have had some really nice meals we enjoyed on the patio. She doesn’t prefer the inside as she thinks Jonathan’s is too loud. So when the weather is good we will go and eat outside. Oh. My. Gosh. I don’t know if they were sweat bees or honey bees or hornets, but they would not leave us alone. I don’t think I’ll ever eat on their patio again. The restaurant didn’t seem to have any concern about it, and nothing was being done to try and contain the situation. Only “I’m so sorry”. They kept landing in Mom’s food. And nothing but “I’m so sorry”. Anyway, no problem but we are not having much luck with our restaurants these days. It seems we have a black cloud that follows us everywhere.

I then took her to try on bras at JC Penny. First of all, liked to have never found Playtex bras. I guess it is a vintage thing? lol. Anyway, she found what she thought was her size. We headed to the dressing room nearby. It was blocked by a fixture and some signs. It didn’t say that it was closed just had things in front of it and the lights off. I felt the ire running through my veins. I started to move all of it and say “I’m so sorry those things were in the way” and play dumb. lol. I mean I hated to see my mother have to walk a block or two (it’s that far for her) in the store when there’s a room right there she could try it on in. Finally found a worker and asked where the nearest “open” fitting room was. Either far corner of the entire store. So off to “walk a block or two” for Mom. I hung closely by having had my own bra trying session not long ago. I know how it goes. And I did not have anyone near by to help me, so I had to get completely dressed and go back out there. So I told Mom I would go get other sizes. Sadly they did not have what she needed and wanted even after I brought her more to try on. I offered to go to a different brand but she was exhausted just trying on two or three bras. I could hear the struggle as I was nearby. All she wanted to do was “go home”.

So we headed the car toward her house and she said “oh, but let’s go to the hearth and patio store”. I said “where is that”? She said “Lebanon” which is her town. I pulled over and tried to find it in Waze. The only thing I could find was Countryside Hearth and Patio and she said “That’s it, go there”. She wants a gas fireplace to be put in her villa (condo). So we went as Google said they were open. I went to open the door. Locked. Geez. So I called them to ask what the deal was and they said “oh we are open but just no one in the show room”. I hated to spring it on them but if their door was locked – they were not “open”. Are people nutzoid these days? I know when something is open or closed and a locked door is NOT OPEN. lol. So I said, “well Momma wants to look at your gas fireplaces so how do we do that if your show room is not open?”. He said, “you make an appointment”. I said “ok well, I don’t have my calendar book with me so we’ll have to call you back. And I told Mom it was not this week and not next week either as this week is planned already and next week is too. Maybe the week after. But I didn’t have my calendar so I didn’t book it. Geez.

I’m ready for her to like her place already, but she can’t seem to “be settled” in it. And a little money is savings, and I’m afraid she will need it for something important (taxes are upcoming, medical needs, pharmacy expenses, household fixes, appliances, or whatever) and if her savings gets low again she’ll have to close investments. It’s been nice for her not to have to worry as much selling her car but it’s dwindling down.

I never dreamed when I was in my 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s – and most of my 50’s that it would be so difficult to try and care for a parent and the worries that go with it, and even worse, having to do it all on my own as there are two of us children, but yet here I am alone with the care. I have to say though that it’s better than it was because at least she is in the house, and we have the boundaries set, and on a routine of sorts. I know there can be emergencies and we all have those but there is no dropping what you are doing and going to the store to buy bacon on a whim and things like that. I am not very good to go off routine and as much as sometimes a spontaneous day can be fun, I am usually not fond of having to drop something I’m in the middle of and neither was MOM, when she was my age, or any age for that matter. She too likes to know what she’s doing, when she’s doing it and when she wants to do it. So for the both of our sakes, we plan things and schedule it out, so there’s no “drop what you are doing and go do this or that”. But I try to meet her needs and take her where she wants to go, as long as we schedule it. She has been pretty good about that after we went through some boundary setting. Anyway, took her home after that. And I was too tired to do anything but finish up the laundry after that.

Ok I’m getting off here after I’ve rambled on. Just another day and excited to get these creative computer projects done. What I didn’t get done was the thumbnail and I’m going to try and work on that now.