2026 Goals - July Update

4th of July!  Fireworks!  Picnics!  Parades!  

What are you doing to celebrate the 4th of July?  We will traveled to spend the weekend with middle child. It was a great weekend!

1) Lose 25 pounds.  Gain 10% muscle mass.

I changed this goal last month.  I am concentrating more on gaining muscle and worrying less about the stress of losing weight.  For right now, that goal is gaining 7 pounds of muscle by the end of the year.  This month, I gained 0.5 pounds of muscle.

2) Visit 1 new to me state.

Hawaii

I'd love to visit another new to me state this fall!

We have a destination in mind!  We need to make some reservations soon.

3)  3 repairs/improvements to the house.

Project #1: Add surge protectors to the heat pumps and the house.  It's not a sexy fix, but it will definitely keep the heat pumps around for a longer period of time!  We've noticed an increase in the number of power surges we've had lately. The newer HVAC systems are very sensitive to power surges and they can damage the equipment. Honestly, who wants to spend to replace an HVAC system?  They are not cheap. I want them to last as long as possible.

4) 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

It's been a while since I've done this.  You get 40 bags or boxes of stuff out of your house over the 40 days of Lent.  I did NOT get 40 boxes out over the course of Lent.  I got rid of 6 boxes.

I'm beginning to realize that I did this a little backwards.  My goal is to empty out the storage unit - and I'm making excellent progress on this particular project.  Once I get everything out of the storage unit and really begin purging things, then I will get the 40 boxes (and then some) out of the house!

Boxes out of the house during March: 6

Boxes out of the house during April: 4

Boxes out of the house during May: 2

Boxes out of the house during June: 6

Total to date: 18 boxes

5) Organize old correspondence/letters

I found a treasure trove of old letters and notes from high school.  I have them in a box to sort through next month.  The bigger question is - what gets kept and what gets thrown out?  Do I really want to save any evidence of high school me?  Most likely, NO.

On the other hand... I was given a box of old papers from a historical organization that I volunteer with to organize.  I was in my happy place, organizing that mess!  Many of the documents were of historical value, and there were a lot of photographs.  The photographs have been placed into acid free albums and labeled to the best of my ability.  The documents were sorted and organized into binders in acid free pages.  The next step - for someone else - is to digitize those documents so that back up copies exist somewhere.

Update on this: the letters are somewhat sorted.  I thought I would put them in binders and shove them away somewhere.  Some of them have been organized and put into binders.  This is a much bigger task than I originally anticipated.

6) Big backyard garden project.

I want to put in some sort of shelter for the local pollinators.  I've been searching through the garden catalogs for just the right thing.  I saw something when we were in England a couple of years ago that really tickled my fancy!  I have thoughts.  I just need to make some things happen!

I found the first part of my thoughts on this while in Old Ellicott City last month.  Once the weather cools down a little bit, we're going to look at finding a way to install this in the backyard.

7) Finish the cross stitch project I've been working on for 3+ years.

This is finished! Well over 3 years after I started, the project is finally finished!  I need to block this out and get it professionally framed later this year.  I finally got around to blocking this project, and I dropped it off at the framing store.  Finally done!

From the end of February.

End of March

Finished!

8) Transfer Dad's slides to digital.

See my post here about transferring the slides!

9) Put those images into an album.

See my post here about the album.

10) Fill my America 250 Passport with lots of stamps!

New Additions this past month:

Colonial Williamsburg

Historic Jamestowne

Historic Yorktowne

11) Clear out the storage unit.

Done and done.  4 years after we started clearing out the house to get "a little" work done, we moved most of our possessions out to a storage unit.  And now, almost 2 years after the work was finished and we moved back into our house, we finally got all of the detritus out of the storage unit. Much of what was left went directly to the dump.  Rodents had been all over what was left, and there was mouse excrement everywhere.  It's all gone now. 

Being perfectly honest - there is still some stuff laying around on the carport.  Okay, a lot of stuff.  And no porch pirates have bothered to relieve us of our miscellaneous junk.

12)  Do one totally irresponsible and fun thing each month! 

I took a day off of work and played!  I went to a Zentangle class.  I spent the morning at the gym, and went out for dinner.

13) Go see Falling Water. (Frank Lloyd Wright) 

This is a Bucket List item. 

14) Visit 12 new to me bakeries.

        1) Eli Mochi Donut

        2) The Reister's Daughter

        3) Leonard's Bakery (Honolulu)

        4) Tour les Jours

        5) Paris Baguette

        6) The Bake Shop - Williamsburg, VA

My Wayward Laptop, pt. 3

Today, my laptop has finally returned from the Big Box Retailer!  The Squad swears that they have fixed it this time.  Last time, they said they had replaced the mother board and my battery.  When I picked it up today, they said they had to replace my mother board and my battery again.

Last time, I had no problems getting back into my computer, and all of my data and settings were still good.  This time, I came back and had to set up everything from scratch.  ALL of my data is gone.  Fortunately, everything is backed up either to the cloud or to an external hard drive.  Or both.

I've spent the past few hours navigating the twists and turns of installing anti-virus protection, getting my favorite backgrounds, etc.  It's been a frustrating evening.

Foundation Series

What is my favorite Asimov series of books?  The Foundation Series!

What is one of my favorite shows on Apple TV?  The Foundation Series!

Loosely based upon the novels by Asimov, the television series captures the spirit of the books with some technology upgrades and minor story line changes that only add to the original story and make it relevant to today.  

The acting in this series is top-notch, and the special effects take things to an entirely new level.  

I have re-read the Foundation series since watching the television series, and I believe that the current television series only enhances the tale as originally written by Asimov.

Have you seen it yet?  What do you think of the series?  How do you feel about the books compared to the series?

The next season comes out sometime in 2027... but this is 2026 and I need to talk about this! 

Random Pictures

 A handful of Random Pictures from our time in Upstate New York that don't seem to fit into any other category!

 

Below - the lakefront in Canandaigua.  Sunrise and sunset.... 

 

 

 

 

Lake Erie!  I've finally been to all of the Great Lakes!  

Downtown Rochester 

Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua

Erie Canals and Museums

How much do you know or remember about the Erie Canal?  Built between 1817 and 1825, the canal stretched across Upstate New York from Albany to Buffalo.  The canal had a huge impact upon the settlement of New York, and was the source of commerce and immigration.  The canal was dug by hand.  It was orginally 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide.  The lock system allowed for water traffic to stop and then be raised or lowered to the existing level of water on the other side of the lock.  This system allowed people to easily navigate changes in elevation. 

I have to admit, younger me was enchanted by the idea of the Erie Canal and the impact that it had upon the settlement of the interior of the country.  The Erie Canal,  the C&O Canal, and the Ohio Canal Systems are all so fascinating.  I was in middle school in Ohio when we learned about the Ohio canals, and the mystery and romance of the Canals always stuck with me.  I know the life wasn't easy, but oh, it seemed like it was so unique. When Dad was transferred to Virginia, I made my parents out the the C&O Canal so that I could see the actual working locks in person!

Anyway, back to the Erie Canal - 

The original canal way has since been replaced a couple of times. But, an Erie Canal still exists and is used for commerce today.

While we were in New York, we visited several museums dedicated to the Erie Canal and we stopped at a couple of places with public access where we could walk down into the old canal and walk on grass through the old locks.  We even drove next to the Canal for a while and watched the traffic moving through the water while we ate lunch.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures while we were roaming through the canals and museums.  But if you follow the links below, you will find pictures on the websites!

 

 

The Erie Canal Museum: https://eriecanalmuseum.org/

Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Site: https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/park-rest-areas/port-byron-old-erie-canal-heritage-park

The Erie Canal Discovery Center: https://niagarahistory.org/visit-the-erie-canal-discovery-center/

National Park Service Erie Canalway: https://eriecanalway.org/learn/history-culture

2026 Goals - June Update

Are you ready for summer?  I am.  It's been very chilly here in the Mid-Atlantic this month.  We're also in the throes of a drought, with voluntary water restrictions having just been announced. The hot weather won't help with the drought, but it will somewhat improve my outlook on life!

This has been a busy month of getting ready for summer at work.  There are a lot of pieces that needed to fall into place in a very short amount of time.  As I sit here writing this, I'm still biting my nails, hoping that the last few pieces come together in the next 5 days.

1) Lose 25 pounds.  Gain 10% muscle mass.

I'm realizing that I need to amend this goal.  As I've been working out and lifting at the gym on a regular basis, I find that I am not losing weight. I'm gaining.  I went to the trainers at the gym, and they showed me how to use the In Body machine on  my own.  Not only does it measure your weight, it measures your body fat and muscle mass.   So while I have not lost weight on the scale, I have lost fat and gained muscle.  That really is the goal.  It also tells you just how much visceral fat you are holding onto.  It's probably the single most effective tool in the gym for getting an accurate measurement of your health.  Fortunately, the app had my results from my last In Body test in September - so I was able to compare progress over the past 9 months. I am very proud of the effort that I have put in!  At this point, I want to gain 10% more muscle mass than I currently have.  I'm also hoping to lose some visceral fat while I'm at it. Now that I'm certified to use the In Body by myself, I plan on checking in once a month.  That 10% goal is starting now - in June.  

2) Visit 1 new to me state.

Hawaii

I'd love to visit another new to me state this fall!

We have a destination in mind!  We need to make some reservations soon.

3)  3 repairs/improvements to the house.

Project #1: Add surge protectors to the heat pumps and the house.  It's not a sexy fix, but it will definitely keep the heat pumps around for a longer period of time!  We've noticed an increase in the number of power surges we've had lately. The newer HVAC systems are very sensitive to power surges and they can damage the equipment. Honestly, who wants to spend to replace an HVAC system?  They are not cheap. I want them to last as long as possible.

4) 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

It's been a while since I've done this.  You get 40 bags or boxes of stuff out of your house over the 40 days of Lent.  I did NOT get 40 boxes out over the course of Lent.  I got rid of 6 boxes.

I'm beginning to realize that I did this a little backwards.  My goal is to empty out the storage unit - and I'm making excellent progress on this particular project.  Once I get everything out of the storage unit and really begin purging things, then I will get the 40 boxes (and then some) out of the house!

Boxes out of the house during March: 6

Boxes out of the house during April: 4

Boxes out of the house during May: 2

Total to date: 12 boxes

5) Organize old correspondence/letters

I found a treasure trove of old letters and notes from high school.  I have them in a box to sort through next month.  The bigger question is - what gets kept and what gets thrown out?  Do I really want to save any evidence of high school me?  Most likely, NO.

On the other hand... I was given a box of old papers from a historical organization that I volunteer with to organize.  I was in my happy place, organizing that mess!  Many of the documents were of historical value, and there were a lot of photographs.  The photographs have been placed into acid free albums and labeled to the best of my ability.  The documents were sorted and organized into binders in acid free pages.  The next step - for someone else - is to digitize those documents so that back up copies exist somewhere.

Update on this: the letters are somewhat sorted.  I thought I would put them in binders and shove them away somewhere.  Some of them have been organized and put into binders.  This is a much bigger task than I originally anticipated.

6) Big backyard garden project.

I want to put in some sort of shelter for the local pollinators.  I've been searching through the garden catalogs for just the right thing.  I saw something when we were in England a couple of years ago that really tickled my fancy!  I have thoughts.  I just need to make some things happen!

7) Finish the cross stitch project I've been working on for 3+ years.

This is finished! Well over 3 years after I started, the project is finally finished!  I need to block this out and get it professionally framed later this year.  I finally got around to blocking this project, and I dropped it off at the framing store on Friday!  Finally done!

From the end of February.

End of March

Finished!

8) Transfer Dad's slides to digital.

See my post here about transferring the slides!

9) Put those images into an album.

See my post here about the album.

10) Fill my America 250 Passport with lots of stamps!

We ventured out to Fort Frederick State Park.  While it was a site of importance in the French and Indian Wars, as well as the Revolutionary War, they did not have any stamps or stickers that I could place in my passport.  I know that I can buy these things online from independent retailers, but I really want my money to support my state parks.  We have several stops planned to historic sites next month!  I'm looking forward to exploring some new to me places!

11) Clear out the storage unit.

Done and done.  4 years after we started clearing out the house to get "a little" work done, we moved most of our possessions out to a storage unit.  And now, almost 2 years after the work was finished and we moved back into our house, we finally got all of the detritus out of the storage unit. Much of what was left went directly to the dump.  Rodents had been all over what was left, and there was mouse excrement everywhere.  It's all gone now.  Now, we can get to work on getting 40 boxes of junk sorted and out of the house.

12)  Do one totally irresponsible and fun thing each month! 

13) Go see Falling Water. (Frank Lloyd Wright) 

This is a Bucket List item. 

14) Visit 12 new to me bakeries.

        1) Eli Mochi Donut

        2) The Reister's Daughter

        3) Leonard's Bakery (Honolulu)

        4) Tour les Jours

        5) Paris Baguette

Susan B. Anthony House

Susan B. Anthony was a powerhouse of a woman.  She is best known for her efforts to get women the right to vote. (the 19th ammendment)  But she was very active in her community and worked tirelessly to help improve the lives of others. Among other things, she was an abolitionist and a temperance worker.  

We visited her house in Rochester, NY and learned about her, her family, and all of the work that she was involved in.  Passionate and Tireless are two of the best words that I could find to describe her.  

This is the view of the front of her house.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside.  It is a fascinating house, with many artifacts from either her time in the house or donations from that time period from people in Rochester. 

If you look up at the 3rd floor of the house, you can see windows in the attic.  This very large space is where much of the work of the suffragist movement occurred.  It was humbling to be in that room and realize just how much of a difference those women made in the world in that little space.

Susan was arrested for voting in the Presidential Election of 1872.  She was tried in the Cannandaigua Court House. She was tried, found guilty, and fined $100.  Note that she never paid the fine.  It's well over 100 years later, and that fine is still on the books! 

I've got to admit - she is one of my all time favorite people.  I am so impressed by everything that she accomplished in her life.  I'd like to think that maybe I've accomplished a small fraction of what she has accomplished.  She's such an icon!

Susan B Anthony House and Museum

https://susanb.org/

The National Archives

https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/eyewitness/html.php?section=3