The Empty Nest

It’s official. I’m an empty nester. After the adventures of The Gap Year, my youngest began his first year at university. Now both boys are living, learning, and laughing. Away from home. They have spread their wings and flown.

My oldest, with the confidence of three years of flying under his belt. My youngest, with the tentative steps of a fledgling, placing his feet on the edge of the nest, looking down, then up, then flapping his wings and taking to the sky. I have an empty nest.

I said in my post about the joy of having my youngest home for his gap year that I would blink and he’d be headed to college. Well… I blinked.

And I’m feeling all of the feels. Joy. Grief. Happiness. Sadness. Worry. Pride. This is the real deal, people. Those who have experienced being an “empty nester” can relate to at least some of this. We’re all different. Family dynamics vary. But one thing is the same—we raised children in our homes, and now they are on their own out in the world.

It truly is bittersweet. (And overused cliche, for sure, but how else to describe this?) I see the carefully constructed nest, built over time with all the energy, love, and dedication I had. I peek inside and see the past kissing the present and reaching for the future. A home with chirping baby chicks, now empty. The way it was always going to be.

My random thoughts in (slightly over) 200 words.

And today is the first day of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox. A time of balance, gratitude, and transition. 🍃🍂 So Happy Autumn, my friends! Be grateful. Enjoy the transition. (Because the wheel keeps turning.)

 

Mind the Gap

I have my youngest son home for a bonus year. He took a gap year after graduating high school and I am excited, grateful, and absurdly, ridiculously happy to spend more time with him before he goes out into the big wide world. We’ll blink and he’ll be headed to college in the fall. So, I’ve focused on being present and mindful of each bonus day I have with him. Minding the gap. 

We’re traveling (large and small and everything in between), hanging out, and, true to my word (my ONE WORD of 2024), I am living. Really living. Enjoying life. Making the best of every situation (trying to turn those damn lemons into delicious lemonade). Appreciating the beauty of family and friends, the wonder of new people and places.

Hugs and chocolate to you, my friends. Hope you all are well and surfing waves of joy!

My random thoughts in 200 words or less.

I hope your 2024 has been a good one. Wishing you all a healthy, happy new year. ⛄🎄💫

Looking forward to seeing you all a bit more in 2025. I’ll be back soon with a new (or possibly recycled) One Word. Cheers! 🍷

 

Holiday Gifts from the Heart

Hello, my friends! It’s here once again! 🎁🎄The annual gift-giving post (est. 2016) from Lemon Shark. 🥰 

If you still have a few gifts to get (or haven’t even started shopping), these amazing organizations let you email/text the recipient or print your own card. No waiting, just giving. Whatever cause speaks to you (and your recipient), these allow you to give a gift from the heart. 

Quick, easy, heartfelt. 🎁🎄💝 The perfect last-minute gifts:

Environment / Nature

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION

Mission: “to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, a changing climate, deforestation, poverty, and hunger.”

These Trees in Celebration certificates are lovely and only two dollars plants a tree. They have other fun gifts here like delicious, rich, rain forest coffee. Every sip helps the world. Because. Trees. Behold the beautiful trees! 🌲

• About Arbor Day Foundation

Animals / Wildlife 

ASPCA

Mission: “animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected…”

Show your love for our four-legged friends. Give a holiday gift card in honor of a beloved furchild. I can’t stand the cuteness of that puppy. You know you want to help these little munchkins. Available in snail mail cards or ecards.

• About ASPCA

Hunger / Poverty

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Mission: “to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities.”

Choose a donation and mail, print it out, or email with a custom message to the gift recipient. Or you can give a gift card (to print out or send via email) so they can choose their own donation.

My personal favorite gift to give is honeybees. They are awesome. Here are 2 reasons why:

“Food for Life: Honey is the only food that includes all the essential elements necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals and even water. Its unique chemical makeup also allows it to be preserved indefinitely.”

“Farmers’ Helpers: In the process of searching for nectar, bees pollinate plants. The placement of a single colony can potentially double local fruit and vegetable yields.”

Isn’t that incredible? It’s the bee’s knees. 🐝

•  About Heifer International

KIVA

Mission: “to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. We celebrate and support people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Print these out or email them to the gift recipient and they can start loaning right away. Change someone’s life, get paid back, help someone else… And on it goes. Making spirits bright.

• About Kiva

Childhood Cancer/Childhood Diseases

ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL

Mission: “Finding cures. Saving children. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”

Please do check out the site if you don’t already know about St. Jude Children’s Hospital. And, if you do, well… ‘Nuff said.

Mail a card or send an email

• About St. Jude Children’s Hospital

 ❄️ Have a beautiful holiday season! ❄️

The Perils of Scheduling Blog Posts

 

I don’t schedule blog posts. I’m old school. I do everything manually. An old, tech-phobic fool.

I write them, save them as drafts, proofread, then click ‘publish’. I know it’s convenient to schedule but, well, if we’re truth-telling, I’ll completely forget and have the blog post jump out at me from the shadows shouting, “Boo!”

It’s Halloween in a few days and I don’t need any more jump scares. 

True story:

My dad: I really liked your new blog post!

Me: What post? 

*cut to*

Sarah scrambling to open her laptop. Shuffling through papers and post-it notes to find her WordPress login information.

And here I am. Sorting through the spam folder to move and approve you beautiful people who commented on my anniversary post that I, apparently, scheduled at some point. I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. (I just checked, and my first post was indeed 10 years ago–October 22, 2014–so that’s kind of cool.)  

I wanted to get my thoughts down on proverbial paper before they flew out of my head. So here they are: I will never schedule another blog post.

But, hey, here I am with you, my friends. And I’m glad my past self loves my future self enough to give her a good kick in the arse back to Lemon Shark. It’s lovely to see you!

 

 

My random thoughts in (slightly over) 200 words.

Do you schedule your blog posts? (I think it’s safe to say most people, excluding me, do but just curious.) Also, curious if any of you have seen that slightly lesser known, but still magnificent, Spaghetti on Wheat painting. 

P.S. Thanks, Dad. 

 

My New Blog Scares Me – 10th Anniversary Edition

I’ve been blogging for over a year. Yet now that I’m switching the location of my blog, I’m scared. This is a bizarre and fascinating phenomenon which I feel should be studied.

The site is so fresh and clean and shiny. I don’t want to muck it up. Quite suddenly, my posts are no longer adequate. My writing is no longer worthy. Because…why now? Oh, right. The fresh, clean, shiny new blog. It is not to be muddied with words willy-nilly. Posts must be planned and polished to perfection. Ah. But that’s not how I write. So I am faced with a serious decision. Do I change who I am for my new blog?

I have this chance at a new online existence. It’s mind-blowing. I can be whoever I want. I can be funny. Well, I’m not sure about that but I can be very serious and literary. Although. With the fragments… I do love fragments. And swears. They’re fun.

My point is still valid. I can easily, with the click of my mouse, switch the colors, the theme, and even the name of my blog. With a wee bit of thought, I can change the whole focus of the thing. I can become someone else. Someone else who is me because I am still here writing and I’ve joined Twitter and I like all my tweeps there and whatnot.

So I’m stuck staring at the screen. It’s taunting me. Really, it’s not. Well, maybe a little. Some of the taunting is me of course, I know that. But screens can taunt. Ask anyone. *whispers* They can.

My first post needs to be a Mona Lisa. Or a Girl with a Pearl Earring. Okay. Aiming a bit too high. How about the slightly lesser known, but still magnificent, Spaghetti on Wheat?

My magic 8 ball says…“Ask Again Later” What?! I was counting on that! How much later? Stupid toy. Forget it. Here goes. My first post on my new blog:

Hello, gentle readers. Spaghetti on Wheat.

Thank you.

This post was originally published ten years ago. Ten years. 🎉 I am flabbergasted. Flummoxed. In awe. But here we all are. Ten years later. Reading my very first post on Lemon Shark. That last line stands: Thank you.

My One Word for 2024 #OneWord2024

I can’t believe it’s here… My annual visit from… 

The Posts of New Year’s Past: 👻 🥳 🎊 🎉

Reflecting on The Posts of New Year’s Past, I have to say I admire my tenacity persistence commitment to the One Word challenge even though I haven’t always done a spectacular job:  

One Word for 2023 was: Breathe. Well, I’m still here so I can say, for certainty, I did breathe. That said, I wish I had been a bit more intentional about it. However, I am loving my 2023 quote: “When life gives you lemons, use them for garnish in the mulled wine after you’ve opened a bottle of red and both of you have breathed.” 🍷

One Word for 2022 was: Embrace. I love the idea of playing an active role in accepting. The idea of leaning into the discomfort and even, if possible, welcoming it. And, honestly, I did a decent job of it. For some things. Other things are difficult to damn near impossible to embrace, if we’re truth-telling. (And we are.)

One Word for 2021 was: Allow. This one was awesome. It worked SO well. I allowed ALL OF THE THINGS. I didn’t struggle, fight, flail, or falter. (My sarcasm didn’t translate well here. So, the only thing I allowed was badly-written sarcasm.) 

One Word for 2020 was: Focus. Focus on one thing at a time to avoid overwhelm? Fab plan, lady. Alas…

One Word for 2019 was: Move. Getting unstuck was sort of the idea. I’m still stuck but heartily sorry for it and flailing for a helping hand out of the pit.

One Word for 2018 was: Self. It was a good choice. It worked. A little. Some of the time. Not as often as I’d hoped.

One Word for 2017 was Accept. I did not accept anything. I sort of UN-accepted pretty much everything. I faltered. Failed. Moved on.

I love all of my choices from the past seven years. I do. But last year’s word goes with this year’s word like cheese and wine. So, I’m keeping breathe as well. I know this sort of (totally) defeats the purpose of the One Word challenge being, you know, two words but… *shrug* I’m a bit of a rebel.

Scrooge and I got our visits again. However, this year, Scrooge and I hung out with our dear friend, George Bailey. As we know, Scrooge promised to change so he could live and George begged, regardless of what happened to him, to live. Oh, to be alive! All else is secondary. All else follows. 

Like Scrooge and Mr. Bailey, I want to live. Really live. And, so, gentle readers, that is exactly what I am going to do.

My focus word for 2024:

LIVE

Again, you intelligent, delightful people do not need a definition for this one, but you’re getting one anyway (*nerd alert*):

live

 

[liv]

 

verb 

• remain alive:

Um… Yes, please.

 

• supply oneself with the means of subsistence:

I’m going to go ahead and change “subsistence” to “sustenance”. I shall indulge in the cheeses and chocolates and wines and wonderful foods of the world. Eat, drink, and be merry, I say! 🍷

 

• have an exciting or fulfilling life:

Well, hello there! Greetings, excitement and fulfillment! Let’s live this life, shall we? 

 

• make one’s home in a particular place or with a particular person:

And, in between all the excitement, it’s nice to have a place (and people) to come home to. Which I do. And I am blessed to have them. 

 

My quote of 2024: “Why just exist on this planet when you can truly live in the infinite multiverse?” (Or something like that. You get it.) 

Happy New Year, my friends. 💖 Raising a glass to your goals, aspirations, resolutions, or whatever floats your proverbial boat. Cheers! To life! 🥂 

Have you ever taken part in the One Word Challenge?

If you haven’t, why not try it? Or think on it a moment and leave one in the comments. What could your focus be this year? I’d love to hear what your One Word is for 2024.

UPDATE: 2/1/24
Well. It’s been a hell of a start to 2024. But! We are still here. We are doing the living and the breathing, so I say to you, gentle readers, all is well! 💖 Happy Dark Chocolate Day! (Which is, indeed, a thing.) And Happy February, Happy Imbolc, Happy Brigid’s Day! Hope your year is off to a beautiful start! 

 

 

Happy Holidays

 

 

 

Snow and Sun settle

Upon the slumbering pines

Yuletide gleaming bright

The longest night – hidden hope

Darkness surrenders to light

 

 

 

 

❄️❄️❄️

A Winter Solstice poem for you, my friends. Wishing you much joy and happiness this holiday season! 

❄️❄️❄️

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Gifts from the Heart #GivingTuesday

Hello, my friends! It’s here! 🎁🎄My annual gift-giving post. 💝 I love this (it brings me such joy) and have been posting it every year since 2016.

I used to post mid to late December for last-minute ideas but have posted a bit earlier the past few years for Giving Tuesday (which takes place on November 28th this year). (If you shop on Giving Tuesday, most organizations will match, double, or even triple your gift.) Enjoy! 

Quick, easy, heartfelt. 🎁🎄💝 Perfect for Giving Tuesday (and last-minute gifts):

Environment / Nature

ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION

Mission: “to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, a changing climate, deforestation, poverty, and hunger.”

These Trees in Celebration certificates are lovely and only two dollars plants a tree. They have other fun gifts here like delicious, rich, rain forest coffee. Every sip helps the world. Because. Trees. Behold the beautiful trees! 🌲

• About Arbor Day Foundation

Animals / Wildlife 

ASPCA

Mission: “animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected…”

Show your love for our four-legged friends. Give a holiday gift card in honor of a beloved furchild. I can’t stand the cuteness of that puppy. You know you want to help these little munchkins. Available in snail mail cards or ecards.

• About ASPCA

Hunger / Poverty

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

Mission: “to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way by supporting and investing alongside local farmers and their communities.”

Choose a donation and mail, print it out, or email with a custom message to the gift recipient. Or you can give a gift card (to print out or send via email) so they can choose their own donation.

My personal favorite gift to give is honeybees. They are awesome. Here are 2 reasons why:

“Food for Life: Honey is the only food that includes all the essential elements necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals and even water. Its unique chemical makeup also allows it to be preserved indefinitely.”

“Farmers’ Helpers: In the process of searching for nectar, bees pollinate plants. The placement of a single colony can potentially double local fruit and vegetable yields.”

Isn’t that incredible? It’s the bee’s knees. 🐝

•  About Heifer International

KIVA

Mission: “to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. We celebrate and support people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Print these out or email them to the gift recipient and they can start loaning right away. Change someone’s life, get paid back, help someone else… And on it goes. Making spirits bright.

• About Kiva

Childhood Cancer/Childhood Diseases

ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL

Mission: “Finding cures. Saving children. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”

Please do check out the site if you don’t already know about St. Jude Children’s Hospital. And, if you do, well… ‘Nuff said.

Mail a card or send an email

• About St. Jude Children’s Hospital

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

About Giving Tuesday

Use the hashtags #GivingTuesday and #GivingTuesday2023 on your blogs and social media to spread the word and find tons of ways to help this holiday season! 

 ❄️ Have a beautiful holiday season! ❄️

The X-ed Bird, Some Threads, & an Elephant in the Sky

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with social media. I’ve been complaining about it (sometimes right here) for almost ten years. Yet there I still am.

For me, drowning in the sea of social media platforms that we “should” join isn’t new.

However…

Changes have been made and things are happening and it’s all a bit of a dumpster fire at the moment. 🔥🔥🔥

The tweeting blue bird has officially been X-ed.

Threads are weaving through the online world. Messages are floating through the big blue sky. And mammoths are running amok.

Never being one to jump at the shiny, new thing, I’ve not done so with the millions who are Threading. (Yes, I just turned that into a verb. I’m embarrassed.)

Still, I am wondering whether these new (or newer) platforms might be worth it.

Threads *seems* easy. I’ve heard of Mastodon. I recently got an invite to Bluesky. And yet. 

I’m not really active on any platforms at the moment. I honestly don’t know where to share stuff anymore. Because I want to share. Sharing is nice. 

Don’t get me started on all the privacy issues, the owners who are…sketchy or worse, the potential problems (because of said owners and, let’s face it, people on the sites). I try not to think about it too much and just live in a small bubble of followers and followees.

My random thoughts in (slightly over) 200 words.

Are you on any of these platforms? How do you like them? Which do you suggest? (And, may I ask, why?) 

 

#CountYourTitles Book Challenge #BookTag #BookStack

Count Your Titles challenges you to go on a search and stack. Search your bookshelf (or floor, or table, or wherever your books are) and stack a book with a one-word title, then a two-word title, then a three-word, you get it… See how far you get.

Going in, I had no idea how many books I’d find or just how much fun it would be. Here we go!

I made it to… *drumroll*

TWELVE 📚🎉

1 – Atlantia by Ally Condie

2 – Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

3 – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

4 – The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan

5 – Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

6 – The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

7 – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

8 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

9 – My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

10 – And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

11 – The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente 

12 – The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente 

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Saw this over at Between the Lines and it looked like so much fun. Thanks, Cathy!

Feel like doing a search and stack? How far can you get? Consider yourself tagged. Have fun! 📚

12 books! 📚🎉