The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Good and Done, Not Perfect: In Honour of My 500th Post

Last Wednesday marked my 500th post here at The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist. And I thought it would be fun to share where it all began.

Before this site, I had another blog. It…

Happy Things Friday: 19 September

Life has been busy and I was going to skip Happy Things Friday this week, but the thought made me sad. I really do love pulling this post together each week. Then, Ally from…

Blogging, Frugality, Happy Things Friday, Travel
Sep, 19, 2025
45 Comments

Birchie in Nova Scotia Part 2: Peggy’s Cove + Pretty Views

(Part 1 of our adventures is here…)

DAY THREE: CHURCH + PEGGY’S COVE + GAMES

I woke up Sunday morning feeling ten times better. My cold wasn’t completely gone, but I could breathe (always helpful!) and…

Blogging, Friendship, Nova Scotia, Travel
Sep, 18, 2025
39 Comments

Meet My Favourite Guy: A Q&A with John (Part One)

When I floated the idea of doing a guest “interview” with John, he was agreeable, if a bit skeptical. He wasn’t convinced anyone would have questions for him.

I knew better. And, you had so…

Guest Post, Marriage, Parenting, Personality Insights
Sep, 17, 2025
51 Comments

Birchie in Nova Scotia Part 1: Muddy Days + Movie Nights

One of the great joys of blogging is experiencing how online friendships transition seamlessly into real life.

Another joy is realizing someone is willing to get up at 4 am, deal with airport security and…

Blogging, Friendship, Life, Nova Scotia, Travel
Sep, 16, 2025
47 Comments

Ten Frugal Things Last Week

Belle needed a calculator for school, so we headed off to Staples to get her a scientific calculator. We bought something fairly inexpensive ($20), but our next stop was a thrift store. Guess what…