The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

My Year of Shmita: March Update

I’ll be the first to admit these posts are tedious to write (and, perhaps, to read). That said, I’m glad to have this record. Also, it forces me to spend a bit of a…

Happy Things Friday: 12 April

How is it already the end of the second full week of April?

Last week was a busy one and I pushed too hard. I tried to prioritize self-care (writing here, walking daily, keeping…

Cool Bloggers Walking Club, Happy Things Friday
Apr, 12, 2024
32 Comments

Favourite Things: March 2024

Are you ready for it? (And yes, I totally have Taylor Swift belting that lyric out in my head…)

First up, a few travel favourites.

CLEAR TRAVEL TOILETRY BAGS

I think I got this idea (and maybe…

Barcelona: Planning, Getting There, What It Cost…and an Unexpected Footnote

I’ve recycled a bit of the text from my Rome travel summary because, not surprisingly, we plan trips in similar ways year over year.

PLANNING

At this point, we’ve settled on a fairly clear division of…

Barcelona, Organization, Planning, Travel
Apr, 10, 2024
30 Comments

My (Easter) Lesson In Being Easily Delighted

I am a pessimist. Really. It’s in the title of my blog and it’s so true. My natural inclination is to look on the negative side of life and situations. But as I get…

Easter, Holidays, Joy, Life
Apr, 09, 2024
18 Comments

Barcelona Day Six: Bubbles, Whimsy, and New Friends

It’s always good to finish a trip on a high note, and we broke glass with our operatic crescendo on this one! Day Six was wonderful (I still have a special place in my…