I am trying to stretch my technology legs, so please excuse my random blurb.
Blog
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Sick day
It was good to see my family this weekend and to lend a hand to my expecting sister while also making memories with her kids. Unfortunately, I got a very sore throat and body aches so I have taken today off to rest. Reading “Wind and Truth” by Brandon Sanderson with throat coat tea and intermittent naps.
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💍 friend’s wedding
What a beautiful day. Bad news can’t take this joy away from us. It is our day to celebrate with family and friends.
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Joyful Fake Spring
If there weren’t ice in the river, there would be rain in the sky. Enough snow has melted in Detroit that the grass is visible, and my 4 foot tall plants in the dark basement declare it close enough to springtime for them! (I have no idea how they survived so long – are they living on happy thoughts instead of sunlight and water?)
The Detroit River is mostly ice free now Now that sickness and I have shaken hands and parted ways, it is time to get excited about the new year! Yush! Also adjusting to new furniture in the apartment. Huzzah! I’m so ready to start hosting some gatherings with new faces.
Good job, Bengal tiger canna lily! What kinds of things are you excited about starting anew this year?
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Drink up
What is your favorite drink?
Water is amazing. It is useful for herbal teas, but stands alone as well. It pairs with everything and cures many ailments.
The best tasting water I’ve had came from an artesian well on the roadside in northern Michigan.
The most refreshing water was either the free-flowing water taps in Rome or the pure drinkable river water during the 11-mile hike at the Samaria Gorge on Crete.
Took these photos at the Samaria Gorge in 2019. -
Best gift ever
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
My mom asked what I wanted for my birthday, and I said a folding handsaw. I was living in a dorm at the time so it probably wasn’t what she expected.
It was such a great gift that I must have cut down about 200 trees on their property within a few days. My mom was dubious at first, but she ended up buying herself one too! I love landscaping and gardening, plus it’s also useful for cutting firewood while backpacking.
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Budget, and other thoughts
Write about your approach to budgeting.
I developed an excel sheet which I’ve used for years to budget every month. I posted a sample on my page in the “debt, saving, and investment” section.
Additionally, every couple of years I’ll use an agenda and for three months write all my expenditures daily in red ink, noted by section as: misc., food (out), groceries, & gas/car. It is great to see what I lived on in the past and where my money has gone after pay raises.
I didn’t post the last few days, but I instead took time off from screens, did some paintings, and watched the snow pile up from my cozy abode, enjoying herbal teas and the Stormlight Archive series.
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I forgot my books in the freezer (again)!
I’m sure we’ve all been there, right?
Gosh, this ginger shot burns like liquor!
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My Parents
At my age, my dad was self-employed in ceramic installation while working on our fixer-upper home and my mother was substitute teaching in addition to expanding the lovely garden and raising six kids. Must have been a busy time for them!
Here’s a lovely image of what we thought dad was doing vs what AI thought dad was doing!
Just joking – we were there pulling up spacers & wringing out the grout from the sponges! Learning some real life skills.
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Changing the Law
Daily writing promptIf you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?I would like to change a zoning law to allow residential and commercial businesses to coexist. I live in the urban sprawl of Detroit where walking won’t get you where you need to go, so everyone travels by car. My commute can be an hour when traffic is rough, but I have no practical alternatives. Since the automotive age took off, new areas never have walkable downtowns. I would love to have a community where people could walk or bike and actually get somewhere useful, perhaps having more human interactions and creating more collective outdoor spaces for people to gather and connect. I imagine all of us stuck renting apartments would also have additional housing options, since zoning of the past created oversized lots that do not allow for additional buildings despite having ample space. I’ve seen those homes tucked behind homes in Columbus, Ohio and found the character of region quite charming. It feels like we really tie our hands addressing community isolation & insufficient housing when it comes to zoning laws.
Mauron Kur 
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