Whine Suppression

SimplyB 4 Comments

The temperature outdoors was 49 degrees when I got up today. The furnace came on several times during the night. The date? July 18, 2025. Yes.

I should explain that I was waking up on this particular day at 9800 ft elevation in beautiful Colorado.

And sadly, on that blissful cool morning we would pack everything up in our RV and head eastward toward Kansas. Man, it’s always painful to leave the mountains and go back home every summer when we vacation in Colorado.

Continue reading “Whine Suppression” →

Stroll or scroll?

SimplyB 6 Comments

Last evening around 9p I went for a walk. It had been a routine hot summer day in Kansas but my legs told me, “get up, woman, and take a walk”. It’s just so easy to fall into a habit of sitting with cellphone in hand, scrolling through news clips and social media, fogging the old brain with far less than uplifting content.

Continue reading “Stroll or scroll?” →

Fancy? Hardly

SimplyB 4 Comments

It is a snowy February day here in the South of Kansas. Snow makes me think of mountain peaks, which makes me think of Colorado, which makes me think of a gorgeous historic castle in Colorado Springs, which makes me think of the word “fancy”.

Every December for the past several years, my husband and I go on a short Christmas outing. Just the two of us. Generally we stay at a hotel in the Plaza area of Kansas City for a night or two.

This past December, however, we opted to go to a Christmas Madrigal show and banquet at Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs.

Continue reading “Fancy? Hardly” →

Little People and Toy Boats

SimplyB 4 Comments

Little people. And toy boats. On the ledge of our bathroom’s whirlpool tub. Does this scene bring a tear to your eye? Likely not. I mean, usually I stay calm and tear free when I see them….unless I’m fixing to clean that tub. Then growls, tears, sighs all indicate my distaste for cleaning.

Continue reading “Little People and Toy Boats” →

Mad Skillz? Nah…??

SimplyB 6 Comments

Our retired life plans involved RV life and travel. The opportunity to combine that with volunteer work at various faith based organizations across the country presented itself shortly after retirement. And it seemed like the perfect fit.

Continue reading “Mad Skillz? Nah…??” →

What YOU lookin’ at anyway?

SimplyB 4 Comments

Well today I had a little flashback as I was doing my morning face routine in the mirror.

Do you happen to recall your very least favorite song when you were a teenager? The mirror reminded me today. “At Seventeen”. Are you familiar with the song?

I learned the truth at seventeen that love was made for beauty queens…..

Continue reading “What YOU lookin’ at anyway?” →

Hills, caterpillar, and unexpected nostalgia.

SimplyB 4 Comments

In the “sense of adventure” spirit that my husband is so enamored with (and so am I), we decided to take a scenic drive on our way to Topeka yesterday afternoon. A map of gravel road utility type vehicle trails in the Flint Hills has been hanging on our fridge for months. I printed it from a VisitEmporia.com website in hopes that one day we could explore the beautiful area that is so visible from I-35 turnpike through the Flint Hills. So yesterday, at the last minute before leaving the kitchen, the hubby pulled that map off the fridge and said “let’s do this!!”.

Continue reading “Hills, caterpillar, and unexpected nostalgia.” →

Comfort and Joy

SimplyB 6 Comments

Just a little preface to this post. You’re not going to find anything that even vaguely resembles what you might read in the headlines or hear on the news these days. My motive is simple stories and encouraging words. No politics, no controversy, no mean stuff. This is Simply B keeping it light and simple. Finding the good. It’s there to be found.

Continue reading “Comfort and Joy” →

Old roads

SimplyB 6 Comments

This past May took us on a journey with my sister and hubby to meet up with their son and wife on the Nebraska/South Dakota border. Near Yankton, SD, in a COE campground on the Missouri River. The Nebraska side.

Continue reading “Old roads” →

Need to Know Basis

SimplyB 10 Comments

The new year, 2022, came right on in the door and sat down. Looking suspiciously similar to the past two years. I feel certain that I’m not the only person on the planet who is done with the pandemic. Every news clip on COVID, vaccines, deaths, hospitalizations? I just can’t anymore. Not that I don’t care. That’s not it at all. I do care. The numbers, the news, the pictures, the personal stories really break my heart.

This morning when I woke up my mind was filled with an intensely awful memory from when I was around 5 years old. Involving a life altering event to my parents and sisters and myself. You won’t get details, but the effects of that event were permanent and sad. Anyway, as this flash of memory hit my brain waves I sensed God asking me “Can you be thankful even though….?” What a difficult thing to ponder. Especially at 5 in the morning. I couldn’t answer right away.

Continue reading “Need to Know Basis” →

Wintering Elsewhere

SimplyB 2 Comments

If you’ve experienced winter in the Midwest, you fully understand the appeal of going South during the cold months. We decided a few months ago to make late January and all of February our month to head for the warmth of Texas.

Continue reading “Wintering Elsewhere” →

Simple, Sweetie.

SimplyB 11 Comments

Gravity. Not my friend.

Aging has been working overtime on me, it seems. Good grief. Sagging parts. Wrinkles in the most unusual places. More chins than anyone would ever possibly need. Curious bumps and spots on my skin, some that can be frozen off by the derm doctor. Of course they find their way back to new locations, and bring their friends with them. Oh, but they are “harmless”. Except for the bruises to my psyche.

Continue reading “Simple, Sweetie.” →

While they’re here

SimplyB 12 Comments

It’s February. Valentine’s Day happens this month every year. Every year romantic couples celebrate each other with tokens of love. Such a sweet thing, but seriously it’s over-sold in my opinion. Money Making Marketing ploy. And so many folks left out because they have no romantic person in their life. Okay, mini-rant over, let’s move on…

Continue reading “While they’re here” →

Gifts and Givers

SimplyB 10 Comments

In your own experience, who has historically been the parent most likely to shop for and/or create all the gifts given in your family? For me it was my mother. As a result, I really don’t remember many details about the gifts she gave me. Except that she generously gave to her children. So many gifts over the years. And so much of herself.

Continue reading “Gifts and Givers” →

Walls, foundations and bucket lists

SimplyB 15 Comments

We like to travel. Actually, we love to travel. I was born with the “let’s go” gene. And I believe the hubby was, too. So, we have done a lot of traveling when possible. Life has put a bit of a cramp in that plan, but still, we travel.

Continue reading “Walls, foundations and bucket lists” →

Speaking silently

SimplyB 8 Comments

What speaks to your soul? For me, it’s almost always the wonders of God’s creation. We travel a lot to beautiful mountains, lakes, oceans, and so on. But sometimes the wonders of creation are in my own backyard.

Continue reading “Speaking silently” →

One Best Thing

SimplyB 9 Comments
1958-ish

Today is Father’s Day. This is my daddy, whom I have written about often. We had 17 years together. I’ve had 50 years of life beyond those 17 years. Without him. Do I miss him, even 50 years later? Well, yes.

Continue reading “One Best Thing” →

You’re wrong

SimplyB 14 Comments

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times. Words like “mind-numbing terrain”. “It’s so boring”. “There’s nothing to see”. “Longest drive ever”. Any guesses what these words are describing? Well I’ll go ahead and give the answer: Western Kansas. I-70 in particular.

Continue reading “You’re wrong” →