I’m not originally from here; & when I drive through endless corn/soybean country, pass homesteads, & see the occasional pick-up driving the roads, I can’t help but wonder what most of their days are like.
My husband & I have been stretching out celebrating both his birthday & our 10yr anniversary between his travel w/ work. This weekend (20/21st-23rd) will be the “final stop”; & I’d really love a lil’ bit of everything we love thrown in—& I’d treasure some “in the know” advice!
*Please Note: Neither weather extremes, a lot of noise, nor getting sweaty/dirty phase us
…So far I’ve got the typical hiking (maybe camping) Clifty, antique shopping, & wine-tasting sorted out…
And I keep finding/hearing of the same handful of “must-go’s”—which is great; BUT are there any hidden gems??? Any historic sites, oddities, parks, shops (any kind), galleries, museums, cafes/bars/eateries, music venues, etc. you just truly think don’t get the attention or love they deserve???
Lastly: Are there any kind of hands-on, artistic, or just fun, interactive things to do??? I don’t care how messy or dOrKy/“lame”, childish, “boring”, or even kinda’ scary…
My husband is adventurous & creative in every way, & when he’s home/off from work, he’s always still tending to his business & then just tunnel-vision doing chores/property maintenance. I can’t get him to relax & play, pretend, or create anything
So, yeah… He needs this time & space to let loose, maybe trip out/be tripped out a bit, lol; & to live a little. This trip is his nudge. I’d love for it to be a BIG NUDGE.
It’s different from intense hallucinations I had on drugs back in the day. In summary, it reminds me of being a witness to an event & the brain creating false memories to fill in blanks—only it’s in real-time. I look back, & poof! Nothing/no one there.
It all seems so clear at a glance that before I realized something odd was up w/ me I was making decisions/taking actions based on what I thought I saw—talking to no one there, delaying washing bedding b/c I thought I saw 3 of my cats comfortably snoozing there, not picking a bunch of berries I was sure had bugs & spiderwebs on them, etc.
I dunno what to make of it & why it’s not going away w/ reintroduction of food (so far breakfast: chicken broth & black coffee; lunch: sautéed spinach & boiled eggs)
My husband always thinks I’ll savor his next smoked lamb… It hasn’t happened yet. Well, the poor guy had to leave for an emergency trip w/out a bite of the poor baby, & he won’t be back this week.
I would looove to whip up a lamb curry. I have everything I need for it, & think I’m going to try it no matter what; but I wanna learn anything to avoid/what to anticipate (even if it isn’t great)
My husband’s & my 10-year anniversary is coming up; & b/c we’ve extensively traveled the contiguous 48 on a 7yr road trip (but not so much our now-home, Indiana), we’re a little… spoiled(?), I guess; & I want this to be so special in view of/in spite of all past sights & experiences.
Our current business demands require we stay at least close-ish to home this yr (3 days) & I’m utterly losing my mind trying to find something really worthwhile & that won’t be just a focus on one single “theme” we enjoy (like, say, not just parking it at a bed & breakfast for a couple days w/out some major contrast).
We both love, love, love: Camping (more primitive & private the better), outdoor activities, wildlife (really any & all animals, in general), water & fishing, boating, etc.
…& then city life (the arts, live music*; adventurous food; exploring historical buildings; some antique/vintage shopping, etc.)…
Bed & breakfasts regardless of rural/urban location…
Small, intriguing towns—grabbing ice cream/quaint or unique treats, taking in some history, shopping antiques & oddities (flea markets are okay… but we’re passionate antiques collectors—so it’s not just to passively look)
Also enjoy luxurious, romantic atmospheres—lush gardens & wine tasting, FIRE, & all that jazz… Well, & some jazz-jazz, too!
*Music-wise: Symphonic/classical & 80’s New Wave (& the like) are our happy middle-grounds (&, casually, jazz); but we would absolutely enjoy each other’s favs live or just playing/being dj’d as a vibe.
Husband is super into (mostly-folksy) Indie; I’m more old-school Goth/post-punk/electronic/experimentsl, etc. for whatever reasons, we have a tremendously difficult time finding our fav genres live (& at a doable time) in this state, & it’s a massive passion.
My husband & his former wife lived here over a decade before their divorce, & none of these people know the truth about their disastrous marriage, the timing of their shared decision to divorce & delaying it for valid reasons (before I even knew them); the timing & circumstances of my husband & I meeting each other & forming our relationship that led to our marriage, etc.
All they know is his former wife moved out (but don’t know it was long after their very secretive divorce—as they kept up appearances of some extraordinarily beautiful, happy, vibrant couple for years) & I moved in a month later.
Technically, I’m a “homemaker” who is nearly always home (regularly gardening, working on art projects, tending to our small farm animals, reading & quietly playing guitar on the big porch, etc. outside), so I’m a “regular fixture” in the town while my husband still continues to travel the country on business as he always has… & I’m 17yrs younger than my husband’s former wife (who is slightly older than he is)
It definitely looks bad. Very few people are willing to even fake-friendly talk to me. I get deliberately-dirty looks every single day (or else people refusing to even remotely acknowledge my presence with a single glance)
The only people that were “friendly” when I first got here were 2 separate women who dug for a few personal details, asked where I moved from (which is a biggish city 1,000 miles south of here), etc. & they said just about same thing to me:
“Little bit of advice: No one will like you if you go out in make-up & jewelry every day. Up here, that’s only for special occasions—or nights in w/ your man”; “I notice you really dress up every day…” (I don’t according to my personal standards & culture where I’m originally from) “…No one will really accept you if you keep coming out like this.”
I’ve been here 5yrs now (!) & tried getting involved in a few local events/activities (which are, sadly, few & far in between) & I do so, partially, in the hopes someone might get chatty w/ me & garner just enough facts that it’ll gradually spread that “things aren’t what they seem”.
I rescue the feral & stray cats & get them shots, spayed/neutered (I have 15 indoor kitties but comfortably in a big ol’ Victorian farmhouse, lol); I pick up litter on my walks to the post office (not in a shaming way as it’s common knowledge stuff flies off dump trucks); I put books in the book-share box & food in the outdoor church pantry; & I help w/ storm clean-up & even bust out the chainsaw to help clear huge branches from the streets, etc.
I’m not doing any of these things to gain acceptance, more or less admiration. I do them out of a sincere heart—Love, concern, & compassion; but I’m well-aware there’s some visibility & interaction involved; & despite my simple, natural kindness & outreach, they only see an “uppity”-outsider-homewrecker…
Anyway… That’s only a summary, & I’m still somehow rambling... I’m just very tired. And I’m very, very sad.
I’ve taken Gabapentin 15yrs & have occasionally changed pharmacies; & I’ve probably had 6 different brands & both capsules & horse-pill tablets. The differences in effectiveness & side-effects have always been pretty subtle. This one, though…
You know how very occasionally (I imagine it’s rare for most of us) something is in an odd place &/or position & you just don’t recognize what it is right away—&, like, for a few moments until you figure out what you’re looking at, it feels like the whole universe is suddenly uncertain? Typically only lasts a few seconds & then the object mentally registers/you have your “a-ha” moment, right?
I’m dealing with that over & over today on this new brand—not recognizing pretty basic things right away (especially if a breeze is moving them), & everything just generally looks strange. Feels like I’m trippin’ a little, to be honest... Have any of you ever experienced that on this med??? It’s definitely a bit concerning to me!
We’ve been practically getting a monsoon where I live, & a hole about the size of a nickel appeared at the foot of one of my basement walls. It looks like there’s a water hose in the wall just tranquilly doing its thing from there, & my sump pump is running nonstop & unable to keep up on the complete opposite end of the basement (so, about 1/2 inch water on the entire floor).
I just want a temporary but really, really good fix to buy me some time (already have major plans in the making but it’ll be several months from now).
Online brand reviews are really all over the place. One YouTuber highly recommended (& demonstrated) Rapid Set Water Stop for an active leak & I’m almost sold, but want second opinions; & I’m not finding anything on Reddit about that brand.
Your recommendations, please???
Disclaimer: This is crazy-long & probably somewhat boring(?)… it’s just I was in my attic a few minutes ago, looking over some books to donate & a memory got triggered. I feel the need to vent this mystery. I hope ya’ll don’t feel this isn’t a glitch & get annoyed. It seems like one to me, at least…
Way back in 8th grade/1995, one of my close friends, “Amy”, was having huge home trouble stemming from her (grown/adult) sister convincing her their large family belonged to a cult (Mormonism) & the effects of the religion on her parents’ parenting (her parents were already crazy, so… not good)
According to Amy, the more passionate & active her parents were w/ the LDS church, the more restrictive, psycho, & abusive they’d become, so… She was suddenly on a mission to prove to them they’re “totally deceived”.
I felt terrible for Amy, but “I had my own abuse problems” & the whole thing was monopolizing our time together. Like, after her big sis gave her this anti-Mormon book, “The Godmakers”, I was just a sounding board listening to Amy read it aloud & telling us how her mom reacted to this passage & that one the day before.
So… I get into whatever trouble & end up in in-school suspension. We have to eat lunch alone in the cafeteria after the other 3 lunch periods are over. I’m the last to sit down at our designated table facing the wall. What’s there in my spot? Amy’s book all sticky from what smells like “the [Mormon’s] forbidden [caffeinated]”Mountain Dew (our beverage of choice). I clean it all up in the bathroom & put it in my locker at the end of the day.
The next day, I tell her in passing she can get it out of my locker (no discussion & I didn’t catch her facial expression) & at lunch, there she is w/ her book as usual. Aw, she picked it up (Ya’ll can guess where this is going…). I go to my locker &, yes—there’s “The Godmakers” still there… Huh? Why? Hmm…
I was either kinda’ dumbed-down by neurologically-pruned, teenaged brain smoking too much weed, or I was justifiably convinced the chances of there being 2 of this, I rightly assume, particularly obscure, religious-bent book from 1984 circulating in our lil’ school space & social sphere at the same exact time.
Like, we’re no where near Utah & there was legit only one LDS church in our entire county (had phone books back then); so I’m either stupid (or practical?) & like “Why did she put it back in my locker?”
I ask her. She pulls her book out of her bag & when I insist it “was” in my locker, she’s actually really annoyed & incredulous. So we go to my locker… Yup, there’s 2. Hmm… Okay, a lil’ statistically unlikely but… Okay.
She definitely thinks it’s weird (so unlikely), & gets superstitious even though she claims to be an atheist.
Fast forward to my early 20s: I’m a book worm & curious person in general, & decide to read this odd, orphaned book I still have. It’s actually super fascinating & impressive! My dad, too, is a book worm, & a history buff & religious (traditional Protestant Christian) person who blows through books sitting on his potty.
I hand him the book & suggest it to him, & he’s like “Oh, I saw a documentary called that a long while back.” The book actually mentions a documentary came out first; & my dad was super-educated in multiple areas & an insane film & documentary aficionado, so this barely surprises me… But since he’s “already seen” the documentary, he’s a lil’ lazy about reading
Over a few months, I’m occasionally itching to discuss the book w/ him & keep asking if he’s delved into it yet (it really is a bit mind-blowing to me). Kept getting a “sorry/nope”.
A year passed & a then-boyfriend wanted to borrow it after some discussion on cults; so I venture into dad’s bathroom to locate it. GOT IT. Pass it off to my boyfriend... He reads. We discuss. Fun, fun! We eventually move in together & the book is, again, in my possession.
A few years pass, & im moving back at home (“circumstances”). My dad is looking at my library stacked on the living room floor, & goes “oh, yeah—I finally read that one book you gave me a while back…“
“Which one?”
“‘The Godmakers”’; & he just starts to go off on a commentary, but I interrupt him:
“How? I’ve had it, like, forever…”
I actually know what wood crate it’s in (by “world religion-themed”) & dig it out.
Dad: “Yeah, that’s my book. You gave it to me.”
He literally grabs it out of my hands—all huFfY!
Me: “Well, I let you borrow it, but…”
He’s all territorial & im getting stuck arguing w/ him about the past borrowing vs “giving” while my brain is begging to understand “What does he mean he read it??? I’ve had it this whole time…”
Eventually, he marches off to his bathroom w/ “HIS” book (he’s not even seeming to question how I had it in MY stuff I JUST MOVED IN); & then comes out looking all confused/defeated. Of course there are 2 identical copies of this “The Godmakers” in his hands…
I’m like, “okay, dad, you had to have bought it or something at some point…”
He’s like “Noooo, it hasn’t moved from my shelves since you gave it to me!”; & he names off the only books he’s bought during that time & said he “I would NOT BUY IT KNOWING WE ALREADY HAVE IT! DUH, mellowmarsii! YOU got a copy somehow!”
Nope. I never did. I had my lil’ orphaned copy from Middle School the whole time.
I’m in my 40s now. When Mormon’s come to my door, I feel equal compassion & frustration towards them & so I do sometimes engage with them w/ the knowledge that book (that I still have, now up in my attic library) impressed in me…
I still don’t get it, though… Where? Why? How? Just… WHY THAT book??? Lol All I can do is laugh & scratch my head. I just… Dunno
EDIT: I noticed I accidentally typed my former friend’s real name. Edited to avoid confusion.