Today’s host for the Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com is Angie Braaten, who inspires us to write On Turning….poems, modeling verse about a particular age after Billy Collins’ On Turning Ten, and then to take it a step further by trying to connect form choice to the foused age. I chose a nonet since I chose to write about turning nine. You can read her full prompt here.
Dr. Leilya Pitre of Ponchatoula, Louisiana is our host for today’s Open Write. She brings us a short form, the sevenling, which you can read about here.
Foxgloves at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia
Foxglove Funeral for a Grandson
Foxglove bells chime joy, bring smiles on Mother’s Day in Georgia, painting gardens in blush colors: the female womb blooms
Foxglove bells toll grief, stir longing on Mother’s Day in Kentucky: a petal flips, a cradle rocks in heaven ~ the female soul cries
empty arms mourning a baby not born
Foxglove in Kentucky, symbolizing a baby in heaven
Jennifer Jowett of Michigan hosts today’s Open Write at http://www.ethicalela.com and offers us a compelling prompt about the future of our world today. Her prompt is one we dance along the periphery of in so many of our countryside drive discussions, wondering about the future of our county, heartsick over each new development, each new killing of droves of trees that were once home to birds, deer, foxes, squirrels, bees, chipmunks, raccoons, opossums…..it breaks my heart for the wildlife and for the future of our grandchildren.
Just some of my writing friends, NCTE, Anaheim, CA November 2023
Today’s host at the Open Write is Jessica from Arkansas, who inspires us to write about our friends using borrowed lines from friendship songs. You can read her full prompt here.
I can’t think of a better way to kick off any month than celebrating friendship. Jessica’s invitation to search songs was just what my heart needed this morning, and for me, no one touches my heart like The Divine Miss M. Here’s to all of my friends who are writers – all of you, using a line or two from Wind Beneath My Wings
A Haiku for YOU
you, fellow writer, are the wind beneath my wings cheers to friends with pens!
did I ever tell (forgive me if I haven’t) you, you’re my hero?
My mother was a flight attendant at one point in her life, and she once told me that if I had any clothing that wouldn’t fit into my carry-on, I should layer myself up and wear things onto the plane, then take them off once boarded. I remembered that tip coming back from San Antonio, Texas a couple of years ago when I couldn’t figure out what to do with a couple of gift souvenirs. I swapped the clothes for the suitcase space and wore a few extra layers home. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I give a lot of thought to souvenirs. I want them to be packable, practical, and place-based. That’s why my preferred souvenirs are often bracelets – – I’ll actually wear them, they don’t compete for space on the return trip home, and they help me remember the place in some special way. I remember looking all over Texas for a bluebonnet bracelet – – the kind that has a real flower in an oval shaped setting, so I could bring home my very own Texas state flower. I couldn’t find one anywhere and ended up instead with an Alamo t-shirt, which I’d never planned to buy except for the unpredictable February weather that was hot one day and freezing the next.
In Europe, I bought scarves, which I’ve found useful particularly in movie theaters and restaurants where the air conditioning vents somehow always end up blowing right on my shoulders. They fold down to a thin layer in the carry-on.
But the best souvenirs to preserve the memories are photographs – – the moments captured in time that take us back to all the people and places we’ve loved. They fit right on a micro memory card and take up virtually no suitcase space!
What are your favorite souvenirs to buy as you travel?
Several years ago when I traveled to Europe with a group of students for ten days, I realized that the recurring motif of 3s throughout so much of life holds true for travel as well and makes traveling with only a carry-on possible even for lengthy trips. Three bottoms and three tops yield nine outfits, and that’s more than enough clothing to take me through a week along Route 66 – and these items will fit with room to spare in one small bag.
Two friends in my writing groups have lost their checked luggage in the past few months. When we all gathered for an NCTE presentation in Anaheim, California last November, our Louisiana writer’s bags failed to turn up at the airport; she had to go buy all new clothes for the trip, right down to underwear, makeup, and a toothbrush. Our Michigan friend seemed to have it worse – – she’d flown to Italy and ended up borrowing clothes – – even for the wedding she was there to attend.
So I’m more than a little particular about not checking any bags, fearing I’ll end up on one side of the continent and my belongings on the other.
Before I decided to purchase my Coleman carry-on, I searched several major airlines’ websites to find out their maximum luggage dimensions for carry-ons. I took the smallest dimensions and made the decision to purchase a small hard-shell bag that could stand up to me. Solid swivel wheels, a thick exterior, and a non-flimsy expandable handle were the three most important features, and I also inspected it to be sure it had a stealthy zipper. I landed on a Coleman with a tactical flair.
My personal bag is one that I carry only on the airplane to get the maximum ride for space; once I get where I’m going, I whip out my Travelon backpack with its locking features and use this for daily excursions. The clasps that fasten the bag shut mean I don’t have to worry as much about theft, and the RFID protection gives an added layer of peace of mind. For this trip, I’m also adding a crossbody bag from Travelon, recommended by my traveling friend Glenda from Idaho. I’ll put the crossbody in the backpack and the backpack in the personal bag so that I have a range of bag options for any outing.
Crossbody/Fanny Pack Convertible bag recommended by my friend Glenda
I’m still seeking travel hacks, and some friends have emailed and texted me some great suggestions recently. I appreciate all of the voices of experience and the tips. Please share any packing ideas in the comments – I’m always looking for ways to become a savvier traveler!
I’m not a fan of day-of-the-week pill organizers when going through airport security. These handy containers are fine for storing vitamins and medicines when I’m camping or at home, but in the absence of their labeled bottles, I fear suspicion by airport officials, which may lead to my detainment and a missed flight. I worry that I’ll be the one whose vitamins get taken to the lab for analysis while other passengers glare at a girl…..standing there with a suitcase…..just trying to keep mood swings at bay and find some energy in B12 and B6…. like I’m some kind of criminal drug dealer.
I was texting with my friend Glenda, a fellow traveler in my writing group, who reminded me that along Route 66, we’ll be passing CVS Pharmacies and stores where we can buy first aid items and medicines if we encounter the need for them, unlike what we would be able to do if we were on a cruise or out of the country. She suggested a few of the basics – some antibiotic Band-Aids and Tylenol and any prescriptions we normally take. I agree with her. Since we will only be taking carry-on luggage, every square inch of our luggage space is prime real estate.
I’m using a quart-size Ziploc bag for our travel first aid kit. Here is my list of items I plan to take:
Tylenol
Band Aids infused with Antibiotic Ointment
Prescription medications
Zyrtec
Bonine
Prilosec
Aquaphor ointment
Tums
What suggestions do you have for other items I should consider taking? I welcome all of your best first aid travel hacks!
Last Friday, I started reviewing tumblers for my trip down half of Route 66 later this month. I’m heat sensitive and prone to lightning-fast dehydration, so my cup choice matters a lot to my physical ability to enjoy outings. On Saturday, I reviewed the 40 ounce Hydro Flask tumbler, on Sunday the Stanley 30 ounce Iceflow, and on Monday the Stanley Flowstate Quencher H2.0 30 and 40 ounce tumblers. Today, I’m declaring a winner to make the roadtrip with me. If I had been reviewing for another purpose, there may have been a different tumbler trophy awarded, but I know which will make my best travel companion.
For the past six months, my buddy has been the 40 ounce Hydro Flask that I bought on a Black Friday deal and have used daily. Before that, I carried a Yeti, and before that, a Tervis.
I was looking for a tumbler that is leakproof, that can get me through 3 or 4 hours without a refill, and that can keep ice cold overnight. I stuck to the name brands not because of their popularity on TikTok (which I don’t even watch), but because I tend to be very hard on shoes, bags, and cups and feel that name brands bring a durability that knockoffs don’t always offer. Plus, I have fond memories of Stanley since childhood when my grandfather took us camping in Fernandina Beach and drank coffee from his Stanley thermos all day. When he wasn’t on vacation, he took that thermos, with its side luggage-like handle, to work with him every day. Perhaps that’s why my heart leans toward Stanley products.
Before we were married, my husband and I would make a pot of coffee and fill our own green thermos for a long drive daytime date. We’d stop at a roadside food market to sit in rocking chairs and share a dessert and a cup of coffee from the lid that doubles as a cup.
Fond memories, indeed.
There was one clear winner as I searched for the best tumbler to take on my trip. It’s not without its weaker points, but its strengths catapulted it to the blue ribbon platform almost immediately for the purpose of traveling.
The traveling tumbler trophy goes to……
The 30 ounce Stanley Ice Flow Flip Straw Tumbler
This Pool Swirl beauty has a design that brings back the psychedelic 1970s and that woman dancing with the radiating colors all around her to Aquarius Let the Sunshine In by the Fifth Dimension. And what a fitting song – – all the aqua of aquarius, and the sun shining in, too.
This tumbler doesn’t leak when the lid is fastened correctly, it fits in both RAV-4 front seat cup holders, and even fits snugly down into the side pocket of my backpack. The non-bottlenecked lid makes adding ice a simple task. The handle pops up from the top and so does the straw, making it a more compact design than the Quencher model with the handles that can only be carried one way, unless you purchase the shoulder strap and make it like a purse.
The Hydro Flask and Quencher models both have their winning merits for different purposes; I’ll use the Quenchers for work and for drinking coffee, and the Hydro Flask for hiking when we go camping.
But the winner for compact travel for those needing high-tech hydration is the Stanley Ice Flow Flip Straw Tumbler!
Cheers to staying hydrated this summer with your favorite cup! And cheers to a great way to start the day with The Fifth Dimension!
The Fifth Dimension – Aquarius: Let the Sunshine In
Stanley Quencher 30 oz. in Rose Quartz – handle is too low to fit in my RAV-4 cup holderStanley Quencher tumbler 40 oz. in Fog
For the past few days, I’ve been reviewing tumblers for staying hydrated while traveling in the heat. Later this month, we’ll drive a little over half of Route 66, beginning in Chicago and ending in Albuquerque – and it’s blazing hot out west in June. As one who experiences heat sensitivity and is especially prone to dehydration, I need a tumbler that can keep ice frozen overnight and hold enough water to last me for several hours until the next refill. I’ve completed my reviews of the 40 ounce Hydro Flask and the 30 ounce Stanley Ice Flow. Today, I’m reviewing the Stanley Quencher H2.0 tumblers in the 40 ounce and 30 ounce sizes.
Each of these tumblers comes with a 3-position lid that allows the user to twist the middle bar so that it 1) seals itself shut, 2) opens to a small slot for drinking hot beverages, or 3) twists to the straw insert slot for drinking cold beverages. Each tumbler has a side handle that, when held in the user’s right hand, has the logo facing the user and straw emerging from the tumbler just above the Stanley logo if twisting begins at the 9:00 position. They’re ultra-versatile, and the lid twists on like a silicone-lined dream, sliding softly into a seemingly watertight fit on the rim of the mug. (This is where the Stanley Iceflow lid could use improvements to become more like its Quencher siblings in terms of the ease of the lid twisting).
And as if you didn’t already know, these tumblers can be accessorized. Go to any little league sports games where the mommies are gathered and you’ll see all the options – there are hand covers, pouch packs, and straps for shoulder carrying. If I could wear the same clothes every day for a week, I could go to Europe for a week with just a Stanley pouch pack as my luggage. These tumblers are practically more dressable than a new baby girl.
It’s easy to fill these tumblers with ice since there is no bottleneck at the top. The Stanley 40 ounce tumbler fits comfortably in the RAV-4 cup holder.No drink, really, ever fits in the RAV-4 front cup holder, except the Stanley Ice Flow 30 ounce tumbler (Toyota needs to redesign that one)
So here are the pros and cons of these tumblers.
Pros
40 ounce tumbler fits comfortably in my RAV-4 cup holder.
40 ounce tumbler holds enough water to get me from breakfast to lunch.
The color choices on both are a rainbow of possibilities.
No bottleneck makes both sizes easy to fill with ice.
The 3-position lid means these can also be used for hot drinks.
They both have good straw flow once you find the sweet spot just above the bottom of the cup.
They can be accessorized to carry phone, keys, cash, cards. Maybe even a small t-shirt.
They both come in a matte textured finish that feels leathery and looks gorgeous – I held mine that have this finish on the body and there is less slipping and better gripping if the cup gets wet.
Cons
If you want the logo to face outward to proclaim to others that you’re part of the Stanley craze, you have to hold the tumbler in your left hand and experiment to find the clockface starting twist position for the straw to be where you want it to be. Stanley could improve this by either imprinting the logo on both sides or making a handle that twists like the lid bar.
They both leak when held upside down in the seemingly watertight position. I have more than one of each of these Quencher model sizes, and they all leak.
The handle is a blessing and a curse. It makes the cup bulky and prevents the 30 ounce from fitting in either cup holder.
They are heavy – the water amount obviously adds to the weight difference between the 30 ounce and the 40 ounce, but the empty vessel, in each case, is weighty.
They don’t fit in the side pocket of a backpack because of the handle, so for those who strive to travel lightly and fit things in compact spaces, these cups are not sleek.
Tomorrow, I’ll share my overall winner decision and the reasons why I am choosing it as my preferred Route 66 Traveling cup.
Yesterday I started my reviews of water tumblers to determine the best one to take along Route 66 as we travel later this month. Not only do I need a tumbler that keeps ice frozen overnight, but I also need it to be free from leaks, fit in a cup holder well, and be comfortably portable between the car and the places we stop. I need it to hold a lot of water, too.
That’s what concerns my husband as he chuckles to himself every time I take a new tumbler out to test.
Great, he quipped. We’ll be having to make a lot of pit stops, I see.
Call them what you want, but we’ve already mapped out frequent stops, I reminded him.
My sister in law and I have scheduled stops along the way in the Roadtrippers Plus app. We’re driving only a few hours each day, stopping to see the attractions and landmarks at the waypoints we have chosen. There won’t have to be many stops for the sole purpose of using the restroom ~ I’ll be taking advantage of the facilities where we’ve already marked the map.
Today’s review is for the Stanley Ice Flow 30 oz. Flip Straw Tumbler. When I first filled this tumbler with water and ice and held it upside down, it leaked.
I removed the top, cleaned up the water, and tried again. It turns out that the lid does not screw on as easily as the Quencher series cups. When I took the time to be sure that it was fastened tightly and held it upside down again, it did not leak. So here are the pros and cons of the Stanley Ice Flow.
Pros
It does not leak when the lid is fastened correctly.
I like the variety of colors. Pool Swirl appeals to my love of the ’70s.
The straw has smooth suction flow.
The straw is comfortable with its rounded edges (doesn’t hurt lips).
It fits in both of my RAV-4 cup holders in the console.
The mouth makes putting ice in easy (no bottleneck).
It’s comfortably held in the hand (body and handle, both).
The straw pops up and down – no need to remove it completely on the go.
Ice stayed frozen overnight.
It fits beautifully in the side pocket of my Travelon backpack.
Starting position for twisting the lid for the straw location doesn’t matter (on the Quencher, if you want the straw in a certain position, you have to experiment starting twist positions).
Cons
It takes some checking to be sure the lid is fastened correctly and tightened.
The twisting of the lid to get it off is not as smooth as the Quencher series.
It does not have a 3-stop lid position, so this is mostly for cold drinks.
It’s less bulky than the Quencher with the handle.
I ran out of water more quickly with the 30 ounce size, which is less than my normal size.
Fits comfortably in the RAV-4 front cup holder.Fits comfortably in the RAV-4 middle console cup holder.Ice stays frozen overnight.
Tomorrow, I’ll review both Quencher models – the 30 ounce and the 40 ounce.
Common Threads 