When Will These Towels Stop Shedding and Other Miscellaneous Drivel

Part of our planned projects in moving to our cabin this summer on a semi-permanent basis was to finish the installation of a second full bathroom, another bedroom, and a second TV area – all in the lower level of the timber-frame dwelling we built in 2005.

All of the work to finish the interior of the house has been done by my husband over the years. While he did not build the cabinets, he did install them – hickory in the kitchen and upper bath. He did all the tile work in the bathrooms, too. And, when a friend recently asked about the drywall job in our newly finished lower level, I proudly told her my husband did the drywalling throughout the whole house. He does good work. The new additions have already proved that entertaining overnight guests will be easier and give them more privacy than the sleeping loft they used to be relegated to for the night. Of course, we still have the sleeping area upstairs, which consists of three twin beds where our boys slept when we visited the cabin when they were in school. We also have two sofa sleepers which give our home the ability to sleep nine at the same time, not counting two more full-size sofas that could be used in a pinch. Essentially, we wanted the space to sleep my husband and I as well as our three adult young men and their significant others.

This long-winded explanation of our sleeping and bathing spaces brings me to what I was wondering today while I cleaned the bathrooms. The new bathroom has a nautical theme which I embraced to the point of having red laminate countertops, again, made by my husband. This wasn’t done as a cost-saving measure but more because it was what I wanted. It’s bright and airy and does look like it belongs at a lakeside home. I like it a lot. My boys have told me they don’t. That’s okay.

But, the towels I bought and spared no expense on are STILL shedding! Bright red and cobalt blue bath towels hang from the metal racks and have been used since we moved in. They are washed once a week at a minimum, more if they require as determined by odor or obvious dirt. But, they are STILL shedding. There’s red lint all over the back of the toilet and white molding both of which had to be cleaned thoroughly today. So, I ask, as I asked myself, when WILL these towels stop shedding?!

More Drivel…

Today, I decided to write something of little consequence to anyone else because that is exactly what I’ve been reading. In general, I’m finding Medium articles to be written for clicks and have little substance. As an example, a piece I found yesterday which offered only a few facts (from an atlas) about Iowa. That was it. No, recommendations of place or opinions about the state. Just facts like population, the Capitol, and state symbols. Huh? I don’t even know if the author has ever been to Iowa! She didn’t say.

I guess what really got me was the piece, which was very short, had more claps than anything I’ve written on the platform and one of the readers told the writer she was amazing! Really?! Nine times out of ten, when I read someone’s piece if there is anything about it I like, I clap for it or do that and leave a comment. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I just didn’t see how it was an article. It was regurgitation from an atlas. That’s all.

So maybe, that’s what people are after – drivel. The problem is I’m not sure I could write it constantly. Why am I bothering to try and write a piece that has value for my reader? You know, something they can take away – travel recommendations, a new recipe, facts about plants, as well as my connection to them.

Today is a test. Maybe I can write drivel after all.

Another Piece of Drivel…

Our small lake is freezing over. We commented on Saturday while we took a late afternoon walk, that it will be interesting to be at the cabin when we can actually see these natural events occurring. We’ve never watched the lake freeze, until now. I knew it was close to happening this morning when I looked out and the water had stopped moving. It was still, and snowing – freezing was close. My photo shows how it looked an hour ago.

Drivel

Our lives are quiet right now. Thankfully. Our boys are grown. We are retired. We sold our primary residence last June and decided to move to our cabin for a while. We have options, or so we’ve been told. And we can’t disagree with that statement. We do. We have options. We can stay here or build elsewhere. For now, we’re staying. The winter will be interesting, having two vehicles sitting unsheltered in the snow and freezing temperatures of the Wisconsin Northwoods. We can travel at will…and will do so. But, who wants to hear any of that? It’s a conversation for spouses or close friends who listen supportively but don’t judge our choices. It’s not a topic for a blog post. It’s drivel.

Drivel is what I chose to write about today because I am reading a lot of drivel. Maybe it is what people want to read. It’s just not what I want to write!

Not everything I am reading on Medium is drivel. There have been some excellent pieces on climate change, gardening, current events, and on travel. But, there is also a lot of drivel. The drivel, and especially the attention it gets, is disappointing.

What do you think? What types of articles do you like me to write? I’m curious. Thanks!