Sunday, October 12, 2025

What Is Hope When We Let Go of Control and Trust in Possibility?

What Is Hope When We Let Go of Control and Trust in Possibility?


Nearly 25 years ago, I wrote a poem/song lyrics called Hope is a Place. Back then, my days were filled with the joyful chaos of raising a family—work, school runs, endless to-do lists. 

Life was busy, but beneath it all, I remember feeling this steady heartbeat of hope. I wrote that poem as a quiet reminder to myself: to keep giving, to keep believing, and to stay open to both the good and the hard parts of life. 

Hope, in that season, was my way of giving back—to my children, my community, and to the woman I was becoming.


Does Hope Change With Age?

At 65, I realize that time hasn't changed the essence of hope —it has simply deepened. 

Back then, I saw hope as a light that helped me face each day with purpose. Today, I see it as a gift we give ourselves in the moment we’re living. 



Hope doesn’t just look forward—it wraps the present in gentleness, like a beautifully tied bow around the life we already have. It helps us stay here, now, while still allowing room for what might be waiting just beyond our view.


Is Hope About Getting What We Want?

Some people say that hope only leads to disappointment—that to hope is to risk being let down. I understand that view, because I’ve felt it too. 

But I don’t believe hope’s purpose is to deliver a specific outcome. Hope, to me, isn’t a wish list or a guarantee—it’s the quiet belief that possibilities exist, even when we can’t see them yet. 

When something we’ve hoped for doesn’t happen, it doesn’t mean hope has failed us. Sometimes it’s simply leading us somewhere new—to a fresh start, a different direction, or a door we didn’t even know was waiting.


What Does Hope Really Give Us?

Hope gives me energy. 

It’s a current that runs through me and out into the world, hopefully touching others without my even realizing it. 

I like to believe that when we hold onto hope, we emit something good—something bright. It doesn’t mean we’re always cheerful or unshaken; it just means that somewhere inside, we’re open. We’re willing to believe that light still exists, even when the day feels dark. 

Hope, in that way, becomes both a gift to ourselves and to others—a reminder that unseen things can be the most powerful.


Hope and Love Coexist as Life’s Anchors

If love is the force that connects us, hope is the force that steadies us.

It’s the quiet anchor that keeps us grounded in the present while still allowing us to drift toward tomorrow. 

Hope doesn’t erase the hard moments, but it helps us move through them. And when life feels joyful, it reminds us to savor those moments too—to recognize that hope isn’t only for when we’re lost. It’s also for when we’ve found something worth holding.


What Is Your Word? Mine is Hope.

There’s a belief that everyone should have a word—a word that somehow captures who they are at their core, or what they stand for. 

A dear friend and I once talked about this, and ever since, my word has been hope. That same friend gave me a necklace engraved with the word, and I wear it every day as a gentle reminder. 

Along with love, hope is the anchor that keeps me present, connected, and moving forward. It’s invisible, yet tangible. Elusive, yet powerful. And to me, hope truly is a place.

This article was inspired by my poem “Hope is a Place,” written nearly 25 years ago and included in my poetry book, where available, on Amazon.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, October 11, 2025

October is National Seafood Month


For Seafood Lovers everywhere, join me in a review of several seafood products and recipes by the contributing writers here on ReviewThisReviews.


Image of a platter of seafood



Celebrating National Seafood Month


People everywhere love seafood. And what’s not to love with so many choices. The variety, from shrimp cocktails to fish, from smoked salmon to yummy, dripping in butter, lobster tails, makes choosing a favorite nearly impossible. And when you consider the wide variety of ‘ways’ to prepare various seafood delicacies, the list is just about endless. Plus, for quick meals, there are some delicious, pre-packaged, seafood dishes available at your favorite markets.


A plate of salmon
A few fish recipes and restaurants are included in this review, as fish (such as salmon, tuna and trout) are considered seafood, along with those in the shellfish category. 


So, read through the following list of seafood reviews from the helpful review site of ReviewThisReviews.com, and find a few you would like to try. After all, as a seafood lover, you want to help celebrate the delicious Seafood Month of October! 


Seafood Recipes


Buttery Pasta and Shrimp Recipe - review written by Wednesday Elf


Phillips Frozen Crab Cakes Recipe and Review written by Dawn Rae


Review of Our Favorite Seafood Dip - With Recipe written by Wednesday Elf


Recipe Review of Drunken Mussells written by Dawn Rae



Fish Recipes


Easy Meal Recipes for Fish Tacos written by Dawn Rae


Air Fryer Lightly Breaded Haddock, review written by Sam Monaco



Heat & Serve Prepacked Seafood Dishes


Gortons Grilled Tilapia Review written by Wednesday Elf


Review of Budweiser Beer-Battered Cod written by Wednesday Elf



Seafood Restaurants


Flying Fish Bar and Grill Restaurant Review written by Wednesday Elf


Restaurant Review of Go Fish Marina and Bar written by Wednesday Elf



Seafood-Related Holidays


Seafood platter

January:
10th Oysters Rockefeller Day, 25th Fish Taco Day.

February: 13th Crab Rangoon Day, 24th Tartar Sauce Day, 24th Fish Fry Day.

March: 9th Crab Meat Day, 12th Baked Scallops Day, 31st Clams On The Half Shell Day.

April: 17th Crawfish Day, 29th Shrimp Scampi Day.

May: 2nd Tuna Day, 10th Shrimp Day.

June: 25th Catfish Day.

July: 3rd Fried Clam Day.

August: 5th Oyster Day, 27th Crab Soup Day.

September: 25th Lobster Day.

October: 2nd Fried Scallops Day, 8th Salmon Day, 19th Seafood Bisque Day.

November: 1st Fried Clams Day.

December: 21st Fried Shrimp Day.


Summary


So, throughout this National Seafood Month of October, indulge in some tasty fish and shellfish recipes and restaurants. Fish and shellfish are considered a healthier meal alternative, plus have the added advantage of being delicious.



Happy National Seafood Month

An October Holiday


*National Seafood Month is a fun food holiday review written by Wednesday Elf


Fish & Seafood Cookbooks:





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, October 10, 2025

Halloween Must-Have Decorations Review

 As spooky season approaches, this year is shaping up to be one of the most creative, expressive years yet for Halloween decor. As I walk or drive around the neighborhoods this year, I see some very creative decorations, from tech-enhanced animatronics to vintage charm and classics.

Halloween Must-Have Decorations

I'm most impressed with the large 12-foot skeletons and animatronics. Our neighbor, who lives around the corner from us, has a 12-foot animatronic witch. When you walk by, it lights up and screams at you.

These large decorations have instant curb appeal, and the kids love them. Keep in mind that if you purchase something this large, you will need a place to store it.

I also see a lot of the classics, such as inflatables in all shapes and sizes, ghosts, and pumpkins.

We decorate our yard with two inflatables, one 7-foot Grim Reaper and a 4-foot pumpkin. We line the walkway to the front porch with six lighted carved pumpkins, three per side. For a lighted ambiance, we wrap lights around both railings on the porch.

Halloween front yard

This is our front yard for Halloween. The witch in the cauldron has since been replaced with the Grim Reaper and Pumpkin inflatables.

Find all of your Halloween needs in my Amazon Storefront

All About Halloween


Find more Product Reviews on ReviewThis Here:

ReviewThisProductReviews.com






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Thursday, October 9, 2025

A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier

Embroidery Design on Church Kneeler
A Single Thread

 Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and Tracy Chevalier is among my favorite authors.  A Single Thread, did not disappoint.  Chevalier draws you right into the story from the very beginning and you not only read a moving story but learn a bit of history along the way.

Book Review

I found this to be a fascinating story of how one woman created a good life for herself despite the constraints of her time.  It takes place in England in the 1930's.  The country is just getting past World War I and the beginning of the next war is on the horizon.

Violet Speedwell finds herself to be deemed a "surplus woman".  She is a 38-year-old woman who has lost both her fiancé and her brother in World War I.  In societies eye she is doomed to be a "spinster".  That however is not what Violet wants for her life.  She wants to be independent and to do so does the unheard of and leaves her small town and family home to seek employment in the larger town of Winchester. 
 
She secures a job and makes friends. Through a friend she decides to join a group of women who embroider kneelers for the local Cathedral. Violet has never done this type of embroidery before, but she becomes quite dedicated to learning this skill and finds support and fellowship with the group.

When forces threaten to hurt her new independence, Violet must find a way to put down roots in a place and time where women are not expected to grow and thrive on their own. 

Through this book, I learned a lot about the challenges woman faced in that era and admired the way the main character overcame the challenges of the age.  I also learned a lot about the craft of the brodiers.

Book on Amazon

A Single Thread can be purchased on Amazon in hardback, paperback, audio and kindle versions.  Here is a link to get you to the book A Single Thread




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, October 7, 2025

A Review of Boxed Photograph Organizers

boxed photograph organizers
Boxed Photograph Organizers


One day I was trying to pull a shoebox off the top shelf of my closet, and I accidentally hit my stack of photo albums.  To my horror, they toppled off the shelf and hit the floor with a resounding THUD!  As it did, the photos went flying out of them like a mini blizzard.  They went flying on the bed, under the bed and into my closet.  I just stood there with my mouth open, I kept thinking "oh NO, they were all sorted!"  I had always kept my photos separated in albums by person or event.  Now they were anything but separated! 

After collecting all the pictures, I realized the pictures were not the only thing out of sorts.  I was too!  It was going to be a monumental task to sort all these photos back in the right album and put them in the right order.  I just sat there on the floor with my head in my hands.  There had to be a better way of dealing the photographs other than putting them in albums.  I stacked the albums in the corner and put the photos in a shoe box on top and I decided to check on Amazon to see if they had anything for photos.  

I typed in "photo organizers and storage" The first to pop up was a box with separate individual boxes inside.  It was plastic, with a handle and also water proof!  I thought "that could work!"  I looked further into the description.  It had snap tight closures and the large one could hold up to 1800 pictures!!  Wow!  The box was 14.25" x 10.6" x 4.72" and had 18 inner boxes, which held up to 100 4 x 6 photographs.  I was sold and I bought this one:

Photograph Organizers

If you wanted a smaller version for less photographs they also make 7 inner box and 9 inner box, however, they are almost the same price as the one I bought.  They look like this:


Photo Organizers

Smaller Photo Box


When it arrived, i liked it immediately.  It was very compact, and easy to store.  The interior boxes were sturdy and snapped closed.  They even included small stickers so you could label each small box as to what pictures were in it!  I was ready to start.  First I sorted the shoebox of photos into categories then each category into individual people or events.  I chose a box, put a label on it and then arranged the photos in order.  Since most events don't have 100 pictures, I clipped them with these, they were perfect because of all the sizes:


Clips

Clips


I was very pleased when all the boxes were full.  They were so neat and tidy!  All in their place, labeled with what was in them.  So much better than those bulky albums, especially when the stickiness wears off the pages due to age and the photos get loose, which is why mine went flying when they hit the floor.  There was only one spot of bad news......

I have more pictures!  They all did not fit in the one box!

So I ordered another one, of course!

I really cannot recommend these photo organizers highly enough.  They are so compact and make finding pictures so easy.  I will never use anything else for my photographs!





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, October 6, 2025

Reviewing the Conbola Portable Cordless Fan with Lantern

The Conbola cordless fan was recommended to me by a friend who is an avid gardener and lives in a state that is farther south, with a warmer climate, than where I live. She used the fan while gardening on warm days. I may live farther north but I can't stand our humid and hot days. This fan made this summer's camping trips so much more comfortable. 

photo and text about a cordless fan


The Conbola Portable Cordless Fan

The Conbola Portable Cordless Fan is advertised as a durable, portable fan that can be used while camping, garages or jobsites, fishing, and in combination with beach umbrellas. This fan can also be used in kitchens, at desks, and in any area that you'd like just a bit of a personal breeze. It is a quiet fan. Our building at work is an older building with heating and cooling issues. I know that I will take this fan with me to work so that I can work at my desk in comfort when the building feels like a sauna. I am not exaggerating. Almost anyone who works in an old building 

  • Portable; cordless
  • Quiet Fan; four speeds
  • LED light; 3 settings
  • 270 degree rotation
  • hooks for hanging
  • 24 - 48 hours of operation
  • USB-A port that can be used to charge your other devices
  • rechargeable, USB C, 25400mAh Battery
  • charging cord included

This fan comes in different styles. I choose the fan with the USB-C charging system. Before camping trips, I am able to fully charge the fan at home then pack it in with my camping gear. There is also a solar recharging version if you would prefer. 

Camping

I have never enjoyed hot and humid weather. But I love to go camping. I prefer primitive campsites which means in a tent, or a sleeping bag on the ground. Maybe in the back of the bed of the truck. Definitely, without water or electrical hook-ups for RVs. I'm older now, so I have an A-frame, pop-up camper which provides some conveniences but I still choose the secluded sites with no water or electric hook-ups. 

This summer I was thrilled to have a Conbola fan with me. On one particular camping weekend, the weather was hot and humid. Even while I was parked under a thick stand of shade trees, I had a hard time being comfortable. But I had the Conbola fan in the pop-up camper. This fan moves far more air than I had expected. And the battery lasted much longer than I had expected. Initially, I ran it for only short periods of time (an hour at a time) to try to ensure having a fan for the entire weekend. After that first day, I ran it for hours at a time, with confidence. 

Portable Cooling on the Homestead

I may decide to use this fan in the winter to better circulate the hot air from the woodstove. I had also thought that this little fan would be perfect if I still had rabbits. Rabbits have fur and are easy to keep comfortable in cold weather. But rabbits are like me in that they don't do as well during hot summer days. Rabbit owners are often sharing tips with each other to help keep their rabbits cool. This fan would easily hang on their cage and provide a cooling breeze (note: under roof or other protection. I do not believe these fans are water resistant).  I imagine that there may be other situations in which pets and animals would maybe require cooling. And, as my gardening friend demonstrated with her Conbola fan, some folks benefit from taking a fan with them while gardening. 

As a Gift

This fan would make a great gift! I'm thinking of dorm rooms, craft/art studios, attic bedrooms, folks who have booths at summer festivals, and people who like to be prepared for low or no power emergency situations. Or, do you know people who live in the same home and participate in "thermostat wars" because one person is too cold and one is too hot? This would make a great gift for the person who prefers to have a personal breeze blowing. I am positive that you are able to think of someone who would put a quiet, cordless fan to good use. 

Related Links

I found my Conbola Fan on Amazon during a time that the price was reduced. 

If you prefer to shop the Conbola website, you will also find a large variety of their fans, lighting, and energy storage.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, October 5, 2025

The Day I Started Questioning Time: A Journey That Began at Eight Years Old

 

The Day I Started Questioning Time: A Journey That Began at Eight Years Old

I've Been Obsessed with Time Since I Was 8 Years Old

That sounds like a strange thing for an eight-year-old to say, doesn't it? But I remember it vividly. 

I was eight, my brother was six, and we were trying to let Mom sleep in. 

Our mornings were often filled with old Shirley Temple movies and wild imaginations. We'd turn a blanket into a "boat," grab canned goods from the kitchen, and pretend we were setting sail — sometimes to escape danger, sometimes just to explore.

One morning, standing in the hallway, I asked my brother a question that still echoes in my soul today:

"Why are you you and me me?"

He probably shrugged it off, eager to get back to our blanket boat, but that question never left me. Even at eight, I felt the weight of my own existence — this sense that "I" was something separate and conscious, and that somehow Time and existence were connected in ways I couldn't understand yet.


When Time Became a Fascination

As I got older, that awareness of Time grew into an obsession. 

Not the kind that makes you late for appointments or stare at clocks (though I've done both), but the kind that makes you wonder: what exactly is Time?

I became drawn to time travel movies and stories that twisted the rules of reality and blurred the boundaries between "then" and "now." They weren't just entertainment for me — they were portals into possibilities. I didn't separate the spiritual from the scientific; I was open to it all.

Can we move through Time? Are we souls who return again and again? Or are we simply fleeting passengers on a one-way track? I never dismissed any of it — God, aliens, reincarnation, time loops, you name it — because every theory felt like it was reaching for the same truth.

Now, as an adult, I believe our souls are timeless. The "me" I felt at eight still feels like the "me" I am today — wiser maybe, but still that same spark. 

The answer to "why are you you and me me?" has softened over the years into something beautifully simple: love and kindness are the only measures, Time is the vehicle. You are always you, and I am always me.

I've come to understand (for me) that we are always our spirit, always our consciousness, always us. It's never been a crap shoot, which is one of the things I felt at 8 years old, that I no longer feel at 65 years old.

No matter who we are, where we came from, or where we go, it's love and kindness that anchor us. When we step away from that, Time loses its purpose, the vehicle stalls — it just becomes noise in the background instead of a rhythm in our heart. The rhythm of growth NEEDS love, it NEEDS kindness. The rest IS noise that only slows our learning down.


Writing My First Poem About Time When I Was a Teenager in the 1970s

By seventeen, I could already feel Time slipping by. I remember taking the train from my small town to Toronto to visit a friend — about a three-and-a-half-hour ride. Somewhere along the way, watching the world blur past the window, I wrote a poem about Time.

It was the 1970s, and I was a teenager — but even then, I felt the strange ache of hours passing too quickly (crazy, I know! I was so young yet felt the ticking clock). 

Later, in my thirties, I rewrote that same poem, layering it with the wisdom and wear that life had given me. 

In my fifties, I revised it once more, adding even more perspective, as if each decade had given me a new lens through which to see Time.

If I am gifted more Time, will I revise the poem again? I think about that.

Below is that poem, one that has traveled with me for nearly 50 years now — a kind of map of how Time has shaped me.

TIME'S GIFT

Time heals
Promising closure
Shrinking scars like popping bubbles
As it prepares our gift
Time's benefaction is objectivity to our past
Building an awareness of yesteryears
Defogging our vision for truth
Generously donating our package of clarity

Time lies only to those
who misuse its precious moments,
Lines entrenched on our face
can devour redeemable blemishes
By gracefully accepting our package
healing eyes can widen to witness dissipating mist

Time promises blessed tomorrows
Let us put away our spinning wheels
plunge forward with our lesson
accept our bequest from Time, and yes!
We will have morning smiles

By Barbara Tremblay Cipak, Copyrighted

50 Years of Poetry - We Will Have Morning Smiles - Available on Amazon

Time Travel Movies and Timeless Lessons

It's fair to say I've seen nearly every time-travel movie ever made. 

I seek them out, not for the science fiction, but for the spiritual resonance they carry. There's something about them that feels true on multiple levels.

Many philosophers suggest that Time isn't linear — that everything, past and future, is happening all at once. Whether that's scientifically provable or not doesn't matter much to me. What matters is that it feels right.

The only real Time that exists is this moment — the present.

When I first read that idea, I couldn't quite grasp it. 

"What do you mean, only the present exists?" I'd think. We have memories, plans, regrets, and hopes — of course, Time is more than just the present.

But as I've aged, I've come to understand what it really means:
You can reflect on yesterday and plan for tomorrow, but you can only live in the present.

This very moment — writing these words, breathing this breath — is Time. Everything else is memory or imagination. 

It took years, but I FINALLY understand that at my core.


When Time Stands Still

Living in the present doesn't mean ignoring the future or the past. It just means that you live fully in the moment you're in — even when that moment hurts.

Life has its seasons of chaos and heartbreak, but even in those times, I've learned that joy can still exist. It might be quieter, more fragile, but it's still there — tucked into laughter through tears, or a single kind gesture that reminds you that love never disappears, it just changes form.

That's where Time stands still — in those sacred, love-filled moments.


Closing Thoughts: What Time Has Taught Me

If Time has taught me anything, it's that every second matters — not because we're racing against a clock, but because each moment is a chance to choose love over fear, kindness over indifference, and presence over distraction.

Maybe that's why I've always been obsessed with Time.

Because somewhere deep down, I knew it wasn't about minutes or hours —
It was about being alive in them.

Blessings, Love Barbara xxoo

P.S. I've written a flash fiction story about the concept of life, lessons learned, and ultimately Time and what matters available here on ReviewThisReviews - you can find it here.

A Video I Created at 60 Years Old, Sitting Quietly With My Mother

My mom passed away in 2021, and she will forever be a part of my every breath, in this life and beyond. This video remains my current reflection on what Time means to me, now that I am 65 years old.

If I were to revise my above poem, "Time’s Gift" again, I’d add the message from this video: that life’s lessons matter, yes, but it’s the love we share and receive that truly sustains us and moves us forward.



Dedication – With heartfelt appreciation to my fellow writers at ReviewThisReviews.com, and especially to Sylvestermouse and Margaret, whose friendship and creativity continue to light the way. Time has been my friend because you are in my life.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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