Three Thoughts Thursday | Photographing. Traveling. Watching.

/ Ally Bean

This is when I tell you stuff and don’t make a story of it.  

• • •

ONE

I think that this website, miss freddy, could be a useful resource for anyone interested in family photography.

Miss Freddy is a Professional Photo Organizer who explains how to take photos, how to save photos, then how to do just about anything you might want to do with your photos + slides + old videos.

I have boxes of old, old print photos around here and thousands of digital ones on a few computers, but I’ve never sat down and concentrated on getting ALL our photos organized.  This website may be the key to me getting it done.

TWO

I think that the idea of going on vacation with the intention of traveling to small American towns is a fun one.

According to this article, America’s Coolest Small Towns by State, big cities get all the attention, while unique small towns go unnoticed.  These small towns are worthy of a visit if for no other reason than “the added appeal of home-spun charm and hometown heroes.”  

I read the list and have visited 12 of the 50 featured small towns.  I’ve been to: AZ, FL, HA, IN, ME, NM, NY, NC, OH, SC, TN, AND VT.  This means I have 38 to go, should we get the opportunity to travel again.

THREE

I think that the Netflix produces some good and some not-so-good TV series.

In the good category I’d put Dead to Me, with Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, and James Marsden.  I watched Season 2 and enjoyed it as much as Season 1, which was stellar.  This show is one to watch if you like mysteries, dysfunctional families, and contemplating what it means to be a friend.

On the flip side, I watched 3 episodes of Sweet Magnolias, a TV series based on novels by Sherryl Woods.  Set in SC, this show was probably meant to be an engaging look at family dynamics and female friendship, but it was predictable and maudlin.  Much too slow-paced, shallow, and sappy for me.

• • •

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Do you have your photographs under control? In other words, can you find them when you want ’em? 

What do you think about traveling to small towns to experience their unique charm instead of going to big cities for a vacation?

Have you watched the TV shows I mention above? If so, did you like what you saw? If not, what are you watching instead?

• • •

177 thoughts on “Three Thoughts Thursday | Photographing. Traveling. Watching.”

  1. I had to grin at your questions. Herewith, the answers:
    1. I have mostly digital photos, and of course I intend to get those organized. Perfectly. Some day.
    2. My preferred travels for decades have been either on the water or in the most isolated places I can find. Western Kansas, for example. Anyone who says “There’s nothing to see in …” hasn’t been looking very closely.
    3. I threw out my tv in 2011.

    Liked by 1 person

    • shoreacres, “Perfectly. Some day.” is my goal, too. Well said. Let the dream continue.

      I’m laughing at your response to the travel question. There’s a truth to that.

      No TV, huh? Well then I’ll assume you haven’t seen those shows.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. To answer your questions:
    1. No way. Organizing my photos is something I really need to do. They’re all piled in a box and there’s thousands on my phone.
    2. I’d much rather travel to small towns than big cities. I love the small town atmosphere. 🙂
    3. I haven’t watched either of those shows but I’ll be checking out Dead to Me! I love a good mystery.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Michelle, your approach to photo organization sounds about like mine. Good intentions, but…

      I agree about the small town atmosphere. I was amazed by the list and all the possibilities.

      Dead to Me isn’t a typical cozy mystery, but I enjoyed it because unpredictable, yet believeable. It’s funny, too– in a dark humor kind of way.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Photos – now there is a topic. When we moved cross country, I took all my print photos out of albums and organized them into photo boxes by subject. I think they will probably die in those boxes. No younger folks here who want to browse through print photos. I had photos from an old laptop moved onto a drive and labeled. It will die on the same shelf with the prints. The photos on my current laptop get looked at each year, and I ‘try’ to dispose of a few hundred. It’s a never ending challenge. I’ve been to 16 of the small towns, wouldn’t agree with the NH choice, but always choose small over large towns when traveling. I haven’t watched either of those shows.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Judy, you raise a good point about who are you [we] organizing these photos for? I want to believe I should do that with the print ones, but on the other hand cannot figure if it’s worth the effort.

      Like you with NH, I didn’t agree with the OH small town choice, but I’ve been there. If nothing else the list is an interesting glimpse into America.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I should have mentioned I was left quite a few photos from my mother’s family that dated back to the early 1900’s. I did go through all of them, included names where I could, and put them in small photo binders arranged by individuals. Then I have all those ‘family’ items in one box with a note to send them to the home town historical museum if they are about to be gifted to the dumpster.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I like your idea of how to save those old family photos. I have lots of them, too. I never thought of designating them to a museum where someone more dispassionate can decide if they have value. Thanks for the idea.

          Liked by 1 person

  4. I never watched any of the Netflix produced shows when I had Netflix. I switched to Hulu so I could not watch their shows.

    I am getting my photos under control. There is still much work required.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dan, I like Netflix and they do some good stuff, BUT their suggestions about what I should watch next never seem useful. Case in point. We have Hulu. I never watch much of anything on it, but we have it.

      Photos seem to be a problem for everyone. I want to be organized… I think… Good luck organizing yours.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Good morning, Ally Bean! My photos are NOT organized. Tis a sad state of affairs. Because we live in the woods and a very rural area–when I go on trips I often want to experience the opposite. Big cities. So for that reason small towns don’t quite appeal. (Although many are very appealing, therefore this answer is not against small towns.) Oh am watching a really dorky Netflix show right now–The Good Witch. It is a Hallmark. Last fall I announced to the Universe that I wanted to watch something on Hallmark, but couldn’t figure out how to do that without purchasing. Then all of a sudden this Netflix show popped up. Gosh, Hallmark can be so sappy and shallow and dorky…but guess what? That’s the medicine the doctor ordered these days! *Bright dorky smile atcha*

    Liked by 2 people

    • Kathy, I’m hoping that by following some of Miss Freddy’s suggestions I’ll get a better handle of our photos. Perhaps I dream?

      I can understand your pov about vacations. When we lived in a smaller town I always wanted to visit big cities, but now… I can go either way but tend to like small towns more.

      I’ll look for The Good Witch on Netflix. I’ve never heard of it, but then that’s why I asked the question I did. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Like

  6. I just finished perusing your small town America link. All the posh, upscale towns like the one I once lived in. No interest in returning, actually. But it was interesting. I welcome your questions.

    My grandmother never was without her trusty Kodak instamatic. And I inherited her collection. They now fill five albums, arranged chronologically and are packed away in a trunk. From there it goes downhill, except for my photos of my life in Kazakhstan, which are in digital folders on an external hard drive, arranged chronologically and by theme. I make occasional stabs at organizing the rest. Nice to read I’m not alone.

    Travel: so many places, so little time.

    Netflix: we are currently addicted to Resurrection: Ertugrul; now in season 2 of 5, each with over 100 episodes! It’s a Turkish soap opera of sorts (hence the addiction) set in pre-ottoman empire Turkey. Only show where I’ve actually yelled at the TV. We’re getting Turkish culture (similar in many ways to Kazakh culture), history, religion, mystery, drama, and even a little humor thrown in for welcome relief.

    Fun post, Ally. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, the list of small towns intrigued me. I was surprised by how many I’d visited. I don’t know that I want to go back to many of them, but it’s fun to think about what I remember about each of them.

      I remember Kodak Instamatic cameras. I had an aunt who was nutty about hers. Didn’t they use flash cubes so you could snap a pic inside? You’re more organized with your photos than I am with ours.

      I’ve never heard of the Turkish soap opera you are watching. From the sound of it you have hours and hours of fun in front of you. Each season has 100 episodes! Amazing.

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      • This is SO timely. Back when we had negatives- those are all in date order, envelopes marked, all those pics in albums. Digital photos: I used to update albums before heading to the hospital to have the next baby. Well, Curly is 12. Over this pandemic I’ve been putting together missing albums starting around 2012. I upload my pics to Snapfish but just last week I ordered over 600 pics from a Disney trip in ’15. The photos were uploaded in ’15. Now snapfish says the photos are corrupt and they told me to reupload them. I DID find them on a flashdrive thing but I fear that other photos that might be corrupt will be totally lost. Also, digital pics are harder to track for me. Between phones, ipads, and SLR cameras . . . lots to track. Overall I do feel like I can find specific photos, sometimes it involves more time than others.

        We do NOT have Netflix. I want to get it specifically for the Dead to Me series.

        Irish dancing competitions tend to dictate where we travel. Lasy year: Vancouver, and at Easter our Dublin trip was cancelled (that was just the girls and I). When we cannot organize everyone to go on a true vacation we head to a beach in Michigan for a long weekend. Visiting a small town would appeal to me. Escaping the choke hold of Irish dancing also appeals to me.

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        • Ernie, you make a good point about back when we had negatives. I, too, knew where everything was because it was easy and right in front of me. Now with digital, well– your story of corrupted photos rings true. And once you get a bunch of machines with digital photos on them, it all gets messy and complex and not much fun. You’re doing great if you can find what you want. Me? No so much.

          I like Netflix for what it is. Dead to Me is popular and I’m looking forward to Season 3. Where will the story go next?

          You’re involved in Irish Dancing Competitions! What an interesting thing to do. I can imagine that you travel for those. I’d like to head to a beach town in MI right about now, too. Or Dublin, just to be there, not to do anything competitive, of course.

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  7. 1. My old photos are in stacks of albums cleverly hidden around the house. My new photos are organized into files and readily available. But that probably doesn’t surprise you.
    2. We often travel to out of the way, never heard of towns and prefer to stay at resorts away from big cities. Ah, travel. I really, really miss it.
    3. I haven’t watched those shows but am addicted to HBO and Starz series to numerous to name.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rivergirl, you’re way ahead of me when it comes to organizing your photos. I shall think of you as inspiration.

      I miss travel, too. This was to be a big vacation year for us, but 2020 saw our plans and laughed. At this point little town or big city, it’d be great. Either or both.

      We don’t have HBO or Starz so I wouldn’t be able to watch the shows anyhow. Glad you found some you like.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Greets, Ally Bean. Going backwards … Netflix, thanks for the suggestion of Dead to Me, will check it out. Money Heist was great in my view … action stations, hectic. Unorthodox was lovely (short, 4 episodes). Couple of Norwegian and Danish series whose titles I can’t remember, political in context. ‘Occupied’ was one of them. Will definitely be travelling more locally, much to explore. And Photos – omg – ongoing, never ending, boxes upon boxes, upon boxes. Thinking of a couple of collages to hang, maybe from the ceiling. Maybe I’ll check out miss freddy … thanks for that.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Susan, I don’t know about Money Heist but will look for it. Never heard of Unorthodox either. The thing about Netflix is IF you know a show you can find it, BUT I find it exhausting to browse without focus through the lists.

      Local travel is going to be how we do things this year, too. And as for photos, from what I can tell most of us haven’t got it together about them. I may be dreaming to think that I ever will.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Photos: my youngest daughter did some sort of scanning and saving thing with them a few years back and now they sit “in the cloud” for any and all who may want them. The originals are somewhere still, I think.
    Small towns: grew up in what was once a small town and now live in an even smaller town. It had it’s charm for awhile. Now it’s just small and boring but the city isn’t for me either. My vacation ideas have been falling on touring national parks lately.
    Netflix: not seen either of these. Just finished Mrs. America and with each episode got to become indignant and shout “Down with the Patriarchy”. Currently watching Belgravia– it is no Downton Abbey for sure, but I love the costumes and homes.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, you’re a step, well may steps, ahead of me when it comes to photos. I don’t know what it is with those things, but they stump me.

      I have a friend who tours national parks for her vacays. She has a passport in which she gets stamps, hoping one day to fill her passport.

      I need to watch Mrs. America. I’ve seen reviews of it and it might be something that’d hold my attention, if for no other reason than I’ll start getting peeved with Phyllis Schlafly. She was piece of work. 🤨

      Liked by 1 person

  10. My photos are somewhat organized, but I could do better. I’ll certainly check out Miss Freddy. Thanks for the link. As soon as I fulfill my current contract obligation, I’ll be creating a new fictional town. All my books have small town settings, so thanks for the article! As for Netflix, I don’t watch much TV, so I’m probably the only person in the world who doesn’t have Netflix.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jill, if nothing else reading Miss Freddy’s blog posts is enjoyable. She makes me smile with her practical vibe.

      By all means read about the small towns in the article. I’d hope the reviews may give you some good ideas for your next series of books.

      Many people don’t have Netflix, in the same way that we don’t have Amazon Prime that many people do have. Finding a TV show to watch is no easy task like it was back when there were 3 stations + PBS. Now, I’m all about word of mouth suggestions.

      Like

  11. My old photos are not organized but there is no one who would be interested in looking at them. My digital ones are categorized but again, I doubt anyone but me is interested in thousands of cat pictures! These days my vacation needs involve warm weather and beaches. We used to do a lot of small towns especially in New England and areas around us. Unless you are a fan of shopping a lot of those small towns are one day visits. The latest show we started watching is The Crown. Interesting. We watched Virgin River and found that interesting. Not sure who makes those.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I have the same scenario as you do: who’d care about my photos except me? That may be why I’m so reluctant to make sense of them. Still a project is a project.

      You’re right about visiting small towns. I’m not much of a shopper so many of the ones I’ve been to were day trips while visiting elsewhere.

      Loved The Crown. It’s addictive and ends at a dramatic moment in time, so that I cannot wait to watch the final series. The sets, the costumes, the history– great stuff. I watched Virgin River and liked it. Good brain candy, that one.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I think you probably would have guessed that I have pictures organized by timeline. I’ve printed off my favorites and have them in photo albums. This is how I’ve been able to keep my mom connected to her growing great grand kids that she will never meet. I send her a new batch every month.

    We live in one of those small towns worth visiting.

    I haven’t watched Sweet Magnolia or Dead to me. I watched Outlander and and am watching Outerbanks. I also watched Baptiste, which I had recorded off of PBS.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, you are the one, ain’t cha? OF COURSE, you have all your photos organized. Your monthly photos are a clever way to keep your mom connected and engaged in life. Rather old school, now that I think about it.

      Yes you do live in a small town but yours was not the one listed for your state. Perhaps the list could use a few amendments. [Look at OH, you won’t believe it.]

      I know of Outlander but have yet to commit to it. I don’t know about Outerbanks or Baptiste. There are so many TV shows, so little time that I want to sit still and watch them.

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      • Camden is the oldest inland city in SC.
        You should read Diana Gabaldon’s series of Outlander. Fantastic! The show followed the books pretty closely. Diana had input.
        I will check out the towns in Ohio.

        Liked by 1 person

        • You live in a state with many great small towns. That’d make for some fun day trips. I know of the books, but am not much into reading at the moment. Someday I’ll find the TV series and give it a whirl. Thanks for the idea.

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  13. We also get entertainment value from the various errors in the captions. E.g., they don’t use female pronouns; everyone gets the male pronoun; that’s fun. And when the star crossed lovers finally get to embrace, he kisses her forehead. We think that’s a modern day Turkish actor thing. We’re mesmerized. Learning my Eastern, Islamic history a bit too (just as I learned my Scots history from reading Outlander).

    Liked by 1 person

    • No female pronouns would be odd, but I can see how it’d be fun to read the captions. I like any TV series in which I learn something about history or another culture. Funny you mention Outlander, another commenter just mentioned watching it. I know of the books, but haven’t seen the series.

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  14. My old photos are sitting in photo boxes. My Alaska pictures are, too. I rarely look at photos. I rarely take photos. I guess I’m just not the type.

    Our streaming TV habit is to watch the heck out of something, then mourn that it’s over. And crab about how it’s taking so long for the new season. We have done/are doing that with: Schitt’s Creek, The Crown, Kim’s Convenience, The Kominskey Method, One…oh, a lot of shows. We share services with our sons, so we have a lot of options. (And there are a few series that I watch without Rick, like Grace and Frankie, and Big Little Lies.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nance, I don’t take photos of people but I do take photos of things I see that interest me. My old photos are of people from long ago, many are unknown to me. It seems like a worthy project to organize them, but it may it’d be stupid to do so.

      I loved Schitt’s Creek, The Crown, and Grace and Frankie. The other ones you mention I’ll have to make a note to watch. I keep hearing about Big Little Lies. I’ll look at that one first. Thanks for the ideas.

      Like

  15. 1. One of my pandemic projects is organization of decades of “photographs and memories” and I gave it a good start by bringing scrapbooks of memories up to date and collecting cards and letters to put in a pretty box. Then, I started making masks and my dining room table, became the sewing center with the photos and albums all shoved to one end. I do feel good about good about getting it started. 2. I live in small town Vermont, so I’m already there! We often travel to smaller places that have some quirky interest. 3. Haven’t seen Dead to Me, watched one episode of Magnolias and that was enough for me. Agree with you!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dorothy, it’s getting started on the photo project that might be the most difficult for me. I’m good at procrastinating in the name of… well, anything. I admire that you started, but can see how your mask project takes precedence.

      I know that Sweet Magnolias is getting good reviews, but overall I found myself bored while watching it. I did become fascinated with the wedge shoes that one character wore in every scene. They were weird shoes, incongruent for the lifestyle she supposedly lived.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I find that I give series one shot to capture my attention and if it doesn’t pull me into another world or make me laugh or cry or think, I’ll find something else or read. If I find myself critiquing the sets/costumes/
        continuity then I’m not really immersed in the story!

        Liked by 1 person

  16. (1) Let me know if you use Miss Freddy. I have made many albums from my digital photos over the past 10 years (probably have about 12 now). I’ve used Snapfish and lately Chatbooks. But… I took hours and hours and hours to take pictures out of my old photo albums so I could digitalize the photos and make them into thinner, easier books from digital photos. But I’ve been stymied by the project. Perhaps I should use Miss Freddy’s surfact to digitalize these photos.
    (2) I love living in small towns and visiting big cities. But vacations tend to be NOT in big cities (thrilling the first day, not so thrilling each day after). So we tend to find a small beach town to relax and chill. I loved this website you gave us. I’ve been to ten of those shown here, and agree with many of them listed (but not Ocean City MD – far below better smaller east coast beach towns).
    (3) I find most of the shows on Netflix not worth my time. Seriously, many of the shows are inane and patronize us. The comedy isn’t funny and the drama is too….dramatized. But I loved The Crown, and Victoria, and Baptiste and a few others. Mostly, we turn off the TV and read instead.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Pam, I’m going to dedicate myself to reading what Miss Freddy has to say about photos. I read a few of her posts and liked what she recommended. For me, sorting through our old, old photos will be a part-time job, one I’m hesitant to begin.

      I like beach towns, too. I haven’t been to one in years, but they offer a vibe I enjoy– and fresh seafood, something I love. I didn’t think the choice of OH small town was a good one, so I take your point about MD.

      Loved The Crown and am looking forward to its final season. If the shows on Netflix don’t appeal to you, then I agree it is time for you to go read something. Books are cool.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Pam, I stopped watching Baptiste after just a few episodes because of its gruesome violence. It seemed the bad guys were more akin to a horror show. But I respect your opinion. Worth a return?

      Liked by 2 people

      • My guy and I skip many shows because of gratuitous violence and sex. When we began Baptiste we weren’t sure if we’d stick with it, but we’re glad we did. My guy has worked in the Netherlands with clients and gotten to know the culture a bit, thus it was interesting to see the ‘back alley’ of the area, since they are so much more open about sex and prostitution and drugs than most countries. And so the killings involved in this show’s mystery were realistic for that area. We liked the fact that the main character, Baptiste, is an ‘old guy’ and yet the smartest one of the bunch. The acting was terrific. We’re glad we stayed with the show. Thanks for asking and respecting my opinion. xo

        Liked by 1 person

  17. I used to be very organized with my photos – printed ones in labelled albums, and digital ones in Lightroom, all appropriately tagged for easy retrieval. Then I lost my computer and external drive with my entire photo library back in November while travelling in Portugal. While I did find an old backup, I lost about 6 months of images … some of them very special to me.

    Everything digital went to hell after that. The positive side to it is that I don’t take many photos anymore more. Something inside of me ‘broke’ when my cameras and computer were stolen. I can’t seem to muster up enough cares. I keep waiting for the inspiration to return.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joanne, oh I remember your experience in Portugal and I can understand why you’ve lost interest in photography. What happened to you sucked.

      I’m taking fewer photos than I used to. I don’t seem to feel a need to do so, thus I respect my gut on this one. The problem, of course, is what to do with all the disorganized digital ones AND the very old ones still in boxes. Will anyone in the future care about them? I’m here now and I’m not sure I do. 🙄

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  19. Wonderful, thanks. Our photos are most definitely NOT under control. I’ll be looking into this miss freddy site . . . I come from a small town so I guess I understand the appeal? But then, there are so many amazing cities . . . I’m not one to watch a lot of Netflix. I would rather be watching sports. Alas, these days that’s not an option so I’ve tried to get into some series. Most I find are too depressing, or too foul-mouthed, or too . . . I don’t know. The one I did like was The English Game -about sports!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Arlene, I hope you find Miss Freddy’s info useful. I just started reading through the site, but felt like sharing it here because what I was reading made sense to me.

      I grew up in a small city, too big for this list but I get the appeal of small towns. I’m happy to live in a big city now, happy to visit small towns from time to time.

      With no live sports right now I cannot imagine what you’re watching on TV. I’ve not heard of The English Game, but will check it out. Thanks for the idea.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Most of our photos are in 20 photo albums (downsized in 2008 from 60+ albums) ~ chronological from childhood through 2017, so it’s usually a quick find when I want to see photos from visits to Carmel, CA or Sanibel FL or Mystic CT or Bar Harbor ME or Ocean City MD or Cape May NJ or Taos NM or Ocracoke NC or Gatlinburg TN or Stowe VT or Williamsburg VA or Jackson WY (or other small towns, villages, and hamlets).

    We tend to stick with small towns on our travels. I don’t like big cities. So I enjoyed your link. Like you, we have visited a dozen of the towns listed with 38 to go.

    I also use my blog to find photos that I’ve shared since 2010. And I’ve got a few CD’s of family photos taken by my dad and granddad, as well as some photos from past computers on flash drives and photos since 2017 on this computer. So, generally organized, but not archived at a museum level.

    We’ve been watching shows on PBS, History, National Geographic, and Discovery. We just watched Jefferson and started Washington. Next up, Grant.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nancy, you’re organized with your photos, that is for sure. Good job, my dear. I don’t think you have to have photos at museum level of organization to enjoy them and know where they are when you want them. I just aims to know where a few are, without me swearing like a sailor while looking for them.

      I like big cities and small towns. I’m fairly open to visiting either, but this article did put in the mind to focus more on small towns in the future. When travel is a thing again, of course.

      Z-D just finished reading a Grant biography and is now immersed in Washington. I’m surprised he hasn’t found the shows you mention on PBS. I’ll let him know about them. Thanks.

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  21. I’ll go with “kind of sort of” on the photo question, and that’s fine with me because I don’t really care that much. Travel-wise, my yearnings are definitely outside of the States, but I always like small towns to visit. I’m a committed big metropolitan city dweller, so the contrast is always refreshing. I’ll have to check out Dead to Me, sounds fun. I’m mostly a mystery viewer. But my husband and I recently decided the 6 seasons of Outlander would be an interesting sequestering distraction, so we’re laying in a stock of popcorn and having at it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deborah, I’d be happy to upgrade myself to a “kind of sort of” organized photo person. Ironically I’m not much into photography, but I like to be tidy about the things I do.

      I wonder if when any of us travel it comes down to finding somewhere that is different, in some way, from our daily life. In that sense anywhere is a good place to visit as long as you are clever enough to find that which interests you.

      You’re the third commenter to mention Outlander. Apparently I am out of it as usual having missed it from the beginning. It sounds good, but 6 seasons sound overwhelming to me. Right now I’m into short TV series that get me laughing and thinking in short bursts.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. I’m all for traveling to small towns and prefer that to anything else! Sadly, I’ve only been to two on this list, and both in states I’ve lived (South Dakota and Oregon) so that hardly counts. I guess the bottom line is, I need to get out more!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Swinged Cats, this list interested me in that I’d been to 12 of the towns and I realized that I’d never made a conscious decision to visit them. They were all nearby somewhere else I was going to. I hope you get the chance to visit some of them, when you get out more.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. My old film photos are in boxes with most of the negatives not organized at. all. And I’ve got several albums, and a couple of scrapbooks journaling a couple of family trips. My digital images are organized by year, place, and date then backed up on external drives and a paid cloud-based system. He-Man has taken on the job of keeping my images backed up since he’s the IT guru in our family. I can’t tell you how blessed and lucky I am that he’s doing this for me!

    Small towns- Well, I lived in several small towns until I was nearly 10 then we moved to a bigger city in Silicon Valley where I lived until last year. Now I’ve come full circle and am back in the desert in a small town. I love it, but also love big cities, the lights, energy, culture…I like to visit both small towns, big cities, and way out of the way places. I’ve only been to 7 small towns on the list.

    I haven’t got Netflix so haven’t seen those shows/series. I have been watching what He-Man calls the “Old Man” shows. Diagnosis Murder, Matlock, and Magnum P.I. on the Hallmark channel, I also watch Murder she Wrote on that channel, but have to record that one b/c it’s on late at night. I watch several different cop shows on PBS. Midsomer Murders, Modus, Baptiste, Endeavor, Morse. I love all those cop shows. And I’m rewatching for the I don’t how many times Farscape.
    I’m waiting for a couple of shows to start their new season on Prime- The Expanse, Defiance, Bosch, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

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    • Deborah, you are more organized with your photos than I am with our photos. I’m sure that He-Man is a wonderful resource on this issue. I intend to be a better photo momma, but it never quite happens.

      I agree with you about the energy and culture in large cities. I like experiencing that but can appreciate the small town vibe, too. I suppose where you visit is all about how much time you have and what you’re in the mood for. No right or wrong answers when it comes to traveling for fun.

      You definitely are watching “Old Man” shows. I’m laughing here. I haven’t thought about those series in years, but I can imagine they’d be fun to watch when you’re feeling retro. I’ve seen a few episodes of Morse, but never got into the groove with those. Don’t know why. I’m not familiar with Farscape. If we had Amazon Prime I’m sure I’d like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but at this point in time we don’t have that streaming service. Something to look forward to.

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  24. Hi, Ally –
    Great questons.
    1. One of my ‘Shelter in Place’ Goals has been to clean up the digital photos on my computer. Working backwards, I am now at December 2013. That gives me 13 more years to go!
    2. I totally agree with visiting small towns. Actually, I’m just returning from that kind of mini-travel. And, any town called Sitka (especially in Alaska) definitely has my attention.
    3. I’m not much of a TV or Netflix watcher. If I do watch TV, I tend to simply watch Friends reruns. Boring…I know!

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    • Donna, you’re an inspiration. I need to follow your lead and just go do the digital photo clean-up like a boss. Instead, I dither.

      I like little mini-vacations and at this point am indifferent as to whether it is in a small town or a big city. It’s the travel I’m after, as in, not being here.

      I like Friends. There’s nothing wrong with watching reruns, imho. TV is for entertainment after all, so whatever entertains you is what you do.

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  25. Two links in which to lose myself for hours! Ally Bean – you spoil me 🙂
    1. Organised photos? Not bad … if still a bit of work to do. I do have a big project of combing through old family albums to digitalize them before my Mum takes them with her to the States. Hopefully lockdown will be over before she gets the green light to relocate …
    2. I love a small town for longer lazier stays, cities for brief busy breaks. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be crossing the Atlantic for a little while yet, but I can happily browse virtually 🙂
    3. Death to Me is noted & will be given as homework for Himself to source 😀 We are currently watching Downton (I know, how did I get this far without seeing it before?) Himself is tolerating it for my sake, but I find it gentle viewing for these troubled times. We are also working through The Crown with much enjoyment. I cannot add to your list of recommendations, but I do suggest most strongly that you avoid Gangs of London if you don’t like violence. Himself loved it, but even he had to avert his eyes from time-to-time.

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    • Deb, I admire your intention to digitize your family albums. To me that seems almost insurmountable, but I also admit that I haven’t put my heart into doing it, so perhaps I speak too soon.

      I agree that there’s a reason for enjoying both small towns and large cities. Different kinds of vacays, but good ones when you’re in the mood. You’re moving to North America? I’ll look forward to learning more about that.

      I watched most of Downton Abbey when it was on PBS, but not all of it. Z-D tried to get into it, but… We both enjoyed The Crown and are looking forward to the last season. I’ve not heard of Gangs of London, but with a name like that I’m not surprised it is violent. Duly noted, will not watch.

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      • There aren’t TOO many photos in the albums, but as I’m scribbling various family tales, I thought photos would be useful. I also have fond memories of some of them, although I may lose the love when I discover how long it takes!
        I’m afraid it’s just my mother planning on moving to live with my sister who’s already there. She (my sister) married a guy in the US navy & finally sorted out her citizenship so my Mum could relocate. We’ll visit though, or at least I will. Rumour is I’ll be bringing my granddaughter, as my daughter & son-in-law are afraid of flying. I may arrive absolutely exhausted as she’s quite the pip my granddaughter …

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        • Have at it, my friend. I’d guess that once you get into a rhythm about scanning the photos, with a little background music, it’ll go quickly. I tend to agree with you that flying across the pond with a granddaughter will be exhausting. I wish your mother the best of luck in her move. What a change of pace.

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  26. Well, this is timely for me! I’m still miffed about having to pack four big totes filled with nothing but photo albums, slides, and reel-to-reel tapes of my family’s younger days. How I became the de facto family historian is another story and most likely my fault alone (LOL!). However, I vow not to have to devote so much valuable packing real estate to my next move, so off to check out Miss Freddy I go.
    Thanks Ally!

    Deb

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    • Deb, I’m glad to provide you with something that may make your future life easier. I’m also the family historian, not by design by by default. I don’t really care much about what has been entrusted to me, but I don’t want to do the honor wrong either. I’m a complicated woman, with way too many images in her possession. 🙄

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  27. 1-photos sort of under control. 2- yes, we’ve spent many anniversaries in small towns within 3 hours of our home, chosen for their charm, history, and unknown potential. 3-watched season 1 of DTM but lots and lots of other Netflix series’ while hiding in place! Fun format Ally Bean, I enjoyed playing along.

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    • denny-ho, I’m impressed that your photos are under control. Please send some of that positive juju this way. I’m getting more into the idea of spending anniversaries in small towns near our home. I enjoy lots of what Netflix has to offer, but not all of it. The trick is finding the good stuff. Obviously.

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  28. I am an obsessive organizer! I have a photo album for every year since I left home😆 I like to travel to uncrowned places with natural beauty. As for television shows, I’m a tough customer. I loved the Crown on Netflix. I tend to lean toward the “based on a true story “ type shows. 🤗

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    • Sue, you’re amazing. I’ll never live up to your level of organization. Nonetheless I’ll do my best to get it together when it comes to photo organization. I can do better.

      I like uncrowded anywhere. It’s an introvert thing I imagine. Natural beauty is a draw for me, too.

      The Crown was, and I am hoping will continue to be, good TV. I don’t watch many shows based on true stories, but maybe I should? I’m usually a sucker for absurdity and relationships and pretty sets. And great writing, of course.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Trust me when I say true life stories are the best!! Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up! I’m also an introvert and a I love history. For some reason I’m more entertained when I know a show is based on true events. As for your photos, best to start by writing who’s who on the back. We went through my grandmother’s photos and we were so grateful she’d done that much. Otherwise we wouldn’t have recognized some of our own kin😆 Hugs💕

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  29. Once my digital photos were organized to a tee, but then . . .
    My excuse: My memoir needed publishing and I couldn’t do both.

    Your post reminds me, we need to figure out how to get a family photo taken before the 16-year-olds fly the coop. Maybe a Christmas card?

    We watched Sweet Magnolias which struck me as sentimental likewise, sort of Hallmark-y with a little cussing. I’ll have to check out Dead to Me.

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    • Marian, great excuse. I believe you. Perfectly reasonable that you let your photos slip.

      The thing about Sweet Magnolias is I’m more into watching sassy and edgy women who are tougher than the women in Sweet Magnolias. I’ve not read the novels which might be great. You know how TV/movie adaptations can change the feel of a series.

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  30. I can hardly ever find the photos I’m looking for unless I can remember about when I took it. (month, year) I haven’t watched either of those shows but need to find something to get engaged in. Small towns can be interesting, but a steady diet of them would bore me. I like big cities too. I’m off to see how many I’ve been too–probably not many!

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    • Margaret, your approach to finding your photos is spot on to my approach to finding our photos. It’s all about the dates.

      Dead to Me is one of those shows that will offend you if swearing bothers you, BUT the plot is amazingly complex, the acting is great, and the ending of each season is jaw-dropping.

      The number to beat on the small town list is 12!

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  32. My photos are under control. I have all the photos I’ve taken since 1961. The slides were scanned to the computer and put in a folder by year. All digital photos begin with a six digit number followed by a title. They are also in folders by year. I can usually find whatever I’m looking for in a few minutes.

    I grew up in a small town and would prefer to visit a town rather than a city. John was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, so he is comfortable in cities, though he can appreciate the attractions of a smaller place.

    We don’t watch TV.

    You ask questions that make me stop and think!

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  33. I need to spend some time on that web site, so many thanks for mentioning it. I have so many photos, some in old, peeling albums and others in boxes. In short, they’re all a royal mess.

    Your idea of visiting small towns is a good one. I keep thinking of a trip we made north a few years ago, and one of the best times we had was an overnight in Macon, GA. Between the local cuisine (true southern cooking , the historical museum, and the independent stores, we had a great time.

    We are in the middle of “Line of Duty” which is about an anti-corruption unit of a British police department (i.e. cops investigating other cops). It’s quite riveting.

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    • Marty, yes, yes, a royal mess. That’s what we have, too. Photos may be beyond me, but I’m trying.

      The link to the cool small towns got me thinking about how we default to big cities when we think about vacations. I was surprised by how many of the cool small towns I’ve been to, considering I thought we only did big cities.

      I’ve not heard of Line of Duty, but will look for it. There are so many TV shows out there anymore. It’s difficult to keep up.

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  35. My husband and I always traveled the back roads and small towns when we were on vacation and has some wonderful experience doing it. One time it took us seven days to get from Michigan to Florida when friends did the same trip in two.

    I’m going to check out that photo organizing website. I’m planning on organizing mine next winter.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jean, gotta love that it took you seven days to travel south like you did. Bet you saw a lot of the USA! We like to meander, too. We often take the scenic routes so the idea of intentionally going to cool small towns sounds good to us.

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  36. Someone else mentioned that Netflix show! I need to check it out.
    A couple summers ago, some friends and I visited some small towns in Minnesota. So much fun! We went in bookstores and visited museums. My ideal vacation!

    Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, if you find it, I hope you like Dead to Me. It’s compelling, just this side of almost believable. Plus I want Jen’s house.

      I like vacations like the one you describe. It’s the unexpectedness of going to small towns, never knowing what kind of quirkiness you’ll find. Then sharing the experience with friends.

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  37. Ally,
    Don’t get me started on my photos. That’s such a sad topic for me! 😦
    I grew up in a small town. It wasn’t Mayberry by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve never thought to actually vacation in one. I want a comfortable bed, great food, and lots to see and do when I vacation. I haven’t seen any of the shows you mentioned, so…there’s that. My daughter has the Disney Channel and I’m catching up on the Disney movies I missed after my kids were too old for me to take them to see well…Disney Movies. Not crazy about Frozen, but I really enjoyed the Repunzel one. Also, Coco melted my heart! 🙂 Mona

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    • Mona, I know what you mean about photos. It can be a difficult topic. ‘Tis for me.

      I grew up in a small city, so I take your meaning about when on vacation go big. I was amazed that I’d been to as many small cool towns as I have been.

      I’d like to see some of those Disney movies, too. I haven’t seen Frozen [yet] which I try not mention in polite society. We don’t have Disney Channel which I suppose is the best way to find those movies.

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  38. No way do I have my pictures under control … it’s on the list. In Europe I prefer staying in small towns but in the US not so much. Haven’t seen those shows! So thanks for the tip.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jan, the photo thing seems to be quite the problem for many of us. Interesting you’d note the difference between Europe and here. You’re right, small towns are unique to their geography. I like the one TV show, am less thrilled with the other, but I share them here if for other reason than to make readers aware.

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  39. Thanks for the Netflix recommendations. I have looked at the trailers for both of those shows. Good to know your thoughts on both.

    Our town (Lititz, PA) was America’s Coolest Small Town a few years ago. I think our town is pretty cool but I am not an objective observer.

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    • Laurie, Netflix has so many shows. I find I can go down the rabbit hole of watching all the trailers, never a show. Nothing wrong with that, but I know what you mean about seeing a trailer then wondering if it’s worth watching.

      You live in America’s Coolest Small Town? I’m impressed and am sure you’re not at all biased about your assessment of it. What a fun way to describe your town.

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  40. No, my photos are both numerous and unorganized. I still have slides from my almost-one-year-long trip to Europe in the mid-seventies (yes, I AM that “old”) and need to go through them and then get them to Costco to put on discs so I can actually enjoy them. Family photos are in a number of boxes and all the photos I’ve been taking with my camera a/o phone are on discs, so maybe the most organized.

    I think the small town thing sounds great. I love to travel and I’m not a fan of big cities, so I’ll have to take a look at your shared link. I’ve been to all the contiguous states to one degree or another, but some I haven’t been to for so many years that I don’t really remember them. What I’d really like to do is visit all the national parks (including those I’ve already visited) and lots of state parks, too.

    What’s the last question? Ah, Netflix. Haven’t seen either of those shows. We watched “Hinterland”, a Welsh show that was filmed in both English and Welsh. It’s a bit of a downer, but we enjoyed it. We’ve seen other things on Netflix, too. When we moved, we didn’t get cable, just kept Netflix and got CBS All Access, as the TV shows we enjoy are almost all on CBS (Blue Bloods and the various NCIS shows), so of course now there are not new ones because they can’t film. 🙂 But we’re re-watching some of the series we own: “Foyle’s War”, one of the best things every filmed, “Poirot” with David Suchet, both TV and movie-length shows, and “Monk”, at least the first seasons we have. We have more things to re-watch and I read voraciously rather than watch TV, although my husband likes to watch Netflix shows after I’m in bed. 🙂

    janet

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    • Janet, I’d love to see some of your photos from a yearlong trip to Europe in the mid-70s. What a point in time that’d be. I didn’t know about Costco’s service. I’ll keep that in mind.

      I’d like to see more small towns, too. I enjoy big cities, for the energy, but small towns are more engaging to me. And I’d like to see all the national parks. I have a friend whose travel always includes a national park or two.

      I’ve not heard of Hinterland, but will look for it. I’ve heard of Foyle’s War, although not sure where or when. We have Netflix, Hulu, and Acorn, but have never tried CBS All Access. In theory it sounds good, but I take your point about no new episodes. Thanks for the TV ideas. I appreciate them.

      Liked by 1 person

  41. The husband read that same article on small towns and I think it’s going to be the focus of our next podcast. Small world.

    I just discovered a show called Unorthodox on Netflix that looks fascinating. Four episodes, I think, so an easy binge!

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    • The Travel Architect, I was amazed by how many of the towns on the list I had visited, either as an adult or as a child. I’ll look for your podcast about small towns.

      I’ve not heard of Unorthodox, so I’ll look for it. Netflix is great, but I’ve come to realize I do best with word of mouth recommendations about what to watch there. Netflix’s ‘watch this next’ algorithm does not get me at all; hence, my experience with Sweet Magnolias.

      Liked by 1 person

  42. Well I am not organized in many things these days – I used to be able to lay my hands on anything in the house or garage, but not any longer.

    I took all my photos in all scrapbooks and photo albums and scanned them in over Thanksgiving 2017. I put them on Shutterfly and also a flash drive which I have in the safety deposit box. That said, it sounds admirable, however, most pages of the plastic overlay albums I could not remove the plastic, so that the image is not always crystal clear, but pretty good. I also had large, oversized albums, so scanning in the entire page was dicey. I have many JPEG images that may have five or six images on one JPEG image/page. So it will be a massive project to enlarge, make screenshots and create individual images. I do it now for blog posts (like today’s, the picture of me in a playpen looking like I’m in jail). But it is time-consuming indeed. The best part is that I took many photos on trips and inherited all the family albums, but never took the time to look at them as it was quite a bother to move stuff in the closet, open the boxes, etc. just to get at them. Now, I can hop onto Shutterfly and scroll through the various album titles and find a picture in a few minutes.

    I would love to go on a trip stopping at small venues – when I was young we traveled along Route 66 and stayed and visited small towns and we enjoyed doing that. You get to meet nice people, folksy people – my type of people.

    I do not have cable and have not watched any TV since early 2010. I did however peruse what was available with Amazon Prime and would like to watch some of those movies and TV shows, which may be stale to some, but they are new to me.

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    • Linda, kudos to you for getting your photos as organized as you have. I take your point about scanning in entire pages of old photo albums, of which I have a few. Most of my family photo albums are in boxes in closets that, like you said, are not easy to get to. Don’t know what I’ll do about the photos, but at least Miss Freddy’s website has got me thinking.

      I like the idea of going to cool small towns, perhaps just for the heck of it. To see what I can see.

      We don’t have Amazon Prime, but I’m sure there are good shows on it. Netflix and Hulu and Acorn we have, both on TVs and on our phones. Finding a good TV series is more challenging than it once was, but worth it when you do. The writing and the sets and the acting have come a long way since 2010.

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      • Ms. Freddy’s website had a lot of good features, including scanning with your smart phone using an app. I don’t have a smartphone, but I recall seeing a portable scanner from Hammacher Schlemmer. My boss subscribes to their e-mails and I read the featured item. So, I just Googled to find it and for $249.00 the gizmo scans over a photo and you don’t have to remove the photo and it’s easier and preserves the photo as well. I suppose if you had a lot of photos to do, that would work. Sharper Image has a comparable model for $199.00. I saw the item before I bought the Epson flatbed color scanner – I thought it was pricier at the time. I am able to enlarge and screenshot some pictures so you’d have no idea the JPEG was so small.

        I remember watching the TV show “Murder She Wrote” and wishing I could live in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine. I would love to know each person who lived there in town, smile and wave as I rode by on my bike and I’d know all the shopkeepers. That’s my idea of a wonderful town to visit and even better to live there. I could easily convert to that lifestyle.

        I am sure I don’t have the right TV to connect into a service like you mention Ally. I had the Amazon Prime trial for one month and just decided to get it for a year to try it out, especially until I see what happens with COVID-19 and how quickly there is a vaccine and things return to normal (if that is possible). There is also a large, ad-free music library that I’ve been listening to. I’ve not explored the books or reading materials that are free downloads and other books are given good discounts. I saw some TV shows I might like to watch, though when I find the time is another thing. I still have books I never got to from last Winter.

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        • We have a flatbed scanner, too. I know of the portable scanners but we went with a simpler device when we got one. I’ve not tried the app on my smart phone, but may do so if I ever get into truly organizing our photos.

          I remember Murder She Wrote and Cabot Cove. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than a handful of episodes. If I were to go live in a fictional TV town I’d chose Stars Hollow CT home to Gilmore Girls. I’m less of a bike rider, more of a coffee drinker.

          Enjoy your Amazon Prime. I know people love it, so I’m sure you’ll come to find what pleases you on it. I hear The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is great. Now that I think about it I realize it’s by Amy Sherman-Palladino who created Gilmore Girls.

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          • I have been saving the photos I used on my blog to create final photos. I will then eventually put them on a flashdrive and onto Shutterfly. It will take a long time to do that though.

            It was really a popular show at the time, but I think you are younger than me, so you are seeing it maybe on another channel like Hulu? I have never watched Gilmore Girls – I am really behind on my pop culture as to TV and movies.

            I used to ride my bike a lot and have an exercise bike downstairs. I don’t have a regular bike anymore. I was hit by a drunk driver while on my bike in July 4, 1976. The bike was not totaled and my parents’ homeowners insurance paid for the repair but I never rode again. I was not injured except for some bad bruising on my legs, but I got the woman’s license number and make of car – she took off. We went to court and her attorney said the sun was low on the horizon and I came out of nowhere, so she stopped and asked me how I was and helped me up off the ground. That was a lie. I wheeled the bike to the police department about five blocks away. I was in college at the time, on Summer break, working at the diner and we did all the prisoner meals, so I knew many of the police officers. I gave them the info – went to high school with the desk Sgt., so they believed me. She got a slap on the hand for going through a stop sign without stopping. I lost a day of work. I would like to get a bike to go on some of the bike trails at the Metroparks. Some of them go between three parks and it is a 20+-mile trip. But that is when I have more time, maybe when retired.

            I see there is a YouTube video to understanding your Amazon Prime. I have to familiarize myself with it more. I have spent the last two weekends in the backyard so have not had time yet to explore. But I do like the music on Amazon Prime. I sometimes listened to YouTube album sides, but they have all the ads, so you can search/pick albums with no ads … I like that a lot. And you can save lists of favorites. I was looking at what was available and put The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on my watch list – maybe over 4th of July. I saw some others as well. This may be a real win-win for me. It will take me a long time to catch up old movies and TV shows. There was a Blockbuster Video a few blocks away and after it went out of business due to Netflix, I stopped renting movies. That’s been at least a decade as well.

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            • Your bike incident is lousy. Both for you physically and for you to learn how the court system can fail you. What a stupid mess, but I’m sure if you choose to ride a bike again you’ll find it a whole different, better, experience.

              I don’t know the first thing about Amazon Prime, we’ve never wanted it. With Netflix and Hulu and Acorn + cable we have more than enough, considering how little we truly watch TV. Once upon a time it was easy to watch TV with 3 stations + PBS, and that was it. Now? It takes a primer course just to figure out how to turn on the TV, let alone how to get a TV show to appear on the screen. *sigh*

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              • Yes, I’ll get another bike eventually and ride it but not in the City. That would be better. My boss was riding his bike to work from home (R/T 18 miles) every day for one Summer a few years ago. He was hit by someone coming out of the Chrysler plant at shift change and knocked off the bike, sprawled on the ground. A fellow attorney/friend of his was driving down Jefferson Avenue and saw him laying there. He always wore fluorescent clothing and helmet and he recognized him, so got him and the bike.
                He had to got to the E.R. for the road rash as he was pretty gouged on his elbows and knees. People are in too much of a hurry sometimes – same thing with walking. If you walk in the neighborhood, you have to be wary of people not paying attention. I’ve heard other people mention how programming was an ordeal from TV … I’d better use Amazon Prime as a stepping stone. 🙂

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  43. My photos are basically under control. I would LOOOOOOVE to visit small charming towns across America, as I do not like cities at all. Never heard of those shows. Did you see the show Leverage? That’s one of my favorites. No idea if it’s on Netflix or not, however.

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    • Betsy, I want to get to a point where I can say our photos are under control. I hope you get the chance to visit all the charming small towns you could ever want to visit. I’ve not heard of Leverage, but will look for it. Thanks for the idea.

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  45. Yes, my photos are under control because I love to organize. But I’ve been putting off organizing my grandmother’s slides. In her last years she had dementia and undertook the project herself, but because of her illness she left me with a jumbled mess.

    I prefer small towns – cities overwhelm me! I’ve been to 5 of the ones on the list, Sanibel Island, Bar Harbor, Edgartown, Williamsburg. And Mystic, of course, countless times, because I live 12 minutes away.

    I’ve been watching “Sweet Magnolias” and think it’s a little too sentimental but a useful break from reality sometimes. Maybe I will switch to “Dead to Me.” My favorite Netflix series about dysfunctional families is “Offspring.” My husband and I both loved it, which is pretty rare.

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    • Barbara, I’m organized about things that I do in my daily life, but when it comes to photos my natural inclination to keep track of things seems to vanish. I don’t perceive them as a priority, I guess. I’ve some of those old slides, too. I wonder how mixed up they are?

      You’re near one of the coolest small towns? Well, aren’t you the one! It’s a fun list to peruse, if for no other reason than to see what makes each small town cool.

      I sometimes like sentimental TV dramas, but Sweet Magnolias didn’t grab me. Dead to Me is much edgier than Sweet Magnolias, and set in CA which seems more interesting to me than SC. I’ll look for Offspring. Another one I’ve never heard of. Thanks for the idea.

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      • They’re pretty mixed up. She was a nature photographer and her shots of butterfly eggs, caterpillars and pupas are all mixed in with family photos and travel photos. I can sort them out but it’s going to take a lot of time. She used empty aluminum foil boxes to store them, which I thought was pretty clever, but the cardboard has deteriorated so I guess I better find a way to get myself started soon.

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  46. Dead to me was introduced to me by my daughter. It is popular here. I don’t mind it and agree with your thoughts, but did take a while to get used to a very different kind of Christina Applegate. I have only seen her as Al Bundy’s teenage daughter previously Married with Children, previously.

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    • Amanda, yes Christina Applegate in Dead to Me is different from her previous role in Married with Children. As Jen she’s much tougher and smarter and determined. This endears the character to me, in spite of the language and her moral failings. Who among us is perfect, you know?

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  47. Luckily once retired Mom sorted many of the old family photos in to albums with archival sleeves – and made sure to label who was who. Smart brother digitalized his., I did manage to get the old films transferred to VHS tapes, but now that is outdated. Sooner or later the boxes of more recent photos will have to be dealt with or I’ll get scorned by the younger generation for not keeping up (and making thing easier for them) HAHa
    One local tv news station is featuring short small town trips for summer. We have to laugh as many of those are small rural place we hated being dragged to as kids to visit relatives/parents escaping the big city on weekends. Now trendy and cool places. (maybe we can give local tours HAHA)
    We watch less and less tv. With daylight savings time, it’s often late by the time we are done with walking the dog (cooler-is at dusk) and come back inside. Dinner is solace ( and not because it’s stylish) Just not enough time fo sit and stare ( and little other to encourage us to do so)

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    • philmouse, sorting photos is a chore. Or at least it is for me. You’re lucky to have the older ones organized is a way that makes sense to you. As for your recent photos… good luck with that.

      That is funny that your local TV news is featuring all the places you didn’t like as a kid. Short trips, smaller destinations must be THE thing right now. Guess you can say, ‘been there, done that’ with a smile on your face.

      My interest in TV comes and goes. Right now I’m into it during the day more than before. Z-D hasn’t seen the shows I mention, but at night we watch a few series, often ones on Acorn.

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  48. I have my photos pretty organized. I have albums from the 90s all the way through 2014. But I just stopped printing them and have them online only. But I do love to go back into the albums and look through them,

    We love the little towns in the Midwest to explore. We are lucky that we are so close to Chicago and Milwaukee and all the little places in between, Our favorite little towns to visit are Lake Geneva, Wis., Cedarburg, Wis. and Door County, Wis. (actually a county, not just a town).

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  49. Oh, my… am I late to this party or what? Even so, I will answer your questions in hopes they are still useful:

    1) I’m not the most organized person in the world but my photos are all in files and easily accessible. I spent hour and hours doing this about a year ago and I’m so glad I did. Thanks for the tip about ms. freddy’s blog, it looks like a good one.
    2) I love small towns! One of my favorite road trips was along Route 66 from St. Louis to California. Lots of charm and friendly people.
    3) We haven’t seen the shows you listed but we are very much enjoying After Life (not sure what service it’s on) and Unorthodoxed (again, not sure). I often think I shouldn’t watch so much tv, but I keep discovering good stuff.

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    • Janis, you’re always welcome here. I need to be more organized about our photos. I feel bad about how they’ve been ignored, but you said it when you mentioned hours and hours to get them in order. Am I lazy? Probably yes.

      I’d enjoy traveling Route 66 and am jealous that you’ve done that. Well, maybe not jealous, but inspired. We need to do that.

      I’ve not heard of either show you mention. That’s really why I asked the question. I want to know what I’m missing. Thanks for your ideas.

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  50. How interesting – I’ve been to four of these – VA, FL, MI, TN – but not the one in my own home state of WI. I may have to remedy that!!

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  51. Love Dead to me! Not so much Sweet Magnolias. I was hoping I’d like it better then I did. Did you watch Ozark? I loved it but realize it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. We liked the Stranger, based on a Harlan Cobin book. There are a few of them, but we liked this series best. On Prime, the first series of Sneaky Pete is great! I need to watch it again. I thought it was clever.

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    • Pam, I’ve not seen Ozark but have heard good reviews of it. I don’t know about Stranger so will look for that as well. We don’t have Amazon Prime, but I’m getting a good list of shows to watch if we ever get it. Thanks for the ideas.

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  52. I’m going to check out Miss Freddy’s site; I’m working on my photograph organization. IT IS A BIG JOB.

    I love small towns. We just had a little get-away (don’t hate) and we stopped in a small town for lunch/shopping and then spent two days in another beach small town. It was delightful!

    I loved Dead To Me. The Magnolia show didn’t appeal to me, so I’m glad to know I didn’t miss anything. We’re anticipating the next season of Yellowstone. (It’s on Paramount) But, we both loved Ozark on Netflix.

    Great sharing post!

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    • Suz, I like any website that solves my problems and does it in an understandable way. That’s why I thought talking about Miss Freddy might be a good idea.

      I’m glad you got to go on a get-away and look forward to the day when we do, too. Ozark has been recommended the most, so I plan on watching it soon-ish. Sweet Magnolias was too sweet for me. Now if it had been Snarky Magnolias…

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  53. I’m almost embarrassed to say that I do have my photos under control. It’s sort of an obsession with me…. I print them off, write the dates and names on the back, and put them in albums that are also dated. The extra ones I put in photo boxes, also sorted. And I store the ones from digital cameras (I have lots of old family photos in print only) on my computer and the cloud. Like I said, obsessive……

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  54. I do not have my photos under control. I’m working on it….very, very slowly. I’ve only visited 3 of those cool, small towns. I guess I have some traveling to do (at some point). We traveled to Oriental, NC on our way home from the beach last year. My mother-in-law had some memories from there and we wanted to check it out. It had some beautiful water. We also had a cabin in Blairsville, GA many moons ago and I loved it there. Somebody from around here mentioned they enjoyed Sweet Magnolias so I had planned to see what it was about. Interesting that many seem to not enjoy it. I have not watched the other show either. I will second Pam and say that Ozark is fantastic.

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    • Amy, I’ve never heard of Oriental NC but have heard of Blairsville GA, although I’ve never been there. Like all TV series some resonate with you, others don’t. I only mentioned Sweet Magnolias because after I finished Dead to Me, the Netflix algorithm suggested it. It was nothing like Dead to Me, so I felt slightly betrayed by Netflix. I’ve added Ozark to my list. Thanks for giving it another thumbs up.

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  55. Ally, This is the second time this week, organizing photos has been brought to my attention. Especially the old home videos. Maybe I should put these on my priority list and get them onto a USB. We also enjoyed both seasons of “Dead to Me.” Just started “Never have I ever.” Also, Netflix. A lot of buzz on this series. Very witty and different from what is out there.

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    • Erica/Erika, maybe we’re all turning our attention to organizing photos because it seems like a good thing to do while staying at home. I’ve not heard of [oh the irony] “Never have I ever” so I’ll look for it. I like different TV shows that entertain and make me think. There’s only so much NCIS a person can tolerate, you know!

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      • Ally, “Never have I ever” is okay…. a better series you may like if you have not already watched “The Stranger” by Harlan Coben, I think 2020 release. One season comes to a conclusion after 8 episodes. English, murder mystery, twists and turns, you don’t know the ending until the last 15 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to get used to the English accents………and then get ready for a ride……

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        • Oh that sounds like a wonderful TV series for me. I’ll look for it and be patient with the English accents. Sometime I hear the words clearly, sometime I don’t. Must be different dialects from different regions?

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  56. 1) If there is an opposite of “under control” that is MORE opposite than “out of control”, that’s what my digital photos are. My husband has our family photos under control and #4 Daughter has her grandmother’s and great-grandfather’s under control, but mine–physical and digital–are, you know, not.

    2) I live outside a small town, and going to a small town is LIKE going to a big city for me. Have you ever been to Corydon, Indiana? If you do, message me; I’ll hitch the mule to the buckboard and meet you for a sarsparilla. Outdoors, of course.

    3) I watched all of Breaking Bad, El Camino, and Better Call Saul, and I’m rewatching Breaking Bad. These are about as far from my usual fare as it is possible to get and still have it comprehensible in this dimension. But the interpersonal dynamics and psychological quirks are addictive.

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    • Marian, I take your meaning about the issue of, shall we say, successfully maintaining photos. I liked the website because I found Miss Freddy’s advice seems sound to me– and more to the point doable.

      I didn’t see Corydon IN on the list of cool small towns, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t. I mean if you can get sarsaparilla there, what more do you need?

      I watched the first episode of Better Call Saul, but there was gruesome brutality and I don’t watch shows that have violence in them. Friends loved Breaking Bad, but told me I’d never be able to handle some of the scenes. It’s a shame because I love seeing what makes people tick but not at the expense of having nightmares afterward.

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      • I hear you about Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. As I said, gruesome is NOT how I roll, so I can’t explain why I can take it in that context. I couldn’t watch The Sopranos. Maybe it’s because violence is IN NO WAY GLORIFIED in BB and BCS. (BCS has very little overt violence in the first 4 seasons, which is all I’ve seen.) Maybe I can take it because I’m in such a dark place inside right now.

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        • I never tried to watch The Sopranos. You make a good point about the way in which violence is framed and how that can influence whether you can take watching it. Technically Dead to Me has violence in it but it didn’t bother me at all. 🤷‍♀️

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  59. 1. My photos are sort of under control. I can usually find what I am looking for, but where I look for them is ridiculous, like a 28 year old Gap bag that has our wedding photos, which really SHOULD be in an album. Sigh.

    2. I’ve been to 2 of the small towns on the list…Carmel by the Sea, CA, and Moab, UT. Both are OK, but not really my cup of tea. There are plenty of smaller towns that I DO like though, so maybe should check out the list if I get a chance.

    3. We loved Dead To Me. I haven’t tried the other one, and thanks to your brief review, likely I will not. Thanks for that! We finished watching ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’, which recently became available on Netflix again. It is very popular. My daughter LOVED it when she was a pre-teen, and loves it just as much now. It’s funny, sweet, and engaging. Now we’re watching the sequel series, ‘The Legend of Korra’ on CBS All Access. So far, I really like that as well.

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    • J, made me laugh with your Gap bag filled with photos. THIS I understand all too well. Sounds familiar.

      I don’t know what specific criteria was used for the cool small towns list. I know that while I’ve been to 12 of them, I don’t remember much about some of them. Maybe the real point of lists like this one is to get you thinking about doing something different? 🤷‍♀️

      I’ll look for Avatar: The Last Airbender. I’m not familiar with it, so thanks for the idea. We don’t have CBS All Access, although many commenters have mentioned it. Maybe someday we’ll spring for it.

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