Things I Love — Patagonia Houdini Jacket

We’ve been having some strange weather this year. One minute it is partly cloudy with lots of sun, and just a few minutes later it is a pouring deluge. Lots of very windy days too. You just never know what the weather is going to hold.

Thankfully, this spring I bought a Patagonia Houdini Jacket. It has really been nice to have. It’s super lightweight and breathable. When on, it feels like you are wearing nothing extra but it does a great job protecting one against a chilly wind or most light drizzles. And, thanks to its light and breathable nature, a good run or other athletic activity is not out of the question (in fact, it is designed for such).

But perhaps the best part is that it packs into its own chest pocket resulting in a package about the size of a frozen burrito. Easy to throw into a bag or even a side pocket of your chinos. Mine pretty much stays with me in recent days. You just don’t know what surprises the weather now holds.

Your Independence Day

When the American Revolutionaries gathered to declare their Independence from Great Britain, it was really just the beginning of a hard fought war to actually achieve that goal. It was not until the Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783 that this freedom was secured.

It is because of this that one might find it a good day for personal reflection. One to seek, discover, and declare those things in life we want to declare our own independence from.

Is there is an unhealthy relationship in your life you know it’s time to be free of? Maybe, there is a task or project that hangs over you. One you need to either complete or walk away from. Or, a habit or addiction that is time to break free of. Then, there is freedom from debt or financial freedom. Freedom from having to worry. All of us have something we wish we could be free of.

Perhaps, this is a good day to declare your independence from something. Sit down, grab a paper and pen, date it, write it out, and sign your name. Tack it up in a prominent place so that you are forced to remember this day — your independence day.

Freedom from anything that takes away value from our lives is, like those brave revolutionaries discovered, worth fighting for. And, stating definitively what you are fighting for is a reminder of what makes the time, effort, blood, tears, wins, losses, and every thing else it takes worth it.


Your free will donation of any amount helps to support a full-time independent writer. Thanks for reading!

Items of Interest #16

Here are some things. Things you might enjoy. Things that may inform. Things that may entertain.

That should keep you busy for a while. It’s a short week so I know you weren’t planning on getting any work done anyway.


I’m a writer. Writing is how I make this world a better, friendlier, stronger place. If these words improved your day, please let me know by contributing here.