Inside Marcy's Mind
Having hosted the Aging aint for Sissie's podcast for two years, I wanted to expand what I could discuss. This podcast will touch on the fun of aging and whatever has crossed my mind! Please join me as I walk through life! #retirement #travel #fun #aginggracefully Link in my bio! Listen now!
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#aginggracefully
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Inside Marcy's Mind
Embracing the Season: Creating Your Perfect Summer Blueprint
The days are longer, the bugs are bolder, and the fridge is 90% watermelon - summer has arrived! This episode explores what it means to be intentional during these precious 100 days of summer many of us experience.
After sharing some exciting podcast news (I'm resurrecting my "Aging Ain't for Sissies" podcast alongside this one!) and personal updates about my ongoing cancer treatment, I dive into what summer means to different people. Whether you're managing kids who are suddenly home from school or enjoying retirement like me, summer invites us to reset our routines and embrace a different rhythm.
What does your ideal summer look like? I guide you through creating a realistic summer bucket list - not pie-in-the-sky dreams you'll never accomplish, but attainable joys like trying one new local adventure, enjoying screen-free afternoons, or experimenting with a new summer recipe. For me, it includes hosting a rooftop luncheon for my girlfriends, something I've been planning meticulously despite the challenges of Chicago weather and my building's "no glass" policy on the deck!
I also share mini summer rituals worth embracing: morning light walks, decluttering just one space (maybe your beach bag?), and creating weekly "joy lists" of three things you're looking forward to. Summer is the perfect container for intentional living because its boundaries are clear - approximately June through August for most of us.
As we cruise into what I call "the SPF and grilling everything season," I encourage you to write down your own summer intention. Mine? "Laugh more, stress less, and only commit to plans if they involve snacks and shade." What will your summer story be?
Share your summer intentions with me at InsideMarcisMinд@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @marcibackus. And remember, summer bodies are made in the kitchen, mostly standing in front of the fridge.
Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host, and I'm happy to say this is episode number 46 of this podcast. But I have some exciting news I am resurrecting Aging Ain't for Sissies, my other podcast. I'm going to do both. So I'm going to keep aging content on aging aim for sissies and this will remain my fun. How to type podcast whatever's inside my mind, which is who knows what, but I'm excited to say so. Um, on where all podcasts are found, on where all podcasts are found Spotify, you name it, google, apple Podcasts you will be able to find both Inside Marci's Mind and Aging Ain't for Sissies. You'll also be able to find back episodes on each one of those. So if you've missed an episode or you want to catch up on the episode, you can always find them there. You can also find Inside Marci's Mind at InsideMarcisMindcom. Aging Aimed for Sissies is going to also have a new website and I will get that information to you at our next podcast.
Speaker 1:But today is check in. Doing great, doing radiation every day, two o'clock, doing good Copacetic everything's just moving quite fine there. So I'm very excited. On Wednesday my son and his girlfriend are coming for a week. We've got all kinds of things planned, so, fingers crossed, my energy continues to stay up. We are in June, the days are longer, the bugs are bolder and the fridge is basically 90% watermelon. Emotionally, I'm somewhere between let's go on a spontaneous road trip and I'll be indoors until September. Thank you. So I don't know about you, but it's June. I'm excited about June.
Speaker 1:In Chicago we get about 100 days of summer and they're lagging a little bit. I think today our high is in the 60s, so hopefully we'll crank them up. I'm sick. Like I said, I'm sick of complaining about being cold. I'd like to start complaining about being hot. But yeah, the bugs are coming. I've even noticed them inside my condo on the 36th floor. There are these little. I think they're like no-see-ums. They're on the window out there and occasionally they squeeze through the screen. So although you don't get very many bugs on the 36th floor, you can occasionally. I've never seen a spider here. I can say that Now, living in the suburbs in California, I saw spiders all the time. I have not seen a spider in our condo. Now watch, I'll see one today, but I have not seen one.
Speaker 1:I also have a very big anniversary on June 5th, I want to say, was my anniversary of driving into the city of Chicago to start our new adventure here. Craig had already been here since March. I came in and two a day later or two days later, the moving truck came and and so it began. I have moved so many times with Craig. I have total moving PTSD and I don't know if this is the end of the road for us here in Chicago, where we'll land, or if something else. But I'll tell you what would keep me from moving somewhere else. It's just the thought of moving, even though we have so very little now compared to what we had. We still have a lot of crap, but we have a storage unit and we have our one bedroom condo Not so much stuff. I did a great job getting rid of all of that when we moved out of the big house and to here. So that is my anniversary. I'm very excited about it.
Speaker 1:I love my life here in Chicago. I have wonderful friends. Shout out to the pool pals, my ladies in the pool. And we are not just friends in the pool, we are friends out of the pool. I um, craig and I have a wonderful church family and are very active in our church. Craig actually works for the church now as a project manager in the redesigning of some of the spaces inside the cathedral, so that's quite exciting. My kids are doing well. Life is good.
Speaker 1:So how are you feeling heading into this season? Today we're going to talk about summer season and what's it mean? So hang in there, we're going to start that segment in just a moment. So how are you feeling heading into this season? It's June. What does June mean to you? I think it means something different. If you still have kids at home, it means the kids are out of school. Now you are in charge of entertaining them. I stayed home with my kids. I know a lot of people work, so it takes on a lot of different looks. June and the summer Not everybody's summer is the same, but now I'm retired, don't have any kids to keep track of, just trying to keep Craig out of my hair. So how are you feeling?
Speaker 1:What is one thing you want less of For me? Mosquitoes. I don't want mosquitoes this summer and no humidity. Those are the two things I and you know. Since I've moved here to Chicago I haven't had a lot of humidity, so I just don't want any. I don't like it. So those are a couple of things I want less of. Think about it. What do you want less of? In this summer season, if you have kids at home, you may want less whining, less complaining. What is something you want more of? Peace and quiet. Frozen margaritas that don't taste like sadness. I don't know what is it that you want? I want more Diet Coke. I want to try to relax in my cancer treatment. I want to. When I'm done with radiation, I have to do 12 more weeks of chemotherapy. I don't want to do it. I already did 12 weeks. So I want to have my mindset change. What is one thing you want more of? Think about it. What do you want less of? What do you want more of?
Speaker 1:Let's talk about a summer bucket list, so a summer bucket list is different. Talk about a summer bucket list, so a summer bucket list is different. It's not a lifetime achievement award, so to speak, but a summer bucket. I'm sorry there was a motorcycle out there, scared me. Summer bucket list, a realistic addition, not like a pie in the sky we all have pie in the sky things but a good summer bucket list Until we look at it in August and realize we did exactly none of it. We all love a good summer bucket list, but until we look at it in August and realize we did not. So I don't want you to do that. So let's keep it real. Here's the realistic summer, here's an idea of a realistic summer bucket list, and I want you to adjust it to you. But I do want you to come up with a summer bucket list. I'm going to I hope you can too One local adventure, even as just discovering a new coffee shop or walking in a park.
Speaker 1:That doesn't make you question your life choices. So think about it. One of the things that Craig and I are doing differently. We live in Chicago, the land of a million restaurants and good restaurants. I found that we had gotten into kind of a rut. We were kind of just tapping into our usual spots, so I pushed us out. Last weekend we ate at a new restaurant. Saturday I came home from the gym and I was craving a Greek salad. So we are very blessed to have a Greek town. Let's drive over to Greek town. So we went over to Greek town, to Greek Isle, one of the most famous and long lasting Greek restaurants in Chicago, and had lunch. We could have walked to McDonald's or Chick-fil-A right next door, but no, I wanted to push us out.
Speaker 1:So think of one local adventure you can do, and. And do that A screen-free afternoon. And do that A screen-free afternoon. Think about a screen-free afternoon. Put your phone away for an afternoon. Now, one of the things here in Chicago I've learned in the three years that I've lived here is enjoy the outdoors while you can. Coming from California, you can have 80 degrees days any month of the year. Let me tell you something, honey In Chicago, after August, if you're lucky, if you see something like that again, september can be iffy. It can be enjoyable Come October, forget it, and you're not going to see another 80 degree day till July or June. I mean we'll be lucky. Well, I think we've had one in June already. So until June, that's a long time to go between eating outdoors and being outdoors a lot Besides just walking to and fro where you need to be. So for me it's spending as much time outside as I can.
Speaker 1:Try a new summer recipe, something like grilled peaches, or a pasta salad that everybody lies about liking at the barbecue. Just kidding A good. A new pasta salad. Now I've made a pasta salad my entire marriage to Craig that everybody loves. My kids love it. Alec makes it when they go camping because he says it's a great source of protein and energy. But I've seen a lot of new pasta salads that I want to try. I'm going to have a bar.
Speaker 1:Ok, my house is not big enough to entertain people, not like it used to be, and if you are old friends of Craig and I, as you know, we were big entertainers. But during the summer my building has an astronomically huge deck with tons of seating 10 built in barbecues, plantings galore, couches. It's huge, it's beautiful, it's rooftop, it's amazing. And I'm going to have a luncheon. I haven't been able to entertain any of my lady friends, so if you're listening to this, expect a invitation for a July afternoon luncheon outdoors. Now, it can be iffy in Chicago because you can't get a rainstorm or wind, but I'm going to plan an outdoor luncheon for my girlfriends. I've already planned the menu. I've already bought settings and all that kind of stuff, because that's the other thing Our deck can have no glass. So when I moved from California, I got rid of all my plastic wear and everything and I saved all these great things for Craig and I to entertain with when we had a barbecue. But I can't use glass out there and my trays, my this, my that are all glass. So I've been procuring again, which kills me because when you get rid of things although the the plastic plates I had were more Mediterranean and that's not my style anymore, so I'm going to look at it that way. So that's that's my bucket list.
Speaker 1:If it brings you joy or an excuse to wear flip-flop, flip-flops, flip-flops I can't even say that word and ironically, it counts just pick a few things this summer you want to do and do them. Write them down. I'm going to tell you to write them down because if you don't, they don't exist, they're just out in the world. When you write something down, it becomes concrete. Summer is a vibe and a chance to reset, kind of like your wi-fi router, but with better lighting. I love summer lighting. Oh, summer afternoons, that summer sunsets that we get here.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about some mini rituals that you might, you might procure or or put together for your summer time. How about a morning light walk? Just get out and do a light walk. Don't think about exercise, don't think about anything, but I just want to get out and breathe the air, feel the feel of summer. I love it because I do walk to the gym. Now I don't love it so much in the winter If it's raining and it's super cold.
Speaker 1:I will drive the couple blocks and I use the excuse that I need to charge my car and they have chargers there. I don't have chargers in my building but nonetheless I'll drive, but most of the time I do walk. The summer is the best time to walk. Funny enough, when you walk in the suburbs you don't have to think about walking traffic. But when you walk in the city I was just talking to my friend Lynn this morning the tourists are here. Yeah, they're here and they walk slow and they look around. That's all fine, but I need to be somewhere. So we take side streets. When the tourists are here, we stay off the main drag. What's kind of funny to me.
Speaker 1:Get outside early, like I said, even if it's just to wave at your neighbor who's been mowing the lawn since 6 am or using their weed. You know what I don't miss here, living in the suburbs in California? All you hear are leaf blowers, because everybody's gardener comes a different day, so there's always a leaf blower going. Plus, we lived on a golf course, but nonetheless I do not miss that here. I have a lot of other obnoxious noises, but it's not leaf blowers.
Speaker 1:Declutter one space, just one space. Don't make it a huge thing. Don't make it a big to do. Maybe it's where you keep all your summer goodies. I've already pulled out my summer beach bag. I've washed all my towels. I have new sunscreens, because sunscreens do not last forever, so check your sunscreens. I decluttered my summer bag. Maybe that's what you do. It could be a closet. It could be your inbox. It could be a mental junk drawer that just tells you you're behind. Guess what? You're not. We're never behind. We're always right where we're supposed to be.
Speaker 1:Create a joy list Every week. Write down three little things you're looking forward to. Yes, ice cream can be on it every week. So look at your week ahead and think about three things that you're looking forward to, and if you don't have three things, my suggestion is you add something in there. This is summer, this is the time of fun.
Speaker 1:I ask you, what does summer mean to you? Is it when your freckles come back and you pretend it's intentional? Is it the season of flip-flops, sunburns and pretending lemonade counts as hydration Kind of that. For me, three words pool, popsicles and not parenting after 7 pm. I remember those days Pool and popsicles. I love popsicles. Strawberry popsicles from Whole Foods is my favorite. I've been having those every night for my little sweet treat. They're low in calories. They're good for you I don't know Good stuff. Summer is here. I want you to go out and enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Today's episode's not very long, but I think it's very meaningful. Summer is a hundred days and you may live in a place that summer lasts a lot longer, but the feeling and the intention of summer really is just those hundred days of summer June, July and August. I know in California September was one of the prettiest months, especially at the beach. But look at your summer and think about it. We have a great Fourth of July weekend planned, as always. We're going to California and our friends have that beautiful beach house right on the sand in Newport. Thank you, Bob and Lucy, for always including us and I'm looking forward to some beach time. Hopefully I'll be able to fly with a stupid blood clot in my leg, but I'm intending on it.
Speaker 1:Intentions are important. So set your intentions for the summer. Figure out what you'd like your summer to be. If you have ideas that you want me to feature on this podcast, please let me know. You can email me at InsideMarci'sMind at gmailcom. You can DM me at insidemarcismind at gmailcom. You can DM me on Instagram, marci Backus, send me what you'd like me to talk about. Remember, you can get this podcast, where all podcasts are found.
Speaker 1:And what is happening? What is happening? I am revamping my old podcast, aging Ain't for Sissies, and I look forward to you listening to that as well. So, as we cruise into the SPF and grilling everything season, I'll leave you with this what's your summer intention? What's your summer intention mine? Laugh more, stress less and only commit to plans if they involve snacks and shade. Write yours down, say it out, loud, text it to a group chat, make it a vibe. Find out what your friends intentions are. Again, you know where you can find my podcast. That's it for today's episode. If you had a good time, leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or Google or wherever you're getting my podcasts. Please tell a friend who needs a dose of sunshine, with a side of sarcasm, because you know that's what you'll always get with me. Until next time, stay cool, stay kind and remember summer. Bodies are made in the kitchen, mostly standing in front of the fridge. Go out there and do something positive.
