A Camping Evolution

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From Roughing It to “Real” Camping

I used to love camping—or at least, the version of camping I thought was the only “real” way to do it. Back in my twenties, my boyfriend and I would hike into the woods at dawn during deer season, carrying everything we needed on our backs. Base camp was nothing more than a makeshift lean‑to with a plastic rain hood. For bedding, we gathered leaves, tossed our sleeping bags on top, and called it luxury.

It even snowed once. Believe it or not, it was cozy in that youthful, indestructible, 25‑year‑old way. Our body heat kept us warm, even if our wet socks froze instead of drying. I used to sneer at people in fancy campers—that wasn’t camping. Oh, how times change.

The Miserable Tent Era

A few years later, the boyfriend was gone, and I’d graduated to borrowed tents. One unforgettable week in Pennsylvania taught me everything I needed to know about leaky canvas and relentless rain. I never dried out—not once. From the girl who camped happily in the snow to the woman who was utterly defeated by nonstop drizzle… yes, things had definitely changed.

 

 

Stepping Up: My Winnebago Summer

After that soggy disaster, I skipped right over pop‑ups and bought a 23‑foot Winnebago. I rented a seasonal site at a New Hampshire campground, slept in the bunk over the driver’s seat, and shared the tiny space with a dog and a cat. It remains one of the best summers of my life.

Dumping the tanks? Hated it. But after my earlier camping experiences, walking to the campground facilities for showers and restrooms felt like a minor inconvenience.

The Air Mattress Years

Eventually, I took a break from camping altogether. But I did buy an air mattress for my small apartment so I could host out‑of‑town visitors. That first mattress didn’t last long—it developed a leak, and by morning it was flatter than a pancake.

Years later, when friends and family upgraded to 5th wheels—one on the Cape, one near Lake George—I dipped my toes back into camping by borrowing their hospitality. That’s when my brother introduced me to his wife’s version of camping: glamping.

What Exactly Is Glamping?

Glamping—short for “glamorous camping”—blends the beauty of the outdoors with the comforts of a boutique hotel. Think nature, but with proper beds, electricity, running water, and sometimes even on‑site dining.

Key Features

  • Unique accommodations: safari tents, yurts, treehouses, domes, airstreams, cabins
  • Comforts of home: plush bedding, furniture, heat/AC, private bathrooms
  • Nature immersion: scenic, remote locations without sacrificing comfort
  • Convenience: no packing, hauling, or setting up gear

Common Amenities

  • Private bathrooms and hot showers
  • Stylish, photo‑ready interiors
  • Decks, fire pits, and outdoor seating

My sister‑in‑law had her own DIY version: a wooden deck for the tent, throw rugs, heavy‑duty air mattresses, and full linens. Not quite the full-service glamping experience—no hosts or staff—but definitely a step up from my leaf‑bedding days.

Back to Today: Time for a Better Air Mattress

Now I’m in a small one‑bedroom condo with two cats and a twin bed. When family visits, I give them my bed and take the air mattress myself. After my first leaky disaster, I made sure to choose a far more durable model this time around.

And let me tell you—it’s comfortable, supportive, and doesn’t deflate overnight. It inflates quickly, holds its shape, and makes hosting so much easier. If you’re looking for a reliable option, you can check out the King Koil air mattress . Maybe I’ll even take it camping again one of these days.

The Day My Popovers Turned Into Scrambled Eggs

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A Recipe I Could Make in My Sleep… Until I Couldn’t

Have you ever messed up a recipe you’ve made so many times you could practically do it blindfolded? I have — and I’m still shaking my head. Popovers are my thing. I love them, I’ve shared my recipe, and they always rise into big, glorious puffs that make me feel like I actually know what I’m doing in the kitchen.

So naturally, I decided to “improve” them. Because why leave perfection alone when you can tinker with it and create chaos instead?

The Brilliant Idea That Wasn’t

The other day I thought I’d try a new twist. Instead of whisking the batter like a normal, functioning adult, I figured my blender might give me a smoother mix. I added the milk and eggs, set the blender jar aside to come to room temperature, and went about my morning like a culinary genius in waiting.

Later, I hit blend, poured the mixture into my popover pan, slid it into the oven, and waited for the magic.

Spoiler: the magic did not happen.

The Big Reveal: Breakfast Betrayal

Thirty minutes later, I opened the oven expecting towering popovers. Instead, I was greeted by… scrambled eggs. Perfectly cooked, fluffy scrambled eggs sitting in each cup like they owned the place.

Meanwhile, the “batter” — and I use that word loosely — sat like a sad little puddle at the bottom of each well. When I cut one open, scrambled eggs spilled out. I stood there mystified. Did I overmix? Forget the salt? Anger the popover gods?

Nope. It was far more basic than that.

I never added the flour.

Not a speck. Not a dusting. Just eggs and milk baked enthusiastically into breakfast. A major fail, even by my standards.

Redemption Round

So now I’m redeeming myself with another batch — this time using a whisk and a hand mixer like a sensible human. No shortcuts. No gadgets. No “brilliant ideas.”

 

Just me, my popover pan, and a very bruised ego.

 

Homemade “Crazy Puffs”

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Homemade “Crazy Puffs” — My Mini Pizza Experiment

Before we take a little break from cooking posts (travel stories, kitty antics, and other fun things are calling), I wanted to squeeze in two more easy recipes. Today’s adventure: Crazy Puffs.

Have you ever tried Little Caesars’ Crazy Puffs? I’ve heard of them for ages, but since there’s no Little Caesars near me anymore, I’ve never actually tasted the real thing. Still, I love small portions and bite‑sized snacks, so while I was already playing around with pizza dough, I figured—why not try making my own version at home?

If you’ve never encountered a Crazy Puff, think of it as a bite‑sized pizza snack, about the size of a muffin, filled with classic pizza flavors. They’re designed to be handheld, easy, and fun—perfect for pizza lovers who want something quick and poppable.

So how do we make them at home?
I’ve got two versions. I’ve only tested one so far, but it came out great. The second version will be coming up in another post, and you can decide which one you like better.

Crazy Puffs — Version 1

Ingredients

  • 1 (13.8‑oz) pizza crust, such as Pillsbury
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons garlic salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups jarred pizza sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups pepperoni slices
  • 4 cups pre‑shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack. (that’s incase of drips)  Coat a shallow 12‑cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
  2. Roll the pizza dough across the muffin tin, stretching it so it covers the entire surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 12 squares. Discard any excess.
  3. Press each dough square into a muffin cup, bringing the dough halfway up the sides.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper. Brush the seasoned butter onto each dough cup.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon pizza sauce to each cup. Layer 2 slices of pepperoni, then 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Add 2 more slices of pepperoni, then 2 tablespoons mozzarella, pressing the cheese down so it stays inside the cup. Stir the Parmesan into the remaining butter mixture and drizzle a little over each puff.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Switch the oven to broil and broil for about 1 minute, just until the tops turn golden. Let cool for 2 minutes before serving.

 

I’ll share the second version soon. It has a couple of key differences and might even be easier—or at least less messy. You can be the judge.

 

It’s Raining …Lizards?

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🦎 When Florida Gets Chilly and Iguanas Start Falling: A Horror Story in Three Acts

Looks like a crime scene

On this, the coldest day of the year so far, it feels like the perfect moment to remind everyone that not everything in South Florida is oranges and sunshine. They get cold too — and when they do, it doesn’t just rain. It rains iguanas.

Every region has its own brand of weather drama.
New England gets nor’easters.
The Midwest gets tornadoes.
Florida?
Florida gets frozen iguanas falling out of trees like scaly Christmas ornaments.

Yes, this is real.
Yes, it happens every winter.
And yes, your skeptical friend is welcome to Google it — preferably while standing under a sturdy awning.

❄️ Why Iguanas Go Full “Fainting Goat”

Iguanas are cold‑blooded, which means when temperatures dip below about 45°F, their bodies hit the reptile version of “sleep mode.” They lose muscle control, freeze in place, and if they happen to be lounging in a tree — as iguanas love to do — gravity politely escorts them to the ground.

It’s not elegant.
>It’s not graceful.
>It’s not quiet.

But it is science.

🦎 Are They Dead?

Usually not. They’re just cold‑stunned, which is nature’s way of saying, “Hold on, rebooting…” Once the sun comes back out, they thaw, blink, and wander off like nothing happened — leaving bewildered humans clutching their coffee and questioning reality.

 

 

🗣️ Try Explaining This to a Doubter

This is where the fun begins.
You get to say things like:

  • “No, really, they fall.”
  • “No, they’re not dead.”
  • “Yes, Florida officials warn people about it.”
  • “No, I’m not confusing this with a Syfy movie.”

Honestly, the only thing more Florida than falling iguanas is someone insisting it doesn’t happen.

🐊 Meanwhile, in the Florida Horror Cinematic Universe…

Let’s be honest: Florida doesn’t need help being terrifying.
This is the same state that gave us:

  • Alligators in swimming pools
  • Snakes in toilets
  • And the pièce de résistance: flying cockroaches (politely rebranded as “Palmetto bugs,” as if a cute name makes them less horrifying)

So yes — iguanas falling from trees during a cold snap fits right in. It’s practically a documentary waiting to happen.

🎬 In Closing 

If Stephen King ever runs out of ideas, he doesn’t need to look far — he just needs a lawn chair, a cold front, and a South Florida tree full of iguanas.

Welcoming Haven is not alone

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Letting Go of Welcoming Haven

I’ve been sitting with some mixed feelings lately as I prepare to close Welcoming Haven. It’s never easy to walk away from something you poured time, money, and hope into. I’ve only had one other business venture that felt as big as this one—my Arthur Murray franchise. I ran that for seven (or was it nine?) years before deciding I was simply getting too old for a young person’s business. In that case, I sold a thriving studio. With Welcoming Haven, the story is different. We never really got off the ground.

A Big Undertaking, No Matter What the “Experts” Say

Despite what the online gurus promise, launching an e‑commerce store is no small task. Welcoming Haven was a lovely shop with plenty of variety, but variety alone doesn’t bring in customers. It needed advertising, traffic, and—most importantly—conversions. Those things cost money, and I simply didn’t have the resources to keep feeding the machine.

I’ll admit, I was feeling a little defeated. Then one morning, I logged onto my computer and was greeted by a headline shouting that Neiman Marcus Last Call was closing all stores in bankruptcy. Neiman Marcus? Saks? If giants like that were struggling, what hope did a tiny online shop have?

A Long List of Retail Casualties

My curiosity kicked in. If Neiman Marcus was in trouble, who else had gone down that road? The list was longer than I expected:

  • Bed Bath & Beyond
  • Christmas Tree Shops
  • Tuesday Morning (a personal favorite)
  • Party City
  • David’s Bridal
  • Rite Aid
  • Joann Fabrics (my go‑to for sewing supplies)
  • Rue21
  • Express
  • The Body Shop

And then there are the retailers scrambling to reorganize and closing stores left and right:

  • Macy’s
  • Walgreens
  • Foot Locker
  • Dollar General

Perspective, and a Little Grace

Seeing all of that laid out, I had to pause. If major chains with deep pockets and decades of brand recognition are struggling, how could a small, independent online store expect to thrive in today’s marketplace?

I don’t take pleasure in anyone else’s misfortune, but I’ll admit—it softened the sting. Welcoming Haven wasn’t a failure. It was a sincere effort launched in a brutal retail climate. Welcoming Haven was a good store. It just didn’t stand a chance against forces far bigger than me.

So I’m closing this grand experiment with my head a little higher and my heart a little lighter. And now, I’m returning to what I’ve been doing for years—writing stories, reflections, and everyday adventures for Around Dusty Roads. That’s where my voice lives, and that’s where I’m happiest.