Meet GiftLAB®

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🎁 Sponsor Spotlight

A quick hello to one of my partners

If you’ve been around here for a bit, you know I love sharing brands that make thoughtful gifting a little easier — and today I want to introduce you to GiftLAB®, one of my newest partners.

GiftLAB® is a leading provider of personalized gifts, specializing in custom photo items and those wonderfully quirky “funny face” gifts that always get a laugh.

They create handcrafted, made‑to‑order pieces that work for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or any moment when you want something a little more meaningful than a generic gift card.

Their wedding collection is especially sweet this time of year, with keepsakes that feel personal without being fussy. If you’re shopping for a couple — or just browsing for inspiration — their designs are worth a peek.

Explore GiftLAB®’s personalized gifts:
GiftLab

Thanks, as always, for supporting the partners who help keep this little corner of the internet running. It means more than you know.

 

Banner, Balboa, and the Curse of the 13th

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Friday the 13th Musings — February & March Edition

It’s the first Friday the 13th of 2026. The month is February. So far it’s been quiet and no major issues. This is the first of three Friday the 13ths this year, which makes it a very special year — or at least a very interesting one.

Peace reign in the home as Banner and Balboa cat nap

February

The universe behaved.
The cats behaved.
Even the weather behaved.

Suspicious, in hindsight.

And then, on February 23rd, Mother Nature apparently remembered she had a reputation to uphold. She dumped a heavy, wet, back‑breaking load of snow on New England and buried us all. A Friday‑the‑13th vibe… just arriving fashionably late.

The dig out begins following the blizzard of 26

March

March didn’t bother with subtlety. It wasn’t even Friday the 13th yet when I woke up to no service on my cell phone. I’d been hacked. Again. These things happen — I shared the whole sad tale in my March 11 post — but apparently March was just laying the groundwork.

Then came Thursday, March 12, when the cats decided to contribute their own brand of “help.”

Banner makes his get away

First, Banner strolled over and hit the delete key at the exact, precise, worst possible moment of a data transfer. I took that as a sign to step away and wait for a quieter, cat‑free moment.

He claims he was framed.

But Balboa had other plans. He emerged from his afternoon nap full of energy and mischief, and in short order he destroyed four — or was it five — mice.
Not the fuzzy, long‑tailed kind.
The kind I actually need to use with my computer.

By the time he was done, I had a small graveyard of plastic mouse parts and one very proud panther‑cat.

Friday the 13th

And then came the big day.

Friday the 13th started quietly enough. We even managed to wrestle Instagram into submission — successfully, I might add — which should have been my first clue that the universe was saving its energy for something else.

Feeling productive, I decided to make a quick grocery run. Lasagna was on the menu for Saturday, and I needed ricotta cheese. While I was there, I grabbed a couple of small extras. Total bill: $19.00.

Until my card was declined.

I had checked my balance before leaving the house. Plenty of money. No reason for drama. Yet there I was, standing at the Hannaford checkout with a perfectly good grocery order and a very uncooperative debit card.

Since I had to drive right past the bank on my way home, I stopped in. And that’s where the real Friday‑the‑13th twist revealed itself:
the bank had accidentally printed — or attempted to print — two replacement cards when mine was hacked. So they canceled the one I was using. The one in my wallet. The one I had just tried to use to buy ricotta.

Which means, of course, that I now get to go through all my auto‑payments and update the card number… again.

Two Down, One to Go

So that’s February and March. A quiet start, a snow ambush, a hacked phone, feline sabotage, and a bank‑card fiasco — all before we even reach the halfway point of this “special” year.

We’ll see what November brings.
Stay tuned… the calendar isn’t done with us yet.

 

Rambling Thoughts & A Little Life Update

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🌟 Because life doesn’t follow a theme — and neither does this blog

If you’ve been reading Around Dusty Roads lately, you’ve probably noticed that there isn’t exactly a theme happening. One day it’s cats, the next it’s a local adventure, then a recipe, then some random daily trivia. That’s retirement for you — footloose, fancy free, and no longer tied to a work schedule or those precious two weeks of vacation.

These days, I just enjoy jotting down whatever crosses my mind and sharing the little slices of life that make me smile (or roll my eyes). And for you youngsters out there, consider this a preview of what might be waiting for you when you finally escape the daily grind. Whether that’s a good thing… well, jury’s still out.

🌱 Projects, Experiments, and the Things That Didn’t Quite Pan Out

I’ll admit it — I’m still a little disappointed that Welcoming Haven didn’t take off the way I hoped. It was a solid idea; I just didn’t have the budget to push it where it needed to go. Same with my brief Etsy printable experiment. Let’s just say I’m much better at buying cute printables than designing them.

DoorDash had its moment too. It was fun… until it wasn’t. Once I factored in gas, maintenance, and the joy of climbing to third‑floor walkups with arthritis, the math stopped mathing. When I took a spill on a delivery run, that was my sign to wrap up that chapter.

So for now, no side gigs. Just me, my home projects, and the cats supervising everything I do.

📸 The Great Photo Tagging Marathon

One of my big undertakings is the massive photo‑tagging project. I’m working backward from Now and have made it to May 2021. Considering my media library goes back to January 2011, this should keep me entertained for a while. Maybe longer.

🧹 Decluttering: The Adventure Continues

Then there’s the decluttering saga. I’ve got boxes to donate, boxes to sell, and boxes that are destined for the trash — all currently cluttering my living space. But the cupboards are looking pretty good, and AARP swears I’ll be done in a few weeks. I’m choosing to believe them.

Part of my motivation comes from watching my sister deal with the mountain of stuff my mom left behind. I still have boxes from that era that I haven’t opened. Someday I’ll tackle them… probably when I reach the dining room. Until then, yes, the place looks a little like I’m auditioning for Hoarders: The Prequel.

🚶‍♀️ Health, Mobility, and a Dash of Pride

Now for the big topic: mobility. My arthritis has been getting worse, and while the hip replacement went well, I’m not eager to repeat the experience with my knee. I lost 25 pounds hoping it would help — and while I look better, my walking hasn’t improved much.

I’m seriously considering a walker. I still have the one from my surgery, but it’s not great for strolling around parks. A new one would let me load my camera on the seat and get back to exploring. The cane works, but juggling that and a camera is a circus act.

My pride is the real obstacle. I don’t want to admit I’ve reached the “walker stage.” But as the saying goes, pride goeth before a fall — and in my case, that might be more literal than I’d like.

Future Me?

🐾 And Through It All…

My days are full — projects, decluttering, mobility puzzles, and of course, the cats “helping” every step of the way. But one thing remains constant: I’ll keep sharing my rambling thoughts here on Around Dusty Roads.

Thanks for sticking with me through all the twists, turns, and experiments. And if you’ve got advice, stories, or your own retirement adventures to share, feel free to jump in. Even if I pretend I don’t want advice, I usually enjoy hearing it.

 

Dusty’s Smothered Pork Chops

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My Long‑Time Favorite Pork Chop Recipe

Smothered pork chops surrounded by gravy. Of course it's in a cast iron skillet

A Little Backstory

Recently I shared two new pork chop recipes — Rediscovering Pork Chops and Pork Chops Take 2.
Now I’m down to the last of the chops, which means there’s room for one more recipe before I take a break. I actually have another new one waiting in the wings, but that will have to wait for my next pork chop run.

Today’s recipe is my long‑time favorite. It goes all the way back to the 1970s, when I’d just gotten my first professional (non‑waitress!) job. One of my coworkers told me he always made his pork chops in a skillet with Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup. He insisted it had to be Golden Mushroom — not Cream of Mushroom.

I tried it, loved it, and over the years it evolved into the version I make today. It’s still simple, still comforting, and still one of my go‑to meals.

Dusty’s Smothered Chops

Ingredients

  • 4 thick‑cut, boneless center‑cut pork chops
  • 2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
  • 2 cans sliced potatoes
  • 1 small can sliced mushrooms (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium‑high heat and add a light skim of oil (about 2 Tbsp).
    (I love a cast iron skillet for this.)
  2. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chops. Add them to the hot pan and sear for color — about 2 minutes per side.
    Do not cook through.
  3. Transfer the chops to your slow cooker and pour in the soup. Add the sliced potatoes and the optional mushrooms, then stir gently to combine.
  4. Set to Low and cook for 6–8 hours.

Notes

  • Your chops will come out melt‑in‑your‑mouth tender.
  • The Golden Mushroom soup makes a wonderful gravy.
  • Add the optional mushrooms if you like a little extra.

Golden Mushroom vs. Cream of Mushroom

Why Golden Mushroom?

Golden Mushroom soup acts more like a flavor concentrate than a creamy base.
It melts into the pan juices and creates a rich, savory gravy that clings beautifully to pork chops — especially when you brown them first.

Can You Substitute Cream of Mushroom?

Not unless you want an entirely different vibe.

  • Cream of Mushroom makes the dish creamy and mild.
  • Golden Mushroom makes it bold, savory, and deeply seasoned.

In my own words… Yummy!

Wrapping Up

So that’s it — the last of this pork chop run. I’m all out for now, but I’m sure we’ll circle back another time.

How do you cook pork chops in your home? I’d love to know.

 

The Kitchen Declutter Adventure , Week 2

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Excellent progress on the bathroom. It truly took just 30 minutes a day — even with Banner and Balboa “helping.” All that’s left is to sweep out the bottom of the vanity and I can call Week 1 wrapped.

 

 

  • The Vanity Corner

Week 2: Kitchen & Pantry — The Real Test Begins

My decluttering adventure continues.

As you may recall, AARP claims you can declutter your entire home in 30 days. I’m testing that theory, one week at a time. Week 1 went surprisingly well — and yes, it really did take less than 30 minutes a day. It helped that I redecorated the bathroom a couple of years ago, so I wasn’t dealing with 20 years of fossilized lotions. Plus, I had Banner’s “help” with the medicine cabinet and Balboa’s supervision from the over‑the‑toilet storage shelves.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, my browser crashed. Not the computer — just the browser — but it slowed me down enough that I ended up “decluttering” my hard drive instead of my home. That saga deserves its own post.

But onward. Week 2 is Kitchen and Pantry, and the rules remain the same: no more than 30 minutes a day.

My tiny kitchen where culinary magic happens

My tiny kitchen where culinary magic happens

AARP suggests tackling the junk drawer on a weekday and getting rid of duplicates. Cabinets are also weekday tasks, except for the “big ones.” In my tiny kitchen, I’m not entirely sure what qualifies as a big cabinet, but the bottom line is clear: declutter them all.

Not a junk drawer, mostly confused

This is where things get emotional.

The mugs.

The Mug Cabinet

I have souvenir mugs from trips, funny mugs, mugs with pictures, mugs that remind me of people, places, and moments. One of the tasks this week is to thin those out and make room on the shelf. The rule is simple: if you don’t use it, out it goes. The rule is also cruel.

At least I can say one cabinet is already in good shape. The under‑sink cabinet is practically a showpiece at this point — I’ve been cleaning it out for the past year. Can I count that as “one down”? I’m counting it.

Pots, pans and baking essentials, all necessary for my culinary adventures

Pots, pans and baking essentials

Of course, Banner and Balboa will be deeply involved in this week’s work. They love the under‑sink cabinet. They’ve both figured out how to open the door even though it’s on a spring. I always know when they’re in there because I hear the rhythmic thud… thud… thud of the door swinging shut behind them.

The spice cabinet

So here we go. The clock is ticking, the mugs are trembling, and Week 2 begins. Can we get the kitchen back to it’s former glory? Let’s find out.

Counter Clutter