Making Pumpkin Pie and Fritters (Cabin and Boat Cooking)

 I was carving up pumpkins the other day because I figured since I bought a couple, I could scrape enough out to make a pie. Turns out I couldn't! So I cheated: the next time I went to the grocery store, I just bought canned pumpkin puree.

I put the puree in a pot, threw in some white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, a touch of lemon, and a couple of eggs, evaporated milk and whipped it all together. Then I poured it into a pie shell and baked it around 350°–370°F, keeping an eye on it until the crust was a nice golden brown. After that, I pulled it off the rack and let it cool. I can make my own pie shell. 

(Illustrative Only)
Sometimes it
is ok to cheat while
cooking

People think cooking is super hard, but it’s really not. Sure, if you’re trying to enter a competition, that’s a different story. But if you’re just camp cooking, cooking off a boat, or making a quick meal at home, you don’t need to overcomplicate things. Besides, how do you even have Halloween without pumpkin pie? 

I don't eat much of it myself, but I love slicing it up and passing it out to folks along the way. Most of the time they love it. Occasionally someone gives it a funny look because it’s a bit rustic, but who cares? It’s all about the process.

That’s what you do with extra pumpkins—make pie! Around here in the Upper Peninsula, we’ve got pumpkins everywhere, and plenty of people grow them. It got me thinking about my future hobby farm and whether I should put in a patch of my own. I’m looking for low-maintenance crops. While I get the basics of farming, I’m still pretty green, and this is just for fun. 

Ideally, I’d love a small setup—maybe three or four acres (3 to 4 for crops another 10 for hunting, a couple acres for sheep or horses, and a couple for the house and pond. At least in my wish list).—just so I can throw on my overalls, head down to the local farmers' market with whatever I harvested, make my $50 or $300, and tell everyone I’m out here farming.

We’ve actually got a lot of great, affordable farmland up here. If you’re looking to start an organic farm, raise sheep or cattle, or set up a horse farm, there are some wonderful small properties available. We really love seeing those spots go to actual families who want to bring their kids, settle down, and build a great life here in the U.P. 

The Value of Self Defense to Improve Physical Ability and Psychological Resilience

Let’s talk fitness! Real fitness isn't just about hitting the gym, pumping iron, or taking shortcuts. True fitness means versatility such as running, swimming, getting your balance on with yoga, hiking, dancing, jumping into a volleyball game or anything else. Add a healthy diet into the mix, and that is real fitness.

(Illustrative Only)
Is fitness strength
alone or does it
include flexibility, 
functional muscle,
agility and
endurance capacity?

One enjoyable way to stay fit is self-defense. For decades, it’s just been a fun hobby for me—training at a local dojo alongside some incredibly skilled martial artists. Beyond the physical workout, self-defense gives you something even better: psychological confidence.

Here is the secret: true confidence gives you options. When you aren't afraid, you don't panic or give an attacker the reaction they are looking for. You stay in control. Nine times out of ten, the best self-defense move is using your brain and cool confidence to de-escalate the situation and walk away. True warriors know they have the skills, but they treat them strictly as a last resort. Your mind is always your best defense!

If you ever want help shaking up your fitness routine, hit me up! I’m a certified fitness and yoga trainer with years of sports experience—just send me a message. (And if you’re feeling extra supportive, check out my art and products!)

This study sort of supports that idea, 

Building resilience through self-defense: The role of martial arts in enhancing psychological strength among women.

• The study investigated psychological resilience differences between 407 female martial arts practitioners (Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, taekwondo) and 395 female non-practitioners (Pilates participants).

• Female martial arts practitioners demonstrated significantly higher psychological resilience levels in the sub-dimensions of control and challenge compared to the control group.

• Non-martial arts participants scored higher in the commitment sub-dimension.

• Within the martial arts group, resilience varied significantly based on age, prior experience of violence, and smoking status.

• Findings suggest that martial arts training can help enhance specific psychological strengths related to stress management and embracing challenges.

Pekel, A., Turan, M. B., Eraslan, M., Iqbal, M., Pepe, O., Yoka, K., & Yoka, O. (2025). Building resilience through self-defense: The role of martial arts in enhancing psychological strength among women. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1592326. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1592326

The Conference Board Indicates Consumer Confidence Increased 7.5% in October 2026

The Conference Board released its October consumer confidence survey, revealing a general rise in optimism across multiple key metrics compared to the previous month. Survey respondents reported improved views on current business conditions and expressed stronger overall expectations for the future. Vacation plans and broader consumer outlooks both saw noticeable upticks, reflecting a positive shift in overall economic sentiment.

While the exact drivers behind this renewed confidence remain open to interpretation, the findings highlight a clear month-over-month bounce. Whether spurred by steadying market conditions or shifting seasonal expectations, the survey offers a surprisingly upbeat signal regarding near-term consumer behavior.

Overview of the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index

• The Consumer Confidence Survey reflects prevailing business conditions, consumer attitudes, buying intentions, vacation plans, and expectations regarding inflation, stock prices, and interest rates.

• The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index rose by 7.5 points to 91.7 (1985=100), recovering to June levels after prior declines.

• The Present Situation Index increased by 8.6 points to 120.4, driven by more favorable consumer assessments of current business and labor market conditions.

• The Expectations Index increased by 6.9 points to 72.6, reflecting an improvement in short-term outlooks for income, business, and labor markets.

• The underlying data are categorized by consumer age, income brackets, nine distinct geographic regions, and the top eight states.

The Conference Board. (2026). US consumer confidence. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence/

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Fayette Historical Park (Photography, Paintings, Art)

The other day, a few friends and I took a short trip around the central part of the Upper Peninsula, staying within an hour of Escanaba. We visited Kitch-iti-kipi and then headed over to Fayette Historic State Park.

I love coming here—I've visited a few times now. It always brings to mind the historical reality of people living in relatively harsh, isolated communities. Back then, food and supplies could usually only arrive by water or wagon (or grown). Because both took a long time, residents had to stock up. Eventually, as industries and infrastructure shifted—especially when mining operations moved overseas—places with such purposes like Calumet also eventually became obsolete.

Taking photographs here helps me reflect on the UP's mining potential, as well as how changes in technology always reshape infrastructure. Today, our focus is shifting toward data infrastructure, yet we still rely heavily on metals and physical resources. Figuring out how to balance these needs is vital for maintaining a healthy, robust economy.

At the end of the day, though, this is history captured through a lens. I enjoy photography, and while some of my shots turned out quite nice and others have room for improvement, I invite you to look through my gallery. If you enjoy my writing and want to support the work I'm doing, purchasing a print would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, feel free to check out the links below to learn more about what tourism and state parks do for our local economy.

Two Sites:

Fayette Historic Park

Tourism in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is driving $1.6 billion in annual visitor spending, new study shows

The Art Gallery

The Walking Path Gallery (Painting and Photos)-Price below.

$70 Purchase Painting PayPal

$60 for photos (Rights to Use or Printing)

Art Gallery eBay (Paintings)

Being Bested in Veteran Pool

 Shooting pool with a few veterans is a humbling reminder that there are levels to this game. These guys/gals aren't just good—they’re card-carrying pool sharks. They play on a league, travel for tournaments, run circles around other players, and one of them even used to teach the game professionally.

(Illustrative Only)
Being beat 
is a learning
lesson on 
playing pool. 
Lots of good advice. 

Naturally, I thought I was holding my own. I’m not a bad player; I’m comfortably above average. In some ways I think they been eyballing me. One said when I get back from Cali they wanted to teach me a couple tricks. Some of the conversation was on pool playing and teams for tournaments. 🤔

On a good night, I can get in the zone and rattle off three or four wins in a row. But consistency is my kryptonite. The flip side is that I’m just as capable of laying a four-game egg. These guys, on the other hand, are machines.

They took pity on me and handed over a clinic in angles, physics, and strategy—complete with a special training cue ball covered in alignment markings to show exactly how "English" bends the white ball's path. Turns out, mastering the geometry of a pool table takes a little more than just good vibes and blind confidence.

The night ended with my ego firmly packed in my bags and a parting invitation: "Come back next time you want another whipping."

Do I want another whipping? Absolutely. Because even against a crew of hardened sharks, I still managed to sink a few solid shots. And when you're playing guys like that, every ball in the pocket is a small victory.

Support your local veterans.

An interesting video. 

Applied Business Psychology Helps Better Understand Organizational Behavior

Business psychology and applied psychology matter because they enable improvements ranging from increasing human motivation to maximizing outcomes and performance, while examining broader organizational trends and processes to enhance overall functioning.

The source text emphasizes that because business psychology is rooted in science, deeper knowledge of individual and group behavior allows organizations to function at the highest level.

Because organizations fundamentally consist of collections and connections of people who function socially, developing human capital successfully requires a clear understanding of these underlying psychological mechanisms.

Business Psychology: A Strategic Lens on Human Behavior in the Modern Workplace

• Business psychology merges psychological principles with organizational needs to better understand and optimize human behavior, leadership, decision-making, and company culture in modern workplaces.

• The paper explores foundational concepts, the influence of psychological theories (such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory), and the impact of strategic human resource management.

• Key themes include enhancing employee motivation and engagement, supporting worker mental health and psychological well-being, managing organizational culture and change, and adapting to modern diversity, inclusion, and cross-cultural dynamics.

• Findings indicate that aligning personal and organizational goals through evidence-based psychological interventions fosters resilient, high-performing corporate environments and improves overall long-term success.

Okeke, G. N., Obiorah, C. A., Ugah, T. A., Okoroma, J., Udezi, S. A. L., & Abulu, P. B. (2026). Business psychology: A strategic lens on human behavior in the modern workplace. International Journal of Innovative Psychology & Social Development, 14(1), 384–395. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19290771

*If you like these articles consider buying art products, supporting to the right, advertising, etc...

Kitich-iti-kipi Photos in the Rain:The Beauty of the UP (Photography and Art)

Driving around with friends enjoying the natural wonders of the UP before the Packer-Lions game.  This land is known for its beauty.

Escanaba is a centrally located place with beaches  hiking trails, fishing spots and many more places. 

In the winter there is approximately 5 ski hills within an hour and half. Cross country skiing and snowshoe trails. 

Kitich-iti-kipi Map

A few of these I placed in my gallery if your interested in purchasing. 

 The Walking Path Gallery (Painting and Photos)-Price below.

$70 Purchase Painting PayPal

$60 for photos (Rights to Use or Printing)

Art Gallery eBay (Paintings)