My Top 5 Places I wish to Visit

Traveling is one thing that pretty much anyone you ask either loves to do or longs to do. It is the means by which we take a temporary reprieve and escape form the mundane normalities of our lives and explore other worlds. I have had the good fortune to be able to travel to quite a few areas that I have loved to visit, and many that I now regard as “other” homes of my heart. While my travels pale in comparison to many, as I have never traveled out of the country or more than two states away from my own, I am still blessed to see much of what I have. With an open mind and open eye, one can find many treasures that dwell within reach of them: at most, within a day’s drive. I have compiled a list of the top five places I would like to visit, and here is my list:

Topping the list is Key West, Florida. While I have had an all too brief visit to Key West already, I still want to go back and have a chance to actually visit the place. My daughter and I took a nice little weeklong vacation last summer while I was still living down in Southwest Florida. For the week, we visited a different beach every day. On our final day, we made the five-hour drive down to the Keys. We stopped in Islamorada, a place in which we had both longed to visit for many years, and we fed the Tarpon at Robbie’s. We then drove down to Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key, where we spend most of the day soaking up the glorious sun and enjoying the water that was as clear as glass with no waves to obscure the view of the coral reef growing along the ocean floor or the various marine life that swam about us. Finally, we had made our way to Key West. It was nothing short of incredible to view. It was everything one would imagine that Key West would be. The island vibe was so enticing. We walked around to find the Hemingway house and see some of his world famous six-toed cats. We had an incredibly delicious cheesesteak sandwich from Fogarty’s on Duvall Street. However, for all the fun we had on our little trip to the keys, we did not have enough time in a day trip to do all of the traditional tourist things. We did not get to enjoy authentic Key Lime Pie from Key West. We were unable to enjoy an incredible sunset at the sunset celebration on Mallory Square. We did not get to take cheesy pictures at the Southernmost Point. In fact, once we arrived on the island, we did not even see water again until we left. Therefore, we missed out on the incredible beaches that are so captivating to see in pictures. We both decided whole-heartedly that we will be making definite plans to return to the keys, in particular, Key West with our husbands and take a nice long few days to take in the whole island and all that it has to offer.

My son and daughter in law recently decided that their dream was to move to Utah. Until that point, I had never really given much thought to Utah. I did not know anything about it and had really never considered visiting that region of the states. However, after they had brought it up, I had begun to look into the things that Utah has to offer. I have been fairly blown away with how beautiful the state is. They have some incredible parks and some even more incredible scenery. They have since decided not to move there, as it would be farther away from family than what they really wanted to be with their three small children, but they still definitely plan to visit there. I have now also added Utah to my list of places that I would like to visit. Specifically, I would like to visit Moab and the Arches National Park.

For most of my life, I have had a fascination with the Golden Gate Bridge, and it has been my life-long dream to go to San Francisco, California and see the bridge. I cannot even explain how or why I became obsessed with the bridge. But I do remember, even from a very young age, always having this desire to see the bridge. I also think it would be pretty amazing to see Alcatraz, while in the area. I would not only like to view it from the bay, but actually take a tour of the island itself. I have watched documentaries on Alcatraz, and there are some very interesting and fascinating stories about things that transpired there, and it would be really incredible to walk the halls and stand in the place that is at the heart of so much controversy.

Another place that I would love to visit is Ground Zero in New York. I know that it has been several years since the terrorist attacks on the twin towers, however, I have always had the yearning to go there. Perhaps in some way to pay respect. I, alongside the rest of the nation, grieved and mourned that event. It could be the Empath in me, but I have since had a longing to be there; to stand on the sacred place and allow my grief to fully unfold. Beyond that, I have never really had any desire to visit the Big Apple. I am a bit of an introvert and trying to picture myself immersed in the New York crowds is something that I cannot really wrap my head around. But now, I think that if I could ever have the opportunity to visit Ground Zero, the chance to visit New York would not be lost on me. I would like to take a small time out and at least visit Times Square and Madison Square Garden.

Lastly, yet, certainly not least one place I would like to visit is Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Much like the Golden Gate Bridge, there is really no rhyme or reason for my obsession with Cabo. Although, it has not quite been so life long as with the bridge, I still long to see Cabo San Lucas. My love for Cabo actually began in my adult years of life. My daughter was around twelve years of age and we watched a video on YouTube, in which the boys on the video talked of Cabo. So, I decided to look it up. I am a Pisces, and very curious by nature. Following my search for all things Cabo San Lucas, I was blown away with how incredibly breathtaking it was. I decided at that very moment that I would make it my life’s mission to visit there one day. As of this writing, she is currently fixing to turn twenty-three years of age, and I am still just as obsessed with and determined to visit Cabo as I have ever been.

March 4, 2020 1

A New Year’s Perspective

Often, we find ourselves looking out into the horizon and for the life of us, we have no idea how to get there, or how we even got to where we are at this point in life. The new year is always a time of reflection for many people; a time to reflect on the year that has come to an end, and what it brought us, and a time to reflect on the year ahead of us, and the promise of opportunity that it lays out before us.

All too often, when people look back over the year that has come to an end, they are filled with regret. Regret over a broken relationship, perhaps they did not make that job change they had been contemplating for some time, or maybe, just regret over doing absolutely nothing throughout the year that brought about a sense of fulfillment to their soul. A true sense of peace and happiness from within generally originates from personal growth, and most people rarely step out of their all too familiar comfort zone to reach the level of uncomfortable that is required of growth.

Sometimes, looking at the year ahead can be a damn scary thing for many people. Maybe their job has changed; maybe their family dynamic has changed because some family members have moved out or moved away; perhaps, they are the ones that have moved to start a new life in a new town, or even a new state, and they see themselves, for the first time, surrounded by total strangers instead of family and friends. Fear can be a very overshadowing emotion that can obscure the view of the future.

Some people are fortunate in that they do not look to the past year, nor the upcoming year with any regret or fear or dread. They view the changes that have taken place in their lives during the past year and the changes that they will face in the new year as opportunities to learn, not just about new places or the world, but learn about themselves. When we have been surrounded by family and friends for our entire lives, we develop a level of comfort in that, and in knowing that while family and friends will not always see eye to eye with them, they will always love them and be there no matter what. People fear less failing when they know they have loving and supportive people there to help pick them back up afterwards.

To face a new year that is already latent with big life changes, provides one with a chance to see how strong they can truly be. If failure comes, there is no loving family or supportive friends to comfort you. Likewise, if great successes arise from the changes that have transpired, those same family and friends will not be there to provide hearty congratulations or help celebrate the joyous occasions.

Regardless, as the very cheesy and cliché saying goes, the new near brings with it three hundred and sixty-five new opportunities; three hundred and sixty-five blank pages on which you have the chance to author your own story, make it a good one. As a matter of fact, I believe that is the best way to look at the upcoming year. There will be good days and there will be bad days; days that come easy and days that will present a variety of challenges to get through. But days that have no concrete story line to follow as of yet, and days that can be faced with determination and anticipation. After all, we learn the most and obtain the greatest amount of grown through the bad days and the challenging days. Those days will only make the good days sweeter.

So, as you stand on the threshold of a new year, take the regret of the past year, and put it away, we cannot do anything to change what has already been done. Rather, look forward, knowing that all days will not be easy or fun, but you have the opportunity and the power within you to make them as good as you can make them for yourself. Every year, the flowers die out from the harsh conditions of the winter, yet, every spring, through thawed ground, they inch their way back to life, and put on a glorious showing for the springtime. See yourself as a flower in the spring at the beginning of the year. Inch your way back to life and put on a glorious show!

Yes, good days will come and go. But after all, “it can’t rain all the time.” (Eric Draven- The Crow)

December 31, 2019

The Psychology of Being One Hundred Pounds Overweight

For the majority of my adult life I have found myself refraining from participating in many activities. I avoid most social events. I even manage to avoid family gatherings. It seems quite senseless; however, I am unable to make myself convinced of that.

When at the gym, I would avoid eye contact with other people at all costs. Going to places, like the fair or a theme park, can become an absolute nightmare. There is this continual fear of being “too big” to fit in the rides. Once, several years ago, I actually had a situation where the restraints on a ride did not fit me properly because of my size. I was horrified during the entire ride that was I was going to slip out of the ride. I could literally feel my own body siding back and forth due to the fact that the ill placed restraints did not have me secured as they should have. I was actually even small then than I am now, and at this point, I make any excuse I can think of to refrain from attending any such park. I absolutely cannot endure something like that again.

At work, I had friends. My fellow coworkers would invite me out to lunch with them. Also, often times, they would all make plans to go out after work and have dinner or go out for drinks. I was never blind to the fact that I was the largest person that worked in out department, and I would therefore, be “the fat one” at the table or out in the clubs. So, it just made more sense that I would politely decline their offers to join the gang for a fun outing. Luckily, I did live farther away from work than anyone else did and I had a substantially longer commute home, so that always made for an easy out, and provided me an unquestionable excuse when I constantly declined the invites.

Being in a relationship seems to be the worse. My husband truly loves me, of that I do not question or doubt. My problem is, I can never convince myself of why he does. I am older than him and feel most days like I weigh twice as much as him. He always has an uncanny knack for getting romantic and wanting to try out various things. You know, to “keep the spark alive.” However, I am so incredibly insecure about myself and have little to no confidence it is damn near impossible for me to be comfortable exposing much of myself to him. No matter how much I know that man loves me, my damn insecurities about myself keep this wall up between us that only causes more turbulence than I can describe. When I feel insecure and reserved with him that way, it, in turn, causes him to feel insecure in our relationship. He begins to question the validity of my attraction to him and begins to convince himself that I am not comfortable around him intimately, because I am not attracted to him. It really is a vicious cycle and hurts everyone.

Going clothes shopping can be one of the greatest nightmares imaginable. I tend to avoid going shopping if at all possible. When I do go, I generally refuse to use the dressing rooms. I cannot really explain it, but I have the crazy idea that if I try on clothes in the store and they do not fit, I will become depressed and leave with nothing. I cannot say that it entirely an idea. I have in the past taken my stash of carefully picked out items to a dressing room, only to try on the items before me in absolute horror, as not a single thing in the pile would fit. Or if they did, it would be a mere one or two pieces. It is devastating. Therefore, I tend to prefer facing that fear and wallowing in my self disgust alone at home. I have also, so many times, picked out clothing in a store in the sizes that I was convinced I would need, only to get home and realize that I was too generous in my thinking. Nothing will damage your pride more than allowing yourself a size, or even two, bigger than the last time you bought clothing, only to realize even the larger sizes are not large enough.

Fun family outings can turn into a nightmare when faced with being that size. There is a constant fear of having to be squeezed into a carnival ride, or worse, that the security bar/belts will not fit around you and you are shamefully escorted off of the ride. Even while eating a salad, the very idea of eating in a public place will send you into a near-panic attack. I once was eating a granola bar as I drove from work to school, knowing that I did not have time between the two to stop for any type of semblance of a meal. While stopped at a red light, a man in the car in the lane next to me looked over. I was overcome with shame. It was a simple granola bar, it is not like it was a foot-long hot dog or anything, and it had been the only thing I had eaten in well over six hours. Yet, the very idea of someone seeing me eat, when I was already so overweight was nothing short of mortifying.

Society’s tendency to “fat-shame” can place an unnecessary amount of stress on someone who is already battling internal demons of mammoth proportion. There are times when those fears may be legitimate, as in, there may be situations whereby you are unable to ride certain rides at the fair. But, more often than not, the majority of those fears are irrational, and bear no legitimacy. The person in the car next to you at the stop light, may in fact look over at you as you are eating your granola bar. However, that in no way means that he finds the whole idea of you eating as disgusting. He could simply be looking around to try and find a pretty lady to smile at. Or perhaps, he is searching the faces of other drivers to see if anyone looks as miserable about commuting in traffic as he does. Perhaps, even, he has had a very bad day, and is just hoping to find one person to smile at him and make his day seem just a little bit better. When you go out to eat with your family and friends, most of the people inside the restaurant are too busy with their own friends and family to be worrying about watching you eat.

Yes, fat-shaming is real. And, there are instances in which someone will gawk at a heavier person and make fun of them or make cynical comments toward their eating habits. And most definitely, being one hundred pounds overweight at the gym can be an incredibly awkward and embarrassing experience. Yet, those are not always the norm, but as the heavier person, we tend to let out minds always draw from the worst case scenario and whether people look at us condescendingly, with disgust, or simply just glance up at a fellow person walking by them, we draw from those fears of what others think and in our own minds, we assume what we believe they are thinking about us. It is a dirty trick that our minds play on us.

December 30, 2019

When the Water Recedes

Life throws a lot of things our way. Life will send the storms; the flood, the fire, and the rain. But I believe the most important thing to consider is, when the water recedes, what does your character say about you? I have literally been through some of life’s storms. My son and I were trapped in our severely damaged home after the Palm Sunday tornadoes in 1994, and most recently my family survived a devastating flood. Having to jump from a window because we were in danger and getting to higher ground to watch our life literally floating away before our very eyes. They say, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” but I like to take that a step further and say that I believe what doesn’t kill you can make you kinder.

Daily Meditations and Inspirations

One who learns to value how fragile life is can in turn learn to appreciate even the smallest gestures of kindness. Since the flood, I have seen my sixteen year old daughter really grow in her maturity. She has ministered to friends at school, and even to those in school whom she does not consider very friendly. She makes posts on Facebook and Twitter that get hundreds of likes and retweets. She has become quite the inspiration to many, and she is without doubt the most uplifting person I know. Her character speaks volumes of the wonderful person she is, and people are naturally drawn to her because they feel better just being around her.

The Power of Kindness

Since the flood, I have become more aware of people, as in their actions and reactions. I recently took my car in for service at the dealership, and while I was there I planned to catch up on some of my reading. I found myself getting sidelined by people watching instead. Mostly I was watching and listening to the employees of the service department. Many of the “grunt” workers of the department were coming into the main area and mingling a bit. As I watched them and caught bits and pieces of their side conversations, I gathered it was lunch time and the service department manager had lunch catered in to them every day. I was highly impressed by this. Not by the fact they were enjoying BBQ sandwiches as much, but rather in how they responded to him and him with them. He was more than a boss to the men in his employ, he was a leader. Many places would think nothing of the employees clocking out, fighting traffic to get to a place of choice, and waiting to get their meal before finally eating only to fight traffic getting back. But there was no “every man for himself” attitude in that service department. I could easily see the employees not only respected him, but admired him, and they followed his example. I was so impressed by witnessing of the service manager’s character, that I called my daughter right there in the lounge and bragged emphatically over the place.

The Heart of Leadership

I’ve also taken notice of people’s reactions to you in checkout lines. Of course employees are taught to say the generic “have a nice day” as part of their customer service training. But how many people going through those lines, actually appreciate or take time to reciprocate their “have a nice day?” I have started a habit, sadly I do not remember to do it every time while in checkout lines- I’m far from perfect, but when the cashier says for me to have a nice day, I reply with “thank you, and you have a blessed day as well.” I have had quite a response to this. I’ve had many people take a double take, light up, and say, “Thank you so much!” with gleaming smiles.

am I being Kind

We all have bad days, bad weeks, and bad years, but the trick is, not to let the storm make you bitter. Besides, we never know when someone else’s day is worse. Are they still in their time of flood season? Maybe just a simple gesture of kindness can make a difference in someone’s storm. So when life throws her perils your way, and the waters recede from the flood, what will your character say about you? Anyone can learn the mundane task of repeating “have a nice day” as part of your routine. But I believe people should be sincere in their delivering and receiving of even the simplest acts of kindness. I believe that once the dust settles and when the water recedes, people have the ability to learn valuable lessons from the story, and even greater, the ability to grow from the experience. Just like glass is put into the fire to refine it and make it something beautiful, I believe we can use our trials by fire to refine us and build the kind of character that legacies are made of.

Anew Clinical Dual Eye Life Pro

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May 8, 2019 0

If I Could Turn Back Time, You Know I Would! 5 Skin Care Products To Help Turn Back The Clock.

Cher said it best. She capitalized on the idea that we all hold true, whether we are willing to admit to it or not. Especially, as women, the signs of time weigh heavily on us. If there were something we could get our hot little hands on to turn back time and reverse those tell-tale signs of aging, we would not hesitate. I have recently started using some products from the Avon Anew line. Yes, Avon! I am sure you have heard of them, they have been around for years. Ah, Avon, just the name drums up nostalgic images of elegantly dressed ladies with matching pillbox hats and dainty hand bags, going door to door to deliver bags of personalized goodies to friends and family. Moving along from my 1950s image of the June Clever interpretation of the classic “Avon Lady,” today the company is still going strong, and many a successful businesswoman has made a full time career from selling Avon.

I embarked on the journey to try some of the products for myself recently, and I have to say, I am quite pleasantly surprised by the results I have seen, thus far. About six months ago, I moved to sunny Southwest Florida. In addition, for my last birthday, I celebrated my fiftieth year. Given the fact that I have been a life-long sun worshiper and have spend many an hour from my teens forward basking in her glorious rays. Natural aging can have visible affects on the skin on its own, but in light of my years of tanning and spending every moment possible outdoors, in addition to recently moving to a place where, in essence, it is summer year round, I knew I needed a strong skin care regimen to combat the damage done and prevent any further damage.

Enter, Anew. Actually a very fitting name for the product. I have found it to be, for myself, a fresh start. A new youthful radiance, you hear everyone talk about it. Amazingly, I am seeing what that term means on a personal level. While there are many products in the Anew line, I am going to go over the main products that I have been using and the results I have found, personally, from those products. So, let’s talk about skin care-

The Anew Clinical Advanced Wrinkle Corrector is the first to review, because it has been the product to provide the biggest visible impact in the shortest time. I first began using this product on that ever so precious decollete area, the area from the neck down to the cleavage, that shows when you wear tank tops or sundresses. After years of sun exposure, I had visible signs of wear and tear there, while they were not deep, I had wrinkled lines that resembled a finely laced honeycomb pattern. Initially, I began using the wrinkle cream to prevent any further damage, being that in southwest Florida, pretty much tank tops and sundresses are the staple attire. However, within a few days, I noticed that my skin where I was using the cream became very soft and supple. After a couple of weeks of using this product every night, my husband even made mention of how my skin was changing. He had actually noticed that the wrinkles had diminished drastically, and my skin felt incredibly soft. Most days, I catch myself rubbing my hand around my upper chest area, still in awe of how soft and smooth the skin is. This will definitely be a staple in my skin care routine for years to come.

Anew Ultimate Multi-Performance Day/Night Cream

I started using the Anew Ultimate Multi-Purpose day and night cream when I received a travel size combo in my starter kit as a new Avon Representative. I was immediately happy with the results of the cream as well. The day cream boasts an impressive 25 SPF sunscreen, an invaluable product in the sunshine state. The night cream has a very soothing and delicate fragrance. I say that because at night, my husband always makes mention of how nice I smell, and I am always telling him that I had just completed my night time routine and it is the night cream he smells. Aside from the husband approval, I am in love with this product as well. Luckily, I do not have definitive wrinkles on my face as of yet, and this was mainly a preventative measure. But, much like the wrinkle cream, my skin has become so soft, I often catch myself rubbing my cheeks just to make sure it is real.

After trying out the initial products that I had on hand, I had placed an order to try some of the other Anew line. I had purchased the Anew Ultimate Cream Cleanser shortly after moving to Florida. I am often apprehensive to try new face washes, as my face tends to break out or get oily with many products. I was happy to see that I had no side effects of this product. It left no heavy or greasy residue, and, as I have found with the Anew products used, left my skin feeling fresh, clean, and soft.

In my purchase, I also grabbed the Anew Clinical Dual Eye Lift Pro and I am so glad I did. I suffer from insomnia, I have for a few years. Most days I wake up looking like the bride of Frankenstein or an extra from The Walking Dead. My eyes are always so puffy and have that alluring raccoon look about them, with all the dark circles, and all. This eye serum is a two-part product with a cream that goes under the eye and a light gel that goes over the lid. Can I just say WOW? There was an instantaneous difference in my eyes the first time I tried it. After about a week of use, I had a noticeable lift to my eyes and, the dark circles? I mere memory. In an attempt to not wake up looking like something that has been dug up and warmed over, I use this serum as regimented as brushing my teeth nightly.

The Final step in my current skin care regimen is the Anew Age Transforming Foundation. This stuff is as miraculous, in my opinion, as the preceding products discussed. This foundation is infused with Anew serum to help aid in fighting against aging effects of skin. Literally, my skin looks years younger! Since this foundation is geared more toward, mature skin, it does not leave a heavy or greasy finish, and goes on seamlessly without caking or settling into lines or wrinkles. Within two weeks of use, I could see a noticeable difference in the texture and appearance of my skin. Another definite must-have staple in my skin care arsenal.

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April 17, 2019 0