“May your choices be guided by your heart, for it knows the way.”
– Aarti Khurana
Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.
I have always loved reading and writing. I enjoyed reading books when I was younger, especially Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High by Francine Pascal. I also loved Choose Your Own Adventure books. I thought it was so cool to choose the path the main character would take. I always read in bed with the dim light from the hallway to guide my way.
Since I was a little girl I have kept a journal. I needed a place to write my thoughts about my family, my friends, and my life. In high school, I wrote poems for my boyfriend and my family. Looking back they were pretty cheesy, but I didn’t care, I enjoyed it. I believe there is a folder of them in PA. Maybe I will publish some or rewrite them now. Just wait for it 🙂
Looking back, reading and writing have always been a big part of my life. Since I can remember I have wanted to write a book. I don’t know why, but I want to be an author. As you know I had a session with Jake the Medium last year and he said I will have books published. I am glad he has faith in me because I just don’t know where to begin so I am putting it in the atmosphere. I have so many ideas and thoughts but I can’t figure out where to start. But I WILL get there one of these days!!
Sometimes people turn their noses up at self-help books, but I think they are wonderful. They give you a perspective. They inspire you. They let you know you are not alone in the struggles you are going through. Although many, many books have helped me along the way, there is one author that I believe is truly inspiring and uplifting. Her name is SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy), and I discovered her right after college through a friend’s recommendation.
Her books are colorful and fun. Just looking at the cover makes you smile. They are uplifting and inspiring. Two of my favorites are “Succulent Wild Woman” and “Make Your Creative Dreams Real“. If you need a little pick-me-up in your life then PLEASE order one of her books.
SARK also has a website. Her latest post is about her birthday month, which is April, just like mine. She celebrates all month just like me. She turned 70 this year and decided to call it Level 7. I love it! How exciting to reach the next level!! I cannot wait to reach Level 5 in two years. (P.S. I am kind of thinking Arkansas is where the party will be!)
Anyway, it is the last day of April and my birthday month is over. But I think the celebration should continue all year long. SARK proposes that we pick one or all of her 70 Miracle Missions of Love & Kindness and do them throughout the year. What a wonderful way to improve ourselves and spread cheer to others throughout the year. Cheers!
Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash
Monday, April 1, was my birthday which always happens to be April Fools’ Day! And I love it. Many people would find being born on April 1 annoying, but I have always found it so much fun. My mom tried to get me out on March 31, but I am glad my little body decided to stay in there until 12:06 midnight 48 years ago.
April has always been the best time for a birthday. It’s springtime and the weather starts getting better. It doesn’t fall around Christmas or Back to School Time so you get presents throughout the whole year for all the special occasions 🙂 Sometimes it falls around Easter, but that just makes it more special.
But here we are, another trip around the sun for me. Some people fret about getting older, but I think what I have learned from my dear family members who have passed away at the young ages of 38, 60, and 63 is that celebrating a birthday is a magical thing that you should feel blessed to be celebrating.
Although it is hard to believe that I am TWO years away from turning the BIG 5-0, I am excited about it. I hope I make it, and I hope I get to celebrate. My goal has always been to make it to all 50 states by my 50th birthday. If I haven’t made it to all 50 states by 50 (I’ll be close), my birthday party may end up in Arkansas! I am not sure what there is to do in Arkansas, but I will have to think of something if that happens to be the last state on my list.
This year, I was blessed that my late sister’s family was in town for Easter AND my birthday for the second year in a row. I hope the Spring Break tradition continues. I was so excited to spend time with my brother-in-law, his girlfriend, my niece and nephew, and my bonus niece and nephews. It was a packed few days with nine of us running around the house. We made it to church, had a delicious brunch, afternoon pool time, and an Easter dinner on the pool deck. The next few days were filled with boating and spending time on Fort Myers Beach. If you have visited us in Fort Myers then you probably know of our favorite ice cream place called Love Boat. My Prince and I continue to follow the tradition of my late grandfather which started over 20 years ago. Just like he did, we take all of our visitors to the Love Boat for ice cream! And I haven’t found one person who doesn’t love it! The rest of our time together was spent playing pool, ping pong, and games around the fire.
Anyway, as I get older I try to look at the positives. I don’t need anything materialistic for my birthday, just a few good wishes and some time with family and friends. I also realize that birthdays don’t need to be celebrated on the exact day which is perfect for me because I love celebrating ANYTIME around my birthday with ANYONE willing to celebrate!!
So the next birthday you have, live it up and be proud of whatever age you are celebrating! Celebrate YOU and YOUR day! You made it and deserve to be proud of your age, accomplishments, and life. Cheers to you!
P.S.
If you do want to try to reverse time, check out my new health and wellness business at www.skinlikestacy.mynuskin.com, and let’s get rid of some of those fine lines and wrinkles together!
As you all know My Prince and I travel A LOT! It seems we are Never Home, and if we are home, we have company. Some people think it’s amazing while others are exhausted just looking at our pictures and reading my posts. Other people don’t understand why we can’t stay in one place for any length of time. Sometimes we feel like we are being pulled in so many different directions. It seems that everything seems to happen on the same day. Having the FOMO (fear of missing out) that I have, I wish there was a way to be in about three places at one time!
We have had several people say they live vicariously through us. They love seeing our pictures and our adventures. They are always looking forward to see where we are going next. Some say they don’t have to travel because we do it for them. Many are excited that they get to see different places without going anywhere.
My Rock and I love traveling. We love our experiences, the people we meet, and the sites we get to see. We travel at least once a month if not more. Sometimes to Virginia to visit family and sometimes to different destinations to go skiing. Even though my hubby flies for work he still enjoys the personal adventure of the places we get to go. We are blessed to have flight benefits through his work, therefore, we can travel for less money. The problem is sometimes we have to run from one gate to another to try to catch that flight home. Or we have to stay an extra day because the flights are full. These are the frustrating things people don’t see. And sometimes it can make for a very long day. I just try to see it as an added adventure. It’s always fun to see where we will end up 🙂
Over the Christmas holiday, My Valentine and I were talking with his brother. We were talking about the new virtual reality glasses and how real they make everything look and feel. I am not sure how I feel about this new phenomenon. Yes, you can travel vicariously to the Eiffel Tower without ever leaving your couch, but is it the same as actually climbing those steps to the top? I guess I like the idea of the glasses for those who are limited by physical or mental impairments and cannot travel. To see them would probably be very cool. But I am nervous about the impact it will have on our society. Will people quit traveling? Will people quit interacting with others? Will people lose their desire to see the world? If you wear these glasses you don’t have to go anywhere, walk anywhere, or do anything. You just feel like you are wherever you want to be. I would rather see things with my own eyes, be there in my own spirit, and feel the real world around me, but maybe I am different.
My husband and I just spent 18 days in Europe. We went skiing in Chamonix, France, Zermatt, and Lenzerheide, Switzerland, and then ended with three days in Zurich, Switzerland. We were amazed by the wondrous mountains and the amazing views. We skied for 10 days with beautiful scenic drives in between ski towns. What a beautiful countryside. Once in Zurich, we walked thousands of steps, trying different shops, and going to different restaurants. I couldn’t imagine doing this vicariously through some virtual reality glasses and not being there in person.
I know living vicariously through other people or glasses can be fun. I love seeing pictures from other people’s travels. But I grew up with a desire to see the world. I want to BE in as many places as I can and EXPERIENCE as many different worlds and cultures as possible. I hope if you have a place you would like to go to you find a way to take that trip. Don’t wait for the right time or wait to have the right amount of money. Where there is a will there is a way. Make it happen and turn the vicarious into reality!
On New Year’s Eve, My Love and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary. As tradition goes, we held an NYE celebration after a romantic lunch at Cooper’s Hawk Winery. This year was small as a few people were sick but we ended up having a blast just the same. We learned more about our friends at the table by playing a card game of getting-to-know-you questions. We rang in the new year with champagne and then the singing began! There were only four of us left by then but it was so much fun! After our guests left, my Valentine and I decided to stay up talking until 4 am! What is wrong with us? Sometimes I think we need adult supervision and a bedtime.
It’s hard to believe that this will be our fourth Valentine’s Day as a married couple. We had the best of both worlds by getting married at 8:30 am and having a brunch reception. Some people stayed to hang out at the pool but others left and came back for a New Year’s Eve party/reception. It was so much fun! Of course, looking back there are some things I wish we would have done differently but life is meant to be lived with no regrets, and I don’t want to take away from our perfect day.
If you are married or have been married, you know that marriage is hard. It’s not a fairy tale, it’s not a romance novel and it’s not like it is in the movies. It takes communication, effort, forgiveness, and compromise. Marriage is not perfect. Marriage is complicated.
Somehow, I got lucky. The timing was right when my Prince and I met. Had it been earlier or later when our paths crossed, maybe it wouldn’t have worked out. But for some reason, Sweet Gram broke her hip and led us to Fort Myers that February seven years ago. The stars aligned and for some reason, Fate thought the two of us would make a perfect pair!
Through the ups and downs, we have learned the importance of communication, compromise, and unwavering support for one another. Our journey has taught us that true love is not just about the grand gestures, but also about the small acts of kindness, the sweet moments shared, and the simplicity of being in each other’s presence.
I think that I always wanted the male version of me to be my partner in crime. Is he exactly me? Well, no but we are close. Sometimes that is good and sometimes not so good. He is way more forgiving than I am and like most men (I believe) he says what’s on his mind, we talk about it, and he forgets about it. I, on the other hand, and most women (I believe) tend to hold onto their frustration, wait for ourselves to explode, and then talk about it again and again. Why are we so complicated??
We are fortunate because we don’t have small children. We don’t argue over bedtime or consequences or how much television to let them watch. We both have been very responsible with money so our bills are paid and we have savings for vacation and travel. We don’t have addictions, although we may have a “too much traveling problem”, which is to say we have too many friends and too many social events which leads to too much fun and too many adult beverages. But every marriage has its difficulties. We just have different stressors than those of young adult marriages.
Maybe because we both have been married before we realize life isn’t about keeping score. It’s not about how many times I have done the dishes or cooked the meal. It’s about being a team. Food needs cooked, dishes need to be washed, and counters need to be wiped. Let’s help each other out and get it done. Then we can relax together and do something else we might enjoy. It’s about realizing someone has thrown in the laundry and then the other person putting it in the dryer and folding it. It’s about saying thank you when one partner makes coffee for you in the morning or holds a door open for you. It’s about appreciating what you have. Because we need to remember tomorrow is not guaranteed. Say “I love you”, say “thank you”, and tell your partner they mean the world to you. And say it often.
To celebrate our Fourth Anniversary, we talked about the Highs and Lows of our four years of marriage. My red-headed sister from another mister (aka, my brother-in-law’s significant other) plays this game with the kids at the dinner table. It’s a great way to have my nieces and nephews think and talk about the events of their day. What went well? What was negative? Then discuss it as a family. We decided to review our highs and lows for our four years of marriage. We also looked at our Year in Review and decided what we liked and didn’t like about the past year.
Today is Valentine’s Day. So to my incredible partner, thank you for being my rock, my confidant, and my best friend. Your love has brought so much happiness and fulfillment into my life, and I am forever grateful to have you by my side. Here’s to many more years of love, laughter, adventures, and cherished moments together!
On this February Day of love, I want to express my gratitude and love to all our friends and family who have stood by our side. Your presence in our lives has been a constant source of strength and inspiration, and we are thankful for the love and support you have shown us throughout these four (seven) amazing years. And to those who have drifted out of our lives whether by chance or by choice, I hope you have found peace and happiness in your lives. We miss you and want you to know there is always space in our hearts for more. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Change. It’s inevitable. Things happen. Circumstances change. We change. Our friends change. Our lives change. Yes, it can be scary, but this year let’s work to embrace change and let’s control our reactions to our changing circumstances.
“Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.”
—Mandy Hale
Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash
I hope we all realize whatever life we are living that we can make changes. If you are proud of it and what you have accomplished then continue living your best life. I hope you live with kindness and compassion. I hope you feel happy. If things are difficult and you are not leading the life you wanted then I hope you find the strength and inspiration to start again and become who you want to be. It’s never too late.
“It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
Photo by Andy Beales on Unsplash
It is hard to take the leap of faith and make changes in your life, whether it be in your marriage, your career, your location, or your day-to-day activities. We get so caught up in routine that we don’t think we can change anything. Or we feel we HAVE to do things a certain way. Although it’s hard and it’s scary, you need to search deep within yourself. What do you want and how can you get there? What conversations do you need to have? What actions do you need to take? You have the power to change the direction of your life.
“Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.”
―Germany Kent
Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash
Today is December 31. The last day of the year 2023. It is New Year’s Eve. It is a time of reflection. It is a time of resolutions. Many people want to lose weight, travel, or complete that project they have been putting off. These are all wonderful and it is healthy to set goals and have aspirations. The problem is very, very few of us follow through with our New Year’s Resolutions.
A couple of years ago, my Heart recommended that we do a year in review instead of New Year resolutions as he read in a blog written by Tim Ferris. It was called, ” Forget New Year’s Resolutions and Conduct a ‘Past Year Review’ Instead“. It’s very short so please read. The idea of it is to make two columns. One Negative and one Positive. Then look back on your year one week at a time. He says, “For each week, jot down on the pad any people or activities or commitments that triggered peak positive or negative emotions for that month. Put them in their respective columns.” What was positive? What gave you negative feelings? What went well in 2023? What can you list in the positive column? What accomplishments can you celebrate this year? What activities did you enjoy? What activities gave you anxiety? What trips did you love? What commitments did you wish you didn’t need to make? What people gave you joy? What people left you feeling empty?
As you enter the new year and have completed your year in review Tim suggests you should schedule more of the events that gave you positive feelings. Schedule more time with those “things” or people that gave you joy. On the flip side, work your way out of those activities or people who were on top of your negative leaderboard. Don’t do those “things” that made you miserable. This is a great way to look at the past year whether you are a single or married person. If you are married, please talk about the positives and negatives with your loved one, and move forward to an amazing new year. Discuss how you can work together to squash the negative and invite more of the positive into your life?
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
—Hal Borland
I hope you take the time and choose to do this simple task. Look at your year in review and discover what gave you joy. Then it is up to you to schedule more of those events with the people and events you love. I wish you a safe and Happy New Year’s Eve and a wonderful New Year! Live life to the fullest!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash