A few things I've learned...and continue to learn....along the way....
Let go. You don't need to be in charge of everything.
Practice lovingkindness. Start with yourself.
Slow down! What's the rush?
Mistakes are ok. They are how we learn and grow.
Pay attention. Whether you are washing your face, balancing your checkbook, eating a pear, driving your car-put all your attention into each and every action. Multitasking is overrated.
Give, often, until you have nothing left. If you have the right mindset, you will never reach that point. And everyone has something to give.
Before you communicate (speak, write, etc), consider-is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Quiet time is essential for everyone. Empty your mind once in a while. It gets cluttered in there.
You can live in this world and not be of it. You do not have to follow the crowd or conform to society. Everyone does not have to agree with you, get you, understand you, like you. As long as you do no harm, follow your own path. Be who you are.
Try a little tenderness. Some patience too. Everyone is fighting their own battles.
Always read through something twice before hitting "Send" or "Post". Trust me.
Everyone knows how to talk. Few know when to stay silent.
Giving advice is easy. Practicing what you preach, not so much.
Only the truly powerful need never show their might.
Add as much positive energy to the world as possible. Promoting what you love is just as, if not more, important as opposing what you don't.
You are beautiful. Every bit of you, inside and out. And the world is a better place because you are in it.
I have been looking at the Japanese maple in my front yard the past couple of days. I finally snapped this photo this afternoon after I got home from work. I'm sure the photo does not do the leaves justice. The leaves are a vibrant red, redder than they have been all fall. If I zoomed out from this particular shot, you would see that the state of the tree, which is almost completely empty of leaves, makes the ones that are still clinging to the branches stand out even more.
In the last hour or so, I have been thinking how this picture, these few branches of leaves, are a metaphor for a few things:
Life doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. When this tree was full, I passed by it every day, never giving it a second look. Now that we are at the end of November, most of the tree is bare, surrounded by most of its finery on the ground, And yet this remnant, this far spot of the tree, captured my attention more than the entire tree itself. I didn't need all the leaves to appreciate the beauty this tree produced.
Life is often like that. I am very guilty of not appreciating things because, in my mind, they aren't perfect, whether that's a person, a thing, a situation. We get so bogged down by the enormity of our situations that we fail to see the fine details that bring that pop of color, that note of happiness, that slow smile that spreads across our face. The beauty, the wonder, is there if we just give it a chance, if we just give ourselves a chance.
Live in the moment. We are surrounded by beauty every day, no matter where you live. We are all guilty of rushing around, getting to what we think is important and sometimes what we need to do is just stop for a moment and gaze at something right in front of us. That's what I did when I saw these leaves. They are so red they just stopped me, just like the color red is supposed to do! I couldn't remember when they had turned from a dull maroon to a vibrant firecracker red. It probably happened in the past couple of days for all I know. And in a couple of days, they could be all gone (and they probably will, with the cold snap that's supposed to move into our area this weekend).
And that's the point. Life can change in an instant, for better or for worse. Or...just change, period. If you don't stop occasionally to appreciate what's around you, you might miss it. How many moments have we let slip by because we had to rush to an appointment, or clean the house, or look at our phone? Just stop once in a while and look around and see what you are missing.
Sometimes simple pleasures suffice. Often in life, it's the simple pleasures that bring us the most joy. A single flower. A beautiful sunrise. A gentle touch. Happiness, joy, wonder, need not come in an elaborate package. It's these simple moments that I really appreciate-they take me out of the hustle and bustle of my life and give me that moment of zen, that touch of grace. And then I go back to the grind, but mindful, grateful for that brief respite of beauty. If I stopped more often, I would probably find these little treasures more often.
Pema Chodron, an esteemed author and Buddhist nun, suggests that people bring "gaps" into their daily routine. Gaps are pauses, three small breaths, where you stop wherever you are, whatever you are doing, and just be, putting your full attention into the immediacy of your experience, of your existence. Imagine what little miracles we would experience, what beauty we could encounter, if we all could just incorporate a few gaps in our busy lives.
Ah, November. The month of gratitude, by virtue of containing Thanksgiving within it. There are a few challenges going on this month-gratitude challenges, writing challenges. Let me add another....
The Internet is a fascinating thing. We get our news from it, use it to stay connected with loved ones, entertain ourselves in various ways. More often than not, the messages we get from it are negative, whether it's bashing someone in politics or entertainment, venting our frustration with something or someone, or posting snarky or sarcastic comments. It is so much easier to give in to the negative-it captures our attention quickly and draws us in, permeating our attitudes towards people and situations. And we are bombarded by images and information that constantly draws us down into that black hole, individually and as a whole.
What would happen if we consciously fought the impulse to growl, grumble, and complain? Instead of protesting something we despise, what if we promoted what pleased us instead? It is true that there is much in the world to scorn; there is also much that can make us smile, if we choose to focus on it.
So, my challenge is this: every day in the month of November, I challenge people to fill whatever social media portal they use, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, with positive messages, whether it be a quote, a photo, a news story, or a positive personal experience. Doing so will not take away the bad that surrounds us, but perhaps, by focusing on the positive, it will be easier to keep the dark clouds at bay and let the sun shine through.
I'm always trying to find something easy and tasty for a portable snack or quick breakfast. Granola bars always seem too sweet for my taste. Nuts and/or fruit on their own don't usually satisfy me,
I was flipping through a magazine I got from a recent trip to Wegman's ( LOVE that store-why is there not one in this area???) and I saw a recipe for granola balls. A light went on-dimly, but it went on-"Hey-I can do that!". Of course, the recipe in the magazine called for Wegman's products but this is simple enough and you can tailor it to your tastes. So I threw these together and called them Gorp balls, in honor of my father-in-law's favorite hiking snack. They consist of:
Toasted oats-you can use any kind. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and pop them into a 350 F oven. Stir them every 5 minutes or so. Should take about 15 minutes before they become golden brown.
Nuts-I used a container of mixed nuts. You can use whatever amount you want.
Dried fruit-The combinations can be endless. I used a mixed berry blend I found at TJ Maxx.
Nut butter-Again, I have to thank TJ Maxx for the peanut spread with chia seeds I used. Seriously, if you have not been in the Home section of TJ Maxx, you need to check it out!
I threw in the rest of the Qi'a packet I had, which is hemp, buckwheat, and chia seeds mixed together. You could also add some baking chips or other sweet stuff if you want. Again, these are easy to personalize.
Mix everything up in a bowl and form into balls, Note: I wore kitchen gloves to form the balls which made life a whole lot easier. If you don't mind messy, gooey hands, have at it!
Place the balls on a cookie sheet and pop into the fridge to set so they are easy to handle. One or two of these at the size I made them should make a substantial snack or a quick breakfast. I'm going to guess they would freeze well too.
I'm going to play around with different combinations. Let me know your creations too! Happy snacking!
Let us welcome Fall
In all its colorful display.
The third act of the year;
When Nature puts on a wild display
Of sights, of smells, of sounds.
A time of gathering;
When all creatures, great and small,
Catch a whiff of the chill in the air
And prepare to hunker down
For the long, cold, deep sleep ahead.
A time of celebrations:
Harvests and holidays.
When families come together
Sharing the bounty of the earth,
Giving thanks for such abundance.
Do not mourn the passing of summer;
It will return before long.
Do not fear the advent of winter;
It will be here soon enough.
Simply embrace the wonder of autumn
In all its splendor and glory.
There has been some buzz this year in the media and in the blogosphere about Target not carrying much in the way of plus size clothing for women. I don't normally shop for clothes at Target, so this wasn't something I gave much attention or thought.
Until this week.
My son had a class at the local community college. Since the class was a little over an hour and since there is a shopping center close by, I decided to engage in some retail therapy while waiting for him to text me. I went into a few stores, one of which was Target.
I was browsing through the "Intimates" section. I came across some bras, made by Hanes, that looked very comfortable-something that's hard to come by when you are my size. I checked the tag to see if they had a sizing chart and according to the Hanes chart, these bras were made in sizes up to 2X. Perfect, since that was the size I was looking for. Since Hanes sold the bra in that size, I expected to find at least one somewhere on the racks.
Wrong.
Hanes sold a few different styles of these types of bras, and each style came in a few colors. Every time I looked through the rack, the sizes stopped at XL. Now, it's possible that some smart gal came through and bought every single 2X bra that was stocked, but I highly doubt it. Given all of the flack plus sized women have been giving Target about their lack of variety in plus sized women's clothing, I would suspect those sizes were never stocked in the first place.
One response I have heard through the media was that Target explained that more sizes were available online. Which is fine, except I happened to be in the store at that particular moment. Stores like Target that sell a variety of items, from groceries to books to clothing, usually rely on customers' impulse buys. You go in for paper towels, and hey, while I'm here, I'll buy this purse. In order to meet that kind of demand, you should anticipate that your customers will have different tastes and be different sizes. I would have happily bought a few of those bras, an unexpected find, if they had my size.
I'm not trying to be an advocate or an activist. Target has always had a woefully small "Women's" department, kinda smushed in with the Maternity clothes. And the quality of the clothing is barely above Walmart's standards. So I don't expect much when I go there and I rarely go clothes shopping in Target. But if a brand makes a particular item in a larger size, then why wouldn't the store stock it? I guarantee that women would buy it-why wouldn't we, when it's that convenient?
I don't expect Target to change its marketing strategy. Thankfully there are a decent amount of stores out there, both physically and online, that have plenty of variety for plus sized women of every fashion sense. It's just too bad that a big box store like Target doesn't realize there's a whole demographic out there willing to give them money if the store would only accommodate them.
As for me, I will go online to look for my size in those bras. Only I will go directly to Hanes. Your loss, Target.
On this Independence Day, I reflect on how lucky I am to live in this country.
I detest politics. However, I am grateful that every American has the right to express their views, whether anyone agrees with them or not. I am also grateful that Americans have the right vote for those they wish to hold political office. We may bitch and complain about our government and those in office, but we can do so without the fear of being imprisoned or worse.
We are truly blessed that anyone may profess and practice whatever faith they believe in, even if they choose not to believe in anything. I often think many Americans take this freedom for granted. So many people around the globe are persecuted for their faith or lack of it.
This is truly a land of plenty. So many choices, so many opportunities. There are grocery stores everywhere, carrying a myriad of items. There are malls and stores a plenty....and that's not counting the vastness of the Internet. Imagine having to stand in line for food and hope that by the time you get to the front, they have anything left. We take certain things for granted: clean water, reliable electricity, garbage removal. We get frustrated when there's a brownout and we have to reset the clocks in the house. Imagine the electricity going out....for months.
And yet, with all the advantages we have, there are still many in this country that are disadvantaged in one way or another-hungry, homeless, sick and unable to receive care, straddling the poverty line. We must be grateful for all that we have and are able to achieve and mindful of those that struggle every day in our country. Do not take prosperity for granted.
This nation has its flaws; it's far from perfect. There is much to improve, some issues more important to others than to me or you. But we have the freedom to act, to dream, to travel, to stand up for what we believe in. Whenever I dare to pay attention to the news, to what goes on in some other countries, I am grateful to live in the United States.
Happy Birthday America.
Nobody likes pulling weeds. It's often a thankless task. One does it so the yard or garden doesn't turn into a jungle. Well, more often than not, my yard/garden looks like said jungle. Actually, I don't have a garden-more like aspirations of a garden. But today I was blessed with the perfect ratio of time and nice weather, so armed with my gloves, tools, repurposed toboggan which serves as a kneeler, and required Pandora app (set to the Styx station), I headed out to the jungle.
One of the reasons I like weeding is because it gives me time with my thoughts, which are many and all over the place. They can be as mundane as what to do about dinner or as abstract as spirituality. But they are usually uninterrupted because no one likes scaring the crap out of anyone with headphones on. It's also one of the few times I can listen to music uninterrupted too, sometimes realizing that I've had the lyrics to a song wrong for decades or finally understanding the meaning of a particular song.
When the weeds get really bad, as they are now, I am always amazed at what I find among them: a spade and a trowel I thought previously lost; a ridiculous amount of broken roof flaps (and we had our roof replaced two years ago!); a Pokemon toy which surprised me-my kids haven't played with Pokemon toys for a while and I'm not THAT neglectful of a gardener! (well, maybe a little bit......)
Some observations while weeding:
Baby praying mantises (?) are cute:
Baby crickets not so much, especially when they fly out in all directions.
I would much rather pull a hundred of huge weeds with spikey leaves than ten of those spreadable ones that cling to the ground. They suck.
Disturbing an ant nest is both fascinating and frustrating. I am sure I would freak out too if someone pulled the roof off my house and started rearranging everything. Then again, I don't have a million people living in my house, who would swarm the neighborhood. Once you disturb an ant colony, best to regroup and call it a day....which I did. I just thank God it wasn't a fire ant nest like the ones we dealt with in Georgia *shudder*
Two things: when working in the garden on a hot day, when you have sweat running down your face, there is nothing more blissful than a sudden, perfect cool breeze. Heaven.
And lastly, there is no more refreshing shower than the one you jump into after getting filthy and funky pulling weeds. Aaahhhh....
I foresee a weekend of this. Bring it on.
Elusive and ethereal,
Gossamer wings,
Flights of fancy,
Kaleidoscope of colors.
Fleeting beauty, so delicate,
Alighting for a moment
To drink in sweetness
And bask in warmth.
Then away again,
Fluttering off into a daydream.
(image found at svetikya.com)
Okay, I've done a woeful job keeping up this blog. But my friend Maria has inspired me to write more (go read her blog-http://spanishviews.blogspot.com/2015/04/bookstores-i-miss-you.html), so I figure I have to start somewhere....
After a miserable winter, it would seem that spring is finally upon us. That means sunshine, plants in bloom and birds, at least for my backyard. Every year I aspire to have some form of a garden (or at least a weed free area for plants to grow) and bird feeders.
I love the variety of birds we get in this area. Back home in Boston, I usually only saw pigeons and seagulls. Here in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, I am visited by robins, sparrows, mourning doves, grackles, starlings, blue jays, cardinals, finches, and the occasional hummingbird. As much as I love birds, I don't want them nesting on my house, which is something we battle every spring. This year, we had a problem with sparrows perching on the fan on my back porch and using my patio table as a toilet. I came across an article on the internet that claimed that gardeners and farmers used CD's on their fruit trees because birds don't like reflective objects. So I decided to give that a try. I taped a CD to each blade of the fan (reflective side up, of course) with double sided tape and waited.
Three weeks later, it's a success! No one has seen any birds on my fan and my patio table is grateful. Of course, my husband thinks once we turn on the fan, the CD's will fly off and decapitate someone. I think that's a bit extreme, but I'll let you know....
Experiment #2 involved growing plants from seed. I have always enjoyed trying to grow different plants from seed. When I am successful, I don't enjoy trying to transfer seedlings to the ground or a pot. Big box stores do sell mini pots that you transfer to the ground or a bigger container, but I thought there had to be a better way. Solution? Eggshells. Most everyone has eggs in their house. You either compost the shells or throw them away. So I saved a carton and filled them with rinsed half shells, put some dirt in them, some sunflower seeds, and water. And waited. After a week, I was rewarded with this:
Once they get big enough, I'll plant them in the ground. Here in this area, I've always been told to wait till Mother's Day to plant anything in the ground. That is usually when we're past the danger of frost and hopefully that holds true.
Experiment #3 started this morning. Again, I've read online (probably on Pinterest) that it is very easy to grow root vegetables from cut ends. I was cutting up some celery for chicken stock and ended up with an end from the bunch of celery. So into a clear custard cup it went with a little water. I will keep you updated on how this experiment goes.
Have any experiments you've tried around your garden or home? Let me know how they have turned out!
The above is a photo of a feminine hygiene spray. If you look closely, you will see that it is scented. The name of the scent? Tahitian Sunset. This confused me. Tahitian Breeze I could understand, maybe. But isn't a sunset a visual thing? Why would you give a scented product a visual adjective?
I have never been to Tahiti. I have heard many wonderful things about the island. I have never heard anything about its wonderful smelling sunsets. Europeans have been to this island since the late 1700's. They have written many things about Tahiti. I would think fresh smelling sunsets would have made the top of the list.
Also, I have sprayed this product (yes, I bought it; don't judge). I would expect something labeled "Tahitian Sunset" to smell exotic, like coconut, pineapple, tropical beaches. It smells nothing like that. If anything, it smells faintly like peaches. Which would make it more of a Georgian sunset, in my opinion.
I would love to meet the crackerjack marketing team that decided on this moniker. The only thing this adjective describes is possibly the color on the front. Which would be fine, if this were lipstick or hair coloring. But it's not. It's a spray. Which is generally experienced with your nose, not your eyes.
Summer's Eve. Let your ladyparts smell like a Tahitian Sunset. Which is impossible.
My husband and I just came back from our first trip to Vegas. It was a lot to take in and we had a really good time. I'm trying to think of the best way to write this post-I think I may just condense it a bit.
VEGAS IS ABOUT......money
More specifically, it's about separating you from your money. And there are plenty of ways to do that. The most obvious is the casino. We visited quite a few casinos, mostly to look around. We aren't huge gamblers, but we played some penny slots-won a little over $30 twice-that was good for us :)
Then there are the stores. Alot of the stores in the resorts are high end, like Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Fendi, etc. I don't have much interest in products like that. The set up of some of the stores is pretty amazing. At Caesar's Palace and Paris, their shopping areas are designed to look like streets in a villa, with storefronts, street lamps and other landmarks, and the ceilings are painted to look like the sky, complete with clouds. The Miracle Mile shops at Planet Hollywood go around in a circle and have some more down to earth shops. The Linq Resort has it's own side street dedicated to shops, restaurants, and even a bowling alley! There's a little of something for everyone. We bought a few souvenirs for ourselves and our kids.
VEGAS IS ABOUT......walking
If you are going to Las Vegas, make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes, because you're going to need 'em! Just to get from the check in counter to your room is a haul. Most resorts are designed to make you walk through the whole casino to get to the elevators to your rooms. We were very fortunate-we stayed at the Signature Towers at MGM Grand, which we booked through a third party, Airbnb. I had read horror stories about people waiting up to an hour to check in, then trek through the casino to the elevators. The Signature Tower is connected to MGM, but we didn't have to go through all that rigamarole. Took less than 5 minutes to check in, the elevators were right near the front desk, and we went right up to our room. We witnessed many people going through the long check in process though.
Many of the resorts on the Las Vegas Strip are connected by walkways, with bridges stretching over the streets. There are escalators and moving walkways to speed things along. The resorts themselves are pretty spread out, with casino areas, bars, clubs, sports bars, restaurants, food courts, and event arenas contained in each resort. We walked through many of them. Luxor was very interesting inside-kind of dark, and you felt like you were in a pyramid with the slanted walls. Caesar's Palace was very opulent, the Aria was very modern looking. My favorite was the Cosmopolitan. All of the ceiling and light fixtures were made of crystals and glass and everything just glittered.
VEGAS IS ABOUT......food
Let's face it-Americans have a love affair with food. In Las Vegas, the choices are overwhelming. There are places to eat everywhere-from fast food to fine dining. There are plenty of buffets-we ate at the Wicked Spoon in the Cosmopolitan. We chose it because we had seen it on the Travel Channel before booking our trip. It cost $41 per person. Even though I thought the stations could have had a few more choices, the food was very high quality. I would go back just for the dessert station! We also ate at Hash House A Go-Go, which has a few locations in different resorts. We went to the one at the Linq, after one of the shows. Hash House is known for their breakfast and their portions. My husband and I both decided to get the chicken and waffles.
We should have gotten one and split it!
We also ate at Guy Fieri's restaurant at the Linq. The food was very good-just huge.
There were, of course, plenty of places to drink as well. At Fat Tuesday in the Mandalay Bay Shops, we got a 32oz margarita slush for $15, which I thought was pretty good. You could refill it for $11, which we did :)
VEGAS IS ABOUT......entertainment
There is a plethora of shows to keep you entertained in Las Vegas-concerts, musicals, burlesque, comedians, magic, etc. We saw something each night. The first night we were there we saw Guster in concert at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. The concert was general admission, which means you had to stand. Doors opened at 7pm, which we thought meant when the concert would start. The warm up act didn't get on the stage until 8:15 and Guster didn't get onstage till after 9pm. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper having to stand that long. The irritating thing was that there were tables scattered around the concert area-which you could sit at IF you paid a $100 upcharge and agreed to a $100 bar tab! and my husband had to pull this information out of someone-it wasn't readily given. Needless to say, I don't think I'll go to another concert at the House of Blues again. However, Guster was fantastic-they are definitely one of my favorite bands to see in concert.
The next night, we saw Elton John at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace. The concert was simply fantastic. Elton is a great performer, playing a lot of his hits. He was very engaging with the crowd, telling stories and jokes. There was a video show that went with the performance which was pretty good. His band is incredible, especially percussionist Ray Cooper, who at 72 years old, is full of energy and a true professional-look him up. The venue itself was huge, very nice.
My husband is a big fan of Penn and Teller and he really wanted to see them perform, so that's what we did the following night at the Rio complex, which is off the Las Vegas Strip. The venue itself was pretty well laid out and the seats were very comfortable. Penn and Teller are true performers and their magic is pretty amazing. However, they tend to push their rhetoric a bit much at times in the act. (They seem to be Libertarian atheists, if I understood them correctly.)
Our last night in Las Vegas, we decided to go with our favorite genre, comedy. Carrot Top's show had gotten great reviews, and though I wouldn't have thought we would see his show, that's just what we ended up doing. His show was at the Luxor-nice small theater. His comedy is very prop oriented and fast paced. He uses music and video quite a bit. Some people might be put off by the language and some of the content, but overall, we enjoyed his show. He is very self-effacing and seems to crack himself up the most :)
We also saw the fountain show at the Bellagio, which I highly recommend.
and lastly.....
VEGAS IS ABOUT.......people
Oh, the people! Every nationality, color, creed, every walk of life, male, female, short, tall, old, young, all mashed together in such a small area. I saw 5 bridal parties. We saw parents pushing their children in strollers; we saw children pushing their parents in wheelchairs. We saw a convention of hairdressers and a mini high school reunion. We saw people, like us, dressed comfortably, and people dressed to the nines. Las Vegas is heaven for people watchers.
On the strip and in the casinos there are people constantly trying to shove tickets in your hands for something. There are the people on the strip who try to hand you escort trading cards with pictures of naked women. There are the street performers dressed as various characters who want money for a picture with them (and some of the costumes were pretty shabby). And there are the panhandlers that hang out on the strip and on all the connecting bridges between the resorts. There are very few places you can go in Vegas without bumping into someone wanting something. But then again, it is Vegas.
All in all, we had a really good time. There was a lot we didn't get to see, but that's what another trip is for :)
Around New Year's Day, someone posted a reading challenge on Facebook. 52 categories of books to read. Now that's my kind of challenge! I thought it would be a good idea to blog about the books I chose to read as well; hopefully others will take this challenge and share what they've read.
I decided that one book can fill a few categories. Here is the list that was posted on Facebook:
My first entry is a trifecta-a book my mom loves, a book that can be read in a day, and a book that made me cry. That book is The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
I first read this book a little over 10 years ago. My mom was visiting at the time and she knew I would love this book. I knew Mitch Albom as a sports reporter and I knew he had written Tuesdays with Morrie, although I have never read that book. This is a short book, perfect for those who want a quick read. But don't let it's simplicity fool you-it packs an emotional wallop-it did for me, at least. It's the story of a carnival handyman who dies and the five people he meets in heaven. It's a story that makes you think about life and everyone you come into contact with during your life. I would definitely recommend it, and if you're like me, have the tissues handy-I needed them halfway through the book!
Happy New Year! I did not write much in 2014. I am hoping, once again, to change that. Starting today :)
Looking back on the year gone by, I had much to be happy about. I got to travel a bit, going to Dallas in January and Denver in September. It had been 16 years since we had last been in Dallas. We got to visit my wonderful friend Gretchen and her husband Clay and see their beautiful new home. It was so nice to see Gretchen-hoping another 10 years doesn't go by before we get to visit again! While in Dallas, we got to see the Bruins play the Dallas Stars at American Airlines area, which was phenomenal! We also got to tour AT&T Stadium, which was a lot of fun. Dallas certainly knows how to do sports!
We had been to the Denver area in 1996, but all I really remember is having a hard time adjusting to the altitude. I had no problems this time. We stayed north of Denver, towards Boulder. I really fell in love with this area of Colorado. It was so clean and beautiful. The scenery was gorgeous and the people were very friendly. We went to a Colorado Rapids game, walked the Colorado State campus, shopped and ate in Boulder. If I could survive a winter, I think I could live out there!.
There were a couple of low points as well, most notably the death of my father. The hardest thing about it for me has been the finality-knowing that I can't just pick up the phone and call my dad anymore. My father used to drive me crazy, but he was still my dad. The fact that I have to refer to him in the past tense is still odd to me.
I was also officially diagnosed with diabetes this spring. I take Metformin for it, which I hate. One of my major goals is to get off this medication. If I have learned anything from my father's example, it's to take care of my health. My dad had heart disease and diabetes, and he mismanaged his conditions terribly; there is no doubt in my mind that caused his death. His ill health was entirely his own doing-getting well was very much in his hands. I know the same is true for me and it's something that needs my full attention.
Many people make resolutions on January 1st-they usually are forgotten by January 10th. Mine is fairly simple. I resolve to love myself. Over the years, I have hated myself for various reasons and my life has reflected that. The times that I have loved myself have been very rare. That is just so wrong. When you love yourself, you treat yourself with respect. You build yourself up and surround yourself with good people and good situations. You leave the past behind and feel no need to dwell on it. When you love yourself, that love radiates outward. There is no need to criticize or judge people; you are too busy living your life and seeing the beauty in your surroundings to worry about what others are doing or what they think of you. When you love yourself, you savor life, live in the moment; there is no need to rush through anything.
So that is my resolution-to love myself. And I hope that 2015 is a positive year for everyone!
