Lately, I have been asked the following question, many times: “How come you are not worried?” And my answer is very, very simple: My foundation. And what I mean by that is this - my routine. My daily practices. My daily activities. Structure - how I plan, build, and then act out my days. By building a daily and weekly routine, life can become very simplified. Even the toughest of tasks can be accomplished through small steps, repetitive practice, and routine... And routine maintenance - so to speak. Building a routine lays a foundation. And continual practice builds an increasingly stronger foundation. And as you will see in bullet number 14 below, a strong foundation can help you through a tough time. I have been practicing calmness, patience, discipline, determination, and perseverance for so long now, that even these challenging days are far easier to get through than they would have been in the past for me. Now, when something hits - out of the blue - I can REACT appropriately. I can react reasonably. I can react with health in mind. And that goes for any and all situations. Foreseen, planned for, or very unforeseen. You see, if you practice not getting angry when someone cuts in line in front of you enough, you won’t overreact when something even bigger happens in life. If you practice not getting stressed out in traffic, when a two hour traffic jam comes along and surprises you, you’ll treat it like a mini-vacation in your car - instead of a ball of stress and tension and anger. When you are on the phone and the automated operator tells you to press zero to speak with someone, and you press zero, and they hang up on you instead, after being on hold for 45 minutes, you can simply blow it all off. Dust yourself off. And call again. No big deal. And I am not in any way trying to compare a global pandemic to the dilemma of sitting in traffic or other minor and petty issues within our communities and society. I’m simply stating if you practice healthy habits, healthy reactions, and practice more patience than you ever thought a human being could possibly have - then you will have a stronger base to fall back on when something even larger attacks you. And as we are now suddenly living in the midst of a very official 15 Day Challenge set forth by our government. I have once again chosen how to react. I acknowledge that we are at war - with a virus. We are now living changed lives. Every single one of us. I educate myself. I plan. I act. I react. And I act again. Example: REACTION ~ To World War 19 So, while, as of today, America is on the back end of these initial 15 days, each day is still vitally important that we all follow the guidelines. And, to do all that has been asked of us - with a lot of uncertainty added into our days. And whether we are doing our very best to stay home, or still working outside the home in what the government is considering an essential business. We’ve all changed some aspect of our daily activities at this point. In order to slow the spread of Coronavirus, every person on this planet has an important role to play. And ultimately the question is this: How will you change your life to do your part? Chances are you are going to follow the guidelines to the best of your ability. This leads to spending time at home, or at least to become very socially distant from one another. For a whole lot of time. Which leads to the need for human activity in the home, plus, the act of being around less people. Instead of - outside and away from home, and thus, interaction with more people. I’d like to present you with a number of activities that I have long ago since adopted into my lifestyle. Each of these bullet points below has helped immensely in the current situation as I also have adjusted my lifestyle now to help lower the curve. To bend that curve in the right direction. So, whether you're at home, or you’re not - we can’t just SIT there. We need to LIVE - wherever we’re at during these trying times. Check out any or all of Bean’s List below when you are seeking a way to fill a gap in your down time. When you are seeking a distraction. When you want to react to a situation in a more calm and rational manner. Not everything on this list is for purposes of staying home, sheltering-in-place, or for quarantine, but they are all merely examples of little things. Little things that can help you in some way of getting through a day. Small ways of keeping your mind, and your body, occupied. To keep your brain stimulated. And to get creativity flowing. And lastly - to help inspire. To provide hope. To light the flame on the fire of your faith. To keep going. To march before you feel like it. To get out of your own way. To live. Any day. And every day. So, today I present to you - Bean’s Idea List. Included are 15 daily activities you can partake in - anytime - anywhere: 1-Adult Coloring Books Adult coloring books. If you have not yet tried an adult coloring book, but have had your eyes set upon them - today is the day to finally take action. While bookstores are mostly closed for the pandemic, you can still order books online. Yes, goods are still being shipped. Or, don’t forget to check out the magazine aisle next time you are at a grocery store or pharmacy. Or even the dollar store. They usually have a small section of coloring books and crossword puzzles. It’s finally time to take your colored pencils out of hiding. Dust them off. And give them a job to do. 2-Bullet Journal Buy one! They are soooo fun. Now is the time to try a fun and exciting way to stay organized. I’ve been bullet-journaling for a few years now, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for organizing my life. Plus, besides increased organization and efficiency in daily life - I no longer have ten thousand different random notepads, journals, and post-its, sitting everywhere around the house and lying in different bags and purses and atop different counters and desks. Now, everything I write is in one, singular, book. And that book can go everywhere with me if I’d like. 3-Hope Sometimes, hope - is just about continuing. It is just about continual movement. You may feel like your actions are small. But they are all important. Your actions ripple and inspire many others. Keep living. Keep moving forward. Keep going. By continuing onward, you are being hopeful. Optimistic. While some of life has to pause, you can still continue in many, many ways. You can still, always, have hope. 4-Gratitude Journal With hope - comes gratitude. Write daily in your Gratitude Journal. Even if you don’t know what you are doing when you start out on your gratitude journey. Even if you think you have nothing to be grateful for. Even if you think that the thing you are grateful for is silly or a waste of time. Write down that gratefulness. Here is an example of my gratefulness just from this morning: Today, I am grateful for the ability to support local workers who still have a job. Today, I am grateful that my husband and I gave a tip to the Barista. Whether I can afford it or not right now, I am grateful to pay it forward. Today, I am grateful that I went for a walk. Today, I am grateful for the coastal winds flowing through the sky. Today, I am grateful for the ability to work, and to work with a large, hot, very delicious coffee filling my tummy. Today, I am grateful for the beautiful blue sky. Today, I am grateful for the palm trees growing outside my window. Today, I am grateful for the beef stir-fry meal I am preparing to make for dinner at home tonight. Today, I am grateful to get my uniform ready for a very long shift at work tomorrow. Today, I am grateful for the job I have to go to tomorrow. Today, I am grateful for hard work and the opportunity to work hard. Today, I am grateful for my determination. Today, I am grateful for patience. Today, I am grateful for American’s all over the country - who are working together as a team. All doing their part. All doing anything and everything they can, to help. 5-Smartphone Apps and YouTube Videos Videos are a fabulous distraction. Use them sparingly. But, use them indeed. YouTube is free. For all those who still do not pay or those who cannot afford cable or streaming services just like me, use YouTube to your advantage. Sure, I cannot see all the latest shows. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones, not even once. I’ve never seen The Handmaid’s Tale - even though I’m dying to binge watch the whole series to date. I’ve never seen Baby Yoda in action. I’ve never watched The Crown. And I’ve never seen The Walking Dead either. But, I’m ok with that. Because, instead, I’m best friends with Adam Hattan, Tim Tracker, Fresh Baked, The Dis Unplugged, and a whole lot more free fun. If you need something to watch. There’s something out there for everyone. Click on the free app, and find your favorite channel. 6-Cook Cook - If you don’t like to cook. Or, if you tell yourself you can’t cook. Now’s the time to push away all those excuses. And learn to love to cook. Be creative with food. Whip up something delicious. Be patient with yourself. Try a new recipe. Serve a meal to your family that was made inside your home. For some healthy and hearty and filling meals, check out these recipes below straight from my kitchen to yours: 10] Bean’s Soulful Southern Chili 38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe 43] Bean’s Bold Beef Stew Recipe ~ 47] Bean’s Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe ~ A Super Food For A Super Sunday 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken 7-Contemplate Sit on your Porch or your balcony. Rest in your backyard. Be outside with nature. Practice breathing exercises utilizing the built-in App on your Apple Watch. Look around you and be present in the moment. 8-Listen - Mindfully Turn Off The News - And Turn On A Podcast Better yet - a new-to-you podcast. Get outside of your comfort zone and select a subject matter unfamiliar to you. Or an area you’ve always wanted to learn more about, but just never pressed play on. Either way, from crafting, Etsy, politics, sport, fitness, and weight loss, all the way to comedy, the royal family, celebrity gossip, motivational speaking, and conspiracy theories, if there’s a topic in this world, there’s a podcast with the same name. Delve into the app, grow your library, and start challenging your brain in new ways. 9-Media Awareness Be aware of the media around you. And I don’t just mean the news media. I mean social media. Spend the effort to get your news straight from the source. And limit your time on all the social media platforms. They are all time-suckers folks. They all want to rule your day. You - rule your day instead. Live your life offline, instead of online. There is, of course, a time and place for social media, but most people need to spend far less time on all the social sites than they currently are. I would like to challenge everyone to put the phone down. Live your life. Even if you are at home right now. Pick up a book - instead of the phone. Pick up your child - instead of your phone. Pick up dinner - instead of your phone. Pick up a vacuum - instead of your phone. Pick up the laundry - instead of your phone. Pick up a paint brush - instead of your phone. Put the phones down - and lift up your life. 9-Give Give your time. Give your money. Give your resources. Give your talents. Give your expertise. Give your EXTRA. And, give, when you have nothing left to give. This last suggestion is probably the most important part of giving, in my mind. Whenever you think you have nothing left to offer, that’s when it’s the most important to give more than you think you even have left. When you share with the world, that’s when you receive the greatest blessings in return. So call it selfish if you want, but by giving it all away, you are receiving much, much more. 10-Exercise Just because you may be stuck at home, does NOT give you an excuse to not participate in physical activity. We all, as human beings, are much better off physically, mentally, and emotionally when we move our bodies. Of course rest has a place. But there is also an imperative space in your day for physical activity. And it doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to make you sweat too much. You don’t have to be out of breath. It just means to move. So, toss those excuses aside, and make moving just as an essential part of your day as brushing your teeth currently should be. EXAMPLE: My experience running the Key West Half Marathon in January 2020. 11-Get fresh air. If it’s much too cold outside, open the garage door, and soak up some fresh air that way. If it’s a Florida afternoon downpour, go in the outdoor parking garage and soak up some fresh air that way. If it’s a beautiful day, get out there and workout, stretch, sit and read. Any way you slice it though, you should be building fresh air into your day. Even if you have to get creative with the way to obtain that fresh air, make it a daily goal, and start. 12-Read The benefits of reading are so numerous that I’m not even going to get into it here and now. Read a book. And keep reading. 13-Arts & Crafts Work on a detailed puzzle. Draw or sketch. Paint a canvas. Sew. Crochet. Knit. The list can go on forever. Paint rocks and share joy and happiness around town. You can even tag your rocks with your local rock painting Facebook group - and you’ll be part of an ongoing virtual and digital scavenger hunt. I found this rock just the other night - and I was so darn excited! Thank you to the person who spread this joy to me. Here are some examples of how I incorporate art, of all kinds, into my life: 2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens 12] Paint N’ Pints @ Intuition Ale Works ~ Downtown Jacksonville, FL 14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House 31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~ 32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market 14-Routine Keep your routine. Besides number 15 below, this may be the most important bullet point in terms of its relation to these scary times during the pandemic. Whenever there is abrupt change - of any kind - your equilibrium may become off balance. If you already have a well-established routine - your foundation will be strong. It will become so solid and so firm, that when an earthquake comes, it may only rattle the building a bit, break a few picture frames, and then continue standing for the rest of its life. Without the right foundation, the structure is a lot less stable. And you risk collapse. So, start today. Build a routine. Start small. Take one step a day. One step a week. However fast or slow you need to build that routine is up to you. But build it. And stabilize it. And provide that routine - with routine maintenance. Use those bullet journals and write it all down. Routine has done a lot for me. By establishing a dedicated, solid, thick barrier wall of routine in my life, I have accomplished more than I ever thought possible. And all of those accomplishments started with routine, and dedication to that routine. And having the patience to continue moving forward, even when times are tough, are all because of the routine, even when I desperately want to break it. For examples, check out: 1] Happy Birthday America! ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th: 7] My ‘Before & After’ ~~ How A Single Act Of Kindness, Lime Bubly, And MyFitnessPal Helped Me Lose 77 Pounds In One Year 17] Fall Flavors ~ Six Simple Steps I’m Taking This Fall To Maintain My Massive Weight Loss 37] New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~ 15-Love Have faith. Have hope. Believe. In yourself. In others. In your team. In your community. In your leaders. In your state. In your country. In the world. And last but certainly not least, LOVE. Love yourself. Love your family. Love your friends. Love the creatures you share this planet with. Love your life. And - Love your enemy. And what in the heck do I mean by that one? I mean love even your very worst enemy. That simple. Love who you hate. Love the one who you can barely stand. Love the one you disagree with the most. And show that love to them. Every single day. You will become a much happier person if you can put this tactic into practice in real life. For some good, old-fashioned faith, hope and love - check out the links below: 23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair 26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD 34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~ 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~ 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 55] The Shamrock 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 So, this sums up Bean’s Idea List for today. I hope you will take some of these ideas to heart, and put them into action in your daily life. Let’s all work together to get through the pandemic that is changing all our lives. Let’s all share ideas. Let’s all share stories. Let’s all give. Let’s all share ways to get through another day. But mostly, let’s all love one another - right now and forever more. ~
*What new activity have you added to your life during this global Coronavirus pandemic? I’d love to know - let me know in the comments down below:
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3/20/2020 0 Comments #59) REACTION ~ To World War 19So I went to Publix the other day. And just like any other day… I parked my car in the parking lot, and went inside. And just like any other day, I grabbed a cart. But not just like any other day, there were things I could not buy. And when my eyes first met up with the bread aisle, I was extremely grateful that I had the foresight to freeze my previously purchased and older loaf. Living through hurricanes taught me as much. So, I could not buy the bread that I wanted. I kept shopping. I could not buy toilet paper. And, living through hurricanes - did not teach me or forewarn me on that one. Nope - no one really saw the toilet paper challenge coming our way. Not even those already prepared for days without power and those who’ve lived through many hurricanes. In fact, there were a lot of things I could not buy. I won’t name them all here, as that is not my point. My initial point is this - I made do. I adapted. I pushed on. I stayed positive. I shared my ideas with others on how I am coping. I still joked about it all. I remained silly and sarcastic. And I kept talking - despite how differently we all might perceive our new reality. Because at the same time, there were many items I could buy… many items in my shopping cart. Many items the cashier scanned through their purchasing system. Many items now settled nicely inside my very cold refrigerator and freezer and pantry and medicine cabinet. You see, how we react to what is placed in front of our eyes, is sometimes more important than what is actually placed before our very eyes. I did not cry these past weeks. Although I wanted to. I did not give up. Although the thought did cross my mind. I did not fight over perceived differences. I only joked about it all. With sarcasm and humor yes, but truly just joking around. And many others are now doing the same. I have been in contact with countless individuals each and every day these last weeks. And what I witnessed - has been the absolute best of humanity. Each person who I speak and interact with is nice. Kind. Optimistic. And yes, scared. But all of them keep their composure in public. All of them do not want to spread further fear. And panic. There was another common theme to every person I recently met. They said that people are talking to each other once again. People are civil. People are reaching out to those they have not spoken to in years. And then, other people are responding in kind. Specifically, people are putting their differences aside. And communicating like human beings again. At the end of one conversation, one man thanked me for speaking with him. We took time to pause for a few minutes. We took the time to genuinely inquire about each other’s well being. Any politics and beliefs and religions and all other differences aside. We are speaking to one another. But most importantly we are caring for one another. And as the conversation with that one gentleman came to an end, he said that this was the best conversation he had in a long time. I said I completely agreed. He went on his way. I don’t know his name. I probably will never see him again. But each person an individual meets and interacts with has the crucial ability to set our future toward a different path. A more optimistic path. If merely, we react to others in a better way. When I exited Publix, the very first thing that caught my attention while walking to my car was a beautiful dog. One of God’s special creatures. A creature who bestows special gifts onto the living world. This precious doggy was sitting at attention. He was watching the exit. Waiting for his owner to leave the store. This angelic pup could not be swayed. This canine could not be distracted. He or she only had eyes for his partner in life. He could not be disturbed in any way. And yes, I did try. How could I resist? The little cutie pie! I said, “Oh hello!” And then told him how cute he was. I said, your owner will be out shortly. But, you know what? His gaze never waivered. His look was of determination. His spirit and love - fully alive in his soul. Waiting. Being diligent. And forever faithful. I said a few more nice things to this adorable little creature and then went on my way. His gaze never once removed. His eyes locked on the front doors of Publix. As we were loading up the trunk, I noticed the next people coming out of the store. Individuals, couples, families. Each of them stopped to talk to the adorable doggy. Each of them wanted a response from the dog - just like I did. I watched the humans. And I watched the dog... Each of them saw pure love in a golden hew. But that dog’s gaze never strayed. I will not forget that dog. He made such an impression on me. Enough of an impression, obviously, that I felt compelled to take a photo. To capture the spirit in his eyes. To soak in his determination and faith and unwavering love for another human. These weeks have been a challenge. Not just for me. Not just for those I have talked with. But for everyone. Every single living human being on this planet is now touched in some way. Touched by a faceless evil. An evil we are now at war with. Yes, we are at war - with a virus. An evil that knows no discrimination. An evil that has destruction in its wake and in its path. An evil that knows no age, no race, no creed, no ethnicity, no sex, no gender, no hair color, no appearance, and certainly doesn’t care whether we look like a million damn dollars, or if we - uh hmmm - could really use a manicure or a hair cut. No - CoVid 19 does not care. It only cares about eating us alive. It only cares about its own survival. And growth. And spread. And mutation. And adaptation. And to gain even further power over us. To swallow us whole. To suffocate us. And in order for us to survive against this evil we will have to suffer. And in order for it to be destroyed - we also have to suffer. You see - we - every single human being - has now been called to action. We not only have to act. But we have to REACT. We have been summoned. We have been tasked. We have been deployed. In order for our evil to be destroyed - it will require the will and determination and action and reactions of every single human on this planet. Not just a single city. Not just a state. And not just a single nation. This evil requires countries. Nation states. Global powers. The entire world. We are all called to battle. Yes, everybody has to sacrifice. I tend to talk a lot about the following key words: ACTION REPETITION ROUTINE MOMENTUM MASSIVE ACTION And then... REACTION And, in the end - It’s always our reactions that win the day. Or worse off - it’s our reactions that lose the day too. And thus - the war. We’ve REACTED to evil many times in the past. On one very special Christmas during World War I, troops on both sides of the trenches put aside their different causes for a single night. Far in the distance, the songs of Christmas could be heard. Song. And then, once heard, many reacted to the sound of song, and joined in themselves. Soon, trenches were abandoned, and humanity came together. The two sides were no longer at war with one another. They stood in no-man’s land, as equals, and as humans. Sharing their different worlds they lived in. Even speaking one another’s language with each other. Think about that. Their extremely passionate differences put aside, all to make it through a somber time, together. We reacted to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And it was a REACTION felt round the world. And after that bombing, we were told that the only thing we have to fear - is fear itself. We reacted to North Korean aggression - as they crossed the 38th Parallel, and attacked South Korean sovereignty. We REACTED once again, to September 11th, 2001. America - invaded - by a foreign enemy. We did not initiate. We did not ask for war. We did not want violence and evil and death and destruction and very horrific terrors. But all those evils came our way anyway - and, thus, we reacted. With the full military and civilian might built and instilled and festering inside our souls. By coming together. Yes - We’ve reacted many a time throughout human history. And we must now react, once again. American’s must come together. In fact, the entire world must come together on this one, folks. Yes, our evil is a virus. Yes, our evil has no face. There are no planes crossing the Pacific in secret, set out for destruction from the sky above. We are not focused on the 38th Parallel dividing line on a map. I am not talking about an enemy so determined to fly a plane - but not at all determined to land it. Yes, our evil is completely and utterly invisible. And sometimes, and making this all the more scarier, is the need for awareness in the fact that it’s those invisible evils which are the strongest ones to battle against. They require all our will and force. All of us to be very brave. All of us to sacrifice in some way. And all of our humility. All of humanity. It’s sorta like when you’re playing a video game. And then in the final battle scene of each land within the game, you face the evil villain. Ahhh, that climactic battle scene. With scary music, and scenery, and sounds in the background. All leading you to the horrific villain. That villain is ruthless. That villain has eyes as red as the devil himself. Sometimes that villain breathes fire. And burns his opponent. One life down. One less life left in the game. And sometimes, that evil villain inside the final battle scene… literally POPS out of nowhere. Hidden behind a corner. As you are running up, up, up, sword in hand, to save the Princess in the Castle. You round that final corner, on your way to certain victory, when you are shocked to near death and awe. That evil, red-eyed, fire breathing dragon was invisible. Waiting in hiding. And absolutely and utterly camouflaged into the dark and desolate and dirty brick and mortar of the castle walls. Hiding there. Biding his time. Just waiting for you to come at him. And then… Attack. You are shocked. You are down on the ground. You fall deep into a hole. Or down a green pipe. You have to struggle out. Climb up. Fighting for air. HE - EVIL - has the advantage. EVIL - has the upper hand. EVIL - is one up on you. EVIL - caught you off guard. EVIL - watches you in shock. And EVIL… waits for your reaction. Yes, your REACTION. When you get knocked down, the always and forever question is - will you get up again? Will you - live to die another day? Will you - put up the fight of your life? Will you - hit back? And ultimately - will you - do all this, while keeping your humanity? While keeping civility? While following guidelines? While educating yourself about that fire-breathing dragon? How does he live? How does he survive? And thrive? And what is his weakness? What scares him back into the brick and mortar? What burns him to death? What is required for the destruction of his evilness? Because you can’t fight fire with fire, right? One fire pitted against another in the same small room only makes that fire more powerful and more quickly devouring the entire area. And then - it spreads. Gaining power. Beyond one room. More powerful, more heat, more burn, until it burns the whole house down. Left unchecked with nothing standing, nothing left alive in its path. Eventually swallowing the house itself. Or - it can be snuffed out. Somehow... No - you can’t fight fire with fire… You fight it with water. You fight evil with life itself. Our federal government has called us to action. All of us - living and breathing humans. The challenge and ask is for fifteen days. 15 days to help change the world. 15 days to react to the summons. 15 days to follow repeated guidelines. Every one of us is mentioned in this summons. Every one of us plays a part. If even one single person did not partake in The Christmas Truce of 1914, the entire spur-of-the-moment event would have ended in carnage and bloodshed and death all around. As soldiers sang Christmas Carols and played cards and swapped cigarettes and talked with one another as fellow human beings, if merely one single person on either side brought out their weapon of war and started shooting - there would be a completely different outcome to that all-important day in The Great War. And today, we all must play our part too. No one is sitting on the sidelines on this one. No one gets a free pass. No one is going to the penalty box. We are all in play. Whether we want to play or not. And some roles are quite different from one another. In fact, some roles could not be more different from one another than if we were all sitting in opposing trenches on a muddy and frigidly cold battlefield on Christmas of 1914. We may feel like we are fighting different battles. But we are all on the same team. Yes - In order to win - we must come together. We must play our roles on that same team. We MUST wear the same uniform. All while, I’d say, for most all of us, this has been one of the most challenging times of our lives. These days bring much uncertainty. These days bring destruction and loss. These days bring the feeling of defeat. And today may feel very hopeless indeed. But if we all do our part. The hopelessness doesn’t have to win the day. And our roles vary greatly: Some of us should stay home. All of us should social-distance from one another. Some of us should shelter in place. Some of us should be completely and utterly and formally quarantined. And then, on the complete opposite spectrum - Some of us should report to work as usual. And absolutely none of us should be having the party of our lives right now. Yes, put the kegs away my friends. Spring Break will always be there after we weather the storm. We have been asked to sacrifice. We have been asked to give - of ourselves - for the sake of humanity. This is not the time for selfishness in any way. This is not the time for bickering. This is not the time for politics. This is not the time to give here, but take there. This is simply a time for sacrifice. Sacrifice of all kinds. Some of our sacrifice will be financial. Whether it’s a loss of money, investments, various business opportunities. Some of us will lose the very job we love. The job we need. The job we rely upon. And then, knowing what’s reasonably coming ahead of us, this loss will happen to many more people than most alive today can possibly comprehend at the current moment. Our society forever changed by this war. Some of our loss will be social. And some of our loss will be our education. A class. A graduation. Some will lose out on a magical life experience that can never be fully replicated or replaced in any way ever again. Some of it will be medical. Some will postpone elective surgery. Some very needed and quite necessary surgeries will be gone without. Patients in urgent need will be triaged. A disrupted supply chain leading to lack of medicine and a PPE shortage. Ventilators used at maximum capacity. Pharmaceuticals on demand. And some people, sadly, will lose their very lives. Because there is no war, without loss of life itself. But, And there always is a but. And it’s a big BUT. But If - we do our part. If we play our roles. If we answer our summons, and sign on for duty with all our hearts and energy and strength and determination and will. If we cross the trenches, and come together. Heed the guidelines. Follow the rules set forth by our governments and world leaders. Listen to the scientists. Support our first responders. Pray for our military. Help those who are on the front lines of this battle, all those still needing to be in contact in some way with people who could be infected. Support them, by doing your own part. Fight our own battle and play our own role in this war. And then, after all that, to continue to have faith in humanity. We then have 15 days… 15 days to help change the world. Yes, 15 days to bend the curve. 15 days on a path toward destruction of evil. Who knows where we will be at the end of 15 days? It may be but a single, small step in a larger and grander plan. In a long and drawn-out road map. We may be asked something else of us at the end of 15 days. I have no idea. And neither do you. But it is a start. And I do know one thing. Our start - our reaction - is imperative to our success. The bipartisanship I have seen this week has given me hope. And it has given countless others hope as well. Yes, I have come in contact with many people this week who have said the same exact thing. People are really talking to one another. The common foes are trying to come together. They are speaking. They are supporting one another. They are working together. They are even praising one another, and asking each other for help. But better yet - each of the other is actually answering the call to help from their supposed foe. Yes, I said that right. They are working together, my friends! And all THAT - is true leadership. THAT - takes courage. And I know something else. If they do NOT work together - we will not win this war. Let’s all put our differences aside. Again, for the sake of humanity. Let’s all follow their lead. Let’s all follow the guidelines. Let’s all do our own part. Our own part - in this - Our very own World War 19. As the fire-breathing dragon tries to burn us down with his fire. Let’s fight back with water. Let’s all be human again. Let’s all be civil. Let’s all be humorous, and funny, and sarcastic, and just plain silly. Let’s sing together, and let’s laugh together too. Let’s play cards together and speak each other’s languages. Because we can’t win the war by using fire. We have to breathe life - into life itself. And let’s also all be that golden doggy. The precious creature sitting in the back of a golf cart. Watching humanity walk in and out of a grocery store. And as the dog witnesses shoppers stocking up on what goods they can buy, with disappointment and sadness in what they cannot buy. Let’s all have the unwavering faith of this yellow furball. Sheer will and absolute determination. Forever faithful and absolutely in love. Not caring what others think of his actions. Doing the right thing. Sitting on guard. Not distracted by any temptation. Hopeful and fully believing that at any moment his owner will come walking out the door. A dog - who would give his own life to protect his loved one. Knowing only love, and forgoing all fear. Facing the world head on. Faith on his side. World War 19 literally happening all around him. Belief and love in his heart. Waiting - desperately, and passionately waiting - to react… to love, coming out the front doors of Publix. ~
Hey there you fine folks - feel free to check out these other stories down below - yes, right here: 2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer 6] Nine Eleven: Before & After 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts 23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House 26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD 28] The Scent of Christmas in the Air 34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~ 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s With To You ~ 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 55] The Shamrock 58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken ANSWER: Duval Street. QUESTION: WHEN Did The Chicken Cross The Road? ANSWER: During The 22nd Annual Key West Half Marathon. ~ On Sunday, January 19, 2020, the 22nd Annual Key West Half Marathon took place on the picturesque paradise that is Key West, Florida. The last of the Keys and the most special of Keys. The infamous Key. The best Key… Let me just tell you one thing and one thing only. If you love road races - if you love running - if you love fitness - if you just even merely love to move - then get your cute little tushy on down to the Keys in 2021 and RUN. THIS. RACE. I can hardly believe it myself, but I was one of the participants. I partook in the 13.1 Mile Half Marathon, however, there was also a 5K race available taking place coinciding with the much longer race. For all those who deemed the Half to be maybe just a bit too much, too silly, or just too ridiculous of mileage to attempt. I guess I fall in the silly and ridiculous category myself. And yes, I did finish - purely to get that highly coveted medal, of course. But it was not without a lot of self-discipline, patience, and maybe some sheer will power thrown in for good measure. The race was a definite challenge for me, but one I knew I could do, even if I was very, very slow toward the end. And yes, there were lots and lots of chickens participating in the festivities alongside about four thousand humans. And those silly little creatures were a source of joy and good humor to me during such a lengthy physical task. Taking place on the Sunday of the Martin Luther King long holiday weekend, this is quite a popular race in the Keys. And naturally a big race coinciding with a holiday means hotel prices throughout the island were on the high side. If this is something you may be considering for next year, I’d highly recommend booking your stay far in advance. We booked our room back in June of last year, and rates were already high. This weekend, there were ‘no vacancy’ signs all throughout the island. And I registered for the race itself back on May 21 last year. We were confident that we were going to run it, so we were sure of booking our hotel back when we did far in advance, and just assumed the price would only increase as registration fills and the race date inches closer. And naturally as the holiday itself got closer. We stayed at The Reach Resort Key West, a Hilton property. And after our arrival on the island, we checked in and then quickly made our way over to the Race Expo, which was open from 12pm-6pm on Saturday. The Expo took place for the two days prior to race day. And in case you are in the habit of registering for races and then forgetting all about it afterward, never fear. We got plenty of email reminders prior to race weekend with all the necessary details. My husband and I have run many road races in our lives. Up north throughout all of Chicagoland, and in a large variety of cities and states. We’ve made races part of our travels many times prior to our move South, and we also finished many races in Florida since our move here. If I could leave you one reminder as you potentially prepare for a race in the Sunshine State. and one thing only about racing in Florida it is this: It’s hot here. If you do run any race in the South, my best recommendation to you is to focus on yourself, your body. Basically, your entire self-care routine should take precedence over attempting any personal bests or world records you may be aiming for. The heat, and the blasting endless sun, alongside the potential for volatile weather events any day of the year here should be on your radar. In Florida I have run races on highways, races on the beach, races late at night, and races starting before the sun even decides to grace us with its presence. At any and almost all of those times, it’s been hot. It can be humid. The “real-feel” weather is even hotter on the body. And the other issue is water. Right when you need water the most in your entire life, it may not be there for you… Yes, that’s correct, we’ve even been to races where they run out of water. It’s not pleasant. So, basically, this is all a big and bold or even a small and subtle way of reminding you to take care of yourself and plan for yourself. And don’t rely on supplies to just be there for you if you need it because sometimes they do run out of things. Pack water and plan accordingly. So, needless to say, when we got the final email reminder for the race, I was very pleased they put out there front and center and big and bold to us as a reminder: They basically told us this is Key West. Yes, Key Freaking West. Have fun out there. And to NOT make this the race you choose to go for some personal best or some world record breaking time. Something I already knew from lots of previous experiences at these types of races. But others may not. There is always a new and inexperienced runner who may benefit from this. So there they put it. And hopefully that warning helps even one less person end up in a medical tent due to overdoing it, pushing it just a bit too hard, or to help remind them to pack an extra bottle of water or Gatorade. So basically, have fun out there why don’t ya? Go slow and not care why don’t ya! Take in all the sights along the way. This is NOT a highway race. There is something cool to see and watch and hear each step of the way. Back when I was in college, the men’s cross country coach, who is still coaching there, had a motto that’s now legendary. Al Carius, head men’s coach at division three North Central College in Naperville, IL, always, always says “Run For Fun & Personal Bests.” I believe that is simply Golden advice for all fitness levels and abilities. It should be fun. And it should be your race, and not anybody else’s. And I really think the Key West Half Marathon is the perfect race to “Run For Fun & NOT Personal Bests.” Just don’t care about the time on the clock. Only care about how much pure fun and enjoyment you are having while that clock is running. Either that, or maybe “RUM For Fun & Personal Bests.” And that’s just what I did. I did the fun part, but I do like the idea of the rum part too. The entire race was a dream race for a road runner. The scenery alone is worth the entry fees and hotel stays and all the planning and traveling to get to that perfect little island. The course is an out and back route. It starts at the heart of downtown Key West, ventures down the famous Duval Street, wanders around neighborhoods and then out onto the shoreline. Once hitting the seaside, there we stayed for miles upon miles. As the sun came up it definitely was kind of surreal. After all the races I’ve run over the years all over the place, in many states, there was definitely something special about running in my most favorite state, in one of my very favorite places, and watch the sun come up at the same time. Morning is my favorite time of day. I’m up early, always before the sunrise, a race day being no exception. When I woke that morning in the 4AM hour, I was up with the roosters. And I must say hearing them crowing was an exciting way to start the special day. And gosh, were they crowing. They were loud, and they were hilarious. I imagined a little feathery creature sitting on our balcony starting off his day. Because that’s how close they sounded. And somehow those quite loud little cuties didn’t manage to wake up the hubby, nor our sleeping puppy. But I tend to think that’s only because when our dog travels, it’s a hard life for a little Sheltie on the road. And she needs extra beauty sleep for the occasion. And the hubby, well…. I’ll just say he literally slept through Hurricane Dorian blowing outside our window for hours on end in the middle of the night, so he basically can sleep through anything. A little rooster chilling out on our 3rd Floor balcony having his morning coffee with some cream and sugar and singing a special tune at the same time would never awake my husband. So me and the roosters got ready for the race. I had no idea I would meet my new feathery friends again all throughout the race course. But that I did. And after my hubby was all ready as well, we Ubered over to the start, which was about 1.25 miles away. I needed to save every extra step for the long race ahead of me and was glad I did by the end of the day. So Uber worked out perfectly and lots of other families did the same. I also saw lots of bikes and golf carts and taxis making their way to the start from our hotel and the surrounding resorts. We left our room at 6:27am on the dot. Ventured to the lobby. And ordered our car. Uber arrived at 6:42 and we made it to the line with time to spare before the 7am start. Including my hubby going through bag check. For experienced racers, all this last minute timing might sound a bit crazy to you. Usually with most of the bigger and longer races we’ve run in the past, they always recommend arriving far in advance, thousands of people filing through the corrals. And lots of standing and waiting enmasse for the gun to go off. And that’s exactly why I chose this particular race to run my first long distance event in a very long time. There was no hustle and bustle ahead of time. It was more like calm, cool, and collected. Plus some relaxation thrown in for good measure. And bubbles flying through the sky. Oh yeah, and we can’t forget about some good old fashioned chillin. The gun went off right on time, at 7am on the dot. And it was off through Duval Street we went. There were lots of spectators and cow bells and cheers and bands and then some. To me, it was all so reminiscent of The Bix 7 Mile in Davenport, IA. Held every July, and even though I haven’t run it in years upon years now, The Bix remains one of my absolute favorite, and most memorable and special of road races. Duval Street was packed with people. Lots of fun music flowing all throughout the course. A Jimmy Buffett Band was playing off to the side of me and yes, I did a double take, because he did look and dress exactly like my dear friend Jimmy. There were horns and trumpets and full dj’s blasting fun tunes. And of course more cowbells sprinkled throughout. Once the race route hits the shore it’s a very long out and back toward the airport looking at the ocean all the way, and then back to the center of town. I was fascinated with the jets coming and going next to me at the small airport. Taking off right in front of me, and flying directly overhead with the sun reflecting on the water. I was just absolutely fascinated. Hitting the turnaround at approximately 6.5 miles, it was all downhill from there, don’t ya know…. Or so joked countless people on the sidelines as we passed. By this point for me, the sun was really awake and I was glad I had put on layers of sun block before we left the hotel room. At about 8:35am I really felt the sun on my skin. (Me, going slow of course and still with plenty of miles to go.) I imagined my hubby at the finish drinking beer, and he soon would be. And I ran another slow few miles, back toward town. I would say miles 7 and 8 were really slow, and I planned to walk from mile 9 onward. Like I said, I really just wanted the medal. And there ain’t nothing wrong with a good solid walk, ever. So very, very slowly walking at this point for the last few miles of the race, I approached a turn on the shoreline. I thought we were headed toward town. Nope, not yet. They had one trick up their sleeve yet. We turned outward onto the vast and open sea. I walked out and back a very large pier before continuing onward. I had studied the race course but I guess I forgot about that part. The mind starts playing tricks at that point. Oh my gosh, this is too far? An extra out and back! Shall we just stop and sit on this bench for the rest of the day? Yes, I’ll just sit here and watch the pelicans do their thing. Hmmm, sounds like a perfect idea to me… I thought of the old man floating on the old boat on top of the old sea… Was he out there now with the big Fish dragging him around all of creation? I think I saw him on the horizon! And so, back to reality, I had to tell my brain to shut the heck up. Remember, you know better than what your brain tells you sometimes, so just tell it you are in charge. Even Hemingway and The Old Man himself knew that. I wanted that medal shaped like a compass real bad. I kept going. Back into town and headed toward the finish, my husband, who had now finished his Half long ago, found me and kindly walked the rest of the way into the finish line with me. We weaved and bobbed throughout the Mallory Square area. At this time of the day, Key West was in full swing. People sitting having a late breakfast or an early lunch at outdoor cafes. A huge cruise ship was pulling into port and I was able to watch it dock as I walked directly past the huge beast. Making the final turns into the finish, I was more than ready to be done with this very fun race. I came through the finish after walking the last 4.1 miles. Still lots of people coming in even though many hours had now passed. I made it to the land of the medals. Finally I had my very own compass medal. I love it. It was worth every step. It was worth the push, the mind trying to drag me down and me defying it. It was all worth it. If you want to run a Half, but don’t think you can run the entire thing - definitely walk whatever you want. During those last miles I was surrounded by lots and lots of walkers. It doesn’t matter how you finish it, it matters that you finish. So get out there and walk it if you must. You’re still moving you know, and just moving is really the most important thing. And at the post-race party, it most definitely wouldn’t be a race in the South without…. corn bread! And that’s just exactly what they had. Banana halves, and Gatorade, and cornbread. Back when my husband finished, they also had bagels with lots of cream cheese, muffins and coffee cakes. But I didn’t mind that was all gone. Cornbread and I happen to be fabulous old friends. And we had a splendid time catching up with each other and chatting on the hard ground. We sat down on a curb and just did some pure chillin afterward. As there wasn’t much else I could imagine doing at that point anyway, so that all worked out quite perfect. In fact, the actual fact that I was sitting on a street curb in Key West, Florida, glancing at the beautiful sea before me, on a breathtakingly beautiful Florida winter day, reminded me that I really like doing just exactly that. And if post-race beer is important to your post-race experience, then never ever fear. You know those races where they take a small tag off your race number in exchange for one, single, very small beer after 13.1 miles??? Nope, not this day. At this race - they were handing it out like it was candy. And no tag, receipt, or coupon necessary. Beers all around please! As our adventure came to an end and our hotel was desperately calling our names, we finally called our Uber to drive us the 1.25 miles back to The Reach. And yes, I’ve never been so happy for the existence of Uber in my entire life than I was sitting in the back seat riding through town during that 1.25 miles instead of walking that final stretch for the day. Overall, the Key West Half Marathon was absolutely fantastic. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was hard, it was a challenge, it was grueling. But it was also Heaven on Earth. Sometimes the hardest things you accomplish in life are the very best things in all of life on this Earth. This race was all that and more. It was happiness. It was community. It was bubbles flying through the air. It was music playing live on the beach. It was the breathtaking sunrise down at the end of the world. It was the planes flying over my head so close I wanted to touch them. It was Jimmy Buffett singing to me as I went passed him strumming his guitar. It was all those gosh darn cute little chickens crossing the road right in front of my feet. It was all the roosters yelling at me to keep going, as they laughed at me while they sipped their morning coffees in lovely little Cuban cafes. It was simply - FUN.~ BEAN’S BONUS TRIVIA~~ WHAT TIME: Does The Rooster Start Crowing? ANSWER: 4:58 AM.~~ Some related adventures for y’all: 1] Happy Birthday America! ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th: 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer 27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January FIrst 37] New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~ *Have you ever raced the Key West Half Marathon or 5K? Did you love it? I’d so love to know. Let me know in the comments down below:
11/25/2019 0 Comments #26) Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD ~This past weekend kicked off the Grand Opening of Jax Beach’s Deck The Chairs for 2019! Wahoo! My favorite time of the year is officially here. While Thanksgiving is just around the corner, Christmas can never really come too early for me. Lights and trees, garlands and bows, ribbons and wreaths galore, popping up in every town along the coast… and it's all beyond beautiful to me. And throughout all of Jacksonville there is an endless list of holiday adventures for both young and old alike, and all are starting right now. We have Jacksonville’s Light Boat Parade, the San Marco Festival of Lights, Zoo Lights, lots of turkey trots, and Santa and reindeer runs aplenty. We also have St. Augustine’s 26th Annual Nights Of Lights which began this weekend as well; and it runs all the way through February 2, 2020! And of course much, much more. There’s way too much to ever take it all in - inside of one holiday season alone. That’s why I’ll try to aim to attend at least roughly one or two new things each Christmas, and I then have some must-do holiday traditions as well. And Jax Beach’s Deck The Chairs is one of those such traditions. It’s my HOLIDAY MUST DO. It’s my CAN’T MISS. And I think most other folks in town feel the same way. Besides all of our local area town tree lightings, if you live in Jax Beach, or close by in one of the other area island communities, Deck The Chairs is THE event of the season… here at the beach. The iconic symbol of our town - the lifeguard chair - utilized all throughout the year by our brave and all-volunteer lifeguards, are brought over to Seawalk Pavilion by more volunteers, and set into perfect and matching rows in the center of town square. The chairs become uniformed soldiers… just as in March of the Wooden Soldiers - only stationary - no marching needed or wanted. All of those brightly painted orange and quite distinct and uniform chairs then become completely un-uniform and sculpted to holiday-themed perfection, by even more volunteers. A local area business or organization each sponsors a chair and decorates it to their heart's content. I LOVE the uniqueness each chair takes on. And it’s that uniqueness that excites me annually to witness the many differences from one year to the next, one chair to the next. While the dancing and classic tree is the same, and now iconic to Deck The Chairs in its own way, the little white church is always there front and center too. And children love getting their pictures taken in front of the dollhouse style church, ringing the loud bell... a line begins to form its so very popular. And while that church and tree are always there... lots of the other chairs change decor each year. So it becomes very fun and surprising to see what everyone’s imaginations come up with. As an artist who paints every day, I can’t help but think I would have quite a lot of fun decking out a chair myself. Each year I go to the event, I contemplate about how I would come up with a theme and design??? Paint onto canvas = holiday decor onto orange chair! And this year, it is my opinion that Deck The Chairs brought their A Game to The Beach. I’ve attended 2017 and 2018’s events, and this year by far was the most impressive. They’ve definitely stepped it up a notch or two, and I believe we need to give credit where credit is due. The sponsors and volunteers make this event possible, and you could see the dedication toward community spirit in this year’s chairs. In both previous year’s attendance of the event I saw some plain chairs and chairs with just a sign of sponsor, and lots of lights not working or even connected. I remember last year a whole section was completely unplugged for a very long time so my hubby tried to plug it in and fix it. But this year, each chair was super! Each chair has a theme, and a theme dedicated to their cause. K9 Warriors has dogs pulling Santa’s sleigh into the sky. A car wash sponsor has bubbles squirting out, and a toy car being soaped up in the wash under the chair... So adorable. “DUUUVAL” is loudly and proudly out on display by our very own Jaguars. And ‘Beaches Go Green’ has a massive octopus made entirely out of plastic waste from the ocean. In fact, Beaches Go Green was in a league all their own this year. I would guesstimate their massive display took about one quarter of the town square’s entire display space. In coordination with local area schools, they presented an informative walk-through experience, utilizing all recycled materials or garbage re-purposed as art and holiday decor. While also bringing awareness to how all that trash affects the coastal communities and creatures who inhabit them; it was very educational for the public too. They had displays and posters made entirely of bottle caps, egg cartons, tooth brushes, and seemingly countless single-use plastic water bottles. And the classic jellyfish was back and still alive… thank goodness! The jellyfish is always my favorite part of Deck The Chairs and is also made entirely of trash and repurposed materials. Thank you to Beaches Go Green for the time and dedication it must have taken to put on such a splendid display. Auntie Anne's Food Truck was selling very tempting food and drink - meaning lots of sugars and carbohydrates. Volunteers in the main event tent were selling hot chocolate and cotton candy, tees and candy canes, and the year’s traditional DTC ornament. They had a fabulous holiday soundtrack playing on speaker throughout the entire plaza. And when *NSYNC started singing “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” I was beyond thrilled. Thank you from this nineties teen for adding some good ol’ Justin Timberlake and *NSYNC’s Best Song Ever to your beautiful and festive holiday music lineup. It was lovely and impressive to see small children running up to the volunteer table by the donation box, and to witness a small child happily donate a dollar bill, etc. to the cause, and then run back to their waiting parents. It is by these most simple of acts that we teach future and up and coming generations to keep community traditions alive, and instill values of sharing and giving in our future adults. I purchased the 2019 Deck The Chairs ornament for $10.00, plus three candy candles for a dollar for the hubby. I was glad to take home a reminder of this lovely event to hang on my tree this upcoming holiday weekend. But most of all, I was glad to partake in the event and donate to the event by purchasing. Always remember that EVERY BODY can do something. Some volunteer. Some donate. Some attend and spread cheer. Some put a quarter or some pennies in the donation box. Anything anybody can do to bring the holiday spirit to others and their community is a positive thing all around. Overall, the mood was festive, and the community spirit was alive and well. It’s a fabulous way to kick off the holidays. Deck The Chairs is a most spectacular community event here at the beach. I’m still excited about it today and my experience there this weekend. If you are local to the Beaches communities, I highly recommend it; come on out through December nightly to see the brightly lit, and coastal, festive fun. And if you are farther away, do find your local town holiday event and attend it with that community pride and giving spirit that we all can spread to others in our own and unique ways. Be sure to have some festive fun and spread holiday cheer. Say thank you to the volunteers, or volunteer yourself. Put some change or a paper bill in the donation box if you can, maybe in place of a coffee run this week. Buy a pretzel from Auntie Annes and eat those carbs if you must. Cause any way you slice it, those simple actions are the ones that mean the most. They all add up. Small change equals massive action… and never forget that. Be that change you wish to see in this our very own and shareable world. Community starts with you. It starts and ends at each individual person. After all, without you, and who you are, and what makes you you inside, we wouldn’t be whole. While we all may celebrate many different and amazing holidays, and all believe in different things and come from very different backgrounds, there is one thing that we can all share with each other regardless of it all. It is in those differences that we make a community, and within a community then resides the spirit of giving, sharing, and family, and friendship. So go and get out there and attend your holiday must-do, give smiles and thank you’s all around, sing along to some JT and wish you and yours a “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” - and most importantly, don’t forget to leave some goodies out for Santa while you’re at it. ~
The scene is referring to a bed-bound woman who is being cared for by her neighbors. But the woman is never happy with her level of free care; never satisfied, never pleased. And she’s certainly never grateful of the others who are taking the time out of their lives to care for her. She has come to expect this care, and then still proceeds to complain about it. At some point in the film the people vent their frustrations about her (while still never giving up on her)... They declare and come to a vocal realization about her ongoing complaints and extreme levels of ungratefulness. They call her “cantankerous.” They realize the most simple of facts… When they are offering her one thing, she wants the complete opposite. Almost as if out of spite. The woman is never able to be satisfied in any way whatsoever. If you haven’t seen the film, I highly recommend viewing it. I’ve watched this film repetitively throughout my youth and I’m pretty near confident I have most of the lines memorized. I would say the film is basically about Pollyanna’s affect on those around her… With Pollyanna being introduced to a new home, a completely new way of life, and with that new life, a whole bunch of new people brought into her world. And she plays ‘The Glad Game’ with all of them. Always finding something to be happy about, no matter the circumstance. Without giving any spoilers for those who haven’t seen and may be inclined to watch… valuable life lessons are learned throughout the film, especially when things don’t go one's way. And sometimes that’s just how life really is. You expect a certain something, but you are thrown a certain something else completely. Life is about how you handle those things you are thrown. If you live your life fully and completely and are truly happy, you may understand that life is not about your wants and desires and dreams that haven’t been fulfilled and might never be… life is really about how you react to your certainties, your abilities, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Life is sorta just like the saying goes… Life is 10% reality, and 90% your reaction to that reality. Please re-read that previous sentence. Soak it in. You can do whatever you want in life, merely by your reactions. Your reactions become your reality. With that key - you can unlock the potential to your complete happiness. So if you don’t have the reality you want, react to your reality, and that reaction will become your new reality. Life is your reaction, life is your perspective. PERSPECTIVE. MATTERS. You can continually sit and complain and wait, and wait, and wait for LIFE to arrive at your doorstep. OR, you can go out there and catch life along the way and enjoy the journey you are on. I’ll give you a simple and silly example. My hair has never cooperated with me - like, ever. My hair is the stuff of jokes, of classic Florida memes. My hair is the hair in the YouTube joke videos of Florida Woman stepping outside her air-conditioned vehicle, and two seconds later her hair is completely puffed out... along with her sunglasses being fogged up, and she can’t see a thing. It doesn’t matter if I had a salon style blow-dry treatment worth hundreds of dollars or more. When my hair hits that Florida humidity, it turns into its own living creature. Completely wild and untamable. My hair is the Velociraptor in the first Jurassic Park who eats alive the Newman character from Seinfeld. And usually, I just roll with it. I go with the flow. I have become really used to it. My hair doesn’t do what I want it to do... Ok…. Whatever… Sigh… And then I throw it in a ponytail and go on with my day. And keep in mind that yes, I’ve tried all kinds of products and spent a ton of money on all kinds of tools and strategies and types of shampoos, etc. It doesn’t matter, my hair does what IT wants, not what I want. But I don’t throw a fit. I work around IT. I buy beautiful and colorful and fun barrettes to help attempt to calm it down. I buy fun and cheapo colored rubber bands to hold it all together, and I go through a million of them, as my hair is also so thick it breaks rubber bands way too frequently. And so, well over a year ago now while visiting up in Illinois, I was getting my hair cut and styled buy my favorite hair stylist in all of the entire world. Her name is Faith. And she is a living, breathing example of exactly that - FAITH. If you’re having a bad day… go see Faith. If you want someone to talk to, or listen to, just go see Faith. She’s like a frosted Christmas sugar cookie from a bakery, alive and breathing. You can’t see Faith and NOT have your day brightened in some way. Plus, you’ll have an absolutely gorgeous head of hair when you leave her station. Faith is a Pollyanna to me. You just can’t go see her and not be glad afterward. She is a living version of Pollyanna’s Glad Game. And I value Faith’s opinion greatly. Not only is she an absolutely wonderful human being, Faith is the only one on Earth who can work miracles on my hair. I leave her station refreshed, and with hair set for a night on the town - even if I’m only going out for some good ol’ Chicago style pizza afterward. And the last time I saw Faith, which was much too long ago I might add, I was contemplating all of these above thoughts. I could sit in her chair, with my jaw dropped, watching her in the mirror fix up my hair to perfection. Mesmerized. I’m always in awe of what she is able to do with my wild hair. I knew as I watched her doing it that I could never replicate it myself. Awestruck, I asked her what brand of straightening product she recommends for at-home use. At the time she mentioned BabylissPro. I had never heard of it, but kept the name in the back of my mind. Later on, after my visit up in Illinois was complete, and I was back home down in the hot and very humid Sunshine State, I was thinking about BabylissPro, as I gazed upon my completely humidified and wild head of hair in the mirror. I did some research about straighteners, and quality straighteners, and I found the product online at Ulta. Coincidentally, I had just previously signed up for Ulta’s awesome rewards program. So I researched which one I wanted. I decided that my hair needed the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Ionic Straightening Iron with the ceramic heater and the 1 ¾ inch thick titanium plate. The cost came to a whopping $139.95, before tax and shipping. With new knowledge of the high price, instead of splurging on yet another hair care purchase, and not even knowing if it would do anything to help or if I was going to be wasting some real legit money, I decided to save up for the straightener with my Ulta Rewards. I then bought all our soaps and lotions and makeup and shower gels and lip balms, etc. etc. etc. for well over a year. At some point I obtained the coveted Platinum status, and then started earning 1.25 points for every dollar spent. Every time I needed a skin care product and was at the grocery store, I instead told myself I would order it on Ulta to get the points. Every month we got a box from Ulta in the mail. Every month I earned points. I saved my points and I saved my points. And I finally redeemed 2,100 points just a few weeks ago, ecstatic. My very own BabylissPro was finally on its way to my front door. Ulta is very, very slow - religiously slow - with their deliveries. I waited and waited for my product to arrive. When it finally got here I couldn't wait to try it out. And I had just washed my hair when it arrived at our door; a full head of long, wet, ridiculous hair. I decided to wait for my hair to be fully dry to try out my BabylissPro for the first time. I patiently waited until the following morning, and then finally, I plugged in for it’s trial run. First, I used a bottle of dry shampoo on my hair, sprayed it on in bursts, brushed it out, and waited a bit. I repeated that process. I turned on the product for the first time, and rested it on top of my Vera Bradley heat-resistant sleeve I was going to use to store it in. I clipped my hair into sections using some very ancient hair clips that came with an old hair dryer from years ago. I had no idea how to test if my new Baby was hot or not. The box stated that it can reach up to 450 degrees. Well, that sounded pretty hot to me! It was set for 300 degrees when I plugged it in. I decided to leave it at that temperature for my first use. I envisioned in all of my clumsiness burning off my hair that I have been patiently growing long for a few years now, and starting a fire on top of my head. 300 degrees sounded plenty hot for a test drive. I was so scared to touch it. I picked it up and touched the heat pad it was resting on to test if it felt hot. I started straightening. And - It worked! Instantly! Well, not instantly, but it started to work right away. And, Yes! I actually tamed my wild, humid, Florida hair. It was worth all the money in the world. I was so satisfied with the product that I honestly would have paid even more, knowing how well my hair turned out. I felt it was the “fanciest” my hair ever looked by my own handiwork. And it only took AN HOUR! Ha. No joke. It took me one whole freaking hour and I still could have worked much, much longer on it. I would say I could have spent at least another half hour on it to just maybe get it even near perfect. As you can see from the photo, it was definitely not perfect, but it was so shockingly improved, that I didn’t recognize my own hair. Around fifty minutes into the process I thought to myself… Wow…. And I haven’t even burned myself yet! Gosh... I’m so proud of myself… of this miraculous skill and talent I have for straightening my own hair! [Crediting only myself completely in my own mind, and not the expensive and very high quality product, but of course.] And… of course... that’s right when I burned myself. I grabbed the plate the wrong way for a mere millisecond… And I screamed bloody murder! 300 degrees of heat, smooshed into my pointer finger… I dropped my BabylissPro in agony. I screamed again! It was at this point I finally decided it might be best to stop straightening for the day. After an hour of hard work, and completely dripping with sweat, I finally decided I probably should just give it a rest. I knew I could keep straightening and straightening - maybe for another hour? How long would it take to fully straighten this wild hair? But after I burned my finger I knew I finally had enough for the day. And I was absolutely thrilled!!! I honestly didn't expect it to look even half as good as it did. I expected NOTHING. I expected the same wild hair. But I had the patience to try. I had the patience to wait over a year and earn up the product through reward points. I had the patience to stand in the bathroom mirror for an hour and work on it. I was very pleased with the outcome... And then I went outside. Into the Florida air. And that was the end - of the perfect hair. Florida heat, and extremely high coastal winds off the shore that day, blew all my hard work into oblivion; and almost immediately. Much as I had expected. A rubber band and ponytail were very much needed later that day. I didn’t care though. And I would do it again. I am very pleased with the product. I highly recommend it. Yes, I’ve had many types of straighteners in the past, and no, none of them have done this well of a job. Mind you, all the former products I owned were very inexpensive, drug-store type products, costing well under $20.00; or found collecting dust from some random bottom shelf in the shampoo aisle at the grocery store. My BabylissPro was definitely the best, and most high-quality straightener I ever purchased. I am looking forward to straightening my hair again, very soon. Actually, I need to remind myself that I can do this to my hair every single day if I really wanted to - now that I have my very own BabylissPro! But who wants to spend an hour in front of the mirror? For that? Every day? When there are so many other things I could be doing? No thank you. I’m so glad I own it, I envision using it a lot. But definitely not on the regular. For now, and today, It’s the usual ponytail for me. It’s a head of hair that’s not cooperating with me in any way whatsoever. A head of hair that has its own mind, and is stubborn as heck, and wants the complete opposite of what I want it to do. My hair is the CANTANKEROUS neighbor in Pollyanna. When my hair decides to be curly, I’m trying to straighten it. When I’m trying to curl it, my hair wants to be flat and boring. When I want a thin head of hair, my hair puffs out trying to reach the ends of the Earth... As if it’s been ZAPPED into an electrical socket. CANTANKEROUS. Faith has told me that she sees many clients who would die for my curly, thick hair. Ha! OMG - I think. Who would want this?! I want the absolute opposite of what I’ve been given. If the hair is naturally straight, they want it curled, if the hair is curled, they want it straightened. Cantankerous, folks! The people in Pollyanna’s new world are dealt some serious blows. Life knocks them for a loop. In their own small town kind of way, there is drama, sadness, and of course, much happiness. But their lives in the film are merely how they react to what has happened to them. Aunt Polly, who, never been married, no children of her own, no husband or current love in her life, is dealt an orphan child arriving on her doorstep. Pollyanna. To come live with her. How will she raise a child? How will she react to Pollyanna? How will Pollyanna react to her? And the ripple effect of other people throughout the film that have change brought to them because of Pollyanna’s introduction into their lives. Change happens. Whether we want it or not. It’s coming. There’s no stopping it. Change is life. Faith is life. And Faith is a good thing to have. If you don’t have a Faith in your life, go out and get one. Maybe Faith will be in the form of your hair stylist. Maybe Faith will be a frosted green and red sprinkled Christmas sugar cookie you pick up at the bakery. Maybe you will make your own Faith. Any way you get it, grab ahold of your Faith, and go. Because... Whether you want them to or not, the wheels are turning. Nothing stays the same. Everything changes. How will you react to that change is the biggest question of all? Life IS change. My hair IS my hair. How I handle it is how I look, and how I appear, and is who I am. I can be all fancy and have a professional style blowout every day, spending hours in front of the mirror, and there's nothing wrong with that! But it’s usually just not for me. Most of the time, I throw my hair into a ponytail, and get out there, and live my life. Life is your TIME. Life is your REACTION. LIfe is your PERCEPTION. Now get out there, grab a rubber band and put your hair up if you need to… and LIVE. ~
I love bakeries. I love everything created and made by hand inside of bakeries. My favorite bakeries are the small ones - the local ones - the ones that aren’t part of any chain - the ones no one’s ever really heard of, except those who live right there in that same town alongside it. Sure, I seem to always find time and room for Dunkin and Starbucks, etc. In fact, where else do I run to while on a long road trip but for a Dunkin coffee to keep me awake while I’m driving? But what about all those bakeries scattered across the country that don’t have a drive-thru attached? The bakeries you actually have to get out of your car for, and go inside the building to place your order??? Those bakeries... tend to be the best bakeries. I like to think that my passionate love of bakeries and their heavenly creations runs in my blood... My grandfather was a baker for well over forty years. And when he wasn’t working, both he and my grandmother were at home. They spent hours upon hours in the kitchen. Always cooking. And always baking. Some of my favorite memories with both of them include time well spent in that small kitchen. My sisters and I helped them cook all kinds of food. But my favorite foods they made were their baked goods, of course. My Papa taught us how to hand-roll the dough to make kolacky cookies. We always started by pouring flour onto the table-top - that was my favorite part - making a purposeful and deliberate mess. We rolled the dough and we put in the jellied fillings. We watched them bake. My grandparents made hundreds of cookies, each and every Christmas, before their health declined and they could no longer do it. It seemed to me that everyone they knew was given a large and heaping full silver aluminum tray of kolackys to take home and enjoy on the holiday. I’ve yet to be able to replicate those amazing cookies. I am continually determined to try though. I believe my grandparents teaching us these skills in the kitchen has held influence on my life and transformed my love of food, and really just helped me become the person I am today. Foods are tradition. And when my husband and I bake now, not making nearly as much at a time that my grandparents did in their prime, we are always sure to pass some goodies along to a neighbor, a friend, or to whomever we will be seeing in the coming days. This holiday season I am looking forward to baking chocolate chip cookies, frosted sugar cookies, and Angeletti cookies with my husband. It is now tradition in my home, and someday I’m going to replicate that kolacky as well… maybe even this year. When I lived in Illinois, there was an abundance of local bakeries. I could go in any suburb surrounding me, living just outside of Chicago, and find a bakery. There was never a shortage of places to pick up special cookies for Easter, a coffee cake to bring to a party, or a cake for a special occasion. And my hubby’s favorite item served at any bakery are always their frosted sugar cookies. Me - I like the chocolate donuts. Simple, basic, and the best ever. In my hometown, the Orland Park Bakery is one of God’s best creations. I make it a point to stop there at least once, and most likely always much more than once, every time I go up for a visit. Some years back, I remember one cold December day, my husband and I decided to make the trek all the way out to Chicago just to visit a local bakery and pick up their special St. Nicholas Day gingerbread cookies. My hubby had them in his youth every year, so we wanted to bring the tradition and memories back, and he really wanted me to try them for the first time. Well, being a self-proclaimed bakery connoisseur by this point in my life, I should have well known that making the very long trek fighting through Chicago holiday traffic and ridiculously sloppy weather to arrive at a bakery around two in the afternoon... is really not the best time to arrive at a bakery. Bakeries thrive in the mornings. They are the place to be - in the morning. After almost two hours in the car and arriving mid-afternoon, what in the world was I thinking? We definitely should have gone in the morning for this adventure? But that was a different life I lived, and now I am fully awake by five am daily. Anything later - I tend to consider myself sleeping in. We parked and walked through the icy cold and the busy and festively decorated street to find the bakery, just about to close. The window displays were empty. And once inside, the shelves were near empty as well. Sold out for the day of all product. I was crushed. We inquired... And somehow, by some miracle of the bakery Gods up above, they still had a few St. Nicholas Day cookies left… We’ll take them! We were ecstatic. We took all that remained. Thrilled. We also snagged up a pre-arranged box of their sprinkle cookies simply because it was all that reminded for sale, sitting on a counter and patiently waiting to go home with someone. It was only after this outing did I learn that I could actually pre-order special product at bakeries to guarantee them available when I arrive to pick up. So we were on our way out of the bakery to leave them be as they closed up for the day. It would be many more years before I learned my lesson about “sleeping in” and my enrollment in my own 5am Club membership. To me, at the time, we had simply just ‘lucked out’ that’ they had some cookies left for us to purchase. We then strolled just a short ways down the street from the bakery and dined at a local Bohemian restaurant. It was an old building, and a place beautifully decorated for the upcoming holiday. It was an altogether lovely outing. An outing entirely revolved around bakery as the destination. When I moved to Florida, it was my definite perception and really became quite hard to find a good bakery. They weren’t nearly as abundant as they were in Illinois. And when we did find a bakery - it didn’t taste the same as up north! I am extremely biased though...Chicago has the best food, and nothing else even comes close. So it’s very difficult for me to compare the delicious food from the north with the different food in the south. Today, bakeries are still part of my life. I recently lost a lot of weight and made a complete lifestyle change these past few years. I am much healthier than I was during the earlier part of this decade. I had gained weight during a lot of inactivity, and now I have lost it all, and am quite happy to say that I am very healthy. I lost 83 pounds lost to be exact. I go into great detail on my weight loss journey here if you’d like to check out how I lost 77 of those pounds in one year’s time. How can I be so healthy now and still eat donuts regularly? The answer is simply moderation. And - Discipline. I can eat ALL THE THINGS. Just not ALL THE TIME. I believe that when one fully grasps and understands that simple and basic concept, it can truly be life-changing. And I love baked goods so much that I currently plan a once-a-month outing to our local bakery - Cinotti’s, located in Jax Beach, FL. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Declared on the top of each box. I lost 83 freaking pounds, while eating treats and breads and pastas and pizza and ice cream - AND - bakery, lots of Cinotti’s Bakery. By establishing that roughly once-a-month outing, this allows for me to have the tasty treats that I love and never, ever want to give up, but also allows for discipline and patience in between outings. All that discipline and patience make for a stronger person. I don’t eat donuts every day - I eat them roughly once a month. And as I’m sure you’ve probably read in every magazine out there preaching at you on how to get healthy - don’t restrict. Don’t eliminate… Meaning, don’t erase foods from your life to get healthy. Learn to live WITH the foods you love. Because life is too short not to eat donuts. Just don’t eat them all the time. Simple, right? These outings are so important to me I classify them by name - and time-and-date stamp them into my iPhone calendar as well. I then share the calendar event with my hubby so he knows when we are going out for donuts. Yay! We have called these visits many things… Fabulous Friday, Wacky Wednesday, Tasty Tuesday, and Terrific Thursday. Whatever we call it isn’t important though; it's simply putting a name to an event on the calendar that is now tradition. Right now, hubby and I are living through our monthly ‘Totally Terrific and Tasty Tuesdays’ - That means we go to Cinotti’s, once a month, on a Tuesday. And my iPhone tells me as much, once a month. So simple, and sooooo delicious. And for our November visit to the bakery, our furry baby Madeline was officially included in this little tradition of ours…. When I happened to glance down while we were paying, and underneath the cash register area toward all the little holiday trinkets for sale inside the shop... dog bones! Better yet - BAKERY dog bones! I was thrilled once again. How absolutely and utterly adorable. Made with flour and peanut butter and really just a few simple ingredients safe for a doggie’s tummy, and with a label calling them Canine Cookies… I HAD to purchase them! When we got home Madeline had the single best treat she ever had in her life. I know this not because she told me in English, but because she literally cried out loud for more after she was done with her very special bone. Even dogs love bakery. And now that I know there is life out there at five am, and that is also roughly when bakeries are usually turning on their lights for the day, we would never now show up at the bakery at such a late hour as two in the afternoon. When that time of the month arrives, and my iPhone vibrates and jingles to tell me it’s our Totally Terrific and Tasty Tuesday, we go outside and exercise before the sun rises, and then head right on over to Cinotti’s. We arrive there fairly early in the morning, when they are fully stocked and selection is overflowing. Parents are bringing in their school-aged children up to the counter so they can pick up a special treat on their way to dropping them off at school. I think of my Papa and all his years upon years of hard work in the bakery. I walk outside carrying my taped, cardboard box of goodness, and I miss him terribly. This box of bakery is a special way of remembering him. Yes, life is too short not to eat donuts. And we bring home our box along with some peanut butter baked dog bones to our very happy, little, eight year old puppy. ~
10/25/2019 0 Comments #17) Fall Flavors ~ Six Simple Steps I’m Taking This Fall To Maintain My Massive Weight LossLiving in Florida, it can be hard to notice the changing of the seasons. I sometimes need to use the drink menu at coffee shops to gauge where we are at on the calendar. And right now, whether we know it or not, it’s still Autumn. And besides driving past a set-up pumpkin patch display in front of a local church the other day, the only change I’ve seen in all the weeks since fall has officially started, is with the drink menu offering all those special, seasonal additions at coffee shops and grocery stores. The most famous of those seasonal drinks being, of course, the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, McDonalds, and Dunkin Donuts (Dunkin makes a delicious pumpkin donut by the way). The only other seasonal change I notice here is specifically in Orlando - where Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has been taking place at the Magic Kingdom now - since August… Yes - you read that right - August. Visitors dressed in their Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating down the festively decorated Main Street USA, since the middle of our hot and Endless Summer. Considering I lost massive weight this past year and am extremely interested and determined to maintain that healthy lifestyle, when all the seasonal pumpkin drinks started to appear on the coffee shop menus, I really wanted to know how many calories are floating around inside those highly-flavored drinks. Well, the news is not so good: ***380 calories for a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (!) ***310 calories for a medium Pumpkin Spice Latte at McDonald’s (!) ***420 calories for a medium whole milk Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Signature Latte at Dunkin Donuts (!!!) The amount of calories in just a single one of those drinks is now an entire meals worth of calories for me. I absolutely cannot even imagine drinking that much sweetness at once anymore. So, to help me maintain weight loss, I have been sticking with my usual unsweetened iced tea, or plain, black coffee this season. It took me a little while, over a year ago now, but I am very used to ‘plain’ drinks now. Just the thought of ordering one of those lattes makes my stomach turn around. It’s definitely a good thing for my overall health that I don’t even really want or desire those drinks anymore, and I have also learned and acquired a few other wonderful and simple ways of feeling and enjoying the scents of fall without all the extra calories that can go along with it. Below I’ll explain a variety of ways I’m acknowledging and enjoying the change of season while watching my calorie intake. These are just a few simple ways I am enjoying all that the Autumn season has to offer, without gaining weight, maintaining my weight loss, and not overindulging at all. Specifically, here are six simple ways I’m enjoying Autumn 2019: 1~Candles! Yes, they come first! Because as they say - candles set the mood. And indeed they do. I went out and purchased a few pumpkin scented candles (room sprays work well for this too) and the scent in my home reminds me of all at fall has to offer. I think of hay rides, picking pumpkins, carving those pumpkins, and the scent of homemade pumpkin pie. And the bonus is that breathing in that heavenly scent doesn’t put one extra calorie into my mouth! And since I’ve personally been staying away from Bath & Body Works for a few years now, I shopped around for the best autumn scented candles I could find. I enjoyed browsing around my local Pier 1, admiring all the adorable seasonal decor. And I purchased two three-wick pumpkin spice candles on sale for ten dollars each. I thought that was a reasonable price and keeps me away from Bath & Body Works where I used to spend too much money. And because I love candles so much, we picked out some autumn-scented candles at Target as well. 2 ~ I Avoid ALL The Seasonal Drinks - ALL THE TIME This one is a no-brainer for me. For me - myself - and I - I’ve personally been staying absolutely away from all those high-calorie drinks that happen to be advertised everywhere I look. I stick with my usual drink order. I do NOT indulge in drinks that have calories attached. My usuals are plain water, water with lemon or lime, always ice cold; plus, plain hot coffee, and hot or iced tea. Club soda or sparkling water. Period. Zero calories drinks. I do not indulge in that department. It works for me. It’s become a lifestyle for me and once something is lifestyle it’s easier to maintain. I do recommend trying it out. Plus, in place of all those high calorie drinks, I purchased myself an Alex & Ani ‘Pumpkin Spice’ spice bracelet that I’ve had my eye on since last autumn - and I wear it every day. I enjoy IT - and not the extra calories it implies. 3 ~ Get A Real Pumpkin So simple, right? By purchasing a real pumpkin, which can go for under ten dollars, and small ones, just a couple dollars at the grocery store, you get to enjoy the purest symbol of autumn, every single day. And if you get yours by visiting a pumpkin patch, all the better! And, pumpkins always look fabulous sitting on the front porch, balcony, or lounging in front of a fireplace mantel. Plus, you can turn the pumpkin into a project by then painting it or carving it out. 4 ~ Bake Pumpkin Seeds At Home After we purchase our chosen pumpkin and enjoy the sight of it, on Halloween we carve the pumpkin and scoop it out. Then we bake the seeds in the oven. I always enjoy the scent that is released when carving open the pumpkin… Always so fresh, and smells like a pumpkin patch. I first clean and rinse the seeds, then lay them on a baking sheet on top of non-stick foil with some sea salt sprinkled on top, and bake the pumpkin seeds in the oven. After they are finished being toasted, the seeds have a taste that cannot be replicated by any store-bought seeds. There is always something most refreshing about toasting the seeds on my own. It tastes better, fresher, and it really is. Plus, pumpkin seeds are one of those autumn delights that are very healthy! No weight gain on this one - in fact, eating nuts and seeds is a fantastic way of maintaining my weight loss. 5 ~ Eat the Seasonal Chicken Pot Pie - Just NOT The One Costco Sells With fall comes an abundance of warm and seasonal recipes, like chili… and chicken pot pie. Every autumn I used to look forward to the seasonal changes at Costco by picking up one of their chicken pot pies. We would cook it for dinner and use the leftovers for lunches and dinners throughout the week. But most store-bought chicken pot pies, including Costco’s extremely large pie, are loaded with tons of calories that I do not need or intake anymore after weight loss. The chicken may be healthy, the veggies inside the pie may also be healthy - but the rest of that pie is definitely NOT healthy. And at 525 calories per ⅙ slice, the pie is extremely high in calories. So, I’ve decided that with fall, I can still enjoy the seasonal meal of chicken pot pie. I’m just NOT purchasing the Costco version. I don’t need to give up the food. I just need to enjoy it in a more healthy manner. I’m also staying away from the easy-bake Marie Callender's version - which has a whopping 600 calories - in the smaller version! Instead, on a busy week, we now grab Blake’s Pot Pie. It’s in the freezer section, has 370 calories per pie, and tastes just as good as any other store-bought version. I serve it with a side of steamed green beans, and an easy, healthy, and low-calorie dinner is ready in a flash. I haven’t had the time this season to make a healthy and homemade version though, so if you have a chicken pot pie recipe that you make I’d absolutely love for you to share it with me in the comments below - please! 6 ~ Indulge - Without Overindulging Yes, I still eat the pie. I just don’t eat ALL the pie. We bought a pumpkin pie two times this season from the local Winn Dixie. I can enjoy a slice, or two, even including whip cream on the side. But I don’t eat pie all the time, and don’t worry at all if we don’t finish the whole pie before it goes bad. And yes, I absolutely have thrown out the leftover pie, and more than once. I’m not ashamed. I try not to waste food, but a part of weight loss and weight maintenance is knowing that some food WILL GO TO WASTE. I freeze what I can, I portion out for other meals what I can, I plan ahead like crazy. But there are still some times that food will be thrown away. And part of this pumpkin pie that we purchased did make it to the garbage can. Without my feeling any guilt or feeling bad that food was wasted. If you are looking to lose weight, or to maintain massive weight loss like I am maintaining, you will likely run into having to throw some food away. I have accepted this and do the very best I can not to, but with treats it does happen. I have learned how to indulge - without overindulging. That means some food waste, some times. Part of my weight loss is allowing myself to continue to have all the treats that I love. In moderation. How can I let autumn pass me by without a piece or two of pumpkin pie? I can’t. I have to be able to eat the “normal” seasonal foods that I love without overindulging. Without - missing out. As they say, yes - everything in moderation. Although, as I mentioned above, I do not drink all the fancy and high-calorie coffee drinks anymore. The difference there is lifestyle. I have removed any and all high calorie drinks from my entire lifestyle. So I am used to not having them anymore. To the point that the thought makes me ill just thinking about having one of them. I have very successfully removed those drinks from my life. That’s a choice I made. But I love desserts and treats too much to give them up entirely. I WILL continue to eat desserts - a choice by me to keep them IN my lifestyle. Desserts and treats remain. Which is why I moderate, and why I still eat pumpkin pie, and why I am ok with and understand that some of that dessert will end up in the garbage. And yes, as the saying goes... “Better in the trash, than sitting on my *ss.” Here are a few other ways I’m enjoying the season… So even though I don’t drink all those amazingly fun and delicious autumn-themed drinks anymore, I do watch for their arrival onto the menu each autumn as a way to gauge what season I am currently living in. And then, I go about my usual routine. Adding in the flavors of fall in a very healthy, and very sustainable way. ~
9/13/2019 0 Comments #7) My ‘Before & After’ ~~ How A Single Act of Kindness, Lime Bubly, and MyFitnessPal Helped Me Lose 77 Pounds in One YearWell I never thought I would have a weight loss “before and after” — but here I am with my very own story to tell. Including the photos that I am now plastering onto the internet, with no shame, no remorse, no guilt, and no regrets. I share it with the hope that it reaches even one other individual who may benefit from my journey in some positive way. I never thought this would be me at 38 years of age, having a personal weight loss success story, mostly because when I was younger I was always very athletic during my entire early and young adult life. I was a runner, and played lots of different sports in school and all the way into college with two-a-day practices. Weight was nothing I ever, and I mean never, ever, needed to worry about. I did not gain what they then called the ‘freshman fifteen’ at college. And I ate ice cream every darn day in the university dining hall. Sprinkles ALWAYS included. After college I started working, and still my weight was just fine. Then, at about thirty years old, everything changed. I fought the change hard, and even tried to run through it, literally. My entire life had changed, slowly by the day, and yet, overnight as well. Running came to a dead halt - in fact, I honestly thought I would never run another step in my entire lifetime. I had some extremely complicated health issues come up; and I no longer felt in control of my own life. And on top of it all, I started to gain weight. The weight slowly crept up and up for most of my early thirties. I watched all of this change happening to me and felt truly and completely helpless to it all. It wasn’t a good life change. It was bad change. And change is the singular reason I gained weight. I could be ashamed of it and regret it and hate myself for it… but I’m not ashamed, and I don’t regret it, and I definitely don’t hate myself for it. ZERO shame, ZERO regrets. And ZERO embarrassment either. Because if I did I wouldn’t be able to get past it all and change my life for the better. No regrets, because if I didn’t live through what I lived through I wouldn’t be living my very best life — right here, right now. Below = Me - Before (at my heaviest): Weight gain and weight loss is as simple and as complex as any and all change really. It can happen fast; it can happen slow. And how an individual responds to any change can help develop their character... Their character that can continue to mold and change and grow a person further into who they are meant to be. In August of 2018, my family in Chicago came to visit me and my husband down in Florida. They took the long two day drive down, and with that drive came their car stocked full of supplies for the road, including a cooler and snacks of course. On the first full day they were down here, we all went on a wonderful mini road trip up north to Amelia Island for the day. And not getting to see my nephew very much, since our move away from Illinois had occurred just before he was born, I embraced riding in their car with them for the day. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with my newest family member; every time my nephew said ‘hi’ over and over again on repeat, and ‘big truck’ for every large vehicle he saw on the road, I laughed. While enroute to Amelia Island and taking the car onto the auto ferry and out across the St. Johns River, my brother-in-law was kind enough to offer me a can of Lime Bubly to drink that they had stocked in the car. This one pure and simple act of kindness and generosity really can ripple effect and change someone’s life forever. I had never found a sparkling water brand that I liked. And I LOVED Coke. I always knew if I wanted to be really and truly healthy I needed to say goodbye to Coke and soft drinks from my life. I gladly took the Bubly from him and embraced trying this different brand of carbonated water for the first time. Later that weekend at the grocery store I stocked up my cart with Lime Bubly. I devoted an entire shelf in my refrigerator to those bright green and happy looking cans. The cans have the words ‘oh hi’ printed on their cap… I thought of my nephew… oh ‘hi’ on repeat. Every time I wanted pop or that distinct feel of carbonation and bubbles in my mouth I took out a Lime Bubly. I stopped buying pop. I promised myself that much… that I could stop drinking pop. Even if nothing else changed regarding my health, I was going to be healthier for that one singular change. And with that one act, between August and into September, I lost seven pounds. I was utterly and truly amazed! I was absolutely fascinated that I could lose weight — even if it was just a few pounds in the bigger picture — without pills or any other strange and unnatural concoctions. I was truly shocked with each pound that had come off... And with that initial accomplishment, the thought then entered my mind that maybe I could actually lose the weight I had gained during this tumultuous past decade of my life... I became determined. I had given myself the momentum I needed, and was ready to take massive action. You see, momentum doesn’t just occur, or happen on its own, it has to be propelled by your very own initial movements. And once momentum is gained, it then becomes ever and increasingly difficult to stop once you’ve taken off and started the ride. I had the keys in my hand, I had started the engine, and now I had just hit the gas. I accelerated… it had just taken me a very long while to know that I was the one who was sitting in the driver’s seat all along. Being a very visual person, I knew if I stood any chance of success that I would need a way to track my progress, and track my food. I needed a way to see those seven pounds and the unknown number of future pounds in a graph format. I wanted to see the speed and rate of pounds lost. I needed to see it written down or visualed somehow to grasp the concept of the weight lost. And most importantly, I needed to understand how much energy (calories) to take in every day for success with both weight loss and weight maintenance. I had started traveling down the road; I now needed to know what lane was best for me to get into for safe travels on the journey. Being a runner, while growing up I had counted and logged every mile I ran throughout high school. I logged so many darn miles run that when I graduated my parents put that crazy number on my graduation cake written into the frosting: 2,551 miles run in high school alone. If I can track thousands of miles run over the course of my early life, without the internet, then I can track the calories I ingest every day, today, with all the technology of the world at my fingertips, no problem. I remembered my dear friend talking about MyFitnessPal a couple years ago. My perception was that she really embraced the use of that app and had molded it into her lifestyle very nicely to help her track her calorie intake, accurately, and with great success. In the back of my mind and in the front of my mind I knew whatever I was going to do from there on was going to have to be a lifestyle change. Not a short stint. No 21 Day Fixes for me. I needed routine and craved routine and needed to make gradual lifestyle changes, nothing abrupt. So on September 12, 2018, and seven pounds down, I went ahead and downloaded the MyFitnessPal app. For the first time ever I typed my own weight into a digital database. It was NOT a good feeling. But I fought the horrible feeling and continued onward. I followed all the prompts. I read all the articles. I read all the notifications. I did what it said for me to do, and in my own way. I wanted MyFitnessPal to be a tool, and not in any way for it to ever become a necessity or a hindrance in my life. And by this I mean I wanted to utilize MFP and other such tools to help me reach my goals, but for these tools to not become something I depended on for the rest of my life. Unless I really wanted to, I didn’t want to need the app to be successful in my journey. I didn’t want to become addicted to it for the physical changes to happen or stay with me. If the Internet ever went down, I wanted to still be able to know how to eat and intake a healthy amount of fuel each day. I told myself whatever change I made had to be a change I could do every day no matter the circumstance. No matter what technology provides us in the future, and no matter what food inventory was being sold at the grocery store on any given day. I never once told myself that I needed the app or that I would gain a ton of weight without access to that app. Thus, I chose to remain on the free version of the MFP, and still have never once enrolled and paid for premium access. The only thing I truly needed - was me… Me, and my knowledge, and experience, and the correct use of tools, to appropriately help me get where I wanted to be. I logged everything into MyFitnessPal for one single, solitary day. The next day the app suggested I take a picture of myself. Aghhhh!! The picture, it emphasized, would be to show my progress. At this stage I was absolutely mortified of a starting picture. Or a ‘before’ picture. Before WHAT??? I thought. Before. What. What is going to happen to me that I would progress from that point? I was honestly scared. The thought was almost too much to handle. I nearly quit the app right then and there. I could barely even stomach the thought of telling my husband that I had joined what I thought was a calorie-counting app, let alone take a photo of myself at the beginning of this - whatever ‘this’ was. So I was about to log out of the app and not take the photo. Go ahead Christine! - Delete your newest online account. Unsubscribe. I had horrific, fearful thoughts of not succeeding in any way. It would kill me, I thought, to not succeed at such a large and monumental task. I was on the verge and ready to give up. As I was contemplating these actions, I remembered that I had already given what I deemed at the time the most important of important information into the app the day before. I had already told MFP my current weight! If I could do that, then I could take a picture of myself, right? Movement. Action. Momentum. Action. Massive action. So, before going any further in either direction, I decided to do some initial and brief reading on weight loss before and after photos. I was absolutely and positively mesmerized! Wow! People took photos of their weight loss journeys and posted them online?! It was shocking and very motivational. There’s an entire online industry of weight loss and health and fitness individuals who inspire people to change their own lives! This is a big, and I mean BIG, industry! I just didn’t know how big, and was never even aware of it, because I was never needing to even be aware of it before then in my life. So after some initial perusing online, I said, omg, what the heck, I’ll take the photos. Go ahead Christine, follow the prompts. Take the darn photo. My God in Heaven, what in the world was I doing? What was I getting myself into?! One photo can help change your life. Take that photo. Do it. Embrace it. On September 13, 2018, one solid day into MyFitnessPal online, I took what would become my official ‘before’ photo. And that initial photo now stands in contrast with me, present day, September 13, 2019. And a loss of 77 pounds. My very own “Before & After” weight loss success photo. How did I lose those 77 pounds? Through much patience, discipline, routine, and logging. I also got over my fear of even talking about the process and told my husband right away when I got started. For some reason I thought he would be mad at my attempt - but he wasn’t. Quite the contrary - he has been immensely and extremely supportive. And this entire past year of the process he has been with me and encouraging me every step of the way. I also lost the weight through the use of great tools. I successfully molded MyFitnessPal into my newly embraced ‘Lime Bubly Lifestyle.’ The cool green cans and the app were great TOOLS for me. Tools I could utilize, but tools I made sure I never NEEDED to survive. I would go days or weeks WITHOUT the Lime Bubly just to prove to myself I didn’t need it to lose weight. But gosh, the weight was falling off me. I tracked my calorie intake with MFP and ate the amount of calories it told me to eat. And yes, I made plenty of mistakes. I just didn’t let those mistakes derail me or my progress. I embraced each mistake and learned from it. This made my drive and determination and motivation grow even further to succeed. I read. I watched videos. I listened to podcasts. Lots and lots of podcasts. Some of my favorite online health and fitness humans are Corinne Crabtree of ‘Phit & Phat’ on podcast, and John Glaude of ‘Obese To Beast’ and Alan Roberts of ‘Every Damn Day Fitness’ on YouTube. I really resonate with these three amazing individuals the most, and highly recommend listening to them or watching them or following them if you want to lose weight for real, for good, and to help you change your life for the better. They are as real and as raw as me and my story. They are honest and truthful. They can act as that extra ‘push’ you might need every day to keep going. With the help of those weight loss rockstars, and many others, I really educated myself on the process of losing weight. I came to understand that weight loss is math. It’s mathematics - and it’s science - and it’s physics. Weight loss is simply eating less fuel than your body needs to maintain its current weight each day. So with MFP helping me add up the daily math, and my grasping and understanding of that simple scientific concept, nothing could stop me from succeeding. I lived and breathed and ate and logged and ate and logged. Repeatedly. Repetition. Routine. And now today I have reached a one year milestone achievement of this newly embraced, and most welcome, healthier lifestyle. It’s all real. It’s untouched. And it is my sincere hope that this story, and with associated visuals to coincide, may help you, or someone you know… Someone who may be in the initial stages of weight loss; someone you know who is well into their weight loss journey but isn’t finished yet, or someone so lost and so far back behind the starting line that they’ve never even seen the internet world of “Before & After” yet - someone just like I was a year ago when I didn’t really know that there was a whole world out there of people who struggled with weight gain just like I did. The weight has been coming off for over a solid year now, falling strategically and healthily into a range I am so very happy with. I loved myself before, but I love myself more now. It’s not because I look different; I love who I have become and am so very happy with ME. The physical pounds coming off my body have changed my life both physically and mentally. I have made lots and lots of life changes since I moved across the country a few years ago, but so very many of them have grown and magnified and developed into a life all their own during this past year of weight loss. My confidence is intact and strong and growing stronger every day. I spend money differently now, and am very strategic and responsible with every penny I spend (and I had kept a budget for years before this change too). Plus, I’ve really embraced minimalism, even more so now than when I started seeking a minimalist lifestyle a few years back. Below = Me - During ~~~ Enjoying the ride... And finally, I’ve joined the 5am Club. Yes, that dreaded nightmare of a club, where I wake up every day at five o’clock. And by doing it every day, I am an official card-carrying member. I recommend it highly — Do it. Join it. It may just be the single best card you carry in your wallet. And yet, gosh, I tell you, it’s not an easy club to join. And the membership fee is pretty steep. But if you join, it will change your life in ways you never dreamed of. In this past year of journeying through seventy seven pounds leaving my body, and waking before the sun rises, I am happy to report that my health is improved, I published my website, started my very own Etsy Shop, make tee-shirt designs, have a fully functioning art studio in my home, and am writing my own lifestyle blog. But joining the 5am Club gets a big bold bullet point of emphasis all its own. Waking that early - on purpose - and even many days before five in the morning, is literally the swift kick in the BE-Hind that I have always needed to push myself beyond my limits. And at 38 years of age, I love that push, I embrace that push, and I love who I have become because of that push. I love challenging myself every day, and I wouldn’t change a thing… Although I do fully embrace any change coming my way. And yes, I still do eat ice cream — sprinkles included — just not every day. So with all that being said, I do hope by sharing with you the story of my journey, that any one part of it may have resonated with you in a change you have made or are looking to make in your life? Please let me know in the comments down below your thoughts, and what steps you are taking daily to improve your own life? But most importantly, let me know if you also like a nice, cool green, icy cold can of delicious Lime Bubly.
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