Hey Everyone!

Check out my first Youtube Short video! It only took me a few months to figure out how to post a thirteen second, on repeat video, lol.

I had a lot of fun making it, so let me know whatcha think please.

I hope y’all enjoy ;)
Christine

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#shorts
#sheltielife
#dunkindonuts
#shetlandsheepdogs
#youtubeshorts
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And really, this whole pandemic “thing” going on in the world is what made me decide to go ahead and just buy the darn thing already.

Cause there’s nothing like a pandemic surrounding a respiratory virus to prove how important fresh air really is.

And our walks must go on. So the first day of this whole crisis that our little creature started limping, once again... was the very day I went ahead and placed the order.

I refuse to have her “stuck” at home just because she couldn’t walk very far. Especially with her humans still out there exercising and walking and getting their fresh air - and the world in crisis… It just didn’t seem right to have to cut the walk short for her, or leave her at home altogether, just so we could go on a very long walk without her.

So I made the executive decision to visit Chewy.com. And I quickly bought what I’m calling her buggy - her new ride.

Now Miss Madeline can ride around town in style. And not miss out. On FRESH AIR. That we all need in this life. Plague - or no plague. Because fresh air can do wonders. For doggies too!

So I purchased the Paws & Pals Deluxe Folding Dog & Cat Stroller, in black. The cost was $129.99, plus $9.10 in tax, for a total of $139.09. And yes, you can zip a cat in the netting, allowing them to sit, safely, so they can’t escape! How cool!

Free shipping goes along with any purchase through Chewy costing $49.00 or more. And I set up a free Chewy account while I was at it - so now we can order dog food and medicine and other supplies if needed as well.

I don’t anticipate needing to buy much from the site, as most all of her purchases are made at Petsmart, in person, and not online. But then again, I’m always happy to try out new or different pet suppliers.

And mostly I’m just happy we finally made this purchase for our little angel.

Then the day came when our stroller “finally” arrived to us - with impressively fast shipping actually. And we went on a lovely Sunday morning stroll. And I’m so happy that Madeline absolutely loved her buggy! She walked shorter than her usual route - and slower - and I could tell she was done, tired, in pain. This was when we normally would have gone immediately home. But noooo - not today! Prepared for everything - we finally were!

We plopped our little ball of fluff into her new and comfy seat. We gave her some ice water. And then we continued onward. We walked for a much longer time period. Like - a lot longer. We walked a length that Madeline never would have been able to do and something I usually do all by myself. But this Sunday we were able to do it as a family of three! For the very first time.

So it was a very good Sunday indeed.

And we even made it to The Delicomb - once again. Enroute home on our walk, we just so happened to walk past the coffee shop, and quickly ordered two large lattes to go. You know I didn’t happen to plan things that way, right?

And then, as our lovely Sunday morning stroll was reaching its conclusion, we were headed toward home and sipping our coffee, I saw something blue on the ground. I can’t see for anything, and from a distance I thought it was a piece of trash. But we got closer and I let out a gasp.

When, in your current reality, it may be more like this:
What can I focus on today… to simply make it through the day alive?

You see, in order to make it through a situation successfully, historically, people who survive intact and come out living and breathing on the other end, have focused on the little things. Whether it’s second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. Focus entirely needs to be on the present moment. And the simple routine of daily life. And then, those simple and small moments, add up to perseverance, add up to survival, and add up to the journey, and to life itself.

And right now, amidst all the uncertainty of the CoVid19 pandemic, many people are stuck at home. Many people are confined and sheltering-in-place. Many people are alone. Many people are bored. Many people are working their behinds off. Many - countless people - on the front lines of this world war, are stressed to the max, while literally putting their lives on the line for others. And many people - whatever they are doing, or not doing - are trying to make it through another day on this, our Earth.

So, as I write about the little things in life - today, I wanted to finally take the time to highlight a very small, and a very special park, on a lovely little street corner in my little beach town.

Yes - There’s a great little park in Jax Beach that you should definitely check out in the future.

And unless you and your area is currently under a shelter-in-place order or official quarantine, etc., my guess is that you’ll still be trying to get some fresh air at some point each day. While making every effort to stay home as well.

We are still going to the grocery store, and picking up take out, and going to pharmacies, and getting fuel in the car. And lots of people are still in need of walking their dogs. And many who are able are going for walks themselves.

So the really great thing about this seaside park is the fact that it has absolutely nothing that you should or need to be actually physically touching in any way. It’s all sculpture. It’s all art. On display. It’s all to look at. It’s all to gaze upon. It’s a great place to safely get some fresh air while you may be practicing social distancing. It’s located directly next door to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry. And most importantly, of course, it’s right on the oceanfront.

So, no need to worry about spreading or catching germs while gazing at beautiful art in the fresh coastal air.

Seaside Sculpture Park, located @ 480 1st Street South, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, really is one of the little hidden gems in this small coastal town I call home.

*Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

​Holy cow folks! Here’s my first dining review since the world went ahead and changed on us all… Today, I’ll be visiting an adorable local cafe in Jax Beach. And the only difference between this visit and any other dining review I present you with… is the fact that this is my first review since life as we all knew it imploded before all our very eyes.

Yep, we’ve all been thrown for a total loop these last many weeks. And things are only getting stranger and stranger each and every day. And hour by hour. I’m thinking to myself… Maybe we’ve finally gone through the other side of that Black Hole I constantly theorize about. Or - a wormhole?

Or maybe we’ve even been teleported to the edge of the universe.

And then jumped right over into our real and true multiverse?

Either that, or it’s just another day on this - our good buddy - Earth. Yes, Mother Nature is challenging us. And we are at war - with a virus. Either way, as I’ve said since the very beginning and even before that. I’m still going to live my life. I’m going to be alive - when I’m alive. I’m not going to be afraid. And I’m not going to cower.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m still going to be safe. I’m still going to follow the guidelines set forth by our leaders. I’m simply not going to panic…. And I will keep living my life.

Thus, what I mean is - I’m still going to go about my day. My job outside the home is still open. I work at what the government is now deeming an essential business during this crazy crisis. So I HAVE to leave the home. But I’m extremely happy to do it, and I would be doing it anyway. So in a way, I’m still technically living my “normal” life - while surrounded by much un-normalness. And I’m extremely grateful for my job. Even as things change now by the week, by the day, by the hour, and by the minute. Literally.

And during my shift, I am also grateful now more than ever for my lunch break. And each day on my break, I’ve been trying to support an area business to grab some quick food.

I have one hour to patronize a local drive-thru. I have one hour to get a drink of coffee or iced tea or some drive-thru food or take out, or drop-in-your-trunk food. And then get myself back to work, and back to sweating my behind off.

But like I said - I’m still living. So Sunday Morning in America… I start my day. And I checked my social media as I usually do. I happened to see today's muffin specials at The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, located @ 115 5th Street South in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

During my recent travels driving on down to the Florida Keys, we were lucky enough to have one, single, solitary, quick night to spend on the small island mentioned in that classic Beach Boys song.

I had been once in the past - to Key Largo - not Kokomo. However, my visit was merely for a short lunch break on our drive down toward that last Key on the map. You could say that my visit to Key Largo was a “If-You-Blink-You-Miss-It” type of visit.

So I obviously didn't have much time at all on the island to speak of… But during that short experience a few years back, Key Largo was so very intriguing enough to me that I knew we needed to come back. And I knew I wanted at least an overnight on the island.

I thought… If I couldn't stay forever, I’d at least need that.

So, we booked one night at the Hampton Inn Key Largo. Located at 102400 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL 33037. Its location is right in the middle of it all; in the middle of everything that is Key Largo. If merely because Key Largo is so small that, to me, anywhere in Key Largo is everywhere in Key Largo.

We reserved a standard king with a balcony and pool view. Our total cost was zero dollars for this stay, as we used Hilton Honors points for the entire cost, taxes, all associated fees, etc.

And let me just say, if you are not a Hilton Honors member, and you love to travel, go get yourself a Hilton Honors Membership - pronto. Like - you know, stop reading this. And go sign up my dears.

Why? You may ask me…

For the simple reason that a completely free membership will bring things into your life like the example I just named above… A free night stay in Key Largo. No darn, yucky, gunchy, stringy, strings attached. Yep, it’s that easy.

And I NEVER pay for memberships that provide rewards. I believe in making my own money work FOR me, not the other way around. Once I’ve already earned the money, why do I need to spend it again to get the benefit of something. It’s kinda like how Suzy Orman taught me a very long time ago… You know. Like on a cold winter's day back in 1987, and the snow was falling, and I had to walk uphill to school both ways… with no buses even running then... she said to me,

“Don’t pay for memberships, my dear child.”

Well, scratch that. She might not have told me that personally. Actually, she might have never even said those exact words... But in my mind she did, and in my mind she taught me that. In my head I hear her voice when it comes to spending. Because she helped teach me about responsible finances, spending, and saving too. And I do think of Suzy Orman every time I think of memberships.

So folks, you see… Why pay to have your money work for you? When you can work your money yourself?

Here’s an example: I have the Disney Visa. But I don’t have the Platinum-Gold-Shiny-Heavy-Carved-Straight-From-A-Diamond-Mine-Disney-Visa that costs $50.00 a year plus. I have the free version. And all I have to do is swipe it and my money works for me on both ends.

And as I now tend to travel outside of the Disney gated kingdoms more so than within, I also have Hilton Honors, because it’s free as well. And just by swiping at the grocer each week, and for clothes and gas etc. etc. my money paid out is earning me stays. Stays that are easy to book, without blackouts and fine print that you would need a magnifying glass and a law degree to interpret. Get Hilton Honors, and honor yourself with vacations. Or any free hotel reward program - there are quite a few to choose from.

So there you have it. Swipe and earn, my friends. Swipe and earn.

Our room was just perfect for a Hampton Inn stay. I’m a huge fan of Hamptons all around and have been to countless of their locations.

I suppose I’d say that while I’ve never been to THE Hamptons, I’ve been to plenty of OTHER Hamptons.

I actually couldn’t count my stays in Hampton Inns if my life depended on it. But let’s just say that this hotel room was as nice as all the rest of those ‘other’ Hamptons or even more so. I’m kinda biased because of the view we had: