A Year Of Art, A Year In Imagery
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8/24/2021 0 Comments 110) VLOG #27] Vacuum SnoutYoutube Shorts Video #shorts 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 #shorts #sheltielife #dunkindonuts #shetlandsheepdogs #youtubeshorts
5/11/2021 0 Comments 107) 4 Years Killing It~ Celebrating Four Whopping Years Out Of Rehab ~ Wow. Today I’m celebrating four years of life. I may be 40 years old, but these last four years are what today is all about. May 11th is the anniversary of my discharge from Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center - located in Jacksonville, Florida. Today... marking four years out. Four times three hundred and sixty five whopping days. Each and every single day being counted and tallied. All adding up to - four years strong - and four years of absolutely killing it at life. You don’t get to that numerical tally by simply blinking and repeating. Or taking a breath in, and a breath out, over and over again. But then again… you actually, and really, do. I would not be the happy, content, at-peace-with-the-world, and God loving person that I am right now and today, if it wasn’t for Mayo, and my time spent there. Because while God saved my life, Mayo Clinic helped give me the momentum to keep going after that. And I’ve rambled on about Mayo in the past quite a few times, so you can go ahead and check all of that out below, if you’re interested in learning more about my experiences at the Clinic: Christine’s Floridian Dreams: ABOUT Bean’s Library #34) Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~ #65) The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter The above articles delve a little bit deeper on how I came to be a patient at Mayo Clinic, my experiences traveling from Chicago, Illinois up to Rochester, Minnesota for treatment, and all the way to my new and fabulous life in Jacksonville, Florida. Plus, why my long and challenging month at Pain Rehab changed my life, and continues to change me - to this day. So today, I wanted to pull your attention to what I view and believe, very strongly, are the tools and virtues necessary for living a fruitful and rewarding life with chronic pain. Because, four years later, it’s not just a snap of the fingers and life is amazing - it requires work - constant work - every single day. And one needs tools in order to do this work. So - here are the most vital tools I deem imperative toward continued success and maintenance after leaving rehab: [ Plan ] I plan. And I plan for everything. I plan my day. I plan my week. I plan my next two weeks out, and I strategically and creatively title that plan - “My Two Week Plan.” I plan the month. I plan the year. And, most importantly, I also plan for all these things to NOT go according to this plan. But, at the same time I do all of this plotting and planning and scheming and theorizing... I simply live for today. (And, if that sentence makes any sense to you, please let me know.) [ Purpose ] I live. And I live now. I don’t wait to live. And I don’t count on tomorrow (even though I plan for it). I wear my favorite clothes today (and I don’t save them for a better outing). I burn my favorite candles (and I don’t save them for only when guests come over). I sign up for the class I’ve been aching to take. I paint on all my canvases. I purchase tickets to my favorite play. I buy my coffee on the outside (as Jerry Seinfeld once said). I go to museums. I try all the newest restaurants. I create every single day - and not merely when I have time. I read all the books - of all kinds. I travel. I explore. I look up at the sky - and not down at my phone. I drive with the windows down. And I say hello to strangers, all the time. I know exactly why I am here and exactly what I am supposed to do. And I do it. Now. And I don’t save any of it for the unknown future. Ahhhh, the unknown future. The future on a distant horizon we cannot possibly yet imagine. That brings me straight on up to my next tool. [ Perseverance ] There’s a reason the Mars Rover of 2020 was named Perseverance. My goodness! Can you even imagine the amazing journey that darn little robotic thing went on to get where it is right now? Mars!... Freaking Mars! Do you really even realize how far away Mars really is from us here on Earth? Enough ‘really’s’ already. Without perseverance, there would literally, and really, be zero evidence of humanity on Mars. Or should I say - evidence of Earthlings on Mars. And that’s because the road to Mars is not paved and narrow. There is no defined route to arriving on the Red Planet. We’re making this all up as we go. It’s all foreign territory. And it’s scary. But thrilling. This - this feat - never accomplished before - landing humans on Mars. Who on God's green Earth knows when this will happen? It could take a number of years - a tally of days - a number and amount of time beyond our comprehension right now. And - It will take determination. It will take struggle, and challenges we possibly cannot yet even imagine.. It will take sacrifice. It will take discipline. And it most certainly will take - perseverance. To persevere, means to struggle. To persevere, means to keep going. To persevere, means to face adversity, challenge, pain, hardship, and loss... and to keep going away. To persevere means you know how far away the future is, and to continue onward anway. To persevere, means it’s ok to fail. To persevere, simply means to get back up and try again. So, while I plan for the future... And I live life for today… And if at first I don’t succeed, I try, try, again. This fact brings me to my final bullet point of today’s discussion - Patience. Yes, I live in the moment, while at the same time... I have to have the patience of a freaking saint. [ Patience ] The single most important factor to making it through one thousand four hundred and sixty days of life outside of rehab. Without patience, I wouldn’t be writing this today. Without patience, I would not be celebrating four years strong. Without patience, I would have zero creativity. Without patience, I would be suffering. I’d be pacing, and agonizing, and wondering when in the freaking heck is all of this pain ever really going to go away?... Really. Without patience, I would not be alive. There’s a real and solid reason why there is a saying on this Earth that goes a little something like this: Patience Is A Virtue. That’s because it really and truly is. Patience is NOT the most popular kid in school. People tend to not like Patience. And actually, people tend to despise Patience. Patience is continuously, and unrelentlessly, teased and taunted and bullied. And sadly, Patience gets tortured every single gosh darn day, somewhere on this planet. Yes, Patience is really hard to live with. But Patience is Required for Success. So if you really want to succeed at whatever your goal is, I’d say to simply suck it up, buttercup... And to welcome some good, old-fashioned Patience into your new and modern life. Become friends with Patience. Actually, I'd even go so far as to say to make Patience your very best friend in life... Yeah, Patience is really that important. So while everyone else is beating up Patience in the back alley around the corner from the school yard… YOU - you there, you go ahead and save Patience from that beating. Drag Patience out of the alleyway. And usher Patience straight on into the nurse's office for a solid checkup and mending and a bag of ice to go home with. Then, take Patience home with you. Serve Patience a plate of cookies and milk - almond milk - not cows milk. And ask your mother if Patience can sleep over. Watch your favorite movie with Patience. And then, go ahead and watch a film that Patience likes, that you happen to utterly and totally despise. But suck it up and have some darn patience already. Humor Patience, and watch the movie anyway. You’ll be best friends in no time. Gosh, and at that exact point - Patience will really and truly love you back, too. If you can learn the value of patience, you can learn the secret to life. If you can learn the virtue of patience, you will be exactly where you are meant to be. If you can simply have patience, there is nothing that you cannot do in this world. But gosh, golly, oh jeaz - there is most definitely a secret to being patient - and that is this. if you can accept patience, you can accept your pain. Your struggles, your misfortunes. Your annoyances. Your anger, temper, and all your irritations. Your mind - arguing with itself. Your heading - spinning. Your every breath you take. You can then handle the deck of cards you’ve been dealt. You will learn from this adversity. And that experience will build momentum, and carry you forward, through time. Yes, if you can accept and welcome patience into your life, you’ll be killing it at life too. Because, without patience, you’ll really never know or even possibly imagine where you will be... four years from now.~ *Editorial Note & Disclaimer: All views, opinions, and statements herein are my own. I am not a doctor. I am not trying to save you, and I cannot make your pain go away. I am merely detailing to you my own personal opinions and experiences with the Mayo Clinic as a patient. Each person is unique, and what works for one, will not work for all. I share my story in hopes it will reach someone who may need to hear or see just these exact words at this exact time to push them to get the help they need… right freaking now. Because - sometimes saving yourself, is allowing others to help you save you. If you are in chronic pain, struggling, or severely depressed, I would highly recommend calling the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida to explore treatment options. Their phone number is 904.953.2000.
5/27/2020 0 Comments #79) At A Crossroads...When you come to your next fork in the road, what way will you go? There’s a favorite Seinfeld episode of mine - where George Costanza does the complete opposite of what he usually does throughout the entire show’s running. For example, if George would normally be shy in front of a woman, he does the opposite. So, in this episode, he would go right up to her and ask her out on a date. He says that he always orders tuna on toast at the diner. But, he ponders, nothing exciting ever came from tuna on toast, for him. So he’s going to go ahead and order the exact opposite of tuna on toast…. And see what happens. And, if he normally does absolutely and literally nothing, all day long, then he now would do the opposite - meaning he would do SOMETHING! Whatever it is in his entire life that is his usual REACTION - he decides he will now go ahead and do the absolute opposite reaction. And in turn, he gets a whole heck of a lot done, accomplished. It may not have all turned out the way he wanted, but he was acting, living, and most importantly, trying. I tend to think that George considered himself a failure in life, most of the time. But in this episode, as is usually the case in sitcoms, everything changes, for a single show. And Jerry tells him, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.” With this realization, George gets out there and kicks some major behind. And for 22 minutes - George is living his best life. He is successful. He is alive. Because doing something, he realized, was better than doing nothing. And making that hard choice was better overall, than making the easy choice. The usual choice. So, maybe go ahead and watch that episode, or even just some hilarious clips from it, online, if you have a few moments to spare. Or even if you have a pending decision to make. Because there’s a Seinfeld episode out there about every single decision in life. And this one is a Hallmark Classic. Bringing me to the question I have for you today… When you are at a crossroads - which way will you go? Which way have you gone when reaching crossroads in your past? When you reach the very next junction in your life… Do you know which direction you will be choosing? I’m here to remind you of that tiny, little voice inside your own head… directing you… to…. The Opposite. If you do the absolute opposite of which you have always done, won’t you theoretically get the opposite results from which you have always received? Thus, leading your life in a completely new, and foreign, and challenging, direction? Stimulating growth, new ideas, and therefore, completely new results, in your life. And it is with that question in mind, that I hope you enjoy this week’s vlog of Christine’s Floridian Dreams... My newest YouTube video that I’ll be sharing with you later this week. In it, I’m merely taking you along on a little, minor, daily adventure. For some small, and simple, choices in daily life. Where do I go that day… where will we eat… what do we order? What dessert location should we go to? And - how will we get there?... Because - There are multiple bridges to cross along the way too. And sometimes, it’s the actual bridge that becomes the best part of the day. Not where you have gone, or where you are headed to next, but simply stopping along the journey, and enjoying the junction itself. So, what direction will you choose - at your next fork in the road? What way will you turn, and therefore, which route, will you take, at your next crossroads of life? When that fateful question begs inside your own head - Maybe it’s time to consider the absolute opposite of tuna on toast - to you - and choose that. ~
*What’s your favorite Seinfeld episode? Do you always order tuna on toast, like George does? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also, if you’re enjoying my Floridian Dreams, adventures, writings, ramblings, poetry, challenges, and reviews, you can go ahead and check out some more, right here: 77] The Lost Art of the Phone Call 75] The First Supper @ Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill 73] What I’m Missing Right Now 71] My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back 68] A Sunday Stroll 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 57] First Watch on the First Coast 56] Shell World ~ Key Largo 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe *Part of - Bean’s Kitchen - series 46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go? 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You 5/25/2020 0 Comments #78) The Best Part Of Waking Up...The best part of waking up... Is Folgers in your cup… Sorry, I had to. If merely because I love coffee so very gosh darn much. But right now I’m actually literally stuck on Folgers. It’s cheap. It’s basic. It’s good. Buying at least one pound worth a week, and making it every single morning. In my trusty ol’ Mr. Coffee coffee maker. Just like the one my grandparents used to use every day. And all those massive amounts of coffee beans got me thinking... about mornings. And how important they are to how one’s entire day will eventually turn out to be. If you are literally rolling out of bed every morning, strolling over to the bathroom and getting right in the shower, then heading directly off to work, hair barely dry from being shampooed and conditioned - I’m here to put a thought bubble above your head, and let it pop... You may be doing mornings wrong - in my opinion, that is. For the past few years I’ve been taking my mornings quite seriously. Meaning, I devote a huge chunk of time to myself - at the start of every single day. Whether it’s exercise, reading, or a bit of both and then some, I am absolutely certain to do something just for me each and every morning. This simple act sets the path for a better day forward. I talk to you a lot about momentum - And mornings mean momentum, my friends. I take my mornings so seriously that I rise well before I need to - a good chunk of hours ahead of time actually. And the morning activity I partake in may differ as much as the day itself does. But the one act remains the very same and true each day. It’s the activity of time for self that is imperative. So, if rising early is something that you haven’t been doing, but are interested in getting started with, I’ve got a few ideas and examples to help you begin, right here: 1-Grab a book: Read. Even if it’s just five pages. Or ten. That’s how a book gets read, doesn’t it? One page at a time? 5 pages at a time? Just pick up a copy of the latest book you’ve been dying to read, put it by your bedside table, and when that alarm goes off the following morning, grab Grishman’s latest novel, Camino Winds, and read the first few pages. [Spoiler-not-spoiler - it takes place in a fictional town based on an island exactly where I live here in the Jacksonville, Florida area. And - It’s a sequel to Camino Island.] 2-Exercise: There is nothing better to kick your day into high gear than to get your body moving. Even if moving simply means stretching. If you haven’t been doing a whole lot of exercise lately, I’d highly recommend you start with some simple stretches. Add onto that routine a bit at a time, and then start walking. Days, weeks, and months later, you’ll have a solid walking routine down. And - if you miss a day, you may actually really be missing it! 3-Gain Mental Strength: I believe that mornings to myself help my mentality, my overall mental state. By doing what I mentioned up at the beginning… rolling out of bed, hopping in the shower, and driving off to work… that doesn’t allow much time for the mind to wander. Freely. So set your alarm early - far before you have to be in the shower… and simply light a candle, if that’s the best you can do at the moment. And maybe breathe. Or journal. Meditate. Make a cup of hot coffee. Sit in a hot bath - maybe, with a podcast. Chill… just…. hang out… with yourself. Your mindset will lighten. Your shoulders will become unburdened. It may take some time. And repetitiveness. But that load will lighten, I promise. Just keep at it. And let these minor, daily actions build into momentum, which will build movement, and massive action will then follow. 4-Creativity: If you are a creative person, mornings are a phenomenal time to get it all out and onto the medium you may be working with at the time. Don’t wait till the end of the night, after work, after dinner, and after dessert and night-time television, to open up your creative side. Because your best work might actually be done in the mornings. When you can rise early, to devote the time just to yourself, without any of the upcoming day’s distractions to block your outlet. If you paint, get on over to your studio. If you write, pull open your laptop, and get typing. If you are merely planning ideas and brainstorming, open up your bullet journal and get those ideas onto paper. Draw. Sketch. Apply for art shows. The list is endless. Whatever it is that you don’t have time for during the day - the time is now, to work on that. Which brings me to my own latest announcement I’d like to share with you today: Christine’s Floridian Dreams now has a YouTube Channel! It’s out there, public, and with one whole solid freaking subscriber to date… plus, one whole, whopping 49 second video, just sitting out there, waiting for you to go ahead and watch it. Wahoo! :) You can access my channel by clicking on the link below: Why YouTube? For myself, personally, It’s part of what I mention in bullet number four above - creativity. There’s a creative outlet there for me that I want to brainstorm. Explore. And paint a new picture with - so to speak. The app is the easel. The mind is the creator of the artistic content, and the video is the canvas. I see it. I envision it. And now, I’m just going ahead and doing it. YouTube has been something I’ve been wanting to do for quite a very long while now. And why have I finally decided to start it? Because I’m here to take my own gosh darn advice, y’all. The only one stopping me - is me! I have no excuse not to do something I really want to do. It’s free. I already have a smartphone. And I have a whole heck of a lot of ideas that I’m currently filming for y’all. Again - did I mention... it’s free? And this brings me back to my own creativity and how to get started with your own creative ideas... Christine’s Floridian Dreams is alive as my creative outlet. And my ultimate goal, by sharing all of my writings, paintings, Etsy shop, inspirational tee-shirts, blogs… my entire website, and now - my videos, with you - is to help you get out there and live your own dream. I’m living my dream, and I want you to know that you can live your own dreams, too. There is nothing stopping you. You are the one who has to make your own dreams come true. And once you truly understand and comprehend that fact, there will be nothing stopping you from living out your wildest and happiest dreams and goals in life. Dreams just don’t miraculously come true with the waving of a magic wand. They come true through hard work. Visualization. Planning. Plotting. Sweating. And maybe even by lighting a candle, sitting in the bathtub, and listening to a podcast... instead of sleeping in…. They come true because you took the action of getting out of bed - well before you may have been ready to. So go ahead and get started on yourself. Give yourself that momentum to a better day ahead. Give yourself the gift of your morning. When you hear that alarm go off, jump out of bed, and begin your day. Whether you want to or not... March before you feel like it. And while the best part of waking up, may very well indeed be Folgers in your cup…. it’s really the best part of the day by simply just doing whatever you want to do most in your life. You merely need to get up, dust off that big and heavy thought bubble that’s just hovering around patiently above your head like a cloud, pop it, and get started. ~
*How do you spend your early mornings? Do you allocate a good chunk of your day entirely on yourself? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also, I’ve got some more of my ramblings and writings and adventures for y'all to check out, right here: 77] The Lost Art of the Phone Call 73] What I’m Missing Right Now 71] My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back 68] A Sunday Stroll 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 55] The Shamrock 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe *Part of - Bean’s Kitchen - series 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series 46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Who Don’t We Go? 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 *Part of - Bean’s Kitchen - series 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House Go ahead and admit it - with great pride and your head held high… you’ve been spending more time on the phone lately, haven’t you? It may be one of the single greatest positive acts that has resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. People have definitely been talking to one another on the phone, more than they had been in any of the recent past. And all this talking, it got me thinking... about Lucy Ricardo... Because Lucy always spent massive amounts of time on the phone. I’m a huge ‘I Love Lucy’ fan. I have been, my whole life. My grandparents turned me onto it, and when I think of Lucy, I think of them. I have memories of being with my Papa and Grandma - in person - in their house, with Lucy playing in the background. While we visited, and talked, and laughed, and cooked, and baked, and played games, and read, and celebrated holidays, as well as a whole heck of a lot of regular days, Lucy tended to be there right alongside us. And whether you’re a fan or not, my point about Lucy is this: She spent a lot of time at home. Inside her house. She wasn’t quarantined. There was no active plague. But she was at home, a lot. But home, or not, she always seemed to get herself into some sort of trouble. Big or small. There was always a crisis, many times of her own making, that needed solving. And with problem solving comes communication. And so she was always on the phone. Trying to solve one problem - while creating many others in her wake. Lucy talked so much on the phone that it might have well been her speciality... Her art. Her unique talent in life. But I also tend to think she used the phone simply to help pass some of her time - in between and amongst those many problems, of course. And Ricky was always making fun of her for that time spent. He’d be reading the paper, and she’d be on the phone - for hours at a time. Ricky couldn’t understand it! He couldn’t fathom how a person could spend so much of their time talking into that odd-shaped device? And most of the time it was all just chit-chat. Lucy gossiping with her friends. Rumors spreading, and lots of laughing. And always getting herself into scrapes - of varying degrees of that trouble I mentioned. And a lot of those phone calls were between her and Ethel Mertz. Her best friend, landlord, and close neighbor. They lived one floor apart in the same apartment building - directly above and below one another - for years. And even though they lived so very, very close, they spent hours on that telephone, with each other. After hours - of gabbing away - as Ricky might say, one of them would come to the realization that they needed to borrow a cup of sugar from the other. They’d then hang up the phone, and go up or down the single flight of stairs, to get the cup of sugar from the other, in person. And Ricky would then be even further confused… thinking - why couldn’t they have talked in person that whole time? So today, while people are keeping some seriously major distance from one another - they have been seeking new ways of communication. And it’s almost like people have re-discovered the phone, and what it’s original intended use was for. Cause it certainly wasn’t originally intended to get your news, your emails, your social media notifications, or to play video games. It was to talk, using voice. Maybe a lost art? Because people just don’t really do it anymore. Instead, people rely almost solely on the following: Tweets. Texts. Telegrams - oh wait, we don’t have that one anymore, do we? Snaps. Tagging. Email. Private Message. Facebook. Insta. Video. Zoom. Stories. Etc, etc. etc. Digital communication - and a lot of written digital communication - rules. But on the worst days of the plague, when I was still out and about and working, I noticed something I hadn’t seen in a very long time… And I heard something I hadn’t heard in a very long time either. And that was the act of people talking to another over the phone. And this is what I heard them saying into those devices... “I love you.” “How are you?” “Is everything ok?” “How are you feeling?” “Where are you right now?” “I’ll be there soon.” “I’m scared.” “What can I bring you?” “Hang in there.” “I love you.” - I mentioned that one already. But you know what? I heard that one so many times, it was most definitely significant. And if I wasn’t out of the house during the plague, I might not have believed what I heard myself. As now many articles have been written regarding how phone calls have made a real and significant comeback during the pandemic… Stats, numbers, and charts giving authoritative proof to that numerical statistical change - I only needed to see it first-hand, in my own little corner of the world, to know how true it really was. With people’s necks constantly bent down, eyeballs looking at their phone screens, for years upon years now, then quickly adapted into actually seeing their heads up, and talking from their mouths, and listening from their ears, the change was real. Maybe talking on the phone has become so rare that the act of doing so has become an actual gift - to another. A gift of time… Especially today, in this ever-innovative, fast-paced, and digital age. Tweeting… and texting... it’s all so very fast, so instant, and so non-commital of a person’s time, that a quick bubble of letters and numbers and symbols and emojis has seemingly replaced real, verbal communication, enmasse. But a phone call means commitment too. In a way the digitally written word does not. A phone call means really taking that time and sitting down - to chat - with another - one-on-one. Devoting one’s personal time and voice and ear to another human, for a specified chunk of one’s time. While the written word, and the internet, is, as they say - permanent, or cannot be taken back after it’s out there in a sense, the phone call remains something permanent as well. Because it means you gave that time away to another person in a way that cannot ever be taken back. You cannot recall it. You cannot hit the Delete button. You cannot erase it. You cannot unpin it. You cannot wipe it. So the phone call has, in a pandemicy kind of way, become a valuable, and non-regiftable, present. And not to say that there are numerous societal benefits to texting and instant messaging, but the phone call is now special in its own way. With entire generations currently growing up on social media and digital communication being the norm, the phone call is seemingly less and less important to society as a whole. But, just like war, plagues have a way of changing things... Of amending the trajectory of society. And, thus, the way people communicate. For better and for worse. And while most all of the plague lies in the worse category, for obvious reasons, there are most definitely some good aspects of global change that have developed out of this crisis... And that is the clear and present fact that people the world over have started talking to another once again. And I got in on the act myself, too. Talking on the phone is actually one of the things I had been praticing myself these past few years of living far away from friends and family. I knew that, with moving away from everything and everyone I knew, I would need to rely on the phone more so than I had in the past, to stay in touch with those I love. So over these past few years, after my move to The Sunshine State from Illinois, I had already been trying to be in better, one-on-one communication, with many, many people. But the coronavirus ended up only strengthening that resolve further. During the course of this virus, it sometimes feels as if I spoke with more friends and family from afar on the phone than I had in the whole time since I moved away. And I think maybe that feeling is actually true. I have reached out to loved ones, and they have also reached out to me. All, over the phone. No, it wasn’t email. It wasn’t Facebook. It wasn’t Instagram. And it certainly wasn’t TikTok or SnapChat. Crisis does bring people closer together. And sometimes a text just doesn’t count. Sometimes hearing another’s voice is all the more important, and valuable, in a time of fear, loneliness, crisis, confusion, and loss. And whether we lost someone we know personally, or not, during these past months of crisis, we all lost a whole heck of a lot…. of a whole heck of a lot. Life is changed. Forever. And it’s up to us to Adapt to those changes. Modify. And Proceed. And it is now my call to action - to you, fellow humans out there in InternetLand - to pick up that cellular phone. Today. And call someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Flip through your digital Rolodex. Choose some digits. And talk. Use this long, holiday weekend… And maybe spend a long while on the phone with that person. And maybe even if that person lives just around the corner from you. Maybe even if they are your Ethel, and you are their Lucy. Even if they live so close to you that you can reach out your arm, maybe by standing on your own balcony, stretching less than six feet apart, and swap with them a cup of sugar - in exchange for a stick of butter, or a cup of flour. Even if you are that close. Pick up the phone. And give them a call. Let that cup of sugar be your excuse if need be. Because while the entire world keeps on changing, and keeps on spinning, some things just never change… Plague or no plague… There’s still more problems that need solving… And Lucy and Ethel still need to gossip… And there’s still another celebration on the way - another cake to bake - and yet still another cup of sugar to borrow. ~
*Have you picked up the phone more so lately, during the coronavirus? Who have you called recently that you haven’t talked to in a very long time? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also - if you’re enjoying my ramblings, my writings, and my Floridian adventures, there’s some more for ya, right here: 75] The First Supper @ Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill 73] What I’m Missing Right Now 71] My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back 68] A Sunday Stroll 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 55] The Shamrock 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe *Part of - Bean’s Kitchen - series 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series 42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road? 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts 18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand When The Last Supper took place - no one, except Jesus, knew what was to come. Because, sometimes, you just don’t really know that it’s actually The Last Supper, until The Last Supper is completely over with. Done. Finished... Time, and actions, have both passed. Jesus hung on the cross… and then it hits you - that was the last time you were able to dine with Him. Would you have done something differently? Had you known it would be the final time? The final meal? Would you have asked Him a different set of questions? Would you have had a different sort of conversation? Had a second helping of bread and butter? Would you have ordered every dessert on the menu? Because - what the heck - it IS The Last Supper, of course. Of all the meals in all the world, now is the time to order the chocolate lava cake, with vanilla ice cream on top, draped in chocolate syrup, and then topped with sprinkles and a cherry on top. Over the last few months, #lastsupper might have well been trending every single day. Because with every conversation I have had with another human being - this meal - this act - was a topic of conversation… Where was your last dinner out? What did you order? Who were you with? And even - what did you talk about? Ahh, who were you with??? Before quarantine took us all over. Were you with the ones you are with right now? Were you with loved ones you now have not seen in eight weeks? Separated by an invisible plague. A plague that is wreaking havoc on civilization itself. Were you celebrating a special occasion during that final meal? Or was the dinner out nothing special at all?... Just another day, just another outing. Not really having given it a passing thought. Yes, everyone has their own Last Supper right now. We all dined out one last time before shut-down orders took over the globe. And restaurants shut their doors. Some for a short time. And sadly, some forever more. And at-home cooking and dining became the new way of life. Either that, or a whole heck of a lot of take-out, delivery, and curbside service, which started enmasse, in the wake of the pandemic. There are lots of meaningful moments in a person’s life. Many moments that, when they are taking place, the person does not know it’s the last time. That’s why the old adage… Live each day as if it were your last. OR You don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone. So, maybe now is the time to ask yourself: Are you living each day? Yes, even during quarantine. Are you fully alive? Each and every single day. Regardless of place? Circumstance? Location? Setting? Situation? Finances? Limitations? Roadblocks? Mystery? Scarcity? Hope? Fear? I am. And I have been, living, each day. For three years. I am fully ALIVE. Pandemic… Or no pandemic. I am alive. And I am living my very best life. I was fully alive before the world changed, and I am extremely grateful to be fully alive during it. And I’m still completely and 100% alive, as the world awakens, opens up their front doors, and steps off their front porches… many, for the first time, in a very long time. You see, I was already out there… standing in the street… looking inward, toward humanity, inside their houses. Just waiting for y'all to come on out again. And join me. In life. Because life - in Florida - means fresh air. While it was winter, and a cold and rainy spring, in many areas of the country, during this horrific shutdown, living in Florida during this plague was an extra special blessing to be from God Himself. I was able to still walk outside, and get fresh, warm air, every single day. I was able to sit on my balcony, outside, every single day. I was able to literally soak in my vitamin D. The vitamin they keep discussing in the news as being imperative to fight CoVid19. So, I’m happy to FINALLY see and hear of many other people starting their own venture outward. Yes, even New York is seeing signs of hope and life again. So, as the weather turns warmer, and brighter, in other parts of the world, many others can now also soak in their daily vitamin D. Have their coffee on their balconies. And get outside. I’m happy to be joined with the sea of humanity as they open their front doors. Many are afraid. Many are terrified. Many are following guidelines, plans, and executive, gubernatorial orders, or newly enacted city ordinances. And, yes, many are stepping off their front porch steps at the very same time. So, I’m out here to say to those who are starting out right now... Hello. Welcome back. And - There’s a life to live out there. Life is happening - whether we know it or not - whether we like it or not - and whether we want it to or not. And life is, merely and once again, your reaction, to other actions. I am showing you my reaction. As the national guidelines, and statewide safer-at-home orders were slowly and gradually lifted in The Sunshine State… businesses started opening back up. Over these last many weeks, signs of optimism grew by the day. Little by little. They opened their doors. Many, very many in fact, are still shuttered, didn’t make it. But just as many, have once again opened. With limited indoor seating, and tables spaced safely apart from one another, and nearly unlimited outdoor seating in the fresh air, lots of outdoor patios are having the times of their lives right now. People are craving normalcy. People want to socialize. And people want to go out to eat. Well, we, in Florida, were able to finally do just that. For the first time in over two months. We dined out. We sat outside. We were far away from other humans. And we had a great meal. As we gazed at a gorgeous, waterfront setting. We traveled down the winding Palm Valley Road toward the bridge. Nestled and tucked under that large expanse of a hovering bridge is the Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill. Located at 377 South Roscoe Boulevard in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the location really is perfect as well. On a bright and shiny and blue sky day, we arrived at the Grill for a lovely lunch outing. We planned our outing to go earlier in the day, rather than later. My work schedule has me going to bed early, so we usually end up with a lot of lunches out - instead of dinners. But considering this was a first meal of sorts, and it was a birthday celebration, both hubby and I were extra excited to arrive - no matter what the time was. We knew it would take a while. We knew they had just recently opened to the public once again for dine-in service. We were prepared to wait, long. And all their signage around the building told me another story… That they were open during the worst. That they were doing curbside pick up - and even dock side pick up, for boaters. I was extra grateful to be a dine-in patron that day. We had about a one and a half hour wait… They had told us about 35 minutes, it ended up being a lot longer, obviously. No problem. We knew what we were getting into by dining at a restaurant just after an official re-opening to the public. In my mind, I treated this outing as the equivalent of visiting a restaurant on their first day of operation - a new business. A restaurant’s first day is always a huge mountain to climb. Always a challenge. And yet, no one seemed to be bothered by the wait. But it’s kinda hard to be bothered with anything at all when this is the setting: Besides, what can one expect during a global plague, with food supply chains completely disrupted… We went more so for the experience, and what food we got - we got, in our book. And the wait - was the wait. During that extended wait, I ordered two lemonades from the bar, and hubby ordered a birthday margarita, and then a beer on tap. The lemonade was very, very small, and I drank it in about three gulps. Hubby’s alcohol lasted much longer than both my drinks. We sat, in the partial shade on the wooden dock, feet hanging over the water, for a long time. After a while of watching boats go past, quite peacefully, we found some wooden adirondack chairs and decided to move. The entire wait was pleasant and calm and very enjoyable to watch all the activity going past. In that time period, we saw countless boats arrive and depart the dock. I’d say as many boats as cars coming and going from the parking lot. So this is definitely a popular spot for boaters to stop enroute. The sun was at its hottest and brightest part of the day overhead. After seeing the dining area patio baking in the afternoon sun, we then asked for a table in the shade. They told us the wait would be much longer. All the tables had spaces for umbrellas but there were no umbrellas to be had. When we finally sat at our shaded table we were quite hungry and very much ready to order. Our hostess had gloves on. Our server had gloves on. We ordered two side salads with a balsamic dressing. A delicious salad that, for the first time in two months, we didn’t have to prepare and cut all the fresh ingredients ourselves. For our main course, we then each ordered two burgers with fries. Um, because, no fried food at home for two months - need I say more? Hubby had the bacon and cheese burger, and I had the original burger. It was served hot and fresh, straight off the grill. Medium well, and perfectly done. Fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion. It was superb. I cut my burger in half, and had the other half for dinner that night - my way of watching calorie intake during that outing. The steak French fries were from Heaven. Because - again - key word being - fried. We chose not to have dessert there, as I had special-ordered a few cupcakes from Cinotti’s Bakery to act as the birthday cake dessert, that we would eat at home later that evening. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. But the setting was what we especially enjoyed. And it was the action itself of dining out. Leaving the house, driving to a restaurant, reading a menu, and dining amongst others, that was most important to us on that date. Overall, the Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill was a lovely experience. A great birthday outing. And a fabulous place to try if it happens to be your First Supper as well. The tables are spaced plenty distance apart, and the restaurant is following all the cleaning protocols in place. With employees wearing gloves, and lots of santitzing tables between customers. The setting is more than ideal, with the Intracoastal as a backdrop, and tucked just under and off to the side of the Palm Valley Bridge. You’ll enjoy the boats coming and going. Paddleboarders going north and south. And you may especially enjoy the countless doggies - sitting on the edge of their owner’s boats. Also taking in all the sights and sounds… and smells… of the salt life, and good food. It is my sincere hope that for those of you in states where restaurants have also been approved to reopen, just like in Florida, that you use the experience of my First Supper, as a push to get out there yourself. For those still anxiously waiting for your own First Supper. Go ahead and get ready now. Your time is coming. To start your own venture outside. To open your own front door. To step off that front porch. Find yourself an open restaurant. Wait All The Minutes. Get seated. And have a lovely meal. Have your very own First Supper. And, what the heck, maybe even order dessert while you’re at it. It’s ok to be scared. And by all means, it’s also mostly certainly ok - to be very uncertain. And, just like The Last Supper, it’s ok if you don’t yet know when your First Supper will be. Just keep it in mind. Plan for it. Get it in your head. Because one day, and maybe when you least expect it, it will come to you. And you can ask yourself - will you be fully alive on that fateful day? Will you be living that day like it’s your last on this Earth? Will you remember the moment - so you know what you’ve got, when it’s gone? And then, finally, who will you be with when that date arrives? ~
And for many more dining out opportunities in The Sunshine State - check out the variety of my restaurant reviews, right here: 57] First Watch on the First Coast 53] Totally Terrific & Tasty Thai @ Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine 45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 35] Happiest Of Holidays @ Hawkers Asian Street Fare 29] Dinner & A Show ~ The 26th Annual St. Augustine Nights of Lights 15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach! *Part of ~ Bean’s Best ~ Award Winner 2019 11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South 5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For 4] The Boathouse @ Disney Springs ~ Disney Dining At Its Best Plus, you may be interested in some of my other pandemic related thoughts, theories, activities, and other such ponderings - down below: 73] What I’m Missing Right Now 69] Chaunie’s Coffee Truck *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series 68] A Sunday Stroll 65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter 64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 Remember when it was somebody’s birthday? Ohhhh, so very, very long ago… Candles would be lit. A song would be sung. And the birthday boy, or birthday girl, would take in a big breath - with their lungs - and blow out all the candles. And then everybody would clap. The cake would be sliced. Every piece passed around - a plate of deliciousness for all at the party. Everybody sharing, in an act of celebration. Another person a year older - another piece of cake to commemorate the occasion. A fork in one hand. A plate of frosted, sugary goodness in the other. And without giving it a second thought, everyone would bite into their slice of dessert, even though somebody had just previously breathed upon said cake? Sacrilege! Those moments are now gone. But a girl can dream - right? No one will look at a birthday cake the same way again now. Because, while we all still may eat the cake, the sentiment just isn’t the same. And while we all still may sing a song… and candles can still be blown out… the world has once again changed. And I miss that corresponding sentiment. I miss a whole lot more than just that though. I miss it all... I miss coffee shops. I miss restaurants. I miss saying, “Table for two.” - Instead of “Two dinners to go, please.” I miss smiles on unhidden faces. I miss laughter. I miss jokes. I miss friends. I miss family. I miss parties. I miss the library. I miss fairs, carnivals, rides, cotton candy, and sno cones. I miss Art Shows, Art Walks, Art Festivals, craft shows, and concerts. And I still don’t miss nfl football. I miss my once a year and very boring visit to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department. Otherwise known as the FLHSMV. In fact, I miss that a whole heck of a lot more than football. And I missed out on the opportunity to see Hamilton - right here in Jacksonville, back in March. My tickets - sadly, refunded to my credit card. I miss the smell of a book, just picked up from the library, as I crack open the spine. I miss handshakes. I miss milk shakes. I miss hugs. I miss kisses on the cheek. I miss the darn dentist. I miss joy and good cheer. I miss good will to all people. I miss Christmas. I miss Walt Disney World. I miss All-You-Can-Eat Buffets. I miss unlimited scoops of ice cream, from large tubs, on the dessert line of the above-mentioned buffet. Where I can pick up my own cup, take the cold steel scoop, push it with my own hands into the milky cream, releasing chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry into my own cup. My very own ice cream mountain - as high as I want to make it. I miss simple get togethers - large and small. I miss people’s faces when I communicate with them. I miss the act of meeting up with those fellow humans - in person. In real life. I miss being able to hear that fellow human being, clearly, when they speak to me - their unmuffled voice carrying into my ears, and the sound of it not being blocked by a cloth mask. I miss people treating one another as fellow human beings - and not treating others as the walking plague. I miss closeness. I miss happiness all around us. I miss people leaving their house like it was just another day. I miss life… I miss seeing other people living their lives. I miss faith over fear. But just because I miss all these very simple things, doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing them, and living them, myself. In fact, I’ve been the busiest in my entire life - during the long and drawn out and quite dramatic duration of this entire, never-ending plague. Regardless of life outside my own front door. I am breathing. I am communicating. I am celebrating. I am being responsible for myself. I am making my own life decisions. I am sucking it up. I am dealing. I am not only surviving. I am proud and happy to be fully alive. I am living. I am reading. I am planning. I am dreaming. I am pursuing. I am working hard. I am exercising. I am writing. I am painting. I am utilizing this time to become stronger. To learn. To grow. To try new things. And most importantly, I am persevering. And I am coming home from work - and I’m stepping right in the shower, washing the invisible and mysterious and confusing plague off me each night. And, I’ve learned a lot. And I’ve learned what I already always knew - how imperative each breath we take really is. So let’s all inhale. Breathe in - In the face of fear. Exhale - and keep going, my friends. Exhale and continue onward. Exhale and push forward. Exhale and persevere. And if it happens to be your birthday, go ahead and exhale a big breath straight onto your very own birthday cake candles... Yes, I know that’s exactly what we will be doing this weekend. As we celebrate my hubby’s birthday, we will dine out, along the water’s edge, for our First Supper since the plague began. We will sit at tables, amongst other human beings. All partaking in the common and essential act of breathing, and eating. And I will pick up the special cupcake creations I ordered from Cinotti’s Bakery. And I will slap some candles on top of the frosted red velvety goodness. I will light the flame. And I will sing “Happy Birthday!” And my furry baby will probably sing a lot louder than me. And most importantly, my hubby will then inhale with his own set of two lungs, and exhale hard on top of all the frosting, extinguishing that flame. And then we will eat all the darn sugar. ~
*How have you been living through this plague? Are you persevering? Are you experimenting with new ideas? Are you at home brewing up new talents? Are you getting fresh air? I’d so love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also, if you’re enjoying my Floridian daydreams, then check out some of my others, right here: 71] My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back 68] A Sunday Stroll 65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter 64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 55] The Shamrock 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road? 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series If you’ve been patiently waiting for Starbucks to reopen their doors, you may want to consider checking out Breezy’s while you’re in Jax Beach. As the coffee giant closed their doors at the beach a few weeks back, those long days might have well been eternity. But a lot of the local shops, the small businesses trying to survive, having been doing their best to remain open - for to-go service. So as Starbucks remained closed, and in my infinite search to find every coffee shop around, I was reminded of Breezy’s. Located directly on A1A and 237 8th Avenue South, and less than three blocks from the sandy and breezy beach, Breezy’s Coffee Shop is the ideal cafe if you’re looking for a quick, yet relaxing, outing. It’s small, alright. And it’s quaint, and charming. And while Starbucks is my usual go-to coffee shop, I was extremely glad to find myself at Breezy’s doorstep on a sunny and cheerful day along the coast. Situated in a bright yellow old beach cottage, the cafe is on the first floor of the home. There is plenty of outdoor seating around back on the outside patio. Although, for purposes of this visit, there was no on-site dining allowed due to the coronavirus - which was just fine for hubby and I. We were on a morning walk with our furry baby when we stopped in. I had been to Breezy’s only once before. It was about a year ago. And it was right around two o’clock in the afternoon. We walked in and were informed they were closing for the day. We made a quick purchase, and hadn’t been back since. I figured, no time like the present to head on back for a second outing. So if you are headed to Breezy’s you’ll want to make note of the somewhat limited business hours. They close at 2pm five days a week, and are open until 9pm for wine on Friday and Saturday evenings. So while it is definitely a local cafe, and an alternative to Starbucks, there’s nothing like the dependency of Starbucks’ hours of operation if you are a busy person like I am. Also due to the coronavirus, there was one copy of their menu outside the building. It was sitting on a bench. It was suggested that we look at the menu outside, then come on inside once we were ready to place our order - all to-go, obviously. So I went inside to order. And I was reminded of how much I cannot wait until dine-in is once again allowed. Such a cute little shop, with cozy seating, and newspapers ready and waiting to be read, all set out. Even if just chilling out for a few minutes to soak in some air conditioning, coffee shops remain a wonderful place, in my book, to cool off. We both ordered two frozen lattes. To go along nicely with the hot weather on our early morning walk. And hubby ordered the sausage breakfast sandwich, which comes on sliced pita bread - he was given the ham sandwich instead - but enjoyed it just fine. I ordered a slice of the homemade banana bread - the infamous bread of the moment - during the pandemic. I highly recommend the banana bread. Our total was $19.80 for the two cold drinks and the two breakfast items. And if you are a fan of seeking out and photographing all the local wall murals in town, Breezy’s is the place to be for that as well. The surrounding area buildings and alleyways are painted, so if you’re sitting outside at the cafe, you’ll have a fun time gazing at all the art while you’re soaking in the sun. Yes, it was definitely a gorgeous spring morning at the beach. And I was so grateful to be outside, walking, and with my doggy. We walked home the rest of the way with our cold and refreshing drinks. Passing Starbucks up, enroute home and merely two blocks away from Breezy’s… I immediately noted their first day of operation since the coronavirus had them closing their doors! Exclamation point well deserved. The drive-thru line might have well been a mile long according to my eyes. I was not the only one happy to see them open and alive once again. Arriving home, and grateful for my breezy and beachy outing… feeling all the calming coastal winds while out exploring... I made note of plans for the following day - I will most definitely be at Starbucks tomorrow. ~
*Have you been to Breezy’s? Have you missed Starbucks as much as I have during this crazy pandemic? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also, for the rest of Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - check out the links below: 69] Chaunie’s Coffee Truck 67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida Plus, if there’s a diner in town - I’ve been there! And if there’s one you think I need to visit - PLEASE - let me know! You can check out my visits to many local area diners, right here: 57] First Watch on the First Coast 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 4/30/2020 0 Comments #71) I'm Not On Facebook
*Did you ever go on a social media break? Do you have a Facebook account? Do you live on social media or do you live entirely without social media? I’d so love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Also, check out these other adventures in The Sunshine State, right here: 68] A Sunday Stroll 65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 56] Shell World ~ Key Largo 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 4/24/2020 0 Comments #69) Chaunie’s Coffee TruckPart of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series Well I never thought I’d live to see the day that Starbucks is closed. I mean - like - really closed. Not closed early; not closed for a holiday; not closed for training. Just - closed. With no predetermined opening date either. In the Jax Beaches area, at least. Sigh. The CoVid19 crisis is certainly upending all types of area businesses at this point. Large and small, local and chain. There is nothing remaining that is unaffected in some way by the coronavirus at this point. And Starbucks has been closed for many days now - a few weeks actually. The place that I have relied upon for outings of all kinds, remains shuttered. I’ve been there on vacation, I’ve been there on the funnest days of my life. On Thanksgiving Day... On Christmas Day... I’ve been there in New Orleans, sitting inside the window, watching the electric street car go past on the outside. I’ve been there on the hardest days of my life. I’ve been there in Rochester, Minnesota, on days with the coldest sub-zero temperatures I’ve ever felt in my life. I’ve shared iced frappuccinos with my dearest friends, while standing on Main Street USA. I’ve been there for meetings. For friendship. For chatting. For reading. And, oh yeah, for some coffee, too. So, with Starbucks literally being closed, and me still leaving the house every single day for work and life, I’ve been seeking out all the small coffee shops in town. Anyplace - and anywhere - that still has their doors open. Just like my recent outings to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, and The Delicomb. If it’s open, I’ll be trying it. I’ve always been a fan of all the chain shops and equally all the small shops. Which is why I started Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge to begin with. Basically, if it’s coffee - I tend to be a fan. In fact, I may like coffee just as much as I like donuts. Yeah, I guess those bold beans are basically up there at the top of the list for me. So today I’m extremely happy to showcase another exciting and very unique coffee adventure in the greater Jax area: Chaunie’s Coffee Truck! And all it took was a virus, a global plague, and complete and total economic destruction, to finally lead me there! And to the absolute cutest truck in town, by the way. I have actually been searching out Chaunie and her truck for a couple of years. A few years back I had my first iced latte from Chaunie’s while they were parked at an Art Walk in Jax Beach. But considering the entire business concept of a food truck is on wheels, and moving around, my schedule has simply never matched that of her truck, since my initial introduction to it back in the day at that fest. But then, just recently, I happened to find her Instagram page. So I followed, and started watching where she was going to be each day. Noticing a day scheduled in Ponte Vedra Beach, on my day off, and it was finally a date. We drove around the town of Ponte Vedra Beach - the small coastal town just south of Jax Beach, and found Chaunie’s black and minimalist and very cool truck, parked in the Ponte Vedra Lakes neighborhood, next to a small pond at the very end of a cul de sac. As we parked and walked up, we noticed people from the neighborhood, walking away with hot cups of coffee, and some walking up to make their purchases. Word was definitely out that there was a coffee truck sitting in the neighborhood. There were friends and neighbors, standing around the curled street, chatting and sipping. Chaunie said that she has been taking her truck all over Jax through the pandemic. Knowing how entire neighborhoods of people were simply - at home - she wanted to bring coffee - to them. A superb idea! She had just recently traveled out to Julington Creek. And was then in Ponte Vedra Beach. And the next day - onward to another residential area in the Jacksonville greater community. And continuing. I mentioned that I had my last cup of coffee from her truck at a local fest in Jax Beach. And I was super excited to finally get another cup. I ordered a hot latte, and hubby ordered an iced latte. All one size - no option for a small or large. Chaunie then mentioned that she was serving breakfast that particular day. That even though she didn’t have her menu out, she was serving hot breakfast sandwiches and cinnamon rolls with iced frosting. We basically said - what the heck... We were already there, how’s about breakfast with our coffees? So I ordered one of her homemade cinnamon rolls, and hubby tried the breakfast sandwich - which came with bacon, eggs, and cheese. Both were delicious, and we could definitely taste that everything we ate was very much homemade. Our total for two breakfasts and two hand-crafted espresso drinks - to go - was $21.70, plus tip. Chaunie’s Truck does take credit card, so you do not need to have cash on you at the time of your visit. I thanked Chaunie for being out there. And mentioned we would definitely be seeing her again. We walked back to our car and drove on toward home. I wondered when Starbucks would open its doors, once again? When will I be able to sit inside a coffee shop, listening to relaxing and calming cafe music, while reading a book and sipping a steamy latte? I pondered how certain businesses may be thriving right now, and how many, many others, are on the absolute verge of dying. And while I don’t ever have my sights on planning to visit any cafe in Rochester, Minnesota, ever again, even if someone paid me a million dollars, I also thought to myself - when will I once again stand on any ol’ Main Street in the USA? Sharing a laugh, and clinking our cups in cheer, with friends? As we stand closer than six feet from one another - to cheers, of course. Ohh, sigh. A simple outing, during another “stay-at-home” sort of day. We had been on a lovely walk. We had soaked in the fresh Floridian air. We supported a local area small business - during the absolute worst time of my life on this Earth I have ever witnessed, for any small business. And maybe, most importantly, we drank some bold and delicious coffee. ~
*Have you visited Chaunie’s Coffee Truck? Do you have a favorite coffee truck driving around your town? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below. Also - here’s more coffee, and more beans! Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge: 67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida Plus, you can check out some more dining reviews of many local area diners all around Jax, right here: 57] First Watch on the First Coast 54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 4/19/2020 0 Comments #68) A Sunday StrollSo we went for a walk this Sunday - as we normally do. But there was one minor change to our morning routine. And… yeahhhh… I’ve officially become - that person. You know, the one who pushes a doggy stroller around town... Not ashamed. Not embarrassed. Not sad. Not mocking. And not making fun. Quite the opposite in fact. I’m soooooo happy. Very happy. Overjoyed. I actually know quite a few people who have a doggie stroller in their life, and all who do are sincerely happy with their purchase. They are the ones who gave me the idea in the first place, long ago. This amazing contraption and piece of complete and utter materialism was one of the best purchases I have ever made for the life and health and welfare of my precious little angel pooch... My dog is - sadly - getting older. Whether I like to admit it or not. This purchase has been a long time coming. A very long time. My little sugar plum fairy has had arthritis for many years. She limps, and tries, to keep going. Continually moving. Little things hurt her and if she jumps up a chair or down the stairs wrong she’s in a lot of pain for days. And then she limps more. Thus, her walks are increasingly shorter and shorter. But she loves her daily adventures and loves being outside. As is the life of a dog. 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. If there is any reason to love Jax Beach that does not include the ocean - it is for all the little things. Yes, these little things. Like rocks! I found another scavenger hunt rock! People all over town paint rocks in their spare time and hide them - some hidden very, very well - camouflaged and tucked away - and some hidden more so in plain site, sitting out front-and-center - so people like me can actually find them. And I have never met a painted rock I didn’t like. And today’s rock was no exception. On the front is usually the artistic and painted design. And on the back is usually written who made the rock and/or how to tag it online to acknowledge the find. #jaxbeachrocks on Facebook is the usual group that I tend to find from. But I’ve found some from much farther away too. After you tag online you can then rehide it - so someone else who may just need a rock in their life at this very moment - can also get in on the fun. And some rocks do not come with a tag and you can keep them for your rock collection if you like. I have a small rock collection going right now sitting in my art studio. They bring me joy every time I look at them. And that is exactly the whole gosh darn point. Joy. There is joy in all the little things in life. And whether we like it or not, life is still going on. And we have to keep going. And we have to keep walking too. I learned a long time ago a very simple equation: MOVEMENT = LIFE So even though my little doggie is getting older. I have found a way for her to keep moving. I’ve found a way for her to still get her fresh air. For her to see the world around her. As I breathed in the delicious and heavenly scent of all the flowers blooming around me. I have found a way for Madeline to do the very same. For her to still keep moving and breathing and living. And soaking up all that surrounds her. And while this societal and economic crisis is affecting the pocketbook to the extreme right now, there isn’t a penny I wouldn’t spend on my little baby to help allow her to have her very best life possible while she is on this Earth. And if buying a doggie stroller allows her to have some more time with us during our day, seeing new things, and going farther on a walk than her four little paws could ever take her, then $139.09 is sincerely worth it to me right now… Plague or no plague. Since this entire crisis began it has been food and rent. Food and rent. Nothing extra. Nothing extravagant. But that doesn’t count for Madeline. I would happily even go into deep and severe credit card debt if it meant even the chance of saving her life somehow. So this cost was so worth it to me, and really not even a significant investment in comparison to the absolute joy it brought her - instantly. If you have a dog. And your dog is older or hurting and in some sort of pain, or injured or disabled. And if you have been on the fence about buying a dog stroller. Or if you have a cat - and always dreamed of bringing them along on a walk. I am here to tell you to go ahead and make that silly and ridiculous and oh-so-funny of a purchase. Yes - it might just be the most comical purchase of your life. And - It may make a lot of people laugh at you along your walking route while you’re on your Sunday morning stroll. But guess what - they’re not actually laughing at you - they’re really just laughing with you. Because it also may just bring your whole family together. And it may even bring you rocks. And mostly, it may just bring you some very needed JOY. ~
*Do you have a doggy stroller? Have you ever considered purchasing one but are on the fence? I’d so love to know your thoughts. Drop me a comment down below: Also, if you’re enjoying my stories - straight and freshly squeezed from The Sunshine State, check out some more of my other adventures right here: 67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb 65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter 64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday 63] Mercy & Comfort 62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 55] The Shamrock 52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West 51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go? 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road? 41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish 39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020 38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe 32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market 31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~ 22] Saturday On San Pablo Island 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer *Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series How does one “do” coffee shop outings during a pandemic? In-and-out is the basic and simple answer - in this, our new and current reality. After my visit to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry a couple weeks ago, plus many recent visits to other local area restaurants for take-out, I knew exactly what to expect when I decided to visit the Delicomb this week. And I wasn’t surprised at all but the sight of my surroundings. I’ve been visiting the Delicomb for a few years now. It’s one of my favorite coffee shops in Jax to go inside and soak in all the air conditioning, while sitting in a big comfy, leather chair. As well as to sip a delicious and foamy cappuccino, while reveling in the delightful and coffee-filled atmosphere. And further, to always be surrounded by a bunch of unique and local art on the walls. But this time, walking in the shop was very, very different. There’s something quite sad about walking into an establishment - that is open for business - and seeing all their chairs - hanging, in a frown face and upside down - from the tops of every tabletop. It can definitely bring about the feeling of defeat. The sight of depression. And the imagery of uncertainty - and loss. And while all I wanted to do was sit down and chat for a while, I knew that wasn’t possible under our surreal and very pandemic of circumstances. By this point of the coronavirus crisis, I’m simply grateful a coffee shop in town still has their doors open. Especially considering that even my beloved Starbucks is currently closed here at the beach. Located at 102 6th Avenue North, the Delicomb is a charming little cafe, sitting right in the heart of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. They’re open 7am-4pm, Tuesday through Sunday, and always closed every Monday. Situated kiddy-corner from the new Margaritaville Resort - currently under construction - and across the street from the Casa Marina Hotel. The Delicomb offers the typical assortment of hot and cold coffees and espresso drinks, all of which are fantastic. I almost always get the large hot latte - as I did on this occasion. And hubby chose the iced latte. We’ve also had the granitas many times in the past - and if you haven’t had one before, I’d highly recommend trying one. They remind me of coffee flavored Frappuccinos, and are perfectly refreshing on a very hot day, and to bring along to the beach. It was mid-morning when we ventured inside the cafe this visit. We had just finished a long morning walk - a daily act I consider very important and high priority, just as important as the fresh air itself. So with it being morning, and having not had our breakfast just yet - we each decided to grab a bagel, to go, along with our drinks. Hubby chose the everything bagel and I decided on the whole wheat bagel, both toasted with cream cheese, and both fabulous. The Delicomb also has a large selection of sandwiches, açaí bowls, salads, wraps and paninis. I’ve had the scrambled two-egg breakfast sandwich many times in the past as well, and it’s a fantastic grab-and-go hot meal. And because of the circumstances, we literally did just that. We grabbed... and we went. We grabbed hold of our steaming lattes, and quickly left the shop after thanking the baristas. We could not sit underneath the shaded outdoor patio either, as all the tables and chairs have been removed to follow the current social distancing guidelines. We then sat on the curb and ate our bagels for a few minutes, and then headed home. Oh, sighhhh. By this point of the CoVid19 plague we are surrounded by, I’m thinking … Does one go on without coffee? Is life - life - without a coffee bean? Is coffee essential? Are those magical beans a necessary purchase? As I sipped my creamy and steamy hot latte, my answer to all of the above was, and is, yes. And thus, is the reason I’ve been trying to support as many local shops as humanly possible during this critical time period. It is my sincere hope that you also leave the house… and grab a coffee… To-Go. Get out there and support your local area cafes, coffee shops, and diners. Many are still open and very ready to serve - just in a different capacity than most are used to. Offering take-away, curbside, online pickup, and grab-and-go. They’re all a big part of what makes any town special. And besides - It’s absolutely imperative that we all get out there and get some fresh air. Pandemic or no pandemic. So don’t y’all forget to go for a walk now and then - or every day, as I do. Let’s all breath IN the fresh air of our Mother Nature - and let’s breathe OUT the stress of the news. We all can INHALE the aroma of espresso - and EXHALE the worries and thoughts of doom and gloom. We can all listen for the sounds of a milk frother - and not for the sounds of sirens in the distance. Let’s all say HELLO to those working outside the home all around you - As we all say GOODBYE to sticky, and yucky, and very clingy and needy viruses… Or at least attempt to say goodbye… And Good riddance…. And… Oh yeah, one more thing - Don’t let the door hit ya’ on the way out, either. Whenever a hurricane comes to town, all the Floridians always say we’re gonna BLOW it away. No matter what hurricane is headed our way, I tend to think that big and forceful “goodbye” comes with all the strength of all our lungs. It’s the strength of togetherness that makes one think they can blow a hurricane away, or even the mere wish for it to be gone. As one little blow can snuff out a candle. But it takes a much larger gust indeed, to change the course of a storm. So we all need to keep fighting. We all need to keep living. Even while at home. Even - Amidst a plague. Because… life is still going on all around the world. And because pretty soon those chairs will be right side up once again. And because - Pretty soon that frown will turn itself around - right here - and in your community too. And pretty soon those seats will really be filled, once again. Because - We all need to keep going. We all need to keep living while we’re alive. And we all still need our very delicious, and indeed delightful, morning coffee. ~
*Have you been to The Delicomb? What coffee shop are you desperately missing right now? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: And to check out the rest of Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge, as well as reviews of various Floridian diners - check out the links below: 9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida 16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come 19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach 40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville 44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners 57] First Watch on the First Coast 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry Perspective: Of all the vantage points one can view the world from, of all the view points one can believe in - perspective - may be one of the most valuable sights of them all. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ~ CHANGE YOUR LIFE It’s vitally important, and maybe now more than ever before for many, to consider your perspective. Because it shouldn’t be: What CAN’T you do while sheltering in place? Or, in quarantine, or while practicing social distancing? It’s definitely much more like this: What CAN you do? If you’re stuck at home right now - maybe you’re doing your part to either not catch or spread the Coronavirus... The question should be: How can I make the most of the situation I find myself in? Instead of: What the heck am I supposed to do now?! And instead of: Constantly complaining over all the little things? It should definitely be much more like this: What little thing can I be grateful for today? And when we stress over all the INCONSISTENCIES in our life…. All the UNPREDICTABLY... All the UNCERTAINTIES over the future… We should instead be focused on TODAY… To live in the moment. To appreciate our life. To be present in the here and now. What can we LEARN from today? What can we APPRECIATE today? What can we CREATE today? What kind of ADVENTURE can we go on today? What SMALL thing, right in front of our eyes - can we turn into our EVERY THING? 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. I’ve been frequenting this park since moving to Florida. And I have watched the art get changed out many times. Sometimes, the piece of art proudly on display becomes so commonplace and usual and ordinary to life on 1st Street - and blended seamlessly into the surrounding scenery, that when a sculpture gets changed out for something new, there's a fictitious and dramatic or literal uproar in town. In fact, right now there are Nemo fish on display. And a sea turtle. There used to be a copper looking shrimp, and there used to be a skeleton - that everyone misses. Right now there's a metal looking pipe that looks, to me, just like the Pixar logo lamp. And currently, I’ve become so used to the Nemo fish, that when they leave, I will be the one in an uproar. Well, not really. But all kidding aside, when the Nemo fish came, I started to call the park the Nemo Fish Park - instead of its rightful and real name. And that’s now what it always will be to me. Seaside Sculpture Park is run by the University of North Florida. More specifically, the UNF Department of Art & Design. The actual UNF campus is a little bit over the bridge and inland to the west, located very close to the St. John Town Center. UNF has a beautiful and sprawling, vast piece of land that the entire campus sits upon. With swamps and trails and lots of wildlife, all surrounding the campus buildings, offices, and dorms. And about as many times as I’ve driven past the campus, I’ve visited my Nemo Fish Park about a thousand times more than that. My dog also loves the park. And if you’ve got a dog right now in the current apocalypse spreading before us, they definitely still need to get their daily walk in. So if you’re local, I’d highly recommend checking out this adorable and free park. And if you’re much farther away, my recommendation is to find the small park in your own town. To think outside the box. And then go ahead and get outside of your own box. And breathe some fresh air into your lungs. In a safe and common sense kind of way. Yes, there are lots of areas on complete lockdown, quarantine, and shelter-in-place, etc. And always heed the warnings of your locality. But if you’re not under direction right now, you should consider stepping outside. Keep your distance. And get in a lovely walk. Maybe to a lovely park. Because, as you may be cooped up at home, it doesn't mean you still shouldn’t live. And breathe. And feel the sun on your skin. So, go ahead and get out there. Go ahead and change your vantage point. Go ahead and change your point of view. Go ahead and change your perspective. And go ahead and change your life. You can keep social distance, you can follow all the guidelines, you can gaze upon without touching, you can breathe in the fresh air, and you can look at all the beauty around you. Because, maybe instead of: I’m stuck in the house with nothing to do and nowhere to go. It can actually be: Today, I’m going for a walk to Seaside Sculpture Park. And I’ll look at the Nemo Fish, while I look up at the sky. And watch the birds fly overhead. And I’ll see all the other dogs being walked. Because maybe while Mother Nature certainly can be a beast and an evil villain, she can also most certainly be the true heroine of your own amazing story. ~
What hidden gem in your town have you discovered since the Coronavirus took precedent over all our lives? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below: Hey you! Over there! Yes, you - the one with the different perspective… go ahead and check out some more inspirational stories right here: 3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer 5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For 8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all! 11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South 18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand 21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts 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 27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January First 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 Wish To You ~ 37] New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~ 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 Plus - if you’re looking for further ways to help you through this Corona Crisis that we find ourselves in right now - check out the below posts for a few more ideas: 58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken 59] REACTION ~ To World War 19 60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry 61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days And for some more artistic adventures - check out the links below: 2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens 14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market 22] Saturday On San Pablo Island 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 48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia 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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February 2025
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