MINDFUL MOMENTS

  Responsibilities keep piling up, so much to do and sometimes not enough time to get everything done and that's why we as humans need "moments of bliss divine." There's nothing wrong with putting everything on hold and allowing yourself to do nothing or almost nothing.  Although the new year is still young, (only the second month of 2024) I have dealt with sinus issues that have exhausted me and given me brain fog, than shingles suddenly manifested themselves and a couple weeks later, I had a hard fall on a not so comfortable cement sidewalk.....ouch!!!! I had enough setbacks so on Sunday I booked a round trip bus ride to one of America's most beautiful places, "Glen Arbor." What an absolute gift to spend the day in nature with the scent of pine trees, the sight of an occasional deer, a crystal clean freshwater lake with crashing waves, and air so fresh that the lungs feel instantly rejuvenated. So peaceful and serene and amidst all the nature are a f...

It was a Saturday afternoon on the 15th of October and I decided to drive seven miles to my favorite town, Elk Rapids.   It felt good to walk around town and spend time at the library, local shops, and public beach. I was ready to head home but my boyfriend suggested that I bring back a pizza.  Elk Rapids has a few places for pizza but on this day I decided to try a place I'd never been to before. It was a cozy family style cafe with the word "pizza" displayed on the window. I stepped inside, walked over to the counter, and asked the employee at the counter if I could order a pizza. "You can have this pizza for free," said the female employee as she pointed to a full service pizza warmer filled with a variety of different pizza slices. I couldn't believe my ears. Did she really say free pizza? Moments later, the sweet young employee put several slices of pizza into a large pizza box and handed it to me. I was really grateful for the box of free pizza slices ...

Yesterday was a scorcher, shade is what I opted for. Later though a relative asked me to accompany him to his storage unit. Bad mistake, he stopped at McDonald's to get two big macs and an iced mocha. The service was terrible. Not only did he have to wait a long time at the drive trough but when he got his order it was a mess. His Big Macs were drenched in special sauce and the staff messed up his coffee order, giving him a hot coffee in 90 degree weather when he specially ordered an iced mocha. When we pulled out of the drive thru I was surprised that he didn't complain to the manager but he didn't. Instead his frustrations caused him to drive over the speed limit for several miles causing me a near heart attack. Through a miracle I made it safely home but I was filled with anxiety so I got on my bicycle and heading to a trail. That trail led me close to my favorite fast food restaurant "CULVER'S." Part of me knew I shouldn't splurge on a veggie burger bu...

It's been a long time since I've laughed. I guess it's the stresses of everyday life that have prevented me from finding humorous moments because responsibilities are all around me. However that all changed this past Saturday when I had a reunion with my two favorite animals, Joe, the lab dog and Iris the pekin duck. I first me Iris and Joe at a ski lodge in Northern Michigan when I was visiting a friend who was the assistant manager of a ski lodge. Joe was the dog who belonged to the manager of the ski lodge but Iris was a lost and lonely duck who found her way to the ski lodge and became part of the family. I clicked with Iris and Joe immediately and had so much fun with them. Iris was constantly following Joe everywhere and clinging to her best friend at all moments. Never in my life have I witnessed a duck loving a dog so much. This bond between duck and dog inspired me to write a story which is currently being illustrated and when completed will be sold on Amazon Kindl...

  It's been six months since I posted anything. Now that it's a new year of 2023 I decided to write about something that hits me all the time, "jealousy." I know it's wrong to be jealous but sometimes it can't be helped. An example is KW, those are the initials of someone who I'm envious of. KW is the music director at the church I sometimes attend. I decided to join KW's choir because we met in passing one day in the church hall and had a stimulating conversation. KW invited to join the choir and I felt so intimidated by her on my first day of choir. Everything about KW is perfect. KW studied music at a prestigious school in Rome, Italy and received her Master's Degree from there. Not only does KW speak impeccable Italian but she's a first rate pianist, organist, and singer. At the age of 25 she's happily married, has adorable children aged one and two, and has a fantastic career. KW has older people in her choir that have life experiences...

There's something special about late July. It's still summer and the summer moments appear in different ways; amusement parks, bike rides, fresh squeezed lemonade, picnics on the beach, swimming in a lake, ocean, or outdoor swimming pool, eating ice cream, picking blueberries, enjoying the sunshine, boating, paddle boarding, camping in the woods....there's plenty more to add to the list. I even remember coming across "Late July" organic crackers in an adorable box that I loved eating in late July. Now the company is famous for their "Late July" tortilla chips available nationwide and I'm certain sales are the highest in late July. I have my reasons for liking the 27th of July, my favorite uncle was born on July 27th, I had one of the best days of my life in Vermont on July 27th, and today on July 27th I did some incredible swimming in a pure fresh water lake, got to paddle board for free. was treated to a meal at a Mexican restaurant by a friend and ...