My Life with the Paparazzi ...

Yes, The Paparazzi !!!

I suppose if you're beautiful and or famous, there's a chance that you might elevate yourself to a status in which you are chased and followed by the Paparazzi ...

I'm here to tell you that there has never been a time in my life where I would want that. I, in fact, have never liked my picture taken by anyone. Until now ...

The other day I asked Tim if I could look through his phone to see if he had a picture I would like for a new FB profile pic. Well, I found one and so much more. It seems that my Tim has taken up being the iPhone "paparazzi" in my life since he retired in October. 

 No, no, no ... These are not glamour shots, but they do "catch me" as I am.  They "catch" me as I was and they just plain "catch me" ...

ME, the Beach and my iPad ...

ME, and the girls ...

ME, Ninja Painting ...

ME, Sweeping ...

ME, cooking at Matt's ...

ME, chillin in Mexico ...

 ME, Pups, Hammock and iPhone Necking ...

Shhhhh ... Secret Santa!

ME, "What beers do you have on tap?"

No, I'm not anyone who is elevated to the level of being chased by the "Paparazzi" ... But then again,

I don't need to be. I have my very own ... Tim!

How's your day?

Hey, How's your day? 

That's a question we all ask and get asked way too little. We can be walking with a storm in our heads, emotions that are exhausted and with life's twists and turns that have left us limp. On top of that, we can be lonely in any given moment.

So that's our side, but what about the other people that cross our paths? The people who wait on us, the people we live with, those we work with, for and against. What about that stranger who's moving slow or without intention. Are they just slow? 

No. 

It just may be that they have nowhere to go or if they did, they don't want to make it there anytime soon. There are those things in life that we wish would be gone by the time we get there.

This week I was at an appointment and the person who I encountered was harsh. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe that was just her authentic self. Either way, I was having the kind of month day that left little room for harsh. After the appointment, I went to the parking structure and I sat in my car for about an hour staring at the rain ... 

I really don't know why I did that other than I was deflated and could not bring myself to start the car. You see, I've been going through some very difficult things and the way the person acted set me into a sort of paralysis that I don't experience too often.

So ...

Since then, I've put some thought into this. What was it? Was it that she was harsh or was it that I was sensitive? She was harsh. Was it that she made a spectacle in front of other people?

No.

It was because she never ever took me into account. She was so busy and in such a hurry that she was larger than the room. The truth of that is she didn't even see me.

She didn't know that if she had,  she might have been prompted to ask me how my day was going. I would of told her, "Not so good." Maybe then we could have slow danced and there would have been some give and take. Maybe then I could have breathed. 

We've all been on both sides of this equation. We all know how bad it feels to be invisible when we really need to be seen. This is just a reminder that we should pause and look at who we're with. See their eyes, their expression, their spirit and add these three simple words ...

 How's your day?

Life, Lemons and Lemonade ...

Life ...

All the good stuff that makes us happy. The things we feel accomplished from. The times we turn things around and the gratitude we feel when everything is alright.

That's the promise of life's lemons ... we can make lemonade out of them and that can be soooooo good!

Wait ... What happens to the rotten lemons? The lemons that can't even squeeze out a decent drop ... Do they just "roll on by" and go to some rotten lemon place?

No.

Lemons ...

Here's the truth. Some of us get rotten lemons. Not fit for consumption, not fit for lemonade and not full of any promises. Those of us with rotten lemons in our lives can feel isolated, unseen and hopeless. It's not about having a bad day, it's about something in your life that is so sour fucked-up that you can't even find words to describe how it makes you feel.

How about when we get rotten lemons for family? When we're young, we don't know what to do. We feel hurt, we feel pain and we feel shame. The journey through shame as a child can be crippling. It feels unfair, it feels heavy and it definitely feels rotten.

So what can we do? 

Try sorting your lemons. Find a place to separate those rotten lemons in your life. Most likely they have been so powerful  that they even have a voice that you replay in your head. "Why did I get a bad father?" "Why didn't my mom care?" "Why didn't I matter?" "I wish I was special." "I wish I had a family."

Lemonade ...

The truth about this "lemon thing" is ... you can have a good father by being one or marrying a man who is a good father to your children. You can have a mom that cares through who you marry or being one yourself. You are special and you do matter if you can find a way to love yourself. And ... go ahead and create the family you deserve.

Life, Lemons and Lemonade ... You get to choose.

What is beauty?

Beauty?

Imagine a world without reflection. NO way to know what we look like. No glass, No puddles, No cameras, No selfies, No good, bad, neutral or "magic" mirrors ...

Let's say I'm walking down the street and I see "you." I might entertain the thought that I look  just like "you." You might think you look like "me." Then what?

Well, firstly, we couldn't label each other. I can't think, "she's ..." because that means I'm "..." How great would that be? Think how lovely our world could be if we threw out judgement and mirrors ... We could just get up and go!

Beautiful!

What is beauty and why is it in the "eyes of the beholder?" ...  Isn't beauty what we radiate like the warmth from the sun? I don't mean physical, a face or body ... I'm talking about the beauty that comes from inside. The "light" that really draws us to people.  Now that's beauty! 

If we remembered that bodies are just the "vehicles" we were given to mobilize our spirit and soul ... we'd begin to see that judging and labeling a human being based on their physical appearance is comparable to us judging someone by the car they drive.

Silly!

It might be natural to assume that I'm only talking about judging people less fortunate in the "looks" department. No. That would be incomplete. "Beautiful" people get labeled just as much and is that any fairer?

 No!

I'll admit that I've done plenty of "judging" and I've been "judged" plenty of times. One thing for sure, neither feels good. I'm consciously changing that. First by trying to "catch myself" and second by trying to "deflect" the incoming bullshit from assholes others ...

You with me, beautiful !?!

I'll start Monday !?!

Who doesn't say that?


It's the day we use for goal-setting. As if Monday has some magic ingredient of will-power, grit and determination. "Monday, Monday ... so good to me?"

Survey says, Monday is not a "feel good" day for most people. Coming off of a weekend makes for a cranky Monday alarm and then there's returning to the "grind."

So let's look at why we say, "Monday" ... My theory is that it plays out in our minds like a wide open field with imaginary lines showing Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday that give us a false sense of empowerment that we can make it to Friday with some super-power that will get us to the next Monday so we won't fail have to start over again. 

Super-power you say? Yes, we really believe that we can resurrect that part of us that got us through the last challenge we couldn't face alone. For me, she can leap into action, identify danger zones, shield temptation with one hand and juggle emotions with the other.  She wears a red cape.

Can Monday be trusted? No!  Monday is fickle. A mirage in fact. Every Friday when Monday enters our minds, it's been waiting to sabotage our goals. Monday, Monday ... you ARE a false sense of hope.  Monday, Monday ... you can be a true sense of disparity.

So what should be done with Monday? Replace it. Relieve it of it's perpetual duty as the starting line to live life to the fullest. With Monday out of the way, Tuesday can happen free of guilt and shame for  "failing" at whatever it was you thought Monday would change ...

Monday, Monday ... Imagine the possibilities if Monday wasn't in play? New Job? Exercise? Healthy Eating? If Monday has held you back, here's the truth. Monday never really had that power.  Peel back the day and what will be left is you. The magnificent and powerful you ...


Monday, Monday ... Get out of my way!  You. Are. Just. Another. Day.

Portland to Coast Race Recap ... Weekend Warriors!

Oh ... What a Weekend!

132 mile relay from Portland to the Coast with a new walking team full of awe-some women split between two vans making our way across the Oregon Coast Range on foot!

The way it works is Van #1 starts the race and then after completing the first six legs, they hand off to Van #2, which then walks theirs and so on through 24 legs. In our case, Van #1 started at 5:45 a.m.

Here they are at the start ... On your mark, Get set, Go!

Go Van #1 Ladies!

So off they went and soon after, our van, minivan #2 started cross country to meet them at the first van exchange.  Unlike this van, ours was without a driver's window that rolled down and that provided unlimited comic relief for the trip.

I only knew one of my van-mates, but it didn't take long for that to be the past. We all had one thing in common, we were there to be a team, do our best, support each other and have a hell of a good time. So it started ...

Love these ladies!

So when I went to walk my legs, all I could think about was getting it done and doing my part for the team. I posted up my best walking times. I kicked my own ass and while I was gone, well ...

Par-Tay!

Oh, I wasn't the only one on the TEAM who kicked their own ass, look at these fierce warriors ...

Then there was this warrior and we found her doppelganger. Every time we saw this guy walking in a distance too far to make out anything but form and stride, we thought this was Alicia, aka "The Mustache Guy" ...

Nice form you two!

This recap would not be complete without exposing showing you the rest of the team ...

Van #2 Teamwork seen on left ...

There's a rumor that Van #1 can Chicken Dance ...

Time flew and so did we! Until next year, ladies ... 

Keep Walking!

eShakti Dress Review !!!

eShakti !!!

 I was so excited to receive my first Blog Product Review offer!

I received an email from eShakti and they offered me a free item if I'd write a review on my Blog. My review is entirely my experience and my words. So here goes ...

I went to the website and figured out that only a limited number of each dress are given to bloggers, which made it difficult to get the ones I wanted. So I decided to check the site twice a day for new items and waited for a dress I loved to be added. It only took a couple of days and this dress appeared so I ordered it right away ...

The thing I love about this company is their attention to detail. Once you find a dress, you can customize it to your liking. With this dress I left it the way it was, but added my measurements for a custom fit. Yes, they actually make the dress for you!

My dress came shortly after I ordered it and when I opened it, I was thrilled with the style, color and the fabric. I hadn't even tried it on. I haven't bought dresses for many years as I wasn't confident in them. When I have, they've been more of a silhouette. I've never owned a dress with a full skirt like this one and I wasn't sure if I'd like it.

Well ... I love it!

Fun !!!

Check out their website, eShatki. They have new items, sales and coupons galore!

Dog Blog ... It's Bailey's Birthday!

Happy 3rd Birthday to our Bailey Bacon!

This girl has had three great years. For those of you who don't know, Bailey was born in Nebraska. She's a Corn Husker! Why a puppy from Nebraska? Why not one from Oregon?

Well, here's the short version of her story. We lost our 3 year old Golden, Brandy, tragically the summer of 2011. A huge hole was left in our family. Three days after her death, I set out to find another Brandy. I spent hours on the phone and the internet looking for the girl that was going to fill the hole in our hearts.

I found Bailey in Nebraska and she was 3 weeks old. Here she is with her sister as we watched her grow up from afar.

On the Left                                                 Miss Red                                       Too busy to stay on the wagon

So many of our friends and family rallied around the arrival of this little girl. She had over 90 Facebook friends by the time she made it to Oregon and then the fun began ...

          Bailey in the Airport                                                 In Omaha!                               Jessi, Bailey and I on the plane

What a Girl!

Oh the adventures that girl has had. She's been fun loving and we are so happy we found her.

Look how lovely she is ...

Always smiling, Bailey's world got better when she was 18 months old. We got her a Sister. Little Sister Bella is a Duck. She came from Eugene, Oregon. You would never know that they are not related. Bailey is Bella's Mama ... What a wonderful bond these two have ...

These girls will be celebrating with cupcakes today.

Happy Birthday, Baby! We love you!

It's Monday!

There's nothing fancy about this Blog Post today other than it's Monday and we're on vacation. Hey, did I mention that it's Monday? Even though I don't work, it still has residual pain associated with it when it comes to motivation ...

This is actually a great Monday. We had a busy week leading up to today. Matt was flown to Seattle from Europe for a 45 minute meeting.  We were able to go to Seattle and see him, catch a Mariner's game and they won! We had a great time, stopped in a pub for a beer, spent the night and dropped him off at Sea-Tac the next morning and off he flew to Amsterdam and then Lux.

Luxembourg

We blew into town from Seattle at about 4pm and picked up the Golden Girls and headed straight to the beach house to meet Jessi for the weekend. We got here and found our girl napping after a exhausting work week. We put everything away and when she woke up, we went out to our favorite Mexican Food place and had a great meal.

Saturday was a 7 mile RT walk down the beach to see the Sandcastle contest and find lunch. It was the windiest day on the beach. We had to fight our way back to the house while being sand-blasted. For the evening we grilled steak and hung out. More good food on Sunday morning with amazing coffee in our big cups.  Sorry, no pics. No pockets, no iPhone on a 7 mile beach trek.

Being able to see both our kids in one week made my heart sing. We only see Matt a couple of times a year and I'm so grateful for this bonus visit. We had a relaxing and restful time with Jessi at the beach. It's going to be great when Tim retires next month and we can see our kids more.

So vacay continues for a couple more days and we'll be beach bumming. The thing I love the most about the Oregon Coast besides its beauty is that when you're here it's all about how great you feel and not how you look.

Happy Monday!

I miss my blog ...

What the hell is up with me not blogging?

I start a blog, I check Facebook, I check my Email. I look at Twitter, Pinterest and then I go on Amazon.com to see what I can buy because I know I can get it in two days. Do I buy anything? No. Then I look at my Blog and I'm so worn out from my web surfing, I delete what I've written and think, "tomorrow."

Tomorrow has become weeks and I miss my blog, the bloglovin girls and I feel like I've lost my momentum and maybe even my mojo.

So here I am ... blogging without a plan. A random offering of random stuff.

So many things coming up. I'm excited to go on vacation this Sunday. We're going to Beach Bum Headquarters for 10 days. I love our Beach House. It's cute and quaint. We spend time just being Beach Bums. Lots of time on the beach. Walking the golden girls a few miles up the beach, finding lunch at a cafe and then strolling back. The best part is the girls swimming in the Ocean, they are so much fun to watch. Pure joy!

Okay, so random blogging wouldn't be complete without saying that Tim received his HR packet for retirement and he has 30 work days left! That's from now until September 30th. We. are. getting. really. close! Oh, Swag!

Cool, cool stuff. I received my first product review offer! I think it was commenting on Amanda's blog. Sorry, Amanda ... I forgot how to tag you. Anyway, it's from eShatki and I've ordered this dress. They custom make the dress to your measurements and not only do I get a cute dress, I also like the measurements I sent in! Stay tuned for my review!

I've been busy, busy. I walked relay for life. I walked 18 miles in 5 hours on Team Jeb. My buddy who lost his battle with cancer. Tim and I are building a 100' fence. Fence building in 90 degree weather is tough! I'm still teamed up with my partner in crime, Ann and we are taking down City Hall. We've been at it for two months and we've stopped the ordinance from being voted in for now. 

Next month is Portland to Coast. I walk on a relay team and we're going to have a blast. I got my leg assignment and it's a little intimidating. I'll need to get out and walk some steep hills to prep. I walk straight up for 2 miles and down 5 more and that sounds tough. My second leg is almost 4 miles of rolling hills. The relay is about 30 hours. We walk across Oregon and end up at a big party at the beach! It's safe to say I'm a walker ...