Through The Tulips Words of 'Wiz'dom

August 22, 2013

Countdown to Travels

Filed under: Life,Things I Love,Travel — gardener @ 11:04 am

Just a few days (six to be exact, but who’s counting?) and vacation officially begins. Four or five days after vacation begins, so does the travels. On our list of travels- France, Germany, Belgium, England and maybe more.

IF all goes as planned, we’ll finally be able to see the beaches of Normandy, something that has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember.

The coming months are going to be busy ones- and honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m looking forward to all the new experiences and the fun times with people we both adore, plus all the people we will meet along the way.

Let the fun begin!

Dancing to the Music

Filed under: Home,Life — gardener @ 11:00 am

It has been one of those check things off my ‘to do’ list kind of days. I’ve been home alone- had the music cranked up really hard and have been dancing and singing through the day. One of my favorite bands came on earlier and since they were being featured they played the entire new cd, which I loved. I haven’t heard all the songs- and the way they use the jody dv 8 tenor at wwbw in some of the songs really adds a depth to their music that I don’t recall in some of their previous albums. All great stuff.

Music is one of those things that can change my mood in an instant. Give me the right song and I’ll be dancing around the house in no time.

Going Digital

Filed under: Shop til ya Drop,Techy,Things I Love,Women — gardener @ 10:50 am

Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE the digital magazines on my iPad?   I do.   I’ve gone digital on all my regular subscriptions (O Magazine and Southern Living) and because of the overall affordability of digital- (and all the great coupons Zinio sends) I’ve now got subscriptions to ALL of my favorites-   Taste of Home, Rachel Ray, Food Network, Martha Stewart Living,  HGTV,  Donna Hay, Reader’s Digest, Cosmopolitan and the list goes on…

I download them to my device when it’s time for the new issue and read them at my own leasure-  mostly when I’m on a trip somewhere or traveling.     I can take months and months worth of magazines and stacks of books all tucked away in my iPad-   There is nothing better for anyone who loves a good read or a good magazine.

August 12, 2013

Good Eats- Stuffed Pablano Peppers

Filed under: Food,Life — gardener @ 7:58 am

dinner
In addition to eating well and really being aware of what I’ve been eating, I’ve noticed that this summer I’ve also been on a huge Mexican (or Tex-Mex) kick.    I crave it almost daily, and even on days when I don’t feel like cooking much;  I’ll make something simple like pureed black beans with a little low-fat mexican cheese baked in the oven, but I digress.

This dish to your right is one of the many I’ve whipped up this summer-   I made a mixture of cream cheese- herbs and spices- black beans- corn- roasted chicken breast- low-fat shredded cheese and stuffed these fresh pablanos.   I then baked them in the oven (covered) for a half hour or so, until all the cheese in melted and the peppers had a chance to cook a little.    As you can see here-  I served the pablanos on a bed of arugula, a little avocado, tomatoes, quark and chipotle chili sauce.   DELICIOUS!

So what’s your favorite summer eats?

August 5, 2013

Gratitude Abound

Filed under: Gratitude,Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 1:09 pm

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” –Schweitzer

Earlier today- a dear friend posted this quote on her Facebook wall.    I absolutely LOVED it.  It resonated deep with me, not just because it is so beautiful (and to know me is to know how much I love quotes), but because it came at just the right moment-  the end of an amazing day, where I felt like I have awakened after a deep sleep.

Not only am I feeling grateful, I’m also feeling joyous for the simply amazing people that are a part of my life.     I claimed before my birthday that this year was going to be the best ever and now I actually FEEL that way.  When I look around, all I can feel is amazed.   This is MY LIFE-    Is it perfect? Nope- and you know what?  It never will be.  Perfection is a myth-     What it is for sure, is that it’s filled with many AMAZING people, who love me, support and encourage me and without knowing have set my soul on fire!!      I have a great life-  and I am SO grateful for that- for each and every blessing, and each and every person that is a part of that.

The sky is the limit-   🙂

Building Fences

Filed under: Home,Shop til ya Drop — gardener @ 11:09 am

A few days ago I called mom and diddy for one of my sometimes many daily calls. I could tell that they were in the middle of something and come to find out, she was ordering t slots for the fence that diddy was building. It was ironic because she sounded relieved when she realized it was me, and she apparently was having some problems with how to complete the order process (she doesn’t order online much), so I was able to walk her through it- and diddy was happy because his t slots are on the way.

Even though I’m miles away- I love that they send me photos as they work on these projects.. The fence looks great so far, and I can’t wait to see it when it’s done. Somehow, those little snippits of their day makes them seem closer and makes me feel a part of things.

July 31, 2013

Travelin’ Shoes

Filed under: Things I Love,Travel — gardener @ 3:40 am

I’ve been doing research throughout the month (and before) for fun places for us to go on vacation and we are ready to go. I’ve been doing my homework, making reservations and it looks like thus far- our travels will include four countries. More on exactly which countries later.

I am excited- VERY excited. Good times await with great people.

Tapping on the Heels of August

Filed under: Life,Seasons — gardener @ 3:28 am

My last post here was a few days before my 46th birthday. Hard to believe it has been 2 1/2 weeks already. I guess the old addage definitely applies here- time flies when you’re having fun. Celebrating my birthday for the entire month- there have been many good times in the making. Also a few sad moments, but I’m not going to focus on those. I’ve paused, tried to find the lesson in them and am moving on. Besides, the time has passed and I can’t spent my time looking back, or I’ll miss what great things are happening in front of me- and believe me, there are plenty!!

Things should slow down- at least for a few weeks, so my intent is to spend more time blogging- and hammering out some plans and goals that I have for this coming year. It’s definitely going to be the best ever. Just you wait and see!

Mix-Up

Filed under: Life,Life's Little Hiccups — gardener @ 1:28 am

Last week I had an email from a fayetteville nc business lawyer asking me to call him. At first, I thought it surely had to be spam, but they used my last name (which not everyone knows). I am pretty skeptical on all emails, so instead I did a Google search and found that the law office did indeed exist and the attorney was ‘real’.

So I called them, mostly out of curiosity- and as it turns out a distant relative of mine (same last name) had contacted them, and when they searched the last name, they found my email address and thought I was them. They were really sweet and friendly and apologized for the mix-up. I was unable to offer them an email address on my relative as I haven’t talked to them in years (and didn’t know they lived in North Carolina), but wished them luck in finding her.

July 9, 2013

Thoughts

Filed under: Life,Sands of Time — gardener @ 11:15 am

In a few short days I’ll turn 46. As Samantha said last week when she turned 44- Where has the time gone? I’ve been thinking about that a lot the past few weeks- not just about where the time has gone, but also what this last year has taught me. I’ve learned so much, not only about myself but about others and mostly that in staying true to ourselves- sometimes we have to say goodbye.

I’ve had some heartbreak this year, in fact- what I’d call serious heartbreak, but on the flip side of that coin- I’ve had experienced some beauty and joy beyond my wildest imagination. It trumps the heartbreak by far. Some may see it the other way- but I’m a firm believer that everything is about perspective. We either see things froma positive or a negative. It’s about choices.

Does that mean that I’ve not shed tears this year- No, quite the contrary- I’ve shed quite a few and even been angry at times, but I know that it’s been part of the healing process- and necessary for the journey to living my best life. I’m grateful for each lesson, for each tear, for all of it. I don’t understand it all yet- but I’m still grateful.

I found out this week that an old friend had a stroke- 43 years old. He’s having to learn how to walk again and use his left hand. Could it have been avoided? Possibly, but it wasn’t and thankfully he’s been given a second chance. I hope and pray that he’ll see it as that and use it to become a healthier, stronger person.

It really put things in perspective for me. Our choices- however small we think they are- matter. The people we spend our time with- matters. The relationships we invest in- matters. Every little thing- matters.

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »

Powered by WordPress