Through The Tulips Words of 'Wiz'dom

April 5, 2016

Life

Filed under: Shop til ya Drop,Travel — gardener @ 12:21 pm

Life is moving along at such a fast pace these days. Vacation is coming soon and work has me buzzing along at a busy pace until we leave. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though.

It was funny, because a friend said the other day- “Won’t it be great to have some time to do nothing when you’re on vacation?” I laughed out loud when I read her question because trips home are anything but chill time for me. It’s always a time for us to spend time with family and friends, so that often means seeing various people throughout the day- sometimes for lunch, dinner and in between. It can be crazy, but again I wouldn’t have it any other way- because I love my people, and I’m beyond grateful that they want to spend time with me.

This year- we are gearing up for the big wedding as well, and with the wedding means that yours truly needs wedding clothes to wear. I don’t have anything at all to wear to the wedding, and so far all my searches have come up empty. I know I’ll find something, but I want it to look great. The clock is ticking, but I know I’ll find just the perfect thing.

Anyone have any suggestions?

March 30, 2016

Checking-Out and Checking-In

Filed under: Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 11:30 am

Today- I took some time to forget the never-ending and forever growing to do list and I spend the day with a dear friend. I haven’t seen her in several weeks, so it was important to me to forget the lists and do what mattered more, and that was spend some face-to-face time with my friend. We had much to talk about, laugh about, and even feel a little sadness about while catching up on what’s been going on in our lives. Her travels, my work, and everything ‘life’ and love in between.

It was good food for the soul. She’s dear to me, and the bonus is that we spent our catch up time together at one of our favorite places, the beach!

It doesn’t matter where it is, being at the beach is like being on vacation. It’s a time (for me) to relax, unplug and it’s where I come to my deepest relaxation (along with being in the mountains). Forget the fact that this particular beach is 10 minutes from my home via car, being there takes me away, every single time.

What takes you away? Your ultimate relaxation, your ‘check-out’ from the world time- and focus on being in the moment with yourself and those you are spending time with?

I’m grateful for days like today- they not only fill my soul, but also energize me beyond anything words can describe.

March 27, 2016

Happy Easter

Filed under: Holidays,Home,Life — gardener @ 12:00 pm

Happy Easter everyone!

It has been an Easter of a different sort for me. Marcel needed to work and I also needed to take care of a few things for work- so that meant I spent most of the day home alone. I don’t mind- It has afforded for much quiet time, but at the same time- it makes Easter not really seem like Easter.

My parents had their get together with my brother yesterday. They had the traditional feast and spent time together. Living away always has me aching to be ‘home’ on days like today- when everyone is gathered together, enjoying the time together as a family. I spent a little time today thinking about when my brother and I were children- and how we would hunt Easter eggs again and again. It brings back so many fond memories of not only with my brother, but also the Easter egg hunts we would have at my grandmothers house. It made me smile.

Family, there’s nothing like it.

March 23, 2016

Discombobulation

Filed under: Women — gardener @ 1:14 pm

The title pretty much describes how I am feeling at the moment. Physically, I feel fantastic, but I have SO much to do between now and the time we leave for our vacation, that my head is spinning. Creative painting projects for the living room have pretty much taken the back seat, since I have a lot of work to get done between now and the time we leave. Cake projects, cupcake workshops, sugar work for a wedding I need to do when I return from vacation. All that and then some.

I suspect the feeling of discombobulation also may be attributed to the fact that I haven’t eaten enough today and I didn’t get enough rest last night. Tonight, I’m determined to do both. My work is done- packages need to be created and sent- but that’s tomorrow.

Tomorrow I’ll bake a cake- but now, it’s time to unplug and rest. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be more collected with my thoughts.

March 19, 2016

What a Difference a Day Makes

Filed under: Gratitude,Health/ Fitness — gardener @ 2:02 pm

I spent a little time the past weeks feeling somewhat down and deflated about the total lack of energy I’ve had. Sunshine didn’t help, vitamins haven’t helped, nothing has. I know that the flu so many have had this winter (myself included), has left lingering effects of tiredness long after the flu had gone, so I really felt that it was probably that.

I also started the Whole 30 five days ago, and have been following the plan to the letter. Today, I woke up feeling not much different than I usually do, although I didn’t have that immediate feeling that I wanted to sleep for another hour, nor did I feel groggy. I noticed, but didn’t attribute it to much.

As the day wore on, and I wasn’t dragging and actually felt like getting out and walking- I was SO excited! My energy is so much better today and I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me. I’m grateful.

Tomorrow, after I finish working, I may put on my running shoes and walk a little further. Little by little I’m going to rebuild my stamina.

If today brought this- I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

March 17, 2016

Assumptions, Expectations and other Rambles

Filed under: Life — gardener @ 12:23 pm

Life has been moving along this week at a quick clip.  I started the Whole 30 program and so far so good.  I am dedicated, so I suspect all will go fine, even though I did admit hitting a brick wall today-   I wanted to eat sugar, but I refrained.

I had several last minute orders come in for Easter, so I’ll be busy working on those next week.  I’m very grateful for the opportunities- and also that I can be a small part in someones celebration.

Today I had someone message me and in the midst of a conversation say they were saving their money to visit.   It isn’t someone I’m close to, even though they are family, and yet-   they’ve  never discussed with me about coming-  only told me that they are visiting.    I’m flattered that they want to visit, but I know that it isn’t ‘me’ that they want to see, but rather assume they have a free place to stay so they can jet around the area.    I let them talk and didn’t say anything, but I will when the time comes.

I believe having expectations and assumptions are one of the worst things we could do.   It’s a projection of what we ‘think’ should and will happen, but often that isn’t the reality of what someone else is thinking or feeling.    I’ve walked that road, had my own disappointments based on an expectation, and I’ve learned to try not to have them any longer.  Key word being try, as I’m human and it does happen.

My  home space is my sanctuary,  and having people stay in our home, as it does with everyone takes major adjustments.   I’m willing to go to the end of the earth to make that happen for some, and not for others.  I think that’s the case with most of us.

 

In other unrelated news-  the sun has been absolutely amazing!!    I haven’t been able to get out and enjoy it much, because I’ve had so much work to do, but I’ve been soaking it up through the windows.   Fingers crossed that tomorrow we’ll see more of the same, as I will be getting out and about tomorrow and enjoying a free day as we head into the weekend.

 

What are you going to do?

Empire

Filed under: Life — gardener @ 5:36 am

When my good friend was visiting last weekend, we got on the subject of Hulu and some of the great shows. One of the shows she mentioned was Empire. She knows I’m a huge music lover, so I decided to sign up for the free week of Hulu to check it out. She’s right- the music, the riffs, the family dynamics- I love it. There is something special happening when you can pull together the sounds of the stylus rmx and other groove sounds, and add it to a family drama series. Pure brilliance. As for me- I have one day left on my week- so hopefully I’ll get caught up- I’m doubtful, but the music- oh the music. I can’t imagine not keeping up with this show. Who has seen it?

March 14, 2016

Soul Food Time- and Spring

Filed under: Life,Seasons — gardener @ 9:13 am

This past weekend, I spent time in the company of one of my good friends-IMG_0910    She lives several hours away, so we don’t get to see each other too often, but when we do- it’s always a great time of fun, laughter and good food for the soul.

Friday we spent the day exploring some of our favorite foodie haunts and on Saturday morning we went to a weekly market in a town about a half hour from us.    An acquaintance of ours recently quit his day job and decided to live his dream of creating gorgeous artisan breads.   He sells them at this weekly market so we went to support his venture by buying from him.   You can taste the love in the flavor of the bread, plus being a small business owner myself, I love the idea of supporting other small businesses.

The weather was absolutely perfect both days- which is not always a given in the land of never.   As we strolled along the market area, I noticed these pink flowers at a local garden shop.    I loved the color, and the yellow center seemed to scream happiness and Spring.

Spending time with people I love is one of my favorite things.  What about you?

 

 

March 6, 2016

Nurturing What Matters

Filed under: Food for Thought,Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 11:17 am

March seems to have entered like a lion with colder temps and also a little snow here and there.     The one plus to all that- is that mixed in with all the wacky weather has also been some sunshine, some of which that I enjoyed today.

I admit, I planned to do a lot more than I actually did today.   I did get some things done, but there are others that fell by the wayside simply because I was enjoying the weather.

I also put my ‘to do’ list to the side and spent some time reaching out and connecting with people that matter to me.   Nurturing my relationships is something that is very important to me, but I know that like everything- we need to nurture our gardens in life to see them continue to thrive-   that can be our actual physical gardens, or the gardens that are our relationships.    I believe what we receive is in direct proportion to what we give in our lives.     Assuming that we are giving and nurturing our relationships because it matters to us- and not because we want the ‘pay off’.    If the intention is wrong, then it throws everything out of balance.

As I get older (and hopefully wiser), I realize more than ever the importance of family and friends.    Not ‘any’ family and friends, but those who lift us and others, but also hold a mirror in front of us so that we can see our best selves through them.      The ones who encourage us to not only recognize our potential, but also to live it.

Those are the people I want in my life… every  … single.. day.

 

March 2, 2016

Words Matter

Filed under: Food for Thought,Inspiration,Women — gardener @ 11:02 am

In a world where not much surprises me these days, I’ll admit that I’ve been very surprised and saddened by the circus that has become our next presidential election.

I intentionally do not watch the news, because I prefer not to have the negativity floating in my  head that seems to be on a continual news loop.   For someone who was once upon a time a Broadcast Journalism major, it speaks volumes.    Around the time of the Sandy Hook shootings, it finally became ‘too much’ for me.

Life is so full of ups and downs, and keeping focused on the positive and the silver lining of life is important to me.   So I quit news cold turkey.   Now, I don’t see a lot, outside of what scrolls through on my Facebook feed, which generally isn’t ‘too much’, but lately it has become so.

If you know me then you know I rarely discuss politics, or religion.     It’s the two subjects where people can really get crazy if someone has a different viewpoint than them, so I avoid it. (Unless you are someone whom I know can have an intelligent conversation and the respect to agree to disagree if our views don’t match.)

When I see people blaming each other for this, that and the other- it makes me sad.  Why?   First, because it creates a larger divide amongst the people.   We are ALL human beings-  we ALL matter.

 

I posted the following on Facebook-   it sums up how I feel:

Love, Compassion, Integrity, Respect, Working TOGETHER towards the common good. ALL of those things matter to me personally.

Solutions to problems- I don’t care how big they are- will NEVER come by pointing fingers, placing blame and creating division.

If WE are not part of the solution then WE are part of the problem. Maybe WE should take a long hard look in the mirror at ourselves, be honest with who we have become and what we ‘put out there’ and realize that in order for real change to happen- it starts with US, with loving and accepting people right where they are.

We can only understand things based on our personal lens in which we view the world- No one has that same lens, because they are each based on our own personal experiences.

If someone else has a different experience in life than yours- even if you were at the same place at the same time- the different perspective doesn’t make one right and the other wrong- one more valid than the other- it makes them different- nothing more. We don’t have to ‘understand’ someone else’s experience- it’s theirs, but we should respect it.

Food for thought..

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