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    How To,  Travels

    First Time Going to Maui? Here Are 12 Travel Tips from a (Former) First Timer.

    Are you headed to Maui? Exciting! I’m sitting in the airport like a sad sack, on the way home from our first-but-definitely-not-our-last trip, and I thought I’d write up some suggestions for other first-timers. Hopefully you’ll find this list helpful and, even if Maui isn’t in your future right now, you can use many of these tips when heading to other destinations as well. With that, here we go, in random order: 1. Book your flights early. When we first started checking out our options many months ago, we found some that were only two flights: Knoxville to Dallas or LA, and then right to Maui. Because we waited too…

  • Motivation,  Something That Could Change Your Life,  Travels

    Travel. (Just Go, Already.)

    I’ve done a little bit of traveling this year. *giggle* Actually, I’ve done a lot of traveling this year. Almost every time I go on a trip, I get texts from friends (and comments on photos that I post on social media) about how they wish they could pick up and go like I can. I get it. I was unable to do this until just a couple of years ago. I’m in this interesting season of life right now: I’m an empty nester and, for the first time in decades, unemployed except for some freelance writing I do on occasion. I’m able to keep appointments with myself to workout…

  • Confessions,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    What If We Just Don’t Ask “What If”?

    Recently I visited an alma mater of mine. Sidenote: I just had to look up “alma mater” to make sure it means “a school I once attended” rather than “a school from which I graduated”. The fall after I completed high school I entered Tennessee Technological University as a freshman majoring in German and stayed there for six months. I loved my time at TTU, short-lived as it was. My visit a couple of weeks ago brought back all kinds of memories. I drove by Jobe Hall, which is where I lived on the third floor. I walked through the student union. I walked across the quad to the south…

  • How To,  Motivation,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Do Something.

    It’s been a rough couple of days in America. Upset, anger, confusion, and sadness are only some of the emotions that people are dealing with after Hillary Clinton’s loss (or, rather, Donald Trump’s win) on Tuesday, not to mention the feelings of panic about the future. This election was different from others: it was the nastiest, ugliest, meanest cycle in our lifetime and in the end the Democratic loss/Republican win wasn’t upsetting simply because it was a loss. It was (is) upsetting because the racist, misogynistic, and anti-LGBT comments made by Donald Trump during the campaign along with his promises to rid the country of immigrants, build a wall, and…

  • Amazing People,  Friends,  My Friends Have Mad Skillz

    Personal Evolution: It’s a Thing.

    I enjoyed lunch with an old friend today, someone who I last saw only in passing when we were teaching spin classes at the same health club (years ago). Our lives have been intertwined in a bunch of different ways since we met in late 1995. I used to care for her school-aged kids in the health club nursery while she taught classes at night and on school holidays, and years later her daughter babysat for my boys in the summer when I worked full-time. She was a mentor to me when I was studying for my ACE Group Fitness certification and then when I became a spin instructor, and…

  • Tough Questions

    I Saw The Signs

    Sometimes my curiosity is overwhelming. Take yesterday, for example. I was watching the roll call at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), sobbing my eyes out when Hillary Clinton was officially nominated as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States and then sobbing my eyes out again when Bernie Sanders moved that Hillary be nominated by acclimation, trying to unify the party. (I’m just setting the stage for you.) While all of this history was being made, convention attendees were holding up signs. And more signs. And more signs. There was no sign shortage at the Republican National Convention (RNC) either, which I watched last week. Signs are commonplace…

  • How To,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  My Friends Have Mad Skillz

    An Amateur’s Guide to Arranging Flowers

    Here’s something you don’t know about me, after two billion years of blogging (I know; I can’t believe I left a stone unturned either): I adore arranging flowers into vases or other containers. ADORE. As in LOVE. It dates back to the late 1980’s when I was an eighteen-year-old newlywed, working at LeeWards Craft Store. I worked in the custom frame shop, which was located adjacent to the floral department. Two women who worked in Floral, Judy and Cherry, were much older than me–probably my age NOW–and very maternal towards me. I loved hanging out with them and was fascinated by what they did. They stood at the counter day…

  • How To,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    10 Tips To Make Holiday Shopping More Enjoyable For Everyone

    We’re deep into the Silly Season. Or the Holidaze. You might call it by another name. Whatever you call it, it’s crazy out there. Over the weekend I was at the mall (and at Target and at the grocery store and and and…) taking care of my holiday errands along with two hundred bajillion other people and I had the revelation that dealing with crowds at this time of year could be made easier and more enjoyable by being more mindful of our own actions, since that’s what we can control. Here are a few things we can all do to improve our shopping experience (and likely the experience of…

  • Family Fun,  My Sister Has Mad Skillz

    Happy To Help.

    On Sunday I received an unusual answer from my mom when I asked her if she needed me to do anything before heading down to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. Naturally, “Happy to help” is an understatement. She had already talked to my sister about it, who was completely on board (of course) with the plan. I’m pretty sure she’s been researching specialty drinks to prepare for this very important task. When we arrived today it was only a matter of minutes before we opened up that cabinet to see what we were up against. I spotted a bottle of Green Label Jack Daniels in the back and immediately called…

  • Friends,  Music

    Lean On Me.

    For some reason, whether it’s Mercury being in retrograde (is it still? I don’t really keep track) or just a massive coincidence in time and space, I have a bunch of really good friends who are currently hurting and stressed. They have recently lost loved ones, have loved ones in the hospital, have financial issues, or are experiencing a personal health crisis or marital strife. It’s awful. There’s a lot of heartache out there. Being someone who throws her whole heart into relationships, I carry around a feeling of helplessness in regards to the struggles of my beloved friends. It simmers gently, just under the surface, bubbling up when I’m…