Beach
Finally, It’s Springtime
The magical season of Spring has arrived with all its rejuvenating beauty of pretty flowers, colorful tulips, and fresh newness in the air. Somehow, with the arrival of a new season comes the anticipation of excitement of a fresh start.
And the best part, winter is over!
My favorite part of Spring is more daylight hours and less darkness. Waking up when the sun is shining bright and your body feels more light climbing out of bed. I admit I’m not motivated by gray skies. Spring allows us to have more time to get outdoors and enjoy the weather. The benefits are endless:
Vitamin D, fresh fruits like strawberries and cherries, floral aromas like jasmine blooming, creativity, mood boosters just to name a few.
So bring on the happy and say goodbye to the blues of winter – remember the best is yet to come – Summertime.
Happy trails
Donna
11 Truths Life Has Taught Me
We all have our stories, life lessons, some good, others not. Yet as the stars would have it, these experiences offer a light to our future endeavors, choices and decisions. The struggle is how do we choose healthy paths…
I love the saying “Today’s terror is to tomorrows testimony”. Reminds me there is hope in every hard lesson, and mistakes aren’t the end of life as we know it. The value in bad encounters is totally ‘the takeaway’ and perspective and direction.
I’ll be approaching a birthday milestone this year, wow – yes, so I’ve put some thought into my own journey and how I’ve landed here – right now. Ooh, much to ponder when the big 60 is heading straight for you, but that will be another post, a different day. For now, I feel gratitude just to still be here, alive and well. But life is hard at times and the struggle is real, so all the shortcuts are precious
11 Truths Life Has Taught Me
1. Family. The foundation of who we are is influenced by our family. Family provides the framework for our sense of security, confidence, and usually our deepest beliefs. Having people who love you unconditionally is a true blessing, a huge plus in life and nothing compares to this kind of support system and head start. No family is without problems, but neither is any relationship. Family is family, no matter what happens, this is what makes family work.
2. Balance. A little bit of this and that will suffice. Define healthy boundaries for yourself and don’t compromise. Learn to say NO. People who know me respect my boundaries and I theirs. It has become a natural process to have boundaries and limit my negotiations. It’s normal and okay.
3. Grace. Easy to recognize – difficult to explain, because grace has many meanings not so popular in today’s culture. It’s dwells in beauty, eloquence, mercy, charm, kindness, harmony, and divine love. Grace is the authentic original blessing of being alive, the gift of life from God that integrates body, mind and spirit. Every encounter confronts and challenges our limitations of grace.
4. Confidence is a strong voice silent or out loud! Believe in yourself – become your greatest fan. And by all means possible, speak up for what you know your worth, trust me – no one else will do it for you. Learn the difference between confidence and over assertiveness and you’ll attract opportunity and friends. Confidence is a beautiful thing, looks great on all.
5. Passion inspires others to rise up, become excited or at least attract attention and energy. I always figured if you need to do something, give it 100% of the best you and everything else will fall into place. Passion is contagious, fueled by fire and magnetic. It’s easy and it matters.
6. Prayers- wow! Before your feet hit the floor pray. I believe in praying specifically for what I need – so I ask. When I look back on my life and see all the grace I’ve experienced it magnifies answered prayers. In my career years, I flew an average of 350 segments yearly sometimes more, and I survived in one piece. That’s literally a miracle in itself! Knowing there is a God that’s so much bigger than this world makes my faith in prayers a priority.
7. Sunscreen! If I could’ve told my younger self something worthwhile it would’ve been SUNSCREEN PLEASE. The thing is I live in this skin and I took it for granted. Growing up on the beach maintaining a golden tan was just natural, even competitive. How crazy is that reasoning🙃? So now, I get it and I know how important wearing sunscreen is to overall health. Take care of your skin and slather on that sunscreen even on cloudy days.
8. Music rocks. Living in a world without music is unimaginable to me. When I hear certain songs -memories come. Nothing brings me back to a memory as profoundly as a song. Music makes my life better and influences my moods. All kinds of music…
9. Friends are treasures, little blessings sent your way from up above, at least the true friends. I’m not referring to social media friends that you never see or spend actual time doing things together. I’m referring here to friends that are invested in your life, relationships that have withstood the test of time. During my career years and when my sons were young I sacrificed time with girlfriends for family time. Sometimes I got friends confused with work colleagues (as we live we learn). Life just gets busy and there’s only one of us, and that’s okay. There is still time. It’s amazing how fast relationships can build and mature.
10. Nature☀️. For me, the beach is essential, the mountains are extraordinary and being outside is just necessary. I thrive on sunshine and fresh air, not to mention the natural beauty of outdoors. There is nothing as satisfying as watching nature pass through the seasons.
11. Dogs are family. A big deal in our home. The more the merrier! They simply bring joy. Dogs have always been present in my life, horses and cats too. We have 3 Pomeranians and 3 Aussies now, each one diverse in personality and loved deeply. Want more happiness in your life – get a dog!
Life is packed with exciting options and opportunities. There is so much more I could add, but for now we will stop here. I hope you make the time to think about what’s really important to you.
Until then, happy trails
Donna George
Are You Waiting to Find A Message In A Bottle?
Are you waiting to find a message in a bottle? You are not alone.
A message in a bottle
How many times have you read the best selling book Message in a Bottle written by my favorite author, Nicholas Sparks? Or watched the movie version of the story released back in 1999? Once, twice, or so many times the DVD is worn and scratched?
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can’t get any better, it can – Nicholas Sparks
In short, it’s a story about a woman who finds a romantic love letter in a bottle washed up on the shore, and she tracks down the man who wrote it. The letter tugs at the heart strings of the woman who finds it and becomes obsessed with the deep love, sadness and struggle the writer describes for his lost wife.
The movie, (filmed mostly here…
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Tell Me Your Story
What’s your story?
Everyone has one and they’re all different.
Me? If you read my blog page you know I ditched the heels for flipflop & flats, the car for a Jeep and best of all – conference rooms for the beach. Lots of crazy things happen in my story, it took decades to unpack, but I don’t regret my decisions, at least not all of them. This is how I arrived at this chapter today.
The thing about chapters is change. There is always change, teaching us lessons about the yesterdays, last year’s and the tomorrows to come in the horizon. Lessons are just part of the story that moves us down the road to the next chapter. We get to navigate how
long we stay in a chapter before it’s over and who’s the other ppl there with us.
Do you love true stories, memoirs or do you prefer fabricated fictional stories? I’m interested in your thoughts, why? Well you know why, I’m writing stories, short stories and I’m changing chapters, looking for inspiration, direction and feedback. Does anyone still read books anymore? Prefer photo journaling or blog post?
What’s your story? Tell me…you have one.
What does the picture I took below mean to you, anything or nothing?
Happy trails & sign up with me
Get Some Sand Under Your Feet
Looking forward to a fabulous 2018!!! This is just my Beachy Point of View …
Happy New Year Everyone💦
Seven Reasons to Love a Beach Town
Seven reasons to love a beach town besides the sand, sun and surf are endless, particularly to locals. Now I’m referring to the natives and the year around locals (not to be confused with the summer, locals) who come to town every year to stay for the season. It’s sort of like having a badge of honor, like an unspoken kind of respect. The kind that makes you feel a sense of pride when visitors tell you how lucky you are to live at the beach.
” If you are lucky enough to live by the sea, you are lucky enough.
There’s something unique, almost nostalgic about the feel of a beach town. It’s not just about the crashing waves or the crisp salty air, it’s about the lifestyle of a beach town. It’s a lifestyle that centers around the beach and celebrates the benefits of coastal living.
All beach town lovers understands the call and lure of the beach. We all hear it, and feel it stretching over us like some kind of invisible liquid net binding us together in the calm and chaos of ebb and flow. Some suggest we’re under the spell of a mysterious intoxication. Making the beach a place that sharpens our senses and builds a culture that juggles a perfect combination of work, play and charm, while it waits for the upcoming summer season.
There are so many reasons to love a beach town. Let me count the ways (or just a few). The drive-on beaches, the boardwalk, the rides, the surfers, the beach music, the big waves, cotton candy, ferry boats etc. Okay, ok… You are getting the visual I can tell. And did I mention the dialect of Uptalk?
Seven Reasons To Love A Beachtown
- The Beach. Whether you’re an expert shell collector, sea glass hunter or an amateur surfer, the beloved beach is the destination. It never looks the same, always more beautiful than your last visit. The time of day, the weather, the pull of the tides and the wind all contribute to the constant landscape changes. It never disappoints, compelling you to return as quickly as you can.
- Fresh Seafood. Big Box Seafood places, nope, not really. They are pretty scarce in these towns and with good reason, Fresh Seafood is available. And you usually can get the options to dine outside. So yes, it’s a major privilege to live in a seafood town, please don’t hate me for it, I can’t live without it.
- Water Sports. Nothing compares to the great fun the sea provides whether its jet skis, paddle boarding, kite boarding, surfing, bonfires, boating, fishing, scuba diving or just riding a float on a lazy hot summer day there’s so many options. Most of a beach town’s recreation revolves around great friends and water fun.
- Relaxing. Talk about a Win-Win, this is it friends! The beach town vibe is laid back and the places to sit and read are plentiful, not to mention inspiring. And nothing tops a beach walk while listening to the waves break on the shore and taking in the scenic view of the ocean. Whatever you enjoy doing is going to be better with a little sand between your toes.
- The People and the Culture. The majority of the people who live in beach towns are accustomed to tourist from everywhere vacationing, bringing with them diversity and change and also lots of money to spend. Some of these same tourists ultimately end up relocating their lives and family to be near the beach, contributing to the whole melting pot population. Tourist add to the culture by bringing a culture of what’s important to them and incorporating bits and pieces to the area. You’ll always find an interesting mix of people in a beach town. From all over the world.
- Entrepreneurship.
- The Summer Holidays.
There are pros and cons about living anywhere, it’s too hot or too cold or not the right opportunities for jobs etc… On and on, but the choice is clear for some. There’s a passion in our soul to be near the sea and will do whatever it takes to remain there.
What about you, got a special place you love? If you’ve been called a beach bunny or a beach bum, you understand the beach town way of life. It’s a lifestyle I wouldn’t trade, would you?
Happy trails
Donna George
Say It Ain’t So
Legendary rocker Tom Petty singer, musician song writer gone at 66. RIP
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