Life's a Beach

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Last October, I was asked to write about Western Governors University. There’s a lot to cover and I didn’t write ever detail in that review. Since I’m being given another opportunity to write more about them, I’ll even include a video at the end,which they have more of on YouTube if you’re interested in learning more about their online university programs.

For those who want to advance in their careers without compromising their family time, I think it’s awesome all the opportunities to do so nowadays. And if you’re committed, anything is possible. The possibilities are endless!

Whether your interest is in teaching, business, healthcare, or information technology, Western Governors University gives people the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree online to obtain what they desire for advancement in their careers.

Last Saturday, Jason Mraz asked the question, “Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?” I responded by saying that I want to wake up in my bed because me and my daughter had plans on taking a walk. Here’s some responses to that same question via 50 People One Question (New Orleans, LA)

Even with less sleep than I normally get, we went on that walk on a gorgeous spring day. And spring isn’t even officially here yet! ~sigh~ I love it! We usually have snow in March. It’s been great walking without slipping on ice or sludging in sloppy, wet, melting snow. Even the birds are singing their happy springtime melodies. Mybe singing, “What a great feeling to be alive!”

I’m happy where I am right now. Can’t you tell? Not only is this awesome weather energizing, I have work that I love, a roof over my head, heat, a comfortable bed , my daughter with me and the Bunny, and plenty of food and water. I’m truly blessed. But this is not the way I always want it to be.

My daughter turns 18 in October and, as I’ve said before, I don’t know what that will mean for us. I’m only in this house for awhile. I’m being allowed to stay here until I no longer qualify. When that is, remains to be seen.

All that I mentioned above that I have now might be taken from me. Really. There might come a time when I don’t have a roof over my head, heat to keep me warm on a chilly day,  or even a comfortable bed. But I’m not going to worry about this happening. And I’m not going to think about my life being that way. I’m just being aware knowing that anything is possible. I could also start making enough money so that I can have a place to live. Thankfully right now I don’t have to pay rent.

Until then, I’m going to be as happy as I can be here while making plans for my future. As my daughter makes plans for hers. Whether that’s with me or not.

There are times when, although I’m happy to wake up in the bed I have been sleeping in alone for the past several years, I look forward to the possibilities of what the future can look like. Embarking on a new adventure sounds really exciting. Scary and exciting.

It won’t be long until I’ll be as free as a butterfly. It’ll be a chance for me to spread my wings and fly to wherever the spirit leads me. My first thought when I think about not living here is the ocean.

I see pictures of the ocean online and in my imagination. I’m quiet, I take a breath and the rush of the waves crashing on the shore are calling. What a beautiful sound and a hope for the future. this call from the ocean. so loud and so clear. I’m listening.

Is something calling you? A new adventure? A new career? Listen for the call. Will you answer or ignore the call and go on about your life doing the same thing you’ve always been doing?

To once again answer the question, “Where would like to wake up tomorrow?” I’ll say in my bed or somewhere that’s close enough for me to hear and smell the ocean. How about you? Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

I went to bed last night forgetting to close my blinds again. Oops. Maybe my subconscious is doing that so I’ll wake up before noon. I don’t like sleeping that late. But I also don’t want to jump out of my skin from the buzzing of the alrma clock. Once again I got up around 9:15. A perfect time for me. I love working at home.:)

For the past couple of months I’ve been staying up until people normally wake up who have to get their kids ready for school and get themselves ready for work.

For some reason I’ve put sleeping habits on the same schedule as my daughter’s. She’s a nightowl lilke I used to be. Now it doesn’t take much for me to change my sleeping habits and I’m wondering how this will benefit me when I’m ready to embark on that journey towards the ocean.

I won’t say the more I think about it the more excited I get, because I don’t know what lies ahead for me. But I will say that I’m not as afraid as I was when the thoughts first came to me. Fears can help save a life, but they can also hold a person back. I’ve lived too long with the latter type of fears. I’m not going to say I won’t have any ever again, but for now, I’m smiling inside happy that they’ve subsided.

I hope my son will take what he gave me or will let his wife’s family have it or at least keep it for him. My stuff isn’t easy to let go of. I’ve grown pretty attached to it. Especially the desk and chair he bought me. And the washer. They all remind me of him.

And they are of great use to me. But I can’t take them with me. I’m slowly accepting that I’ll be letting them go. I’ll be ready when the time comes.

I’m looking forward to using the lawn mower he bought me last summer. It’ll be nice not to struggle with long weeds that seem to grow overnight.  This could be my last year of doing that at this house.

I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to be bringing and how I’ll carry it. I know I won’t be carrying much more when I head west. And it will all fit in a backpack like the Kipling on the left which is for hiking, which I’ll probably be doing my share of on the journey to the ocean.

I don’t know if my laptop will fit in there with the rest of my stuff of not. I’m saying my laptop as if I already have it. Maybe that will help me to get it sooner. Visualize, right?:)

I still have an army bag that I’ve had since I enlisted when I was 18 years old. I could carry a lot of stuff in that thing. But that would be too hard on my back. I was a lot younger and in much better shape. I don’t think my back could handle as much weight as it can hold. That’s when I get for picking up my four year old daughter in 1991. Life. What a beach.:)

Although it’s not officially spring yet. Thankfully it feels like it is. I woke up to the sun shining bright in my room since I forgot to close the blinds. This is one day I’m glad for my memory loss. It was 58 degrees then and now it’s at a steady 61 degrees.

I’ve also been sitting here with my office window open enjoying the sound of our state bird, the Cardinal. Now, if only I had a laptop and a hammock I’d be all set. I’d be lying outdoors enjoying the sun and fresh air and getting my work done at the same time.

I like this hammock. Isn’t it colorful? It’s handwoven using thick cotton string. Sounds comfortable. And what an awesome way to relax. I’m sure I’d fall asleep easily while reading a book or just thinking too much. I could get $10 off using a Hammocks.com coupon code.

* * *

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we are (hopefully) already enjoying spring-like weather. March 20th actually marks the first day of Spring. This also means Easter is approaching, for those who celebrate. This year Easter Sunday is on April 4th.

What a perfect way to ring in spring or to wish someone a “Happy Easter” by giving bright, colorful flowers. There are quite a few From You Flowers coupons to choose from, depending on what or how you’d like to celebrate this time of year. There’s even a coupon code for St. Patrick’s Day flowers that’s good until tomorrow, since it is St. Patrick’s Day then.

My life is so full of synchronicities and I’m just thrilled about it. For the past year it’s been at an all-time high and yet I’ve been too lazy and sometimes too…I’m not sure…shy? I think that’s it. To write about them. For reasons I don’t want to write about here. At least not right now. Or maybe never.If I do write about it, it will most likely be on my spiritual blog. Which I haven’t updated in over a month. Again.

Anyway. Yesterday I wrote a blog post about the cute and ’sexy in red’ 1971 Ferrari Dino (kind of my namesake, but not really.:-D). Amongst the web sites that I found while looking for the right photo and information I wanted for the blog post, I encountered another synchronicity that I feel the urge to share.

I write for a company based in Cary, North Carolina. Goodness. It sure doesn’t seem like it’s been almost three years since I started. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?:)  So anyway, I found a web site that has the same 1971 model Ferrari Dino, down to the same sexy color.

Photo Credit: Robert via Flickr

Sometimes I do wish I weren’t such a scaredy cat when it comes to driving. Then I might be driving a sexy car. And feeling sexy. Yeah. Whatever. Until the next someone I care about gets into an accident. Thankfully, not at the fault of their own. Not that it makes being in an accident better. I’m just glad it wasn’t because of reckless driving on their part.

Anyway, back to the web site.  The web site allows for people to put up ads for their vehicles at no charge. There are a lot of classics listed. From the 20s on up. It’s so cool. The Ferrari Dino that I found for sale on the web site is in Cary, North Carolina. See the synchronicity? Again. Cool.

At first I thought the web site was based in North Carolina, too. But it’s not. It’s in Germany. But there are private owners and dealers all over the world listing their vehicles on it.

If I wouldn’t have been writing about the Ferrari Dino, I may have never found Anamera. Since I wasn’t asked to write about them, just in case the owner of the web site or the seller of the sexy Dino ever finds this blog post, here’s a thank you for the inspiration.

I’ve written several blog posts about my fear and lack of driving. But I still wonder, on occasion, what type of car I would want to drive. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be a sports car. But lets just say that I didn’t have the feelings that I have and that I did want to drive and wanted the car to be cute, sexy, and sporty.

So, with that being said, I found a car that fits that description. Oh, I would imagine that it has some get up and go, too. It is, after all, a Ferrari. But this one is extra special. Because we share something in common. A couple things, actually.

In Astrology, it says that the colors maroon and dark red are the Scorpios colors. I do love the bold and sexy color, that is a fact. I prefer the darker reds, but I like this color, too. Umm. You can see the outside. Now, can you just picture all the sexy Ferrari parts inside this cute little baby from 1971?

Photo Credit: Robert via Flickr

If I had no fears of standing out whether driving a sports car with a strong color or blogging and saying whatever I I’m thinking, I’d be right out there with the best of ‘em.

Something else we have in common is our name. Although I’m not Italian, I have an Italian nickname. It wasn’t meant to be that way, but, there it is. I seem to remember my oldest sister telling me that she couldn’t pronounce my name, “Diana”. A big dinosaur statue was also in this story. Somewhere in Wyoming or around there. I think. I also loved The Flinstones. Probably because of the name. Although I got teased about it, a lot by being called “Dino the Dinosaur”. ~Rolls eyes~ Some of them were adults.

Well, somehow, I got the name “Dino” pinned on me since I was, I don’t know how old. And it stuck ever since. My family and others who used to be in my family who I still consider…family are the only ones who call me “Dino”.

The Dino is named after the founder, Enzo Ferrari’s son, Alfredo Dino Ferrari, who died very young from MS in 1956. I also like it because it was considered to be a lower priced more affordable sports car.

It all sounds good. And I learned years ago not to say that I’ll never do something or think a certain way because my thoughts can change in less than a second. And then I sometimes think, “Oh. Okay.” And then I often smile at myself about it.

There was a time when I didn’t want to be called Dino by anybody. Even family. I was a teenager. Now I don’t care. Unless someone calls me Dino the Dinosaur. Then, it will depend on my mood. I’ll either ignore you, or get bitchy about it. Fair warning.

If I were to guess I’d say that June is probably the most popular month for getting married. July might be another popular time. At least in the United States since it’s the beginning of summer. I can understand since there’s less chance of rain and there’s more sunshine. Warm weather makes it a better time to have a wedding outside.

If I ever get married (which I think I’d shock myself if it ever happened), I’d want to get married barefoot on the beach. There’s just something about the sound of the ocean that seems so romantic and I’m really not a big fan of shoes. So, my wedding invitations would say something like no shoes, no problem and bring a swimming suit and sun screen. I would ask that you don’t come with stinky, dirty feet. I don’t want memories of my wedding of funky feet. You should have taken a shower before coming anyway.

I heard a bird outside my bedroom window this morning. That’s a sign of Spring for sure. It was such a beautiful day out on Thursday that I couldn’t resist the urge to open a window. While my daughter opened the front window in the living room, I turned the thermastat all the way down so the furnace wouldn’t turn on.

It was chilly, but I let the fresh air in which gave me more energy. The 50 degree weather felt so refreshing and so good and energy-lifting. Yes. I have spring fever, that’s a fact.

After being in the house most of the time during the winter just opening a window and smelling the freshness of nature and feeling it’s energy boosting, mood enhancing negative ions that are floating all around us in the air that we breathe. There are even more of them to inhale at the beach, on the mountains and under a waterfall. Just the type of nature that my soul is yearning to be enveloped in.

I took a break from writing this blog post so I could go to the store. No matter that the sky is covered in grey clouds and there’s no sun to be seen and it’s not as warm as it was yesterday or as warm as I thought it was. Just seeing that more snow has melted and knowing that the first day of spring truly is just around the corner is enough to feel the new beginnings of the season are upon us and walks will be plentiful, weather permitting.

Of course we don’t want to forget that exercise is one of if not the best ways to boost your energy. Just don’t do it before you go to bed if it will keep you awake.  I don’t know how my daughter can sleep so quickly after she does her exercises.

When I’d see advertisements for fitness equipment, I’d think how nice it would be to have some of them, but for how long I ask myself. I’m thinking about getting a hula hoop and a jump rope. Oh, but I’ve got to get me a bra. Preferably a sports bra. I did some jumping jacks last night and “the ladies” caused me some unnecessary pain. They like the freedom that they’ve had all these years to be sure, but for the bouncing around type of exercising they have to be confined. Bouncing boobs hurt.

My favorite energy booster, though is chocolate. What else?:)

My television stopped working last Friday and I really don’t miss it. Except maybe a show or two. Right now Law & Order SVU is the only show I can think of, which I hadn’t done for a few days. Until I saw it mentioned on Twitter.

Both me and my daughter are surprised that she’s OK with not having a television to watch. She thought she was gonna go crazy without it. And I haven’t let her get online any more than usual because that would have made it too easy for her. This gave her a chance to think and even to take up some reading. And she’s saving money to buy herself a portable dvd player. She’s discovered that TV isn’t all that important, but she’d still like some entertainment. Something she’s never been too big on. Movies.

I don’t plan on buying a new TV. Since I don’t know how long we’re going to be living here, I’d rather not spend the money on something we can obviously do without. It’s a big distraction, anyway. I have been inspired and energized by some programs, but there are many other sources that can offer me that.

I’ve been reading more, too. It only took a couple days to read Falling Bodies. Then I found The Lovely Bones on the shelf along with about 50 other books. Books that have been gathering dust because although I read a little, I haven’t been in much of a reading mood, so it takes me forever and a day to read one book.

Most of the reading I do are blogs and web sites with inspirational articles. That won’t stop, but now I’m just doing some extra novel reading, too. It’s a great escape from this boring or crazy (depending on your perspective and life style) world we live in.

Since there is one less distraction and because I haven’t replaced one noise for more of another, like more music, I’ve had more quiet time and that has inspired me to go back to journaling. I didn’t think I would enjoy the process or that I’d have much to write about, but I proved myself wrong.

There might  come a time when I want to have a television again and maybe I’ll even desire a Slingbox. But for now I’m content on reading, journaling, talking with my daughter and doing what I do online.

My TV has finally given up the ghost. Well, mostly. It still turns on, but the picture gives off a colorful neon glassy glow look and then it turns itself right back off. It had been working pretty well since October..

As far as giving up the ghost, you could say that I’m the one who falls into that category. I loved Ghost Whisperer and Medium from the beginning until the beginning of this season. Ever since Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Jim Clancy’s (David Conrad) son, Aiden Lucas (Conner Gibbs) was born (and aged 5 years), it just hasn’t been the same. It’s more cheesy than ever and the boy needs a better story line. They’re off to a good start, but he’s in bed too much.

Medium bores me now and I don’t like how Allison confronts the people she believes did the crimes. I don’t like the tone of her voice and I don’t like how her husband still doesn’t trust her dreams.

Everything happens for a reason. It seems like that reason might be that since I don’t like these shows, not having a television isn’t a big deal to me. But then again, this also means I won’t be able to watch Hawaii Five-O with sexy Alex O’Loughlin.

At least I don’t have to turn the channel when a boring commercial comes on about auto insurance quotes. There’s nothing I can do about it right now and I’m not going to get worked up about it, either. I do miss having the choice to watch television, but I’m not going to get worked up about it. I don’t have the money to buy a new one. And even if I did, I’d choose to get a laptop first.