Spaaaaahhhhh!!

To everyone who cancelled on my esthetician today, thank you.  (Cough) You were rude to cancel within hours of your appointment, and you were rude to just not show up.  However, because of your poor spa etiquette (lol), I got to have a 2 hour facial.  AhhhhhSpaaahhhhh.  Sooooo, relaxing and enjoyable.

After I sunk down underneath the sateen luxury sheeting, after she dimmed the lights and ever so gently pinned my hair up, she cleansed my skin.  I love the thick cotton towelettes she uses to remove the cleanser and I especially like that she uses several thick towelettes instead of reusing the same one over and over (soooo not sanitary).  After a couple of rounds of cleansing, she applied a masque hand-mixed to address my particular skin's needs.  As she applied the masque I felt a warmth spread all over my face.  I was in a lovely state of relaxation but soon realized that my face was on fireeeee!!  

A paprika masque it was and, boy, that paprika is hot stuff.  It causes the blood to rush to the surface of the skin (hello!) thus resulting in the toxins to come to the surface and thus resulting in my face being on fire.  It's like eating hot-hot-hot sauce at a Mexican restaurant that you realize is really hot only after you've emptied your bowl of chips.  By then, it's way too late to go back and you just have to let the inside of your mouth find its own salvation and coolness through iced tea, iced water and ice cream after dinner (ha).

Anyway, back to the spa table.  She let the paprika masque cure for 5 minutes or so (fireeeeee!) and then rinsed it away.  Throughout the remainder of the facial, my face continued to feel the effects of the paprika.  It's because the blood still was rushing to my face...the toxins rushing...you could even see that my face was flush!  

After rounds of this and that soothing masques and this and that gloriously thick, lush lotions, followed by a rose infused masque, I was asleep in dream state.  As the rose infused masque cured, she left the room for who knows how long.  All I know was that I was dreaming on the table.  You see, I had just come from the gym (awesome workout) and had a light lunch (yummy), so my body was ready for some recoup time...it was ready for some slumber in the dark with soft music playing.

She came back inside and peeled the luscious rose masque off and then she applied an incredibly wholesome feeling organic conditioner to my face and neck.  She then applied another layer of the conditioner and my skin was drinking it in!  I promise, I was so hydrated and plumped up that I was radiant.

It was when I had to awaken to dress myself that I noticed the time.  Over 2 hours!!  I had been on her table for over 2 hours!!!  Ohhhhh, how wonderful I felt.  My whole being had been refreshed.  So, again I say thank you to the people who cancelled or were no shows.  I took all of my time and some of yours too.  I also generously tipped my esthetician and bought products to make up for the loss of income due to your not being there (oops!).

When was the last time you took some time for yourself?  Do you realize that no one else is going to take time for you?  "Your time" can be experienced by only YOU!  Even if it is a refreshing drink, a nice song on the radio and wind in your hair...have a "ME" moment.  Only think about that very moment and not about your to do list.  Think only about yourself and who you are at that moment.

Do something nice for yourself today and savor the experience.  Show kindness and tip well (even though they may use a paprika masque).  :)

I was at the gym this morning and began to warm up on a treadmill.  I was running late so I didn't give much attention to the treadmill that I stepped on.  I just pressed "quick start," ramped it up to 3.3 speed and began my session.  As I looked up at the TV screens, I instinctively put both hands on the side rails.  Hmmm, something's not right....something feels gross...

Instead of finding the usual cold, hard rails I realized that I had put my hands down on semi-dried sweat of someone who was on the treadmill before me.  ewwwww!  Immediately, I stepped to the side of the moving track and in doing so I had to brace myself and put my hands in another semi-soggy pool of someone else's sweat.  G-R-O-S-S !!!!!  My mouth opened and out came exclamations such as, "OMG...who was here before me?!  Who would leave a treadmill like this?!  What an inconsiderate person!!!...."  LOL....

You might say, "oh, yea, that's happened to me too..."  Right?  Whether it be an elliptical, treadmill, piece of weight equipment, or stretch mat, I'm sure that at some time in your workout career (ha) you have stepped into, rolled into, sat down on someone else's sweat.  Well, I don't have to tell you that it is just gross.  I never get used to it and I find it completely inexcusable that someone would not clean up after himself/herself. 

Do you know what makes it worse this morning?  The gym is part of an exclusive resort, so the members totally should know better!!!  Actually, I should know better.  By now I should know that manners and courtesy are not possessed only by the financially well-to-do.  In fact, money and status are no indication of the character of a person.  In my opinion, how one conducts himself (this means male and female), how one treats others, one's courtesy and manners (let me throw this in:  washing your hands in the restroom...cleaning up after yourself on a sweaty treadmill!)....these are the elements of a person who has class.

A new man in my life

I have a new man in my life. He is 5 years old and he has long hair. I adopted him 3 weeks ago and he has changed my life! He is small like I am. He is a toy Chihuahua. LOL. I adopted a long hair, toy Chihuahua and his name is Stanley. I just LOVE him, and we are having the best time.

I've never had a pet before so this is a new experience, but I love it. You see, before Stanley, everything in my life centered on ME. I had my work, my gym, my Starbucks and my stuff. My life was so self-centered. I needed someone in my life to give love and affection to...someone to keep me accountable and give me responsibility, and Stanley is it. Yes, I know that a boyfriend or husband or even an adopted child do the same thing, but I needed to start with small steps...didn't want to take the plunge and drown in going big. I wanted to start small, so I did.

Actually, I am finding that Stanley is teaching me about myself. For instance, I’ve learned that I am WAY affectionate. OMGoodness...you should hear me talk to him. Even as I write this blog he is sitting in my lap with his little tail wagging. (Melt the heart, right?) Another thing I’ve learned about myself is that I am soooooo generous with my love. Stanley also is teaching me how to balance being very much the person who I am, while also sharing my life with someone else. It is a balance that I’ve had difficulty with over the years, but this balance is healthy and I need to get it under my belt.

For any one who wants to get married one day and have children, I recommend that you start with a pet. Stanley is getting me up earlier in the mornings. I walk him and feed him throughout the day. Now, I have to plan my schedule with him in mind...which is good because I am leaving the office earlier, staying home more (no more malls!) and changing my habits to make room for Stanley. Stanley needs a lot of affection and attention. Hello!! He likes to be held and walked around the house. He likes to rest his little head on my shoulder and nestle his little nose around my neck. I do this with him in the morning and at night.

He is not someone who I can just keep in the house and still do my own thing like he isn’t there. It is good that he makes me change my habits because, I admit, I might have the tendency to treat a boyfriend or husband like they were a piece of furniture. I know that’s bad but what I mean is that for someone who has been single for so long it is not entirely natural for “all of a sudden” Mr. Wonderful to get an invitation to come inside the house. There are a lot of people out there who enjoy (rather, cling to) being single. We cling to our careers, material possessions, flexible schedule…we cling to our freedom! We say that “one day” we want to marry or date, but when it comes down to it we can be so inflexible that Mr. Wonderful has to make an appointment to even see us. Come on now! Say amen somebody! I’m not talking to only myself. I’m talking about many single people out there.

I don’t want to be like that, whether in a dating relationship or in a marriage. I don’t want to be selfish or self-absorbed, and I need practice in sharing my life. Believe it or not (and as silly as this sounds) Stanley helps me with this “practice” in playing nice and friendly with “my life.” He is putting me in practice so that sharing my life (time, schedule, activities, home) and myself with someone is becoming natural. I’m getting in the groove.

So, the moral of this story (lol) is that pets can bring so much joy and love INTO your life and OUT OF you. It is like a flood of happiness that you don’t get to partake in until you join the pet club. I encourage you to share your life. Whether you share it with a cat, dog, child, man, woman…whatever…just do it. Don’t have a life filled with only you. Oh, that is such a one-dimensional way to live. We all have a deep and wide and big heart inside of us, and the love in our hearts is meant to be shared. Love yourself then pass your love on….

Say a little prayer.....

I was approaching the door of my coffee shop (ahem...chocolate milk shop) when I saw her approaching too. She and I are friendly towards each other although we hardly see each other anymore. We exchanged "Hello....how you doing?" as we both walked into the shop. I don't know how the conversion turned to the topic of where we live, but it did. I said, "Oh, I live just over [yada yada yada]," and she replied, "Really? I live nearby...just over [la la la la la]." Then, I looked at her ....into her face....because something clicked in my subconsciousness that something wasn't right. In my mind I was saying to myself, "Wait! I thought she lived far away over on the other side of downtown...She had a house, right? Hmmmm, what has happened to cause her to live over here?! Is she looking for a house over here?! Why would she do that!?....This is not really her kind of a place (the burbs). Is she ok?...Is everything alright?" I was having this whole internal conversation in my head...my body was moving in slow motion but my mind was racing as I tried to figure out what my heart and spirit was telling me about her. Then....I looked into her eyes. They were full of sorrow and sadness. She was trying to hide her misery behind her smile and my heart saw it all. She recently had lost a relationship and had to move out. It was her girlfriend's house.

I hated to see her in pain like that, but it wasn't an appropriate time for me to ask about it (we were in line and it was her time up at the cash register to put in her order). Oh, have you ever wanted to just hug someone who was in pain but you couldn't because the circumstances aren't right? I didn't see her as a gay or lesbian woman at that moment...all I saw was a broken heart. You know, Jesus didn't see a loose woman at the well when he looked upon the Samaritan woman. Jesus saw a soul that was lost and in pain and He spoke with kindness to her.

No matter the lifestyle of a person, there is a time for kindness and compassion for their heart and soul. There are people we come in contact with everyday whose eyes are hiding the pain in their heart. They may be confused or troubled, or they may be fearful and full of despair. You know what I've started doing? I've started to pray in my heart for people as I see them and then at night I pray for them out loud. It is my way of staying honest before God....it is important to pray for others. So many people have no one to pray for them...it is a shame. How blessed you and I are if there is but one person praying for us.

God hears the shortest of prayers. He hears long ones too. Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God and prays for you. There may be someone who crossed your path today who is praying for you…you may not even know it. If you remember, say a little prayer for someone in your life today. Your prayer is like a blanket on a cold day…it covers their life with protection. Love someone today…pray for them, and know that I am praying for you. Love.

Just say NO to Oreos and Cheese Nips!

Somehow I ended up with a full bag of Oreo cookies and a box of Cheese Nips in my house. (somehow?....ha) For months now, I've been careful with my diet and am on a roll as far as losing weight. Well, over the last week I've learned something about myself...I can be trusted with neither Oreos nor Cheese Nips! I've downed practically half the bag and half the box! A little nibble here....a little nibble there and before you know it I am 3 pounds heavier! ahhhhh!!

Got me to thinking. There are other kinds of Oreos and Cheese Nips in our lives. Things in our lives that "somehow" are part of our lives, whether it be a habit or people, that we just one day wake up and realize "wow, how did I end up here?!" Negative people, complainers, whiners, those that suck your self esteem and energy from you....those are Oreos. Negative environments also are Oreos. What is a Cheese Nip? A Cheese Nip can be either a person or activity that keep you so distracted or busy with senseless and useless things that you don't have time to address important things in life. Ever meet a person who always was on the "go" and never had time to sit and have a real, meaningful conversation? Ever meet a person who went from one relationship to another without pausing to examine what really they needed or wanted out of a relationship?...a Cheese Nip.

You know, time is short. I want a quality life. Be compassionate and kind, but throw out the Oreos and Cheese Nips!! You'll only gain weight....or baggage. :)))

This is what I think I'm going to do today

I am a big post-it note user. I write my errands down all week so I can do them on the weekends. Well, today I am supposed to do 5 errands which I know will send me all around town ... all day ... only to end up exhausted at the end of the day. So, today, I am pretty sure I'm going to ditch my post-it note and instead go sit out by the pool in my big straw hat! ah ha! ... take that Mr. Post-It!

Some days you just have to say "no" to the senseless busy-ness and instead go for a walk or jog (or ice cream!!!) and just observe the good things around us. The busy-ness of life always will be there; however, nature, a sunny day, our health, family, friends ... all of these good things will not always be with us. Take the time to think about how you spend your time and use it wisely. Apply your resources (ex, your time, energy, affection, attention) toward the things that endure and that will enrich your life. Your relationship with God, your family and friends, your health and well being, ... these are the things that endure. May your heart and life prosper today.