The Sun Is Out!

The sun is out here in Middle Georgia.  I am thankful the the much needed rain, but happy to see the sun again after several days of cloudy, wet weather.  I am definitely a sunshine kinda girl.

Made a reservation today for cruise with girlfriends Trish and Roberta for next January.  That is the time of year here that is cold, cold and more cold and I am ready to escape.  We got a Great Deal on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas and we are all excited to be getting away for some girl time!

Do you have girlfriends you love to travel with?  Time passes quickly ladies, and you need to do it now!  Don't put it off.  I am looking forward to that lovely sunset on the seas again and sharing time with two really special ladies whom I love.

I am going to have to be "good" and get back on track to lose a few more pounds before January.  I love the 17 Day Diet and it seems to work really well for me.  Today I am cooking again, fresh asparagus ( I love the fresh summer veggies ) and grilled chicken and sliced fresh tomatoes (locally grown of course!).  I eat lots of Greek Yogurt, FAGE seems to be the best out there and mixed with sliced fresh fruit and a little Truvia, it tastes like a smooth ice cream..Yummo!

I am also headed to the pool this afternoon...can't lose weight without a little exercise!  I love water in any form so the pool is the best option for me, but treadmills, stairclimbers and even free weights can all help in the quest.  I may be sixty-five but I am going to keep going like I am thirty-five for as long as I can.

Just finished up my last article for LongRidge Writers School and got it in the mail.  I'll be happy to get my diploma, and now I need to get busy submitting to all those magazines out there who just can't wait to publish my stuff! LOL  Well, folks, have a great day and smile.

God Bless Peace, Love and JOY

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Why I Write - For Amy

This is a picture taken this past summer at Okaloosa Island, Florida.  It is my very favorite place in the world!  Somehow, when I cross the bridge across the bay and view the huge expanse of the gloriously emerald green Gulf, I know I have arrived at the place that feels like "home" to me.  I don't live there yet, but plan to in the future.  In fact, I am going shopping for condos next month with a long term plan toward retirement in Okaloosa.  But, that is not why I am writing this particular blog.

I received a comment on my "Before I Wake" blog this morning which touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes.  You see I love to write, but not just for the sake of writing.  I want to reach inside and touch your heart.  I want you to think, to love and to search for answers.  I want you to KNOW that others feel the same way you do.  We all have needs, hurts, desires, loves and dreams.  When something I have written brings joy, comfort, peace or any type of stirring within another individual, I have succeeded in my quest. 

When I look out across the beautiful Emerald Green Gulf, I witness a mystery.  I feel closer to God when I am on the ocean/gulf than anywhere on earth.  You see, it has such beauty and power and mystery.  We see only the very surface of that Gulf.  There is so much beneath it that moves and lives and thrives.  There is such power in the tides and waves which beat against the shore in an endless, pounding and relentless way.  Stones are ground into sand and buildings washed into the sea by the power of that tremendous force.  My God is an AWESOME God!  The Gulf and the ocean can be so flat, mirror-like and calm at times, and then in an instant they seas can rise and become fearsome and violent!  Our God has that kind of power, strength and mystery.  The kind of mystery I see in the ocean/Gulf. 

The Coming Storm.

 And, by the way dear Amy, Okaloosa Island is a perfect spot for a solo getaway.  It is peaceful, beautiful and yet close to anything you might want such as restaurants and shopping.  But, my favorite thing about Okaloosa Island is that quality of peace and connection which seems difficult to get in our everyday world.  Go there and enjoy the peace...God Bless!