My New Club! I'm a Grandma Now!
Last month I entered a club I’ve been waiting to get passage into for years. I have many friends who are members in good standing, some, many times over. I’m a freshman of only 4 weeks and it’s been glorious.
I’ve become a grandma. It’s as splendid as all those who have taken this role before me say it is. There is something too magnificent for words to watch a new life come into this world. With amazement the doctor announced, “I see a head!” and the next thing, a little tiny 5 pound baby girl slipped into her arms. What a joy unspeakable.
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September 25th is right around the corner!
That's the day we’re celebrating the release of the audiobook version of my book, Hello Nobody: Standing at the Door Alone - What to Do When Everything Changes.
The Kindle version will be FREE for the first 3 days! If you’re willing to download the FREE Kindle version (or purchase the paperback), I’ll need folks to leave honest reviews of the book on Audible or on Amazon, whichever is easiest for you.
I Survived 3 Days in a Closet - How I Recorded My Audiobook
I never had much to do with my closet, until I was trapped in it for three days! Before I explain myself you must know my closet. It’s pretty large, especially for one person. When I give a tour of my house to someone who is a first time visitor, my closet seems to have a “wow” factor to it. It’s not movie-star spectacular or anything remotely close, but for an average person, it could be used as a small bedroom, or an office, or a nursery without windows. I have upper and lower clothes racks and built in shelving surrounding the room. There’s a built in linen closet and I added an antique dresser that provides closet drawers in a lovely way. A cherry wood boudoir chair with a pink velvet upholstered seat makes perfect sitting to pull on boots or stand on to reach high shelving.
The other factor about my closet, besides its roomy size is the amount of clothes I have hanging. Years and of dresses, tops and pants in a range of sizes are collected, waiting for a call to action. I know shoulder pads left the scene years ago, and who am I kidding I will never be a size 8 again, so the question is, “why?” don’t I purge. Now I’m ready. After 3 full days of staring at the full racks and hangers I’m ready to fill bins and give these dead soldiers a new home.
Always take home as many stories as you do photos.
I never thought I would find a new motto for myself printed on a hotel room card. CitizenM Hotel finds itself perched on a corner property adjacent to the Charles De Gaul airport in Paris. This hotel is one of those rare finds that becomes a traveling favorite. The room key card is designed to look like a luggage tag with the quote to take home stories printed across the top. CitizenM Hotels are found in New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Glasgow, recommended, if you are ever in those particular cities. I’ve only stayed at the Paris property.
I’m fortunate to have a neighbor who owns a travel company. She caters to small groups and designs excursions to more than just places. The trips, no matter to Cuba, Greece, Italy, Portugal, or France become an experience of meeting locals and discovering someone else's part of the world. Because of her, I’ve visited spots I would never have been brave enough to venture to alone. I’ve met people in far away places that make my world bigger.
My Latest new Find: Bella Grace Magazine
I’ve discovered a most interesting magazine. Actually, to call it a magazine is a put down, this publication is masterful. Have you ever heard of Bella Grace?
One day I was sitting in a bookstore enjoying the collection of house decorating publications I amassed as inspiration for my new house. The bookstore cafe tempted me with a coffee and a sweet treat. I settled into a comfortable spot; the afternoon was leisurely, a place to enjoy my own company. After more than an hour, my mug emptied, my plate of crunchy cookies reduced to a few crumbs, I started to make two stacks; for purchase and one to return to the shelf.
Then I saw it. It stood alone on a rack near the cafe.
What to Do When You Feel Lost
I’ve been on the lookout for things to fill my comfort zone. I realized one today, my car GPS is a comfort to me. I’m more confident as a person, not hindered by my lack of direction. I consider myself directionally-challanged and have no problem admitting it. I simply don’t have a “big-picture.” In describing driving directions to someone, I give landmarks, not compass points. I have no idea if I live on the northeast side of town or not. Even if I did, that information wouldn’t give me any clue or concept of where I belong.
Writing Prompt: Your Box of Memories
This is a season of remembering for me. When spring and summer roll around looking at my calendar, I see empty space surrounding dates that once held joy and promise. To anyone else, the numbers that line up in perfect calendar order are just that, numbers and days waiting for plans to be made and events noted.
I have scribblings all over my yearly paperback calendar and would be in big trouble if I lost it. I don’t trust myself using only the electronic version of noting my dates, I need to flip the worn pages of my spiral-bound calendar and see one month on a full page. I’m a long way from being a millennial, and I know it. What I really need to do is write my dates using my erasable pen, as the designated spot allowed for each day is quite scribbled and marked up. As a side note, don’t write checks using your erasable pen, ask me I know why.
I've Discovered a New Word!
“Remember that lovely evening surrounded by friends at home, maybe with a glass or cup of tea and baked goods on the table. There were candles, the rain was beating on the window outside. There was laughter, conversation, and a feeling of comfort…you were present in the moment together. There was no before or after that mattered. That’s hygge.”
~ Unknown
What’s Next for 2019? (My New Book!)
I’m not the kind of person who has trouble looking back to review a year that’s over. I enjoy the process. I’m thankful for my calendar which records the appointments, dinner plans, travel dates, to-do lists, phone numbers, and any other random thing I don’t want to forget. I must write things down, or I never remember what or where I’m supposed to be or do. I don’t think it’s a result of accumulated birthdays, I’ve always had a partial sieve for a memory.