New socks that I bought at the Audubon Zoo. DREAM BIG!
2019 is winding down which means it’s time to finish up this year and start thinking about the goals to make for 2020. I plan to choose a new word to guide the year and to create a 20 for 2020 list. Both of these activities make me happy and spur me on to be more productive. However, before I can even think about next year, I have to focus on finishing strong this year. Including today, I only have 17 days left to wrap up the loose ends on my 19 for 2019 list.
On Friday evening, my BFF Shelly and I had dinner with our husbands at Streetside Market in Hammond. It is a neat restaurant where you can experience the culinary delights of different vendors all under one roof. After dinner, Shelly and I waved goodbye to the guys, bought coffee at PJ’s, and headed to New Orleans to see Cher in concert.
WOW! Cher is 73 years old and looks fabulous. Her performance was captivating from beginning to end. Her song choices, the elaborate costumes, the artistic dancers, the detailed set design, as well as the talented musicians and backup singers created a fantastic creative execution. Not being a huge Cher fan, I didn’t really know what to expect. Shelly was the only reason that I went to the concert. She wanted to go, so being the awesome friend that I am and my love of concerts, I said yes when she asked if I would go with her. And, I am so happy I said yes because I was blown away not only by Cher’s performance, but also by her story that she shared with the audience. She has given me a boost of inspiration.
In Other News:
- I bought myself a Cricut Maker Machine for my scrapbooking projects.
- My hubby and I went to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans last weekend, and I finally got to see the baby orangutan Bulan and the new pride of lions (Arnold, Nia, Kali, and Zuri). I also bought myself some inspirational socks.
- Unfortunately, I have NOT lost any more weight. I still have six pounds left to shed by the end of the month.
- Andrew finished his first semester finals at SLU on Thursday. I’m eagerly awaiting to hear the final results. He’ll be spending winter break with us starting next week which give me a MASSIVE happiness boost.
Christmas is on the horizon, dear reader, so I will be squeezing all of what that season entails while scrambling to complete several tasks before year end. One Christmas item that I scratched off my list this year was putting up a Christmas tree. Since we have been remodeling rooms and the house is in a slight disarray, I decided to forgo adding more unnecessary stuff to the already existing mishmash. Happiness!
“Everyone’s got to have a dream…It’s not reaching your dreams that count. It’s going toward them.” ~ Cher
Last Sunday, my hubby, Andrew, and I took a road trip to Slidell to attend the HERPS Exotic Reptile and Pet Show at The Harbor Center. These shows happen a few times a year in our surrounding areas, and I have always wanted to go to check out their critters. We are animal lovers and have cared for many pets over the years with a few exotics being part of the mix. I specifically was interested in checking out the hedgehogs (learn about the breeders, touch one, and assess cost to acquire one). I have never had a hedgehog but find them fascinating, so I have joined a couple of Facebook hedgehog groups to learn more about their habits and care requirements. I even follow Mr. Pokee’s page to check out his many adventures with his owner. My guys tagged along because they were just as curious as I was, and there would be lots of snakes.
I had no idea when I went to the show that I would be leaving with one of them. We stopped at the Knockout Exotics table where Andrew spotted a Corn Snake for $25. The snake was born on June 4th where he hatched from an egg. His container had a “pet only” label on it. I inquired about it, and the breeder (Kara) told us that he was born with kinks in his spine which are medically harmless to the snake but not ideal for breeding. That was all my future zoologist needed to hear. Andrew purchased the snake, and with help from Kara, he also purchased a tank, bedding, and a hidey-hole to place inside the tank. With instructions from Kara, we left Slidell and headed back to Hammond. On the drive home, Andrew named his snake George. Before we arrived home, we had to make a quick trip to Petco to buy some frozen pinkies (sold out at the show) to feed George.
Good morning! Today is a most terrific day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the air conditioner is running, and I got Sesame Street stamps from the post office yesterday. Happiness boost! It is also the birthday of one of my dearest friends on the planet…the fabulous Michelle. How fitting that I bought Sesame Street stamps the day before the celebration of her birth! Sesame Street is one of the many popular shows that airs on PBS.
I am definitely headed toward one of the busiest weeks of the summer. The week will consist of health/wellness appointments, work meetings, voice/acting classes, a concert, and my annual scrapbook convention with my girlfriends. What is a girl to do? Celebrate with gratitude! I am so very thankful to have the opportunities to take care of myself, stretch myself (classes), and rejuvenate myself. I am so very thankful for moments to be creative and explore my potential.
which is extremely beneficial when you want to see how you are REALLY spending your time. We all (myself included) like to say we are busy; however, that is a story we like to tell even to ourselves. I found her “three versions of the self” interesting. She describes each version: “The anticipating self is wondering about, planning, and worrying about the future. The experiencing self is in the here and now. The remembering self thinks back to the past” (Vanderkam, 70). The anticipating self sets our intentions or goals while the remembering self reflects on the fruits of our labor. Our experiencing self follows through or falls through with plans, intentions, or goals depending on the circumstances or feelings in the present moment. My experiencing self gets in my way of taking action on a regular basis. It is pals with FEAR and PROCRASTINATION which has robbed me from realizing a few goals or pursuing a couple of dreams. This is my year to COMMIT, so in order to take more action and waste less time, I need to commit to listening less to my experiencing self, plan the task/event, and execute.
