Dinner Adventure

Dinner should always be an adventure.   We are finishing vacation and decided last night to have dinner at a marina across the lake.  We’d been there before and had enjoyed the food.   Side Note:  We are vacationing with Wonderful Man’s sister and family, along with some of their friends.    Ages range from 16 to 40+.   Great group of people with nice, fun kids who know the meaning of vacation is to kick back and forget about the rest of the world, making the most of every minute.

So, as the weather looked a bit threatening, we decided to take one boat across the lake.   It would be cozy with all 11 of us, but only a 20 minute ride and this boat had the best rain coverage!    We all load in and start making our way, a little rain comes up and we put up the rain shield and covers.   We’re feeling rather smug as we pass boats with people clearly getting wet.   Lots of laughter and talking until we steer around the next bend;  suddenly, visibility is less than ¼ of a mile and at that moment we see lightening.   A boat on open water is not really where we want to be!!    As we are not even half-way, a decision is made to turn around and return to the dock.   This group is not one to be put down, so we decide to go by car to the marina.   We look at the map, should be maybe 30 minutes to get there.

WRONG!!!   An hour later we finally arrive at the restaurant!   The road was winding and curvy and hilly!!   (Yet on the map, you just see this diagonal line crossing the forest to the other side of the lake. )    Still, the mood is upbeat.  We are here and will have dinner.   Its very busy (for them!) and staff lets us know they will be with us as soon as they can.   A guitar player and flutist are playing and singing.   Our initial reaction was not great.   But after getting our order in, and settling in to wait for our meals, a strange thing happened.  We all start signing along!   The songs were clearly from the 40+ side (example: Bob Segar’s Turn the Page), but these young ones knew all the words and sang loudly with us.   By the time we were done with dinner, all were relaxed and in a great mood.     What should have been a couple of hours turned into a five and ½ hour adventure.   The drive back didn’t take as long and the relaxed mood continued as we said our good by’s in front of the resort.   For us its back to real life.    And our only dinner adventures will be my continued efforts in the kitchen!  

Switching Seats

Do you always sit in the same place?   Automatically gravitate towards the people you know well?   I do.   Its comfortable.   Its safe.   Its easy.   

We are spending the week at the lake boating.  Boy 1 and Boy 2 left a couple days ago, so its been me and Wonderful Man alone in our boat.   Now normally when we boat, I sit next to my husband.   It’s the best spot for spotting the kids on the tube and for reaching things that may be needed (phones, drinks, music, etc) while we are out.  It also means that I generally sit backwards, watching everything behind us, only getting to see where we’ve gone, not where we are going.   But since its only the two of us, I’ve had an opportunity to move around and get more comfortable in the boat.    I actually moved to a very comfortable spot where I can stretch my legs and see everything IN FRONT of us.  WOW!!  It’s a totally different view!    The entire lake just stretches out before your eyes; I’m actually able to give input (ha, ha) on which way to go instead of just being a passenger. 

I was thinking about it later and realized that in life I’ve done that a lot.  Sit in the same place, talk to the same people.    Never really mixing it up much.   And I realize that its much more exciting to mix it up.   Moving positions and seeing all the different directions you could go but might have missed if you hadn’t changed your position.    That’s kind of how I view my “career change”:   Switching Seats.  (And as soon as I get back from vacation, I am going to focus more on what that new "seat" needs to look like!)

But, there’s also risk, right?   Someone once told me when I was first starting to sell real estate that you have to be willing to “put yourself out there”.   I mean, when you provide “input” on direction, if it doesn’t turn out so well, you have to take some responsibility.     Talking to and meeting new people requires that you “put yourself out there”.   You have to be ready for a little rejection sometimes.  So I am going to make a conscious effort to move around and “put myself out there more”.   I know that the reward of growth will outweigh the risk.   

Time to Clean

I have told you before that the only magazine I read is "Real Simple".  It has lots of great organizing, cleaning and food tips.   My sister is the one that introduced me to it several years ago and I am a huge fan!  (Side Note:   I have four sisters.   Not sure what to call them here!  Certainly don't want to give them any names they might find unflattering.   Actually, all are wonderful and very, very supportive!  Hmmm...need to think about this.)

ANYWAY...I told you previously I will now be cleaning my own home regularly for the first time in several years.   I actually like cleaning my home when I have the time.   A few years ago, the magazine published how to clean a room.  By that I mean in what order do you clean.   I went back online to see if I could find this because I want to share it with you.  And, I can't find it.  I may actually contact them and request a "repeat" because this was totally worth it.

I do remember that the first step to cleaning any room is to DUST.   Using a microfiber cloth traps the dry dust and keeps it out of the air, as well as having a better dust-free surface to clean with liquid. In my search to find the article I did stumble across a reader's query of whether you dust or vacuum first and the answer was DUST!   Next step was to CLEAN OR DISINFECT (sinks, countertops, etc).  Now somewhere in here the floors get swept and/or mopped.   I do remember that the last step was SHINE (mirrors, faucets, etc.)   (I really am going to contact them...because now this is driving me crazy!)  I would never have "dusted" my bathroom; I went straight to the "clean" step.   But this really did make cleaning easier!

66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions   This is also from Real Simple.   Since there are 66 solutions here I will not list them all.    I did not know, however, how versatile salt and lemons are!   This has some pretty cool uses for things you may have already.   Read and enjoy!  (Side note:  When I ask for the repeat, I am going to send an invoice for Promotional Services!)

So I will let you know how the cleaning goes.   I will let you know what works and where I have troubles.   (I am sure there will be troubles!)     I am also wondering exactly how Boy 1 and Boy 2 can be convinced that cleaning is a family activity!

Inspiration

I have shared with you my love of contemporary Christian music.   My reflection time each day is often spent listening to my Ipod, concentrating on the music and words.   I wanted to share with you some of the phrases (and titles/artists) that have been so comforting and inspiring to me these past weeks (especially).

Safe by Phil Wickham.    "To the one whose dreams have fallen all apart and all your left with is a tired and broken heart.....No, you're not alone....When everything is falling apart, you will be safe in His arms."

Blink by Revive.  Previously posted   "...I don't want to miss even just a second more of this."

For Love of You by Audrey Assad.   "....Your fingerprints can be seen on a million faces, there is a trace of you in every Hallelujah and every song that I sing.....and for Love of You I'm a star on fire...and because of You, I come alive" 

Hold Us Together by Matt Maher.  "It don't have a job, don't pay your bills.....Won't fix your life, in five easy steps, Ain't the law of the land or the government.    But its all you need.   And.  Love. Will.  Hold us Together.  Make us a shelter to weather the storm."   THIS SERIOUSLY IS MY FAVORITE!!!! 

Whenever I feel that cloud coming back over me, I listen to this song. And I smile. Because... This I Have. And I am very grateful.   Do not underestimate the power of song to heal and inspire.

Floating Away

So today while you are reading this, I am on vacation.   The miracle of technology!!

On Friday, we left the "Wonderful" home and travelled three hours to a place that I consider paradise.   It is a body of water that allows me to forget everything except climbing in the boat, putting my hair up, and closing my eyes to the world.  (Side note: I find it fascinating that I cannot swim, am scared of water, did not grow up around boats or water and yet this is where I am finally able to relax.)   Packing for this vacation is simple.   A few swimsuits, a few shorts and t-shirts and that is it!!!   I do not dress up.    I do not fix my hair (pony-tail girl for a week!).    I do apply sunscreen and lip balm, but aside from showering, that's it!!

We will spend five or so days doing nothing but boating and floating, talking and laughing,  chilling and napping.   There are many people that would find this boring after a couple of days.   We just can't seem to get enough!   And as described, there is very little preparation to this kind of trip, which makes it almost stress free.   Unless, of course, you count the dreaded swimsuit shopping.

 I wasn't going to get a new suit, but I had hoped to find a new top to go with some great swim shorts I have.    Shouldn't be a big deal, last year they were everywhere.   Not so this year!  I was not only challenged to find what I was looking for (a tank style) but to find a size that actually worked.   I have lost some weight but wasn't really expecting to go down a size.  What a nightmare!   If I found something that only showed an appropriate amount of cleavage, then the rest of the top was too big.   Going down in size, it turned into something obscene!!   Seriously, what are all these women who get "work done" wearing?????   Is there a custom shop that I am unaware of???   Someone please clue me in.   Result is that I have no new top.   I am wearing last year's suits (except for one that really is too big!!!  Yea!!!!).   Happy Monday!