Uplifting, Encouraging, and Fun blogging.

Wrote this one earlier last week bit forgot to post. You know, life gets busy. Enjoy

Good day friends! Happiest of Thursdays to you. I hope your day is going well and will continue to be all day long. For those of us that work Monday – Friday, our work week is almost over and we’ve almost made it. I say that like working is the worst thing in the world when actually it’s a blessing. I took a moment this morning to thank my God for allowing me to wake up healthy and warm and for allowing me to be able to work a job. I try to always give my thanks every morning. It seems to make my day go much better. I do my devotion and then get on with my day. I hope there’s something that you can do each morning to make your day start on a good note and give you a reminder of just how blessed you really are. Today I have had my grandmother on my mind all day long. She passed away 16 years ago but for today she was still right here in my heart. I just had the strongest urge to pick up the phone and call her. She was always there to answer and let me tell ya, she loved to talk. More than anything in this world the precious woman loved to talk. So because I couldn’t get her off of my mind, that’s where this little tale begins.

My grandmother was born in 1922. That seems so so long ago. She lived until her 90th birthday which to me is a life well lived. Now we’re from southern Appalachia area so of course we called her Mamaw. Not grandmother or gigi, or grandma but plain ole Mamaw. Her name was Martha which I think is just beautiful and to me a little different for most woman born in 1922. Most ladies her age were name Grace or Ethal or Beulah or Lucille. So to me she got a win with Martha. I was named after her. Her middle name was Elizabeth and that is my first name. She was a little short funny woman who everyone who met her just loved. She was a hell of a cook, and she loved the holidays. Especially Christmas. Sometimes I think that’s who I get my Christmas obsession from. She decorated to the rafters. And she loved anything pink. He carpet was ping. Some of the walls in their house were pink. The windows were covered with only the best heavy drapes, and they were or course pink. My siblings and I spent so much time with her and our papaw. They were our second parents and their house our home away from home.

My younger sister and I use to head to my grandparents’ house and stay almost every other weekend from Friday until Sunday. We looked forward to it and honestly, I think it was the highlight of their week too. Mom would “do her hair” on Fridays and they would let us grab our bags and head home with them. We were so lucky to have them. My younger sister and I never really knew my dads parents. My older sister and brother did and I’m sure they have lots of memories with them as well. They lived next door to us so they saw them a lot. They past away when I was an infant so I don’t remember anything at all about them. My sister was born 5 years later. So, we were raised with just one set of grandparents. We would have never known the difference honestly. Mom’s parents were 100% present in out lives. On a weekly basis and even more during the holidays and the summers when school was out. My Mamaw was the best. She fed us well and she loved to take us shopping.

There was bever a bedtime at my grandparents house. Isn’t that just loke grandparents. You eat what you want, watch what you want to on tv, play in the mud, and stay up as late as you want. One day when I have grandchildren, I plan to be exactly the same way. Sugar and hype those babies up and send them home lol. The bedtime was never an issue. Our Mamaw stayed up until 2 am or later. She was surely a night owl. Papaw on the other hand, was in bed as soon as the sun went down. And he was wide awake at 4 am with his coffee made and his first cigarette of the day smoked. Sometimes they would literally meet in the hall with his “good mornin” and her “good night”. I’m not kidding. It happened more than once. She wouldn’t sit up and watch tv. She read magazines and recipes. And she read them to us. We didn’t mind because on occasion she would fall asleep reading and we’d get so tickled.

The best memories that I will hold near and dear were the saying she had and the way she talked. “You tell that ole devil to get off your shoulder” she would say to me any time I was upset or heart broken. She thought things shouldn’t be depressing or bad. We’d tell her stories about all the things , good and bad that we would do and she’s say “I hope to my never”. I have no idea what that meant but, that saying was probably my favorite. Hence why I named todays blog what I did. They would sit on their porch with their neighbors on the warm evenings and talk until dark. Of course then Papaw would shew them off because well, it was dark and that meant bed time. They did that almost every night with the folks on their street. It’s sad really how most people don’t even know their neighbors any more. Life’s just too busy now.

Today when I wanted to pick up the phone and call her I just wanted to here her say “Myyyyeeelo” once and hear that care in her voice. (and yes she said hello just like that). Her voice was like a big hug. She was thrilled to get a phone call and to talk. I would talk to her about her day then she would want to know what all happened in mine. Even as a grown adult married and with a son, she wanted to know all of the things that happened. She didn’t get out a lot in her later years and I think those phone conversations were a way for her to live life through whomever she was talking to. She’d listen attentively and say “I’ll declare” about every 15 minutes. I don’t know what that means either but, she said it all the time lol. She’d get tickled and laugh so hard but no noise would come out. Just a little wheeze. It was the funniest thing ever. I smile just thinking of it. Today I sure do miss her. I was lucky. We had her a very long time. Papaw died 7 years prior but he was old too so we count ourselves very lucky. I just hope and pray we have we have momma for that many years.

My son was 9 years old when she passed. He got to enjoy her as well. He called her mimi. And he was the love of her life. I’m so thankful that he had the opportunity to have that time with her and that he gets to enjoy some of the same memories that I did.

Were you lucky enough to be able to spend time with your Mamaw? I sure hope that you did and that your memories are as wonderful as mine are. Take time today to think back about your time with her. Did she have some good old sayings that she used? Even if they didn’t make a bit of sense, do you still use them today? I do lol. If you still have your grandmother call her up and just talk. Let the sound of her voice just sink in so that you may never forget. Go see her if at all possible and take your kids if you have any. They might not love it but boy she will.

I hope today’s little tale has jogged some wonderful memories for you. Thank you for letting me share mine.

Always……Brooke

PS: For those following my heath journey. Yesterday was good. I didn’t eat a bite that I shouldn’t have. Its tough to cook dinner for your family and only eat portions of it but it can be done. It takes a lot of willpower, but it can be done. Just take it one day at a time. I got plenty of exercise in today outside walking my dog. He loves to jump around in the snow so I spent every break, my lunch and some in the evening out there with him. I weighed in this morning at 184.4

Hello and happy Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the week. We’re over the hump. We have just a few more days to the beloved weekend. I hope this week has been all that you’ve needed it to be. We are right in the middle of some frigid weather and there looks to be 2-4 inches of snow coming our way today and tomorrow. I’m hoping this will be our last one and then spring will come. I’m ready for the beautiful flowers to start peeking through the gray days. I don’t like to wish my life away so I will enjoy the blanket of white for the next few days. This gal will be parked at home for the next few days. I’m not going to fib to you friends, I’m not the greatest drive even in good conditions. I defiantly am not in the snow. Best for me to stay off of the road for the safety of myself and all the lovely folks that like to drive in it..

My work week has been super busy. I’m totally okay with that. It makes my day go buy faster so that I can get to the things that I love. It’s pretty quiet here during the day as its just myself and my little Dale. We do listen to music or podcasts during the day. I love listening to my records on daddy’s old turntable. The sound of crackling noise along with my favorite singers makes my soul happy. I was pretty hesitant about podcasts at first. My husband listens to a podcast all day while he’s delivering packages. He sort of turned me on to them. Now, I don’t listen to what he does. He likes true crime and absorbs his day with them. I did however, find one that I love. It’s called “The Good Dirt”. It is a mother/daughter podcast about slow living and sustainable living. Right up my alley. If farming and organics and learning to live slow interest you, give it a listen. It’s on Spotify. Today they had a guest ask them “Why do you do what you do”? That got me thinking about that question. Asking myself why do I do what I do? And that’s where today’s tale begins

Why do I do what I do? A couple of years ago I started this little blog adventure with the intention to bring good positive words to people. I have completely fallen in love with it. I’ve always been the person that constantly wrote in a journal. I have kept them over the years. One day I will hand them down to my son and he’ll have them to read. I tried to put information in them about the happenings in his life so that one day he could reminisce with his children and grandchildren. Do you know that writing, journaling, and getting words down on paper helps to calm your mind? It’s an excellent way to combat anxiety and helps to quieten those thoughts that, if you are like me, keep you awake at night. It gets it all out there so that the hamster in the wheel up there in your brain can rest a little. So, yea, I guess you could say that I do this for me. In the meantime, if I can jog a good memory, inspire others, or help someone to feel happy then I’ve done my job.

I think I keep journals for everything. I write down my thought in one. I keep up with work happenings in one. I have a food and exercise journal (I need to use that one a little better). And of course, who could live without a day planner, that’s the best journal out there. I’d forget my name if I didn’t have it down in a day planner. It’s my bible so to speak. I take it everywhere I go. It’s in my back seat when I’m in my car and that’s no joke. I mean I’m so popular what if someone needs to schedule an appointment with me lol. Truly I’m not but folks do ask if I’m available to bake a cake or sew something from time to time. My little sister keeps a day planner as well but, her thing is sticky notes She puts them on her front door to remind herself of things she needs to do for the day lol. I get so tickled at her. We all have our ways of keeping up with things but. mostly I feel if we write it down it gets it out of our head. The worry of remembering is gone because we know it’ll be there for us to see.

If you have never journaled before, go to the bookstore and purchase a fun journal. I love to look for them. They come in so many different styles. Purchase a pretty pen that writes smooth as silk and sit down in the evenings and get your thoughts out. It’s inexpensive therapy for me. You’ll sleep so much better if all that chatter in your head is on paper. If you make plans to fix all the things even if it isn’t an immediate solution. At least you have it down. Make a date with yourself to invest in your mental health. Grab a glass of wine, some hot tea, cocoa, or ice water and sit in your favorite spot. Breathe and get the thoughts out.

I hope that you see in the importance in “why you do what you do”. No matter what you do for yourself you are absolutely worth it. All of the chores can wait until you have your time. If you don’t fill your own cup, you won’t be able to pour into others. So take care of you.

P.S for those following my healthier me journey. Today has been full of hot flashes. More than normal. I’m going to contribute it to a stressful work week and leave it there. I was able to eat meat, veggies, and fresh berries again yesterday. No exercise as well, I just didn’t feel like it and that’s perfectly fine. Water was my biggest struggle today but I got it down with a lot of fresh squeezed lemon. I weighed in this morning at 184.4. I’ll sure take it. That’s 3 pounds down this week.

Always…….Brooke

Oh Happy Tuesday! It’s a new week! A fresh start! I know I always say that on Monday’s but I feel like we all need to hear it even on a Tuesday. Today is a holiday for me at my job. But I chose to work 4 hours this morning and save those 4 hours for another day. Thank God I work for a company that allows us to do that if we want to. My sweetie is off today to but he sleeps in. I get up at the crack of dawn to fix breakfast for my son and pack his lunch. Yes, I know he’s a grown man. But, he’s all I have and as long as he lives at home, I’m happy to do it. Hang on to those babies as long as you can because you wake up one morning and they are 23. It goes so fast. You’ll look back and wish you had spent so much more time for them. I was fortunate to stay at home with my son until he was 2. I went back to work and left him in the loving, caring home of my parents. I often say that they raised him. My precious momma was a “hairdresser” as they called it and had a beauty shop in their home. We grew up in that shop and those little women because our honorary grandma’s. Daddy retired very young and he was there to help with the childcare. However, momma closed her shop about a week after I went back to work. She said it was time and all she wanted to do was care for my son. I was one of very few lucky women who didn’t have to leave their child at daycare. For the record, daycare isn’t bad, It’s wonderful. In fact my son went part time before he turned 3 because he needed the interaction with other children. He was literally born old as we often say. And to this day he still is just like my daddy. I don’t ever think its bad for mothers to work outside of the home. Honestly, who could afford to be able to stay home with their babies full time in this economy that we have. If you are someone who is a stay at home mom/dad, congratulations. Thats wonderful. We needed the extra income.

Which brings me to our little tale. Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? Law, I have. With homes and dreams of all the good things. Our lottery here in our state goes to help with college scholarships and I think that’s great. I know that the likelihood of ever winning millions is slim and I don’t spend much. Maybe $10 a month. So I figure if its in my cards to win maybe one day I will lol. As my little papaw used to say “you cant win if you don’t play”. Thats good enough for me. My husband and I like to think about what we’d do if we ever won big. Sure we are super blessed with what we have. We aren’t materialistic folks. We don’t drive new cars. They are paid for. Our home was built in the 70s and it’s not a mansion but it’s perfectly fine for our day to days. It will be paid for in a few years as well. I’m not a big shopper so I buy my clothes on the sale rack or on line for cheap. I like yard sales and thrift shops. I’m a retro gal so the best shopping experience for me is in an antique store or going to an estate sale. Give me an antique store any old day over a coach store or a bid department store. I’m also perfectly happy to look around in those shops and leave with nothing. It the experience for me not the “stuff”. Pretty much everything for me is that way. I want to experience it, not bring it home. If you like all of those expensive brands then yay. Thats what makes you happy and every person is entitled to that. You can’t take money with you when you leave this great world so do with it as you wish.

I think if I won the lottery it would be hard for folks to tell. I wouldn’t sale my house and buy a big mansion. I would buy fancy cars or a big boat. I would still dress the same as I do today. No fancy name brand clothing, purses, shoes, jewelry. Honestly I love my house. The lot that it sits on is large as we live in the country rather than in town. I have plenty of room for all that I need. Besides, the bigger the house, the more cleaning there is to do. The changes that I would make would be inside like a big soaking bathtub (I dream of one) and a new bigger kitchen. I would also take the wall down from the dining room to the living room to have more of an open floor plan. But, that’s it. No big spending there. As far as vehicles I really like my little car. It’s good on gas and it gets me where I need to go. I don’t go a lot as I work from home and pretty much just make a trip to the grocery store or to see my little momma. If I splurged for anything as far as a vehicle, I would buy a 68-75 model El Camino. Yes, that’s my dream car so don’t laugh. I LOVE IT! I’d get the biggest, fuzziest steering wheel I could find and pink fur dice and I’d drive that hog all over town. it would stay shiny and pretty and we would probably attend me car shows. I’m sure that’s something you would have never pictured about me but, that’s the truth of the matter.

We love Hilton Head Island. It’s our home away from home. We visit twice per year and we have made so many wonderful friends there. I’m sure if money were no object we would purchase a condo there. Nothing to extravagant just a place where we could go stay several months of the year and in our off time we’d let friends and family stay with no worry of having to pay.

Besides a few little delicacies, there would be signs that most folks wouldn’t think about. We live on this lovely little street that is just one little loop. There is a wonderful older man that loves at the end of our hill. Every spring and summer I watch him till the adjacent lot to his home and plant the most beautiful vegetable garden. He works tirelessly early in the mornings and late in the evenings so that he can stay out of the heat. He mounds the soil up and covers it all in hay in the spring. Those beautiful plants peek through and grow tall and full of veggies. I’ve never seen tomatoes so plump and solid. Now, I grow tomatoes but mine tend to get about as big as a small orange then I have to pull them before they rot. Obviously, I’m not doing it correctly. I’ve tried and tried. Although the tomatoes that I get from my plants are good, they aren’t anything to write home about. I do pretty well with radishes ( I absolutely love radishes), but the rest, well, not so much. If I won the lottery I would hire my precious little neighbor to come down here and help me every day to become the gardener that he is. Truth be told, he would probably do it now and for free, I just haven’t gotten the nerve to ask him. He is truly my garden crush lol. Forget movie stars. Give me this ole fella that can garden like he is feeding 500 people. Last year I found myself in tears just watching him tend to his garden. It just reminded me of my daddy. He was also an amazing gardener. We had a huge on at our house as well as the farm he had in another town. Off topic but, if you can learn this trades from you parents, someone older, or anyone for that matter, do it while you can. I only wish my daddy were here for me to pick his brain.

Chickens, my yard would have a huge chicken coup. I love fresh eggs. I’m lucky that I have family and friends that have sweet chickens and the eggs are usually plentiful. Theres nothing like a scrambled egg made with fresh, cage free eggs that haven’t been sitting on a grocery shelf.

Isn’t it fun to dream? We are completely allowed to do that. Aren’t we lucky that we live free where we are allowed to dream, to set goals, and to have the ability to work towards them. Every day I thank God for that. What would you do if you won the lottery? How would you change? Are you as blessed as me in the small simple things that all of that money wouldn’t make a ton of difference? Would you buy the finer things or would you live life similar to the way that you do now? I hope today is full of dreams and blessings for each of you. Have a blessed week!

P.S. My journey to a healthier/better me. For those that are following along here’s the update. The last two days I have stayed right on target with eating meats, veggies, and berries. I did have one chocolate kiss last evening because I felt a little shaky. It helped. I’ve been able to drink a little over 2 liters of water each day with fresh squeezed lemon. Its very cold here so my exercise has been inside moving around cleaning this house. This morning I weighed in at 185.6. Which means I’m down 2.1 pounds since Sunday morning. A lot was inflammation from my big Valentines meal on Saturday so that’s normal for me to loose that in a couple of days. It will plateau in a few days. Today is my 3rd day on plan so I know I’ll be very hungry. I always am every 3rd day. Willpower is the word of the day. I’ll update with my next blog post.

Always…….Brooke

Hello and Happy Sunday. I don’t know about where you live but here in northeast Tennessee we’ve been dealing with rain, rain and more rain. Flooding in areas have been a big concern this week. We’re good here at my home but have kept an eye on our creek as it’s right at the top and ready to crest. I have to admit, I don’t mind the rain. I like it really. It tends to cool things down and I love the sound of the water rushing down the creek. I can hear it from my kitchen and dining room window. Sometimes I even bundle up and take my coffee outside in the mornings after a rain just so that I can sit and listen. Winter chill is still here but the days when it gets up to 55 or so is quite pleasant. And that’s where we begin today’s little tale.

Up at 5 am this morning on my “rest” day to finish up a cake for a little princess birthday party. I love baking and even though that’s early, it’s worth it to be a part of something special. This morning, I must say, I was super glad for the morning rain and wind. I must have had 4 hot flashes in 2 hours. Yes, its that time in my life. Aging gracefully while glistening with sweat. Its a part of our life that we all get to enjoy ladies if we plan to live a good long life. Every day, no matter how cold it is outside, I am burning up! I take a shower and then I sweat. I put my makeup on and then I dabbing my face with a tissue. I put clean sheets on the bed just to turn around and wake up in a pile of sweat. I’ve tried all the home remedies, and all of the herbal supplements. Some help a tiny bit but not much. It makes me dread the coming summer season. I can deal with the cold. Lord knows I have plenty of cozy blankets. But, I can’t deal with the heat. You cant take enough clothing off to stay cool when you feel like a hot pot of coffee is pouring over your head.

If you are a male and your reading todays blog, I apologize for the girl post. Maybe this can help you when your lady is in this situation. Here’s a few little tips for you fellas. First, don’t try to console her. It’s not making it any better. We’re sweating and miserable and nothing makes it go aways unless you have an ice freezer. Just understand this is what it is and there’s not a thing you can do about it. If you HAVE to do something grab a glass of ice water for her to drink and then walk away. Second, during menopause our body is changing. We’re probably going to gain some weight or even a lot of weight. We can see it. So whatever you do, please don’t say anything about it, don’t give diet or exercise advise, and don’t make one little peep when we eat an entire chocolate bar. Just love us. All of us. All of the extra pounds and all of the changes. It will start to go away eventually. This is called for better or worse. Finally, we are tired. I don’t know why menopause makes us tired. In return you’ll see a lot of mood swings. We might be a cranky bitch. (sorry for the bad word but it is what it is). We might cry. And if you’re lucky we might be the sweetest person you’ve ever met. Just give us some space. It won’t last forever. We try our best to take care of you when you are down and sick. Please do the same for us. No, it isn’t a sickness but some days it sure feels like it. Fellas, partners, whoever, we know this is hard on you too and we’re sorry. So please understand and just hang with us. We’ll get past it.

Ladies, you can get through this. Learn to manage your stress. We have stressful lives. I tend to have many more hot flashes when I’m over stimulated. It’s okay to say NO when you don’t want to. Have a self care day once a week. Do your nails, take a good bath, relax and Netflix binge, and get some exercise. I don’t know this for certain, but this too shall pass. I have many friends that are past the menopause age. Some say these symptoms last only a few months to a year (yes a year but we can do it!). One of my friends who is in her 70s says she still suffers from hot flashes. But just the hot flashes.

So if you have read my blogs in the past then you know I try to be as real as possible in my blogs. We’re all in this together. So, if you have any tips or tricks that you’ve used to help curve the menopause symptoms, please leave a comment. We’re all here to help one another. I have a few little tips that I’ve found that help me. I hope they help you a little. I have noticed if I don’t drink plenty of water every day my hot flashes are so much worse and more often. I also seem to have a lot more urinary tract pain ( this is much more often with menopause for me as well). I drink ice water and I try to get at least 2 liters or more in per day. I don’t like water typically but, it makes me feel so much better that I’m learning to enjoy it. I’ve also read where its so good for you to drink a glass of water each morning before you consume anything else. It is supposed to help your heart, your metabolism, and your urinary tract. I do squeeze some fresh lemon in mine as well. I love lemon.

Let’s talk about alcohol. Now I won’t lie, I love a good dirty martini or 3 when we go out to dinner on Saturdays. However, I have noticed that I get hot flashes while and after I drink. It hasn’t stopped me from partaking but, I have learned that if I drink a glass of water after each drink that it helps. I absolutely can’t do any fruity, sugary alcoholic drinks. They cause me to have swelling in my joints, mess with my belly and those hot flashes are tenfold. If I drink, I don’t eat bread and definitely no dessert. I don’t need the double whammy. Wine is out for me although I love it. It gives me a horrid headache.

Sleep is a thing of the past for me right now. A good solid 8 hours of sleep just aint happenin. I’m up and down going to the bathroom (from all the water that’s so good for me lol). And there’s the hot flashes. Cover on and cover off. Fan full blast when its 20 degrees outside. I’m sure my poor husband is freezing to death but he’s being a trooper. What I’ve found to help me rest is taking a good hot bath before I go to bed and leaving my hair wet. I also listen to meditation when I go to bed. Jason Stephenson is wonderful if you are interested. You can listen to him on YouTube. Its typically a 45 minute to 2 hour meditation and I usually fall asleep before its over.

The weight gain. Lordy Lou I’ve gained 45 pounds since my husband and I met 10 years ago. I have to say how lucky I am that he doesn’t say a word. He never says anything negative about my weight gain. He seems to love me just the same. I am disgusted with it and myself. It’s hard ladies. It’s hard to look in the mirror and see yourself in much larger clothing. It’s hard to buy bigger clothing. I’ve tried every diet known to man. Nothing works. I contemplated hormone replacements but, am scared to death of that unknown. I’ve even thought about diet shots. First off, if it works for you then you do you. But, for me I believe its a no. I’ve heard too much bad. I’ve seen so many ladies use the latest and greatest weight loss shots just to gain it all back and then some. Also, I cant afford $400 a month. I don’t want to give up other expenses for it. And those side effects….nope I dont feel the need to be nauseated. I do have a plan and I’ll talk about that in a bit. It may or may not work but, we’ll soon see.

Mood swings are thankfully not one of the side effects of my menopausal journey. Not yet anyways. I’ve always been a crier. I cry at commercials and all the things lol. Thats just who I am. I don’t have it in me to be hateful or mean. I’m not a cruel person. I hope I never am. I’m not sure what to suggest for this other than prayer, deep breathing, and maybe turn to exercise to help. Maybe someone will have some suggestions.

Here’s where my journey starts to find the cure for my menopause symptoms an this vicious weight gain. You’re welcome to follow along with me and try as well. I am no doctor nor is anything that I plan to do medical advice so as everyone always says talk to your doctor before you begin anything with a new exercise regimen or diet change. Yesterday, I went out and had my Valentines dinner with my forever valentine. Italian food is the pain in my side. I love it! I had delicious chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti. I had a salad and I had a brownie. Two dirty martinis that were delicious were also ordered. It was my only meal yesterday, but boy I sure enjoyed it. I also told myself and my husband that this is it until we leave for the beach in May. Of course this is about weight loss, but it’s also about me being comfortable in my clothes and also trying to stay healthy. Starting today my goal is no bread or added sugars. No candy or treats. Lots of good meats and veggies. Some berries will be there for my natural “sweet treat”. I also hope to get some movement. I work from home and I SIT in front of a computer all day. So I need to get moving. I want to focus on self care and try to get some better sleep. In order to do that I need to get my mental state in good order. For me that’s journaling, blogging, and prayer. I weighed this morning and even though I ate one meal yesterday I still gained 3 pounds over night. It’s a lot of inflammation I know but, it’s not easy to get those 3 pounds off. No alcohol until we go on vacation. Yes, it’ll be hard but I only drink when we go to dinner so its just one night a week and I can fill it with more salad or something. I’m officially the designated driver until vacation lol.

Set your goals. Mine is to keep with my plan. I’d like to lose 20 pounds before we go to the beach. Can I do it? I don’t know. But I know for certain I won’t lose a pound or tone up at all if I don’t try. P.S. Im happy to share my daily work on this. I’ll be blogging and I’ll include the details at the end of my blog. To be completely transparent I will tell you what I weight. Now I know that’s a big no no for most women. But, to keep me accountable to the whole world I’m gonna post it. I know that it’s a lot more than some but, maybe a lot less than others. We are also not the number that’s on that scale. So if I don’t lose a pound that’s okay. The goal is just a number. The ultimate goal is to be healthier and to combat this menopause. This morning I weighed 187 pounds. 1 am 5’7 so that doesn’t seem like a lot but, for me its not where I need to be. There it is. My number that means absolutely nothing.

At the end of tomorrows blog I’ll tell you how today went. My highs and my lows from my journey to a better me. I’ll put it at the end for those that care not to read it.

In the mean time. Ladies, I’m so proud of you for being YOU! You are beautifully the person that you need to be. The person that God made you to be. Unique and beautiful. No number. No hot flash. No pants size defines who you are. I hope today is filled with blessings and peace.

Always…….Brooke

Happy Happy Wednesday. We made it through half of the work week. Good ole hump day! I hate calling it that really. But I won’t lie, I enjoy knowing that I only have two more working days of my regular job. My second job is however just starting. Valentines is upon us and its cakes, cakes, and more cakes. Dont we just work our lives away? I think that to myself every single day. In that same thought I find myself thanking my God above that I have the ability to work every day and I truly love the jobs that I do. Although stressful, my “real” job is something that I enjoy and the big bonus is that I get to work from home. My “fun” side jobs are baking and sewing. I’ve worked a full-time job since the age of 14 years old. At 47 I feel like its been long enough lol. However, the new adventure that is coming very quickly in our household will require me to work for several more years. Here’s the thing, even though that sounds so terrible, it truly isn’t. I’ve buckled down and am ready to carry on working every single day for a few more years.

A few years ago my husband came to me and explained that he was beginning to think about retirement. This meant it was time for me to find a new career. I needed benefits. I had worked in dental practices for 24 years and 3 years ago I made the transition to the company that I work for today. Yes, it was scary. I had to learn everything. I had to start at the bottom as the saying goes. Let me say, it was the very best decision I could have made. Had I know that I would have such great health benefits, retirement, and so much paid vacation I would have made the change much much sooner. I now work for a company that acknowledges hard work and have already been promoted twice. If you are a manager, boss, owner listen up! Listen real real close! If you have good employees you MUST make them feel appreciated. After all, what are you without them? I don’t think that means a constant pat on the back but, bonus’, promotions, raises, and finding a way to allow them to have a good work/life balance is key. Well it is for me anyway. Think about this, if your employees walked out tomorrow could you even begin to run your business. I seriously doubt it. All positions are important. From the bottom to the top. I thank the Lord every day for my job (or jobs). I say an extra thank you for the benefits and the opportunity to grow both my income and my resume.

Here’s our new big adventure…. Two weeks ago my husband signed his retirement papers. EEEEKKK! I’m so excited. He has worked for 30 years at FedEx Express. He deserves this more that any person that I know. He has worked so hard and so many hours. He lugged packages big and small up driveways and stairs for so long. He been in the rain, the cold, the snow, the ice, and the raging heat. He’s built relationships with so many people and has had to deal with more than a few that were not so easy. You know, people are rude. I could rant on about that for hours but, that’s another story. April 28th will be his last official day. We are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. So much that he wants to do and so much rest he’ll be able to get. The morning he was out the door to sign his papers I asked him how he felt about everything. His response was “It’s bitter sweet. I’ve done this for 30 years so its a little sad. I just cant wait to spend Christmas with my family”. Um go ahead and grab a tissue because I cried a little. Actually, I sobbed. Our holiday routine has been for me to go on to my family gatherings alone or with my son and he’d eventually join us. Tired and worn out but with a smile still on his face. These delivery folks don’t get to take off on the holiday. That includes Christmas day most years. They deliver all those gifts that we are waiting for because we procrastinated and didn’t order them until the last minute. Then its his fault because it didn’t get there right on time. So to say I’m over the moon about him having a calm, restful holiday is an understatement. Oh, and p.s. I am scared. For real.

Any change is scary. My husband and I have never been together all day every single day for more than a week at a time. We go on vacations together several times during the year and it’s wonderful. But, as far as him being here with me every day while I’m working that would be a no. We’ve just not had a lot of that in the past. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point where we can be together for the rest of our lives to just look at this time and say “oh no, what will we do”. Yes, that sounds awful but, it’s absolutely the truth. We love being together, but we are both very independent. So to be in each other’s face all day every day is a little scary.

If you are venturing into this chapter in your life, let e give you a tiny insight on what we’ve decided. My husband will only be 55 when he retires. I say if you can manage it, DO IT! We have known so many folks that waited to retire to not have many quality years or any years at all for that matter. Just this year we’ve know 2 people that have not been able to enjoy a full retirement. One retired and immediately started caring for parents. The other, unfortunately, passed away a year after they retired. I mean, NO. You work all your life to retire to that. If you have any ability to retire early and enjoy your life, do it and don’t look back. My husbands plan is to take an entire month off after he retires. To rest of course but also to tackle a few things around the house. Then he will find something that he enjoys doing and work 3 days a week. Three 8 hour days is nothing and he wants to stay moving. He plans to spend more time with his friends who have all retired or are also retiring around the time he is. He loves yard work so our yard will be beautiful. It always is in the spring, summer, and fall but I cant imagine how lovely it will be. He may volunteer some and he’ll try to book his band to play as much as they can.

Now, see. Not so scary after all. Retirment and aging is not a bad thing. Especially if you keep yourself active both physically and mentally. I remember my daddy saying to me “if you stop, you’ll stop”. In other words keep moving. Keep working your mind. Rest, absolutely but also move around. Ladies (or even gentlemen) if your partner is about to make the plunge to retire, don’t be scared. Find things to do that you both enjoy. Encourage them to get out of the house and do things. Help them find a new hobby. Don’t overwhelm them with a to do list. Remember this is your person. The person that you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your life with. Your lives together are starting now. Embrace it. Pray over it. Get excited about it.

Congratulations to my sweet Shannon on his retirement! And to any of you that are moving into this next adventure in your lives. You’ve worked for it. You’ve earned it. So now go and enjoy every little second of it. This life is just a little tiny moment so don’t waste one of them. Have a super blessed night!

Always……..Brooke

Hellllooooo! Happy Sunday and Happy Super Bowl! It has been a bit for the blog and for that I apologize. For those of you that are glued to your TV I hope your team wins. My husband is in preparation by getting his plate filled with meatball subs and loaded tater tots which I made earlier. I on the other hand, have chosen to spend my evening relaxing with my little dog in my sewing room. I haven’t introduced you to our new little addition. He is a mini schnauzer named Dale. He is 10 months old and has completely stolen our hearts. That’s a great story which I will share with you in another tale. You’ll be sure to love it. I just know it.

Winter! I will be the first to say that I love it. Well….I have kind of a love hate relationship with it. I love winter until January 1st. From January 1st until about the middle of March I loathe it. For me its full of gloomy gray days. Lifeless trees and dead grass. A lot of time inside. Its just a time of waiting for spring and sunshine. For many years I spend the last week of December in dread. I think there are a lot of folks that do. I live in an area where we get four beautiful seasons but the end of winter seems to hang on a little long. This year I made a promise to myself to emerse in good things during this time. Ive learned to embrace slow living, which we’ll talk about that one later too. I can tell you that you can talk yourself out of gloom. You can keep yourself busy enough to keep from thinking negatively. And you can also embrace time to rest.

This time of the year is the perfect time to wind down a little. The holiday rush is over and everything begins to get back to somewhat normal. The sad part is that all of the excitement is over. If you think about it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the “fun” has to be gone. Its a great time to learn a new hobby, read a good novel, learn to cook some new nutritious meals, and rest. I live a very busy life. When my son became an adult I thought that I might get to slow down some. It in fact got even busier. Busier in a good way. Instead of taking care of every need for my child, I now take care of myself. Mothers tend to let ourselves go by the wayside. Now that I can take the time to make myself a priority, I see how amazing even the winter can be.

Lets talk a little about a to do list or setting winter goals. Not new year resolutions. I don’t believe in those. I’ve tried, really I have but, they crumble by about February. A few weeks ago I sat down and made a list with good ole pen and paper. My to do list grew very quickly. Then I put it on my office table and decided not to even think about a due date for completion. I prayed over that list. Not to get it completed quickly but, to work at it in a way that wasn’t stressful and didn’t overwhelm me. Any progress is progress and I told myself that it was going to get completed. Funny thing happened when I took the stress out of it. I have already checked off half of that list. Most of it was spring cleaning but, it was things that needed to be done that I’ve just not gotten around to. It felt like huge accomplishments every time I crossed something off of that list. The best part about it was not feeling like it was required or rushed.

Life gives us time to do all the things that we want to do. Even if you are like me and work a fulltime job and 2 side hustles, you can make time to do all the things you want and need to do. It sounds a little silly but, if you slow down, every little thing will fall in to place. I’ve learned to prioritize the things that really matter. Its freeing.

My hope for you is that this time of end of winter you have time to wind down. Enjoy all of the little things. Make time for yourself. Surround yourself with people who make you happy and love you for the person that you are. Happy Sunday. Remember that you can handle any thing that this week hands to you.

Always…….Brooke

Well hidey ho neighbors!. Lord what a busy winter but, I’m finally in a slow down period and it’s time to write. I get so busy with the zillion other things that I have to do that I don’t even pick my laptop up for a month. Finally, I sit down and start to type, I realize just how much I’ve missed it. For starters, I hope you each had a wonderful holiday season. We certainly did. It was seasonably warm here in good ole East Tennessee. We didn’t get our first snow until week before last and we ended up with about 6 inches. It was beautiful for a few days but, I’m glad it is now gone. I’m ready for spring. These dark 6:30 pm’s are for the dogs. I feel like I leave my office (which is in my house), cook dinner for my fellas and then I’m ready for bed. I’m sure many others feel the same way.

Do you remember having a bed time when you were little? I don’t remember ever having a “set” time but we were certainly in the bed before 9:30 on school nights and before dads time to watch his “11 o’clock” news on the weekends. We really weren’t even the kind of kids that had to be reminded. My older siblings were 8 and 12 years older than me and I they did have to go to bed as early as my little sister and I. I think our older sister pretty much wanted us out before she came to bed. We all three shared a room. The poor gal never had any privacy. She was stuck with her two little younger sisters in her face lol. We always went to sleep with the radio on. Then as we got older and the older siblings left, we graduated to our own rooms. We then had tv’s in there and I know there was never a night that my tv was not on when I went to sleep. Ti this day I still can go to sleep with the tv on. Until about 10 years ago I still kept it on all night. My son is 21 years old and to this day he sleeps with his tv on. There’s no harm and he always sleeps well so I don’t say a word.

Eleven years ago I met the love of my life. My now husband. We married a year after we started dating and I soon realized that he did not like the TV on at night once he’s ready to sleep lol. Ole grumpy bear will be like “can you turn it down” over and over until its pretty much on mute lol. Then he’ll say “are you still watching that”. That is my que that the light is bothering him and he wants it turned off. Of course I do. Then I turn on my meditation but I use ear buds. Thus why “Early To Bed” is what I do. Pretty much every night I go to bed before my husband. He stays in the living room and watches his programs. It’s his wind down and typically he comes to bed after about an hour or two. Rarely am I ever asleep when he comes to bed so its not like we are ignoring each other. I like to read, he doesn’t. I love Martha Stewart and Bob Ross, he doesn’t. He watches criminal mystery and sports, I don’t lol. So we get our own little wind down time every evening and I think its just wonderful. 

I think as adults we should still have a “bed time”. Now, I know life is busy, especially if you have little ones in sports and all, but, there’s just something about getting in the bed at a descent time and being able to unwind and relax. My sons pediatrician said that it was so important for my sons growth (from body to brain) that he get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. I average maybe 5 to 6 hours but, I do get rest. There is a big difference. 

This early to bed is so much more that “sleep”. Its allowing myself the time that I need in a very hectic day, to rest my mind and body and to care for my mental health. You cant pour from an empty glass. If you are empty you can not be all that you need to be for the others that need you and may depend on you. No one can fill your cup back up except for yourself. Find that time to recharge. Even if it means that you delegate some of your responsibility to others. You are worth it. 

I hope you have the very best night. Happy dreams and here’s to rest and setting a new goal for Early To Bed!

Always….. Brooke

Hello!!! Well its been a few minutes since I’ve blogged. Life’s just been so busy. We’ve had a holiday and a vacation and many many cake events. Today is the perfect day to have a restful Sunday and just type. Vacation was grand. Hilton Head Island always is. But, lord I ate. I ate so much food and we drank way too much. We were also pretty lazy. It was wonderful but, I tell ya, I was pretty shell shocked when I stood on the scale the day after getting home. So, we start over again. We get back on the healthy road. Do you do the same thing? Does it feel like your weight journey is over and over? Mine sure is.

Let me assure you I am by no means vain. I do however, want to be as healthy as I possibly can and try to stay around for my son, husband and to be able to take care of my momma as she needs it. I have battled with my weight from high school on. As a young girl I was too skinny. So skinny in fact, that my knees were larger than my legs. I ate anything that I wanted and never gained an ounce. It was wonderful but, also a curse. As I began to age, that started to change. Food became sort of a comfort and the weight came on while I was in my Sophomore and Junior years in high school. I went from a size 6 to a size 14 within a year. Getting the weight off was my priority my senior year. I became obsessed with it. Who wanted a dancing, singing fat girl. I did everything that I could to get it off. Boy did it come off. I was a size zero before too long. A 5’7″ gal as a size zero, uuhhmm it was pretty bad. I also felt horrible. My hair began to fall out. I bruised all over just from being lifted during show choir performances. I did nothing but go to school, work at a local restaurant, dance and sleep. I was also diagnosed with bulimia. Yes, that’s how far I took it. Thankfully I had a best friend (a guy none the less, his name was Patrick) and he cared enough about me to tell my parents so that they could intervene.

Fast forward a lot of years and I’m so much smarter. That look of skin and bones no longer appeals to me. I’m a momma so there’s saggy baggy and stretchy everywhere. One thousand percent worth it to get my son here. I’m also married and not on the market to be arm candy. My husband doesn’t care what my weight is but, I do want to make him proud. More than anything else, I want to live a healthy life so that one day I can enjoy retirement and my grandchildren.

Now that we got that scary business over with, let me tell you what has and has not worked for me. I think I’ve tried almost every diet on the market. I’ve spent so much money over the years. And I have to say there are a few that work and a lot that don’t. Let’s talk about low carb/keto. It absolutely works. But it comes with a few side effects. First is the keto flu. If you’ve never tried it get ready to feel like you have a good flu about day 3 or 4. Don’t worry. It will go away in a day or two. I’m not a doctor or dietitian and don’t claim to be so of courses seek a doctor’s counsel before trying any diet at all. This diet is doable because you can eat. And you can eat a lot. Meat, cheese and most vegetables. You don’t count calories and you don’t have a lot of limits. The bad thing is eventually it stops working. Well, it stopped working for me. I lost the most weight in my adult life with a low carb diet. But, for me I think my body sort of got use to it.

Weight Watchers was also a good option for me. You have a points system and you can eat anything you want as long as you track your points. It’s slow weight loss which is better I think but, the weight did not stay off for me. It came right back even with me tracking. The downside is, sure, you can have some pizza. Have those 2 slices but you better cut them in to tiny bites and plan to eat them all day because that’s all you are getting. Or you can fast and just cram them in all at once. I lost about 10 pounds on weight watchers. For me it wasn’t wort the price just to be able to track the points.

Speaking of fasting let’s talk about intermittent fasting. Okay, yes it works. But, I am a binge eater and by the time it was dinner time (I always ate in the evening because that is when I’m hungry) I was so hungry that I ate more than I should and ate so fast that there was no way I digested it well. It lasted about 2 months and I lost about 15 pounds. Just not worth it in my book.

Let me tell you a few others that get the big fat NO from me. Golo. I saw it advertised on television and thought I’d give it a whirl. Nothing. I followed the “diet” and took the pills and nothing. It’s cheap but it does not work. Not for me any. Then there is Noom. Nope. It’s ridiculously expensive to have an app to tell you what you are doing wrong and how proud they are of you. Who’s proud of me? I mean I didn’t lose weight. Just don’t do it. I mean you can, it might work for you. Finally Optavia. This has worked for tons of people and I’m so thankful that it did for you. You but the “snacks” and you eat 5 of them a day (every 2.5 hours) and then you eat one “lean and green” meal a day. You are basically starving yourself as you eat 1000 calories or less a day. They even tell you in the book if you are planning to exercise move to 4 snacks and 2 lean and greens. I lost about 12 pounds pretty quick and then zip. Nothing! The food is terribly expensive, and it tastes awful to me. Except for the bars and sweets. I think that makes you crave more honestly. I was starving to death, miserable, and not a nice person. I hope it works for you but, this momma couldn’t do it. I still have some of the food. I take the bars on bike rides with me for fuel as I feel its better for me than a breakfast bar from the store.

Here’s what has worked for me. Here’s my go to and what still works today at 45 years old. I eat a low carb but healthier low carb. I don’t eat bread. You just can’t. It turns in to pure sugar. And it really upsets my belly. I spent 4 days in misery when we got back from the beach. Healthier low card to me is chicken, lean meats, and I try to stay away from added preservatives. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to fish so that’s not an option. I do eat some cheese but I try not to overindulge. I eat lower carb vegetables. (no peas, potatoes of any kind or corn). I do however eat carrots (raw) because for some reason they seem to help me sooth a ugly tummy. If I eat fruit, its blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I think strawberries are okay too but they make my throat itchy and I really don’t care for them. Every 4th day I eat a cup and a half of a rice/quinoa blend. I like the “Seeds of Change” blend with garlic. You can throw it in the microwave for 90 seconds and its really delicious. Now, rice is NOT low card but, I have to have some substance every few days for my mind to function. If not I fall of the wagon big time. Finally, WATER! You have to stay hydrated. I don’t like it and I hate water but, I do it. Eating so much protein can cause kidney stones and I have them and don’t like them. I strive to drink 3/4 of a gallon of water a day. Stay close to the bathroom. You’ll pee yourself to death lol. I feel like it cleanses your body from all the bad. So, I hold my nose and suck it down.

Get some rest. Even if you are like me the queen of insomnia. Pick a time or a day once a week to just rest. Read, write, take a nap, do a relaxing hobby, just something to give your body and mind some rest. Sleep is so important and if you are like me, a good night’s rest is few and far between, so rest when you can. I blog, sew, and bake. Don’t bake if you love sweets. I’ve never been a big sweets person so it doesn’t bother me. Now if I made homemade pasta we’d be in trouble. Its my downfall. And folks it’s hard when your household doesn’t eat the way that you do. My husband and son are eaters. They love food. I cook dinner every night except for Saturdays. I also cook breakfast for my son every morning as he works night. It’s not easy making all they bread and yummy food knowing I can’t eat it. But, nothing that is worthwhile is easy. Just remember that when you get in those situations. Find your low carb foods that you really like. And keep them on hand. I told you that pasta is my weakness. I love italian food. Well so do my guys. And I won’t deprive them because I made a decision to not eat it. Once a week they get some type of italian dish which usually includes pasta. While I am cooking, I have been known to eat a ton of pickles, cucumbers, or even pepperonis. It works for me. I’m not starved while I’m cooking.

Let’s talk a minute about going out to dinner. As I said above, I cook every day except for Saturday. We typically go out to dinner on Saturdays. Do I eat? Absolutely. I try to pick meat and vegetables or salad. However; I cheat. I will had a dinner once a month of exactly what I want (usually pasta). In my case, I can not completely deprive myself. I eat a meal each month that I want. And I will continue to do that. May not work for you, but it’s a must for me. Alcohol. Yes I drink alcohol and I love a good beer but it’s kinda a no no unless you drink a lite beer. My go to us vodka with water and a lime. If you get kettle one its virtually no carb. I also do a dirty martini (vodka and olive juice). I love olives. They are full of sodium, so I drink plenty of water.

Finally, MOVEMENT. You have to move. Walk, ride a bike, run, weights, anything. Just move. My daddy use to say “if you stop, you’ll stop”. So move. Eat and move. I try to have some type of exercise atleast 5 days a week. Even if you do 30 minutes you’ve got to move. And remember you can’t out exercise a bad diet. If you eat 20,000 calories no amount of exercise will get rid of that. Don’t deprive yourself just make better choices. If you want the piece of candy, eat it, just don’t eat the whole bag and don’t do it every day. And for goodness sakes, don’t be a slave to your scale. I weigh every day but, I don’t have anxiety about it. If I gain a pound or 2 then that’s okay. I don’t wear myself over it. If it causes you anxiety stay off of the darn thing. Just weigh once a week, or once a month, or never. Go by the way you feel in your clothes.

Ultimately, do what is right for you. Be happy with the body you are in. There’s no body size that is wrong. Find the size and body that you want and just be you. Be happy in the skin you are in. And for goodness sake, if you are suffering from an eating disorder, please seek help. Nothing is worth that. We live this one little, tiny life so please live it happy. Know that you are so loved. Here’s to health and happiness!

Always…..Brooke

Hello and how are ya? Hoping you are well in to a marvelous week. It seems like they last about 3 million minutes from start to finish around here. All week we wish for Friday then, poof, the weekend is gone and were mid week again. Life’s just so busy we just don’t get the time to sit back and enjoy. So for now let’s talk about something other than work. Let’s talk about our worth

Did you ever get bullied as a kid? Thats a touchy subject I know. I don’t believe that I ever did except one time when I was in elementary school. It was about 3rd or 4th grade and a girl named Amy used to give me so much grief. She would mauk me and laugh. Some of the other kids in my class would get a kick out of it. It got to the point where I didn’t want to go to school. I remember lying in bed at night with anxiety about facing another day of smirks and remarks. It wasn’t long after when my daddy began to notice the difference in me. One evening after dinner he told me that I needed to tell him what was wrong. I just remember crying and thinking it was the end of the world that someone was speaking ill of me and didn’t like me. Lordy little did I know, I would have so many folks not like me and speak ill of me throughout my life. I do however; remember daddy just saying, you can’t let someone treat you like that and if you do it’s your fault. He told me to either handle it or learn to tune it out. Wellllllllll it wasn’t long after that until I had myself a little fight at school and got in to trouble. I decided to “handle” it with a little girl fight lol. Am I ashamed of that decision now? Sure. Fighting isn’t good. But, do I regret it? No I don’t. Let me tell you why. After the little scuffle, Amy and I actually became friends. And to this day, some 38 years later, if I see her out we speak and talk. Oh, and I didn’t get punished at home for the fight because daddy sort of didn’t elaborate on how to handle the situation. He meant for me and the girl to talk it out not to be judy choppin lol.

I have a zero tolerance for a bully. When it came to my son I was that mom. They one that went to the school and went off when he was having any trouble lol. Thats terrible, but true. What I began to realize is that those that do the bullying usually have an issue that they are trying to deal with themselves. Because of that, the bullying doesn’t end in elementary school. Adults can be a bully too. I’ve met my share of them over the years. Some were just rude and would do anything to make your daily life a living hell. Others are sneaky and seem to be so sweet and a friend then as soon as they are certain they have you under control they turn on you like a snake in the grass. It happens more often than we realize. The best advice that I was ever given about these adult situations was from a friend years ago while we were teaching a Sunday school class together. Her simple words were “Darling, don’t sit at any table where you are the topic of their conversation when you leave”. Unfortunately, she meant anywhere, including church. Cause yea it happens there too. What strong advice. I mean think about that. Don’t sit with people whom are going to talk ill of you when you walk away. Don’t associate with that. Because kings and queens you deserve better than that. You get up, adjust your crown, lift your chin, and walk on. There are plenty of other tables to sit at. And when you finally find your tribe, well honey, they will love you for you and will be your friends for life.

Anywho, you are saying, well the title of this little tale is “be your own bully” and you’ve been talking about other people bullying you. Patience! I want to ask you a question. When is the last time that you said or even thought something negative to yourself? I bet if you really think about it you put yourself down in some way every single day. Ladies, you know I’m going to say we are constantly on ourselves about weight, or how we look or don’t look in our clothing, our hair, our makeup, and the list goes on for a dozen more. Fella’s do you compare yourself to your buddies? Is your truck not as nice as theirs, or you income not as much as theirs, the house isn’t as big, they have a bigger boat etc, etc, etc. When we think things like this about ourselves, we are being our own bully. Now ya’ll I am the first to say, I am the worst to do this. Not because I want to look like the woman in the pages of the magazine or even that I want anything material. I’m an old Hippy with a Hyundai Kona that I’ll drive the wheels off of. I’m content in my modest home with the big yard. Nature and music and farmers markets and bookstores make me happy. But, I am critical of myself. Very critical of my weight. And I’ve struggle with that self criticism my entire life. At the end of the day, I just want to feel good in my clothing, look lean and healthy, and be desired by my husband. Well guess what. Even those little thoughts are me bullying me. Negative thinking of yourself is bullying yourself.

So here’s what I want you to do. And here’s what I want me to do. Me! Because I need it as much as each of you. Tomorrow. Yes Thursday tomorrow (or the day after your read this post no matter when you do) I want you to wake up and breathe deeply. Walk in front of that mirror. Look at yourself ( crazy hair, bad breath and all) and tell yourself ” I AM ENOUGH”. You are. No matter what. You are enough. Don’t bully yourself tomorrow or any day after that. When you begin to have a negative thought about yourself, stop. Instead of the negative thought or comment, just simply say “I’m a work in progress”. I vow to do this all day tomorrow and I want you to as well. Let’s see if it makes our day much better. Don’t go back to yesterday because you were a different person then!

I hope you have the very best night and a great day tomorrow!

Always…….Brooke

Happy Day All. I hope your Thursday has been filled to the brim with everything good. Today is my Friday so it was rather good for me. I love working 4 ten hour shifts and being off every Friday. This evening I’m gonna tell you a little sappy tale. So if you don’t like sappy I guess you better skip this one. Or read on because you might just learn a little something. Have you ever felt like it was you against the world? I guess I would be a liar if I said I haven’t had many of those days. I sure have. From jobs, to people, to health struggles, to being who I need to be. Sometimes I feel like it’s all I can do to be who I need to be. Sometimes I feel like even breaking on down. Then I realize who is in my shadow. The shadow that stands right behind me. My husband.

My husband and I have been together for ten years. No I know that doesn’t sound long especially for a 45 year old woman and a 54 year old man. We were of course, married before. I was married to my sons dad for 15 years and he was married to his ex-wife for 22 years. We’ve both been around the block before lol. All I can say is when you have been through a divorce before, it really makes you appreciate when you find your true love. Divorce is bad no matter the situation. I don’t care if you wanted it or not. It’s just generally tough. Even more so if a child is involved. Can I just say that you absolutely love differently after a divorce. Guarded yes, of course. But, also you know how it feels when things are bad. Friends when you find that person that completes you, you WILL know it. It’s like you heart stops and starts again with a brand new beat. It pumps stronger. It relaxes more. You just know. From our very first date, I knew. He obviously did too. That night we went to dinner and he told me that he loved me. It just slipped out. And I could tell it all over his face that it was a slip. It scared him to death. The look on his face was priceless. Truthfully, I felt the same way. It wasn’t very long until the “I love you” became a daily ritual. It still is. Not a day goes by that I don’t tell him or he tell me.

There is so much to a relationship. You never really realize exactly what you are signing up for when you walk down that isle and say your I Do’s. For us, these last years have been filled with so much good that I forget about the bad. Just like my momma said, “the good always outweighs the bad” and she is so right. Weve had so many wonderful vacations and adventures. We also dealt with some harder times with deaths in our families as well as health issues that we fought through together. Uuuum did you hear that? We fought through them TOGETHER. Aah there it is. The one thing that I never had in any previous relationship or with my ex-husband. My husband has supported me (as well as my son) in every adventure, crazy idea, good day and bad that we have had. For many years he has loved my son as his own. That in itself is enough to give him a star on his crown. But, he’s also loved me unconditionally. It’s nice to have someone in your corner.

For many years I have baked cakes for birthdays and weddings and every occasion in between. He is the one who encouraged that dream. He gives me my space when I need it and stays within arm’s length when I am needy. Yes, fellas we are all needy at some point. Suck it up and deal with that. He makes me feel smart when I tell myself I am done. He helps me to achieve my goals when I am about to give up. He tells me that I am beautiful when I feel fat and ugly (he needs his eyes checked lol). But more important than any of that, he stands behind me when I need his strength, beside of me when I need his courage, and in front of me when I need his direction.

With that being my sappy bragging session I just want to say, ladies, I hope and pray for each of you that you can find a man (or a partner) that can make you feel like you are a force to be reckoned with. I hope you can see through him that you are worth something. That when you wake up and he is next to you , you feel content and truly happy. I never in my life thought I would feel those wonderful feelings. I didn’t believe that a partner such as that existed. God was good. And he sent my husband to me. He gave me someone to take all of the tiny broken pieces of my heart and put them back together. I just hope, if your don’t have that love and support, you find it. Because lovely, you deserve it!

Fellas, (or partners), love here fierce. Make her feel like she still catches your eye. Tell her that she is your one and only. And for goodness’ sake ask her out on a date. (and put your phone away while you are on the date). I promise your rewards will be much more than what you give. Believe me it wont matter what is in front of her as long as she knows that you are behind her!!! (repeat that a million times). Have the very best night!

Always…….Brooke