Category: Humorous

When the Soul Speaks – Listen

When the Soul Speaks – listen. Our souls speak to us everyday, but most of us don’t hear it. We dismiss all the information we receive, even if it’s screaming at us.

The photo above is three of us ‘girls’ at the 50th high school reunion check-in table. Certainly, it is common to wear black to any function. It is instantly elegant, most people look good in it, and it makes us appear thinner, right?

Usually, I opt for bright colors, but this time I chose black and white. Although the pattern is certainly flame-like. This is a hint of my Sagittarius self, one of the fire signs. Did my soul know this perfect picture was coming later when I plucked this blouse from the hanger? I think, “Yes!”

Likewise, my soul was adamant that I stay out with the name tags until there were no more arrivals.  This time, when the soul speaks – listen was heeded. Eventually, I had to go into the crowded, noisy room full of people I thought I needed to see.

All the energy of the room felt like I was walking through a curtain of kelp on the ocean floor, intent on finding a safe spot where I could observe rather than feel boxed in.

You can see in this picture, I found that safe spot at the back of the room. Furthermore, two people I didn’t know were at the table. Perfect!

Now, step back, squint your eyes a little. What do you notice?

Yes, it’s the perfect yin yang symbol setup behind me with my blouse a sort of portable yin  yang statement, anchoring the photo.  Here’s a funny ‘behind-the-scenes’ fact. I had just finished eating a fabulous healthy green salad, southern green beans, and the best tenderloin steak ever from The Catering Company of Central Florida . As my friend, Larry, snapped the photo, I could just imagine all the green stuff in my teeth and gums. Therefore, my smile is very much subdued… for me.

A Long Drive in a Red SUV

Mom and I went for a long drive in a red SUV. I’ve been wanting to upgrade my dark gray Subaru Forester with a new red model. That’s exactly what I did back in February. Here’s a shout out to the Apple Car Guy, from Cannon Subaru who made it happen. By the way, I love Cannon Subaru in Lakeland, FL

My Love Affair With Red Vehicles

It all started when I was a kid and my parents bought a red Chevrolet Super Sport in the 60’s. I thought it was so cool. It had bucket seats. All the family cars prior were either station wagons or Oldsmobile behemoth hand-me-downs from my grandparents. We didn’t have it long. It just wasn’t practical.

Later, Dad bought a ‘57 Chevy and gave it to my older sister when we were in high school. We thought it was just awful. The headliner was loose and the vacuum tube wipers would stop during torrential downpours as we climbed the hills on 10th Street in Haines City, Florida. I don’t know what happened to the car, but I’ll bet Dad kicked himself a few times for letting that classic go.

The closest I got to a red car when my parents furnished them was a used Datsun 2000 convertible I received after graduating from high school. The paint was white, but the leather interior was red. What a guy magnet! I gave the five-speed manual transmission a workout on the curvy roads I found as alternative routes to Polk Junior College in Winter Haven.

A few years later I married. Like most American males, my husband liked horsepower. His favorite magazines were Motor Trend and Car and Driver. And he devoured every word when they compared models. The Ford Taurus SHO caught he attention. It wasn’t long before we bought one, a red SHO.

During my Datsun sports car days, I learned to enjoy the exhilaration of performance driving, but always tempered it with caution concerning speed limits. All my life, I’ve had an uncanny ability to note the legal limit, driving  accordingly. With the many miles I’ve put in, I’ve never received a speeding ticket. Even when I drove the SHO, which we referred to as “arrest red”.

Back to the Long Drive

Some of my relatives from Wisconsin spend at least a week in Ft. Meyers Beach every winter. Last year we managed to ‘meet in the middle’ in Arcadia at The Magnolia Seafood Grille. Our lunch was great, but this year the Wisconsinites opted for no rental car. It was perfect for them and me; Publix delivered groceries to their condo, the grandkids played in the pool and the adults could walk to the pier, along the beach or shop in the many stores nearby. And I got to take my four-day-old red Subaru for a long ride.

Mom surprised me by wanting to come along. Just like all travel for me, I’m happy with a travel companion or going solo. And I knew Mom and I are very compatible traveling. We’ve driven to Williamsburg, Va together, the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, traveled to all the major islands of Hawaii, and I drove us from Colorado to Florida and back numerous times.

There’s something about being on the road that brings out Mom’s stories from all the decades of her life. And her memory is phenomenal. Don’t worry, I finally figured out I could tape some of her stories on one of the 2,000 mile Florida to Colorado treks.

In contrast, what made this 3 hour trip fun was the preponderance of red cars. It was an ongoing joke both ways! Most of the trip was two-lane country roads, but nearing our destination, the traffic was horrendous. Being a Florida native, I avoid the coasts during the busy months, November through April. We were in the height of snowbird season in late February. At the many stoplights nearing the beach we’d count 4, 5, even 6 red vehicles! And we’d laugh and laugh about this silly coincidence. It made the hours fly by.

How About You?

Do you have a car story? Or maybe a story where you keep seeing people who have something in common with you? Tell me about it by sharing this post On social media and include my handle, @dawnoutside in Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I know you have to get innovative in Instagram, but sharing my handle along with this photo will work.

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My Unusual Holiday Tradition

This is a secret, but I’m going to reveal my unusual holiday tradition to you, my friends. I start a diet regimen. Yes. I know it’s crazy, but I’ve done this at least two years running.

This time it’s different

I see you naysayers shake your heads.

“But it is something you do every November or December. Obviously, you haven’t been successful in changing your eating habits,” you say.

And you are right! This time is truly different. I started a plan called Noom. This is week 4 and I’ve lost 3 pounds.

“That’s lousy. By now, you should have lost at least 5 pounds.”

That’s why I believe I’ll be successful this time. All the other times I’ve ‘started a diet’, the initial results were phenomenal; 5, even 10 pounds in the first week or two. And then by the end of a month, I’m going crazy for carbs or sweets or whatever it is I was forced to give up.

How is this different?

Noom is psychology driven. They use multiple legitimate research studies to educate and help participants change their habits. It’s that simple. And they are funny. I like funny. How about you?

How do I start?

For me, I saw a TV commercial air during Jeopardy. Yes, I watch Jeopardy. And I’m amazed how much I don’t know both on Jeopardy and about my eating habits.

Noom has helped me get healthier, I think it could help you too! Use my special link for 20% off when you sign up here. And add my unusual holiday tradition to your December for the last time!

truly changing my health is simple

I’m committed to a dual pronged attack. If you’ve been reading my blog, you might have noticed quite a few references to my workout schedule. I started with a trainer in August. My trainer started off slowly and now I’m boxing on Wednesday, doing abdominal work on Friday, and training for a 5K on Sunday afternoons.  And now I’ve added a food change to the mix, daily logging food and interacting with my fellow Noomers because I believe consistency is the key to success!