I have an upcoming girl’s adventure on the horizon, and it only seemed fitting to get a few new things to take on vacation. Since I am not a shopper by nature, I opted for the on-line variety. It all began a few months ago when I thought I would start the hunt early, in order to be prepared for my trip.

The last several weeks have been especially difficult for my Dad; his brother had fallen ill, and on Mother’s Day, lost his battle and went home to his Lord. My Dad is the oldest of six, and has survived five siblings and both parents. I was a bit hesitant to write this post, but felt the message was important to share.

What do your dreams look like? Are you letting fear stop them, or are you taking one step at a time, getting closer to your dream? Have faith, trust your heart, and fly. Now is the time…..you can do it!

This past weekend I was honored to co-host another workshop titled, Vision Your Best Life. We were blessed to have spent an afternoon with women ready to vision the possibilities of their own life, by creating vision boards. Vision boards are simply a tool used to help clarify and concentrate on specific life goals, by using any type of board to display images and quotes on what you would like to attract into your life.

This past week marked another blessed year on the calendar for my first love…..my Dad. His birthday weekend was shared by the college graduation of my nephew, which I know my Dad was happy to celebrate with his grandson. His eyes light up any time he is around his grandchildren, and deeply cares about each one.

We had to switch to plan B; which meant my sister and I took on the task of picking out, and purchasing a style that would work….pronto (since she came home earlier in the day). She needed some sort of shoe that had Velcro tabs that would adjust both for her swelling and shrinking feet.

While waiting in a room prior to surgery, my Dad, sister and I were sitting with her waiting for the surgeon to arrive. Once he explained the procedure and what to expect, Mom piped up about her going home the following day. The doctor said it wasn’t impossible, but he would have to access the situation, post-surgery. After all the questions were asked, my mom mentioned she baked him a loaf of a zucchini nut bread, and that he should eat it prior to surgery to give him extra stamina. OMG….we all laughed, as he left with loaf in hand. As a side note, she always brings home-baked bread, muffins, or cookies to all her doctor appointments; and always receives great service….haha.

One of my girlfriends happens to be a meeting planner, and if you’ve ever been to one of her events, you’d know she runs a tight ship. This girl knows how to throw a party, and has everything covered from start to finish. Whenever I get an invitation to one of her events, I am confident it will be spectacular.

If you’ve ever been to a Blackhawk’s game, you know exactly what I’m referring to; the experience is pretty amazing. From the jersey-wearing fans, hustle and bustle inside and outside the arena, the lights, and pre-game warm-up by both teams. Once the players are off the ice, the real hoopla begins.

The first thing that caught my eye was when I read, Renew your Compassionate Heart – Spring Retreat. It drew me in, and I immediately reached out to my friend to find out more. Who doesn’t want to connect with their heart, stop the chatter, listen to our inner messages, and trust our intuition?

This year’s hosts decided on wines from Italy…..no particular region, just any Italian wine. There would be five courses, and by luck of the draw I handled the first course, which included an Italian appetizer paired with a wine to enhance it’s flavor.

Living within a few miles of the lakefront, we are subject to lake effect snow. This week my area was in the path of a heavy storm. It fell on-and-off for two days, and in the end had accumulated about a foot. It was beautiful but……….Holy Snowstorm, Batman!

I’ve been with my company for eleven years, and in all that time it’s been a well-known secret that when someone leaves, whatever was left in their cube or office is fair game for the takers. A week ago, I was working with a colleague and in the process of a project discovered two, fancy, expensive ergonomic desk chairs that had been abandoned. These chairs are like gold, and it’s very difficult to get your hands on one.

This past weekend I was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house, about ninety minutes from home. We were having dinner with a group of friends nearby, and she offered me one of her guest rooms for the night. “Absolutely”……which ultimately made things much easier for me.

The first night in Rome, the hotel recommended the local restaurant i Clementini. Upon our arrival we were greeted by a friendly wait staff and escorted to a back room. We dined on delicious seafood, fresh baked bread, and bottles of wine. The staff spoke some English, and we ended up having a great time getting to know them. They were very attentive and laughed right along with us.

We have so many fun memories, which often become part of our conversation. I met Ge’ several years ago in Rome, Italy. I knew the moment we were introduced, we would stay connected as friends. We met through a mutual friend, spent a few fun days together with a small group, and haven’t stopped laughing about the adventures since.

We were completely intrigued. I piped up and asked, “Anyone want to try it with me?” One friend immediately answered, “I will.” No sooner did she get the words out of her mouth, another friend loudly declared, “Hell no, not me!” She wanted nothing to do with the treatment.

Last week my nephew Garrett participated in the X-games Snocross event, held in Aspen Colorado. For those that aren’t familiar with the competition, it’s said to be the greatest winter action sport athletes competing annually from around the world. To participate in the games is by invitation only, unless you were lucky enough to be on the podium the previous year.