What's That You Say, Mrs. Robinson?

My Energy Source

As part of my Mondo Beyondo course, I am identifying the things in my life that give me energy, that feed me in some way, with the recognition that in order to dream big and to have the courage and stamina to see those dreams through to reality, I must seek out the inner strength and energy that will sustain me.

1) Music - listen to it every day. The standards that make me feel happy (Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews etc) and the new and interesting music that feed my desire to experience new things on a daily basis (French cafe music, classical etc)

2) I'll steal this one from the course instructor: Make things pretty. Do something every day to make my surroundings more pleasing and nicer to be in. Flowers, cleaning up clutter, a new pillow, something to make the kitchen counter more interesting, a new scarf etc.

3) Be creative: Do something creative every day. Write. Work on my homemade cookbook/scrapbook, doodle, create handmade cards, take photos, edit photos, whatever....the possibilities are endless.

That's a good start. I have a feeling a couple new ideas will come my way as the day progresses. Bueno.

Mondo Beyondo - Dreaming BIG

I just signed up for an on-line class called Mondo Beyondo (you'll see a link to the right -> ). My dear friend Becky has done this class and highly recommneded it. I'm at a place in my life that is ripe for new beginnings, or at least some decisions on what kind of beginnings I want to explore. This seems like just the right time to embark on a class/journey just like this. Here is a description:

What happens when you give an unspoken wish a place to become a dream come true? How do you gather the courage required to help a new found dream soar?

Join seasoned dreamers Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen as together we explore Mondo Beyondo--the powerful point of view that transforms our deepest dreams into practical realities. This six week online class complete with inspiring lessons, real life stories, secret missions, audio interviews and hands-on activities will help you take your dreams from the realm of wishing into everyday motion.

Supported by Andrea and Jen as your able guides and exclusive access to a community of dreamers, you'll find yourself equipped with the perfect tools and the just right atmosphere to take the risks you've always dreamed of. Join us for the next session of Mondo Beyondo and we'll discover together where dreaming big can take you.

These are the same folks who did the on-line photography class I did earlier this year and I loved the spirit and delivery system of the class. I can't tell you how excited I am to do this!

Midnight in Paris

The past couple of weeks have been consumed by planning for our trip to Europe in September. We are going to spend 5 days in Rome, 5 in Florence and 5 in Paris. This is a dream come true. The trip of a life time.

So far we have our flights booked to and from Europe using the miles we have been saving for the past 10+ years. First class there and back. That in and of itself is a treat. We fly from SFO to London and then from London to Rome. That flight is booked also.

From Rome, we'll take the train to Florence where we will stay in a little apartment we found on VRBO right near the Medici Chapel, very close to the Duomo. We'll likely do one or two day trips from there to Siena and possibly San Gimignano.

From Florence we will train to Pisa and then fly to Paris for our final leg of the trip and where we will spend our 22nd wedding anniversary.

OMG. Seriously?

Yes. The trip of a life time. Although we fully intend on going back a second and third time if we like any or all of the places we visit especially well, you never know, so we are treating it like a once in a lifetime trip.

Although Italy was the main destination, we ended up needing to fly home out of Paris and so the little girl in me who sat through three years of French class and dreamed of the day she would see the Champs-Élysées and Notre Dame and Hemmingway's Paris is giddy beyond belief.

I've taken to reading several blogs on a regular basis that are about various aspects of Parisian life. So far, my favorites are the Hip Paris Blog, The Little Brown Pen, Girl's Guide to Paris, and Lost in Cheeseland.

And I've begun talking to myself in French.

Parce que, je ne veux pas à regarder comme un idiot à Paris. Et parce que je l'aime !

A little time for me

 

Carpe diem....had to drop a co-worker off to pick up her car at 4pm and rather than go back to the office, I decided to take some time to sit with myself and just be. I took myself to my favorite wine bar, found a table outside and ordered a delicious flatbread and some chardonnay. I opened my journal and did some writing and enjoyed the afternoon. The whole exercise took exactly one hour and I felt very refreshed and relaxed. How often do we take these opportunities to pull back and just spend time with ourselves? Not often enough.

Woodside BBQ

Breaking out of our normal routine of Friday evening hang-outs, Dan and I found ourselves in the hills of Woodside at a BBQ hosted by our friend Bob. A wonderful evening of old-fashioned fun included a game of horse shoes, some tasty tri-tip, good wine, great friends and a couple of beautiful horses.

I used this opportunity to capture some photos that I would not otherwise have been able to get. The lighting was just right and I used some of my prompts from photography class to add to my rapidly growing collection.