Most Beautiful Poem!

This is my favorite poem. It takes my breath away everytime I read it! I think you will enjoy it too! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Tuesday!

Pray that your journey will be long,

full of many summer mornings

when with much pleasure and much joy

you anchor in harbors never seen before

Browse through Phoenician markets,

to purchase exquisite treasures-

mother-of-pearl and coral, ebony and amber

and sensual perfumes of all kinds-

as much as you desire.

Visit many Egyptian cities, content

to sit at the feet of sages, eager

and open to receive learning.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.

Your arrival there is your destiny.

But do not hurry the journey at all: be patient.

Better that it lasts for many years-

longer than you can even imagine.

So that finally, when you reach this

sacred isle, you will be a wise woman,

abundantly fulfilled by all you have gained along the way:

no longer expecting Ithaka to make you wealthy,

no longer needing Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka offered you the profound journey,

the chance to discover the woman you have always been

Without Ithaka as your inspiration, you

never would have set out in search of Wholeness.

And should you find her poor, Ithaka did not deceive you.

Authentic as you have become, full of wisdom,

beauty and grace, enriched and enlightened

by all you have experienced

you will finally understand what all life's Ithaka truly means.

-Sarah Ban Breathnach

(Adaptation of CP Cavafy’s classic for women)

Friendships!

Good morning! I was reading a friend's Facebook posting yesterday about her road trip with three close girlfriends. They all left their families behind, flew to a meeting point, rented a car and drove across beautiful points of interest in the south. Needless to say I went to bed very envious, happy for her, but envious for me ;-) We had lost close contact over the last few years, if we hadn't I hope she would have invited me too!

Well, it made me start thinking about friends - good female friends and how lucky we are to have them. I adore getting together with a good friend and laughing like girls, share concerns as Moms, share "nothing" complaints about our spouses, chat fashion, vacation spots, diet secrets and maybe even some good ol' gossip.

Girlfriend time is relaxing, refreshing and I usually go home feeling younger, happier and more appreciative of my wonderfully authentic family! When I write about girlfriend time I am not talking about the "one ups man" conversations. No, in fact, far from it. I am talking about time where you are open, honest and vulnerable. I believe that openness is lends itself to the good old "belly laugh" which is sometimes more productive than crying! Though a good cry is sometimes refreshing too!

I am meeting a girlfriend for lunch today and I am really looking forward to it. Do you have a close friend that you haven't made time for lately? Maybe give her a call today and set something up!  If not, it is never to late to make a new friend - potential friends are all around us!

Have a wonderful Monday and a wonderful week!

Changes!!!

Good Sunday morning! It is 12am and I am finally going to bed. I have made some changes to my blog. The first you will see is the name is different. It is now "OMG I Am 50! I also changed the font color to make it easier to read. I hope you like the changes. Have a wonderful Sunday!

A Few Hours Alone!

"Baron" and daughter #1 have gone to the movie for the afternoon. Travel time and movie time combined they should be gone about 3.5 hours. What a nice surprise. A sibling is visiting my Mom today so I don't even have to think about her. I am so excited to have this "surprise" time alone! I did the usual Saturday routine - laundry, light cleaning etc but then it was all about me! Wondering what I did? I took "Berk" for a long walk, took a bubble bath, whitened my teeth, facial masque, read a chapter in a new book. It was wonderful - no tv, no music, no telephone, nothing but "thinking about what I want to do!" I even fixed a super healthy lunch for myself. I feel happy and relaxed - not one ounce of guilt! I think this time alone is something that we (Moms, wives, women) don't get enough of! I hope my family had a great few hours away and will do it again - sooner than later (smile)!

 Happy Saturday!

Friday's Favorite Five!

Good afternoon all! My usual Friday post, "A Few Of My Favorite Things" has been changed to "Friday's Favorite Five". I like this title better especially because it incorporates the day of the week it is posted. So, with no further "adieu", I present this week's post, "Friday's Favorite Five"!

The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony - I can hardly wait to watch it!


Terra Vegetable Chips - my favorite, while eating healthy or not!


Pita Pizza - yummy and so few calories (if you make it that way!)


All summer long with these crazy temps I have been downing "Water with lemon and cucumber"


Bath and Body Works - Dancing Water PocketBac (anti-bacterial hand gel)
Good while on the run in this heat!


Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy it!

Zumba!!!

I am now a member of Zumba. I went to my first class today and loved it! It reminded me of going out dancing with friends in the 80's - minus the Candies, hair and make-up. I attended with Daughter #1, who is in great shape, and we had a blast! The teacher was fantastic, the music made you want to move and the feeling of completing it is outstanding. It was good for my self esteem because before the class I would have said that I couldn't do a lot of the moves. But wow - I did them and I didn't really struggle! If you are looking for a new and exciting form of exercise than check out - Zumba! I think you will be glad you did!


Looks like more storms are headed our way and the temperature is well over 100. Stay cool and stay safe!
Happy Thursday!

Wisdom On Wednesdays!

Happy Wednesday!