 I love Starbucks. I know, it’s a chain and lots of shops sell drinks. But I love the experience of it all. I love mobile ordering. I love the feel of the Starbucks cup in my hand. I love that they are everywhere! Even when I travel to someplace unfamiliar to me, there is the familiarity of a Starbucks, and I find comfort in that. For the past few years, I have also used Starbucks as an office. I live about 2 minutes from a Starbucks, and got into the habit of going a few times per week to get written computer work done. I work from home, which is awesome, but when I’m home and working on something not fun, I can easily get distracted. I found I got this kind of work done way faster when at Starbucks. I also got to reward myself with a fun drink while I worked.
COVID-19 changed all that.
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 Two weeks ago Mac was playing in her BFF’s backyard. Layla and Mac are both retired racing greyhounds and live across the street from each other. They love to sniff butts, run, and just stand next to each other.
Mac started to dig in the dirt, which was very adorable, and Layla thought it looked like fun too. As Layla’s parents and I watched the dogs play, Layla’s mom said, “Oh no, Mac is limping.” I noticed it, but was not too concerned as this has happened before, and Mac just walks it off and is perfectly fine. I did go to check on Mac, and noticed blood on my hand after touching Mac’s leg. I braced myself, as concern started to set in.  I’ve had visible scars on my left forearm for 14 years (scars left from nonsuicial self-injury). NSSI was my coping method of choice in my early 20’s. The short story, I was coping with unresolved emotions from abuse in my childhood. The long story, is in my book, Discovering My Scars.
The first few years, I covered the scars in different ways whenever I was in public:
I did so because:
 Monday’s get such bad wrap! I have never understood why Monday seems to be the most disliked day of the week.
I see Monday as the start of something brand new. There is a whole week of possibilities, and I have no idea where they might lead. I make a weekly plan on Sunday night so I have an idea of where I want the week to go, but I never know exactly how it might unfold.  I can clearly remember when Frozen, the Disney movie, came out. I remember seeing ads with a silly snowman and reindeer, and wrote it off as just another kids’ movie. It wasn’t until New Years Eve, when a friend told me Idina Menzel is the voice of Elsa, that I look another look. I thought she just had a song on the soundtrack; I didn’t know she IS Elsa!
I have been a huge fan of Idina since hearing her on the Wicked Broadway soundtrack in 2003, and have been following her projects ever since. I was a little embarrassed that I did not know about the huge part she had, but no matter, I went to see Frozen the next day on New Years day with my friend, Jason. I, of course, loved it! Frozen was not the Disney movies I grew up with (and was not a fan of). This was about family love. This was about powerful women that didn’t just live happily ever after with their prince (or give up their voice to be with him).  October 17, 2018 I got the call (as I was entering Home Depot) that my book was accepted for publication by Morgan James Publishing (MJP)! I had been in contact with Karen Anderson, MJP Associate Publisher, since January about my book and the work I still needed to do. So when she called me that day, it felt like a giant leap forward in getting my book, Discovering My Scars, into the world!
Fast forward over a year later, with my book now in hand and book to be released to the public January 2020, I got an email about the MJP Next Level training event.  I was unsure. I was nervous. I didn’t know how I would support myself.
But God knew, and that was enough for me to take the leap. Four years ago, I took a giant leap forward by quitting my full time job and becoming a full time online content creator and business owner. And now, 4 years later…  Is it just me, or does anyone else think it’s too much work to say nephews and niece??
My brother and his wife had two boys first, so I had no issue saying my nephews. But when my wonderful niece came along, I found myself saying just nephews, which excluded my niece unintentionally. I then tried my best to say “nephews and niece” as much I could.  A week ago, I got to experience the Disney Skyliner on opening day!
I was in Orlando a few days and realized I was going to be there for the day it opened. Sunday, September 29th, my parents, brother and his kids and I headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (my favorite park, which is also the park I used to work at) and got in line for our first ride on the Skyliner.  I kind of knew Christina Ray Stanton before reading her book. She grew up in my hometown of Tallahassee, FL, and I met her once in New York City. I knew she was in NYC during 9/11, but didn’t know much more.
A few years ago, my mom told me Christina was writing a book about her 9/11 experience, and I was very excited to read it. It was also interesting to me, because I had just started writing my own memoir, Discovering My Scars. I ordered my copy of Christina’s book as soon as it was available (May 31st 2019) and read it in one day. I planned to take a few days, but I couldn’t put it down! The book starts right where I remember learning of the events, the morning of September 11, 2001. |
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