Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Five Things I Love And Don't Love

My inspiration for this post came from my longtime blogging pal, Bytes from the Burbs, who got it from a blogging friend of hers, who has now become a blogging friend of mine, A Grace Full Life. So, thank you, ladies! 💗

However, I did my own take on this by combining five things I love and don't love.

Let's start with some things I do love...

1) I love using a variety of supplements because they have supported my health since the early-80s. I've done a lot of research on supplements and have found the ones that work well for me. Below are the supplements I take to keep my immune system strong. Some of these I take daily, others I use when needed. And I don't take them all at once. I take them throughout the day (probiotic, vitamin D3 coupled with vitamin K2, vitamin C coupled with zinc, Asian ginseng, turmeric, and echinacea).

2) I love lemons. I literally squeeze them over everything I eat and drink. I especially love lemons in my drinking water during the hot summer months because it's so refreshing and cleansing.

3) I love making soups and salads. This is the time of year when I make a variety of soups every single week; sometimes twice a week. And I have a salad (with avocado) every day for lunch.

4) I love the smell and taste of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, lavender, sage, and mint) and using them in my soups, salads, and drinks.

*Yes, I'm a foodie; a vegetarian one. Yet, I'm not vegan or gluten-free because I'm obsessed with bread, pasta, and cheese. I'm Italian, for god's sake. I could never be vegan or gluten-free. LOL!

5) I love being of service to others. My job involves talking to many people all day long; listening to their concerns, and then selecting the perfect products for those concerns. I am someone who truly enjoys giving outstanding customer service by sharing my knowledge with sincerity. I also enjoy helping people to feel positive about themselves and hoping that our interaction is a bright spot in their day. I have never thought of myself as a salesperson, but as a service person.

Next up are some of my don't loves...

1) I don't love folding my laundry when it's finished drying because I can't stand how everything sticks together and how long it takes to separate them. Yes, I've tried countless anti-static products, but I've never found them to work. Now, mind you, I don't mind the sorting and washing part of doing laundry. It's the after-drying-folding-part that makes me insane. Years ago, when I lived in Florida, I used a laundry service every week and it was so inexpensive OMG, how I miss that.

2) I don't love the lack of cell phone etiquette. Cell phones have become so readily used that some people have forgotten that there are other people around them when they're on the phone and talk so loud they can be heard on Neptune, which is 2.688 billion miles away from Earth! And I especially love hearing the screaming matches that some people have with their significant other about how one is cheating on the other with the other's significant other from a previous relationship.

I took the train out to Ardmore a few weeks ago and about midway there, a passenger sat down next to me. He was on the aisle; I was by the window. A few minutes into the commute, his phone rang and I swear to God he talked so loud that I thought my left ear was going to explode off my head. And not only that, but he had the most horrendous breath in the world. So whenever he talked, I got a massive tsunami of hippopotamus breath on the left side of my face. When my stop was announced, I literally jumped over his lap and RAN off the train.

3) I don't love careless, shitty customer service, in which the customer service representative acts like they're doing you a HUGE favor to help you, while they're eating a piece of cake and talking or texting on their phone WHILE working. And that goes for online customer service as well. Work ethics are a thing of the past.

4) I don't love Philadelphia sports fans because of the way they act. And it's only when they win do they act that way. And it's not solely the male fans; the females act that way too. Oddly enough, when they lose, you don't hear a peep out of them. Over the weekend, the Eagles won a football game and you should have seen how the fans reacted. At 2:30am Sunday morning, a huge riot awoke me in the street where drunk-out-of-their-minds-sports fans stopped traffic and were beating on passing cars with their fists. It took the Philadelphia police department 45 minutes to disperse the crowd. So you see, even when Philadelphia sports fans win, they lose because of their destructive behavior. Here are a few photos of what they did in 2018 after winning the Super Bowl. They destroyed this city. The following morning, it looked as though a bomb had been dropped the night before. You can read about it here. And here's an article about how Philadelphia fans were voted the worst in America. And it's the truth.

*Please note: I don't feel this way at all about our sports players because they deserve to win. It's the asinine fans who take away their glory, I mind.

5) I don't love clowns. Wait, let me be absolutely clear about that. I don't love clowns A LOT. I'm a big fan of all things Stephen King, but I couldn't go anywhere near the movie, It. But even before It, I never liked clowns. There is nothing happy or funny about them. They're just plain CREEPY! I don't love going to a circus either.

If you so wish, please feel free to share things you love and/or don't love in your comments. I'd love to hear them.

Have a grrrrreat rest of your week, everyone! 💗

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Practicing Portrait Photography With Kelly

As you all know, I have a passion for photography. Throughout my 16 years publishing this blog, I have shared a slew of photographs; primarily photos of city life in both New York and Philadelphia. Included within my passion for photography is a passion for architecture; especially historical architecture. I love buildings, bridges, streets, etc. that contain a rich history. I like modern architecture as well, however, historical architecture often has a gritty and raw essence, which I adore.

What I haven't taken many photographs of are people. Yes, you'll definitely see people in a lot of my photographs because when you live in a city, you can't help but have people in them. However, the people in my photography are usually in the background, they're not the focus. Readers have asked me many times in their comments, did the people in my photographs mind having their picture taken? And my response was that when you live in a city (particularly in a city the size of New York), people are used to other people pointing their cameras and cell phones everywhere; taking pictures. So no, they don't mind. In fact, they're so busy going about their own business to even notice.

Today, I would like to share photographs I recently took of my dear friend, Kelly, who I've occasionally shared about in previous posts, like this one.

Kelly agreed to be my model, so that I could get some practice using my Canon camera for taking portrait photographs in which people are the focus.

What's ideal about being friends with Kelly is that she and I are much alike, in that we both enjoy learning and continually remain curious about trying new things. And we also learn the same way, by just getting out there and doing it through trial and error, and having FUN.

I'm a Libra and Kelly is a Leo. I have a lot of Leo in my astrological chart, and Kelly's rising sign is Libra; therefore, we share similarities. Such as, we both walk at the same speed -- FAST -- like a roadrunner. Many of our interests are the same too.

Last Wednesday, we met at one of our favorite coffee spots down in Old City, and then walked all around the area, taking photographs. Old City has a lot of diverse locations, so it's ideal for backdrops.

So, without further ado, Heeeeeeere's Kelly!

*Kelly and I first met working together in 2015. She is a very talented makeup artist, among other creative talents. Before we started taking photographs that day, I snapped a few shots of her applying her lip liner and lip balm...

Doesn't she look faaaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous? You GO, girl...

These next two I took down by the Delaware River, under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge...

Down at Cherry Street Pier...

Okay, so I induced this next photo after I spotted a fire hydrant and told Kelly that I had the sudden urge to get down on all fours; lift my leg and pee like a male dog.

But Kelly beat me to it and did it much more lady-like..LOL!

VERY Zen...

This was one of my favorite shots because it's so natural. She threw her head back and laughed, and I snapped the camera. And I love the blur...

This final photograph was taken on the oldest street in Philadelphia, Elfreth’s Alley...

Thanks, Kelly! You were a SUPERmodel! And what FUN we had! 💗

Have a grrrreat rest of your week, everyone! 💗

*Edit update: I cannot believe I did this being that Kelly and I are such close friends, but I TOTALLY got her astrological sun sign wrong. I have always thought she was a Leo, but she's not, she's a Cancer. However, I was right about one thing, she DOES have a Libra rising. And she does have STRONG Leo energy within her chart. Anyway, sorry about that. However, I stand corrected now. Thank you!

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Half Full Or Half Empty? Which One Are You?

Let me begin by saying that I am far from being someone who is ALWAYS happy.

However, many people ask me why I always seem to be in a good mood; have so much energy; and have a positive attitude. Which, I guess, makes it appear I am perpetually happy.

But truth be told, no one can always be happy. And that's because real life is not always happy. It has its up and downs, and everything in between. Throughout my 67 years on this planet, like all of you, I've gone through some extremely challenging and dark times.

And was I happy going through them? Shit, no.

Trust me, I have my moments of anger. I am also very impatient; therefore, I can easily become frustrated with myself and others. And I have to watch how I say things because I can be very direct and to the point when I feel strongly about something. With age, I've gotten much better at taking a deep breath before I speak. But I still slip back.

So no, I am not always happy.

Rather than being happy, I think what people sense about me is that I'm joyful. Which I can honestly say, I am. And I believe that my joyfulness comes from being grateful. It comes from always looking for the good stuff in my life and feeling tremendous gratitude. I often feel I am the wealthiest person in the world because of all the blessings I have in my life.

In my lowest of low times, I can always direct my attention to the abundant wealth in my life. In fact, that's how I got through those low and dark times. Focusing my attention on the good gave me the strength to walk through the darkness. And step by step, I got through it and to the other side.

Regardless of where my life takes me, I always feel it as half full.

It is my opinion that the expression "Half full or half empty?" is really saying, "Are you optimistic or pessimistic?"

And I am definitely an optimist.

But being optimistic doesn't mean that I'm not a realist. I am. I see things for what they are. I don't lie to myself. Yet, even in darkness, I can stay hopeful and confident that whatever the outcome; not only will I survive, but I will blossom. I refuse to see things as random. I think everything that happens to me happens for a reason. And that includes the dark stuff.

As each new year approaches, I'm not one to make resolutions. Rather, I make the intention that whatever happens; I will embrace the change that comes into my life throughout the new year.

And dance with it.

Wishing you all a new year of change and dance!

💗

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