Able ...

"what i know for sure is that
you have the right to
choose what is best for yourself now -- not four years
ago or even yesterday.
and changing your mind does not
mean acting irresponsibly; it's just the opposite.
when you honor what you know
your spirit is telling
you to do, you are making the
most conscientious
decision, one for which you are
willing to accept all
the consequences. you understand
that when you know
better, you ought to do better -- and doing better
sometimes means changing your mind;
and you realize that letting go of what others
think you should do is
the only way to reach your full potential...

every day,
passion speaks to us through our feelings.
that's why when you allow yourself to become
anesthetized by what others think,
you literally block yourself from living the life you were called to live.

i promise you that if you make a choice that doesn't
please your mate, your friends, your mother, or
whoever, the world will not fall apart -- the people
who truly love you want you to love yourself. and as
you become clearer about who you really are, you'll be
better able to decide what is best for you -- the
first time around."

~Oprah Winfrey

Fear

Fear ....

what if facing
the thing that you are
most afraid of
is the very thing
that will make you feel alive again?

what if its really not as scary
as you think it is?

what if this is going to be one of those things
you will say in a few months,
"thank god i did that...and why didnt i do this sooner?"

In a moment!

All changes are created in a moment - it's just that most of us wait until certain things happen before we finally decide to make a shift.
-Tony Robbins

Fearless Living Tip Of The Day

"You don't have to earn or deserve love. You are love. Loving is never about how others treat you. It is always about how you are treating yourself."

--Rhonda Britten

A Creed for All of Us

~ A Creed for All of Us ~

The world was made
to be beautiful--

but sometimes we get caught up in
everyday actions
completely forgetting about this
completely forgetting about that
what is truly important
are the simple, basic things in life--

honest, pure emotions
surrounded by the majestic beauty
of nature

We need to concentrate on the
freeness and peacefulness of nature and
not on the driven material aspects of life

We need to smell the clear air after the rainfall and appreciate the good in things

Each of us must be responsible and do our part in order to help preserve a
beautiful world--

the waterfalls, the oceans, the mountains,the large gray boulders,the large green farms, the fluffy pink clouds,the sunrise and sunsets, ladybugs, rainbows, dew, hummingbirds,butterflies, dandelions

We need to remember that we are here for a short time and that every day
should count for something and that every day we should be thankful
for all the natural beauty

Saturday

Magic is the feeling of Being. Watching the grass grow, the water flow, the waves crash on the shore. Seeing a sunrise, a sunset. Mountains at rest. Magic is the feeling of contentment, no fear, no anger. Magic is more than Happy... It just IS.

~ Marianne ~

Too Many Times

Too often we don’t realize what we have until it is gone.
Too often we wait too late to say “I’m sorry - I was wrong.”
Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones we hold dearest to our hearts.
And we allow foolish things to tear our lives apart.
Far too many times we let unimportant things into our minds
And then it’s usually too late to see what made us blind.
So be sure that you let people know how much they mean to you.
Take that time to say the words before your time is through.
Be sure that you appreciate everything you’ve got,
And be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot.

... I am so thankful for my friendship with Ginger.

~ Marianne ~

The CAM is BACK...wooohooo!!!!

Good morning Marianne...our link to the beach is BACK UP!!!!! Life is good! I miss you sooo much...we need pool therapy..when can you get away? ~~Ginger~~

Friends

FRIENDS

As we walk our path of life,We meet people everyday.
Most are simply met by chance. But, some are sent our way.
These become special friends whose bond we can't explain;
The ones who understand us and share our joy and pain.
Their love contains no boundaries. So, even when apart.
Their presence enhances us with a warmth felt in the heart.
This love becomes a passageway, when even the miles disappear.
And so, these friends, God sends our way, remain forever near.

~~~~~~~~~

Ginger is my very dear friend

Forever and Always.

Through Thick and Thin.

Bad or Good and back Again.

I love you like a sister.

Always,

~ Marianne ~

My Friend...

I am a different person,
a better person,
since we first became friends.
Your honesty helps me
to see my weaknesses,
and your support helps me
to turn them into strengths.
Thank you
for not saying the things
you think I want to hear,
but for saying the things
I need to know.
You're one of the few people
I trust when you tell me
that I've done well,
because you are one of the few
who will tell me
when I could do better.
You challenge me
to be the best I can be...
by accepting and appreciating me,
you've helped me
learn to accept
and appreciate myself.
Thank you for being my friend!

Another Chance

Another Chance

How often we wish for another chance to make a fresh beginning.
A chance to blot out our mistakes and change failure into winning.
It does not take a new day to make a brand new start,
It only takes a deep desire to try with all our heart.
To live a little better and to always be forgiving.
And to add a little sunshine to the world in which we're living.
So never give up in despair and think that you are through,
For there's always a tomorrow and the hope of starting new.

Helen Steiner Rice

Fall

It's a sad time of year for me. While I love the change of seasons, the smell of fall, Halloween...it also means the beginning of at least 8 months of WINTER like weather. The leaves are changing colors, mornings are cold, it's 52 now and I dream of our beach and the SUN, sand and surf. Time is going so fast...I feel like my life is flying by. I have 2 jobs that MOST would see as dream jobs and I am so miserable. The thing of it is...I am pushing 40 fast and STILL don't know what I want to be when I grow up. It has long been my dream to own a bookstore, Marianne's too. I have the space, access to supply...do I have the courage to try one more venture? In the past few years I have tried so many new things only to have them turn out to be something I don't want...something that just added stress to my life instead of enjoyment. The last thing I need is more stress. I miss my friend...Marianne...we NEED to meet in the middle and SOON. I need pool therapy, I need to reconnect and ground myself again...I can only seem to do that with you. We are both at a changing point and we really need this to keep us going. I love you and miss you. ~~Ginger~~

Woman to Woman Encouragement

Someone will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school.And their partners will fix more things around the house. So let it go and love you and your circumstances. Think about it. Theprettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to havechildren. The richest woman you know - she's got the car, the house, the clothes - might be heartbreakingly lonely. So, loveyou. Love who you are right now. Tell yourself, "I am too blessed to be stressed." Be blessed ladies and pass this on to encourageanother woman. "To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world." Send this to wonderful strong women youknow. I did. Possibilities and miracles are one and the same.-Anonymous

The Beach Cam is back up... my life line

I really need to have access to the beach cam to keep my sanity. It was down for 3 or 4 days. I emailed the owners of the resort and asked them please please fix it. They had it back up that day. Thank you God. My sanity is intact. Ginger and I live for the beach. The cam sustains us for now. Hopefully in December we will be back home. The last few days have been tough for me. My memories of my last visit to the beach have to sustain me. That and my contact with Ginger. If I have them all is right with the world. Happy Beach dreams Ginger. Love Ya... ~Marianne~

Fearless Tip of the Day

"The secret is that love isn't about someone else loving you. It is about your ability to love yourself and the people around you, regardless of what the world does or doesn't give you. Love isn't about outside proof."

--Rhonda Britten

The People In Your Life ....

You Choose The People In Your Life

As a grown person, you can and should choose the people in your life.

It is important to have people in your life whom you know will support you in being your best. Develop quality relationships, and don't worry so much about what others think.

Those you choose to be around should support you in living a life that reflects your values, not the values of others.

After all, you're the one who has to live with what you do or don't do. Let others think what they will.

©Meditations For Women
All Rights Reserved

Bless this Day

Bless this Day
May this day be blessed with giftsLessons,

understanding and friends

May my energy be a gift to all I meet
Let me be centered, healing and open

May I face the day with couragekindness,

insight and compassion
May my spirit and body, honor this day

Happy Hump Day

It rained today and all I could think about was being at home wrapped in a blanket on the couch and reading a nice book about the beach...INSTEAD...I was at both jobs today. Trying to figure out what the heck I am doing with my life. I am in a funk...a midlife crisis?..not sure what it is but I am very restless. I am feeling the need to make some changes and I am running out of time.

I need a week of beach time to ground myself again...get back on track.

~~Ginger~~

LIFE

THE WORLD WE MAKE

We make the world in which we live
By what we gather and what we give,
By our daily deeds and the things we say,
By what we keep and we cast away.

We make our world by the beauty we see
In a skylark's song or a lilac tree,
In a butterfly's wing, in a pale moons' rise,
And the wonder that lingers in the midnight skies.

We make our world by the life we lead
By the friends we have, by the books we read,
By the pity we show in the hour of care,
By the loads we lift and the love we share.

We make our world by the goals we pursue,
By the heights we seek and the higher view,
By hopes and dreams that reach the sun,
And a will to fight till the heights are won.

What is the place in which we dwell,
A hut or a palace, a heaven or hell,
We gather and scatter, we take and we give,
We make our world--and there we live.


~A.G. Walto~

I AM still alive!

Just going a little insane with everything going on. I am sitting here thinking about our vacation.

The night that we walked along the beach much later than usual right after sunset. We were leaving..and got to the car and realized I LOST THE CAR KEYS, yeah...that's right...rental car. We walked back down to the beach...walking along the waters edge where we had been strolling back and forth and FOUND THEM. I still cannot believe that we found those keys!

I miss yellow speedo guy AND shower guy. Think they miss us too??

~~Ginger~~

Make up your mind to be happy!

More than 100 years ago, author Robert Louis Stevenson offered the following tips for maintaining a positive attitude. They still apply today. Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.

1.. Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has problems. The trick is to make laughter outweigh the tears.
2.. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Don’t think that somehow you should be protected from misfortunes that befall others.
3.. You can’t please everybody. Don’t let criticism worry you.
4.. Don’t let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
5.. Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
6.. Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary burdens are harder to bear than the actual ones.
7.. Hate poisons the soul, so don’t carry grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
8.. Have many interests. If you can’t travel, read about new places.
9.. Don’t hold post-mortems. Don’t spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
10.. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
11.. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy

End Quote" Attitude is Everything!

Monday .. The lazy days of Summer ending soon.

The lazy days of summer are just about over. Time is running out. School will be starting again on August 22nd. And I will be going back to work Sept. 6th. Time really flies. I have alot to get accomplished before Sept. 6th. So it's time to stop procrastinating and get moving. I can't shake those summer visions. Vacation was great. And I am greedy. Wanting another one. Hoping to take another one in December. I have to keep telling myself normal people are lucky to have one a year. What am I crying about. It's because I am so unsettled. It's because I crave the ocean. I am misplaced. I don't belong in the cornfields. My only consulation is that fall is right around the corner and it is my favorite time of year. And then we cross over into my least favorite time of year. Winters in Iowa can brutal. So I feel I need the beach in December to survive. Is that being Greedy? I don't think so. If it keeps my sanity. It's therapy. I bet it's even cheaper than seeing someone professionally. Take me home country road.... no no no ... take me home airtran. The beach is waiting for me.

~Marianne~

10 Life Laws .... by Dr. Phil McGraw

Dr. Phil McGraw's 10 Life Laws

Life Law #1: You either get it, or you don't.
Strategy: Become one of those who gets it.

Life Law #2: You create your own experience.
Strategy: Ackowledge and accept accountability for your life.

Life Law #3: People do what works.
Strategy: Identify the payoffs that drive your behavior and that of others.

Life Law #4: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.
Strategy: Get real with yourself about life and everybody in it.

Life Law #5: Life rewards Action.
Strategy: Make careful decisions and then pull the trigger.

Life Law #6: There is no reality; only perception.
Strategy: Identify the filters through which you view the world.

Life Law #7: Life is managed; it is not cured.
Strategy: Learn to take charge of your life.

Life Law #8: We teach people how to treat us.
Strategy: Own, rather than compain about, how people treat you.

Life Law #9: There is power in forgiveness.
Strategy: Open your eyes to what anger and resentment are doing to you.

Life Law #10: You have to name it before you can claim it.
Strategy: Get clear about what you want and take your turn.

This was what my dreams were made of.

I had a wild erotic dream the other night. This is the man in charge of my pleasure.... Mr. Batman himself. I am not sure why I was dreaming of him. I did see the new Batman movie. And at the time I did think he was pretty cute in his many faces. But why I dreamt of him the other night I do not know. I will tell you it was pretty darn explosive if you know what I mean. I wonder if he is that good in reality. WOW WEE !!!!!
I do think he really looks like a young James Brolin. He has very mysterious eyes and very sexy, kissable lips. In my opinion. I will add another photo. He looks so mysterious in the mask. But hey I would not mind meeting him in the rain in a dark alley somewhere.

Am I bad or what? I wish I could be. My dream was pretty hot. One of those you wish you never had to wake up from. I guess I am getting a little restless.

So If you haven't seen "Batman Begins" I think it's worth it just to see Christian Bale. The new Batman. Especially if you are in need of a hot sexual release. You might enjoy it as much as I did. I wish I could have a rerun on that dream. Can you say HOT! HOT! HOT!

Check out the yahoo page where you can find links, and photos and clips from the movie.

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808490910&intl=us

I will stop drooling now.... Have a great day.

~ Marianne ~

Becoming Free

Becoming Free
A Reminder of the Principles of Life
• 1: Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.
• 2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a commitment to make many of life's decisions, and capacity to follow them through. The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to care for each other unites us.
• 3: Truth is not truth out of timing- yet it remains truth. We are the timing to recognize truth.
• 4: The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus sage. Imagination is the key to the unknown- positive, uplifting imagination.
• 5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving your self reveals your truth.
• 6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are- right now.
• 7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room, illuminating it. Live accordingly, think thoughts of light.
• 8: F.E.A.R- False Evidence Appearing Real
• 9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.
• 10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Understand this and you cease to be a victim.
• 11: Love responds- fear reacts. Love connects- fear separates. Love uplifts- fear deflates. Love creates- fear destroys.
• 12: There is no such thing as a mistake- only experience. There is no such thing as failure- only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success- only people's approval. Let life live through you.
• 13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life, allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness.
• 14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.
• 15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.
• 16: You hear with your ears- but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes- but you see from the heart.
• 17: Consciousness is not contained in your body- you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself form through which to express
• 18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW. True freedom is a state of consciousness.
• 19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how you become a participant.
• 20: Practice seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.
• 21: Your mind does now know the difference between what you do want or what you don't want, it only knows what you focus on. Many people focus on what they don't have, what they are incapable of doing and their sicknesses.
• 22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.
• 23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why? Because there is no difference.
• 24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.
• 25: Live these principles and you will be practicing reality. Practice reality until you overcome the illusion. It is only an illusion that you are not free, now!
Author Unknown

Very Hectic Week

I so need to be home on the beach. I am missing the sand, the sea, the breeze, and Ginger. My brother and his family are in town until Wednesday. I have felt stressed to the max. Lack of sleep, lack of private time. Just a whirlwind of emotions. Soon I will have my boring little life back and I can get back to making plans to return to the beach. I can't wait. I miss you Ginger.

~ Marianne ~

Internal Wisdom

Your internal wisdom is the part of you that knows what is true and best for you.
Each one of us is born with this gift yet it often gets lost in a sea of external voices, opinions and judgements.

It's time to recapture this priceless gift.
Make a time and a place when all you have to do is concentrate on yourself - not the children, the pets, your boss, your coworkers, your unfinished laundry or your lists of errands.

Make this special place a quiet zone and sanctuary. Close your eyes and listen to your thoguhts. Be at one with yourself and quietly tap in to your internal wisdom.
If this is new to you it may take time but if you listen carefully, you will gradually come to see that there is no greater wisdom anywhere.

©Meditations For Women

Total Chaos

Life in this neck of the woods is out of control. I have employee problems, boyfriend problems, boyfriend's old babysitter problems (which has lead to job #3 which I am happy to do if it keeps that B***H gone from my life). I need to regain some sort of control. I wanna go home. I need the beach. I need pool therapy. I need Marianne! ~Ginger~

"Must Be Doing Something Right" .... OMG

This man couldn't do anything wrong as far as I am concerned. Oh my my. What a body. I came across this video late last night. I had heard the song before and I love it. Sexy sexy voice. I found the video and I think I watched it 10 times. OMG is he FINE. I want to be that girl on that beach with that Man. Here is the link to the video.

http://music.channel.aol.com/artist/main.adp?artistid=561063

I liked him previously in the Shania video. But this really does it. What do you think? I will include a photo here also. He is coming within 15 miles of me in Sept. OMG we gotta go. I am in love and in lust. I love the way he shakes his bootie. Oh my my......

~ Marianne

~ Blessings ~

Blessings

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.

If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles,

it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength...
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom...
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity...
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage...
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love...
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors...
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted...
I received everything I needed!

~Author Unknown~

Breath taking view!

LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE, BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY !!!

Beach Cam is Back .....

The Beach Cam at Indian Rocks Beach is back up. I was starting to have withdrawal. It was down for almost a week. I live through that cam. I was just about to email the resort and tell them it was going to be a matter of life or death if they didn't get it fixed soon. My sanity was truly at stake if it was going to be much longer. There is a God. A Beach GOD no doubt.

- Marianne -

The Rules for Being Human

The Rules For Being Human

When you were born, you didn’t come with an owner’s manual; these guidelines make life work better.

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s the only thing you are sure to keep for the rest of your life.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called “Life on Planet Earth”. Every person or incident is the Universal Teacher.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation. “Failures” are as much a part of the process as “success.”

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. It is presented to you in various forms until you learn it — then you can go on to the next lesson.

5. If you don’t learn easy lessons, they get harder. External problems are a precise reflection of your internal state. When you clear inner obstructions, your outside world changes. Pain is how the universe gets your attention.

6. You will know you’ve learned a lesson when your actions change. Wisdom is practice. A little of something is better than a lot of nothing.

7. “There” is no better than “here”. When your “there” becomes a “here” you will simply obtain another “there” that again looks better than “here.”

8. Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another unless it reflects something you love or hate in yourself.

9. Your life is up to you. Life provides the canvas; you do the painting. Take charge of your life –or someone else will.

10. You always get what you want. Your subconscious rightfully determines what energies, experiences, and people you attract — therefore, the only foolproof way to know what you want is to see what you have. There are no victims, only students.

11. There is no right or wrong, but there are consequences. Moralizing doesn’t help. Judgments only hold the patterns in place. Just do your best.

12. Your answers lie inside you. Children need guidance from others; as we mature, we trust our hearts, where the Laws of Spirit are written. You know more than you have heard or read or been told. All you need to do is to look, listen, and trust.

13. You will forget all this.

14. You can remember any time you wish.

15. Life Is Simply Good

- Borrowed from the Life is Simply Good site -

20 words that can change your life

BEGIN-Take charge of your life by beginning something you’ve always wanted to do. If your goal seems overwhelming, start small. "By daring to begin the live you’ve always wanted, you become energized."

IMAGINE-Your imagination has no boundaries..."dreaming about something is the first step toward achieving it."

LAUGH-"Laughter is a direct route to the soul. It broadens your perspective, keeps you healthy, and makes an unbearable situation easier to deal with."

BELIEVE-Set your mind to predict success. Tell yourself you will succeed at whatever you’re doing at the moment.

SEEK-Allow yourself to grow by exposing your vulnerability and insecurity. Don’t live strictly inside your comfort zone-don’t always play it safe.

PLAY-We can always find something that "needs to be done" and we forget how to have fun. Make a conscious effort to take time off - you’ll feel refreshed and able to think more clearly afterwards.

TRUST-"...being paralyzed by indecision is worse than making the wrong decision." You can’t grow if you don’t trust your inner voice.

LISTEN-Try listening carefully to the other person’s point of view first, without being preoccupied or distracted. You’ll really hear what is being said and the other person is more likely to pay attention to your views.

CREATE-Creativity maintains the balance in our lives. The more we use our creativity, the more it develops.

CONNECT-Relationships are what pull us through the hard times, and make the good times meaningful. Take time to nurture the connections that uplift you.

TOUCH- Humans need touch to survive and thrive. Don’t forget to hug your loved ones. Pat your friends on the back, literally and figuratively.

FORGIVE-Forgiveness is life-giving because it puts you in charge. You become empowered.
PRAY-"Prayer is asking God to transform the situation and become the heart of your life." Take time each day to nurture this connection.

HOPE-"Hope is the knowledge that even in the worst of times we can triumph over hardship and sorrow and grow in spirit." Hope is what sustains humanity.

CHOOSE-"We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our attitudes towards them."

APPRECIATE-Admire the good in yourself and in those around you.

GIVE-Happiness involves giving freely to others.

READ-"Reading removes boundaries."

WRITE-"Words are freedom. Words are power."

RELEASE-"Avoid doing something just because everyone thinks you should. Give yourself permission to relax.