Random Things Archives - Page 4 of 11

Categories: Adventures, Day Trips, Random Things

Turning 50- A Fiesta Ghost Adventure

50. Years. Old.

I don’t know where to start with how I feel about that. Honestly, I don’t know how I got here.

Every morning when I look into the mirror, I feel a jolt of reality as I look at the circles under my eyes and the sagging cheek skin. I should still be 30-something! It’s just not fair. I shouldn’t see this old person looking back at me!

That brings me to the question…

Do I celebrate this milestone birthday to the max? Do I let it slide under the radar in a state of depression because half my life is over? (Actually, as my nephew pointed out, MORE than half my life is over.) Thanks, Ed.

Since I can do nothing except turn 50, I decided to celebrate. And celebrate, I did… for the entire month of May!

What better way to start a birthday month than with a girls’ night-out adventure that included my sister, my best friend, a ghost, and some wine. My favorite things!

Our night began with a Fiesta Party at Duplin Winery. My sister always knows that a little Pandora Rump-Shaker Radio in the car is the fast track to a party.

Once we arrived at the winery, we donned our fiesta necklaces and began living our best fiesta lives. We enjoyed the most fantastic coconut shrimp made by Chef Bert, as well as Tres Leches Cake. Did I mention wine? If you aren’t a sweet wine fan, I recommend the Summertime Strut, which is similar to Chardonnay. When I’m in the mood for sweet wine, I love the Sweet Rose’. Pink bubbly is always a winner.

After dinner, we played rounds of Bingo. Some of us (Holly) were very serious Bingo players. Others (me) couldn’t see the cards. And if you think that you will make it to 50 with perfect eyesight, you will be sadly disappointed. I’ve given you a fair warning. However, these glasses came in a 3-pack from Sam’s Club and are super cute. They are linked here. If you are going to be blind as a bat, do it in style!

Afterward, we spent the night at the Country Squire Inn. It was charming and the owner was so nice. I loved that there was an actual key to the motel room. So vintage! Before heading to our room, we snapped some pictures at the restaurant. I’d definitely recommend the Country Squire Inn for a fun girls’ night.

By the way, I’m loving this beaded bracelet stack from Amazon. They are very substantial and are a great deal!

While we hoped to see a ghost during our stay, Holly didn’t chance it. She brought her own ghosts. Always leave it to Holly to be extra.

And she brought a fabulous cake. She always makes everything perfect!

…and she brought balloons filled with confetti.

We sat outside in our pajamas, under the lights, with cake and a bottle of bubbly….it was the perfect ending to a great night!

We had given up seeing a ghost….until the next morning when I got locked into the bathroom. No ghost was ever seen, but a presence was definitely felt. The bathroom door, securely latched by me, came open as I showered. Holly closed the door back quickly so as not to disrupt my shower. When I tried to get out of the bathroom after the shower, the door was locked. I struggled to get out! Holly insisted that she had not locked the door, as it could only be locked from the inside. I had surely not locked the door, as I’d been showering. It had to have been a ghost! Remember this picture that Holly took of me at the Country Squire Restaurant a few years back?

We attract ghosts, and there is no other explanation for the bathroom door that we are willing to accept.

Happy that we’d finally encountered a ghost, we needed food. After a yummy breakfast at the Waffle House, we headed home, as we planned our next fantastic haunted adventure.

(You can find my absolute favorite Quay glasses here.)

I realized that I’m very happy to be 50 years old. I have long-time trusting relationships with girlfriends that I didn’t have when I was 30. I have the means and the time to be able to do fun things. I’ve mastered the art of having fun in a responsible way that won’t leave me feeling bad the next morning. I don’t even care to make my sometimes hot-mess-of-a-life look Instagram picture perfect. I’m more into reality and my nonperfect life these days.

Most importantly, I am able to embrace every laugh and every memory because I may not have that opportunity tomorrow.

I truly think that I will enjoy this new venture into my fabulous 50’s. May the second half be the best half. Cheers to 50!

Categories: Random Things

The Struggle to Find Grace

Do you ever feel like you just aren’t ok?

As I was searching to find a little desperately needed inspiration this morning, I ran across an article on the importance of giving yourself grace. Sometimes things are just placed in front of you at the very moment you need them. I’ll give God the credit.

I’ve been struggling.

As 50 approaches, I’m not so good with life right now. In fact, I feel a little angry about everything. I’m not ready to turn 50.

For a couple of years now, I’ve said over and over that I want to be better at 50 than I was at 40. It’s become my motto. Now that 50 will be here in a few short months. I feel panicked and overwhelmed. I’ve pushed myself to pursue goals that are probably very unachievable. My house isn’t clean. My yard looks worse than ever. I’m falling so behind on everything- including my goals. My perfectionistic tendencies are in overdrive. And that’s not good. I am definitely not better than I was at 40. And I’m not sure why I even thought it possible.

Don’t get me wrong- I have many things for which I am truly grateful.

I’m just not happy with myself.

I’m still not enough.

I don’t know how to stop putting such high expectations upon myself. I can’t give myself permission to let go. I want to feel happy and feel content and I go through phases where I’m almost there-until self-sabotage takes over. In my frustration at myself, I lash out at the ones I love the most. And that’s not ok.

This has been a constant theme in my life that has caused one disastrous consequence after another. By now, you’d think I’d figured out how to address this issue- but that is yet another fail. I sometimes think I’d love to run away- but there is no running from the thoughts and feelings of inadequacy that constantly invade my mind.

After reading the article on grace, I’d like to work on self-care this week instead of doing things that are self-destructive- although that feels like a luxury that will put me even further behind.

I can start by being more conscious of my perfectionistic tendencies and by making a big effort to practice the tips I found this morning.

Ways to Give Yourself the Gift of Grace

Don’t focus on being perfect. Be authentic. NO ONE IS PERFECT.

Mess up, but learn from mistakes.

Give yourself permission to not do everything.

Never feel selfish for taking “you” time.

Do one thing a day you’re proud of.

As I approach 50, I am thankful that I do have the ability to learn and want to improve myself. I’m thankful for the reminder that I don’t have to reach ridiculous goals. Rather than pushing myself to be unreasonably better at 50, maybe my goal should be to accept my age for the knowledge and experiences it has brought.

Categories: Random Things

Does This Serve Me?

It’s less than 6 months until the big 5-0. It’s safe to say that I’m freaking out a little. How did I get to this point in life so quickly? Wasn’t it just yesterday I was wearing neon and buying Aqua Net?

As I’m nearing this milestone in life, I’m on a mission to better myself and to make this next half of my life even better than the first. My goal is to be better at 50 than I was at 40. And I have less than six months in which to accomplish this feat.

Of course, I strive to be in better shape physically and mentally, but I also want to have stronger relationships and to live with more purpose.

What inspired this thinking?

A very painful and swollen pinky finger….

Allow me to explain.

I first noticed this rouge finger a few days ago. As with all ailments, I googled it. I self-diagnosed my painful swollen finger as having arthritis. The horror! Not only does it hurt physically ( I can’t fathom how so many people deal with this every day), my feelings are hurt. All of a sudden, I feel so old! There are many things about aging that aren’t kind. This arthritic finger has thrown me for a loop.

I read that dairy and wine, along with many other things, are triggers for arthritis. I’ve been pretty heavy on both the wine and cheese lately- not overly heavy- but these are things I can definitely live without.

As I sipped my coffee, I had a thought. Actually, the thought was more like a shout that echoed in my mind.

Does this serve me?

And I’m not necessarily talking about the coffee…

Besides too much coffee, dairy, and wine, I do many things that don’t serve me on a daily basis. My responses to things aren’t always as they should be. My priorities are not always in proper order, I could be more financially responsible, and the list goes on….

I realized that I could easily make better choices if I were to ask myself this one question more often.

“Does this serve me?’ would probably serve me very well if asked before doing or thinking anything. It could apply to every situation.

“Does this serve me?” was, no doubt, a thought planted by God.

So, I didn’t drink my second cup of coffee this morning. That’s a start. I put a sticky note on my planner to remind me to ask that one question before doing anything. It will be interesting to see how this simple redirection will improve my life. I have the expectation that this will be a very good thing for me.

Today I’m feeling (a little) thankful for that arthritic finger. When I do turn 50 soon, I may not be better physically as there is no escaping the aging process- or arthritis. But I can promise that I will be better in so many different areas as I continue my quest for personal growth.

Hopefully, by the time I am 60, I will be able to look back and see that I have curated a life full of experiences and habits that have served me well.

Categories: Life, Random Things

Remembering Halloweens Past

*This post was originally written in 2015 when I first started my blog. It was lost whenever my blog was redesigned, so I rewrote it from the old rough draft. *

As the air becomes chilly and the leaves turn fiery colors, I’m reminded of my forever love for fall. Fall brings sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, and memories of Halloweens past.

In my very first memory of Halloween, I am a ghost, wrapped in a sheet that is tied tightly around my plump little face. I am stumbling to get out of the backseat of our old Pontiac. As I eagerly rush to my grandmother’s front door, I am toting a paper grocery sack that is nearly as large as myself. I can still feel the thrill of shouting “trick-or-treat” as candy is generously dropped into my sack.

That memory will stay with me forever. Holidays were so exciting when I was a child!

As children growing up with a stay-at-home mother, my sister and I didn’t have extravagant luxuries. My father worked hard as a mechanic to provide for us. My mother worked equally as hard to provide a loving and memorable family life. Because we didn’t have the money to purchase store-bought costumes, my mother carefully crafted our homemade costumes. My sister and I were usually either sheet ghosts, as seen above, or witches. The witch costumes (my favorites) consisted of a store-bought cardboard hat, and a black trash bag cape and skirt. My mother actually sewed elastic onto the trash bag to create the skirt. She artfully applied makeup to our little-kid faces to add the finishing touch. Back then, there was no thrill like green eye shadow and lipstick.

During our younger elementary school years, Halloween was an all-day affair. The party started as soon as we arrived at school, with some kids even wearing their costumes. As I look back, I cringe thinking how difficult that day must have been for teachers. These days, even hat-day can cause a disruption like no other! These festive classroom parties weren’t neutrally named “fall parties” as they are now. They were straight-up Halloween parties, complete with homemade treats, decorated in the scariest ways. Nearly always, someone in the class got sick from gorging themselves with sweets, even before trick-or-treating.

In those awkward hours between school and trick-or-treating, to keep up the party momentum, we decorated our plain brown grocery bags with markers and crayons. Drawing on a bag was such a treat!

The darkness (and Daddy coming home from work) signaled that it was finally time! Usually, by then, I’d been too excited about trick-or-treating to eat one of my favorite meals…Mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese casserole. Back then, mac and cheese didn’t come from a box.

Once we were safely loaded into the car (sans seatbelts), Mom and Dad hauled us to a few different houses. Because we didn’t live in a subdivision, we had to stop at each individual house. There were no mega-subdivisions of today. Trick-or-treating took much longer and was much less productive. If the bottom of our enormous grocery bag was covered, we were thrilled. Are there even any kids these days who eat the entire bag-full they collect?

Once we were home, Daddy always insisted on “checking” our candy. Looking back, I realize that “checking” the candy meant eating all of his favorite pieces. Candy was always a treat. My parents didn’t buy it often.

Then, there was that one Halloween I’ll never forget. The most horrid thing happened. I woke up with a stomach virus on that very day. I thought the world would end because I couldn’t trick-or-treat! And because I couldn’t trick-or-treat, neither could my sister. We were heartbroken. Understanding our disappointment, my parents rescheduled our Halloween. The stops were all prearranged so that the hosts would be prepared with candy. I remember being so amazed that Halloween hadn’t been ruined after all. In my eyes, my parents were heroes.

No wonder Halloween has such a place in my heart. I’m so grateful for the memories.

In those days, Halloween wasn’t about having a fancy costume. It wasn’t about mountains of candy. There was no cloud of negativity that overshadowed the holiday. Halloween was scary and we loved it! Halloween was about fun, tradition, and time spent together as a family.

Sometimes, I wonder if the kids wearing elaborate costumes and collecting volumes of candy (that probably won’t be appreciated) are missing out on the simple thrills…

Then I realize that, although times have changed and will always change, today’s kids will look back on Halloween with the same fond memories that we older kids-at-heart have today.

To all of my readers, have a safe and fun-filled Halloween. Remember to treasure the memories of yesterday as you make new ones today!

Categories: Day Trips, Life, Random Things

The Fall Bucket List- A Camping Adventure

I checked a few things off of my fall bucket list when I enjoyed a little camping adventure this past weekend.

A camping adventure? Yes, you did read that correctly.

I know that camping is not my usual style. However, we camped in a cute little cabin at a winery and it was the BEST THING EVER. Fall is my favorite time to be outside!

( I apologize in advance for the picture overload! Our adventure was too fun not to document. )

These are the things that I checked off my fall bucket list last weekend…

//Visit a Winery//

This was our second time visiting Lu Mil Vineyard, so we knew we’d have fun. This time, we brought our best couple friends with us. After driving a little over an hour, we arrived at the vineyard in plenty of time to do a tasting. We learned a little about the history of the winery as we tasted. Although I enjoyed all of the wines, the group favorite was the Bladen Blush.

After we finished our tasting, we checked into our cabins. Our cabin was closer to the vineyard while our friends’ cabin was near the lake. Both cabins were pretty much identical and within a short walking distance of each other. The cabins were mostly one room that contained a bed, microwave, coffee maker, sink, a small fridge, a small table, and two chairs. There was a bathroom with plenty of towels and hot water. Did I mention that there was a heart-shaped hot tub? Eric and I both commented that the cabins were super clean!

After we checked into our cabins, we rented a golf cart for a couple of hours to explore the property. The lake was beautiful and the weather was perfect! I’d definitely recommend Lu Mil as it is a great place to spend the afternoon- or the night. I was really hoping for chilly fall weather. But in NC, it was anything but chilly. Although I had to wear a sleeveless dress, I did pull out my favorite cowboy boots that I haven’t worn in years. At least I felt fallish, even if the weather didn’t cooperate.

I’m a big fan of Arcteryx dresses. They are so comfy and never wrinkle. Can you believe that they are really athletic dresses? You can find this dress linked here.

//A Fall Selfie//

There were plenty of opportunities for vineyard selfies. You’ve gotta love the ones that you find on your phone when you get home. Or maybe that’s something that just happens in vineyards….

//Take a Spooky Walk//

There were a couple of different graveyards in the vineyard- one of them was very old. Although it was daylight, the older one felt super creepy. I downloaded a ghost app once it was dark to see if I could find any ghosts who were willing to be found. I pretty much spooked myself. I rarely get spooked!

//Make a Pot of Chili//

For dinner, we had chili. To me, that is the most perfect fall meal! I made a big pot that morning and put it in a crockpot, so I only had to warm it once we got there. My friend threw together a cheese board and the guys grilled burgers and steaks. It was camping food at its finest! Why does food taste so much better outside?

//Sit by a Bonfire//

After we ate, we sat by the bonfire (actually, it was just the grill!) with blankets and caught up on life. We have a cool smokeless fire pit at home, but never make time to sit outside. Everything is more enjoyable on vacation! Once it got too chilly to enjoy, we headed inside to play a round of Cards Against Humanity. It is definitely the most inappropriate game I’ve ever played! I laughed so hard at the crazy answers, I nearly fell on the floor. You definitely need to be careful who you play this game with, as it has the potential for much embarrassment. It reminds me much of the Mad Libs we used to love as teens, except more risque.

I think I wouldn’t have fully appreciated our trip if it weren’t for my bucket list. I definitely wouldn’t have taken as many pictures.

If you are ever looking for a quick get-a-way, Lu Mil Vineyard definitely the place to visit!

I am so grateful for adventures and for great friends!