THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY AGING If you believe in the power of embracing life's later chapters with grace, vitality, and a zest for living, I celebrate that remarkable journey with you. Healthy aging becomes a testament to wisdom, resilience, and endless possibilities. At its core, healthy aging is a multifaceted adventure that encompasses nourishing our bodies, nurturing our minds, and cherishing our spirits. It's about savoring the richness of...
I LOST FOUR POUNDS IN ONE DAY ON THE CARNIVORE DIET True story. This morning when I weighed myself…as I do every morning…the scale reported I was down fully FOUR POUNDS from what I weighed yesterday morning. How is that possible?? Yes, I decided to give the carnivore diet another try. Because…because…I’m finding that even limiting my carb consumption to low-carb vegetables and virtually no fruit (do avocados, olives, and tomatoes...
WHAT IS OMAD? OMAD is an acronym that stands for One Meal A Day. It's a type of Intermittent Fasting (IF) where you eat all your food for the day within a specific 'eating window.' What does that mean? Well, technically, you don't have to eat just one meal in order to follow the OMAD 'rules' or guidelines correctly. Most people following this dietary protocol go without food or caloric beverages for a certain period of time, then break their...
SWEET INDULGENCE THAT ISN'T A SIN Sweet Indulgences are naughty, right? Let's find out. Do you even know the meaning of the word Indulgence? According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary: an indulgence is the act of indulging in something. And indulging is further defined as: Willing to allow excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration. The word was first used in the 14th century by the Roman Catholic church and was based on the remission...
EATING PLANTS - I LOST WEIGHT Eating plants, all animals, some of each. Which is best? I know, I know. <sigh> If you've been following me for any length of time at all, you know that my struggle with diet is real. I'm definitely what professionals would call a yo-yo dieter. And that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. But I shift what I'm eating for good reasons. Usually, it's because I get 'symptoms' in my body. What I mean by that...
QUEEN ELIZABETH WAS AN ICONIC RULER Queen Elizabeth was an amazing monarch. Whether you admire her or not, there is no denying her rule was long and successful. I honestly don't know as much about her as many others might, but I'm confident there are few alive on the planet today who don't know who she was. Like many with access to streaming video entertainment, I watched the first season of Netflix's The Crown series, depicting her life and...
Ok, so not even two days on a plant-based diet. More like by the end of the first day. Ugh. HERE'S THE STORY On Thursday, June 16th, 2022, I wrote the following journal entry - "After 15 months on a low-fat, plant-based diet, here are some of the issues & concerns I'm noticing - Seriously increased cracking sound in my knees & ankles - audibly. Muscle loss - noticeably in my upper body. I feel much weaker. Extremely thin & weak...
FALL 2022 HAIR TRENDS I've been dying my hair since I was thirteen years old. I was born a toe-head blonde. Do kids these days even know what that means? I was the only child in my family of five kids who had naturally white-blonde hair. That's me, front and center, in that photo. When puberty hit (for me, that started at age eleven), my roots started coming in a more ashy 'dishwater blonde' that I didn't like so much. So, I started buying that...
PUMPKIN SPICE, I'M A FAN! I don't remember when I became aware of the popularity of Pumpkin Spice. I think it was probably long before social media was a thing. My sweet little mother was a terrific cook. But even more than that, she was a fantastic baker! Most days, when I'd walk in the door from school, I was greeted by the amazing aroma of something delicious baking. Frequently it was cookies or some kind of sweet roll. Often the smell of...
I HAVE BEEN A PROFESSIONAL PYROGRAPHER FOR A LONG TIME If you've followed me for very long, you know that I'm not only a fiction author, but I'm also an artist. In fact, I started burning art onto wood and leather, an art form known as pyrography, long before I began my adventure into writing fiction. And I love my craft. I have had the honor of creating custom-burned pieces, surprisingly many of them memorial pieces, over the years. And those...
