I had to take my dog to the vet. Pippin, my dachshund, had been shaking his head and scratching at his ear. It didn’t go away on it’s own, so we made an appointment with our local vet to get him checked out. I got an appointment right away and they agreed that his symptoms warranted a vet visit.

After having a coffee session with a friend, I had lots of energy to work on the farm. There was a couple things I wanted to do specifically, but then more things just seamlessly fit right in. I got so much done and felt so accomplished!

My best friend was asked to pet sit a friend’s kitty while she was away. So, my best friend asked me if I would be willing to come with her for the week so she wouldn’t be alone. Of course, I said yes! A free vacation?! Yes please.

While my friend and I were pet sitting, our boyfriends came out to see us. My friend and I planned a few things to do during the day while we are all out this way. We started with the Orange County Zoo and ended by playing pool and hanging out on a rooftop.

I introduced my brother and his girlfriend to my hair stylist recently. While we waited for my brother to finish up, we talked about the Shania Twain concert happening the next night. Next thing I know, I bought us all tickets to go see her play!

My friend and I decided to head out to the Living Desert Zoo before it gets too hot this summer. We met at the zoo and went the opposite way I usually go. It was awesome because it gave me a new perspective.

Spontaneously, a friend and I decided going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park would be fun! It was kind of a gloomy, rainy day when we decided to go. However, it ended up being the perfect day. Not too hot, not too cold; both sunny and cloudy. It was the perfect balance.

One of my close friends is my gym buddy. So, I see her four times a week. However, we don’t really see each other outside of that. We agreed that we had to change that, so we planned a lunch date on a day we don’t go to the gym.

Pippin was due for his rabies shot and license renewal. I went in for the appointment at the local animal clinic. It went so smoothly. There was no line, not a lot of dogs to stress him out and they were very quick too. Pippin did great!

My childhood best friend is getting married this year and she asked me to be her Maid of Honor. Of course I said yes!

Mom and I decided on a whim to take a Sunday drive. We went up our local mountain to see the snow that had just fallen from the big storms. It was gorgeous to look at from the valley so being in the mountain was stunning.

In 2021, I purchased a travel trailer to live in while working in the desert. I preferred owning to renting, plus it was cheaper! It was my first time living on my own, it was so fun. I loved shopping for items I needed and some I just wanted. Decorating it for the holidays was so fun! As time went on, I added to my closet of course. So, about six months ago when I sold my trailer and moved back home… I realized I had accumulated so many things. Plus the stuff I didn’t take that was still here in the family home. I knew I needed to purge and scale down, but after everything that had happened with starting my new career, selling the trailer, moving and decompressing; I just didn’t have it in me.

Hiking is one of my most treasured pastimes. I love being in nature and getting away from the city and crowds. It’s just so peaceful listening to the birds and the wind. Time just slows down. Away from the California “life in the fast lane” kind of living, life just seems more enjoyable. There might be some huffing and puffing when trekking up hills, but you’re not in a rush. You set your own pace.

Food is how we survive, food and water and everything else of course. But, have you noticed how delicious food can be? Food is also in our lives to be enjoyed. Birthday celebrations, weddings, most events all have food. It’s not just bland food meant for survival either; it’s food that has been decorated and out of the box types of combinations. How can we not enjoy these foods?

One of my friends and I went to Newport Beach to see some family and friends. We had such a good time. The beach views were pretty incredible. A short trip quickly turned into a weekend getaway. We got to go to the Huntington Beach street fair and walk around the beach town. We also were invited by friends to go see a Pink Floyd 360 dome show in LA.

As I have written before, I have made many new friends these past few months. Well, I have made another one! We first came into contact before I moved back home. Back then, we lived pretty close to each other. I don’t believe in coincidences; so our paths crossed again after I moved back to my hometown. As it happened, she moved to the town next to mine. We finally met in person and we just clicked! Now, we go to the gym together four times a week. I love that we both teach each other things.

In this day and age it can be difficult to make new friends. There’s dating sites so you can meet your new girlfriend or boyfriend, but what if you just want friends? Well, Bumble is known as a dating app, however it has another function where you can find new friends too! I used this app to make new friends when I moved out of my hometown. I met some really cool girls that I am still friends with today. Now, I live in my hometown again, but I still use this app to broaden my circle.

What a fabulous Galentine’s Day. My friend, her sister and I celebrated Valentine’s Day with the girls. If you aren’t aware, the day before Valentine’s is Galentine’s Day. It’s when all the females celebrate Valentine’s Day together. Valentine’s can be a sad holiday for many people, so this is a way single people get to participate instead of just being sad about what they don’t have.

It can be easy to stress about not having enough. Not having enough money, not enough stuff, not the best relationship, etc. This gratitude practice helps to keep those negative thoughts at bay. Here we focus on what is going right, not what is going wrong. You get what you give your attention to. So, if you give your attention to the good things that are happening in your life, then more good comes. If you focus on the things you don’t think are going right, then more of what you don’t like is going to persist.

We celebrated my brother’s birthday with a breakfast and dinner. His birthday happened to land on a Tuesday this year and since that’s our Tuesday breakfast day, we did not change plans. We had breakfast with our Aunt. It was such a joy to add another person to our group. We arrived before the birthday boy and since my Aunt knew many of the people there, the whole restaurant knew it was his birthday. When he walked in he got a ton of, “Happy Birthdays” from people he didn’t even know. We had so much fun laughing, telling stories and catching each other up on our lives.