It's Up To Me...

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything...been working on a project that required my full attention. It has been challenging but it is a labor of love and will someday share it with the world.
But right now I would like to leave you with something I stumbled upon the other day while reading a very fascinating book, which I'll go into in another post. The book is by Bob Proctor entitled: You Were Born Rich. He included, among other very thought provoking words of wisdom, this poem. I love it's simplicity and also it's wisdom.
Peace.



IT'S UP TO ME

I get discouraged now and then
When there are clouds of gray
Until I think about the things
That happened yesterday

I do not mean the day before
Or those of months ago
But all the yesterdays in which
I had the chance to grow

I think of opportunities
That I allowed to die
And those I took advantage of
Before they passed me by.

And I remember that the past
Presented quite a plight
But somehow I endured it and
The future seemed all right.

And I remind myself that I
am capable and free
And my success and happiness
ARE REALLY UP TO ME.

(James J. Metcalfe)

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!!!

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!

Please remember to take some time today to be quiet. Sit in quiet meditation or say a prayer for the incoming president ask that he be guided always by his highest power, that he makes all his decisions based in love and compassion and for the good of all. That he is surrounded by those whom have only the highest good for all concerned and that he continue to be blessed with good health in heart, mind, body and soul.

Have a wonderful day!!
Peace and much love...

Carol Andrea Price-Cook

Making yourself more beautiful with the beauty of nature.

Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements on television, newspapers, magazines and the internet asking us to part with our hard earned money to purchase their "beauty products". They make promises of instant beauty, stopping the aging process and attracting the opposite sex to name a few, all if we throw down mucho dinaro for their new miracle in a jar.
But do you ever stop to think about all the chemicals that go into making these products?
A lot of us spend a lot time trying to make and keep ourselves healthy. We quit smoking, exercise and watch what we put inside our bodies but then we turn around and slather chemicals all over our skin.
Why spent a fortune on things that in the long run may have adverse effects on your health when there are so many things right in your kitchen that you can use.
Things like oatmeal and honey for a nice scrub or detoxifying and mask. Egg whites can tighten the pores and even the lactic acids in yogurt can be used to exfoliate and leave the skin smooth and soft.
Even if you aren't so inclined to make your own homemade natural concoctions there are companies out there that make product using natural ingredients. I myself have been using one in particular. The company is called Hannahmade Soaps. you can check it out at, www.hannahmadesoaps.blogspot.com
They have a wonderful selection of soaps made from all natural products like goats milk and cocoa butter...yummy!
I have been using her soaps and I love them and I don't worry if I'm ingesting a bunch of chemicals through my skin.

I know, I know... this sounds like yet another shameless advertisement trying to once again get you to fork over your money but I have nothing to gain in mentioning this product.
I like what I like and I also like to share knowledge about things that I think are conducive for ones positive wellbeing.

So try making yourself more beautiful with the beauty of nature. And really, when you think about it using things from nature means you are using thing that are already a part of you anyway. Enjoy you!
Peace

Goodbye...Hello

This morning I said goodbye to my daughter. I cried all night long thinking about her leaving and then woke up this morning at five o:clock and started crying again in the shower.
Despite the fact that my daughter is twenty three years old, it's still hard for me to say goodbye to her. You'd think that after all the goodbyes we've had in her life it would get easier but it does not.

This all started for me when she was little. She has always been the one to just jump out there with that, "Oooh, this looks like fun. Bye, see ya later", kind of attitude.
Our first goodbye was at the daycare. We were only there to check the place out, to see if we and she liked it.
Well, the place met up to our standards, it was clean and safe. We watch our daughter interacting joyfully with the other children, saw how content she was, signed the paperwork and we were ready to go.
We said our goodbyes to the daycare's administrator, turned to call for our child and she did not want to come.

I was floored. She wanted to stay, just like that. At one point we teased her, pretending to walk away, saying we were going to leave without her and she just threw up her hand and waved goodbye.

Mind you this was totally different experience for me. When my son was little I used to have to pry him off my leg with a crowbar every morning after dropping him at the daycare.
We could not leave him with anyone. We had to try different ways to divert his attention and then sneak out every time only to have my heart broken while listening to him screaming and crying as I left the building.

No, not so with our daughter. It was me who would cry every morning as she was crowbared from my arms.

Me and my daughter have always had, well, a funny kind of relationship. I'm sure those of you with daughters can relate.
I love my daughter to death and I know she feels the same for me. We both love and can't wait to see each other but we also know when it's time to leave each other alone...we both love our space. She may look like her dad, but this trait I know she gets from me.
But no matter how much she has rubbed my nerves and no matter how much I look forward to the arrival of her departure, saying goodbye to her is still one of the hardest things for me do.

So, there I stood this morning at her departure gate crying with no shame, holding her in a death grip not wanting to let her go and she telling me, "Mom, stop crying."
I force my husband to wait there with me until she has walked through security.
I watched her take off her shoes, remove, her jewelry, place her bag through the x-ray machine, go through the metal detector, sit, put her shoes and jewelry back on and I waited.
I waited just as I had that first day I dropped her off at the daycare center. I knew that she would eventually turn around, give me that look to let me know she would be fine. And then, there it is, that smile of hers, the one I hope she has all her life, "Oooh, this looks like fun. Bye, see ya later."

And then she was gone. My husband saves me from drowning in my own tears and we leave the terminal.

We drive home in silence. I slowly resign myself to the fact that she is gone and walk through the door, the house is quiet again.
Hey, I've been waiting for this. I start a load of laundry, think about all things things I've been neglecting since she had been here and I start to breath again. It's a new year and I've got plans!

Just as I am starting to get into my little groove my husband gets a text message from our daughter.
"She can't get on the plane and won't be able to get out for another three days", he says. He goes to pick her back up from the airport.

I want to start crying all over again.
Hello...

Do You!

People have asked me on occasion just what it is I do to stay grounded. They have also wanted to know what my secret is staying married for twenty four years, to raising two happy children, to staying in shape, not looking my age, living in the Caribbean, etc...

I'm always both flattered and humbled by their inquiries but always feel odd in trying to explain to someone exactly what I do to maintain or achieve what ever it is they may be looking for.

I think I realize now that I never knew how to answer them because the things that I do or don't do are things that, well, I need or don't need to do for me.

Everybody is different. What works for you may not work for me and vis versa.

Truth be known, outside of trying to live by the universal laws of life, there is really no one way that I prescribe to. I follow how I feel and I am very unorthodox in my philosophies on life most times.
Everyday when I wake I know I have a choice. I can either be one way or another and I go with what I am feeling.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean that I always just let life happen all around me without a care in the world. Oh no.
And I certainly have my days when I rant at the world for whatever injustice I think has been brought upon me...real or imagined.
But I tend to try and not let my goals, plans or those perceived injustices run my life. And trust me, I was not always like this.

Being exactly where I am right now in my life has been and continues to be a process.

If I can give any advice on what one should do to stay grounded or achieving longevity in a marriage, raising great children, staying in shape, and definitely my advice for not looking or feeling your age,...whatever it is you are trying to achieve it would be this:

Look to yourself, listen to what's inside your heart, hear what your body is telling you, and don't take yourself or life too seriously.
I guess all this amount to...just go with the flow.

In the morning when you wake up, before you rush to get out of bed and start your day, ask yourself what you want your day to be today.
Be the artist and the architect of your own life. Paint your own picture and construct the life that you want to live.
Being happy is a process to be nurtured daily.
Do you!
Peace

While I was walking...

Last night I decided that this morning I would get up at the crack of dawn and go out for a sunrise walk on the beach.

I awakened this morning, stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes and turned to look at the clock. It was still only 5:20. "Damn", I cursed to myself.

"Oh well", I thought, rolled over and pulled the covers up to my chin. I decided I'd try to get another half hour of sleep in but my husbands incessant snoring was having non of this.

I got out of bed, ready to catch an attitude. Already I could feel my morning was not going to go as planned.
It didn't help matters when after leaving my not so quiet but warm bed I walked to the living room and looked out from the balcony only to find the gate which leads out to the beach was still chained and locked.
I looked at the clock. By now it's ten minutes till six.

"Oh no! The sun will be coming up soon, I'll miss it!" I thought.
I stood there watching the gate trying to will the security guard to appear and open it. Nada!

I sat down on the sofa staring at nothing until finally I hear the sweet sound of key turning lock and chain hitting metal.
I run to the balcony and there was my security guard all aglow in heavenly light. "Yes,I won't miss the sunrise after all!"

I quickly went to throw on my shorts, tee-shirt and my beat up beach walking shoes. I grabbed my camera, kissed my snoring husband and headed outside.

At last on the beach.
I take a few steps out toward the crashing waves and stop.
"Hey, it's dark out here!"

I started to get a little worried as thoughts of some deranged night stalker bum rushing me danced around in my head. I walked back to the gate and stood there for a while trying to get up my courage.

I almost turned to head back to the apartment when I suddenly remembered a friend who is going through a crisis in her life right now.
Last night I said to her that she needed to get up this morning, get out and get moving. I told her how she had to be patient with herself and not rush her progress.

This motivated me to push past my fears. I wanted to be with her in spirit and so I walked.

As I walked I was learning that today's lesson would most probably be a lesson on patience and what had I been doing since I woke up this morning?...trying to rush the process...
I couldn't take another snore from my husband, jumped out of bed before it was time, wanted the security guard to hurry and open the gate before it was time. I even tried to rush the sun to hurry up and rise so that I would be so afraid by out myself.
Yet had I not been patience and turned back to go home I would not have met the wonderful gentleman named Miguel who stopped to have a chat or the chance to enjoy seeing Robo a playful little dog so full of energy so early in the morning.
But most of all I would have missed the spectacular show the Universe had planned to show me.

What a beautiful lesson in patience...

What Have You Learned About Yourself This Year?

December has always been a time of soul searching for me.
With Christmas, my birthday, and the approaching new year I always feel it's a good time to get quiet and look at back at what has transpired over the old year.

What have I learned? Are there things I need to work on, things I need to let go of maybe? What accomplishments am I most proud? What will I carry into the coming year?

I've lost love ones this past year. What have I learned from how they lived their lives and how will I honor them in the coming year?

I watched history being made when we, the people of this great nation, came together and elected our first Black president and proved that we are more alike than not.

I've met virtual friends who've shown me that strength, power, and most importantly love, need not be embraced physically to be felt.

I've learned that love behind intention is the greatest power in the Universe and what is felt by one effect us all.
This past year has been filled with lessons. Lessons of love and of life. There were times when I thought I had never cried so much but also times when I felt I'd never laughed so hard.

And so, the end of another year is upon us. What have you learned about yourself?

How will you choose to honor those who have helped you walk along your path this year?
I honor you all with much love, much peace and an overflowing abundance of all the good this Universe has to offer.

May we all live the lives we desire in this coming year.
Much love
Carol