In the Eye of the Beholder

     I woke up with this rolling around in my head this morning. What exactly is beauty?  Most people attach beauty to what they see on TV or in the magazines. Magazines are filled with faces and bodies that are considered perfect and beautiful with headlines that read "Top 10 Sexiest Men" or "Hottest Models." We all know that the people on TV and in the magazines have had artists applying their makeup and photographers getting their best angles. On rare occasions we get a glimpse into their real lives and see them behind the makeup and doctored photos and guess what? They are real people just like you and I, with scars and flaws.

      I truly believe, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each person sees beauty differently. For most of us, seeing ourselves each and every day means we know where every flaw is, and we beat ourselves up over them. But, when our friends see us, they see past our scars and see our beauty. They combine what is on the inside with what is on the outside.
   
     I also think that seeing a person's true beauty takes time. Case and point. Have you ever found someone attractive on TV then heard them giving an interview or found out they kicked their dog and suddenly realized they weren't as attractive as you once thought? Or, saw someone on TV who you didn't think was runway model material but yet they had an inspiring interview or rescued a starving pup and suddenly you saw a beauty in them you hadn't seen before.
   
      I think everyone and everything has the power to be both beautiful and ugly. How you present yourself from the inside is what makes you beautiful on the outside.  It's the same in nature in many ways.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         



 There is beauty in a fire.
Watching the flames in all their colors is mesmerizing and beautiful.
   
   

         But when it is destroying homes and killing people and animals it's horrifying.

   



 A huge ocean wave to an experienced surfer is a thing of beauty.






     



But to a city on the coast, it spells disaster.






                             For someone who loves skiing the fresh powder

                    there is nothing prettier than beautiful snow capped mountains

Unless the snow gives way

If you search the world looking for ugliness, you will find it. If you search the world looking for it's beauty you will find it too. Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder.

Baby it's Cold Outside

     As I sit here in my warm, comfy house, I look out my window to see a dusting of snow on the ground and I giggle. I LOVE snow. Some people think I'm absolutely batty but I don't care. I LOVE snow. I can't say winter is my favorite season because I love the colors of fall and the flowers of spring but there is a lot to say about the beauty of winter.

     Now, I live in an area where we don't get that much snow. Temperatures don't drop below freezing all that often so I can't say I'm familiar with what people up north have to deal with being buried weeks on end with the white powder. I guess I could say I have an appreciation for it. Being raised in central Texas, snow was seldom seen so I think I could count on one finger how often I built a snowman growing up.

     But there is something about snow, about the look of it floating to the ground and the feel of it when you are making a snowball or a snowman that just makes my heart flutter. I get all giddy when I see the snowflakes drifting to the ground. The best thing is when they land on a window and you can see the actual flakes and their intricate design.






Have you ever stopped and actually looked at a snowflake? It's mind boggling how detailed they are.
   








     I know people complain about the cold or the treacherous road conditions or being cooped up in their house until things thaw but for me, it's magical. I could sit and watch the snow fall for days.





     What's not to love about being snuggled in a blanket by a warm fire, drinking a delicious cup of hot cocoa complete with marshmallows watching the snowflakes fall from the sky?

   

     But, being out in it can be just as fun. Walking through the snow, feeling it crunch under your feet and feeling the icy prickles on your face is invigorating. There is nothing like taking a walk after a snowfall and just staring at the beauty.

 
   

With one bout of magical weather, the whole landscape has transformed. Branches are covered with snow.

Everything is painted in a soft blanket of white. The air is crisp and clean or may be filled with the smell of fresh burned wood. 

It looks like glitter has been spilled over the landscape and somehow it feels like it has taken away all the muck and dirtiness and made it clean. Even if it's just for a while,

Sometimes taking a good long look at the beauty that surrounds us, is all you need to put a smile on your face.

Tell Me a Story

     This year starts a new chapter, (pun intended) in my life. I entered this year as a soon-to-be published author. I am just starting the process and I have no idea what to expect but I'm excited for the possibilities.
 
     I have always had a vivid imagination. As a little girl, I was always creating stories with my dolls. In school I enjoyed my English class because many of my assignments involved writing. I didn't like the grammar part so much but, who does? Let's move on.

    When I hit my teenage years my creativity was expressed through writing lyrics and songs and as an adult I wrote skits and plays.

    As of last year I started writing romance novels and low and behold my brain opened up with character after character telling me their story.

     I say that because of the way I write. My stories come out of nowhere and everywhere. There are bits and pieces of my life enter twined with ideas that are purely imagination. Where do the characters come from? Sometimes they are completely fabricated from my imagination. Sometimes they are someone I've met somewhere in my life. Once I have the characters formed and the outline of the story is in place, the characters guide me from one scene to the next. Sometimes the characters take me through scenes so fast I don't know if I can type fast enough.
   
     I tell people it's like watching a movie. The scenes are vivid. I can see the location. I know what the weather is like and whether it's in the city or country. All the senses get involved. If I have trouble with the visual, I get on the Internet and search until I find it. 

     I truly enjoy the art of writing, because for me, I am honestly as surprised when it's done as the reader would be. My stories never turn out exactly like I had initially planned. There are twists and turns and unexpected parts that I never even dreamed of until they happen to show up in my imagination ready to be added to the story.

     So, what happens now that I've written a novel? I really don't know. So far, I have had to figure out what I want the cover to look like and what the short synopsis should say in order to pull the reader in so they buy the book. The next step is editing to make sure the story isn't littered with grammatical errors. Again, that part of my English classes wasn't my favorite. From there...well, I guess we shall see.

   

   

Setting the bar...at eye level

     It's a new year and most of us, regardless if we spoke it out loud, have some things we want to accomplish this year. I have a plate full. I want to write, and de-clutter, lose a few pounds and the list goes on. Now, my writing is exciting to me, so it's not that hard. In fact, it kind of gets in the way of the de-cluttering and cleaning which I don't really enjoy doing at all. The losing weight thing, well, I know what I need to do, it's just setting it in motion.
     For most, the goals we set for the new year, normally don't get attained. But why? Well, like I said, fun things get in the way. They take the time that we should have spent on the goal. The most obvious reason we don't attain our goals though is...honestly, we set the bar too high. We say I'm going to declutter the house next week or I'm going to lose sixteen pounds in a month.
     The best way to attain your goal is set small goals each week that you know you can manage.
Here are some ideas
For De-cluttering
1. Set a goal to clean out a small area once a week-clean one closet, or even one drawer. Pull everything out have three piles KEEP, THROW, DONATE, go through it all and divide it then clean the area completely and only put back what you are keeping.
2. If you have electronics that are busted don't throw them away. Some electronic shops will take your busted items to use for parts.
3. Never dump old medication down the toilet or sink or in the garbage especially if they are painkillers. Check with your local police station for the safest way to get rid of them
4. Same with chemical such as pesticides, paint, oil. Check with your city to find a safe place to dump

For losing weight
1. Never look at it as losing weight. Look at it as getting healthy
2. Don't be reactive, be proactive. Most of us are on some kind of medication for high blood pressure, high A1c, Cholesterol Etc...most of it has to do with diet and getting the right balance in our bodies. There are doctors that teach healthy eating and exercise and use vitamins and minerals to strengthen the body instead of prescribing pills to take care of symptoms. Check for a Functional Medical Doctor in your area to help get you on a healthy regime.
3. Don't focus on the weight focus on moving. Look at your schedule throughout the day and figure out how long you are sedentary and just start moving. Even if you add ten minutes of movement a day that you didn't have in your schedule before, it will make a difference. Take a walk get some fresh air. Look for walking paths in your area.
4. Check out the gyms- this one comes with a precaution- check with your physician first. There are so many ways to get some exercise these days it's not even funny. Crossfit, yoga, pilates, zoomba, weight lifting, running, etc...find something that looks fun and try it out. There are usually trainers at the gyms that can help
5. Start small- don't try to do an hour of exercise to start off or lift a ton of weights- you will wear yourself out and get discouraged. Start small and work your way up.