Present. Mindful. Happy.

Hi friends and Happy Monday to you all!

I’d love to be enjoying that cup of coffee at the lake right now, but I’ll be there again soon enough!

I’m sharing a lot here today. I hope with each post you leave feeling encouraged to continue on your own journey, motivated or inspired to try something new and that you leave with a smile on your face.

I continue to learn just how crucial all aspects of life are to my health, physically and mentally. My mindset plays such an important part of my overall health as I know it does for most people. I’m focusing on that more and more as I find myself seeking out creative ways to spend time with family, friends and spend time alone on a walk or at the campsite. I’m learning how mindfully being present in those moments with either family, friends or time spent alone, can impact the choices that I make, which determine how I feel in my body, mind and spirit.

In my last post I shared how I’d lost my sh*t a few times recently. Thank you to some of the best friends ever for having a conversation with me and reminding me that we all have different perspectives when it comes to some of the major issues in our country right now. I needed that reminder. I need to respect the opinion of others when we disagree. I’ve reached out to have conversations with those involved where I lost my sh*t and they gracefully accepted my reaching out and we have agreed to disagree without feeling angry or unheard. That felt really good and truly made an impact on the rest of that day. The rest of that week! It’s so much easier to make healthy choices when I feel good about what’s going on in life.

That takes me to this story.…..I apologize in advance for my language.

July 2nd was a Thursday. I was grabbing a few things at the grocery store to take on my camping trip to my girlfriends farm. On July 3rd, face mask would be mandatory. I was already wearing a mask when in public because for me it just felt like the thing to do. I was not mad at anyone for not wearing a mask and decided to simply avoid getting close to them. I was however surprised that the majority of the people that day in the grocery store (that had a large “Mandatory Mask” sign), 1 day before we all knew it would be mandatory, that were not wearing a mask. The store was large enough that I could easily avoid close contact with any other shoppers but I felt myself getting that anxious feeling as it seemed every aisle I went down, I was trying to avoid folks without a mask and I was starting to feel like the odd man out. I would be going to my dads house after shopping and when I’m heading to his house, I find myself trying to be extra careful.

My 80 year old dad has been on dialysis three days a week for almost 10 years now. He is a trooper and so positive when really, he has so much he could be complaining about. I would absolutely hate to be the carrier of this stupid virus and give it to my dad after he has been so strong while going through so much. I’m trying to do my best to be careful and do all the recommended things while also spending time with my pops.

As I got in line to check out, a gentleman got in line behind me. I’d run into him in almost every aisle while shopping. He was not wearing a mask and was loudly talking on his cell phone. I found myself irritated with the whole shopping experience and now with this man. As I moved to the end of the checkout to put groceries in my cart, he unloaded his groceries and stepped up to the credit card machine. I had not yet paid for my groceries.

I asked the store employee quietly if she could ask the gentleman behind me to step back when it was time for me to use the credit card machine. She did. I didn’t make a scene and a part of me felt like he was trying to get to me? I did not make eye contact with the customer as it all felt extremely awkward. I just wanted him to give me my space. I paid for my groceries and went to the parking lot.

While putting my groceries away, I looked around the parking lot a few times wondering if he was as irritated with me as I was with him.

He was. As I was putting my groceries into my truck, I hear a vehicle close to me and as I turn away from my truck to look, he is right beside me in his truck with his window down, he coughed three or four times on me and flipped me the bird and drove off, all the while flipping me the bird and yelling something I couldn’t make out. As I turned and he coughed on me I said F*** off Chicken shit. Then I said it again as he drove away, but louder. Then I was yelling it and walking. I had just left work and I was wearing a dress and I’m now practically running after a man in a truck in the grocery store parking lot yelling as loud as I could, over and over and over again, F*** you, you F***ing Chicken shit. Like, I was daring him to come back to me!

Once he was out of site, I realized I was about 100 feet from my truck and people were watching. I finished putting away my groceries and went to my dads.

When I shop there on Thursdays, I wonder if he shops regularly on Thursdays and will I see him again.

I guess he does, because I did.

Last Thursday while putting my groceries in my truck and packing my cooler for my camping trip, guess who pulls in and parks two spots away? I felt my heart skip a beat and at the same time I know I’m apparently in a mood to make peace with the world. As he steps out of his truck, I know it’s him. He seemed to have a spark of recognition in his eyes. He says “Oops, forgot my mask” and goes back to get in his truck. Now I’m thinking either he recognizes me and is leaving, he recognizes me and is getting his gun or he really did forget his mask and because it is now mandatory, he is going to wear it.

He gets his mask. As he walks towards me I say “Hey, can I ask you a quick question?” He says “Sure” and I think to myself, he knows who I am.

I tell him I was there several weeks ago and asked an employee to ask the gentleman behind to step back while I pay for my groceries, then in the parking a lot, that gentleman drove by me with his window down, coughs and flips me off. This is what he said.

“Yeah, I remember that.” He seemed calm and willing to have a conversation, so…….

I asked him why he was so angry with me. I told him why I was personally trying to be so careful with my dads health and being headed to his house. I told him that I was not mad that he wasn’t wearing a mask, but I only wanted him to give me my space while I paid for my groceries as I was trying to be as careful as possible. He told me that he didn’t like that I asked the employee to have him step back and not him personally, but followed it with “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”

He went on to say that emotions are so crazy for so many people right now and that he had thought a lot about that day and that he didn’t know why he had reacted like that. We both had a conversation about how things are absolutely ridiculous right now. I told him how much I appreciated the fact that he stopped and talked to me and that I don’t typically chase men in trucks yelling like a fool either, (this may not actually be the first time) but agreed emotions are cray cray right now. We had a conversation about how wouldn’t if be great if everyone that had had angry words could calmly talk things through, admit if they were wrong, or even agree to disagree but wish each other the best?

We told each other to have a great day. He ended the conversation by saying he’d like to hug it out, but you know, corona.

How absolutely crazy is it that I would actually see this man again and have the opportunity to have this conversation??

This day made me so happy. I think it made him happy too. I’d thought about that day so many times. I hated how angry I was. I hated thinking about how many people likely have some sort of a similar story and how the world is so angry right now.

I headed off to pick up Effie at my dads, shared my happy story with my dad as I had shared the initial story with him as well, and told him I’d see him at the campground, where all things make me happy.

Be willing to have difficult conversations. It might change your day. Your week! It may change the choices you make!

Do not chase trucks in parking lots while yelling obscenities at the top of your lungs.

Happy people tend to make healthier choices.

Moving on…..

Body Confidence

I’ve shared here before that I’ve never liked the way my legs look but that I do have a new appreciation for what they allow me to do. For what my whole body allows me to do. I’m really focusing on how I move and how strong I feel. Camping is way more active than I was expecting it to be, but I love how busy I keep myself at the campsite. Getting in and out of a kayak is no easy task with bad knees, but I’m doing it! The walks and yoga are still a part of my week. I don’t love to wear shorts, but I’ve never worn them more confidently than I have recently and I can’t imagine some of these hot camping days wearing the pants that I would always end up in. There is definitely something to be said about appreciating what your body can do for you and not worrying about how it looks. When I find myself appreciating what my legs allow me to do, I find I worry less about what they look like in the shade or in the light.

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If you have struggled with body confidence, I hope you are able to remind yourself what your body does allow you to do, no matter what your limits may be.

This wasn’t pretty as I videotaped myself, but I’m working on my strength and it will get better!

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Camping Fun

While I was off camping, Mike was away on a golf course. I kind of like that we each have our “thing”. And really, he wouldn’t have fit in the truck on this trip. I took so many things! Food to share. Drinks to share. Extra things to decorate my campsite. Lari the truck was packed!

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The rally looked a little different this year as we practiced social distancing. The majority of the campers focused on decorating their actual campsite (which most do anyhow) instead of touring the inside of their Vintage Travel Trailers. I kept thinking of things that I thought might look cute sitting outside of Effie. For the most part, we stayed at our own campsite. When other campers visited us, they brought their own chairs or stood at a good distance and respected the space. When I took walks through the campsite I kept my distance as I caught up with the others I’ve met over this past year. They did have a few social gatherings you could attend with social distancing in mind, but we opted out and it seemed as though everyone was respectful of the choices made. The weather was fantastic! I took my kayak and so did a few other campers. I learned what dutch oven cooking over a campfire looks like and taste like. I went a day early and stayed an extra day and of course, I fell more in love with my sweet Effie.

I started her own Instagram page. “mysweeteffie”

My dad and stepmom in the spot beside me.

They are true troopers!! That is not a man that looks 80, ya think?

Because I took every single camping thing I own, I was able to set up a spot in between our campsites for our evening campfire.

This space also came in handy for my lesson in Dutch Oven Cooking from Melissa! Melissa and I met last year and I adore her. She introduced me to my first Vision Board party when she invited me to hers last December. Who knew our 2020 would look so different than expected but I am so happy her and I met!

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How I met Melissa.

She was shopping for accessories for her little trailer Huck Finn early in 2019 when she went through my moms checkout at Target. My mom started up a conversation with her about how her daughter (me, I’m the daughter) was shopping for a vintage trailer and wouldn’t it be fun if we could meet. Melissa gave my mom her Instagram name, and we met via Instagram before I even bought Effie. We met in person a year ago this month at this rally. Crazy, right?

This is Huckelberry Finn.

I wish you could see inside. Follow her on Instagram at TheGreatAwaits for some adventure and all around inspiration to enjoy the great outdoors! Also, you can peek inside Huck Finn! Melissa is extremely adventurous and has for sure been an inspiration to me in continuing to try new things on my own.

Enjoyed a little time on the water with a few other campers.

I’m having fun seeing what I can cook up while camping so I told my dad and stepmom I’d take care of dinner Saturday night. Back when I worked at the food truck, Sidney, the owner, created a dish she called The Cowboy Skillet. Mine will never be as good as hers, but it was pretty dang good!

All cooked in a cast iron skillet on my little electric burner outside.

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After dinner we took a drive to the other side of the lake and saw a beautiful sunset. I’ve now found the perfect place at this lake to watch the sunrise and the sunset. It’s kind of hard to want to go to any other campsites when this is just an hour from home and I’m finding all the little nooks and crannies of this lake.

After the other campers left on Sunday morning, Melissa and I were staying another night and I suggested we site hop (ya know, instead of bar hop) and she was game. We loaded the back of my truck with cozy camp chairs and a cooler and drove around the lake looking for some of the best views to stop and enjoy while having some really good girl chat.

I really like it when someone goes along with my weirdo ideas.

Then back to the site for a lesson in Dutch Oven cooking. I brought my Dutch Oven from home really wanting to use it as it has been in my family for years and anything cooked in it always feels special. Melissa said the pot would work, but not the lid. I’m learning. Anywho, she had a lit that fit perfectly! I brought ingredients for a simple lasagna, which I figure you can’t mess up, and really everything was cooked. We were really just marrying flavors. I couldn’t find fresh lasagna noodles so I went with the fettuccine noodles I found at Trader Joe’s and this all tasted so good together!

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Have you ever done any Dutch Oven Cooking at the campsite?

After dinner and a little time around the fire each night, I’m always happy to settle in for the night.

Effie gets a Job!

A friend of mine from High School that I became reacquainted with this last year is a photographer and she reached out to see if I would be interested in teaming up for a photo opportunity! Look who got a job! If you are in the Kansas City Area, click on the link and book your photo session! I think this is simply adorable.

Holiday Portrait Mini Session with Effie

I’m so excited to get to share Effie for some fun Holiday pics this year!

I’m off now to walk and get in some yoga.

I hope you all have a very happy Monday.

If nothing else in this post made you smile, then this surely will. Guess who I got to hold this week?

Baby Kapri…..

Take time for yourself. Clear your mind. Find peace.

“Love the life you live, live the life you love”