Category Archives: Holidays

A Look Back at 2022 – An Epiphany of Sorts.

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Happy Holidays and a belated Merry Christmas to all! I hope you are doing amazingly well in your corner of the world. 2022 is at its end and I am resting my way into 2023 but also taking the time to look back over the last 362 days. Taking time off to rest every now and again is so vital to being fit and healthy. Sometimes we don’t even know how exhausted we are until our body breaks down and we’re bedridden and forced to rest. Anyway, I’m warm and cozy, have my hair in a bun, my snacks nearby and I’m ready to dive into today’s post.

I Had An Epiphany….

I realized that ‘Everything matters’…We are very fond of separating our lives into compartments like work life, relationships, religion, health & fitness, friendships, hobbies etc. But in actual fact, these pieces make up who we are and are intertwined or bleed into every other area no matter how hard we may try to compartmentalize. One area that’s not doing so well affects every other area. ‘Yeah…yeah, we know that already’, I imagine some reader say but take a minute to think it through.

Every step counts. I mean this literally. It’s hard to keep up with a fitness regimen. All the determination in the world will get you nowhere if your body is tired. On days where I can’t drive my tired body to the gym, I can walk through the house, go up and down the stair’s multiple times, do online Zumba, stretch or exercise in place. You’ll still burn calories which is better than not exercising at all.

Hydration is huge part of weight loss. I didn’t know this until a friend of mine who is a fitness buff and competitive lifter shared this with me. Being hydrated with WATER removes toxins from your system, aids digestion, reduces constipation, and improves your skin, brain function and overall health. When I hear medical professionals tell the public to drink 8 glasses of water a day, I roll my eyes because no one and I mean NO ONE is drinking that much water…its soo boring especially when you have zero calorie diet drinks and everything else out there. I know I wasn’t. But to get there, start by buying a half gallon water bottle. It doesn’t feel like that many glasses but trust me that I exceed this quantity in water intake these days. This water bottle changed my life and I know it can change yours.

Sleep is important. If you’re always on the go during a typical work week, take one day on the weekend to sleep, rest, relax and let your body recharge. When you rest, your cortisol levels come down, this signals to your body that you can relax; stress reduces and the craving for salty and sweet snacks go down. Its literally a domino effect. If you have a bad or poor sleep routine, it’s only a matter of time before it begins to take its toll on your life.

Procrastination has an effect on weight loss. Quit telling yourself that you will start tomorrow. You would start walking, start dieting, sign up for a gym membership, join a fitness group, sign up for a personal trainer…..you get the gist. START NOW! Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Opt for a low calorie dressing on your salad instead a high carb option. Opt for a healthy midnight snack or pass on a second serving at meals. What really matters are the baby steps.

You can’t do it alone. There is that 1% of individuals who lose ALL their weight in their basement while livestreaming on YouTube. Well, I hate to break it to you, but those individuals are far and in between. The rest of us who are the 99% need to have a support system, people with similar goals, text groups and accountability partners to motivate us on our down and lazy days. Now, if you aren’t sure where to find ‘those’ people, start with your circle. Find out from friends, neighbors and ask if they’re interested in starting for example a mall walking group, joining a class etc. If that isn’t successful, you can find fitness groups online via social media. There are no excuses. There is a group for everyone out there.

Little Habits = Big Results. Friends, if you’ve been with me on this journey for a couple of years now, you’d notice that I’m very skeptical about instant results especially when it comes to diet, health and weight loss. Not only does it take a toll on your body, but your brain hasn’t had enough time to master or take on new habits. Anything too fast or hastily done in my opinion isn’t sustainable. Start by tweaking the little things and slowly override the old you with who you want to become by imbibing new habits and better lifestyle choices.

2022 has been a good year. Life is seemingly back to ‘normal’. To all the readers of Periwinkle Starr, thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for the likes, comments and follows. The new year will be even better. Until I come your way again, be safe, upbeat and have a Happy and Amazing New Year!

Periwinkle Starr

(P.S. All photos are culled from the internet).

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Miami in the Summer!

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. As promised, I’m back with another post all the way from North Texas. As is the norm, we had 3-digit temperatures a couple of weeks back so being able to get away for a while was a relief. We were in Miami!!! One of the things I was excited about was the fact I would be out of the oven and in proximity to huge ‘natural’ bodies of water, and lots of negative ions; not the artificial water holes and fake lakes we have in my part of Texas. When it comes to vacations, it’s so easy to want to jet off somewhere FOREIGN but I feel like there is so much more to see and to experience in my own backyard that I had not really appreciated before now. These are some of the things I noticed on my trip to Miami, Florida so stay with me.

The Sun Shines Differently. Something about the sky and the sun is so different from North Texas. No matter how much sunscreen or hats you wear, you will be tanned…. disproportionately if I might add. 😂😂

It’s So Tropical. The palm trees, lush vegetation, greenery everywhere is so calming and gives me that sense of being closer to nature. If you build plant it, it will grow is my new motto for Miami.

A plethora of Beaches to choose from. There are many beaches there, but South Miami beach was the nicest…in my opinion. There was washed up sea moss and seashells on the shore. Getting waist deep into the waves, I could see small fishes probably eating the plankton off the moss. The water was so salty it stung a bit the first couple times I got in the water. However, it felt so rejuvenating.

The food is GREAT! No matter where we went, what kind of food we ate ex. Cuban, Asian, Vegan, American, Italian, the food was amazing and always served hot…and I mean with steam emanating out of it. This happened everywhere we ate so I guess it’s a ‘thing’ in Miami.

Floridians Appear to be More Fit than most. I saw less heavy-set people in Miami, and I got to thinking, we do love our cars, meat and potatoes in Texas. So…..it’s to be expected.

Downtown is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love architecture so being Downtown in the middle of the action was a must. There are boat tours especially in the Miami Circle area Downtown. Nice restaurants overlooking the water and that fresh ocean breeze.

Some Things to Be Aware of in Miami.

Finding Parking is a Bear. A stranded hiker in the mountains has more luck finding cell service than it is to find parking especially in the downtown area. Hope on your luck or leave the day before…lol. Just kidding. But the city never sleeps so uber or taxi your way when you’re in the dense downtown area or bite the bullet and pay the price for parking. We literally had to download parking apps to pay for parking while we were there.

It’s Pretty Pricy. Being a tourist City, it does get expensive.

The lizards. We were near the coast and there were these Iguana lizards that would sometimes run when they see you or just stand really still and watch you. Some were the sizes of designer dogs…I kid you not – we were told they were harmless and would only bite when threatened. ‘Bite you say?’ was my response. ‘No hablas iguanas’ was my best Spanish phrase for I don’t do Iguana’s.

Huge Snakes. They have issues of invasive python species especially if you reside in the sub urban areas or everglades. These reptiles were brought over as exotic pets from Asia and Africa. These have somehow infiltrated the wild, are breeding like crazy and are now leaving the swamps and moving into the city in search of food.

Alligator’s that can turn doorknobs of people’s homes and scale fences…and I’m not kidding. I literally fell out of my chair when I saw a video clip but it’s true. People fence their pools and cover the top with a cage of sorts because you may want to take a nice evening swim and find a 12-foot gator or python enjoying the comforts of your backyard.

Lower Temperatures, Higher Humidity. Being one to whine about the weather ALL – THE – TIME, the humidity was obviously high-er. Wearing light clothing especially cotton serves as a wick to cool you down faster as opposed to other fabrics. While enjoying my newfound freedom, my hair did frizz, become poofy and stick to my skin. But it didn’t bother me much. I was just happy to be there.

Well, folks I was glad to be a pseudo tourist for a few days in Miami but happier to be back home. Like me, try to get out of your usual regimen and explore some of the jewels in your own backyard. Your likes, comments and follows are always welcome. Be safe, stay healthy and optimistic. Until I come your way again, I remain,

Periwinkle Starr 💕

Summer Vacation Aftermath!

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Hello Y’all! It sure feels great to be back with another post. I hope you are doing well in your corner of the globe. I just got back from a much needed and well-deserved vacation, and I made a vow to myself to not ever go for long periods without actually taking the time to pack my bags and go SOMEWHERE, because stay-cations don’t cut it anymore. I turned off my phone and didn’t give a thought to work all the while I was gone. I did glance at my emails every now and then to make sure no one was harming themselves or getting into any crazy mischief while I was gone…Ha ha! Buy yes, its so nice to come to you with another post. Its amazing how getting time off to rest does wonders for every part of my being.

Vacations for me mean that ALL diets are off or in some way reduced to the barest medium. One thing I did as soon as I returned was to take a dose of a gentle laxative to clear my gut of any and all the junk I ingested,….in many ways, giving my digestion somewhat of a fresh start. Also drinking a lot of fresh clean water to rehydrate my body is something I’m incorporating.

Staying Focused and Loving Every Moment of It.

Culled from the internet

Some of the things I am incorporating post vacation have been helpful to me and my hope is that it helps someone else enjoy their time off without guilt but also get back in the saddle when they return home.

Big Volume, Low Carb Foods. The list is long and instead of just listing the foods on here, I’m including links to some of the youtubers that have been tremendously helpful in steering me in the right direction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIOk6o5_xS8; and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvaJfRtrJxg

Walk at least 10,000 steps a day. You can build up your resistance to do more. In my case, doing one loop around my favorite trail gets me 5000 steps so my goal is to do two loops and try to build my stamina as I go. It’s so hot in North Texas this period, my plan is to walk indoors…..instead of burning in the heat.

Don’t Deprive Yourself. Find healthy alternatives for the treats you love. I recently found a GF chocolate cookie mix and I’m going to try it out.

Try Dry Packaged Soup Mixes. These are not only healthy for you, but they are easy to make and keep you full for longer while supporting your weight loss goals.

Never Compromise on Sleep. People gain weight when they are stressed. Cortisol levels rise and the body goes into hibernation mode. This stems from the early man having to weather all kinds of hardships to survive – like harsh winters, famine and only God knows what…maybe fighting off dinosaurs? LOL! At least 7 to 8 hours will do great for your body, your mind and your emotions. If you can’t afford to sleep that long, consider taking short 30 minute to an hour-long nap during the day. That will help tremendously.

Get Your Fiber Intake Up. A diet rich in fiber helps with weight loss and an overall balanced diet. The times I’ve seen myself pack on the pounds was when I was eating a lot of high carbs, starchy and sweet foods. Fiber helps speed up your weight loss.

Stay Positive. You are what you think and if you believe you can, you will. Real and healthy weight loss takes time and is not a quick fix. It slowly gives your body time to adjust instead of the shock the body receives when you cut corners. Unless its life threatening, I’m really concerned about surgeries, or those trips people make to developing countries to get all kinds of procedures done.

Having Courage to Deal with Emotional Baggage. Sometimes, weight gain may be due to natural causes – a slow metabolism, thyroid issues or more. Other times, it could be due to an unresolved issue that triggers incessant snacking, binge eating or not eating at all. Doing the best to face up to any emotional issues clears me of any reasons I have to not lose weight or maintain a healthy body and instead focus my attention on resolving any medical issues or underlying conditions.

Folks, it’s so nice to be back home and writing again. Please like, comment and follow. Until I come your merry way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Its Christmas!!!… Don’t Fall Off The Wagon.

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Merry Christmas Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Texas is having the warmest winter on record this year and it hasn’t frozen over as we expected. Not sure if I like it or not but that’s okay. I have wanted to write this post for a while now but just wasn’t settled enough to do it. I have been resting and recovering from the year we just had. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and has aways been for me, but this year is a little different but I’m so thankful. My neighborhood has an annual Christmas decor competition, and the winner is usually the most decked out house. As much as I love admiring decor, if it needs a ladder, drills or nails, I’d rather not be the one doing any of that. After donating my old tree to a family that I felt would better appreciate it, I went a non-traditional route and got a spiral Christmas tree, and I absolutely love it.

It’s the holidays! I know but nevertheless, I’m still doing my best to keep my routine going and not just letting it ALL go…because it may be too hard to kickstart it in the new year. LOL! Here are some of the things I’ve been doing to maintain and improve on during the holiday period.

Culled from the internet.

Staying Hydrated. Being home and not on the go coupled with having so many drink options, it’s easy to forget to hydrate my body because I don’t feel or get thirsty. But making a mental note to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water every day has been my goal.

Rejuvenate your skin. Waking up and dashing to work or getting home and barely making it through my exercise class doesn’t give any room to really cleanse and pamper my skin as I should. But now that we’re home, dry brushing, Epsom salt soaks, sugar scrubs and pampering my skin is necessary for it to retain its youth and elasticity.

Apply detox foot pads while you sleep. A lot of people have said that detox foot pads are a hoax or that they’re fake. Well, I have used detox foot pads for almost a decade, and they WORK! My sleep is better, I feel refreshed, and my energy levels are up. I feel like people should try good brand names for great results…Try it and thank me later.

Get unlimited at-home facials. It doesn’t matter if you’re a guy or a gal. Now is the time to slow down and really take care of your face. Everyone has a routine or regimen that they follow and now is the time to slow down and follow it instead of just barely wiping your makeup off before jumping into bed. Cleanse, exfoliate, scrub, hydrate, moisturize and spot treat. Remember, your face tells a lot about you before you open your mouth.

Rest. This is when you have earned the right to be a couch potato…and a happy one at best. Rest, relax and give your brain some timeout to just do nothing. Watching garbage TV aka Real housewives are my go-to because I need only two braincells to be entertained when I watch reality TV.

Cut back on excessive stimulants. Your liver will thank you for it. I sat with a doctor friend of mine who intimated me on the rise of health issues because of stimulants; be it drinks or medication. Moderation is the key but if you have to binge during the festivities, have your cleanse or detox lined up afterwards. In Hollywood, people have parties and then have detox sessions afterwards where they get IVs with vitamin supplements to cleanse or repair whatever damage they may have caused internally. I know this sounds extreme but that should tell you something about stimulants and toxins and what they do to our internal organs.

Folks, it’s so good to write again. I hope you get to rest, reflect and enjoy your families this season. From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and an amazing new year ahead. Until I come your way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Gobble Gobble….Here Comes Trouble!

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are fine and doing well in your part of the world? Well, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Fall at last. The leaves are falling. It getting windy-er and Thanksgiving is here. A lot of my friends have bought their birds and are working through their shopping lists at the moment. A few of us have been liberated from that nightmare and have decided on ordering an already made thanksgiving dinner….All you have to do is show up and eat. There is a level of stress in food prepping that is so tiring that when you do sit down at the table, you can’t even eat the food anymore. Trust me, I’ve been there. I would RATHER catch up on conversating and just enjoying the atmosphere than slaving away at the stove. I’ve done that so many times over the years that I feel like I don’t have to prove any thing to anyone at this point.

Don’t get me wrong, a home cooked meal is the next best thing but not having to spend the last 48 hours on your feet getting everything prepped and ready is even better. I will be enjoying a home cooked thanksgiving feast, I just wont be the one preparing it this year. Just the thought of that makes me dance without any music.

But on a serious note, things are a more expensive this year especially with the rise in inflation and per record, the most expensive Thanksgiving so far in the country. With that being said, I have been through far too much over the past year to not have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. All diets are off….I don’t think I would be 100 percent gluten free…LOL. I have been craving cheesecake for a while now and the opportunity to indulge has presented itself. I will have my slice of cheesecake and pay for it later.

So Much To Be Thankful For This Year!

I’m thankful for life. So many were lost over the past year, its so surreal. I’m thankful for my health, family, my friends, my work and the country I live in and for all the readers who follow this blog. I’m thankful for all of you. Folks, if this time makes you feel down, discouraged or sad; instead of looking at your glass as half full, why not focus on the things that are going well, things that are positive and anticipate an even better future for yourself. If you are religious, think of the story of the sparrow, if God takes care of a tiny insignificant creature, how much more you and I. From me to you, Happy Thanksgiving!! Until I come your merry way again, probably from the gym working off these self induced calories…haha, I remain,

Periwinkle Starr

Down By The Bay!

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Its the fourth of July here in the States and its a somewhat a quiet one this year. The last couple of days have been so beautiful with lower temperatures in the mornings which has been heavenly outside especially on walks without the humidity and sweltering heat. I’m not sure how long this is going to last but it’s Texas…who knows? I was in the Bay Area recently and it’s been one of the places I had never been to so I was looking forward to it. I had heard a lot but did not know what to expect.

One of the things I do when I go to new places. I love to mentally start out fresh on a clean slate and let the city write it’s own story and frame my experience. For a Texas transplant, I have pretty much gotten used to big spaces, big cars, wider roads, big EVERYTHING. So, getting into the city and seeing cookie cutter terraced homes with multiple stories literally perched on the edges of cliffs or on top of each other; or sidewalks with slopes that would leave an accessibility specialist dumbfounded was odd for me. Oh….did I mention that it felt like Winter in Summer? It was cold and windy. We were 10 minutes from the coast so according to friends, that’s the cold part of the city.

My Experience & Thoughts.

It’s the most expensive city in America! I kid you not. I saw houses that weren’t anything to write home about just by looking on the exterior but I quickly learned they were worth millions of dollars. Rent is through the roof and a lot of people live outside the area and come in for work because the cost of living is so high.

It’s cold. If you packed your bathing suit and planned on re-enacting those ‘Bay Watch scenes of running on the beach in the sun….in slow motion, I have to stop you right there. You may not make it back if you do LOL. Its not only cold but also windy. People were dressed for Winter in Summer. And I mean winter jackets, boots, scarves and hats.

The service was awesome! There’s a level of etiquette that I don’t get in Dallas at a regular restaurant. The waiters were more personable, very attentive and didn’t treat patrons like your typical assembly line fast food place. The service we got would only be received at high end restaurants in the DFW Metroplex.

There’s so much to see. Any person looking to do touristy things in San Fran needs about a full week to get it all in. It sounds long but it will be worth it in the end. From Wharf 39, the Pier, Alcatraz, bus tours, boat rides, restaurants, historic gardens, museums, the golden gate bridge, the Hippie area and so much more. It would be worth your time, I promise.

Earthquakes are the norm around there. The ground is constantly moving so the logical part of me is wondering why everyone and their neighbor has their houses perched on the edge of hill looking out to the ocean. I’m concerned that the ground has to literally cough and those structures may come tumbling down.

Never Get a rental Car in San Fran. The cost of parking is so high it’s not even funny. Taking a taxi, Uber or Lyft is the way to go. The city has a land scarcity issue which doesn’t help when finding parking. Driving around looking for a spot to park your rental is not a problem you want to have in an area you’re not familiar with. Uber it was for us!

The homeless situation is real. I was having breakfast at a diner with a full-on window view of the city, traffic and people going about their day. There was a building across the street from the diner with a recess along the exterior wall. Not too long after sitting down for breakfast, I see a homeless guy walk up to that corner and pee right there and keeps walking. I see a janitorial staff come out with a cleaning buggy and hoses down the area and go back inside the building. I kid you not, in less than seven minutes, another homeless goes right to that corner and pees and keeps walking. I see the janitorial guy AGAIN come out and do the same thing. I’m thinking to myself ‘what in the h**l is wrong with these people’? It’s not uncommon to see extreme wealth and homelessness on the same block.

Drug Addiction is a serious problem. I saw people shooting up on the sidewalk facing ongoing traffic in broad daylight. I mean…out in the open with the needle in their veins – where you could see blood and whatever drug they were injecting…And people just walked on by like it was the norm. That scared me a little. There were people lying on the sidewalk nodding off, some looked dead…and I kid you not, people just walked on. A friend of ours told us to be mindful how we held our phones out in public, that it could be snatched.

All in all, San Francisco is beautiful and different in it’s own way and I look forward to exploring other parts of California in the future. Please follow, like and comment. Until I come your way again, stay cool and hydrated this Summer!! I remain,

Periwinkle Starr

For The Sweet Toothers Out Here: Let’s Make Chocolate!

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Hello Y’all! Happy New Year and a Belated Merry Christmas to you! I hope you got to rest, celebrate and enjoy the holiday. We made it into 2021! What a year that was but its gone now and we are looking forward to bigger and better. My plea to 2021 is to be kind and gentle on us all. With the festivities being over, I’m about ready to be begin my health routine aka diet but I decided to have one last hoorah before I did. I was organizing my pantry and stumbled upon a chocolatier/chocolate making kit. This was a Secret Santa gift from work that I totally forgot about. It had been sitting there for years and I felt it was about time I at least tried my hands at making my own batch of homemade chocolate. The kit came with a little recipe book, a couple of tiny molds and a spiral stirrer. Since I recently watched reruns of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory movie, I felt it was a sign.

So I looked up the recipes to see what I wanted to try my hands at. I’m not exactly sure there is any such thing as a low calorie chocolate recipe that still taste good but I was up for the challenge. I found some of the recipes so delectable and high on calories that I decided against making any of them and to instead go on YouTube and find something lower in calories – for starters. I mean, a tiny piece of chocolate was the same amount of calories as a small salad bowl. C’mon man! (Joe’s fav phrase), we just had two holidays back to back, and I am trying to choose the lesser of two apparent evils here ha…ha!

A Simple Chocolate Recipe!

Ingredients: 1 Cup Icing or Confectionery Sugar. 1/2 Cup Milk Powder. 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder. 2/3 Cup of Coconut Oil. Extra Additives: Some prefer brown sugar instead. Others may add nuts or vanilla extract for an extra pop. The choice is yours!

Utensils: A sauce pan, a sturdy glass bowl (preferred), a sieve, chocolate mold, a mixing spoon and measuring cups.

Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add water to a sauce pan and turn up the heat. Place the glass bowl over the sauce pan and add the coconut oil. Then slowly add the powdered mixture in small quantities while stirring as you go. Keep stirring till it’s well incorporated for a few minutes. Remove from sauce pan and using a table spoon scoop into molds and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Le chocolat et pret!!

My Take. The Results: Instead of the 2/3 Cup of coconut oil, I used a little over 1/3 Cup in mine. Many reviewers said theirs was runny and didn’t solidify at all and I guess that was the reason. I also cut back on the amount of sugar I used. Instead of one full cup, I used a little less than a cup (almost a cup). You might need to purchase more molds if you don’t have those already. I ended up improvising with small plastic containers because I ran out of molds 🙂 All in all, it was an easy pea-sy recipe. So try it out!

(14) 4 ingredients Homemade Chocolate Recipe | How To Make Chocolate At Home | Yummy – YouTube

As you enjoy this sweet treat, be hopeful, optimistic and full of faith and positivity that 2021 will be a sweet year despite whatever the happenings are in the world around you. Many thanks to all followers of this blog and to those who stumble upon Periwinkle Starr, thank you for reading as well. Until I come your way again, please like, comment and follow. I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Happy Turkey Day!

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Hello Folks! I trust you are doing well in your part of the world. Here in North Texas, it’s Thanksgiving Day. I’m not so certain in these times we are in with giving ‘absolutes’ on any information especially now that we have a couple of states banning the Holiday or limiting the number of family members you can have over at your Grandma’s house, which I think is absurd but another story for another day.

I woke up this morning to the news that Diego Maradona has passed on and it was a shocker. Now, for some of the younger millennials or Generation Z folks who may not be familiar with this guy, He was like the Michael Jackson of soccer. He was phenomenal on the field. Once he got the ball, the opposing teams could literally see their courage leave the stadium, go back to their hotels, pack their bags and head to the airport because it was GAME OVER – that was how amazing he was. But like all great talents, it almost seems like their demons are more fierce (for lack of a better word). All in all, he made his mark in the world. He put Argentina on the map and he will be missed. May his soul find peace and his family comforted.

The weather was bright with a tolerable hue of sunshine. We had a soft breeze that wasn’t typical for this time of year but it was awesome and I had a great time. Thanksgiving this year was great but … different. We all know 2020 started off right until it got ‘jacked up’ by COVID and just when we were just about getting our lives back to normal, then we got on the political impeachment, then the second term election trail which, hard as many of us tried to stay out of it, could not because the craziness hit an all time high. At this point, I kinda want my money back, and I mean for the first 6 months of the year LOL…as if we, the mere mortals that we are can ask anything of the creator. But hey! On a lighter note, we have so much to be thankful for; because if you are reading this post, you are still here. And that is more than enough.

I don’t know about you but I see a trend over the past couple of years especially with the holidays and if you are seeing what I’m seeing, then you know what I’m talking about because you see it too. Less and less people are cooking meals these days and instead opting for meal pick-up services, curb side deliveries or even getting a chef to cook in their homes while they channel all the energy that it would have taken to cook the meals to actually relaxing, spending time with family, friends and loved ones. If you ask me, that makes a lot of sense and is justifiable on all counts BUT there is such a thing as a home cooked meal, a meal made with love, care and patience that trumps restaurant or ”assembly-line’ delivered food. But at the end of the day, everyone is not going to be a Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart and for some that is ok. Friends, today is the day to sit back, throw off all diets, all food trackers and treat yourself.

It’s been a very different year than what we have ever experienced but we are still here and it’s worth being thankful for. Hug your loved ones. Do something nice for your friends and or co-workers. I’m just a little intrigued as to whether there will be any social distancing for the Black Friday shoppers this year. I hope you have a wonderful holiday. Be safe, have fun and until I come your way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!!!

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Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Winter is here and Christmas is just around the corner. Can you believe we are already at the end of 2019? Its been so busy that I honestly have not had a minute since Thanksgiving to settle my thoughts and write a post. But like I always say, it’s better late than never…right? We are at the end of another year. There’s so  much to do, with everything from office parties, dinners, ugly sweater Christmas parties, Carols, decorating, White Elephant gift exchanges, you name it, its all fun!  Nothing beats being at home, carols playing, putting up the tree, with lots of laughter, wine or cocoa and the smell of something baking in the oven. I absolutely love the holidays!!

Being on the go most of the time, getting an opportunity to really rest and reflect – and I mean to zoom out of the mundane everyday hustle and bustle and look at things on a grand scale is rare. But with holidays like this, being able to unplug from the usual gives me time to think. The year has been great…along with a lot of weird things that I can’t quite explain.  The other day, I was online and I saw a story about an eagle that had to be rescued from an Octopus. So the eagle (as usual) tried to snatch the sea creature out of a lake but that Octopus came prepared that day…hehehe.  It wound its tentacles aka suction cups so tight around the eagle, the poor birdie couldn’t break free.  I don’t exactly know what the Octopus was trying to do but the bird had to be rescued from some guys fishing in the area.  I thought to myself…like what exactly is this world coming to? LOL

I feel like the end of the year should be a time of celebration and thankfulness but also a time to reflect.  For me, it isn’t anything over the top hilarious but such simple things like being a better human being, not cursing as much ( and yes, I said ‘cursing’. If you live and drive in the Metroplex, it’s almost inevitable not to do so), to get better at forgiving and forgetting, practicing the art of patience, working out more, just to name a few.

The Things I Love About Christmas!!!

♦     Christmas Musicals

♦     Time Spent with Loved Ones and Family

♦     The Gift of Giving

♦     Christmas Décor

♦     The Food and the Festivities

As you enjoy the Christmas holiday, take time to soak it all in, to be thankful, to reflect on the year and to be expectant for the future.  Make sure you spend it out and about or in with family and not do like Zellweger in the ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ movie – aka booze, eat, crash and repeat.  Until I come your way again, be safe and have a wonderful celebration! See you in the New Year!!!

 

Periwinkle Starr♥

Santa Monica In The Fall!

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Hello Y ‘all!! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world.  North Texas feels like June right now – that’s all !’m going to say about that. Why we are still in the 90’s is beyond me but anyway I’m not going to complain about it, at least we get as low as the high 70’s in the morning…Haha! So here I am sitting on my couch with a bag of ice on my head because I can’t seem to figure out what part of my body that isn’t hurting.  Fast forward to 6 hours earlier, I and a group of ‘adventure buddies’ just finished The Great Obstacle Race which we topped off with ziplining. Now, if I had been asked a day earlier if I wanted to participate in this race (Keeping in mind what I know now), my answer would be a HUGE no. But, the point of being a member of this group is to say ‘yes’. To get out of my own way and do things that I otherwise would not consider doing. So I get to cross that off my list while I nurse my whole being…LOL.

Howdy Santa Monica!!!

This was my first trip to this part of California. After getting out of the airport and heading to our hotel, I was wowed by the palm trees littered along the roadways, the smell of the sea and the quaint shops and buildings we rode past to get to our lodgings. Traffic was nothing compared to what we have here in North Texas, it was a breezy ride to our hotel which was literally on the beach, a 1.5 minute walk to be exact. I had heard about the amazing sunrise, the pier and all the fun things that we ‘land-locked’ southerners do not get to enjoy. The view was so breathtakingly beautiful, I spent a lot of time just starring out at the seascape from the window.  The beach is littered with exercise equipment, people meditating, some doing yoga, others running, a couple of people trying to catch a wave or just photographing the beauty of it all.  We were even told that depending on the day, Arnold Schwarzenegger (and yes I said the ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger’, the one I was likening my fitness instructors to previously) rides his bicycle right past that area in the mornings. WOW!

Alot of people were dressed down, relaxed with tons of touristy things to see and do. There is a vibe in the air, a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere that we do not have in North Texas because we are constantly on the go…to get somewhere and heaven forbid there’s a slow driver in front of us….ahem (got a little carried away there)..hehehe (I liken that to saying squirrel to your puppy) – works every time. But Santa Monican’s are predominantly very fit. I didn’t see a lot of heavy set people out and about. We got to catch the sunrise on one of the mornings and it was one of the most peaceful things I have ever experienced.

To Surf …Or Not

To be honest, I didn’t even feel tired or stressed out even though we were working full days and more. This might sound corny but Its almost like the sea takes away all the stress. It almost feels like the closer we are to nature, the more at peace we become. A feeling of oneness that words can’t really describe. So we headed out to the beach to relax and be lazy after a hectic day. I was going to try surfing…for the first time if I might add but after I was told that I had to shuffle my feet in the sand to let the stingrays know to move out of the way and not be surprised and accidently sting me, I was like ‘say what’?

I was alive and well when Steve Irwin died…by a STINGRAY!!! If a whole Steve, the internationally famous Australian wildlife dare devil could be killed by those things, there is no way I was going to be a statistic. My friends could shuffle all they wanted for all I cared; sun bathing it was – at least for me haha! My stay in Santa Monica was a wonderful experience and I got to explore a little bit more of the world around me.

 

 

Watching the sunrise…
Reminded me of Baywatch
pure beauty!
Wading out to catch a wave…
The ferris wheel on the pier
We walked literally everywere…
The palmtrees were a sight to behold.

Its been a fun experience y’all so I adjure you beautiful people to take some time to appreciate the world around you whether (like me) it’s doing the Great Obstacle Race or taking a road trip to someplace new. Trust me, your mind will thank you for it. So until I come your way again, be safe, happy and upbeat!

 

Periwinkle Starr♥