If Only

If only good old Bernarr was right in 1937 I could be pain free. But I'm guessing he wasn't because right now I'm on day 2 of what I suspect is a 3 or 4 day migraine that so far none of my prescribed meds are working out. This stinks because it's my week of FREEDOM. Oh well I can't have a little debilitating pain stop all my teen free fun. Must. Carry. On.






Love You, Love Me,

Kwana


Image from here

Freedom

This dedication goes out to me in honor of having a few days of Freedom without the teen twins as they are gone for a week with my Mom and Step-dad. I hope to take many luxurious baths and get lots of writing done. There be self imposed deadlines and challenges thrown down there. So I gotta get on that.



George Michael - Freedom '90
Uploaded by jpdc11. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Oh and can we discuss how fab the women in this video still look 20 years later? Naomi makes me almost want to slurp down maple syrup and cayenne pepper (almost).

But I think Christy's route of yoga and meditation may be more enjoyable just check her out in this year's Louis V ads below. The woman is timeless.

Either way whatever they are doing is working for them. Here's to finding what works for me. I sure hope catch-up sleep and bubble baths count.

Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

Waaaa!!!

As a wife and mother of teens I have to come to the realization that at any given moment one or more people in the world are probably going to be pissed at me and I have to accept that that's ok. I can't make the world happy.

That said I have to figure how to still have The freaking (snort) Best Year of My Life while at any given moment I'm may not be having the best day.

How does one do that when they have to deal with a host of emotions from all different directions? I think the only answer is to say bring it on, then you take it in and then you have to let it go.

Sure it would be nice to put up your Wonder Woman deflector bracelets announce to your family and to the world, "sorry I'm not taking your emotional mess because I'm HAVING THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE", but we all no that's not going to work.

So you have to take it on, feel what you feel when the world of friends, family, etc. are feeling what they are feeling but somehow still stay on course with your plan to nurture yourself, love you and pat yourself on the back for being there and loving through all the Waaaas!

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

top image from here

Not Passing By

The next time I pass a flower stand I'm not just walking by but I'm going to stop and treat myself.




This is a reminder to just do it. What little thing have you done for yourself lately?

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

Love Your Best Life

It would be so easy for me to have The Best Year Of My Life if I could have a fantasy year like in Eat, Pray, Love one of my favorite books.

Hop a flight and just sort of check out and go off on a new and uncharted adventure and come back with a bestseller tucked in my Gucci bag, but, uh, that ain’t happening as there is a hubby and teen twins that are seniors in high school this year at chez Kwana and come 7:00 somebody would be getting mighty hungry and notice something was up.

So to help me deal with the desire to have the best year in MY reality I’m reading Debbie Ford’s The Best Year of Your Life (very slowly) and I have to say it’s an excellent book filled with Oprah like aha moments that say I have the power to make THIS life of mine better than ok. To make what it is, to me and for me, pretty great, well, at least good enough for me.

If you are thinking of going on your own Best Year Journey or have some things in your life that have been running you down a bit I say give this book a go.

Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

Big Jet Plane

This video from Angus and Julia Stone perfectly conveys my feelings today as I amble slowly around the house from task to task with Jack at my feet and now with the teen twins racing around I'm in a daze and currently in a strange haze. Yeah, my mind is in the air today. How about you?

Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane from TSL on Vimeo.

Wanna take a ride on a Big Jet Plane. Thanks to Black Eiffel for this video post.



Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

Nightly Joe

Care to join me in a nightcap? You'd me shocked up how fast I can go to sleep after this fully caffeinated cup of Joe.



What keeps you up at night. Is it the kids, hubby, bills, worry or could it be something more fun? Or does nothing come between you and those oh so important nightly zzz's?


Love You, Love Me,
Kwana

In The Blink Of An Eye

This weekend don't forget to see the beauty in the everyday that's all around you.

Love you, Love Me,

Kwana

Was Her Name Bra-bra?

You all watch this while I get in my workout and try not to get into any misunderstandings ok?
Remember perspective is reality.


Best,
Kwana

Is God On My Plate?

This year, my self proclaimed best year, I have given up on diets. I know for some of you that know me that may seem like a radical or maybe even crazy thing to say. How can I give up on diets? me, Kwana who clearly could stand to use quite a few pounds and has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis?

Well the idea of intuitive eating has been hopping around in my mind quite a lot over the years. Sometimes as a rational thought and sometimes as one of desperation when I just felt frustrated and overwhelmed and like "oh screw it the diet is so not worth it." But now after watching Oprah (sidebar: yes my friends know my motto, "All roads lead to Oprah") and her show with Geneen Roth on Women, Food and God I've given myself permission to go for it.

Mind you, not to let myself go but to trust in myself and live my own life, not someone else's dietary standard that is only going to make me crazy and lead me to a binge and then the next diet and the next binge and the next round of guilt and unhappiness and that's sooo is not part of my best year plan.

You see I've been on Weight Watches more times than I can count over the past 20 years and then there's South Beach and Atkins and Jenny etc. I've tried it all for a time. A short time. It's no way to live your life. The constant living for the plate and no enjoyment in the food and the company or the moment. Crazy. It's made me a bit mad. In the head and at life. I've felt mad at myself more days than I can count and gotten more well meaning advice than I know what do do with which makes me mad at people who may not deserve it. But come on, do people really think it's a matter of not knowing what to eat?

So now I'm working on being my own guide to fueling my body, mind and spirit. Eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm not. Actually feeling my feelings and continuing to work out. I'm going to see where that takes me and you know what? I'm not feeling guilty as I ride past Weight Watchers. That weekly fee is staying in my pocket. Lately I've been using the money to buy bangles. Why? Because they make ME happy.

Love You, Love Me,

Kwana

P.S. you can go to Oprah.com to find out more here. And I did read the book and really enjoyed it. I will read it again and again I think.

A New Diet

I've given up on traditional diets (more on that later) but this is a diet that I think I can get behind though for me I may need 10 items with gym clothes. I also like the no clothes shopping at least for the next month. That I can do right now.

I really like the idea of freeing your mind for more creative endeavors and the fact that accessories are not limited.





What do you think? Find out more here about 6 items or less and here about the Great American Apparel Diet.

Love you, Love Me,
Kwana

The Night Was Humid

It’s after midnight as I write this and I’m in my basement because it’s just too hot upstairs in my bedroom even with the air on. I don’t know it’s not all due to the oppressive humidity or if part of it is due to my racing mind. I’m tired right now but clearly not tired enough. The true meaning of one of my manuscripts: RUNNING IN MY SLEEP.

This has, so far, been a disappointing week and I’m still wondering how to do this best year of my life thingy that it seems I not so smartly came up with. What up with that, Kwana? And my whole perspective over position deal is a lot easier on bright sunny days then it is on dark humid nights.

Oh well, humid nights don’t last forever (just about 12 hours or so) and then a new day comes with whatever that will be (maybe some sun and a breeze. Whee).
How will I attack the next one? I’m not sure but at least my gym shoes are ready by the door.



Love you, Love me,
Kwana

Feeding the Soul

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." Oscar Wilde

When I'm feeling creatively empty I find an artist date is essential even if it's just an hours getaway and with my life an hour is a precious gift. I gave myself a couple of hours recently and went to the MET to see the Picasso exhibit and the American Woman Exhibit both of which were so fulfilling.




Going through the Picassos, which I can do again tomorrow I'm sure and it would be like I'm seeing it again for the first time, what struck me as amazing was his fearless power of reinvention. My DH was with me and made the comment as we entered another room, "Is this still Picasso?" Yep, I said, it was still him but you wouldn't know it. It seemed in the blink of an eye or in his case a change of perspective he took on an entirely new persona. He refused to just be seen as one type of artist. He was the artist that he envisioned himself at the time. Ever evolving but always true to himself.









In this day of labels and branding yourself this is something I can really respect. I'm about to embark on a new project, something in a style I've never tried but always wanted to and honestly, I'm afraid. Seeing Picasso in all his many forms gives me courage to be something other than what's expected.


How about you? Have you wanted to try something out of the box but have been afraid. Maybe this is your year.


Love You, Love Me,
Kwana



images thanks to the MET

Mind Trip

Happy Friday! Welcome to the weekend. If your life is anything like mine the weekends don't hold the same charm that they used to BC (before children). Life is just so much more busy and there is not really any down time on the weekend. You know how it goes Mom is ALWAYS O.N.

But I hope you find a little time for you. Take a walk or a drive or make that errand run extra long and escape for a bit. Maybe to the bookstore and hit the travel section and linger there on the destination you'd like to be for the weekend. Me? I think I'll be going here:

In my head at least.

Have a good one.



Love you, Love Me,

Kwana