Dearest Readers,

Thank you for this wonderful year of sharing. When I re-started my blog at the end of 2022, I wasn't sure what to write. In the past I posted about traveling and wellness. My topics sometimes felt "fluffy", but I enjoyed writing them.

However then came a global pandemic and quarantine. And on the heels of those events, some really really bad shizzle happened in my personal world. I suddenly felt like I had no voice, no purpose; in truth I felt lost.

I also didn't feel safe to say anything on my mind. Plus I felt powerless to make any kind of impact in the lives of those within my community. 

I hit a low I never thought possible for myself. Yet people in my life didn't give up on me. They reminded me of who I am, and what I believe to be true:

That we all matter to the Universe. That we each have the right to live openly, without hiding who we are. And that we all have the ability to effect positive change in this world. 

I thought then, that by sharing my journey - and how I think, feel, talk, act, believe - others might feel open to be who they are too.

It was scary at first to write in such a vulnerable, authentic, manner. But your love and support strengthened me. For which I am eternally grateful.

It's mid-December and I'm sitting in one of my favorite local coffee shops. I've met up with friends in town, stopped by the holiday market, enjoyed a lovely hot chocolate. All is right with the world. Except...

As positive of a human as I am, there are still some things we can do better, get better, be better. There are moments in life where I'm left puzzled thinking "Did that just happen?" or "Is this really still an issue in modern times?" or "Why isn't anyone doing something?" 

Sometimes I speak up. Sometimes I feel powerless. Some of these experiences are rather trivial in the grand scheme of things. Whereas others are monumental. And there never seems to be the right time to bring them up.

Until now. I realized that I would be so sad to leave these thoughts just swimming around my head as the year is ending, without at least getting them out into the open. So without further ado, I present to you "things that make me go hmmm"....

(And you might want to check out the footnotes as you read...)

​It was probably one of the sexiest things I had heard in a while. He leaned forward, whispered in my ear, “We get along so well, how do you feeling about cuffing?”

I melted. 

You know those quivers we women get when the vibe is right, the mood is set, and you just KNOW that something extravagantly wonderful will happen? 

I. Was. Right. There. 

I practically purred as I nuzzled in. 
“What type do you have?”

​“I can’t believe I have to spend $25 on that bitch and I don’t even like her!” 

That shocking statement came from the beautiful woman walking with several others slightly ahead of me. Although the sidewalks were crowded, the sound carried clearly in the balmy night air.

I was meandering along 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, enjoying the street performers, and occasionally ducking into shops. The atmosphere was festive, as were the decorated store fronts. It was, after all, just before Christmas.

So the angry sounding words seemed totally out of place for the happy vibrancy I was experiencing. But as I found myself drifting along with the crowd, I couldn’t help but notice this wasn’t the only disgruntled grumblings that made it’s way to my ears. ​