That's All I'm Asking For...

Bob* and Dale*…oh my! Although I keep typing Chip and Dale, for continuity’s sake, I’ll stick with the Mystic’s alias choices here. These two were a hoot! A flirtatious, comedic tag-team of generational camaraderie camped out at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville who greeted us with their humor immediately. In-between their liners and schtick, they let their guard down for moments of real . In my old age, I am finding how much I dearly love silliness and whimsy, but I require pieces of authenticity sprinkled in to make true connection. Bob and Dale did not disappoint! NPR’s, The Photojournalist discusses The Secret Meaning of Tattoos : “Tattoos may be skin deep, but their significance sometimes goes deeper. The messages sent by body art are an individual's self-expression, but there are recurring motifs that can often tell you something about the wearer.” While I saw no such art on what little skin Bob was showing, Dale’s body art provided messages about who he is and what he va

My first full day ocean-side started early. They all started early. Between 4:30 and 5:30am seemed my vacation rising time and I had no choice but to go with it! The sunrise was brilliant, the ocean breeze solidified my wide-awakeness and I got to see all the goings-on that most vacationers miss. Activities like lifeguards setting up the beach chairs and umbrellas temporary beach-bums like my bestie and I would later rent for the day. Hotel staff cleaning the pool and enjoying the sunrise with me, and a few other early-risers walking the beach and watching all the birds dive and glide in the breeze. When I served as the opening barista at our local coffee shop, I reveled in catching glimpses of early-morning phenomena I was one of few to see from my vantage point, and I loved it. It felt like secret sensory treasures, gifted for my eyes only. My early beach mornings felt similar, but surprisingly, I was not by any means alone at those ungodly hours! It also gave me time to meet new “

“I’m going on a nomadic adventure,” my bestie explained. “You should join me in Myrtle Beach from July 31 st through August 5 th !”. I was excited for the prospect of getting the rock out of Dodge while crashing a true adventure…for about 30 seconds. That is, until I allowed this very sparkly idea she threw my way to be all but snuffed out with my emotional pain and big, grown-up responsibilities. Oh, and my own family vacation just the week prior. It seemed a ridiculous thought, but with not much more to do than book my flight and pack, a little bit of sparkle remained around this girlie trip to Myrtle Beach. Who knows?! It could just be the most fun ! And as serendipity would have it, my perceived obstacles were all taken care of without me having to do a damned thing! Flight prices went down from my first serious searches, a family commitment I needed to be in WI for was now scheduled the day after my return. My awesome pet care-takers agreed to stay on another week. I was crashi

A frog just landed on the top of my foot with a “Splat!” as I walked up the stairs from my little piece of refuge on Round Lake and into the house. That’s right, a frog. While not all-together shocking, since my home is literally in marshland, it is odd, as I am clothed from head-to-toe. The only skin showing is my face and my feet. Guess I’ll take my foot over my forehead for this visit! And maybe not odd at all. I operate in a world of signs, synchronicities, serendipity and feeling . I pay attention to things that others may pass off as coincidence or simply as a strange occurrence with no deeper meaning. Now, not everything has profound meaning through my lens, but I instinctively know when to pay attention, when to dig-in and see if there is a message or something for me to understand beyond what’s happening on the surface. Cause for further investigation could be a repeating number sequence, a sensation of energy through a specific part of my body, an unseen presence felt sit