 Quick, catch up post-  How's your weekend going? I've been waiting for this one. No appointments scheduled and no work, just time to chill. #BIGWIN One of my goals for 2018 was to get back into a regular exercise routine and also carve more downtime out for myself. Running two full-time businesses keeps me very busy, but I have hired more folks to help me and I can finally start to relax again. The weekends are MINE! lol Don't get me wrong I did take off some in 2017, and I even managed to exercise and loose some weight. But everything was based on when I could find time, and that was not as often as it should have been. So Saturday I was up early for yoga, meditation and to enjoy the fiery sunrise. One thing about living in the southwest is the sky, it's rare to see the sunrise or sunset without being moved. It's usually very dramatic and will inspire you, (as it has done for countless artists), to be more creative. If you really take the time to be present, it will also foster an appreciation for nature and our place in it, too.  The sky looked like it was on fire Saturday morning. One of my friends in Paris sent me a picture this morning of his sunrise in comparison, I'm not gonna post it (because it's not mine) and because it was a dull, gray, overcast day complete with drizzle. Don't get me wrong I love Paris, and I also love rainy weather, *which I miss here. So it's a trade off. But I feel truly blessed to enjoy the best of both world. (Read between the lines: I will be returning to Europe soon.)  It was cold this a.m. but I braved it to snap these pictures.  So other than sunrise yoga, my weekend goals are to climb into my new books and practice the art of siestas, lol.  I'm reading the Bloody Baron now. This is the second and third book in the Anno series. I wrote a review here and told you how much I liked this authors writing style, yeah? Well, when I find an author I really like I proceed to buy everything in their catalogue, so far I'm three in and he hasn't disappointed.
I'll do a proper book review next week, but so far I'm enjoying the book and looking forward to reading more in the series. Now I'm off for a coffee with a friend in ABQ. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and find time to watch the sunrise/sunset. Speak soon-  127 Blog Posts! This is my 8th blog post of 2018. Last year I blogged 127 times, that makes 10.58 blog posts per month, almost 2 blog posts per week. HEY THAT’S NOT BAD. Considering that it is a luxury to actually have time to sleep. I even made the effort to update the look of the website and added video headers, plus some new pages. I have also opted to add a few affiliate links. I’m actually not sure if I want to continue them, we shall see. I also tried to refrain from bitching about work and being constantly exhausted all the time. My 2018 new year resolution is blog at least 3 posts per week. I have never really cared if anybody reads this silly little blog, it has been more about documenting some of the places I’ve been and the insights I’ve had. So I am always surprised that people do follow. I want to say a BIG THANK YOU! 🙂 for your continued support. Okay back to reviewing 2017...  It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...  No, actually it was a good year. I spent most of it in New Mexico.  Which is a state in the USA, not the country of Mexico. Confusing, right?  We are still in the same house. Which we love very much.. This is somewhat surprising. We are still here, on the outskirts of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. I post mostly landscapes and of course food picture from here or random selfies, lol. Honestly I am so in love with the mountains and the blue sky here and of course the house. We have a nice garden and mostly this feels like heaven. So I try to keep the house tidy and minimal even though it's big 2 story with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and a huge bonus room I use for an office, but I don't actually talk much about the house. The kitchen is nice, much better than what we had in the UK, but not as well thought out as the kitchen in France. But it works for us, as you may have noticed I am sharing more food picts and recipes. More Vegan Food I have posted more and more vegan recipes and cooking stuff in general this past year. Mostly because I have been home more and have the ability to cook more. I still want to remind you I am NOT a food blogger.  #MsOneCooks  (Avocado pudding.)  (Mango & Chili Nice Cream) 2017 hair I think I have taken more selfies in 2017 than all the past years combined. Remember when you wondered what I looked like? Yeah, those days are long gone. But back to my hair, it is still blonde - And yes, I’m bored with it. I considered cutting it off this year, but I think I will wait another year. It grows pretty fast though and if I do not flat iron it you can see it is really thick. Using the flat iron may make the style look better - but I hate how thin and flat it looks. :(  See? It's everywhere.  Vs Flat Ironed and styled. Travel in 2017 Travel this past year was sparse. Well, compared to other years when I'm running back and forth to NOLA, Florida or France. But I did mange a few adventures...  Another day, another hotel room... Janurary here in central New Mexico started out snowing... I am still impressed with snow. It was fun for a few days and then it was over. #Goodtimes  Snow around my yard. Jan - left the odd snow storm and headed to New York City. It was dark, cold and snowing there too. But New York is always amazing no matter what the weather is like. This trip was part busines/part fun.  In February we left the dark and flew to Iceland. This was a destination that's been on my son's bucket list for years, but I was not that excited. But guess what? I LOVED IT!  It is so friggen' awesome! And totally not what I expected. It did snow while we were there, but we still managed a night trip to see the Northern Lights. We stayed 7 days and it was not long enough. I'm sure we will return soon.  There was much more Vegan food than I expected and while the shopping is costly you can still find inexpensive gifts too. March was a short Vegas get away and April was me at home planting a garden and experimenting in the kitchen. May I had company and showed them around the area here. You can read about it here. I also started a mini food diary to share what I eat (people still ask) and what I typically purchase at the market.  This is the Isleta Resort and Casino - which my guest always want to visit.  Where I seem to spend 99% of my time..  August I began "What Are You Reading?" A quick review of my recent reads and such. Work was still very busy, but I made my mind up I was going to make time to read and relax more.  I'm an eclectic reader, so people seem interested in what I've read and my reviews. It has been nice comparing notes with fellow readers.  I'm still doing book reviews here and there. September another review and of course the hurricane hitting my home in Texas. I actually didn't talk much about it. Maybe this year I will be able to share more, it's just completely overwhelming. STILL. October was Halloween and I was supposed to go to NOLA for a right old party, but I came down with a bug and spent it in bed. #FML (But look out this year!) November I blogged about American Myths and more book reviews. We debated on going somewhere exotic for Christmas, but decided against it. After spending the holidays in Europe and other amazing places it was nice to just stay in and chill for a change. We did explore around the area, here some. Check out this short video if you want to see an ancient Native American site we hiked. I also posted more about my not so secret love of flowers and house plants this past year.  The bright side of being home more is I am able to garden. So I posted more about gardens and houseplants than ever before. It's not quite an obsession, but almost.  Rescued succulents from the "dead" tray at Home Depot. So all in all it was a great year. We didn't travel as much as usual, but that's okay too. I'm so thankful we are able to live in a nice place, with lots of natural beauty and good people.
I'm also thankful for you, taking the time to read my silly little blog. I appreciate it and the encouraging emails I get from ya'll. Thank you for your friendship and support! Do you have big plans for this year? I can't wait to see what adventures 2018 will bring! See you at the airport- 
A strong cup of coffee and a good book...is there any better way to pass a cold winter night?
I sometimes acquire books with every intention of reading them but then I don’t. For some reason they get pushed back and forgotten about. So this month I am clearing out that stack.
Tbh, what’s the point of reading if you don’t read diversely?
The Artists Way is one of those books I was super excited to read, but never got around to. So many people have told me about it and how much it helped them push their creativity forward. TBH I know personally when I'm stressed I can't create...ANYTHING! Including a good dinner, mush less paint or write, so I'm think I should read this book today, lol. Not that I'm stressed, I'm just uber busy at work. (Okay, read that as stressed from approaching deadlines.)
Anyway, this book has now been out for 15 years! So it's past time I read it. There are also journals and workbooks to go with.
 
I will post my full review (including the other books I read this month) in February. In the meantime if you wanna read along with me. Grab the books here @ Amazon. (This is a paid link) By clicking it I get a few pennies (you don't pay any more) and I get to keep buying books and organic veggies.
Catch you later-  So much is going on, I have no time to blog! I don't think in the five (5) years of this blog I have ever been this far behind!
Between work and road trips I have nooooo time for anything! (Sobs softly on Mac keyboard, because I am too tired to move.) I have been debating if I should spam all the old posts or just move forward from some magical, future date. Still considering, but at this point that date is late Feb. 2020, lol! #TrueStory But let me say thank you for continuing to visit here. I see you dear readers and I appreciate you checking back time and time again for a new post and finding none, reading old random crap. You guys make me want to continue the blog, so let's see what happens, shall we? In the meantime, see you at the airport?  It's spring and the wildflowers are popping up! Also the native plants and the annuals are fighting for attention. I have seen so many birds and even a few butterflies this week. No hummingbirds yet, as it still a bit too cool at night. But I am sure the hummers are already back in south Texas though. My friends tell me the temps are already hitting high 80's! With a few days of 90' heat already! I shall try to photograph some of these tiny jewels during my next visit. This was wildflowers and such this time last year in south Texas. If you want to see. These are the flowers I have seen so far in central New Mexico:  It's not al just cactus here, lol  Although, aren't these just darling?!  And the Yucca!  Nature finds a way. Always. Even a tiny crack and plants will take root. #Loveit  Love the colors!  I spent one full afternoon at the nursery - looking for plants for my raised planting beds. New Mexico has a pretty good growing season and I was excited to plant some herbs and veggies.  And trying my best not to buy all the bedding plants or roses....  OMG!  Yes, roses grow here!  OMG! How to not buy them ALLL!  Flower candy for sure!  And breathe! "I will NOT buy all the plants. I will NOT" I actually did come away with some veggies too!  Green peppers, jalpenos and some herbs for the win!, I have another plant nursery to visit and then it will be time to plant! #Excited
Catch you later-  If you follow me, then you know I like to read. I would rather read than watch television. I would rather read than visit with people and I would rather read than go shopping. (Unless I'm shopping for books, lol) But the trick, for me, is finding free time to sit down and settle into a book. But I am so happy I have started a new routine at work + the 2 new, super amazing admins have been a great help! Honestly. you have no idea how excited I am.. well maybe you do. Who likes to work 80* hours a week? No one, thats who,, No One! But back to the books...To catch up on last months post on what I was reading Click Here. This week I'm reading a book on tidying up and astronomy. #WildWoman  Speaking of tidying up..I'm also going through my makeup and accessories for a big purge. The Life-changing tidying up book is translated from Japanese. I think you need to have a good handle on the culture to understand it. I was having a conversation about this book with someone last week and they drove that point home with me. This lady was adamant that I "got" the book, which she thought was bat-shit crazy, by the way, because I understand the art of flower arranging and calligraphy, and have studied Feng Shui (I politely pointed out that was Chinese) and studies about Asia. Her not so polite point was that she didn't give a fuck. Not about organizing, not about energy or any of it. She felt she was too busy day- to-day to care if her laundry was sorted, much less folded with love. #Yikes!  So once again it comes down to priorities. Because folks as we know, there are few people out there busier than I am.. *See 80 hour work week and every blog post I whine about how tired I am. #GoodTimes  This is a reference book so it's a fast read too. But enough of that, I could have blown through The Life-Changing book in a few hours, but I wanted to actually savior it and think about the philosophy behind the art of making everything sacred. Yes, even the act of cleaning. So I read a bit and pondered it as I went about my day. There are some big lessons about not doing what every magazine story promotes as gospel, for instance don't clean one room at a time or only throw out one item per day. Ms. Kondo has some tips that make sense about tackling BIG spaces by sorting multiple items. The point too of touching everything and only keeping the items that you love seems very logical to me. But we established I was bat-shit crazy years ago, lol. Now also I should point out my house is pretty tidy, okay my house is very tidy. I understand the rule of putting things back where they go immediately, but I did learn quite a bit from this book. And yes, I'm down with the philosophy of thanking everything.  Can cleaning reset your life? Yes, I think so too.  OMG! Do you have a box of photos?  I have mine labeled and sorted. When I realized that they were all going to end up in a box I stopped printing them. Well I do print out photo books as keepsakes, but they only contain the best pictures and go on the bookshelf! And it makes more BOOKS! #YEAHBOOKS!    Behold my new diptyque candle...I'm obsessed with the scent!  And please excuse my nails- as we get back to the books,, Here is more on the poor astronomy book I'm not even talking about. It's actually a very good reference book. I learned a lot from it and will take it on the upcoming camping adventures.  New Mexico is famous for BIG OPEN SKIES (like Texas) and there are many cool places near by to camp and watch the stars.  See? Big Sky, okay it was cloudy today, but you get the idea.  The book is easy to understand and will not overload you on useless info. Okay, lets look at my candle again..  And my pile of books to read next...  So where is your favorite place to read?  I have a nice sofa and a book nook, but I read a lot here. Now I have books to finish, before my organic bubble bath fizzles out. Where did I put that candle?
Catch you later-  “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”
― Jack Kerouac Happy Birthday Jack Kerouac !  Travel often. Are you afraid of solo travel?
Why? Being able to travel solo is a great gift. You will learn so much about yourself and the world. You will grow in ways you never imagined. The world isn't as scary as the news would have you believe and you are way smarter than you give yourself credit for. Being able to travel is a gift. It doesn't always have to be big, lavish trips to other countries or long stays. Just being able to leave and see something new is a great gift. If you have solo travel anxiety then start small. Go see something close by first and then start going further and doing more. The world is full of adventures, ins't it time you experienced more of it? Travel opens the mind and heals the soul like nothing else. Solo travel will help you grow and become more confident as it also teaches you the world. What are you waiting for? See you at the airport~  It's hard to believe but on the 22nd my blog will be 4 years old! So much has happened in the last 4 years I can't even begin to list it all. My life has changed in so many amazing ways and I have met so many awesome people over the last 4 years.  Not to mention I have been blessed with so many Adventures! I started this blog as a personal way to keep up with my trips, odd purchases, best cafe finds, life events and recipes. You know, personal shit that no one would care about but me, but somehow you found it and read my posts, then came back for more. #WTF?! But seriously, since 2012 it has evolved into so much more. I have shared much more of my personal life than I ever thought I would, but I have also met some incredible people too. You still don't leave comments on the posts, but email me wonderful messages. Thank you for your continued support and love!  I can't believe your still reading! If you want to read the beginning posts…they are short of course, Click here. Mostly it's Chritsmas stuff, me bitching about my mother and talking about the world not ending. Do you remember that was a big thing way back in 2012?  (Mayan Calendar) Since 2012 I have written 350 blog posts under “Travel” - Meanwhile “Loot” has 105 entries while “Food” has a huge 242 posts, not surprisingly 69 of those were “Vegan”. “TMI” 42 - soon to be 43 as I will file this under that topic, lol. Surprisingly I only have 25 entries on “Dating” yet every month I am asked dating advice and those posts are read religiously. Shaking my head, ya'll know I'm divorced, right?  You've seen me sad...and with too many filters, lol You've seen my hair change colour many times over the years. You have also seen my obsession with filters and stickers and you have pardoned my blurring photos. But most importantly you have continued to read my random nonsense. I want to say thank you! And thank you for putting up with my long absences, which are growing more and more frequent. Thank you for reading, your kind emails and your friendship. It means the world to me! 2017 looks likes it going to be a crazy, fast paced year full of adventures. I hope you can come along for the ride!  See you at the airport-
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AuthorWelcome to my travel blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives. I'm just an average woman in the world. Follow my journeys as I travel, shop, and meditate my way through life... 
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