From the mouth of Babes....

This evening I had dinner with the family. My mom, step dad, sister, nephew, brother, sister in law and niece.
We talked and laughed. Made fun of how fast my niece talks and how much she reminds my parents of me.
My brother and his wife took her on a trip last year four wheeling through the mountains. They were talking about how fun it was and how Sherry, my sister in law kept running into trees. How fun it was going through mud puddle after mud puddle and then my niece, Morgan starting talking about the one time she flipped her bike completely over. Describing how a stupid mistake made her go flying off the bike and she knew she shouldn't have looked behind her.
She then said, "Leesa, just remember: When you are going forward, don't look back!"

I realized that I should take that advice. Not only if I am ever on a 4 wheeler bike ever again, but in life.
I have been hesitating about moving from Orlando.
Kind of afraid of starting over. Nervous that I wont like it. Nervous that it won't be what I want it to be. But its exciting as well.
An adventure I have to take. Right now I am sat idling in Orlando. Not really doing anything different from what I was doing when I moved here 10 years ago.
I love my friends. I love my work. But I want to go forward. I want to see what's on the road ahead of me.
I need to stop looking back or I may flip and land on my ass.

Going forward? Don't look back.
Wise words Morgan.

Fall Trees

i have lived in Florida for the past 13 years. Before then, I was a Buckeye!!!





I do recall living in Ohio, that fall was one of my favorite seasons. Florida fall.....well..... it doesnt exsist. Sure there are a few leaves that change. Halloween, one of my top favorite holidays, is still celebrated. There is a pie festival and fall music concerts at schools and pumpkins grown for carving and eating.


BUT.... there is no need to rake leaves. No need to wear the first layer of warm sweaters. The apple cider smell coming from the kitchen is from a yankee candle and not the stove.





Driving thru the mid west this past week. I SAW fall!!! The fall I remember. Red, Orange, Brown, Yellow, Green. Fall was all around me as I drove thru North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.





Fall as a kid was fantastic. We all hated when our chore for the weekend was to rake the fallen leaves. My brother and sister and I would hate to do it. We didnt have a huge front yard, but the back yard was at least half a football field. Well maybe not, but i remember it being that big. Once the leaves were raked into a HUGE pile in the front yard, we would dive off the porch into them. Flying off the steps, we would just hope to not land on a random stick or sharp stem. Landing in the pile of leaves, being covered by them and the dirt that came with them was the best feeling ever.

So... Florida friends... lets find a big pile of leaves to rake up and jump in! it will be the best fall memory you ever have!

its the little things

My rooommates parents are here from NY. Gus turns 80 tomorrow. He LOVES to cook for us and tell us stories about his life and what he has learned from his life. He will be the first to admit his mistakes and wants everyone to know what his "mountain top" experience was that turned him around and made him a good man.
These are the best times in life right now. Sharing a home cooked meal- boxed wine- (yes even for a wino like me) and telling stories. Sharing our ups and downs and knowing that there is no judgement within the room.
May everyone be so lucky to have a family of friends like I do.
And remember to always ask yourself--- What have I learned? What do I feel about this? What suprised me about it?
Thanks Gus & Beverly- stay as long as you'd like!

to new york or not to new york

At least once a year for the past 16 years, I have thought about moving to new york city.
To do theatre- study music- be in a more interesting place- follow a boy: those were the reasons I had considered moving there.
Today, I think I have made my decision- not to new york.
Its not that I couldn't make it, don't want to make it, or don't fantastically adore the city-
But I just don't think that new york is calling my name. And if it is... Its too faint to hear right now above the call of chicago.
I think that's where I may end up next.

the city that never sleeps....

The city that never sleeps. I sure have been sleeping well in this city. It may be that a few drinks every night helps relax and send me to dreamland.
However, the more I look around- the city may not sleep, but its people sure do. On the subway, in the park, on the street corner, in the applebees on time square.
People are sleeping.
There is so much here:opportunity, restaurants, pigeons.I guess they just get worn out and catch a nap whenever they can.

beds

Beds make me happy. There are lots of reasons why. Mostly cause they enforce laziness. They are soft, always inviting. They are there when u need them. They keep u warm when u are cold, comfort u when u are sad- offer a place to be when u need to 'love' another.
Beds are what u need them to be whenever u need them to be it.
I am currently in love with the bed in my hotel.
The westminster hotel in livingstin nj.
A king size, squeeshy wonderfulness of a bed. With 4 yummy marshmallow pillows that support every part of meam
I wonder how hard it would be to ship this bed back to orlando....
I love beds ;)

i'm a travelin' man

Ok, so I'm not a man- but there are a lot of business-types sitting here waiting to share the flight to new jersey with me. Then there are kids and more kids and more kids.
I sometimes sit and wonder where the people waiting in the airport are going.
Are they headed home? Heading to visit family? Are they happy they are traveling? Or do they have to get on the plane because they are leaving loved ones or going to put loved ones to rest?
The business men are all equiped with carry on and laptop in tow. Are they as important as they look? Or are the lowly retail buyers like myself forced to go visit vendors and clients to make their next fiscal year more successful than the last one?
I wonder what they would say if I asked? So what do you do? Why is it that you look so important?
I wonder what I would say if I was asked.
"Going to visit a rock/mineral vedor for new product for my store" is not really an interesting answer. Though one that would end the conversation fairly quick if that's what I wanted.
I guess one could really be anything they wanted to be when a stranger asked, "so what do you do?"
I could be one of the many things I am. Or I could make up any story I wanted, provided I had some knowledge of it so I could have some sort of conversation and not look a fool.
But today- I think I will just read and ignore those around me.
And wonder about them instead- wonder about where they are going and why today they are travelin' men.