Month: February 2022

Live Life Fully

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

There is a great chasm of difference between surviving and living a life.  Many of us are waiting until we have all the things we want and then we’ll “be happy”, “take a break”, “spend time with the kids”, (insert your desired outcome here).  Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting all the good things we are wanting in our lives.  Those things give us something to strive for and the effort to achieve them keeps life interesting. The issue is, that while we are busy waiting and striving for those things we are not actually living, we are only surviving.

Surviving is when we don’t tune in to all the in between moments. Those are the moments that fill the gaps between the “wow” moments where everything comes together. We plod along, head down, nose to the grindstone, working and striving for those big moments. With our narrow focus, eye-on-the-prize mentality, we miss out on the day-to-day opportunities to be happy, take a break, and spend time with loved ones now. It all passes by mostly unnoticed.

Living, on the other hand, requires paying attention at least most of the time.  When we live in the here and now, fully present, we get opportunities to experience the full range of human emotions and experiences. Many of the moments in life aren’t “wow” moments. In fact the large majority of them aren’t. The greater part of life is instead all the beautiful quiet, little moments. They include time with friends and family, the sun shining on our faces, a hug at just the right moment, the pleasant surprise of a favorite old song coming on the radio, an unexpected day with nothing to do and so many other things. Soak up all those little experiences along the way. It is all those moments that are a life. Then, every once in a while, the Universe peppers our already full lives with some real “wow” moments. The graduations, the new car, the dream vacation. You get the idea.

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Pexels.com

Sometimes we need a little help getting started on enjoying life moment by moment. I know that I did. This little project helped me a great deal. I hope it will help you too.

Find three pictures of yourself, all before the age of 8. We are looking for pictures of ourselves from before we entered the first grade. Generally speaking, before first grade is the time before we had to start achieving and being what other people thought we should be. It was the time in our lives where we had little or no responsibility. We were allowed to explore. We didn’t think too much about what others thought of us. We played. We were happy. The unhappy moments that we did experience did not last long. We truly felt all the emotions and everything was a new experience that we put our whole selves into.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

You see, that beautiful, bright, fun-loving, open-to-adventure and experience being is still in us. They are at the core of us. We’ve just covered them up with a whole lot of stuff, expectations of others, and yes, goals. They are always within us waiting. Every once in a while, when no one’s looking, we let them out to play. Those are the moments when we laugh ’til tears run down our faces, do something creative, read a great book, dance like no one’s watching. Can you feel that beautiful “you” right now? They really know how to live! This is who we want to get back to being.

Once you find your three pictures you are going to put them in a frame. Have some fun picking out or making that frame. After all, this is all about you. When you’ve got it together it is time to put the frame in a place of honor where you can see it every day.  Spend at least a minute or two each day remembering how it felt to be young, joyful and ready for adventure. It is time to return to that innocent, creative  and bright place.  It is time we got back to the place where we had every potential and our imaginations could come up with any possibility and live it. It is time to enjoy all the moments that make up a life. Welcome back to the land of the living! What an amazing ride this is going to be!

Here are my pictures. I keep them in my office where I sit and dream, create, breath and live. I check in with this little girl everyday and remember who I really am. She helps me to remember how to live life. Feel free to share your pictures in the comments. I would love to meet you too. Let’s cheer each other on as we enjoy all the moments of our lives!

Ozona Blue, a Relaxing Treat for the Senses.

I love those unexpected adventures. My husband and I went out for dinner. We weren’t looking for anything specific. It wasn’t a special occasion just a meal to end a day. Instead we had a taste journey created by a passionate chef that was served by a cheerful staff in a beautiful location. I love sharing the gift of people who love what they do and where the do it.

Ozona Blue is now on our list of favorite places to visit when we find ourselves wandering the Clearwater area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It is not on the beaten path and looks entirely unassuming if you happen past it. Blink at the right time and you may not even realize it is there outside your car window.

It is a great place to stop in for a meal or spend an entire relaxing afternoon. They have an in-ground pool with tables and lounge chairs where you can set up sun-drenched camp for the day.

The restaurant itself has outdoor seating. Get there early though! The couple who walked in ahead of us at just 5 PM got the last outdoor table available for a small party. Though possibly second choice for a sun-worshipper, inside is low-lit and cool. The deep blue colors of the decor give the feel of an underwater ocean warren without being kitschy with typical seaside decorations. The windows are tinted which gives that dimmed light that you might experience if you were on a scuba adventure in the deeper gulf waters.

We only experienced one drawback to sitting indoors (other than not sitting outside). It is a big space with no acoustic buffers which lends to hearing a din of conversations as there is nothing to absorb those sounds. We were lucky to be seated at a table in a corner away from most of the tables. It reduced some of the cavernous noise of everyone else’s voices so we were able to enjoy our own conversation.

The service was wonderful. Every staff member is pleasant without being boisterous. They are efficient and helpful without hovering. We were given time to enjoy each course, conversation and digestion in between. We loved not feeling rushed at any time during and at the end our meal.

Now for the food… I ordered off of the specials menu. They had options ranging from the sea to land. We started by sharing the Crab Rangoon. The presentation was lovely and gave the impression of it being a light dish to start. The long white plate held a row of delicate wrapped puffs of flavor accompanied by a smooth fruit puree.

Each rangoon was a delicate packet. The shell gave way with no effort releasing the puff cloud of silken delight inside. The crab was sweet and melted away with the creamy cheese quickly leaving the desire to quickly enjoy the rest. It was a super light beginning to the meal leaving plenty of room for the next course.

My main was a cedar plank sampler. I was concerned about being served too much food for one person and was pleasantly surprised with just enough of everything to satisfy. There were three different samples including salmon on the cedar plank. The plank allowed the fish to steam rather than char leaving each morsel moist and flavorful. The light sauce gave a perfect whisper of lemon that did not needlessly overpower the flavors of the individual fish samples. The cedar plank gave a barely detected smokiness to each one bringing out sweet, savory and a bit of ocean salt.

The sides were equally delectable. I am not a fan of squash as a side as it is usually overcooked and slimy having no real flavor of its’ own. What was on my plate was not at all like the cheap throw-away side with which so many restaurants fill up the blank spot on your dish. It was as if heat had barely brushed the vegetables. They were paired with tomato and a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan bringing out the very subtle flavor of the yellow and green squash. (Yes, squash has flavor when not cooked to within an inch of life).

My other side was garlic potato. Another often glossed over stock option. However, these potatoes were airy and smooth. The delicate texture of the skin of the red bliss potatoes disappeared like a paper thin wafer leaving behind the subtle sweetness of the potato and garlic blended together.

After all that it just wasn’t possible to let the meal end without dessert and coffee to round the whole adventure out and return us home. Not wanting to overdo, my husband and I shared a dessert. We selected the Coconut Creme Brûlée accompanied by Spanish Coffee.

Creme Brûlée is always a favorite of mine as it is a lighter option to end a meal. This one did not disappoint. The coconut flavor in the custard was subtle and the perfect amount of sweet. The delicate glass of toasted brown sugar gave that small crackle of flavor on the tongue. The dollop of whipped cream was made fresh and barely sweet bringing the entire dish together.

Now, I am usually drawn to an Irish coffee after a dinner of this caliber. But it seemed to me that the smokey whiskey would not compliment the tropical flavor of the brûlée. We went with the Spanish Coffees instead and it was the perfect option. Made with Grand Marnier, dark rum and Kahlua, the spicy orange flavored coffee contrasted with the sweet coconut each improving the flavor of the other. It was a perfect ending to a not planned food journey. We happily drifted home thinking about when we might return.

If you find yourself on a wander in the Clearwater area of the gulf, take a moment away from your get-it-all-in vacation to allow your senses to enjoy a journey at Ozona Blue. You will add another savorable memory to your adventures here in the land of endless summer.

Ozona Blue is located at 125 Orange St., Palm Harbor, Florida, 34683.

*This author has not been compensated for their review.

Lessons by the Sea

Wandering through Pinterest I came across this beautiful poem by Bernadette Noll. It really resonated with me while bringing back so many lovely memories of time spent by the ocean with people I love. I liken my sifting through Pinterest to sifting through the sand by the sea. I am always looking for those wonderful little gems to collect and share. Both tasks takes some time and patience. Yet they bring such unexpectedly perfect rewards.

I spent summers at the shore in New Jersey with my family. We would go on wanders in both good weather and bad. It was there that my mom and dad taught us the lesson of unexpected gifts. My parents showed us that by broadening the lens of our focus and having no expectations we could allow anything to come to our attention.

There we would be, the five of us like the little sand pipers up and down the beach, close to the waves and back again, looking for those little treasures. Some days there might not be much to be excited about. It was just nice to enjoy being close to the water. We all loved hearing the waves and smelling the salt air. The day was never a waste. Then there were those other days. They were the days when out of nowhere someone would find that perfect surprise piece of sea glass all polished and worn. The color would be exclaimed over when a rare shade was found. There was no jealousy in someone else’s find. There was just excited exclamations and joy because sea glass was no easy thing to find. Hail to the intrepid and patient adventurer who found that rare gem!

My dad would then get us to thinking about that worn bit of flotsam. What had it been when it was whole? Where had it started? Where in the world had it traveled? Who had touched it at some point? What did its’ color tell us about its’ story? He helped us appreciate why even finding that little piece of sea glass was such a gift. He helped us understand that its’ “life” was an adventure to be treasured. He set our imaginations to wandering and instilled in us a desire to know and understand stories that were not our own.

That is why this beautiful poem spoke to my soul. Our lives are much like sea glass. Where have we been? What have we seen? Who have we known? What has our place in the bigger picture been as we’ve traveled our spiraling, bouncing and wandering paths? We’ve entire adventures to share.

Let us step back and view the panorama of each others’ lives through a broadened lens. Any one of us might be a gift that another didn’t even know they were looking for. It is time we appreciate all that each of our lives have been and where they may yet go. We are like those precious bits of sea glass discovered near the ocean. We become a bit worn, our angles softened by our experiences. Yet we are all still gifts. Let’s find and enjoy the hidden treasure that is each of us.

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