Lyrical Lavender Life

With the economy causing so much stress for everyone right now, it's hard to relax and achieve that easy-going, go-with-the-flow attitude and optimistic mood that is the nature of a lot of people when things are going well. It's common for people to have bend a little bit to deal with stress, but it's not fair for so many people to come so close to the edge of breaking before their stress can be relieved. Sometimes when bad things happen to good people, we wonder why, we think it's not fair and we question the system. Sometimes it seems that the system works for no one but the system itself. Sometimes feeling like we have given and given and given so much without taking back our fair share puts a huge strain on our ability to trust that the give and take of life that creates balance is still there and it leaves us questioning whether it is still a concept that applies to all. Now, please let me make note: I can't complain... I have a job, a place to sleep, a car t...

In light of my post about the Knoxville shooting, I have been a little down but today I see a ray of hope in the world thanks to the stance taken by one Miss Keira Knightly . This beautiful woman who has portrayed so many amazing characters, turns out to be a pretty amazing character herself (in real life). She bravely stood up to the 'movie gods' who wanted to increase her bust-line to help increase their bottom-line. (Watch the video- http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3191713/9030438 ). She is perfect just as she is, plus she is an incredible actress and in my opinion has a captivating presence on film... would two cup sizes really change any of that? Newsflash: NO! Keira Knightly is perfect just the way she is. (If they think she is 'imperfect', I wonder how much plastic surgery or digital editing they would think I need...?) This is a great wake up call to women and young girls everywhere. Society is so focused on superficiality, that a woman's looks are of the utm...

I apologize for posting so late, I don't live under a rock as it probably seems, I have just been busy with the opera production... I noticed a video on Yahoo's News page a few minutes ago about a shooting that took place in a church in Knoxville, TN just yesterday (Sunday) morning. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_re_us/church_shooting I watched the videos associated with the story and learned that police had found a letter in the shooter's home, written by the shooter, that explained his frustration with not being able to find a job and his apparently passionate opinion regarding the 'liberal movement'. He confessed that he had intended to continue shooting people until the police arrived and he expected to be taken out by them to stop him. He entered the church with a guitar case that concealed his gun and when he pulled out the rifle, he killed one man who tried to stop him from shooting others. Eight others were injured and in serious condition, with t...

I recently saw the movie "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. WOW! What an amazing movie. This one definitely tugs at your heart strings and makes you want to run out and experience the adventures that life and our majestic planet has to offer. If this movie doesn't move you- see a cardiologist quick! The soundtrack includes the song "Say" by John Mayer . If you haven't heard this song before, you must be living under a rock. Well, come on out and it will be okay. Listen to the words of this song... and follow your heart. Having experienced a great loss in my life, with the death of my father, I understand what it means to have regrets. There are many things that I regret (with regards to my relationship with my father) including: things that I didn't say, but wanted to; things that I said, that I didn't mean and wished I could take back; times when I should have visited him more when he was sick and all alone; times when I sh...

Tonight I saw the new Disney movie, Wall-E. It was a great movie that I would highly recommend. Though it may cause kids to ask a lot of questions after seeing it, it is definitely a movie that everyone must see. It serves as a sort of 'warning' for what could happen to the world if we don't ALL begin taking better care of it. It may be a little politically charged and environmentally dramatic, but in all I think it teaches a good lesson. It shows how scarey a dirty and dying earth could be and it also shows the effects of people becoming physically and socially lazy. a I felt the need to watch the Inconvenient Truth again. Perhaps this animated movie was inspired by that documentary. The Inconvenient Truth is a fantastic movie/documentary, but apparently it is not for everyone. Perhaps some don't like being told how we are killing the world and the creatures in it, or perhaps they just don't like the politics behind it all. Either way, environmentalism is an import...

One day at a time Is really all we get Hold on to every moment Tomorrow isn't yet Images of future Difficult to grasp Explanations flounder Understandings gasp The paths that you imagine Can sometimes lead astray But seeing the big picture Will help show you the way Present is life Past is but a memory Future is hope So make today all it can be

2004.................2006................. 2008 Four years should NOT look like that! (And these were some great years!) ****************************************** Today I spent more time than I should have looking reviews for several different anti-aging products, serums and solutions. I was exhausted last night and was finally getting ready for bed, when I washed my face and noticed that I had more freckles lately and that my skin was much more blotchy. Upon further inspection I noticed the lines around my mouth were more exaggerated, and I not only had bags under my eyes, but now crows feet were forming. I immediately began to tear up. I realized I needed a make-over. I realized that I had been neglecting myself for far too long. Just turning 31 may have been what's got me to think about how I'm looking lately. I know I have about 40lbs to lose (I've lost 7lbs in the last two weeks). I know I need a new hairstyle so I can't keep falling into the lazy habit of weari...

I salute all of you who do your best to react to negativity from the world. To those of you who may be 'shaken' by what you hear or what happens, at least you have not 'stirred' your plans. Keep on the path that you have chosen. Do not let others or circumstances disway you from your dreams. Believe in yourself. Sometimes even the strongest hardest-working smartest wealthiest most amazing most talented most beautiful most popular most important most memorable most successful most gifted most educated most well-mannered most cheerful most friendly most original most confident most efficient most responsible most adaptable most diligent most driven most glamourous most healthy most humorous most mature most spiritual most stable most zealous most sincere most skillful & most spectacular of people are all subject to the disappointments of life and the criticism of others. The key to life is to take criticisms and disappointments as learning lessons. In some cases, they...

Today while I was out with some friends at a Pride celebration, I had a flash of anger and fear toward someone who rode his bike through our family friendly and gay friendly festival. He rode through slowly, yelling at the top of his lungs saying things like "all 'a yaw nee da pray fa mercy own ya soes". In his less than eloquent manner of speaking, he saw fit to instruct us (the entire park full of people around him) that we were "headed fa hell if yaw keep dis up". Sometimes, I get mad at myself for the way I react to such things. I get mad at people's stupidity, ignorance, insensitivity, and overall inappropriate words and actions~ especially toward people that are complete strangers to them. I get mad at myself for the sinking fear that punctures my gut; I get angry at the person for attempting to ruin a perfectly good day with friends; I get angry at myself for not speaking up or confronting the person; I get mad at the world. I get mad at society for h...

Thank God for Inspiring Gifts This morning I found a bunch of unmarked CDs mixed up with some software CDs I had in a binder. Upon inspection, I realized that they were all CDs of a singer I know personally. These CDs included a few recorded voice lessons, a couple of performance ready pieces on CDs made for distributing as part of auditioning requirements, and a CD of pictures from a few of her performances. Looking through the pics, I remembered each performance vividly (because I was there for almost all of them). I remembered how many people told her afterwards how amazing she sounded and how inspiring her voice is. Many people say her voice is a powerful gift from God that blesses them every time they hear her, no matter how many times or how often. Her voice brings a sudden chill, then the "warm tinglies" that you feel in those best moments of your life. This inspiring voice is a gift . A gift from God that she cherishes, protects and uses at every opportunity. Listeni...

June 25, 1977 at 6:19pm , I came into this world. Looking back over the last 31 years, I can think of event that stands out from each year. These are a reflection of my life; they run a gamut of emotions, memories and sentiments. These are my life in 31 flavors: If you care to read on, great... If not, I hope you have as many wonderful experiences as I have had in my 31 years. Enjoy life! 1 - Spoiled by my Maw-Maw and a daddy's girl 2 - Sister, Kelly, born on my 2nd birthday! cute birthday present, but she didn't mind me and sometimes I wanted to exchange her ;) 3 - Started taking dancing... quickly grew to LOVE ballet (and still do) 4 - Loved ballet, won many pageants 5 -Bad year... bad things began 6 - Sister, Kayla, was born on my mom and dad's anniversary 7 - Played baseball with the boys team 8 - Mom sick while pregnant, first ballet solo 9 - Sister, Kora, was born two days before my daddy's birthday 10 -Sang in public for the first time at a festival 11 -Learned t...

Over the last 31 years I have had an amazing, random, assorted, interesting, adventurous, scarey, surprising and incredible journey. Getting older is a part of life that none of us really looks forward to, but the wisdom that comes with living is well worth the pain. Just some of the things I have learned on my own. If you feel that the life can be more.... go chase your dream! If you feel knocked down and can't pick yourself up again.... make a new friend. If you think you may never be happy.... make a change. If you think that you need no improvement.... look again. If you take life for granted.... visit the dying. If you are healthy, fed, clothed, housed, and loved.... be grateful. Time passes quickly.... use it wisely. Life is the ultimate journey.... travel on.

Winding roads of Morgan County This morning on my way to work from Morgan County, I drove through a long section of very heavy fog. The roads that I have become accustomed to traveling in the day and even in the night, became scarey to me because of my lack of visibility. Imagine the roads in the pictures above covered with white blankets of fog so thick that you can only see pink where the red tail lights are less than fifty feet in front of you. Coming from Louisiana, the very flat south, I was not used to driving on roads that ran in between mountains and up and down curvy inclines. Sometimes all that separates you from the cliff's drop-off is a flemsy guard rail that looks like it has taken a beating several times before. Driving is typically quite therapeutic for me and I enjoy my time alone to think, sing, and be at peace. While I usually delve deep into my own personal world, I was forced to remain in the earthly realm and focus on the road. This morning, the depth of my c...

This morning I awoke at 6am, as I have been trying to do lately. I felt mostly rested and ready to start the day. I had a moment's peace as I stretched, got dressed to workout, and gathered my things. As I was brushing my teeth, unwisely using those moments to think about the things that completely frustrated me the day before, I began to get aggravated all over again. Walking to the gym, my thoughts were unintentionally focused on the problems with my newest commitment (summer volunteer project)and thinking about how unfair and unjust the world can be. As I began to workout, I began to hear this little voice repeat "things will get better". I passed it off as "jiminy cricket" (conscience) trying to motivate me. As I worked my way through my routine of machines and flexed muscles, I came to one of my favorite machines in the room. I like this machine the most, not because it makes me feel strong, or because of how hard it works my thighs, but because it is situa...