25 Lessons I Wish I Had Learned WAY Sooner

Found this great post this morning on Twitter.....on a day that I really needed to be reminded of quite a few of these things....lost my place and now can't find who to give credit to....so to whomever it is...Thanks~!

When I think of my younger, thinner, stupider self, I think, “Holy crap. If I knew then what I know now…” Well, here are some of the things I wish I knew then.

1. 1 out of 4 people that you meet won’t like you. That’s really OK.
2. Life isn’t fair. Most of the time it’s not fair in your favor, so don’t whine about life not being fair.
3. Save your money.
4. No one knows what you’re thinking unless you tell them.
5. Perfectionism will kill you.
6. You’re stronger than you think you are.
7. You think that sexism and racism were in the olden days. They’re not.
8. Comparing yourself to others is never a good idea.
9. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. People are consistent.
10. Develop critical thinking skills and use them.
11. Never hide your intelligence from anyone.
12. Trust your instincts.
13. 80% of everything is irrelevant
14. Spend WAY less time worrying about the shape of your body.
15. Stay away from credit cards.
16. There are lots of men who will be nice to you. Accept nothing less.
17. Be nicer to yourself too.
18. For the most part, it doesn’t matter what people think. Follow your own truth.
19. No education is wasted. Drink in as many new experiences as you can.
20. Pay your dues. Work hard.
21. Networking is critical.
22. Letting go of control is liberating. Try it.
23. Don’t treat anyone badly. You’ll be surprised when they’ll pop up again in your life.
24. Do what you love, not what you think you’re supposed to do.
25. Don’t forget to enjoy your journey!

Summer Tea in the Garden

It's truly a pleasure to have a quiet Saturday morning on a beautiful day like today to take a mug of my favorite Tazo Zen Green Tea out to the garden with a book to enjoy the beautiful California weather. It's not that often in August we get great mornings like these.

I'm currently reading a great book "Tell Me What to Eat" by Timothy S. Harlan....it's not really a "diet" book....but makes you very aware of what you are eating and is based on the Mediterranean diet....which quite frankly, is close to my normal diet. The suggestions have really helped me think more about what I am eating. It is part recipe book also, which some great recipes.

But after reading a bit and enjoying my tea...

the garden pulls me away and I begin to wander...

 

One of my favorite Clematis....growing on a tuteur just outside the vegetable garden...

Love French enamel signs....

A ramble of Russian Sage...a bit unruly...but then again that is what I like about them

The remnants of a hydrangea that had been planted in a pot

partially covered by the grape vine

totally ignored...and was spectacular this year

The pimants (peppers) are in full production.....

a pepper, onion, and mushroom omelet for lunch sounds good.

Time to pick some peppers and make that lunch....

A Walk in the Trees

We took a long planned and discussed family vacation this past month - which turned out for all of us that could attend to be a trip we will long remember. To Lee Vining a sleepy little town on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada which was the first home to our Aita (father) and many, many Basque men who traveled from their cherished home to a new life in the United States.

Down a dusty road off Hwy 395, past one of the original camp sites where our father had tended his band of sheep at 19 years old after trailing (walking) them from Bakersfield in 1950 and 1951. Towards a grove of Aspens where he and many others - including us - had carved their names.

To a locked gate...our scout reported...but there was a well worn trail around the gate...

so off we went to find our past.

And find it we did...next to a babbling stream...just as we had remembered.

My father and his godson found the one he had carved in 1950 with him name.

He added his name again in 1984 "To make sure they know this guy is still around."

 

Our tree

My sister Jenny and Aita having lunch and a chat

 

A lovely picnic of Basque Sausage sandwiches, Sheep's Milk Cheese, and wine...was perfect

Our son, Pierre, having some cheese with his Aita

After lunch there was time for a little fishing.....

A grandfather to granddaughter chat....

Leaving a few more memories for future generations to explore....

Then it was time to call it a day....

a perfect afternoon full of life's simple pleasures

with some of my most favorite people on the planet~!

The Journey

It's been a long time since I have blogged....but now the time has come and I am excited to share some of my life, thoughts, and "finds"again with all of you. The last 18 months have been a bit of a struggle personally. Being diagnosed with a recurrence of breast cancer really came out of left field and rocked my world...big time. But, as in all things, along with the bad...there is always some good. This period of time has made me reevaluate some things in my life and look a little deeper into who I am and who I have become. I have come to realize that I am not the same woman that I was in February 2004, when I was first diagnosed with BC....I took the fight personally....it was ON....and I had no doubts that I would win. But once the chemo was done, the radiation completed, my hair and body began to return to it's old norm.....I was left feeling not quite right in my own skin.

So I dove into new endeavors.....was so busy working full-time and running a second business that, now when I look back on it....I didn't have time to look a little deeper into myself. But in the meantime this was working for me.....and I think, for me anyway....it took time to be ready. Absolutely I don't regret doing any of the things I did during this time, the great people I met, or any experiences that I had.

But when a case of pneumonia, due to a doctor who was very vigilant and I will never forget, turned into a recurrence of the dreaded Big C, which all coincided with the decision to close my secondary business....did I begin to take the time to look a bit deeper at myself and do some research into how cancer affects you after your have waged the war.

How could this have happened?? All my test were good, no signs - low tumor markers, nothing in the initial tests, I went religiously for my check ups....so this definitely was a shock to say the least. Now don't get me wrong, I certainly thought "Why me?" But as I laid in the hospital.....I quickly began to think "Why NOT me?" What made me different from all the thousands of people who had the same hopes and dreams of being cancer free and "cured" for the rest of their lives. A very good team of doctor's, who I have put my life in their hands, have reassured me the cancer has not spread and with proper medication I should still live a long life....but it is unsettling none the less. So I began my "Journey" to look a little deeper, found some great websites, blogs, fb pages that all were about women and men like me who were finding that they were not the same person that they had been when this battle began.....Wow, I was "normal" after all.....or as "normal" as Maitecha can be. The pieces of the puzzle started to come together...and although it is far from finished...with the help of God, my fabulous friends and family...it's coming together nicely these days.

I have a very good friend who does a fabulous job with her blog and tried to encourage me to blog again...but I just didn't have it in my....well the time has come.....more to follow......