Tag: Life – It doesn’t live itself

The day before the big day

~ Sahara ~ 3 Comments

Todays Daily Prompt asked us what we do the day before a big day, and one of the suggested “big days” was our wedding day.  Since a coworker of mine is getting married this weekend, I have recently been dreamily reliving the days of my own wedding, just, like 6 months ago… (I just realized, 6 months yesterday!) and I hope she has a good a time as I did.

The week before we went to Disney to get married was stressful, but not too much. The big decisions were already made and settled, we had a wedding planner handling things in Orlando.  The actual day before, my husband and I bashed around Magic Kingdom with a couple of friends. These friends had never been to Disney World before, so it was awesome to show them things for the first time.

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Inspiration Engine 16 – Gettin’ Aulder!

~ Sahara ~ Leave a comment

This is a weekly post I do to highlight blogs or bloggers who have inspired me in some way during this week – another car on my imagination train!

Health and getting older has been on my mind a lot this week. (Skip this section if you don’t want TMI): I’m getting older. It’s really and truly happening; it’s not longer a cognitive eventuality. I woke up with a hot and sweaty face the other night and I couldn’t sleep – Night sweat? My period is late this month (not pregnant). I have arthritis that, no matter how much I hope and pretend otherwise, finds new ways to hurt every day. I also had an emotionally trying week last week, and am still trying to find footing in the sifting sands of truth and dysfunction.

My new favorite blog on feminism and body positivity: Talkin’ Reckless.

And then these posts on yoga and meditation: Amanda Green Yoga and

Maybe these things will help me find my footing and accept the changes. What works for you?

Dining tips… From a cat?

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One of my dear friends, Lindsey, is a farmer and a sustainability director for a large dining company. The energy and love she infuses with cooking is remarkable, and it’s in her name that I talk about this project tonight.

Historically, I’ve had a pretty casual relationship with food. I liked it, it liked me. When I got in my 30s, my thyroid started processing food differently, and though I still like it, I needed to like it in a way that was still good for me. Now my metabolism is jacked and I don’t want to make it harder.  The thing is, it’s hard as hell to find a good “diet” for hypothyroidism – has anybody found anything?

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No Hollaback Girl Here- 11 Tips for Fighting Street Harassers

~ Sahara ~ 11 Comments

Like many women, I get shit on the street. I get harassed and leered at, and it makes me uncomfortable.  It’s quite disempowering, because I don’t want that attention, but there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. I hate it. Sometimes it happens among my clients at work, a homeless day program where I have a little more leverage and can tell people to knock it off. On the street, I have to be a little more…. careful.

I was going to write an open letter to street oglers, things that I wish I could say to them. But there’s nothing I could say that they would hear. There are only things I can do right in that minute.  Things that would not be aggressive or even perceived as aggressive. (‘Cause that can lead to threats.)

So I took to Google, hoping I would find some suggestions, and curated some favorites from here and here.  I would love your opinions on them.

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Like a challenge? You’ll love this

~ Sahara ~ 7 Comments

Like many of my fellow writers, I enjoy a good prompt.  (Sometimes the ideas swarming around in here are too much to organize, and we need a filter to streamline them!)  I found a blogger who is doing a 52 goals in 52 weeks challenge, and I’m going to copy it, do something like that.

Since we’re in the middle of April, there are 36 weeks left in the year, and I’m going to take on 36 goals in 36 weeks.  I like that number. It’s the square of 6, it has balance. So: 36/36 Challenge.

I like balance

Here are the things I’ll be doing:

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The Vegas Storytelling Difference

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Have you ever thought about the difference it makes on a story to put it in Vegas?

Dude! (Source)

Think about it.  When you hear a story begin with: “Dude… One time in Vegas…” you KNOW the story is going to be badass. Or maybe someone is talking to you and, while suddenly giggling uncontrollably, they say, “Okay, so we were in Vegas this one time…” you actually start giggling with them in anticipation! I’ve done that loads of times!

I’ve been wondering lately, though, does this really mean the story is better or more outrageous?

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You Don’t Have To Be Pretty – On YA Fiction And Beauty As A Priority

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Excellent analysis and super timely.  This wasn’t something I noticed as I read the book, but I have noticed the pattern as well: The strong heroine needs is really pretty, though she doesn’t know/feel it, and the hero-love interest comes along and validates it for her.

I think a lot of young women identify with that – they don’t feel pretty, either – and then they wait for a hero-love interest to prove it. ‘Cause that’s what happens in books.

What do they do when life doesn’t turn out that way?

You Don’t Have To Be Pretty – On YA Fiction And Beauty As A Priority.

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~ Sahara ~ 9 Comments

I read a line from a fellow blogger’s post today, something written in response to the Daily Prompt. It was a short poem, but the last line of it really captured me:

“A day like no other begins like all others.”

This makes me think of all the special days in my life, how they all began the same way. Then, the day that is so rapidly approaching, the day for which I am so excited, my wedding day, will begin like all the others.

I am so excited for the wedding that I don’t feel like I can stand it. I was never one of those girls who dreamt about their weddings and had it all planned out, and in fact, we chose to have a destination wedding to make it easier to plan. Now I’m noticing that, as the time draws nearer, decisions I have been thinking about for months are being made. For example, all the RSVPs were due yesterday, and now we’ll have a better idea of who is coming to our destination wedding. Now, we can get to work getting them discounted rooms.

Which is all very good.

So I think about my wedding day and the days surrounding it, which will begin like all others, and I will be with my best friends and family in Disney World, a place where I’ve had so much fun playing with Cohiba, and finally marrying my Cohiba. Everyone of those days, as unique and pregnant with possibility as they are, will begin just like any other.