The Close of an Era

I love this time of year! Everything is green, pink, yellow and white! The birds are back and everything smells new and clean. I am so thankful for my life.

I had a wonderful surprise this week. My parents came to visit. I love my parents! We had a great time talking and spending time together.  We went out to one of my favorite places to eat, Demo’s.

My husband also surprised me this week and took me to the Grand Ole Opry. What a great time!  So many great acts, but my favorite performers were Jimmy Wayne and ALABAMA!!!

ALABAMA hasn’t changed since they first became famous when I was in high school! They are amazing. For those of you who haven’t been to the Opry, I encourage you to go if you get a chance. It is something that you will never forget!

It is ironic that the week that I get to the Opry, we lost one of the greatest singers of all time, George Jones. My favorite song EVER is “He Stopped Loving Her Today”. He will be greatly missed. When we first came to Nashville we lived in Franklin. You could see Mr. Jones most any morning in Cracker Barrel having breakfast. It was an experience that I will always remember.

Speaking of great entertainers, Waylon Jennings’s son Shooter was one of the performers at the Opry the night I went. He brought his mother Jesse Coulter who performed a piano piece and sang the first song. She is a beautiful, talented and gracious lady. I was very disappointed with Shooter however. Instead of entertaining and showing his talent, he sang a rant about Nashville that included the fact that Nashville “wouldn’t know country if it hit them in the head with a baseball bat” and how unappreciated his father was.  I understand that during the “Outlaw” period, his father and the other “outlaws” were ostracized, but I would like to think that this young man has enough talent that he could find his own way into the music world and not ride the coattails of the “outlaws”.

I am enjoying my new job and my new life. I am going to be the Marketing Director for the agency, but at this moment, I am writing a training manual and setting up SOP’s (standard operating procedures) for the office. I am also organizing and arranging the office to make it flow better.

I am looking forward to the marketing part of the job and will keep you informed on how it goes. I hope that all of you have a wonderful and blessed week and that you enjoy life as much as I do!

The moon this week has been spectacular! I am posting a picture of the moon from Mount Juliet!

Until next time!

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is here!!!! Finally! Today is the first day this year that it has been warm and sunny.  One of the biggest surprises that I had moving from south Alabama to Nashville was the fact that spring doesn’t arrive until late March - mid. April. Just because the weatherman says that the high for the day is 70, don’t be fooled! It will reach 70 around 4pm and then quickly begin to cool off again.

This winter has been especially long and hard so I was happy to wake up to a balmy and sunny 53 degrees this morning and hurried outdoors to spread mulch in the flowerbeds. 2 hours and 40 cubic feet of mulch later, I am tired but pleased with my results!

I have to say that I love my life! It is hard to believe 4 months ago that I was tired, depressed and dreading getting up every morning. Now, the days are happy and busy and there is never enough time to get everything finished!

One of my newest accomplishments and one that makes me very happy is joining the YMCA!  The Donelson-Hermitage YMCA is a wonderful place! I go 4-5 times a week. I enjoy the water aerobics classes, (Don’t make fun…. I have terrible knees and a bad back). Jean the instructor is amazing! She has us doing Pilates moves in the water. 75 minutes of cardio and aerobics twice a week will really change your life. I’ve also been working with a trainer and work out in the equipment room twice a week.  All of this is free to members! But the best part of my week is Yoga!

For those of you who have never tried yoga, you are really missing out on a wonderful experience! I have always loved yoga, but the cost is often restrictive. But here it is included in my membership! It has changed my life in so many ways. I feel better, hurt less, am more flexible but most of all my mind is much less cluttered. For one hour 3 times a week I don’t have time to think. My entire focus is on yoga. I leave the class feeling as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.

I encourage you to try something new. I really think that one of the best ways to feel young is to keep introducing your body and mind to new things. Life is too short to be bored and to feel that your life is stale. Let me know what you think!