Joy of ending the year with a bang!

So here I am on the very last day of my One Year Journey to Joy.  I decided to celebrate it with a tattoo just like I began it. The first one was a henna tattoo...and now I've added a permanent reminder to look for and choose joy as much as possible in my life, a real joy tattoo, with a red heart to remind me that joy comes from passionate living and loving. Not always easy to do but definitely a worthy goal.

I also added a constant reminder of the most profound, emotional and joyful experiences of the year and my life, swimming with sea turtles in Maui, what a perfect way to end the year.  I relate to the turtle in so many ways (house on my back, hiding out in my shell, sticking my neck out) and also love the symbolic meaning of the turtle below....but most of all, I love Dr. Seuss's perspective of the turtle.
























Yes, free, free as a turtle...as all creatures should be.  The original design I found had waves and a flower on the turtle's back but I requested the design include a sun instead of a flower because well over 10 years ago, long before I left the religion I was raised in, I wrote in one of my blogs, "If I could choose my religion the sun would be my god and the water my temple and I would worship everyday."  Sunshine and water has always been my favorite therapy.  Nature is an incredible way to rejuvenate the soul. I still feel that way, and here I am living it now....freedom to believe and think and live in the way that I choose, the way that best fills and lifts my own soul.  This year has had some incredibly challenging moments as well as some awesome adventure and joy...the roller coaster of life, exactly how we all live...it's random, wonderful, painful, surprising and scary...and I just keep on going because I have to see how the story ends!

Turtle Symbolism

The turtle symbolism is characterized by the association with the Earth and earth symbols ofgroundedness and patience:

• Symbol of the world, of the Earth
• Ability to stay grounded, even in moments of disturbances and chaos
• Slowing down, pacing yourself
• Determination, persistence
• Emotional strength and understanding
• Ancient wisdom

The turtle is also linked to the spirit of the water and the fluid nature of emotions.

Joy of Christmas in Maui...and turtles

Best. Day. Ever. Pure Joy. I swam with sea turtles in Maui, not just once but three times...five different sea turtles.  Black Rock, Kapalua and Makena Beach.  I had been looking forward to this for so long that I became very emotional when I swam along with my first one, a young turtle based on his striking colors and lines. The others I assume were older with large, faded and scruffy shells.  They were fascinating to just swim with and watch them in their habitat.  I love the pictures my hubby got showing me gracefully swimming along with them.  I relate to the turtle, carrying my home on my back (I own very little), hiding out in my shell (introvert), sticking my neck out (attempting creative pursuits such as writing and painting), I consider the turtle my 'totem' animal.


This was an awesome and relaxing way to spend Christmas with nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. Expensive for sure...we will be paying off this trip for several months!

It's also John's 50th birthday in a few days, so this was an awesome way to celebrate that milestone as well.





We stayed at Kahana Falls, a timeshare I traded for.  It wasn't right on the beach, a little disappointing and the room was super tiny with no balcony...something I'll make sure I have if we do this again. They did have an incredible little rock and sand bottomed jacuzzi and in general was a beautiful but modest property with a very tropical ambiance.

We hiked to Honolula Bay in the mud. The last day was incredible waves that we spent some time watching the surfers.

Christmas Eve dinner was at the Lahaina Grill and walking through the shops.



We had a great whale watching cruise for Christmas day with an awesome Hawaiian brunch, we watched a mama and baby whale for quite a while.













Enjoyed the looooong drive on the Road to Hana and especially loved the lava tube hike. We drove all the way around rather than take the crazy road back...they were both crazy roads, but lots of cool waterfalls, incredible banana bread along the road and beautiful lava and black beaches with crashing waves.

Of course, we had to do a traditional Luau, which did not disappoint! We went to the Feast at Lele Luau in Lahaina.

Our last day we spent at the Ocean Center, a very cool aquarium in Maui...and well...I got a tattoo...that's another post to come.

Joy of Family and Traditions

Our biggest joys and greatest heartbreaks come from the family we were born to and the family we create in life.  It's inevitable. To be real and authentic with others requires risk and vulnerability and that doesn't come without pain...and joy.  Sometimes family changes throughout the years...sometimes it isn't even biological.  We find the tribe that loves and accepts us.  I feel lucky to have this family to spend time with.

I spent a short and early Christmas at my mother's in Northern California.  It was a 12 hour drive each way for us, about a 6 hour drive for one son and his girlfriend and a long flight from the east coast for my other son, daughter and her boyfriend.  A lot of time, money and effort to spend one day together as a family.

One son wasn't able to make it and I felt the deep hole in my heart without him there with us.  I'm hoping to have a picture from the last family photo cropped in just so I can have everyone in it and frame it in my home as daily reminder of these people I adore. There is a perfect spot between my husband and oldest for his head to fit.  Maybe we could crop Bruce, our wonder dog, in too...that would be really awesome.

We ate incredible food, my mom is an amazing cook, including a vast array of our favorite baked goods each year.  She even mailed me my own personal favorite, Matrimonial Bars and Raisin Bars.  

We played silly games.  My oldest brought his play station so we could play Jackbox.tv games with our smart phones, I love the picture of us playing...as we all stare into our phones.

We also attempted an incredibly hard puzzle but left it for mom to finish...we didn't get very far. The assignment was to pick one statement on the puzzle for a 2017 life theme.  Mine was FORGIVE EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD.  I think it is actually my entire life theme.

We played our traditional White Elephant gift game, always a hit to see what people come up with to give.  I got a kitty calendar, my hubby some nice beer glasses.  Gifts ranged from lottery tickets to vodka shots to a mini vaccuum and head-band flashlights as well as others.  My Mormon mom is a good sport with my own families lifestyles that don't always match her own, I think she's just glad we show up.  Champagne at Christmas dinner and beer through out the day was definitely not what I was raised with but is a fun change in my own family traditions...definitely creates an additional way to relax!


We exchanged a few gifts, my daughter got us matching mommy/daughter jammies and I gave away some of my paintings, they have outgrown my office so I picked a few faves that I thought 'fit' each of my children and my mom.  My mom made everyone fleece blankets, she is a domestic goddess for sure.

Then we had a lot of laughs playing DRUNK STONED OR STUPID a silly card game that you admit to being a loser...which I think was the hit of the day!  We played through the whole deck because it was so funny...and fun to get to know each other better as we told stories to go along with admitting we are 'losers'...authentic and real...just the way I like it...lots and lots of laughs.

Some samples of the cards:
#92 CALL DIBS ON PEOPLE AT PARTIES 
#119 USE DADDY'S CREDIT CARD 
#147 SHAME PEOPLE FOR GOING TO BED 
#163 WATCH "PLANET EARTH" FOR 5 HOURS 
#207 TRASH TALK AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS 

It ended with my mom's traditional Grandma's Oven Pancakes. All in all, it was a great family day with lots of our Christmas traditions.  These are the people I love most in the world, they have shaped my life and will continue to be a part of my heart and soul as long as I live, like it or not.  

Mermaid Joy

I am in love with mermaids, they are such a fun and whimsical mythological creature (some claim we may have evolved from mer people...google it!).  I found this great sign for my wall with some of my favorite mermaid advice.  

Get your tail to the beach
Be shore of yourself
Don't get tide down
Make Waves
Catch a sea breeze
Avoid pier pressure
Always sea life's beauty
Come of your shell
Take time to coast
Keep the beach clean
It's my home sweet home

I even bought my own mermaid blanket.  I'm sort of into spoiling myself lately. There comes a day when you just need to be that selfish.  As my favorite artist, Rodney White states: Self-ish, Being More Like Yourself.  At least I have more time for it these days.

Today my sister humored me by going to The Hotel Del Coronado's Mermaid Fitness Class with me. I have been feeling down and thought certainly being a mermaid would fix it! I am in love mermaids and it was a blast actually getting to be one and doing it with my sister as well.  The hotel even had a mermaid Christmas tree!

The cute mermaid fitness coach (complete with mermaid scale tattoos on her hip) told us about one of her guilty pleasures, the series Mako Mermaids, so of course, I started watching it today on Netflix.










I even attempted to paint my own mermaid today...although my skills always disappointment me, I'll keep trying.  Painting is a great way to relax and keeps me in the moment.










My favorite mermaid art of all is the mermaid mural on the Catalina Island Casino...maybe one day I'll get my own print...or get my hubby to do his own rendition, he's a great artist...and since we went there on our honeymoon it has special memories.