LIFE ISN'T ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF. LIFE IS ABOUT CREATING YOURSELF.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Superfoods That Help Burn Belly Fat

Diet is key when it comes to getting lean!  You always hear that you should eat clean.  Sometimes people have the mentality that if they just go to the gym and burn calories that they will lose weight.  They are missing the most important part to weight loss...eating healthy!  There are many foods that are considered superfoods.  Due to their biological make-up and how our bodies process them, they are found to be very beneficial to burning fat and helping us obtain those lean bodies we desire.  I came across an article about 16 superfood and how they contribute to help burn belly fat.  I have shared the list below, but if you'd like to read the full article, you can click on this link:  http://www.quickandsimple.com/diet-weight-loss/tips-calculator/belly-fat-foods


Superfoods that help burn belly fat:
1. oatmeal
2. olive or canola oil
3. protein powder
4. almonds
5. whole grains
6. eggs
7. beans & legumes
8. lean meat & fish
9.  berries
10. avocados
11. green vegetables
12. dairy
13. peanut butter
14. iced tea / green tea
15. parmigiano – reggiano cheese
16. cannellini beans
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Here is a little more helpful information about eating right:

Eat Healthy.  As the saying goes "abs are built in the kitchen".  You can train hard & build muscular abs, but it you eat junk food all day, you won't lose your belly fat!  Stop eating processed foods.  Eat whole, unprocessed foods.

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, cottage cheese,...
Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, salad, kale, cabbage,...
Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, pears,...
Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds,...
Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa,...

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A few more superfoods and how they help you burn fat:

Apricots. 
High in beta carotene which flushes out fat and waste products. 
Beets. 
Cleans blood cells and washes away fatty deposit.  Also great for cleansing the liver and kidneys.
Brussels Sprouts. 
Stimulate kidneys to release water and cleans out fatty deposit and other wastes from body cells.
Cabbage. 
Cleanses mucous membranes and washes out fatty deposit.
Carrots. 
Accelerates metabolism and dislodges fatty particles for elimination.
Cherries. 
Cleanses away waste products including fat deposit.
Melons. 
Particularly orange colored melons like cantaloupes are high in beta carotene and act as a fat flusher.

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Start making healthier choices for a better & healthier you!
xoxo
bj

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Maid of Honor Toast

What does a great Maid of Honor toast sound like?  We've all witnessed really great ones and some not-so great toast that kind of leave us cringing.  I have had the honor of giving one several years ago when my best friend from high school, Ellen got married.  I was the emotional Maid of Honor for that one and did too much crying!  I have the pleasure of writing another one for my bestie from college, Brittni.  This time around I want to find the right balance of funny, sweet, truthful, a little reminiscing, love and congratulations to leave everyone with a smile on their face and love filling their hearts.

Perhaps, I should take a few notes from my big sister.  My one and only sister, Shannon, was my Maid of Honor last fall and provided probably the greatest toast of all time!  I am fairly bias since it was for me and she is my sister but I think Shannon really nail it on the head.  She had the perfect balance of key ingredients that made her toast memorable & touching.  For those of you that were there, I'm sure you might remember some of it.  For you other readers that didn't have the privilege to hear it, I have taken the liberty to share it!  I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did and still do.  Thank you to my sister for being such an amazing sibling and best friend!

Hello, I’m Shannon…I’m Britt’s only sister and oldest sibling; #1 of 5, as I like to remind them all.  Next in line is our brother Justin.  Now, starting off a family with a boy & a girl was nice BUT Mom & Dad, being smart, young farmers knew that two kids wouldn’t be enough extra hands on a busy farm.  So 2 yrs later came along brother Michael; #3.  Nice; Dad got another boy to help out with chores!  But Mom thought that another girl would be the perfect balance to our family & I really wanted a sister.  So then along came sibling # 4…Brother Jason…another boy!  Now that was going to be it BUT being the good Catholic Farmers that our parents were, it wasn’t long & Mom was pregnant with baby # 5!  I can remember thinking…Oh Please God, let this one be a GIRL!?!  And finally after waiting 9 yrs & 1 day…I got my wish for a baby sister!  And so every year, we get to celebrate our birthdays together, which has been pretty cool!

            Now you might think that being the baby of the family, Britt got off easy!?  Not true; we all had our own chores to do & Britt worked just as hard, if not harder than some of the boys.  Ha, I can remember you dragging hay bales & feed pales around that weighed more than you did.  You have taken that incredible work ethic & ‘Can Do’ attitude and applied it to everything you do so your list of accomplishments is a lengthy one! 

I’m sure many of you know that Britt was an incredible track athlete thru high school & college.  Brant – I hope you checked that she didn’t have her running shoes on today? During collage, Britt specialized in the Heptathlon, which is a combination of 7 events from hurdles, high jump, long jump, short & long distances, javelin and shot put.  Um, Britt how tall are you?  5’2”…   Kind of hard to believe that such a petite little thing could be one of the 7 members of the UWRF women’s track team that brought home the NCAA Div 3 Track championship title, huh!?  That’s because in whatever Britt does, it comes from in her heart.  She pours her heart & soul into it…Just like she’s done in this relationship.

            Britt - as the years passed, you have truly grown into the sister that I had prayed for and dreamed of having.  I am SO Proud of you and so honored to stand up here today and welcome Brant into our family….even though I told him NO at least 100 times when he first asked if he could date my sister.  Brant you are just an all around great guy, always full of laughter, telling funny stories or causing them.  You are a kind & incredibly generous person.  You are a great friend to many people & perhaps most importantly, have become a wonderful daddy to Cruz.  So now you get to be my sister’s husband & that 4th brother I once feared getting.  I love you both very much!  Best wishes for a long, happy & loving future together!  
           
Everyone - please raise your glasses with me.  Congratulations Brant & Brittany!!
         

xoxo
bj

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A Glimpse At My Playlist

Man, do I love music!  It is just the thing to help get me into a better mood.  It is energizing, calming & emotionally gratifying.  I am partial to country music but it may surprise some of you the other genres I enjoy. 

I decided to give you a glimpse into my IPod playlist.  I did like most people do...hit the shuffle songs button and wrote down the first fifteen songs that came up. 

Soundgarden - Outshined (released: 1991)
Kid Rock - So Hot (released: 2007)
Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You (released: 2011)
Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You (released: 2003)
Fuel - Hemorrhage/In My Hands (released: 2000)
Racal Flatts - I'm Moving On (released: 2001)
Justin Nozuka - After Tonight (released: 2007)
Lifehouse - Hanging By A Moment (released: 2001)
Saliva - Click Click Boom (released: 2001)
Thompson Square - Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not (released: 2010)
Terri Clark - Now That I Found You (released: 1998)
Racal Flatts - I Melt (released: 2003)
Disturbed - Indestructible (released: 2008)
Saving Able - Addicted (released: 2008)
Staind - So Far Away (released: 2003)

Some of these songs have a special place in my heart.  Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not by Thompson Square was my first dance song at my wedding last fall.  Racal Flatts' I'm Moving On helped me through some hard times a couple of years ago.  Click Click Boom by Saliva was a song I listened to pre-competition to get pumped up for races.

No matter what song I'm listening to, I want to crank the volume up and scream it from the top of my lungs!  Luckily, I don't do this with others around (wouldn't sound too pretty).  I just love music and how it makes me feel!
xoxo
bj


Monday, March 19, 2012

The Bitch Inside My Head

The title of this post is exactly what this lovely little rant is about!  I would say that 95% of the time I am pretty nice, non-judgemental & positive but then there are times that I do have the bitch inside my head speaking freely to me.

Have you ever found yourself sitting at your computer and overhear someone say something or see someones status update on Facebook and you begin to think some fairly judgemental thoughts?  Maybe it is just human to think this way.  It is harmless and pretty entertaining the things that we think.  I will admit that I am just as sallow, judgemental, cynical and bitchy as the rest of you!  If you claim that you don't ever think this way, well...you're lying.

I wanted to lay out some situations and give you what the bitch inside my head says and/or thinks of that particular situation: ENJOY!

  • A larger individual says to you: "You're so lucky that you are small & skinny because you get to wear cute clothes."  Bitch in my head response: " Maybe you should motivate your fat ass enough to get off the couch and get in shape so you can wear cute clothes too?!?!"
  • Someones Facebook status update reads something like this: "I'm so deeply in love, my life is perfect, I'm so lucky & happy, he/she is the best thing in my life...blah, blah, blah."  Bitch in my head response: " PUKE."
  • Facebook status updates every hour or two = you have NO life and/or you are seeking to get attention too much!
  • Overhearing someone say: "I can't decide if I should get ____ or _____ (shitty/fatty food) to eat.  Bitch response: "You should probably skip that entire thought and go straight to a head of lettuce and then maybe run 6 miles."
  • Being asked if an outfit is cute.  Bitch in my head: "No, no it's not."
  • Seeing someone at the gym wearing spandex that shouldn't.  What I'm thinking: "WTF!"
  • While shopping, you go to grab a shirt and someone else takes it literally right in front of you!  The voice in my head: "Seriously, I will cut you!"
  • Getting cut off while driving.  Bitch response: "AHHH you F******!  I will run you down and ride your ass the entire drive you are ahead of me and then I will proceed to flip you the bird."
  • Watching any reality TV show.  The bitch response: " OMG, these people are so stupid.  I sure hope they don't breed because the world is just going to become even more stupid."
  • When someone tells you that they would workout if they only had enough time.  Bitch in my head: " I'm sure you could find enough time if you'd stop living every second of your life on Facebook, stop eating Twinkies while laying on the couch and watching Real Housewives marathon and various other unproductive activities."
I do encounter numerous other situations that set off the bitch inside of my head.  I think what gets me going the most has to do with people's laziness and stupidity.  I'm really not a bad person for thinking these things because I don't act upon them and actually tell people these things but they do lend me a bit of humor thinking back on them. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A Remarkable Moment

Have you ever had an experience in your life that was so incredibly remarkable that it still sends chills down your spine and puts goose bumps across every square inch of your body?  I certainly do!  This was a moment in my life that took years and years of dedication, hard work and determination.

I was 6 years old when I ran my first competitive road race.  You could say I was hooked after that.  I continued to run competitively through middle school & high school and accomplished numerous school records, championships, sectional titles and state accolades. 

I went on to attend UW-River Falls in the fall of 2004 after I graduated.  I started training as a collegiate track & field athlete in October.  I spent four great years with the UWRF Women's Track & Field team training.  We'd get up at 5:30am and get ourselves to the weight room by 6 to get our lift in.  After that we would attend our necessary classes and then convene again about 2:30 - 3 pm at the indoor track for practice.  Practice would span a couple of hours and we'd finally finish and top it off with an ice bath around 6 pm.  This was our lives from late October to late May...six days a week.  I continued with this rigorous routine from 2004 to 2008.  I had my fair share of school records, champion titles, national qualifying marks and personal records in those four years.  I made a trip to the DIII national meet in 2006.  I finished 12th in the nation for the 400 hurdles.  I was ranked 7th in the nation but like most "first timers", I totally choked and just didn't bring my A-game that day.  Regardless, that was a pretty amazing accomplishment.

My finest moment in Track & Field came in May of 2008.  This was the month that I added National Champion to the top of my list of athletic accomplishments.  This was the cherry on top of my sundae!  It is amazing how you can go from one complete opposite to another in the course of just one month.  The second week of May I found out my boyfriend of four years had been cheating on me with numerous women for over half of our relationship.  I was devastated.  I hit rock bottom.  The day I found out was the day I had my "last chance" meet to better my score in the heptathlon.  I was sitting 17th in the nation and needed to do better to insure a spot for me at nationals.  The last thing I wanted to do was compete in a two day event that entails seven events!  I wanted to crawl into a hole and cry; not run track.  Despite the inner turmoil I was experiencing, I had to pull myself together and compete.  I used the anger I felt and poured it into my events.  I ended up with a better score and made the national list of competitors for the heptathlon.

Nationals' weekend came in the end of May.  I was still an emotional wreck.  I was trying to salvage my life.  Any of you that have been in a long term relationship and had that significant other cheat on you know how I felt.  It was an awful time in my life.  Even though this was all going on in my personal life, I needed to step up and compete for my team.  I started the heptathlon out on a bad note.  The first event is the 100 hurdles and I did something I rarely did...I tripped on the 3rd to last hurdle!  I was flying down the straight away and was putting a great time on the clock and then, BOOM!  I cracked my knee on the 8th hurdle and stumbled.  I did finish but with a poor time.  Poor time = low points which is not good in the hep.  I split my knee open and had to have it doctored up before high jump. I went onto the high jump and did average.  I then went onto the shot put and finished average again.  The last event on day one for the hep is the 200 meter dash.  I knew I needed to pull out a fast time if I wanted any chance of being an all-american.  Again, I finished fairly average.  I was not looking forward to day two of the hep.  I tried to think positively.  I did the long jump, javelin throw & 800 meter run.  After all seven events were completed and scores tallied, I found out my final standing.  I was 12th in the nation.  Just shy of all-american status...bummer.  Although, a fairly great accomplishment. 

Little did I know that I would be on the podium with my teammates the next day.  After all the women finished their respective events on the last day we ended up scoring enough points to win the National title!  I was floored!  I called my parents and left a voice message screaming & crying.  I am pretty certain I scared the crap out of them and they thought something was wrong.  I called my sister next and she answered her phone.  I screamed and cried to her and I think she shed a couple tears for me too.  After all the years of sweat, blood and pain I had added the trump of National Champion to my list.  I was filled with so much happiness, joy and pride.  I was so proud of my teammates.  Seven of us women that qualified for nationals and competed were able to provide our school with a national title. 

Anytime I look at the pictures from May 2008, I get chills.  I smile from ear to ear.  That was an incredible moment in my life.  It happened at just the right time to give me something to be completely happy and excited about.  I learned how tough of a woman I can be that month.  God gave me a test of character and I proved to myself that I could carry on.  Although I didn't win an individual national title, it is still a national title in the end!

Love you Lady Falcons: Becky, Vicki, Krista, Shannon, Kim & Becca!
xoxo
bj


Saturday, March 10, 2012

Words To My Son

There are many things I want to teach my son Cruz.  He is such an important part of my life.  I want him to experience as much as possible.  I want him to have as many opportunities as possible in this life.   My wish is to see him flourish and thrive.  As a mother, I will continually teach him valuable life lessons, even when he becomes an adult.  There will be times that he will appreciate it in the moment and others times that he won't understand until later in life.  I hope that he will be thankful for the things I will teach him.  I also hope that he will understand the decisions I've made for him.
  • Firstly, I would tell Cruz that he was never a mistake!  He was put into my life when I needed someone to love.  He gave me hope for a bright future.  God gave me Cruz when I needed him the most.  The best way I can describe that time of my life is by this quote: "In my darkest moment, when all is lost, you are right beside me."
  • I hope that Cruz will understand the decision I made to ask his biological father to give up his parental rights.  It was never about a power issue or because I hate his biological father.  I wanted to pursue it because my husband, Brant, has been there for the majority of his life.  Brant has always loved Cruz as his own son.  I think the love Cruz will get from us as parents will prove to be enough to not have resentment towards the situation.
  • I want to teach him the words for how he feels.  It is important for him to be able to express his feelings & thoughts with words and not just actions or outbursts.
  • I will show him that I will ALWAYS be the biggest supporter & cheerleader in his life.  I will celebrate all of his big and small accomplishments.  I cannot wait to watch him on a Friday night with his football helmet on and read the last name, JOHNSON on his jersey.  That will be one of my proudest moments. 
  • Cruz will be shown what a good man is by watching his daddy, Brant.  He will learn that a good man is made up of brains, determination, integrity, kindness and compassion.  Cruz will see how a woman should be treated through the way Brant treats me.  He will understand how a woman should be treated, valued & loved by the good men in his life.
  • I will teach Cruz that a woman is beautiful because of her brains, determination, integrity, kindness and compassion.  The important things are harbored inside of us.  Beauty of the skin ages and will fade with years but our heart & soul will stay true.
  • I want to teach Cruz that it is OK to lose.  As a competitive person myself, I know that there will always be a winner and a loser.  I believe Cruz will be a lot like me and will strive to win but it is important for him to understand that losing is going to happen too.  I want him to learn how to be humble and thankful in competitions.  My hope is that he will take losing in stride and learn how to become better.  If he wins or loses...I will be there to cheer him on.
  • My wish for Cruz is that he always has dreams.  I never want to make him feel like something is impossible. 

A Rascal Flatts song says the way I feel perfectly:

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin' til you find the window
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile
But more than anything, more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget
All the ones who love you and the place you left
I hope you always forgive and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get

Oh, you'd find God's grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything, yeah more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish, yeah yeah

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold
And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish
i love you more than you know!
mama

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Completely Gluten Free Meal

My dearest & best friend, Brittni was diagnosed with celiac disease this past summer.  As a young woman in her early twenties, she has to always be aware of what she eats, where she goes for lunch or if there will be food she can eat at a party.

Celiac (SEE-lee-ak) disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is primarily found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune reaction in their small intestines, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients. To read more about this condition, you can click on the following link:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

I have been wanting to have her and her fiancé over for a completely gluten free (gf) meal for awhile now.  I finally got around to figuring out a full meal (appetizers, entree & dessert) and set a date for them to come over.  I knew that she would appreciate me taking the time to cook a delicious & gluten free meal.  After all...she is my best friend and deserves it!

Appetizers:
Spicy kidney bean hummus
Feta cheese, tomato & olive oil spread
GF crackers

Entree:
Cracked pepper steak
Steamed green beans
Boiled baby red potato

Dessert:
Raspberry sherbet
Fresh raspberries

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Spicy kidney bean hummus
1-2 cans light red kidney beans (rinsed)
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 chopped jalapeno
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cumin

Put all ingredients in food processor.  I used a bullet blender and that works just fine!
Blend until smooth.  Add more spice if needed.  Served with GF crackers & Pretzel Crips (contains gluten).  Tip: if you'd like to thicken it, add more beans.  If you'd like to thin it, add a little olive oil.

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Feta cheese, tomato & olive oil spread
1/2 block of feta cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
sliced roma tomato
dozen olives
sea salt
cracked pepper

Set oven to 450 degrees.  Put olive oil in ceramic dish, place feta cheese in dish, add olives and sliced tomatos around cheese.  Top with a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Let stand for 5 -10 minutes.  Serve with GF crackers or bruschetta bread for those that are not required to eat gluten free.





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Cracked pepper steak
Steamed green beans
Boiled baby red potato (topped with slice of pepper jack cheese)




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Raspberry sherbet
Fresh raspberries

ENJOY!

Friday, March 2, 2012

8 Things I'd Ask God

No worries people...I am not going to get all Holy Roller church lady on you in this post!

There are certain times in my life that I just wish I could ask someone to give me the answer(s) to what I'm searching for.  Wouldn't life be so much easier if we knew all the answers?  I'm sure it would be fairly less exciting though.  In any case, I sometimes struggle finding the "right" answer.  The questions I struggle with are not your typical everyday ones like, "What do I wear" or "Where should I go for lunch".  The ones that trouble me and I get all confused over are the life changing questions...the so called "big" life questions. 

I am psychological sound enough to know that I could never ask a question to a magical crystal ball and get the answer I seek.  Shaking a magic 8 ball isn't a good alternative either; although, those are pretty fun.  Lastly, I pretty am certain that easy button we see on those TV commercials for Staples don't exist.  If they do...please share it you hoarders!  After exhausting those options I am left to ask one other...God.  I'm not going to lie, it would be pretty amazing to be able to sit down with God and ask him a list of questions.  If that opportunity ever arises, I will be prepared with my list of questions I've created.  I will also be soliciting the experience and compare myself to the Virgin Mary but this situation is highly unlikely.  However...I'm prepared just in case.

1 | God... Should Brant & I have a second child?  This is something I struggle with on a daily basis.  Deciding to grow our family if definitely one of the "big" life questions.  I ask myself so many questions within questions to justify pros and cons to having another child and before you know it, I've thoroughly confused myself.  It doesn't help that EVERYONE asks us this question all the time too.  I'm already getting frustrated writing about it so it is time to move onto question number two.

2 | What really happens after we die?  Is there this insanely awesome heaven where we get to be with all those who've passed before us or is it nothingness?  Death doesn't scare me as much as not knowing what awaits me after I die.  If God could reassure me there is a heaven, that'd be cool.

3 | Will I have made a profound impact on anyone's life?  I know that I will have made an impact on my son's life and my family but I find that it would be completely gratifying to know that I could impact a complete stranger's life.  This is the reason that I am listed as an organ donor on my driver's license.  If I were to die and doctors could harvest my organs to give someone else the chance to live, why wouldn't I?

4 | Should I continue to follow my passion in Photography?  Being self employed has its benefits and drawbacks.  Currently, I have good insurance and a 401K.  Owning my own business means not having those available.  It would be OK if my husband could provide them but he is also self employed.  So, do I continue to try and build a business & client base or gracefully bow out?  I'm sure there is a happy medium that I just have to find.

5 | Do we stay living in our 2 bedroom home or should we consider building more of a dream home?  Bigger means more money and should we really be considering it?  Maybe this question should be tabled for a couple of years.

6 | Why is there so much suffering in the world?  I have a really hard time wrapping my head around countries that have been in civil wars for decades and countries that have a large percentage of their population dying from starvation.  Why would you allow for such indecencies to occur?  Perhaps I want my world to be a little more rainbows and sunshine...I just wish people, especially children didn't have to suffer as much as they do.

7 | Should I compromise as much as I do?  I am notorious for being a people pleaser.  I have always been the one to try to make others happy.  I have done this at my own expense and I wish I could be able to distinct when I should stand my ground firmly or make others happy.

8 | Lastly, could you give me the numbers for a winning Powerball ticket that has a cash payout of roughly 40 million dollars?  This is obviously not as serious as the other questions but I would love to not worry about money...ever again!

What would you ask God if you had the chance?


Thursday, March 1, 2012

1 Month



What a special month it has been.  I have received such a warm response from all of you readers on the material I have been posting.  I am very glad that I decided to start blogging.  It has been a creative outlet  for me to express my thoughts and feelings; as well as many other good things.  It is a great way for my voice to be heard. 

I have a large list of topics that I will be writing about in the future and can't wait to hear your feedback.  I though it would be a good idea to look back and review what types of post were most popular in order to continue to provide material that people will enjoy reading.  In doing this, I have found that the most viewed post were either labeled under funny stuff or personal.  This will help me evolve my writing into topics that everyone will enjoy.

My hope is that I can provide at least five minutes of entertainment in your life when you read my blog.  My wish is that you smile, laugh, maybe shed a tear, feel thankful and glad that you read my post.  It is a way for you to leave your reality and take a look into mine.  If you come across a post that you just love; let me know!  Share it on whatever social media site you're on.  If you have a topic that you would really like to see me write about then please email me, Facebook me or leave a comment on my blog.

Thanks to all of you that have read one post or all of them!  I truly appreciate being able to have a moment of your time in your busy life. 

I will leave you with some stats on my blog.  I have listed the top 5 post and the number of views each have had.  I also took a screen print of the countries my stories have reached and the total pageviews to date!  I am feeling pretty lucky and blessed by these.  Thank you, Gracias, Danke, Spasibo, Xie xie and Cám ơn!



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