Glad we didn't have social media when Geri Left the Spice Girls...

     So today the news came out that a member of One Direction is leaving the group, and apparently teenage girls a DEVASTATED! 

    I'm sitting here rolling my eyes at seriously OVER DRAMATIC reactions. I'm TRYING to put myself in their shoes, and try and remember an instance that this happened for a band similar when I was a kid and remember, it DID happen. I remember back when Geri Halliwell called it quits with the Spice Girls. Everyone was shocked, but I don't think we were like this...and if we were all I can say is thank god social media wasn't around then. 

     The boy band is such an old formula, it's even been parodied. What's more, there will be MANY more to come, and VERY few to be remembered. Of the boy bands who were relevant when I was a kid, ONE still exists! Then there are those who we remember but are long gone, Nsync, Hanson, I'm talking about you. And of course the ones that you go, "Oh yeah, I forgot about them", 98 degrees, because once upon a time Nick Lachey was known for being in this band with his little brother. Otown....didn't they have a song called Liquid dreams that now as an adult I see as gross and inappropriate considering the age of their fan base. 

     So to the fans who are curled up in a ball crying, this is the circle of life for the boy band. Take joy in knowing One Direction had quite a few hits, and that they lasted 5 years.  It really is all downhill from here, but they will still bring you joy when you're older and take out and dust off your 1D cd's and giggle....assuming you actually bought their cd's. I speak from experience....

Waking from Hibernation

     Hello Spring... LOL according to the calendar anyway. Today is technically the first day of spring, after 7:00pm...so first...evening... I dunno. The Snow is still very much there, and I feel like Mother Nature is like, took, I put the sun out and put the temp above freezing...for now. I know seems super pessimistic, and after my post about positivity  too.  I'm getting to the positive twist, I'm just being honest here.

     Snow or no snow, I'm embracing spring. I've started into that clutter accumulated in the winter months, and today's grocery trip was reflective of spring. I'm also fighting. How is this positive? The last 2 winters it's become apparent to me, I shut down after December. I don't know if this is something everyone does, or if I have the winter blues, but I shut down. I don't want to do anything, and pretty well isolate myself from people in my life. I got text messages from the two people I text with the most asking me if I was ok. Coming from those two kind of made me more aware of it, and I have made an actual effort to try and not be so closed off.  If you've felt shunned from me, believe me I haven't meant to make you feel that way, I still heart you bunches, I just get like this. I hope there are no hurt feelings.

    So you see why I'm eager to let spring in. When Spring comes, I realize the wall I built around me, and work to try and repair potentially damaged relationships. People who are in my life, I want there, and I don't want any of them to feel like I don't.

    So Spring, happy to see you, lets take my life back! 

An Alice Post

     Oh it's gonna be an Alice Blog! This dog has changed my life, and I gush about her, a LOT. I'm not about to sit here and tell you I have the perfect dog, because she really does have her own baggage.

     We adopted her from the local shelter, and she and I hit t off right away. She was pretty timid in her little run, but came up to see me. Alice came with medical issues and social issues. When we got her she had a staph infection, that the vet said likely started as a food allergy, but got worse. We went through 3 different types of food... and there was no improvement. She was on antibiotics like 3 times, we used cream twice a day, included coconut oil, and added an oil to help improve her skin and coat...no change... it was 2 week ago I realized the ONLY thing that had never changed in her diet the entire time we had her. I'm not about to sit here and bash the product because it was just she had an allergy, but it was her greenies. So we stopped, and it's cleared up, and INSANE amount. I got her a toothbrush and now brush her teeth, but without the greenies, her mouth smells like a garbage can. I got her Whimzies today and we're trying that along with a dental liquid, I'm equating to dog mouthwash.

    On top of this, Alice has her social issues... she's super selective about what dogs she likes...If the dog approaches her with an even temper and doesn't look her in the eye...she's fine. If there's excitement, or eye locking... it's not a good time. As a result she's in a secluded part of her obedience class. Most of the basic commands she knew... in all honesty that aspect of the class was training my husband and I more than her. But I have seen a difference in her as far as being around the other dogs. It's still a ways off, but we're working at it.  She can also be very afraid of strangers, in particular men. She has warmed up to my mother in-law... she's ....better...with my father in-law.

    I decided to do this blog post because of two things that have been said to me lately about my dog. #1 "You'd think your dog was perfect or something". Or something like that...no... I don't for a second think my dog is perfect... but to the person who said that to me... I like her better than I like you... And instead of dwelling on her short comings (I've done this once), I try and help her improve and when I see her improve...I'm pretty amped.  #2 "you're spending a small fortune on your dog". This comment, wasn't meant to be mean... This person was simply realizing all the things we're doing for her. My husband and I have wanted a dog for YEARS. We almost adopted one before, but backed out because we weren't sure if e could handle the financial responsibility of a dog. When we adopted Alice, we were ready to accept ALL the responsibilities that came along with having a dog (picking up poop was my biggest adjustment...being an authority figure was my husband's).

     So that is my blog on my perfectly imperfect dog.

With Age Comes Wisdom

          Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was a pessimist. A real Negative Nancy, let’s be honest, the title fit. I was jaded, and far too young to be jaded. I could mentally turn almost anything into a problem, or even convince myself to be offended by something.  I realized how little this did for me, I truly did, but it had become such a habit for me, it was near impossible to shake.

            I will point out, I have dealt with several negative things that most people at my age have yet to deal with, but I was using it as a crutch, and really only hurting myself. I’m not about to tell you, I’ve kicked the negativity curse, no unfortunately not. What I have done was gain wisdom.

            I’ve learned to take a step back and reassess a situation. Believe me, my feelings of negativity are still very much there, they’re habit. I’ve simply decided I would rather fight them than have them haunt me. I can shrug things off far more simply than before, and when I’m down, I count my blessings. If you are religious or not, you can count your blessings. We all have things in our lives we’re thankful for. I think I’d rather spend time and energy on those things than anger and frustration.

            I’m full of creative ideas, and enthusiasm, putting these things into motion make me happy, and I’m always looking to improve for myself and my family. Again things that make me happy. I plan to continue on my road of positive things, it’s served me better, and it makes me happier. I’m sharing this too because it’s part of why I call my blog “Unclouded Spirit”.

            I have this excitement and happiness in me, in my spirit. My negativity was clouding that over, and holding me back. Yup totally cheesy, but I’m really happy with it, and how I’m using it. This blog has been therapeutic and fun for me. 

I Went Back to Drinking Coffee...and I SO regret it!

     Back in June, I gave up coffee. I should stress coffee REGULARLY, I'd still have the odd one, and lattes etc, but my go to became tea. In an earlier blog I talked about using tea for medicinal purposes. The truth is I actually have a tea cupboard, and have several different teas.

     Why did I change to tea? I could give you the hippy answer and tell you all the health benefits of tea VS coffee....but I think we've heard them all. I wanted to get off coffee because of how many I was consuming in a day, because there are health risks if you consume too much (I've seen it no one can tell me otherwise). And I didn't like the side effects if I didn't get one when my body was used to getting one...you know the headaches for one? So I went off coffee, and turned to tea. In that time, I used food as an energy booster, I slept better, and a lot less cloudy. Then came winter. When we really started getting a beating from winter, I found myself getting sluggish and really not productive at all (which drives me nuts). Knowing the boost I would get I went back to coffee.... and have been back for close to a month...and I SO regret it! 

     To all those who were grinning as they sipped their coffee welcoming me back to the dark side, I may have just shocked you. I was getting sluggish, and coffee perked me up, for a little while anyway...but then the dreaded crash comes, and I'm more sluggish than I was when I was crying out for coffee in the first place, and then I need more. It really is a vicious cycle. And the worst part? I did it all without thinking.

     Here is what I've come up with, I was sleeping the same amount as I did in the warmer months, I wasn't eating the same (lets face it, cold months mean comfort food overload) and expected the same results? Lets start with the sleep... the days are grey and this time of year is about rest. Seriously, typically speaking the body responds better when the sleep cycle goes with the sun cycle. The nights are longer in the winter, so generally we need more sleep. Maybe not as much as I've been going for since facing this fact, but in the winter, we need more sleep, not to mention grey days are not helping. 

     Comfort food overload, ok so I wasn't eating the energizing, healthy foods I was choosing before. In the colder months, we want that hearty stick to your ribs kind of fare where the warm months has our appetite reducing. I'm not about to eat like I do in the warmer months... I'd be super hungry all the time, but I should adjust accordingly, and not cover it in gravy. 

     As I sit here wanting my 3rd coffee of the day and my eyes want to close in a major way, I realize the other way was working better. I'm kicking myself, because I've undone the good I did in a fit of desperation. My body is talking to me, and it's telling me to fix this. I'm mentally preparing myself for what's about to happen... headaches, sleeping late, and even LESS productivity to get back where I was. Wish me luck. 

    PS As I mentioned before I saw how unhealthy too much coffee (or caffeine) intake is. That being said I'm not condemning anyone for enjoying their coffee intake. This is a post about realization for  me personally, and knowing what is better for me.