Reflect

The Cobwebs and Weeds of Life, Resort Girls

July 28, 2016

While wandering amongst the lush summer trees today, my mind went back to the beauty of the sparse winter trees. WinterTreeSymetric The tree leaves are now lush vivid green, but vines and poisonous weeds choke the core, limbs, and roots. And I pondered, maybe the cold months give the trees time to clear the vines, weeds and cobwebs from their core? Treevine

How many times does this not happen to us, Resort Girls and Guys?  Like the trees, we may appear vibrant on the outside but our core is filling up with weeds of unhealthy habits and relationships.  These things can do harm and even destroy our core being.

This is when it is a good time to be a Resort Girl or Guy.  Go away for a few days – or even just a weekend – and look at your core.  As if you were that winter tree, get down to your bare roots and ask yourself these questions:

  • Do I need to build up my core muscles to live a healthier life?
  • Does my soul need a bit of renewal to live a more purposeful life?
  • Do I need to feed my body with better nutrients to ward off those pesky weeds of ill-health?
  • Do I need to weed myself from a few relationships that are stifling my success and well-being?

I am glad this morning on my walk that those vines, weeds and even cobwebs were in my view.  Soon, I will take a day on the beach and bring a notepad with these questions written upon it and do a bit of reflecting upon them…and then, of course, do some relaxing and recharging!  

Resort Girls and Guys…together let’s kick out the cobwebs and pluck the weeds from our lives!  Get ready to live a healthy, loving, purpose-filled and successful life!

 

Reflect

Mystical Creatures Live Within Our Secret Gardens, Resort Girls

July 17, 2016

A Gibbs Garden manor home serves as a spectacular setting for an eclectic collection of garden creatures.  Many mystical beasts live amongst the manor pathways, hillsides and ponds. Winged beings not only fly in the air, but sit silently on the field stone walls, watching over the manor home. 

Bunnies populate the patches, hoping to nibble on the lush underbrush leaves.   DSC_0092

Beware though, as danger lurks in the form of bears and cougars roaming the hillside. DSC_0105

Don’t worry, however, as you are safe at Gibbs Gardens. All of these creatures are crafted from stone, cement and bronze. Garden art sculptures like these have always been a favorite of mine.  It’s fun to have a little bunny or frog friend accompany me while plowing and planting the day away or a loving couple sitting in a rose garden to add a bit of romance.

And cement and bronze art only gets better with time as moss adds hues of green, dirt deepens shadows and sunlight brightens the features of these mystical creatures. 

And to this day when driving by my old homes, I find those little creatures and couples still are sitting there where they were placed decades ago.  Their charms enchanted the new owners, who usually asked for them to stay.  

As my car idles, my heart swells with fond memories while looking at those little statues.  Even though the new owners may have modified the garden and pathways, my secret gardens are cemented in time – and in my mind. 

We may go on our way from our secret gardens, but these statues stay behind to remind us of special times.  They cement our memories.  We may grow older, relationships may change, but our dreams and memories never fade away.

It’s nice to cement a little piece of our dreams in our gardens.  And if life takes you away from those special places but return one fine day…I bet if you asked those garden fairies, they will whisper sweet reminders of special times with those you loved and cherished.fairy

 

 

 

 

Reflect

The Chimes of a Resort Girl Life

May 25, 2016

As the vibrant sun rose over the beautiful Lake Oconee, the chimes rang in the wind. It was a glorious setting to reflect upon how much I have grown over the last few years. Years earlier, this place used to be my second home.  Many days were spent boating on the lake, swinging on the course, and dining by the fireplaces.  Lake Oconee and Reynolds Plantation offer a great refuge from the busy and bustling city life of nearby Atlanta, Georgia. 

Roughly a two-hour drive away, it was a great escape from the sometimes frantic days of being an entrepreneur building my software firm.  When we are building our careers and families, we tend to get very focused on the next big deal, next big promotion, next carpool and just getting by in our busy young lives.  Sadly, sometimes we forget to just relax, reflect and recharge.  The lake provided a place of relaxation for me back then and this still rings true.

But now there is an added peace in my life — a tranquility that goes with me wherever I am.  A glorious setting is no longer needed as the glory is now within me.  That is priceless.  No promotion, college acceptance letter, sports win or paycheck can bring peace.  Peace comes from within and can, many times, have the greatest returns.

But what gives us peace and when it does depends on whether or not our minds are open to reflection. To take a moment to squarely look yourself in the mirror and ask, “Is this a purposeful life?”.

There was a great movie made long ago called “The Shift” by Dr. Wayne Dyer.  In it, he said, “You are only a thought away from changing your life.” Some people shift earlier than others and some may never shift over to purpose.  But from personal experience, the day I chose to seek purpose gloriously changed my life in so many ways.  And I never want to go back.

So, as I sat there watching the sun rise and the chimes ringing in the background, peace was all around. It was a peace that had not been there many years before. Sure, back then I enjoyed boating, golfing and such, but seeing the glory in the surroundings was not there as it was this fine morning.

While walking back up the path, I realized what a blessing it was that my life path had changed. It is a great gift to now be able to chime in on the purpose of life and reflect on all the glory and might. Peace within is one of the greatest gifts of life.

 

Relax

Lazy Days of Warm Southern Ways for Resort Girl

March 15, 2016

The sun casts shadows on my café table top

While in the background southern music rocks

Screens let the cool river breezes blow in but stop

The bees and buzzin’ creatures from passing by

Oh, my

What a lazy day

It is just to sit and stay

While my lips

Sip

A hot mug of peach tea

There’s nothing worryin’ me

‘Cept the cold cut sandwich with mayo

Side of sweet potato fries – the way to go

When the waiter comes for my order by

Oh, my

How I am wishin’ this day

Will stay

And never end

Blessed are those lazy days

Of hot tea and warm southern ways

Nothin’ botherin’ me!

 

friesphoto

 

 

Recharge

Resort Girl makes a Sweet stop in Flowery Branch, GA

February 9, 2016

Want to take your Resort Girl or Guy sweetheart on a sweet afternoon vacay? Roll into the historic district of Flowery Branch, Georgia. The train depot was big business back in the early days, now the city is big in the business of sweet treats. TrainGraffitti

My first stop, (after stopping for the train to go by) was at the Liberty Candy Shop. The sweet aroma was even in the air on the outdoor shopping square.  But once the Liberty’s doors opened, the delicious fragrance of chocolate and hard candy intensified. The store’s decor was retro in design, in keeping with its home – a 1906 building, even down to the shelves of hard candies and black and white tiles. I loved the pink and black store logo and the hand painted entrance floor showcasing the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty.CandytableBut most of all, it was the wide variety of hand-made candy that caught my eye and made my mouth water.  There were so many choices; it literally took me 15 minutes to even begin to choose.  But the regular customers who came in and out chose quickly, as they had their favorites down (this Resort Girl listened to their choices – it was the best way to discover the most popular products).

The owner was behind the counter this day and was energetic and friendly.  You could feel her passion for her products by the way she explained the ingredients in each and every candy choice.  I noticed this quote from the Liberty Candy’s Facebook page which does an excellent job in explaining the passion for their sweet treats:

“Busy day in the Candy Kitchen today! A sea of sea salt caramels, Caramallows, Coconut Sins, Chocolate Covered Oreos and Nutter Butters, Caramel & Chocolate Pretzel Rods and Caramel & Chocolate Apples (plain or with salted peanuts or toasted pine nuts). Restocking and making some of your favorites!”

Yes, this Resort Girl did feel like she was swimming in a sea of chocolate. So, after making my selections, I ventured back on to the historic Flowery Branch square.  And to my delight, there sat another sweet shop – Calliope Sweets. Upon entering this quaint shop, I noticed all of the fresh baked goods that are their specialty.  My choice was a key lime pie cupcake which was to die for.  The cake mix was infused with tart lime flavors and, as a Resort Girl who appreciates design, the lime colors and topping swirls made this cupcake not only good to view but eat as well.

So, I was off with lots of sweet treats in hand. Then, I made a quick hop into the local craft beer store to see what what brews they had for sale.  They have a nice selection and even offer growlers.  There are also many other fine shops, and the popular Contemporary Southern “Antebellum” restaurant offering fine dining.

But with my limited afternoon vacation time, I wanted to do a quick historic tour of the Flowery Branch Train depot. TrainDepot

In the old days, the depot was a hub of activity for commerce in Georgia. I stood back and imagined what it must have been like back then when the train pulled in, filled with goodies.  We take that for granted nowadays with a local shop filled with everything we need on almost every corner.  They did move the historic depot across the street from the actual train tracks and it is now used for social events. And then, my sweet afternoon vacay ended with taking a quick look at the cute red train caboose.

Choo-Choo! It was a sweet afternoon for this Resort Girl on the historic square of Flowery Branch, Georgia.

Caboose

 

About Resort Girl

About Resort Girl

Resort Girl enchants the adventurous souls who dream of far-away places, relaxing but recharging experiences, and words of wisdom to reflect upon -Wanderers who are on an ongoing journey, exploring their physical and mental abilities while enjoying and living gracefully with nature.