After dancing all weekend at a dance event, my body aches from head to toe. I swear, I think that I dance for twelve hours a day, non-stop. One of the first things that I want to do when I get home is to take a nice hot bath with seaweed powder. It smells wonderful and has healing and soothing oils that help not only my body to relax, but my mind and soul to relax as well.

The Seaweed Bath Co. has Wildly Natural Seaweed Powder Baths that combine sustainably-harvested bladderwrack seaweed from the North Atlantic along with healing oils and soothing scents. Others claim that it helps their skin conditions, such as psoriasis. If you are looking for a great Christmas gift, be sure to check them out; The Seaweed Bath Company!

Every year our family and many friends play a game that begins at the first of every year and goes until there is a winner. The game that we play is on the honor system and it really quite simple. We keep track of license plates. All the winner has to do is to see one from every state. While this may seem quite simple, it has actually been quite a few years since anyone has won. I think at this point I am down to three states; Vermont, Rhode Island and North Dakota. I have one month left; the winner receives  plaques and a pat on the back. Anyone want to join us next year?

Christmas is quickly approaching and if you do not want to end up in that last minute rush, now is the time to start shopping. For me, that usually means online; simple, easy, away from the crowds . I must admit that sometimes I like to go out and about and see the pretty decorations and hear the Christmas music playing, but more often than not, I find myself aggravated by the pushing and shoving of too many people in one place at one time, all on a schedule that has way too much packed into it.

Since I was diagnosed with leukemia, earlier this year, I have had to rethink many of the tasks that I used to find “necessary” and had to eliminate many of them. Shopping in crowded places that are abundant with germs is one of them, so I have become an avid online shopper. My latest quest is for motorcycle jackets for a good friend of mine. With the price of gas, she has decided to buy a bike. I guess that she used to ride many years ago, and decided that she misses her bike and will love the savings on gas. So, I figured that a really cute, feminine motorcycle jackets would be a great gift for her. I found a really great site that has many to choose from all in one place. Check out BTO Sports for some great deals!

My son was born in southern California, Palm Springs to be precise. With the exception of the three years that we lived in Boise, Idaho, he has lived in California for the rest of his life. Oddly enough, he is a huge New England Patriots and Res Sox fan. He has never been to New England yet is an avid fan of Boston. I have been to Boston and it is one of my all-time very favorite cities. Maybe my enthusiasm for New England has rubbed off on him.

Of course, it is a bit more difficult finding NFL apparel, for teams on the other side of the country since we live in California. Purchasing an Laker jersey, is a piece of cake, but for a Patriot’s jersey, I often find myself searching the internet.  Now, my son isn’t a real big kid, but his friend is. His mother was saying that she found it nearly impossible to find NFL apparel to fit her son, so I told her about the site that I ran across while searching for Patriot’s jerseys. It is especially designed for the Big and Tall and King sized folks that love to support their teams’! If you find yourself in need or an XXXL, this is the place to go: King Size.

Christmas is quickly approaching and since I do not like to leave my shopping until the last minute, I am already perusing the internet for gift ideas. Since my niece is going to be graduating from nursing school very soon, I thought that a gift geared toward her goal would be appropriate. As I was recently hospitalized, I asked on of the nurses with a really cool nursing uniform where she shopped for her scrubs and she told me about Blue Sky Scrubs: http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

When I visited their site, I found a vast array of nursing uniforms in all different colors, a bunch of very cool scrub hats,  and also some beautiful lanyards, which medical professionals use to hold and display their badges with matching earrings. The neat hing about a lanyard is that it can also be worn as a necklace in two different ways or a bracelet. I am thinking that the lanyard and earring set would be the best way to go since I do not know if the place that she will be working has a particular style and color requirement for their nursing uniforms. Maybe once she gets her first position, I can buy her a a uniform in which ever color she needs as a congratulatory gift.

So, I am often asked to write about products, vacation packages, websites or services. One of the things that I really like about writing about different things is that I often find really, really cool new websites. Today, I was asked to write about eyelash growth products. As always, the first thing that I do when offered a job, is to go and visit the website. When visiting this particular site, what I found was a brand new blog; and by brand new, I mean nothing on it, so I decided to write anyway, in anticipation of what is to come!

For those of you that have been to Las Vegas, Nevada, you know just how many things that there are to do there. I know that many people go there just to gamble, that is an obvious activity, but there are shows to see, rides to ride, attractions to visit, pools to swim in, night clubs to dance in and golf courses to play.

Often you will find yourself in Las Vegas attending a convention that is work related. For me, it is my least favorite place to attend a work related convention as there is just so much else that I want to do while I am there.

If you are a golfer, I found this really great website that offers everything that you would ever want to know about Vegas golf. One of my very favorite features is the way they list Las Vegas courses. They list them according to price; Affodable, Mid-Range, High-End, Exclusive and Elite. By being able to view all like priced course in one simple view, helps me be able to make a decision much more quickly and easily. When there are so many choices, it can be very difficult. A one stop shop and comparison website can save you hours of research.

Since being diagnosed with leukemia in February, I have been unable to work, but have considered taking a few online classes to just help to keep my mind active. While researching my options, one of the programs that I found was WaldenU.edu.

Walden University’s online degree programs include everything from bachelor and master’s degree to certificate and teacher preparation programs to individual courses. They keep in mind that often, adults need to continue either working, or maintaining a family and only have a limited amount of time, therefore, they are unable to carry a full educational schedule as well as maintain their life. With this in mind, they have created and environment that many adults will now be allowed to increase their education on their own schedule.

I found that the Walden University might be an online institution that will work for me. I need to do a bit more research to learn about Walden before making a final decision, but I feel that I may have finally found an answer to my quest in learning a new skill. I really feel that a stagnant mind at this crossroad in my life may be more detrimental to me than my leukemia!

So, have you ever heard of Gregory Wright? If you are an avid rugby spectator, I am sure that you have. He was a key rugby league player in the 2011 Championship for Toulouse Olympique. They were the only French team in the competition. Just watching Gregory play rugby will give you chill bumps! He is fast, furious and passionate about the sport.

Although he was born in Australia, he holds three passports; Australian, English and French. This allows him to play in all three countries outside of the national restrictions in dual rugby codes of union and league. Because of this, he was selected in French Rugby Test squad.

Another player’s misfortune allowed Gregory to play his first rugby league game in two years. He replaced an injured player in a friendly against Super League side Catalans Dragons. Gregory White played 2012 Super League side Widnes Vikings and Keighley Cougars in the Northern Rail Cup. His confidence and form continued to grow and he became one of the leading scorers in the competition.

To see the France Rugby Toulouse 2011 highlights check out Gregory Wright on youtube, you won’t be disappointed!

Seems like whenever I need my camera the most, it bites the dust! My grandkids are here for a week and of course I want to take pictures. Fortunately my daughter-in-law has her camera and she says that she never has had any problems with it, so maybe I will try one of the many Olympus cameras that are currently on the market. She really loves hers’.

While I do love not having wires drug under the carpet, around doorways and through walls, I simply do not understand how things travel through the air without them.

Take wireless speakers for instance; just how does sound travel from an IPod, through the air and out through wireless speakers? How does it get from point A to point B? How do we pick up a wireless phone and speak to someone on the other side of the world? Do you ever envision all of the voices and sounds that we must be walking through? I know that I do!

In about eight months Joe will be officially retired. One of our goals is to get an RV and travel from one dance event to another for an entire year. A really good friend of ours has done this for years and years. His number one piece of advice is to be sure to have an awesome roadside assistance plan and to be sure to go to events in the south during the winter months! I can hardly wait to get on the road!

So my daughter called me the other day in a panic. She had just been invited to a luncheon with an important client of hers. Now if you knew my daughter, you would know that she has a wardrobe that spills out of every closet in her home. She is a true bargain shopper and always has the cutest clothes.

And here she is today, calling me; asking me what she should wear to this luncheon. Of course I answer with the standard, “You know, honey, that really cute Nicole Miller dress that you got awhile back.” She of course answers me with, “Mom, do you know how many Nicole Miller dresses that I have?” Ugh, I give up; I only wish that I had the same problem!

I suppose that that is just another one of those really huge differences between being in the midst of your prime of life and having just past that period. I now know that had I been invited to the same luncheon, I would have had to actually go shopping; and would have likely had to ask my daughter for her help. Of course, if that had been the case, she simply would have rolled her eyes and said, “Oh, mother, come on, let’s go and find you a simple black dress!” Life really is quite comical……

One of my favorite ways to explore a location is from the water. Once I have explored a city from the streets, I like to get out on, and in the water.  I have heard that Croatia sailing is exceptional. The 1000’s of islands, islets and reefs are unique and unspoiled.

The Croatia Yacht Club has been hosting thousands of sailors for over 25 years and is known for their innovative and exciting sailing charters. They sail from their home port of Marina Kremlik, which is located in the center of Croatia’s Adriatic coast. The home port is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees and is an added bonus to the sailing trip. The land and sea in Croatia is very beautiful.

Imagine sailing in paradise; crystal clear waters, cozy beaches and beautiful lagoons. The weather and wind is perfect for sailing from April through November. The country’s slogan is “Where the Mediterranean is as it once was,” which means that it is real rustic and unspoiled. There are small villages that line the coast, each with their own touch of ancient Greece, Venice and Rome. The villagers allow the tourists to enjoy their hospitality without being pushy and overly persuasive. Croatian’s allow you to enjoy yourself, your vacation and their home in a very relaxed and hospitable way. Croatia sailing sounds like a perfect vacation!

It is the beginning of fall, and since we have had to cancel all of our vacations due to my newly diagnosed leukemia, I am feeling the need for a vacation. I simply want to get away from it all; my blood draws, my bone marrow biopsies and my doctor appointments.

One of my favorite places to be, in the fall, is in New England. There is nothing like the changing of the leaves at this time of year. I love Maine lobster and I love deep sea fishing. I am not sure whether or not fall is a very good time for deep sea fishing, but I would love to go on one of Cape Cod fishing charters. Talk about exhilarating; reeling in a fish that is bigger than you are.

My uncle recently caught a fish that was twice his size; literally. He said that it took over 8 hours to reel it in and that many times the fish was actually pulling the boat. It really was the highlight of his fishing career, and just watching his eyes light up when he tells the story is priceless! Of course, I do not remember how much it weighed or what kind of fish that it was, but I do remember the sparkle in his eyes and the excitement in his voice every time he tells the tale; and yes, there are pictures to prove it!