READING BETWEEN THE LINES

                Palm reading, tarot cards and astrology are a few of my favorite things to learn about. Foretelling the future from the hands and interpreting the stars place in the sky is something I have always been curious about. I have read my share of palms and  have had my palms read many times. Although I never lived my life by the words of a palm reader, things she would tell me would seem to come true more often than not. Originating in India, palm reading took on a mystical life of it's own. From India the art grew to China, Tibet, Egypt, Persia and then unto Europe. Greece then created it's own way to read palms based on Greek mythology which is considered Classical palmistry and is what is widely taught and practiced throughout the world today. I'm also a sucker for reading my horoscope. It's just interesting to see if it reads true to what's really going on in my life. I like to see if the 'stars are aligned'  in my favor or not. This is the most accurate horoscope I have found:  http://astrologyzone.com

Do you have a New Years Resolution or Life List?

        The New Year is quickly approaching and everyone has started to make their list of what they hope to accomplish in the year to come with their New Years Resolution. Some people hope to lose weight, make more money or learn a new skill. All these hopes I  can relate to, I just don't like to make goals within a years worth of time. I kind of like the idea of having more of a Life List and then whenever the times comes and your able to accomplish it you can check it off your list. It's a list without so much pressure.   
    Although I do find it amusing when people refer to the things they want to do in life as a Bucket List, making note of all the things they want to do before they kick the bucket. I prefer the term Life List myself. It's interesting to hear what people don't want to die without doing. A few things on my Life List are: 

Live in a foreign country
Speak another language fluently
Get at least one of my novels or kids books published
Spend a month in India doing Yoga
Buy land and build a tree house with a view of the ocean
Learn the homemade Ravioli recipe from the Grimaldi's
Be able to make money off the purses and things I sew and my writing
Visit Hungary, where my grandfather lived and meet relatives still living there
Visit Italy and Ireland with my husbands family
Take my entire family on vacation!

 That doesn't seem to much to ask does it?

A FRIEND NOT FORGOTTEN

               Four years ago today my dear friend Kellie Lartigue-Ndiaye died in a tragic and untimely car accident while traveling through Mali, Africa. Her love for mothering and educating the world in health related issues unfortunately took her life. Kellie was special that she cared for each person she met, no matter if they were rich or poor, black or white. She had a place for everyone in her heart. I had the blessing of traveling with Kellie to Senegal, West Africa and getting to know who she really was. Yes, she was a mother of 3 terrific boys and a wife of one. She was humorous and she was very very serious about her passion for universal  health. It's no surprise after graduating Rhodes college she joined the Peace Corps in Senegal.It was here her true passion for the international community developed. She quickly became fluent in French and the local Senegal language of Wolof and it was in Senegal she met her husband.
               During the Rwandan genocide Kellie then moved to Kigali, Rwanda where she managed the HIV counseling and medical center for couples. She organized the community outreach program as well as voluntary  HIV testing.She joined the CDC in 1997 and served 5 years of HIV/AIDS prevention specialist.In 2002 she began work in Mali, Africa as a public health figure in the community. During her tenure there, Mali witnessed an increase in HIV testing and counseling center more than 50% helping the prevention of the disease tremendously. When Kellie passed she was working with the CDC on a Global Aids Assistance project. There are not enough praises I could give to my dear friend for the kind work she did for the world with her genuine healing heart and this is just a brief description of what she had accomplished in her short life. I hope to spread her inspirational story and make others aware of what is possible and know there are people in the world often unknown to many making a difference in so many lives.

http://www.jefjelproject.org/

THERE IS ONE PLACE OVERSEAS I NEVER WANT TO VISIT...

JAIL! One of my favorite TV shows is 'Locked Up Abroad' on National Geographic. Each intense episode reenacts a persons story of how they got involved in illegal activity overseas and locked up abroad. They are usually hard up for money, get offered a free vacation and get talked into making a stupid decision that changes their lives forever.I get such anxiety watching the show, my hearts pounds and I will begin to sweat as the story unfolds as to what they're going through in their unfamiliar destination. As I watch it I can't help but scream at the TV,  "You really thought it would be a good idea to cross the Darien Gap by yourself?" or "Sure customs in Thailand won't detect that 50 pounds of  heroin your smuggling under your shirt, it doesn't look obvious at all!" I am addicted to this show and I have to know what happens to these people, how they overcome the situation they put themselves in and how they survive it under such harsh circumstances. Hopefully after watching this show more people will learn and not make the same mistakes because being locked up abroad is definitely no vacation.  
http://natgeotv.com/ca/banged-up-abroad/about

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

          If you travel with a large family or even multiple families sometimes the best deal can be found renting a house. I have rented houses myself in the Outerbanks in North Carolina and Belize and think this is an affordable way to travel. Often the weekly rental prices may seem costly but if divided into 2 or more families it can be quite a deal. There are house rentals available throughout the world and offer a range of amenities for any budget. Many times you can even request a chef  for the house at an added charge. If you would like to check out some rental options visit:  http://www.beachhouse.com/.     

THE GUMBO LIMBO, the house I rented in Belize      

    Another unique travel option that is growing in popularity is a Home Exchange Program. It works rather easy but you do need to be a bit trusting, although keep in mind the person you are exchanging with is in the same situation as you. Lets say you pick a house you want to rent in Barcelona Spain, the owner in Spain would come and stay at your house at the same time. You exchange cars, houses and anything else you agree on. Some people have even exchanged an RV or Yacht for a house. There was a movie made about this concept called, The Holiday. It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet and the two of them trade their beautiful Los Angeles pad (Cameron Diaz) for a modest English Cottage (Kate Winslet).  I think this is a great way to get to know another culture or lifestyle without breaking the bank.  http://www.homeexchange.com  
                                                                                                              My house rental in the Outerbanks 

 

PRACTICAL MAGIC

     I have been blessed with luck when it comes to running into famous people. One of my most memorable being when I was living on Whidbey Island in Washington State. I lived in the seaside town of Coupeville. The quaint, quiet village I lived in suddenly became alive with Hollywood gossip when word got out that a movie was going to begin filming there. The movie was Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing and  Dianne Weist. A movie about witches, spells, truth and evil. It was based on the novel, Practical Magic written by Alice Hoffman. Griffin Dunne, from The American Werewolf in London was the director of the movie.
            They were looking for all ages to audition as extras at the local high school in town and I went in hopes to make a few extra bucks if I got picked. The audition consisted of me and about 100 others taking our turns walking out in front of a few studio people, standing there for a minute smiling and then walking back out. I went home and forgot about it after a couple days as the excitement wore off.  Then about a week later I got a phone call from the casting director asking if I would be a stand-in for Sandra Bullock (Sally Owens)! More than excited, I accepted and got my first glimpse into the Hollywood hype! I took a couple weeks off  from my job as a Travel Agent and worked as Sandra's stand-in. The waterfront buildings of Coupeville became the movie set as it transformed from it's laid back beach tones to pure white store front facades. I often spent hours waiting and watching the crew prepare the scene, rework it and remark it over and over on set.I was there to basically go over the movements she would be doing so the cameras could get set up correctly so she wouldn't waste her time doing it. By the time Sandra came out everything was in place and it was a fairly quick shoot for her.
         I made small talk with her when we were stuck in the room together for a long period of time. Just talking about my niece and general island life. She joked around a bit but really never offered to much to say.

                                                    
           Aiden Quinn and Mark Feuerstein were also in the movie and extremely kind people.Mark and I had a mutual love for reggae music and he was a great pool partner. Everyone would meet after the long day in the local Captain's Alley. It was a dim lit bar set on stilts over the water with windows all around looking out over Penn Cove. Everyone would just hang out, talk, have a few drinks, play pool and  unwind from the day. Sandra never came out to the bar (that I saw) and never said much to me while working and that was ok by me. There were rumors of Matthew Mcconaughy and Tom Cruise being on set too since they were dating Nichole and Sandra at the time but I never saw them. I was having a blast just taking in the whole experience and meeting so many new people. After a week or so the crew loaded their equipment on a ferry and moved up north to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. They were to film scenes of the exterior of the main house and the dramatic outdoor scenes of the coast. They invited me with them as Sandras stand-in and I spent the next week continuing the time of my life in one of the most beautiful places on earth.While on San Juan I also met Nichole Kidman, who was a sweetheart and the 'not so bad on the eyes' Goran Visnjic.There were a number of outdoor night scenes being filmed and it was cold! Everyone was bundled up under the tents and heaters between scenes trying to keep warm. The last day I worked they filmed one of the final scenes  where all the witches fly off the roof of the house, ready to move on with their lives just being themselves. I felt a parallel connection at that point in my life.The time working on the movie was magical in it's own way and helped me realize the practical in my life.

   

THE FAB

              I love FABric.I always find it interesting to see which types of fabrics are found throughout the world. I also like to sew all kinds of fun stuff (my little birdies above) so it's been habit for me to collect the local fabrics as I travel. Fabric itself can tell a colorful story, the way it's made, the color, how it's worn, along with a history of where it's from. A bold pattern can create a personality all on it's own.