{"id":379757,"date":"2015-03-30T03:29:30","date_gmt":"2015-03-30T03:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/2015\/03\/30\/taking-flight\/"},"modified":"2015-03-30T03:29:30","modified_gmt":"2015-03-30T03:29:30","slug":"taking-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/2015\/03\/30\/taking-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Sunday, Journeyer!<\/p>\n<p>What a strange week this has been!<\/p>\n<p>A little overtime at work and an Easter luncheon where I overindulged&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>College, scholarship stuff, and senior prom tuxedo shopping with Big Guy&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Helping that same young lad prepare for his first solo trip abroad! Selected to our section all-stars soccer team, he&#8217;s going to enjoy eight days touring and playing soccer in Paris, Belgium, and Holland!<\/p>\n<p>Check out this little bit of humor we found at a local bagel shop en route to the team&#8217;s rendezvous point!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tip-Jar-Humor.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4513\" src=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tip-Jar-Humor-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Tip Jar Humor\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tip-Jar-Humor-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tip-Jar-Humor-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Tip-Jar-Humor.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes it&#8217;s simply the little things that make our spirits soar, isn&#8217;t it?<\/p>\n<p>I felt honored when Beauty asked me to help her with an application essay to attend the Loop Abroad program in Thailand in 2016&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>and, admittedly, I felt a tad jealous that she&#8217;s going to be able to work with tiger cubs&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>TIGER CUBS, JOURNEYER! T-I-G-E-R-S&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve shared this with you before, but one of my oddest dreams has always been to hang out with a tiger. I&#8217;ve often said that if I had the money and the knowledge (or the funds to pay people) I&#8217;d have a pet tiger.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve visited a drive-through animal sanctuary in Canada several times and on each trip I always made sure we sat and enjoyed the tigers for the longest stretches of time.<\/p>\n<p>Magnificent creatures and so entertaining to watch as they frolic and play!<\/p>\n<p>This week we&#8217;ve had the highs of some bright spring sunshine. which were chased away by the return of single digit temps and an inch of snow on my car yesterday morning!<\/p>\n<p>BUT, I continue to hear the birds chirping every morning when I leave for work AND I spotted the first robin hanging out in the yard outside my office window.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Robin-in-front-yard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-4512\" src=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Robin-in-front-yard-300x211.jpg\" alt=\"Robin in front yard\" width=\"208\" height=\"146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Robin-in-front-yard-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Robin-in-front-yard.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Spring is coming, North-easterners, it&#8217;s coming!<\/p>\n<p>With spring comes Easter and the joy of filling baskets for my kiddos!<\/p>\n<p>Knowing that Warren and I were going to go away for a few days, I managed to get all of the out-of-town boxes prepared and shipped.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s right, Journeyer, Hubby and I decided to get out of dodge for a few days and since heading far south to someplace warm wasn&#8217;t a viable option, we decided on the next best thing: the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ.<\/p>\n<p>Why? They have palm trees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Me-w-Palm-Trees-at-the-Tropicana.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4511\" src=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Me-w-Palm-Trees-at-the-Tropicana-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Me w Palm Trees at the Tropicana\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Me-w-Palm-Trees-at-the-Tropicana-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Me-w-Palm-Trees-at-the-Tropicana.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>PALM. TREES.<\/p>\n<p>And nightlife and good food and plenty of lights to simulate warmth.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of good food, I&#8217;ve also made another attempt to shed some of these burdensome extra pounds I&#8217;ve been carrying for far too long&#8230; I&#8217;ve recently heard and read about a fasting plan; one day fast followed by one day of eating normally.<\/p>\n<p>Today completes my second fasting day and as impossible as I thought it might be, it really hasn&#8217;t been nearly as bad as anticipated.<\/p>\n<p>Keeping my fingers crossed that trying something different might just give me the jump-start I need!<\/p>\n<p>OH, and two other bits of exciting news! There&#8217;s only two-and-a-half weeks left before I head out to the first annual <a href=\"http:\/\/www.griefconvention.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grief and Hope Convention<\/a>! Have you considered attending? There are going to be so many grief neighbors and healing allies under one roof!<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, I&#8217;ve also been asked to join Clarity Connects as a speaker for their Buffalo event coming in September!<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m so excited for them and all of the people who will benefit from their fabulous energy! More to come!<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of energy, my insurance company approved the CPAP equipment and I have an appointment to get all set up this coming Thursday. I&#8217;m hoping for the same fabulous results others have told me they&#8217;ve experienced! More to come on that, too!<\/p>\n<p>That increased stamina will help take <a title=\"The Five Facets Philosophy of Healing\" href=\"http:\/\/annahelizabeth.comthe-five-facets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Five Facets Philosophy of Healing<\/a> to even greater heights. Sharing your stories is what helps me fly, Journeyer. Thank you for giving me wings!<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of wings, what week&#8217;s moments gave your spirits a lift or brought a smile to your face?<\/p>\n<p>Until we meet again, yours in hope, healing, and happiness,<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"On Saying Goodbye\" href=\"http:\/\/annahelizabeth.com2013\/06\/on-saying-goodbye\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-medium wp-image-4724 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-300x137.jpg\" alt=\"Blog Post Signature &#038; Sign Off\" width=\"300\" height=\"137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-300x137.jpg 300w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-1024x466.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-768x350.jpg 768w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-1080x492.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-980x446.jpg 980w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off-480x219.jpg 480w, https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Blog-Post-Signature-Sign-Off.jpg 1243w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Sunday, Journeyer! What a strange week this has been! A little overtime at work and an Easter luncheon where I overindulged&#8230; College, scholarship stuff, and senior prom tuxedo shopping with Big Guy&#8230; Helping that same young lad prepare for his first solo trip abroad! Selected to our section all-stars soccer team, he&#8217;s going to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1034],"tags":[316,1354,1368,317,56,1352,320],"class_list":["post-379757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-happy-happens","tag-happyhappens","tag-clarity-connects","tag-couples-get-away","tag-finding-happiness-in-your-day","tag-marriage","tag-national-grief-convention","tag-random-happiness"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Me-w-Palm-Trees-at-the-Tropicana.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}