It isn't about living longer but living BETTER!

Out of the tail spin! Lately I have been in a slump. I have often said that I have never been lonely or bored and for most of my life that has been true - the other day, however, I sat listlessly on the sofa with no inspiration or interest and no amount of cat patting or dog companionship could lift my spirits. This, I thought is what boredom and loneliness feel like. I thought about my usual strategies, but so many of them are out of reach to me now. In the past, in a slump, I would hop in the car and take my dog for a hike around Pakim Pond in the Pinewoods. Gene's and the Red Top Market never faied to ift my spirits along the drive with Pakim pond and the pines a true tonic. Another thing I used to do was I would go to a book store (it used to be Borders) and load up on creativity magazines like ART JOURNALING and Somerset or Art in America. Well, I thought, I can still do that!

I love the seasonal magazines, especially Autumn/Halloween, and Winter/Christma! I knew I hadn't done the magazine thing for TEN years because my last Art Journaling Magazine was dated 2015! I decided to go to The Garden State Pavillions shopping center which I find so daunting I haen't been there in the last ten years. But I drank a latte' for fortitude and got my car keys and off I drove. First I parked too far away, then, although I searched and searched, I couldn't find Art Journaling - the main magazine I wanted. A store clerk helped me look and he couldn't find it either though it was on the computer as in stock. Nonetheless, I left with 6 new magazzine at an exorbitant price! In case you didn't know, the price of magazines has soared to from $20 to $30 each!

Getting out of the Garden State Pavilions onto Route 70 was a disaster due to construction barricades and detours and the odd uncooperative driver not willing to wait in line like the rest of us and attempting to line jump which caused an horn honking uproar in the herd. Finally I was home and so exhausted from my hunting trip I didn't even look at a magazine and instead I criticized myself for trying to fix an internal problem with external means and for spending money extravagantly.

Today however, I found the small spark of will I needed to get me to Martin's Lake with my dog, Uma. The walk around the beautiful lake on this extraordinarily gorgeous day (75 degrees) picked me up and I called in an order for Vegetarian Delight lunch special at Audubon's Chinese Take-out restaurant. Along the way I bought myself a latte' at Dunkin Donuts.

At home, I truly enjoyed the Vegetarian Delight which seemed crisper and more colorful even than usual and tastier too! The final verdict - I feel so much better! Call it the weather, being outdoors, a healthy lunch, all of the above - I am rejuvenated! And the Chinese take-out and the latte' were far less expensive than all those magazines, but the magazines give me somethin to look forward to - to anticipate. I can enjoy a good Art Magaine for a year or longer, which is why I still have the Art Journaling Magaine from 2015. And since they didn't have it at Barnes and Noble in the Garden State Pavilion, I bought a subscription on-line and my first copy will arrive mid September - another thing to look forward to. I hope this little push to a better level lasts! I will let you know! By the way, I have finished the Dr. Ornish UnDo It book - the audio-book version and I am trying to live up to it! I bought the paperback to review and reinforce.

Happy Trails wrightj45@yahoo.com