This week was mostly spent inside praying that Hurricane Florence would not morph into the monster storm that the forecasters predicted it would be. Our area got very lucky. My heart goes out to my Carolina brothers and sisters. Even though the VA governor issued an evacuation order which caused our schools and many businesses to shut down for the week, it was mostly uneventful here. Just a little rain and wind. I am definitely a better safe than sorry kind of person, so I tried to make the most of my down time and practice some self-care which actually looked more like lounging around in my pj’s until at least noon. Here’s what else I did.

Where I went-the Mariners Museum Park and Noland Trail pretty much sits in my backyard. Okay, it’s about a mile down the road, but pretty much the same thing. I love visiting Museums in my area but what really drew me out the other day was the gorgeous Lions Bridge Dam. I stumbled upon it while house hunting last month and couldn’t wait to check it out up close. The Dam has a scenic view of the James River and gorgeous lion sculptures that were created in 1932 by the museum owner’s wife.

Now, if we’re connected on IG you may have seen my story where I shared that there was quite a bit of commotion at the bridge. If not, i’ll give you the readers digest version (aka the short story for my millennial readers).  A crowd had gathered and a park ranger was standing at the bank of the river with binoculars. Turns out a dog had gotten off his leash chasing ducks and jumped into the lake. He swam way out refusing to come when his owners called him. I had no idea what the big deal was until someone yelled “He’s giving up!” and I am not exaggerating when I say a hush fell over the crowd, just like in the movies. He’d swum to the other side and tried to come back but had gotten so tired that he was really struggling.The crowd was giving up too but the owner persisted. “Come on Boss!” she yelled and to make a long story short Boss made it ashore. According to the crowd he’d tried to swim back four times. So my takeaway from that was my mantra from for the second half of this year #KeepSwimming. You never know when your breakthrough is coming. Don’t give up friends! 

Now, back to the park… Here’s a list of the best parks in every State in case you want to check out a few for yourself.

Here what I watched-A Simple Favor-I enjoyed this plot twisty movie even though I am not a thriller kind of girl. I mostly wanted to see it because of Blake, Anna and the good looking guy from Crazy Rich Asians. While it is suspenseful it is also humorous and very intriguing. I would just warn that if you have young tweens who love Blake and Anna or even the heartthrob from CRA it might not be the film for them. If you have no idea what movie I’m even talking about here’s a trailer.

Here’s what I read-The October Issue of Oprah Magazine-I get excited about every issue of O, The Oprah Magazine which is probably why I am a brand ambassador for them, but I loved the What’s Beautiful to You Issue. I am certainly a person who appreciates beauty in every form but I have to tell you that travel has revealed the most beautiful scenery for me. Alaska was probably the most breathtaking  place I have seen so far, but even last year while driving to my friend’s daughter’s wedding in Lexington, Virginia I had a beautiful encounter. I was actually feeling quite frustrated on my long drive through windy roads (thanks GPS) as I traveled the two hours by myself. I felt nervous and anxious on those back country roads (I’m more of a highway/city driver). And then…I stumbled upon a mountain view that made me literally stop my car and stare. There was a lookout point where people were doing just that. I didn’t get out and join them because I was pressed for time. “That right there is God’s work!” I said to myself. And,  I’ll say to you, that I believe that anything that makes you stop in your tracks to admire it and thank the creator is true beauty to me!

But speaking of O, The Oprah Magazine. They are launching a new digital Magazine this Fall. You can stay tuned here.

Here’s where I ate-I had a lunch date with my daughter at Thaijindesu, a Thai Fusion restaurant in our neighborhood. I absolutely love Thai food but my husband always says he hasn’t found “his dish” yet. He’s pretty open-minded about food and we love trying new things. I’m on a mission to have him love Thai as much as I do. So for him and for you (if you aren’t into Thai cuisine but want to give it a try) I found a list of popular must try Thai dishes. Though the article is about a visit to Thailand (sign me up for that trip!)You can find these in your local Thai restaurants so you don’t have to travel too far to enjoy them.

So that’s it for this week. I would love to hear about your week too!

 

Until Next Post,

Oh, and Keep Swimming…