The Law of Attraction – What to do When You’re Stuck!

Recently, I found myself sliding back into my old ways of negative thinking and felt that the Law of Attraction just wasn’t working for me very well. Certain areas of
my life just didn’t seem to be going the way I wanted them to and I didn’t know what to do. What I wanted was some direction in what I should do with my life and it just wasn’t coming.

Then a couple weeks ago, I took a trip with my husband and daughter to Washington, DC. We live in Texas, and altho I spent quite a bit of time on the East Coast when I was younger, I hadn’t been there for 20 years. Let me add too, that we never take vacations that aren’t related to visiting relatives or going to softball tournaments.

While we were gone for those 6 days, I decided to put everything in my life on hold and just enjoy the moment – being with my husband and 21 year old daughter, seeing new sites (much had changed in DC since my last visit), having a great holiday with no cooking, no cleaning, no housework, no worries over jobs and “what should I do with my life?”

While we were gone, I decided that when I got home, I would start all over again at the beginning with the Law of Attraction. I got out books I’d read that inspired me, like some by Wayne Dyer, I bought his new book too on the TAO and also the Abraham Hicks new book on The Amazing Power of Emotions. I decided not to pressure myself anymore and just observe.

When I was walking my dogs one day, I started thinking about what my life was at this moment, what I’d wanted to manifest in my life. I discovered a strange thing – many of the things I’d wanted to manifest a few months ago had come into my life but not in a way I expected so I didn’t really recognize them.

My husband and I wanted to travel but of course, money is always an issue. Well, the cost of our trip to DC was greatly offset because my husband went there for his job. He had to go there for training and we went a few days early to see the sites. We also got a nice trip to Galveston this summer, all planned by my step daughter and in the form of a family reunion, where we all shared the cost, which again made the travel affordable.

I am a freelance writer and last fall lost a very lucrative contract. Since then, I’ve been looking for something to replace this and haven’t found it. However, on my list of “how I want to live my life” was doing something to help others, having time for contemplation, meditation and yoga, etc. Altho I haven’t gotten a “job of my dreams” the past few months, my husband had gotten 2 promotions at work which put extra money into our budget.

Also, our daughter is a college student. Although she pays for all tuition, etc herself with scholarships, we had been paying things like car insurance, groceries, etc. This summer she got a very well paying part time job (talk about using the Law of Attraction!) which pays her extremely well per project and it takes only a couple days to do each one. This freed up more money for our budget.

We are fortunate in that we don’t really have money issues – however, retirement is looming!

Anyway, I realized that I had manifested what I desired, only not in the typical form of finding a well paying job for myself. With the extra money in our budget, I am free to devote more time to projects of my own that -at the moment at least – aren’t earning much money. I am further developing my health website and also starting a new one on
eco-friendly living – a topic I feel is important. On our trip to DC, I also rediscovered my passion for history and am outlining a historical novel.

This has also freed up time to help my husband’s daughter with some babysitting for her one-year-old daughter. This beautiful little girl has greatly added to my life in many, many ways and I look forward to a long and cherished relationship with her and her 4 year old brother.

I guess what I wanted to express is that if you think the Law of Attraction isn’t working, step back and take an inventory of your life. Maybe some of your dreams have manifested but you didn’t recognize them for what they are because they didn’t come to you in a way you were expecting and anticipating.

I am now trying to follow advice given to me by a friend – That once you decide to follow your path to higher consciousness, then assume that everything that happens is part of your path. Instead of seeing problems, see opportunities.

Raise your vibration!
http://www.path2healthyliving.com/LOARaisingYourVibration.html

What to see in Washington, DC

Recently, we took a trip to Washington, DC for about 6 days of whirlwind sight seeing. Washington has changed a lot since my last visit there. There are more memorials, more parks and it is much more tourist friendly than it used to be.

We were fortunate to stay at the Holiday Inn Capital, which is one block behind the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The first day, we had only the afternoon to get started. We decided to eat lunch at the American Indian Museum. It’s a fascinating place to eat and I highly recommend it. The cafe is divided into various Native American tribes, like Plains Indians, for instance, with food selections that are authentic to each tribe. Very unusual dishes but delicious!

All of the Smithsonian museums are free, of course. These days, you have to submit to a handbag and back pack search, but it’s a small price to pay for security, I suppose.

You could easily spend a day in any of the Smithsonian Museums but we managed to see the highlights of most of them in a day and a half. The Air and Space Museum has such wonders as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart’s planes and Apollo capsules. As this was a Saturday, the Museum was swarming with families trying to get in some last minute vacationing before Labor Day. I went back on a weekday to see the show at the Planetarium, Cosmic Collisions, which was terrific.

One day or our trip, we got tickets on the Historic Trolley, which gives you a pass for the day and you can get on and off as you please while listening to a tour guide explain the sights. I’d highly recommend this as the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery are sights you don’t want to miss but much to far to walk to. Arlington National Cemetery took us a good 3 hours of solid walking to see everything, including the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier, which is a very solemn and inspirational thing to see.

Other sights at Arlington include the Iwo Jima memorial, which is a a good 20 minute walk from everything else, John and Robert Kennedy’s graves, Robert E. Lee’s home and the new Women’s Military Memorial. The day we were there was really hot! One good tip we learned was to buy a bottle of water at our hotel before starting out each day. The water at the hotel was $1.50 while at most of the tourist places, it would reach $3 a bottle.

All the memorials in DC are very impressive and beautiful. The scenery is made for photos!

One place I’d recommend not skipping is the FDR memorial. Not many people stop there but it is a great tribute to the people of the Depression and a beautiful outdoor spot with waterfalls and a path to amble.

Another place I’d highly recommend is the International Spy Museum. This was my daughter’s find and we bought the tickets on line before we left home. I would recommend this because before the Museum opens, there are two lines, one with tickets and one line needing tickets. The ones with tickets get in first. Plus they assign you a time when you buy the ticket so if you want to go in first thing, you’d almost need to buy the ticket ahead of time. Being in the first group to go in also gives you a little elbow room that is lacking as the hours go on and more people come in.

The spy museum offers a great overview of spying in history, with WWII and the Cold War being main attractions. The kids present loved it! Their gift shop is a great place too. Don’t miss it.

The Botanical Gardens is another great place to take a beautiful walk and, even on a very hot day, it was cool inside.

On the day I had to wander DC by myself, I decided to go to the Holocaust Museum. As a WWII history buff, this was a must-see for me and it was very impressive. To get in is free but you need a ticket with an assigned time. Again, I’d recommend going early with the first group when it isn’t wall to wall people.

At the Holocaust Museum you’ll find movies taken at the time, photos, an actual railroad car which transported people to the death camps and you can hear the words of survivors talk of their experience. The museum shop contains many, many books on the subject of the Holocaust, particularly memoirs of those who were there. I was glad to see a wall dedicated to those who tried to help the Jews, with names and photos and a brief description of what they did.

My daughter and I decided to take the DC Circulator over to Georgetown and have lunch one day. This is a tourist friendly bus system with only 3 routes around the city so you can’t get lost on it. It costs one dollar to take it and you can request a transfer, which is free. We made it to Georgetown and back with no problem.

The food in DC is pretty expensive and there is a 10% tax on it so the costs add up! One spot I’d really recommend tho is the La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant

(http://www.latascausa.com/location1.cfm) We ate a delicious paella there and a tapa selection recommended by our waiter.

Our hotel the Holiday Inn Capital also provided a great breakfast and dinner buffet for a reasonable price. Most of the time in the evenings we were too tired from walking all day to leave the hotel! The hotel also had a beautiful night time view of the Capitol from the rooftop swimming pool area.

Can’t wait for a return visit. Next time I want to visit Mount Vernon and travel down to Williamsburg!

Washington DC is a beautiful city and I feel it’s a fitting introduction to the US for the many foreign visitors who come to see it.

tornado!

One very scary thing about living in North Texas is the threat of tornados. The Dallas/Fort Worth area is right in tornado alley.

A couple of nights ago, my husband and I were being annoyed by the constant interruptions to a TV show we were watching because of severe weather warnings. Sometimes the weather people get too carried away by the “severe weather” here and get everyone all upset. Suddenly we took notice because the severe weather was coming down our street! A huge red blob spread across the screen showing a thunderstorm headed our way.

Besides this, storm spotters has seen a wall cloud, which could be a precurser to a tornado and there was some rotation on the radar. The storm was only moving at about 15 miles an hours so it was expected to be over us for several minutes.

Luckily we didn’t lose power so we could keep track on television of the storm’s progress. We were told to get to an inside area of the house on the first floor. We had one previous tornado warning here since we moved in and when that one came we weren’t ready at all.  Imagine sirens blaring, wind howling and your only interior closet is full of junk! Our safest area is a coat closet under the stairs in the center of the house. That time we hastily threw into the living room so that we and our three dogs and a cat could get inside.

 After that experience, needless to say, we cleaned out the closet. I put a cat carrier in the back and it was ready to go when the sirens sounded. I had time to take the hanging coats out, grab the cat and dogs and head to the closet.

Our little family of 3 dogs are various sizes, one weighs 100 lbs and one weighs about 40 lbs and one is in between. The little one, Molly, is like a child, growling and saying “He’s touching me!” The big dog, Charlie, of course decided he needed to lay down on top of Molly. Leo, the middle child, was calm through out. The cat of course was offended at being put into the carrier. I was sitting between the wall and the cat carrier door. Tommy the cat promptly pried the door off so he could stick his claws into me in protest.

Now, this is not a big closet, mind you. My husband never actually got into it. He opened the windows and stood in the doorway watching the television with sirens blaring and wind howling. Golf ball sized hail pelted the ground noisily.

At that time nobody had actually seen a tornado but the next day they showed a video someone captured on their cell phone of one about 2 miles from our house. It tore off some garage doors and a couple roofs. Luckily, our neighborhood was safe enough. No broken windows or cars dented.

Our next house is going to be out of  tornado alley and have a nice safe room in the basement so we can take cover in some comfort!

Spring Wildflowers in Texas

This past weekend we drove from Southeast Louisiana to North Texas up 287. This highway wanders through rural Texas where picturesque small towns, farms and farmland greet the traveler. This is a great place to find famed Texas wildflowers growing in fields and along the roadway. This year Texas had enough rain to produce wonderful wildflower displays, unlike last year.

Bluebonnets are the state flower of Texas but over 5,000 species of wildflowers also bloom in Texas during March, April and May. Other splashes of color come from yellow Black-eyed Susans, poppies and more. For more information about wildflowers in Texas and where to find them, visit the Texas Department of Transportation website at http://www.dot.state.tx.us/travel/flora_conditions.htm

Trip to Southeast Louisiana

This past weekend, we visited southeast Louisiana, spending a rainy night in Sulphur. Louisiana is famous for its Cajun cuisine and the restaurant we chose, Cajun Charlie’s Seafood Restaurant was terrific. Since we couldn’t decide among the many choices, which included catfish, shrimp, crawfish and crabs, we chose the all-you-could-eat buffet for a bargain price of $16.95. Most meals on the menu were from about $13.95 and up.

The buffet didn’t disappoint and judging from the many customers which flooded the restaurant at an early 5 pm, Cajun Charlie’s is famous among the locals too. The buffet offered fried frog legs, barbequed soft crab, shrimp served several ways, quail, both fried and baked, catfish, both fried and blackened, several chicken dishes, sweet potatoes, both in French fried sticks and as a casserole, okra, several rice dishes, crab cakes, hushpuppies and shrimp pie, just to name a few.

There were so many dishes, it was possible to take just a sampling of each and still make two trips. Dessert was included-banana pudding and cobbler. The restaurant also included a quaint gift shop for purchasing Louisiana memorabilia like potholders, recipe books, cups and the like to remember your trip. the waitresses were friendly and attentive too.

Cajun Charlie’s Seafood Restaurant and Gift Shop is located next to a cemetery but somehow this seems to add to the scenic quality of the visit. The address is 202 Henning Drive, Sulphur, LA 70663, I-10 Exit 20. The phone number is 318-527-9044..

Our stay in Sulfur was at the Wingate Inn for $98 per night. The Wingate offered kind-sized bed, high speed internet, microwave, frig, a fair sized breakfast and took pets under 20 lbs for a $20 non-refundable fee. We took our 35 lb dog, Molly, though and had no problem. The room at the Wingate Inn was nice but the breakfast was billed as more than just continental. In fact, it included just eggs, biscuits and sausage so you could make your own egg muffin. The waffle machine was non-existent even though there was a sign offering waffles. My husband was also disappointed that there was no gravy or yogurt.

The Wingate Inn is located at 300 Arena RdI-10 Exit 20Sulphur, LA 70665 US Phone: 337-527-5151

We were in Sulphur for a college softball game between our daughter’s team, the Mavericks of the University of Texas, Arlington against McNeese of Lake Charles, LA. The games were never held though due to rainy weather.

The weather didn’t stop us from enjoying the famed Texas wildflowers along the roadsides of 287. We decided to take 287 home as it is more scenic and goes through wonderful farm land and small towns. Along the roadsides bloomed bluebonnets, black-eyed Susans and more. Put that splash of color against the rural countryside and it’s a true site to warm the soul.

For more travel information on southeast Louisiana visit http://www.escapetothesoutheast.com/LA-DMO-LouisianaOfficeofTourism.asp

Trip to Nacogodoches, Texas

In March, we went to watch our daughter play in 3 college softball games with Stephen F. Austin University. Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas, and very pretty. Located in the Piney Woods of east Texas, the old-fashioned town square has been preserved and is a lovely place to walk on a Sunday morning.

Nacogdoches is named for a member of the Caddo family of Indians who once lived in this area. Nacogdoches was one of twin brothers. The other brother, Natchitoches, settled three days to the east in Louisiana. The road between the two communities because a trade route and was well-traveled.Nacogdoches remained an Indian settlement until the Spanish established a mission there in 1716. This mission was the first European settlement in the area.

In 1779, Nacogdoches became a Pueblo, or town, established by Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, a prominent Spanish trader. The stone house he built for his trading business stands today as the Old Stone Fort, which at the time was a gateway from the United States to the vast Texas frontier. Over the next four decades, Nacogdoches and the Old Stone Fort became the site of three failed attempts to establish a Republic of Texas and during that time 9 flags have flown over Nacogdoches as opposed to the six that have flown over Texas. For more information about this charming town, go to http://www.visitnacogdoches.org/

That evening the team and the parents ate at the Clear Springs Cafe, at 211 Old Tyler Road. (http://www.clearspringscafe.com/home.html)

The restaurant decor was terrific. The Clear Springs Hall and Store was built in 1873 for storing cotton and the original look has been preserved, while antiques and posters of the time are everywhere. Apparently our party surprised the staff, even though the coaches had called ahead. Our waitress took our drink order and didn’t return. We had to flag down someone to take our order, while others, who were obviously locals, were being served before us.

However, I had grilled shrimp and a bowl of gumbo, which were delicious. The prices for the Cajun-style food, were mid-range from about $11-15. The menu included crawfish, catfish cooked several ways, salmon and tilapia, as well as steaks and chicken. We had dessert as well and the peach cobbler with ice cream was delicious!

Here is a map to their location http://www.clearspringscafe.com/locations/nacogdoches.html

In Nacogdoches, we stayed at the La Quinta Inn which was clean and nice. The room had a frig and free wireless internet. It was conveniently located on a strip with many restaurants and gas stations and only 2.6 miles from the city center. The price was only $64 for a king size bed. I would highly recommend this hotel.The La Quinta is located at 3215 South Street Nacogdoches, TX USA 75961-7212

When Visiting Atlanta try the Ansley Inn

I see on the Ansley Inn’s website that they are now closed for renovation but will re-open soon. I’ll keep checking on this and get back to you when it’s open again because it’s a truly luxury place to stay in Atlanta. We stayed at Ansley Inn for several days last year and were very impressed. We arrived about 8:30 in the evening after a long drive and were greeted with a nice glass of wine and a beautiful room.

This English Tudor mansion built in 1907, and is in the heart of Midtown Atlanta. The street is graced with other beautiful homes so take a walk to see them when you’re there.

We stayed in an Ansley Wing right next to the Inn and our room was terrific! We liked it because it was a little more private than staying in the main Inn itself. The furnishings were elegant and complete with a frig, TV, jetted bathtub, a huge closet with a counter and mirror so you can get ready for the evening.

In the Inn itself, where you eat your breakfast buffet you’ll find massive fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, oriental rugs and period pieces from Chippendale, Queen Anne and Empire.

The southern style breakfast is all hot and ready on the long buffet. Guests serve themselves and eat at their leisure. Refreshments are served in the parlor in the late afternoon. We found the desk always staffed and the person there very ready and willing to help out with directions or ideas for sites to see in Atlanta, plus great stories about the Inn.

The location of the Inn makes it an ideal place to stay and see the sites. I’d recommend the Gone With the Wind Museum and Margaret Mitchell House and the Atlanta History Center. The drive to the History Center is beautiful with the finest in Atlanta’s homes lining the street. Also at the History Center, you can buy tickets to the nearby Swan House, which is also a must see!

My only problem with Atlanta is the traffic! We encountered the rudest drivers there that we’d ever seen anyplace. Put on your turn signal and it’s like a red flag for someone to try and cut you off. We almost got clipped several times.

Current rates at Ansley Inn are $160-$250 for the main house per night and for the Ansley Wing they are $120-175 per night. The Inn in non-smoking and there is a no pet policy. 

General Manager: Curt Levy
253 Fifteenth Street
Atlanta, Georgia (GA) 30309
Phone: 404.872.9000 Fax: 404.892.2318
E-mail: reservations@ansleyinn.com
Website: www.ansleyinn.com
US and Canada Reservations: 1.800.446.5416
Office Hours: 7am-11pm

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Houston

Last month I took my first trip to Houston. We travel a lot around the state of Texas and the south to see my daughter’s college softball team play and this weekend included a tournament at the University of Houston. My daugher’s team stayed at the Marriott and she said it was beautiful so we expected our hotel, the Red Roof Inn nearby, to be nice as well.

I guess our biggest mistake was trying to get a “deal.” With all the discounts they gave us, the price tag ended up being only $44 which should have given us a clue as to what to expect. We had planned to take our dog as well, and they didn’t ask for a pet deposit.  You get what you pay for, you say? Well, that’s certainly true.

This room seemed dirty and had the bare minimum of furniture in it. There were cracks in the bathroom tile and only one tiny packet of shampoo for two people. Also-no hair dryer. I thought those were standard these days and this was one of the first times I hadn’t brought mine along. Lucklily I did have shampoo.

Outside the room, the carpets were dirty, stained and ripped. There was trash in the hallway and we couldn’t even face what might have passed for “breakfast.” We decided to check with the Marriott Houston Hobby Airport when we went to see our daughter that night and see if we could get a room for our second night. Judging from the beautiful lobby, it was worth whatever we’d have to pay.

All that was left at the Marriott was a suite-$109 with no discounts given. Breakfast was another $20 for the two of us. I snapped it up and would probably have paid more. Knowing our second night would be more luxuious, we went bad to our dingy room. 

The Marriott provided us with a perfect night’s stay. Our suite had a frig, microwave, hairdryer and two TV’s. The decor was luxurious, including about a dozen fluffy pillows on the bed. The breakfast was indeed worth the money. The buffet was huge and included ready-made omlettes, eggs, bacon and sausage as well as yogurt, cereal, fruit and lots of pastries, toast and bagels.

The Marriott is about 9 stories of rooms all facing out to the central court yard. The elevators are glass on one side so you have a nice view of the lobby below. Even the art work was well thought out. Service was exemplery. The only slight complaint I’d have is that they charged extra for everything, like the bottles of water left in the room. Internet in the room was $12.95 per day although you could use the business center with either their computer or your own for free, as well as getting a certain number of copies or faxes for free.  

We’ve decided it’s a good plan to stay in hotels that offer convention service because to attract conventions, they have to achieve a certain standard of appearance and services.

These hotels were in South Houston which I am not anxious to visit again. It was dirty, trashy and down-trodden looking. The Marriott was a diamond in the middle of all this. I am told north Houston is much nicer. The weather last weekend was cold and rainy as well, which I’m told is unusual.

The Red Roof Inn is located at 9005 Airport Blvd in south Houston.

The Marriott Houston Hobby Airport is located at 9100 Gulf Freeway and the phone number is 713-943-7979.

I would highly recommend, if you want a luxurious stay in Houston, to try the Marriott. There are numerous restaurants near by.  We ate Mexican food at the Casa Ole, located at 12350 Gulf Fwy. The service is terrific, the people friendly and the food great.

Welcome from Journey to Wellness

We here at Journey to Wellness believe that your health is your responsibility. Whatever the current state of your health, you can always make changes that will lead to improvement. If you currenty have a serious health problem or illness, we advise always checking with your physician first before embarking on any new health plan.

Since a huge percentage of supposedly age related diseases are due to life-style choices, we would like to offer tips and health and wellness information that will help you make good choices. These good choices will lead to a healthy, vibrant, energetic life, both now and in the future.

After working in the health care profession for 20 years, I saw many people as patients in the hospital or operating rooms who were there as a result of bad life-style choices. With the proper nutrition, exercise and stress reduction techiniques, you can lead a healthier life, no matter what your health challenges are.

 Another portion of Journey to Wellness is our travel blog. We believe that travel is a great way to reduce stress and rejuvenate the soul. Have you had a great travel experience you talked about for weeks? How about a dreadful travel experience you talked about for weeks? We’ll be rating the places we visit, offering tips and advice on where to eat and where to stay. If you have any tips you’d like to pass along or experiences you’d like to share, offer them in our comment section.