Karate kicking..........

I’ve been thinking about re-starting my blog for several months. Then things keep happening and I get so far behind and it’s the least of my worries. However, as challenges have presented in 2022 and continue to block my lane, I decided to finish up this post I started many weeks ago and set it free.

As gentle as an angry 42-year-old with health issues of that of an 95 -year-old could, I flung the door open to my Jeep, jumped out and proceeded to karate kick my garage door that was erroneously bouncing up and down in my brand-new gold and hot pink monogrammed sandals. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. I honestly wanted to slide down that garage door and crumble into a ball and sob. And here’s a good place to add, in my driveway, which earlier in the day had been swept clean of the neighbors TREE which had landed across it in a storm the night before. Also, should be noted this is the SECOND time said tree has taken up space in my driveway in the last few years.

Why is it when things go wrong, they just plain go wrong? Or they keep going wrong? One wrong turn leads to another, and you are in deeper and deeper. Since February, I have battled what I consider my most challenging fight with myasthenia gravis. Two surgical procedures with complications, one a pretty big one, fluid on my lungs which has resulted in very low oxygen that are likely reflective of the work my lungs are able to do at this point and time because I do have a rare neuromuscular disorder. Some days I just live with the condition I am in, but early last week as a breathing machine arrived at my house to use at night and I lost my sh*t.

Like many things with MG, I am not sure why this is happening. My first question was how soon can I get off this machine to which the tech responded people don’t usually ever get off this machine.

I’ve spent more time on the phone, emailing and googling trying to piece this all together and get it fixed”. It’s literally like having a second job managing my health right now. There is NOTHING like nothing, I wouldn’t do to feel like a normal person again. And I use the word “normal” loosely because after all I’ve been battling MG since I was 5. I’m not exactly normal. I get plasmapheresis treatments on the regular, have a goose egg sized fistula in my left arm, pretty much a permanent RB face due to being unable to move my muscles from my MG but those are all my norms. I’d pay a serious buck to go back to that normalcy.

I’ve got a million questions and no answers. I’m trying to give myself grace and take each day by day, one step in front of the other and know these experiences are going to help me be better along the way. My social life has halted to a very slow crawl as I navigate how to tackle these obstacles. To this point in my life, I’ve been successful in using humor to guide me through stressful mishaps and my health. Thus humor has been a bit harder to find this go round. The level of severity, a little more severe this time. A serious debate with my own mortality stares at me in the mirror. Where is this disease going?

Here is where this post has me stumped, not quite able to tie it all together and wrap it up. Honestly, I’m not really sure of the purpose of sharing all this but as my days stuck at home grow longer, I know I’m also desperate for a creative outlet and if you saw my attempts at sewing you’d beg me not to restart any of those projects!

So maybe it is a gentle reminder to others about what it is like to face adversity with your health, which seems to have come to the forefront over these last few days over what has happened in our nation. Whether that be a chronic illness, rare disease or a women’s issue, the next time somebody shares with you how they are feeling or what is going on in their life with their health, validate them. It’s not about you. It’s about the person feeling safe, being able to vent and make choices from where they sit. Unless you’ve lived with health adversity, please don’t make judgements on others on how they navigate their future.

Lastly, I guess I share this to be real. I do not need sympathy or prayers. If you can do anything, take action. Hug your loved ones tighter. Be kind. Be less judgmental. Hold open the door. Make amends. Give the kudos and tell people what they mean to you. Rescue a dog (preferably one that doesn’t leave nuggets near your pillow, ahem), donate to your favorite charity, buy somebody’s lunch. If you are thinking about somebody, text them and tell them. I will not be deterred from using these times of challenge from finding the silver linings and know it could be so much worse!

Until then, I look forward to the day when I can karate kick this machine right back to where it came from…….

Keep on washing..............

The soap on my sink caught my eye this morning and I smiled.  In the olden days of COVID-19, you know somewhere around March 2020, I remember watching the soap containers in what seemed like forever, go slowly down as I was home day after day.  I remember ordering soap from friends who were getting my groceries or through my grocery pick ups.  And sometimes soap was so hard to come by.  Also, you should know I'm picky about my soap, if it's not Mrs. Meyer's Iowa Pine, it needs to be in a pink or purple bottle or have that color of a label.  

As somebody with a malfunctioning immune system and very vulnerable to illness, I am not ashamed to say I hoarded soap and probably still qualify as a soap hoarder.  Please don't look in my mudroom cabinet.

But this morning I smiled as I pumped the soap into my hands.  I have basically been contained to my house, besides going out for work since December 22nd.  A little over a month. I can count on my hands the number of people I have gotten to encounter and had interactions with.  For me, pre COVID, this is very rare. I am a social person. I thrive in social situations. I love people but this go round, when omicron beared down on us, something hit me differently and I knew I could isolate at home and be actually ok.  Well let me rephrase, that, it hit me differently after I spent the darn Christmas holiday by myself because we decided I shouldn't fly on the busiest day of the year.   

I am calm. I'm happy and I am as healthy as I can be while I manage my MG. I have a roof over my head, a great job, some family who love me and care about me 🤣, an amazing support system including friends who I consider my family and a dog who might poo in my bed tonight but that's a whole other blog post.  And I've got enough soap to keep washing my hands and making the most of it.

Cherish what you got friends.  Life is short. Over 5 million people are dead because of this virus.  And let me remind you, this virus doesn't care who you vote for or what religion you think might save you.  Get your vaccinations. Get your boosters AND keep washing your hands. 

 

The Perfect Mistake

 

If you follow me on social media, you likely already know this story! When I got home after the MGA celebration last week, I had an email from Union Station that said they would be unable to do the lighting due to an electrical issue. I replied to my contact the next morning and said how amazing the lighting was in person and that I had seen some great pictures. She responded this afternoon that the electrical issue was that some of the lighting kept going PINK. Of course I noticed that last night because if you know me you know PINK if my favorite color, in fact my house is quite obnoxious with PINK. What they thought was a mistake could not have turned out more perfect……

Let Your Light Shine

I wrote this piece for the MGA blog but wanted to share it here also.  My wheels have been turning for revitalizing this blog as I truly do enjoy writing.  I just haven't had a lot of time over the last few years but I hope that will change!

I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis at age 5. The depth and severity of my disease did not become apparent to me, I don’t think, until I was a teenager. Over the course of the last many years, there have been lots of times where I felt very little hope and that my light had been dimmed. As I have grown older and more seasoned in my journey with a rare disease, I know it is just part of the roller coaster.

However, last week with the help of many dedicated partners, we were able to let our light shine a little brighter when Union Station in Kansas City was lit teal in honor of myasthenia gravis awareness month. Coming off the heels of celebrating our organization’s 60th birthday, the skyline of Kansas City was capitalized with the iconic building standing teal.
As I stood at the Liberty Memorial and gazed out over the skyline, I couldn’t feel prouder of my journey and of the impact the Myasthenia Gravis Association has had on the rare disease community. There are 60 years of rich history intertwined throughout the heartland of dedicated staff, board of directors, medical advisory committee members, professionals, patients, and families who have all worked to lay the foundation to keep the glimmer of hope going.
While the light didn’t shine bright for a lot of people in 2020, a lot of pieces are coming back together as a re-emergence from COVID-19 begins. I hope this glimmer of light is a reminder of all the amazing things that are happening in our MG community right now. There are a handful of clinical trials of new potential treatments. There is one in fact, in the FDA pipeline for hopeful approval by the end of the year, and there are numerous ways to connect with groups across Kansas, Missouri, and NW Arkansas both in-person and virtually. Remember, when your light starts to flicker and you feel you are losing hope, think of the community that surrounds you. It takes a village to fight myasthenia gravis and we are all on this journey together. Keep shining, friends.

Rosé

Not every day will be Rosé but there is Rosé in every day. Might be the cheesiest thing I ever wrote, but goes with the picture! Reflecting on time I got to spend last week in St. Martin. 2020 was hard. It aged me. It changed me. And 2021 has been hard and hectic. But the warmth and the sunshine reminded me that there is change with every season and hope. Cheers to spring, vaccinations and future glasses of Rosé shared with others......

Hardships?

As I was talking on the phone this morning, I noticed a chip out of my brand new wood floor, and then two other small scratches.  A pit grew in my stomach.  How could something like that happen on something so new that I've taken such good care of?!

I've been pretty MIA from this blog for many reasons, but one being because I completely renovated my house.  Someday, a blog post will follow all about that! For nearly 8 weeks, I was living a crazy, chaotic life and am finally just resettling. So you can see how those discoveries would be upsetting.  End that call and get on another when it was abruptly stopped due to a rolling power outage.  (My work phone runs through the computer)

I was irate.  I have stuff to do! My to do list never ends.  For the last 3 years of my life, I cannot seem to get ahead or tackle things like I used to and I am plagued with this feeling of never being complete.  It keeps me up at night!  But as quick as I got mad, I got calm.  We've been living in this frozen tundra for the last 2 days and rolling power outages were predicted as a part of the energy management.  I should also add, we've been surviving COVID-19 for the last 11.5 months and flexibility is the KEY.  I scooped up my ever-not-so- friendly rescue dog and got some blankets and went to the couch.

That ever -not-so friendly rescue dog who LOVES to cuddle under a blanket, refused. She was too concerned in the quiet, with all the sounds you don't normally hear to sit still. So she perched on my leg and growled and snarled and growled some more.  Isn't it so funny how we are desperate for quiet moments and for life to slow down, then it happens and we growl about it?

It wasn't the most comfortable 75 minutes of my life.  I drafted this blog post in my head while we waited.  The house got progressively colder and darker.  And there I sat watching it all unfold.  Luckily for Ries and I, the power switched back on. While we continue to wait for the shower to turn back on, it's a small bump in the road in the big picture of life.  2020 changed our lives, changed our relationships, changed our outlooks. What can't we handle today? So whatever you are facing, keep your face to the sun and remember these days of hardship.  

Adversity builds character.

Watermelon Mules

I know summer has long gone but it's 2020 so why not bend the rules!  I had actually planned to make these in the summer and got the supplies and just never did. Anyway, these are amazing and so refreshing! I'll definitely be making them next summer!

Watermelon Mules

(measure to your preference)

watermelon juice

Vodka

Ginger Beer (I use diet)

Garnish with watermelon

Giving some gratitude

 It’s November and chances are you are seeing more of the word “gratitude” pop up in your social media feeds and in TV commercials.  That is when there aren’t political commercials. 

When the pandemic first started, I had a very good practice of giving gratitude daily and documenting it. It was a way to help keep me organized, draw some boundaries over grieving the situation we were in and help keep my mindset positive.

Gratitude has been hard to find these last few months. Let’s face it. I’m terrified for what’s to come tomorrow. I cannot live another 4 years of this reality TV show.  The shattered America and disastrous mess the man has created and that we are living in has ripped apart my sense of gratitude.  

However, as we were working on a gratitude roll up for some social media for work I took a stab at a blog (for the work blog and tweaked a bit for here) about the effects it can have on your mental health. Then my mom started an ABC’s of gratitude and I started to feel the gratitude fuzzies again!

Giving gratitude in November seems in part tradition because many families and friends can be found going around the table at Thanksgiving sharing what they are grateful for. After all, it’s “thanks” “giving.”  Supper Club friends, I am already sad about missing this in 2020.  One of my best memories is in 2016, chanting "Obama" after every statement of gratitude and the more wine that was drank the louder "Obama" became!  The good old days!

We also can’t fail to mention the positive effect giving gratitude can have on ones health and wellness.  When I’ve done a presentation about “Living your best life with MG,” I reference the book “29 Gifts” by Cami Walker in which she practices giving gratitude for 29 straight days and what she notices about her health as she battles multiple sclerosis.  I’ve also written about trying to follow her 29 days plan. It’s so much fun if you’ve never tried it before!

According to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky and published in Forbes in 2014, giving gratitude can enhance empathy, reduce aggression, improve sleep, decrease depression as well as people who practice regular gratitude have fewer aches and pains.  Sounds like an easy prescription to enhance your health, huh?

Although I do get it, as somebody who faces MG day in and day, there are days when it would be easier to be a grump and ungrateful.  You can’t deny that it stinks to be living with a debilitating illness.   

But then I think of the world and how much better off it would be if we all took baby steps in gratitude. Even for the simplest things like, enough soap to wash our hands, um hello COVID-19, a person holding open the door, your furry friends using the outdoor facilities instead of your favorite rug, friends leaving a fountain diet coke on your doorstep, a real card in the mail.  Giving gratitude and saying thank you are virtually free. It doesn’t cost you anything to have gratitude.

It’s kind of like looking at a glass either half full or half empty.  A few years ago, I asked a room full of people living with MG what the best thing about having MG was.  Of course that was followed up with the question, “what is the worst thing about having MG.”  The room grew quiet.  I’m pretty sure a handful of them thought I was crazy.  Probably still think that!  Not many people offered input so I spoke something along the lines of this, “I’m grateful for my health, having MG has introduced me to many people I would not know otherwise and I know it could be so much worse.”  I firmly believe that. There IS good in every little thing.

So call me weird, call me crazy, but one of my most favorite things is to hear what others are grateful for.  It brings a smile to my face.  Chances are it reminds me of something I’m grateful for in my own life.  It sparks connections with people you never knew you had. “Oh, Kim Crawford is your favorite Sauvignon blanc? Mine too!”  It lightens the world and takes a load off your shoulders. 

What are you grateful for this year?

Iowa Maid Rite

 Anybody else have an affinity for a true Iowa Maid Rite? I can still remember eating at the Maid Rite in Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids just outside Younkers department store!  Luckily a few Maid Rite restaurants still exist but they are few and far between.

I saw a recipe for the real Iowa Maid Rite on Instagram and my mom tested the recipe on a recent trip home. It's about as easy as making boxed mac and cheese and tastes just like I remember a Maid Rite to taste!

Iowa Maid Rite

Scramble and brown 1lb ground beef

Add 1 can of beef consommé soup

Add a little bit of onion powder

Serve on buns with pickles, ketchup and mustard

2020 Edition of Birthday Freebies!

When COVID-19 first started I thought of how terrible it must be to have a birthday during a pandemic. Then as the year has drug on I started to realize having a birthday during a pandemic is going to happen to all of us lucky ones!  Definitely a different tone for birthday celebrating this year!

As I’ve done for many years. I wanted to provide an updated Birthday Coupons Post. As you can imagine, many businesses are struggling and it’s a hard time.  I would definitely say the amount of coupons from email distribution lists was down this year.  Along the same lines, I haven’t been able to use as many with not being able to go out and about because of COVID-19.

2020 Birthday Freebies

Kona Grill- $15 for your birthday month if you enroll in their reward program.
Lenny's Subs- Free sub for your birthday if you join their reward program.
Drunken Fish- now sends a ½ birthday coupon for buy 1 get 1 free
The Rafael Hotel- dining credit of $150 with a hotel booking on a Sunday night.
Pizza Hut- free cinnamon breadsticks
Nothing Bundt Cakes- Free bundtlet (that might just be my favorite coupon this year!)
Baskin Robbins- Free scoop on your birthday.
The Melting Pot- free dipped strawberries
Fuddruckers- free burger birthday coupon
Aerie- 15% off coupon
Q-Trip- free drink coupon
Qdoba- free chocolate chip cookie
Target Circle- coupon for 5% off
H&M- coupon for 25% off
Sushi House- $10 off $30 coupon although no longer good in the KC area.
Lands End- $50 off $100 purchase.
Made in KC- $5 off coupon
Sarpino's Pizza- $10 off your order.
Sonic- Free shake on your birthday.
Einstein Brothers Bagels- Free Egg Sandwich with purchase
Brueggers Bagels- no longer in KC (sad!), free bagel with shmear
Clothes Mentor- 15% off your purchase.
First Watch- Free Meal for signing up for their e-club.
Jason's Deli- sign up for their eclub and get $5 for your birthday..
Omaha Steaks- free chocolate cake and 10% off for signing up for their e-club.
Firebirds Wood Fire Grill- $10 off for your birthday for signing up for their email club.
Hamburger Mary's- free bottle of champagne if you bring in 6 or more people to celebrate your birthday!
Louie's Wine Dive- tell them it's your birthday and they bring you a bottle of vino to take home
Planet Sub- free sub when you sign up for their email club.
Marble Slab Cremery- $5 off a cake for your birthday.
Gap Factory- extra 15% off for your birthday.
Garnet Hill- $25 off birthday coupon.
Zaxby's- Free Nibbler sandwich coupon for your birthday in app only!
J. Crew Factory- 20% and free shipping for your birthday.
Jimmy John’s- free sandwich
Corner Bakery- free sweet treat
Ace Rewards- $5 coupon for your birthday.
Potbelly- free cookie when you sign up for their e-club on your birthday.
Anthropologie- 20% off coupon emailed for your birthday but expires quickly
RA Sushi- sign up for their e-club and they mail you $20 for your ½ birthday and $20 for your birthday.
J.Gilberts- one of my personal favorites- sign up for their e-club and they send you a $25 dinner certificate.  This year it is redeemable curbside!!
DSW- Are you a Rewards Club member? If so they send you $5 for your birthday.
Houlihans- a free entree coupon if another one is purchased.
Mongolian BBQ- for signing up for their e-club you get a free entree for your birthday.
Fox Restaurant Concepts (North)- e club holders get a coupon for a free dessert
KC Hopps Concepts (Blue Moose, Barley's) KC Hopps Reward Card Holders can earn a free entree! (This was new to me but when they ran my card that was discovered!) You must sign up for a rewards card at one of the restaurants.
Healthi-Tan- free travel size moisturizer with your next appointment.
Seasons 52- free dessert on your birthday as a member of their e-club
Bristol- $25 coupon for your birthday if you sign up for their club.  Also redeemable curbside!
Jersey Mikes- free sandwich and drink on your birthday when you sign up for their e-club.
Banana Republic Cardholders- $15 on your birthday.
Container Store- Join their POP club and you get a birthday coupon
LaBodega- buy 1 tapa get 1 free for your birthday.
CVS Pharmacy- coupon for free nail polish

At Home- 15% off coupon emailed to you

Most coupons have an expiration date within 2 weeks of your birthday. Some are good for a month!  Know any other great offers for your birthday? Send them my way!

 

Mediterranean Bowl

Still surviving over here. Some days just barely and other days are going great. I guess that's life, a roller coaster but could seriously do without all these hiccups of 2020. I came across a recipe for Mediterranean Bowl's on Pinterest recently. So delish and I'll definitely be putting them in my regular line up.

Mediterranean Bowl

(measure to your liking or serving size)

Hummus

Feta Cheese

Quinoa

Cucumber

Diced red onion

Diced olives

drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette

The Wild White

Anybody else going stir crazy?  My MG very much limits where I can go and who I can be around right now.  I feel I've done a pretty good job creating fun but it comes and goes. There's only so much you can do in your 900 square foot house.  I'm thankful for my outdoor oasis.

My outdoor oasis is where I hosted a blind Sauvignon Blanc tasting a few weeks ago. My parents were in town for a treatment and I invited two other COVID-19 safe guests over.  Prior to the party I gathered my supplies. Thanks to Amazon and a wine shipment from Total Wine, sent to a friend's home in Missouri because gosh darn it Kansas and your alcohol rules.  I even ordered new white wine glasses from Amazon because two of mine have fallen victim to quarantine.  Then I created the wine tasting sheet in Canva.

I chose Sauvignon Blanc for the tasting because duh, it's my favorite wine and I knew there would be lots of open bottles to drink!  I also learned that Sauvignon Blanc means "wild white!" Who knew?  You can see hand sanitizer was even included in the tasting supplies!  The purpose of the blind tasting was to guess which bottle was which and then to rate on a scale how much you liked each.  The 6 bottles in the taste were.

• Kim Crawford $12-15
• Erica $20-24
• Kirkland Brand $6.99
• Loveblock $15-20
• Craggy Range $15-20
• Cupcake $6-8

Because of COVID-19, I poured a little sampling in each persons glass and then they made their guesses and ratings.  After the 6th pour I did the reveal of which was which! My Dad nearly got them all correct!  Craggy Range was the most liked and nobody really cared for Erica.  Erica is Kim Crawford's wife and it's her label. Fun fact you may not know, Kim Crawford no longer owns the Kim Crawford label. His label is Loveblock! One of them smelled entirely awful and now I can't remember which one it was!  This was such a fun tasting and while I knew each of the bottles it was fun to put them up for a taste side by side. 

Interested in putting together your own SB blind tasting, let me know and I'll send you the template I created. I can't figure out how to attach a PDF here.

Spicy Shrimp Stacks

My friend Carrie served me Spicy Shrimp Stacks a few summers ago after a day at the pool.  You know when we could safely go to people's homes for dinner and to their pools!  Remember those days? I thought they tasted amazing and her presentation was awesome.  I tried to make them shortly after she served them and they fell apart and were a disaster.

I got the courage to try them again a few weeks ago when my parents came to visit.  They are kind of like a big sushi roll so I served them with edamame, crab rangoon and egg rolls. The later I got from a Chinese restaurant..  Not quite ready to tackle those in my own kitchen!

Major bonus about the Spicy Shrimp Stacks, they are a Skinnytaste recipe!

Spicy Shrimp Stacks

Anne of Green Gables

I never knew the Netflix rage until COVID-19. My sweet friend Liz added me to her account. Thanks Liz!  💓  COVID was about 3 months in before I started turning to Netflix to fill my free time at home. I had seen years ago that Netlfix redid the Anne of Green Gables series.

Anne of Green Gables is a childhood favorite. I remember watching when it came out on PBS. I had the original set of books that were purchased at the actual Anne of Green Gables in Prince Edward Island.  I got rid of that set of books but some days I think how fun would it be to have them and re-read.

Our trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada was when I was about 5 or 6.  Obviously, visiting the Anne of Green Gables homestead left an impression on me.  I also remember that I got a floating pen there. I was able to find a similar pen like it on the internet. What can't you find on the internet, seriously! It kind of ties into the purpose of this post.

 

As I watched the Netflix Anne with an E series, I couldn't help but think how simple life was and maybe that's a problem with life today.  We are so tied to "things."   We've accumulated everything from tablets that talk to our phones that talk to our watches that track our steps and keep our grocery lists and send notifications of who is standing at the front door to an app that loads movies of years past that you can play on your smart TV. Whew.  

Anne didn't even have running water yet alone a car or email.  I'm not saying I want to go back to that style of living but maybe if we eliminated some of the "noise", life would be a little easier which would lead to more happiness. We've been lead to believe for so long that technology and things make us happy but what if we just lived in a time where sitting in the back yard chilling with flowers brought actual happiness.  Do we even know anymore? Our lives are so tangled around devices and objects and things that it is hard to even know where to start.  

I keep hearing about how COVID-19 has caused people to examine things in life and what makes them truly happy. Who makes them truly happy. I've read about people buying a lake home for their immediate family because they realized how much they enjoy just being together as a family, I've read about families who decided to limit their kids after school activities because they realized how much time they spent at them and how much it was disrupting their family life, friends who have ended relationships because they realized they were just "playing house" or people who have eliminated social media and tablets all together in order to have more intentional time.  We've complicated our own lives so much with all this "noise" that it has taken a pandemic to show us that we need to get back to the basics with people who truly fulfill our lives.

I guess that's the silver lining of this all. It's been a great time to sit and reflect on what really matters in life. To think about ways we can go back to the "simple" and be satisfied.  And to share it with people who truly matter to you.  None of us are going to come out of this pandemic the same as we were on New Years Eve 2020. My hope is to live a little more intention when this is all said and done.  Never in my life have things unraveled like they have now and I predict for you, it's a bit of the same unraveling.  Here's to simpler days......

PS. Not committing to giving up any electronics or devices while still having to isolate during this time.  More or less thoughts to ponder. 🤣

All pictures of me on Prince Edward Island around 1984 or 1985.

Twice Baked Crack Potatoes

COVID-19 Cooking edition 1000. Anybody else getting tired of cooking?  Don't even get me started on the dishwasher and I'm just one person! 

Cue in Pinterest and comparing recipes to ingredients on hand.  For one, I never buy potatoes but they came in a produce box I had gotten. Second, I never knew I liked a twice baked potato until a few years ago. But seriously, who doesn't love potato with extra butter, cheese, bacon bits and sour cream all remashed together.  These were easy to make and I actually ended up giving 2 to my mom, eating 2 and freezing 2.  I've since eaten the ones I froze and they were great!

Twice Baked Crack Potatoes

Enjoy!

St. Martin Spring Break

Hindsights 20/20 right? And for once I got it right. I am SO glad I took a trip before 2020 went on a trip down the toilet.

Back during Thanksgiving week 2019, my Dad had knee surgery and my mom and I spent some long days with him at the hospital.  During this time, my mom and I were talking about their upcoming trip to St. Martin. My parents have a timeshare there where they spend 2 weeks every winter.  My mom mentioned a new hotel was being built just up the road from their timeshare and she had seen a post with a $99 a night rate. Sure enough, a little google search showed me that the brand new hotel was offering rates at $99 a night! Our conversation continued about how I could make a spring vacation in St. Martin and be just up the road from them at another hotel.  When I realized this new hotel didn't have a pool, I realized it probably wasn't the trip for me as I'm more of a pool than a beach person.  Disappointed before I completely shut the idea down, I decided to take a quick gander over to my parents timeshare, Sapphire Beach Club and saw their rates were not that much more. Super fun surprise when I saw the cost so I quickly put 5 nights in my cart at hotels.com and decided I was going to St. Martin in March!

Because we are all desperate for some sort of normalcy and I'd love to be on a summer trip right now, I thought I'd share with you some about going to St. Martin.  This ended up being one of my most favorite vacations! My dear friend, Melissa went with me and we shared our "Lagoon View"room at Sapphire Beach Club on the Dutch side of the island. Melissa got the short end of the stick with the bed situation to which I still feel bad. The room offered a pull out sofa which was planted in the middle of our room and not sure it had much padding. Other than that our room was perfect as we had a kitchenette and a "Lagoon View."  I loved spending mornings on our patio watching the comings and going of the island while I worked. I realized while writing this post, I have no pictures of the lagoon view from our room! So posting a picture of the pool at Sapphire and the view from my parents' balcony!

Melissa and I took an early flight out of MCI on American with a pit stop in Atlanta.  We landed in St. Martin around 2 in the afternoon.  We found our flights on expedia.com for about $700.  I went to St. Martin in 1998 and had memories of the airport there. Unfortunately since 1998 the airport was destroyed in a hurricane. They are still rebuilding so it wasn't quite how I remembered it. It was stuffy and warm as we exited the airport in our Midwestern attire and waited for my parents to pick us up in their rental car which I quickly dubbed the, "552" for it's license plate number.  

The 552 left little to be desired with it's shocks and interior stuffing in the roof.  It had mismatching paint and different door handles on each door.  The island has a lot of speed bumps and there was always a question of whether or not we'd make it over the speed bumps.  The 552 was the cause for a lot of giggles. And if you're wondering why I'm talking about a trashed out rental car you must not know me well because I love cars.  Also sharing so that if you go to St. Martin, you snag yourself a fine rental as well!   

Sapphire Beach Club is in the lowlands of the island in Cupecoy.  Sapphire Beach Club sits very close to the French border.  St. Martin is not a very big island and there is basically one road that goes around the whole island.  And by one road, it's a 2 lane road with lots of stopping and traffic jams, animals crossing, people stopping to talk to other people in other vehicles. It's great and reminds me so much of the need for a simpler life when there is only one road to chose!  You can basically travel around the whole island with your windows down in the car and take it all in. Only my window on my side of the car wouldn't roll down! 🤣  

Sapphire Beach Club experienced a lot of Hurricane Irma damage in 2017 as did St. Martin. I was in awe at the amount of damage there is still on the island and how much rebuilding is taking place.  Because there is not a place for trash to go, it's common to see damage left untouched or cleaned on the side of the road.  Overturned cars and boats to structures. It's very sad and reminds me how much we take for granted as far as services in our suburban meccas.  It also was a reminder of how important tourism is in this country and the need for tourists to explore.  Sapphire Beach Club is NOT an all inclusive resort and that's one of the great things about St. Martin. You want to get out, adventure and check it all out. St. Martin is known for it's many amazing restaurants, beaches and the culture. 

 

One of my favorite things we did was going to Harmony Nights in Grand Case.  These happen on Tuesday nights from January to April (per Trip Advisor). Street vendors line the little Caribbean street with food and crafts. There is a parade, costumes and live music.  We went early to get ahead of the traffic and stopped in at Tijon Perfumery which in itself was a cool experience.  We then walked the streets and in and out of stores in Grand Case until our early dinner reservation at Oceans 82. Oceans 82 has one of the most amazing views as we watched the sun set over the ocean at an open air table.  22 years ago I ate in the same restaurant when it was called the Fishpot.  So cool to get to go back. Thanks Mom and Dad! 

Most of our days were spent on the beach! Surprised right? When I said I prefer the pool.  We spent a day at KKO Beach Club at Orient Beach, a day at a Rainbow Cafe Beach Club in Grand Case and a day on Pinel Island, arriving there via ferry. Although it wasn't the kind of ferry that the 552 got to go on! I absolutely loved the beach club concepts because we could order drinks and food and have all the amenities.  I discovered a new love of pina coladas and I think Sapphire Beach Club had the best ones. They were also 2 for 1 all day long. Nothing beats a pina colada breakfast!

We ate at some amazing other restaurants which I do not recall the names of. Blame the day drinking and good times. I highly recommend if you go to St. Martin adventuring out and about and trying all the restaurants.  We also stopped at this great roadside bar up on the hill upon leaving Orient Beach that had the most colorful peacocks. It was the coolest and I wish I recalled the name of the place!

The last day we were on the island we went to Sunset Beach Bar which is the welcoming bar of St. Martin and where airplanes literally fly right over your head! Talk about a cool experience! A must if you go to St. Martin.

Other fun adventures on St. Martin were going to the Marigot Market. This is a large area where artisans sell their merchandise and you can taste the island rum.  I still think of a blanket I saw at the market and didn't purchase.  One day we ventured over to Phillipsburg for happy hour. Phillipsburg is full of cruise traffic, Westernized shops, restaurants and tourists so definitely not a place my parents spend a lot of time.

St. Martin did not disappoint and I am so glad I took a time out and took a vacation. It was an amazing trip with great company! In fact, keeping an eye on pricing to hopefully do it again next year. Pending that we are in the clear from COVID-19.   I highly recommend going there and my parents are in fact St. Martin experts and I'd be happy to put you in touch if you want to check it out.  

Where are you dreaming of going? Post COVID-19?

Italian Sandwich Roll Ups

Anybody else all in for tortillas slapped with some cream cheese? I spotted this recipe on an Instagram account I follow, Laura Cox Collection. I decided to do the same thing she did and prep them on Sunday for lunches during the week. They are super tasty. Like her, I left off the lettuce and tomato so they did not make them soggy. 

Italian Sandwich Roll Ups

Verdict: pretty tasty. Unfortunately, I had pepperoni on hand and when I went to use it discovered it was spoiled. :( So mine are without pepperoni! And for me, eating them once or twice was good. You know I'm not good at leftovers. They'd almost be better if I was serving lunch to somebody else or taking to a tailgate!

Strawberry Dump Cake

I love sugar. I love desserts. And I love a good dump cake.  Strawberry dump cake did not disappoint!

Strawberry Dump Cake

(and I sure hope you enjoy this dump of a photo! 🤣)

We should seriously call this Allison's cooking blog with 💩 pictures!

I've also made pumpkin dump cake and apple dump cake.  Have you made a dump cake? What is your favorite?

Sugar Cookie Bars

COVID cooking is a real thing. I've been plowing through my Pinterest boards trying all sorts of things. Some disasters. Some things added into my cooking rotation.  Not being able to go to the grocery store has been a challenge in itself. You have to be so organized with any ingredients you might need before you submit your order.  While I've saved in other areas being home, I definitely think my grocery bill has been out the wazoo............. Remember I also LOVE coupons! Hard to use those when you rely on others to do your shopping.  I did stumble upon this recipe and it's amazing! Hate all the fuss in making sugar cookies? Look no further than, Sugar Cookie Bars.

Please note, in compiling my ingredients for the grocery list, I did not think to add "sprinkles" to it! So sugar cookie bars without the pretties.  And you know my photo isn't going to be pretty!

I have figured out with sugar cookies, even if the recipe doesn't call for it, add a few drops of almond extract to the dough. Makes them taste amazing!  If there is a football season and it's safe for me to attend, I can see this with some nice red and gold frosting....

Enjoy!

Christmas in July? Not so much.....

Here we are in the midst of July and I'm spending weekends on my couch watching Hallmark Christmas movies by myself. That is, when I'm not soaking in my inflatable pool on my deck.  When I think back, I never thought this is how 2020 would look.  Reality is funny that way.

Let me tell you, I'm sick of both. Hallmark Christmas movies in July and my inflatable pool. As I watch others on social media take trips and try to piece together some sort of normalcy, jealousy pings me.  I typically try to live without jealously and a life independent of what others think or do. But this situation is just out of hand with no end in sight. Our country is a dumpster fire at the helm of a toddler clown reality TV star. 

I'm anxious. I'm stressed. I'm jealous. I'm unsettled. I'm tired. I'm worried.  Insert every other negative feeling in this thread and that's me at this point.  I've never had so much FOMO in my entire life.  I've been thinking for days how I can get out of this funk but the problem is things are unraveling in front of me and I have no control.  For months we've pacified ourselves on every soothing thing known to man while we waded into this situation and hoped for a way out. However, most situations, have a leader where somebody works to get a plan in place and bring some resolve. For this country we live in, that's not happening furthering the angst and mess.  One mess becomes three and three becomes a hundred.  I've seen a  lot of messes in my life, but never something like this. 

The funny thing is having an autoimmune disease can be equated to living in a pandemic. You often have no control and you must be flexible to whatever comes your way. So I question myself why am I having such a hard time now?  Is it because we're all living in this pandemic and some try to help it and some try to harm it?  Or some take it seriously and some think it's a hoax?  I honestly have no idea but I know this much.  Unless things change, there isn't going to be college football or Friendsgivings or heck even the Super Bowl.

So get your shit together people. Social distance.  Wear a damn mask.  And think about what you can do to resolve the situation, not further it.  In the mean time, I'll work on trying to find ways to be grateful for this time I'm spending at home.  After all, even in the midst of a pandemic, there are things to be grateful for.....