Suzi Wilson
This is my personal blog. I am definitely a “girly girl” but I am also a bit of a nerd. I love traveling, baking, exercise & working on my computer.
Travel
I love to travel. Until I was 50 years old I did not fly but after I married my husband, David, that all changed.
Recipes
I’m just starting my recipe selection. Mostly because of my interest in the British Baking Show.
Miscellaneous
I also enjoy visiting museums and other interesting venues. You can see more about those items here.
Montego Bay Jamaica
I am on the Carnival Dream and we will take 2 days at sea to reach Montego Bay, Jamaica. So, I thought it would be a good time to do some research on our destination. Here are some of the interesting things I’ve found.
British Baking Show Series 1
I have become enamored with the British Baking Show Series. The first series to show on Netflix is actually the 5th series of The Great British Bake-off in the UK that aired in August 2014. This difference has caused a lot of confusion for people following the show in...
The Royal Wedding
I am certainly excited for the Royal Wedding coming up between Prince Harry (Henry) and Meagan Markle next week. There is a lot of build up. I like to imagine what it might be like to be someone who might be coming into a family so steeped in tradition and history. I...
Today
Tour de France 2016
Official Teaser - Tour de France 2016 by tourdefrance_en Boy do I love cycling and I am excited to see the Tour de France starting another season. It is the most challenging sport. It consists of 21 days of racing over a 23 day period and covers 2,200 miles (3,500...
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother's Day Sally My sister Sally is the best mother I know. She started life as a mother with her two step children and then grew her family with four more of her own. You would never know the difference though as she treats them all with the same love and...
New Orleans Museum of Art Masks
Last week I visited the New Orleans Museum of Art, otherwise known as NOMA, for the first time. NOMA is located in New Orleans City Park. City Park sits on an Island between Orleans Avenue Canal and Bayou St. John on, what New Orleanians call, "The North Shore". "The...
Feel Better About Yourself with a Simple Exercise
Just imagine the world for a moment where everyone felt good. You know, the euphoria we feel around Christmas time, when everyone is being nice to each other and sharing the “Christmas Spirit”.
Ballet Shoes
I love to watch ballet dancers. They make everything look so easy, even though we know it is very, very difficult. Ballet has changed very little over the years and the craft of making ballet shoes is much the same as it was back when they started making them....
Winter Cruise of the Caribbean
We decided to treat ourselves to a November cruise of the Caribbean as our birthday gift this year (my husband and I both have birthdays in November). Since New Orleans is so close to our home we left from there aboard the Carnival Elation. New Orleans Port You...
Benefits of Yoga for Scoliosis
A friend shared an article by Kathryn Ashworth in Yoga International about a new study on the benefits of the side plank yoga position on people with Scoliosis which I want to share with you. Scoliosis Most people know someone with scoliosis as it affects 6 million...
When you’re Great at Something
Recycle Yourself
Pope Francis on Families
The Thrill of Life
Life can be lived in as many different ways as there are people. At the opposite ends of the spectrum are; People who have difficulty witnessing their life as a dispassionate observer causing them to become consumed with the details of daily existence and people who...
Today I will Oppose Nothing
Lately I have been listening to Deepak Choprah's daily affirmations. I have found that they calm me and help make me more thoughtful. Yesterday's affirmation is shown below. I have heard it many times and each time I hear it, it brings more clarity for me. It talks...
Palatki Heritage Site Sedona Arizona
Yesterday I visited the Palatki Heritage Site. It was just the adventure I was looking for. I had been disappointed in Sedona because of the hard sell tactics of the area until I decided to tap into the true beauty and nature of the area. Visiting the Palatki site was...
Visiting Sedona Arizona
I am visiting Sedona Arizona while my husband attends a 3 day training session on Reiki Healing. I have been looking forward to this trip; investigating cave paintings and looking forward to the artistry of the people here. Unfortunately, the area seems to be so...
Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition
Youth America Grand Prix supports and develops world-class dancers, ages 9-19, of all economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds by providing scholarship auditions, performance and education opportunities. They do this by holding auditions in major cities around the...
Farmers Market Boulder Colorado
Today I visited the Boulder Farmers Market and the only thing that was disappointing was that I didn't have a bigger bag and a cart with wheels. It was, in my friends words, "better than Whole foods" and that is saying a lot. Natural Honey If the bee...
Estes Park Colorado Travel Big
Estes Park is home to the famous Rocky Mountain National Park and since no commercial businesses are allowed within the national park it is a big draw for visitors who want to get away and enjoy the beauty of one of our great national parks. The population in the 2010...
Boulder Colorado
Next week we are going to visit Boulder Colorado. I'm excited as it is supposed to be one of the sunniest cities in the U.S. According to reports it gets over 300 days of sunshine per year. Boulder is home to the main campus of the University of Colorado. It is also...
Beautiful Clouds
Over the past week we have been watching a developing storm in the Gulf of Mexico. It will bypass us and head toward the Texas coast. Watching the clouds develop in the tail of this storm on radar has me thinking about them; their complexity and our amazement. Clouds...
Healthy Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes Fried Green Tomatoes is one of those dishes you think of when you think of the South. It is a wonderful place to live with the warm sunshine and smell of magnolia's in the air, but the food can be very fattening. So when I found this low calorie...
Movement can Communicate by Zoë Greten
Zoë Greten Zoë Greten, from the Netherlands is a young dancer who wants to tell a story with her dance. It is inspiring to see a young person using her natural talent to bring attention to the things that are important to her. Please enjoy these video's of her...
Banana-Oat Breakfast Cookies
Breakfast cookies are not usually something we think about, but we should. What could be easier when you or the kids are trying to get out of the house in the hurry in the morning than a breakfast cookie. The protein in this cooky is the same as that of an egg; who...
Be Happy
Should we live in the present?
I noticed a distinct difference between the way Europeans & Americans view their environment when I visited Europe. Because Europeans live in an environment of old, seemingly permanent, structures they have developed an ethos of "care taking". Whereas Americans...
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
As I've said before, I don't consider myself a reader, but that is about to change. Starting today rather than watching TV as I fall asleep in bed I am going to pick up a book. Today I was watching a video shared on Facebook by a friend about an engineer, Destin, who...
People are just people all over the world
It is funny how we characterize ourselves and then we live up to those characterizations. My husband, the therapist, would say "you just have to re-frame yourself". Well, easier said than done. I characterize myself as a non-reader. Ok, I know how to read, but I just...
Vegetarianism:Fad or Freedom
I recently adopted vegetarianism as an experiment before my recent cruise across the Atlantic to Europe and it is here to stay for me. What sparked my desire was not necessarily the healthy lifestyle, although that is important to me, the aspect of cruelty to animals....
Pasta and Pepper Primavera
This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens Low Calorie 2015 Edition. I like it for a great vegetarian primavera option because it includes beans/legumes in the ingredients. When you are eating vegetarian you have to watch out for the automatic increase in carbs...
The Christian Dior Legacy
Christian Dior was born in the Normandy coast region of France but later moved to Paris. He served in the Army for France during WWII and...
Amsterdam Holland
Amsterdam was a surprise. I have to admit that I had done little or no research about where we were going before we left. It was a surprise on many levels. First, it was very busy with bicycles and people. Second, the buildings engulfed each block, one after another...
Bruges Belgium
Bruges History The name Bruges was probably derives from the Old Dutch for "bridge" and was pronounced by our native guide as Brooj. In the 15th century, Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, set up court in Bruges attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other...
The Gardens of France
Jardin Botanique de Vauville This was my favorite garden, or Jardin. It was created in 1947 by a man who loves plants and gardens. He wanted a garden of exotic plants but the climate of Normandy is very windy and plants have a difficult time growing. So, he began...
Paris France
Paris in springtime. We experienced rain, sun and wind during our visit here. The Paris of the past must be different than the Paris of current day, or maybe my expectation was different. I had envisioned a quaint little city and small intimate streets with flower...
Portland UK and Salisbury
Our ship docked in Portland UK and we took a tour bus to see Stonehenge and Salisbury. Stonehenge Stonehenge is considered a prehistoric monument. I learned that henge is actually a term for the mound that surrounds the stones. It is in the middle of a dense complex...
Cork Ireland
Cork Ireland is about 20km from Cobh, where we were docked. We took a nice bus ride there with our tour guide Michael. The roads to Cork were very narrow, bairly containing the girth of our tour bus, and the hillsides were covered in beautiful green. The climate in...
Cobh Ireland
Cobh has the only port in Ireland capable of docking a Cruise ship. Cork Ireland was the port the Titanic disembarked from on its final voyage. Titanic White Star Line was determined that no expense would be spared in the construction of Titanic. It took 3 years for...
Haute Couture Fashion
Haute couture Fashion is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers, often using time-consuming, hand-executed...
Our Mother our Earth
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest you realize what a precious gift the sun is to your mood. The term "seasonal affective disorder (SAD)" was something I had heard about and understood at a very young age. My life experiences have also given me an appreciation for...
The Power of an Idle Mind
We are now on day 4 of our cross Atlantic trip to Europe and everyone has fallen into a rhythm. Most everyone has found their favorite places and figured out where things are located. So, today I sat down to read, which I don't often do. Idle Mind, Creative Mind I...
Portrait Painting
Every cruise ship seems to have a theme for the artwork on the stairwells. This ship is featuring different artists portrait interpretations on the forward staircases. Self Portraits A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or...
Setting sail on our Transatlantic Crossing
Today we set sail on the Serenade of the Seas, a vessel on the Royal Caribbean Cruise line. The SS United States holds the record for the fastest crossing at 3 days, 10 hours in 1952. Our trip will take 6 days to cross the Atlantic. The majority of passenger traffic...
The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 – 2014
I had the great opportunity to attend the V&A exhibition of Italian Fashion in Portland, Oregon while I was there. I have always loved fashion and at one point in my life I thought I would become a fashion designer so this was very fun for me. I learned that...
Rainy Days and Mondays
Today is a rainy day here in Gulfport Mississippi, for sure. Browsing for a youtube video of songs about rain brought me to this one... Rainy Days and Mondays by Karen Carpenter. What a wonderful singer. I loved Karen Carpenter, she was an inspiration. She stepped out...
On Being a Twin
For as long as I could speak people have asked me... What is it like to be a twin? It was always hard to answer that question and my pat answer was always... I don't know what it is like to NOT be a twin. But, I wasn't really giving it the thought it deserves because...
Transatlantic Royal Caribbean Cruise Trip to Europe
My husband and I are taking this epic trip to Europe on Royal Caribbean. The cruise is a repositioning cruise. Royal Caribbean is repositioning the Serenade of The Seas from the Caribbean to Europe. The Serenade of the Seas is in the Radiance Class (for those in the...
Ari and Sorority Sisters
Ellen can be so funny. What I enjoy about Ellen is that she thinks and acts the way we do. There is no pretension. So, when she finds someone who is naturally funny and engaging, she taps into it and doesn't try to change them. She just lets them be themselves. This...
