VernetteOutLoud

Coffee For Two #weekendcoffeeshare

Coffee for two

Coffee For Two

Saturdays..nay weekends on the whole, were made for slow starts and coffee that is crafted to your own special requirements. It’s when you have the time to get the coffee to milk to sugar (if you have those accouterments with your coffee) ratios just right!

Saturday mornings when I get to share coffee over great conversation about nothing and everything all at the same time…now that is heaven. There is a Johnny Cash quote that sums this up perfectly. When asked what his definition of paradise was, he said, “This morning, with her, having coffee.”

Yeah. Exactly That.

Saturdays were made for recreational coffee, as opposed to weekdays where it’s medicinal…I read that somewhere and I wholeheartedly agree with it.

Sharing Over Coffee

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that this week was especially hard for me. I had exams the first couple days, then spent pretty much the rest of the week recovering. When I am in exam mode, everything gets muddled and I had to remind myself over and over to expect good things.

I started this month, with a plan to publish a post every single day and so far, so good. It’s been tough finding the right balance and still managing to keep this commitment to myself. But I press on. I saw Wonder Woman this week and as well, a wonder-woman-in-training myself, you have to go see it.

If we were having coffee…coffee for two today, it would be an intimate affair. I am in a self-care mode and I invite you to tell me about what’s happening in your world. I have found that when I start to feel world-weary and I start questioning my direction, that is the time to go back to basics.

The basics being, get my coffee right, do the things that make me happy and keep my circle small. So come in, have a seat on the sofa of truth with me, and share a little.

Now it’s your turn, how was your weekend? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee is being shared over great conversations. Join in this week’s fun here.

 

The One Where I Expect Good Things

Expect Good Things Poster

Hey you guys, TGIF amiright!!! And it’s time for another Five Minute Friday link-up. I hope this week was productive for you and if it wasn’t, I hope that at least it was well spent. The word prompt this week is EXPECT.

Of course you can join in too. The rules are pretty simple – write for 5 minutes on the word prompt for the week and post to your blog, then add your post to the linky party over at the Five Minute Friday community.

aaaand setting timer now…

GO

Expect Good Things.

When life seems hard.

When you start doubting the path that you’re on.

When the way forward may not seem clear.

When you start thinking that maybe, just maybe, you are doing this whole adulting thing all wrong.

The minute you wake up and realize that you’re still in the land of the living.

Because you stand on His word, and He came so that you can have life and live it to the fullest.

Just because.

Expect Good Things.

Expect Good Things.

Expect Good Things.

STOP

Today’s post is brought to you by this online timer I just found. Feel free to check it out here. 

It is amazing to me, what comes up when you only have five minutes to write. I’m cheating a bit and adding these extra words, because I wanted to put this week’s response in context.

This has been an especially hard week for me. The minute I read today’s word, the first words that came to me was “expect good things” and I have been repeating it to myself over and over since.

And I will repeat it until I believe it.

‘I have come that they may have life and may have if abundantly.’ ~ John 10:10 

Stand on His word. Expect Good Things.

We Are All Wonder Women

We Are All WonderWomen

We Are All Wonder Women print by Chicago artists and sisters Sarah and Catherine Satrun

Representation Matters

On Monday, I sat in a room of older men – a true old boys club if you will.  And I pretended once again not to hear or care about yet another sexist “slack” joke. Of course as good old boys do, they all had a hearty laugh – oblivious or just don’t care?

In that moment, as the only woman in the room, I was thinking, why the cuss am I here? What the cuss am I trying to prove or fight up with? Who the cuss really cares anyway? Thankfully, it was for a moment. I let their immaturity pass by me and I said to myself, if not me…then who?

On Tuesday, I started seeing reviews for the Wonder Woman movie, pop up on my various timelines. I was going to see the movie anyway, and after reading Amanda Magee’s review, I had to go see this movie!

What’s funny is the one negative review I read before I made it to the cinema, was from a man. A man so bored during the movie, he fell asleep. Uninterested. Unimpressed. Dismissive. Seen one superhero movie…seen ’em all I suppose. Must be nice. 

On Wednesday, I saw the movie.

Today, I write.

Representation Matters

The opening scenes on Themyscira, of the Amazons training and a young Diana shadowing their every move, made my throat tighten and I hoped that my punk cuss self wouldn’t let a tear fall. I thought about all the little girls, watching, shadowing and learning from the wonder women in every day life.  And it made me wonder, if we had more movies like this growing up, what impact would it have had?

Wonder Woman made me think of every woman I know who is kicking cuss in real life. Kicking cuss, in a world that still tells them No, at every turn. Wonder Woman made me think of my mother, who is still my superhero today. Like Wonder Woman – she was flawed, she didn’t have it all together but she kicked cuss every.single.day without a lasso of truth. But cuss…what my mother would have done with that lasso of truth!

I was unprepared for how this movie would make me feel. Representation matters. And while there are flaws – no real character development for the villain Ares and the over the top, third act big finish. I want to get to the point where I’ve seen one female superhero movie…I’ve seen ’em all.

At it’s core, this movie made me appreciate even more the wonder women I admire in every day life. Representation matters. If you’ve seen it, what are your thoughts? Please share below. If you haven’t as yet. Buy a ticket and go.

Wordless Wednesday

3 Things I Learned About Myself From Riding A Horse

I am always up for an adventure or a new experience. And I will try anything twice – the first time just to try it and the second time to decide if it’s something I really enjoy and will do again. Riding a horse however, I only needed to do it once to decide!

A friend of mine highly recommended trying the adventure beach ride with horses. So on my next trip to our sister isle, Tobago, that was number one on my to-do list!

Before you even get on the horse, you learn about their personalities, where they came from and how to interact with them. And get this, the horses choose their rider! According to their trainer, the horses choose their rider based on personality and your vibes. I was skeptical until the horse that chose me was, Mr. Divo! Ha!

Now it is one thing to observe a horse from a distance, but it is a totally different experience actually getting on the horse. I was not ready! And that was my first lesson.

1. I Have Control Issues

Learning to let go of all my fears and my need for control over a situation and actually get on this majestic animal was probably the most difficult but important lesson to learn. Insert every inspirational quote from every self-help book about facing your fear here. When I sat on Mr. Divo, I was scared shitless!

I approach most new experiences having done some research, but this was totally new. No amount of research could prepare me for this amount of vulnerability, and the sheer power of the animal. You are suddenly very aware that you on a thousand pound animal. And I was so not prepared for the feeling of total unpreparedness for this new situation.

And that was okay. Life and living begins when you are out of your comfort zone. But I really couldn’t see all that while on the horse. Just Saying.

2. I Have Trust Issues and While We’re At It, I’m Also Not Very Patient (especially when riding a horse)

I learned that the world looks very different when you’re sitting on the horse. All your bravado falls away. Breathing through my fear helped a lot! It was more like hyperventilating, but I digress. Here I was, on a freaking horse, in beautiful Tobago, and I missing it because I was too busy being fearful. Mr. Divo? He was patiently plodding along,  allowing me to work through my fear.

If the big, scary horse could be patient with me – and the trainers said that they are intuitive that way – why couldn’t I be patient with him? And trust Mr. Divo to do his thing as well?

3. I Don’t Know How To Relax and Just Enjoy The Ride

When I started the ride, I was tense and afraid. And these feeling exaggerated my discomfort and almost ruined the entire experience. I got in my head about all the times I saw people being thrown from or trampled by horses. And I almost let it consume me. Thank goodness for the perceptiveness and kindness of the tour guide, who stayed with me and talked me through my fear.

The funny thing is the whole experience lasted about two hours, but the time I was on the horse flew by. I spent more time trying to relax than I did having fun. The perfect reminder that all things come to an end sooner or later and you either let go and enjoy the ride or you don’t. But either way, the moment ends.

Life is short and it will be over sooner or later. While I much prefer later, I want my legacy to be that my time here was well spent. And that includes having hella fun every chance I get man!

Not gonna lie, riding a horse was quite the experience, and if that’s something you’ve been wanting to do – I say hell yeah go do it! Check that item off your bucket list. For me, though, I’m good. I’ve learned my lessons well and once is enough. I can live vicariously through you guys now.

P.S. You can check out Being With Horses in Tobago! And all photos in this post were taken by the tour photographer.

Oh and horses love a good sand bath. Who knew!

horse on back rolling in sand

horse rolling in sand

Have you ever ridden a horse, were you scared? How was the experience for you? Please feel free to share below.