Moments of Musing

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

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I often wish people would help others out more. A few weeks ago, my cancer survivor hero mom and I did something that we hope will help others. We cut over 28″ of our hair to donate to Locks of Love. 
 
 Photo: Today, my cancer survivor hero mom & I chopped off over 28" of our hair for Locks of Love<3
 
If you have long hair and are thinking of cutting it, perhaps you too should consider donating it. The guidelines for donating to Locks of Love are:

  • Hair that is colored or permed is acceptable.
  • Hair cut years ago is usable if it has been stored in a ponytail or braid.
  • Hair that has been bleached (usually this refers to highlighted hair) is not usable.  If unsure, ask your stylist. We are not able to accept bleached hair due to a chemical reaction that occurs during the manufacturing process. **If the hair was bleached years ago and has completely grown out it is fine to donate.
  • Hair that is swept off of the floor is not usable because it is not bundled in a ponytail or braid.
  • Hair that is shaved off and not in a ponytail or braid is not usable. If shaving your head, first divide hair into multiple ponytails to cut off.
  • We cannot accept dreadlocks. Our manufacturer is not able to use them in our children’s hairpieces. We also cannot accept wigs, falls, hair extensions or synthetic hair.
  • Layered hair is acceptable if the longest layer is 10 inches. 
  • Layered hair may be divided into multiple ponytails.
  • Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 10 inches.
  • 10 inches measured tip to tip is the minimum length needed for a hairpiece.

 
 *There are also other organizations such as Wigs for Kids and Pantene Beautiful Lengths, but their requirements vary.  
 
 
If you happen to donate your hair, let me know!
 

Heroes Among Us

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Happy Veterans Day! There are veterans walking among us everyday. Be sure to thank them. Their service oftentimes goes unnoticed. I have been and will always be proud of our veterans, especially my T. 
To me, today serves as a reminder for every other American who might not be as thankful on a daily basis.
 When Dr. Trucillo of the American Recall Center reached out to me to help spread the word about the article, “Caring For Our Heroes: Learn About PTSD This Veterans Day,” by Cheryl Lathrop, I did not hesitate. 
Taken from the article: 
“Many vets return from their service just fine, and get on with their lives. Some return with physical injuries, both major and minor. And some return with mental health issues. One of the most common after a traumatic event is PTSD—Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The symptoms of PTSD can be terrifying, disrupting your life and making it hard to continue with your daily activities. Symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person, but there are certain hallmarks of PTSD that are common. There are four types of PTSD symptoms :
  • Reliving the event (called a flashback)
  • Avoiding situations that remind you of the event
  • Feeling numb
  • Feeling keyed up

If you’re a vet, thank you for your service! If you need more information, visit the US Department of Veterans Affairs and specifically the Veterans Health Administration. Click on “PTSD COACH” to find online help for PTSD.”

Aloha Friday Week #1

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I haven’t really said much about my time in Hawaii since I came back to the mainland. So, in honor of my extended stay there and my nostalgia for the palm trees, Pacific Ocean and Aloha spirit during this cold weather, I’ve decided to have a weekly Aloha series this month! Each week, I’ll feature some of my Hawaii favorites.

This week’s favorites are BEACHES:

Lanikai Beach – For peacefulness and beautiful views
 

 
Bellows Field Beach Park – For waves, a bit more privacy, and beautiful views
 

 
Cockroach Cove – For hidden gems i.e. monk seal swimming near by, a cave, and cool surroundings
 

 
Hanauma Bay – For snorkeling and amazing historical background and views

Army Recreation Center on Pokai Bay – for calm, clear water with cartoon-esque backdrops
 

The Not-As-Planned Proposal

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Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Sometimes they go better.
 


I had told Tim I didn’t mind if he proposed in PJs when it was just us two hanging out. He didn’t think I was serious so he planned for a more elaborate (and public) proposal to happen in Las Vegas, where he’d been with my family and where I was flying out to meet them with my Mom on Friday night. (I actually used the Southwest voucher we won this Valentines’ Day to fly there!)
 
When I arrived, some things seemed different. (Beforehand he’d also oddly complained about not being able to sleep while I was in Hawaii and right before Vegas, which I learned was due to this.) Timmy hugged me really tight at the airport and the hug just felt different. He also kept drinking from my Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte, which I was greeted with and which he doesn’t really enjoy. While holding the cup, I noticed he was shaking! My dad also hugged me extra tight and the airport and almost looked teary-eyed as he looked over at Tim. I was thinking to myself “What is going on?!” (I’d learned they’d hung out earlier that day so thought maybe something was up… turns out Timmy asked for my dad’s blessing during their hangout.) Well, from the airport we went straight to Oldtown Vegas and just hung out with family. 
 
Nothing out of the ordinary happened. The whole night. So I got sad. Because I’ve yet to explain to you all that Tim had also been super distant all of last week — which, between moving out to another state alone for the first time and being sworn in as an attorney and at my job, was the biggest week of my life! So I expressed my concerns that he’d been so cold and for no apparent reason except his partying it up in Vegas.
 
I very much overreacted because I assumed things. One of the worst things I do is over-analyze. I have to work on it stop doing so. But anyway — this caused Timmy to decide to forgo his plans and go with the flow.
 
His plans consisted of taking me around the strip. (He and his brother had walked the entire strip and gone in almost every casino to scout locations.) When he reached the location he wanted to propose at, he would do so. Well, upon my expressing my (extreme) sadness of him being so distant, he went over to the safe in the closet, punched in a code, and took something out. He then came into the bedroom … and he got down on his knee.
 
He explained that he’d been so distant because he had so much on his plate. 
 
He was feeling so many emotions. 
 
And he didn’t want to accidentally let me in on the surprise.
 
I was shocked and saying “OMG I ruined your plans/proposal! You can do it over!” But he’s amazing. And so he said, (something to the effect of) “no, this is us… In life, you’ve got to roll with the punches…” And he asked me to marry him. I don’t remember much else because my emotions were all over the place. I laughed, I cried — I felt like I was dreaming. And I said YES!  
 
I’d never been happier in my life. I didn’t even want to look at the ring — all I wanted was to hug and kiss him. Eventually, he urged me to look at it and I was amazed. We then just hung out, reminiscing and watching the sunrise over the strip (something we’d wanted to do when we first met in Vegas but didn’t get around to doing)! We only slept two hours that night because we were so excited. Fortunately, we were able to spend the whole next day (Saturday) celebrating with one another and with family! And Timmy was admittedly very relieved to have finally gotten the surprise off his chest and was able to be himself again.

Sooooo, the proposal did not go anywhere near as planned. But it was so us. We were able to be ourselves and emotional and enjoy each other. Everything happens for a reason and I am a firm believer it was supposed to happen how it did. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect morning with or proposal from Timmy.
 
… And I’m so happy we were able to celebrate where it all began… Viva Las Vegas!
 

Post-proposal sunrise
 
  
 
P.S. Thank you all for your good wishes!!

Happily Ever ENGAGED!!!

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I dreamt about my Prince Charming ever since I was a little girl. Luckily, I met my version of him. When T and I met in the wee morning hours of January 14, 2011, I knew. I knew he was in the military which amounted to distance (though I hadn’t a clue about what anything military-related entailed yet). I also knew he was handsome. And funny. And had a big heart. 

And I knew I wanted him in my life. No distance could stop that. 

As our relationship progressed, we both knew we’d spend our forevers together. Now, I guess it’s “official” and the rest of the world is in on our forever plans, too!
 

{ENGAGED! I am so excited to marry my best friend and soul mate … Proposal Story to come!}

So while we might not have a castle, we do have our own personal fairytale …and our very own Happily Ever After. In fact, every day of “us” has been, and I’m over-the-moon excited for this next chapter of our forever adventure.