I bet y’all didn’t know I was once a red-headed “supermodel” for a day in Brazil, huh? Lol (This came up in my TBT memories from years ago.)
I’m sharing it because… why the hell not? I look hot and I’ll never be that young or that fit or have a red perm ever again.
I love that Carla, who was 21 or 22, just graduated from law school & I *think* this was the trip when Louis came with to visit my parents when Dad was Consul in Rio/Brasilia.
EDIT, I was 20 because when Louis came with me to Brazil, I just remembered, my hair was shorter, see here:
That Carla was brazen, excited, with her whole life ahead of her. Now, almost 30 years later, life hasn’t disappointed.
Yes, there have been challenges and dreams that haven’t come to fruition, most notably a devastating miscarriage in my second trimester a few months before we moved to NH in 2008.
Life ends up being highs and lows, some through the choices we make, and sometimes, through just plain, uncontrollable bad luck.
While you cannot control the shitty curve balls, you CAN control how you respond.
You can let crap knock you down and keep you there in a world of hurt and excuses and sadness, or you can pick yourself up, and plant your feet firmly back on your proverbial river rock.
I was taught to stand up every time, no matter what, and to accept the things I cannot change and focus on where *I CAN* make a difference.
Just as I stood on that rock all those years ago, bold and beautiful, I stand for liberty and freedom in the Free State of New Hampshire, the place I chose as my forever home.
Here I stand now, wider, grayer, wiser, but still bold and brazen and brave, because fighting for freedom these days takes balls.
Here I stand, ready for whatever life throws my way next! (I hope it’s a House seat! Lol SUPPORT MY RACE!)
(I’m working on a piece about the fasting that I will share this week.)Those who follow along–THANK YOU!– may have noticed I skipped a few weeks. I had other priorities, and something had to give and the time I spend on this on Sundays was it. But, instead of continuing to slack, here I am reporting for duty! Not to anyone. Not to people please. For ME. This habit informs many other positives in my life. It makes me cherish and guard my Sundays. It makes me chose healthy, locally-sourced foods. Cooking gives me flow, and this makes me appreciate what makes me unique in the kitchen. In short, it keeps me healthy. And, health is wealth, as Andy Warhol used to say. I just watched the 6 part series on Netflix. Learned a lot & was inspired to create more art, whatever that means. Or maybe just create more, period. The act of creating demands having command of your own attention span, your own mind. Anyway, enjoy this week’s meals, and let me know or drop a pic of what’s cooking in your kitchen in the comments below! 
