NotesFromtheVoices

June has been an interesting month.  Lake selfie!!! Visited the library fish! Took care all of the drama involving my car so I was able to visit the bestie in RR.  I had a great time because I spent it with her and had a three day weekend. She lives at Lake Gaston, which is beautiful. Lake Gaston is down there. I was a little tipsy and didn't feel comfortable walking. As I was getting dressed this morning, I decided definitely in July that I would wear nothing but dresses and skirts.  It will be 31 days of the various skirts, dresses and skorts in my closet. And yes, I have enough to do this.   July is a brutally hot month in the south. I love a good dress. And they are even better in the summer. I plan to keep a photo record of this so I remember my different outfits.  And while today isn’t July 1, I started with a cute skirt, tank and cardigan. And you gotten have a hat! It is funny that I love dresses so much now. When ED was in control, I

I love eating chocolate peanut butter cupcakes from the Tipsy Bee. They are delicious but have done some damage to my waistline. I needed to do something in order to eat my beloved cupcakes and minimal weight gain. So I started urban hiking around Mount Olive.   Most evenings, I leave my apartment and explore various streets and areas of the town. I started walking to the library, which is awesome. Then I decided to walk to the park. I walked to my friend S’s house. Maybe one day, I’ll walk to the University. It is a good way to build strength and endurance while burning calories. A one-mile hike can burn up to 150 calories. I decided to take it up a notch and go on my first real hike at Cliffs of the Neuse. It is a 20 minute drive from my home. The Cliffs of the Neuse has something for everyone. There is camping, swimming, fishing and hiking. And for me, it is one out of four. I don’t sleep outside, I can’t swim and I’m not a fisherman. There is no ad

“Place your hand over your heart, can you feel it? That is called purpose. You’re alive for a reason so don’t ever give up.” – Unknown         Recent events have made me think a lot. Last week, a man in Pickleland drove around railroad crossing arm and parked on the railroad tracks. Then he got out of his vehicle and took beside it as an oncoming train bear down on him.   Suicide by train. It was big news here and happened about a mile and half from my apartment.    Apparently, the 27-year-old man was depressed and distraught about a relationship and other things. In his mind, there was no other way out.   It hit home with me because I have been in his shoes. I have been so depressed and overwhelmed that suicide seemed like the best solution. “When people kill themselves, they think they’re ending the pain, but all they’re doing is passing it on to those they leave behind.” – Jeannette Walls Thankfully in some of my lowest points, I reached out to others for h