GEOFF CALKINS IS MEMPHIS

 GEOFF CALKINS IS MEMPHIS

If you live in Memphis, you would have to live under a rock somewhere to not know about Geoff Calkins. He has been a part of Memphis for well over 20 years. Geoff is a sports journalist, but there is so much more. He writes human interest stories like no one else can. He gets to the nitty gritty - the love - the heart of the matter; whether it is about his own parents, his adorable Bernese Mountain dogs, or special unknown facts about Memphis athletes.

Geoff Calkins was born the 8th child of 9 children to Evan and Virginia Calkins. They also had 30 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Both were physicians and were amazing in their own rights. Evan, his father, lived until 99 1/2 years of age. He stopped seeing patients at age 93. This is a picture of Evan Calkins sailing at age 98. 

Also, at age 98 and his Mom, Virginia, at age 94 went to Disney and apparently loved it. Who wouldn't? They were so special to each other and took care of one another through their 73 years of marriage. Evan brought her coffee each morning and had a system where she could wake him if she needed to in the middle of the night. He was more physically able to get around than his wife. It was one tragic night that he went down the stairs and fell which caused his death. Somehow Virginia did manage to get help when he did not come back. 

Let's think about this for a moment. How many women in her day and age went on to be physicians and raise 9 children? That is one very amazing woman. At age 96, after being vaccinated what did she want to do? Well, go to Disney of course. So off they went one more time. When Geoff wrote about his parents it was an inspirational memorial to both of them. Beautiful to read. His parents were full of Grit & Grind and this was most definitely passed on to Geoff.

He worked for The Commercial Appeal and went on to The Daily Memphian. Geoff won the Best Sports Columnist in the US from the AP. Also, he has a radio show. I would say that he made the right decision after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and then Harvard Law School and practicing law for three years to move on to his love of writing. He does have a book out called After the Jump, which does delve into more of his sports journalism.

On a personal note, he has three sons and also beautiful Bernese Mountain dogs and focuses on the positive energy of Memphis. 

Even when talking about the heat of Memphis summers. Gotta love it!

He wrote about Sidney, an off-spring of one of his own pups and how Sidney was never trained to be a therapy dog, however...Sidney went to work with his owners and calmed everyone daily at Crosstown. When it became time for Sidney to cross the rainbow bridge his owners made sure that he was not in pain and that he saw only their smile. He got a slurp of whipped cream and went on to a pain-free life. After a while they did get Mimsy, another Bernese Mt. dog. She is not quite ready to take over Sidney's job...maybe soon. They love her just the same.

Even with the FedEx-St.Jude Golf Classic going on he found a way of helping others let go of the LIV golfers who deserted the PGA for the money of Saudi. Then all of a sudden some of them wanted a judge to rule in their favor to let them play in Memphis. Hmmm...in my opinion you can't have your cake and eat it too. As Geoff wrote FedEx-St.Jude is so much more. It is not about the money. It is about saving lives. Geoff wrote about how each year a child is chosen to have their name painted on a FedEx Purple Eagle jet. This year it is Riley. How special is that?

Another Memphis story related to FedEx Tournament was all about Will Drennan. He had volunteered at FedEx as a standard bearer for a number of years. From all that speak of him, he was just a good guy all around. He coached flag football and a torrential downpour came along at one of the practices and there was a gully-washer. He saw a child near the water. He quickly jumped in to try to save the child, as did the child's father. They made it out but Will did not make it. He was a hero larger than life. Saturday and Sunday, the volunteers at the Tournament had a purple heart for each volunteer to wear to honor him. Will's own son does not have a Dad now. His son, Hayden may have lost his Dad but all of his friends say that they will be there to help care for Hayden and that now he will have 12 - 15 uncles to help take charge. They will never let him forget that his Dad was a HERO. FedEx volunteers are so very special. Many taking vacation days just to work there. It takes so many. When I watch the Tournament, I must say that when I moved here, I was very lucky to be asked by a neighbor who knew my interest in golf to be one of the volunteers who walk with a team of golfers to keep their score and talk into the booth about what is happening out on the course. It was a nerve-racking volunteer job but one I cherished. Even when the golfers, their caddies and I walked into the trailer to announce our scores. I could breathe after my scores matched theirs. Then I would receive an autographed golf ball...or my FedEx visor signed. How special it is to be a volunteer for such a miraculous tournament. Like no other! 

Another story that does have a FedEx glow to it. Mike Glenn had worked for 35 years at FedEx. He was an EVP and was brilliant at marketing. He had 3 children. His wife, Donna and Mike had their first child on Christmas and the nurses put the newborns in a stocking. It was not long after that when they learned about the life facing this precious child. They worked their way through it for many years and went on to have two more children. It was now a time in his life that he had to make a tough decision. He knew what needed to be done and after talking it through with Fred Smith, the outcome was announced. He needed to be at home helping to care for his child. He was there when he could be while working but felt it was all on his wife. Their daughter was getting stronger and harder to control when she went into uncontrollable seizures. Afterwards she would apologize for what she could not control. He continued to take her out and always had a bag with him to help restrain her when needed. He knew that he was needed to be able to focus on his family. As it all turned out, the name of her disease was discovered and it was not something that he and his wife could change and she needed to be placed in a home nearby for her safety. They are able to go and see her a few times a week. Sometimes, even taking her out for a meal. And, they are there for their other two children.

Mike Glenn was a part of getting the Grizzlies here to Memphis. The stories that Geoff writes go on and on. I would like to end with a touching story. If you were one who did not follow the Grizzlies in the NBA playoffs then you missed the way the team came together. Part of it was due to Ja Morant. He was a HUGE motivator. His smile was infectious. His style was unmistakable, both on the court and off. His daughter was always a big part of his life. Someone snapped a picture of him holding her with all the love that a father could share with his child. A local artist saw this picture and started sketching it. Somehow it got on Twitter and Ja saw it. He absolutely wanted this picture in the worse way. Matt Terhune was the local artist who sketched it. It should be titled, "LOVE."

I believe that just like my last blog, Love Actually, Love Is All You Need. That is why Geoff writes the way he does.

LOVE ACTUALLY

 LOVE ACTUALLY!

Forget the fact that this movie, "Love Actually," is my favorite movie of all time. I really could not even begin to tell you how many times I have watched it. Always several times over the holidays but many other times too.

The opening scene in the airport is what grabbed me immediately. All of the diversity, all of the signs being held up to greet those arriving, all of the hugs and kisses...how is this all going to be pulled together in a story. Then as the characters were all introduced, again it was hard to figure out how it would all be pieced together. I can assure you that it did and in such a marvelous manner.

The one thing that is so very true is that love is not always what can make us happy. Sometimes, as the movie demonstrates, you can have love for the wrong person in the wrong way. Without going into detail with spoilers, all I can say is to watch or re-watch the movie and it does explain more of what I am talking about.

There are research papers out there to prove my point about all you need is love. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard Professor, is a columnist for the New York Times. He also has a best seller book out about finding success and happiness. His study was for over 30 years observing the habits of happy, healthy people from their age of 18 until they passed away.

Dr. Brooks does say that yes it is important to be healthy when there are things that we can control like eating healthy and exercising. Genetic diseases are out of our control, however, following what our doctor tells us can help if we remain positive. That also includes stop the worrying. In other words, be able to, "Let It Go." Reading all that we can get our hands on helps to keep our thinking young and aware of what is going on in the world. Change up our genres.

For him, especially the older that we get, we need to look at healthy and unhealthy and happy and unhappy. In his words, the most important is happy. Happier is more important than healthy. It is my own conclusion that being happy can help make one healthier. 

Dr. Brooks has a quote that he uses, "Happiness is love, full stop." This is so true and is basically what the whole movie of "Love Actually" puts up on the big screen. The trick is to find the love that is right for us. There are many facets and faces of love, not just the traditional, romantic love. Love is an emotion, a way of life and even one of the most important emotions that we have as humans. It reflects a path of self-discovery for us; to do better in life, to set new goals and to always strive for the best.

"Love Actually" is just one of many movies or books about all you really need is love. For me, I just do not care for the old black and white movies but there are loads of them out there and plenty of people love to watch them over and over. The one that comes to my mind is "Casablanca." Older movies to me mean movies like "Love Story, Endless Love, Titanic and If Only." These are super movies on love that show the trials and tribulations of getting there.

This is one of my MANY favorite scenes from "Love Actually." Always brings tears to my eyes. 

Even The Beatles are into this love thing:

ONE VERY DELICIOUS WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS

 ONE VERY DELICIOUS WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS

One way that we as consumers can help out in our local areas is to shop for produce at Farmers' Markets. Our area is lucky in that we have them spread all around our city. There is a very special one just around the corner from where we live and WOW can you tell the difference in his produce vs what you will find at the grocery store. He is in Cordova, Tn just off Macon on C Street before you hit Sanga Road. Each year his business has grown larger. He has a Facebook page and Instagram where he puts up his pictures and weekly menus of what is available. 

Note: There is a very kind young man who carries those heavy melons out to your car trunk!

It is located on a little side street so that parking is easy on both sides of the street. They have bags or you can bring your own recyclable bags. Over the years that he has been open, his marketing ideas have grown with the business. Such as having hours posted on FB as to opening late due to rain, putting up more shaded canopies for customers (as well as for those working the stands - hey, it is HOT out there)!

We go weekly and once we went on a Thursday and went back on Saturday for more tomatoes. He is open Thursday - Saturday and definitely has a steady business. (9-6 Thurs.-Fri. and Sat. 9 till sold out) When we walk up it is hard not to let our eyes do the shopping without thinking that there are only two of us and what will we eat before it goes bad. That is my only warning. Take a look at some of his produce:

I must say that one week I literally overdosed on tomatoes. Is that possible? It is if you bake a tomato pie and have a slice of tomato on everything that you eat for a week (including just a good ole plain tomato sandwich)! I have learned to cut back just a little bit. As good as all of these fruits and vegetables are for us, mix them up some. 

The health benefits, not to mention helping out the environment and finances are overwhelming yet statistics show that only a small percent actually shop at farmers markets. Most seem to still be hooked on grocery stores. Why?

If you shop at the grocery store, many times the food had to be shipped there. So it really it is a better idea to buy locally and when in season in your area reducing the carbon footprints. Also the produce is not wrapped up in plastic as it is sometimes in the grocery. If you think about it there are growing seasons for all fruits and vegetables so when it is time for certain produce to be harvested in our area, that is the time to buy it. It is fresher, tastier and did not have to travel miles to get to you. Everything can be picked at peak ripeness.

Because it is locally grown, it is higher in nutritional value because it is produced closer to us and spends less time in transport and storage. Eating seasonally saves us more money than buying out of season produce where prices could easily spike due to demand.

Purchasing from a local farmer helps our local economy and not some multi-million dollar corporation. It cuts out the middle man. Shopping at a local farmers market gives us a sense of community. We have even met up with friends at our market. The farmer and his helpers even get to know us and what it is that we usually buy.  It is a weekly trip over for us while he is open. 

I do have my own little AeroGarden to plant heirloom cherry tomatoes, miniature peppers and lots of herbs. It is a sad day in September when our farmer is back to work on his farm for the next year's growing season so this is when patience is needed to carry on. It is back to the grocery store at that time and the produce simply can't be compared. 

What matters the most is knowing where our food comes from and supporting locally grown produce whenever possible.

Here's to SWEET FROM THE VINE PRODUCE and the owner Micah McDaniel. Check them out on Facebook and Instagram and please stop in to see them. 

IT REALLY IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER

 IT REALLY IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MATTER

♥️

Let me start by saying that I really do love jewelry, flowers and other really nice things that my love of my life has given to me. However, I can honestly say with all of my heart that it is the day to day little things that makes my heart go boom-boom! It reminds me of just how deep my love is for him. Most of these little things are quiet and simple. 

Some examples of the little things for me is that he makes my coffee each morning and brings it to me as I am dressing and doing make-up and hair. When he traveled on business he made sure that the coffee beans were all ready and in containers ready to go for each day. I know that others do this because this picture is from a friend when her husband goes out of town. It means the world! Such a simple act of love.

Steve would hide little notes, sometimes a post-it note and sometimes a little card that he picked up and hid it in a place where he knew that I would go at some point in my day. It could be in a coffee mug sitting up, or under the decorative pillow on the bed that came off before I went to bed. In my handbag if he knew I was going out...I never knew where. That was the fun of it.

He loves bringing home or ordering special scented candles for me to have on my desk to set the mood for writing, plus it makes me think of him. (an extra bonus)

We both love to cook but it is so special when he puts all of his passion in cooking our meal. I work on being the sous chef. Just watching him makes me happy and I fall more deeply in love with him.

With all that is happening around our city, as well as the country, it is not always safe for a woman to go out to get her own gas. It takes eyes all around to be careful not to get your car stolen, or things in your car. So he always wants to be with me to fill up my car with gas. Luckily, I am not in it alone very often so it does not use a lot of gas but when it needs gas. He is there with me. Taking care of giving my car a full tank.

Some jobs around the house I just take care of like Roomba and using the Swifter but others, it is amazing to see how fast he empties that dishwasher and takes out the trash. I try to help by breaking down boxes (at least the ones that I can work on). I can also grab the new bag to put in the kitchen. So it is called team work for each other.

Letting each other have a turn at sleeping in is a great little treat. Again...it could be him or it could be me? We both share at this gift.

Occasionally, a nice sweet and gentle foot rub hits the spot for me or Steve enjoys a gentle pedicure/manicure from me. He would never go out and get one. 

We both enjoy sending texts to one another. Whether it is our "stars" (astrology) for the day, especially since we are both Sagittarian. Interesting! Or other sweet texts like, "You looked beautiful in that outfit today, Darling." Wow...that puts me on cloud 9 for a while. Makes my heart melt. And a text back to him letting him know how that made me feel is just as special.

The old fashioned way of sending a love text is when he is in the shower, I love it when his back is to me and I can make a heart on the shower glass that is all steamed up. 

So you see...It really is the little things that matter to the heart.

MAGIC PILL

 MAGIC PILL

What if I told you that there is a magic pill that you can take that will help in losing weight? Well, I would not be telling the truth. There is no magic pill. There is no magic to losing weight at all. Once, when Oprah was a daily tv show, I remember her weight going up and down like a roller coaster. She stated that if there were some magic pill out there to help lose weight she could afford to buy this to help her. This was not in bragging, it was just the truth. One of the wealthiest people in the world and there was nothing that she can do to shed her weight that we are not able to do ourselves. 

How many of us have gone on those "fad" diets and the weight melted off only to come right back on and then some. That is what happened to her and to me and to countless others?  The problem is that once the weight is lost we move into the real world. No guidance to eating a healthy lifestyle once you are off the program, even though many of them claim to have a maintenance program. Not to mention some of the dangers of the chemicals that you are putting into your body. 

I will not name the national diet company that I tried and wow did I lose weight. About half-way through the program I started to have these crazy wild zaps of pain in my head. It lasted about 2 - 3 seconds and was over. I finally went to the doctor and he discovered that what I was taking was affecting nerve endings and that is where the nerve endings were reacting. As soon as I stopped the program the zaps of pain stopped. Thank goodness there were no other side effects.

Let me start by saying there are painless ways to lose weight in a healthy way. At some point, and no one but you can make that decision, you know something has to be done. I was uncomfortable. Each person must do it for no one else but for themselves. Why? Because they want to become more healthy in their lifestyles. It is time to stop avoiding all high calorie treats and working out like a maniac. Really it does not take some super hero to make these changes. Go ahead and share a cupcake or ice cream with someone you love.

First, I started with adding, not subtracting foods from my meals and snacks. Deep red cherries, juicy grapes or crunchy snow peas...a handful of almonds are all things that I would keep with me for snacks instead of reaching for chips and things that just are not good for me. I use FitBit to journal my food and keep track of my calories, as well as my carbohydrates, fat, protein and sugar. I worked first on lowering my carb intake but even there one must be careful because calories do count. I became a label reader. Does this mean that I did without? Sometimes. A great way that I used was to watch and sometimes weigh my portions. Also, to share a meal or get an appetizer for my meal. 

All easy ways to help cut back and still lose weight. So it may not be as fast as some of the fad diets but it will change my mindset of what I am choosing to eat for the rest of my life. Also, just a small amount of exercise is better than nothing at all. A walk around the house, a 10 minute ride on a bike, dance moves while cooking - just to get up and move. Right now I am doing physical therapy exercises to help with arthritis in my knees. That is not going away but I can make my knees stronger and get in exercise at the same time. This has really helped. A 5 minute walk around the house is still a 5 minute walk. Every little bit helps. 

Unless you just love doing these crunches, go for the movement of walking, leg lifts, riding a bike, etc.

Just a little side note, Oprah did join and is promoting Weight Watchers, which is most definitely a healthy program because members get to choose what they want to eat based on points. For me, I choose based on the nutrition/calories. Either way, is a much more healthy way to lose weight.

Hydration really does help. To make it more friendly to the environment, I managed to get me some great water bottles in all colors. It helps me keep track of how much I drink, too. I save the purchased plastic bottles when I am going out and can slip the bottle in my handbag. 

I learned that I had to hook up to what works for me. It was and still is trial and error. I try different things. I must admit that I am addicted to the scales. I try not to be but at least I have become friends with my scales. 

Who can gain 6 pounds in one day? That would be me. And yes, I know it is not going to be there the next day or even the next. Something goofy in my body? I am not a doctor and don't know if I possibly had more sodium one day vs another? I just stopped being frustrated over it. What matters? 

Clothes keep getting too big and I must go down in size. Oh, how good that feels, not to mention when others notice and say something. Still...I am not doing it for them. I am doing it for myself. I feel better, I have more energy and stamina and just a healthier outlook on life. 

Last words from this blogger...Find what works for you and just do it. Everyone has their own unique needs, likes and dislikes. It is all in the mindset.

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

 GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

Just as John Lennon wrote and sang, we all need to give peace a chance. Peacefulness is not something that we bring into our lives, it is a quality that we find within ourselves. As I have discovered we can move to the mountains to find solitude but if we have not learned to cultivate peace from within ourselves, it is only a matter of time until things happen beyond our control and we lose our sense of calm again.  I read someone else's visualization to help cultivate his mind is to hold the vision of a monk sitting calmly in the middle of an earthquake with everything trembling around him, he does not let what is happening in his environment affect his inner state of being.

Life is always changing and is unpredictable. It can bring us happiness even if we can't always hold onto to it. This is what makes it hard to keep some situations pushed away in a special place because they will affect our peace of mind. No matter where we are, it is necessary to learn how to deal with life's ups and downs and stay centered no matter what is happening all around us. Rather than wishing a difficult situation to go away, we can move through the experience more easily if we take the opportunity to learn as much as we can from it. How? 

Here are some ways that I have discovered and use in my own sometimes chaotic life:

Reminding myself to 'just breathe.' In a tense moment it is not always the easiest thing to do. That is when our breathing becomes restricted so it is wise to sit still and take 2 or 3 or more deep breaths. This releases tension and helps to center myself again. Then it becomes easier to express feelings in a calm and coherent fashion. It helps to bring a peace of mind to me.

Sometimes we have no control over what is happening around us. What we can control is how we respond to any given situation. This is the time to practice acceptance through breathing and expressing our feelings calmly so that it is easier to go back to peace of mind vs. struggling through it. 

There are times such as when in a conflict with another that it might become necessary to set your own boundaries. There are times that you can just say no and walk away if you decide it is not beneficial. When we give ourselves the space to reflect on an incident it can bring us a sense of relief. I will caution that these times are usually in our personal lives. Not with a supervisor who has given you a task that you don't want to undertake. This is the time to breathe and move on and not allow another person to control your emotions. 

When stress is taking over it just might be time to get up and move your body. Simple yoga moves or stretching exercises work wonders on a body both physically and mentally. Just move, even if it is a walk around a hallway at work.

When a certain situation is causing confusion it may be time to try talking to yourself or even getting support from family or friends...major problems could even lead you to a support group. There are many of them out there if you live in a metro area. 

When troubled, this is one of the best times to be sure that you are taking time to take care of yourself. It is not being selfish. It is a way to nurture yourself back to peace of mind. There are many little ways to do this such as a DIY spa day or one with a specialist. Practicing yoga, reading a good book, painting or another kind of art work...just some YOU time. 

There is something to be grateful for in every life situation. This is the way to help us return to a path of peacefulness. As John Lennon wrote and sang,

"All we are saying is give peace a chance."

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

 CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY

Lucky enough to have two sons, one daughter and one daughter-in-law and 4 granddaughters to celebrate the holidays and two birthdays all together!

Next week will be a fresh new blog!