My friends of 20 years, (left) Peggy, Pam (me) and Mary. We (3) 50- something girlfriends are off to the Spoleto Festival in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
"We" women need close female friendships. Since 1985 there has been a large decrease in close friendships between women. Studies have shown friendships improve a women's health and longevity. Friendships grow from causal friends and are a slow growing process. A good friend is a friend who has a desire for what is best for "you," there is emotional support and give and take, understanding, trust without the fear of being judged. Friends talk and listen and do not go out of their way to hurt one another with words.
The first building block to growing a friend is to be in contact with other women. Best friends take time. Put yourself out there, you will be doing something good for yourself and someone else. Friendship is a "Belles Choses"...a Beautiful Thing
Other Beautiful Friendships
Beautiful Things....read all my post under "July" on the right side of the page
I have a "pull" like many people, to visit the ocean or the sea. I think it is natural for people to want to travel to the ocean, it is beautiful and relaxing to look at. If we are stressed in our lives, the ocean provides some kind of rhythmic movement. The waves come in strong and leave weak. The movement puts us in a "type of trance" with its recurrent pattern. Such a natural phenomena.
Beautiful beaches of the world, just a few to look at and think, "I want to go there one day!" "Belles Choses"
California
Big Sur, California Central California coast: It is surrounded by the Ventana Wilderness. A beautiful place to hike with sunny days and cool nights.
Thailand
Phi Phi, Thailand: The Phi Phi Island is the second largest Island with Maya Bay.
Hawaii
Punalu'u Beach, Big Island Hawaii: Year round in the 70's, snow capped mountains, erupting volcano, and black sandy beaches.
Italy
Cinque Teree, Italy: The Clinque Terre is the rugged part of the Italian Rivera coastline.
Mexico
Tulum, Mexico: Mayan ruins on the beach. White limestone beaches with the sapphire blue Caribbean waters.
Montenegro
Sveti Stefan, Montenegro: Sveti Stefan means "mountains" and "sea" which was once a small fishing village. This country is in Southeastern Europe, bordered by Croatia and Bosnia, on the Adriatic Sea.
Just a few beautiful beaches of the world. There is magic in all of these "Belles Choses" ..... Beautiful Things. Have you been to a beautiful beach that you can not forget?
Chiang Mai, Thailand
We went on a once-in-a-lifetime elephant trekking in the jungle of Thailand. And after this experience it was only going to be once-in-my-lifetime. We were in the mountains of Northern Thailand located on the Ping River. The tropical climate was hot and humid. The guide helped us onto the howdah (seat) for 2 atop the elephant's back. This same guide was scolding us for leaning in our seat too far to the left, no, too far to the right. Who could help but lean from side to side, when you felt like you were on a roller coaster, in slow motion. We went through a shallow muddy part of the river and up and down steep paths along the hills. I felt something unusual moving quickly down my back. It was not one of those spiders draped across the trees, I reached back with my hand only to find it was sweat, bullets of sweat racing down my back. I said to myself, "Whose big idea was this? Mine. I've got to get out of here." The howdah (seat) rubbed a hole in the seat of my new Chicos pants!
I would not declare this experience as my "Belles Choses" but what was a beautiful thing was next to us was a mother elephant and her baby calf. We were told the baby has to stay close to his mother for the first 2 years because the baby is being nursed. This timid baby was running, in a state of panic to stay close to his Mama. The baby anxiously maneuvered itself through thick muddy river water, almost getting stuck, in order to stay close to his mother. The bond of this Mother Elephant and her Baby was a Beautiful Thing.
The first Cooper River bridge opened in 1929. Residents and tourist traveled from downtown Charleston to Mt. Pleasant over this bridge until the radiant double diamond towered Arthur Ravenell Jr. Bridge opened on July 16, 2005. I can remember traveling in the school bus on that old Cooper River Bridge in the 1960's. Today, the beautiful spectacular new bridge serves as a backdrop to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. My "Belles Choses" ..Beautiful Things. Do you have "Belles Choses" to share?
Last Fall, soon after moving to Charleston, SC I went to Seeking Indigo, a holistic healing center, to attend a workshop. I went alone that Sunday. I didn't know anyone to go with me to the workshop. All the other ladies came with a friend but that did not affect my determination to make my very own Mala prayer necklace made from the seeds of the Asian Rudraksha tree.
I felt like I was just a little slow learning the rhythm of stringing the seeds and tying the silk tread knots. The instructor was patient with everyone. The necklace must have exactly 108 beads, 3 sections of 36 beads. Many religions: Roman Catholics, Christians, Hindus, and Buddhist, count the beads while praying, chanting, or meditating. It is believed these Rudraksha beads provide protection from negative energy, emit positive energy, work on your chakras and invite blessings from God.
Wow, can these seeds do all that? I did complete my Mala necklace after 2 hours. I felt like I had made a real "work of art" and I have actually worn it many times over the past year always feeling a special aura of protection around me.
My "Belles Choses" my Beautiful Things.. Would you share your beautiful things?
In these times where we are constantly bombarded with news of debt-ceiling deadlines, a struggling economy, a growing unemployment rate, it is calming almost peaceful to take a few minutes out of your busy day to look, to feel, to share "Belles Choses" Beautiful Things.
Take a few moments to look at the beauty of this Junk in Hong Kong. It was 10 years ago that I took a mid day sail on a traditional Chinese Junk along the Hong Kong Harbor. The air was warm and humid that day as the bow of the boat bounced in the small wake of the waters. I could hear the swish of the waters as it lapped along the sides of the boat. I sat there really in a state of peace because I felt like we had just opened a window to the past. There was a slight fishy smell along the waters, the hot humid breeze hit my face followed by a spray of water. I felt peace, only peace.
Now that was a memory of my "Belles Choses". Please share one of your beautiful things.
