The other side of sunshine....

....is a big, beautiful moonbeam.

Hello my darlings! Today is Monday and I woke up this morning with a feeling that this week (maybe this day) will be full of wonderful possibilities for me! I am nearing my one year anniversary of Just A Girl. Yes, friends, it will be ONE year that I started Just A Girl! So much has happened in this past year! I have traveled to Paris, to the Bahamas, gone to Florida twice, went on a chick trip to Union Pier with Janet, been on fun, fun, weekend trips many times to Chicago, read lots of great books, wrote a short story, saw a few really good movies, saw My Fair Lady on stage in Chicago, discovered the Friendly Fox. Geez, I know there is more....but anyhoo....it has been nearly one year of blogging.
Any ideas or thoughts or anything you would like to see from me in the 2nd year of Just A Girl?
The Vail Family Reunion is coming up July 4 weekend. Bree is going this year and I'm sure it will be a blast. You'll see many pics of the Vail Cousins on my blog so stay tuned.
Please keep reading and comment, comment, comment.
Love to all.....Kelli

Dedicated to a special girl

This is for Bree.... she is my daughter. She is my best friend. She is the wisest, most wonderful person in the world. She is so good and kind to me. She always makes me feel good about myself and when I feel blue she always makes me feel happy. I am so lucky to have a friend like Bree and the best part about it is that she is my daughter!

I am so glad that she is here...she makes me realize how beautiful my world is.

Thanks, Bree..... Mom

How do I make my dreams come true?

I have been asking myself that question alot lately. How do I make my dreams come true? Some things that I dream of I can control....like going on trips and doing things and seeing things and buying things and being with the people I love. But how do I make my dreams come true with things I can't control? How do I find that new job? How do I get connected with the right people to help me get the job that I want? How do I get started on a new career?
Bree gave me a Secret Gratitude Journal for Christmas last year that I write in. One side of the journal you are thankful for what you already have. The other side you are thankful for the things you don't have yet but that you want.
I am going to put forth my absolute strongest, highest power that I have to get myself into a new career. After 30+ years as a nurse I am ready to move on. Spread my wings and fly to a new adventure, I hope. Please think good thoughts for me, darlings. I sure need it.
Love and hugs and any ideas you may like to share...GO FOR IT! I'd love to hear...Kelli

Reading

I just started reading "Certain Girls" by Jennifer Wiener. It is the sequel to "Good In Bed".

I loved that book.

I recently read "Marie Antoinette, the Last Queen of France". Since going to Paris I am obsessed with French history. If anyone has any good books they can recommend on French history (fiction or non fiction) I would love it!

Here is what is on my bookshelf waiting for my greedy little fingers to flip through its pages:

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

The Spa by Fay Weldon

Belong to Me by.....can't remember her name! sorry

Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman (can't wait to read that)

Multiple Choice by Claire Cook

Love and hugs to you all, my friends. Keep me in your good, happy thoughts and COMMENT!!!

I am lonely. ha! Just A Girl --- Kelli

SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE

Last weekend Bree and I saw Sex and the City the movie. I was in Chicago staying with her and we went to the Sunday morning movie. So glad we did because when we left the movie people were standing in lines everywhere waiting to go into the next showings.

We loved the movie. I can now say that Sex and the City is one of my very favorite movies. Being a loyal follower of the HBO series, Sex and the City, I was not a bit disappointed in the movie. It was even better than I thought it would be! It was so wonderful to see the girls together again and the movie made me cry several times. Not big gushy tears, but enough to make me wipe my eyes.

I read the Roger Ebert review of the movie before I went to see it....Sorry, but MEN (especially OLD MEN) should not be reviewing Sex and the City. It is a show for us girls and a few choice men. Go see the movie! You will LOVE it.

Have a fabulous June, everyone. Write me. Love, Kelli This is me peeking out of the living window of our apartment in Paris....!!! I miss PARIS

More thoughts from a PARIS LOVER

This city was so amazing....I loved it. I loved how we sat in brasseries and the waiters didn't keep bugging us. We would sit for a couple of hours lingering over wine and cafe au lait just talking and laughing. We talked about movies, people, TV shows, books, writing, traveling, family.

I loved the shopping! My favorites were the little boutiques. I got so many cute things!

I was impressed by how clean Paris was! The metro was bright and clean too. I loved walking everywhere and I want to continue walking more places now that I am home. Leave that car in the garage especially with gas almost 4 bucks a gallon!

Every morning I wake up and the first thing on my mind is Paris and how much I enjoyed my vacation there!!! I loved it!!!

PARIS PARIS PARIS I LOVE YOU, PARIS!!!

I LOVED PARIS!!! After spending one week in Paris I am now just writing you about it....Let me tell ya, I adored Paris. I loved the people, the food, the museums, the boutiques, the churches, the brasseries, the coffee.

Bree, John and I had a ball. We rented a 1 bedroom apartment on Rue St. Anne which was perfect. Very clean and only a few blocks to the Louvre. We all got along great...Plenty of laughs and 2 hour cafe au lait pit stops at outdoor brasseries. John and Bree were my tour guides. Those two navigated the city like old pros and I just followed behind them trying not to get hit by a car or motor bike.

We went to the Louve, the Musee d'Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, took a train to Versailles and toured the palace and gardens, Luxembourg Gardens, Salvatore Dali museum, Cluny museum. We walked and walked and walked. Thank God we walked because if it wouldn't have been for the walking I never would have been able to zip up my pants by the end of the week.

I ate croissants that were so fresh they melted in my mouth, drank endless cups of cafe au lait (each cup better than the cup before) and even drank a little wine. Wine was better in France!

What a wonderful, fantastic experience this was for me. I loved seeing Paris for the first time with my daughter and John beside me. I really did not want to come home. I connected with this city and truly loved everything. I will be back someday.

So my darlings, I will be better with my writing. Please keep reading! Here are some pics from Paris!!! Love, Kelli