Drinking from the Garden Hose

My maternal grandmother passed away a few weeks ago, a day I always knew would come, nonetheless still felt like a surprise. I miss her so much and I wish I could fly myself to Georgia and hear her witty quips in her strong Southern accent, but my heart will always feel the love we shared. As far as dying goes, she went out in a way that gives me a lot of peace. Her last full day on Earth was spent celebrating her 94th birthday with her 3 month old great-grand baby [thanks lil sis for making that dream come true for her ;)], eating cupcakes and ice cream with family, then she died simply watching television in her room the following day. She wasn't sick, had no diseases, and was simply ready to call it. Since my Grandad passed in 2012, my Gmom has had many suiters in her assisted living home but she would always reject them stating "My husband is waiting for me in heaven!" My heart is sure their souls had a joyful reunion.  Birds have a special spiritual significance, to

 I love love love love love love SUMMER! Right now, I'm sitting in my backyard enjoying this beautiful July day in San Diego - sunny and 75. Here's what I'm loving for summer: 1. Spending time outdoors . The only thing I get 'fomo' with is sunshine. If the sun is shining, I must be enjoying it. As a 9-5 corporate America worker, I still find ways to get outdoors while getting my work done. Working from home or in the office, coworkers have become accustomed to my video conference backgrounds being flora and fauna. There is a spectacular garden onsite at the Amazon San Diego office location, which I frequent. Suntanning is my 'guilty' pleasure, leading to the next thing I'm loving... 2. Super Goop Sunscreen. I'd been quite loyal to Sun Bum sunscreen products the past few years, but recently I've been OBSESSED with Super Goop products. Especially their Glow Screen and CC Screen . Combined or stand alone both products give you the perfect "no

I ’ve had a few days to simmer on the Benedictine College graduation commencement speech delivered by Kansas City Chief’s kicker, Harrison Butker. Vocation is a word he used 13 times throughout what my corner of the internet is referring to as a tirade of Puritanical bigotry. My mind has been stuck on this section, where he speaks to women, on womanhood: “For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this wor

"Do you have a shopping problem?" a coworker asked recently at a meeting, to which I responded "I don't have a shopping problem, I have a shopping interest." This question was provoked by my Balenciaga jeans, which I did purchase from Net-A-Porter about 4 years ago, hopeful that I would get the $700 price tags worth of wear out of them... and definitely I have. Also, I married into a Basque family which Balenciaga was founded by a Basque man, Cristóbal Balenciaga, so I appreciate the cultural connection when I buy from this brand.  I've loved dressing up since before I could walk. My costume closet was overflowing with princess gowns and dance costumes, my mom would even hand sew me and my American Girl Dolls matching outfits in the 90s *super cool*. But why does loving fashion and expressing yourself through what you wear become associated with a "shopping problem?" The problem with shopping is if you do it to constantly acquire material things th

SPRING BREAAAK! I might not officially get spring break off as an adult but I'm taking one anyways! Before March even began I knew this month was packed with plans. The plan this week is no plan :sunglasses smile emoji:. LET'S START WITH SXSW.  When I lived in Austin, SXSW was my favorite time of year. Speaking on a panel at SXSW was something I always wanted to do. I remember last year an author and influencer I follow Tinx did a panel with Mark Cuban and I thought 'I want to do that, but when will I ever be important enough?'. Turns out 2024 was the year and Women in Tech & Media was the topic! Imposter Syndrome isn't something I've ever identified with much - however at Amazon there is a major insecurity that comes with what level you are in our internal leveling system. This month I did get a major milestone promotion approved that bumped me up a level, but that hadn't even happened yet when I was invited to speak. That one number did make me feel l

It's a new year! The holidays are behind us! However, the existential threats to human existence persist, leaving us millennials wondering if the roadmaps our parents laid out for our lives in the 80s and 90s are still paths worth pursuing, or even possible to pursue. Across nations, states and cultures - the mega question (primarily posed to women) is - "Do you want kids?". WANT? Wanting is a tricky word. Wanting something does not mean it will happen. The Four Noble Truths that are central to Buddhist philosophy are: (1) Life is suffering, (2) attachment to desire causes suffering, (3) suffering ends with the attachment to desire, and (4) the Eightfold Path is the path to liberation from suffering. We do have free will over the choices we make moment to moment, and those choices amount to the life we have. If you have a sense of your life purpose and that includes parenthood, that's a beautiful and meaningful thing to pursue and hope for. I understand why having