Thought Tuesday #18

"Life is not a series of gig lamps symmetrically arranged; life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end." -- Virginia Woolf

What words or thoughts are inspiring you this week?

When Zombies Attack

Usually you would think on Memorial Day weekend most people would be with their families, enjoying a nice summer barbecue and conversation.....but not Doug Sakmann and his crew of zombies for the 4th Annual NYC Zombie Crawl in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The NYC Zombie Crawl is an organization concerned primarily with the rejuvenation of the living dead by means of feasting upon human flesh. While this can be problematic in civilized society, NYC Zombie Crawl attempts to make the zombie experience as genuine as possible through the combination of horrifying SFX make-up and organized zombie events that unite brain-eaters from near and far.

Under the direction of experienced zombie ringleader Doug Sakmann, NYC Zombie Crawl has provided make-up for movie, book and video game releases, national touring acts, film productions, and countless organized events in the NY area including massive zombie crawls through the wild streets of NYC. Sakmann’s team has worked extensively in the business of transforming average humans into the living dead, having provided Zombie make-up for such clients as the Tribeca Film Festival, NYC Comic Con, Sony Pictures and The Today Show on NBC, to name a few. (Taken from NYC Zombie Crawl

I started crawling as a zombie back in October 2008. I heard about the event through the Village Voice as well as visiting the website Burning Angel where it was advertised. Originally I was kind of scared -- what if my students saw this? What would they think? They I said to myself -- well I am not naked, I am not hurting anyone, and it is all in good fun. So every year when there is a zombie crawl put together by Doug, off I go. Today was my fourth one.

Usually when I go to the zombie crawls, I am already made up. Here are some pictures of my past zombie crawl makeup.


Here I am in October 2008, my first zombie crawl, done by the fabulous Autumn Lynn:








Here I am in October 2009, my second zombie crawl, with the zombie ringleader Doug Sakmann. This time, I decided to try my hand at zombie makeup.


Then during Halloween 2009, the crew from NYC Zombie Crawl promoted a new video game called Plants vs. Zombies. This was my first time walking in the Village Halloween Parade and since it was for a video game involving plants, I thought it would be funny and ironic to be a dead bunny. Again, did my makeup myself.

Back in Spring of 2010, Doug was commissioned to make a trailer advertising a new book called Play Dead by Ryan Brown. Combination of football, zombies, and reading? I am down! Here I am with the author of the book and yes I am wearing a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt because since I live in the tri state area, I wanted it to appear that rapid NY Giants fans killed me at a game.













Now while all of this fun was going down, I knew for myself I needed to do something in 2010 for the Gulf Oil Spill. In October 2010, I was "employed" by British Petroleum. I had on a business suit and an identification badge. This one I had a lot of fun. The big question was "What happened to you?" The answer "I work for British Petroleum" which got an resounding "Ohhh....I understand."













Which now bring me to today. May 29, 2011. Originally I was going to be a zombie but Doug is in the midst of filming the movie Punk Rock Holocaust 3 and needed more victims than zombies. I decided to be a victim instead this year as well as assist in makeup detail. Let me tell you...I should have been a zombie instead!

What I had to do was wear an "intestine" pack underneath my shirt that I did not mind getting ruined. The pack was heavy! It was flesh stuffing dipped in "fake" blood and what was supposed to happen was zombies were going to attack me and rip my "intestines" out.



After I was suited up, off we were down Bedford Avenue to McCarron Park for some Zombie fun and games as well as Human Tug Of War from Disgraceland Hook Squad. Walking with this pack around my neck HURT. But I did it. As soon as I got to the park, I spoke to some of my fellow zombies and told them to just rip my shirt and get this pack off of me. They listened. My shirt was already pre-cut so it was not that hard to destroy. I fell down on the grass and the zombies "fed" off of me. I was relieved but now a big sticky bloody mess.

There was an after party at Public Assembly but with working on over 30 people to be made into zombies as well as the intestine pack, I was done. Overall, I had a lot of fun. The walk was good in terms of exercise but next time in October 2011 I will be a zombie and will still do makeup detail. I am already thinking of ideas for zombie costumes, especially involving the Sun Drop girl from the commercial. For more information on getting involved, please go to this website NYC Zombie Crawl

Summer of 2011 : What is On My List To Do

Recently Gala Darling, one of my favourite and inspiring bloggers, wrote her Summer 2011: An Adventurous To-Do List article and it has inspired me to do the same since this weekend is the unoffical start of summer.

Summer used to be my least favourite season. The heat, the humidity, the air...just blah. But now I have a different approach -- I am not at work for two whole months and I have a load of free time to do whatever I want. So this is what I am thinking about doing for the summer of 2011.

1: Use my Canon D-SLR camera more often. Especially in parks of New York City. I have gotten so used to my Canon Powershot camera as a lot of places I go to with David does not allow my professional camera. Granted the Powershot is great for vacation pictures as well as meeting my favorite actors/actresses at conventions but in the realm of creating artistic photographs, I need the D-SLR. Just a personal preference.

2: Sit on the beach of Coney Island On July 1st I will be in Coney Island for TNA Wrestling Live! I usually hate going to the beach as I feel all eyes are on me and I become down about my body image. Not that day! I plan on wearing some jean shorts and a t-shirt (maybe my Dilligaf t-shirt to give me courage) and just sit and look at the ocean before the show starts. Anyone care to join me?

3: Travel to Los Angeles and San Diego, California. Enough said. I usually stick to the Midwest or East Coast for vacation in August before returning back to work. Not this time!

4: Pick up studying French again at the French Alliance. About two years ago, my brother bought for me Rosetta Stone French and I was hooked...until I had to go back to work and time was very limited. I figured I would start that up again and enquire about classes at the FIAF.

5: Make sure to go swimming three times a week and Zumba once a week. I will continue my changing of lifestyle habits well into the summer!

6: Dance and blow bubbles in public like no one is watching. I enjoy being silly, especially in public. It makes me feel good and puts a positive spin on life. Who would not want that?

7: Even though it is summer and sticky, make an effort to dress up. Yes this was on Gala's list too and it rings true for me. If I am uncomfortable, I quickly go for t-shirt and lounge pants. Not this summer, especially if I am going out on my own or with David.

8: Visit the Central Park Zoo. That is one zoo I have never ever been to. Yes I know I am going to the San Diego Zoo and no other zoo can compare but still...it would be nice to check out.

9: Go to some concerts that makes my ears bleed/ring at the end of the night By concerts I mean heavy metal/rock shows as well as guilty pleasures, such as Britney Spears in July. Love the environment and energy at a show.

10: Stay at the Hotel Chelsea, or at least sit in the lobby. The place where Sid and Nancy were last seen together? The place of debauchery? Yes please.

11: Visit Governors Island and bring a picnic! Do I need to say anything else?

12: Focus on doing more things for myself. Enough said!

What are your goals for the summer?

Like Oil and Vinegar, Dani and Cheese Do Not Mix

Photo Credit to Aanilorak

With having access to some of the best deals in New York City comes with great responsibility. You see, I am an member on this website called Gilt City. It is an exclusive deal website with some of the best stuff in New York City from food to beauty products to events. I decided after much hem and hawing to try the Summer Picnic Tote from Lucy's Whey located in Chelsea Market. Lucy’s Whey Summer Picnic Tote included 3 cheeses - 1.5 lbs of Vermont Creamery's Chevre, Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from the Cellars at Jasper Hill and Marieke Gouda, Artisan-cured meat - 3 oz. sliced La Quercia Prosciutto Americano, Z Crackers, Fig jam and a spreader. I picked up the tote and off I was to the High Line. I love having picnics especially in parks but I did not want to go to my usual spot which is Union Square Park so off I went.

Unfortunately, this was a bad purchase. While the prosciutto and crackers were nice with a mild flavour, the cheeses were all too sharp for my tastes. Let me also just say that I had to find a bathroom as soon as possible. This disturbs me as I love the fruit and cheese plates at Starbucks and Cosi but it seems that my body is becoming quickly lactose intolerant. I guess that I just have to severely limit my dairy intake from now on. I do not drink any milk from cows so I am on my way, I guess, to eliminating all dairy from my diet. A good habit will die hard....

After throwing the cheeses away and keeping the fig jam and crackers, I made my way to Madison Square Park to try and get fries from The Frying Dutchmen but it was closed. Not to fear as I noticed a gourmet food market right on 23rd and 5th Avenue. It is called the Madison Square Park Food Market and its participants includes Asia Dog, Bar Suzette, Breezy Hill Orchard, Calexico, Carnelian Knoll, Chameleon, Cookie Panache, Eataly, Engage Green, Goat Town, Hong Kong Street Cart, ilili, Karma Living, kudu-lah, Marquet, Momofuku Milk Bar, Nunu Chocolates, P&H Soda Co., Peter Charles, Piccolo Café, Resto, Roberta’s Pizza, Sigmund Pretzelshop, Stuffed Artisan Cannolis, Selen Design, Spices and Tease, The Filling Station, and Yumi Chen Designs. Oh my goodness so many choices! I marveled at all of the choices and made sure to go slow around it. I decided on a green mango salad and iced green tea from Hong Kong Street Cart.

Oh my goodness..it was so good. It had soba noodles with green mango, cucumbers, carrots, vegetarian soy meat, and chopped peanuts. Yum! I must go back to this market before it closes on Friday June 3rd.

Overall, this start of my Memorial Day Weekend went very well. I sat in Madison Square Park next to the water basin, read my magazines, fed some birds, and chilled. Then I went home and took a 12 hour nap. Hope your weekend is just as blissful!

Things I Love Thursday -- May 26th Edition

This week has been a whirlwind of mugginess, warmth, sweat, and tears! But it has been a lovely week and here is what I am in so much love with:

~~Successfully growing and bringing to life a butterfly! My school purchased live butterfly gardens and the teacher I work with sent in the voucher for the live caterpillars. After lots of love and care, the butterfly came out of its shell on Tuesday and started to spread its wings. Hopefully will set it free soon!

~~Getting free tickets for a New York Yankees game. The seats were okay and I had to be alert of any flying baseballs, but it was a fun time.

~~Having a veggie plate waiting for me in my room when I got home.

~~MEETING TOM FELTON from Harry Potter! Such a cutie and really friendly.

~~Singing on the subway and not caring if I am out of tune.

~~Almond milk. It is so much better than soy. I think once I finish the soy milk I do have I will switch to almond.

~~Listening to Modern Meditations during lunch alone.

~~FLEET WEEK! Its my favorite holiday, like Samantha said on Sex and the City.

What are you in love with this week?

Sugar Slam 2011

When I first heard about SugarSlam 2011, I was beside myself. I literally jumped up from my computer chair and screamed. Here is a contest that combines two of my favorite loves -- Baked Goods and Professional Wrestling. I could not believe it.

So what exactly is SugarSlam 2011? Sugar Slam is the brainchild of Natalie Slater, semi-professional baker/writer and fan of professional wrestling. One of her close friends is CM Punk and when they are together they have a cake feud -- she is a fan of frosting/icing who feels dessert is not dessert without it (I agree!) while he vehemently hates it. One day there were going back and forth about it and she said "Hey- we should do a wrestling-themed bake off because fighting and eating are fun!" He agreed to be the judge and like a true heel he picked a CM Punk dessert as the winner! Furthermore, she is heavily influenced by punk rock and is an inspiration to all those who follow the beat of their own drum. She has a unique style with an intense flair that draws you into her blog. She does not have a bakery at the moment and has a 9-5 job in Marketing. Also she has no culinary education, no fancy degree, but yet she knows her stuff and what makes baked goods GOOD for you as well as taste. You can find her blog, Bake and Destroy, here -- Bake and Destroy

When I asked Natalie what made her decide to run Sugar Slam 2011, she responded that the first SugarSlam in 2008 was lots of fun. She didn't plan on doing it again but people kept asking her to. She became friends with Beth Phoenix about a year ago and thought she'd make a great judge so she went big this time with three celeb judges, big prizes, all that fun stuff. Also, when I asked Natalie what does she look to gain from Sugar Slam 2011, she responded that she is getting a lot of fun out of it! Otherwise, her sponsors offer prizes to the winners but don't pay her anything. She is not earning a dime for this -- all the posters and all the PR she is doing herself so it's not like she is profiting off the contest. Will say it again -- INSPIRATION. A lot of people in this world simply do things for profit, but not Natalie. It is amazing that something so simple as FUN and CREATIVITY is the fuel. Natalie can't wait to see who wins, as well as I!

If you would like to enter SugarSlam 2011 please go here: Sugar Slam 2011

Thought Tuesday #17

“Be who God meant you to be, & you will set the world on fire.“ (St Catherine of Siena)

What words or thoughts are fueling your inspiration this week?

Book Review: This is Gonna Hurt by Nikki Sixx

For as long as I can remember, my very first crush; or when I started to notice boys; was at the ripe old age of twelve years old. My brother, who in a a lot of ways, influenced my favorite music and at this time I was listening to 80's glam/hair metal. I am talking about Cinderella, Winger, Warrant, Ratt, Poison and most notably MOTLEY CRUE. My love affair of Motley Crue started at twelve years old and it has not stopped. Now while most of my friends were pining for Donnie Wahlberg or Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block, I was swooning for a man who wore make-up, bright leather pants, and had bigger hair than I did in New Jersey. That man -- Nikki Sixx.

When I heard that he was in the process of writing a follow up to his best selling memoir, The Heroin Diaries, I was beyond ecstatic. I tweeted about it, posted on Facebook, told my friends in work who followed Motley Crue. "Remember April 12th! Nikki Sixx's new book comes out!" I would shout. I would spend thirty minutes every day watching and re-watching the documentaries that went along with the book. I would call Bookends and Barnes and Noble to find out about book signings and the rules. Unfortunately due to report card night and funds, I could not attend the signings but I did get my copy of his book through Amazon.com.

Last week I finally finished reading Strip City by Lily Burana and quickly dove into This is Gonna Hurt. It took me about three days to get through it and I must say...I was highly disappointed.

Here is the book description from Amazon first: This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx is part photo, part journal—but all Nikki Sixx. It is a collection of compelling photography and stories that capture the rage, love, optimism, darkness, and determination that shape his work. Combining the raw authenticity that defined his New York Times bestseller The Heroin Diaries with a photographic journey, This Is Gonna Hurt chronicles Sixx's experiences—from his early years filled with toxic waste, to his success with Motley Crue, to his death from an OD and his eventual rebirth through music, photography, and love. Love story, bad-ass rock tell-all, social commentary, family memoir, This Is Gonna Hurt offers the compelling insights of an artist and a man struggling to survive, connect, and find a happy ending—a search that fuels Sixx's being.

Nikki Sixx is a very talented and exceptional human who is obviously working towards becoming a better person and is still facing his demons from his drug and alcohol addiction. I loved The Heroin Diaries; book and soundtrack are amazing! Unfortunately his second memoir did not speak to me. The photographs are technically interesting and creepy as well as his subjects are definitely not of the norm but after a while the overuse of "beautiful" just took away from the meaning. He also kept on referencing The Heroin Diaries throughout the book. If I wanted to read The Heroin Diaries, which I have done, I would have pulled it out of my autographed book cabinet. He should have kept this book just as a photography coffee table book and explain why he chose the particular subjects he did instead of jumping around from his drug addiction days to Kat Von D to life with Motley Crue and so forth. He seemed to have a general idea of what he wanted to do -- to prove that what he see on television and in magazines might not necessarily be your view of beautiful but, like I tell my students in writing, he did not stick to one topic. If you are looking for a photography book with an edge, get this. But if you really want to learn more about the life of Nikki Sixx and why he is the way he is right now, read The Heroin Diaries.

Things I Love Thursday -- Getting Out of My Funk Edition

For the past week I have been in a funk -- really sad, crying for no reason, just overall blah. So for this week's TiLT, I figured I would write what I do/did to break myself out of my funk as well as other things. Here is what I am in love with this week:

~~Going to Zumba. Nothing like a good sweat to get the energy up.
~~Naps with my dogs in the afternoon.
~~Finishing up a book and starting a new one.
~~Twining cherry citrus tea with a bag of popcorn.
~~Listening to new music, especially Modern Meditations.
~~Thinking up new outfits with the clothes I already have.
~~Anticipating the end of school/work! I am a teacher and we look forward to our summers too.
~~Having my muses speak to me and do a drawing. This is Justin Hartley "Green Arrow/Oliver McQueen" from the series Smallville that ended last week:
~~Hudson the wonderpup lying behind my chair as I check out websites on my computer.
~~Sweetums the diva putting her head on my lap and looking up at me with her sad eyes because she knew I was in Funkytown. Yes my dogs are the best!
~~Taking a much needed day off from work today to sleep in and replenish my body.
~~My new Camelbak 32oz/1Litre water bottle. Water does a body good!
~~Thinking of what to wear when I get to Dragon*Con in Atlanta during Labor Day Weekend.
~~Ke$ha's new album Cannibal. Yes I know it has been out since November 2010 but it is new to me! Such a guilty pleasure.
~~Posting a word of the day on my brothers Facebook. Thank you Thesaurus.com!
~~The fact that David was willing to wait in monsoon weather to get me an autographed copy of Zachary Quinto's comic book Lucid. He was unsuccessful as he only signed 90 of them but still...the thought counts!
~~Upfronts week! This is the week where all of the major networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, The CW) announce their upcoming fall schedules as well as what shows were renewed or cancelled. Also if you can find out where the Upfronts for each network is, you can go meet some stars! I have done that once and it is exhausting so now I just sit back and read Twitter and get excited for new shows as well as my favorites.
~~Getting the perfect birthday present for my friend Veronicas son Seth. Apparently, and I did not know this, he was complaining of bad dreams and wanting to sleep with his parents. Well I bought off of his wish list Marvel Superhero Twin bed sheets and wrote on the card "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH! These will protect you when evil villains enter your room. XOXO, Danielle" He has been staying in his room ever since!
~~Finding new quotations for my Thought Tuesday series.
~~Finally using Gilt City to get a summer picnic. Just need to pick it up!
~~Getting information for a casting call for The Walking Dead.


What are you in love with this week?

Things I Love Thursday -- May 12th Edition

Another week of testing....another week of mind numbing walking....another week of education....gone....so what do you do? YOU WRITE A HAPPY LIST THAT IS WHAT YOU DO! Writing my Things I Love Thursday feature every week has lifted my spirits and I implore you to do the same! With that said, here is what I am in love with this week:

~~A random stranger letting me plug my phone charger into her computer so I could charge my phone a little bit. Definitely good karma!

~~Wearing bright purple tights and a sequined top to feel like a 80's inspired comic book villain.

~~Reading two different magazines about Nikki Sixx and Kat Von D at the same time and figuring out their opinions of each other are vastly different.

~~The movie Thor. The acting, the story, the special effects. Superb!

~~Getting back into the habit of writing in my notebook every day.

~~Searching "sex club" in FourSquare and finding Pop Burger and Five Guys listed.

~~THAT I DO NOT HAVE DIABETES! I am inspired to write a goal post much like the one on Dani Hampton's blog Sometimes Sweet . I will tomorrow.

~~Winning a Smallville prop for my love David. He is a diehard fan and is quite sad that his show is ending on Friday. Figured that might cheer him up.

~~Treating myself to an afternoon tea service at the Crosby Street Hotel.

~~Clementines that are easy to peel.

~~Resisting a cheese danish in my teachers lounge.

What are you in love with this week?

Thought Tuesday #16

"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves." -- Buddha

What words or thoughts are fueling your inspiration this week?

Healthy Dani is On Her Way!

A couple of weeks ago, Dani Hampton at Sometimes Sweet started this great feature called "8 Weeks To A Better Me" and this weeks feature could not have resonated higher to me than ever! This weeks feature is healthy eating and I need that so much right now. I did write about this on my Things I Love Thursday post but since Blogger was being funky it was deleted so here is the story...

Back in March, I had decided to switch doctors. My doctor, who is the daughter of my original doctor, was constantly wanting to switch me off of my birth control to either an insert or Seasonique. Now the reason why I am on birth control is because my periods are irregular due to poly cystic ovarian syndrome which I did not know I had until I was 23 years old and my periods just stopped. I also ballooned up in weight while I was in college due to a very bad break up (yes I ate my emotions and then did more eating) but that is another story for another day. So for the past 10 years I have been on the pill because of my period. Granted the extra protection for pregnancy is added bonus, but that is the true reason.

In any event, I just did not feel comfortable going to my doctor as she did not have the greatest bed side manner and as well constantly wanting me to try different medication/birth control. If it is not broke, do not fix it in my eyes. So I scheduled an appointment with an gynecologist which is right up the block from me. It was a pretty standard check up and then he mentioned my weight. Now I have had constant issues with my weight as well as my thinning hair and severe dry skin. My family also has a history of thyroid cancer so it was best for me to go get some blood work done. So I did. The results came back and while my thyroid levels were okay/normal, my insulin was kind of on the high side meaning I was becoming diabetic or at a risk of becoming diabetic. That will simply not do!

I quickly made an appointment with an endocrinologist which my gyno recommended/referred me to and more blood work was done. Well, the good news is I am not diabetic! My thyroid levels are normal but I do have a deficiency in Vitamin D and have Mediterranean Anemia which means my iron might be low at times. Luckily enough, I do not have to see the endocrinologist ever again but he did suggest these things:

1) NO MORE FOOD WITH SUGAR IN IT. I am talking cakes, pies, scones, cookies, pudding, ice cream...BAD BAD BAD. This will be the hardest things as I have a major sweet tooth. He did say that I can have a cup of tea with ONE packet of Sweet N Low or Truvia a day BUT THAT IS IT. If I decide to go for a second cup of tea, NO SUGAR OR SUGAR SUBSTITUTE.

2) EAT THE FRUIT, DON'T DRINK THE FRUIT. Apparently fruit juice is worse than actually eating the fruit. It does not contain all of the fibrous membranes like the actual fruit does. So if I want to drink orange juice, get an orange and peel it and eat it instead. Same goes with grapefruit, apple, and so on.

3) HAVE A HANDFUL OF NUTS BEFORE A MEAL. Nuts are a good source of protein plus it fills you up so I am not at risk of overeating.

The first week I will admit was hard as I was craving sugar like a beast but I am dealing with it. I have also added swimming three times a week to my exercise regimen as well as Zumba once a week and walking my dogs every day. I am well on my way to becoming a healthier me and appreciate all of the support I can get! So with that...here are three things/goals I am adding to my healthy eating routine to a better me this week:

1) Only have ONE snack after lunch and dinner. I tend to graze...a lot. So I will make it a constant effort to only have one apple or one clementine or one cup of popcorn.

2)To make sure I eat one salad a day. Love this idea! Also love the idea of feeling light and fresh in the morning. Thanks for the tip Tracy from Shutterbean!

3)Try and drink two 32oz bottles of water a day. Is this too much? Let me know.

Do you have any goals this week to a better you? Let me know in the comments below!

Thought Tuesday #15

"Good morning. You yourself as much as anybody in the universe deserves your love and affection. God is Love" -- Rev Run

What thoughts or words fuel your inspiration this week?

Things I Love Thursday -- May 5th Edition

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO! This week has been a glorious one...much better than last week...let us see what I have been in love with this week:

~~David uttering this line "Hey Clark...I'm back....MEEP!"
~~The wonderfulness that is chocolate pudding.
~~Meeting Lynda Carter and Ernest Borgnine!
~~Debating about reading a book a week for the month of May.
~~Sitting in Union Square Park
~~Finally meeting Kellie S. from On The Brink of Something Beautiful and having a great dinner with her!
~~Any grilled food!
~~Getting tickets before the general public to THE BIG 4 on September 14th in Yankees Stadium!! The Big 4 is Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax...a definite heavy metal diehard dream concert. Can not wait!
~~Mid day naps to revive myself
~~Zumba for the second week in a row!
~~Afternoon tea at a swank hotel over the weekend has me giddy...
~~FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!
~~Actually feeling refreshed after getting loads of sleep.
~~Cinco De Mayo is today and the possibility of going to La Lucha to celebrate floating through my mind...
~~Having so many options of entertainment/events to go to.
~~My return to Citi Field tomorrow to see the Mets vs. Dodgers! I have not been to Citi Field since breaking my foot last year so it will be extra special for me.
~~Rainy, dreary days with a cup of tea and a good book.


What are you in love with this week?

Thought Tuesday #14

"A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow."

--William Shakespeare

What words or thoughts have inspired you today?