Vacations

There's something about a vacation that just instantly calms us. We're whisked away from our normal everyday stresses and into a place of relaxation. We can take our mind off of problems at home, work, whatever is troubling us and just enjoy doing nothing of importance.
The beauty of vacations is the fact that they can be taken hundreds of miles away, or a couple towns from where we live. It doesn't really matter where we go, just as long as it's away.
Vacations can be full of adventure and activities, or they can be a time of rest and relaxation. However they are spent, it is sure to be a time of enjoyment.
So the next time you have the chance, pack your bags and hit the road and enjoy a break from the everyday.

Acoustic Music

There is something so personal about acoustic music. It feels like the artist is showing us a glimpse of who they really are, they're letting us into their world.
With acoustic music there are no distractions, no fancy recording tricks, no deceiving the listener. It's just the artist, and their instrument of choice. Something magical can happen when the beauty of the voice and instrument combine.
I'm a fan of the loud music too, but sometimes it's just nice to have something pure and simple to listen to. So the next time your looking through your music collection for something to listen to, skip over the loud and go with the beautiful.

Michigan Summers

Eighty degrees, sunny with a slight breeze. Absolutely perfect. Lucky for us in Michigan, our summer is filled with days like this.
These perfect days make it easy for us to do just about anything. Go to the beach? Have a picnic? Go shopping? Whatever you choose, you know it will be a beautiful day for it.
I consider these days a blessing for all the horrible months of winter that we have to put up with. In December I heard a women say, "I never ask why I live in Michigan in the Summer...". I couldn't have agreed with her more.
Michigan generally doesn't have much time separating winter from summer, and summer from winter. It seems like suddenly out of no where summer hits us, and then just as quickly has it came, it goes away and winter is here.
So get outside my friends. Enjoy this weather while you can. It will not be here for long.

The Favorite Pair of Jeans

You know the pair, you put them on and they fit perfectly. There's just something about those jeans that makes you feel like you can do anything. Maybe they're tight fitting, or maybe they're super loose, whatever it is, they keep you coming back.
The bad thing about our favorite jeans is that they wear out the fastest because of how often we clothe ourselves in them. And when it comes time to throw out them out, a part of us feels sad. It feels like we're throwing out a best friend.
Have no fear, soon enough another set of jeans will come and steal your heart.

A Good Nights Sleep

I don't think a person can truly appreciate just how good a full night of sleep is, until you don't get one. A good night of sleep can refresh and renew. It can make the day ahead all the more enjoyable, or at least a little more bearable.
Some studies have shown that there is a higher chance of obesity, colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease or diabetes if you don't get enough sleep. Not only will a lack of sleep make you more irritable, but it could also be helping in your death.
So the next time you feel the need to stay up and watch your favorite movie for the 100 time, realize that there are more important things in life then seeing the good guy get the bad guy and the girl. Turn off the tv and get some good old fashioned shut eye.

A Good Laugh

We're told laughter is the best medicine, and while it might not cure the flu, it can most certainly cure the soul. You could be having the worst day possible, but when one of your friends tells you quite possibly the worst joke you ever heard, and that first laugh leaves your lips, suddenly things start to seem a little better then before.
The best kind of laughter is the kind that makes your stomach ache and your eyes water. It might come from a good joke, maybe it's from reading a funny story, or looking at pictures from the past. Whatever causes this joyous thing, no one seems to mind.
Laughter is a simple pleasure because, well, it's simple. The next time you're feeling low, go turn on your favorite movie, pick up an old Calvin and Hobbes comic book, or go out with one of your best friends-whatever it is that makes you laugh, go do it. I guarantee that you will feel better.

Classic Movie Romances

In most great classic movies, there is a great romance. When Mr. Perfect and Ms. Hopelessly in Love finally express their devotion towards one another, you feel you just witnessed something truly amazing.

In An Affair to Remember, when Cary Grant slowly walks back towards Deborah Keer after he sees his painting hanging in her room and starts to realize the reason why she didn't meet him on the top of the Empire State Building, we know that it's the start of something wonderful. And after he sits down next to her, hugs her, calls her darling and wipes away her tears, it is then we witness one of the most romantic, pure embraces ever seen in a movie. In this moment, we get a feeling of satisfaction and that all is right in the world.




In A Breakfast at Tiffany's, when Audrey Hepburn is riding in a cab with Mr. Perfect-A.K.A George Peppard-she opens up the cab door, dumps her cat on the side of a street corner and continues on. We can see things start to unravel with Mr. Perfect. He tells the the cab driver to let him out. As he steps out in the pouring rain, he looks back at her and gives her a brutally honest opinion on what he thinks of her life. He then throws the ring that they had engraved at Tiffany's in her lap, and slams the door leaving her behind. As the dramatic music starts to play we can see her slowly start to come to a realization that her life isn't quite what she wants it to be. Quickly she leaves the cab and starts to run down the street where she finds Mr. Perfect, looking for her abandoned cat. It is here when we realize all hope is not lost for this pair. She then starts to look for the poor cat. After finding it, she slowly walks towards Mr. Perfect and they share a long loving gaze which ends with what can only be described as the perfect old fashioned, overly dramatic kiss. Yet again, our hearts are content with this perfect ending.




These movies are a great simple pleasure because for a brief moment, a mere movie can take us away on a wonderful adventure and make us forget all our worries.