life

“Morning Coffee”

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Don’t you just love when that first cup of coffee (or tea) in the morning tastes perfect? It starts the day off with you thinking that it’s a sign that the rest of the day will be just as perfect. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not, but either way, for me, that first cup of  coffee sets the tone! 

I know, it’s just a cup of coffee, but my point is that the way we start our day is important. It’s important to wake up with gratitude, with a clear mind in knowing that it’s a new day with no mistakes in it and that it’s a day filled with endless possibilities. The day is what we make it and even though life happens and “not so good” circumstances happen to us, it’s up to our attitude and perspective as to how it affects us. 

Life is a mindset and our thoughts are powerful. Choose your words carefully.

It’s not easy to always be positive, I know that, but it’s certainly worth a try.

So, on this beautiful Friday morning, I sit with my perfect cup of coffee at my desk, enjoying my view. It’s time to get to work and start writing.

My wish for all of you is a wonderful day filled with all good things. 

Happy Friday.

And on a side note, I’m so happy that life has brought me back to writing.

It feels good to be back.

I missed you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“On Turning 63”

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It’s been quite an amazing day today. I’m feeling extremely blessed for this next “trip around the sun” that I celebrated today. I am grateful for each and every day that I am blessed to wake up to and today was an especially good day as I turned 63 years old. 

My day was filled with wonderful well wishes from friends and family and ended with an awesome dinner sitting by the water in the warm and sunny weather in Florida.

Life is passing by more quickly than I had ever imagined that it would, but there is something about getting older that makes me appreciate every moment of every day that I’m blessed to see, that makes me stop sweating the small stuff and appreciate ALL of the stuff, and makes me realize that NOW is the time to truly make a difference, to love with all that I am, to laugh every chance that I get, and to be grateful for every moment of every day.

Here’s to each of our “trips around the sun.” 

I’m so grateful for each and every one of you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Every Day Is International Women’s Day!”

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International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and today I want to celebrate ALL women: the mothers, grandmothers, the dreamers and the doers, the lovers and the friends!

Today is a day to celebrate all women who make a difference in this world and to remind you that you ALL make a difference. You make an impact on the world just by being here and today I want you to celebrate YOURSELF!

You matter, you count, and you are important!

Take a moment today to celebrate YOU and all that you do in this world, in this life, on this day!

It’s a good thing!

Happy International Women’s Day!

You are amazing and you are my heroes! 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Ten Year Breast Cancer Survivor!”

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There are some days that are more special to you than others, and today is one of those days for me. 

Today I am officially a “10 Year Breast Cancer Survivor!” To say that I am grateful is an understatement. There are no words to express my gratitude to be blessed with this special anniversary.

Time is certainly flying by and I am doing my best to embrace each and every day that I am blessed to see and be a part of. I hope that you are doing the same.

I’m sending lots of love to all of you today and always.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“I Wanna Go Back and Do It All Over”

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Do you ever hear a song on the radio that takes you back in time? One that transports you to a time when you were younger and life seemed much simpler?

It’s that song that brings you back to a precious memory, of a time when you remember being so carefree and happy.

For me it’s a song sung by Eddie Money that makes me think that “I wanna go back and do it all over, but I can’t back, I know.”

But I can’t go back. None of us can.

What we can do is hold onto those memories from a lifetime ago.

Keep them safely tucked inside of your heart.

And don’t lose sight of “now.”

When life isn’t going the way we had planned, or we’re feeling sad or depressed, or as though we’ll never be happy again, we often go back to those times.

We all do.

But don’t go back to those times and wish that you were there again.

Visit those times to remind you that you have been happy and that life was all that you wanted it to be at that time.

And let those times remind you that you can have that in the “now.” You didn’t leave happiness in your past. It was simply a different time in your life that taught you what “happiness” feels like.

Take those feelings of old memories with you into your “now.”

And let your “now” guide you into your “future.”

Life is a series of memories, good and bad, a series of life lessons, easy and hard, and a series of ups and downs. Experience is a great teacher and memories are gifts that we are given along the way.

Go back and visit if only to remind you that your “now” is just as precious as your “then.”

And remember to be grateful for it all.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Just For Today…”

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There are days I have to keep reminding myself of what I used to tell my children: “it won’t be like this forever…just for today.”

And I know that it’s true. It’s a lesson I learned many, many years ago, and one I have to remember. Life happens, things happen, and sometimes it’s easier to sit in sadness or anger than to look at the flip side to it all. Everything happens for a reason, and while we may not know the reason at that moment, the Universe will bring it to us when we’re ready to see it.

I know it’s tough to do, to find the good in something “not so good,” yet life is a domino effect: one things affects another. And I’m here to tell you that throughout my life I’ve tried to stay positive and keep the faith through some pretty dark times, and one thing I’ve learned is that those “dark times” brought me to the light in my life now.

Stay positive, my friends, no matter what type of situation you’re going through. Find your light through the darkness, because truth is, YOU are the light!

“Just believe, just have faith, everything else will fall into place.”

And remember: “it won’t be like this forever…just for today.”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“When You Weather the Weather”

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This story is for those of us that stay home during a rainy day or to all of you folks throughout the country dealing with snow, ice, and extreme freezing temperatures right now!

And it’s about how we can embrace the weather that tends to confine us to our homes.

Yesterday was a very cold day here in Florida, with non-stop torrential rain, and you know what? I was grateful for it! I turned on the soundtrack from “Under The Tuscan Sun” and cooked my homemade Italian gravy (or sauce, as some of you may prefer) with meatballs and sausage for almost eight hours. I even managed to make time to READ a book between stirring and tasting the gravy. It was a glorious, “no pressure, stay at home” cozy kind of day, and I loved every moment of it!

I know that we all grumble at times when the weather in our area confines us to our homes, but if you change your perspective on the situation, you may actually embrace and enjoy your time at home.

I love that feeling of knowing it’s a good day to stay home. It’s as if the Universe gave you permission to stay home, change your routine, relax and enjoy! It’s a day to stay in bed with the paper and your morning coffee. It’s a day to curl up with a good book in front of the fireplace, or in your favorite chair. It’s a day to stay in your pj’s or cozy in your most comfortable sweats all day. It’s a day to turn off your computer and turn on your favorite movies. It’s a day to cook your favorite comfort foods and sip your favorite hot tea.

It’s a day to do whatever you want and how often do we allow ourselves to have that kind of day?

Be grateful for the weather that keeps you home for a day or two.

Be grateful that you’re home safe and sound.

And be grateful that you’re here to embrace the day, no matter the weather.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“I Had a Little Health Scare”

/ Anne Dennish / 8 Comments

There’s something I’d like to share with all of you and I’m hoping that my experience helps save a life or prevent the loss of one.

After Thanksgiving dinner I started to have a back ache. It felt like a pinched nerve on the left side of my back. I woke up Friday morning with the pain worse and it was now on both sides of my back. Silly me, I went for a pedicure just to use the massage chair in the hopes that it would help my back. It didn’t.

Saturday night the pain was extremely bad in my entire back and had now moved around to both sides of my upper chest. I slept sitting up on the couch because I couldn’t lay in my bed or roll from side to side. It was a struggle to get to the bathroom and I needed help just getting my pants on. The pain became excruciating and the muscle relaxers I had did nothing to help. I called the doctor on Tuesday for something that could help but they wanted me to come in on Thursday, which I did.

My doctor did an EKG and said that I may have had a heart attack or was about to have one or possibly a stroke. I was rushed to the hospital and admitted. After x-rays, a CT scan and ultrasound, the verdict was in. I did not have a heart attack but had blood clots in both lungs and one in my leg. I have NEVER felt such fear in my life. It made breast cancer seem like nothing but a bad dream. THIS was a nightmare!

I’m happy to say that I’m feeling better! I’m on medication and am able to walk up to 20 minutes a day now without chest pain or shortness of breath and am so grateful for that!

I went to my doctor a week later for a check-up. She hugged me and said that I had had a “near death” experience, which is why I was feeling more emotional than usual. She also told me that most people wouldn’t be alive after staying home with that much pain and those symptoms for eight days like I had, and that someone on the other side was watching out for me. She also believed that it was a sign that it just wasn’t my time! 

She saved my life and there are no words to thank her enough, so I will share this experience with you in the hopes that you will not ignore symptoms such as these like I did. I still sit here some days and can’t believe I didn’t do something sooner, but it’s done and over with and I’m here, thank God. Now, it’s time to get on with life and life is even more precious than it was. 

I say to all of you, don’t take one day for granted and don’t take the people in your life for granted. If you think of them throughout your day, let them know. If you love them, let them know as often as you can. And never, ever, take someone you care about for granted.

That’s my story and it’s been quite an eye opener for me. It’s changed me in many ways and I will certainly share those changes with you as time goes on. 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“One Year In Florida”

/ Anne Dennish / 4 Comments

Today marks one year that I’ve been in Florida and what a year it’s been. Eleven days after I moved here Hurricane Ian, a Category 5 hurricane, hit and I had to grab my parents and evacuate to the East Coast until it passed. Happily, I had minimal damage done to my little Florida house!

It’s been a year of trying to find my balance and my place here in Punta Gorda. My significant other stayed up North for six months before he moved here. I’ve tried to find part-time work and have ended up with some crazy jobs. It’s been quite an experience, to say the least. 

I did learn some interesting things about living in this area.

Florida has no cold water in the summer months, due to the extreme heat. The most you’ll get out of your faucet is warm water. 

Porches are called “lanai’s” which drives some of my friends crazy when I say that.

Most bars have a last call at 9:30 pm and close at 10. 

Onions are very strong here and if you cook them I can tell you that you will smell them in your house for over 24 hours!

I learned that lightning can, indeed, strike a car because we saw it happen while driving.

Some of the great things are that you can eat outside at almost every restaurant all throughout the year.

Though the summer is hot, the fall, winter and spring are beautiful. 

I love thunder and lightning and this is definitely the place to witness some beauty in the storms here.

The clouds are absolutely stunning at sunset.

I’ll never get used to alligators and snakes. I do love the sounds of the pack of coyotes that live at the end of my street, especially during a full moon when they howl for quite a long time.

Here’s to Year #2 in Florida. It’s taken me this last year to get used to it, but I’m working on it. I still miss the beach at the Jersey Shore but know that I’ll make it back there at some point.

Here’s to change, finding the positive in it and making the best of it.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“A Work In Progress”

/ Anne Dennish / 15 Comments

We’re all a work in progress. We’re not the same person as we were a year ago, five years ago or 10 years ago, and that’s what life is about: change. When we stop changing, we stop living.

I can honestly say that I’m definitely a different person than I was a year ago or twenty years ago. Life teaches us lessons that help us, sometimes “force” us, to change. We live through circumstances that change us. It’s survival and it’s also becoming a person who can survive those moments and thrive because of them. 

If only others could see in us what we see in ourselves. If only they could see how far we’ve come in our life and how much we’ve learned about ourselves. If only they could see the effort it took us to get to “now.”

Sometimes I feel as though strangers see the changes more than the people closest to me, but more often than not, that’s the way it goes.

Still, I’ll never stop learning and growing. I’ll never stop changing into the best possible version of myself that I can be. I’ll never stop trying to live my best life.

Here’s to being “a work in progress” and growing into the best version of yourself that you can be today. And who knows? You could be an even better version of yourself in a year, or two, or more.

However long it takes, live each day living, learning and becoming the best version of yourself that you can.

You got this!

And so do I!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~