Like every other kid hitting middle school, I had a rough time because I did not fit in. Anywhere. I know - it’s hard to believe that this amazing package of coolness had issues being accepted by others, but I totally did.

In 2019, I walked into Hip Expressions Dance Studio on the first Sunday of the year and did my first “vision board.” Orange is my power color, so I chose a neon orange paper as by backdrop. I spent the 2 hours scouring through 50 magazines looking for words, phrases and pictures that spoke to me.

Doug and I were shopping at Big Lots, and came across this $5 Box of Ninja Bread. We both started laughing. Immediately - I was transported back to our first Christmas together in 2018.

There are two kinds of people: people who love the holidays, and people who hate the holidays.

My Aunt Rose, at least in my mind, is the perfect example of someone who LOVES the holidays. On Oct 31st when the last "trick-or-treater" is off her porch, Aunt Rose gleefully begins unpacking her Christmas decorations. The sheer volume of decorations she has in storage ensures she starts on November 1st to get done in time for Thanksgiving. Aunt Rose takes super-excellent care of her Christmas decorations.

Please enjoy this collection of quotes from modern day philosophers (comedians) about the true meaning of the holidays. ~Traci

Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? The birth of Santa? -Bart Simpson

It would be a Hanukkah miracle if we could decide on a way to spell "Hanukkah." —anonymous

I got the dishtowel pictured from a dear friend for a present last year and it struck a chord with me. I can't say I've done one thing every day that scares my family, but I must admit I have a pretty good track record of making a few major life decisions that scared the total sh*t out them. For example, I was the first one in my family to go "away" to college.

With the holidays upon us, I find myself reflecting back on past holidays and not always in the best way. I remembered that Thanksgiving of 2016 was the last Thanksgiving I spent with my mother. I broke her out of the nursing home for a home cooked meal at my house. It was a day of joy for both of us and she ate like it was her last Thanksgiving...because it was. I'm so glad I made it a good one. Christmas Day of 2016, I was going to treat my mother to another home cooked meal. Unfortunately, she became very ill that Christmas Eve and never rebounded. She passed the following year and I never got to have that Christmas with her.

Doug and I are staying on St Pete Beach while our home undergoes renovations in order to make it more allergy and energy efficient friendly. You don't realize just how allergic you are to your house until you don't leave it for 5 months! The other problem, was the bedroom was consistently 10 degrees hotter or colder than the rest of the house.

Our world has changed dramatically since the dawn of January 1st, 2020. Negativity and hatred is being spewed on a daily basis by political groups, media, and social media…but they are doing it on such a subtle level that most people don’t even notice it until there’s a riot. This is not healthy and these language patterns are dividing us as a society

I feel the negativity everywhere.

I have to watch every word I write.

I have to watch every word I say.

The constant worry that I'm going to offend someone, waiting for someone to go off the emotional deep-end, because I triggered them by simply mentioning "Black Lives Matter" or "Make America Great Again."

I saw the movie “Flashdance” when I was 14 years old. It’s about a sexy woman who is an exotic dancer by night and a welder by day. It’s the same movie that propelled Jennifer Beals into stardom overnight, while the real dancer in the movie, Marine Jahan, became a trivia question. One of the best scenes in the movie is where the main character is performing a chair dance on stage, and reaches up to pull a cord so that a bucket splashes on her as she dances to “He’s A Dream” in a lacey teddy.

Yesterday, I did a Hypno Hangout session “Using Hypnosis To Feel The Hugs From Our Loved Ones While Quarantined.” To prepare, I did some research on just how important “touch” is to human beings. And you know what? It’s pretty important! One of the articles I read was called “Why Physical Touch Matters for Your Well Being,” written by Jonathan Jones in November 2018.