Seems like now is a great time to start!

I'd like to know where is MY welcome mat?  Here I am! It's me Tonya and I'm actually blogging. I have had some friends and family members try unsuccessfully to get me to blog for a number of years now.  Finally giving in to peer pressure, I'm going to give this blogging thing a shot.  Surely, someone out there will find my day-to-day ramblings amusing, insightful, and brilliant, right?

I will start off by telling you that I was inspired today. I had lunch (Panera Bread, YUM) with a couple of new friends Gaylie and Mandi.  During the course of our lunch we discussed how short and beautiful life really is. We don't know what tomorrow holds, so enjoy the moment. Savor it, live it, let go of negativity and bad energy. Have you ever known someone who, after being around them for any length of time, they suck the life right out of you? Have you noticed how their constant negativity, complaining, and criticizing just make you feel tired and drained?  We all know people like that in our lives.  No matter how hard we try to encourage that person, uplift them, make them feel good - nothing seems to work.  I've made a conscious decision to distance myself from anyone who is not putting forth any sort of effort to have a happy and fulfilling life.  Why should I waste my days on people who suck the life out of me?  Now don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about ditching a friend who is having the occassional bad day, and who just needs to vent. I'm talking about the person who never has anything positive to say, ever.  I've noticed that those friendships are difficult to maintain anyway. I keep trying, out of fear of being seen as a snob, or even worse yet *gasp* a bad friend!  I just realized that the life sucking friend isn't really a friend any way. When the so-called friendship is a one way street, it's not truly friendship to begin with. So, I'm not going to feel guilty about walking away.  Good bye negativity. Hello beautiful life!


This is a picture of my friend Gaylie. I love her energy.

This is Gaylie and her handsome hubby.

 This is Mandi. I'm told she was watching a football game when this picture was taken. We're going to be football buddies!  I'll even forgive her for being a Tennessee fan.