Debs – Live, Laugh and Learn

“GOALS ARE DREAMS WITH DEADLINES.”

November 20, 2020Debs

Last June, I took my first step in a Course to become a Life Coach. I felt a need to understand more about who I am and what it is that I am still searching for. Coaching, opens this up completely, it makes you ask yourself questions that you would never do before and by learning from our mistakes it allows us to grow and accept the past as a necessary experience. However, then Summer came, so with family here and so much to do, naturally, I put my course to one side for a short time but now, once again I’m back at full throttle and totally immersed in these books once again. This is perhaps one of my most significant goals to complete before I reach 60. The Dream, is to be able to use this valuable information in the future to help others realise that by coming 60, does not mean The End but it is the beginning of a whole new Chapter.

An integral part of the Course is appreciating that before you can actually help anyone, you must first have experienced and understood what the Basic Coaching Principles are about. A most interesting part for me was personally realising my passion in life. There are many difficult and prying questions that need to be answered before you can arrive at this point, one minute we think we are going nowhere then the next it suddenly all becomes clear. It is a truly wonderful feeling when you suddenly realise what it is that you want in life. The process of arrving at this point can vary, for each person it is always different but knowing the steps to take and that your goal is now in sight is really part of our Life Purpose.

I am currently studying the area of Communication in Life Coaching, this section is very “Hands on” and exciting, I finally understand that after all the study, things are finally starting to come together. Being able to become fully grounded in what a client is saying, virtually putting myself in their shoes and understanding how my perspective on their current issue, could actually turn their life around. This is the point, by simply listening and giving them a completely different view on a situation is sometimes all that they needed.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

November 14, 2020Debs

So happy to be back on my Bike which i recently secretly named Guisseppe (I always loved the speed of those Italians!). My boyfriend always believes that no matter what you have, if it serves you well, you should give it a name and in time you and he/she will develop a special relationship together. It’s like they develop a soul…. but that’s a story for another day.

This week we totalled around 90 kms. We had a massive day of Adventure which started when we realised our bikes were NOT going to fit into our Jeep. Never being one to give up, we decided just to head for the coast and stop en route for coffee and a map check. We are always thinking of our tummies, so when we arrived at this random little Bar in the Square of Llubi we were thrilled to hear our bill for 2 Cafe con Leche with 2 Very large Napolitanas ( Croissants filled with loads of chocolate) was a total of 4.30 euro, definitely coming back here! So back on Guisseppe and Silver Arrow (Boyfriend’s Bike) we soon passed through some really beautiful country lanes with amazing mountain views. Included, was a town called Sa Pobla, the main vegetable growing area of Mallorca, where we saw fields of Potatoes, Kale, Artichokes, Onions etc.. surrounding us on all sides. We then headed down to the Coast of Alcudia passing through a National Park with natural lakes and surrounded by beautiful wild life all nestled in the endless Bamboo plantations that protect these areas. Unfortunately Andreas, (aka boyfriend) blew a tyre 9 kms before we arrived. No problem, a handy taxi took him to repair it and we continued onward. Now it was 5.30 and starting to get dark so a race to the Train station for a quicker trip home was necessary. We couldn’t resist a quick Gin and Tonic in our local to celebrate this special day before being kindly brought back home in our neighbour’s Van.

I have added a link below to part of the Adventure from the other day. If you use Strava, please join me and we can give each other those Kudos in the challenges that lay ahead. Otherwise, we can connect on Strava via my name Deborah McGuinness.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4324578465/embed/e73669d6df1cb5d3718c576cd99a187869eb65e6.

MEMORIES OF PAU…

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020Debs

Lives can change in the blink of a second,

One minute you’re getting ready for his favourite part of the day- the walk. Then the next you’re holding him close as he peacefully passes away. There is no second chance to go back and change what has just happened.

Pau lived for his walks for good reason. Much of his life he had been locked up in small yard and always was left on his own. Someone brought him his food and that would be it. Thankfully he had a strong personality and would have none of this so constantly found ways to escape to try and find a better life. Each time however, he was collected by the animal rescue vans and returned back to the owner. Eventually, the Owner no longer wanted him he was tired of having to always go and collect him. So Pau, now 10 years, was left at the pound and put up for adoption.

Six months beforehand, I had just lost a dear companion, Wilbur, an English bulldog but now I decided the time had come to help a dog who really needed a good home.

This is where Pau and I met, not knowing what dog to get i asked the man in charge, “what is the dog that no one wants?” He replied “no one ever seems to want, the big, old, dark colored ones. It wasn’t long before i spotted Pau ( peace in Mallorcan), he was a a 10 yr old dark brindle and 90% Great Dane (big in other words). Pau was standing Silently, at the back of a small yard with a lot of other smaller yapping dogs in front of him and looking seemingly uninterested about what I was doing there. He probably was thinking, no more homes for me I’ll finish my days here, they are not so bad. But I called him and looked in his eyes. They were so sad but loving. We went out for a walk and I knew we were going to be a great team even though he was not quite so sure about this as I was.

So that was it, I knew he was the one. Pau just fitted into my car and off we went home. It seemed he was settling in well until one day he decided to jump over a fence with a 3 metre drop the other side. He took one of our other dogs as well and from what i heard they had a great morning running all the way into our village and chatting with the neighbours… until he was luckily picked up. So back to the pound I went and paid the necessary fine for letting him out. We had a bit of a chat here but it was agreed from that day, he would never leave again.

Size, was never an important thing to him, as his best friend was our miniature Yorkshire, whom he adored and he followed her everywhere mainly as her protector and whenever she said “Pau, help i need you”, he would be instantly be by her side. He loved coming out in the car (any trip out was fun even the vets) and simply adored Pizza and olives, that was his special treat. His other naughty moment was getting up on the bed for an hour in the morning… he always seemed to know when it was 7 am. He has been the happiest and most loved dog that seemed to just get younger. In our 3 beautiful years together it must be the walks, that were his favourite hours, yes these were the best times… I think he just loved adventure.

He didn’t pay much heed to other animals on our walks but always loved to visit one special dog and would drag us in this direction each time… they looked at each other for a long time and both had a good sniff and then just walked away… friend from another life I think.

Maybe we take it for granted sometimes the piece of truth, that Dogs love unconditionally, but do we actually return to them all that they give to us? Everyone will have their own views here and there are millions of people who do such wonderful tireless work for all the dogs in this world. But it’s suddenly so real, now he has left us, that I ask myself, did I give him enough? He hated being alone, and so followed me everywhere but in the time we were together he really taught me so many lessons about life and I was informed that we were on a journey together. I Will miss your incredible presence so very much but will continue to practice all that you taught me. Sweet dreams my boy, be safe and be very loved.

See you on the other side.

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED

October 31, 2020December 13, 2020Debs

Today a good friend died and for sure the world is a sadder place. He was just one of those guys that had it all, good looks, charm, sincerity, humor but above all, he believed in himself and was just one of the most genuine and natural people I have ever met.

My dad (he is in the header photo on the right) knew him well in his golfing days, let’s just say they were similar characters and shared many happy times together. In later years, when I was first married, our families spent much time together in Marbella. He also regularly played golf with my First husband and these games were both serious and fun at the same time. It may have only been for a golf ball or a fiver but nobody wanted to lose… there was much chatter after these games in the Clubhouse but always they would be ready to play again the next day.

Here’s a little memory I will never forget, we were all in Marbella including my mother who was staying with us, and there I was organizing the evening’s social calendar. I called the Connerys and suggested they come up to our house for supper as my mum was staying with us. They happily accepted and agreed 7.30 at the house. Ok… so I think the day went a little crazy and I didn’t get the shopping done so my husband kindly offered to take us all out for dinner instead. This was fine, but I omitted to tell Sean and Micheline about the changes. So at 7.30 up they rock and Sean is looking beautiful in a full-length Kaftan (Moroccan dress). He would only wear this style when with friends… but apart from being slightly surprised about the change of plan (he did forgive me eventually), he made the entire evening so much fun because he just went with the flow… everyone wanted to be pictured with him. To make matters worse, or better, he had forgotten his glasses and so asked my mother if he could borrow hers, this made her day and she loved him forever after.

This photo was taken on a trip to stay with them for a weekend, it was just us and I remember him saying to me at dinner I should drink more Vichy Catalan as it was the best water in the world… I think on this point he was right.These were really great times and I will never forget him or his gorgeous wife who made their home such a happy one. RIP Sean… best Bond ever.

We will miss you…

Pure Celery Juice – It’s good for us all.

October 18, 2020November 9, 2020Debs

Such a refreshing start to the day and the health benefits are enormous.

I follow a writer and medical medium called Anthony Williams. He has written several books about how the foods we eat can either make or break our lives. I recently bought his Celery Juice book released in 2019 and it is packed with information about the benefits of celery and it says clearly that pure Celery offers us cures for so many of the diseases there are in the world today.

Celery comes in different forms there are the stalks, leaves and powders but NOTHING is as healing as pure freshly juiced Celery.

To prepare it takes around 10 minutes and this includes washing the celery thoroughly after that you just feed it through the machine. Celery juice apparently can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours without losing any of the goodness. I find about 1 good head of celery makes two big glasses.

As we get older it is vital we think more on what we decide to eat. I know my daughter always was saying to me that i should have hot lemon water in the mornings and i thought oooh no… awful, just give me a coffee please. Now I take hot lemon water every morning, this small step was the catalyst of change for me.

To make these juices you need a juicer and this separates the juice from the fibre. I have an omega Juicer that i bought on Amazon. They are not cheap, but I had made the decision to improve my health and this machine is now used every single day. It takes no time to clean and I even recommend using it for squeezing Oranges, you get twice the amount of juice than you do from a regular squeezer. It has many other uses that include making shapes from dough like bread sticks. Basically, my best purchase ever.

If you have any questions about juicing or some health issues that just dont seem to want to disappear… it could be that you just need to change your diet. Feel free to write and if you have any questions i will do my best to answer them. Always here to help as we live, laugh and learn.

My Juicer in action separating the liquid from the fibre.

A LEAN AND GREEN START TO THE DAY.

October 10, 2020October 10, 2020Debs

Mallorca is truly wonderful at this time of the year. I just popped out to our veggie garden and brought in the breakfast. There is no better start for me than a green smoothie. I also add Spirulina, Barley Grass and Frozen Bananas (tip of the day- they freeze perfectly and then you dont need the ice.)

If you can produce vegetables at home Kale is my one thing that I use daily. It is very easy and quick to grow. I have about twenty five plants from which I continually cut whatever I need. Hopefully this will last me through the winter.

If you want to know about the recipe I use or other ones just message me and i will be glad to pass it on. If any one has any other favourite drink of the day, please tell us.

I used to eat cereals and toast and other similiar stuff but now I take more care about what I ingest. I have also 90% ruled out dairy and meat. On the odd occasion i do have fish but not Tuna or other large fish and I definitely make sure melon is in my diet every day. I do feel my health has improved already due to these changes in lifestyle and diet. Nails are stronger, no nagging pains in my elbows and no cramps in the middle of the night. Suddenly you realise one day “oh that pain went” and so we move on more positive and stronger by living, laughing and learning.

Have a beautiful weekend.

MEET MY TRIBE.

October 9, 2020October 17, 2020Debs

So hard to write about your own family, why is this? I probably am the luckiest mum, mother, mummy (they all call me different names) in the world. I have 4 incredible children from 34 down to 19! But let’s face it, i think we all have amazing children. When I look back, I often think “What did i actually achieve with my life in all these years?” Its then i realise that probably my biggest success was my children. The life we have shared together this far has given me the best memories I could ever have wished for. Covid 19, has been very hard for us all this year but in July, it was the first time they could all come home to Mallorca and these memorable days made it the summer to beat all Summers… (im sure next summer will be the new best!)

There is never a quiet hour or a dull moment when we are together. The kitchen is the centre of our universe when we are at home. Food, whether its cooking or eating is what brings us all together. My Eldest, Kerri, is a chef in London, spoils us with the most delicious food… infact, she has agreed to be a guest blogger giving us her top tips that makes entertaining at home child’s play. My younger daughter, Laragh, now 21, is a Vegan, I’m afraid I am not a good mother here as i’m constantly offering her things like scrambled eggs or butter on her toast… its hard realising what a Vegan goes through in their quest to make this world better. Luckily her boyfriend is an experienced cook and I remember them both making homemade pizzas this Summer in our wood over at 11 pm, we could hardly see what we were doing but they were so delicious infact, there is no pizza like a fresh one. My Son David, who has just become 30 is a total Carnivore, (yes i have all types). He loves to bring the Meat BBQ together and with his ribs of beef no one is left hungry. My Youngest, Chelsea, now 19, was a vegetarian from the age of 8 until 15 ( she saw sheeps brains in our local supermarket ) and she always thought that Scotch eggs were vegetarian, we couldnt bring ourselves to tell her the truth as she loved them so much.

I miss them all once again but we have dreams to be together at Christmas however, these days it’s impossible to make plans and we must go with the flow and just hope everyone stays safe. Its about being positive and looking forward, these times will come again, all laughing, chatting and telling stories at the kitchen table we love so much. Below I would like to share with you some of my memories from the last few months when every day just got better. My children have definitely given me the ability to live, laugh and learn.

UPDATE TO 60TH BUCKET LIST

October 9, 2020Debs

Thanks to you, I have already made ~~good~~ some progress on this Bucket List.

The Number 1 challenge was to Develop a blog and get it live. I am so happy to say this is now finished. The second part of this challenge which was to gain followers and receive lots of likes, is still in progress. I am however, starting to understand how a blog works, even though I do have so many drafts in the trash I have actually managed to post 3 times in total. So thank you. There are a few followers and likes so feeling quite chuffed with myself. Several people have given my some good tips and i love the help, we get nowhere without it.

The second challenge to master the TV and Remote. Also done and i now can manage the TV on my own and do screeen mirroring from my phone… that is massive progress. There has been no-one around to take the remote of me as my partner is even less savvy than i am on anything to do with technology.

At the moment, that is as far as progress goes. The bike has still not been out, dog walks win every-time and we are due a big storm this weekend… lets start the bike on Monday.

The quote below is so inspirational and will indeed keep me going forwards, living, laughing, and learning all the way.

“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savouring the journey.”

Thank you for reading this and sharing the journey with me.

Enjoy your weekend.

DOG BLOG

October 3, 2020October 3, 2020Debs

Time for a chat?

It totally disrupts my concentration when someone is trying to take a picture of me. I’m trying to write my first blog, but not quite sure what to say? I will figure this out as I find it quite cool being able to write to so many people about all the crazy things i have done and my family, oh yes! they are totally nuts.

Sorry i forgot to introduce myself, I’m Toast, also known as Toastie, Do you like my name? i think its to do with my dark face. I’m a happy girl and have a wonderful life here in Mallorca. If you would like to know about my travels around the universe or whatever, please let me know.

Hope to see you soon.

lots of licks.

My 60th Bucket List.

October 1, 2020October 2, 2020Debs

1. Develop a Blog and get it live, then i would love some followers and receive lots of likes. I know these things need time and effort but i think it will be really good fun. It’s been on my mind for a few years now.

2. Learn how to use the new TV and the remote. I really never watch much television so this is something quite hard as I’m never allowed to hold the remote anyway. Now i also understand our phones work the TV as well… this is a learning curve.

3. Take the bike out of the attic and return to training. Do a three day ride around the Island stopping each night somewhere different and exciting. There will be a shortage of evening wear – Nevermind, lets do it.

4. Visit my sister who lives in Guernsey an island near the UK. She has been sick for sometime and because of Covid it has not been possible to visit her. I really miss her.

5. I would love another holiday on a sail boat it really is the best type of relaxation especially reading a book while at sea (we did this before once). Hopefully my children can come as well, with partners we could be 10 on the trip then. This would be a dream.

6. My tomatoes were not so good this year a bit like my beetroot which never really grew…odd. So i would love to have a good crop next year. . Can anyone please help me here?

7. Something not so exciting but it is necessary to have put in automatic watering for the vegetable garden. This summer there were just too many hours spent watering and not enough time enjoying the sun going down!

8. Finish reforming our house. It’s driving me crazy two years here now and I’m really behind, i suppose Covid stopped us in our tracks there for 6 months and then the builders… simply speaking it was not a good time.

9. The boring part, i must still lose another 4 kilos…time to get the bike out.

10. Try to not love ice cream any more, infact, add Pizzas to that list as well.

11. Find the dream job… several options but this is not a time to make decisions so lets wait and see. Location is also up for discussion…I’m getting quite excited.

12. Find the time to do all of these things and enjoy every minute of the ride.

The Journey Begins

September 29, 2020September 30, 2020Debs

So it came and went, the day I had been dreading for so long, my 59th Birthday. I often looked at people I knew and thought OMG they are sixty now, I’m so glad to be me, in my 20’s young and married with 2 children and a wonderful life, the world was my oyster. Then in my 30’s, I started a horse breeding farm in the West of Ireland, everything was seemingly perfect. On came the 40’s, not so young any more but with 4 children, dogs and horses, life was always far from dull. By this time, I was married for a second time and 1 had opened a children’s department store, not far from Dublin. In 2007, (moments before the financial crisis) we made a big move to Mallorca to be by my family and live the dream still further. My 50’s, the party continued but my 2nd marriage didn’t. With a change of direction, I ran a store designing and building furniture. This was a great life, sunshine, painting and plenty of Rose. Yes a new man and a new life but this life was not promised for long and so found myself making big decisions once again.

At this point, I no longer believed in myself. I wondered what it was that I was doing wrong, I was nearly 60 and still felt so ungrounded and unfulfilled, even though I have four amazing children and a wonderful life that was the envy of many. Sometimes it is important to realise that we are all different and we just have to follow our own path in life and it’s from what we learn along the way that allows us to accept who we are and understand more where we want to go.

Now I’m 59 and I would love to share my thoughts, dreams and plans going forwards. I always thought 60 was so far away but I was wrong. Now is the time to get it right and enjoy each moment for all that it offers. By sharing my experiences I hope to help others deal with their own barriers in life and how we must all realise that being 60 is only just the beginning. Please join me on this journey, I have so many plans and a Bucket list to complete! Maybe you are also in a similar position and I would love to hear your thoughts, so please check in for a chat whenever you want.

Thanks for taking the time to read my first Blog!