Melissa N. Burnett's Blog, page 2

What’s so great about geodes?

Out of all the many things I learned and experienced while traveling in Arizona, learning about geodes at the Rainbow Rock Shop was the most fascinating to me! I couldn’t wait to share my new knowledge and discovery with my family.

For those who don’t know, geodes come from the center of the earth and form into gas bubbles that erupt from volcanos. Once the bubbles fall to the ground they are covered by volcanic ash. Over time the bubbles harden and the hollow cavity absorbs silicates and carbonates from groundwater or hydrothermal solutions, which eventually allows crystal and other minerals to form inside.

The best thing about geodes is that you never know what you’re going to find inside until you open it. At $6.00 each I purchased two geodes from the Rainbow Rock Shop for my children. Together we hammered the round stones until they cracked and chipped into pieces. We found pure crystal in one and blue chalcedony in the other. The experience was very educational, a lot of fun and I had a great time talking, laughing and bonding with my children!

A great day at the beach

At first I didn’t want to go. My family was disappointed so I eventually changed my mind. And I’m so glad I did!

When I think of the beach I think of sunny Florida, but sometimes I forget about the beach right in my hometown.

Great memories were made at Mentor Headlands Beach. The weather was perfect, the water felt nice and I had a great time bonding with my sissies, my children, my nephews and my mother.

We had a great time playing in the water, running on the beach, watching the children play and digging for rocks. But the great day at the beach turned into a beautiful evening with stunning views! I was mesmerized as I sat with my family and watched the sky turn from a sunny day into a warm, pinkish blue hue. It was an amazing, breath-taking and tranquil moment all rolled into one. I’m happy to have shared that moment with my family.

A Heart Smile Incline

When I travel I like to enjoy the more common things like sightseeing or relaxing at a nice spa; but I also like to do different things like face my fears and see historical landmarks. During a recent family trip to Pittsburgh, PA I was able to do both.

I have a grave fear of heights but when I found out that the Duquesne Incline was a historical landmark built in 1877, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ride in the original cable cars. The cable cars were really cool and in great condition to be over a century old! The 400 foot incline was a smooth ride and seemed to move a bit slow, which allowed more time to marvel over the view from the screened windows. I was extremely nervous but the experience was worth it.

Once you reach the top station there’s a souvenir shop, museum, press penny souvenir machines, a 100 year old weight scale (that you can actually use for one cent), some artwork, a guestbook that visitors can sign, an observation deck with amazing views of the city and access to the Mt Washington neighborhood.

The entire adventure took only 30 minutes to explore and even though it was a rainy day with dark clouds rolling across the sky, we still had a great time! While my heart was beating fast with fear during the incline the experience definitely made my heart smile wide!

I Slept in a Wigwam!

I never knew this could be an option, never knew this place even existed but while on my spiritual journey through Arizona – I slept in a Wigwam!

Old Route 66 was always a must see on my bucket list. I’m happy to say that I fulfilled that wish, while at the same time allowing my creative juices to flow.

Holbrook, Arizona is a great little town on the Old Route 66 highway. There are some fun things to do in the area but for me the Wigwam Motel was by far the coolest! It was a place of calm, nostalgia and inspiration.

I spent a lot of time photographing the areas vintage cars that were parked outside of each teepee. The lobby was full of petrified wood furniture and a vintage cash register. They also have a room dedicated to the history of Old Route 66 and the Wigwam Motel. When I retired for the night I looked around my cozy room, which was full of so much charm, and I felt inspired to write. I wrote about my life, my children, being happy and I even wrote a few chapters for a new book idea that was inspired by my Arizona trip.

I never thought an experience as simple as this would make my heart smile but it did. It was a great trip, a humbling experience, and I even gained a fan of my writings.

Holbrook, Arizona and Old Route 66 was the perfect ending to my spiritual journey!

I cried Monday night…

In the wake of the death of one of Hollywood’s greatest actors – Robin Williams; in his own way has reintroduced to America the severity of being deeply depressed.

I never thought of myself as a huge Robin Williams fan. I never followed his career, never rushed out to the theaters to see his movies; but I enjoyed watching Aladdin, Flubber, Jumanji and Night at the Museum with my children. I enjoyed watching Insomnia, Lee Daniel’s the Butler and One Hour Photo with my monthly movie club; and the Law & Order SVU episode he appeared in was one of my favorites. I thought Robin was a great actor but I never really thought about him as an individual.

From the moment I heard of his death I immediately thought of the times that I watched Mork & Mindy (Nanu Nanu!) and the movie Popeye. It dawned on me that Robin was a big part of my childhood. He made me laugh countless times. So I was both surprised and sadden that he was struggling from depression. For those of you who have never struggled with depression I am truly happy for you, but please do not judge others. No one has any idea what is within someone else’s heart or where they are with their journey.

I cried Monday night for a complete stranger, for a lost man, for a funny man, for a special man, for a talented man, for a man so overwhelmed that he lost his will to fight. Life is hard, negativity surrounds us and our personal demons will live forever if we accept and allow them to.

It is with a heavy heart that I say Robin will be missed, but it is my hope that instead of being embarrassed about mental challenges and depression, instead of giving up; if you are suffering please seek help. Do not ignore it, do not try to face it alone. Find the strength to heal, turn to your love ones for support, accept that the journey will be long and difficult but never give up on discovering your journey to mental tranquility.

RIP Robin…

Meditation by the Falls

Waterfalls are beautiful to view. I was completely awestruck the first time I saw Niagara Falls in person. I fell in love. While I do not get to visit Niagara Falls often I spend a lot of time at the local Falls near my home. Chagrin Falls, OH is a great little town with a small but beautiful waterfall. It has become my getaway when stress sets in and life becomes too much. I like to stare at the Falls, dissecting it, looking deep and seeing different things. Parts of the Falls looks like glass falling over the rocks that eventually shatters into pieces at the bottom; while other parts looks like a small leak trickling down.

I spend hours by the Falls doing yoga, taking pictures, thinking, feeling the cool mist of the falling water, watching a family of ducks swim around, but most importantly I meditate by the Falls.

The sound of the Falls, the feel of the water touching my skin has a way of centering me and clearing my head of negative energy. As I sit Indian style on the rocks before the Falls I meditate. I close my eyes, breathe deeply, clear my mind of all thoughts and concentrate on the sounds around me. Before I know it I’ve spent fifteen minutes in a state that has allowed me to melt off the stress ad negativity.

Meditation is therapeutic for internal healing, while your surroundings aren’t as important as the act of meditating, it certainly helps to deepen the experience. Of course it is a personal choice but for me meditation by the Falls puts me another step closer to My Journey to Mental Tranquility!

Mediation by the Falls

Waterfalls are beautiful to view. I was completely awestruck the first time I saw Niagara Falls in person. I fell in love. While I do not get to visit Niagara Falls often I spend a lot of time at the local Falls near my home. Chagrin Falls, OH is a great little town with a small but beautiful waterfall. It has become my getaway when stress sets in and life becomes too much. I like to stare at the Falls, dissecting it, looking deep and seeing different things. Parts of the Falls looks like glass falling over the rocks that eventually shatters into pieces at the bottom; while other parts looks like a small leak trickling down.

I spend hours by the Falls doing yoga, taking pictures, thinking, feeling the cool mist of the falling water, watching a family of ducks swim around, but most importantly I meditate by the Falls.

The sound of the Falls, the feel of the water touching my skin has a way of centering me and clearing my head of negative energy. As I sit Indian style on the rocks before the Falls I meditate. I close my eyes, breathe deeply, clear my mind of all thoughts and concentrate on the sounds around me. Before I know it I’ve spent fifteen minutes in a state that has allowed me to melt off the stress ad negativity.

Meditation is therapeutic for internal healing, while your surroundings aren’t as important as the act of meditating, it certainly helps to deepen the experience. Of course it is a personal choice but for me mediation by the Falls puts me another step closer to My Journey to Mental Tranquility!

The Benefits of Yoga

As stress from work, household responsibilities and parenting consume me, I literally woke up one day and decided I wanted and deserved a peaceful life.

At the time my son was taking swim lessons at our local YMCA, I did some research and found out that they offered water aerobics (something I’ve always wanted to do) so I joined the class. Instantly I started to feel happier and energized, my interests in other activities started to grow as well. I checked the workout list and found that the Y also offered lunch time yoga at a location near my job. I joined that class as well; it was an eye opening experience.

I used to think yoga was just doing silly poses on a mat. I had no idea how amazing I would feel after attending just one class, so I continued to go. I felt the stress melting off with each class, I was hooked. I started seeking other yoga classes like outdoor Yoga by the Falls with Chagrin Yoga in Chagrin Falls, OH. I even did a drop in at 7 Centers Yoga Arts in Sedona, AZ, where I learned restorative yoga with a great instructor named Uta.

Yoga is not just exercise and it’s definitely not silly poses on a mat, it’s a great way to center yourself and relax and renew! Over time yoga has improved my balance, flexibility, posture, I feel stronger and I can concentrate better. For years I felt disconnected, but yoga has shown me how to breath, meditate and unite my mind, body and soul into one.

I’m so glad I gave yoga classes a chance!

De-Stress with Nature

As a child I didn’t enjoy the outdoors much. I loathed playing sports, running, climbing trees and riding bicycles. My mother would make me go outside to play and sometimes I loved it but most of the time I hated it. I was more of an indoor kid; I enjoyed playing with my Barbie dolls and paper dolls, reading a good book, listening to music and writing short stories and poems. But over time I grew to appreciate the outdoors and realized that it is a great way to unwind and de-stress.

I love viewing, touching, smelling and taking pictures of unique vegetation. Below are three short stories about my encounters with nature and the outdoors:

1) While visiting the Riviera Maya, Mexico the maids would put fresh island flowers in my room every morning. The exotic flowers filled my resort room with a beautiful fragrance, and each night I made sure to wear the flowers in my hair as I explored the beautiful island. My mother and I went out to a nightclub at the resort we were staying in. I danced all night and was surprised that my pretty, fragrant flower remained intact the entire time.

2) When I went to Houston, Texas a few years back I was so obsessed with the lush vegetation there that I accidentally stepped on an ant hill to get a closer look. I was bitten or stung on my big toe and instep by six fire ants. The pain was immediate but taught me a valuable lesson to look down before I leap into picturesque gardens.

3) My recent trip through Phoenix and Sedona, Arizona was educational. I took a tour through the desert and came across unique plants like the prickly pear and yucca plant. I learned that the prickly pear is in the cactus family and has a texture similar to cucumbers; while the yucca plant has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years. They used it to create baskets, belts and personal hygiene products like soap and shampoo. But the real surprise was finding two things I love the most in the same area, palm trees and cacti. I knew cacti were in Arizona but had no idea that palm trees were there as well.

All three trips were both stimulating and relaxing. I am convinced that it was partially due to the time I spent outdoors connecting with nature and the wonders of our beautiful country.

“Me, Myself and I”

I’m a mother, wife, daughter, sister, auntie, friend, writer, blogger, regional manager and a host of other rewarding but exhausting roles. I have many responsibilities and life is hectic, demanding, and stressful…You just can’t escape the pressures of everyday life.

What you do with your personal time is crucial. Never allow anyone to make you feel guilty for stealing a little time for yourself. I took my own advice and recently spent 6 days travelling through the beautiful desert of central and northern Arizona. The solo trip led me to a very important discovery – It allowed me to acknowledge my genuine love for myself and my appreciation for alone time. There’s something quite special and therapeutic about getting to know yourself while experiencing life’s journey.

So for those of you who are too busy for yourself I urge you to take a moment for YOU. Make it small, make it big doesn’t matter just make it happen and make it happen often; I promise that your heart will smile and you’ll discover a phenomenal person who will be with you for life.

I love Me, Myself and I!