Tracy's World

Water, Is it that Important?

May 14th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

I keep hearing over and over again, “you must drink at least eight glasses of water a day.” I don’t even come near that. I start my day with several cups of coffee, then I might have a glass of water at lunch and usually one with dinner. I know my body needs more water, but it is hard to fit it in during the day, and eight glasses? Who can drink eight in one day?

But, when I hear that water is critical in losing weight and having more energy I feel I must at least try to increase my intake of H2O.

The Mountain Perk Coffee House

May 13th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

I have discovered a great little secret in the mountains of Hiawassee, Georgia. It is a wonderful coffee house cafe called, “Mountain Perk Coffee House Cafe”. Whenever I am in the area with a extra time to kill, I always stop in to have a white chocolate latte and blueberry scone. I set up my computer and start blogging. The guys that work the counter are so friendly and the atmosphere is so relaxed that it is like sitting at home working in my kitchen.

Mountain Perk Coffee House is a fully gourmet coffee house. You can get any kind you want! They are the home of a brand of coffee called “The Dancing Goat”. I was given a sample of it today and it was the best coffee I have ever tasted. The legend of dancing goats goes as follows:

“Coffee was first discovered in what is now called Ethiopia. According to legend, the area’s
remote highlands were home to a goatherd named Kaldi. One day he noticed his goats dancing
and prancing after eating the small, red fruit of a nearby shrub. Not wishing to be left out of the
fun, Kaldi ate the coffee cherries and soon he was dancing with is goats.”

I just learned today that the staff are certified and trained Baristas, which are “bartenders in a coffee shop.” They serve organic coffees and teas from around the world. They make their own soups and sandwiches from scratch and have a variety of scones, muffins and breads. I tried a strawberry-banana smoothie today that was excellent!

The other really cool thing about this coffeehouse is that it promotes and features local artists, authors and musicians. They have writers night, which is an open mic for local writers, live music, local artist, book signings and there is a great reading area in the back that has new and used books on sale.

I highly recommend stopping by when passing through Hiawassee, you will be pleasantly surprised and extremely pleased.

My New Life – Part 1

May 8th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

I went back today and read one of my very first posts, “A New Lease on Life”. So many things have changed in my life over the past month that I have allowed myself to become somewhat overwhelmed and even a little bit afraid. Let me explain…

Upon returning home from spring break in Destin, Florida, my fifteen year old daughter Haley announced that she wanted to move to Destin. It has been my secret desire to make the move, however I was committed to staying in the north Georgia mountains for two more years until she graduated high school. But now, my plans have changed.

As I write this post, I am in Destin, mentally digesting all that has happened in just one day. I began Friday morning with an interview for a teaching position at Choctawhatchee High School. It went very well and I am hopeful that I will be offered a position. From there, I picked up Haley and we visited the Niceville High School for a tour. This is the school Haley will be attending next school year. Her current high school enrolls about 750 students. Niceville enrolls almost 2,000! Haley was a little intimidated but I believe she is exited about the vast opportunities that this school offers. She is talking about joining soccer, tennis, softball and weightlifting.

Next stop was the bank. I opened accounts for all of us, now we just need some money! We also got a cashier’s check for a deposit on the townhouse we will be living in. Which was our next stop; our new home. We have rented a large three bedroom townhouse in a beautiful subdivision of Bluewater Bay.

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is my new summer job as a Field Archaeologist. I will be digging holes in the woods of Eglin Airforce Base looking for artifacts and watching out for snakes! My glamorous ideas of archaeology have quickly been squelched by the reality of walking through the forest carrying a machete and going to the bathroom in the bushes!

Quoting my old post, “We must travel through life with open minds, soaking up all that is around us and allow ourselves to live the life that is before us with excitement and expectation.”

Living Lightly, No Expectations

April 29th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.” ~Eckhart Tolle

Does everything in our life have to be categorized as either “good” or “bad”? How about if things just “are”. Can we just accept things as they come and experience them as they are, without expectations? Expectations only leave us disappointed if they things don’t turn our how we wanted them to. It’s our expectations that force us to judge whether something is good or bad.

Hamlet said, ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’

If you would like to read more continue reading The Elements of Living Lightly

Why Do I Need A Facebook Fan Page?

April 24th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Facebook has become one of the most addictive social media phenomena to sweep the world! It has over 400 million users to date and is growing every day. These days Facebook is growing at the rate of 450,00 to 600,000 new users per day. That was around 700 new people while you were reading this.

Not only is Facebook a great way to hook up with friends and family, it is an excellent tool for businesses. The Facebook Fan page is a definite must.

Why do I need a Fan page?

1. Pages are public. Some Fan pages are not behind a login therefore search engines can index the page. Hopefully, people will stumble on the result in SERPs, visit the Facebook page, and then get to your site via the link.

2. Pages include links. Because the pages are public, you can get some nice facebook.com link credit.

3. Send “updates to Fans”. One of the greatest features is that you can send “updates” to fans whenever you want. It’s a nice way of building a database of interested users. Send messages about new products, updated website, etc.

4. You control the page. Making the page before a Fan or a competitor is critical. You want to be able to send the messages, edit or remove sections, and control the information to an extent.

5. News feed. When someone joins a Fan page, it’s published in their News feed for all their to read (unless they have turned this off). It makes someone joining your Fan page somewhat viral.

6. It’s free and easy. Making a Fan page takes just a few minutes – add some information, URL, and upload the logo and you’re done.

So, if you are interested in creating an awesome Facebook Fan page, continue reading the Essential Facebook Fan Page Resources. It is full of great information to get you on your way.

Earth Day Last Minute Ideas

April 22nd, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Did you forget today is Earth Day? Actually, today marks the 40th anniversary and countries all over the world are celebrating. President Barack Obama is hosting an Earth Day reception with environmental leaders in Washington.

There are so many things we can do to help our environment. To learn about some last minute things you can do, read about 12 Last-Minute Ways to Celebrate Earth Day. We can also get our homes in shape for Earth Day.

The Nature Conservancy also is honoring the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and offers a variety of ways you can help.

Together we can make a difference. It’s not too late to change our ways, go green as much as possible, and help preserve our Earth.

Senior Prom Night

April 20th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Mark in his tux

What an awesome sight! My son Mark all dressed up in a black tuxedo. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Mark is a senior in high school and we are experiencing all of the wonderful yet scary things that happen during that last year of high school. He has been accepted to the college of his choice, we are gearing up for senior trip, we have been awarded financial aid (thank goodness!) and we are well on our way! I guess I should say “Mark” is well on “his” way. But, the thought of him on his own is one of those scary thoughts I mentioned above.

Last Saturday was the junior-senior prom and Mark went with his friend Jessica. Jess is best friends with my daughter Haley, so the two of them were locked in Haley’s bathroom for hours getting ready. Haley is great with hair and make-up and by the time she was finished, Jessica looked like a princess.

Haley and Jessica

After all the pictures were taken, a group of kids took off for dinner at Enrico’s Italian Restaurant then off to the prom where they had an awesome time. They all came home with sore legs from dancing so much! From there, they went to a friends for a get together after prom. Finally, at about 2:30 AM a group of about eight kids came home with Mark and asked if they could spend the night at my house! I happily agreed and after talking with them all for what seemed forever, we finally got to sleep about 4:00 Sunday morning.

These are the memories that will live forever and I am so glad that I get to be a part of these young people’s lives. They are great kids and I am so blessed to be able to share in their adventures through life.

Senior trip is next week….stay tuned!

American Idol’s Elvis Night Results

April 14th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Finally! Andrew Garcia has been voted off American Idol! Forgive me for sounding so excited, but I just never could understand how he made it this far. He always sounded pitchy and off tune to me. His slowed down rendition of “Hound Dog” was boring Tuesday night. I just don’t get Andy.

Katie Stevens was the second person voted off tonight. I have to admit, I never thought she was great either. For a sixteen year old she is awesome and does have a nice voice, but I never saw her as an American Idol.

Tuesday’s theme was Elvis night on American Idol and once again Crystal Bowersox did a knock-out job with “Saved.” Crystal put her own bluesy twist on the song and added a little bit of gospel as well. She is looking much more at ease on the stage. She is just awesome and I pick her to win!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR8hbhwRSZQ

Big Mike Lynche’s version of “In the Ghetto” was awesome. He showed a lot of emotion and told the story well. I believe he touched the audience with that performance.

I think Lee DeWyze did a great job this time. I love his raspy voice and I really think he is going to kick it in during the last weeks of Idol. I really liked his version of “A Little Less Conversation.” I am keeping my eye on him!

I have to agree with the American voters this time by eliminating Andy and Katie. We are now down to seven… can’t wait till next week!

Enjoy the Moment

April 13th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Do you find that you are rushing through life and not stopping to enjoy the very moment you are in? Lately I have so much on my mind that I am continuously thinking into the future. It’s like I am wishing my life away, hoping and dreaming of what is next. I really want to live in the here and now. I want to enjoy every moment as I am faced with it. I want to keep a positive attitude and I want to live as I truly believe, “everything happens for a reason.” So, if it is happening for a reason…..I need to experience it instead of wishing it away.

I read this article written by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I feel it has a lot of wisdom for me to take in and apply to my life. Dr. Dyer writes:

“I’ve discovered that I have greater success with living life in the present moment when I remove judgment from what I’m experiencing. Rather than making an event a bad or a good experience, I find myself being in the “isness” of the moment; that is, what I’m feeling is much more helpful than why it isn’t what I think it should be. This is called allowing rather than resisting what is. Even if I wish to change the moment, it’s far more useful to allow it without any judgment and then notice everything I can about it.”

Continue reading “Don’t Judge, Enjoy! Your present moments are precious.”

Brazilian Rooftop Jam Playing For Change

April 8th, 2010

Tracy Matlack

Another great Episode from Playing For Change!

While recording in Barcelona, the PFC crew heard some amazing music coming from the roof of a building. Curious, we hauled our gear upstairs and were greeted by a Brazilian party! Together we all enjoyed an afternoon full of music and dancing, food and amazing energy! We are happy to share the experience through this song!