While on a trip to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands with my husband David, we found a zip-lining excursion. We got on a tour bus that took a group out to the jungle. I was so excited and at the same time scared to death! When they strapped me into the harness and fitted me with a hard hat and thick gloves, I started having flashbacks of my tubing excursion. Oh boy! I then noticed this elderly couple and I thought ‘What in the world are they thinking?’ We walked to our first station and climbed a few steps and one by one we were hooked up to the line and instructed as they pushed us off for our first adventure.

I thought ‘So far so good’ and I actually might live through this madness. However, as we got to our next stations, the steps were higher and took far more effort to get to the top of the trees. We started noticing the elderly couple was struggling to climb to the top. They kept stopping to catch their breath and others were assisting them. I thought ‘oh my goodness, they should not be out here; it is far too dangerous for people their age.’ However, there was no way back through the jungle except the zip lines that would now carry us back at over 50 feet up and 50 miles per hour! What was I thinking!

I had noticed earlier that each of the trees where we zip-lined to, had padding on them. All I was thinking at that point was ‘Thank God’ because I might just go slamming into that tree. I flew in at the speed of light while the guides were yelling, “Slow down!” I crashed into both of them and then hit the tree. Fortunately they broke my speed enough that I was okay. David came crashing in right behind me and, much to our horror, we both stood with mouths gapping open as the older woman came screaming in! She flew right through the guards and hit the tree, face first. As she stood there hugging the tree, we totally expected to watch her slither down unconscious, but no way! She stepped back shook her head, turned around threw her arms up and yelled, “I did it!” Along came her husband with the same exact scenario, “I did it!” Everyone cheered and screamed, “Yeah!”

I was ashamed of myself for judging them and their ability and desire for adventure. Maybe it was also on their bucket list—I applaud them and their courage. That zip-lining experience was a life lesson for me in conquering fear and following my dream. Whatever you have on your bucket list, no matter how old you are—do it! You are enough—imperfections and all. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable or you may never realize your dreams. It is normal to be afraid of being exposed, but if we compromise our deepest desires out of fear of criticism, then we may lose out on an amazing future.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”  Maya Angelou

Following is an excerpt from my soon to be released book, Dancing in Rhythm with the Universe, 10 Steps to Choreographing Your Best Life

While on a cruise with my husband David, we decided to take a side excursion in Dominica to a beautiful rain forest. We were there to go tubing down what were supposed to be gentle rapids. I started getting nervous when I was strapped into a heavy duty life jacket but it was too late to turn back as I would have been left alone in the jungle. So off we hiked to get to the river and begin our mile gentle ride down. The river looked pretty calm as we slid on top of our inner tubes and lined up neatly in a row. Not too bad, I thought. Oh boy, it wasn’t long before I began to feel the speed picking up; I tried to pretend I did not hear rushing rapids ahead. I struggled frantically to keep my inner tube balanced as many ahead of me were spinning out of control.

            I watched in horror as three people flipped upside down then desperately attempted to grab their run-away inner tube. This was beginning to look more like Niagara Falls to me than gentle rapids!  I saw a few people standing nearby and trying to reach others in trouble. I made it down without flipping and thought this must be the most difficult part of our ride. Wrong! I hit bubbling, churning rapids, and all I could think  was ‘I am going to die.’ Over I went with a death grip on my inner tube. I was upside down, frantically attempting to avoid the rocks while choking and screaming at the same time. The next thing I knew, arms were grabbing me and pulling me to safety.

            The last thing I wanted to do was climb back onto that inner tube, but one of our guides, whom by this point I hated, said, “It’s okay, Miss. It is calm ahead and when we reach the end, there is a beautiful pool that is so calm it looks like glass.” He could tell I was still shaken from my ordeal and didn’t totally believe him. He said, “I will pull you and your tube the rest of the way until we get to the pool.” Now that was a deal. He paddled us along while I relaxed and for the first time got to look around this magnificent forest. And sure enough, he had told the truth and he floated me to the middle of the most beautiful, breathtaking, calm pool I had ever seen. I took a few deep breaths and just simply allowed myself to be one with the nature around me. I left all my worrying, striving, thrashing and fear behind. I had left the churning rapids for the calmness of the sacred pool.

            This is exactly what we need to do with life. Leave all the turmoil behind and step away to a quiet sacred space and quiet our minds, like the tranquil pool at the end of the rapids. Life can keep us churning and spinning until we feel like we are upside down and gasping for air. Retreating to a quiet place is what our soul needs to restore balance and peace once again.

 Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  John Muir

             By now most of us have taken down all the Christmas decorations and packed them away for another year. I came back from a Christmas cruise with bronchitis and a lung infection. I thought I was going to dive into this new year with a passion and instead I cold barely crawl out of bed. Sometimes life has a way of altering our plans as a means of getting our attention. It was time for me to be restored and get some rest.

           As we enter this new exciting year with goals and resolutions firmly in our mind, take time for yourself by stepping out of the fast-paced real world into a quiet space.

What is the most outrageously fun thing you have ever done?  There are many decisions I have made over the years that many would consider outrageous, like leaving my home of 27 years and moving alone to Naples, Florida.  Even though this was a bit extreme, I am talking about doing something that made your heart pound as you resisted the urge to flee!  You may not find my experience so extraordinary, but it definitely terrified me and I did it anyway.  I kissed a Stingray!

I was vacationing and took a side tour on Grand Turk Island to swim with the Stingray.  That is a far cry from kissing one.  As we swam along we could see several Stingrays closing in on us.  Actually it was our guide they were following as he had the food.  We stopped in chest deep water and were told to stand still as he did not want us to step on one.  I felt a tickled on my ankles and as I looked down I saw a tiny baby Stingray circling around my ankles in an effort to get close enough to catch falling morsels of fish as the big guys were being fed.

I was not prepared for the challenge that followed when the guide encouraged any brave soul to kiss a Stingray.  Not just any Stingray, but the biggest one there.   Our guide demonstrated the process which was to stand directly in front of her; it was a female, keep arms at our sides, lean forward and pucker up!  I thought whoa man you must be kidding, especially when he said, if any of you have just eaten fish its bye bye lips!

I watched nervously as a few brave souls walked up actually kissed her.  I thought, okay, if they can do this so can I.  Pucker up!  I did it, I actually kissed a Stingray and lest any of you question my story, I have added the photo and yes, that is really me.  Pucker up and dare to live with outrageous abandonment!

Please share about your outrageous self.

We have been reading a lot about betrayal and scandal, especially with high ranking officials involved in running or protecting our country. One would think after watching a private matter become very public, that someone might get it. Infidelity does not pay. So why do they do it? Even though John and Bobby Kennedy never lost their marriages over the scandal with Marilyn Monroe, I am certain their marriages were never the same. Jackie and Ethel quietly bore their own pain refusing to acknowledge the affair publically. Then fast forward to Bill Clinton and the embarrassing ordeal with Monica Lewinsky. Not only was he blatantly accepting her calls wherever he was, but he was sexually involved with her right in the Oval Office! What were you thinking Bill? Hillary should have kicked his sorry ass to the curb! Next, we’ll move on to John Edwards. Talk about a dumb struck loser. He had no empathy for his terminally ill wife and his four children. He literally threw away any chance of a future in politics, and possibly running for president of the United States. He turned his life upside down all for the thrill of a flagrant affair with Rielle Hunter who was clearly star struck, and had her own agenda? The world is now being rocked again with a sex scandal that goes all the way to the CIA. Former CIA Director, David Petraeus’, admitted affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell, has cost him dearly. His career is likely over. Here is a brilliant accomplished man who stupidly sent emails to his lover. Seriously David? What were you thinking? Apparently all cheating men think they can get away with it, especially men in power.
The sad story here is that everyone loses with an affair. There are no winners. A woman shared a story with me recently about her husband who has had numerous affairs. His affairs would escalate until he was spending so much time away from home that it became obvious that once again he was unfaithful. She would follow him and confront him. He would then sob and confess what a rotten guy he was and then, as usual, threaten to kill himself. After he wore her down enough, she would take him back and threaten him that next time it was over. The problem is that “next time” was just around the corner. The last time she had caught him was right before contacting me. At that time he was involved with a real psycho. When he tried to break off the relationship with this woman, she began calling his wife and demanding to speak him. Things got really ugly when she actually turned up at their door and they had to get a restraining order. The wife is still living with her husband and still forgiving his affairs. I wanted to shake her and force her to “snap out of it” but then her excuses took over and she actually began to defend the slut. He works so hard. He travels so much. He says he is ill and cannot help himself. He is a good provider, etc. I could not tell her what to do, just make suggestions. However, I believe she should have bagged him, tagged him, and stacked him at the curb for earliest garbage pickup!
I know from my own experience that living through scandal and divorce is a painful, gut wrenching ordeal. This is what makes it difficult to forgive after such a trauma. Many women have shared with me that it took years to feel good again. It took me four years to recover from my divorce and the fact that I was dumped for a younger woman. This woman worked for my husband and had been in my home several times. My entire life changed literally overnight. I returned home on a Sunday night after visiting my ill mother and found my home nearly empty and no husband. He did not have the balls to tell me so he left a note. Spineless creep! I wandered around in a trance for what seemed like an eternity, but eventually I did heal. If you are experiencing betrayal, my heart goes out to you. It is imperative that you do not go through your loss alone. Seek help and support from those who love you.
What are your feelings about infidelity? When should you forgive and when should you cut him loose? Share your opinions. I would love to hear from you.

We as women must feel in harmony with our surroundings with a certain sense of order and balance, which in turn gives us a presence of peace. This harmony in our lives helps to unleash our creative instincts and allows us to look deep inside for strength and direction. We live by the choices we make. What life choices will you make and what new challenges will your choices bring? Are you willing to risk change, and how will this change influence your life? What if you remain in your present state and make no changes? How will that decision affect the rest of your life?
On the other hand, making a decision to stay can, in fact, bring a sense of control. If you decide to remain in a job, a marriage, or a location because for the moment it is the right choice for you, then by all means stay! Perhaps you have young children, or you have no way to support yourself and need additional education or training. Staying because you feel defeated is the wrong choice. The most important things are, you are in charge and you made a decision. Now the challenge is building on that choice!
Coming to grips with the fact that your spouse no longer loves and cares for you is a painful truth to accept. The security you felt in your old life as a couple has been torn from under you. You may have financial difficulties and suffer lost friendships. Suddenly you have no social life. Many of you will find support and love in your place of worship; however, divorced women are frequently shunned and rejected as outcasts and failures. Once again I will state that it is your privilege to mourn your loss, as long as it is not your life goal! There is healing through mourning and grieving all that we have lost, but until we can accept our loss, it is impossible to move on.

Claire’s Story
The rejection I was subjected to in my church came as a total shock. The Board of Elders, who were all men, interrogated me. I was the one who sought the divorce; however, they were not remotely interested in my reasons. They even tried to prevent me from explaining why I came to this decision.
My husband was addicted to pornography, and I kept the ugly secret for several years. We had two children, and I made a decision to stay in the marriage until they were grown. He was not remotely interested in a sexual relationship with and for ten years, we had no intimacy. At first, I begged him to tell me what was wrong and why he did not desire me any more. He always had the same answer, “What have you done to turn me on?” I tried seducing him on several occasions by wearing sexy negligees or nothing at all. It was embarrassing and finally I felt so humiliated, I just gave up.
However, I continued to find disgusting hardcore porn magazines hidden in the back of his desk. We began to argue and fight constantly about the children finding such ugly depiction of how one should behave and present their body. How could he teach his children to respect their bodies and risk having them see this smut?
I finally sought counseling from a wonderful Christian man. I was nervous about sharing such intimate details of our life with a stranger, but he immediately put me at ease, and I felt a trust in his discretion. I gave my husband an ultimatum to go to counseling or I would file for divorce. He went reluctantly, but I was grateful and hopeful.
We went individually to our sessions, I went three times and he went twice. My husband complained every time that he did not need someone else to tell him how to run his life. My third session took me entirely by surprise. My counselor told me he did not feel that it would benefit me to continue seeing him. I just sat there stunned, but he continued by saying that my husband was in no way open to change. He felt that his deep-seated problems would take years of therapy.
I was confused and asked what I should do. He said, “Go on with your life, Claire; that is all I can tell you. If you decide to stay in the marriage, you will have to find a way to build a life apart from him. You can do that in the marriage or without the marriage; the choice is yours to make. He is the only one who can instigate change. You cannot change him. Pursue your hobbies and life goals so you do not become severely depressed.”
Tears were now stinging my eyes and he looked at me with sincere compassion. “I am sorry to tell you these things,” he said, “but without his cooperation, there is nothing more I can do.”
When my youngest son was in high school, I finally filed for divorce. I was totally shunned in my church. They said I should have sacrificed myself for the sake of the Bible. I was also told that pornography was a gray area for grounds for divorce, and the church would not recognize my reason as valid. I received a letter from the Elders saying I was not welcome to worship in the church I had attended for several years. They also said I could no longer sing in the choir because I was not a good representative to the church body as a whole.
I was devastated and attempted to attend church anyway, but the shunning was so blatant I could no longer ignore the embarrassment. I finally left the church and determined to find a place that preached love and acceptance, not hate and guilt.

As Claire shared her story with me, I could not help but tell her how proud I was of her stand and what a wonderful encouragement she could be to other women who might be experiencing the same judgmental treatment. She said she actually was helping other women and was instrumental in starting a special class for divorced women. Clair said was difficult to get women to trust that this was a safe place for support and love. Once they attended a class and felt the acceptance, the word spread quickly. Helping other women, who had suffered at the hand of their church, brought a sense of healing for me as well.

Time for You
Many women live with shame and regret and often feel responsible for the failed marriage. Social contacts change, and we must seek out new friendships and interests. Perhaps others have always influenced your decisions and swayed you to their way of thinking. Well, now it is your turn to strengthen your own personal sense of self. This can be a valuable time of examining who you really are and what you, and only you, want for your future. You may be forty or sixty, but you still have dreams of your very own. Maybe you were deprived of desires and passions as a wife and mother, always putting everyone else first. Now it is time for you.
I am reminded of my mother and her married life of physical abuse until she was fifty years old. She blossomed in her later years and did many of the things she had always longed to do. Maybe you, like my mother, were threatened, controlled, and denied a life of love and trust. It is your turn now to live your life to its fullest. You deserve life’s best because you are a princess! What changes and challenges await you?

With our country leading the way for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, macular degeneration, and cancer, it is time to examine your own lifestyle eating habits and decide to take charge and do your job, which is loving and protecting your amazing body. Remember our mantra: I am beautiful, I am strong, and I am a princess!

To keep our bodies trim and fit, it must be a romance. You love your body; it needs you to protect it. Romance your body by feeding it what it really needs, “calculated care.” Consider that you are your body’s ultimate gatekeeper, its guardian. It is up to you to protect and nurture your body, giving it what it needs for optimal wellness, only allowing in that which is good, healthy and nourishing. If you do not tend to its needs, it will turn on you and destroy itself with ill health, disease, and deterioration. I am an avid reader of health books and magazines. I love to read the latest research regarding nutrition and natural ways to feed your body. What a wonderful time to be alive and have the privilege of seeing the latest discoveries for furthering our health.

I personally take nutrients every single day, and I believe it is one of the most important daily habits to acquire. Your body needs nutrition. Think of nutrients as food, not pills or medicine. It is impossible to get all you need from food. Our depleted soil is lacking valuable vitamins and minerals, and food by itself is simply not enough to feed your body. Stress in the work place or at home, along with chemicals we breathe, plus noise and pollution, puts a high level of stress even on a healthy body. Good nutrition can help counteract much of the stress we encounter just because we are alive and breathing.

Perhaps your weight is a big issue for you and causing you to feel self-conscious, or it is adversely affecting your health. If that is the case then you and only you can change this situation. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig are wonderful programs, especially the support and encouragement you will receive from others sharing your same efforts.

What works for my lifestyle eating habits, may not work for you, but from all that I have read and practiced, a low-carb, high-protein diet will keep fat off your middle. Abdominal fat is lethal as it plays a major role in heart disease, the leading cause of death for women. Belly fat is toxic and dangerous for every woman. One in four women will die from heart disease. People on a low-carb diet are not as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, which is also a major threat to women.

On July 17, 2008, The New England Journal of Medicine posted results of “Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet.” This two-year study involved 322 participants who were moderately obese. They divided them into three separate groups and assigned each group one of the three mentioned diets. Only the low-carb diet had no restricted calories.

The study surprised mainstream medicine as the low-carb diet showed the most favorable results with the greatest weight loss and reduction in cholesterol and lowered triglycerides. The Mediterranean diet also had favorable results for diabetic subjects in reducing inflammation and controlling glucagon and insulin levels. The low-fat diet came in last!

Dr. Robert Atkins would have loved seeing the results of this study. He fought mainstream medicine for years, desperately trying to prove his low-carbohydrate diet was the healthiest way to eat. I watched him berated for his low-carb diet by another doctor on a talk show. I wish he could have lived to wallow in “I told you so!”

This is so amazing! We can actually kick the low fat fads finally to the curb and enjoy flavor and texture without guilt. Three cheers for Dr. Atkins! (Note: The Atkins Diet is extremely rigid during the induction stage, so check with your doctor to determine if it is appropriate for you.)

I encourage you pick up a copy of The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston, M.D. He set out to create a diet to help cardiac patients and wound up helping the world. I love this book because it makes the lifestyle change easy. No one wants to feel deprived of food and dine on rice cakes and carrot sticks. The South Beach Diet is a challenge to get beyond the Phase 1 stage lasting two weeks. You must avoid fruit, bread, and dairy during this time. Over the next two weeks, you will gradually add these foods back into your diet, but it will be the good carbs. Dr. Agatston has also written The South Beach Cookbook, which is full of great recipes to keep you strong and fit.

Mediterranean diets are more fish, chicken, and lamb orientated, keeping red meat at a minimum. The fat generally comes from olive oil. Yogurt and cheese are main staples along with fresh vegetables and fruit, and of course, red wine. Red wine has the age-fighting ingredient resveratrol. Red wine is also a natural blood thinner. Add some whole grain bread, dipped in olive oil, and you have the perfect diet. Oh, and do not forget a small piece of dark chocolate. Who would have guessed we would actually witness the discovery of the Holy Grail? Wine, cheese, and chocolate are all good for us! Now we can dine guilt-free, as a princess should!

If you could really start living the life of your dreams at this very moment, what would your life look like? What would you be doing differently than you have done in the past? Is someone else controlling you and stopping short any plans you have for yourself? Maybe it is time to take charge and reclaim your life dreams. Refuse to let “dream robbers” snatch away your future. Step out of your comfort zone and start living the life you have desired. Evaluate what steps you need to take to set the wheels in motion. Perhaps you need added education in order to better prepare you for an exciting career, or maybe like me you want to relocate. It is never too late to follow your dreams and add color and dimension to your life.
I use examples of courageous women in “You Lost Your Marriage Not Your Life” to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. My three beautiful friends, Karol, Marilyn and Barb are living examples of amazing women who had a vision for their life and refused to let “dream robbers” hold them up and steal their future! They did not allow it and neither should you.
If you are surrounded by critical people who have nothing positive or uplifting to offer, maybe you need some new friends who will give you the support you need. I had so many people trying to discourage me from moving to Naples, Florida, but not my closest friends that I trusted the most, they all encouraged me to do what I want to do.

How much care we give our skin will be evident as we age. Are you protecting your skin from the sun or spending hours with your bare face unprotected?  Sun damage to our skin begins to show its effects in our mid thirties by exposing sun damage through age spots or hyper pigmentation. The damage was actually done years earlier at the dermis level and since the dermis is our skin’s memory bank, it says, “I know what you did to me and now I will reveal it for all to see on the outer skin or the epidermis.” The dermis remembers those beach days basking in the sun with no sunscreen. As our collagen levels or our skin’s support matrix begin to break down, alas, those creepy little crows feet emerge overnight! We are sure the Crow’s Feet Fairy flew in while we slept and zapped us. What to do? The following are suggestions to help restore sun damaged skin, diminish unwanted lines and give new life to your skin!

1. Never go to bed with your makeup on as pores will clog and skin will become dull and lifeless because it cannot breathe. Use a creamy cleanser or gentle facial wash to cleanse skin thoroughly. Follow with a toner or astringent to clear away any residue from cleanser and restore your skin to its natural pH balance.
2. The next step is to apply alpha hydroxy acid to exfoliate the surface layer of dead skin cells on the epidermis. This cell turnover will activate the dermis to pump out new skin cells giving skin a healthy glow. I favor Glycolic Acid as it is a natural AHA derived from sugar cane and when used only at night, it will not leave your skin photo sensitive like Retin-A. Glycolic Acid stings at first until your skin adjusts, but in a short time it works its magic and rejuvenates your skin.
3. Now it is time to apply your night cream. Use a rich cream for dry skin or a light moisturizer for normal to oily skin. Even if you have oily skin you still need moisturizer or your skin will dry out on the surface and cause clogged pores and breakouts.
4. Your morning routine after cleansing and toning should include a Vitamin C Serum. There are a few Vitamin C Serums that have been tested and proven to reach the dermis: Skin Ceuticals, Celex C, Dr. Perricome and Obaji. I am sure there are others, but these are the ones I know about. Vitamin C Serums are very expensive, but worth every penny as they prevent free radical damage at the dermis level, and instigate rebuilding of collagen. Vitamin C Serum is cumulative in the skin for up to four days!
5. Now it is time for sunscreen. We need to block those nasty UV rays from destroying our skin. For general use a 30 block is sufficient, but if you are a golfer, tennis player, biker, runner or boater, you need a 45 to 50 block broad spectrum sunscreen. Your sunscreen should be sweat proof and water proof, containing both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for maximum protection.
6. It is very important to remove sunscreen before going to bed as it is extremely heavy and traps sweat on your skin which will clog pores and instigate blackheads and breakouts.

For the same amount of clarity you must have to set your goals, it must be blended with equal parts emotion and enthusiam. Without clearly defined goals and a definite plan to attain them, you will be like a ship lost at sea without a navigation map. The same is true about manifesting our dreams without the power of emotion. Do you love what you are doing with a burning desire to see it to fruition? If not, why not? If you wait “till the midnight hour,” to make your first move towards accomplishing your hearts desire, chances are you’ll just yawn and go to bed. Maybe it is time to get moving and take charge before life passes you by. Learn to live your life with purpose and without fear of what others think by remembering that your thoughts order the events of your world!

I used to fantasize that I would grow up to be a beautiful woman-a movie star like Elizabeth Taylor. She was my idol, and I loved to catch glimpses of her on the news during the scandal with Eddie Fisher. One day as I sat in the reception room in a medical office while my mother was in with the doctor, I became so excited because there on the table lay a magazine with an article about Elizabeth Taylor. I quickly scanned through the pages, and there was a full-page close-up of my favorite star with a scar on her throat she called my “life scar.” It had resulted after she had pneumonia and a tracheotomy was performed to save her life. When asked during the interview if she was embarrassed at having a scar in such a visible place, she said, “Of course not! Without this scar I would not be here today!” I secretly began tearing out the page as quietly as I could. I knew my mother would not have approved, but I just had to have this picture of my idol. I folded it neatly and tucked it in my purse.

Looking as this picture over the next few years helped me to have hope and dare to dream of a life beyond this farm. It would be five years later before I actually experienced one of my life’s greatest joys. I went to New York City on my senior class trip in 1964, and at that time, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were starring in Cleopatra. Our entire class went to see the film. It was so exciting, but I never could have imagined the next thrill. As we walked out of the theatre and got in a cab, the driver said, “If you kids want to see them in person, you need to go to the stage door entrance to Hamlet at ten o’clock tonight. You will see Elizabeth Taylor arrive in a limousine to pick up Richard Burton.”

We secretly made a plan to sneak out of our hotel and make our way to Times Square. We were not sure of the way, so we asked strangers on the street. Before we realized it, we had an entire entourage in our wake, following us to get a glimpse of the famous movie stars. When we finally arrived at the theatre, the streets were lined with fans also waiting for the limousine. The police had put up barricades to control the crowds and protect the stars. My classmates, knowing my excitement, immediately pushed through the crowd and hoisted me up to stand on one of the barricades.

I did have to wait long. Right on schedule, just as the cab driver predicted, there she was. She actually got out of the limo and waved at the crowd. I was completely spellbound, and to this day, I remember exactly what she wore-a turquoise flowered dress and a big straw hat with the identical fabric to match her dress. Her stunning violet eyes and signature heavy dark eyebrows were clearly visible from across the street.

Richard Burton emerged from the stage door as the crowd screamed and cheered. He looked like a knight or prince walking up to claim his princess. Once at her side, he kissed her and took her hand. The two waved, climbed in the limo, and made their way through the excited fans and onlookers. The moment is locked in my memory and after all these years, I can still see every detail clearly in my mind’s eye.