Does the thought of waking up to a panoramic view of the enchanting Gulf of Naples and spending the day navigating through the narrow alleys of the coastal town of Sorrento excite you? If yes, join me,  Julie,  as I walk you through the final days of my unforgettable 21-day journey through Italy, on this episode of  Nearest and Dearest Podcast. From renting a charming Airbnb, twirling through Sorrento's cafe-lined square, experiencing a boat tour 🛥 of the Isle of Capri, to a bus tour  🚌 of...

Come along, as I journey into the heart of my Italian heritage, starting at the Guardia Piemonte's Cultural Center.  Surrounded by the rich traditions protected by the dedicated local ladies, I was able to leave a mark in the form of a guest book signature and heartfelt donation. But the journey didn't stop there; with the guidance of Agostino, I ventured to Fagnano Castello Municipality, tracing my roots through the pages of old records. This heartfelt exploration promises to offer a deeper...

Visiting Guardia was all about family! We spent 5 days with Joe & Becky's familia who live in the Calabria region, located in the toes of Southern Italy! Cousin Agostino made our hotel arrangements at the Katisan Hotel & Pizzeria Bar. Guardia is located along the Tyrrhenian Sea. We were just a few blocks away from the seafront and the surrounding area is known as Guardia Marina. It wasn't long before I realized that this quiet, tranquil sanctuary, was going to capture my heart!...

I just got back to our home on the River from a 21 day journey in Italy! 🇮🇹❤️Woody and I were invited to tag along with two couples, Joe & Becky, and Norm & Sharon. Joe speaks Italian and was actually born in the Calabria Region, which is where my Italian roots are too! The bonus was that we would be spending 5 days in the Calabria Region, specifically Guardia, spending quality time with Joe's first cousins from both sides of his parents families or  la famiglia  which means the...

Carleton Island has some mystery about it. 🔮 When James H. Durham decided to take on uncovering the true origin of The Old Fort in 1889, he was diving into a not so clear path of discovering the easy answer. The island had several names, Buck, Deere, Isle aux Chevreuils and Carleton Island. I purchased the book titled, The Old Fort Carleton Island In The Revolution, written by James H. Durham in 1889. It was reintroduced and reprinted by the St. Lawrence River Historical Foundation in...

I am getting so frustrated and angry over gun violence. I have shared with you before about Mental Health Stigma. ( S1E15 & S1E16 ) Yes, people who commit acts of violence with guns to innocent communities most likely have mental health conditions or have a mental health illness. I say that, because many people who deal with mental health concerns may not have a formal diagnosis or a full-fledged illness. When I decided to speak about gun violence, I came across some articles from the...

The month of April has me longing to be back on The River! Spring has begun and I know with April showers 🌦 comes not only May flowers 🌼🌷 but turns all the landscaping green - the trees, lawns, and shrubs 🌳. The weather starts turning warmer, there is a sense of renewal and awakening! 🌞 The ice has melted 🧊and the first cargo vessels 🚢are floating massively in the shipping channel that will be traveling from the Great Lakes into the mighty St. Lawrence River.  Our river front home is on the...

I recently came back from my trip to Washington D.C. 🇺🇸I was advocating for Alzheimer's Association. I was invited by Lauren Ashburn, an Associate Director of Advocacy for New York state. 🗽I feel I am ready to put my voice 📣out there to advocate for ANYONE  who is battling this heinous disease, along with their families. 💜 Because of Alzheimer's Association's commitment, I decided to take action and become involved. I am a volunteer advocate. I want to make a difference! I was in Washington...

According to Wikipedia, quality time is an expression referring to how an individual interacts with another while they are together - regardless of the duration. Because of my lifestyle, I don't get to spend a whole lot of time with my adult children or grandchildren. I rely on quality time, not quantity time - to nurture my loving relationships with all of them. ❤️It truly is a gift when you give someone quality time. It's a chance to plan an activity you can do together or plan a weekend...

I've been thinking about the process of aging. I just turned 57 in February. Three more years I will be 60. It will be a new decade of numbers I hope to embrace!  I have lost some very close people in my life this past year. Because of that, I feel I am even more determined to embrace life with more zest and challenging myself. I want to keep discovering, learning, and enjoying my family and friends. I want to be PROUD to share my age! I never want to settle with thinking I am the best that I...

 Hola! I'm BACK!! 👋I'm so excited to share with you Season 2, episode 1 with you!!  Thank you so much for sticking around! ❤️ I had to reevaluate my relationship with patience! Moving down here to Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 and making a second home for Woody and I,  has been quite a journey! ☀️🏝 You know the saying patience is a virtue, but there is more to it than that. Alasderr MacIntyre, a philosopher, once said "Patience is the virtue of waiting attentively without complaint." There is a difference...

This is one of my BEST OF because when I was going through the long process of starting over when my first marriage ended in 2006, I had to learn how to let things go! It's definitely a life skill that takes you through an emotional ride. If you are struggling with letting material possessions go, be gentle with yourself! Start small. Focus on what your future will look like, and let your past become the memories YOU choose to hold onto in your heart. ❤️  I'm not saying it will be easy, but I...

I picked this for my next best of because my granddaughter Eloise helped me create it! She even was my co-host! My wedding was only a week away when I recorded this episode. I definitely needed to find my own zen too!  When life seems hectic and YOU are feeling overwhelmed, finding your zen will help you find your balance. Learning how to make time to focus on your breathing and creating positive, calming moments in your mind, will be the first steps to finding YOUR own zen! I hope you...

I picked this episode as one of my favs because it still speaks to me personally! I remind myself, especially on days when my mind seems to focus on all the horrible tragedies that are happening all around us, situations that are totally out of my control, that I can create moments of PEACEFULNESS, for me. I reset my mind to focus on what is right in front of me and be very conscious of my next thought that will help ground my mindset to a more calm and peaceful easy feeling. I hope you enjoy...

This particular episode is very close to my heart. I am sharing it with you, to let YOU know, that it is NEVER too late to let someone you love that has emotionally hurt you, back into your life.  Christmas is two days away. It's also getting close to the end of 2022. I hope you will reflect with great hopes, that 2023 will be a better year for yourself. Take this time and truly open your heart up to the amazing opportunities that are in front of you, that will allow more peace, compassion...

I can't imagine life without music. It has helped shape my life into what it is now! I hope you will enjoy re-visiting this episode and if this is your first time hearing it, I hope you remember how important music can be in YOUR life too! 🎶 I would love to hear your own personal connection to music! It can be something from your childhood or how you use music to get through YOUR day! Please send me an email [email protected] I would be happy to share it on a future...

I picked this episode as one of my favs because I know how hard it is to forgive. BUT, the reward is worth it! Whether you are trying to forgive someone who has betrayed you, hurt you or let you down, OR you are trying to forgive yourself for the same reasons, YOU have the power to chose forgiveness over anger, resentment and spite. I know its not easy, but I hope you will give yourself encouragement to do the work necessary to obtain it. I promise you that it will all be worth every effort...

This episode is very special to me!  It was about having my adult children, my son-in-law and four grandchildren meet my father and stepmother for the very first time!  The summer of 2020 was in the middle of the Covid pandemic, so it was a stressful time for all of us. I will be forever grateful that this very important first introductions were able to happen at our home on The River!  Thank you for taking the time to revisit one of my favorite episodes but also, this episode has the most...

While I'm taking my "break" 🎬 from finishing season one to start creating new content for you for season two, I want to share some of my favorite episodes! ❤️ This first one, Owning My Truth, speaks directly from my heart! It not only was my very first ever episode, it tells you my own personal story about how I not only found my truth, but OWNED it too! It has just been a little over a year when I started this podcast and I am always nostalgic when it comes to remembering dates! If you have...

Woody and I are getting ready to close up our summer home here on the St. Lawrence River. It's always a little bittersweet for us. The temperature is dramatically changing, just like the color of the leaves, both are falling at the same time! But this year, we are excited about living in Puerto Rico for six months! It's going to involve a lot of work! We will be challenged with some obstacles that will be in front of us. The fact that Puerto Rico doesn't have the best electrical grid is a big...

Let's face it, experiencing a peaceful easy feeling isn't always sustainable. When you are going through difficult hardships, or dealing with a relationship that gives you stress or anxiety, you may not have peace and the easy feeling seems so far off that YOU can't imagine what it will ever feel like to obtain it. Finding peace is a journey. YOU can get quick satisfaction when you take a walk in nature, listen to your favorite music, take a personal day, even an hour or two, and treat...

When you hear those three words, you realize a couple of things. Either YOU have a reason to change YOUR own plans, or someone else changed THEIR plans and it somehow affects YOU. It can be as simple as, the restaurant you planned on going to for dinner, suddenly closed due to a staff shortage, to life changing when your marriage ended and you find yourself trying to figure out what your next plan of action is going to be. Plans change. It's YOUR attitude towards the change, that will decide...

Goals are part of your life. From the moment you took that first step as a baby when you were learning how to walk, you had already achieved a milestone goal! As humans, we achieve goals on a regular basis and don't even think twice about them. Accomplishing long term goals, are the hardest ones to see through. YOU have to make it a priority to work on that goal within a sustainable time line. YOU also have to accept that you will have some failures along the way. Half the battle is knowing...

When life seems hectic and you are feeling overwhelmed, finding your zen, will help you find your balance. Learning how to make time to focus on your breathing and creating positive , calming moments in your mind, will be the first steps to finding YOUR own zen! My granddaughter Eloise is visiting with me from Connecticut. My wedding is in two more days! We are blessed to be living on the St. Lawrence River! Eloise loves to swim and enjoy the river when she visits! Now that Eloise is getting...

I want to hear about that one thing YOU did that changed your life! It can be as challenging as facing your biggest fear like driving cross country for the first time ever even though you have anxiety about driving long distance. How about how you survived on a low-income paycheck while being a single-parent without any child support, but was able to have food on the table and pay your rent. Life struggles are the real deal. I have faced them. YOU have as well. The difference between facing...