 Whenever I need to unwind or need some background noise, I tend to throw on a series. There is something comforting in hearing some of these actor's voices, portraying some of my favorite characters... it gives me peace and sometimes helps me concentrate. Here are 10 Series that I can watch over and over again, till the end of time:
Honorable Mentions:
Schitt's Creek - Moira Rose forever! Felicity Explains it All To All the Boys I've Loved Before
0 Comments
After my mom made the difficult decision to move us from Tennessee to California, we embarked on a road trip to our new home. I believe it took us about 3-4 days to travel by minivan, though the actual journey is a bit of a blur. What stands out vividly, however, is the moment we arrived at Grandma’s house. Mom barely had time to put the car in park before she ran up the porch and through the front door. The five of us kids followed timidly, crossing the lawn and climbing the porch steps. Walking through the door of that tiny house, I’ll never forget seeing Grandma in her sitting chair, with Mom kneeling at her feet, her head resting in Grandma’s lap. Grandma’s soft, joyful giggles filled the room as she lovingly stroked her daughter’s hair. For the first time, I truly understood that Grandma wasn’t just my grandma—she was also a mom, offering comfort and solace to her child. We stayed with Grandma until we found a house of our own. Grandma, Glenda Lucille Cowell Harwell, was a talented seamstress who ran a small but successful drapery business from her home. Her workspace was a large back room equipped with two sizable cutting tables and four sewing machines (including a serger). This was where I learned to sew. Grandma encouraged us to experiment with her machines and drapery scraps, and I delighted in trying to make pillows and clothes. While my creations were far from impressive, I discovered a deep love for creating. Moving to Bakersfield was particularly exciting because it brought us closer to family. We had cousins nearby—Michelle, Kristi, Carrie, and Amber. Carrie, who was just a couple of months younger than me, became my built-in best friend. She was the perfect companion, introducing me to her friends and making me feel welcome. Looking back, I realize how mature it was for an eight-year-old to embrace her cousin so warmly and help her fit into a new social circle. It was a huge blessing, especially as starting at a new school was intimidating.  Carrie and Cindi 1989 Shortly after our arrival in California, I began third grade at Norris Elementary School. Luckily, Carrie was in my class, along with some of the friends she had introduced me to over the summer. I loved Norris! The school was surrounded on all sides by cotton fields, and driving through acres of farmland to get there was a unique experience. Because of its location, we often had “fog delays”—mornings when the fog was so dense that students weren’t allowed on the playground for safety reasons. I remember arriving early on those foggy mornings and playing games like “smear the queer” (an outdated and inappropriate name, but that’s what it was called in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s). Those mornings were some of my favorites. Another highlight of this time was when my mom started an All-Star Cheer program. She invited students from across the district to try out for a new cheerleading team, which became a fantastic opportunity to make lifelong friends. Through cheerleading, I continued to pursue a passion I loved while bonding with new teammates. We participated in fundraisers, performances, and exhibitions, creating cherished memories and building connections within the community. The Kern County All-Star Cheerleaders eventually began competing, and the program grew into a thriving competitive sport in Bakersfield. Bakersfield was a wonderful place for me. I cherished the attention that came with being the daughter of a well-known and respected mom. Our family was warmly embraced by relatives and friends in the community. We found support through our church, school, cheerleading, and the close-knit relationships my mom formed at Dancers Workshop. We also enjoyed participating in the Melodrama. This time in Bakersfield was a period of healing for us as we navigated life after losing our dad, and I will always be grateful for the love and support we experienced there.
“You think you know… but you have NO idea.” Please tell me you wasted many precious hours of your life watching The Real World on MTV like I did!? Well, That phrase sums up any 30 something year old person reflecting back on their 20 something year old self. I didn’t mean to be so naive but I just think as 20 year olds, we just haven’t gained enough life experience to know any better. Sure, I had hard times, made dumb choices, but nothing compared to the trials I had to conquer in my 30ies. When my father passed away, my mom found herself a widow, not enough education to sustain a career, all the debt you could imagine a young mom with a very sick husband might have, 5 young children, at 35 years old. The very thought gives me painful chills. I admire my mother for many reasons but mostly because of how hard she worked to provide not just a good life, but a GREAT life for me and my siblings. Nothing glamorous at all, but as a kid, I never felt deprived of anything. I’m sure she spent many a night trying to figure out how she would put dinner on the table the next night, but she managed mothering, working, serving at church, coaching cheer (which if you’ve ever been a cheer coach you know it doesn’t pay squat!) AND going to school.  Carters Circa 1991 As I grew older, I often thought about if I were in her shoes, what would I do? How would I sustain a life for myself? My Kids? This question is ultimately what pushed me into the Cosmetology Industry. Don’t be fooled, it wasn’t a totally practical decision. I was also very excited to explore my creativity through hair styling and the added bonus of helping others feel good about themselves… all very appealing to this . The goal was to go to hair school and work as a stylist while I went to College. I met a guy and got married 6 months after I finished hair school (2002), never once stepping into a College, and plans of a short career styling hair and then many years of raising babies. Flash forward 10 years (2012), I found myself isolated from family in a new state, crippling anxiety/depression (they tend to be a package deal) and going through a very difficult divorce with 4 young children at my ankles. Oh CRAP, doesn’t even do it justice. When I moved to Arizona a few years before the divorce, I was so overwhelmed by my 4-year-old, 3-year-old, 2-year-old and an almost 1-year-old, that I didn’t even tell anyone that I did hair. It wasn’t that I didn’t love it, I just didn’t want to get myself back in the position of never telling anyone “no” and cutting hair that would fall on my babies faces while they stood, sat, laid at my feet, screaming for my attention. However, with a fresh new divorce, I hopped on the internet, bought a hydraulic chair and started taking clients out of my home.  Fall 2012 It was the perfect job for me during that time. It allowed me the flexibility of pretending like I was a stay at home mom while helping to supplement a tiny bit of income. I would only take clients when my kids were at school, napping or with their dad. I wasn’t rolling in the dough by any means but it helped ease the financial burden a bit. I still have a small clientele of friends that I get to see regularly but over the past 5 years I’ve dabbled here and there with other ventures that could have been great for me but were too difficult for me to balance family life, work, and mental/emotional stability. I really wanted to be the type who could do the single mom thing and start an at home business and just be Successful in all the things. Boy did I reach my limits fast! Guess what, it turns out that I can’t do it all. I just learned (the hard way) that I could just do some and that was going to have to be enough. It took a lot of trial and error and a massive amount of faith but we got through it. So many life lessons we learn amidst challenges. Sometimes we learn them quickly, other times very, very slowly. “THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN ONLY LEARN IN A STORM.” – JOEL OSTEEN (I HATE THAT I JUST QUOTED HIM BUT I CAN RECOGNIZE WORDS OF WISDOM WHEN I HEAR THEM.) Now that my kids are older and am happily remarried, I’m ready to attempt a new adventure. I really love cutting hair and I think I will always do that but I’m looking to do something that can bring in a more consistent contribution… I know what i’m gonna do but I’m note ready to put it out there yet. Stay tuned. and FYI… It took my Mom 20 Years to graduate College but she did it and that’s pretty awesome! |
AuthorHi I'm Cindi! When I'm not chasing after kids or dogs... oh wait, that never happens! Archives
December 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed