I am so happy to say that I am back. I have something new…A NEW COMPUTER. It is wonderful to say the least. I guess 10 years is a long time to not upgrade to a new computer. I, like most other people, just get used to doing what I always do. Then one day, we are forced to try Something New.

Isn’t that the truth? We get into certain habits that just turn into our daily routines. We drive the same way to work or to the usual grocery stores. We tend to make the same culinary delights that we have learned and used for years. Yeah, sure we shake things up once in a while but I think for the most part, people are creatures of habit.

That goes for our romantic lives as well. We tend to stick to what we know, what works, and what we get used to. This includes how we romance our lovers and how we make love.

Sometimes we forget how exciting it is to try Something New in our lives. We get used to the same old stuff and it’s good enough. Life gets busy and we get a little more tired with jobs, kids, and all the rest that becomes our daily routines. Then we forget to look for the Something New to explore with.

Let me tell you, when you start bringing Something New, Something Exciting into your bedroom, you find a new energy in the rest of your life.

That was a great thing about Ole and I…we always looked for new ways to excite each other. We looked for new places to make love. We looked for new ideas to surprise the other with romance, intimacy and sex. We didn’t restrict this wanting to surprise the other just in the bedroom. This was our life in the kitchen, on road trips, and everything else.

I have a funny story to tell you. You will really think we lost our marbles but it was a lot of fun.

I came to Denmark to stay for a bit to see where things were going to go with Ole and I. I could stay for 3 months then I would have to leave the country again or apply to stay longer. We learned quickly that we fit together so well.

Ole had such ideas about life that I have never encountered in anyone else. He was very creative in so many areas. He didn’t see life like other people did. I guess that is why I fell in love with him.

One day Ole came into the bedroom with a sander, an electric sander…without the sandpaper of course. I looked at him and didn’t know what to expect. I voiced my reservations about this but he said just try it. Okay!

He had me lay down on the bed on my stomach then he started sanding my back, bumb, legs and arms with this machine. WOW! WOW! WOW! It had a lot of power in it, more than a regular viberator for sure. I was totally amazed how WONDERFUL it felt. And how arousing this strong vibrating sensation was.

That was not the last time we used the sander (without sandpaper) in our love making. And that was not the last time he came up with a winning idea.

I know it is so easy to get caught up in our everyday lives where we feel over worked and over whelmed that we just don’t feel we have the energy to try Something New. Little do we realise that when we bring Something New into our lives that it also brings with it a spark of electricy. It gives new life to our relationships. It infuses us with new energy.

I am putting a challenge out to you. Try Something New in your love making. Try Something New in preparing your daily meals. Try Something New in your life this week.

I know this new computer has me all fired up. I have so many ideas for blog posts. I am so excited to share these ideas and events in our life with you. I can hardly contain myself.

So what will your Something New be to tantalise your lover?

Go for the gusto! Try Something New!

Passionate regards….Brenda

When you think about planning a Romantic Getaway, what do think about? Soft music, candle light, fireplace, exotic retreats?

That is the standards I guess for Romantic Getaways, but have you ever thought about Monster Trucks, skydiving, drive-in movie? Most people don’t think about these as Romantic Getaways but they can make the candle light and soft music seem lame in comparison.

Like I have said before, you wouldn’t take a person that hates fishing on a fishing trip. But sometimes, we design these enchanting moments to reflect OUR desires and that which could be pleasing, enjoyable and sexy to our partner.

But have you ever thought about what your partner finds REALLY EXCITING? Maybe your man has always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon but never has for various reasons. How thrilled would he be if you bought him a trip and said you would pick him up at the other end. Greet him with a picnic basket and a blanket where you can lounge and hear all about his experience. How HOT would he think you are? SMOKIN’!

Maybe that wonderful lady in your life has always wanted someone to come in and organise her kitchen or learn to play a guitar. But she has never pursued it for whatever reasons. Would you be the best boy on the block if you made this little dream come true? ABSOLUTELY! You would be smothered with kisses.

Think about when you have done something really exciting. You were filled with life and energy. You felt great and invincible. And you couldn’t wait to get home to your lover and tell him all about this moment you just had. You just wanted to hug and kiss him because you were filled with this amazing feeling and wanted to share it.

We are so conditioned to think of romance as soft and intimate and that it involves sitting across from each other holding hands while you talk in hushed tones and look longingly into each other’s eyes. 

But it is SO much more.

Unselfish acts of kindness are extremely romantic.

Think about how romantic it is when a person goes to a homeless shelter and helps in the kitchen. Think about how romantic it is when a person goes to a convalescent home and talks with the people that live there just to brighten their day. Think about how romantic it is when you lover offers to babysit for a friend so they can go out for a romantic dinner alone.

These are ALL Romantic Getaways. Not in the traditional sense but there is a romantic energy that flows through them. And you would look at your lover in a more romantic and loving way when you hear what they did. When you see them talking with people that just need a friend.

When Ole was in the hospital and should start his chemo, I was so beside myself. There was no way I could have went home and left him there. I slept in a chair beside his bed and held his hand or had my foot resting against his leg. I needed to know he was there and that I was there for him if he needed anything.

When he woke up the next day after that first night of chemo, he looked at me and asked if I had been there all night. I said of course I had. He smiled the softest smile and said, “How romantic.”  There were no candles or soft music but there was so much romance and love in that room it could have filled a million restaurants in Paris.

In fact, I didn’t go home until Ole did. The hospital brought a bed into his room and let me stay with him the whole week. Was this a Romantic Getaway that we would have dreamed of having with each other? I think not. But there was a thread of romance through it in a tragic and sad way. That week was extremely intimate and so much love flowed between us on deeper levels.

Now I am not saying to give up the candle light dinners for a soup kitchen. But once in a while it would bring more adventure, more spice, more dimension into your relationship.

We get caught in conditioned thinking not just in our relationships but our lives. We get caught in someone else’s thoughts and ideas what something should or shouldn’t look like, feel like, be like.

Put on your romantic thinking caps and see if you can’t explore the idea of Romantic Getaways from a totally new perspective. The connection you and your lover will experience will be deeper, more joyful and more loving.

Passionate regards….Brenda

Romantic Getaways! They are rejuvenating to our senses. They add spice to our love making. They put a little intrigue into our daily humdrum. Romantic Getaways are fabulous! What more needs to be said? Lots!

There is no right or wrong place to go for a romantic rendezvous. The most important ingredients are to have an open mind and heart to allow the fantasy to carry us away. Expect nothing more and nothing less.

Romantic Getaways – Part 1  showed how an intended romantic trip that went a little haywire still produced the desired results for both of us because we were both open to whatever happened. Neither of us had any expectations, just love in our hearts.

My post Give Them What They Want showed how good intentions can go extremely wrong. Just because I thought it would be a wonderful evening getaway for love and romance, it was definitely not his. I satisfied my desires and ideals when I should have thought more about what would have turned him on.

You have to think about who your partner is, what they like, what experiences have they had in the past.

You would never take a city girl out camping in a tent in the woods with bears if she is not that kind of person. At least not the first time, unless of course she has expressed some interest in sleeping in a tent. The better you know each other, the more you can expand your romantic horizons.

Romantic  Getaways are fun to plan and fun to experience. When you are planning with your lover in mind, their ideals and dreams and what excites them, you can’t go wrong. THEY are the focus. The desired result is love, romance and a wonderful experience. There is nothing better.

Some years ago, I had set up a weekend away at a nice resort in a town a couple hours from our house. I told Ole we had to go see the publishers because they had called and there was a problem with something. I was very vague and acted a little scattered.

I said I would drive cause he had been working all day and could just relax. He had a million questions and I just kept telling him I wasn’t sure what the problem was. They just called and asked if we could drive over and see them.

They lived in the next town over and when we passed it, Ole got a little grin on his face and asked what was I up to? I just smiled and said I was kidnapping him for a couple days and he should just lean back and enjoy the ride. I didn’t spill the beans about where we were going. It was more fun for him to try to figure it out as we drove.

I had reserved the hotel a couple days before. I made arrangements for our cats to be taken care of. Then I packed our bags and put them in the truck while he showered. I loved surprising him but he loved being surprised. If he didn’t, this may not have turned out as fun and wonderful as it did.

Romance is in the heart of the beholder. A dream getaway to a quiet remote island maybe your idea but not so appealing to someone that lives to party and loves the night life.

When you have lived the dream in your first Romantic Getaway, the second comes easier because your mind opens up to other ways to wow your lover. As well, your lover opens up to other new experiences. They begin to get excited about the next time because the first was so great. They also begin to think about how to wow you.

Romantic Getaways! They create blissful feelings; feelings of love, joy, happiness, contentment, excitement, and the list goes on.

Be open to the fantasy. Be open to the dream. Be open in your thoughts and hearts. Romance spreads from you heart to your head and back again. Let every day be a Romantic Getaway.

Passionate regards….Brenda

What does that mean to you to go on a Romantic Getaway? Take the weekend and go to a fancy 5 star hotel? Find a wonderful spa for you and your lover to indulge your every pampered thought and desire? Me too!

How about a camping trip when it is a little too cold for camping?

Imagine this…

It was end of April in the Rocky Mountains and Ole, my husband, came to pick me up from work. He sported a Cheshire grin and I said what’s up. He said he had a surprise for me. He was taking me away for a night of fun and passion.

I was excited. I thought hotel? Jacuzzi? Romantic Dinner? All of the above? Loving in luxury is always a favorite of mine.

Luxury it wasn’t. We started by stopping at Subway Subs for a snack for the road. Ole said he had supper under control but it would be a little while before we would eat so we should have something to tide us over till then.

When we settled back into the truck Ole ginned again and said he had been shopping. Now we are back on track I thought. Maybe some new love toys to use in our beautiful hotel room. I said great, where? His answer: Canadian Tire! I knew that this was not going to be what I expected.

We were going camping! We drove for about 3 hours then started to look for a secluded spot. Ole wanted a place where we can just set up. Not a campground with other people. Someplace we could relax and spend time together. 

We found a little clearing on the side of the road. It had a small stream running by it. It was so pretty and quiet. We set up the tent and pumped up the new air mattress from Canadian Tire. We had to have a tarp over the fire pit as it started to rain a little. Ole had bought a couple really nice steaks and made up potatoes with carrots and onions in a foil pouch. What a wonderful meal.

Ole also bought some fishing equipment. I had never fished before in my life. But he thought it would be fun and something relaxing to do together. And we could do this while our supper cooked. So we put on our insulated coveralls and boots because with night coming and the rain, it was getting cold, and we started fishing.

He was right. It was a great way to connect and enjoy time together. Something we had not tried before.  We didn’t fish long as it was getting dark and we thought we could snuggle around the fire and eat the wonderful meal that he had prepared for us. It was delicious. Good food. Good wine. Great company! What more could I ask for?

After supper we were feeling a little amorous and decided we should try out our new bed. The mood didn’t last long once we started taking off our clothes. IT WAS COLD! We decided it might be best to leave our insulated coveralls on and go to sleep. Then we can share a great breakfast of coffee cooked on the open fire and bacon and eggs.

When the air in the mattress cools off it gets really cold! We tossed and turned and fidgeted until 3 or 4 am. I asked if he was sleeping and he said no. I said why don’t we go home? Ole said he was just thinking the same thing. It is no easy task to take down a camp site at 4am in the dark and the tent is covered in a sheet of ice.

When we got home around 7am, we took a long hot shower together. Crawled into bed and made love. We were content, warm, happy and in love. It was a wonderful romantic getaway.

Romantic getaways are what you make them. This could have been a disaster if all I did was complain and crab about the cold, the rain and camping. But Ole took such pleasure in organizing this trip and was so excited to do this FOR me, I was swept off my feet with his tender gesture.

Be open to the romance in the situation. Open your eyes and your heart to see the love and the fantasy in the moment. You will be so very happy that you did.

Passionate regards….Brenda

Not many people know the difference between romance and intimacy. Many people think if you have one you have the other but that is far from the truth.

First, I think so you can understand what I mean, I will give you the definition of both. These definitions come from the Gage The Senior Dictionary.

Romance: a love story, a story of adventure, a story or poem telling of heroes, real events or conditions that are like such stories, full of love, excitement, or noble deeds, an interest in adventure and love, a love affair, a false or extravagant story.

Intimate: very familiar, known very well, closely acquainted, close, very personal, most private, far within, a close friend.

Intimacy: the state of being intimate, close acquaintance, a familiar or intimate act

To be intimate with another person means to KNOW them. Know what they think, what they feel, what they believe, what they wish for. Being intimate means to know another persons fears and what they love. Being intimate with someone means you know everything there is to know about them and continue to learn more.

When you are romantic….well do I need to tell you? If you don’t know what it is to be romantic, go to the book store or library and get educated. Become a student of the fine art of seduction and romance.

I want to focus on intimacy though. We can be intimate with many people in our lives in many ways on different levels. Think about your closest friend. Are you intimate with them? If they are your CLOSEST friend, I would have to say yes. I am not talking about sleeping with them, but I bet you know things about your friend that others don’t.

Now think about your lover. Are you intimate with them? Really think for just a minute. You are intimate on the physical level but do you really know them? Do you know what they fear, love, wish for and so on?

Ole and I had a great advantage when we were ‘dating’. Our dates consisted of talking on the phone because he was in Denmark and I was in Yukon, Canada. So we would talk for at least an hour per phone call and sometimes twice a day. We talked almost every day for 3 months before I went to Denmark to celebrate New Years with him.

After I came home from a 3 week holiday, we continued to talk for another 2 months before I went to Denmark to live and see where our relationship was going.

I got to know Ole better than most people who see each other every day because we romanced each other with our words which led to the deep intimacy of our relationship. Now understand that our conversations were not all flowery and smoochy and all that kissy stuff.

WE TALKED. WE LISTENED. WE WERE INTIMATE.

I felt so close to Ole in a way I have never felt with anybody before because I got to KNOW him. We would be talking about something and I would be blown away with his depth and knowledge. I would ask him, “How can you know that? You are only 24 years old!” He was amazing. He opened my eyes to look at the world in so many different ways.

As we talked, I opened myself to him also. I let Ole into places within me that others have never heard nor seen. He knew by looking at my eyes that my mood had changed. We heard so often that our relationship was closer than some couples that had been married for 50 years.

Ole definitely made me a better person because of who he was. I am forever grateful to have had him in my life. He is still and always will be in my life. I have never been so intimate with anyone before. Both physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually. I feel so lucky to have shared so much with such a (I am struggling for a word here because there is not one word to describe my husband) wonderful,amazing, intelligent man.

I found this quote shortly after Ole died. I would have love to have shared it with him as it was exactly how I felt.

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. - Elizabeth Barret Browning

Romance alone cannot make a person love. INTIMACY is the true way to the heart.

Passionate regards….Brenda

When you think of romance what picture do you paint? Can you see the flames dancing in the fireplace with plush, soft, overstuffed pillows luring lovers into their comforting embrace. The bottle of wine twinkles in the glow of the fire like a single star in the night sky. The plate of expensive cheese sweats in the heat of the fire like love drenched skin dripping with lust and passion.

Two people slide gracefully down into the pillows and melt into each other’s bodies. The soft talk and soft music are only to distract the senses so the couple does not hurry and can take pleasure in the moment.  They sip the wine and nibble the cheese all the while being very aware of every nuance and detail of their companion.

They both look deep into eyes filled with adoration. They touch skin hot with lust and longing. They smell a heavenly fragrance unbeknown to their nose but the pheromones are strong and pungent. The taste of a kiss lingers on lips trickling words of love and fairy tales.

Time moves forward, as does the couple’s passion. She protests but he coaxes her tender heart to a place of safety with his words and soft caresses.  She succumbs to his advances and the shoulders of her silk dress float down her arms like the touch of a butterfly. They embrace and quench their thirst for love.

Back to reality!

Pretty picture isn’t it. Who would not fall prey to such a scene given the right man or woman and the explosive chemistry of love and lust?

This is not the only form of romance although most people think of romance to fall into a similar scenario of passion, soft glances and soft touches.

Romance is a large part of our lives. Not the wine and flowers and fire in the fireplace kind but everyday romance.

When your lover asks you to pick up the dry cleaning and you know full well you do not have the time, you say no. So your honey snuggles up close and pouts their lips and holds you tight and says ‘Pretty please Sugar. You are so sweet to me and this would help me so much today. Pleeaasse…’ You love the attention, the loving words and the tenderness. Were you not seduced by romance?

When you see a commercial on TV and the product is so well portrayed that you just have to have it….were you not seduced by romance? When you and you darling are out together at a party where you exchange secret glances and smiles…is that not romantic seduction? Absolutely!

Romance is everywhere. When you walk along a path in the woods and the birds sing and the leaves on the trees shimmer in the breeze. The colors, the forest smells, the sounds are all seducing you with their natural romantic natures.

Has your sweetheart never surprised with something, a gift or deep felt words and gestures to the point it brought tears to your eyes? In the same breath, have you never gazed upon a mountain valley, a deer standing solitaire and still in the dawns light of morning or at a newborn baby and your eyes fill with drops of gratitude, joy and love. Is this not all the seduction of romance?

When we allow the romance of everyday experiences to seduce us, our world really does open to new possibilities and experiences. We have become trained to think in a Hollywood box about romance and forget we live incredible and amazing romantic lives and are seduced with every turn of the clock’s hands.

Fabulous, isn’t it! The seduction of romance is alive and well and lives in our very own heart. Be open to the seduction. You will never be the same person again after you surrender to the beauty and joy that seeks to romance you every day.

 Passionate regards….Brenda

Written for http://www.wholefitness.com/health.html 2008

In a couple days it is Valentine’s Day. How many are really looking forward to this day and how many are just going through the motions because they feel that is what is expected?

I was thinking about this yesterday when I saw two young guys walking out of the store. The one fella had a bunch of roses but the way he carried them just spoke volumes about why he bought them.

He grabbed them around the stems and they dangled by his leg as he walked. He wasn’t treating them special or tender or with any care at all. They weren’t even wrapped to protect them against winter’s chill. But, this is just what you do on Valentine’s Day.

Then I thought about the young lady I presumed he had bought them for. Did he treat her with the same disconnected interest as he did those beautiful red roses? Did he think she was so easily bought with a bunch of flowers that he treated so nonchalantly? Maybe. I can’t say for sure because I never talked to him.

If you are going to celebrate your love for each other on Valentine’s Day, mean it! Don’t just do it half heartedly because this is what is expected. Buy the beautiful flowers and chocolates. Go out for a romantic dinner with love in you heart and not lust.

If you are wooing your sweety with all the flash on Valentine’s with only thoughts of getting lucky that night, STOP! That isn’t what it is about. This is one day of the year we allow ourselves to savor the romance. For some, to go all out and play the part of a LOVER.

Now notice the word LOVER. It has LOVE in it. If Valentine’s Day was all about getting laid then everyday is Valentine’s day because there are people all over the world at any given time taking someone out for a fancy meal with flowers, chocolates and jewelry. Then they go to a hotel and have sex and the money is put on the dresser and the date is over.

Get my meaning here?

Life is so fast these days. We start the work week on a Monday and before you know it, Friday is here. The weekend skips by at the speed of light and we begin again.

Slow down for just one day. Give your undivided attention to your lover with only thoughts of making them feel amazing. Make your special someone feel like a king or queen just for one day. And this doesn’t neccessarily mean you have to spend a ton of money to do this. You can be just as romantic and amazing at home as you can when you go out.

Better yet, do this 365 days a year. When you shower your sweetheart with love and attention, everyday is Valentine’s Day. Every day is special and amazing.

If we all put as much time into our relationships as we spend waching a TV series or a sport, we would have a lot of happy couples. The divorce rate would come down. We would have happier children. There would be less crime.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day if you will. Then continue to flow that love the rest of the year. Make every day special. Make every day memorable.

Passionate regards….Brenda