05/31/2026
The good news (since I am an eternal optimist… even in the toughest of times) ….
I placed third yesterday in my age group for the bikini division.
The bad news… there were three contestants.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Made you laugh!
🤷♀️
For every winner there’s a loser … and yesterday that was me. I am sorry to have disappointed some of you. For a while based on where I was standing I thought I took second. And then I went back for finals and realized … nope. I lost.
At first… honestly… I was crushed. I have never pined for a victory more. But the girls I was up against really were better than me. And I loved them. After spending more than 12 hours standing next to two people … you get to talking.
And once I learned their stories … I knew… they needed it just as much as me.
We all need wins in life.
And friendship and people who show up for you.
If I am being absolutely truthful my favorite things about yesterday were seeing my kids, my husband, Frank, Tori & Lyla … and a few surprise visitors who came up and hugged me!!!
I put make up on Lyla and gave her one of my sparkly bracelets.
I brought a sprinkle of Rosemary Fresh… giving bread to those friends working the show backstage.
Was I a little embarrassed for losing. Yes. I was.
And then I went home to Biella Rose … binge watched house hunters international … ate some my own granola which I have craved for months… and went to bed knowing the real victories in life … aren’t won on a stage.
But in your heart.
Cheers to all of you … for believing in me and helping me make it to the stage despite breast cancer and a bizarre mini stroke and a horrendous allergic reaction!!! Yikes 😳
I wouldn’t have had the strength to do it without you.
So… thank you.
For now? I am SO excited for a big Italian family dinner… can anyone say homemade pasta?!!!
Food is love… friends and family are everything… stages come and go… but love wins!
❤️❤️❤️❤️