On Nov. 24th we will begin our annual Make-A-Wish Charity Drive, and there are many ways to donate. When you purchase RG Gift Mugs, Feng Shui pens,  blue bottles or gently used clothing from Butch's  Cafe Oasis (520 8th Ave. 16th Floor), 100% of those proceeds will go to Make-A-Wish.
Also, please feel free to make a monetary donation at any Ripley-Grier Studios location. And if you donate $5 or more, you will receive a limited edition RG Holiday Ornament (while supplies last).
We will also be doing our Annual Toy Drive!!!

"Those who are happiest, are those who do the most for others." - B. T Washington 

 www.RGOutreach.com  

Greetings! Wishing everyone a Happy and Peaceful Thanksgiving!!
"Thanks-Giving"/giving thanks. A time for gathering family and sharing gratitude for the life we have been fortunate enough to enjoy. So many reasons to give thanks for the Ripleys, the Griers and the Ripley-Griers. In the past, some Thanksgivings have been lonely, sparse and hard to enjoy. I have been homeless several times and while not out on the street, I had no home. I slept on the floor of my workplace several times for months. When I was in my early twenties I stayed with a friend, slept on the couch. No money. Nothing to eat. My boyfriend, my dog and I ate Corn Flakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner for days until a job came through. In my mid-thirties, I met Butch. We did not have any money or a place to live, so we slept on a studio floor at our first location for 4 years, eating rice and beans, pasta, soup and bread. We were saving and reinvesting and eventually when our West 72nd Street Studios became viable, we moved into an apartment near Central Park. It was paradise. I was 40 years old and finally had a place to settle down. So there is hope in perseverance and sacrifice. I lived in Manhattan for 30 years; the last 10 being the most satisfying. We moved to Long Island after 9/11 to give Jeannie (and us) some breathing room, and a home of our own.
Great news! We have successfully operated our 305 location for two months and are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have had some fine organizations and groups use our spaces. Success is in the air! I used Feng Shui principles to design the 305 spaces (still a work in progress). Needless to say, we are pretty burned out from the project, our largest to date. We are looking forward to the holidays and a much needed vacation.
My fitness classes are booming this time of year! We have a great bunch of students. Luckily the Northeast did not have a cold fall and outdoor activities continued on through the month of November. Pretty soon it will be time to make visits to the gym more often. But until it is in the 30's, walking the dog and taking bike rides and beach walks are still possible.
A bit of advice, don't diet over the Holidays, just try to maintain your current weight, watch your portions and take it easy on the sweets. In January you can begin your weight loss or weight management program with a  fresh start and new resolutions. Also try not to commit to too many social events or happenings this season, hold back on saying "Yes" to everyone and everything offered. You will get Holiday burnout. See you in December.

Happy Thanksgiving! How is everyone's Fall going so far? It's hard to believe that my first semester of college is almost over, it went by so fast. For this Thanksgiving my family is gathering at my house in Long Beach. We will have dinner and play games.
This month I had the pleasure of attending my cousin's wedding to Kody (they got engaged on our beach last November). The couple got married in a barn on a beautiful field in Oklahoma. The wedding was originally going to be outside, but since it was too windy they moved the ceremony inside. Everyone still had a great time inside. Congratulations to the bride and groom!
The night before we left to go to the wedding, I was fortunate enough to meet and see one of my favorite bands, Saint Motel! The band consists of four musicians, (piano/guitar, lead guitar, bass, and drums) and they go on tour with a tenor saxophone player and a trumpet player. I was the first one in line, so I got to meet them first and I was able to get right in front of the stage. It was my first time seeing them and they put on an amazing show. I would definitely recommend seeing them.

See you next time, Jeannie