Bring It!

As I sit here quite excited that I can actually walk today and my back pain has eased up a bit, I am still baffled how it can move northward and now I cannot take a deep breath. Life is interesting like that, isn't it?! Seems as quickly as one cumbersome issue fades into the background, another insidious problem pokes its little nose in your business. Well . . . Bring It!

Although I might not have been running around like my normal, crazy self yesterday, I still managed to get quite a few things done on the computer and via phone calls. I refuse to be defined by the ineptitude of my physical self. I have contracted the "Pink Bunny Syndrome" and I keep going and going and going . . .

It is entirely in the attitude you muster each morning. How will you face your day? You have the choice to start your day "happy or crappy." You are the only person who allows other people to hurt your feelings or belittle you. You may not always be in control of what occurs, but you are most definitely in control of how you react to everything that happens around you. You are in charge! Every day may not be 100%, but you can attack it with all you have and you won't ever feel unworthy.

Today, I wish for you a "happy" day. I hope your efforts are rewarded with grand results and I hope you enjoy all the blessings that abound around you!

Safe Travels

Sometimes, we are presented with what seems like tremendous odds; things piled so high in front of us that there is no possible way to plow through. I believe it is at these times when we are being urged to take a step back and evaluate. Are we really chasing the right prize? Are our endeavors pointed in a positive and productive direction? Are our efforts truly aligned with the end goal?

And, when I step back and assess the mountain, it seems a little smaller. Or I might find a barely worn trail that had not been noticed prior. Or a neat, new, nifty cave through which to venture. But I know that there is always an option, a way, a possibility of getting to where I need to be ~ even if . . . and this is the kicker . . . it wasn't where I initially planned my course! A very tricky lesson to learn.

Today, I hope your mountains become molehills. I hope your piles rapidly dwindle into manageable mayhem and that you and your end goals align in ways you never thought. Undaunted in your journeys and unabashed in your endeavors ~ I wish you, my friends, safe travels.

Fellowship of Friends

By no means a blow out party, I had several friends over for a jewelry shindig last night. It was a good gig and I'll get some nice jewelry from it, but I am taking away something far more valuable than some beautiful baubles . . . the fellowship of friends!

I got to stop the crazy world from spinning and just relax among some absolutely fabulous people. I got to catch up on life stories; trials, triumphs, tragedies, and tenacity. I heard wonderful tales of health and babies and honkeys and brilliance. It was a night to not only see dazzling ornaments, but to be amidst some quite dazzling people ~ folks I have been missing for quite a long time.

Thank you for your jewelry orders, but thank you . . . so much more . . . for your friendship. It means the world to me and I enjoy the brief moments of coming together with no purpose other than to mingle and catch up and just exist side by side. You are beautiful people. Thanks for sharing your evening with me!

Thanks, mom!

When you are in a park or wildlife area, you hopefully had previously learned to NEVER come between momma bear and her cubs. This is true with most wildlife. Moose, deer, coyotes, big cats, and more. It is an instinct, from deep within, that momma will come ~ full force ~ to the aid of her children, even to her own demise. The same is true with the wildlife known as humans!

My mom was mother to myself and six brothers. She was also the mom to the hoards of children who happened to quasi-live at our house. She was, to the naked, untrained eye, the sweetest little woman ever. She would give you the shirt off her back, the last bit of food from her table, her final little nickel if you needed it. But . . . do NOT mess with her children! She learned through the years that physical violence took its toll on everyone ~ including her, so she began a mental warfare when needed. Slowly and steadily she made 'em pay . . . and pay . . . and pay! It was beautiful!

When my kids were little and we lived in Safety Harbor there was a crazy family that lived in our cul-de-sac. The kids were always running wild, half dressed, undisciplined, and very mean. One day, as my daughter was trying to learn how to ride a bike, these kids kept doing drive-by's and cutting her off and teasing her and whacking her helmet while racing past her. She tried to be nice. She tried to ignore them. Then momma bear came out!

I stood next to my daughter as if to assist her in her endeavors. When the eldest of the loony children came racing by us, probably two years my daughter's senior, I turned from Deanna and grabbed this little girl's bike ~ with her on it. I picked her up completely off the ground, turned her around to face her home, told her to go there and not to #$*$# with my kid again. She was gone without a second's hesitation with a look of total bewilderment, never to bother my Deanna again. I turned back around and very happily assisted Deanna in her bike-riding efforts.

I too, like my mom, learned the dangers of putting myself in those situations. So, when kids were unfathomably cruel to my son about his weight gain while he was on steroids, instead of heading to the playground to pummel some pipsqueaks, I wrote a series of books. This was a much more productive outcome and I had all kinds of fun. The liberties available to a writer are astounding. Naming characters, for example, can have far more meaning than one might think. Ahhh, sweet victory.

For all the lessons you taught me; for the fight that you instilled within me and the intelligence with which to use it . . . Thanks, mom!

Lift 'em up!

It would seem as though, lately, folks need to be reminded that:

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

How thrilled am I to be intermittently classified as an 'angel' when I am just loving a person who has touched my life so very deeply?! What an honor.

There are those few that know that this is for them, specifically! Folks I know and love who are going through a rough patch; who need a little support and encouragement; and who need a little lift. But it is to all folks, in general. We need to come to the aid of those hurting around us. Why else are we here? It can't possibly be to argue about taxes, politicians, and regulations. It cannot be to accumulate vast sums of wealth and fancy gadgets that will merely collect dust when we have left this place. It cannot be to acquire fame, as the fifteen minute rule seems to apply to most people. The only difference we can truly make is to positively impact the life of another human being!

I implore you . . . help your battered friends find their footing. Dust off their wings and give them the confidence to soar once again. You will find, in your efforts, a magical gift you would never have discovered if you did not share yourself! Lift 'em up, folks! Lift 'em up!

On a positive note . . .

Today, I am lucky. I woke up to see my son off to school. He leaves very early for two classes, then heads to the middle school to volunteer, then back to college then home to dog-sit and then to his girlfriend's. Hubby is off today, so I get to play with him. We might hit the gym or something else and we'll be having a nice dinner together. Maybe I'll get really lucky and my daughter will call home and say hi. That'd be super. I'm also hoping for some more good news on the Margaritaville front.

I have learned, in my 100+ years, (ha ha) that a positive outlook usually garners positive results. Garbage in, garbage out. Good in, good out. It's very relative to every aspect of life. In that regard, I will be watching less and less tv over the next 10 months. I cannot handle all the negative advertising. When did that become acceptable political behavior. When did your positive attributes and achievements become so trivial in comparison to your failures and skeletons. I'm fairly certain we ALL have failures and skeletons. Those that pretend to be above that are usually the ones with the biggest closets!

I will recess to my home, my friends, my family. They are my positives. They are what makes life worth while. Should I need to go live in a cave later on, then so be it. But I will find a large enough cave to invite all those folks that have made my life better!

Keep it positive folks!

Miracle of Melding

I have been blessed with the task to oversee a group of incredible volunteers that will come together and create a shindig to benefit All Children's Hospital. This event is just a few months away and now begins the crazy time of requesting, begging, inquiring, hoping, and praying for a positive and productive outcome. We would like to draw in upwards of $30,000 in one night. It is, by no means, impossible ~ but it will take the miracle of melding to come to fruition!

This amazing group contains leaders and followers. It envelopes worker bees and queen bees. There are the fearless and the fearful. There are those who work in the recesses of their abode; and there are those out there pounding the proverbial pavement. Some are quiet and reserved. Others . . . not so much. There are definite 'type A' personalities and some more diminutive personalities. There are the heavy lifters and there are the point-and-direct-ers.

What I find most challenging is to place each person where they will have the most impact. With all these special talents and intricate enthusiasms, there is a balance that must be maintained to coordinate these beautiful souls into one orchestrated masterpiece. I know that things will come together at the end. We will have a fabulous event and we will be blessed to provide the hospital and our local therapy center with much needed funds and support. If we all continue to envision that end goal, the work seems a little less tedious; a little less stressful; a little less like work.

I don't know how I'm doing as a 'conductor,' or as 'Mr. Wizard,' mixing up these concoctions of people and their aptitudes; but I am quite certain that the 'miracle of melding' will take root and the results will just be stunning! I cannot wait!!!

Ch-Angel of Style

Time for a Ch-Angel! I am feeling like there is a lot of negativity around me as of late, so I am altering my situation and putting some positive out there! It's an easy way to find the path to happy again and allow other folks to view someone very special that they might not have known existed prior!

Everyone . . . meet JC!
Great initials, right? No, I'm not Ch-Angeling about Jesus Christ. This person, however, exemplifies His beliefs and values quite a lot though and that is partly why I chose to single her out!

JC is extraordinary! Not quite sure how she survives the days, what with having to carry her ginormous heart around each day. She devotes her time to all kinds of incredibly worthwhile causes, is devoted to her family and is super supportive of her friends. She takes time from her own tasks to ensure the stability and happiness of many folks and just finds a peace in doing the right thing.

JC is also an artist! Not quite sure why I gravitate toward the artistic types. Maybe it was that growing-up-near-Woodstock thing, but I just love those folks that do not conform to the rigid confines of what others expect. JC could be that poster child! She amazes me.

I walk by a pile of junk. Scraps tossed out by most folks without a second thought. Old wood, milk containers, wire . . . garbage! JC, however, has found her creative Disneyland! She will quickly nab all these items and more and the juices start flowing. She can paper mache over this, paint that, bend those and stick this on there and . . . voila! . . . she's created a rooster, or a dog, or a cat, or a fish ~ worthy of gift shop display! She sees beyond the trash! She envisions 'life beyond usage'. She is a creator of craft and a builder of beauty . . . from refuse! I wish I had her vision, or her gumption, or her energy! Without those, however, I am content with being her friend!

JC is definitely a Ch-Angel of Style! xo

Burn Brightly!

The light of a single candle can illuminate a darkened room. One flickering flame gives way to vision, clarity, a bit of warmth, the lifting of an eerie veil, and a ray of hope. Such a simple, seemingly insignificant item embodying so much promise.

Now, look in the mirror! YOU are that candle!

Each one of us holds incredible opportunities and abilities within ourselves. You have the ability to illuminate a darkened room. You have the choice to fulfill your vision, to bring clarity, to envelope others in warmth, to tear off the weighted veil of darkness and become a ray of hope. That is all within you. Don't let anyone ever linger over you long enough to snuff your flame. It is a persistent spark that, once properly ignited, can work miracles!

And, in that same context, don't be the one to dim the light in someone else. Instead, fan their flame. Fuel their passions and you will find that your own luminescence multiplies immeasurably. It is a wonderful blessing to be the catalyst behind great achievements . . . whether it is your own or someone else's.

Burn brightly, my friends!

Oh happy days

A few days ago, I was running around in my furious little circles as I always seem to be doing, when my phone rang. Normally, I don't get many calls. Most communications, these days, come via texts. So . . . I whipped out my phone and glanced at the caller ID. To my uncontrollable glee, it was one of my brothers. I eagerly answered the phone and found that he was travelling from one job to the next, had thought of me, and just wanted to say hello. We didn't tackle any life issues. We didn't debate politics. We didn't do anything but chat! It is those sweet little moments that make my heart happy.

Yesterday, I had to drop off something for a friend where she works. I asked the front desk how I might find her. They called to her office and said she had just stepped out. The receptionist told me she'd pass by shortly and that I should wait. As I turned around to find a seat, I saw her sneak through a "Staff Only" door. Dang . . . just missed her. So I sat and waited. Just a few minutes later, she emerged . . . with her sister! It was a two-for-one day! They are both dear, sweet friends and happening upon both of them was like finding money in the parking lot! What a special little treat for me. I just love them.

I got home from my errands, unloaded the groceries, let the dogs out, checked the mail and then took a moment to see if there were any messages on the home phone. It was my husband. "Hey. Just me. Checkin' in! Miss you. Love you! See you later! Giggidy!" (Family guy stupidity that runs rampant in my house - ugh!) It almost brought tears to my eyes. For those that don't know Vic, he oversees five Applebee's units and is very focused and frayed whilst working. To take time to leave me a silly, sweet, non-directive, goofy message just put me over the top!

And the boy came home with dinner from Delco's . . . with a hug and a "I missed you mom". How does life get any better? Some people search for fortune and fame and their name up in lights. Some folks want notariety and paparazzi chasing them around. Some folks need that pedestal action going on. Me? I am more than content with the bountiful blessings that surround me each and every day.

Thank you . . . to all my blessings!

Pieces

As a puzzle lover, I enjoy a quiet day, stretched over a big open table, piecing together a thousand plus fragments of what will eventually become a beautiful picture, sometimes even suitable for framing! Each tiny chunk of cardboard fitting securely and with great purpose into the piece adjacent. Painstakingly, for hours, I will twist and turn and try several pieces in one spot until it happily connects with its neighboring cohorts. It can occasionally turn frustrating when there are many pieces that seemingly could fit where the right one finally drops, but with determination and anticipation of a finished masterpiece, I continue to work until the efforts produce said brilliance!

Now . . . think about your life. Some of you believe you're in some grind, some trivial abyss of nothingness that does nothing for anyone but provide you a paycheck to hopefully pay your bills until next week's trivial abyss begins again. What you don't understand, or cannot or do not yet comprehend, is that you fit! Somewhere, you fit! It may take years of twisting and turning and trying to put yourself in different situations before you find where you might actually belong. You exist for a purpose and a reason and it truly is to finish your portion of a beautiful masterpiece being fitted together by a source much bigger than you can imagine! Without you, there is a gaping hole in the tapestry of life. You have a talent, a drive, a passion that makes a difference - to others - and to that tapestry that is woven and pieced together by the intertwining of many!

Keep twisting. Keep turning. Keep trying to see where you fit! You are beautiful! You matter! You complete someone's puzzle! Enjoy the day!

Spice Up Your Life

It is said that 'Variety is the spice of life.' I concur!

I enjoy cooking and when I cook I am a huge fan of garlic, oregano, red pepper, cayenne, montreal seasonings, and lots of spicy stuff! When I bake, I use lots of vanilla and flavored extracts and flavored versions of recipe ingredients. I rarely do what the recipes call for and even change up my own recipes with different spices, ingredients, and additions. I've never made a meal people wouldn't eat and usually get rave reviews! Yay!

And such is life . . .

I've got my spicy friends - those friends who would not only bail me out of trouble, but probably help me get into it. I've got my go-to oregano-types who just add a delicious flavor to my life. I've got my 'flavored' friends who are colorful in a variety of ways and add all sorts of interesting facets to my days.

Meat is dry if you simply stick it in the oven. When you 'kick it up a notch,' juices start to flow, things get cookin', and the meal is completely different! If you wander through life with only one friend, you're missing out on the spice and diversity of life. Do a little "Bam!" and add a little flavor to your day. Change things up and see where a little spice can take ya!

Enjoy your new dish . . .

Attractiveness

What makes people attractive? Hmmm. I think that it changes as time marches ceaselessly forward.

When I was in high school, it was about the perfect "Farrah" hair and the Sweet Orr's or Jordache jeans. It was about hanging with the "in" crowd and performing well in sports. Then it became the flaunting of the ever-fleeting 36-24-36, which has since been much more fleeting! Then it was the going out and seeing how much you could do with the funds you earned.

As I moved from my home state of New York to Georgia, it became more of finding a way to survive and then surviving in as healthy a manner as possible. When I locked lives with my future hubby, it was a matter of 'ensnaring' him in my wily ways. Once that was done, then the 'attractiveness' seemed to shift to my children. It was more about being a good mom and not so much about how people might perceive me. There really was no time to tread in the attractive pool as it was more important to dive into cleaning up after, nurturing, and teaching your kids.

And now, as my children are all growed up, I find that attractiveness has turned itself literally inside out. I no longer seek the disingenuous support of the approval of my physical attributes from others. I may not always like the way my body appears to others, but I take great pride in the attractiveness of my actions, my pursuits, and my endeavors. My efforts, and the sincerity of them, far outweigh the extra curves I might carry along with me. Attractiveness, it seems, blooms from the inside out and the greater the beauty of the soul, the more tremendous the fragrance and brilliance of the flower that is shared.

I sure wish I didn't have to go through so many steps to have wound up here, but it is the journey that tills the earth; the tears that water the bulb; and the obstacles of life that builds the stamina of the roots of those beautiful souls. Know, today, that you are attractive! Not because of your curves, or your hair, or your perfect bone structure. It is because of what lies within you! Cultivate it well!

Beautiful minority!

Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Quite a human being and a transformer of many things. His quotes are numerous . . . some much more famous and well-known than others. In his honor, I will pick one that hits home for me, and actually a tremendous amount of the people that I mingle with. I am drawn to creative types; whether in craft or in spirit!

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

I think, immediately of my mother who is probably the most creative person I've ever known. My brothers are all very creative and mostly in the construction arena, although a few have dabbled in other arts. My husband who is sometimes stifled by too much work, will intermittently and honestly shock me with his brilliance. My children amaze me with their outside-the-box thinking and varying forms of creativity in writing, photography, and vision and more. Keith, Winnie, Joyce, Tony, Ann, Bill, Joel, Ali, Dayna, Danny, Barbara, Dawn, Analisa, Dianne, Carol, Kathy, Norma, and so very many more of my friends whose brains are not confined by the limitations of what lies directly ahead of them. Instead, they choose to make the world a better place by 'decorating' it with their own special touch. It's a beautiful thing and I am thrilled to be affiliated with all of these 'creative minority' types.

Thank you for the beauty that you add to this earth!

Hug someone

Communication . . .

That is kind of a broad subject these days. It used to be walking across the street to actually, physically stand by your neighbor and converse with them. Then it involved putting pen to paper and placing your thoughts in a tangible form for someone else to receive. The phone then offered an additional option allowing us to reach across the miles to share our love, good news, and chatter. Then came the internet and texting, myspace, tweeting, facebook, monster, linkedin, youtube, and a zillion other digital distance-closers.

These things, one by one, kind of took the place of actually, physically walking across the street to converse with your neighbor. The interactions between people became less interactive and more computer-ese. Heck, folks don't even write real English any more. I'm not sure some of them know what real English is!

It's not all bad, though. I can easily converse with nieces, nephews, and family that live far away. We can share photos and update each other as frequently as we choose. Prayer chains for problems are almost instantly global instead of sequestered to a small room in a single church. Wrong-doing is viral before the bruises begin to discolor. Sometimes it is good.

Honestly, though, there is nothing better than a hug. It's the best communication out there. It holds. It heals. It helps. It supports. It strengthens. It solidifies. It carries within it the implications of love, affection, concern, friendship, fellowship, family, faith, and fortunes untold. A single hug can truly chase away heartache and hurt. It can relieve the day's stress and heighten the day's jubilance. It is as versatile as the air we breathe! It is beautiful!

Today . . . whether you converse with your neighbor, call a friend, skype your brother, tweet your troubles away . . . take a moment and share yourself. HUG someone!

Happy Trails!

I enjoy a long car ride, as long as the scenery is interesting. Four hour interstate drives do nothing for me. I love driving along the coast, adore a beautifully wooded winding road, could not get enough of driving around Teton and Yellowstone, and through places like Georgia with the mossy trees and the Blue Ridge Parkway's vistas. Just delightful.

I usually get sunburned, but thoroughly enjoy a good long boat ride. We never intend to stay out very long, but a beautiful day on the water tends to beckon you to 'stay a little longer' . . . and we happily oblige. The views from the water are different ~ connected but disconnected all at the same time. The things you see on the water are just so soothing and peaceful. I just love it!

And, on different days, I would hurt someone to hope on a motorcycle and hit the open road. Wind therapy, as some of my dear friends call it, is a joy unto itself and just brings you a freedom unknown to most other modes of transport. And, when you find yourself alone on the open road, the peace that ensues is just undeniable!

Not so speedy, but just as thoroughly enjoyable is a bike ride ~ the self-powered kind. I'm not talking about the suited up and sporting the fancy shirts and funky shoes kind. I'm talking about communing with nature on an old dirt road with the bumps and thumps and breeze in your hair. Squinting as the sun gleams through the leaves and you're just free to pedal as fast or as slow as you choose as you absorb all the blessings you pass by.

And, of course, a personal favorite is a simple stroll. Through the streets of . . . say St. Augustine, in the sand on the beach, on a trail through the woods, or simply on the arm of my husband or in the company of my children. Stretching my stumpy little legs, breathing in the air around me, and just taking in the sights and sounds of wherever we may be . . . it's just joyous!

Remember that happiness is not a destination . . . but more a way of travel.
Happy trails!

'Framily'

Those blessings from above that are either:

Friends who have risen above the intermittent 'hello's' and 'beautiful children' to actually being available to you through thick, thin, good, bad, sweet, sour, failures, triumphs, and every tiny step in between. These are the non-blood-related people who come into your life and plant themselves and grow into the very air you breathe. They touch your heart and take up residence there.

or

The family members who have moved beyond the 'I'll go because I have to' or 'She's my sister so I guess I should,' to the 'I will move heaven and earth to get to her/him because she is a person of value and worth.' Far beyond the values of sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins . . . there is a deeper, more intimate connection that exceeds any relative connection.

These folks are 'Framily'! I could not fathom an existence without them. They make breathing worth while and life a little easier! Thank you to all my 'Framily'! God bless and I love you!!!

Promises

In the quiet of the morning
Still dark with cloak of night
The whisper of the raindrops
Promise flowers blooming bright

The quiet of the hour
Sits with the chill of winter's touch
The sun awaits its travels
Promising warmth and light and such

Not even birds are stirring
Their morning chirp has yet to start
The promise of a new day
Has yet to fill their heart

My weary eyes grow heavy
I might return to bed
So the promises of the yet unknown
Can gently fill my head

The clarity of the hour
Is lost only in the fog of sleep
With the chance to do what's right again
Is my dream I promise to keep

My little Max!

In pondering what my topic could possibly be this morning, along came a sleepy, furry black face which was laid on my leg, followed by a paw for scratching! Genius!

Maximus Mako Marinello came home with us at just 8 or 9 weeks of age. Max was the runt of a litter of 13 puppies. The folks had been asking $500/puppy but gave us Max for only $350 because he was small and the last little pooch. Hubby held him like a football for most of that first day while we got Max a few toys and a new leash. Right off, Max was brilliant. He was trained to go out within a week. He never chewed up any toys, except for a giant dog bed and Miles' ankles!

He learned commands very easily and even knows hand gestures, too. He is a very chill pooch, although we seriously never thought that would happen. He was pretty hyper for many years. He barks at us when we go in the pool cause he wants to save us, but he won't go in the pool. Silly dog! He is not anti-social but rather non-chalant when meeting other dogs; but does NOT like cats or egrets. He is just content to be out, on his leash, sniffing and peeing on everything!

Max has been with us now for ten years. His paws, face, and eyebrows have all whitened considerably. He 'speaks' to us . . . no, not barking, but rather grunting, grumbling, and whining for attention. He is literally like a little kid who complains til he gets the attention he wants and gets super excited when it's time for a walk or a car ride. His sweet brown eyes would melt the most adamant dog-despiser, and that paw in your lap just invites all kinds of love.

He spends every morning in the office with me while I blog and answer emails. He goes out to the back yard to do his 'business,' but won't leave the patio til I give him his morning hug. He sleeps most of the day now that he's entering his golden years (do black labs have golden years?). He wiggles himself silly when his dad comes home but won't let me near him til Vic has petted and loved on him to his approval. And when Miles comes home . . . WOW! Besides him knowing that it's 'walk time,' there is just a bond without description there. It's very heartwarming and beautiful.

There's nothing quite like that unconditional, constant dog devotion. What a pooch - my little Max!

RAK 'em up

In helping other people, you kind of lose the impact of what ails you.

When you are instantly spurred into action out of necessity, like maybe at an accident, you truly lose sight of yourself because someone else is in jeopardy or in need of assistance. There is no time to ponder the ramifications of what you're doing, only that if you don't do something, things will not end well. And so we run forward, into uncertainty, selfless, in aid of another person.

Isn't it kind of sad that it takes an accident to make us do that? Wouldn't it be a much more pleasant place to exist if each day was filled with these random acts of selfless kindness that are focused on other individuals, rather than ourselves? What a thought to ponder.

Today, without accidents, do something for someone else. It is within these Random Acts of Kindness that we truly learn the most about ourselves. We learn to share, to open our eyes and our hearts and our minds, and to give. And so, today, RAK 'em up!

A Pictorial Picnic

To say that the holiday season is a little hectic might be a teeny bit of an understatement. Throw in a little seasonal action at Macy's, a working boy, trying to schedule picking up a daughter without a vehicle, a hubby who works a gazillion hours a week, decorating, undecorating, cleaning, organizing, blah, blah, blah and life seems to be just a little stressful.

I will let you in on a little secret; one of the most therapeutic activities I've taken part in in quite a while. Yesterday, my mission, besides organizing the photo albums that were returned to the previous winter wonderland that is my dining room, was to take a giant box of pictures that has been sitting in my hall closet for literally years and organize them into more photo albums.

Now I know that things have gone the way of digital these days, but there is just something about a photograph that captures time . . . and the heart! I spent seriously several hours sitting poolside (thank God it was really beautiful here in Florida yesterday) digging through old photographs and putting them in albums. I scanned a few and sent 'em to my niece. She has incredible blackmail opportunities now! I got a little teary. I laughed out loud. I wondered who some of those people were. I marvelled at growth and change and old friends and my absolutely incredible family. I shrunk in horror at my senior portrait proofs, giggled AND cried at my mom's Ramblin' Gamblin' money with my brother's faces on the bills. What a beautiful trip I took yesterday without ever leaving my patio.

When you need a little pick-me-up, whether you're creating or just thumbing through, grab an old photo album and do a little reminiscing. Ahhh, the pleasantries of a pictorial picnic!!!

The best toy

I've always believed that if you don't use it, you lose it. Never more true than with your brain! My family has always been game players! When we were very little, my mom would pair us up and with pencils we'd create these crazy squiggly messes on scrap paper. Then we'd have to take crayons or colored pencils and color in animals or pictures we found within those squiggly messes. With five kids and friend's kids always around, there was a plethora of board games available to us as we got older. And then . . . the word games!  (Cue the daunting music . . . dah, dah, dah!)

We played the 4 x 4 Boggle til we grew bored of that and then graduated to the 5 x 5. We had, I would guess, every edition of Scrabble that graced the store shelves. We played the dictionary game which most folks call something else these days, but I would never stray from the original. We did Upwords and loved to do those puzzles where you had a great big word and you had to find as many smaller words within it. I ruled those!

I enjoyed the crossword puzzles, but was not ever very good at them. Too broad a scope of knowledge to be real good. The were the coded puzzles that I could never quite conquer but my mom was a whiz at. It was always time to tax the old noodle; keep the juices flowing, and think, think, think!

One of my most vivid memories of games we played was one of the most fun. With nine people in the car, it would usually start with the driver and work it's way to the back of the vehicle. My step-dad would say something like, "Jimmy was going to have a party, but he was undecided about . . . " and then my mom would have to pick it up and continue the story. She would say, "whether he should invite Beth or Sarah, so instead of making a choice . . ." and brother Cal would chime in, "he decided to go fishing. He gathering up his tackle and . . ." And so on and so forth. Most of these stories meandered forever through absolutely nothing logical but all kinds of laughter and silliness. You could make up anything you wanted. It is a GREAT game for young children, without the use of joysticks, videos, or remote controls. It makes 'em use their imagination . . . the best toy out there!

Go play today!

Stumbling, Bumbling, Fumbling

Any of you who were lucky enough to know my mother, know that she was not a very idle person. She was always on the go and always had all kinds of ideas and thoughts rolling around in that beautiful little head of hers. I am thrilled to say that she instilled this fabulous character trait into each and every one of her children. I have brothers who write, brothers who build, brothers who play music, brothers who teach, brothers who inspire, brothers who are always at the ready to assist other people, and of course, there's me! Most of you already know what my insane little life is all about! And I love it!

Charles F. Kettering once said:
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble onto something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling onto something sitting down.

What a fabulous statement! You will never know what you are truly amazing at unless you step out, in faith, and give it a shot. And I think the "stumbling" is part of the process. Getting to where you want to go may not always be the easiest thing in the world. There are mountains to climb over, pits to wade through, and always obstacles in your way causing you to trip, tumble, and taste defeat. But it is those individuals who persevere that make a difference . . . both to themselves and to those around them.

So, as Chris Berman might say, be that "stumbling, bumbling, fumbling" person who "could go . . . all . . . the . . . way".

Retailiation!!!

Retail has always, I guess, been a part of my life. I grew up in a house with a graphics shop in the basement and learned, at 9, to sell name tags to teachers for 50 cents apiece. Then I learned typesetting, proofreading, graphics, design, etc. and how to sell and market all of that. Then I got a typesetting job outside of the house and learned to market it for someone else. I then got a hankering for working out and trained to become an aerobics instructor. Although that didn't pan out, it taught me a great many things about retail and myself. While doing those things ~ and I literally mean I was doing all those things at the same time ~ I worked the late shift at UPS unloading trucks and filling tractor trailers. Not so much retail, but super workout and gobs of cash!

Then I moved to Georgia where I did all kinds of graphics stuff and learned the label business. Left alone with mounting bills, I got a second job as a hostess at a restaurant. I had never done any sort of restaurant jobs in my life, but found that I loved to greet and chat and be around people. Must have learned that from my mom. (And, found my husband there!) From there, I believe I also became involved in Christmas Around the World doing home parties, selling and retailing my fanny off.

These last two months, though, at Macy's have given me a new perspective on retail. To have worked recovery has allowed me a new insight to people. These are shoppers buying name brand, very expensive items, and a vast majority of them are slobs with no manners. They leave their clothes piled in the fitting rooms, unhangered, or hangered inside out, or hangers simply scattered on the floor. And they will smile charmingly at you while they leave the area. Where are their mothers? Who taught them to behave this way? When did it become ok to leave ANY place in such disarray?
Do they throw food around the restaurants they eat in? What do their homes look like? It is just baffling to me.

So . . . in my own little world . . . I'd like to start a "retailiation"! What I wouldn't do to use my creative graphic side and whip up a few posters stating that your mother doesn't work here, we don't have a maid, so please pick up after yourself. Oh the smiles it would bring to my face! Or how sweet it would be to walk out after a customer and say, "Excuse me, you left a few items on the ground. Would you like me to get them for you?" Hee hee!

OK, so just the thought of those few actions will allow me to giggle through my shift today. What fun it would be to do those things. I am certain there are other professions that receive the same sort of abuse. Let me hear what you would do . . .
And smile . . .

Until next year . . .

I just dread taking down the Christmas decorations. Not so much because of the daunting task I know it will be. Not because I know it will literally take me six to eight hours or more to take it all down, clean the house, and put the house back together. Not because of the painstaking impossibilities of fitting over one-hundred Santas and a gazillion other decorations back into the crates they came out of. It is the fact that I'm simply de-Santasizing the house!

There is a story with nearly all 100+ Santas that I have collected. The poker-playing Santa from my Vegas friends! The wood carved Santa from my neighbors who went out west and thought of me while they were there. The Italian Santa from my days of Christmas Around the World. The pair of Santa's hubby got me on one our first Christmases together. The Santa in a beach chair from my "and stuff" friend. The "wipeout" Santa that my daughter got me this year . . . which, as I explained to her is a double whammy bringing back years and years of gymnastics memories with it! The canoeing Santa and the Santa with skis from hubby and son. The pair of Santas with critters from my brother. My kneeling over baby Jesus Santa from my sister-in-law. So very many memories; and it is like I am boxing them up . . . putting them away. It saddens me a little every year ~ even though I know I will giggle and smile and get weepy as I take each one out again next year. I know. I'm a little whacky.

And so, in the next few days, I will begin de-Santasizing and become a tiny bit melancholy. It won't last long. And once the house is back in order, or perhaps slightly rearranged, I know I will have a renewed energy for a new year. It is a cycle I am rather used to and kind of oddly fond of. I hope that when you de-Santasize your homes, you relish special memories in tiny bits of glitter and fur and sparkles and joy . . . until next year . . .

Calmmodity

Oh, how precious are a few quite moments to yourself? Whether you are reflecting on the day, the month, the year, your life . . . a little down time is a wonderful thing. To stop, sit, and take solace in all the good that surrounds you is an energizing and vital part of life. More important than hitting the gym every day of the week, more important than impressing those executive clients, more important than getting your kid to every sport on earth, more important than donning the latest fashions, more important than owning the latest gadgets . . . is the sweet taste of . . . calm.

I am fortunate enough that I can hop in my car and be by the Gulf of Mexico's shores within minutes. I sometimes lose myself in the rhythmic rolling of the waves, basking in the lazy Florida sun, and just mostly thinking about nothing. It is sublime! I find the same sweet calm in a wooded trail, a mountain top, a lakeside stroll, a blooming garden and many other places.

This year, I hope you take a little time ~ each day if you're able ~ to get off the rat race roller coaster and find a place to rest. Invest in yourself; in your own 'calmmodity'.