Happy New Year!!

I figured it would be bad MoJo if I ended 2013 with a blog on ‘Loss’; hence, here is an appropriate blog for ending the year right.

I typically wax philosophic at the end of the year, reminiscing about the year that was (the good and the bad/the joys and the sorrows) and thinking about all the possibilities of the year to come.  But I figured there are so many blogs and articles that already do that at this time of year, so I decided to keep this one short and sweet!

Here is my sage advice for the New Year:

Say Good Bye to things that are bad for you (habits, food, people, etc.) and say Hello to things that are good for you (habits, food, people, etc.).  J

I, personally, am going to try to enjoy my existence more with more laughter, more chocolate, and more sex!  Life is short people; seize the day!

No matter what the New Year brings, I wish you all peace with your individual life’s journey and many moments of pure joy.

Cheers to 2014!

Me

Motivational Moment:

I thought I would end the year with a link to some of the world’s most beautiful places from one of my favorite websites - The Huffington Post.  Dream Big!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/10/worlds-most-beautiful-places_n_4072545.html

Loss

Death is a natural part of life.  As a child, it seems like a far off entity that does not much affect our daily lives.  The older we get, the more death hits closer to home with the people we love.

I debated on whether or not to post a blog, with this content, during the holidays.  But death does not care what time of year it is.  And for some reason, I felt compelled to post the video in today’s Motivational Moment now, since some people have a hard time during the holidays.  On a lighter note, my friend told me today was Festivus, which includes an "Airing of Grievances" and "Feats of Strength"; I knew it was serendipitous that I post today (even though Festivus is a Seinfeld creation), since this post fits both the "Airing of Grievances" as well as "Feats of Strengths").  

Ten days ago, I received a call from my friend, but I was not able to answer the phone at the time.  When I listened to the message a little while later, I was brought to my knees with what I heard.  It turns out the call was not from my friend; it was from her mom.  She was calling all of the contacts on my friend’s phone to let them know that she had passed away two days earlier.  I did not see this coming.  I knew she had horrible joint pain and leg pain, but I never realized she was close to death.  I was not aware that her diabetes had become out of control and would end up being her final battle on earth.

This woman was full of strength, despite her physical pain and was one of the funniest women I have ever known (which is impressive considering the pain she was in).  I am fortunate that I happened to tell her this past Thanksgiving (which ended up being less than two weeks before her death), how appreciative I was that our paths crossed at our last place of employment.  It was truly a pleasure knowing her.

The celebration of her life was beautiful and the strength of her mom was nothing short of amazing.  She has now buried three out of her four children and yet she is at peace with this world and said to me that “God is good”.  I was humbled, as well as honored, by being invited to attend this celebration of my friend’s life.

DeeLish – Thank you for all the laughs and good food!  I know that you love soaring with the angels now that you are free from your worldly pain.

Missing You and Cherishing the Memories,

Me

Motivational Moment:

My sister forwarded THIS link to me a couple of weeks ago and I really found it encouraging.  The speaker in this video, Jane McGonigal, is mesmerizing to listen to and her personal story is truly inspirational.  We all need to take heed with the regrets from those on their death bed and make sure we are living a life true to ourselves.

At the dawn of a new year, I wish you all a life with no regrets, which is true to yourself and true to your dreams.  Peace, my friends.

Be Nice!

We are ‘supposed’ to celebrate the differences in people.  Viva La Différence.  Variety is the Spice of Life.  And I get it; the differences between people are what keeps the world going and makes life exciting.  If we were all clones, life would be incredibly dull.  But what I will never understand is unfriendly people and I downright dislike nasty, mean people.  The ‘experts’ say that you are supposed to be your own oasis and not let others get to you; however, as a friendly, outgoing person, I do feel slighted or hurt by others’ unfriendly actions. 

Let me paint a picture for you and you tell me if it is normal, human behavior. You are walking down a hallway at work (mind you, this is at a relatively small business office with ~ 50 people) and you come face to face with someone, to which you automatically greet the person with a “Good Morning”.  The other person merely looks down and keeps on walking, with no acknowledgement whatsoever. 

Now I could understand having the point of view of not wanting to be friendly to strangers, if you are out in public.  And I know that people will fight for the introverts here, saying only the extroverts are outwardly friendly.  But in a small office work setting…where you are every weekday…with a relatively small group of people…seriously?  I will truly never get it.  In fact, I can honestly say that I have had friendlier encounters when passing a stranger out in public. 

I often wonder how these people get along in life.  Maybe they are able operate by just depending on themselves, being centered within themselves, not needing or caring about others.  But I have problems with this theory.  For one reason, the majority of these people have families: parents, significant others, some even have children; in other words, they do have interactions with loved ones.  And even if they did not have any family, they would still have to interact with people for all facets of their life (grocery stores, doctors, etc.).  So all I can conclude is that they are just unfriendly people, for whatever reason.  The other reason I have a problem with this whole ‘you are your own island, your only concern is yourself,’ theory, is that the resulting world would be a very cold place to live.  Caring about others, and feeling connected to others, is what helps you get through this life.  It makes the hard times more bearable and the good times more enjoyable.

 Well, I for one, choose to be nice.  And have no doubt, it is a choice. 

Addendum: I had just finished writing this entry when I found out that a good friend of mine has ovarian cancer and has to have a complete hysterectomy in two days.  (Even more worrisome regarding this news is that she had breast cancer 3 years ago.)  This only reinforces my message:

Life is short.  Be nice.

Passionately and Compassionately Yours,

Me

Motivational Moment:

Today’s Moment is another of Life’s Little LaughablesTM:

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my husband’s family last weekend.  And one of our traditions is to have everyone name at least one thing for which they are thankful.  I like starting with the kids because it is nice to hear their thoughts.  We had the older kids (ages 8 – 13) go first so that they younger kids would have a clue as to what to do.  The older kids have been through this and knew the ‘routine’, hence they quickly mumbled the typical “friends, family, food” type of responses.  My 5 year-old niece went next and said (in her sweet little voice), “I am thankful for butterflies and friends and family.”  It was absolutely precious.   I love the sweet innocence of youth!

May you all have many things for which you are thankful. 

Perfectionism...or Not

I have a new favorite website: Huffington Post's The Third Metric: Redefining Success Beyond Money & Power.

Today, there were three article's on their Third Metric page that were blog-spirational for me (I was so excited to think I just came up with a new word; however, when I googled it, there were many other "blog-spired" entries before me). 

The first article that caught my eye was the one on Perfectionists, since I have recently discovered I may have some perfectionist tendencies.  If you asked me a couple of years ago, I would have told you that I was not a perfectionist, but that my younger sister was absolutely one.  She HAD to have straight A's, whereas I just liked having straight A's.  She went on to become a lawyer whereas I am still undecided as to what I want to be when I grow up.  So, if you had asked me, I would have told you that I was NOT a perfectionist...that is, until I read THIS article.

Now mind you - most of the 14 items in the article are not really a good fit for me (so perhaps my perfectionist status is debatable); however a few are dead on.  For example, # 8: I take everything personally; # 9: I get really defensive when criticized; # 10: I am not quite "there yet" (hell - I don't even know where "there" is!); and # 14: I have a guilty soul (I always thought this had to do with being raised Catholic).  There were also some other comments in there about having anxiety and existential crises which perhaps I could identify with...

The ones that do not fit my personality:
# 2: "You know your drive to perfection is hurting you, but you consider it the price you pay for success."  This one mentions a 'no pain, no gain' mentality (yea...I hate pain); it also says perfectionists are not ok being average (I am fine being average - I just wish I was rich!). 
# 6: "You have a hard time opening up to other people."  Hmmm...well...not so much.  I am pretty much a tell-all, open book. 
# 12: "You take pleasure in someone else’s failure, even though it has nothing to do with you." I absolutely do not enjoy other's failures, although I am super jealous of big successes (but I think that is more an immaturity issue rather than a perfectionist issue);
# 13: "You get secretly nostalgic for your school days."  Uhhh - hell no!  I hated being in school!  All I did was study and stress myself out over getting A's!  My older sister, on the other hand, SHE is nostalgic for her college days, but that has nothing to do with academics.

The other two articles I enjoyed from today's Third Metric were: 10 Decisions Happy People Make (link) (ironically, most of these coincide with the perfectionist article - and what not to do) and 11 Reasons You Should Be Having More Orgasms (link) (you won't hear any arguments from me).  See - is this "Third Metric" a feel good website or what?!  I love it!  I could have a lot of fun commenting on (and assesing myself from) these two articles as well, but I'll save that for a rainy day.

Loving the Inspiration,
Me

Motivational Moment:

Today's Moment is another of Life’s Little LaughablesTM :

1.     Talking with Lola again at work.  This chic says classic lines on a daily basis.  We were talking about the shenanigans of some 20-somethings and she said: “They are the young and the restless; we are the old and the weary.”  True…so very true.

2.    Talking with a 20-something Engineer about gluten-free diets.  He said: “I know several females who are gluten-free, but no males.  You women really are the weaker sex.”  This comment came only a couple days after I was speaking with another male co-worker who said: “You women are a wreck!”  Ahhhh, the never ending saga of Venus versus Mars.

Today, my friends, I wish you laughter and smiles, whether that be from something you read, see, feel, or discuss.   

 

For the Love of Lip Balm!

I recently introduced a friend at work to my blog.  I loved it when he said I should blog about one of our recent conversations (about only trying to change the things at work that we had control over).  I immediately thought of what I would write; so with a smile on my face, I told him I would blog about him (just not for the reason he thought).

Today's blog is dedicated to CB.  I would have named it "Chapstick Porn", but the eternal worrier in me didn't want to offend anyone.

So, as stated above, CB is a male - a male who is in love with his lip balm.  He basically makes love to it when he puts it on.  I told him that it is just not right how he applies it; he really should only apply his lip balm in private.  But no, he loves his lip balm and is proud of it.  He happily puts it on wherever he is, even in the middle of the production floor.

In fact, the other day, we were out at a run on the floor, and he dropped his lip balm while applying it.  It rolled across the shop floor.  He picked it up, wiped off the tip, and immediately re-applied it.

Of course, any of you who know me for the germ-a-phobe that I am, knew I was horrified at witnessing his action.  I told him it should have been immediately thrown away.  At the very least, the entire plastic holder needed to be disinfected, so that the next time he twisted up the lip balm, it wouldn't go through a bacteria fiesta.  But alas, he did not listen.  I told him he might as well have just kissed the entire production floor.  Blech!!

CB - thanks for being blog-worthy.  :)

Germ-A-Phobically Yours,
Me

Motivational Moment:

This quick little moment goes to two other friends from work.  I am now calling these Life’s Little LaughablesTM:

1. My friend made a comment about my grays starting to show.  And I said: "Yep. I am done putting that toxic crap on my head."  She grabbed my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said: "Friends don't let friends go gray!".  *sigh*  My never ending battle (as evident in several different blogs) with aging gracefully.

2. I was lamenting to another friend, saying my bohemian personality just doesn't fit in at work.  Which led us to having a discussion of our wish lists of our perfect jobs.  She then said to me: "I have come to realize that there is no perfect job, just like there is no perfect man."  True words.  None of us are perfect; I am as flawed as they come; however, may we continue to search for the job that fits our personality the best and that we can enjoy the most.  Life is too short to be miserable over things that are within our control to change.

May all of you have friends who make you laugh during your day; after all, laughter is the best medicine!

And finally - a shout out to a good friend: Happy Bday B!!  Glad you were born!  :) 

Monster Trucks and Murphy's Law

Yesterday, my minivan was taken to a repair shop to fix the dent in the door that occured on last summer’s vacation (blog link).  Since the shop will have it for 6 days, I needed to get a rental car.  I was excited to hear it was going to be a Toyota Sequoia; I have always wanted one of these huge SUVs (even though I cannot afford it) because I am tall and I literally hate crawling out of small cars.  I have always found it much more enjoyable to get in and out of a SUV versus a 4-door sedan (and 2-door cars are even worse!).  However, I am used to driving mid-size SUVs, such as a Toyota Highlander or a Chevy Blazer, so I was a little surprised with just how big this puppy was.  I actually have to step up into it, rather than just sliding sideways into it, but that’s cool. 

Murphy’s Law decided to have some fun with me when I pulled it into my garage for the first time (and I know what you are thinking…but I did NOT hit the garage).  After I safely pulled it in our garage, my daughter opened her door to get out, and the big, heavy door swung wide open…right into the door of our Chevy Malibu, causing a rather noticeable dent.   *SIGH*

Being Challenged by Murphy Again,

Me

Motivational Moment: 

Today’s Motivational Moment is dedicated to the Children’s Hospital of Dartmouth Hitchcock.  Kudos sent out to the CEO for not only allowing this Katy Perry's Roar video to be made, but for participating in it as well.  Truly beautiful!

I bow down to all health care professionals for choosing a life path that helps others in such a personal, hands-on way, particularly those who work in hospitals as well as with children.  To compassionately be there for people who are feeling their worst is nothing short of inspirational.  Thank you for all that you do.  Hugs to you all!

The Challenge of Cherishing Every Moment

I know that we are supposed to cherish every moment because life is short and can end in an instant.  Even though I know this is what we are supposed to do, I find it challenging.

The past couple of weeks at work have been much busier than normal and filled with numerous challenges.  Then, on Thursday, I finally scheduled a root canal that I had literally been putting off for over a year (fear is an amazing procrastinator).  I come out of said root canal at 1:30pm and my husband calls me to tell me that his company is closing.  He has been there for 17 years.  Now mind you, I was still under the influence of a sedative (which wasn't very strong, but did the job well enough), and it still struck me as extremely sad.  I had worked there for 14 years myself and it is where my husband and I met.  Not to mention all of the close friends that still worked there.  It is the end of an institution and is pretty devastating to all who have been a part of that family.  (It says ALOT about a company when you have many workers who have been there for 10 - 30 years!).

Friday at work was no different than the past couple of weeks, and on top of the work stress, I had mouth pain from the root canal.  Despite all of that, I was still surprised how depressed I felt over the closing of my husband's company (as we had been expecting it for over a year).  I think part of the reason for my surprise, was the magnitude of the impact of the closure on me, outside of my immediate household.  For example, my brother-in-law may move out of town with his family, as well as many close friends, in order to find jobs.  (I never considered this negative aspect, when thinking about the company closing).

Friday evening, I spent time visiting a neighbor who is in the end stages of ALS.  It is an absolutely devastating illness, in which there is no cure.  It is said to be one of the worst ways to die, due to the fact that you still have your mind through it all, while you lose all of your muscles and can no longer move or talk, until finally you no longer breathe.  To make matters worse, this woman has two daughters (one is 11 and the other is 6).  I felt blessed that I made her laugh many times throughout the night, despite what she is going through.  She is an absolutely inspirational woman, who I learned, would have loved to have been a vacation planner.  I enjoyed seeing many pictures, from her family vacations, over the past several years.  My heart goes out to her, her husband, her parents, and her children.

I know from reading many books, including Dr. Terry Gordon's, that you are supposed to see tragedies as blessings.  I think this is extremely difficult to do, particularly at the time of tragedies.  Perhaps when some time passes, it is easier to see the blessings in disguise.

***On a side note, as I was typing this blog, my daughters were watching the animated movie "The Croods".  Due to the anxiety and fear I have lived with my entire life, I found the following advice from the dad in the beginning of the movie absolutely hilarious:  "Fear keeps us alive; never NOT be afraid!...No one said survival was fun...She lived her life in routine, fear, and darkness, and was happy."  Of course, the message in the movie ends up being the exact opposite of these initial statements; do not be afraid and do not spend your life in darkness.  (Very cute movie, by the way.  I highly recommend it, if you have not seen it.)***

I will end this post with the following quote from Dr. Terry Gordon and wish you all the ability to see blessings in your tragedies:

"What I have embraced is that a life’s experience becomes a tragedy, only if we make the conscious decision to make a calamity out of it. We might just as easily choose to accept encounters such at this as a gift from the Divine, a learning tool that helps propel us on to a higher path."  Dr. Terry Gordon's Link

Trying to Cherish Each Moment,
Me

Motivational Moment:

Today's Moment is to share with you a story about a brave, wonderful girl.  I came across her story by pure luck when checking out a friend's blog that contained a YouTube link.  The attached two links are the YouTube stories I watched yesterday, about a miraculous little girl named Shiloh Jade Pepin.  In her story, you will come to see what absolute beautiful people her parents and doctor are, as well as all the rest of her family, friends, and health care providers.  I thank them for sharing her story with the world and I wish them peace and love all throughout their lives.  Shiloh's Story  Shiloh's Story 2

For Her: Welcome to your 40's!

I have always felt that it is so unfair to be female, particularly every month during our fertile years.  Males NEVER have to deal with the crap of bleeding for one week out of every stinking month from middle school age until their 50s.  Apparently this ‘great divide’ in equality continues as we age.  When we finally get to the beginning of the end of these monthly pain-in-the-asses, a whole new slew of problems arise due to our hormones going away.  And when menopause becomes official, which can apparently take up to 10 years, an entirely new set of issues develop, such as brittle bones, lack of sex drive, and lubrication issues, to say the least.  Ahhhh...Life.

The following conversation occurred yesterday between my friend (who is a wonderfully laid back woman with a fabulous sense of humor) and her gynecologist:  

Doc:  So tell me what is going on with you?

Lola:  Well, one month I won’t have my period and then the next month I’ll have 2.  I am tired all of the time.  I could sleep 14 hours a day and I’m gaining weight.   

Doc:  Welcome to life in your 40s.  Tell me about your periods; do you have blood clots?

Lola:  Yes, like I’m dropping hamsters.

Doc:  Definitely sounds like your 40s.

Lola:  I have no sex drive.  My husband wants sex and I just don’t want to be bothered with such nonsense; that is 2 minutes of my life I will never get back.

Doc:  You’re perfectly normal.  I will put you on birth control pills to regulate your period.

Lola:  I was truly hoping for a pill so I would NEVER have another period again.  We can send a man to the moon and yet can’t stop my crazy periods!!   I’m 44 years old, have had my tubes tied for 10 years, I don’t have sex, and NOW I get on birth control pills.  Really.

Lola (after her appointment):  I had to get my thyroid checked, so they drew blood.  Apparently the only thing in me that doesn’t want to bleed out of control is my veins; that tiny needle hurt like hell.  So ladies welcome to your 40’s.  Life is grand.  It gets better, I am only peri-menopause now, I have 10 years before the party that is actual menopause starts.  YEAH.

Laughing Along This Journey,

Me

Motivational Moment:

May you have good friends to share laughs with as you travel along your life's journey.

For the Love of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since going gluten free (GF) about a year ago, I have been on the hunt for the perfect GF chocolate chip cookie.  If you don't know, I am quite the lover of all things chocolate, including brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  One of the hardest things about going gluten free for me (besides the most obvious loss: bread) was losing a delicious brownie/cake/cookie option.  Most GF replacement flours result in a baked good that is NOT moist and delicious; the end product is more like a dry, thick substance that feels like a ball of cement in your stomach.

Hence my GF journey has involved many cookie recipes from scratch (with different replacement flours) as well as boxed mixes.  My family has (not-so-willingly) accompanied me on my journey.  In fact, my daughters have asked me: "Can't we ever have gluteny brownies or cookies?!".  One of my first GF recipes literally looked like a flat piece of paper with chocolate chips sticking out of it. It actually tasted ok, but was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  Apparently gluten is the 'glue' that holds breads and cookies together and makes them moist - because let me tell you - without gluten, cookies and breads just crumble apart when you pick them up. 

I am still quite the amateur at GF baking; however, I can tell you what tastes delicious and what does not.  This past week, I tried this Betty Crocker recipe and was very pleased with the results! 

 The baked cookie actually looked just like the picture on the box AND was delicious. 

I was so excited about my close-to-gluten chocolate chip cookie find, that I was, of course, inspired to blog about it.  :)

I will note that these GF cookies need to be kept in an air-tight container or else they go stale within a few days (but then again - I'm not sure that my baggie constitutes "air-tight" storage).  Oh well...the absolute best time to enjoy any cookie, whether gluteny or gluten free, is fresh from the oven (with chocolate ice cream on top!).


Sighing Contently with my newly discovered, yummy GF Cookie Mix (Thank You Betty Crocker!),

Me

Motivational Moment:

May you have simple little pleasures in life that bring you joy.

Today's Moment is dedicated to Dustin and Spencer.  If you have not seen it (which 10 million people have as of today!!), Spencer proposed to Dustin in Home Depot and it is such a beautiful display of love, I had to share it (Proposal).  Thank you both for sharing your love with us!  It is an inspiration and is beautiful!  Best wishes for a fabulous life to both of you!

Random Life Rant

Sometimes you just want more out of your life.  You feel inspired to do great things; be so much more than you currently are.  You feel trapped and burdened by your responsibilities and the drudgeries of life.  The problem is not really knowing what it is that you want to do and how to go about doing it.

I just came home from a fabulous massage at Salon Patrick's.  I love all the little extra's you get with massages there.  It starts with a hot foot soak in the relaxing, quiet, spa setting; away from all the activity of the salon.  Then you go into the massage room and you get a choice of aromatherapy.  I LOVE this little added benefit, since I love aromatherapy.  At the end of your massage, they put a hot towel on your back and your feet.  I had a wonderful experience; thank you Alison!

While I was at the spa, luxuriating in relaxation, I decided that my dream job would be to travel the country and review spa's.  I could critique their process, building layout, atmosphere; what works well and what needs improved upon to make it the ultimate relaxation destination.  I would excel at it because it is my passion; because I truly know what works and what doesn't work when it comes to a relaxing spa setting. 

I, of course, realize that everyone would love to live their passion; few are lucky enough to do it. 

After I started writing this blog, I was surfing the top stories on AOL and I came across this blog by Jessica Fox, and of course, serendipitously (and you know how much I love serendipity!), here was her first paragraph:

"The Navajos tell a story of the "pollen path." This does not refer to some allergy nightmare, as my sister helpfully pointed out, but as defined by Joseph Campbell, this is a path through life that is true to the individual and his/her unique passions. Psychologists would call this an ego-syntonic existence -- here, the outer world matches the inner one, so that each leaf, each branch along the path, and even on the ground below and in the infinite sky above, looks as if it is covered with pollen: golden, filled with possibility."

An "ego-syntonic existence".  Living a life true to our unique passions.  This is exactly what I am talking about.  What a happier world we would live in, if we all lived a life true to our passions, true to our selves.


Spa Critically Yours,

Me


Motivational Moment:

Today's Motivational Moment is dedicated to my daughters.  I asked the three of them what motivates them or what makes them happy.  Here are their responses:

Daughter A: Friends, Family (sometimes), Music, and Oreo's.

Daughter B: Books, Friends, Family, and Laughter.

Daughter C: I don't know.

Daughter C was not in the mood for my questions, although I can tell you she loves playing dolls with her sisters, playing with her friends, and watching movies.

May you live a life true to your passions!

This Summer's Home Project

I have been promising my two older daughters that we would paint a mural on their bedroom wall for the past couple of years.  Their bedroom has tan carpet, tan walls, and a baseball fan.  The previous owners of the house had a son in that bedroom (and when we moved in our youngest just turned one; my husband and I both thought that we might try for a fourth child - and possible son - for that room.  Luckily, exhaustion and being too busy raising three girls, talked us out of that crazy thinking.)

I told my daughters to sketch out what they would like painted on the wall.  Here is the sketch (even with the bunk bed drawn in for reference):

We had an open weekend at the end of July.  We figured we would take all day Saturday and Sunday and conquer this fun little family activity.  We ran out to Lowe's to pick up the paint:

It was really cool seeing how excited the girls were over getting started and painting their parts.

The Creativity Zone

After about three weeks, we were finally done with our little weekend project.  And despite a rocky start (with hubby and I having creative differences over paint colors and painting styles), I am happy to say that overall, it was a good family bonding experience.

Creatively Yours,

Me

Motivational Moment:

I found the following quote on a magnet at Barnes and Noble's, which of course I had to buy:

"May you always have enough happiness to keep you sweet; enough trials to keep you strong; enough success to keep you eager; enough faith to give you courage; and enough determination to make each day a good day!"  ~Blessing

Parental Pride v2

My 11 year-old daughter recently rented a book from the library and when she finished it she told me I might like to read it.  I was skeptical at first because she had picked the book from the young adult section, but the summary sounded good, so I gave it a try.

I am happy to say that I loved the book.  I am humbled and thrilled.  I never thought I would enjoy the same book as my 11 yo.  I am impressed with her reading prowess.  She has been an avid reader for years; she would be happy if she could read for 10 hours a day, every day.  In fact, I often have to tell her to put her book down when we need to get something done or leave the house.

The book she picked out was Golden by Jessi Kirby.  I love the messages throughout the book, as well as the Robert Frost quotes at the start of each chapter, such as: "Into Your Own", The Courage to Be New", "A Boundless Moment", and of course the famous "I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence.  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.". 

My favorite quote from the book is a thought-provoking one: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?".  The quote is from a poem (The Summer Day) by Mary Oliver.  In the book, a teacher has his students spend the end of their senior year journaling about their present lives as well as their dreams for their future lives.  The teacher collects the journals and then mails them out to the students 10 years later.  (I love this idea and wish I had done it my senior year.) 

This book makes me want to seize and treasure the moment.  It makes me want to get so much out of this one life that we live.  I passionately love books, quotes, and thoughts that inspire me to do more, to be more.

Near the end of the book, as it reaches toward its climax, the main character has the following thoughts:
"True love, meant to be, fate, destiny, serendipity, kismet.  They're all big, romantic words.  Words saved for movies and books and fiction.  Not for real life.  In real life parents get divorced, and people live unfulfilled lives, and love goes unrequited, and there are no second chances, or do-overs, or perfect moments."  While I do believe that some people live unfulfilled lives, I also strongly believe that there are second chances and perfect moments.  I love the romantic notions of fate and destiny and serendipity.  All of our lives revolve around love, in many varied roles, shapes, and sizes; we all need it for survival; it increases our enjoyment of our time here on earth.

On a side note, I thought this book was an older one as the pages seemed yellow.  I was surprised to see the copyright date was 2013; and of course, serendipitously, my local library had a date stamp for receiving the book on July 8, my birthday. 

Thank you, Jessi Kirby, for writing this book.

Thank you, my fabulous daughter Cori, for recommending this book to me.  May you always keep your passion for reading and perhaps one day become an accomplished writer yourself with that creative imagination of yours.

Passionately Yours,
Me

Motivational Moment:

May you live your "one wild and precious life" to the fullest; may you be challenged, inspired, and impassioned throughout your life.

"...what is it YOU plan to do with your ONE wild and precious life?"

Back To School Lament

Well...it's that time of year again...back to school!  I realize, as I was completely dreading this change to our relaxing, summer routine, that this viewpoint is such a relative experience.

I would imagine that if you were a teacher and you actually had the summer's off, you would dread having to go back to work after enjoying the summer vacationing.  But as I write this, I think that perspective really depends on if you have kids or not.  I guess my fantasy is that I am a teacher with the summer's off and I get to travel and go to the beach and pretty much do whatever I would like with my days.  However, if you throw a houseful of kids into that picture, particularly if they are young and rambunctious, well then, that time off would not be enjoyable and I would be counting the days to the return of the school year. (Hmmmm...I am thinking this is making me sound quite jaded considering I am a parent...or lazy...or a little of both).

Another perspective is that if I was a teacher who was completely passionate about my job, I would look forward to another school year as a new adventure with a fresh group of students who's lives I could positively impact (I am happy to say that I have actually had the pleasure of knowing such a person).  Whereas, if I was a teacher that completely hated my job, I would certainly be in the dread category (I am not so happy to say that one of my daughters had such a person and it was not a good year).

If I was a stay-at-home mom, I would be SO siked for the return of the school year (and my peaceful days).  In fact, two years ago, I was in between jobs and boy did I feel such elation at the start of the schoool year, such that I was dancing and singing up at the bus stop that first day.  (Ironically, the elation eventually faded when I realized my days consisted of doing laundry and cleaning and figuring out what to make for dinner and after school snacks, etc.  I will note that bed time was a lot more peaceful since I was not out of my mind exhausted from having a stressful day at work and then trying to cram all that stuff into the evening and then be falling asleep before it was my kids bedtime.  I actually was a better, more patient parent.  Go figure.) 

If I was a kid who loved school, whether due to a love of learning or a love of seeing my friends, I would relish the return of the school year.  On the contrary, if I was a kid who hated school because of the homework or the hassle or the classes or the kids, well then I would be in the dread category.

Being a full-time working mom, all that the return to school gives me is earlier, more hectic mornings, and much more busy nights with homework and clubs and dance classes, etc.; I dread all of this added stress to my days (being the serenity seeker that I am).  And compound that with the fact that I am NOT a morning person, it all adds up to one colossal dread of this time of year.  To make matters worse, I think about how I have 9 more years of having kids in school and 9 more years of getting up early and 9 more years of this hassle...but this is where I stop with this trainwreck of thinking.  We are not supposed to wish our lives away.  We have to enjoy each moment; carpe diem; live fully for each day; relish each season...yea, yea, yea, I know what I am supposed to be thinking.  Maybe one day I will get there. 


Already dreading that alarm going off in the morning,

Me


Motivational Moment:

Here are some quotes (taken from this site: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201205/50-quotes-help-you-live-you-were-dying) to help those of us who are not morning people or who aren't living for the here and now:

1."To change one's life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions." ~William James
2.  "I'm less interested in why we're here. I'm wholly devoted to while we're here." ~Erika Harris
3.  Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~Ruth Ann Schabacker
4.  Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion. ~Author Unknown
5.  The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there. ~Monica Baldwin
6.  "Why be saddled with this thing called life expectancy? Of what relevance to an individual is such a statistic? Am I to concern myself with an allotment of days I never had and was never promised? Must I check off each day of my life as if I am subtracting from this imaginary hoard? No, on the contrary, I will add each day of my life to my treasure of days lived. And with each day, my treasure will grow, not diminish." ~Robert Brault

And my favorite one:

"Begin doing what you want to do now. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand, and melting like a snowflake." ~Marie Ray

May you spread your brilliance and shine today!

And as this new school year starts, I wish the absolute best for all students and teachers and parents!

Equal Rights...in Clothing

Today's blog is a Random Rant.  I am not about to delve into a deep, heated debate about a very controversial, hot topic.  No thank you.  I like to keep it simple and light (at least for today's blog).  There are enough serious battles in life without needing to conjure up extra one's for mere sport.  Hence, this little rant is about laundry.

I was doing laundry for the family this weekend and became very frustrated with an observation.  I would love to know why is it that men's clothing is made superior than women's?  What I am specifically referring to is 'Wrinkle-free' pants.  Men's wrinkle-free pants come out of the dryer - completely without wrinkles (smooth and beautiful)!  Women's, on the other hand, come out a complete wrinkled mess.  This is not some new phenomenon; I have noticed it throughout my 12 years of being married.  You can't tell me that they can't make an equally fabulous wrinkle-free pant for women.  It appears to me that men's clothes are made sturdier and frankly overall better than women's.  Is this some little sick joke on us women?  As if we are the ones who have all kinds of extra time on our hands to iron our wrinkle-free shirts and pants.  Ha!

Now, on the other hand, THIS would be a controversial topic between men and women...my daughters are of the age to start their 'time of the month' (by the way, growing up, I NEVER understood why people referred to them as your "friend"!  I always felt that it was my enemy, not my friend; I was never happy to see this monthly visitor...that is until I was 41 and it was late...then I was ecstatic - let alone happy - when my "friend" finally arrived!).  Anyways, I was discussing this wonderful topic with my daughter and she said, "Life is not fair!  Boys have it so easy!", as she stomped out of my room.  All I could do was laugh out loud, for I have had that exact same thought, every single month of my life, since my "friend" started visiting.  :)


In Search of Equality in my Closet,

Me


Motivational Moment:

 For Today's Motivational Moment, I wanted to share an exchange that made me laugh.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I have been trying to eat healthier to feel better.  Non-GMO foods are finally making more of an appearance here in the United States (apparently we are way behind Europe in demanding healthier food) and I have been saying it is a goal of mine to try to purchase more non-GMO foods.  When I was discussing this with someone (who shall remain nameless for the sake of peace in my life), this person said "is this one of your surgically modified foods"?  So I laughed and said, "People are surgically modified, not food; food is genetically modified (unfortunately).   ;)

May you laugh out loud today and enjoy it!

Bugged by Bugs

I know that we are supposed to love all of God’s creatures, big and small.  But truthfully, I would love for bugs to not invade my personal space.  If they could just stay off of my person, I could live in harmony with them. 

As evident, I am not a lover of the great outdoors.  Actually, that is not true.  I love a beautiful sunny day.  Wind blowing.  Weather in the 70s and low 80s.  That is my perfection.  Whether at a beach or in a park, or even my backyard in mid-summer with the grass a lush green and the sky a brilliant blue.  But these idyllic moments get ruined by bugs.  I hate them.  Particularly when they crawl on me, bite me, or sting me!

We have had beautiful weather this past week and I was ranting to my family that we have to spend time outside on these days because winter will be here all to soon and we will be indoor hermits.

So, after dinner, we headed out to shoot some hoops, swing, jump on the trampoline, etc.  We were only out for a half hour (this is what happens when you don’t get home from work until 6:30pm, eat dinner, and have to run to the store, so you only have a half hour of time allotted for the great outdoors in the busy schedule that is life).  I come in the house to head to the store, and notice that my hand is bothering me.  Some bug had the audacity to invade my personal space, and inject some part of its being, into the palm of my hand.  It wasn’t a mosquito bite nor a bee sting, not sure what it was, but the redness around the invasion of my being, was about the size of a quarter for a few days.

 A couple of days before this bug bite, we were at an outdoor concert for the evening.  At one point, I was thinking about what a nice night it was for the outdoor venue, when I thought I felt something hit my neck.  I right away put my hand up to brush it away, but all I felt was my hair and my necklace.  So I figured it was just the wind.  Well...about a half hour later, I felt something in my shirt, right under my bra.  I felt through my shirt and at first I thought I was just feeling the embroidered design on my shirt.  Then I realized that the design was on my upper left shoulder, and this was below my right breast.  So I immediately balled up that part of my shirt and start squishing the intruder in my shirt.  I was completely freaked out, so I squished the bug like crazy!  Then I lifted up my shirt and realized I had nothing I could use to get rid of the bug guts from my shirt.  Disgusting! 

This leads me to the previous weekend when we spent a couple of hours outdoors visiting with some out of town relatives.  Unbeknownst to me, my 11 year old (daughter A) was bit/stung by something Friday evening.   She showed my husband her arm that night and said it was itching.  He said it was the size of a pee and was not concerned.  The next day we had a very full schedule with my niece’s 18^th bday spa day and a graduation party.  We were driving home at 10 pm (after all of the med clinics are closed for the day) and daughter A says in frustration, “Ugh!  This arm is driving me nuts!!”  And I say, “what happened to your arm?”  And she says, "Something bit me when we were out last night.  I showed it to daddy.”  I glance at the arm (it was night and I was about to pull out of my parents driveway to head home).  The entire bicep looked red and swollen.  So I said, "I need to look at it better when we get home, because maybe it just looks (really) bad in the car."

I look at it at home, and indeed, her entire bicep region, from her elbow to her shoulder is one big, red, swollen, warm oval.  What looked like the size of a pee the previous night, was now the size of an avocado.

My natural born gift is that of a worrier (a very accomplished one, thank you very much).  I immediately think of all of those horrid pictures of someone who has a flesh eating disease or a brown recluse spider bite (have you ever googled a brown recluse spider bite??  Absolutely horrific how it eats through your flesh and requires surgery to remove the infected, rotted flesh as well as antibiotics).  So I asked her if it was horribly painful.  She said no, it only itched badly, occasionally.  It was warm to the touch and red and raised (all bad signs of infection) but due to the fact that she was not in bad pain – or even any pain at all – and was not bothered with symptoms, I deemed it acceptable to give her some Benadryl and put her to bed for the night.  The next morning, you could still see the shape, but it was less red and warm.  Within one more day, it had completely disappeared.  What the heck was that, I ask you?  Thankfully, it resolved quickly and did not require any treatment.  But of course it freaks me out in wondering what it was...since it is apparently lurking in my backyard.

The previous night this same daughter had a tree thorn puncture her foot through her flip flop and then the next day she had a pencil puncture her thigh when she kneeled on one.

It is no wonder why daughter A and I do not love the great outdoors.  We are bothered by bugs.  It is ironic, because being outside it supposed to be so calming.  Communing with nature...Absorbing Mother Earth's calming Alpha Waves...It all sounds great in theory.  A beautiful day, warm weather, sun shining, looking forward to a picnic or just hanging out or laying on a blanket and reading a book...until the bugs destroy the serenity.

Entomophobically Yours,
Me

Motivational Moment:

"Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."  Howard Thurman

May you know what it is that makes you come alive and be able to live it!

A little glimpse of heaven

I spent the day thoroughly cleaning my house after having a party last night.  At 7:15pm, I had completed all the vacuuming and was waiting for my husband and daughters to get home from the water park so that we could go see the new Despicable Me 2 Movie at 8:00pm.  I figured I had 5 to 10 minutes to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather as well as have a few moments of peace.  It was 70 degrees, there was a light breeze, the sun was shining, and the sky was gorgeous.  My version of perfection.

The family pulled in the driveway after about 10 minutes of my relaxation.  I happened to look up at the sky and noticed the beautiful scenes that are pictured below.  The sun was shining brightly behind the clouds, with the rays of sun shooting up to heaven.  It was beautiful and yet so fleeting.

Today's blog is simply a short little shout out to share the beauty in our world.

Enjoy!

Simply Yours,
Me

Motivational Moment:

Today's Moment is a simple one: I wish you little glimpses of heaven every day.

Parental Pride

There are many moments in a parents life when they experience a feeling of pride over their child.  These moments can occur for many reasons, simple and small, over the years, such as when your child brings home a good report card, helps out a friend or a sibling, learns how to ride a bike, does a small act of kindness, plays an instrument or a sport well, etc.  The list is truly endless with all the ways your child can make you feel proud.

Today, my 7-year-old truly made me smile and shake my head in wonder.  My mom (who is 68 and pretty incredible, if I do say so myself), watches my kids for me in the summer (I cannot express my gratitude enough to her for this and for the fact that she loves my girls so much!).  Today's agenda was a quick stop at her doctor's before going to see a $1 summer movie.  She was going to have a cortisone shot in her knee.  Apparently, she asked the girls if any of them wanted to come in with her.  (The girls are ages 7, 11, 11, and 13.)  So, of course, it was the 7-year-old that readily agreed to go into the office with her.

When I heard this story, I thought they were going to tell me that her and grandma played a game, or looked into each other's eyes during the injection.  But no, that is not what occurred.  My brave 7-year-old held her grandma's hand and WATCHED the injection going into her knee, while her grandma watched her!  I would have been on the floor if I were in the room, let alone being the one who was receiving the injection.  I asked my daughter how she was able to watch it, and she said, "Well, I didn't know it was going to be such a giant needle!!"

To truly appreciate my amazement, I must take a moment to describe how my two sisters and I are with this type of 'stuff'.  See, we are total wusses when it comes to anything medical.  We feel like passing out just thinking about having any kind of procedure done.  In fact, the word 'procedure' alone has negative connotations and brings on fear.  We could never drive ourselves to the many procedures my mom has faced alone (such as one horrific test to check out her thyroid by jamming a needle into her neck and torturous bladder tests!).  We would need a driver because we would need some kind of anti-anxiety med to get us to and through any such procedures.

The ironic thing here is that our mother has no fear.  She could watch any surgery; she has helped many people recover from surgery.  She has had all kinds of procedures done on herself.  In fact, she has had one knee replaced and has had several back surgeries, the last of which placed many rods and screws in her spine.  You'd think this would make her severely limited in her movement, but it doesn't.  She is always on the go and is a beautiful woman, on the inside and the out, always doing things for others.

We are not quite sure how her three daughters became complete medical wimps while she is a medical warrior.  But I see that my brave, lovely, 7-year-old got Grandma's 'strong' gene.  Who knows, maybe she will grow up to be a surgeon with her no fear attitude!  In any event, and no matter what she decides to do, she is blessed to have grandma's genes in her!


In Amazement, Awe, and Appreciation,
Me


Motivational Moment:

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher

Some advice for my daughters:

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.
Harvey Fierstein

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
William James

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
Mark Twain

The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.
Eminem

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.
Albert Camus

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.
George Washington Carver

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
John Burroughs

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
Lao Tzu

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

Live well, my daughters, for life is short!