Unexpected Beauty

This past Saturday, I was having a crabby morning, coming off of a crappy week.  Not only is work crazy for me this month, but I had to go to an earlier shift (since hubby got a new job) and trust me when I tell you that I am NOT a morning person.  And on top of all of that (or perhaps because of all of that) my joint pain has been very bad.  I know, blah, blah, blah...we all have our trials in life.  But humor me and allow me to call the month of April my Perfect Storm for stress.  With that said, I am still able to enjoy simple beauty that is around me.  I had to share my unexpected beauty of Saturday afternoon, which also brought to mind two other simple beauties I felt were blog-worthy.

Saturday, I had a massage scheduled for 12:30pm.  (I know - rough life!  But I always encourage all people to indulge in what brings them bliss, as much as they can, for their time here on earth!).  As I was saying, I was heading to the massage in a crabby mood (hubby and I were in a disagreement over a movie that he thought was acceptable for our children to watch and to which I couldn't have disagreed with more.).  But as I arrived at the spa, I remembered that I had referred a co-worker (I shall call him Kurt for this blog) to my masseuse (Alison) and he happened to have the appointment before me.  When I walked in, I saw Kurt right away and asked him how he liked his massage.  He said he loved it and would definitely be coming back again.  This made me so happy since he had previously checked out a place I had recommended about 6 months earlier and did not have good luck. He, unfortunately, had a 19-year-old girl who was very new to her position and was not at all versed in the fine arts of massage.  I was worried that his first experience would scare him off massages (which I, of course, adore), but I am happy to say that he was willing to try another place.  So when he said he loved his massage and that Alison had done a great job, I was very happy.  This is not, however, the unexpected moment of beauty that I experienced that day.

Apparently, when Kurt was checking out, he had asked Alison which of the products I liked that they sell.  So she pointed him to one of my favorite Aveda lotions and he bought me one.  He then had them give me my unexpected gift at the end of my massage.  When Alison handed me the gift bag and told me it was from Kurt, it melted my heart.  I do not know Kurt very well.  We are more like work acquaintances then close friends. So the fact that he would buy me such an extravagant gift just for simply referring him to my masseuse, left me speechless and humbled.  He not only made my day, but he turned around my crappy day with his completely unexpected, but thoughtfully beautiful gift.  It put me into such a grateful and happy mood, that it immediately made me think of two other people who I thought were beautiful.

The first one is another co-worker, who had just turned in her resignation at work.  I talked with her to see what was going on and I ended up being humbled by her leap of faith as well as her love and dedication as a mom.  She has three children who all have different levels of ADD and one who also has OCD.  This child seemed to be struggling a lot lately and his doctor mentioned that home life has to be calm, consistent, and schedule-driven.  The doctor also said that children struggle more with maternal stress than paternal stress; she knew right then and there that she needed to quit her job and stay home with her kids.  I find her actions beautiful, full of love, and a complete leap of faith.  And I wish her and her family the absolute best in life.

The second observation was about my 52 year-old male friend.  He is married with a 17 year-old son.  This is not the demographic of a person whom you would think would want to watch the animated movie "Frozen".  Not only did he watch the movie on his own accord, he actually enjoyed the movie.  His exact words were: "Fantasy, magic, adventure, love...all the things in the books I read.  Such a great movie!"  I found this entire thing to be very cool.  Not only is he comfortable enough in his manhood to rent such a movie for himself, but he has such a depth of character to actually, truly, enjoy such a movie (and readily admit it!).  It's a beautiful thing.  (By the way, if you haven't yet seen Frozen, my three daughters and I absolutely love it!)

Enjoying the Beauty Along the Way,
Me

Motivational Moment:

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

We were watching a comedy the other night and the term "lingerie" was mentioned a couple of times.  My twelve-year-old asked me why they were pronouncing that word wrong.  So I asked her what word she was talking about.  And she said: "laundry".  I laughed, but I could understand how she could make that connection.  The word "lingerie" does sound as if you are separating out the word "laundry".  What was not fun was trying to explain what lingerie was.  I think I would have preferred just letting her think they were mispronouncing "laundry".  ;)

May you find beauty in unexpected places each day!  ~SG

Life Observation 1.0

I am calling this entry a 'Life Observation' rather than a 'Random Rant' because the 'Rant' category falls under a complaint, whereas today's musings are merely bemused observations about life.

My family and I just returned from our Spring Break vacation.  We went to West Palm Beach in Florida to visit my sisters.  My bemused observation makes me think about Murphy's Law (poor Murphy).  The entire week before our trip, West Palm was sunny and 80 every day (as continuously reported to me by my sister).  The forecast for our week (7 days in advance) called for rain for the entire week.  I am happy to say that the forecast improved the closer we got to our trip; however it did not prove to be highly accurate.

On our first day, it rained all day (even though the forecast called for sunshine).  This was not one of those quick little rains that cleared up within an hour.  Nope.  It was gray and rainy, ALL DAY.  The second day was supposed to be nice, prior to a cold front moving in on Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday was going to be 80 and sunny.  And of course the following week was calling for 5 straight days of 80s and sunshine.


As mentioned, Day Two was supposed to be all sun; the plan was to enjoy our pool as well as get some ocean time in. Here was the sky as we left our condo and headed for the beach:

And here was the sky within 5 minutes of arriving at the ocean:

The walk to the beach was TEN minutes.  I could not believe how fast this storm moved in. So we grabbed all of our stuff and ran to a picnic shelter area.  I am happy to report that this was a typical, short-lived Florida storm.  Within 30 minutes, the sky cleared and returned to being a beautiful, sunshining blue.  We were thrilled that we were going to get our beach time in after all.

We walked back up to the beach, laid down our towels, set up our umbrella, and just as I was getting settled in to read my book, I kept noticing annoying little bugs biting me.  It was almost constant (certainly the antithesis of relaxation).  My husband didn't believe me because he was not getting bit.  Then he laid his white t-shirt on my towel and within seconds we saw a hundred tiny little brown bugs all over his shirt.  That was enough evidence for me to immediately high-tail it out of there.  Beach time over.

Apparently, we experienced an extremely abnormal phenomenon for the beach ... no-see-ums were everywhere.  Typically, annoying no-see-ums are not on the beach, they are usually farther inland (my sister says they are in the mangroves...and NEVER on the beach with the ocean breeze).  We found out that the weather pattern we just experienced came from the West (whereas typically the beach breeze comes from the East, off the Atlantic Ocean).  One cool thing about life...one is constantly learning new interesting facts.

Like I said at the start of this blog, this truly is not a rant or a complaint (I actually find it amusing).  I would not change a thing.  Escaping Ohio, after the brutal winter we just had, was a wonderful thing.  (And keeping in line with our winter, Ohio's spring break week brought unseasonably cold weather and snow almost every day.) 

So...I ask you...for the end of March...would you rather have a cloudy day with this view?

Or experience this view?

Enough said.  ;)


Bemusingly Yours,
Me

P.S. Ironically, a friend pointed out to me that our last family beach vacation (at Ocean City) was timed perfectly to catch the end of a tropical storm.   Hmmm...don't get me started on my luck with going out to dinner...

Motivational Moment:

1.  May you be happily surprised by cuteness. I LOVE the geckos that are in Florida. Absolutely Adorable!

2. May you get to experience the beauty of a jellyfish without experiencing the pain of swimming with one.

3. And finally, if you happen to go on vacation to a warm place and you unexpectedly experience a cold front, may there be a hot jacuzzi to warm you up and chase away your blues. *sigh*  What a view!

Unexpected Moments of Bliss

Every now and then, the stars align and you unexpectedly have a good night. This is particularly a beautiful thing when you are dreading the night to come.  Tonight, I 'volunteered' for my daughter's middle school spring dance party, which was an orchestra fundraiser.  Usually, it is my husband who fills in for these things because he is currently out of work, (his company closed 6 months ago) so he gets all of the kid running-around duties.  Typically, by the end of the work week, I am exhausted (aka falling asleep on the couch by 8:30pm).  Besides the usual end-of-the-week tiredness, this week had the dreaded time change, which makes morning come one hour earlier.  Now let me tell you, if you are like me and are not a morning person, then you well know how horrid this time change is.  Getting up at 6:30am is bad enough, but getting up at 5:30am is downright disgusting.  Anyhoo, I was not looking forward to tonight. And since hubby had a job interview, I had to leave work early and go to my 3rd graders dance party until 5:30pm and then had to be the ticket taker and door watcher for the middle school kids from 6:30 - 9:00pm.  Needless to say, after a long week at work AND the time change (AND cramps!), I was dreading my evening.

I am really happy to say that my evening was not only not horrible, but it was actually downright enjoyable.  My mom, who is 68 and absolutely amazing, had volunteered to work both parties (the elementary school party as well as the middle school party).  Yes - this woman constantly makes me look bad. She is the freaking energizer bunny; and yes, she is my hero.  I was watching her work the floor (as I was in my position guarding the door) and I realized how blessed I was to have her in my life.  She has endless love and energy for her family and for school functions (she is raising a granddaughter who is in 8th grade) and she is beautiful, on the inside and out.  She can seriously pass for a woman in her 50s, despite the fact that she is almost 70 (a positive aspect of her genetics I hope to inherit).

I realized my evening was actually becoming enjoyable as I found myself dancing and singing to the blaring popular songs being played by the DJ.  I also loved watching my twin 12 year-old's dancing the night away with their two bffs.  The innocence of youth is fleeting.  These girls will be graduating from high school in the blink of an eye.  So it was with a big smile on my face that I watched their little group of girls dancing all night, partaking in a hula hoop contest and a limbo contest, as well as being the last ones on the dance floor as the night came to an end.

As I was driving my daughters and their friends home and listening to their animated discussion and boisterous laughter, I was amazed at the sense of happiness that came over me.  It was a pure moment of bliss.  I wasn't exhausted.  I didn't have a headache.  My joints weren't killing me.  All was well.  That is until I realized the girls' conversation had drifted to talking about a certain boy. *SIGH*  It's only a matter of time until the drama of young love hits.  In the meantime, however, I'm happy to say that I treasured this cherished moment in time.


Carpe Dieming,
Me


Motivational Moment:

Today's Moment is one of my Life’s Little LaughablesTM :

Last night, as my husband was prepping for a job interview, I was telling him to say that he fits the job requirements to a 'T'.  Daughter B asked what that saying meant, so I explained to her that he fit the job description perfectly.  Then she said, well shouldn't the saying be that he fits the job requirements to a 'P' for perfect?  I thought that was a pretty good point.  :) 


Enjoy the ride my friends!

For the love of Love

I had to send a little shout out to ‘Love’ since it is Valentine’s Day.  In my recent ‘Art of Survival’ blog, I mentioned how much love drives the economy; it is particularly evident at this time of year.  Just think about how much money is spent at Valentine’s Day on cards, chocolate, flowers, and jewelry (makes me want to own a card and chocolate shop…but then I would probably eat all of my profits…*sigh*). 

Setting the economic facts of love aside, I have to agree with a line I heard in the movie Labor Day, describing the main character as “being in love with love”.  I get that.  I also am in love with love.  I love being in love.  I love seeing love around me.  I love Love.  Thus, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to send a shout out to LOVE by sharing some of the examples of love I have witnessed in the past few weeks from friends and family:

-      A young grandpa who takes his granddaughter on weekend adventures and truly loves his time with her;

-      An older set of grandparents who are watching a newborn for a close family friend; the love between the 3 of them evident in all the smiles amongst them;

-      A husband who takes care of his dying wife as well as his daughters, while working full time and keeping the household running;

-      A wife who happily takes care of everything from her 3 children to her household and dog, all while working full time because it is just who she is; she is truly full of love; she is always thoughtful and always willing to lend a hand;

-      A neighbor who steps in at a moment’s notice when needed;

-      A father who volunteers to coach his daughter’s basketball team; his loving nature evident in how he coaches all of the girls on the team;

-      A woman who loves shopping and shares her love with her family by spoiling them with gifts (her three nieces get so excited for their aunt’s big box of gifts for birthdays and holidays);

-      A sister making a good luck card for her younger sister’s first basketball game;

-      A mother whose adult daughters adore her for who she is and for all the love she has always shown them and their children.

These are just a few examples of love I have noticed in everyday life.  There are many more innocent, simple examples (such as a smile), as well as many more extravagant examples.  Love is all around us.  It really is what life is all about.  I hope you all love who you are – as you are – and you love others for who they are. 

I wish you all a life filled with love. 

Lovingly Yours,

Me

Motivational Moment:

I love ‘Love’ for what it is and what it feels like; however, if you need any convincing for just how good love is for you, here is an article that lists several health benefits of Love: Huffington Post Love Link

As always, Peace, Love, and Joy!  SG

Arctic Cold and the Winter Blues

Okay – I have to say it.  I’m sick of this brutally cold weather.  Enough already.  And it’s not even February!!  Ugh!  It has only been one week since my post about the Art of Survival and…well…let’s just say I haven’t conquered that Art yet.  I’m crabby.  I’m cold.  I’m not motivated.  There is something not quite right with the world when Ohio is colder than Alaska!  Right now it is 2˚ with a wind chill of -22˚in Ohio; Alaska’s temperature for today was a high of 45˚ and a low of 34˚.  Seriously?!  That is CRAZY!

Besides the brutal cold weather and the gray days, this is also the worst time of the year for the respiratory flu and the stomach 'flu' (as I lamented about in last weekend's blog).  Here is a short story from this past Saturday night:

I was sleeping in my bed with my 8 year old daughter (it was the weekend and she likes the occasional treat of sleeping with mom…and mom feels bad for her because she feels left out from her twin sisters).  At 11:30pm, I hear her cough and swallow a bunch of times.  Then I hear “THE” cough…the cough that is the start of the vomit flowing.  I start yelling for her to get up and run to the bathroom.  She gets up and proceeds to puke all over the carpet. I yell for her to run to the toilet.  She runs in the bathroom and slips and falls on her puke.  I run after her, help her up, inadvertently stepping in her puke with my bare feet.  I have her go to the toilet.  I don’t want to walk with the puke all over my feet…until I realize she is standing up straight at the toilet, puking everywhere but in the toilet…on the walls, on the carpet, etc.  I go to her, hold her puke-soaked hair back, lean her over and tell her to puke IN the toilet. 

When I look at the damage surrounding us, I feel like Eddie Murphy in the movie Daddy Day Care with the bathroom scene.  (On an aside – I bow down to all single parents or parents in which the other does not help with these matters, because I could not imagine having to clean up that mess by myself.  My husband scrubbed the bedroom carpet while I cleaned the bathroom floor and the kid!  This is definitely one of the realities of parenthood that you NEVER think about when you decide you want to have a baby.)

This morning, I thought we were safe from the stomach flu spreading through our family…until my neighbor texted me saying that the remaining 3 members of her family came down with it yesterday (two days after her first daughter had it).  So, of course, the panicky freak that I am, immediately comes to the conclusion that this is obviously one horridly contagious flu, not to mention horribly painful, and that it is going to go through the rest of my family.  Woohoo.

As the famous saying goes, one way or another, “this too shall pass”!!  

Ready for Spring,

Me

P.S. As I was getting ready to post this blog at midnight, my husband made the comment that we are done with this flu and we are not going to get it.  Literally 10 seconds later, daughter # 2 walks down the stairs and starts puking (in the toilet, thank you very much).  And then there were 3!  Let the games begin.

Motivational Moment:

I believe in spoiling yourself with little luxuries whenever you are able.  And it is known that I adore chocolate.  I recently checked out Seattle Chocolates website and fell in love with the Manifesto of the company (listed below).  Owner and CEO Jean Thompson has my utmost respect due to her love of chocolate as well as her understanding that it is “one of life’s fabulous little pleasures”.  J

Here is Seattle Chocolates Manifesto (as found here (link) on their website):

• We believe in surrounding yourself with things you love.
• We believe in licking the spoon.
• We believe in colorful moments and daydreams.
• We believe that looks DO matter.  (SG: Don’t even get me started on going gray naturally…)
• We believe a little bit of indulgence every day is the way to go.
• We believe that truffles help people live in the moment.
• We believe laughter is life’s best accessory – makes you sexy and goes with every single thing in your closet.
• We believe giving something beautiful makes you feel all that!

Jean and Seattle Chocolates – thank you for your outlook on life as well as your love of chocolate!

Wishing all of you plenty of luxuries and pleasures that help you get through this cold (and flu-ridden) winter!  SG

The Art of Survival

The Art of Survival.  This phrase is said near the end of the movie American Hustle and I find it to be an apt representation of life.  Isn’t this what the majority of us do, day in and day out – survive?  And the “Art” of that survival is what makes us interesting and unique; it defines our time here on earth.

At this time of year, I particularly feel like our goal is to survive the flu season.  Everywhere on the news (as well as from those around you), you hear about the flu spreading at alarming levels.  Being the anxiety freak that I am, it reminds me of the mantra: “Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!”, except my mantra is: “Stomach Flu, Respiratory Flu, and Strep Throat, ACK!”.  But here’s the thing, the flu season happens every year.  Every. Single. Year.  It takes away a lot of the fear and panic, knowing that we survive this every year and it does not mean the end of civilization as we know it (despite all the scare in the media).

Seasonal illnesses aside, we all have very serious challenges to face at some point in our journey; no one gets through this life free of trials and tragedies.  It boggles my mind when I think of how many hardships people have to survive throughout their lives, such as: deaths, divorce, job loss, money hardships, serious illnesses, as well as addictions.  And the older you get, the more of a survivor you are, the more loss you have endured or witnessed.  It is a shame that the elderly are not held in higher regard in this country; they should be honored and have amazing privileges (the least of which should be excellent health care coverage) for being the survivors that they are! 

There are many diverse survival tactics that get people through their individual life’s journey.  Everyone knows people who have healthy ways of surviving as well as those who have unhealthy ways.  Those struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol have a very difficult survival; whereas those with healthier tactics, such as a passion for something they love (exercising, reading, cooking, etc.), have an easier survival.  But no matter what your tools are, life can sometimes feel like you are merely surviving the daily drudgeries.  This is where I struggle.  Life isn’t all about good times and having fun.  There are many times when life seems to be endless days of work, housework, raising kids, dealing with illnesses, and being tired.  Apparently those with a strong life’s purpose struggle a lot less.  I wish I could simply buy a ‘life’s purpose’ somewhere; that it was just that easy to find one.  From what I have read, it seems like people who have a strong religious or spiritual belief, have strong life purposes and feel very satisfied with their life’s journey.

One Art of Survival that we all share is Love.  It amazes me just how strong of a motivator this is in human beings.  And it is evident how powerful it is for all of us, by how much it is used as a theme, in everything, from songs, to advertisements, to television shows, movies, and books.  It is all around us, ever present in our everyday life.  Think about how many items are purchased for loved ones; love drives the economy.   And everyone needs love to flourish; we need that connection, that human interaction to thrive.  When people first meet a new love interest, they are literally on a high as if they are on a drug.  They are giddy with happiness and energetic and they see the world through rose-colored glasses.  And isn’t that amazing?  Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could maintain that happy high?  What a friendlier world it would be!  And outside of romantic love, there is the powerful love between family, such as between a parent and child, as well as between close friends.  It makes us more compassionate and kind towards others.  Love truly makes the world a better place for our survival of our time here.

May your survival tools contain love and laughter; may you have a strong passion; may you have a strong life’s purpose.

Surviving the Drudgeries,

Searching for a Purpose,

Me

Motivational Moment:

Today’s Moment is dedicated to my husband, Doug, who is an awesome dad to our three daughters. 

I came across this blog from a very cool, down-to-earth dad, Doyin Richards, via The Huffington Post.  Doyin posted a picture of him doing his daughter’s hair, which went viral.  Check out his inspiring response to all of the positive and negative feedback he received: Doyin Richards Blog

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