Light

At Christmastime, my mom used to go a little crazy in the head.  You may think I'm kidding, but if you knew her, you know exactly what I mean.  Christmas was hands-down her favorite time of year when she could shop and decorate to her little heart's desire.  


And by decorate I mean Snow Village.

This isn't hers, but it was similar...and by similar, I mean bigger

For those of you who have no idea what Snow Village is let me explain.  It is another world.  I'm not even sure if it's even still popular, but I'm sure there's someone who still collects the houses and stores, trees, cars, people, animals, fake snow,and of course those little light fixtures that go inside each home.  My mom built a village every freakin year.  (Yes, she is giggling from the grave right now.)  She always joked that I would get the Snow Village after she was gone, because she knew I would take the time to put it up.  And I have to say, after all these years, I kinda miss it.  


My favorite part was going over there in the evening and viewing it all lit up.  All the houses looked cozy with the soft glow of lighting and always reminded me of hot chocolate and warm cookies.  


Today, because of the dreariness, I am reminded of that soft glow of lighting and it got me thinking.... can we cast a light ourselves on the people around us?  Can we light up today just by being "lighter" to the people around us?  I am going to try since today is Monday, and dreary, and simply because I know it will make a difference.  


Is your light on?  


Oh, and if you know anyone who collects Snow Village, I have a few pieces I could sell them :)

Happy

It dawned on me last night as I was reading my happy book, that I had stopped writing about the words in my blog.  I had started this because I truly believe that when we live our lives according to certain words, our lives change for the better (or worse, depending on your words).  For instance, when we try to go through our day with strength on the brain, we might make different choices.  Some people need calm while others might need a dose of energy.  All of the words mean something different to everyone and that's what is so perfect about it.  The words are yours to live.  


Let me repeat that:  

The words are yours to live.

How could I have forgotten this?  Told y'all I was lost.  Well, I'm back and working on the word happy at the moment.  I lost happy too somewhere along the path, and I have been on a search for it the past two weeks (see below).  

What I have learned that it was never really gone, but that I just have a knack for finding all the crap in life to worry and stress about.  Somewhere along the path, I stopped looking at the flowers and could only see the weeds.  And I hate weeds.

So my word today, and every day, is happy.  I will leave you with this since I think it sums it up pretty darn good.

Have a happy day.

Friday Reads

Good Morning!

For some reason, I am up with the chickens this morning and wanting to write.  And when that happens, I don't ask why, it's best to just go with it.  When God gives you time to write, you take it, no questions asked.

So last Friday I posted on here the book Be Happy, and I'm happy to say that I still love it.  It wasn't a one-chapter wonder like many self-help books are, and I have found the exercises in it profound.  This one is the real deal, and even though I am still reading and learning, I am going to move onto another book this week because fiction is a callin'!  What?  You've never read two books at once and kept up with the new Fall line up of shows?  

This week I am starting Lost and Found by Jacqueline Sheehan.  After searching for hours for a new book, I finally found this one.  I have to admit that I read the reviews much more than I ever used to, and everyone seemed to love this story.  I haven't started it yet (again, catching up on Fall programming is killing me), but I do know this Buddy-look alike is one of the main characters.  Plus, I have been lost for about a month now, and would like to be found myself.  


Win-win.


I hope you all have a Fabulous Friday!

Friday Reads

Yes, I am aware that if this were a true column, I'd probably be fired by now.  As much as I was looking forward to Fall and the change of schedules, I am not as good at transitioning as I used to be.  Mornings are busy, nights are busy, and I am somewhere lost in between.  Lost being the operative word here.

I've been here before, written about it many times, and know that some of you are on this island with me.  And like the fictional TV show Lost, this island will haunt you till you think you're losing your mind.  Just between you and me though, I'm really hoping we're not all dead and this is limbo.  That would totally suck.

Anyhoo, reading is really not my favorite thing to do when I'm here.  I'm too distracted thinking "poor me" thoughts to focus on anything good, so when I came across a book called Be Happy  by Robert Holden last weekend, I thought what the hell?

I'm only about a quarter of the way through it, and almost gave up on it till this morning when I got to Chapter 6, A Tale of Two Selves.  Now I'm hooked and starting to see that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.  Granted, it's a long tunnel in that this is supposed to be an "8-week course," but I am finding that this might be the rope to pull me out of my apathetic, self-destructive ways.

So, if you're feeling a little lost like I am, get yourself a copy and follow along with me.  Life is too short to be lost on a lonely, twisted island with nothing good to read.  Join me, won't you?

Chocolate therapy

I know you all know what I mean by chocolate therapy.

It's comfort.
It's happiness.
Sundays Somedays, it's even love.

This is one of those days.  This is one of those days when not even a cookie will do...I need a brownie.  And surprisingly, I find that brownies are even easier to make than cookies, require less ingredients, and make the entire home smell like the Keebler tree house in no time!

Usually a box mix will do, but since Toby did the shopping (with Evan no less) there will be no mixes this week.  So from scratch it is!  Any cookbook will have a basic brownie recipe, but my favorite ones require you to melt the butter with the chocolate before adding it to the sugar.  Mmmmmm.  They make the best batter.

Sigh....

As I sit here, the calm before the storm of this week, I can bake and write, knowing tonight will be peaceful.  No games.  Homework is done (cross your fingers).  And I am writing/reading after an extremely long day.

So, hopefully I have encouraged you to get out your mixers tonight and enjoy this last bit of summer.

"My Favorite Brownie"

1 Stick butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate (I didn't have that so just used some chocolate chips instead.  That I ALWAYS  have.
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat.  Remove and cool slightly.  Blend in sugar and vanilla, and beat eggs in one at a time.  Stir in salt, baking powder, flour, and nuts.

Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes until set in center.  Do not cool before cutting and burning your tongue on a piping hot corner piece.  Or if you're really having a day, skip dinner and enjoy a warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

How's that for some chocolate therapy?

Have a fabulous week!

Momma always said there'd be days like this...

I cannot wait for this moment in time.

Fear

Set your timer:  Everyone has fears.  Write about yours and how you can overcome them and continue to write.  How do you take your thoughts away from the fear?

It's so strange sometimes.  These "assignments" come to me when I need them most, and force me to look at my life differently.  I am nothing without my fear, and my fear is nothing without me.

Think about it.

Most of my days are consumed with fears about my family.  On any given day I will have these various thoughts go through my head:

• Is Ev okay?  He seems down today.  Does he hate me?  Does he even care enough to hate?
• Am I doing enough for Blake?  He seems bored today, what can I do/buy/be for him to get him UNBORED.  (Yes, I know that's not really a word, but it should be.)
• Works sucks.  Learn to skate starts Sunday and I'm not ready.  Everyone wants something from me right now, and I'm stuck in between the rink and the Club.  I hate working.  Do I have enough hours?  I don't want to work ALL DAY SUNDAY.  
• I don't even have enough time to get started on the money worry.  That's a whole new post.

I like to think of myself of a 'glass half-full kinda girl' but I really think I'm pretending.  It's all a big show for everyone and I'm this giant pessimist who can't go 5 minutes without a bad thought.  I don't know if that's really true, but I do know that my fear has a way of paralyzing me into apathy.  My life and fears have changed so drastically in the past 3 years, and it seems that I never escape it.  

I have been working lately on trying to drag my mind away from it and focus on other things when things seem bad.  Fear and worry will eat you alive from the inside out and leave you with nothing.  And it's not as if we're fixing anything by worrying... it's just worrying for the sake of worrying.  I saw a sign the other day for a yoga site and it's tag line was "Worrier or Warrior?" and I thought how completely genius.  In other words, sit and worry or choose strength.  

I know I'll still worry and probably never stop.  Goes hand and hand with being a mom.  However, just saying worrier or warrior to myself forces me to see what I'm doing, and then I have the choice to be something different.  I like to have choices.

I hope you all can relate and try to have a warrior day!

Green with envy

Set your timer: Write about someone you admire/envy. There's a fine line between admiration and envy... does it spur you on or stop you from writing?
It's funny, because I have both kinds of people like this in my life. There are definitely people I envy, mostly because of their lifestyle, and it's not the kind of feeling I like to carry with me. Resentment comes to mind, and that is never a good feeling. It completely stops me from any kind of growth or creativity, and usually has everything to do with money. It's silly really. Being around these people too much will leave me with the worst case of ungratefulness, and everyone suffers then. Be very leery of people like this.
Then there are the people I know (or have websites I adore) who truly, completely, 100% inspire me to stay true to course. For instance, I was waiting on a customer today and asked about her husband who recently took on a new job. "He couldn't be happier," she said. "It's all come full circle and he is living his dream right now." We can go both ways with this. We can either be happy for him and begin to wonder what that "dream job" would be for us, or we can wallow in our own misery and never change a thing. I literally thought about her comment all the way home, and couldn't wait to write about it tonight.
Yes, I chose wisely.
There are other places I go for the inspiration. My favorite spots are The Pioneer Woman or I Heart Organizing (you can find the links on the right side of my page). Both of these women have created a HUGE following just by blogging what they love. It seems they never rest, or watch tv, or have a bad day, and when they do, I giggle knowing we're really all the same. Even if they haven't posted, I usually check in daily and have 'liked' them on Facebook to stay updated. They are my online heroes.
Sometimes surrounding yourself with people who lift you up can be just a click away. Look around you for those you admire, and try to figure out how you can a little bit of them into your own life. You'll be amazed how much better it feels than resentment.
Although, there is also something to be said for the occasional case of Turrets.
Have a fabulous week, my friends!!

Rejection

Set your timer: For the next 15 minutes write about a time when you were rejected and why.

I really don't like this one... again. I know, I say that way too much, but for some reason, the topics really get the best of me sometimes. I know that we can only grow when we face the things that bug us the most, but no one ever said you had to like it.

Rejection. Honestly it comes to us in many ways.

It can be the nasty parent who claims that my learn to skate program stinks.
It can be the son (or daughter) who wants nothing to do with you.
It can be the spouse that thinks of himself first. (Now, while this might not really be rejection, it feels like it at the time.)
It can be a parent that forgets a birthday.
Or one that dies too suddenly, for that matter.
It can be the letter that comes in the mail that says, 'No, thank you. We're not interested.'

Yes, I have had many of those, to the point of giving up all together. Well, not really giving up, I guess, but at one point I did decide to write because I just loved to do it, and not worry about the rest. If it was meant to be, it will happen. I do believe in fate, and I believe that I'm supposed to be more than a skating director. I also like to think that I needed this time to learn more about what I wanted to write, and create something that was incredible.

So I continue to write and hope that it reaches you. And I hope that because I continue to do this, you'll continue to read and be inspired, perhaps to do your own thing. Ultimately, that is the real goal.

Just little ol' me, spreading the love. I hope you're catching it.