A Bouquet of Friends

In my life there is a sweet bouquet. Not just a "swing by the supermarket" bouquet but a true "designed by the master" bouquet. At times, like now I step back and just marvel at how I lucky I am. This bouquet is the special people in my life. (You know who you are)I don't always tell you what you have brought to my life.

In this bouquet I can see all the beautiful differences and my world is much richer for it. Over the years at one point or another, I have wanted to be you. But now I get it. I am me BECAUSE of you and that makes me a better person.
You inspire the songs
the poems are in your honor
You are witness to the highs and lows and the seasons of my life.

The good times make their homes as special memories.
and a lot of my best memories include you.

In case I haven't said this lately.
I appreciate you.

The language of friendship is not words but meanings. ~Henry David Thoreau

Less Jiggle to the Wiggle

"Less jiggle to the wiggle" that is my renewed fitness goal. After a summer
of eats, treats, and overall abuse my body is no longer speaking to me so I am called to action. Yes I admit to a checkered past when it comes to a commitment to diet and fitness. I have tried many approaches; “Sit and be fit” the ever popular “Teeny Korean girl” diet which included Kimchi and mountain hiking- actually this one worked for a while.South Beach and most recently, Lake Michigan Beach Diet (this one did NOT work
the main focus was hot dogs, Gin and tonic and S’mores) So here I sit in carb withdrawal wondering where to turn. I have been in major denial, I know. All of my diets come down to this agonizing truth; EAT BETTER, MOVE MORE.

So it is the dawn of a new day. I rise with fire in my eye and dimples in my cheeks.
(Well ok…I have dimples in ALL my cheeks about now but that is all going to change)
I went to a wellness class where the speaker urged us to find the physical activity that we love. Find your “get to” she said rather than your “have to”.
This made sense until I scanned my life for my current “get to” activities. In all honesty, not many of my get tos involved activities where you sweat.
Hmm truth be told, my get tos mostly involve eating, talking, reading, writing, taking pictures of cool stuff, or traveling to places where I do the previously mentioned activities.
So in this quest for change, I realize that it can really work with the help of a great self sales job and a suitable rewards program. (Chocolate may be a factor)
And so it begins… today I am dancing and singing loudly to my Ipod. This is a great start, then on to my rightful reward.

Remember I’ll be pulling for ya. Soon there will be..
Less jiggle to the wiggle

A Study in Joy

I am continuing my study in Joy, keeping daily reflections of those treasured moments that make life worth living. I would like to share with you these sentiments that
describe what Joy means to me.

A Forever Friend
I am making a friend of Joy
I bask in the warmth of her goodness
I relish the sweet experience of her.
Nose-to-toes, body and soul
She is a wonderful gift
For us frail beings.

I am pulled along on her wandering path
drawn to her beckoning call.
Her journey is my daily denouement
I am awakened by the gentle whispers of her sweet soul.

I listen to her irresistible song.
Calling me to dance to her rhythms
twirling and swaying
losing myself to her charms.

So I silence the din
Turn away from the cacophony
Park my car
Joy is my patient friend
Always she waits.
She is there
Joy- my forever friend .

Cindy

Hope your life continues to be filled with joy. You may have to go and find it!

One Word

A wonderful aspect of today’s technology is opportunities for sharing;
At lightning speed we share fotos, news, highs lows-all the aspects of our lives.
A very special kind of sharing is blogging. Many blogs are like windows to a person’s soul. I have seen beautiful creative writings and sharing of all manners of creative endeavors. What a tremendous opportunity. We no longer have to wait to be”published “ to share our gifts. On one of my forays around the web I discovered Caroline’s
blog; “the Zen in you.” I would like to share a really neat suggestion that she has
It is called “One Word” You pick a word and focus on it and what it means to you.
Her suggestion was for a year. I must confess I was doubtful. Hmm what can you say about one word for a whole year? But I have been really having fun with this process.
I have chosen the word “Joy” and have maintained a Joy Calendar as well as writing in my journal.It has been wonderful to find a the joy in each day. It really changes your perspective to be open to the joy that you might miss if you weren’t looking.
I am glad I am looking….
Thanks Caroline.

http://thezeninyou.com/wordpress/


Next Blog A study in Joy

don't worry be happy

I always liked this whimsical tune, it is a gentle reminder that attitude is everything. Yeah, don't worry..be happy, not always easy.


I remember when we were preparing for our move to South Korea and I was very stressed and worried. We had never lived in another country and I was nervous about it.
A very memorable moment in this process was when I caught a glimpse of the following words on a poster;
“most of the things we worry about never come to pass”

Hmm this gave me pause. How true! We spend so much time worrying in our lives about things that thankfully, don’t happen.

As it turned out,none of my worries about moving came to pass. We had a wonderful experience in Korea. I think of this from time to time and, after further reflection on this, I have come to the conclusion that the statement is true but I would like to include a little addendum;

“most of the things we worry about never come to pass…..
it’s those meteors that come out of nowhere that tend to flatten you”

So I keep reminding myself of the fact that worry is very counterproductive. It really doesn’t add anything to your life and worse, it robs us of our present over something that may never happen.
So what the heck..even though it looks like the world as we know
it will never be the same and things are crumbling all around us.
I am chosing to be grateful for what I have and whistle that happy
tune.

Don’t worry…be Happy

Another Retirement

Hmm Retirement. There is a lot of that going around these days.
Just when we finally think we have it figured out.. ..benched!
“Put me in back in coach” we say… Hurry while everything still works, the inevitable physical decline is looming on the horizon.
(the way, way DISTANT horizon)
Here we sit muttering “where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket!)
(Note for those of you non Americans reading this or for the dull and humorless, this is a clever play on words based on the expression
“going to Hell in a handbasket” well...I thought it was clever!)
Anyway let me go on record as saying there is nothing wrong with retirement, we are looking forward to it, it is just retirement when you are not ready for it.

Today I am writing about a retirement that I have seen coming for a long time. There have been glimpses of its coming, foreshadowings that have hinted of this day.
And here it is arriving way too soon. Those ever turning pages in the chapters of life have recently changed gears and have turned into rifling pages zooming along. The retirement I am experiencing is a Mom retirement. I have just packed up my youngest child and moved her to Colorado where she will seek her fortunes. She has graduated from college and is ready to make her way in the world. She is turning into a grownup with a capital G. This is a good thing, as a mom, it is what we work hard to accomplish. But it is a definite transition. It is weird not to have her an hour away, and she is no longer a student. This is definitely a closing of a chapter. It will take a little getting used to.

Realistically I know moms never really retire, the role just changes. Now I must go.. I have to clean my empty nest..

note.. it isn’t REALLY empty she did not take much of her stuff!

12 Days of Mothers Day

Hope all the mom’s had a wonderful Mother’s Day, full of love and good wishes!
But now two days later as I am looking at the laundry and preparing to go out and mow the lawn I am asking myself…why does it have to end here?

I am promoting an idea whose time has come. I am sure it will catch on with most moms
and our wonderful children will surely support this because they realize that they are forever in our debt for being the wonderful human beings that they are.

It is the 12 days of Mothers Day. Actually I am working up to 365 which is what it should be but a girls gotta start somewhere!

Think of the possibilities. I have been humming this tune since the official Mothers Day ended. Just fill in your own list but here are a few of my thought starters.

One the first day of Mothers Day my family gave to me
A massage and a margarita times 3.
Two dinners out
Three French men
Four gift cards
Five Diamond rings
Six cleaners cleaning
Seven maids-a-dusting
Eight shoppers shopping
Nine cooks-a-cooking
Ten Flowers growing
Eleven mowers mowing
Twelve Days in Bali

You get the idea plug in your own list…get ready for next year.. it’s not too late for this year.

Anyway Happy 12 Days of Mothers Day