PULLING OFF THE BAND-AID OF 2008

It's funny how long it takes us to pull all the decorations out, hang the lights, and set up all our little Christmas lawn ornaments. Taking them down though is so fast. Why is that? I went into my house last night and when I came out today, every semblance of Christmas glitter was gone from all the neighboring lawns, except my own. I was still busy in the house tinkering with my new Christmas toys. I told my friends it was like the last scene in a Santa movie where he shows up in town, everyone believes he's real, and when you go back the next day...he's gone. "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is a good example of that, but just when she is ready to give up on her Christmas dream...it shows up. The cane being left behind is such a poignant touch. My lawn was like that cane today, all that was left of Christmas was the lawn ornaments I still had up. My little Angel and my Santa Sign were the only visions left behind, and probably tomorrow they will be gone also.

It takes a few days to let the let-down sink in and bring us back to our old selves. To some it's like pulling off a band-aid...really quick. For me, I like to savor the last few days of the year and reflect on what has come into my life, and what new things I expect for the New Year. This is going to be a big year for me...I've made my goals and prayed my prayers, set my plans in motion, and can't wait to see them evolve from the dreams they came in. It took some time, but I never lost hope, and I know that this is the year I reap the rewards of my work.

What kind of plans have you made? Have you set a mission statement for your business or even for your personal life? You can get a little help with it on one of my other blogs MASTER BOOKS Nightingale Conant has one where you can just fill in the blanks and it helps to put all the pieces together. Make it a commitment this year to write one, let it be your New Year's Resolution. It will give you a much better idea of what to expect from yourself by this time next Year. Give it a try.





GOOGLE

SANTA IS IN TOWN

GOOGLE
Good thing we got the snow plowed away for Santa to arrive in our neck of the woods today. Here in Norton, Santa is making a stop over at Joe Carlino's house, where he will be handing out presents and finding out what all the children want for Christmas this year. Joe and Santa are great friends, and I'm sure the kids will all enjoy a moment to catch his ear about their holiday wishes.

THEY CALLED HER ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Image via Wikipedia"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."
William Feather
1889-1981, Writer

I have had a day of reflection today! I lost a dear friend, although I had not seen her for a while, she was often on my mind. I actually appreciate days like this because it makes us take time to reflect and realize how precious our time on this planet is. It makes us want to get to everything done “yesterday,” but that is not what we need to do. It is much wiser to appreciate the day that you are in…the “now“…the “present“…always, as if it might be your last. Live everyday to the fullest, without just filling your day. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the loss of my daughter. If I had not had that experience (losing a child)I would not have been able to say to my friend’s children, “She is where she wants to be now, she is with her son, who she cared for through his cancer, into death.

It is really hard for a mother to have a child leave before them. I remember my mother’s passing (as I was the one that managed her care) and the night before, I sat with my Grammy as she sipped her glass of port and she told me precious, funny stories about my mother, my grandfather and my mother’s brothers and sisters. She got me through that night, and we did it with laughter. My Grammy was really strong that night, but after my mother passed, I think it was too hard for her. One of my Aunt’s said, she could not live knowing my mother went before her. I really never believed that because, I went on to care for my mother just after my child passed. You are as strong as you need to be, God always carries us through those times. I think that my Grammy just reached her time. They referred to her as Eleanor Roosevelt at her funeral, I’ve never forgotten that. She did quite a bit of traveling, despite any health issues she had. She was happy and she had a wonderful life. There was always laughter around her. This is what a day of reflection does....it shows you why life is so precious, why we should eat every moment as if it was our last bite.

So tomorrow, when you begin your day, choose to take a bite out of life, for all who passed before us, and don’t forget to have a lot of laughter...it is the best medicine, so they say.

Make a choice to watch it, read it or live it…but at least try it, and remember this:
The Secret

Thoughts do become things.
There are no coincidences.
Miracles are all around us.
Ask, Believe and you will receive.
It all begins with baby steps.

THE FIRST DAY !

As a huge fan of affirmations and quotes, I seem to run across two or three everyday and sometimes there are several that actually show me the direction my day will take.

"There is nothing we like to see so much as the gleam of pleasure in a person's
eye when he feels that we have sympathized with him, understood him At these
moments something fine and spiritual passes between two friends. These are the
moments worth living."

Don Marquis
From Oprah’s mission Statement Newsletter 04-03-2008


"Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you."

Cynthia Kersey


Today I am beginning a new project. A project out of love for a friend to reward a woman who has been a nurse her entire adult life. Funny thing, I have never met her, but I know her already. I have her photos in my living room which I am about to through to create a video of her life, as she celebrates her retirement with her family and friends. She has received many awards during her life of service to others, and she should be given the respect and admiration that a life like hers deserves. And I will create and complete this project with that in ">mind.

We each go through our lives, doing what we do, because of who we are. There are some that are rich and powerful because they have been born into money, there are some that use entrepreneurial skills to create a huge empire, there are those that work a physically laboring job everyday, and some that work at home raising children and providing a haven for their families. We all have some manner of purpose in our daily life. I think that people that dedicate their lives to the service of others, deserve accolade upon accolade when that job is done. This woman truly deserves that and I will try my best to put that into this project, so she knows how thankful the world is for people like her.

Putting gratitude into a project first, is assurance that the task will be completed, and the ways will be shown to do them. As I shuffle through this woman’s life through her picture and memorabilia a way will be shown.

There is no task impossible, there is a path through any door, it just always starts with gratitude and baby steps. Fear of trying will be just that….FEAR. Fear does not exist when you create from within. Quiet your mind and the ways will approach. Open your mind and you will hear the directions.

Please remember that this is Autism Awareness Month and there is a project going to awaken the world to the need for services and recognition for this topic. Join these incredible moms and others, to hit this ball out of the park. (No, I am not a fan of baseball, I just do not always know where these words come from, I am just the vessel that are delivered in.)

Make a choice to watch it, read it or live it…but at least try it, and remember this:
THE SECRET

Thoughts do become things.
There are no coincidences.
Miracles are all around us.
Ask, Believe and you will receive.
It all begins with baby steps.