March Madness

No, not the basketball. I hate to watch that stuff on TV. In person is better but overall, I'm no sports fan.

Instead, here I am playing catch up again. I thought about you all while I was in church yesterday - Happy Belated Easter! - and at that moment I just knew I'd have the energy later to go home and blog. I don't know why I thought that. I had already gone through piles of wash the previous two days but still had a few to go. We had to go see my MIL because she cooked and had Easter baskets for the kids and who wants to turn down a wonderful meal or baskets you didn't have to buy? (We, at my church, literally don't buy into the commercialism of Easter but that doesn't stop the kids from wanting the candy and who can blame them? They get what they want and I get to stick to my principles.) Daughter's hair needed to be done but she refused and after awhile I wasn't up for the fight.

March has been truly hectic and all the bloggable moments have been missed because I was too busy living it to write about it. I did manage to get Son's birthday in here, so that's cool. But I didn't tell you about my little plastic surgery visit. Mr. T took before and after pictures because I guess he thought I'd want it preserved for posterity. I believe that is the opposite of what you have the surgery for in the first place, silly man. I may have more thoughts about that one later but for now, let's say the worst part of it was getting the local and having my kids stalking me until I went to sleep because they wanted to poke at my bandage. Otherwise, it was cool. The last time I got stitches I was about 7 or 8 and I don't recall that being particularly pleasant but I may be mixing it up with my mother's reaction because I do recall them asking her to wait in the waiting area because she was a little too stressed for them. Hopefully taking these babies out won't be a big deal. I hate pain. I'm a wuss.

The there was our visit to the accountant who told us wonderful things about getting back money and I told Mr. T wonderful things about the furniture we were going to be buying for the living room. I am so in my glory right about now. I even got inspired enough to finally figure out how to lay out my family room and that took a whole year to mull over. No small feat, let me tell you. It still may not be perfect because of the bowling alley shape of the room but it's a plan and with that, I have finally figured out every room in the house and that makes me happy. We'll also be adding another piece or two to each of the kids' rooms (aside from the dresser I just bought Son) so they too are thrilled and eventually we'll add another zone for better heating downstairs. I can hear the property value hitching itself up now!

This past weekend was the visit to the marketing guy for my business. This guy has tons of experience, lots of locally known customers and he says we've got a good, unique product that simply hasn't had a fair shake yet. It's all a matter of just getting it out there. Gee, is that all? But he didn't say anything we didn't know when it came to the viability of what we have. He had lots of great ideas for how to get it out there but in the end, "Just do it" was the key to it all. "Don't plan anything. Get the new marketing photo taken and start writing letters." It all comes back to time. But he'll be hounding us in May and Bizzy Girl and I both seem to need that. April will be crazy.

Oh, and there was also all the wonderful life events. I know 3 people getting married in May, within days of each other. The invite from one in NY just showed up and she is getting married on a late Friday afternoon. I can't wait. She and I struggled together about 3 years ago now in our quest for release from a job we both shared and both hated with the same intensity. She is one of the most patient, determined, smart young women I know and watching her walk away from some things that I know would makes others cringe was simply inspiring. As a result, she got even better than what she had - including the man she is now engaged to. I'm proud of her. Her wedding will be a treat to attend.

And my sister-in-law's same-named stepdaughter came up from NC for a visit with her young family in tow, which includes her beautiful new 4-month-old son. So we had to go see them and hug on that baby, especially Daughter who persists in her quest to get a new little sibling of her own. The baby was a little tired at the time but agreeable enough to let her hold him - while I helped - for a split second. I had hoped that would quiet her but I think it made it worse. Daughter ran between helping with the baby and helping with the 2-year-old who was sick at the time. Keeping her from being underfoot was difficult but she just wanted to help and be a big sister. It's cute but little does she realize that one of the reasons NOT to have a baby right now is because she requires all of our eyes to be on her lest she disappear in a crowd or get hit by a car (she drawn to streets like a magnet to true north). And holding that baby didn't get my mommy senses tingling so it's clearly not yet time.

There were also the not-so-good things like finding out Mr. T's nephew was hit in the head with either a wrench or a crowbar while manning the door at his wife's teen sister's birthday party in LA. His jaw is wired and NO ONE is happy because his wife didn't call anyone here until days later. She said he said not to call but that is no excuse. He said not to call his mother or grandmother? Well, there are tons of others she could have reached out to like my husband, for instance. He has no family but her out there. This could have been fatal. That boy is about my brother's age and he's been like another little brother to me and I wish I could go there myself and shake some sense in that wife of his. I swear I don't think she really knows what she has in him. There's too much to his ongoing story to go into here but it makes me sad for him and as an in-law myself, I keep trying not to hold anything against her as reasons to do so stack up against her. It's their marriage and all we can do is pray he will ultimately get the good things he wants and deserves.

So March isn't over. I don't know what the rest of the month will bring but those new beginnings that 2008 promised keep popping up all over like roses to tint my winterized glasses. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Behind the 2008-Ball

Here we are 15 days into the new year and this is the first chance I have had to write. It's simply shameful, I know. But honestly now, how much of this is too much?

Over the past few days - years even - I've been really hit with all the social and business networking groups there are online and enough is getting to be enough. Keeping up with a blog, writing newsletters for my business, networking on LinkedIn and now Xanga and Facebook, hanging out with my online crit group and one other writing group (I put 3 others on no-mail so long ago I don't even miss them now) in addition to reading blogs (great stuff but numerous and very time consuming), volleying back the IMs in the eternal tennis match I play with IM friends/co-workers all day long, and simply trying to keep up with the businesses and business friends I deal with regularly via the 2 groups I belong to (soon to be 3) - this is ALL my online life, my dear friends. Oh! And did you know I can even send and receive emails on my Wii?! Mr. T set that up last night. But please don't try to contact me there. When I'm in the middle of tennis, I don't want to know you! I am sure I am forgetting some other facet of this hectic online life but I don't want to think that hard.

Now let's factor in phone calls, mostly cell phone, and the in-person contact with my job, business, family and friends and you have one very scattered sista before you.

I hate feeling scattered but I have been feeling that way at work as various projects I am at the helm of go on simultaneously along with intermittent requests from other departments to work editorial magic pronto and then there is just the day-to-day I do all by my lonesome (but as part of a wonderful team, of course!).

Got to then go home and do some homework checking, refereeing, constant cleaning, seeking and finding, phone call screening, maybe cooking, washing of children, email checking (if I have the energy) and whatever it is hubby needs from me too. (Most recently, hooking up his new laptop wirelessly which took about 3 days and countless hours due to still uncertain problems. But on the other hand getting my own laptop is no longer as pressing plus now I'm starting to think with 2 PCs in the house, maybe it is time to think Mac.)

In between all this I eat and read because I am determined to stick to my avid reading and I have library books so I have to return them eventually. Oh yeah, forgot to add in library trips with the kids in the list above. I do a little planning as I think about what I want to do next for the house. I figure out my money (Mr. T. handles "our" stuff, thankfully.) and try to do SOMETHING for the business. It's such a vicious circle. I'm sure I post this same lament at least twice a year if not more regularly but until I solve the great mystery of juggling it all, I'll just keep on sounding on my board because that's what it's there for.

In church on Sunday, I thought hard about what I want to add into my life this year. Right now this tid bit is just between God and me so excuse me if I don't launch into details right now. But I can say it involves preparation. I already have to prepare myself for all the changes we're making in our business this year, and now that my business partner is doing the work of 4 people at her job, it's going to be that much harder to get things done, but all these changes work with the other prep work I need to do so it should flow nicely into my current life plans. And in the end, if I opt out, I'll still be very much where I want to be so it's a win-win proposition. But the awesomeness of it all has me once again thinking about all I am involved in. January is a great time to make these kinds of assessments and it's about that time. Time to join together what can be joined together to ease my life. Time to toss out whatever is causing me too much angst and stress. Time to freshen up stale things. Time to reassess my priorities and make sure my life is still full of what is meaningful to me and what is God ordained. Usually when I tackle it all, I find that I'm pretty much where I want to be and life is not all bad after all. But I haven't reached that place yet.

A Little Post Pilfering

Well, the prodigal sons have returned from their Ohio trip. Daughter and I spent all day yesterday running errands, which I didn't complete because she has the world's tiniest bladder and I hate public restrooms. So when we went home we stayed home. I was tired. She was tired. Mr. T and Son were home about 2:30 this morning and of course they were tired. I didn't go into a deep sleep until I heard them come home because I knew to listen out for them, first of all, and second, my sleep is never really that sound unless eveyone is home. So we all slept HARD and here I am, not at church today, because I didn't get up until late.

So instead I am going to share something from a newsletter I get from life coach Valerie Burton. This woman helped me when I was transitioning between the job I was sick of and the one I have now. It really wasn't just about a job change though, it was a life change - stepping into what I've always wanted and leaving behind the stuff that just wasn't cutting it. Do YOU want to make a change? Take a read.

I have to go work on Son's project now.

Our lives speak to us in a variety of ways and it is important to listen when your life is sending you a message. Whether in your work, relationships, health, finances or spiritual life, I have found that there are at least five ways that your life speaks to you:

1. Your life speaks to you through your intuition.
Your intuition – often referred to as a hunch, gut instinct, or sixth sense – is divine intelligence. It is a gift from God. Use it! Make a decision to begin trusting your intuition. The sooner you do, the sooner you will begin noticing a greater sense of peace about your decisions. The answers you need are available to you, but you must trust that they are there. Access your intuition through prayer and meditation. Begin noticing those little nudges in your spirit – and follow them.

2. Your life speaks to you through people.
Isn’t it amazing how others’ paths cross yours at just the right time to offer you a message you need to hear? Sometimes the message is a positive and uplifting one. At other times, it is a message that irritates or frustrates you – thus, moving you to make a needed change. People cross your path for a purpose and sometimes for only a brief period. Make sure you notice when a divine message or lesson is being offered to you through the people in your life.

3. Your life speaks to you through frustration.
Negative emotions and feelings are teachers. The problem is that most people don’t realize it. As a result, their frustration only serves to make them more frustrated. When you feel frustrated, ask yourself, “What change would I need to make in order to eliminate this frustration?” Problems such as frustration offer you an opportunity to make changes that will ultimately enrich your life.

4. Your life speaks to you through joy.
One of the most rewarding goals you can set for yourself is to experience joy on a daily basis. It was the pursuit of joy that led me onto the path of entrepreneurship. Two of the values that bring me the most joy are freedom and creativity. I wanted the freedom to create my own schedule and the joy of creating something of my own that would make a difference in the lives of others. Figure out what brings you joy and pursue it wholeheartedly.

5. Your life speaks to you through failures.
Failures, though frustrating and disappointing, offer a terrific opportunity for future success. Refuse to allow failure to discourage you to the point of giving up. Instead, ask yourself, “What’s the lesson in this failure?” Perhaps failure is meant to push you in a new direction, spark an idea, or keep you in a holding pattern until something better comes along. Failure is never about the failure. It is about the lesson learned and the wisdom gained in the process.

My challenge to you this week:
Listen to your life! Refuse to allow fear to stifle the desires of your heart.