I think #1Son was somewhere between three and four years old when he decided to try out Dad’s boots! He looks very surprised and looking at this photo makes me…
Appetizer
Say thereβs a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
Janet Evanovich.
Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.)
A little misogyny offends naturally delicate sensibilities.
It is going to happen. You are going to “fall off the wagon” occasionally due to special events, vacations, lack of motivation, someone or something in your life sabotaging your efforts . . . When it does happen, there are a number of things you can do to get back on track with your health and fitness program. Here are thirteen tips for us all to keep in mind:
1. Be kind to yourself.
You are not perfect. You are never going to achieve perfection. So there is no point in beating yourself up psychologically when you occasionally demonstrate your own humanity.
2. Keep it in perspective.
Consider your slip-up. How does it compare to your old habits? Did you fall right back into your old destructive habits or was this different?
These days, when I “fall off the wagon,” the scenery around me as I’m picking myself up and dusting myself off looks quite different that it used to.
So when it happens, I stop and compare my lifestyle before I developed this program for myself and what the program looks like when I am conscientiously following it. Inevitably, I find that my deviation is minor when compared with how I used to live and what my eating habits used to be.
The spotlight is on blogging tips from thirteen fabulous bloggers!
“Sensory overload.” We’ve all heard that phrase. It has become a cliched part of our vernacular. For instance, when deadlines and activities at work start to make us feel frazzled, we tell our colleagues, half-jokingly, “I can’t hang in. I’m on sensory overload here.”
The phenomenon is being studied by the experts and every day, it seems, there is another news story about the impact that technology and all of the communicative devices we use every day are having upon us. We are all connected to each other perpetually through our cell phones, blackberries, computers, etc. But are we really connecting with other human beings in a meaningful fashion or just superficially? That’s a question for the sociologists to answer in years to come.
For me, the question has become, am I really connected with my internal self? Some days the honest answer is “no.”
My mother-in-law died suddenly in May 2002 at the age of 82. The sheriff showed up at the front door holding her wallet and keys, and notified BigBob that the neighbors had called 911 earlier in the day when she did not answer the phone, doorbell or open the shades.
To say that we were shocked is an understatement. The day before she had driven #1Son to school after he spent the night at her house with her.
We need some of her wishes, but not all. She had indicated a preference for cremation and no viewing, plus she had made clear that she did not want a schmaltzy organ-with-loads-of-vibrato sort of funeral service. Past that, we had to figure out how best to say our good-byes and celebrate her life. To be perfectly accurately, BigBob, as her only child, had that responsibility. Our role was to support him.
I thought I took a photo of Matthew before the limousine came to pick him up for his first homecoming. I didn’t realize until several hours later that I had…
Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
I have yet to find the bottom of the pile. Ever. That’s all I’m saying about this subject. π³
Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when youβll consider yourself to truly be old?
Dead.
Based upon my observations and experiences, I would say that there are three basic types of bloggers: The Professionals These folks claim to earn their daily bread solely via blogging…
Note: The first part of this story about the social function is totally true and happened a few years ago. The Flash Forward section is an addendum and reflection. I really don’t talk to pictures on the wall. Ahem …
He was drunk.
In the Presbyterian Church no less. You know the one. Swanky, elegant, rich old-money-in-the-middle-of-town-prestigious-kinda-church. And in the sacred basement that night?
Speed-dating. Round tables. Too much perfume. And a perky little woman with an annoying bell. I was game. After all, what could go wrong in a church?
Here are the rules: There are twelve white linened tables with burning candles and refreshments. You choose one and sit down. Male across from female. When the bell rings, you’re off! Introductions and more sweaty palms. I so hate that. The bell rings again and you rotate to the next waiting gentleman caller.
Appetizer What is your favorite kind of pie? Peach. Still warm from the oven. Soup Name something that made you smile this week. A photo of me with my boys…
Appetizer On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you? 8. Soup What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud? A…
Thirteen Definitions of Words You Thought You Understood
1. Cannibal: Someone who is fed up with people.
2. Chickens: The only animals you most often eat before they are born and after they are dead. ((Folks also eat ostrich eggs and meat.))
3. Committee: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
As I mentioned previously, on July 15, 2007, I was honored to spend the day with Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway at the Master Class in Napa. The way such a class works is this: The first portion of the class is a general lecture and group warm-up. Those desiring to be “participants” submit a professional-quality recording in advance and Sir James selects four players to whom he will give instruction while the audience members — “auditors” — watch and learn.
JHSEsq attended the Master Class in Napa with Sir James Galway
Based upon the various videotapes of other classes that I have watched, as well as interviews, information posted on his website and the e-mails that Sir James sends to our discussion group, I knew that the opportunity to attend the class represented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from a world-class flutist who has no equal.
“It was a dark and stormy nightβ here in Northern California. The drive from Lodi to San Rafael in the late afternoon wasnβt bad, but the drive back home to Lodi was miserable because of the steady, hard downpour which made it extremely difficult to see and fairly treacherous since portions of the freeway were beginning to develop standing water since so much water was coming down quickly. In short, it was a miserable trip.
Last Sunday I had the extreme honor and privilege of attending Sir James Galway’s Flute Master Class in Napa. I spent the entire day just a few feet from the master himself!
The teens were in another room being taught by Sir James’ wife, Lady Jeanne. At the end of the class, they performed for the adults and then Sir James joined them for one number. Watching those youngsters play so beautifully with the world’s best living flutist, beaming as they did so, was very moving. But for all of us, the day was an opportunity to learn from the undisputed master of the instrument and create memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Incidentally, Sir James is known as “the man with the golden flute.” He brought several with him and allowed students to play them. In this photo, he is playing on of his gold Nagaharas.
Appetizer
JHSEsq blogs at Colloquium
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.
My Lucy doll and I were inseparable. I still have her, too.
School will be starting again soon, so here are some facts about the life experiences of young people entering college this fall, most of whom were born in 1988. They…
If you get too caught up in the mechanics of doing something, you lose the simple joy of the experience.
Have you ever gone to an amusement park with someone who was enthralled with the way the park was laid out, entranced by the technology of the rides, obsessed with the way in which crowd control measures are implemented?
I have. It’s not a fun experience for us “average Joes” who just want to scream when the roller coaster dips, make Dumbo go up and down or the teacup spin faster, or snap a photo or two of the parade down Main Street.
This past week, two deaths came to my attention.
They occurred under distinctly different circumstances and at opposite ends of the spectrum of life, but both had the same result: Loved ones were left behind to mourn and those folks are the focus of this article. We all need to light a candle for them today.
Since I broached the topic of pet peeves last week . . . A couple of days ago, I had a fairly appalling experience. A well-educated, articulate member of my…
This week’s theme: Tiny