Procrastination...It's a Terrible Thing

Admittedly for as long as I can remember I've been a hardcore procrastinater.  Although I wait until last minute to get things done somehow I still get them all done - albeit at a very speedy pace which wears me out by the end of the day.  Yesterday was one of those days and this morning is one of those mornings.  So instead of procrastinating anymore today I'm going to make a pledge to myself to plan ahead and work ahead so at the last minute I'm not running around like the proverbial chicken with his head cut off!  Have a great Saturday!

Did I mention my son is getting married?

...and that I love his bride to be and her family.  She is wonderful and she makes my son happy so what more could a future mother-in-law want for her son.

While my son roams Key West doing only God knows what with his best buddies for his bachelor party, my future daughter-in-law's best friend and I are throwing her a bridal shower.  What fun it has been to work with her best friend and to put together little pieces and parts of the shower not knowing just how it will look until it's all put together.

This morning I have several little jobs to complete, well maybe not so little, as they involve decorating all of the vases we are for the lunch tables with lace-covered burlap and shiny green wired ribbon and flowers, ironing napkins, coming up with the "from Melissa's shower to yours" decoration to afix to the guests little takeaway gifts, shopping for the food, making the sangria and the vinaigrette's for the salad bar and I'm certain I'm leaving something off.

Went to her best friend's house last night and she has a table full of wonderfulness just waiting to be put together for a wonderful, happy gathering.  Is there a more wonderful time in the life of a daughter before the birth of children?  I think not!

So to all you moms-in-law or moms-in-law to be in the future remember you really are gaining another son or daughter so embrace them with all your heart because there's definitely room!

TGIF to all until next time - gotta run - lots to do!

CJ

Meditation is a powerful tool...

...so last night before I went to my painting class (I'll write another post on this later) my massage therapist and I held a short 10 minute meditation session in her apartment.  She has 2 of those wonderful round fluffy chairs so we were totally comfortable.  She had never really meditated.  I had meditated one time but on the listening end, not the speaking end so I wasn't sure how it was going to relax us.

Anyhow, the soothing music was started, we sat and discussed how to start.  She asked if we needed to hold our thumb and index fingers together and I said it was explained to me that one needed to be in whatever comfortable position they preferred, fingers together or not.  So then I suggested imagery and away we went not really knowing what would come next.  Based on the one meditation method I really enjoyed (use imagery) I began speaking in a soothing voice about coming upon this secret garden filled with beautiful trees, flowers, a pool and a waterfall that one simply had to walk down a beautiful stairway to access.

Within the first 2 minutes a fire engine came blaring past siren screaming and then across the street some type of demolition was occurring with a loud crashing and scraping.  All of a sudden we both burst out laughing for a good 30 seconds.  So much for meditation!

After the hearty laugh we gathered our composure I slowly led us into and through the garden detailing the sites and sounds and smells of each tree, flower, herb, and water feature.  We ended the meditation with a reminder that we could take ourselves back to that garden anytime and anywhere just by finding a nice quiet place to sit and bring to mind that beautiful place.  We leisurely walked back up the stairs and into the rest of the day.  10 minutes gone poof - and so relaxing - even for me!

I left being more relaxed than I have in decades!  Yes, decades!   I went to painting class and our instructor, Howard, had very relaxing music playing so the mood and atmosphere continued for another  2 1/2 hours.  What a great evening.  I would love to share with more people the power of meditation!

I'm Back......

Yes after a long break I'm back.  I had a nervous breakdown last May and the anniversary of that is arriving in a couple weeks.  Instead of approaching the milestone with difficulty I'm approaching it with a healed heart and mind.  The road to recovery after a 20-day hospital stint (10 days in-patient, 10 days out-patient), taking medication for the first time in my life to control my moods and Bipolar I diagnosis, hitting a deep seeded emotional low and escaping from it, has been a long but very educational one.  I've been to a therapist every 2 weeks (was every week for about 6 weeks) since and it has been the best thing I did for MYSELF.  I've also attended NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) group support meetings with others suffering from mental illness.  And I've had the most wonderful support system in my husband and son.  Without them I would have had a much tougher road to how.

ANYWAY - I just re-read a blog I posted from December 2011 and I've decided this is where I have circled back around to.  I read it with disbelief because it was 1 1/2 years prior to my breakdown.  Oh how much I was harboring.  I was like a pressure cooker ready to explode on the inside and didn't even know it.

SO from today forward I'm adopting my own observation from December 2011 but this time without the emotional baggage I've managed to release.  Oh yea, AND I restarted my fitness/healty nutrition living this week and I already feel better.

Life, Like Wine, Gets Better with Age

Been quite some time since my last post - just lost that feeling of needing/wanting to blog. Well it's back - at least for today.

Over the past several years many women of a certain age have commented on how wonderful life is at age 50 and beyond. I've become one of those women of a certain age. I'm not certain how we get to this stage but it is wonderful to reach that stage. I'm pretty sure it comes with the wisdom of knowing that it really doesn't matter what others think of you and your approach to life - it matters how you treat others, view the glass as half full or half empty, and handle with grace and strength the inevitable daily wrenches thrown into one's life, whether it be related to home, family, work, relationships, you name it.

Each day IS a NEW day and you can choose to hold onto those difficulties experienced in the days and weeks prior, or you can choose to start fresh and attack the world with a smile and a positive attitude. Mind you this does NOT mean being a pollyanna and it does NOT mean that you don't stumble at some point during the NEW day. It just means that tomorrow, or even in the next hour or several hours, if you are fortunate enough for tomorrow to come, you get to start over and have that new day be the best day ever.

Happy New DAY to all!

Carol Goes Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

Yep, I finally jumped on the Twitter train after how many years it's been on the planet?  So I'm a little slow to start.  However, as a result of researching on on the world wide web for work-related material this week I found out how important social media has been and is becoming in educating our children.  If I am to make a difference in this world I've got to get on the very bandwagon that could help make that change happen in South Carolina.

Never been to college - no problem - it appears to me there is digital media at your fingertip you may not even know exists.  For example, if you always wanted to know how to play the piano, go to YouTube and look up free piano lessons - viola - at your fingertips - a host of free video tutorials to choose from.  Music theory is your area of need - again - free content at your fingertips.  And not just the arts.  There's Kahn Academy, Discover Education, and I'm sure a host of others.  TED Talks is another form of education in that you get short perspectives on everything in life - IDEAS for change.

I digress - I'm going to be learning to tweet because it doesn't seem to be too simple at first glance.  I'm going to tweet those articles and things I'm finding on the WWW to others so they can experience the ah ha moment(s) I have this past week and use those moments to change the world or at least change themselves in way that will help themselves and others if they are so inclined.

Special Weekends Planned with Friends

I cannot say enough about how wonderful my friends are and how much I enjoy spending time with them. Of late I've volunteered to be organizer of multiple weekend getaways with high school friends, close friends, and former colleagues who have become the best of friends. Women really do need to take the time to "get-away" with their friends for at least a couple of days. Full-time working women really need the eyes and ears of those most familiar with their day-to-day challenges of working full-time while keeping up their homes, schedules for and attendance at childrens' school activities and after-school activities, taking care of hubby, and so much more that no one really knows we accomplish every single day. Honestly these weekend getaways provide a reprieve from all of that allowing us to return to "normal" feeling refreshed and ready to take on the same challenges with a bit of a spring to our step. I highly recommend this approach and the continued planning of the "next getaway" prior to leaving the awesomeness of your "current getaway".

Life, Like Wine, Gets Better with Age

Been quite some time since my last post - just lost that feeling of needing/wanting to blog. Well it's back - at least for today.

Over the past several years many women of a certain age have commented on how wonderful life is at age 50 and beyond. I've become one of those women of a certain age. I'm not certain how we get to this stage but it is wonderful to reach that stage. I'm pretty sure it comes with the wisdom of knowing that it really doesn't matter what others think of you and your approach to life - it matters how you treat others, view the glass as half full or half empty, and handle with grace and strength the inevitable daily wrenches thrown into one's life, whether it be related to home, family, work, relationships, you name it.

Each day IS a NEW day and you can choose to hold onto those difficulties experienced in the days and weeks prior, or you can choose to start fresh and attack the world with a smile and a positive attitude. Mind you this does NOT mean being a pollyanna and it does NOT mean that you don't stumble at some point during the NEW day. It just means that tomorrow, or even in the next hour or several hours, if you are fortunate enough for tomorrow to come, you get to start over and have that new day be the best day ever.

Happy New Year to all!