7 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by Julie over at S'up (how cool! Now I'm a "real" blogger too - thanks Julie!) - she's a lady with a great sense of humor. So, here it goes:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

• I find it really hard to come up with things I feel are "random." I try too hard to be clever or interesting and then they feel too over-thought to be random...

• I play with Brian Froud's Faeries Oracle cards to jump start my creativity and writing. I often get in touch with my intuition with them.

• I love Van Morrison. Something about his voice just does it for me. "Comfortably Numb"... *sigh* Good stuff.

• There's a commercial for one of the dating sites that has a question that I misread as "I find humor in every situation." At first I thought "nah... there's gotta be some situations that are too serious for humor." But no, it turns out that I can find humor in ANY situation. Luckily, I'm married to a man who also has the ability to find humor in any (yes, any) situation. One day I'll tell the story of my first cat's dying...
  

• I've been doing bead work since I was 12, when my grandpa taught me the importance of buying in bulk. I made a killing in the 80's on friendship bracelets!

• My favorite takeout Italian food is chicken Parmesan and Chinese its chicken and broccoli.

• Because my family loves the Spongebob Squarepants theme song so much (and we sing it with such gusto when it comes on) my son's first word was "Spongebob."

I do believe those are random enough. So, now to pay it forward:

Claire: http://www.anna-world.blogspot.com/
Caroline: http://carola-thetruthoftheheartandsoul.blogspot.com/
Kara: http://www.spiritdoll.blogspot.com/
Annie: http://journeythroughlife-afreshstart.blogspot.com/
(rats, most of my blogging friends have already been tagged!)
Laura at Cafe Entrepreneur: http://joyfulmarketing.typepad.com/
(Sorry all -five will have to be good enough! Tag, you're all it! Enjoy!)

What are seven random things about you? How could you change those seven to seven different ones that made you seem like a completely different person (while still being exactly who you are?)

The Errant Sneaker Syndrome

My son started kindergarten this year. It's a tough time - the stakes are higher in Kindergarten than they were in preschool. There's homework. Disappointments are, for some reason, harder to take and the tears that ensue are not always met with understanding.

In short, it's a bad time all around to start losing your sneakers and forgetting where you left your socks.

I suppose Lima Bean's difficulties are what prompted the Universe to teach me a bit of compassion.

It started last Monday when I went to go pick the boy up early from his after school enrichment program. We hadn't made it to his gymnastics class since he'd started and we needed to get there. When I showed up it was only to be told that I was a little early for the Thanksgiving feast but I could go help the class moms set up. D'oh!! I had totally forgotten! (Forgot the cookies that I was meant to bring, too, but at least I knew enough not to commit to anything vital.) I got to take part in the feast and even got to start the bonfire. As I'm often known to say - no harm, no foul.

Tuesday was more of the same. I needed to send my daughter to school with her uncle's address, which I keep on the computer. I checked my email while I was at it - not that I had time but I did and, lo and behold, there's the email about the conference call that morning. Double d'oh!! I made it to the call. Ten minutes late and stressed, but I made it.

While waiting for Miss M's bus I realized that constantly screwing up isn't much fun. It feels pretty crappy even when there isn't someone yelling at you to "find your @#&**! sneakers already." I found Lima Bean's sneaker (on the window sill in my office !?!) and the Universe spent the week picking up my proverbial errant sneakers.

I've eased up on Lima Bean some since then but every day we still go looking for his sneakers (which are supposed to be safe and sound in the spot they have earmarked for them but rarely are.) I want to yell, but then I remember how easy it can be to forget and how the Universe wanted me to remember to be compassionate. So, the search for the errant sneakers continue until he learns the lessons as well as I have.

When has the Universe picked up your proverbial sneakers for you?

Friend or Cousin?

"Stock footage" from two years ago because I forgot my camera when we went to the movies today.
(Sorry R and D! I'll post ya next time!)

This evening the kids and I went to see Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a much better movie than I was expecting, made all the more enjoyable for the company we were with. Our family has been blessed enough to discover friends who we've become so close with that Lima Bean has trouble distinguishing them from our blood relatives.

And really, what's the difference?

We love them like family. Miss M and the oldest have a special bond - made all the stronger for their love of Ugly Dolls and Stupid Sock Creatures. Lima Bean and the two younger ones run around like mad (yes, three boys - just like she asked for; she says Miss M is the first girl she's ever liked before.) We clamber for each other's attention and our lives would be that much poorer without the others.

Through all our shortcomings we all of us recognize what a special thing it is that we have. Whether it's Taco Bell after a movie or adventuring through Caumsett State Park or just coffee when the kids are at school and its blessedly quiet at the bagel place between here and there, they are My Sacred Life.

Milo's Homecoming

Milo came home yesterday. Oh! the joys of a new kitten. Here are some pictures to share in the joy (for those of you who are cat people.)

Curious about the book I'm reading (A God-Shaped Hole - good but sad.)

A cozy nook in The Hubby's lap

Milo doing an impression of E.T. in amongst Lima Bean's stuffed animals.

Cat person or dog person? Animals or plants or people?

A Forced Sabbatical

How does the Universe reward all my hard work last week of posting everyday? Why, by knocking out my internet connectivity the instant The Hubby walks out of the house for a week long business trip. It was up within half an hour of his return. His professional opinion? "One of the nobby things came loose." Excellent.

Realization? I have become very reliant on my computer. And I missed blogging with everyone as some of you will note from the ample commentary.

Tomorrow I'll share some pictures of our new family member for My Sacred Life Sunday but in the meantime I'll post a picture that an old friend just sent. Me, circa 1994 or so. I long to be this weight again...
What do you long for from your past? (Wow, that's an unusual question but it feels intuitive so I'm gonna go with it...)

Self-Portrait?

Welcome to another Sacred Life Sunday! This week, for the first time ever, I posted to the blog every day and so today:

I'm my own sacred life! (sung to the tune of "I'm My Own Grandpa...")

I don't know what I look like. I can't be the only one, either, but I really have no mental image of what I look like and what my face and body present as. Watching fashion advice shows doesn't help much when you can't tell which participants have figures like yours.

So, I've been trying to get an idea of just what this container that holds my soul looks like by snapping self- portraits. My newest project has been to a mixed review. Mostly, I don't like what I see in the pictures - a young woman carrying too much weight and dressed pretty schlumpy. That isn't how I feel most days though, so the pictures come as a bit of a shock.

I'm still trying, looking to capture on film the beauty I know is inside there, hoping to catch just a bit of the Spirit that I feel flowing through my life and through my days.



Why is it that what I see in the mirror doesn't actually mirror what I feel inside?

Stuck in Folsom Prison

There's a potential new family member on the horizon but until he's neutered, well, let's just say he's singing the blues:

"Well if they freed me from this prison,
If that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line
Far from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stay
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away....."
-Johnny Cash

I'll keep you informed.

Who have you welcomed into your family lately?

Marketing Buddies

Yesterday, I mentioned marketing. Since Story-Beads began its inception I've learned such great things about marketing and found so many great sites that make marketing something real and authentic and, dare I say it? A spiritual practice.

Still there's nothing like the support of others. I am infinitely grateful to Carla for all her help and so, passing along the love, what follows is post from one of the women from my writing group, Bernice Stock, who is marketing her newly published book:

"Oops! A Half-Eaten Strawberry

"It almost landed in the blender while I was presenting a hands-on, Let’s Cook Together demonstration for 20-plus children ages four to seven and adults at a local library. My workshop familiarizes children with a variety of colorful vegetables and fruit. It also introduces the fun of shopping for ingredients for children to prepare and serve easy dishes at home together with an adult.

"We were setting up a fabulous, blended breakfast beverage of sliced banana, strawberry, and orange, with cinnamon, honey, a bit of Barleans Flavored Cod Liver Oil, a bit of Barleans Protein Powder, and rice milk. Each child used a fork to select his or her own banana chunk and strawberry. No fingers, please! Oops! One youngster nearly popped his half-eaten strawberry into the blender. Thank goodness I caught him just in time! By the way, Barleans donated their healthful products for my demonstration. They are very interested in promoting and supporting children’s health, and I appreciate their contribution.

"This yummy blended beverage gives any child a marvelous start for a great day. While it enhances breakfast for those who have one, for others it could be their only breakfast nourishment. It is by far a better choice over sugar-laden cereal, for it provides a good balance of protein, alpha omega 3 fatty acid, potassium, and other nutrients that keep little brains alert for the morning and their studies.

"It was amusing when a six-year-old thought an artichoke was a mushroom. That’s OK. I grew up with canned peas and carrots, so I probably would have said the same thing. I must say that these kids loved the baby carrots. While they supposedly prepared salads for the adults who came with them, they gobbled them up instead! The brave and curious little ones sampled edamame. The children energetically sprinkled pineapple with cocoa and loved the exciting taste. Dipping banana segments into flax seeds thrilled them. They were fascinated to use a special cutter to make apple wedges just the right size for munching. Most of all, the children enjoyed shaping wholesome, organic bread slices with a cookie cutter. Some didn’t even bother to spread the bread with peanut butter, eating it plain. It was so good!

"The children were enthused and wanted to learn to cook! Unfortunately, the library did not have cooking facilities. The class was just an hour, not enough for entertaining questions. Thus, I was sure to emphasize and encourage old-fashioned family dining. Children need to eat with the family to experience the variety and selection of foods that adults have. Kids don’t eat as much as their parents or caretakers. If they eat separately before adults, they may not ever see a crispy salad or savor tantalizing soups. Children are naturally intrigued with diversity, and they should be enticed to different choices! Though they may refuse something new at first, eventually they broaden their selections. Use this great tip I read about: Spread the ingredients of a finished stew on separate platters to encourage the child to eventually feast on the veggies.

"Soft, firm, curly, angular, apple red, avocado green – nature is rich in delicious tastes and multiple textures. Release your imagination and have the time of your life cooking and eating together with your children! I love it, and you will, too!"

How do you support others as they walk their path? And who supports you? (hint: try making a list of these blessed souls to keep on hand when you're feeling down!)

Visual Practice

Pinch Punch first of the month! Here are the collages for this month - note the coaching sessions on the 8th and the 29th. That's my inspiration for these, based on Laura Howard West's vision boards. I've joined a business coaching group to breathe some new life into the marketing I'm doing for Story-Beads. I'm looking forward to it and I like looking at this upcoming month too which is the major purpose of doing these monthly collages. That and helping me to find a focus for each month!

This site is dedicated to finding "finding the spiritual practices hidden in stories of everyday life." Collage work is actually a spiritual practice to me, whether its expressing that which is inexpressible in words, or doing treasure maps of dreams I'd like to manifest. I'm also fascinated by the concept of visual prayer though I have yet to try it. And perhaps the highest truth I know is just that I love cutting and pasting to make something new...

What visual images connect you to That Which Is Bigger?