Appearance

Appearance. The new Star Wars movie is the latest rage, and I have plans to see it today. Although this movie is a fantasy, there is a bigger reality to the aspect of original cast members. Stars who appeared in the original movie back in 1977 have aged. Apparently Carrie Fisher is getting the brunt of this reality in the reaction to the viewing audience. However, I think she handled this beautifully with the following words, "Youth and beauty are not accomplishments, they're the temporary happy by-products of time and/or DNA. Don't hold your breath for either." What wise, and wonderful words. These are words a girl could never have uttered. Now that Fisher is on the cusp of sixty, she has traded her physical beauty for an even better type of beauty; wisdom. I see too many young stars as they start to enter aging take drastic means to stay young. Staying healthy, and taking care of yourself are all important as we age. However, as gravity has a way of taking over, so does bravery and self-acceptance. Feeling comfortable in your own skin, albeit a more crepy version has merit. You go Princess Leia!

Limitations

Limitations. We all have them. Not one person is spared. Why is it that we seem to be so possessive of them? Why do we seem to even brag about them? " Why I don't have a creative bone in my body?" "Who me? I can't draw a straight line." Novelist Richard Bach states, "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours." The irony here is, that you are arguing with yourself. Most of the time the people around you champion your efforts. This is a convenient game you play with yourself to avoid failure. If you never try, you never have to try again. Regardless of those limitations, you are still capable of making the effort, improving and even succeeding. Stop arguing in favor of your limitations. Rather move forward in spite of them. Now start arguing for all the awesome things you plan to do.

Wings

Wings. Muhammad Ali of all people said, "The man who has no imagination has no wings." Isn't this the same man who said, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee?" Maybe he was on to a thing or two. It is our imagination that allows us to soar to greater heights. When we limit what could be, when we discount the possible to impossible, then we are clipping our wings. I like to challenge myself to think, "Why not?" Often we are quick to only consider one or two possibilities. Often we are quick to say, "That will never work." We stick to the tried and true, never questioning why. We give up too soon because we do not allow our imagination to take off. Know that although your wings are unseen, they are ready to transport you to a fuller life. Allow imagination back into your life.

Better

Better. With the new year approaching tradition dictates a new and better you.  New Year's resolutions are on everyone's mind. Gyms are packed. The line at Weight Watcher's heads out the door. Unfortunately, few of these resolutions will still be around a month or two from now. However, if you are really serious, and committed to change, then this might be the book for you. As you know, one of my favorite bloggers and author is Gretchen Rubin. I had the good fortune to hear Rubin speak this past year when she visited a neighboring town. Her latest book,  Better Than Before, is chock full of habit forming strategies. Her four tendencies allow you to understand your own inclinations more fully, and why a one size fits all approach does not work. Habits are the key to successfully keeping your resolutions. I know for me, that I do better as an abstainer vs a moderator. Don't even get me started on that bowl of chips at a Mexican restaurant. However, for others they do perfectly well with a chip or two, and seem to know when to push away from the bowl. With Rubin's guidance you can either jump into the deep end or stick a toe into the shallow waters depending on what works best for you. Here's to a Happy New Year of successful resolutions!

Grumpy Cat

Grumpy cat. I live with a grumpy cat. Since my daughter and grandson have arrived she has become quite Grinch-like. Now there has always been a mutual dislike between these two, but what has the poor baby ever done? All I can figure is that the cat knows he's her offspring. So I'm spending my time keeping an eye on her, making sure she gets a little bit of extra attention from me, and pondering the wonders of the universe. I would say Merry Christmas from her, but she's too busy complaining to comply! 

Thoughtfulness

Thoughtfulness. It really is amazing the power of a thoughtful act. I received a card the other day from my sister expressing sympathy for the passing of our sweet dog Zoey. Now it took some effort and thought to take the time to go to the store, purchase the card, sign and then mail it at the post office. I know how busy everyone's lives are, but this one act of thoughtfulness made my day. Sometimes we think we need to do grand acts, when a small act of thoughtfulness can be very meaningful. Thanks Sis for your sweet card.

Boredom

Boredom. Are you comfortable with being bored? For most of us boredom is something we find unpleasant. But what if there was an upside to boredom? What if boredom could be a springboard toward creativity? Sometimes to alleviate boredom we fill our days with obligations. Busyness allows us to check things off a to-do list so we don't have to deal with boredom. However, when  children complain of being bored, we often encourage them to find something creative to do. Once when I was administering a test which basically required me to do nothing more than monitor without interacting with the students, I found myself struggling with boredom. I have a mind that needs to be actively engaged pretty much all of  the time, and I was not allowed to read or use the computer. In my attempts to do away with boredom, I noticed that one of the students had brought her snack in a Walmart bag. The letters were clearly 
displayed and before I knew it I was challenging myself to see how many words I could make in my head. You'd be surprised at the amount. Instead of allowing myself to complain about being bored, I used it as an opportunity to do  something creative. I like this quote by Dorothy Parker: "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity," Stay curious my friend.

Mom's Potato Masher

Mom's potato masher. It's been almost forty years since the death of my mother. Her illness was short, and her passing unexpected, so we did not make time for goodbyes. In the process of going through her possessions I ended up with a few of her cooking utensils; a slotted spoon, a rolling pin, an egg beater, a soup ladle, and a potato masher. Now none of these have any monetary value, and would generally not be considered valuable. However, for almost the last forty years every meal I have prepared, and there have been many, have brought back memories of my Mom.Each time I reach for that potato masher, I think of her because growing up we had mashed potatoes for dinner almost every night. Now I can honestly say that I don't think Mom was a gourmet cook, as every vegetable I ate as a child was out of a can. But more importantly, my Mom cooked and served dinner each night as we sat down as a family at our kitchen table. Now I do remember a few tears because we were required to clean our plates regardless of how we felt about the food. We shared laughter, quarreled with a sibling or two, and talked about our day. It was at the dinner table that our Dad announced the upcoming birth of our baby sister. It was here that he read the itinerary of what would become our favorite vacation to New England to celebrate the Bicentennial in 1976. What I do know is that that the tradition of eating dinner at home was carried on with my own family. Eating out was usually reserved for the weekends and we shared many a meal around the kitchen table. I'm proud to say that my mother's legacy continues today in my daughter's home as she cooks for her family and sits down to a nightly meal around her own kitchen table. Thanks Mom for teaching me the importance of family. 

Christmas Music

Christmas music. I don't know about you, but I love Christmas music. Each year I treat myself to a new Christmas CD. I have quite a collection, and have been guilty of sneaking a listen before Thanksgiving. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to listen to them all. Collections have a way of doing that; starting out small, and eventually getting out of hand. I think one of the reasons I enjoy Christmas music so much is because I actually know the lyrics. These songs have been etched into my heart and mind from childhood. I remember going Christmas caroling as a child, and singing carols in the car as my family was looking at Christmas lights. Unfortunately, my ability to carry a tune at that time was somewhat questionable. But even so, the joy the carols brought was undeniable. I hope you take the time to enjoy listening to Christmas music this year.

Doing

Doing. I'm reading a book called The Book of Doing: Everyday Activities to Unlock Creativity and Joy by Allison Arden. I've found that for me I'm not always that good with action. I spend a lot of my time "in my head" thinking about all the things I want to do. I spend hours pinning ideas on Pinterest, but never actually getting around to doing them. I analyze, reflect, and ruminate way too much. But, I do know that, "nothing ventured, nothing gained" rings true. In her book Arden lists the Laws of Doing. These include ideas like: "It's never too late to start doing," and, "Disengage from your device," to name a few. She gives lots of fun, simple activites to help engage creativity. It sounds like this might be a fun way to jump start my own creativity through action.

The Ugly Christmas Sweater

The ugly Christmas sweater. I have noticed that the ugly Christmas sweater has found its way into Christmas tradition. Whereas, for several years you had to scour the Goodwill to find one of these gems, they are now actually being sold in retail stores. For those of us who were adults during the 90's, at least in the teaching profession, these sweaters were considered quite fashionable, and we wore them with great pride. In fact over time many teachers had enough sweaters to wear a different one every school day in December. As I scroll through Face Book I can't help but think that many of these "vintage" sweaters are still pretty darn cute. I guess it just goes to show you that "beauty" really is is in the eye of the beholder!

Life Lessons

Life Lessons. "Learn from everything," are the words of comedian Laura Weinblatt. Now as a proponent of life-long learning , I knew I had to share her simple, but powerful words.  There is a lot of truth to this message, as the world really is a classroom. It offers not only lessons, but teachers along the way, and we are given homework daily. I want to learn from my mistakes, learn new things, travel new places, meet new people, and soak up what the world has to offer. Once when I was in graduate school, I had a professor who said if we continued to make the same mistake over again, it became a choice, and not a mistake. That was a powerful lesson at the time, as I was turning a blind eye to my situation. Her wise words allowed me to reevaluate the situation and choosee a new direction. As I look forward to the start of a new year, I'm ready to embrace the learning it will bring.

Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar. Advent is the four week period prior to Christmas. The idea of the Advent calendar is a German tradition. When I was little and lived in Germany we had a calendar that had little flaps that opened each day to reveal a hidden Christmas picture. It was a fun way to count down to Christmas. When my daughter was younger her first Advent calendar revealed a piece of chocolate each day. When she was a little older she had an Advent calendar with little pockets. Each day there would be a small trinket, candy or note about a fun Christmas activity we could do together. Today I have my favorite Advent calendar of all. It consists of Santa and a small candy cane that gets moved over to the next pocket as the count down to Christmas continues. No candy, no toys, just the anticipation of the coming holiday. I think the anticipation is what makes the Advent calendar so much fun. I once read that for some people the anticipation of the event brings as much enjoyment as the event itself. I find 
this to be true for me.

Creative People

Creative people. Artist Henri Matisse says, " Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."  Now if you can honestly say this is not you, wouldn't you love for it to be? Imagine how rich your life would be with your curiosity as your guide leading you from one adventure to the next. It's easy to get bogged down by all the things we have to do, but finding a creative outlet will sweeten your life. One of my favorite things about teaching was the opportunity to be creative. Over time those opportunities became fewer and fewer as the curriculum became more standardized. Today I look for creative outlets through my writing, art, photography, poetry, and even my cooking. If you are one who is quick to insist that you are not creative, please think again. Start to look for ways that you can express yourself, and you might be surprised at how creative you really are. Take to heart the words of Matisse and claim your rightful place as one of the creative people.

The Classroom

The classroom. I've spent the majority of my life in the classroom. First as a student and then as a teacher. As a child I aspired to be Perry Mason or Nancy Drew. I never once seriously considered being a teacher. However, when the time came to attend college, I fell in love with my education classes. They were right up my alley. Just enough psychology combined with a good amount of crafting made my coursework fun and not a burden. I remember having to track the phases of the moon for a month. Each night I stood outside my dorm sketching the changing phases at exactly the same time. This and collecting aluminum foil potato boats from the cafeteria for my required science box were all fun things to me. Something else I have noticed about the classroom is how much I enjoy the physical space that it offers. Elementary classrooms are full of stuffed animals, games, books, seashell collections, and colorful posters. Just walking in each morning brings a smile to my face.  I've noticed over the years that whenever I visit a different workspace I find myself wondering if I would be happy working there. I must admit, I've not found a space I like more than the classroom. So although, I cannot say I grew up wanting to be a teacher, I'm glad the profession found me.

The Blank Page

The blank page. Have you ever found the blank page to be intimidating? Have you ever not attempted something because you feared the imperfection of the finished product? I once took an on-line class offered by a favorite author. I had read several of her books and looked forward to the class she was offering. I bought all the materials required; a fancy sketch book, an array of watercolors, and scrapbooking supplies. But, from the first lesson my discomfort grew and grew. As I looked helplessly at that blank page, I had no idea where to begin. What the author had envisioned as a fun, hands-on workshop was turning into a very uncomfortable experience. About three lessons in, I just put the materials to the side and stopped participating. I wasn't enjoying this creative endeavor. I just wasn't pleased with my product, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it needed to look a certain way.  Jennifer Moraitis, the author of The Creative 
Retreat Workbook says, that although, the blank page can be intimidating, "...if 
we stay in that safe place, if we don't take risks, we can't grow as artists." Is 
the blank page holding you back?

Ornaments

Ornaments. I'm a sucker for a sentimental Christmas ornament. Years ago I started collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. As I've been unwrapping them this year I am reminded of so many great memories. I've got a gallery collection of past and present pets, my daughter's activities throughout her childhood, and  funny moments that make us laugh. This year I added a new ornament celebrating the birth of our little grandson. In addition I chose a really cute camper to help keep the dream alive about some future travels. Along with the Hallmark collection I have ornaments given to me by former students, from friends and family, and from ornament exchanges. Although, a beautifully decorated tree is quite eye appealing, I get a kick out of adding those special personal ornaments each year. About twenty years ago we accidentally gave away all our ornaments from the first years of our marriage. They had been packed along with an old tree by the movers, and we were unaware that they were there. It sure made for one sad tree that year. I still remember that cute wooden reindeer from our very first Christmas as a married couple. Luckily, I still have a picture of it, and over the years I've been able to add to our collection. Well, I better get back to work. That tree won't decorate itself!

Color

Color. I was drawn to a box of Sharpie markers the other day. Not just any box, but a big, beautiful box of thirty different colors for the unbelievable price of ten dollars. I passed it by several times convincing myself that I didn't really need it. I even left the store and tried to forget about them. But somehow they kept calling my name. I'm partial to Sharpies because they don't run, and are perfect for outlining. You can fill them in with Crayola markers or colored pencils; it's really just up to you. A few days later when I returned I knew I had to buy them before they were gone. I try not to fall prey to a lot of impulse buys, but every now and then you just have to succumb. Especially when you can't wait to try them out. I've been out of pocket for the last week, so today's the day I plan on getting my color on. As Oscar Wilde likes to say, "Mere color can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways." I'm glad I listened.

The Toy Bully

The toy bully. Cooper is a toy bully. While visiting my daughter, son-in-law and new grandson this week, I brought along my little guy because he's such a momma's boy. He's had a fun week hanging out with his canine cousins, but it became apparent the other morning that Cooper does not know how to share. In a matter of minutes he had drug as many toys as possible into the guest bedroom so that Duke and Ellie would not have an opportunity to play with them. The funny thing about Cooper, though, is he refuses to actually take the toys out of the toy box. But I guess as soon as Duke gets them out, all bets are off! I couldn't help but laugh when I caught him in the act. I sure do enjoy this curly haired fellow.

Dogs and the New Baby

Dogs and the new baby. It's just me and the dogs right now. Grandmother duty goes beyond just the new little guy, it also includes the furry four legged ones as well. Dogs are usually our first and last babies, but along the way they have to give up their place of honor to a tiny bundle of joy that sure cries a lot. It's funny though, one of the dogs is extremely interested, and the other could care less! So I'm surrounded by dogs here in the bed while the new parents are getting a little more sleep. Fortunately, I don't mind one bit!

Artist

Artist. Do you consider yourself an artist? In my mind an artist is someone who can draw really well. Someone who lives a really unconventional lifestyle. For some reason the term "starving" always comes to mind. I've begun reading a new book by Emily Freeman called A Million Little Ways. She defines an artist as, "being brave enough to move toward what makes you come alive. She states, "Art is what happens when you dare to be who you really are." Apparently, I've painted an artist with too narrow a brush. My drawing ability is limited, but I am embracing the artist within. When I was ten, I knew exactly 
who I was. I never questioned for a moment what I liked, what I wanted, or whether the world would deliver. Now almost five decades later I'm 
rediscovering that girl again. I'm embracing my art in many ways; visual, writing, and photography to name a few. You've heard the expression, "Coming full circle." That's the opportunity that age offers. 

Baby

Baby. Life changed yesterday. A precious new life entered this world with a wail. Is he handsome?  Well of course he is! Is he the most amazing grandson ever? No doubt. Life really is a miracle. The day we found out that we were going to be grandparents he was the size of a peppercorn. Looking at him last night brought tears to my eyes. God is so good, and I can't wait to get to know this little man.