Tuesday, November 24, 2009

High School Reunion

This weekend my High School class is holding a reunion in Quincy, Massachusetts. I will not be attending, but have already contacted someone on the list who has promised to be my eyes and ears at this event [thanks, Heather!]

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away - and this year, I am thankful to Sharon and my other classmates who have taken time from their busy lives to create our class website and organize the reunion! Every new contact I make with an old friend is like receiving a new gift. And you can never have too many of those!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Sampling a little Tater Salad on Saturday Night...

This Saturday, I'm off to enjoy the comedic antics of Ron "Tater Salad" White with my friend and neighbor, Carrie. She picked up the tickets as a surprise to me, since we've both chuckled every time we've seen a taped show with Ron White in it. I realize his unique brand of humor may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I do find him funny. We normally catch shows at the Tempe Improv but this Saturday's show is in the Dodge Theater, a much larger forum. I need to pack a few tissues, since I expect to laugh so hard I'll cry! Will let you know what I think of this show! Let's hope Tater's on his game...

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Holidays are Coming...

Another festive holiday season is upon us. 20 years ago, I would have ordered custom printed holiday cards and spent hours working on my holiday card mailing list, writing out individual messages to friends and family. The year I moved to Arizona, I created my own season's greeting combination here's-my-new-address cards and mailed them out. That was 6 years ago and probably the last year I truly put any serious effort into the mailing of holiday cards.
With the prices of stamps going up, pressures to be less wasteful, more "green" and the cost of buying 100 holiday cards each year, I've whittled down my list of must sends... and swapped out snail mail for email greetings to many. My holiday card selections of late, mark-downs picked up at the end of a prior season.
This year, I'm find myself totally unprepared and feeling on the fence for what to do this year.
Do I go get full-price cards, create my own cards, write a newsletter, or skip them altogether this year? And, if I decide to post holiday greetings this year, will they even be ready in time?
As Thanksgiving quickly approaches - I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with warm, joyful moments... and if you don't receive a personally penned note this year,
I hope you'll find it in your hearts to understand!


Happy Holidays to all!


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Promises, Promises

Some days I can blog about everything that comes to mind. Other times, I find putting the things that matter most to me in my life right now hardest to put in print. Perhaps because writing them puts them out there and makes it harder for me to ignore.
I consider myself a fairly honest, straightforward person. But, the person I am most likely to dishonor is me. It's mid-November and I've made quite a few promises to myself throughout 2009 and realize I've yet to follow through completely on any of them. Sure, I have some success, but I seem to fall just short of completion. I realize my own stalling tactics are the hardest hurdles of all. So, this month, I've been working hard to address those issues, get myself back on track and accountable to myself for seeing things through.
One of my goals was to incorporate regular exercise into my day - which I've consistently achieved since early Spring. I picked up "The Automatic Diet" book by Charles Stuart Platkin a few months ago and started reading. His basic approach is to swap out unhealthy habits for healthier options until they become automatic. Walking has become part of my daily routine, just like making the bed. That's not to say I wake up every morning eager to put on my sneakers! Some mornings I feel like hitting the snooze button and skipping the walk altogether - but the realization my neighbor and walking buddy will be pounding on my back door in minutes if I'm not outside prevents me from slipping back into my more sedentary ways.
Another goal is to lose weight and improve my overall health. The Automatic Diet covers this too, suggesting you create a blueprint for achieving your goals. I've worked hard on creating my short term, medium term and long term goals, yet I find myself not quite completing my game plan for how I'm going to achieve my goal. I realize by not completing this task, I'm blocking my own road to success - allowing my fear of failure to leave me in some sort of holding pattern. When discussing this with my co-worker, she simply replied - "you just need to get off your fanny and do it!".... She is right (thanks, T). I am resolved to overcoming this hurdle and hope that I will be writing an update on how far I've come since today's confession!
While I'm unburdening myself, I'll confess I still have not completed the office re-organization - another emotionally uncomfortable task I have been avoiding. Several self-imposed deadlines have passed and I've extended them so many times, I've lost count. But, again, the only way for me to enjoy the tranquil, inviting creativity space I've envisioned in the room I refer to as my home office is to get on with it. [your thoughtful suggestions and inspirational pearls of wisdom gladly accepted]
So, it is my sincere intent to work harder at keeping promises I make to myself. I want to achieve these important goals I've set for myself. I want to prove to myself that I am truly a person of my word, just not someone who's all talk. Wish me success!