It's all a job

I woke up this morning with the realization that no matter what I do for work it's still work.

I know there are people out there who have this romantic notion that "when you do what you love you never work a day in your life," but I gotta tell you that hasn't been my experience.

Even when I'm in the middle of something I absolutely, positively love there are days it's not fun.  There are days it's a grind, that I don't want to do it, and that it's really hard work.  There are aspects that I'd rather not deal with and things that must be done that I don't want to do.  And ultimately there comes a time when things have run their course and it's not fun anymore and I know it's time to move on.

So I think what I'm looking for in work is something I like a whole lot but I'm not so attached to it that I define myself by what that "job" is.  Something that brings me enjoyment while supporting me and allowing me to pursue my dreams but isn't my life.

In other words, I need to drop this idea of "the perfect job or career" and pick something "close enough" and simply run with it.

And I need to face that I'm really not a long-termer.  I'm not a person who wants to or will do the same thing forever.  Its not that I have work ADD.  It's simply that I have many interests and I'm constantly learning and growing so what fits right now won't work for me in a few years.  It's like I grow past it and my work interests have to go along or I feel stagnated and frustrated.

All of these realizations as I continue to define my new "job."

If you're unhappy with your current work situation I invite you to think about it too.  Understanding how you view work and your motivations can take you a long way toward morphing your current life into something that better reflects who you truly are.  Plus it can take you toward happiness, which is a wonderful place to be.

Consumerism

Ok I admit it.... until yesterday I didn't really get it!  Consumerism is EVERYWHERE!  I can't believe how much totally useless stuff exists and how people get caught up in it all; completely believing they must have the latest and greatest.

It started yesterday afternoon when I agreed to meet my friend CheLe at the mall.  I've mentioned our mall romps before and one thing you may remember is that she's an avid shopper and I'm - not.  In fact I like to joke that I'm like the husband, sitting in the middle of the mall bored out of my mind while she gleefully peruses rack after rack of - well I don't know of what but rack after rack of whatever racks in malls tend to hold.

Maybe it's because I've been purposely focusing on looking outward lately, I don't know, but this particular trip to the mall completely overloaded my senses!

Everywhere I went there was so much glitter, lights and shiny stuff I wanted to put on sunglasses.  My nose was assaulted with so many clashing aromas I found myself trying to hold my breath whenever possible.  And at one point a set of hidden speakers blared something that I think was supposed to be called music... but maybe it was just some terrible feedback loop... I'm still not sure.

But the thing that hit me the most was the people.  There were women at make-up counters trying thing after thing to try and make themselves look younger, the nail places were full, the clothing racks were all disordered because so many people had taken stuff off and haphazardly tried to put it back, and several times I nearly got bowled over by people laden with multitudes of bags, walking quickly toward the next store as if their life depended on it. 

As we made the rounds I caught snippets of conversations that I'm still not sure were entertaining or horrifying.  It wasn't the content of the conversations so much as the tone.  I mean there were people discussing which shade of blue is in this year as if it was going to have a major impact on world affairs.  I heard part of a discussion on those anti-theft devices stores attach to clothing and the people were talking like it was a matter of national security.  Excuse me but when did mall issues become so important?  Will the world really stop spinning if I get the wrong shade of eye liner?  Who knows.... it might :p

Another thing that got me is the prices.  I'm pretty much a thrift store and sometimes Wal-Mart shopper and I'm generally into "cheap and functional."  So you can imagine my surprise at finding a single skillet for over $200.  Yes that's just ONE!  Then there was the $750 (really ugly) dress, the $75 paper lamp shade, the $450 fancy massage chair - ok that one felt really good - and the $120 box of Lego's. Yes, $120 for plastic bricks!  Not even sure what to say about that.

So yes folks, I finally understand that consumerism is not only alive and well but rampant in America today.  And it's sad too because it's a testament to misplaced priorities and lack of appreciation for the simple things in life.

As a minimalist this offends me, as I truly believe that less is more and I'd rather have 1 multi-use gadget than 20 specialized ones that do only one thing and take up lots of room.  I have no use for glitter or high prices for name brands.  In short - I don't belong in main stream America at all.

On the Jukebox

One of the coolest features about my little car is that I can plug my thumb drive right into it and take my music with me wherever I go.  I keep it set on random so I never know what's going to pup up... so fun!

Anyway, today on the way home I heard not one but two of my absolute favorite songs.  These aren't favorites because they're quintruple platinum or because they're even particularly well known (at least not around here) but because there's something catchy about them that really grabs me.  Ya know?

So here they are....

Här Kommer Alla Känslorna - Per Gessle - This sounds like such a happy song and it wasn't until my good friend Frej translated it for me I realized it's not.  Ack... it's a break up song.  Who knew?  But I just pretend it's all happy and sing along anyway :)

Isabella - Moriarty - Thanks to Patrick for tipping me off to this song a couple months back!  He posted a clip of himself driving in the snow and this song was playing on his radio and I just fell in love with it.  Funny how these things happen.  Thanks again Patrick!

Ok your turn.  List some songs that grab you in the comments section.  Can't wait to listen :-)

Cheesecake Lessons

<===== And there it is - One yummy piece of cheesecake all ready to eat!

I actually gave most of it away, leaving just this slice for me, and I enjoyed every last morsel.  Mmmmmm..... good!

Me being me, as I enjoyed my dessert I reflected on the lessons it teaches.

First, it's good to indulge every once in a while.  Things are so much better when they're a rare treat, aren't they?  I mean this cheesecake is sooo good but the fact that I only have it every once in a while makes it extra yummy and extra special.  If I had an unlimited supply in my fridge I'd probably find it just so-so after a while.

Second, sharing is an excellent opportunity for both you and the people you share with to practice both giving and receiving. 

Of course on a physical level you're giving and the others are receiving.  That much is obvious.  But this goes a bit deeper if you think about it.

By sharing you give not only the physical gift but the emotional gift of letting the people you share with know you care about them.  You also give the receivers the opportunity to accept your gift graciously (something not everyone can do) and to express appreciation and gratitude (also something not everyone can do). 

In return of course the recipients give you a gift by making you feel good for sharing.  They give you joy and make you feel appreciated, something most people don't feel often enough.

So it's a win-win for everyone.  Well, except those ungrateful and grumpy people who would find something to complain about if you gave them a million dollars.  Dang it - too bad I didn't have enough cheesecake to go around :p

Assignment for tomorrow:  Find something to share and share it.  Hmm... maybe I'll make another cheesecake :)

Cheesecake

Ever since my friend Glenn mentioned pie I've had this hankering for some of the delectable stuff.  I haven't perfected coconut cream and I didn't want to get into the whole crust thing (which is an art in and of itself) so I chose instead to go with an old favorite...

Crustless Sour Cream Cheesecake

Amazing stuff and at under $8 to make an entire 9" pie you can't go wrong!

So ingredients in hand I whipped up this beauty just a few minutes ago.  It may not look like much but the taste is over the top dee-lish!  The ingredients are minimal (recipe below), you can put it together and have it in the oven in less than 5 minutes, and the taste is to die for.  At least that's my opinion on the matter, which is why I may just hog the whole thing myself :)

One thing that makes this cheesecake unique is that it's crustless.  Or rather, it kind of makes its own crust as it bakes.  This side view picture shows it pretty well (yay for Pyrex pans) and you can also kind of see the sour cream topping, which is another thing that makes it so yummy!

Here's the recipe in case you want to try it.  Indulge and enjoy!

16oz cream cheese - brick style, not tub (I use the regular.  You can also use low fat but it's not as good and fat free doesn't work well at all)
3 eggs
2/3 c Sugar (I usually cut this down to 1/2 cup because I don't like it to be so sweet but less than that and it messes with the texture)
1/2 tsp Almond Flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350°

Soften the cream cheese then put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until thick and yellow.

Spray a 9" pie pan with cooking spray and pour in the batter.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the sides and edges are nice and brown.  This is one reason I use a glass pan - so it's easier to see when it's done.  The cheesecake will puff way up while baking.  Don't worry about it - this is exactly what you want it to do.

Take it out of the oven and cool for 20 minutes (the top will shrink down during this time)

While cooling mix up the topping:

8oz Sour Cream (I use regular but low fat works.  Fat free doesn't work well at all.)
3 1/2 Tbls Sugar (I use 3 then throw in a little extra without measuring)
1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Pour on top of the cooled cheesecake and spread around, then pop back in the oven (which is still at 350°) and let it go another 10 minutes.

Take it out of the oven, let it cool, then chill in the fridge until ready to cut and serve.  I like it with fresh strawberries but I haven't gotten far enough to take a picture of that because it's still sitting on the stove cooling :^)

Let me know how you like it!

Decision time

Now that the psychic fair is over and I've (mostly) caught up on sleep, it's time to get serious about answering a question that's been plaguing me for months.  The question is...

What do I want to be when I grow up?

Not that I ever plan on growing up mind you, but still... in order to get myself out on the road by the end of this year I need a game plan and that plan has to include income that is mobile, supports my living expenses, and is centered around things that make me happy.

For a while now I've been oscillating between two main ideas:

1. Spiritual/intuitive guidance, psychic readings, and channeling
2. Business consulting, especially for the internet aspect of business

Two very different roads, huh?  There's a part of me that wishes I could do both and that's what I've tried to do over the last year but the results have been mediocre at best.  Because my focus is split I'm helping a few people in each area but not enough to make a life of it.  Plus it's difficult to keep changing gears all the time and remembering which hat to wear when.  Therefore it's time to choose.

And it's a really hard choice.  I am skilled in both areas and have done both on a personal and professional level.  Both can easily be set up to be mobile and can also support me financially.  Both have aspects I love doing and aspects I could do without.  So it comes down to this:

Which one will take me toward my long term goals and which will make me happier?

That's what I'm pondering this week, mentally and emotionally trying each on and seeing how they feel.

I'm excited to see which side of the fence I end up on!

High school drama

No, not that kind ;^)

I'm talking about the drama club, which I was an active member of way back in high school.  It was loads of fun and a lot of hard work, and I learned many things about life by participating in those productions.

Over the weekend at the psychic fair, I remembered something that our high school drama teacher told us:

You will make mistakes.  You know it, I know it but the audience DOESN'T know it so when it happens just roll with it and the show will appear to come off flawlessly.

Guess what.... that's true!

There were lots of little mistakes over the weekend.  Silly things that I should have caught and for the life of me I don't know how I missed.  This really got to me as I had double and triple checked things and was SURE I was on top of it this time.

Ugh!

But from the feedback we got from exhibitors and the public, this show was absolutely marvelous!  People were impressed at what a wonderful show we put on and the professionalism and high quality.  In short, despite ME (and my boss) knowing about the little mistakes, to outside eyes we pulled it off flawlessly.... go us!

The point here is twofold.

First, we all make mistakes.

Second, they're not nearly as big a deal to everyone else as they are to us.  Often not even noticeable to the untrained eye. 

So do your best, accept some minor glitches as part of life, and don't be so hard on yourself.  You may see yourself a walking screw-up but trust me... to the rest of us you're fabulous!

Through newcomers eyes

I've been working the psychic fair for a few years and been somewhat involved in the community for well over a decade now.  So as cool as all this stuff is, it's also old hat to me and I sometimes forget the awe and wonder I felt the first time I experienced this type of thing.

Today I got a rare treat as I got to view the fair through the eyes of a newcomer and once again catch a glimpse of the sparkle that captivated me so many years ago.

It started innocently enough as a friend arrived and I showed him around a bit.  As we walked and I pointed out different booths and vendors, I became more and more aware of how excited this young man was and how he practically floated off the ground with each step.  Truly this was like Christmas for him and he could hardly contain himself as he looked at all the cool stuff and tried to decide what to experience first. 

I had to get back to work so he drifted off to meander through booths, get a reading and attend some seminars.  But throughout the day as our paths crossed I continued to notice how happy he was and how awe struck by everything there is to do there.  What a blessing to be reminded of how exciting it is to see things with beginner's eyes. 

Makes me want to find shiny, new things to experience in my own life, or at the very least order a new set of eyes for myself so I can capture that amazement and wonder I saw in that young man today.

The day is done

I just got home from setting up for the Victory of Light Psychic Expo.  Was great to see all the regulars as they came in to  set up their booths, and to meet first time exhibitors.  It's going to be a great show this weekend.... come out if you're in the area!

One thing that always amazes me is the crystal vendors.  They bring in box after HEAVY box of crystals and gemstones; unloading them in record time and setting up what amounts to an entire store.  They are so organized and work with such precision and synchronicity.... I'm truly awe struck watching them work!  What's even more amazing is they do it weekend after weekend, hauling their merchandise from show to show all over the country. 

It's also fun to preview the booths, as I won't have much time to do it over the weekend.  Besides crystals we have all sorts of jewelry, clothing, pottery, Native American items, healing sessions, energy work, readings, music, and other things I'm sure I can't remember at the moment.  There are also over 50 - that's right FIFTY seminars running all weekend long on everything metaphysical you can imagine.  Very cool stuff and I'm always happy to be able to participate in such a wonderful event!

Well that's it for now... I'm off to be so I can function in the morning.  If I see you this weekend cool, if not have a great weekend and I'll catch you later :)

Can I have a reservation?

Sometimes things strike me as incredibly silly and I end up giggling about them for weeks.  Like last month on the way to Cleveland, when I saw this sign along the highway:

Now intellectually I understand what they're getting at.  But when I saw the sign all I could think of was, "wow, they're telling impaired drivers where to get more drugs!"

You know...  if you're stoned call #677 to get the lo-down on where the drug activity is ;^)

That thought stuck with me, then a couple of days ago I was headed east out of town and saw this sign:

Which once again sent me into fits of giggles as I imagined someone calling #677 and saying, "Hi I'm a drug dealer and I need a weekend off... can I make a reservation at my local prison please?"  Extra funny to me since I actually knew a woman who'd go to a bar and pick a fight so she could get thrown in jail for the weekend.  Said it was like a free vacation from her crazy husband and kids.  Seriously.  I kid you not.  She did this.

Now if you're sitting there scratching your head and wondering where the humor is in this little story all I can say is "guess you had to be there!"

Have a great day :-)

I hope it doesn't rain

Yesterday I made some calls to arrange for a truck to take some stuff to the convention center for the psychic fair this weekend.

I couldn't connect with the lady whose van we were going to use so I arranged to borrow a pick-up instead and very happily called my boss to tell him I'd be at his place at noon today with the truck.  To which he replied:

Gee I hope it doesn't rain.

Which deflated me for all of 10 seconds after which I bounced back and assured him the weather would be perfect.  Which it was :)

But it got me to thinking about how the natural human inclination is to expect the worst.  I mean think about it - how often do you hear statements like these?

• There's a 30% chance of rain tomorrow
• The unemployment rate is 8%
• About 10% of students drop out of high school
• 50% of marriages end in divorce
• 1% of children are born with *insert condition here*

Why do we always focus on the negative aspect of things?  Why can't we say instead:

• There's a 70% chance of sun tomorrow
• 92% of Americans are employed
• 90% high school seniors will get their diploma this year
• 50% of marriages last
• 99% of children are born healthy

In most cases positive numbers greatly outweigh the negative ones.  Yet we choose to concentrate on the negatives as if they're the most important thing in the world.  Why is this?

I could be wrong but I think we don't naturally think in positive terms because - well because it's not natural.

Most people are barraged with negativity upon negativity from the moment they're born.  Since our beliefs are formed from our experiences, is it any wonder that people turn out to be negative Nellies by the time they're adolescents?  For most of us it's so ingrained in our way of thinking we do it unconsciously, not even realizing how negative we truly are.

There's a whole lot of reasons why I don't think this is a good way to approach life.  I'm not going to go into them here (at least not right now), but suffice to say that since I've made a concerted effort to flesh out my own negative thought patterns I've learned a lot about myself - AND - in changing them to more positive patterns I've experienced steady improvements in all areas of my life.

A better life eh?   Sounds like a pretty good reason to figure this out.  What do you think?

Were you emotional last night?

I've been doing really well with the depression thing - so well in fact I pretty much thought I had it kicked.

But last night I started getting all emotional, and for no reason I could figure out.  It got worse and worse until I ended up sitting there, staring at a candle flame wishing the world would end.  At the same time however another part of me was watching myself and thinking about how silly it all was.

Finally, a beep from my cell phone snapped me out of it and I got up and went about the evening as if nothing had happened.  Weird.

At first I blew it off as just a temporary flashback to the days of depression, but then I was talking to several  of my online friends who (in separate conversations) mentioned getting really emotional all of a sudden for no discernible reason.  Then someone called me saying essentially the same thing.  Then my daughter texted me saying how over-the-top emotional she was - and for no real reason.  Finally this morning I talked to 3 different people who all experienced a similar thing last night.

What the heck is going on here!

My theory is that some uber-emotional energy wave passed through the earth last night and hit us pretty hard.  That's why so many people I talked to, in different states and countries and one even on a different continent, all experienced being super emotional.

To me this makes perfect sense, and not spiritually (though there is that aspect) so much as scientifically.  Thanks to Einstein and other super smart people, we now know that energy and matter are interchangeable and that at our most basic level we aren't solid at all but really swirling balls of energy clumped together into matter that takes the form of what we call a "human body."

So we are really energy.  And it makes sense that other energy passing through would affect us energetically, which would then translate into affecting us on a physical (matter) level.

I liken what happened last night as a kind of energetic storm, which emotionally influenced those of us in it's path.  Like a tornado it may not have hit everyone but those who it did hit got slammed pretty hard. 

What about you?   Did you experience anything like this last night or early this morning or did the storm miss?

4 day count down

I woke up this morning with the realization that there are only FOUR days until the Victory of Light Expo.  Ok technically 5 but I'll be there all day Friday organizing set-up so it's 4 for me.

Last November the final week of preparation was super stressful, and for a short time I considered not doing this one.  I'm looking for less stress in my life, not more and November was way over the top!

But I did decide to stay on and with that decision I made a new resolution:

The April show will go off without a hitch, things will run smoothly, be stress free, and be done ahead of schedule!

I'm happy to report that so far things are going exactly as planned!  Everything is ahead of schedule and I feel like I have an entire week to finish just a few little things.  I just love when things work out so nicely :)

For me this also renews my faith in the power of intention. 

You see nothing about this show is different.  The work is the same.  The timeline is the same.  My boss is the same.  It's all the same.  The only thing that changed was ME.  I decided to have a super easy and stress free show.  I put it out there, expected it, and the couple times that things got a little stressful I stopped and said "No!  I said STRESS FREE and I meant it!  Now shape things up Universe!"

Yes I really said that and quite loudly on one occasion

Guess I have a direct line because it's working out beautifully :)

And hey... if you're in town stop and see the show this weekend.  I'll be there all weekend and I'd love to say hi!

Taxes

The taxes are done --- finally!

This year I found myself saying over and over, “Maria you have to get this done!” then putting it off longer and longer until I finally ran out of time.

I know why too. I had this suspicion I’d owe money this year and ugh! Turns out I was right :/

First time through I ended up owing THOUSDANDS… which, given my income, I could hardly fathom. A double check revealed a decimal error which thankfully turned the thousands into hundreds…. Whew!

But I still owe money and it’s money I really don’t have to spare which kind of makes me bitter toward the government. I mean it’s not like they use OUR money sparingly, live on a budget or have to do without right?

So looking for something to be grateful for (and frankly not finding it in this moment) I sent the return and payment in, deciding to be grateful that it wasn’t thousands after all :)

And I resolved that next year I’ll owe more in taxes than I made for all of 2011! Why? Because if I owe that much it means I made a whole heck of a lot more than that so hey… I’ll be happy to share the wealth!

Oh and after completing this momentous task I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. I took myself down to the corner grocery and got a nice, rich piece of double fudge cake and a pint of ice cream!

Definitely NOT paleo but after today’s tax hassle trust me… nothing was gonna make me feel better than that ooey-gooey-chocolaty-goodness!

Ahhhh…. I feel so much better now :-D

Mars goes direct!

Courtesy Hubble.org

Yes it's official... after 11 weeks of retrograde Mars finally goes direct today!

While that may not mean anything to most people, to those in Astrology it means a lot!  Mars is the planet of energy and action, and since January we've been kind of sitting on the fence - building energy but not really going anywhere.

This changes today, Friday the 13th (woot!), specifically at 11:53pm Eastern.  What that means to us is that things we've been thinking about will start to move forward, doors will open, we'll start taking action and gain energy for huge positive changes in the weeks ahead.  I'm so excited!

I've known for a while big changes are coming for me and that things would take a giant leap ahead toward the end of this month.  The energy of Mars confirms this and I KNOW big things are right around the corner.

Today I invite you to look at your own life and see if this applies to you too.  I suspect it does, and we can all look forward to lots of energy and action in the near future.

Want to know more?  Check out these interesting and informative links:

Astro Dispatch - Regeneration & Change: Mars goes Direct

Aquarius Papers - Mars Stationary Direct

 

Snippets of thought

Here are just a few of the things I'm pondering today....

Why do people on the internet voice their opinion then get upset when others don't agree?

Why does Facebook keep changing the look of pages? I'm not sure I want a timeline yet it turns out I have to have one.

Why did Google+ copy Facebook's timeline look and why didn't they tell me before they changed everything?

Why are paper credentials often valued more than real life experience?

Why is my daughter dreaming about hippos?

Is "reality" real or is everything a matter of perception?

Why does it take so long for YouTube videos to upload?

Am I going to get my taxes done before the deadline? Do I even care?

How come I keep buying avocados and forgetting to eat them before they go bad?

Why can't we buy raw milk, cream and butter at the grocery store?

What am I going to be when I grow up?  Oh wait - I'm never growing up :^)

That's it for now.... quite a lot swirling around in this head of mine today!

Is free time really free?

For the last few days I've hit the ground running.... some days literally running!

We're less than 2 weeks from the psychic fair and deadlines are looming so I don't have a moment to spare.

What I realized this morning as I lay in bed contemplating getting up is that the mind chatter that keeps me swirling around out of focus about certain things has virtually stopped.  I'm not worried about things simply because I don't have time to worry.  Ironically even though I'm super busy I'm getting more done than ever and every day I find myself more positive and action oriented toward my goals.  Pretty cool!

So now - me being me - I'm thinking about how I can keep this focused, "can do" attitude as I pursue a quieter, more serene life.  You'd think it would be easy.  After all don't most people long for more free time and less run-run-run?  But for me, too much free time leads me down the road to depression and that's not a good thing.

Which leads me to the question: Is free time really free?

I thought about this as I ran errands today, between phone calls, and eating lunch and what I cam up with is this:

Freedom isn't a function of how much free time one has available.  It's living exactly the way you want to live, according to your terms and no one else's.

For some people that means lots of quiet, solitude, and "do nothing" time while for others it's all about being busy, achieving ever greater goals and surrounding themselves with people and activity. 

As for myself, I value lots of quiet time and solitude but at the same time I want to feel happy and at peace - not depressed.  There was a time I lived that way and my next project is to focus on getting that back.


Working on that one and I'll keep you posted.

In the mean time let me know how the idea of lots of free time feels to you.  Is it quiet, serene, peaceful?  Or is it edgy and restless?  Or maybe it leads to depression like it has for me.  Things to ponder.

Why are people so old!

So I'm sitting in a restaurant with a friend last night and we're a couple of giggly girls and we're talking about stuff as giggly girls do and then I mention that all the men I know my age are so OLD!  I don't mean old in years because hey - they're my age.  What I mean is old in spirit.  Like they've forgotten how to just have fun and when I act like my silly self around them they tend to get grumpy.... ugh!

The more we talked about it the more we realized that it's not just the men.  MOST people our age seem to have forgotten how to let the kid in them shine.  I mean really, how many middle aged people do you know who sit in restaurant booths giggling and blowing the straw papers at each other and cracking ridiculously silly jokes?  How many people our age explode into peals of laughter playing video games with their nieces? 

The truth is I'm darned silly most of the time and I know that's too much for many responsible, middle-aged adults to handle.  And I understand why too. I'm at a place in my life where I don't have a lot of responsibilities so I don't have a lot to get grumpy about :-D

Even still, I think it's a great idea for most people to lighten up a little.  Go ahead.... blow bubbles in your milk, chase your kids around the back yard, do something mindless and fun!  Let me clarify.... mindless, fun KID stuff.  That's important.  Fun adult stuff just isn't the same as really getting into the spirit of being a kid.

Your mood will improve and with it your outlook on life and with it your responsibilities will seem lighter and easier to handle.  Can't knock that huh?

So what silliness are you going to unleash on the world today?

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter!  Aren't these the cutest little egg ornaments?  My friend Arleen made them and I took some pictures at her house a few weeks ago.  She even has a little Easter tree to hang them on... so cute :)

 

 

By the way, Arleen just started her own blog, and you can follow her adventures through crafting and history at: http://thebeautyofthepast.blogspot.com/.  She's an amazing lady - kind of a big sis to me - and I admire her drive and independence.  I want to be just like her when I grow up :)

That's it for today.... have a Happy Easter and I'll catch you later :^)

Looking into the distance

Today as I took a walk I made a point to concentrate on looking as far into the distance as I could.  This is difficult for me for several reasons.

First because I'm an introvert by nature, then because my work is mostly at arm's length so I naturally focus close up, and finally because there was a time I was punished for noticing the world around me.  So I learned to block it out.

No, the getting punished wasn't a childhood thing.  I have wonderful parents!  It was an ex-husband thing, and I'm still working to discard the habit of looking down or even closing my eyes as I walk.

So today when I turned down this street I looked out as far as I could and tried to see the school that I know is at the end (some 3 blocks away).  It wasn't visible at first but what I did notice was how different things look in the distance, the shapes and contrast of trees and buildings, and the feeling of expansion.

This is one reason I can't wait to explore the western United States.  I've heard it's soooo big there!  Haven't seen it though, except by plane and a couple immensely relaxing and fun drives through west Texas some years ago.  Does that qualify as the west or not?

Getting back to my walk, it was interesting to me that every time I forgot to remember to look outward, i.e. wasn't making a conscious effort to do so, I found myself blocking out the scenery and getting into my own head again, sometimes even closing my eyes as I walked.  Funny thing about that - I must have an extra eye somewhere because I never run into anything :)

I think my point today is that it's important to see the world from different perspectives, and it's amazing the things that you see when you succeed in doing so.  I'm not just talking about physically looking at things differently though that certainly counts.  I'm also talking about looking at different points of view, entertaining values and ideas different than your own, trying things you wouldn't normally try, and sometimes stepping into roles that are a bit out of your comfort zone.

Yes this can be difficult and the pull to close your eyes and do things the old way is strong.  Heck I bet I closed my eyes over 20 times in that 45 minute walk!  But by concentrating on my assigned task - to focus as far away as possible - I saw things differently than I could have otherwise and gained new perspective about the world around me.

Good stuff, and I'm gonna do it again tomorrow :)

Belly laughs

I spent yesterday afternoon with two of my nieces, playing math games, watching them on the trampoline, and playing a silly video game in which I was a zombie chick with a pretty pink dress, fangs, a mustache and way cool sombrero.  Very early on I figured out that I was an expert at getting killed... woo hoo! So I spent most of the game inadvertently blowing myself up again and again, which was incredibly funny :^)

At one point we realized that somehow I'd managed to not only stay alive but actually outlast the girls and it got funnier and funnier as I frantically tried to make it to the end of the board and (finally) complete a level.  At one point I was laughing so hard I couldn't even see the TV and my niece had to take over the controller.  Soooo funny!

The entire afternoon was filled with laughter and silliness and it reminded me of how much this is missing from my life.  Oh I'm happy enough but it's more a feeling of being content, which isn't at all the same as the gut-busting, endorphin releasing, uncontrollable laughter you get when goofing off to your heart's delight!

I have a couple friends my age who remember how to let go and do this too, but for the most part the adults I know seem to have forgotten how to just be silly.  Sad thing as I think we could all use a little more of it.

So today I offer you a challenge:

Sometime between now and this weekend find something to bust a gut over!

It can be anything you want, with the only requirement being it has to make you laugh until you can hardly breathe (but not so much that you pee...hehe!).  Try it and see just how good it makes your insides feel :)

No Monday newsletter

Yesterday was Monday and I was supposed to send out my weekly newsletter.  I've been publishing it for over 5 years now and this is only the second Monday I've missed.

I had the first draft written last week and I intended on finishing it up Sunday but had to work for the psychic fair so it didn't happen.  Then Monday morning I was running late and by the time I got home Monday night I was too tired to focus on it.  So it didn't go out.

I thought about doing a Tuesday or even Wednesday issue but then I decided nah... next Monday is ok with me.  Why?  Because my life is going through a lot of changes, including changes in priority, work and learning to be more flexible and it could be time to drop the rigid weekly schedule and be a bit more spontaneous.

Not saying that I will... just something I'm thinking about as I continue to morph into the new, lighter, freer Maria.

Which brings me to YOU.

Because today I wanted to let you know that it's ok to change your M-O if what you're doing doesn't work so well anymore.   You don't have to do wear the same outfit every Monday, have meatloaf for dinner every Wednesday, golf every Saturday at 7am or get your hair done every third Tuesday of the month.  YOU are in charge of your life and it is YOU who gets to decide what you do and when.

Something worth remembering, especially since it's so easy to fall into the ruts of habit and self-made obligation.  Think about it and consider shaking things up a little.  Could be fun :-)

Quiet on the blog

A few people have e-mailed me lately asking where my blog posts have gone.  I'm still here, it's just that work is taking presidence right now as the Victory of Light festival is mere weeks away.  Heck I've already pulled a few late night shifts and there are more to come, including a few of those inevitable all nighters... ugh!

Rest assured I'll keep updating as time allows, and of course feel free to drop me a line any time :)