Appreciated

Well, I'm sitting here with five new cake stands sitting on the floor behind me...drying. I will get it all done, I will get it all done, I will get it all done..... :)

Do you work outside the home? If you do, then I am assuming you have a boss, unless you own your own business. I am a secretary for the Special Education Department of a school district. I can honestly say that this is probably the best job I have ever had. The pay is good, the benefits are great, the atmosphere is very comfortable, the people are all nice and I feel appreciated.

I think many people either love or hate their jobs based on whether or not they feel appreciated. I feel very fortunate.

How do your bosses make you feel? Do they let you know that they appreciate all you do? Are you a boss? How do you treat your staff? Do you let them know how much you appreciate what they do for you?

Secretary's Day was this week and our district always treats all of the support staff to a wonderful luncheon at a really great restaurant. We had a really nice time and the food was great! Then my two bosses gave me flowers...beautiful tulips and little purple irises, and gift cards to my two favorite stores...Joann Fabrics and Starbucks.

Life is so very, very good.

Waiting on My New Business Cards

There were so many great thoughts on my Cleansing post from yesterday. Be sure to go back and check out Matt's comment. He had some interesting things to say.

Well, I ordered my new business cards. I am so excited that I will finally have a card I will be proud to hand out. I hope they turn out good. My original card, like I said before was just one of Vista Prints designs. It was cute, but had nothing to do with me or my shop at that time.

I had this card designed by kittylili and she did an awesome job. It will be a two-sided, glossy, round corner card. One side for FourDogDay and the other side for MyOtherShop. I love the photo I chose for FourDogDay. It's one of my favorites and I think it was perfect for this style of card. MyOtherShop was a little harder. I make so many different things that it was hard to decide what to use, but on the other hand...everything I make didn't work well for the card. I ended up with my black and white coasters. They should print well and they worked with the style of the card. I would have loved to use a pillow, but photographing that so people could tell what it was seemed a bit difficult.

I am working really hard to get things done for the show. May 17th doesn't sound very far off to me when I look at my overflowing work table. I am concerned that I won't get it all done. I know I will only sell a small fraction of what I take, but I also know that the more I have, the more to pick from and the better odds of people finding something to their liking....so I continue to create each and every day.

I am applying for a two day show in October. It's at the brand new Lake County Fair Grounds so that could be nice. I've heard good things about the show. Not sure about the two day thing, but we'll give it a try. It's also juried, so we'll see if I get in. I'll try to send my application this weekend.

Well, that's it for today friends. I have so much to get done tonight.

Cleansing

Have you ever done any kind of "cleanse"? I know...there are as many different kinds of cleanses as there are people that want to do them. Some people swear by them and some say it's a bunch of unnecessary hogwash.

When I worked at the natural health office we started carrying a line of products by Isagenix. Isagenix has it's own cleansing program. The thought behind it is that toxins in our bodies become surrounded by fats that keep them in our body. They feel that with the proper cleanse...like theirs...that you can release those toxins from your body. This one also claimed to help you lose weight.

This wasn't a colon cleanse where you poop your brains and everything else out of your system, although it did have different affects on different people that used it.

Over the course of about 18 months, I did that cleanse three times. I would get a headache for a few days due to the sugar withdrawal and then slowly I would start to feel pretty darn good. This cleanse was very little food and mostly nutritious shakes and their little snacks. I liked all of it, but not eating is torture for me and each time I did it, I couldn't wait to be done. I always swore that I would not go back to eating the crap when I was done...and each time I did. Not right away, but eventually.

I have a friend that does a lot of cleanses and does juicing cleanses and stuff. Just not sure I can pass on the real food anymore....but I'm thinking about it. Just have to find one that I can tolerate.

What made me start thinking about cleanses was the fact that Matt, my son out in Colorado, is going to do his second cleanse. Matt chooses to do this Master Cleanse that I don't think I could ever do....and you do poop your brains and a lot of other stuff out during this one. Uh...no thank you.

Matt's cleanse bothers me because all it is is lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper....oh and you drink a laxative tea! I think I would not only be pooping my brains out, but I don't think I could even drink something like that. I also think I would get weak and sick from lack of anything remotely close to nutrition.

The last time Matt did this cleanse, after the first couple of crabby and sick feeling days, he actually felt awesome. He said his head felt so clear and his body felt amazing. So, today is day one for Matt of his 10 day cleanse. He said he just felt it was time and he loved the way it made him feel last time.

Mommy told him if he would stop putting toxins into his body, he wouldn't have to keep cleansing them out. His immediate retort was that you get toxins from the air and water and food as well as other things you might choose to put into your body. Of course, I know that, but I love to tease him. He's such a charming little target.

Sometimes I think if we would just eat better and exercise and really not put toxins in, the toxins that we "accidentally" get in our air and water wouldn't be so harmful.

So, have you ever done a cleanse? If so, what one and what were you trying to achieve?

Good luck Matti! Drop me a line and let me know how you are doing tonight. I love you!

To Go Or Not To Go...That Is The Question

Our 40th high school reunion is this summer. Irv already said he has no interest in going....I'm still holding out until I see who else plans to be there. Irv and I graduated from Cary-Grove High School in 1969. Our graduating class was a whopping 180 kids.

I wasn't a great student. It wasn't because I didn't have the ability, I just really didn't care. I just couldn't figure out what algebra or knowing the dates of every war ever fought by man would do to help me in my life...oh, funny thing....they don't! I got average grades until my senior year when I decided that I wanted to make the honor roll before I left high school, and I did....twice.

My sister Karen was a senior when I was a freshman. She was pretty popular and teachers loved her. I was a chatty, lazy little smart ass. Teachers couldn't believe we were related!

I wasn't very outgoing, and most of the time stayed within my own little group of friends. I met Irv at the end of my junior year and he became my best friend.

I enjoyed chorus and all of the musical programs and had the part of a dance hall girl in the musical Oklahoma. One of my friends taught me how to twirl a baton over the summer so I could try out with her in the fall. I tried out and made the squad and got kicked off within a month. I asked if I could miss a football game performance so I could go visit my sister in Michigan. She had gotten married and moved away and I missed her terribly. The director told me if I went I was off the squad....I went.

I wasn't part of any of the clubs or groups...I wasn't a groupie kind of person then and that hasn't changed.

They started a reunion website where we can enter a profile and photos. I did that and have actually been in touch with a number of people from our class. It's really fun reading what people are up to. One of the girls suggested some us get together before the reunion.
Not sure if I'm ready for that. I am so unsociable!

Have you gone to any of your high school or college reunions? Was it fun? Did you renew any old friendships after the reunion?

I'll let you know what we decide.....

In case you are wondering, I'm in the third row from the top, second one from the right....what a serious look! :)

I am So Into This Book!

I apologize for this post being so long, but I am so intrigued by this book that I wanted to share some things I read last night with you.....

I'm still reading "The Power Of Now" by Eckhart Tolle. I got sidetracked by another book, but I am back to it. While reading last night I came upon a section of the book that really hit home with me.

Eckhart was talking about how the majority of people live in the past and the future rather than in the present. Are you like that? I know I am.

I constantly find myself reliving things from my past...not just things from a few days or a few weeks ago, but things from years and years ago. I even replay past conversations in my head. I am also always thinking about the future and how things will be IF or WHEN....

In the book, the author talks about how doing those things has a tremendously negative impact on the quality of our lives and really serves no purpose. You can't change the past and you really can't predict the future. The only thing you CAN control is this very moment...NOT five minutes ago and NOT five minutes from now....hence the name of the book.

I've told you before that I try very hard not to worry or fear things that I can't control, and I'm really pretty good with that, but that doesn't stop me from obsessing over past mistakes or the future itself.

Here are some awesome excerpts from the book:

"Are you stressed? Are you so busy getting to the future that the present is reduced to a means of getting there? Stress is caused by being here but wanting to be there or being in the present but wanting to be in the future. It's a split that tears you apart inside."

"Are you worried? Do you have what if thoughts....Ask yourself what problem you have right now, not next year, tomorrow, or five minutes from now. What is wrong with this moment? You can always cope with the Now, but you can never cope with the future--nor do you have to"

"One day I'll make it." Is your goal taking up so much of your attention that you reduce the present moment to a means to an end? Is it taking the joy out of your doing? Are you waiting to start living? If you develop such a mind pattern, no matter what you achieve or get, the present will never be good enough; the future will always seem better.

"Large scale waiting" is waiting for the next vacation, for a better job, for the children to grow up, for a truly meaningful relationship, for success, to make money, to be important, to become enlightened. It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living....you don't want what you've got, and you want what you haven't got. With every kind of waiting, you unconsciously create inner conflict between your here and now, where you don't want to be, and the projected future, where you want to be. This greatly reduces the quality of your life by making you lose the present."

"When you honor, acknowledge, and fully accept your present reality--where you are, who you are, what you are doing right now--when you fully accept what you have got, you are grateful for what you have got, grateful for what is, grateful for being."

I have always been grateful for the things he mentions, I think most of us are...yet I spend a lot of my precious time longing to have success, more money, to live somewhere else, to be retired....by doing that, I am forcing myself to think of nothing but the future and how much better it will be, when in reality, things are pretty awesome right now. What if none of those other things ever transpire? What if my life IS what it IS right at this very moment, and that's all it ever IS? Would that be terrible? NO not at all.

So, starting today...I am trying very hard to think of just today. To be so grateful for what I do have that I don't desire anything else and I stop wishing my life away.

I will let you now how I am doing and what other interesting chapters I come upon in Eckhart's book. It is definitely a great read!

It's Raining in My Heart

It's raining outside today and actually my heart feels a little rainy too. I just found out that one of my parent's best friends passed away today. Her name was Ruth and she was 89 years old. My parents have been gone for quite a while and Ruth's husband Mort died a number of years ago as well. I don't know how my parents came to be friends with Mort and Ruth, but they were very good friends and Mort was actually my God Father.

Mort and Ruth lived in the same little town that we lived in...Fox River Grove. They had four children and I was good friends with their daughter Lisa. She was my same age. Lisa and I hung out when we were younger and through grade school.

Lisa ended up moving to Colorado after school, married and had two children. We've kept in touch through Christmas cards and got to to spend a little time together once when she was here visiting her family.

Aunt Ruth and Uncle Mort as we affectionately called them were awesome people. They were good parents and had a strong marriage. They were into chiropractic long before I even knew what it was. I always thought it was so cool that Uncle Mort had his initials and the year he was born on his license plate! I had never seen that before. They had a wonderful old house with a big yard. I always loved their house and the warm feeling you always had when you were there.

When I was cleaning houses back some years ago, I use to go over every couple of weeks and give their townhouse the once over. It was always nice to see them and chat. They were very proud of their Norwegian heritage and adored their children and grandchildren. What a long and wonderful life Ruth had!

Most of my parent's friends are gone now and it does feel a little sad each time you lose another "connection" to your parents and your childhood. I have nothing but good memories of Aunt Ruth that I will carry with me always.

Productive Day for Me

I apologize, but this is going to be a short post. I am exhausted! Irv and I headed out this morning to give blood. We try to do that regularly, but it never seems to work out that way. I am O negative, plus I have never been exposed to some kind of common virus, so my blood is "extra extra special" so they tell me. I decided today to make our next appointment right now and maybe that way they won't have to call us 100 times to ask us to come in. :)

Next we headed out to Michael's Craft Store and Joanne Fabrics. I bought some bare wood picture frames that I will paint and add paper to, and some fabric to finish up some pillows. Next we visited three resale shops where I hit the jackpot with plates for cake stands, and little miscellaneous cups and containers that will be turned into pin cushions.

I got photos to kittilili who is designing my new business cards. I decided on this leaf photo for the FourDogDay side with the phrase..."Visual Poetry...photographs and note cards." Part of that phrase was suggested by Cecile/DreamCreateRepeat . Then for MyOtherShop, I'm going to use my hip black and white coasters for the photo with the phrase..."Accessories for the home...eclectic, whimsical and functional. Part of that one came from Pickles on Pizza. So, thank you everyone for the great suggestions. I can't wait to see what the cards will look like. I'll share them with you as soon as we have the final design!

The rest of the day was spent sealing coasters, photographing coasters, painting picture frames and finishing up some odds and ends so I can get them out of my workspace. I got so much done, but my back and head are telling me it's time to close up shop for the night. So have an awesome evening...pizza is on it's way!