A pain in my side.....

For the last few days it has felt like I had a pulled muscle in my side. Sleeping was uncomfortable. Last night I did something about it. I didn't put heat on it, I spoke to it. Once I got into bed last night, I pictured all the people that could be causing the pain in my side and spoke to them one-to-one in my mind. This morning the "pulled muscle" is gone. This speaks to the power of mind over matter and the importance of a good night's sleep.

Before computers, life was easier......

And less frustrating. I have redesigned my website with the aid of the talented web designer, Brian Anthony. Now the site is done and I need to link it to my domain name. The site is with one company and the domain name another and understanding how the two can talk to each other is like deciphering ancient languages before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. Brian has been extremely patient with my many, many, many emails (some with screen shots) detailing the problems. While I don't literally have a headache, this process is a headache and making me grumpy. I am hoping that while I sleep tonight that G-d will command the computer geniuses to work their magic and make everything 100% perfect tomorrow morning. I just want my redesigned and awesome site to go live under the domain name. Not a lot to ask for!

Clothing quality—has it disappeared?

Tonight, I repaired holes in a brand name (think fashion icon) sweater. Luckily, they are at the color and therefore hard to see. Also, I repaired holes in a sweater of my dad's that is more than 30 years old. The other sweater I bought last year. Where has the quality of clothing gone? Brand name is no longer synonymous with quality. Too bad!

Ok, here goes...

I decided to throw myself back in the pond online and start dating. It has been 18 years and 1 marriage ending in divorce since I had a date. II took a workshop, crafted a profile, identified pictures to use and even signed on to an online dating service and yet I can't bring myself to really do it. I even came designed a tracking system in Excel (I am a productivity coach) to track matches that reach out to me and the ones I reach out to. Still no go. Is it the 18 year hiatus that scares me? Is it the between the sheets that scares me? Is it the Single Mom homeowner with a dog descriptor that scares me? Well, it is all of them. It is no longer about me meeting a mate. It is also my kid, my dog, my home and my business meeting a mate. That is a lot to swallow and easily stomach turning. And to boot I am not a water girl, but I guess I just need to dive in and get swimming. Thanks for reading (and listening to) my rant.

Goals then and now.....

I wrote these goals for a trip back packing through the US Rockies with the National Outdoor Leadership school and now fast forward nearly 20 years and I am a productivity coach helping others achieve their goals.

(P.S. I should note that some of the goals on the list were not achieved because I was sent home after three weeks with knee problems that prevented me from continuing and despite this, I still consider this trip to be one my best life experiences.)

One bite at at time

Since being diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, doing things such as writing, typing and my favorites cooking and knitting are hard, so to work on a marketing postcard I am doing one piece of it a day and by weeks end a draft copy will be done and I am following the advice I give my clients to break projects into multiple tasks and do one at a time.

Tuesday's tip: A reminder

When I checked in at the gym, I was told I had a note for missing keys and so I went to the membership desk to check the lost key bin and there were so many keys, I was stunned and thought if you're afraid of leaving something behind, set a reminder on your phone to go off 5 minutes before you leave that says, "Do I have (blank)?

Wednesday's words for a laugh...

"The trouble with being punctual is that nobody is there to appreciate it." --Harold Rome

Wednesday's words from a wise man

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome." —Samuel Johnson

Tip: Sugar busting

I discovered (much too late) the way to bust my sugar habit is to throw it out, something I practiced today with leftover candy corn—to repurpose a famous saying "One small step for my weight loss needs, one giant step for my sugar problem." (I mean no disrespect to the astronauts who landed on the moon in 1969.)

Story of first US landing on the moon—Apollo 11

Wednesday's words from Agatha Christie

"Oh dear, I never realized what a terrible lot of explaining one has to do in a murder." —Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie Biogrpahy

Vacation too long?

After being grumpy and testy all day with my mother and daughter on a shopping excursion, I am begining to wonder if my vacation has been too long and I am yearning to return home to deal with the mail, email and other household chorse or if I am just wanting time alone (sans mother and daughter) on my vacation.

In the kitchen on Thursday and Friday: Mistakes happen

I tried yesterday to make frozen yogurt and ended up with a block of yogurt until I reread the recipe and saw that I was supposed to add milk, which I did today by slightly defrosting what I had and mixing in the milk and I hope (fingers crossed) this works.

Honey Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

1C. greek yogurt (it is already strained, but some recipes recommend doing it again—I did not)
1/4. milk
1 tsp. honey
1/4 C. blueberries

Mix all ingredients in a ice cream maker. Let it "churn" for 30-40 minutes and place in freezer.

I used a Sassafras Ice Cream Maker.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXJY0S

Tuesday's Tip: Confidence Builder

Last week I had a client meeting and was worried I would smell from sweat, so I grabbed two scented panty-liners and stuck them in the armpits of my shirt (sticky side to the fabric) and instantly my confidence went up a few notches.

The short and the long of it

Today I am going with my family to the cemetery to honor those who have died which makes me think life is short and it should be in order at all times which based on recent developments with my new business makes me ask, "How do I get a client o actually commit to meeting with me when they have agreed to do so?" (Any ideas are helpful.)

Paint and Sadness

Once again my 8 year old daughter, who is into room layouts, interior design and watching HGTV, went to bed said because she doesn't think that her father and I like her grand redecorating ideas for our house, complete with paint color choices (selected today at the hardware store, when she was there with her sitter) and the real problem is we renovated the house to move in and don't want to do it again.

(Some of her selected paint colors)

Not the usual Monday

Tea with one friend, lunch with another, the gym in between and the solution to our backyard dilemma-- just replace the table and benches now and the rest when we someday redo the backyard (removing the PIA above ground pool).