The hand you’re dealt
“Life is like a hand of cards. You have to play the hand you’re dealt, you can’t win by folding, and sometimes you must take chances in order to win.” ~ Mike Conner
Life isn’t fair, but it is good. It’s a constant maneuvering of decisions, points of view, strategies, action and direction. We’re all recipients of a deal. None alike, each one unique. How we play it, what we make of it and what we get out of it is up to us.
Beggars can’t be choosers
Begging for food isn’t easy. If I sit still like this… bat my eye lashes like this… smile a little like this… will it work? By the way, I don’t like veggies anymore. The lettuce you gave me the other day gave me the runs! This girl needs her proteins (hint).
HOPE
Even on the gloomiest day and rain is pouring down hard… the clouds will open up and light will shine through. ~ Christine Sternfels
When I grow up…
When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to grow up.
Now that I’m older, I wish I was a kid again. ~ Christine Sternfels
Driving Miss Daisy
Daisy: “Charles, I think we’re lost. We must stop for directions.”
Charlie: “Shush woman, I know what I’m doing… ooh look…. camera, say cheese!”
…
Do you ever wonder what your dogs are talking about?
…
CHANGE
Yesterday I was clever,
that is why I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise,
that is why I am changing myself.
~ Sri Chinmoy
…
Why is it difficult for some of us to simply be the change we want to see in the world? I believe we wake up with the best intentions, but they are empty promises without taking action. If there is one word to identify what gets in my way to change for the better, it would be strength. I am working on that. What is yours?
Unplug
“The best way to recharge is to unplug.” ~ Christine Sternfels
Nowadays, between gadgets, noise, tv, life and the voices in your head, it gets draining. I’ve decided to unplug my computer and phone this week, surround myself with loved ones and go out there to enjoy nature so I can recharge. See you in a week!
Being alive
“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable.” ~ Madeleine L’Engle
The four-legged human
“Dogs never talk about themselves but listen to you while you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.” ~ Jerome K. Jerome
Grow
“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”
~ Author unknown
Let’s agree to disagree
This is what I always tell my scale when it comes back with my weight. Each time I step on it, I hold my breath for two reasons. The suspense and because my stomach’s in the way.
Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake. ~ Author Unknown
I’m always on a diet. My favorite is the ‘seefood’ diet. I see food, then I eat it. With every fad diet comes a few things in common – watch what you eat and exercise. So if it’s that simple, then why have I spent thousands of dollars on drops, videos, pills, memberships and plans? Because they all work! It’s my will power that doesn’t.
So far I’ve lost 40 pounds in the last year. I have 35 to go. My daughter’s getting married in 4 months and there’s this cute dress she wants me to wear. If I fall off the wagon, I will look like a pink sausage with stubs. I know I can do this, I just need to stay strong and continue to learn more about ways to stay healthy.
What do you do when you’re tempted to eat bad food or too lazy to exercise? Do you have any tips?
Messages
What is the Universe telling you?
Could it be, that fortune cookies may actually be valid messages? That’s almost like saying the magic 8 ball can help me with my decisions, right? Well… I wouldn’t take it that far, but lately I’ve been reaching one crossroad after another because I want to do so many things. I couldn’t decide and that night’s fortune cookie came at the right time because I was actually contemplating going back to work.
“Decide what you want and go for it.”
One thing is for sure, I didn’t want to go back to work, I just need to stick to my plan. Eventually I was able to focus. I made a list, identified which ones I was passionate about and which ones were desirable. As I categorized my list, I started putting them in order.
I’ve completed the first item, finishing all the paperwork for my non-profit. Now I’m just waiting for the IRS to get back to me. Meanwhile, while I wait I have photography to keep me busy. Then there’s this book that I’ve been trying to write. I’ve started it but my self-doubt just kept getting in my way. I felt like my stories and my writing was not good enough. While I contemplated if I should even keep it on the list, I grabbed another fortune cookie.
Ok… I get it. Thanks for the nudge!
Collecting memories
What surrounds your home are reminders of what’s stored in your heart. ~ Christine Sternfels
I collect memories, not things. Memories stay in your heart, even when you’re losing your mind. Things fade, get old, lost, broken, become outdated and useless. As my dad would say about material things ”You can’t take that with you when you’re dead.”.
There was a time when my most precious possessions were beautiful and expensive things. We lived in a neighborhood of ‘Joneses’. One day, the entire hill we lived on was almost consumed by a wild fire in Southern California. The only reminder of those ashes would be the hours of working too much, missing out on my children’s lives and spending whatever time I had at home being too tired and cranky to do anything with my family. The Grand Prix fire changed my life.
When you get that pay check and you’ve paid your bills and set some aside for a rainy day, try to allot a portion for non-tangible things such as travel and giving back to your community.
There’s nothing wrong with working hard for a living, as long as you make an effort to have a life. Work to live, don’t live to work. Then go out there and collect memories.
There’s always room for improvement
A family that improves together… stays together
I’ve had my share of self-help books and have read hundreds of personal improvement articles. Some lessons stick, some don’t, and the rest is just stubborn old me. So what happens if your bad habits start affecting your kids? I don’t know about yours, but mine made jars.
Mom’s a potty mouth and dad whines allllllll thhhhe time!
I didn’t want the kid to feel left out, so I created her own jar. She came home from school, gave me a kiss, grabbed an apple and looked at the jar (I left it beside the apples on purpose). After reading the label, she shrugged her shoulders, tilted her head, smiled and let out a sigh and here is the discussion that followed:
The kid: ”Oh mom, you know you’ll be financing this anyway right?”
Me: “No. You’re using your own money for this, I’m tired of picking up your s##t!”
The kid: “Ooh you just said sweet honey iced tea… I guess you need to put a quarter in.”
Me: Well you left your sox on the table, that’s two quarters!
Feeling I won this battle, I smirked. She smiled, opened my swear jar, grabbed two quarters, put them in her trail jar and said “See mom, I said you’d be financing this anyway”. She hugged me before walking away and said “I’m gonna do my homework now, I love you”.
Shadows
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
It’s bath time!
When you’ve done everything possible to quiet her down, yet a full tummy, a nap and dry diaper didn’t work… a nice warm bath will usually do it.
The new chocolate chip
This is one of those “You have to try it at least once” kinda things… like dipping french fries in vanilla ice cream or sprinkling sea salt on you caramel coffee.
Ingredients: Nutella and Sweet Maui Onion chips
. 
To make: Simply grab a chip and dip it into the chocolate. The result… chocolate chip!
When I first tried it, I was like “Hm… crunchy, salty, sweet and oh my…”. It tasted strange at first bite, then as I chewed, I began salivating. I know, it’s a strange pairing but like I said before… just try it. I wonder what I can dip my Sea Salt & Vinegar Chips into?
Finding happiness…
Quoted from one of the seminars given by Anthony Robbins.
6 BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
- Love
- Certainty
- Uncertainty or the need for some adventure
- Significance
- Growth
- Contribution
This topic is just part of a twelve-hour seminar. Out of that, this discussion is what got me thinking. Identifying my most basic needs, my top two, how it controls the direction of my life and what has it cost me? At the end of the day, we all are searching for what makes us feel good. We search for the meaning of true happiness and hope to find it.
As Tony Robbins said… “Life is not about getting what you want. It’s about becoming more. Happiness is temporary moments, fulfillment is what we need to go after because it lasts.”
What’s in a name?
We usually name our pets according to their personality or how they look. Sometimes we use movie characters, like the time we named our black labrador Charlie because of Charlie’s Angels (Now I wish we named him shadow because he always follows me around). Then there are those times when we think we’re funny and name our bull dogs Daphne (Sorry if you named your bulldog Daphne) or when an “Aha” moment hits you and you thought you were such a genius for coming up with such a brilliant idea of naming your smart dog Einstein, only to discover he’s dummer than a rock and everyone who meets him asks you how you came up with that name. But for most families, the kids will name the pets.
Last week, we got Cj – aka The kid – a beta fish…
Can you guess what she named him? Well folks, I’d like you to meet…
Sushi.
Never give up!
“God closes one door and opens another, but it’s hell in the hallway.” ~ Joseph Garlington
Don’t settle. Don’t quit. Persevere. Hope. Achieve. Go on and never give up!
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Thank you to a blog post about “The Dreams of God” I read on “To Live For Him“, I found
Joseph Garlington’s quote (Which inspired me to shoot this photo and make this post).
“Make your own pizza” night
For last Friday’s girls’ night, we decided to get creative.
My guests brought their own toppings and drinks…
I provided glasses…
two dozens 8-inch pizza crust and a gallon of pizza sauce (both purchased at Cash & Carry) . I had my oven set to 425 degrees and covered the bottom grill with foil. We were able to cook 6 at a time (directly on the top grill, placed mid-high) and took about 12 minutes for each batch. Keep it in an extra minute or two for a crunchy crust. The cheese dripping to the foil was burning and produced smoke in my kitchen, which added a “wood fire” flavor so I just kept the vent on high and had the windows open to stop my fire alarms from screaming. Here are the ones I was able to photograph (before the wine kicked in). Drum roll please….
Margherita pizza – Pizza sauce, pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, crushed garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Chicken BBQ pizza – BBQ sauce, chicken sautéed with red onions in bbq sauce, 4 blend cheese and parsley.
Turkey pizza (Voted best) – Pizza sauce, ground turkey pre-cooked, turkey bacon, sliced smoked gouda, shredded cheddar and cilantro. I don’t like turkey that much, but I will eat this combo any day!
Classic Hawaiian – Pizza sauce, Canadian bacon, pineapple, Colby & jack cheese and green onions.
Garden Pizza – Marinara, Italian squash, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots and Asiago.
We ate, we drank and we were very merry! Clean up didn’t take long. At the end of the night, this was all that was left…
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