When Lisa Frank married Trapper Keeper

Heaven!

little things that make me happy!

Naturally, my husband and children make me beam!  But, there are little things that give me so much joy!  We all have them...  these things give me just a little hint of glee.

1.  speaking in quotations - there's something about quotes that I just love.  whether it allows me to speak passive aggressively, or relate the closest thing to the real deal - "I love it!"

2.  school supplies - there's nothing like new school supplies!  the time of the year, the freshness, everything is so crisp and ready to be broken in!  it's the best fresh start I can think of - like New Years Eve of the fall!

3.  warm coffee - I have a physical reaction and instant warmth when I'm cradling my venti.  emotionally and physically I'm connected to Starbucks, ha!

4.  the fall - just love everything about it!  turtlenecks, pumpkins, the crisp air, boots, a gray sky, blustery days, and I'm an October baby!  As is my youngest baby :)

5.  a good conversation - I relish in the depth of people, and don't do surface well at all (we've discussed the "fake click").  I would rather a good conversation about anything (and with anyone) over most of anything else I can think of!


And those are my "hot buttons" my friends!  What are yours?

Give a little...

Where have you been giving lately?  Who do you impact?  There are two types of people to me:  Impacting and the other.

Who do you want to be?

Neglect... but for a good reason!

Here I go neglecting so quickly again...

Almost two weeks, and no posting!!  Not that anything I say is riveting, or anything...  I will say I've been enjoying my girls!  Yes, I have two small girls.  They are the best and absolutely crack me up.  I really try to enjoy them as much as I can.  Which looks a little funny when typed out, right?  I mean, what parent doesn't try to enjoy their children as much as they can?  Probably more than you would bet!  It's HARD to live in the present.  It's hard to not worry about the future, what you should be doing, what isn't getting done, planning for something, etc...  It's hard to just enjoy!  And I work hard at it, and think I do it fairly well if I say so myself!!  But, it's not perfect - there are times my mind wanders...  and then I have to bring myself back to realizing the joy is NOW!  So, yes I've been neglecting, but for good reason.

To live in the present and enjoy my kids!

Sometimes a Venti is just not enough!

I know a venti sized coffee is more than enough for some people (let me quickly catch you up if you don't drink Starbucks...  the largest size - 20oz).  Some can't even fathom drinking 20oz of coffee in a day, let alone a sitting!  But, for me...  when I drink that last drop of my 20 bold and delicious ounces...  my heart sinks a little.  Like I can't believe the fun is already over - that went way too quickly!  What I wouldn't give to have my own barista show up out of nowhere (Mr. Deeds style - sneaky, sneaky!) and instantly make me a fresh skinny mocha.  I love the way it makes me feel, the way it tastes, the warm and soothing smell...  how I love my coffee!

So with that last drink, as I lay my empty cup down on my desk and hear the hollowness inside....  I think to myself - sometimes a Venti is just not enough.

Laughter

...  is definitely the best medicine! 

When is the last time you laughed so hard it hurt?  Laughed so hard you cried?  I mean, BELLY LAUGHED?!  It's so rare!  And people do snicker / smile / give a little chuckle (like to the cute things your kids do) and I'm not saying that doesn't warm the soul...  it does.  But, to start from your toes and completely fill yourself up with laughter???  There's nothing like it!

I love to laugh!  And I just don't think we do it enough! 

Bandwagons and Daring to be Different

There are so many bandwagons in this world.  As a mom of two little ones, I see a lot...  and definitely participate in a lot!!  No, this girl is not free from bandwagons.  From foods, to goods, to clothing, fashion statements, wines...  the list goes on and on.  There are so many bandwagons. 

And what's funny about a bandwagon...  probably originated with someone daring to be different in the first place.  In fact, sometimes the bandwagon is being different.  If you aren't unique and different, than you are common...  and who wants to be common?  But, we're all on the being unique and different bandwagon, right?

Why do we live with such extremes?

Bandwagons can be very annoying, even though I've certainly participated.  Can't anyone think for themselves?  Don't we know how to make our own decisions?  Pretty sure we have to excute our own due diligence in order to come to our conclusions, right?  YES!!  So, why do we follow others?  So annoying!
But, what's also annoying is those that dare to be different?  Why do they always have to go against the grain?  Can't they just comply for once?  Can't they just accept rather than always ask questions?  NO!!  So annoying!

And I'm definitely a fan of working smarter, not harder - so if an idea / theory / event / action / fashion is proven successful time and time again...  why not use it?  Why does it have to become classified as a "bandwagon"?  When we should really be thanking one another for sharing skinned knees!!


 

Everyone needs a little Namaste

Massages, glasses of wine, a long hot bath...  All band-aids to stress.  Reach deep into the core to eradicate these recurring issues, and focus on a solution.  A permanent solution.

Everyone needs a little namaste.  Okay, so namaste is a greeting really (says wiki), but it's also what you say in yoga ;)  So, roll with it, and get a little namaste in your life - center yourself and get to root of the issue.  A massage - while it feels heavenly - will only loosen you up making room for you to be tense again in the soon to be future.  But, if you take the bull by the horns and get to the root of the issue - its gone for good, and nothing but pure bliss lies ahead.


Namaste.

Do you Click?

Is chemistry real, or learned?  Do you just "click" with people, or do you logically find someone that you have something in common with and then that common denominator serves as a basis for a friendship / relationship and then it develops?  Is it all or nothing?  Is it instantaneous?  And how does it come unraveled if it was once so strong?

I click with people - or I don't - but I can definitely fake a click...  I've had this book I've been meaning to read for at least a year (take a number, I've been meaning to read so many books for a year...).  And I need to dive deep in to WHY people click.  Because you just know if you do!!  We ALL know that that feels like!  And these people that you click with may or may not have something in common with you.  Or on the flip side, maybe someone that does have a few common denominators with you just doesn't jive with you as well...  no clicking.

So, can you work to click with someone and then over time you will...  nothing like that initial click though, right?  It's just THERE.  On like Donkey Kong.  Because then at that point you're fake clicking, right?  Let's face it, it then crosses over in to "work" and the click is just not meant to be.

Oh and by the way -

I believe that KWIM should universally be accepted.  I learned this from my mommy board years ago, and well...  it's as common as ASAP...  KNOW WHAT I MEAN?  KWIM?  So, I use it often!
 

Making someone's day

Have you ever made someone's day?  Yesterday someone told me that I made their day (I'm paraphrasing...  to be honest they said "So thank you, and know you brightened my day.").  But, I didn't really do anything - just spoke the truth...  of course I'm happy she was impacted in this manner.  But, I'm ashamed to say I didn't do it with intent.  Imagine if we DID actually conduct our day with intent?  If we did actually TRY to make people's days?  How could you impact others?  What types of wheels would you set in motion?  Would you lead by example?  Would you turn their mood on a dime?  Would you make the sun shine on their gray day?  Would you be impacting many with one simple action?  Sure, we have the whole SBUX Pay it Forward phenom (on a side note has anyone ever paid for your order while in line in front of you?) and Haley Joel Osment made us cry in Pay It Forward, but REALLY in every day life...  what if we lived with intent?  What if we intended to make someone's day?  And not for gratification, but just because.  Because it's the right thing to do!  It's the right thing to do to support people.  It's the right thing to do to tell someone that you are proud of them.  It's the right thing to do to champion someone's success.  It's the right thing to do to speak the truth.  It's the right thing to do to pay it forward.  And sure - we might have these thoughts - but, it's the right thing to do to verbalize them.  How do we lose sight of something so simple, so easily? 

Recently my daughter is obsessed with the book Have You Filled a Bucket Today?  Maybe Mom and Dad are more obsessed with it...  I don't know.  But, it's a good lesson for everyone to learn.  It's a GREAT lesson to teach our children, and she's at an age where she really gets it.  She understands when she makes decisions with her heart, and not for our own gratification.  But, she also gets that it can make her day too, and thus her own bucket is being filled.  I'm enjoying relearning this with her, and definitely feel that adults should read this too.  I hope she holds on to it, and that it becomes part of her daily ritual.  That she not only learns to live with intent, but learns to verbalize and to communicate her thoughts.  Because you never know when you could be filling a bucket.

Do yourself a favor - spend a couple of bucks and pick up your copy today.  Sure it's a children's book, but the simple message is all we need.

 

new thoughts need new blog

Place needed to funnel thoughts...  New blog it is!  Musings of Marrow and Delight - where the heck did that come from?  Came to me in about two seconds - I was up one night and just couldn't sleep.  I needed to data dump, discuss things with people, put my thoughts to "paper" and just chat.  Husband, while he puts up with me dearly, was sleeping...  I just needed to funnel thoughts, and the name came to me, so here you go. 

Musings - my thoughts - of marrow and delight.  Marrow of Life - we all know Henry and how he yearned to suck the marrow of life during his days at Walden...  I can't help but identify with that.  I like to suck the marrow of life.  And laugh.  Laugh at myself, laugh with others.  I enjoy life, and try very hard not to take it for granted.  I like to suck the soul of those around me and dive deep!  In fact, surface is really challenging for me.  And Delight - well, it's my passion.  Have never been accused of lack of passion!

So, come on the journey with me, and share your musings of marrow and delight, as I share mine!

Bet Henry wishes he had a blog...

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived.”