Your Hidden Talent

Laughter was what our 3-day girlfriend cruise to Ensenada was all about, that and friendship. We laughed so much our stomachs hurt like we’d done 1000 crunches or what we think that might feel like of course none of us really know.

I brought along a “Chat Pack” of cards with questions to use to spark conversations. We also copied some questions off our Southwest free drink coupons like “What is your pet peeve? The back of the card suggested after people answered to start doing their pet peeve.

We discovered that we hate it when people are late, say “where are you at?” bite their nails, act mean and five other things I can’t remember. It never failed to get a laugh when any one of us started to do something from the list or pointed out a nail bitter in the crowd.

Another question was “What is one thing that you can do that no one else here can do?” We had one person who could tie a cherry stem with her tongue, I blog, one claimed to be the fastest at teeth flossing, another had the private number of a celebrity that she could call to party with (hint initials K.R.). It sparked a lot of entertaining conversations.

Laughter IS the best medicine (that and white wine). Laugh till it hurts is a good motto, but we didn’t stop there. Children laugh all the time, adults wait for something funny to happen. Let’s change that!

Make me laugh, tell me your hidden talent.

A Recipe For Success

Focus on what you know not what you don’t know, what you have, not what you need, and what’s working in your life instead of what isn’t.

I’ve always had trouble giving myself credit for things. My family will laugh because I was the overly confident child with the dramatic showy exterior. I was the “look what I can do” kid, but inside I was a marshmallow. Okay, more like a stale marshmallow with many tough layers, but I had a soft, squishy center.

I work every day to be the best version of myself that I can be. I read, talk, think, challenge, live, explore. I know that I am strong, confident, content, and happy but sometimes still a little voice challenges my convictions whispering doubts in my ear.

But when I focus on all that I know, all that I have, and how wonderful my life is, the whispers exert no power over me and trail off in the wind as quickly as they come. With a deep breath, my center rises up to meet me, cocooning me, hugging and protecting my innermost squishy part, telling me all is well, and that YES I can depend on me.

Wake Up Playful Side

There’s a saying that hangs by the door that leads from my garage into my house. It reads “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” I wholly subscribe to this. I WORK hard to get PLAY into every day.

Today, after a couple of glasses of wine, I say to Bob “Let’s go over and look at the neighbor’s hole” (they’re putting in a swimming pool and the concrete was poured today). It took a little coaxing because Bob has to be encouraged to PLAY, but he agreed and we walked over and peered into their backyard.

Walking back I noticed a woman sitting in a chair on the bike/walking path beside our house. I wanted to go up and ask her why she was sitting in a chair on the bike/walking path but Bob pooh-poohed that, which usually makes me want to do it more, but this time I said “okay, let’s just lay in the grass in our front yard and watch her.” So we did.

On closer inspection it looked like she was pregnant and probably just resting, interesting to carry your own chair, you don’t see that every day. Bob and I continued to lay in the grass enjoying feeling its softness underneath us and admiring how the powder blue sky was providing a perfect backdrop for the Chartreuse leaves.

Bob and I agree that it's has been far too long since we laid in the grass looking up at the vastness of the sky, feeling the earth supporting us. I make a mental note to WORK harder at getting more PLAY in our lives.

Tag your it! Play with me. Tell me something you loved doing as a child, red light green light, hide & seek, catching lightning bugs????

Adding New Members

We've adopted...... five houseplants. Wow, huh? It’s an amazing experience being parents again. Five years ago when we moved to California, we said goodbye to all our houseplants back in Ohio. Our outdoor space here blooms so constantly that we barely missed our left behind plants until now.

We are finally ready to commit, take on a new challenge, be responsible for something other than ourselves again. Our new babies are so darling. Of course, we are trying to provide all the right things for them, just enough water, light, and love…but not too much. This parenting thing is like walking a tightrope isn’t it?

So far, so good, they have lived for about 10 days. We are hopeful that with all the love and attention we are giving them they will prosper, but haven’t we all said that before. I’m just going to enjoy their beauty, watch them grow, and appreciate their gifts.

I am finally planted here, too. Both feet are in California, and I expect I'll grow some, too.