I found my celebrity look-a-like match

It is Purple and Brown's cousin......ORANGE

Spittin' image...don't ya think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRT41HMRw18&mode=related&search=

Some Duel with Banjos...We Duel with Cars

So my daughter leased a new car. I was perfectly content on just enjoying her enjoying a new car...that is until I found out the following information: bluetooth enabled (hmmmm I drive a lot and that sure would come in handy especially with conference calls etc.) keyless entry and ignition (hmmmm I am always losing my keys...granted usually on my being somewhere but still) hideaway trunk (hmmm I carry computers etc. around so that would come in handy) I was very impressed with this little car.

I negotiated and bought the same car only in blue (as requested by my darling grandson). So..in our garage are two little sentras. And the good news is that my "car" can call her "car". We both have the Motorola Razr too. Both are red....different shades but still.

Two peas in a pod I am thinking. Two peas that have safe, functional, and fun cars.

U93'S NIGHT IDOL VOTE NOW FOR TAYA

ROCK ON TAYA!!!

Well Taya rocked the house with her soulful rendition of "Freeway of Love", an 80's tune by none other than Aretha Franklin herself. Performing 8th out of the 10 contestants left after the elimination processes so far, Taya seemed at ease on stage. Taya and the crowd were rocking together as she went from the vocals to the earthy chatter in the middle of the song which got every one's attention. This week the elimination is influenced by listeners or in this case, readers, who need to go to the radio station's web page and vote starting Monday afternoon. If you are reading this, please quickly click on the link and vote for Taya Revella. She is our very own American Idol. Thanks for voting!!!! www.u93.com

PICTURE OF PRIDE

I saw an awesome movie called "Because I Said So". One message that I got from this movie was that pride can cause the loss of incredible love when it gets in the way. The movie was about a mother who was approaching a benchmark birthday and her daughter. Anyone who knows me knows how close my daughter and I are so right there it sparked my interest. The love interest of the daughter because of an "off" day assumed that the daughter was not interested in him so instead of pursuing her, he gave up and backed away. The mom out of guilt for not supporting her daughter's choice went to talk to the guy only to find out that the one thing that stood in his way was his pride. She poured her heart out to the guy and the guy decided that losing the daughter was far worse then facing his fears. The daughter ended up happy with the guy and his little boy. The movie made me laugh, cry, and think!

Pride builds up horrid walls and the only thing that gets rid of them is courage, a deep breath, and bulldozer will. Only then can any of us get what our heart truly wants. Would we rather have shallow pride or pride in knowing that we went after what we really wanted. It is a great lesson for all of us seeking relationships.

On a Side note: This weekend was a lot of fun. An awesome handyman put the back of my house back together and turns out to be the nicest person in the world and will be doing a few home improvements for me in the coming few weeks. So excited.

YOU CHOOSE!

My very distinguished friend, Mark, is about to release his second novel. He has reached out to me for help so I thought I would engage all of my blog readers to help as well. He is an awesome writer and would like to engage as many people as possible to be a part of the actual decisions in the actual book writing process. Please see the details below and leave me a comment if you go to the sight to vote. Thanks so very much.

I could use some help. If you've read my profile, you'll know that I’m getting ready to publish my second novel, Boomer at Midlife (write what you know, right?). But I’ve got a problem.

My publisher has selected a cover concept that I don’t really like. There is an alternative, and it’s my preference, but I need some ammo to convince the publisher. Or maybe the publisher is right and I’m wrong, but either way what other boomers think would aid me in making a decision. Would you be willing to go to the baby web site I’ve created for the book and help me select a cover? It will only take a few seconds, but could help me tremendously. Just go to http://www.boomeratmidlife (you can copy and paste the link from this e-mail). From there you'll see the page for "Help Choose the Cover."

On that page, you can see the two designs. Beneath the images is a form. All you have to do is place an X next to the option number you like best. If you want to leave a comment about either cover, that would be appreciated too. Don't forget to hit the send button. The whole thing should only take you a few seconds.Thanks in advance for your help and advice. I only have a short time before my publisher wants a decision, so if you could vote by Monday, noon (Eastern time), February 26, that would be great. Also, if you have other boomer friends who would be willing to help out, feel free to share the web address with them.I'll let you know what ends up getting selected.

Mark Cain

Thank you to all who participate.

I am Sharing My Dream Come True!

The famous Walt Disney statue, Roy Disney, (Walt's brother), and the Mouse,

Mickey

The count down begins. I have a little over a month until my 50th visit to Disney World.

I had a chance to talk about my feelings about Disney at a Leadership Retreat today at the Geneva Center close to Rochester. Together with some of my teammates, I was able to share my thoughts and feelings about this special place that resides in my heart and mind and soul. It felt good to talk about my friends there and about how special this place is. I shared with those gathered in my group the memories I have of many of my visits but chose one particular visit to elaborate on. The theme that year was about sharing legacies with family and how generations join together in magical gatherings in the parks. Generations give way to other generations while sharing together memories that will last a lifetime. I told them of a song that filled the park at the end of the day at MGM the last night we were there. I would like to share some of those very special lyrics that sent my heart racing as I sat on a bench, surrounded by my entire family including my next generation, a new grandson, bringing to life the very theme itself:

They say it started with a thought as most dreams do,
A twinkle in the eye, the thrill of something new.
Then the dream began to grow and come alive,
joining everyone of us in the fantasy of life.
We share the magic days, we share enchanted nights.

It's a never ending story, together we all write.

Its been a part of me...its been a part of you

It's about growing up together, Sharing a Dream Come True.

I am in Technical Heaven....

I feel like the train on Dumbo that tried to go up the hill and grunted "I think I can...I think I can".. because when it comes to my new camera, I am both intrigued, scared, intimidated, and in awe of my new Canon Rebel SLR camera but I think I can learn to take some great pictures.

I just got my new "toy" this weekend. I had great guidance when it came to this purchase because it was a really big decision and I really wanted to make a good choice. So with the help of my friend, I bought the most awesome piece of equipment I have ever seen. When I got it home, I took it out of the box and just stared at it and turned it end over end looking at it. I started charging the battery and figured out where the memory card was inserted. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to put the strap on which tickled me because the concept seemed so easy but I just couldn't figure it out. I am so thrilled with my camera and I can't believe I actually have it for vacation in March. Hopefully I will be able to capture some of the "magic" my eyes have captured over the many years at Disney.

I am very excited that it came in black because like I told my friend, not only is it sleek looking but it will make my hands look slim. LOL.

I really appreciated the time and trusted advice I received not only in preparation to buy it but with the actual purchase. Thanks to my friend for all of the help I received ....and look out world because I am going to take some serious pictures...

Mickey and Me

"It All Started With A Mouse".........
It won't be long now until the much awaited trip to Disney World. I have worked very hard to get to this particular visit as it will be my 50Th to this wonderful, magical destination. My daughter and I talk a lot about this special place.

Within the boundaries of this place live my wonderful memories of my children growing up, friendships that are remarkable, and a sense of peace that all is right with the world. It is a place where everyone that visits is shown how much they are valued.

It is a place where I have seen magic happen over and over again with families, couples, grandparents, and those who have saved for years to visit for the very first time.

This visit commemorates years of me being a married person, a mom, a single person, a grandma, a friend, and one who finds more God moments here than anywhere else I have been. I have done a lot of traveling in my life but still, this place is the place that I feel more emotion and stirring than anywhere else in the world.

This special trip is in March. Stay tuned because I will be sharing my visit with you as it happens. Hopefully, the magic I find will be the fuel for anyone reading to visit the happiest place on earth, Disney World.

"Oh no you didn't just say that"

My company provides us with learning development courses that help us learn and grow in our present positions and also to prepare us for other positions as we progress in the company. Some of them are simple courses that do not take long. Some, however, are courses that not only are long and involved and take a dedicated amount of time to complete, but they are somewhat interactive in simulation style tests.

They involve a conversation with one or two people in a business situation setting. There is a business problem that must be solved with the conversation that transpires. How it works is that someone starts the conversation and then you have a choice of responses which gets a reaction and dialogue from the other person. If you make good choices with your responses, the conversation goes well. I have only encountered that up until yesterday. I didn't realize that one bad response choice can set up the conversation to be confrontational and antagonistic (pretty realistic, huh?). The scenario in this particular course was that there was a new department leader on board and you both are having your first initial conversation to determine communication styles and to establish the foundation for working together.

Not only do they have facial expressions while they respond but also when they are listening. This particular person didn't "like me" right from the beginning and frankly, in the middle of the simulation, I was on my feet talking to the computer and after her argumentative response to me, I said, out loud, "oh no you didn't just say that". Well, I knew at that point I would have to retake the simulation anyway, so I decided to get all my frustrations out in a knock down, drag out fight with this chick. So instead of picking the calm, nice communication, I picked the most antagonistic response I could just to get a reaction from her. Needless to say, I didn't pass but boy, I sure felt better. I should have been sad about having to retake it but somehow, I felt more empowered because "I had shown her what I was made of" and was ready to proceed being a peaceful communicator.

BELIEVING

As Valentine's Day is tomorrow, it just seemed fitting to post something that compliments the meaning behind the day. Love is something we sometimes take for granted.

While watching a movie on this cold wintry day, I almost skipped the coming attractions but one trailer really caught my eye. Of course, the trailer was for a Disney film in the making. It is a movie all about Tinkerbell. It was quite fascinating. It was the last frame of the trailer that really caught my eye. So I am hoping that anyone that admires someone from afar and is afraid to let them know, Tinkerbell has a great lesson for you.

You only get one life and in order to fill that life with meaning, you have to learn this lesson:

"Believing is only the Beginning!"

What is VALUE

I work for a cell phone company, US Cellular. When I first started my job, there was a lot of training about the company, its values, mission, etc. I thought it all sounded pretty good. As time passed, I started seeing all I learned in class come to life. It wasn't a lot of flowery words and empty sentences that "sounded good". It was actually the foundation for everything anyone in the company did, said, lived, and followed through on.

Not only is the front line like that, but the senior leadership is like that too. I can actually sit down and write my CEO a personal letter and get a reply back. The vice presidents take their time to reach out to all of us within business and caring about us personally. Our customer service promise is just that. It is amazing, this cell phone company I work for.

Though not a national giant in the industry, our company is a giant to our customers because they are our family and we care about them as we do each other. Each interaction is based on sincere efforts. We want to enhance lives with our products and service, not just make a sale. Does this sound like a "pitch"? It isn't a pitch, it is reality. I hear horror stories all the time from people having other service having outrageous cell phone bills, plans, phones, issues, customer service, and the list goes on.

I love my company and what it stands for. I love the people I work with and who they are. I love my leadership because they care about ME personally each and every day. I love what I do and my agents I get to work with in my job. I am very lucky to work for an ethical, caring company that I am proud to talk about at church or anywhere. How many get to say that?

So, I am connected with a company that connects people and lives and life. There is VALUE in helping people to stay connected with others especially in such a disconnected world.

HOPE THROUGH POSITIVE THINKING

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.
--Anon

What are you driving away due to negativity?

Risks Worth Taking!

We are approaching the week of Valentines Day which is always difficult for me. I have many reasons but don't wish to spill my guts about that. I try to always remember those "moments" that were wonderful for the week of this holiday. I have some thoughts about Love, however, that I am feeling the prodding to share.

Love is faithful, Love is Kind, Love is Patient, Love is Romantic, Love is forgiving, Love is new each and every day no matter what happened the day before, Love is faith, Love is taking risks, Love is honor, Love is thoughtful, Love is not impatient, Love is sometimes not explainable, Love is magnetic, magical, electrifying, sustainable, lifting, sharing, growing, but most of all, Love is a gift from God.

When given or placed or blessed, it should not be abused, used, taken for granted, passed up, feared, or turned away from. Love is awesome and those that are lucky enough to find it, are never alone, have unending support, are accepted for all of human's imperfections or areas of improvement. Why do life alone? Love gives you the opportunity to make the journey through life, enriched and blessed.

I believe that those that embrace it will be glad to share in the marvel of God's relationships. If you are a believer, you know and understand the gifts of love that He gives us. You recognize them and do not waste them. If you are skeptical about Love, then you need to read the bible, talk to others, and realize how great relationships are.

Happy Valentines Day.

It is the perfect day to begin the rest of your life filled with love!

What's in YOUR Wallet?

Well, we have gotten to know each other through me writing my deepest darkest secrets and telling stories about my crazy antics..... Well, yesterday, I had one more of those uh-oh moments. One might wonder why I divulge these incidents...as it makes me look a little flaky but, it also just adds to who I am and if we can't laugh at ourselves and use stories to make others smile, then it all happens for nothing.

I have a very floppy, unstructured purse. When I am at home and am getting ready in the morning, I always set my purse in the sink as the sides are narrow and it ends up falling off if I set it there. That particular day I had two wallets, my camera, receipts, my makeup bag, brush, and mints among other things in my wallet. I was at work and after lunch I usually like to freshen up a bit, reapply some lip gloss, and brush through my hair, etc. I walked into the bathroom and set my purse in the sink and then proceeded to do what you do in the bathroom. I heard a noise and looked about not seeing where it was coming from until I looked over at the sink where my purse was and discovered that my purse had "triggered" the automatic on mechanism of the faucet and my purse was filled with water....everything was floating including my camera, my all melted mints (the container looked like it had milk in it as they all melted) . First things first I grabbed my precious camera and dried it off with paper towels, and tested it to make sure it hadn't been ruined. Then, I grabbed my soggy wallets.... my receipts were ink smeared, my makeup, well, we won't talk about that, and then my checkbook. Have you heard about "liquid assets"? I had a whole pack full of just that. Needless to say, I stayed in there for quite some time drying it all out and squeezing endless water from the bottom two corners of the purse. There was water all over the floor that I had to clean up.

My purse is very clean now but still there is evidence that I have had water damage.

Just another in the series of stories I can laugh at myself over and another one to bring a giggle or two to others.

My three children, my friends!

Lindsay

Jon

Ej

Mom, Children, Mom

I take a lot of pride in being a mother. When I was blessed with children, I promised God that I would devote my entire life to shaping my three with loving, ethical, servant hearts and hopefully I was a good role model for them. I must have done something right because all three are successful, loving, caring, sensitive and very hard working. Early on, with the help of Disney magic, my children all learned that dreaming was good, working hard for those dreams was necessary, and a never give up attitude was sustaining.

My older son is a successful drummer/musician whose band, Underground Orchestra, recently won two LA Music Awards. My middle son is such a people person and now works for US Cellular as a store manager, trainer, mentor, coach. My daughter has had many positions that required emotional strength like when she worked for a daycare that consisted of children that had been abused, abandoned, or worse. All had many emotional problems both mentally and behaviorally. Now she works at Granger Community Church where she works to honor God by arranging learning workshops for other churches to attend to learn and grow. She has another job which is why I decided to post my thoughts.

No matter what kind of day Lindsay has and no matter what Lindsay faces, her love and devotion to her son is absolutely amazing. She always puts her own feelings aside so that she can be the best mom she can be. Her unselfish love for her son shines bright especially in the roughest of situations. Her son has also grown up with the Disney magic and his tender, sensitive heart shows his ability to "feel" when things aren't quite right and offers his hugs and love to make others feel better. The two are a funny pair. They can giggle, laugh, and be silly together. In the toughest mommy moments, her patience and determination to show love to her son is obvious.

Parenthood is the toughest of all jobs. It isn't something you can close up shop on and go home. It isn't a job that has any off time and the responsibility is staggering but in Lindsay's case, she embraces it with both humor and the seriousness it needs so that her little boy can grow up to be a caring, ethical, responsible man.

I love my job as a parent even more now that my children are my friends. I enjoy my new job as a "grandma" because I get to see the "magic" happen all over again. So my hat goes off to my three kids, Ej, Jon, and Lindsay for being adults God is proud of and to Lindsay for being a mom that God is proud of too!

Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Daughter

It is hard to believe that almost 27 years ago this weekend, I was getting prepared to meet this little life I had been carrying.

A little history. This one was one of those "oops" you hear about. I had made my appointment to have my tubes tied after feeling incredibly blessed to have my two wonderful sons. Jon was only 3 months old and Ej was 2 years old. I was a bit shocked when the nurse told me that they would be most happy to do the tie job but not until the baby was born. I had just lost all my baby weight only to find out that I would be climbing the scale again. I had a scare though within the first couple of months, and a trip to the emergency room brought the fear I was going to lose the precious life I was carrying. Through a lot of prayers, my pregnancy was able to continue. I had a very life changing experience the evening I returned home from the hospital. I can't explain it other than I was blessed with knowledge that the child I was carrying was my much wanted little girl. The doctor insisted it was another boy according to the heartbeat but I knew that the message I had received was divine in nature so I relaxed the rest of the pregnancy and was content.

My little girl came two weeks early and was the most beautiful little girl I had ever seen. She has enriched my life ever since. As a little girl, she was kind and thoughtful and caring. When I broke my neck, she stayed by my side for 3 1/2 months taking care of me, drying my hair for me, and helping me with anything I needed. As a teenager, she never went through the "nasty" stages of a teenage girl, but instead embraced volunteering and serving others as her primary focus. As a college student, she was fast to share her academic experiences and successes as she moved towards her teaching career. Her life took a change that produced the most beautiful, wonderful grandson I could ever hope for. She has endured heartbreak and heartache and has emerged to have even a more loving heart. She now serves God in many ways within her job at G.C.C. and in her volunteer work at church.

She is about to turn 27 on February 6Th and to me it is a most wonderful holiday to celebrate. I get to be among the lucky ones that have Lindsay in their lives. Though I am her mom, I am most blessed to have her as a friend. God not only blessed me with my little girl, but a lifelong friend that walks with me in my Christian walk as well. It doesn't get much better than that.

Happy Birthday, Lindsay!

A Moment Like This

So I am on a bus for hours to go to and from the most awesome "outing" in Chicago for my company, U.S. Cellular.

On the long bus ride home, everyone nestled up in their seats to either chat quietly or to catch a snooze. I had my ipod and stretched out on the seat and listened first to two of my favorite praise songs, Revolutionary Love and Marvelous Light. My church is so awesome and leaves such a lasting impression that I can close my eyes and see our band up there playing and jamming to these two songs. It's great.

I then listened to my Kelly Clarkson songs. Some of her lyrics just cut through your soul. Not only does she have a great, soulful voice but her choice in songs adds to that soulfulness with real life feelings. I am including some that really impacted me last night:

A moment like this

Some people wait a lifetime,

For a moment like this

Some people search forever,

For that one special kiss

Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me

Some people wait a lifetime,

For a moment like this

How many people in this world "miss" their moment? Listening to just some of the chatter with friends, their children, teenagers, family, and strangers ......quite a few people I suspect. God talks to us....but we need to listen and look so we don't miss those moments. (are you listening?)

I lose my way

And it's not too long before you point it out

I cannot cry

Because I know that's weakness in your eyes

I'm forced to fake

A smile, a laugh everyday of my life

My heart can't possibly break

When it wasn't even whole to start with

This made me think of all the "tough guys" our society is creating. Girls cry and release their emotions so they can deal with whatever they are feeling and sometimes are made to feel they are big babies but it is more acceptable for girls. Guys have to be strong and hold back so they are miserable because they have no outlet for their emotions that is acceptable. It is a sign of weakness if they indulge their feelings. Well, BUNK! I say if we are going to live God's way, we need to all be sensitive to what causes tears in the first place. They don't just "happen" and are there for a reason of pain, frustration, love, happiness. They are never for "no reason". Granted there are some that use tears because they are good at dramatics.....but I have made the mistake of thinking that only to find out "the rest of the story" and that those tears represent far more pain than I thought.

So, on my trip back from Chicago, I was blessed with a quiet moment to hear songs of praise, a serious moment to think about human emotions, and a thankful moment to be alive and to have the chance to have all of my moments. They all come and go so quickly. When you think you have a lifetime, reality is, grab your happiness today because none of us is promised a tomorrow and the happiness we choose to have today may actually be a lifetime full.