CONTENT- Adjective

1.) reasonably happy and satisfied with the way things are 2.) willing to accept or comply with a situation or course of action.

You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got!

To know when you have enough is to be rich.

Skeleton in the Closet

I was reading one of the medical journals that I enjoy and I came across this little bit of trivia and found it interesting:

No one knows the origin of a "skeleton in the closet," but here's one theory: Until the Anatomy Act was passed in England in 1832, it was illegal to dissect a body (executed criminals excepted), and doctors were allowed to work on only one cadaver during their careers. Those who didn't want to get rid of the skeleton kept it hidden in a dark corner or hung it in a closet.

I am feeling the need to clean out my closet today!

Simplicity

I love simplicity! I always love when my life is not chaotic, crazy & drama filled...but rather easy & simple. There is something to be said about enjoying each day that God blesses us with. I truly believe it is all how your outlook on life is. I choose to embrace each new day with happiness and simplicity!

In the end, what affects your life most deeply are things too simple to talk about.

It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.

If you can learn from hard knocks, you can also learn from soft touches.
Carolyn Kenmore

Smile

The last time Shea & I got our hair cut, I walked into the salon and said, "Hi" to our hairdresser, Leesa and gave her a big hug. One of Leesa's co-workers said to me..."Wow, you light up a room with that smile and your sweet attitude!" I bring this up today because again, I had to run into the post office today and someone said, "You are so happy and have a beautiful smile." I almost get embarrassed and think, hmmm...maybe I need to tone it down a bit...but then again...NO WAY! I am thrilled that people see that I have a happy heart and positive attitude. I like to think that God's love shines through me. Yeah, some may call me an eternal optimist...but I am ok with that! For Christmas last year, I framed this song for Shea. It's one of our all time favorites by Nat King Cole.

Smile, tho' your heart is aching,
Smile, even tho' it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky,
You'll get by.
If you smile
Through your fear and sorrow
Smile, and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
For you.
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you'll just smile.
Light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear
May be ever so near...
That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you'll just smile.

A great quote: Author Unknown
If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine.

Love

Some of my favorite, cool thoughts & quotes on love...

The art of love is largely the art of persistance.
Albert Ellis

In love the pardox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two.
Erich Fromm

Love does not dominate; it cultivates.
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.
Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.
Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Movies

Isn't it funny how there are some movies that you can watch over and over and never get tired of them? I have so many favorites, know the dialogue, know exactly what will happen next, yet most of them still make me laugh...and cry! I usually listen to music while I clean, but today, Shea had the TV on, then ditched me as soon as I started my dusting! Anyway, I came across "Brian's Song"- It's one of those, that no matter how my heart is wrenched every single time...I have to watch it! Yes, I did cry...I am not ashamed! I thought I would list a few of my other favorites that I could watch over and over again: (in no particular order)
The Blue Lagoon- Simple, uncomplicated, beautiful love- probably my all time favorite!
Knotting Hill-"I'm just a girl...standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" Love that line- and when Hugh Grant says, "Whoopsie Daisies" as he's climbing the fence! Classic!
Shawshank Redemption- I love that the good guys actually win in this one!
50 First Dates- A true love story, not to mention that they play Beach Boy music- Gotta love that!
Hope Floats- "My cup runneth over"- Great line and it shows that persistance sometimes wins out!
Where the Heart Is- Just a sweet story of really loving the people who are important in your life. My favorite scene is where Ashley Judd & Natalie Portman are on the porch talking. I love the Martina McBride song that plays at the end of the movie, "There You Are"-beautiful!
Wedding Crashers- To date, the funniest, stinkin' movie I have ever seen! I went with my friend, Greg, and thank God he has the same sick humor as me- we roared in the theatre!
You've Got Mail- Can't help but love this one...I can never change it if it comes on tv- I have it on DVD, but still have to keep it on!
While You Were Sleeping- True love grows, whether planned or not! Love that concept!
The Notebook- I thought I loved James Garner in The Rockford Files! Very sweet love story about passion and being in love rather than just loving someone!
Stealing Home- Not many people know about this one- One of Jodie Foster & Mark Harmon's earlier ones. An all time favorite of mine! About growing & growing up!
Paradise- Another one that many don't know. Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson were married in real life and their chemistry is so intense. I love the whole story on this one.
Housesitter- One of the cutest that Goldie Hawn & Steve Martin ever did! A fantasy world! My favorite part is at the very end when he wins Goldie's heart with the most outrageous story!
What About Bob?- So cute, yeah, a bit stupid, but cute! My favorite line is when Bill Murray & the son are jumping on the bed...Richard Dreyfuss bursts through the door and announces that he wants PEACE & QUIET! Bill Murray says, "I'll be peace" and the son says, "I'll be quiet"! Classic! So stinkin' funny! It cracks me up every time!
Groundhog Day- Could watch it over & over again! Love it!
Groundhog Day- Could watch it over & over again! Love it!
Please tell me somebody got the whole Groundhog Day comment! Repeat, get it?

Anyway, I love movies! Better than the movies...buttered popcorn! Yummy!

Baby, Pink Roses

This last weekend, I did nothing that I should have. I had housework, laundry, grocery shopping and many other things that I should have done...but I didn't do any of them! Why? I just didn't, no good reason. I did rest & relax & nap! By Monday morning, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and in a funk, so I decided to take the day off work. I was very productive and by the end of the day, I was back to my normal, chipper self! The best part of my day was when I went to the grocery store. In line behind me was the sweetest little, older lady who was just jabbering on & on to me...and I was keeping right up with her! Each week, I always buy fresh flowers for our home and I had picked up the most beautiful, baby, pink roses and some gorgeous, pastel yellow gebera daisies. When I was leaving, I wrapped up the roses, gave them to the little lady, put my arm around her and told her that I wanted her to take them home. You would have thought that I gave her the winning lotto ticket with her response! Even the grocery checker said, "That was sweet of you." I never think that little acts of kindness such as that should be so surprising, instead, we should all be doing those type of things every day! Each time that I have soaked in the beauty of our yellow gerbera daisies, I have thought of this little lady and just smiled. Part of my giving to others is somewhat selfish on my part. I do it because it makes me so happy and just brings me so much joy! At the end of my day, I read this little note in a magazine and I had to laugh:

Stop measuring yourself based on how much you get done in any given day, and start celebrating yourself on how much you discover. Let go of being the world's greatest efficiency expert and embrace the role of lover and adventurer.

Oh, how I am going to embrace that advice!

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Shea & I love the cakes at The Madonna Inn!
The last two years, we have ordered them for her birthday night- white cake with lemon filling and the yummiest buttercream frosting, ever! The best part about the cakes are the tiny, pastel flowers all over! It just makes us smile and makes us feel like we're in a garden of flowers!

If I had to choose my favorite flower in the garden...I'd pick my Shea! xoxoxoxo

This is the first picture that Shea taught me how to post on my blog! WooHoo! We were at The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA for Shea's 11th birthday. We had a wonderful dinner in their dining room, prime rib, lobster, baked potato- Yummy! But the best part is that we were with several of our dear friends whom we love!

January 22, 2006.

Magic Carpet Ride

I was in my living room right now, sorting & cleaning when I found myself laughing out loud! Yesterday, I picked Shea up from school and then went to pick her best friend, Hayley, up from her school. (They have been together since Kindergarten and Hayley moved to a different school this year) They are two peas in a pod and I get such a kick out of how much they love each other. I had decided that we would go out to Anaheim to go shopping at our favorite store, Fashion Bug, and then go to dinner at Goofy's Kitchen for Hayley's birthday present from us.(or as my best friend, Lisa, calls it : Goofy's Chicken- Again, I'm laughing out loud remembering the time that Lisa went on & on with the valet guy at the hotel how great Goofy's Chicken was! Shea & I roared when she got in the car and we finally corrected her- she was so embarrassed!) The girls just bring me pure joy. I love being with them and they really do crack me up! The best part of the whole night, (aside from watching them with all the boys-they are both boy crazy!) was when Aladdin came to our table. Our friend, Matt, played Aladdin for several years and I remember him telling me how they are not allowed to break character, ever! We are chatting with him, he's asking general questions...when out of nowhere, Hayley says, "So, how's your monkey?" I swear, I almost spit my milk out!!!!! The funniest part was, Aladdin tried so hard not to laugh, but I'm sorry, I could not help myself. Shea then asked, "How long have you had your monkey?" At that point, I had to excuse myself from the table- I wanted to be anywhere but there! These character actors deserve every penny that we paid to eat there! The good Lord knows that I would have loved to see Aladdin's monkey- C'mon you perves- I do mean his pet monkey, Abu! I will admit, a magic carpet ride does sound kinda fun right about now! "A whole new world..."

Me, Shea & Hot Chocolate

There is a coffee house in Simi Valley called Valentino's. Shea started dancing when she was 2 1/2 years old and I started going there to buy a hot chocolate for myself and usually get something for her dance teacher, Miss Traci. It's a family owned coffee house with the mom and two daughters. Over the years, Shea & I have made it one of our favorite stops- even when it's blazing hot outside, we will still stop and get a hot chocolate. They make it with McSteven's chocolate and as many times as I have tried to recreate it, it just never tastes as good as when we buy it from Valentino's. I even went so far as to buy a milk "steamer" which proved to be more work than just driving the 20 minutes to get to Valentino's! Shea's orthodontist is out in Simi and so is our hair salon, so last week, we made two stops at the coffee house. Now that Shea is older, she just runs in and I wait in the car- it makes her feel like she is doing something nice for me! (which she is) Some days, we will actually get a bagel (blueberry is my favorite-real butter only) or Shea will get a banana nut muffin and sit and have our hot chocolate out of a "pretty" tea cup. On Friday, Shea came out and told me that the lady, Sue, was just going on and on at how much of a young lady Shea is now- and that she remembers her when she was a baby. She told me that Sue said to say "hi" to me and made mention how sweet I am! (Sue is extremely perceptive- did I mention that?) At the counter, they have a tiny bowl with these cards that have different characteristics on them- the point is to pick one and it is supposed to describe what you are supposed to focus on for that particular day. The first day, Shea picked "integrity" for herself and "happiness" for me. Shea's school defines a characteristic each month, however, Shea asked me what "integrity" was. I tried to explain it in simple terms- I just said it's pretty much like honesty and making the right choices so when you go to sleep at night, you can feel good about who you are as a person. She giggled and told me that she picked "happiness" for me and kiddingly said, "Oh Mom, what is happiness?" I just rolled my eyes and said, "This hot chocolate! I mean- you are, SweetiePuss!" I went on to tell her that by her picking a card for me, it doesn't really "count" because that would be like me choosing her fortune cookie! You have to pick your own or it doesn't work the same! The second day, Shea picked "everything " for herself and "openess" for me. "Everything" means just as it says- focus on all of the different characteristics, not only one. When Shea told me that she picked "openess" for me, it's all she could do not to laugh in my face! She just said, "You can't tell me that "openess" isn't perfect for YOU!" Hey, what can I say...I am an open book, a real page-turner and a good read at that! I also think that one time, I drew a "blank card"- I remember that day being a good one- I love that saying, "Ignorance is bliss!" Sometimes, it's nice to focus on "nothing!"

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.
Alan Simpson

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
John Lennon

"Imitation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery"
Charles Caleb Colton

I remember when Shea was about 6 years old, she would hate when her little friends would "copy" her. I would always state the line mentioned above and try to explain that when people imitate or "copy" you that it's a huge compliment. I realized something last night. Shea has learned to imitate so many of my actions and I am so proud and thankful for that. When I hang up the phone with all of my family and most of my friends, I always say, "I Love You." Most of my friends have grown to say the same- not out of "routine" but because we want to express that we are truly grateful for our friendship. More and more, Shea is also talking with her friends on her cell phone and I truly love it when I hear her & Hayley say, "I Love You" when they hang up- actually, I think it is more of, "Love You" with a bit of a Paris Hilton twang! Shea has also picked up on my greeting of "hugging" as we say, "Hi" to someone. I just love that I can teach my daughter the importance of expressing the joy in our hearts. Shea started her first Middle School Bible Study last night and when she came home, she told me something that made my heart smile. She ran into some good friends of ours and their daughter, Isabelle (Belle), who is three years old. Shea came in all giddy and told me that Belle came up and gave her the biggest hug ever! I love that even a small child knows that we are people who love to show affection.

The aim of flattery is to soothe and encourage us by assuming us of the truth of an opinion we have already formed about ourselves.
Edith Stillwell

A little flattery will support a man through great fatigue.
James Monroe

The human is indissolubly linked with imitation: a human being only becomes human at all by imitating other human beings.
Theodor Adomo

Love

After talking with a friend this morning, I was reminded of this:

You can't make someone love you...but you can be someone who can be loved.

I truly believe every word of that. Sometimes the best intentions can turn out to be the worst made plans! I think true, mature love takes time and patience and no matter how much distance is involved, your hearts will still connect.

Immature love says:
"I love you because I need you."

Mature love says:
"I need you because I love you."
Erich Fromm

Beauty

Beauty is a radiance that originates from within and comes from inner security and strong character.
Jane Seymour

Paper Clips #2

I solemnly promise that this will be the last posting regarding paper clips! Cherie & Minda both think I have a weird "paper clip" fetish! I don't, well not really! Awhile back I wrote that I hate small paper clips and I still stand by that- I feel that they really have absolutely no use- anywhere- except to undo them and use them as a fake retainer! Ok, I don't see what is so weird about this- so I can't use the clips that have those little lines in them that are supposed to help grasp the papers better- they remind me of grasshopper legs! They really do!!! I don't like bugs, especially ones than can hop and get tangled in my hair! Minda did order me two boxes of the "smooth" large paper clips- if you just give me what I want...I am a happy girl! I'm am not spoiled, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!!!!!

STUD-FINDER

Last week at work, Minda, told me that I needed to ask Brian if he had a stud-finder.
I assumed that she meant the one to find the studs in her walls...but she just cracked herself up...she said it would be much funnier if I asked him, rather than her! Yes, it's true...I love boys...don't even necessarily need a "stud"- unless of course, there are truly "stud-finders" somewhere! Gotta go...I suddenly have an urge to go on ebay!

Anniversary

I am blessed to have so many best friends! Amy & I had our 6th year "anniversary" of friendship yesterday. I know, I know, friends don't have an anniversary each year, but we do, because we mark it from the first day that our girls started Kindergarten together. It seems like only yesterday that I left Shea to a world of strangers, she never did the whole pre-school thing, so it truly was a huge deal for me, not for Shea, but for me! Not only has Shea grown into an amazing young woman since that day, but I also have grown in many ways myself! Anyway, getting back to Amy & I. The first day of Kindergarten so long ago, I was not going to make any "new" friends...I always say, "My practice is closed!" I keep so busy taking care and loving all the friends that I already have. However, Amy gently "nuzzled" her way in...God has blessed me ten times over with having her in my life! Not only do we have silly fun, but she has been there through the most difficult times of my divorce and we have become "family." I truly love Eric, he never makes me feel like a third wheel, and sometimes when Amy & the girls get crazy, yeah...we just roll our eyes at each other and we pretend we don't know any of them! I treasure Amy, her family and the friendship that God has blessed us with! My point of telling y'all about our anniversary is this: Lisa called me last night- even though we have been friends over 35 years, we still talk almost every night! When I told her about the great anniversary breakfast that Amy & I had...her response was, "Wait a second! We don't have an anniversary!" I told her that since we were only 5 when we met, that it would be impossible to know exactly what "date" we met. That didn't cut it with her! She went on to tell me that she remembered the day like it was yesterday! You see, she had really, really short hair and I asked her sister, Minda (who I currently work with) if I could play with her BROTHER! I'm sorry, I thought she was a boy...and I guess even at that point, I already loved the boys!!!!! At the end of our conversation, Lisa admitted that she wasn't so much upset about not having an anniversary with me...but was pissed that she didn't get to enjoy breakfast with Amy & I! The thing about having so many "best friends" is that they in turn love each other because I am the core of love that holds us all together! Gotta love those people in your life that make everything worth living!

FRIEND-Noun

1.) Someone who has a close personal relationship of mutual affection and trust with one another.

BEST- Adjective

1.) Of the highest quality or standard or the most excellent type.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value: rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
C.S. Lewis

Friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life.
Thomas Jefferson

The Beach

There is something about being near the ocean that I love. I always feel closer to God when I can pray and just gaze at the beauty of the waves. One of my favorite things is to see the sun reflecting off of the water- I can't help but wonder how someone can see that image and not believe that God is right there with each of us! I spent some time yesterday at the beach and these were the two verses that kept coming to my mind:

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

One of my favorite sayings is:

God laughs when we make plans!

Grilled Cheese vs Filet Mignon

Yesterday, I wrote my friend, Steve, that I would rather be with someone that I love...eating grilled cheese sandwiches than eating the best filet mignon with someone that I could care less about.

I truly believe that we have to look for the magical moments in our life. Those unextraordinary, brief moments when they're playing "The Way You Look Tonight" or someone has made you cry with laughter. Embrace that person and say out loud, "Right now, isn't this great? Here we are together and we love each other. Aren't we blessed?"

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things after all.