Sunday Sum It Up - Get Out The Kleenex

We get busy.  It happens.  Sometimes we miss reading posts from our favorite bloggers. Here are my posts from last week -- Get out the Kleenex!  So................Let's Sum It Up!

For those of you that may have missed them, hopefully you will have a chance to take a peek and comment.  I LOVE your comments and always respond within twenty-four hours.  That's how friendships are formed, right?

Starting with..... Sometimes We Battle Stress By Bragging A Little  Last month, on a few days, I didn't think things could get worse and then we got news of the fire.  Each of us go through rough times and by appreciating the good things, it makes a huge difference in how we cope.


Were you born with it?     Do you believe you are born a sales person or is it learned?  No matter what we do in life, we are selling our selves.  Here is a funny story on one way to sell.


My dear friend recently shared her story about an encounter with Bill Cosby.  I had no idea.
 An Apology - Bill Cosby



Rounding out the week is
 The Best Gift....Ever   A gift I will never forget that did not cost a dime!   GET OUT THE KLEENEX




There you have it -- thank you for visiting and PLEASE leave comments.  

Posts from one week earlier here   Read News about Your Health and How to Make Sure  Readers Don't Return To Your Blog!

The Best Gift ..... Ever

Thanksgiving was over.  Black Friday sales were slowing down.  One day we were thankful for what we have.  The next day we shopped for more.   Maybe we ate too much or spent too much money but most of us reflected on what we appreciated about our lives -- our families and friends.

The question was once posed to me "What gift have you received that you appreciated the most?"  It only took a micro second to remember my favorite gift - ever.  I am acutely aware of it on a regular basis.

It was 1987.  My husband and I were going through a rough patch of bad luck.  It seemed that no matter what we did to get ahead, we were thrown two steps back. We had taken a huge financial loss and did not have any income at the time. Jobs were more than scarce and every day seemed to bring a new dilemma.

It was Christmas time and there was no money for any gifts or turkey dinner.  Please don't misunderstand me.  There are things a lot more important than exchanging gifts but it was a harsh reminder of how difficult the year had been. Although we remained optimistic, the future looked pretty grim.

An Apology - Bill Cosby

I  AM  SO  SORRY.  I didn't want to believe you.  How could I believe that America's Number One Dad could be a monster?  I poo-pooed the blog posts I read.  I got angry at the women who were getting their 15 minutes of fame by talking to the media.  It was not possible.

One of the first exposures I had to this 'nonsense' was on Carol Cassara's post, Bad Behavior Writ Large.  I am an avid follower of Carol's daily posts.  I respect her but come on -- Bill COSBY? That post was written on my birthday and on my 42nd wedding anniversary, just three weeks later, it was confirmed how WRONG I had been.

Were You Born With It?

Are you born with a natural ability to sell or is it learned?  Even though I have been in sales as long as I can remember, I can't answer that.

I have trained many people how to sell, but I believe that is different than a natural ability.  I will rarely buy something when the salesperson is pushing me.  If I am walking through a mall and someone wants me to sample their product or service, I will smile and walk quickly away. Personally, I don't look at that as selling but plain obnoxious.

If you are interested in a humorous look on how NOT to sell, I wrote a blog post about it a few months ago called 10 Ways To Guarantee You Do NOT Make A Sale.  Have a look here to get some valid tips on what NOT to do.

Sometimes We Battle the Stress By Bragging A Little

William turned three in October and this is one Grandmom who has never experienced the terrible twos. My children didn't go through them and neither has William. Why am I bragging? Because I am proud. Incredibly proud at how Thomas and Rochelle are raising this little grandson. When Rochelle shares some of the parenting skills they use, I am impressed and grateful for the job they are doing.  It makes me wonder why more parents don't take this rewarding road.

Consequently, William is a funny, happy, content, well-behaved, polite little boy and never exhausting in any respect.

ENOUGH bragging -- now a couple funny stories.   William flunked swimming class.  There are four little three-year-olds in the class.  Two boys, two girls.  William cheats.  In order to pass the class he had to be able to hold his head under water and catch the bubbles he blew.  He figured out an easier way -- blow the bubbles on top of the water and catch them with your feet.  Do you think he maybe wanted to stay in this particular class?  He really likes the teacher!

Let's Sum It Up -- Again

We get busy.  It happens.  Sometimes we miss reading posts from our favorite bloggers.  Last week I shared highlights from my blog posts for the past week and it was so popular -- I'm doin' it again!  So................Let's Sum It Up!

For those of you that may have missed them, hopefully you will have a chance to take a peek and comment.  I LOVE your comments and always respond within twenty-four hours.  That's how friendships are formed, right?

Starting with Monday......TAKE TIME FOR YOUR HEALTH TODAY

SO.......

YOU HAVE HEALTH FOR YOUR TIME TOMORROW

I shared  how I am privileged to see miracles Every. Single. Day.  As a result, I get a lot of Hugs - Read about it here.

A Friend Indeed

Blogging has opened a new world of friendship.  People we would never have met in any other way have become dear friends in this new world.  One of my new, dear and beautiful friends is Inderpreet Kaur Uppal.  She is a freelance writer, blogger, editor and lecturer.  She has a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management and loves to read, travel, discuss and write.  Please connect with her at her blog,  Eloquent Articulation,  and read her wonderful posts there.  

Today she is Guest Posting for me on the subject of marriage.  She lives in India - a half world away - in a totally different culture. Yet, we hold the same sentiments dear when it comes to family, relationships and marriage.  Here are her thoughts on marriage:

6 Ways To Turn A Blogger Off

Dear Blogger:

Today I visited your blog.  I didn't stay.  I wanted to, but it was too difficult.  I tried, but I had to leave. I knew you spent a lot of time writing something amazing.  I knew I would enjoy reading your post when you had tweaked my interest with your title. 

Rest assured, Blogger, you are not alone.  There have been numerous blogs I have visited recently that I had to leave. The part I don't understand is there is so much information available, so many short courses and tips for Bloggers and yet.....

Thanksgiving Can Never Be The Same

Sitting on the second floor deck, wrapped in my jacket, gloves, scarf and hat, I sipped my hot chocolate. The cloudy sky made the night seem exceptionally dark. There was a slight breeze and I inched closer to the gas heater.  The noise of the traffic below was muffled by my thoughts.  

I could see the lights of the island, miles away.  They seemed particularly bright tonight. Maybe it was the briskness from the chill in the air or because I was focusing intently on that city across the water.  The city where my daughter lived.  

Is 96 Too Young To Die?

I recently wrote a post stating   Take Time For Your Health Today So.......
You Will Have Health For Your Time Tomorrow.  I shared how I witness miracles almost every day -- what an incredible place to live.  You can read that post here.

Something happened today that I absolutely MUST share with you.  In fact, although it is a life and death situation it is quite humorous.  Yup - an honest to goodness miracle.

Do You Want Health For Your Time Tomorrow?

I live in a world of miracles.  Every.  Single. Day.  Do you have any idea what that feels like?  Now many of you will nod and agree that life, in itself, is a daily miracle.  But I am one of those fortunate people who gets to experience outstanding miracles on a regular basis.  I get to be the recipient of hugs and I mean, really big tight hugs....when I have been able to give someone hope who has lost hope.

I am a health coach.  I have been one for thirty-five years.  I am also a symptomologist.  A WHAT?  I assess a client's symptoms and determine what nutrients they are missing in their diet that is causing distress.  So what in the world does that mean?

Let's Sum It Up

         .
We get busy.  It happens.  Sometimes we miss reading posts from our favorite bloggers.  My friend and fellow blogger, Elly Stornebrink, had a great idea suggesting we share highlights from our blog posts for the past week.  So................Let's Sum It Up!

For those of you that may have missed them, hopefully you will have a chance to take a peek and comment.  I LOVE your comments and always respond within twenty-four hours.  That's how friendships are formed, right?

Sunday, November 1:  Let Me Drop Everything and Work On Your Problem   I loved this post, especially the coffee mug that said:

I Dream On Words

Last month I shared a poem by James Kavanaugh entitled There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves   and also the humorous The Post Office .  Many readers commented how much they liked his style of poetry.  I would like to acknowledge Mr. Kavanaugh by posting another one of my favorites. I hope you will enjoy them as well.

You Matter -- Yes, YOU!

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday.  We all matter.  Each and everyone of us.  We even matter to people we have not, nor ever will, physically meet.  We matter.  You matter.  No 'matter' what you may think, you influence people.  People watch you.  People learn from you.  People are inspired by you.  You matter.

What Is Your Favorite Holiday Memory?

The prompt for NaBloPoMo for today was:  "What is your favorite holiday memory? (And yes, you can pick any holiday, including your birthday)"  Well, TODAY is my birthday.  Another trip around the sun.  Another year to reflect on.  Another..... year. 

There are many memories each of us have of favorite birthdays.  My brother is twenty years older than me and has lived most of his adult life in South Africa.  When I was a little girl, I rarely saw him.  He and his family would come home to the U. S. every five to six years.  I missed him terribly and counted the days, weeks, months and years until I would see him again. When he was home for my birthday, it was a special day indeed. 

One Very Special Day

My absolute favorite memory of those special birthdays was when I turned ten.  My mother was gravely ill throughout my childhood which meant we did not do a lot of celebrating.  I was thrilled when she would be well enough to bake a cake for my birthday.  This was going to be one very special day.  She had made her famous German Chocolate Cake with the pecan and coconut icing.  It was a time-consuming, difficult cake to make and reserved for special occasions. 

There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves

Last month I shared a poem by James Kavanaugh entitled The Post Office.  It is a humorous look at what we think about while waiting in line at the post office.   Many readers commented how much they liked his style of poetry.  I would like to acknowledge Mr. Kavanaugh by posting some of my favorites.  I hope you will enjoy them as well.

This one is the title of one of his books by the same name There Are Men Too Gentle To Live Among Wolves.  

Did You Ever Have A Day That Changed Your Life Forever?

When you get up in the morning, do you ever expect that particular day to change your life forever? Not normally.  Is there any way to prepare for a day like that?  I doubt it.  Do we ever get a reset button to start the day over?  Unfortunately, no!

I had one of those days.  One was definitely ENOUGH!  

The silence was deafening. The only sounds I heard were coming from inside my head. I could hear the blood rushing through my veins from the palpitations of my heart. My sweater was moving to the uneven rhythm. I had to keep telling myself to remain calm. I must not appear flustered or guilty. I tried taking deep breaths to slow down the pace of my heart which took every ounce of my strength and fortitude. I grabbed my knees with both hands in an effort to stop them from shaking. But that didn’t seem to help, and fear prevented me from thinking rationally.

I was in a police station, alone, and scared. The holding room was like a phone booth with no windows. I was sweltering under a choking fog of body odor and stale cigarette smoke. Nausea swept over me and I had to force myself to take a breath.

"You wait here,” a man said gruffly. Then the door was slammed shut and locked. That sound resonated through me and I felt as though my life was ending. It sent shivers up my spine and made me shudder. I could not explain my emotions or why I was so scared because I wasn’t even sure what was going on. My mind raced. It was an emotional whiplash between “why” and “what if.” What was going to happen? Why were they holding me? The questions wouldn’t stop and I could not think clearly. I felt sick to my stomach completely oblivious to the fact that deep within my belly, new life was growing.

Let Me Drop Everything and Work On Your Problem

I reached for the nearest coffee mug this morning and then opened my email inbox.  Going through the list, I deleted the obvious ones and then began screening the ones that were left.

Today CAN'T be the first of November.  Yup.  It is.  Today is the first day of NaBloPoMo blogging challenge.  Am I going to be able to keep up?  My plate is already overflowing.