It's Raining; It's Snowing..................

Good friends are what makes the world go 'round. I just got home after spending the entire day with my good friend Bonnie. She picked me up this morning about 9:00 a.m., on our way to Truckee, for a day of re-focusing and rejuvenation.

Let me tell you a little bit about Bonnie. She is the kind of friend you'd want to have. She is just good - someone you can count on; she's sharp as a tack, doesn't miss a trick, is very innovative and entrepreneurial - just smart as anything and knows how to have a good laugh. She is just great all around.......... and I love her to pieces..........

We both looked at the weather forecast this morning and we knew that a big storm was blowing in......... the forecast called for lot of rain and wind in the valley and lots of snow in the Sierra's......... I, for one, am no mountain girl, but Bonnie used to live in Truckee so I was confident I'd be safe coming and going........

We arrived in Truckee about 10:30 a.m. and since I'd never been to her house, I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was! It was not a cabin, but a regular (really nice) two-story house in this cute little cul-de-sac........... so, we pull into the garage from the snow-covered street and went up the stairs into the main house. We turned on the heater, got some tea, lit some candles, turned on a little native flute music and prepared for our afternoon of brainstorming and strategic planning. Bonnie had the great idea to come to Truckee to get out of our usual surroundings - to clear our minds and start anew.

You see, I am starting a nonprofit organization to assist kids in foster care, but somewhere along the recent line, I got a little off track - kind of like the train came rolling into the station and sort of just stopped. The engine was still running but it wasn't going anywhere! Bonnie had the insight to know a day like today would be just what was needed to get me back on track. Well, I can tell you, after about 3 hours of mind-mapping, strategic planning and re-developing ideas for a mission and vision statement, I am definitely rejuvenated and ready to hit the ground running. My next step is to meet with our board to share the new mission/vision. I think they will be pleased.

So as our day progressed, we noticed the snow continued to fall, getting a bit heavier with each passing hour..... again, I was with the mountain woman and this city slicker had no fear! Aside from it being breath-takingly beautiful, I began to think we might want to begin heading home......... Bonnie agreed, so we packed everything up, blew out all the candles, and headed out. Well, it's a good thing we did because the snow continued to fall, seemingly getting heavier and heavier. No worries here - Bonnie was at the helm. So, as we approached the summit, I casually turned to her and asked if she had chains - "No" was her reply. I wasn't fazed. It turned out we did need chains so we had to turn around and buy some from the guy in the bright yellow rain slicker who was wearing a sign that read "Chains".......... Bon got out of the car and asked the "chainer" how much? $75 bucks! Crap..... we both were scounging for the few bucks we had and all we could come up with was $61, which he thankfully took....... good thing because the snow was getting heavier. Actually, it was an amazing sight for this city gal...... to see the beautiful, white cloaked mountains and the trees heavy with new snow was really amazing....... I felt lucky to be "right in it".........

Bonnie got us home safely as we made it down the hill - de-chained and drove safely home.......

In conclusion, there were a few spin-outs and it was nice to see that most people helped each other get back on track. I never once was afraid because my good friend Bonnie always had my back - did I ever expect anything less?

A New Earth.......

I just finished reading a really good book: A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. This is definitely my kind of read. It's the mind-expansive, deep thinking kind of stuff that I so enjoy.

With each page, I had to stop, re-read the sentence and really think about what the author was trying to convey. The basic premise of the book is discovering the freedom and joy of life lived "in the now" - that is the "present moment." It may sound simple, but it is not. Try it. Give your full attention to this very moment - do not think about the future; do not think about the past - be in this very moment, fully.

I've been practicing this discipline or at least been aware of practicing this "way of being" for months, but I lose focus almost daily..... it is a very human thing to begin to think about other things and become "unconscious"......... but the beauty of it is when I notice that I have "lost my way" - in that moment, I am back to being in the now.

There is great power and strength in being in the present moment - a peace that is unexplainable.

In the book, the author talks about ego. According to him, we are a society so very attached to our egos that we don't know any other way of being. He says the ego is our identification to form - that is to the mind (thinking about the future/past) and being attached to things (materialism) -stuff that doesn't really matter in the bigger scheme of things.

He suggests that it is okay to have things, but we shouldn't get our sense of self (who you are) from those things, because they aren't "real". In the end, we all die and will leave behind all our "stuff"...... according to the author, the really consciousness comes from being in the "now"; being alive and present in each moment and letting go of the ego.

He suggests " if you are content with being nobody in particular, content to not standing out, you align yourself with the power of the universe". What looks like weakness to the ego is in fact the only true strength. This spiritual truth is diametrically opposed to the values of contemporary culture and the way it conditions people to behave.

He gives another example to watch out how our ego's gets in our way. The ego really is a very powerful thing but it keeps us separate from each other - keeps us "one-upping" each other, which never brings us peace of mind.

In the book he asks his readers to try this exercise:

Refrain from attempting to strengthen the self by showing off, wanting to stand out, being special, making an impression, or demanding attention. This may include occasionally refraining from expressing your opinion when everybody is expressing his or hers, and seeing what that feels like.........

In just being aware of how many times in a day we want to feel special, stand out or demand attention, is a awakening..........

Party Planning

Dennis' birthday will be here in about three weeks. I love giving parties, really for any occasion, having all our family and friends over, but giving my husband a special birthday party is really fun.

The last big one was five years ago and it was a complete surprise to Dennis. This year isn't a surprise but will be equally as fun. Two of his very best and long-time friends are coming...... we both are completely thrilled that they will be here to help him celebrate his big day. They both have known him for 40+ years - Don is flying in from Oregon; and Pat lives near Yosemite.

More to write about once the day is finally here.........

Yesterday, my sis/bro-in-law, Lynette and Dave and I drove down to Salida to see their grandson Dylan (our great-nephew) play basketball and to visit with Anne, Eric and their other two kids, Kaitlyn and Ty. I think Dylan is a natural as he dribbled the ball down the court - it was really cute to watch him play, with his serious facial expressions as he guarded and blocked the other players.......... what made it so cute, is that he's only 5!

Well, today is Sunday and it's another beautiful day - it's supposed to be about 68 degrees, so after Dennis watches the Daytona 500 race on TV, we'll go outside to enjoy the sunny weather. I love lounging in the sun on days like today or taking a nice walk around the neighborhood -anything to get outside.

So, tomorrow is another state holiday, so this will be another 4-day weekend for me........ I could get used to this!

I Love Solitare!

Okay, so I love Microsoft Office solitaire! The cat is now out of the bag.......... yes, it's true and it's all my mom's fault - : ) I remember asking her "how" to get to this mind-numbing, addictive game and she simply said, "oh, just go into your Microsoft office programs, under "games" and click on "solitaire"..........so, there you have it, the rest is every waking-day, addictive history!

For the past month (literally), after coming home from work (and sometimes before - in-between my morning shower and making lunches), I log on and play a quick 10 games......... I really like to win, so I'll play and play until I win a hand. Sometimes I'm really on a roll and will win 3-5 out of 10........ not bad. Maybe I should consider buying a lotto ticket during those times! HA!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love Valentine's Day, well really, any day that I can bake, cook and generally care for others. This Valentine's Day was pretty fun..... it's the first year I made truffles....... I usually buy Dennis some sort of chocolate candy, usually at See's or at this good chocolatier in Folsom, called Snooks. This year I thought, nay, I want to make something special, so I got two good recipes for truffles and went for it. They are so easy to make!! I ended up with ones that were dark chocolate with a cognac base and the others were white chocolate with almond extract and almonds. YUMMY! I usually don't eat candy, but these were so good, I found myself dipping into them more than once!

So, (there's that pesky so again)......... I always like to do special things for the people I care about, including those I work with. This year, I put together little "truffle" packages, came into work early so their surprise would be waiting for them as they arrived. I usually don't leave a note, as it's more fun for them to wonder who left it.......

This year I also wanted to do something extra special for Dennis. I decided to make a beef tenderloin with chocolate/merlot sauce. I'd never made the recipe before but it really turned out great! The beef was so tender and good.........I'll have to keep that recipe for other special occassions......... Dennis is always full of surprises......... he gets me every time. Every year, he really plays down the whole celebrating thing and acts like he's totally forgotten or could care less........ even though I've know him for as long as I have, I fall for it every time......... but to my pleasant surprise, when I got up this morning and went down stairs to make our lunches for the day, there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers (later to find out he did himself) and the sweetest card and note I'd ever seen. It was really special - so special I got tears in my eyes. My husband is really a big ole marshmellow, but unless you knew him well, you would never know. He's got a heart of gold and the demeanor to never let you in on it. I love him with all my heart and feel very blessed to have found such a wonderful man.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Another Beautiful Day!

Today is Tuesday, mid-week, and Dennis and I are off work - it's Lincoln's birthday and therefore a state holiday.......another great reason we love our jobs! It is absolutely beautiful outside, about 68 degrees. We've been enjoying the day by sitting out on our back deck, lounging in the sun, reading, having lunch and generally enjoying this bright, sun-shiny day........




Another really big thing going on in our lives, or really the lives of our family, is that my brother Joe and his wife Jana are in Russia, as we speak, meeting a little boy they hope to adopt. They are keeping the family updated with daily blogs and we can't wait to read about their adventure in Tomsk. From the sounds of their updates, things are going well. They've met the little boy, who is 13 months old and seem to be getting acquainted just fine. I can imagine this is a very special journey for them, on every level imaginable. I have a good feeling that this particular journey will a transformational experience for everyone involved.



I am reading a really good book that I just happened upon. I love to read any kind of book that talks about our human consciousness and ways of "being" on this earth. The book is by one of my favorite author, Eckhart Tolle. The last book I read was the "Power of Now". This particular book is called, "A New Earth - Awakening to Your Life's Purpose". It isn't about your life's purpose in the way we usually think of it, but of your life purpose when we let go of our ego's.
For me, it is a discipline to be in the present moment - to not think about the future or get caught up in the past. I try to practice it daily, if only for a few moments at a time.



Anyway, that is about it for now.......... anyone who may read this, enjoy your day....... : )

So, so so!

So, I just noticed in my last post that I use the word "so" a lot. I need to think about that.....

I guess I say so, so I can get on with my thoughts...... after reading my last post, I discovered that using so, so much, is kind of annoying.

So, instead of saying so, I've got to think of something else to use as a connector word.

So hopefully, my posts won't be filled with so many silly so's.........


Until next time, have a sooooooo very nice day!

: )

Happy Day!

Today is Saturday and it was a good day. I got to see Lia, the little girl I mentor. She is quite a special little girl. She's almost eleven and going up so fast - seems all she wants to do is hang out with her friends and have fun -well, what more is there, really? So, the last time I saw her we went rollerskating, so this time she wanted to bring a friend. It was great fun watching two little tween girls skate and be best buddies........... they seemed to have a ball and I got to watch them skate, laugh, fall down and generally be cute, sweet little girls............ very fun............

It turned out to be another gorgeous day today, so after the indoor rollerskating, I tried to get outside some........ to feel the sun on my face is a sublime feeling......... I love how the sun feels on a brisk, cool day.........

So, the past couple of days I have been running around town gathering goody bag stuff for all my young nieces, nephews, grand kids and all the other kids I seem to have around me..... I recently did a head count and I interact with 10 little kids (10 and under) at least 5-6 times a month......... I feel very blessed for having such a vast array of wonderful kids around me. I also have two older kids that I love so much - they are my niece Stephanie, who just turned 16 years old and my nephew Jeff, who is 19 years old. They are too old for goody bags from their aunt, but never to old for the love I have for them...... they are two of the nicest people anyone could meet.

So on to the goody bag goodie gathering.......... I love doing stuff like this and sometimes I think I've missed my calling of being a teacher. This kind of stuff brings me lots of joy. So, I bought: stickers, ribbon, pink/white/red tissue paper, Valentine Day cards, bubble gum, chocolate candy, sour candy rings (for the girls), conversations hearts and other silly things to load in the bags. It's so much fun to watch the kids rip into their bags......... I can't wait for Easter!

Friday, February 8, 2008 - Happy Chinese New Year, Day 2!

Well, today is the second day of the Chinese New Year - Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy New Year!

So, in case you don't know, it's the Year of the Rat. My husband is a Rat - sometimes a Ratfink, a Ratscal, and sometimes just plain old Ratatouille! He is one neat Rat, if I do say so myself!

So, here's a little Rat history in case you know one........... according to Eastern philosophy, Rats are revered for their quick wits and ability to accrue and hold on to items of value. Rats are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth in both China and Japan. Clever and quick-witted, the Rat is utterly disarming to boot. Possessed by excellent taste, old Ratty flaunts his style at ever turn. The Rat is naturally charming and sharp and his funny demeanor makes him an appealing friend to almost anyone. The Rat likes to know who is on his side and will treat its most loyal friends with an extra measure of protection and generosity. So, that concludes today's lesson in Chinese astrology.

So, today is Friday and of course a work day, but I got off early...... that is always nice. Since I had some time to kill before the evening festivities, I took advantage of the beautiful sun-shiny day and bought some fresh herbs and lettuce to plant in my garden. I think I just lucked out because the shipment had just arrived so I was able to grab everything I ever wanted: arugula, spinach, red lettuce, and flat leaf parsley.

Now in about a week, I should have enough greens for a great salad - nothing like growing your own food. I should have been a farmer or at least owned a few acres so I could grow all my own produce.

I would have loved, loved, love that!

Tuesday, February 5 - Election Day

Well, today is the first day of my blogging adventure. I feel like I've grown up. It kind of reminds me of the first time I got a cell phone....... I've arrived. Kind of goofy, but that's me....... any who, today is Election Day, but it really doesn't matter, as I am an absentee voter, so I already submitted my ballot by mail a week or more ago......this year we have either a black man or a white woman as the democratic nominee so I wonder who it's going to be? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...........

So, on to more lively and interesting topics. I was invited to a potluck tonight. I'd been volunteering this past year through an organization called Wonder Inc., who matches caring adults with kids in foster care. The adults are called Guides and the kids are the Explorers. It's a great little program and I just completed my first year of mentoring. So my "coach", Vicki thought it would be fun to have all of her Guides over her house for dinner. At first I wasn't too excited about going but decided "why not?"......... so, when tonight finally came, I almost cancelled with the excuse of "oh, it's a weeknight, yada, yada," but instead I listened to that little voice in my head that told me, " you need to go. Remember every time you don't want to do something is when you really need too"........ so I paid attention and drove to her house.

Turned out (as it always does) that I met a great woman who is the executive director of the National Girl Scouts of America nonprofit organization! She manages all these cool programs working with disadvantaged youth/teenage girls, etc and so we talked about the nonprofit that I am starting, We Foster Futures. She invited me to come see what they offer and the kinds of programs they have. We also talked about maybe collaborating at some point.

As you can imagine, I am very energized after talking with her and intend to follow up. Anyway, this is another tribute to listening to your intuition and knowing that when you may not want to do something is the exact reason you should.