TRICK OR TREAT??

There is a Movie I adore called "The Holiday" I am sure most of you have seen it. I have seen it several dozen times over the years I am quite certain. It is ironic to me as Halloween embarks this week, it becomes the Busiest time of the Year for most of us. Like Intensely. Crazy. Stressful. Busy. Someone out in Facebook Land feels the Need to Post a Picture of The Elf with the countdown of how many more Friday's until Christmas. I mean, I literally Panic. I feel the sweat bead up on my upper lip as if that isn't enough,  I am forced to immediately wipe my brow to dry it off. The palms of my hands begin to profusely perspire  as do my feet. My entire body becomes hot and my face is instantly flushed as I am tugging on my shirt collar as to loosen what now seems like it is choking the breath out of my being. We sing This is the Best Time of The Year!!! No, No, relax, I am like the Silliest  Elf around. I absolutely Obsess with the Celebrations. No one could possibly have more fun than I at this time. I am Certain! But I do fight to keep my perspective on Enjoying it. Sometimes it is just plain silly how I stress over the smallest of details such as, what if we do not have enough merriment?! ( as if that could ever happen.) Maybe somewhere it has been programmed into me that I am to become uptight and heaven forbid "Scroogey." I gasp at the thought. I looked up what Holiday means in the Webster's Dictionary and WHOLLA! There comes in the movie I mentioned! It is defined as "A day when one does not work; a day of enjoyment:Christmas is a holiday for everyone.   VACATION." Guys, where have we missed it? Where in the world have I missed it? I Love me some Christmas, but I would never consider it a Vacation! Until Now....


Maybe I am only speaking to the two percent of Whoville's who long to Bahoom around the Christmas Tree even amidst being robbed by the Scrooge; but I help make up that two percent. Do you?  I am convinced I am going to have the Best "Holiday" this year... than Ever. I am gonna muster up my tiny amount of courage and be the First to Post how close we are to Christmas with all the Excitement I can scrounge up. Figuratively speaking of course. When I feel like the stress begins to emerge I am perhaps going to take a short break away from all of the Christmas Carols and Blast me some Madonna. That is correct. Old school Madonna. You will hear me playing loudly, "Holiday" and I will sing and dance... Here is a clip from one of my Favorite Classic Movies, Staring Audrey Hepburn who coincidently I named my daughter's middle name after  -  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-PmluGC2wk

I believe it is truly up to the each of us to decide and determine that when we overhear the chatterings of others at the water cooler we impart that Holiday feeling. You know, that feeling that you cannot contain because of the big trip or time off coming up and the Wonderment of doing whatever makes you happy... Maybe it will not be an entire week per say, but couldn't the stolen moments throughout the Seasons we are embarking on be more than suffice? I indeed say so. It worked for Audrey in Roman Holiday we saw a moment ago.  Allow yourself to relish in the  Seasons upcoming, lose yourself in the craziness of Halloween, I find it really sets the tone for the rest of the Seasons to follow if you allow it. After the Frolicking of Fun, here comes the Time of Thankfulness. The almost Somber, Serious undertones of just how blessed we truly are. Get lost in this time. Jump in a pile of leaves or lay down and just watch the leaves flutter to the ground and watch their journey as they fall. As if each single leaf is on it's own mission and follow it to the ground. Allow yourself to explore your own journey then allow yourself to be illuminated as you continue to embark  on or travel henceforth.   From there comes the Most Blessed Celebration of Christmas, is there anything more Beautiful to Behold? After the tones of Thankfulness have been stirred up I believe the Wonderment of The Best Time of the Year will ignite in an explosion within you. Like the movies of Old, where someone is presented with a journey on their past to open the windows of their souls in such a vast incredible way that you were moved. 

Some of my favorite Stolen Moments have always been and I suspect will always be, when I am all alone late in the Night, some warm beverage in hand, the aroma delightful, fire aglow embers hot and bright, lights only from my Tree softly set the tone and the music that awakens my heart with Merryment for me and I get lost. I lose myself and as on my Vacations, I don't want this moment to end and have to go back to the "real world." I have said before, my Family sing and dance on Christmas Night. We Celebrate. I truly know no other way. To you parents, what an Enchanting time to teach your children, share of your own childhood, tell the stories, whether in actions or the telling but Share these Stories, Your Stories.  This one day; as I am living proof, is the tone we set in what they will carry with them. I truly cannot recall most of the presents given, but I remember The Holidays....I feel them.  I implore you, to try this...dabble if you must, but at least commit to sticking your toe in to feel the water of these Seasons and find how deep you want to immerse yourself in them. You will always have those who are doing cannonballs while others are floating on their rafts just allowing the current to drift them. Just embrace where your Soul finds delight. These Seasons are Truly a Beautiful Wonderment of Life~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1zmktlxYoA&list=RDT1zmktlxYoA

FULL MOON

Here is Lilboo attempting to make a video for Miranda Sings that she adores

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjoy-PKN97Q

Have you ever felt like you wanted to go back and Take Two at situations in your life? Boy I sure do.  But most of the time, we are not granted second chances... Why do you think that is? Why do we not get more chances?? Is there really the One Shot at our Destiny's? I say Absolutely, Positively NO.  I say "Start Over" several times a day. But then again, I am not your Average Joe... Or Jane. Neither are you.  I want to squeeze all that I can out of every opportunity I am presented with to Hit that Mark. Leave that Impression. Impart that Knowledge. Gain Understanding. My opinion is, you have to MAKE the decision that there Will be another take, live outside the lines to determine the Take Two. How do you go about this you ask? Believe in what your situation is. I am Sales background, trust me, If I don't believe in it, I cannot, will not, be able to Sale it.  In my last job I held, there was a Customer that I wanted, it was "That One Account"  that would have been Incredibly Exillerating to have had sign on the dotted line. Yes, the Commission is One reason and there is nothing wrong with that, but I truly believe if that was my only driving force this would have been complete failure.  I worked so hard on this Contact. I approached any and all people remotely associated to making the decision to change. I brought in my Guns, every time I met a road block I would retreat and go back until I was prepared for the Take Two that previously had stopped me. Here I came again armed with the necessary armor to Succeed, however, I must admit;  I just never could close that deal. My boss even said there just wasn't anything left to unveil, we had tried it all.  I had shown them on every level that was apparent as to why they should change yet to no avail. I see this Customer still to this day that I couldn't sway and I must say I chuckle within and even though I didn't get His business, still,    I Won. It wasn't the Monetary way that this gal sure could have used, but I am Proud of myself. I feel Stouthearted when I think back. So it still is a win to me as long as we do it from our Heart with Our Best Projected. 

I am drawn to music if you haven't realized by now, and I played before school this Morning "Best Day Ever" By Spongebob Squarepants. You just can't help but feel that smile stretch far and wide from one ear to the other. I had it playing loudly and My Daughter and I  sang and sang and giggled a lot, and there was dancing too. But see I am teaching her that SHE is what controls her day, not what happens in it.  This songs lyrics say "When I'm feeling down, I want to lose that frown, I stick my head out the window and look around. These clouds don't scare me, they can't disguise. This magic that is happening, right before my eyes. Soon Mr. Moon, will be shining bright, so the best day ever can last all night." We have to tell ourselves at every age it is gonna be the Best Day Ever and then Hit it with your BEST Shot! It is the Key to Success! I send these, "Yes, you can!" Motivational quips for lunch boxes  for Camille's lunch, yesterday it said S_CCESS (It can't happen without U). BINGO!!!

I absolutely adore picking My Daughter up in the Afternoons after school because it never fails, when asked how her day was, it is described as "Incredible", "Awesome", "Fabulous" I love that it is never "fine, ok, good" blah blah blah. If she can keep that up she is going somewhere and others will follow or take note.  Our Attitudes truly dictate our Altitudes. A friend posted today, "Live your Truth. Express your Love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering." - Dr. Steve Maraboli. We all can have the Best Day Ever even when it seems the day just cannot seem to go your way.  I hope I never forget that situation with that Customer, and I hope I never lose that zeal. When you make Today Worth Remembering, you truly will. This is The Wonderment Of Life....

Allow yourself to get lost in this Song, the day is not over yet, Take Two if you must; just make sure you Make it Worth your Best...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yBnIUX0QAE

ET PHONE HOME

My DoorWay For Halloween Thanks To the Help of My Ingenious Friend (Blakely Webb) Who is Way More Talented then  I shall ever be. But we are quite the team. I pick it out and she puts it Together. Chloe' our Cat greets you here and Welcomes you.  No idea where the Boys are, (The Dogs, Two Maltese named Hunley and Jackson)  

I have raised my Daughter with such a Reverence and Connection to her Home. When we have been away or she has, seconds after walking through that door, she will almost Melt and Sigh saying, "There is NO Place Like Home." Those who Know me best know that my Home is my Identifying Entity. Regardless of Much Else that goes on in My Life, what resides within my four walls is what Defines Me. Always Has. Whether its after that long, hard day that nothing seemed to go just right, my intense longing was welling up to go Home. Intensifying as I drew closer, as if water drawn from the cool, fresh well  and partook in the driest of Deserts sipped by the parched of lips.  Once I crossed that Threshhold, I was within my borders that alienated me from all that was wrong, and emerssed me with all that was right. For Me, that is something to Celebrate.  You see, I spent a many a year, (still do) taking care of my sweet Mother. My haven, My Fortress, My Shelter had become something foreign to me. Somehow, due to circumstances beyond her control, due to her illness, there was a heaviness that would loom within my borders. If I just looked around at my situation, there truly wasn't much to Celebrate. Ever feel that way? Yet that tickle in the bottom of my soul would whisper to the very most inner parts of my being and tell me to Celebrate. Before you knew it, I could've sold tickets to come inside because there just wasn't a better place to be! See, all that had changed was ME. That is generally the Best place to start. 

So, let me ask you....what IS your Identifying Entity? If more than a couple seconds just went by and it didn't just pop up within you....you gotta figure it out! Hold all the calls, put down your phone and tune into the most important thing EVER....Yourself. Get acquainted again, realize what was perhaps forgotten or ignite that fire that might have gotten smothered out. Once realized, that will be the cause for Celebrations that you might have been barely smirking at before. Not me choosing smirking over a great belly laugh. Not. gonna. happen. I believe whether it is Faith, Stamina, Fortitude, Endurance, or a lot of each, we have to go deeper than our surfaces show.  Not in a smirking way, but a belly laugh way. My closest allides don't accept my smirks, they want me to laugh from my deepest parts... Allow yourself to Belly laugh it is Medicine to our Soul. A Wonderment Of Life to Relish in. I have hanging in My Kitchen, (as it is the Core of my entire Home) a Cross stitching Of Proverbs 31 The Virtuous Woman. It was created by My Mother as she was becoming ill. I remember watching her pour herself into this Masterpiece. Everyone knows  if ever something were going Awry in my home and we must flee, grab that piece! One of the verses states, "She laughs at the days to come." Whoa that says so much to me. Just think on that one....then allow yourself to do inventory within your borders of your being and measure by this. Are you Smirking or Are you Laughing? 

I read "It's Not the Circumstances That Create Joy. It's You. Boom!  So Here goes Me Today whether tucked inside my four walls; that all the outer parts of me are stripped and I am able to be bare with the rawest of Dreams, Ambitions and Feelings to be laid exposed in the Security of the Acceptance of Me, or Dashing to and fro around town today, Hear me Proclaim, " I will Celebrate and Belly Laugh."  Today is My Claire's Birthday, my daughter that passed. For the first time, TODAY, on her Eighth Birthday, I Belly Laugh of  my Life with her, More Importantly HER Life. Once I realized this, I couldn't stop the corners of My Mouth from turning Up! Where birthdays past I was lucky to smirk at. Moreover, I would Dread because I knew that her passing date (that I truly Celebrate) is Near.  My new favorite movie "A Fault In The Stars" talks about making Exceptional use of our time given. I extend that to every area of my life and challenge you to do so as well.  My time with Claire changed my life forever for the better. Like Garth sings in "The Dance" what I would lose without This Day! OMG! Same with you and your circumstances and situations. The good and the not so good. Its part of Life.  If all you can do is smirk, start smirking. But dig, dig deep to find that laughter, for that is the Sweetest Moments to Blossom. I am Blooming today and I am so excited to be able to have JOY today and I am living proof It Started with ME. So what are you waiting for??? 

Who says you can't go Home?? Home is where the Heart is. Go Home today, I Invite you and Welcome you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abzbVFuxigg&list=PLBAEA63219D7C360A