The Battle for My Mind;-).

I had a tough day Monday, learning that the second IVF cycle had failed. The day before I learned the editor who is doing the line edit had taken on another project, putting mine on hold. During this time, I have been listening to The Power by Rhonda Bryne, author of The Secret. In her book, she stresses again and again that your thoughts determine your world. And I absolutely believe that.

What can be disconcerting then, is how often I find negative thoughts streaming through my mind. I have started my flower painting (paint by number kit) which I love. It allows me to be completely still and focused. And yet at that time in particular, I hear fear thoughts come streaming through (what if the baby dream never works out) irritation thoughts (I can't believe that neighbor keeps letting her dog bark) sadness (mom looked quite a bit older the last time I saw her and I wish she would take better care of herself).

I myself am shocked at how much negative energy/ideas there are floating around in my head, when I generally think of myself as a positive person. What is all that muck? Why am I not sitting with my paintbrush in hand thinking how lucky I am to be married to a man who not only loves me and the kids, but has a kind heart, is a phenomenal provider and thinks I'm quite pretty. Why am I not overwhelmed at how lucky I am to have two healthy, smart, funny boys who love me and Greg and our families. Why don't I think more about how blessed I am to have wonderful parents, in-laws, financial stability, a new career start writing fiction, good health and to top it all off, happen to live in the free est country in the world?

In her book, The Power, Bryne suggests you train your mind, not unlike training your body, to focus on what you love, what you're grateful for, what makes you happy. I took out a new notepad a few days ago that I entitled Gratitude and Serendipity journal and am now making a nightly habit to remind myself of all the good I already have and to remind myself daily to appreciate all this wealth.

If any of you have little tricks that help you come out of the dole drums and focus on the awesomeness of life, I'd love to hear them. Good wishes! Eileen

Science Fairs and dirty dishes;-)

Kirk was really proud of his science fair experiment today - tornado in a jar. All the kids got medals and it was a good experience all around. I'm absolutely sure the time that was spent on this was more important than cleaning the kitchen, but the result was a mess of dishes still waiting to be done at 10 p.m. I'm finding myself a bit stretched as time goes on and deciding that I'm just going to have to be okay with dirty dishes more often. Greg has been a trooper taking up some of the slack - he just offered to do the big weekly grocery shopping, but there is just not time for everything and I've decided to try and be okay with the house not like I'd like it to be. Well that or just a whole lot less stuff at the house. Kirk and I were just reading a little blurb about the Greeks tonight, and the closing paragraph was timely.
"The story of Greek life is the story of both moderation and simplicity. Our material possessions, such as houses, furniture, books, and cars take up a great deal of the owner's time and attention. They have to be polished, brushed, painted, mended, and guarded. The Greeks would probably feel that we are not so much the owners of property as the slaves to our possessions. The Greeks wanted to be free in both body and mind. So that they could keep their liberty and be truly free in spirit, they reduced their daily needs to the lowest possible point."

But what to toss? What is excess? Tonight we watched a video called Science Rock from Schoolhouse Rock, we played a game called Marketplace before dinner and did two puzzles after dinner. All these things, purchased from thrift stores, do add to our lives in education and enjoyment, but admittely, all those things take time to organize, sort, find lost pieces, etc. I don't have a really good criteria list for what to keep/what to toss. Any thoughts? Good wishes! Eileen

Making some progress on those November goals

...if you want something very badly, you can achieve it. It may take patience, very hard work, a real struggle, and a long time; but it can be done. That much faith is the prerequisite of any undertaking, artistic or otherwise. Margo Jones (1913-1955)

November goals are coming along quite well, and as silly perhaps as it sounds, the star chart is helping. I see it every time I go to the refrigerator and it reminds me both how much I've accomplished this month and what areas could use a bit of work in the ten or twenty odd minutes of free time before I need to head out the door or while I wait for the school bus to arrive. There's never any doubt how to focus my time in those bits and pieces.

The credit for the idea goes to the author of the Happiness Challenge - Gretchen Rubin. I posted about her book earlier. I LOVE it!!! It is a concrete way to live more happily and after my run-in with the crazy political guy, I think we all should do all we can to live each day in a happy frame of mind. The author is quite impressive too; she clerked for the Supreme Court and her research skills and analytical thinking are clearly evident throughout. It's both a thoughtful and thought provoking book.

I finally ordered a paint by number kit and have started painting my floral masterpiece, a goal I swear I've had five years but never got around to. But now it was on my November list and there was no way I was going to not get a star;-).

Hope all your dreams and hopes and plans are coming along well. Good wishes. Eileen
P.S. Should you be interested, the author also has a website http://www.happiness-project.com/

Got cussed out today - road rage goes political;-).

You can transcend all negativity when you realize that the only power it has over you is your belief in it. As you experience this truth about yourself you are set free. Eileen Caddy

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It was there all the time. Anna Freud (1895-1982)

I helped out at a friend's campaign today and held signs near a polling place - staying the legal distance away. A guy in a suit stopped his black BMW and his face mottled purple with rage, began ranting, "You're F#$(ing breaking the law." I assured him I was over 100 yards away, the legal limit. He then broke into, "I'm F*(#_ing calling the cops. And you're f#(&ing supporting an idiot." Lots of rage there. Other than thinking the guy might want to try some meditation exercises;-),
the experience really made me conscious of the sacrifices that people made during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's and women's efforts to get the vote in the 1920's (and before). To be on the receiving end of all that hate, merely for holding a sign, was eye opening. I can't imagine doing a sit in at a lunch counter with rabid police dogs waiting on the street outside or speaking up for women's rights while an audience of men yelled derogatory remarks and threw things - those were some tough people and we owe them a lot!

On happier news, I kept my goals for writing three hours today. And I met a wonderful children's librarian who graciously told me about some of the ins and outs of good kids' books.

Happy election day to all - be glad we live where we can all express our viewpoints! Eileen

Happy Halloween 2010!

Happy Halloween 2010!! Greg is taking the kids around this year and I have some time to blog as we have only gotten three trick-or-treaters so far. One of the wonderful things about having a blog is it's a sort of journal as well and I was able to look back to this exact time last year and see how far I've come with hopes and dreams and also how I've "detoured" a few times;-).

I just finished posting my Nov. goals on the refrigerator along with our Nov. family good deeds chart so I'm hoping to check this next year, Oct. 31, 2011 and have made amazing progress in each goal area.

Today I signed up for an online dialogue writing course here at the University and also applied for an author mentor program also local, so I'm hoping to continue to learn and become a much better writer.

Good wishes to all of you! Kai was not in the mood for pictures tonight, so here's Kirk with his fiercest looking Jedi Knight pose. Eileen

Organized people rule the world and I'm not one of them;-)

Tonight I went on a cooking spree, with two crock pots on the counter top, 24 muffins and a casserole just finishing up in the oven. As a result of all this, I shouldn't have to cook for a week and will be unlikely to have a $20 lunch for two (Kai and I) because nothing was handy at home. I have told myself before, if I could just get into a routine of cooking one day a week and freezing/refrigerating the leftovers, we'd eat healthier and save a ton on food. But there is no set date and just getting a grocery list together before I leave to shop can be a hassle - but again I fantasize having a succinct, cost approved list, to shop on say Fridays, followed by Saturday cook-a-thon for a few hours, all dishes done and put away, and be eating healthy, cheap, and organized for life;-).

Then I did about three loads of laundry, and dumped them all on the floor to join about three other baskets full for a fold-a-thon while Kai watched Curious George and again thought if I could get us down to about seven sets of clothes each and be disciplined about doing it every Saturday morning, folding it, getting it put away and not even thinking about laundry until the following week, we'd have fewer clothes all over the kids' rooms floors and my closet and the hall and the bathrooms. We'd no longer have stuffed closets and drawers, and we'd dress well, cleanly, and cheaply for life;-)

I imagine having the mowing and basement cleanout on a schedule, knowing exactly where the "Mom where's my" items are at, and getting thank yous out the day it occurs to me one is due.

I admire folks like that and if you're one of those people, feel free to pass on some advice. I realize having systems and schedules make life easier and more rewarding and need to learn to be better about putting them in place.

There's something comforting also about living within self-imposed limits. Quite often the last few months I been to busy to focus on staying within budgeted amounts for food, etc. I am just glad to find the time to get to the store, but that sort of ad-hoc living doesn't sit well. In some weird way I can't quite define, I like knowing I "can't" run to the store and have to make do and find being creative and living within a budget often more comforting somehow (despite the fact we are doing fine financially). Similarly, when I stick to a certain routine for eating healthy or exercising, there are two rewards: the results of those choices, but also the good feeling from being self-disciplined enough to stick to process to achieve the goal. Too much anything, food, spending, clutter, behindness(if there is such a word), all feels yuck! (Not the best adjective for an aspiring author but you get the gist;-).

Aside from needing to learn organization, Kai and I had a fun day. We played some games, took Brandi to the vet, went out to that $20 lunch, went to the zoo and a playground. At three, I always notice his behavior is so much better when he has my full attention; he really thrives on it and I need to be more "present" with him daily. Good wishes!

Getting behind, feeling a bit low...

It's interesting how you can know so much what's good for you, but it can be so hard to do it! My house is getting too messy again. I went to a thrift store today, again, breaking my vow, and got some wonderful books and educational games, but it is more stuff coming in, when my goal is to reduce clutter and own less stuff. I know this as I pull into the parking lot, but it's a bit of an addiction. Second, I know full well I CANNOT stay out of candy and sweets in the house, but got two big bags of candy for trick or treators and ate about 17 mini-candy bars yesterday - YUCK!! I haven't gotten anything done on book two, haven't exercised in several days, and feel that bad feeling of not making progress in any area. So that's my whine for the evening. Otherwise, life is good. Kirk is home from school for teacher conferences to we went to the children's museum, then Greg's work had a Halloween party for the kids so we went. Kids are high on sugar as I type and cranky as all get out. Ooops, I said I was done with the whining. Will sign off. Good wishes. Eileen

Manuscript sent off this morning for line edit! And Nov. goals - Want to join me??

I met a big milestone today and sent off the manuscript for the first book for a final line edit to the book doctor in Milwaukee. He said it will take about two weeks for a complete edit, then it's on finding an agent and publisher. I'm thrilled to be at this point!!!

At one point, due to a computer glitch, I lost about a week's worth of work - very discouraging, but I eventually made it up.

Today I'm planning to make a list of November goals - how to be a better person by the end of 30 days, straight off the How to Think Big book cassette tape I got free in a box of stuff at the side of the road after an auction.

Goals: Spend one hour each day for 20 days of the month thinking - pen in hand - and listing ideas. I've done that to good success in the past and just fallen off the wagon.

Do 20 minutes of yoga for 20 days this month (nameste yoga that we tape on the fitness channel)and lose two pounds by the end of the month through cutting way back on sugar to 30 grams a day (too many hours worked at Panera with yummy apple danishes for a reward not good) to be 135.7(ish;-).

Have the second book ready for its first edit by Nov. 30 (that's stretching it quite a bit, but would be wonderful - I'm up to page 20 and it will be around 80 pages).

Reread the book on Sibling rivalry or take parenting class on 123 Magic to help deal both with the kids fighting and with Kai's occasional temper tantrums.

Post four times on the company website to share learning ideas - Kirk at six can now do some fourth grade math and is the top of his class for reading and loves school - so it's nice to see the rewards of our educational games and books and posters, etc.

Do 20 good deeds and post a family good deed chart to focus more on kind acts and not so much on stuff.

Zero, zip, zilch trips to thrift stores, clothing stores, etc. for November. In a weak moment yesterday, I went to a thrift store I hadn't been to in months and bought $40 in kids books (50 cents each) and kids games ($1) each - the checkout woman asked me if I was a teacher;-). I also got a great pair of Kenneth Cole boots ($16). So my cravings should be sated for a bit??

Do one oil painting of a flower - my new hobby I've long wanted to do and been reading about, but never taken a paintbrush to hand.

Joy and good wishes to each of you on your journeys. Maybe someone will join me for November goals??

A month of life lessons;-)

I can't believe a month has gone by since I last posted. It had been my dear hope that when I posted again I would open with the words that a new baby was on the way, but such is not the case. I also felt a bit hypocritical posting about frugality as we went through the very expensive IVF process. We are blessed that we can afford this route, in part due to years of being frugal, though, so maybe it's all connected and we are not giving up hope yet on that much longed for third child.

In other areas, life could not be better. I am LOVING the writing process, and will have the second draft ready for a line edit within about two weeks now. The phrase writing is rewriting is the truth!!! Writing/revising really is a skill, so I expect I will have to work very hard to finally get it right, but when I'm working, the hours just flow by, so I know there's something very good in that.

My pact with Greg to spend nothing except on food and necessities till January 1, 2011, has been broken about eight times, mostly on garden items. But that is still a lot less than it otherwise would have been, with far fewer trips to the thrift stores and garage sales. I've tried to use the extra time to declutter and have probably brought over 600 items to donate in the past few months, clothes, toys, books, household stuff, decorations, magazines, etc. I've done with several closets, which was a great feeling. Part of me is appalled at all the time I had to have spent buying those 600 items, not to mention the costs. I read recently about a movement among some parents to limit the number of toys their kids own to twenty. When I think how much tidier my house/closets/basement would be with just twenty toys, it has real appeal. But I also know that I wouldn't be satisfied with 20 plants in the garden, so can I impose that sort of retriction on the kids?

Greg turned 42 on Sunday, and we had a little celebration. I realized I had shared almost two decades of birthdays with him, and how blessed I am to go through life with such a wonderful person.

I finished reading the Happiness Project, which I loved, loved, loved. The author took a year to see if she could make her already good life even happier and brought her impressive research skills (she'd clerked for the Supreme Court) to the subject and found a myriad of ways to do so. I must have tabbed fifty pages before I got an overdue notice from the library.

Good wishes to a happy day! Eileen

Checking back in;-).

Pics of Kirk in front of a wonderful old church we went to, built in 1882, and he and Kai walking my mom's dog, and the wonderful Weber House and garden I toured, including a child's playhouse that had been built in 1941.

Just drove in from a weekend with the kids at my parents. We had a lovely time. I got to visit an AMAZING garden called the Weber House. The man who has created this acre and a half paradise has done so on a shoestring over the past 30 years and created a true masterpiece. It was transporting almost, to be there. Came home with many new ideas and dreams.

Greg and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary earlier this month and I still think he's the greatest guy I've ever met (with stiff competition from my dad and brother;-).

The kids are doing great - Kirk is enjoying first grade and all the little bits of reading and math through the summer really paid off.

The book is going through its edit, and the second is about halfway done. I will submit it for a line edit by mid-October at the latest. Then go about trying to find an agent and publisher - how fun!

My pact not to buy anything other than groceries/necessities, has gone well, broken four times so far, all for garden items (all small amounts). I can't believe how much more time I have now that I don't stop by my favorite thrift stores and zoom on by garage sale signs. That is not to say I don't miss the thrill of the hunt, but have appreciated the extra time to work on the book and other projects. And visiting my mom and seeing 40 years accumulation of thrift store buying (she admits to be a borderline hoarder), is sobering;-). It really does zap a lot of her energy to just have SO much stuff. I convinced her to get rid of a few boxes of Christmas decorations and we boxed up a few other things, so it was a tiny drop of progress. It's hard to see how "stuff" can bring so much fun in one way (shopping is her only real hobby), yet add so much unhappiness with the overwhelming task of trying to keep it all organized.

I'm reading a really interesting book called "The Story of Stuff" and it is a sobering look also at the environmental costs off all this stuff. The author, Annie Leonard, notes study after study shows "materialism" which also includes a desire to have people like how you look, to impress others socially, etc. invariably do not lead to happiness, but family, friends, spirituality, and a sense of contributing to community or the world, are the keys - good reminders.

I still need to unpack all the stuff mom sent home. My dad was thrilled to see any of it moved out;-). Good wishes. Happy trails on each of your paths to happiness.

All is good!

Test results came back benign. A happy Eileen is spending the entire day in the garden to celebrate - kids at my parents until tomorrow. Thanks for the good wishes! Good thoughts to everyone!

And the beat goes on;-).

My trip by ambulance to the emergency room at 1 a.m. yesterday for chest pain and trouble breathing was a first, and very scary. Good news is they can't find any cause for this, with EKG looking just fine. I have been having a lot of breast pain in the left breast. Earlier on Thursday, my doctor did an exam and said she felt lumpiness and swollen glands so she ordered another mammogram and ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday - please send good thoughts to the universe on Tuesday. The night of the hospital trip, I took Codeine for the pain, and they symptoms appeared half hour or so later and I think they were connected. The emergency room doctor said that would not be a common known side-effect for Codeine, and correlation (in time) doesn't always equal causation, but that's my thought.

Greg graciously agreed to watch the kids this afternoon and tomorrow so I can address the editor's comments to the first manuscript and get the second draft ready, which will be submitted to him for a line edit later.

So far, the no shopping rule has been no problem, with just a few twinges as I passed a garage sale sign on the way to the zoo with the kids yesterday.;-).

Good wishes to all. Enjoy each moment this weekend!

Kids at the Merry-go-round at the zoo - as a celebration for Kai getting through his immunizations. Earlier in the day, the kids help vacuum out the car after I found a bunch more iris at the town dump to transport home.

Mini-update

Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not that one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to ask. Maxwell Maltz 1899-1975

Kids at the school playground after we registered Kirk for first grade. Then Kirk reading Kai the library book he'd picked out. No pics of the 101 fights the kids have between these Kodak moments....;-).

Day four of four and a half months no shopping going well. Even grocery shopping with a three and six year old more bearable when it's the only shopping I get to do;-).

Got the comments back from the editor and he was spot on in all his comments. I found everything he said very, very helpful and will revise based on problems he pointed out, and in a month or so, resubmit for what is called a line edit or more detailed edit. This was a very good step. Thanks to the Book Doctor!

A fun, frugal day.

Tomorrow the kids come home from Iowa - it will be so good to have them home! Today was a productive, fun, frugal day. No spending - zero, zip, zilch - other than $3.58 for my bagel spot - where I spent two hours working, so it was worth it and food of course is still okay on this spending hiatus.

I had a momentary twinge as I pulled into the donation center of my favorite thrift store to unload about five bags I'd gotten together while cleaning out Kirk's room (best done in his absence as he has his dad's packrat tendencies). But I made it out of the parking lot without stepping foot inside.

Then I stopped by and met the gardener of this cute, colorful garden that I've driven by before. He was pruning trees today so I stopped and asked if I could take some pictures. It was a fun experience.

Early in the day, I took Brandi with me to Panera Bread to work on my book. We found a shady place under a tree and I got a lot done.

Then I came home and cleaned out an overgrown garden, potting up lots of extra plants for next year's plant sale. I usually spend about $100 a year on annuals, which always seemed pretty reasonable. But as I was sweating and batting mosquitoes, I counted how many of my plants I would have to sell to make $100 and at 50 containers ($2 a container), it seemed like a lot of money. Always good to work in concrete numbers with your sweat equity right there before you;-). Good wishes. Still waiting to hear back from the editor. Eileen

Day 1 for 4 1/2 months of no shopping;-).

Well, the contract is posted on the refrigerator. Greg and I both signed;-). No shopping other than food/toiletries until Jan. 1 2011. I'm excited about the extra time and money savings this will offer. Hopefully, it will help speed up all the other goals. Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely August day!

This is an article from Mary Hunt that my Mom sent me a clipping from, so I don't have a link. It's entitled: Simplifying makes life simply fabulous.

Anyone with a lick of fashion sense knows that the secret of style is found in accessories. Men have it easy....but women? We have to deal with earrings, watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, belts, chains, broaches, scarves, glasses, stockings, socks, hats, headbands, briefcases and shoes of every style, height, and color. Being properly accessorized is anything but cheap.

Years ago, I made a rash decision. In retrospect, I see it as a stroke of genius. Having owned and lost dozens of earrings in my life, I decided that from then on, I would own just one all-purpose lovely pair of earrings. I would wear that one pair all the time. Why not? I had worn the same ring day after day, year after year and had not been arrested for taking unacceptable fashion risks.

I made this decision for one reason: to stop spending money on earrings. It came with a fringe benefit I didn't expect. I gained time and peace. I don't waste effort trying to decide which earrings to wear. I don't waste time trying to find earrings that match. I always know where my earrings are, so I haven't lost an earring in many years. To my surprise, this one decision noticeably simplified my lie. And it became my catalyst to discover more ways to simplify.

Gradually converting to all white linens and towels has simplified doing the laundry. Sorting is a breeze. Everything matches automatically. I never deal with faded towels or mismatched pillow cases. White goes with everything and it never goes out of style.

I have learned that simplifying, even in small ways, makes my life more enjoyable. Want to simplify your life? Start small and see what happens. ...From Mary Hunt, founder of www.debtproofliving.com

Big 3 Month Challenge!!! No spending except food/toiletries till Jan. 1, 2011

I've tried this twice now and failed, so it's time to get back on the horse. At dinner tonight I presented Greg with my idea for no thrift stores, no purchases, no matter how good a deal of clothing, gardening, house, toys, etc all the way to Jan. 1. He was all for it, no surprise;-). I asked him to keep me honest by asking each day whether I'd kept to my plan. This should free up lots of time/money. Wish me luck.

The other picture is of a guy playing his guitar standing on his head that we passed tonight walking along State Street - a clearly creative guy!;-).

Good wishes!

Saved $80 today with a DIY project!

When I saw my mom last weekend, she mentioned a bracelet with a stone that had fallen out and I offered to get it fixed. When I got home, I made a pile of about five necklaces with various issues and put an ad on Craigslist to see if someone could fix everything for a reasonable price. The only responder offered $100 to fix most of it, with some wiggle room if it turned out harder than he expected. Since all but one is costume jewelry, mostly bought from thrift stores at $3 or so, I didn't want to spend that much. So I did a google search for fixing links and clasps and found an e-how video, got some needle nosed pliers and my tweezers, and fixed all but one! The bracelet with the stone from my mom doesn't want to sit back into its holder and I can't figure that one out. But even if I have to take that one piece to a repair place, I've still got all the others fixed and feeling quite proud;-). At my garage sale this summer, a woman stopped by who had redone an old house in town herself. She and her dad even jacked it up off the foundation to fix something. When I expressed admiration, she said, "Most people can probably do most things, you just have to be willing to get in there and learn." Well said! This is supposed to be hiatus, but with the kids at Grandma and Grandpas, time is fairly plentiful! Plan to sleep in tomorrow!!!!

Taking a hiatus until September.

To me, the difference between the artist and the non-artist is that the artist is the one that does it. Helen Garner - Australian Writer

Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in striving toward an important goal. Maxwell Maltz 1899-1975.

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap! Cynthia Heimel
Hello to all!! Life is good here. I feel like I'm making progress on all fronts, though often in baby, baby steps.
Marriage - Looking forward to a couple date nights. The kids are in Iowa for the weekend and we are going out twice, which will be a lot of fun. I met my mother in law in Prairie Du Chein and had a fun tour of a great old mansion called Villa Louis stuffed with amazing antiques and an old working kitchen, ice house, etc. etc.

Parenting - Kids are doing well. Kirk has come a long way in his reading with our 15 minutes or so a day practice. I kept Kai home from his part-time daycare/preschool for August and this has been a lot of fun, though stressful too. We are all together 24/7, with the first break this weekend.;-) They have good and bad days/hours/moments as brothers. I can remember fighting with my brother when I was little, but I don't remember it being so constant. They will go from best buds to yelling at each other in a five minute span. My sibling rivalry books have some ideas that I'm working on.

Book - Off to the editor. I can't wait to hear back comments. I'm thrilled to have this done.

Business - Got a business plan checkoff list from a friend who is also starting a company and hope to use it to be more disciplined to get a bit done each day.

Garden - My phlox and Joe Pye weed and annuals are going strong. I really enjoyed the plant sale I ran on and off during the summer (at the end of the drive with an honesty jar so no extra work) and will probably do this again next summer.


FI - Kind of a mixed bag here. Considering I started this whole project as a money saving blog, honesty compels me to admit that the last few months have not been our most frugal. But I plan to buckle down and work harder at it in the months to come. So far, August is off to a great start - being with the kids full time means no trips to the thrift stores, and even Home Depot is a bit of a stretch with a three year old, so saving money that way;-).


Health/beauty. Finally broke down and took a friend's advice to do a food journal. Have done this for about a month and lost two pounds and am eating much, much healthier - too embarrassing to write down Pepsi 250 calories and snickers 250 calories under snacks;-). Finished reading a book about Coco Channel and another about style from Rachel Zoe, started taping Project Runway and the Rachel Zoe show to watch when I exercise in the basement and now am obsessed with fashion - absolutely love looking at those beautiful clothes, which do not seem easily available in Wisconsin, but fun to look at anyway. Now have on my wish list a white winter coat;-).

Spirit - Have been reading a book called The Art of Happiness at Work by the Dalai Lama - always makes me feel peaceful and Enthusiasm Makes the Difference by Norman Vincent Peale - always cheers me up. Trying to spend more time with family and friends - spent four days with my parents earlier this month and went out to dinner with my brother and a friend from fourth grade while I was in Illinois- gotta love friends who still are friends 30 years or so and counting...Several years ago I wrote out the goal that I would feel happy each day and I've met that goal - not that I'm happy the entire 16 hours I'm awake, but a good portion of each day is just plain happiness and that is something I'm grateful for in so many ways. Here's the key, to save you 1000 self-help books and twenty years of study - think happy thoughts - think about what you want, not what you fear. As soon as you find your mind going along some dark pathway - worry about kids, the extra wrinkles around the eyes, worries about aging parents, concern about mold in the attic or whether you stepped on someone's toes with a thoughtless comment, usually these thoughts like to come at low moments - think 3 p.m. or bedtime, just absolutely refuse, refuse to think about it. Think happy thoughts about gardens, people you love, pray or "talk" to loved ones who've passed away. Then in the morning, when you are feeling in a happy mood, jot down a quick list of anything you need to do. Believe everything is an opportunity for something good to come into your life -that it's truly all good. Maybe the mold guy will be someone you're meant to help out or watching your parents go through the stages of life will make your relationship even deeper. Really, truly, you can save yourself a lot of time, anguish and reading if you just determine to think happy thoughts, then do what needs to be done from a happy place. Enough said- I'm still working on it, but have come a LONG, LONG way considering I have a worry-aholic mom and a tendency toward anxiety.;-).

House - Still a mess much of the time, but I pulled out my Fly lady once again and trying to get organized. I have learned that I love being surrounded by natural objects, and to that end have picked up shells and rocks and things at garage sales during the past year and now put them on the foyer hall and somehow seeing those always makes me feel good.

Bus. Vocab - Had to give this one up - it just didn't seem to warrant the time at this point.

Joy and best wishes to all. I plan to take off the rest of August and just enjoy the kids. Kirk goes back to school Sept. 1. I want to have lots of happy little adventures between now and then. Wishing each of you one happy mini-adventure each day from now to September.

A quick update.

Sharing of ice cream cones at the ZUZU cafe after a long walk - Unheard of!;-)
Hello to all. Hope the summer is going well for everyone. I just sent off my manuscript this morning to an editor in Milwaukee who will give initial feedback and comments for about $300. He has worked with quite a few small, but published authors, so I'm really hoping his comments will be a big help. Hitting the send button was a huge sense of accomplishment!!!!!

Now hoping to make family and finances the focus for the rest of August. Good wishes!! Eileen
P.S. All those books I checked out on sibling rivalry, and all the subsequent theories we've been trying out seem to be working - not to tempt the fates;-).