Points on a Map

I am trying to make a commitment to be happy in the moment.
I am generally a happy person but I am a big future thinker - Once I complete X goal Things will be better but then there is always a next goal. I still am I big believer in goal setting but as I get older the carrots need to be set closer together. Its important to remember why we work. I do get a sense of accomplishment in my work but if I wait too long to take advantage of what there is to do in life it may too late. I work for resources to live my life by. Our lives are mapped by the experiences we create and those we respond to. I want my family to have a great head start on their lifemap. The points I create give me passion, purpose and something to look forward to.
In November I asked Brad to set aside a weekend for us to get away. I have free flights and at least 1 free night hotel stay. My dart can land anywhere Southwest flys. My first thought was possibly New Orleans. Now I am leaning towards Napa. Last year's cruise is a distant memory and I couldn't quite afford this year's cruise. Where will my next point on the map be and how will it help color my life?

Patience Pernilla

I know I have not been prolific over the last few months. Thank you for patience!
"Patience Pernilla" my father would say as I was growing up. I still don't know the derivation of the phrase but I always knew what he meant. After all these years this is still a concept I haven't mastered. How do you get it? In a world of "NOW" where can I go to get some patience? When is it good and when can it be perceived as a weakness?
When your child falls after you have asked them several times to stop jumping on the couch, I am likely to take a laid back approach and not run to assist.  When my child refuses to do their homework, I have no patience for this and immediately respond with disdain and dissappointment.
When I want my home to be clean I want the skills of  Samantha Stephens. I would like my family to be run with the skills of Alice Nelson who seemed to have no issues organizing the mornings and afternoons for 6 kids. I would love to have the technology used in the Incredible Shrinking Woman, although it would need some improvements to only shrink the desired areas.
My patience and anxiety are inevitably linked. When my anxiety goes up my patience is gone.
I can't help but be reminded," Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
I have definitely lost sight and can't help sounding like Veruca salt "I want it now!"

Romance in the Milky Way

The anticipation of the weekend was palpable. Driving into the country with no lights and little to no street markings - we drove into a driveway that looked like a bed and breakfast to quickly find out we were in someone's driveway. I am really glad Brad didn't take my advice and just try the key in the door. We could have had a whole different story about Valentines 2010.  Once we found our way to our private getaway, I stepped out of the truck and could feel a blanket of stars on my shoulders. The sky was so clear we could see the astroid belt among the millions of stars and even some planets. It was awe inspiring! We spent the next day touring and tasting at five different wineries in the hill country. Wine is kind of like people- Its's all made of the same basic ingredients but the differences are vast and endless. Not mention that we get better with age. It was a wonderful day in the back of the Lincoln stretch limo between wineries. We spent the late afternoon napping on the veranda overlooking the river on a huge lounger. The heat of our skin taking off the chill of the air. I slept on his chest until the sun went down. We did not make our fancy dinner reservations as I had a better offer.  It going to be difficult to top this Valentines! 

On the Road Again

Mind you you I am writing this after 2 glasses of wine in my hotel room in Lubbock Texas, but life on the road must be difficult for many people. I used to think that I wanted to job that allowed me to travel the world. Dancing or singing on a cruise ship or stage managing the production company of a smashing musical perhaps. All I really want to know is what is going on at home, no matter how menial. I call home to see if everyone is behaving properly, if everyone got a bath and what homework got complete.  Currently traveling for work is a little break from the everyday but I couldn't imagine being on the road each week. My other hinderence is my propensity to fall asleep in the car. Once they get the whole teleportation thing worked out I'm in. My guess is that with the continued expansion of vacations in space that traveling for work will have a whole new meaning in the next 20 years. " Hey Honey I'm going to the moon and to Alpha Base until Thursday can get the kids to school?" will be the conversation over dinner.

Goin' places that I've never been.

Seein' things that I may never see again
I just can't wait to get on the road again

The Dog

The connection between a boy and his dog is seldom understood.
One day and beautiful black laborador and a whippet were strolling down South Lamar when the whippet suggested that they step into Office Depot to look around. They approached the automatic doors without hesitation and once the doors opened the sauntered in to, one could only guess, window shop. The dogs showed no interest in leaving at closing time. They were will taken care of but had no tags. A dog lover of the extreme type happened to be in the store and demanded that the manager not leave the dogs alone in the parking lot. The dog lover took the whippet and Brad took home the 9 month old male black lab until we had somewhere to take the dog. I was aware of the situation but not the solution. The next morning Brad asked if I had gone in to meet the dog. My opened wide. "Where is the dog?" I asked with a look that could not be perceived as positive. "In the spare room with Sabian" Brad replied gleefully.
With that Brad left for work. When the boys awoke they were filled with excitement as they met our new friend. Sabian, however, did not seem as fond of our guest. Brendan began almost immediately with plots and plans to name him and described the puppies that the Lab and Sabian would have- Labroboxers. "One for me, One for Trevor and One for Connor." Brendan said with natural born sales ability. I explained that we were trying to find the owner because they were probably sad that they had lost their pet. Brendan said he understood, but it was already too late he was becoming attached. He played and cared for the dog most of the day. At approximately 6pm on the way home from our baseball game we received a call that the owners had come home from the Texas OU game to find there gate open and the dogs gone. They were extremely thankful the their pets had been found. The backseat was suddenly silent and the tears began to fall. We asked if Brendan would like to go to help return the dog to his rightful owner. Although we had not quite had the dog 24 hours Brendan was inconsolable on the seemingly long trip to take the dog home. When he arrived home still sobbing I was there to hug and console. I pray that we can all love that uncontrollably and expect nothing in return.

Pack Mentality

A simple sleep over has turned into a living lab to study the dynamics of the pack mentality. The bond of friendship cannot last with multiple subjects simultaneously for more than 10 minutes. At the 10 minute mark the bond between one or more of the subjects is strengthened by some catalyst using an activity involving video gaming. As a result the other bonds between subjects weaken due to lack of energy to sustain all bonds equally. This unstable force can lead to explosions of yelling and crying as the weaker bonds try to regain momentum in the pack. As a pack leader emerges he attempts to get all subjects to go in his direction. Stubborn subjects will be rejected from the pack. The mother and father subjects act as a magnetic force field gently guiding the pack back to stability by using their positive and negative forces to regain a  neutral state. This has been coined the " Good Cop - Bad Cop" phenomenon. We will continue to observe the volatile subjects and report our findings.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

Did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month? Everyone is familiar with the pink ribbon but we need the same awareness for the teal ribbon. Ovarian Cancer is often called the silent killer because it is difficult to detect and many women don't get checked out until too late. This year over 15,000 women in the Unites States will die from ovarian cancer. There are many events organized throughout the year to increase Breast Cancer Awareness. I am chairing the Race for the Cure event for my company this year. It is my hope to raise the same public awareness for Ovarian Cancer. I will keep you up to date on ideas and ask for your support.  I would like to use my mom's love for the Arts as the catalyst  for this project. Please let me know if you would like to get involved.

Wear Your Teal! It's a Big Deal!

KNOW THE SIGNS
Symptoms are often misdiagnosed and could be anything from bloating to abdominal discomfort. Please don't wait and continue to ask questions.
Ovarian Cancer Signs and Symptoms Ovarian cancer symptoms are often subtle and difficult to diagnose. Research suggests there are four symptoms that may be associated with ovarian cancer:

• Bloating
• Pelvic or Abdominal pain
• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
• Urinary urgency or frequency

Other symptoms may include:

• Nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation or diarrhea
• Extreme fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Backaches

Talk to your doctor if symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks. You are your best advocate.