When I graduated from college and went backpacking on the cheap throughout Europe, I decided that it was just the beginning of my need to experience all I could out of life.  I never realized just how much that feeling would haunt me. Then my grandma died at the hands of a mugger.  The last words I said to her on the day prior was " I love you", and it has given me peace ever since. That and the desire to really live my life to the best I can.

Growing up my Nana was an all important part of our lives, lived close by and spent many a day at our home. She was a divorcee in a time when not many of her generation got divorced. Because of this, her life became very sheltered, spent at home watching television, reading, sewing, going to the library and coming to my house. If we were able to get her to go out to eat, it was at only 1 or 2 places and it was always a negotiation.  The older I got, the more I realized how she was allowing "living" to be replaced with just "existing".  She and I had conversations about that, and while she didn't disagree, she used the excuse that she was too old to change.

I had a friend in college whose parents never did anything for themselves, nor took a vacation, always waiting for retirement to enjoy the benefits of life.  Luckily for them, they did and do get to enjoy some of life now, but what would have happened if they didn't. If medical problems or money problems or even death, took away that chance.

I want to live then, sure, but I want to live now, too.  The only way to appreciate our time on this planet is to embrace all of life. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the incredible.

Existence is for organisms whose sole purpose is to just be.  We as humans were meant to live and not just be, but to do, too.

Today is one of my Scrubz Body Scrub demonstration days at the mall and to be honest, as much as I love meeting and talking to the wonderful souls that happen by, I love people watching just as much. I see smiles and laughter, I see annoyance and frustration. I see anger, I see sadness, I see love. When people do not realize they are being observed, they show their inner side and it is reflected on their faces and in the few things I hear them say.

For example, a young mother was trying her best to juggle 3 children. Two babies were in a stroller, the third, who must be about 5, was walking just behind. The woman had lots of packages and truly looked exasperated and tired. All of a sudden, the older child caught sight of a nearby escalator and ran toward it, oblivious to the fact that his mom was still walking forward. In the blink of an eye, he was nearing the moving stairs. The mom turned around and panic set in when she did not see him, that reverted to happiness when she did, then fear when she thought he was going to fall, then anger when she reprimanded him about scaring her, then finally relief and love when she scooped him up in her arms. This all happened in the space of about 1 minute and the range of emotions ran the gamut.

I, as the observer, reveled in the fact that I had just seen a true microcosm of human nature. Every one of us, no matter where we live or what we do, has a myriad of emotions, thoughts, feelings and actions and while we are all different, we are all very much the same, too.

Who are you watching today?

While I am not an astrological zealot , I have referred back to these "horoscopes" many times over the years and have more than once found them to be right on the money when a particular situation popped up.

* Don't let opportunities pass you by.
* You need to take advantage of promotional efforts on your behalf.
* The revelation of your talent could propel you into a different public situation.
* Groups and friends not only recognize your potential they could also encourage you to walk to the beat of a different drummer.
* Cut away from the madding crowd to attract more of the spotlight
* By stretching your imagination and adopting a full steam ahead attitude with work and home projects, you could accomplish miracles.
* Your determination to start something new that will benefit your financial life will go a long way toward convincing others to let you take the lead.
* Just be sure you avoid stepping on the toes of another person who wants to share in the glory

I think we can all use a good inspirational phrase now and then to remind us to keep going forward and learn from but never look back!

I wrote this a little while back and it always makes me look around at my present situation and remember to be grateful for the moment. Now I just need my friend Mac to put it to music as he has done the last few times I wrote lyrics! (Mac... are you listening? :-) )


I'm grateful for the fact that as I've grown older
I learned a thing or two along the way,
that the road to happiness isn't paved with gold
it's found inch by inch everyday.

Both simple and complex, this world that surrounds me
The beauty, the love and the strife,
I can't help but think that somehow it's connected,
this whirlwind, this chaos, this life!

A moment can alter and shift what we know
put our lives down another path,
not quite knowing the reason why,
the lesson's in the aftermath.

I was wondering what to write about today due to work, preparing for my spot on indieshopping.tv tonight, and making sure my kids were taken care of. It hit me when we decided to bring in Chinese Food.

I ran upstairs and got a random handful of fortunes I have saved over the years. I love fortune cookies, and what they suggest and have my own thoughts on the randomness of who opens what cookie. My methods follow through even to "keeping the fortune". I figure that if you open the cookie and like the fortune, you have to take at least a little bite of the cookie it came in. If you don't particulary care for that fortune, don't bite! For some reason this has worked for me and I eat a lot of cookies.

I picked a group up without looking and here they are as written:

Your heart will always make itself known through your words.
Your path is arduous, but will be amply rewarding.
You have an important new business development shaping up.
The wise are aware of their treasure, while fools follow their vanity.
You are a source of wisdom and strength to those around you.
You form passionate relationships without compromising your independence.
You have a potential urge and the ability for accomplishment.
You will always have good luck in your personal life.
Your fortune is not something to find but to unfold.

Each time I got one of the above, it was totally appropriate to my situation at the time. I look at them now and realize they are correct most of the time and someone was wise enough to put it into words, let alone a yummy cookie.

My family, my friends, my business all give me such satisfaction that most of those fortunes have come true.

I wish you lots and lots of bites!