Marilyn Monroe Quote

"I've been on a calendar, but never on time."

This is one of my many favorite quotes by divas who are neither southern or related to me. Poor Marilyn really got the short end of the stick. She was much smarter than the ditzy blond movie star she channeled. I find the story of her life fascinating and have read dozens of books on her. My opinion: it was not suicide.

I'll be bringing more Words of Wisdom from some of my favorite divas in the future.

New Year's Resolutions 2012

So I've written mine down.....two full, nicely typed pages, categorized with numbered bullet points. I showed it to a friend of mine who said, "Oh my God, you look like someone with OCD." Well, hopefully not that bad, but since organization was on the list, I thought it only prudent that my list be organized.

My Aunt Rene never made resolutions. She would say every year that if you were doing what you were supposed to do, you wouldn't need to write it down. That might be true, but I tend to be very forgetful. Anyway, if they're written down and I haven't accomplished anything by the end of the month, there they are in black and white, ready to make me feel guilty and try to play "catch up."

So far, I haven't broken any. I have resisted the magnetic pull of the hot-off-the-press glazed donuts at the Krispy Kreme just right down the street. I nearly cried when they built it last summer. I could eat my weight in those things. But I have not had a single one pass my lips since it was built. I joked to my other friend who is also a KK addict that I almost wished it would burn down, thereby removing the temptation. The  next closest one to me is a good 30-minute drive and just not worth the effort.

Must go now and meditate upon this year's goals. What are your goals for this year?

A Man Without Goals is a Man Without Success

My grandmother was quite fond of the above saying. Having survived through the Depression, which to me is amazing in itself, she often had sayings about surviving and living within your means. I was taught that if I don't have goals, no matter how humble, I will end up being someone who just sort of drifts through life, taking whatever circumstances I fall into.

I'm so glad that she taught all us grandkids that success isn't just measured in monetary terms. As we look ahead to New Year's and make those resolutions, remember that success means achieving your goal. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or start college or advance in your career, having a goal gives you something to push for. Planning on how you will get there gives you the roadmap.

If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, break it down into little steps. Set a target date, say April 15. On income tax day you'll be glad you have a success to celebrate instead of bemoaning how much of your hard-earned money Uncle Sam took away from you. Set a goal to lose 4 pounds by February 1. Then go for 3  pounds by March 1. That's 7 pounds. Lose those last 3 by April 15.

You know why most people fail at their resolutions? They fail to write it down. That's it. Write it down, whether on your computer or on a post-it you stick to the bathroom mirror. Make it measurable numerically. Don't just say "lose weight." And give yourself both major deadlines and little mini-deadlines to keep you on track. I'm writing mine down on my calendar, where I can see what I need to do each week and each month. Checking those off is rewarding and lets you see how much closer you are.

What are your goals for 2012? How do you plan to achieve them? Go write them down and map them out. Share them with family or friends so you have an accountability buddy.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and Merry Christmas! Also Happy New Year.....I love looking forward to a new and better year. It's the chance to start over, remake  yourself, tackle a goal or work towards a dream.  You just have to jump in with both feet and make it happen. Never let anyone shoot down your dreams and aspirations, and always remember......

If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

Count Your Blessings

You're Never Too Old to Learn

You've got to see this....below is a link to a precious lady's blog I found out about. You won't believe it, but she is 101 years old! That's right......and she has a blog that I love reading. She was in the paper about a computer class being taught in her assisted living. This is so inspiring. Miss Betty is also a writer, takes writing classes, and loves to read. I need to meet her. She could probably help me with my blog!

Here's the link, so read and enjoy!


http://goodykoon.wordpress.com/

I Got My Easy-Bake Oven 30 Years Late

Christmas is coming....the magical time of year when children are focused on Santa and the gifts they hope to receive. When I was a kid, I remember when I was six that I got a chalkboard (so I could practice being a teacher), a baby doll, a Barbie doll (what a mixed message that sends nowadays! Barbie has practically turned into a hooker, and don't get me started on the Bratz dolls....), a microscope so I could look at things (we found out 2 years later that I was nearsighted as a goose. It's a wonder I passed first grade), a sleeping bag (I camped out once in my life in a tent with a huge rock under my back, freezing all night), and a train set (which dad enjoyed 'helping' me with).

But for all the wonderful treasures I got.....I mean these were REAL toys that required that I physically interact or do something to get the fun out of them.....I did not get the one cherished item I had wished harder than anything for......an Easy-Bake Oven. You know, you hold a teaspoon of cake batter under a light bulb in a cute plastic box that looks just like mom's oven and then poof! Like magic, you have a wonderful cake the size of a quarter. Of course, the ad on TV seen through my (blind) child's eyes envisioned a full-sized cake like my grandmother made.

For many years after I was a little older, we laughed and joked about it. It was then forgotten until I was thirty-something and in nursing school. My parents reasoned that "well, you have everything you need and if you want something, we just go buy it nowadays instead of lusting for it for six months" during Christmas that year. So when gift-opening time arrived (yay! I still love presents! I'm a girl and a kid at heart-oh and wrap it pretty, like  you put your best effort into it so I will think it holds the Hope Diamond or something equally as amazing) I received a giant box. Beautiful paper, nice expensive shiny-sparkly bow in turquoise blue (my fave color)....oh wow, what was it??  A new computer??

Imagine my face when I opened it and saw.......an Easy-Bake Oven!!! I laughed until I almost cried. Well I wasn't about to wait. I plugged that thing in, added a teaspoon of water to the mix and voila! We soon had dried out chunks of tiny little cakes balanced on our fingertips. Dad was impressed that I managed to cook for once without burning the house down. Honestly, I'm convinced that this oven was specially boxed just for me. Santa found it in the back of his workshop many years later.....with the original cake mixes inside.

The Great Oven didn't go to waste, though. (We don't believe in waste). I gave it to a friend in my nursing class to give to her two young daughters. They had no clue what it was. The youngest one was trying to figure out if it was a computer or something.

Reminds me of my cousin, who's a couple of years older than I am. When her daughter was about eight, she came to mom's office and discovered the old IBM Selectric typewriter in the corner. We thought we'd hit the big time when we bought it. After all, it had two fonts when you changed the ball out. I think they were Pica and Elite. The child was mesmerized, so mom put some paper in and typed a sentence so she could see how it worked.

She turned to her mom and exclaimed, "Mom, we need to get one of these! That's better than your computer because it comes out right then. You don't have to wait on it to print out."

Sometimes I think the old stuff was better.