Spectacular Celebrations!! Martie turns 65!!

Spectacular Birthday Celebration with so many wonderful friends!!   My birthday was on a Sunday and full moon to boot so what better time to decide to throw myself a birthday celebration complete with the bestest friends (except for the ones who couldn't make it!) .  We gathered at the Bus Stop Music Cafe in beautiful Uptown Pitman, NJ for fun, food, hugs and just time together  the greatest gift that anyone can give to another - time and listening.  Mimi facilitated a drum and chanting circle and we all treid out the newly made drums.  Most everyone shared our connections and told stories of how we might have met.  Except for the sisters who have the longevity history, there are many long time keepers in the group as well as some short time friends who are also keepers!!  Everyone brought a flower stem and we created a magnificent Friendship Bouquet - for all of this I am grateful and say, without a doubt THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!!!   

Ron is a Wonder and a Giving Spirit

For a few years now, Ron, the owner of Venice Eatery in Pitman, NJ, has been serving FREE Thanksgiving meals to those who need them.  This year is no different and well...let the preparations begin!!  We simply asked, "How can we help?"  Well Ron said that last year there were only a few of them to prep and they worked til after 1 am.  So we said we would come and help and bring along our friend Bernadette.  There were about 10 of us, including some young girls who were there to cut the pies and cakes into pieces, ready to be served.  Desiree, a wonder in herself, organizes the event and was working last night to get the delivery slips ready - see they are taking over 300 meals out to people as well!!  Although we came home totally sore and tired and realized that a career in the restaurant business is NOT for us, we also felt gratified at the small part we could play to make this work for people.  For this we are grateful and want to take a minute and wish everyone HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  We so value all of you in our lives!!

And the Perfect Fall day...tah dah!!!

This is the last post for today because as I sit her and create these, I realize that it is almost two in the afternoon and the perfect Fall day that I am talking about is right outside my window and if I stay here, I will miss it totally - and now wouldn't that be a shame (since the rain is due to come for the next few days.)  I just wanted to take the time and show you a few pictures from Morris Arboretum - the giant Japanese bell, and the entrance to the giant bird's next with the blue robin's eggs, the suspended bridge and lots more wonderful parents and children out with us encouraging and FUN for the day.  OK...enjoy the glory and I am going to go and revel in same!!  PS: the woman in the upper left is Connie - the perfect person to be at the welcome wagon and share the facility and events with the public.  She is just gentle and charming and I know that I felt honored to have her focused time talking with me.  She is definitely a DARE to AFFIRM person!!  She makes everyone feel as if they are special!!

Fantastic Dad Encourages Exploration!!

It was a perfect Fall day and we decided that outdoors would be the perfect place to spend it!!  We decided to go to Morris Arboretum in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.  There is so much to share about the displays but first I want to focus on what matters bunches to PhotoSchmoozer - parents who are so involved and engaged with their children that it makes my heart sing and just about brings tears of joy to my eyes.  It happened so much this day, I was gratified.  I especially think about it because a few days before, I was in a clinic and sat as I watched a mother telling her not quite 2 year old NO NO NO to everything he said and/or wanted to do and if he did not stop, she was going to ground him!!  Today was totally different.  Every parent/child dyad was talking, teaching and learning from one another - really enjoying their time together.  I thought about the Hart and Risley study where they spent time over several years in different home/family environments watching and recording the language that children and their parents used.  By the time the child reached 3, there were vast differences - some of the children had a larger vocabulary than some of the parents in the study.  As I watched Chloe playing with the little stones, totally fascinated by them, I also watched her father who was fascinated by her exploration and even encouraged it!!  I engaged in conversation with him and made sure to affirm what a totally cool dad he was.  He didn't understand why because he said that is the way it is supposed to be!  I still thanked him and then asked her if I could take a picture of her hands with the stones.  Lovely...just as the world should be and I continue to stop, watch and affirm what I see that is working well.  Do you do the same?  It's the best way to encourage and/or impact interactions!!

Building a Better Mousetrap!!

Image via Wikipedia

Remember the olden days when we could buy those wooden mousetraps with the metal piece that you set to catch the mouse.  It said to put in a bit of cheese, but we often found out that peanut butter and puffed wheat worked best, but no matter we got so many of the cute little critters (UGH) who came in from the cold to seek food!  Gosh we found droppings everywhere - in closets and even on the top of the refrigerator!!  Last week the adventure began anew as we went downstairs in the morning and saw signs that we had had some visitors on the kitchen counter, in the sink!! and even in a closet.  Since we have a new refrigerator that is a bit taller, there were none there.  We needed to put out a trap for this year.  Bill went off to his new favorite store, Lowes and came home with this amazing contraption.  Of course, peanut butter was still to be the food of choice!!  He put some in and set it down on the floor in a corner - within a few minutes, tally Bill 1; mouse 0!  Within an hour the score had risen to a score of 2 for Bill and you guessed it - another mouse that did not make it!!  Since then we have risen to a total of 4 - it's early in the season and Bill had filled in many cracks...this trap snaps hard and fast and I think the little bugger wouldn't have a chance to get the peanut feast out before he was no longer with us.  Hmmm I often say "he" but I wonder if it is the family so there are some females in the bunch too!!    I am thankful that there are traps and Bill is cool about disposing of the mice!!

Watermelon Radishes...so crisp and sweet

I headed to Princeton to meet my super friend Lois - nutritionist, hypnotherapist and special all around person to plan a HealthRHYTHMS training at her offices right on the main street in downtown Princeton.  Being somewhat of an adventurer, I didn't bother with getting directions, but headed north.  I saw a few roads that looked like they led into the town and decided to go past them and see what was next.  I found a street called Harrison, I think.  I made one of the famous NJ jughandles and went off to see where I would end up.  I came to Nassau Street!!  Being directionally challenged, I decided to turn right and although it was a mistake to get me where I needed to go, as my buddy Jim, my synchronicity friend, would say, It was NOT by accident.  There on my left was a Natural Food/Health Store and it was amazing!  Sorry I can't remember the name better but Nassau and Harrison will get you in the neighborhood.  I saw so many things I had never seen before.  The one that fascinated me was the watermelon radish.  The clerk said it looked like a watermelon inside, but being a bit of a skeptic I had a tad bit of doubt.  So I bought some and it came home and sat on our kitchen table for a few days, until salad maker Bill cut it and put in on our salad.  AMAZING.  So crunchy and sweet too.  I checked out where we could get seeds, and even amazon sells them.  Maybe they are not so uncommon.  I was telling Jon about them (son in Tokyo) and as synchronicity would have it, he was out to lunch just the previous day and there they were on his salad!  Don't I love when all of these unplanned events just seem to happen!?  Keep your eyes open for them and you will be astounded!!

PUNKIN CHUNKIN 2010

It was a cold and blustery day in early November and we decided to get in the car and go!! We had been talking about Punkin' Chunkin' for years and today was the day!!  I was fascinated by the people and their hats and how they dressed for the weather.  If you want to see lots more about it, go to YouTube and see the chunkin' machines to your heart's delight!!  Without a doubt it is a once in a life time experience!!  We are glad we took the jaunt to Bridgeville and the Wheatley Farm.

Reflections: Forward and Upward

Reflections are some of my favorite photo ops.  Walking around the the Independence Hall area in Philadelphia we saw this statue and the buildings refelcted in the window.  This got me to thinking about life...I thought about looking forward and looking upward. It's been challenging of late to consider letting go of the trapeze bar and just hanging out in the space, almost free falling until another bar comes along to latch on to!  HELP!!  It's about trust and belief and the wonder of life too.  I have been floating for a bit over a month now.  Yesterday a possible opportunity came to continue with the ECE field and well, I just don't know.  I did the interview and sent in the work plans and conflict resolution but as I said, I just don't know.  Today I was reading a new book by Marianne Williamson.  It is about Spirituality and weight loss.  What I took from it and then appliled to my current, 'just don't know' situation is this.  Dear God, I have done all that I need to do to move forward with this situation.  Now, I must let go and turn this over to you and believe that the right solution will be determined!!  It's all about reflecting and trusting and respecting my own values and what I want/need to work to bring joy to my spirit!!  Watch out world!!!

Exploring the City...Met a New Friend

Meet my new friend...what could we call him??  Senor Guillermo?!?  We walked into the Bourse building in Philadelphia on our adventure to discover and there he was to greet us, right after the security guard at the desk!  No, I don't think I noticed any similarities!  He was part of a display from the Mexican Cultural Center.  The Mexican consulate is located in the building

"DAY OF THE DEAD ALTAR AT THE BOURSE BUILDING"

  The Mexican Cultural Center is honored to announce its annual "Ofrenda" (Spanish for offering) to commemorate the Day of the Dead. This year, Priscila Noemi Hernandez, an art student at Camden College is creating the Ofrenda at the Bourse Building on Friday, October 31. You can see the ofrenda from October 30th to November 3nd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead

Reading the description on Wikipedia or other sites on the web will tell you much more about the celebrations than I ever could write here - so go for it!

Choices...

Bill and I have decided that we will take advantage of these times together and head out to explore.  Today we went to the Philadelphia Visitor's Center right by Independence Hall.  We came home with oodles of brochures and places to check out.  Every week will be something new.  Now, when we were in the Bourse building, we stopped for a snack.  Cookies always suit!!  The cute thing I have always noticed about my guy (hey it is 40 years) is how he uses both hands to eat his food. Today was no different.  In one hand, a mediocre chocolate chip cookie; in the other hand a vegan healthy apricot/oatmeal snack.  He takes a bite from one, then the other and the dance goes on!!  And the winner is ???  He won't ever tell but I bet you can guess!!

Obsolete...Almost!!

                        

ALMOST OBSOLETE!!               AND NOT!!!

     DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THIS IS???

Well everyday there are lessons to be learned!  Remember, I am always saying that?  It is TRUE and I have a story to tell you the makes it very real.  I have a cell phone - not a Blackberry or a Droid or anything fancy - just a plain old LG cell phone and I miss it!  What you say?  I just said I have a cell phone.  The challenge is that I often keep it in my pocket because I often keep it on vibrate.  That I did last Thursday when I was at a conference. As we were driving on Connecticut Avenue in DC to get to the Beltway, I decided it was a good time to call  Bill to tell him we were headed home.  Uh Oh?!?  Where is my cell phone?!?  NOT in my pocket and not on the floor of the car.  Meg asked if I wanted to go back to the hotel and look for it.  Nah, I won't find it and I can get another and recover my phone numbers now - NOT like the time I put the phone through a full washing machine cycle!!  So onward we go and I use her fancy one to call home.  No problem!  We got home in pretty good time and unpacked my bags (or so I thought!!)  After Meg drove off into the sunset, I asked Bill where he thought my suitcase might be.  It was NOT here!!  Turns out it was buried in the back of Meg's gigunda trunk!  And of course I didn't have my cell phone to call her cell phone to ask her to STOP so we could come and get it.  Gradually I called the hotel and the cell phone was there (it is still making its way back to NJ).  Then I had to go to Toms River,NJ to get the suitcase.  Not a simple ride and no cell phone.  I felt naked and lost.  I wanted to call Bill and share some things with him...no way.  Now the real tragedy is that I found ONE pay phone booth in all of the travel distance between there and here.  I survived - stopped service for the cell phone and realized that I could access my phone list from the Internet.  See LESSONS LEARNED!!