No Whining For 2010

I traveled to the market to get the ingredients for my New Years' Eve feast. I'm having baked brie, dried salami and various olives as appetizers, Julia Child's Bourguignon with fingerling potatoes and waldorf salad...butter cookies, truffles and espresso for dessert. (I love to cook!) Anyway, while driving I listened to a local call-in talk show, whose host was regailing the audience with the latest news and tidbits for comment. After listening to people whine and complain for thirty minutes, I called in and put in my two cents about what virtue and positiveness bring us, versus wallowing in the negative.

We really have nothing to complain about in the grand scheme of things, and focusing on the dreggs of society, and the buffoonery of our politicians (both sides of the aisle) is a waste of air. My wish for you all is a year of focusing on the great, the beautiful, and the possibilities of the new decade. I'll be here to do it with you.

Cheers... And Happy New Year!
Ima

Holiday Reconnect

My husband and I finished our Christmas Cards last evening; our list grows and grows as we move through life. Some of our friends are (at this point) email or social-network based, and they will get their special greetings in that method, but we do so love sending cards. This year we included a recent photo along with our annual letter. As we addressed our cards we got an opportunity to share with each other the special things about each person, and moments surrounding each relationship. We recognize how lucky and blessed we are. Many of our friends have been with us for over thirty years, and they have seen us both through times of change - marriage, divorce, relocation, family death, sickness, new job, promotion, lay-off and (then and now) college experiences. We have celebrated with them the birth of their children, and now the birth of their grandchildren. And because of this, our list of cards grows and grows...and it will continue to grow as we will not lose or forget any of these dear, loving people.

Many transitions in life are painful...many are joyous. But having people to share them with makes them special. Once a year, it's so special to reconnect with them and remember.....

Cheers!
Ima

Keeping It Old School

OK, I'm going back to college at what some would say is a "ripe old age", and in doing so have had to adjust to many new ways of doing the old things. But I refuse to give in to all things new. I will still:

1. Send out handwritten Christmas Cards to most of my list. (I simply get writer's cramp when I do them all, for gosh sakes!)

2. Use a camera to take photos (not my cell phone, thank you very much) and will print and frame them. (You simply cannot look at photos when they are tucked away in some little corner of a computer's memory, and you are about to turn off the light for a good night's sleep, and want to see that certain someone or someplace before you doze off.)

3. Take the time to use proper grammar and sentence structure when I speak and write. ("Like, BTW, it's like, you know...) LOL! Oops. That one slipped.

4. Grind my own coffee beans, and brew my own iced tea. (No powder mixes in my house!)

5. Drink my vodka martinis plain, shaken, served straight up and with a twist. (No choco-tinis, fruity-tinis for this gal.)

6. Read real books...purchased or borrowed. (I can't read anything longer than this blog on a computer, and I certainly can't fill my library shelves with one Kindle for gosh sakes!)

7. Appreciate and use fine writing instruments (ones that may actually use ink that must be filled occasionally!!!)

8. Decorate a real Christmas Tree (cut, or balled and ready for planting.)

Here's one for some things "Old School!"

Cheers!
Ima

Waiting for the grade...

My first Anatomy and Physiology class and lab are completed, and I have to wait for the professor to decide my grade. Guess it's that way with life. No matter what you do, someone (even yourself) is grading your effort. What's changed is that I know I did my best, and as such I am not as stressed about it. When you are first getting your career started, you stress about things ("Will my boss give me a good evaluation?" "Will I get a good raise?" "Will I be chosen for that big promotion?"). But in middle age (seasoned well, I prefer to say) there is a more satisfied feeling of doing your best....and the chips will fall as they may.

OK, that may have been a stretch. I still need to keep a "B" average to continue on to nursing school, but I have a lot of time to achieve that goal. So, I'm going to have another cup of steaming coffee, will enjoy watching it snow, and may start my Christmas tree decorating!

Till later....
Ima

The Beginning....

It all started when I was laid off (for the second time!) and was feeling about as useless as....well, you know. Too experienced and talented to be unemployed, or so my ego told me, yet no one wanted to even give me an interview. What is wrong with these people?!!?!! Years of teaching and helping others to be their best and I was stuck in this black hole, and couldn't see my way out. To top it off, I'm no "spring chicken", and I was convinced that no one would want someone at this age. (Whine, whine, whine.) Then, the magic happened for me. It came at a point I didn't expect, but it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks. And I've never looked back.

Now, I'm still a work in progress and my journey has not reached its end. But my hope is that I can share my story and in turn help you to discover a new trick, a new passion, a new life for yourself. Drop in occasionally, and let's see what we can learn together.

Cheers! Ima