Old songs

Driving in my car recently, I heard both The Bee Gees' "Heartbreaker" and Tony DeFranco's "Heartbeat (It's a Love Beat)." These songs instantly took me back to my childhood, to happy, carefree times. Or at least that's how I remember them. Who knows what was really going on at the time? The way I remember it now, all was good when I played my favorite records (yeah, records!).

I had such a crush on Tony DeFranco!



What songs take you back to old happy times?

Invictus

If you haven't yet seen the movie "Invictus," I highly recommend it as a spirit-raising, hope-enhancing, darkness-squashing entertainment.

However, even if you don't see the movie, please read the poem from which the movie takes its title. This piece, in itself, shares a powerful message.


Invictus
by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of fate
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years finds
And shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

On my other blog, Speak Schmeak, I recently completed a series on panic attacks: my own story of how I got my life back on track after a debilitating series of attacks. This poem feels like a satisfying way to end the series and move forward!

What a year for a new year

One of my favorite holiday songs is Dan Wilson's "What a Year For a New Year" The song says that, even when times are rough, the new year or even the new day is a welcome restart.

I wish for you the chance to start fresh, make new dreams, new friends, and new opportunities in the new year. I wish for you the determination, strength and courage to let go of what's not working for you and reach out for something better and more meaningful.

I wish you all the best in 2010. You deserve it!



What a year for a new year
We need it like we needed life I guess
Last one left us lying in a mess
What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

What a day for new day
And our star shines like a miracle
And our world is almost beautiful again
What a day for a new day
New day

What a year for a new year

What a night for a sunrise
And we thought the dark would never end
Reaching out to try to find a friend
What a night for a sunrise
Sunrise

Soon we’ll be lying in our beds
And new dreams will fill our heads
And the old ones will be ended
Hope we’ll forget about this place
Let it go without a trace
Wipe the teardrops from our faces
Oh! What a year for a new year!

Age is good for the ego

I used to have a flat stomach. I didn't even have to try. Now, there's a little roll of flab there, even when I'm in good shape.

I used to have a round bum. When I was younger, I hated it. Now that gravity has taken its toll, I wish I could get the old one back.

I was flat in places I wanted to be round, round in places I wanted to be flat. Now the formerly flat places are round and the formerly round places are flat. Who knew?

When we're young, we're so obsessed with our appearance. Maybe it's biological... we're looking for a mate and the better we look the better chance we have?

As a feminist, I cringe at my own self-critiques. I'm not supposed to care so much about what I look like. And for the most part, I'm happy with what I've got.

Getting older makes me realize that, no matter how hard I work out, I have the body I have. I'm never going to have that 22-year-old body again. Would I want it? No way!

I was skinny then. I have muscles now! I was scrawny then, I'm strong now. And I've gotten comfortable in my skin. I don't like it when my pants get tight, but that's an issue we all have as we age, isn't it? And we all know we can do something about it (and I don't mean plastic surgery or liposuction).

Aging has forced me to pay better attention to my health. I can't eat whatever I want any more without my cholesterol jumping 50 points. I've been a vegetarian for 20 years, so sometimes it doesn't seem fair that I should have the same health problems as someone who downs McDonald's burgers three times a week, but there you go.

Instead of being obsessed with my body, I can enjoy life. I can enjoy my family, my friends, my cats, my hobbies, my business. I can enjoy my workouts because they make me feel good and keep me strong and healthy. And yes, I can even enjoy food, and I do! In moderation, of course.

Running the stadium

I ran up seven stadium aisles in a row yesterday, the ones in the picture at the left.

There are about 84 steps going up, and for some reason, they get even steeper at the top. Actually, four of the aisles have the top twelve steps blocked for construction, so I completed *almost* seven stadium aisles. It was a milestone for me.

Read this blog post from April '09 to see how long it's taken me to get to this point! I didn't even try running the stadium until sometime in June, and I didn't take my stadium workout to five days a week until around September. Knees are a little sore, but nothing I can't handle.

I can do it!

Gratitude through the hard times

A few weeks ago, I was greeted by the bartender at a local restaurant, who remembered me from when I worked in the battered women's shelter in the 90s. At the time, she was a teenager with a couple of sisters and, even though her mother had left their father, she struggled with the years of abuse that were behind them. I ran the children's program at the time and spent many hours with the kids and teens in support groups, playing games and just hanging out.

It was lovely to talk to this -- now -- woman and see how happy she is in her life. She told me that I was the best thing about having to stay in the shelter. She remembered the activities we did together and how I made it fun for them to be there.

One of the sad things about working in the shelter is not knowing what happened to your clients after they left. If I see a woman on the street who I knew at the shelter, I do not approach her, as a confidentiality issue (if she's with others) and out of respect for the possibility that she doesn't want to acknowledge that time in her life. It's up to her to decide if she wants to approach me.

It means so much to me to know I helped people. Every couple of years I'll run into a former shelter client, a woman or one of the now-grown children. I love knowing that I was a part of such a transformational change in their lives, even if only for that short time.

Today I'm thankful for everyone who's been there for me during the hard times in my life. And I'm also thankful to have had the opportunity to be there for someone else.

Happy Thanksgiving!

New book: What to Do When You Are Fired or Laid Off

This book is a how-to guide for getting back on your feet after losing your job. I was interviewed and my "case study" appears on pages 26-27.

I was laid off three times in four years, so I have learned a thing or two about bouncing back! Find it on Amazon here.

Falling behind

I'm sorry I've fallen behind lately on this blog. I find that, while I'm still noticing and enjoying the little things, I sometimes forget to acknowledge them when I'm busy and rushing around. The whole point of this blog was to make me bring those little happy moments to the forefront. So let's try this again!

My friend, the hummingbird. I wish I could say I had taken this photo, but the little guys are too quick for my slow reflexes with the camera phone.

On my way to the stadium, there's a stand of agapanthus plants where the hummingbirds like to hang out. I love just standing and watching them for a couple of minutes.

Image by Maria Corcacas

Baby

Look at that pink tongue sticking out and that fluffy foot. Need I say more?

Read my tribute to Baby here.

Eco-week

Okay, here's what I DON'T do:

Compost
Unplug electronics when not in use
Not watch TV
Take 3-minute showers
Walk or ride a bike everywhere
Make my own cleaning products
Save the water from my showers to water plants and to flush the toilet
Fill the sink with water when I do dishes
Use rags instead of paper towels
Etc.

Here's what I DO do:

Eat 90% organic
Recycle everything (and in Santa Barbara, I mean everything)
Eat a vegetarian diet (no, that doesn't include the occasional burger or fish taco -- then I wouldn't be vegetarian, would I?)
Shop at thrift stores
Trade books at PaperbackSwap.com instead of buying new ones
Avoid fast food
Carry a Sigg bottle instead of buying bottled water
Wash and reuse plastic bags as many times as possible
Use the same cup all day (and sometimes the same plate, too)
Use reusable shopping bags
Turn off the water when brushing my teeth
Etc.

Just to give you an idea of where I started from this week...

I joined the No Impact Experiment last Sunday to see if I could be influenced to change some of my earth-impacting ways. The week's not over yet, and I can hardly say I had no impact. But I did learn some great lessons about myself and made a little progress in my awareness.

Day one was "Consumption" day, and I think this is the area in which I have the most trouble. As I posted in the No Impact Project forum:

"If I need or want something, I buy it mostly without a second thought, even if it's from the thrift store. It's been good for me to question my buying habits this week, even down to food shopping.

Hubby works at a specialty foods market and I e-mail him a list just about every day of items I want him to bring home. This week, I've been really conscious about cooking with what I already have. Even though I need peanut oil, can I get by with olive oil for a few more days? Even though I 'need' waffles, can I get by with the other breakfast foods already in stock? Do I really need to buy more food when I already have a bulging freezer and cupboards?"

So on Sunday, I challenged myself. I've been wanting to buy a "banana hanger," both to free up space on my tiny kitchen counters and to keep my bananas from getting bruised in the fruit pile. I was planning to go look for one, but decided to try to make one in order to avoid buying something. I used a coat hanger and bent it in a way that I could hang it on a hook in my kitchen. One less thing to buy!

I mailed a package to a Speak Schmeak reader wrapped in one of my already-printed handouts instead of using a new envelope or other wrap.

I downloaded the application Evernote to my computer and Palm Pre so that I can stop using scraps of paper for my lists, travel directions and to-dos. So far, I love it!

Every time I left a room, I was conscious of the lights. Every time I thought of picking up a newspaper, I realized I could read it online. Overall, I was more conscious of my consumption, my waste, my water and power usage, my driving and other areas of eco-impact.

Even though I didn't make huge changes this week that I can sing from the rooftops, I am proud of my conscious efforts and I believe that this will be the beginning of change for me. Check out the No Impact Project page, and download the How-To Manual for the No Impact Experiment.

It's all about baby steps. What are you taking baby steps to change?