About the idea of "taking a break."

What great advice. Breathe deeply, slow down. Have we had Thanksgiving yet? Surely it's not December already. Thanksgiving is a time to share the blessings. My friend, Katie, the hostess suprema, invited us to share her family's Thanksgiving meal. Family and friends and God's blessings. You could find them all at her house Thanksgiving evening. And, there are so many things to be thankful for. Or as my mother would have preferred, so many things for which we are thankful.

Now the aftermath. I printed the Christmas cards at Costco; bought the stamps, wrote a tiny little note to go in them. I think I need a nap.

I thought about not doing Christmas cards, by my husband explained that this is the time to let old friends know we were thinking about them. Two years ago I hand-made the cards. No one noticed. (Venting is often useful.) OK, I feel better now. He's right, of course. So happy holiday seasons, everyone.

Speaking of friendship - and we were. . .sometimes places create the space where friendships can be nurtured. Camp Capers in West Texas is such a place. The open air chapel is just one of the places there that helps you find yourself. It's quiet, contemplative and a place where hundreds have gone to experience the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We should all have such a space to go. If not, at least a quiet sanctuary to go to give thanks for all the blessings of this world. Say a short prayer for everyone who needs one at the beginning of this holiday season. Please let them know that no one is in the fight alone. Happy Thanksgiving.

Whoa!

This is the season to start the rat race. It's almost time for Black Friday. I'm exhausted thinking about it. I had so much to do today that everything to do in the house got postponed. Now, I really never feel guilty about postponing laundry, but I did today. I'm so busy running here and doing errands, that I've forgotten time for me and for a cup of coffee with friends. Whoa. Stop. Look at the calendar right now and schedule "Me Time." Time to pray, meditate, journal. Stop the insanity before it gets worse. Breathe in - breathe out.

I'd recommend a wonderful combination of meditation, breathing, and walking called "breathwalk." It is energizing, calming - whatever you need it to be. Check the website at "Breathwalk.com."

Vera Bradley

As I've said before, my women friends are the foundation of my life. They can also have a mischievous streak. I have long thought Vera Bradley purses looked like diaper bags and why would anyone pay that kind of money? Mea culpa, mea culpa. Innocent as I am, I accepted Patty's invitation to lunch with Kerri, Lori and Kay. It was clear from the onset that I was the interloper. Although I had a really cute little black purse with ruffles, I was no match for the Vera girls with all their little Vera inserts. I began to succumb. To say I am easily influenced, well I just don't like to think of it like that.

Suffice it to say that we had lunch at a little cafe close to a Vera store. I left with a Night Owl on-the-go purse. How was I to know that I'd return this week to add a Yellow Bird Miller tote bag, billfold and assorted other items. I feel so much better and I just love my purse and tote. What was I thinking? I have to be strong. I will not buy every little thing just because it matches. And, no. I've not already booked a plane flight to Ohio or wherever that warehouse is.

Middle Aged Woman

Yes indeedy. Been there.

Chain Mail

'Worry looks around, Sorry looks back, Faith looks up

I'm never sure what to do with chain mail. Especially the ones that say send back to sender so they know you care. Maybe if i did a little better job letting them know how much they've added to my life, I wouldn't feel compelled to forward them back. (Can you forward something back?) At any rate, these seemed like good words to contemplate:

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8.. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.

11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

As an aside, however, there is a line (I think from Butch Cassidy) that goes something like . . . Morons, I have morons on my team. I met one of those yesterday. I live in a gated community with roving security. One of them stopped me because I had my Labrador, Daisy, in the golf cart with me. She loves to go for rides. Now, all dogs have to be on a leash, if not on your property. He stopped me and called his supervisor to see if a dog was in a golf cart, did it still need a leash. It must have been a slow day in the world of security. I'm trying to remember a compliment cause that just about ruined my sense of humor. My husband is grateful that I was not arrested. He does keep referring to Daisy and me as the felons. Ah well, I bought a new Vera Bradley Miller Bag to make me feel better and I'm taking Daisy out for a ride hoping I'll find the conscientious security moron.

Weekend Retreat

I spent the weekend at a scrapbook retreat in the Texas Hill Country. What a delight. The surroundings were unbelievable. It was quiet; the stars were magnificent; the hundreds of butterflies magical. We were there to scrapbook – an opportunity to scrapbook for 24 hours a day, if you want. Now, if you’re not into scrapbooking, you probably can’t appreciate the concept; if you are, it was “over the top.” My friend Patty convinced me to go. It wasn’t really all that difficult. But, the women from Memories Across the Miles – Kay and Lori – set a new standard for retreats. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The real topic here is friendship. Someone once said “my friends have made the story of my life.” And what a story it’s been. It’s amazing that opportunities for friendship pop up in the strangest of places – well, maybe not really so strangely. Having never scrapbooked, I sort of thought, how hard can it be. So, I had about four weeks to make a scrapbook of my daughter from birth to age 16. I checked the web for stores in the area and found Scrapbook Cottage. I’d found my home away from home. And, some really incredible women (OK, Fred’s pretty good, too). Patty, one of the owners, became a special friend. I love her to death as she listens to me vent, never criticizes, tackles my tiny problems as her own and has wonderful suggestions.
There is no greater treasure than the women friends we find – no matter where. But, you have to make time to invest in those friendships. Patty and I scrapped til late, ate chocolate without much guilt, ate again and suddenly it was Sunday.