That Auld Lang Syne

The good ole days.  Times long past. 

Ahhhh -remember the good ole days?

 Literally?  "Old long since".  Yes - Auld Lang Syne.

The traditional - ringing in the New Year song.  Interesting - for isn't "the good ole days",  really days filled with remembered JOY?  Hmmmm - now are you "catching" on?  Uhuh...

So the New Year is upon us.  Your resolutions are swimming in your head - losing weight, saving money, getting out of debt, working out, stop swearing - I hear ya!  I have a few myself that are swimming but haven't hit shore, quite yet.  Although ONE better hurry up!  I need to lose some weight before boarding that plane to Punta Cana!!!  In 29 days...AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

But all kidding aside - truly, there is one resolution that is so easy.  

CATCH JOY.  

Go inside.  

Catch it once a day, twice a day, several times a day - just catch it. Wayyyyy easier than that diet!  Just look around for it.  It could be that beautiful red cardinal on a snowy branch.  It could be a smile on a stranger's face at the grocery store.  It could be a perfect eating day.  It could be your pet snuggling it's warm body up against yours hogging the corn bag.  Catch it, record it and move on.  

Because the diet and the gym and the bank account will all blend together.  The bad will pass.  The sad will fade.  But when you string your JOY moments together...now THAT's living.

I have a friend Sarah who posted this on Facebook this morning and I have thought about it all day.  I hope she doesn't mind...

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond. - Rumi  (a fav!)

Catch JOY through good and bad.  And remember - above all - good always wins. 

Embrace those you love.  Be grateful for the privilege of being alive.  It is your gift.  Accept it with JOY.  Move with the music, not through it.  You are making your Auld Lang Syne... 

Best wishes for an amazing and JOY filled 2014.

  

 

The Joy of Un-BLOCKING

Boy, am I blocked. 

I seriously want to start blogging again.  I really do!  I catch the most JOY when I'm blogging.  I believe because it makes me live in the present more, which = more JOY caught.  So I opened up a blank post page...and I sat.  And I sat.  And I SAT.  Why can't I think of anything to write???  You know what this tells me?  I need to blog - MORE.

It is the week of/after Christmas.  My goal has been to curl up on my couch in front of my roaring fire...

with my blanket and my i-pad and my phone and my remotes - eeek!  Those are all tech CRAP!  I can't unplug!  Is it a serious problem?  What does this mean???  I CAN'T UNPLUG??????

Nope - I can't.  But you know what?  I'm ok with that - actually.  I've had a great week here in my nest.  I've watched a bunch of movies.  Family JOY.  AND, I am LOVING - catching much JOY, in fact - getting up to date on Grey's Anatomy!  I had 3 seasons to watch and I am in the middle of last season and still have that and the current season to look forward to.  Yep - JOY!  Don't get me wrong - it's a struggle to get to my nest!  Always so much to do before I can allow myself to be still.  But I did it.  And I will continue to do it until life resumes again - somewhere after JANUARY 1st?

Sadly - I have readers block as well as writers block.  I haven't finished a book in AGES.  Maybe even 4 months.  THAT is not me.  But as I look back - I have been book blocked many times in the past 14 years and have always gotten back to it and chewed through - often - a book a week. (See Book Read sidebar to your right!) 

In 2013 I read 41 books.  Not bad considering I haven't read anything since possibly September or October.  I DO see how tv gets in the way.  My guess is that I haven't read a book since catching up on Private Practice and Greys Anatomy.  I trace this back to - GETTING AN I-PAD?!  

What EVER.  I'll get back to my books at some future date - no worries.  Because I know you are concerned.  tee hee.

At any rate - 2013 was a good year.  A JOYous year, in fact.  It was not without it's problems (hello????  3 little pigs???), but there were major JOYlights.  

The biggest and best are tied.  I reconciled with some precious elementary school friends AND a few months later, 2 college roomies.  BOTH of those visits go down on the "highlights of my life" list.  Hands down. 

There were many more JOYlights this year for sure.  

My middle child slowly starting to change his behavior for the good (thanks to wrestling and his amazing coach). 

Watching my oldest learn to surf. 

Falling in love 

over and over again with my youngest as she rehabbed her way back to the ice after a 5 month injury(ies) pause and came back stronger than ever.  (ummm - thanks to strength coach Mom's persistence?  Perhaps?  JOYJOY...just sayin') 

Celebrating 25 years of marriage with the best man I know.  

Watching my business continue to thrive with both new and repeat clients who I appreciate and adore.

Spending precious time with my 83 year old Uncle AL.

Clamming for the first time in YEARS with precious friends and family.

The list is longer but I think you get the picture.  There are daily JOYS to catch (and release) and then the bigger ones that stay with you - perhaps for life.  They are both important when you are really trying to live a life filled with JOY.  It's never that one continuous "and they lived JOYOUSLY ever after".  But certainly it is the key to a better life.  I know this much is true.

With that in mind - I challenge YOU - to catch more JOY on a daily basis.  Even if you can pick out only one JOY moment to catch each day - I predict your life will be more JOYful.  

JOY moment = JOY life.  Try it and see... 

'NOUGH SAID!

More on this JOY filled weekend later!

AND GOD LAUGHED...

So - I'm working on something.  

WHATTTTTTTT?  Joey WORKING ON SOMETHING??????  For those of you who know me well - I'm ALWAYS working on something.  Whether it be physical, mental, crazy - always got somethin' goin' on.

Lately, life has been somewhat overwhelming and while I have always had it going on with my Universe, God, Law of Attraction, The Secret - it's been tough to stay with it all the time given what life hands you sometimes.  Catching JOY has been a bit of a struggle as of late.  

 So I bought this book.  I liked the concept.  For me - getting back to my trust in what the universe can do for my life...re-touching my spirituality because I've been a slacker lately.   

For others - getting back to their God.  Whatever your gig is...the point of the book is that energy, power and even miracles - actually, especially miracles - are here, now and available to everyone.  I have ALWAYS believed this but as I said, sometimes life gets in the way.

Anyway - so the book offers 9 experiments to put you back in touch.  For example - experiment #1 has you spending 48 hours looking for a gift, blessing, sign - something unmistakeable - that proves there is this invisible energy force or field of infinite possibilities.  I won't go into the details, but rest assured - I got mine in less than 48 hours!!!!  I also manifested something specific - which was the assignment for Experiment #4.  But, it's actually Experiment #2, I want to fill you in on!

So Experiment #2 is essentially a 48 hour experiment designed to make you more "aware" that when you begin to think about something - you draw it into your life.  That what you see in life is none other than what you look for.  It is designed to prove that it's possible to find anything you look for and by changing what you look for, you can radically change what shows up in your world.  

Hmmmmm - are you making the Catch Joy As It Flies By connection???  Ummmm - yeaaa-aa-aaa!!!

As an example - have you ever bought a new car and suddenly, that's all you see on the road???  We bought a Toyota Sienna back in 2007 and I had never laid eyes on one in my life.  As soon as we bought it, everywhere I looked, there were Toyota Siennas!  And not in different colors!  ALL steel gray like ours!  WTH!!!????

So this was the experiment in a nutshell.  It was very simple.  For 48 hours, you just had to actively look for certain things.  The first 24 hours, you had to intentionally look for green cars.  The experiment also said if green cars wasn't your gig, you could change it and look for creamy beige colored vehicles.

The 2nd 24 hours, you had to intentionally look for yellow butterflies.

Ok!  I can totally do this!!!!  I will look for green cars and yellow butterflies.  Easy, peasy.

So at 9:33am on June 21st, driving down the road to meet my bestie Diane for coffee on the beach, I started looking for green cars.  I'm all ready - recording the time so I knew my 24 hour window's start and finish.  I could feel my body sitting up straighter behind the wheel.  Ready, set, GO!!!!  

First car...Creamy Beige.  Ok, no problem.  It wasn't like I was supposed to manifest a green car right from the get go...

Second car...Creamy Beige.  Haaa, you're so funny, Universe...they DO say, the Universe has a sense of humor...

Third car...

CREAMY BEIGE.  Ummmm - hello, Earth to Universe!  I chose GREEN cars???  Remember?  Not Creamy Beige cars????  Yoohooooooooo...

What's that old saying? "Just when you thought you had all the answers..."  Or is it, "We make plans and God laughs"?  Woohoooooo - someone's having fun with me!!!

Anyway - I continued on my journey to Beach Donuts for a birthday donut  the coffee shop for a cuppa Joe, and saw no green cars.  Suddenly I realized something.  

I was driving a green vehicle.  Haaaaaa - another zinger, Universe, funny...

Then I pulled into the parking lot of the place and there it was, my first green vehicle!  And it was exactly like the one I was driving - green Ford Ranger pick-up truck.  Now I'm LMFAO because the universe apparently really DOES have a sense of humor!

Ok - so I grab 2 donuts a cup of coffee and get in my green Ford Ranger pick-up truck and start to back out of the parking space.  And I'm like - OK, gotta look for those green cars!  Then I'm thinking, "Wow - tomorrow's assignment may be tough.  Yellow butterflies?  First of all - I usually see a ton of them in July and August but not typically in June."  

But I was ok, because it didn't necessarily have to be live butterflies.  It could be on a piece of stationary, on a paper cup, a picture on a poster - just had to be a yellow butterfly.  So all this yellow butterfly self talk is happening as I back out of the parking space.  I put the truck in DRIVE and as I'm heading out of the lot, I glance over to the storefront next to the coffee shop.

REALLY?

SOMETIMES - NO NEED TO CATCH; NO NEED TO CHASE!

 This morning, on my friend Aileen's Facebook page, I saw a photo of a bouquet of Lily of the Valley.  Instant JOY!  My mother's favorite spring flower.  When I moved into my new house, she brought me some plants from her patch and every year I am filled with JOY when their fragrant tiny bells bloom.

After seeing Aileen's beautiful bouquet - as soon as I had a free second - I ran up to my parent's homestead - now their estate - and started picking as many blooms as I could.  I knew this was the last year I would be privileged to do this so I wanted every single one.  I planned to come back in a few weeks to dig more up but for now, I needed this last bouquet.  

The patch is about 4 feet x 2 feet and I was very intent on making a big vase full.  Suddenly, this came into focus.  It was the weirdest thing.  I had been in the patch for a good 5 minutes and never saw it.  I swear, it just "appeared".

How cool is THAT???  It's a Red Tailed Hawk feather.  I'm thinking it's a wee gift from my Mama...

BTW - can someone please explain to me why my family can't THROW THESE AWAY??????  Is there an arts and crafts project looming that I don't know about?  EVERY WEEK?  Just askin'...

Just another day here at JOY central.

Remember - you gotta...

BOOKATION!

At exactly 9:17 this morning I finished a very LONGGGGG 9 week strength and conditioning session.  Normally my classes run for 6 weeks but due to circumstances beyond my control as in - ACTS OF GOD - I had to make up 25 classes starting with the mess of class cancelations that Hurricane Sandy left me with back in October.

Now you may think - what is she bitching about?  9 weeks?  I work 50 weeks in a row every year - 40 hours, 5 days a week.  Yup, I know.  But the universe doesn't revolve around YOUUUUU.  Helllloooooooo.  This is MY blog???

At ANY rate - next week I teach one early morning class every day and I get the rest of the day OFF!  How excited am I?????  EXTREMELY excited!  The kids are in school.  The hubby is at the office.  I'm ALONE for hours!!!  

Now usually that means - catching up on housework, yardwork, grocery shopping, etc. etc. etc.  And that is not so bad.  I still don't have to gear up for the evening classes.  I'm FREE every evening for the next 11 days!!!  And I don't have to get up at 5AM for 11 mornings!!!  In a row!  Life is good.

So - I was at the public library yesterday and I ended up selecting 4 books which I added to 2 library books I was still hoarding at home.  As I'm walking out of the library, I'm all excited because I found a book that one of my favorite authors put out last year and I didn't know it.  Eureka!!  I love Nicholas Evans!  (no!  Not Nicholas Sparks, whose sappy books I just can't get into)

Then I said to myself:

Now how am I going to get all these books read?  Why do I do this?  Check out a sh*tload of great books and then only have time to read 1?  

And then it hit me!  I'm OFF this week!  I don't HAVE to clean, cook, do laundry, grocery shop, blahblahblah.  If I want to - I can read all week!  BOOKATION!!!!!!!  I mean - if I was away on vacation at my beach house, I'd be sitting on the beach all day - reading.  It's what I do!  Why do I have to be away?

BOOKATION!  Here I COME!!!!!
BOOKATION mission? READ READ READ!!!!!

these 6 books: 

The Brave  - Nicholas Evans
The Panther - Nelson DeMille
The Racketeer - John Grisham
The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton
A Week in Winter - Maeve Binchy

What?  That's only 5 books?

That's because I wanted to tell you something.  I am a huge fiction fan but I rarely read memoirs etc.  I'm definitely an info junkie and I read tons of fitness, nutrition and lifestyle material but for some reason memoirs don't do it for me.  

BUT, included in my 6 books, is a memoir called, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming.  I have NO idea who Ruthie is.  None!  But the inside front cover summary was appealing so THAT book got added to the list.  

I'll let you know how I make out!  I  am really looking forward to my BOOKATION!!  Afterall...

  
And to all my Words With Friends  and WordFeud opponents?  If you don't see much action this week - you'll know the reason...  

See you on the other side after my JOY-filled BOOKATION!!!  Adios!!

PS  - Did I tell you about all the books in my personal "library" I need to read?

OY!!!!!

BOOK JOY

TREASURES!

It's a great day when you come home with treasures!  Especially when they are CHEAP!!!

Today, a neighboring town held it's annual townwide tag sale.  What IS that exactly, you ask?  Well a bunch of homeowners have a tag sale at their homes all across the town.  And the frosting on the cake?  The elementary school parking lot... a flea market of sorts with a bunch of junk "booths".  My kind of JOY!

Back in the day, when Dad went into the office Saturday mornings and Mom wanted to sell the kids needed to entertain the three little pigs who forever were getting on her last NERVE...

At the first sign of spring, I would give them each a few dollars and off we would go to THE TAG SALES.  It was a blast.  They loved it because - hell - every tag sale has toys!  I loved it because I was bringing home treasures AND we were bonding over junk rather than flipping out over the loud destruction of the house.  Did I mention LOUDDDD destruction?

Today there were only 2 littles with me.  One had her own $$$ and one didn't - OF COURSE - because he spends every last cent on junk in the school cafeteria...or any other place he can find to spend money or how about dropping a $20 on the kitchen floor and the dog chewing it unrecognizable or losing a $10 bill in McDonalds when the wrestling team stopped to eat there after a meet one night...GRRRRRRRRR.  

Wait - where was I?  How did I get off on this tangent?

Anyway, today - after the 2nd stop - getting NAGGED incessantly by him - I handed him $5 and he was on his own.  My, my, my did he become a discriminating shopper...GOD, I LOVE THAT!!!  Life Lessons!!!

So here's some of my finds!  I'm so excited!  Starting with my favorite:

Isn't she a BEAUT?????  Notice she matches my favorite tablecloth in the whole world?!!

Many of you know that I am a RABID reader.  In fact, I track my read books over there on the right side of this blog -  so you always know a good book you can read if you like fiction.  Anyway - I love tag sales because their books are so cheap!  I picked up a few pieces of fiction and then I picked up the coop da gracie (Shhh - I know that's not how you pronounce it.) which I will show you in a sec.

I will set these books aside for vacation.  You recall I only bring like FIFTY books on vacation...

Here's my STEAL!!!  Only FIFTY CENTS!!!!!!!!
  

50 cents!  FIVE - O!

I know.  You're probably like - oh, The Silver Palette Cookbook.  Big Whoop.  Can't she just buy that on-line?

Well - yeaaaaaa.  But not for FIFTY CENTS!!!!!!!!  I LOVE this book!  I make Chicken Marbella at least once a month.  It's a CLASSIC!  I needed to own this cookbook!  

Anyway - I guess I'm a cheap date because I like the cheap thrills. 

Then I picked up these little gems for my shabby chic screened porch.  

They are PERFECT accents for my color scheme which is of course - some form of the blue palette.  Ok - brace yourself!  One dollar EACH!!!!!!!  Who's better than me, I ask??????

And lastly, I scored this baby.  

Do you see how perfect she is?  Not a scar, not a blight, not an anything!!!  She's PERFECT!

Perhaps now, the MEN in my life will throw their dirty clothes inside the basket instead of on the floor next to the basket?  Why would they change now, you ask?  

Ummmm - I don't know!!!!  Cuz she's perfect?  Let me dream, willya!!!!!  Jeez.  

So.   That was my shopping spree today!  You want to see me catch JOY?  Send me out on a Sat. morning  tag sale-ing.  (Apparently, there is no such word as "saleing".  Someone needs to correct that!  Cuz in my world, there is a huge sale-ing going on!)

BTW - in case you are interested in what my middle monster did with his $5?  Well - I told him if he didn't spend it I wanted it back.  So.  Later in the day, knowing he had only spent a dollar, I asked him for the $4 back.  

Ummmmmm - MOM!  I spent it on candy at the store when Dad stopped for milk after the game.

WHAT-DID-I-FREAKING-TELL-YOU???? 

ROLL-MY-EYES!!!

Soothing color JOY

Randomness JOY

T'was a nice day today.  Caught JOY all over the place!  I'm ending my JOYful day with an icy gimlet in hand, writing (finally) a new blog post.  So if it gets a little random...KIDDING!  This is just an eclectic post, so strap in!

I'm in the midst of making up the 25 + classes I had to cancel since Hurricane Sandy back in November (or was it October?  I can't even remember...)  Anyway - it's a long 9 + weeks.  My regular strength and SPIN classes meet in 6 week blocks with a week or 2 in between for me to gas up, renew, re-motivate, clean the gym, get my sparkle back - so 9 weeks is killer.  I can't even count right anymore.  "Ok ladies, drop and give me 20 - 1, 2, 3, 17" -- SEVENTEEN?  Since when does 17 come after 3???  Where did I drift off to?  Yea - that's how it's gone this week.  Momma needs a vacation!!!

Anyway - I DID have a nice day today.  A little Staycation perhaps?  Taught an 8am class, did some working out myself and then headed out with my "friend" Linda, for awesome Fish Tacos in Mexico - I mean - in a Mexican place in Middletown.  They were so YUM!  And it was a beautiful, sunny Spring day to boot.  Speaking of boots...Still not ready to slip into the sexy open toed shoes that my "friend" Linda was sportin' but soon...soon!

On the way home, I impulse shopped.  My "friend" Linda lives a way into the sticks and as I drove down her street I see a sign for "The Plant Your Children Killed Last Year" Bleeding Hearts.  I screeched on the brakes and swung in for a Bleeding Heart.  Lush and lovely!!!

Right???

But of course, I couldn't just buy 1 plant.   Nooooo - I had to come home with 3.  Trust me - this is just the beginning.

So guess what?  I have an "anomoly" vacationing in my yard.  Check him (her?) out!!!  (I'm going with "him".)

How cool is he???  A White Headed Robin!!!!

My "friend" Linda took this shot from the gym last Saturday and googled it.  Here's what she found.

The white head is apparently the result of a condition called leucism, a genetic mutation that prevents feathers from taking their normal color, and fairly rare.

Leucism is a condition that occurs in many different species of animals and differs from albinism. With this condition, the eyes are not pink, although the affected animal can be all white, white in spots or just be paler than its normal coloring.

And he's in MY yard!!!!!  I love him!  His name is Snowdrop.  Here's another view!

Ain't he handsome?!!

So it's quite exciting.

So, my "friend" Linda - she's in this post alot, isn't she?  My "friend" Linda came to a strength class the other day and left some goodies behind.  Killing me.  Here I am avoiding sugar and she leaves a homemade eclair AND a serving of the yummiest Lemon Mousse EVER!!!  I, of course, need this recipe.  

My "friend" Linda sent it to me and I vowed to make it today.  But before I did that, I wanted to check out the number of grams of sugar in the dish.  Ummmm - 225.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...snifffffff

But wait a minute.  Ok - I can have 10 grams of sugar a day.  If the recipe makes 22 servings (10 grams/serving), I'm GOOD!!!!  Linda assures me it makes at least 22 GOOD sized servings.  (That's very important - good sized!).

So, I'm all excited.  I print the recipe.  I squeeze the lemon juice.  I grate the zest.  I separate the eggs.  I pull out the unflavored gelatin - SCREECHHHHHHHHHH.  WAITTTTTTTTTTTT!  Unflavored gelatin???  G-damnit.  Who the hell has THAT in their pantry?  Are ya kidding me??????

Quick!  Text the neighbor!  She's a chef!!!!

  

I'm good.  She oughta be pulling in soon!  Here's the recipe:

YUMMY LEMON MOUSSE

• Time -
• Serves 8

Ingredients

---

• 5 eggs separated
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups fresh berries

How to make it

• Beat together egg yolks and sugar.
• Grate rinds of lemons and squeeze 
• out juice measuring 2/3 cup lemon juice.
• Add rind to egg yolks then gradually add lemon juice beating all the while.
• Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup of hot water and beat until it is dissolved.
• Allow to cool slightly.
• Whip cream lightly and stir into lemon mixture then stir in gelatin.
• Continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry then fold into lemon mixture.
• Spoon soufflé into dish and chill in refrigerator until completely set about two hours.
• Serve with berries if desired.

enJOY my friends.  enJOY!!!!!!

PS - there is an "inside" joke in this post that only my "friend" Linda will get.  So don't think you missed something.  Just sayin'...

Beyond JOYfilled

That's me.  Beyond JOYfilled.  So much so that I will not be able to share it with my words.  Fancy that.  Me?  Wordless...

It's the oddest thing.  I am experiencing only this indescribable golden light.

Yesterday began like most Saturdays.  Up at 6, train a class full of awesome women at 7, head to the skating rink at 9:15 -- WAIT! No skating rink!  Nope.  Not yesterday.  

Because YESTERDAY?  

Yesterday, I made the journey I have waited 34 years a very long time to make.  Yesterday - I traveled into the waiting arms of my college sisters, T and Deb.  I can - quite possibly for the first time - sincerely say I was completely present and in the moment, for 6 hours yesterday.  Filled with...you got it... JOY.  

So much JOY that soft, golden light is all I see when I think of our time together after 34 years.  How can it be that you miss someone(s) so much and you don't even know it?  Until you find them again?  Today I truly ache for those missed years. 

I gained access to the internet about 17, maybe 18 years ago and I have searched for these two soul sisters for at least that long.  I sometimes came close, but there was never an instance when I was positive I had who I was looking for.  

Back in January, (in the middle of the Patriots/Ravens play-off game - sorry I wasn't your good luck charm T!!), I hit gold.  I found T. (Maybe THAT'S why I can only experience this golden filled light!  I hit GOLD!!!)  

Amazing Facebook.  Once again - my connection to more than I could ever imagine - on that amazing Facebook!

I am completely unable to put a voice to what yesterday's 6 golden hours were like and meant to me.  It flew like the wind.  The chatter was endless and we are not done.  And the frosting on the cake was re-uniting with Deb's high school/college boyfriend - now, long time husband, Dave - who I love as dearly as I love T and Deb.

Yesterday was one of the most precious days of my life.  I will not try to describe it any more than this.  Pure, unadulterated, blissful JOY.

Today, I remain wrapped in the golden light of that JOY.  I am so happy.   I am just plain - so happy.