Wednesday, May 31, 2006

The Most Beautiful Flowers for HAM

I just purchased this beautiful bouquet to be delivered to my sister a few days from now! Miss HAM will be graduating this weekend. It's hard to imagine the little one being grown up enough and heading off to college! Above you will notice the most beautiful bouquet of flowers ever. This is what I've chosen to start my most special girl's day off with - she'll be getting these precious hot pink roses in the mail, coupled by the floating limes. Don't these flowers just make you feel joyful; they seem to giggle with joy for me each time I look at them. I love making people happy. And happy flowers just have a way of making days even brighter. And Miss HAM I'm so proud of you! You are beautiful, brillant young woman with so many gifts to offer this world!
So here's to you, happy times ahead!

Strength, Courage, and Wisdom


It's now Wednesday May 31st. Tomorrow marks the first of June, and with that summer is due to begin. This summer will be stretching and taking me on new paths of growth, of both are which exciting and necessary in order for me to reach new goals. I will be acting as the Program Director/Faculty/Program Coordinator for Leadership University . What an opportunity! I consider myself blessed at age 22 to have such a position to be able to lead, impact, and make a difference in so many peoples' lives.

Things I want to gain from this summer experience include: (but are not limited to)

1. Analytical skills - slowing my reaction time down.
2. Energy Focus - channeling my gifts
3. Work/Life balance - make time for myself,friends, and family
4. Teambuilding - learning more about inspiring and motivating through my leading

This seems like a good start. Also I will begin to conceptualize and envision further about my graduate studies for the expected start date of Fall 2007. At this point I will be 23 and have 2 years of work experience under my belt. I look forward to next year at this point and the experiences that I will have had, and the new adventures that will be coming to be. My goals new for my MBA include: creating determing criteria for schools, narrowing list, and setting up a timeline.

This morning I had a nice chance to talk to God on the drive to work and again feel an immense sense of strength. Like a lightbulb going off. Sometimes when life moves quickly and things keep changing it's easy to not take time to reflect- but last night it all came back to me; I enjoy being strong, independent, and challenged. I also have the right to make choices about my life. When I set my mind on something nothing can stop me. And I have the power to create my path.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Focus, Goals, Sunsets Ahead



Sometimes in life emotions wash over you like waves, sometimes floods. But you have to realize that that's just it - they are just waves. Soon new waves are coming into shore, new winds setting the pace of the seas, and new days ahead. Smooth sailing.

It's good to experience emotions; to feel. But you also have to ground yourself in reality and focus on the positives, what's ahead, and where you are going. Mind you the sun is rising one more day.

Today, thanks to a few good friends and some manual labor my perspective has come back and a wave of refreshment has taken over me. I am hopeful. I am strong. I am excited about what lies ahead.

This is an adventure, and that's what I love about life - that I don't exactly know everything yet. There's a lot of living and learning to be done. What I do know is that there are certain things I want to do and certain things I want to accomplish and a whole lotta love I have to give. I'm ready.

New Beginning

I feel a million different ways. After reading that post I can’t help but feel blessed, but also a twinge of bitter sweetness as I see one door closing and another opening.

I know this is a new beginning, and not an ending.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Down to Wire



Things are down to the wire! We've got folks not being able to breathe, people wearing the same clothes to work day in and day out, and others crying in the evening, laughing your head off at randomness...some people need beer or a head amputation.

All I can say is those teacakes are great. Somehow wearing shorts and a polo also seems to lighten the mood.

Bring it on peanut.

Thursday, May 18, 2006


"Love

does not consist

in gazing at

each other
but in looking
together

in the same

direction."
- Antoine De Saint-Exupéry



I'm going to DisneyWorld!


Magic Kindgom here I come!

This just in! I will be making my way to this land of enchantment tomorrow evening post work. Departure time: 5:25pm. (yes, rebellious I know). When I arrive at my destination I will be meeting with my Twin Bug, Mr. Assell, Alto Woman, and other famous Chicagoins. I don't think I will be able to contain myself until then. Pleasure Island Saturday evening. A few pictures with Mickey. A ride through the castle. But what I look forward to most is the reunion that will take place between me and KAE. There are sure to be lots of pictures taken, some good food, drinks, and lots of laughter. I cannot wait! I'll be like a big kid in the Magic Kindgom! Yes! This is a great way to celebrate the beginning of my oh so busy summer to come...and departure from the Sunshine State.

P.S. Maybe I'll meet Tinkerbell!



Tuesday, May 16, 2006

A Poem for Today's Post


IN THE DESERT
By Steven Crane

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter--bitter," he answered,
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

In the margins of my notes on this poem from Dr. Ingrasci I have written:
ego-love
eating one's heart out: self pity=self love
the man eating is trying one method of surviving, but
you'll starve if you only eat of yours

Monday, May 15, 2006

Perspective

"More than he wants us to follow him, he wants us to have a relationship with him. More than blind obedience, he wants conversation. He'll even get down on the mat and wrestle with us if thats what we need. God made us for himself and none of us will rest until we are one with him. That is where we belong, and pretty much whatever it takes to get there is worth it. "


Good words to remember.

Hungry for More - Timberland's New Label


So in my latest quest to research MBA schools I've discovered the unique industry of socially responsible businesses. In further investigating and looking into exactly what businesses are ranked and fall under the granola crunchers category I stumbled across Timberland’s new nutrition label. Timberland is currently ranked #6 according to Business-Ethics (http://www.business-ethics.com/whats_new/100best.html ). Timberland announced in January that they would be launching a new packaging initiative to help provide consumers with more insight into their socially conscience practice. Sure this seems like a great idea. Even kind of clever. But the nutrition label lacks real information. They only really give 3 pieces of information – where the shoe was manufactured, how it was produced, and the effect on the environment. The problem lies in that we do not get the whole story. Under the heading Community Impact they note how many hours of community service were rendered, but how what do these hours have to do with the people that made the shoe? It has to do with the employees of Timberland and their volunteering efforts. And what about the energy needed to produce the shoe. 2kWh? Is that a lot or a little? How does that compare to other shoe manufacturing? But what about the materials needed to produce the shoe, and the ingredients required to produce the tanning of leather? Aren’t these environmentally harmful? There is nothing noted about this. The label is a nice idea, but that’s all it really is - nice. I’m sure Timberland does great things, but marketing social responsibility and practices needs to be done with a clear intention and full, accurate information. Please don’t use the “we save the environment” as your slogan unless you can own up.

Timberland’s nutrition label leaves me hungry for more.

Friday, May 12, 2006

A List



The Friday List - Lilacs because they remind of me small towns and simple times. I'll have one in my backyard one day. My kids will pick me lilacs because they'll know they're my favorite. Simple things make me happy like that.

1. This really is a small world. Distance doesn't mean anything for best friends.

2. Hurricanes rock! Go little HAM

3. Surprise wake up calls in the middle of the night can be very sweet.

4. Rain makes me want to stay in bed with a book, and bake cookies. Pajama party.

5. Change is good. But bad habits die hard. Grow up.

6. There are moments my joy takes over my life, and I almost forget to breathe.

7. Too many people in the office decide their feet are pretty, and show them off by not wearing shoes. This is not cool

8. No use in worrying about things you can't control. Like life.

9. A desk job will never fully satisfy me. I have to connect with people - msn and email don't satisfy this need.

10. TGIF.

Friday, May 05, 2006

I Want to Get Schooled

Professor Creative Woman.

It has a ring to it.

Like I said, I want to get schooled.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

The Myth of Pain

There’s a myth surrounding pain. Take mothers for example. They always claim that the pain of childbirth is quickly forgotten because it’s overturned by the joy of their baby. This is the myth, that pain is quickly forgotten. I remember the pain when I bumped my head last week or was stung by a bee. For me pain is what has made me the way I am. It is what has grown me; my Heart. Pain is so necessary for all of my growth. I chose not to forget, but remember.

He wrote me today. I had reached out again, and he reached back. I was ready to reach out again. This happens every so often now. I think it used to happen more. My Heart says to me "chin up, go love" and I listen to my Heart because it's strong and I've been doing it since I was little. At 7, my Heart was young and innocent and I forgave him for coming home late, not being at my ballet recital, or making Her cry. I saw him as the man who put together my first swing set in the backyard. At 10 he was still the man in my eye that would stand outside in the cold April weather of Illinois, on Easter. For 2 hours we flew my kite. I remember his hands clutching my little hand so closely. Again, my Heart had managed to fly away the hurt from not knowing who he was.

So now my Heart is braver, stronger, and more patient than the both of us. We both underestimate its strength. Even if he does break my Heart again, it doesn’t care, because now it soars. It believes again and again.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

What fuels you?

What fuels you?

With all of the recent talk going on surrounding oil and gasoline, it's only fitting to have a post about "What fuels you?" The funny thing is oil, gasoline, or those hostess cupcakes you stash in your pantry aren't what I'm getting at. That in fact gets you nowhere...except down the road a little fatter and a little more polluted. What I'm looking for is what makes you come alive? What gets you up in the morning?

For example, why is it 11:48pm and I feel wide awake. It's because of this blog. (how odd, right) It's the idea and opportunity of sharing part of myself with a larger world.

So what fuels you, leaves you wanting to do more/give more/be more?

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."