I’ve been busy digesting the past few weeks. I sent my firstborne off into the world of college. Of course, it didn’t quite go as planned. I was expecting a normal ‘meet the roommates’ and their parents and then take my son out for lunch or go on one last Target run, but nooooo! I showed up anxious and frustrated, thanks to car troubles. About 15 minutes before arriving at our destination (Erie, PA), my trusty red 2007 Saturn Vue… Read more »
Pssst. Yes, dear friend, this post on showing grace is meant for you! Is your 9-5 existence punctuated by frequent sanity checks, uh, checking your 401(k) balance to temporarily sooth your anxieties in a high stress workplace? Feeling frustrated, annoyed, and irritated? Tired of dealing with difficult people in a dysfunctional work environment? I can relate. Been there, survived that. The corporate, nonprofit, government (domestic and foreign), and academic worlds have their fair share of aggravations. When the aggravation is… Read more »
Last year, I decided to do a pre-emptive purge, or an early spring cleaning, to streamline the clutter in my life. Pouring over about a decade’s worth of random documents, pictures, and other belongings, I discovered a red journal where I had had every good intention of recording what would prove to be a memorable vacation in Australia. The journal continues just one short entry: Sydney Dec. 25th 2004 Xmas Left Japan 12/23 – had a long stopover in Taipei,… Read more »
My childhood memories of summer revolve around beaches and summer reading. Having grown up in ‘the Hamptons,’ (Southampton, NY, to be precise), I spent most of my childhood sitting on the beach. Reveling in the luxurious sounds of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls singing, I would lie down on my towel not to sunbathe, but to settle in and read a good book. Back then we didn’t have Amazon.com. No, my mom would take us to the local… Read more »
I’m sorry. So sorry. My apologies. Mea culpa. Such short phrases that should just roll off of your tongue, right? But what if you are expected to apologize when you strongly believe you did nothing wrong? Expected to apologize when the person you are told to apologize to is at ‘fault,’ from your perspective? Last week, a colleague endured a tirade from an ‘internal customer.’ It lasted close to an hour. I kept my distance because 1) I didn’t want… Read more »
This week has been particularly hectic–boy, am I frazzled and in dire need of relaxing music. So far this week, it’s been jury duty (and getting selected for a high profile case), field trips, candidate interviews (for my boss’s replacement), and flying to Mars (ok, just kidding on the last one). Need I say more? Oh, wait, being short-staffed at work the past two weeks! After a stressful day, no, make that week, I need to reclaim my zen with… Read more »
My family recently learned how pizza, more specifically, pizza boxes, can be a fire hazard. Two weeks ago, I headed off for several days without my family and almost without a care in the world to my first blogging conference. I attended Focused Blogging in Richmond, Virginia. In another life, this would have been a 90-minute drive (without traffic), but now Richmond is over 4 hours away from home. The first night, during dinner, I received a frantic phone call… Read more »
Dear Mom, This Mother’s Day, I wanted to tell you how much I love you and reflect on how much I have learned from you. First, let me tell you how much I envy your energy and grit. No matter what challenges life throws at you, you jump right back up on your feet like a cat! As a parent, when juggling work and family life overwhelms me, I stop to pause and wonder…”How did mom pick up the pieces… Read more »
Taming Chaos in the Kitchen The Well-Ordered Kitchen Planner could not come at a better time of year–’tis the season for spring cleaning. My kitchen and pantry could use a serious overhaul. Our pantry is still the dumping ground for random ‘things’ without a ‘home.’ Half empty paint cans, two crock pots, and a million dollars. Ok, maybe not…. Pulling my hair out trying to decide what to eat for dinner is a common occurrence in our household. Almost daily… Read more »
Are you a recovering Type A personality (like myself) perpetually in search of zen? If so, you might consider aromatherapy. Two years ago, I realized my health was in jeopardy when my family doctor gave me an Rx for what he characterized as ‘anxiety attacks.’ Just the thought of taking prescription drugs to manage my stress was stressing me out!! Taxing Work (Pun Intended) After a taxing day at work (oh, the irony….I worked for Bloomberg BNA’s International Tax unit),… Read more »
